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Boy Gladiators of Capua, Book 2	By : Jake Category: S through Z > Spartacus: Blood and Sand Views: 138 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I do not own Spartacus: Blood and Sand, and make no money from writing stories based on it.

Chapter List
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2. The Agreement
The next morning, a cold, dim light filtered through the small window high in the cell, casting a faint glow on the rough stone walls. Kaelus stirred from a restless sleep, his body aching from the previous day's punishment. Aulus lay curled up beside him, his small form shivering from the cold. The night had been a fitful one, filled with the echoes of their pain and the raw emotions of the day before.
Kaelus gently brushed a hand over Aulus's hair, trying to offer some comfort even as his own heart remained heavy with despondency. Aulus slowly opened his eyes, blinking against the faint light.
'Kaelus,' he whispered. 'I'm glad you're here.'
'How did you end up here, Aulus?' Kaelus asked softly. 'You were supposed to be safe, away from all this.'
Aulus's expression showed a mix of shame and sadness. 'It's our parents,' he breathed, his voice barely audible. 'They owed money again, Kaelus – a lot of money. I don't know all the details but... but they couldn't pay.'
Kaelus felt a surge of anger and despair well up inside him, but he fought to keep it in check for Aulus's sake. He silently cursed his parents for getting into debt again, then he felt a pang of sympathy for them, knowing the decision they had been forced to make.
'I’m so sorry, Aulus,' Kaelus said. 'You'd have been better off if I'd let you be sold to look after some rich woman's lap dogs three years ago. This is all my fault.'
'Don't be silly,' Aulus said simply, reaching out to grasp his hand. 'None of this is your fault, Kaelus. We just... we have to stick together now, right?'
Kaelus squeezed his brother's hand, a fierce determination hardening his resolve. 'Yes. We'll protect each other, no matter what. But I'm going to be stuck in this cell for the next week. Find Tarin and Lykos in the ludus, and tell them you're my brother. They'll look after you... and you can look after them too.'
'I will,' said Aulus. 'Kaelus, what did the master mean last night when he was talking about putting me up on stage? I thought I was going to be a gladiator, not a clown.'
Kaelus sighed deeply. 'Sometimes the master makes his boy gladiators... perform.'
'Perform?' Aulus asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.
'To entertain his guests, when he has them,' Kaelus elaborated. 'He was trying to break my spirit by telling me that he was going to make you do it too. But I don't think he really meant it... he can't have really meant it... can he?'
'He probably did,' Aulus predicted. 'After all, I am one of his boy gladiators now.'
'No, no, no,' Kaelus wept, placing his head in his hands. 'He can't... he just can't.'
'We're not talking about telling jokes or singing songs here, are we?' said Aulus.
'No,' said Kaelus.
'What does he make you do?'
'It's better that you don't know, Aulus.'
'Even if it might to happen to me?'
With a sickening jolt, Kaelus realised that his brother was right. He had kept the truth from his two friends and then they had been thrown in at the deep end, completely unprepared for what was to come.
'The master makes us perform... sexually,' said Kaelus. 'Do you understand what I mean by that?'
'Yes,' said Aulus, 'I think so. Oh, Kaelus...'
The brothers huddled together again, trying desperately to bring each other as much comfort as they could in their hopeless situation. The sound of approaching footsteps broke the moment, and Kaelus's heart sank as the cell door creaked open. Two guards entered, their expressions stern and detached. They moved towards Aulus.
'It's time for him to go,' one of the guards said to Kaelus, his tone devoid of sympathy.
Kaelus's grip on Aulus tightened briefly before he forced himself to release it.
'Stay strong,' he whispered to his brother. 'I'll see you soon, I promise.'
Aulus nodded, his eyes wide with fear, but also with a newfound determination. As the guards led him away, he looked back at Kaelus one last time, his expression a mixture of hope and dread. Kaelus watched as the door closed behind Aulus, leaving him alone in the cold, empty cell.
As the week passed in the oppressive darkness of the cell, each day felt like an eternity to Kaelus. The only human contact he had during this time was with the medicus, who came to treat his wounds on several occasions. Despite many years of dedicated service to the profession, the severity of Kaelus's injuries made even his experienced stomach turn.
One evening, Tarin and Lykos heard the medicus remark to one of the guards that it was a miracle Kaelus had not died from his wounds, particularly considering the evidence pointing to some form of internal organ damage that he had noticed during the first two days, but which had now abated. The boys were relieved yet horrified to hear this news.
By the time of his release, Kaelus's body had healed somewhat, but the pain of what Aulus had endured was a constant torment to his mind. Every moment of solitude had only intensified his resolve, and the thought of his brother suffering – both now and indefinitely – had been the final straw. He knew what had to be done.
When the cell door finally inched its way open, Kaelus was ready. The guards led him out, their expressions indifferent as they returned him to the main quarters of the ludus. The light stung his eyes after days in near-darkness, but Kaelus barely noticed. His thoughts were singularly focused on finding Tarin and Lykos.
He spotted them training together in the practice arena, their bodies moving with the practised ease of seasoned fighters. Tarin noticed Kaelus first, his eyes widening in surprise. Lykos turned as well, dropping the wooden sword he had been practising with.
'Kaelus!' Lykos called out, hurrying over. 'You're out!'
Tarin followed close behind, his brow furrowed with concern. 'We thought... after what happened, we weren't sure when we'd see you again.'
Kaelus's face was a mask of grim determination as he spoke, his voice low but steady. 'I'm ready to escape now.'
Lykos's eyes lit up with excitement and disbelief. 'You mean it? You're with us?'
Kaelus nodded, his gaze intense. 'Where one of us goes, the others follow. But there's one condition – we take Aulus with us. I have to get him out of here, quickly.'
'Of course,' said Tarin. 'Whatever it takes, we'll protect Aulus.'
Lykos nodded in agreement, his expression grave. 'We'll do this together – all of us.'
Kaelus felt a wave of gratitude and relief wash over him. He had tried to carry the burden alone for so long, but with his friends by his side, there was hope.
'I have a plan,' said Kaelus, 'or at least the beginnings of one. I heard a guard tell the medicus some very interesting things about that old gate in the outer wall of the practice arena.'
'You mean the one that's always locked?' said Tarin.
'That's the one I mean,' said Kaelus, 'but apparently it isn't always locked. We can use it to escape – I know we can. But it means waiting until the master has more guests for us to entertain.'
'Oh no...' Tarin whispered.
'I don't think I can go through that again,' said Lykos.
'At least two of us will have to,' said Kaelus.
'Kaelus,' Tarin said gently, 'what if Aulus turns out to be one of those two?'
'Then... then he'll just have to endure it,' Kaelus said through gritted teeth. 'If I could, I'd give my life to make sure it never comes to that. But I don't think my life is a high enough price for the master to accept.'
Tarin and Lykos exchanged a weighty glance.
'Sorry, I shouldn't have started with all that,' said Kaelus. 'What I meant to say first was, I'm really glad to see you both.'
'We're really glad to see you,' said Tarin.
'You may have noticed,' said Lykos, allowing himself a weak smile.
'I did,' said Kaelus, placing a hand on Lykos's shoulder. 'Now, let me tell you what I have in mind.'
The moon had risen, letting fingers of silvery light into the ludus. Kaelus walked with purpose towards the area where Aulus was being held, which his friends had pointed out to him. Kaelus's heart ached as he saw Aulus curled up on a small, rough mat, his sleep troubled by the terror and pain he had endured.
The younger boy stirred, then looked up as his brother approached. Kaelus knelt down beside Aulus, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. The two brothers locked eyes, and for a moment the world around them seemed to fade away. Aulus smiled, weakly yet sincerely.
'Aulus,' Kaelus began, his voice low and steady, 'we need to talk.'
Aulus nodded, his eyes wide with curiosity and concern. 'What is it, Kaelus?'
Kaelus took a deep breath. 'Tarin, Lykos and I... we've been planning something. We can't stay here, not with the way things are. It's too dangerous, and it'll only get worse.'
Aulus nodded, tears shining in his eyes. 'Someone told me you were going to die in that cell.'
'I think I nearly did,' Kaelus said grimly. 'And that's exactly why we're getting out of here, all four of us.'
The younger boy's heart skipped a beat at the thought. There was nothing he wanted more than to escape the cruelty and violence of the ludus, but hearing it from Kaelus, the idea was both thrilling and terrifying.
'Kaelus… is that even possible?' Aulus asked, his voice tinged with both hope and fear.
Kaelus squeezed his brother's shoulder, his gaze unwavering. 'It won't be easy, but we've been working on a plan. Tarin and Lykos are both on board, and they've agreed that we won't go without you. We'll have to be careful, but we can do it. We have to.'
Aulus looked down at his hands, his mind racing with questions and doubts. 'What if we get caught? What if something goes wrong?'
Kaelus leaned in close, his voice firm and reassuring. 'There are risks, Aulus, but staying here is just as dangerous as trying to escape. Our lives are in terrible danger either way, and I'd rather be put to death than let you endure these conditions a moment longer than I have to!'
Aulus felt a lump form in his throat, the weight of the decision pressing down on him. He looked up at Kaelus, whose face was etched with determination and concern.
'I trust you, Kaelus,' Aulus said quietly, his voice steady despite the fear swirling inside him. 'I'll go with you.'
A sense of relief washed over Kaelus, though he knew that the hardest part was still to come. He pulled Aulus into a tight embrace, holding his brother close as if to shield him from the dangers that lay ahead.
'There's something else,' Kaelus murmured. 'I don't want to keep anything back from you, Aulus. If this plan is going to work, you might have to... perform. Just the one time. It would still be one time too many, but there may not be a choice. I'll do everything I can to make sure it's me instead of you, but in the end...'
'I understand,' Aulus said firmly. 'If I have to do it, I'll do it. I mean, I'll try.'
Kaelus was deeply moved by his younger brother's courage, and he found that it bolstered his own.
'I promise you, Aulus,' he whispered, 'whatever it takes, we'll make it.'
Aulus nodded against his brother's shoulder, his fear tempered by the warmth of Kaelus's embrace. For the first time since arriving in the ludus, he felt that everything might turn out all right in the end.
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Boy Gladiators of Capua, Book 2