Boy Gladiators of Capua, Book 1 | By : Jake Category: S through Z > Spartacus: Blood and Sand Views: 296 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0 |
Disclaimer: I do not own Spartacus: Blood and Sand, and make no money from writing stories based on it. |
6. The Last Straw
Lykos stood in the doorway of a dimly lit chamber, his heart pounding in his chest as he glanced around the room. The opulence of the surroundings, the same luxury that he himself had once enjoyed, now felt alien and suffocating. The familiar face of the one who had summoned him there stared at him intently, like a spectre from a past life.
The man's eyes, once filled with warmth and friendly recognition, now seemed cold and calculating. Lykos's heart sank as the full gravity of the situation in which he found himself began to dawn on him.
'Come in, Lykos,' the man said, an unsettling cordiality to his tone. 'Long time, no see.'
Lykos took a hesitant step forward. The room felt impossibly small, and the air was thick with an oppressive sense of foreboding.
'I can hardly believe you're twelve now,' the man continued. 'How time flies.'
'Your son is also twelve,' Lykos replied through gritted teeth.
'So he is,' said the man. 'I do have trouble keeping track of these things, I must admit. Now, come closer. And remove that loincloth of yours.'
Lykos's heart raced as he complied with the order, his body feeling exposed and vulnerable. The man's eyes roamed over him with a predatory interest that made Lykos's skin crawl. He shuddered involuntarily.
'This doesn't have to be as difficult as you're making it, Lykos,' the man said coaxingly. 'You fought magnificently against your friend Tarin this evening – a fine-looking boy, though not quite so fine as yourself – but you don't need to fight me now.'
The touch of the man's hands on his skin made Lykos want to retch; every caress felt like a violation of his very being. It was not long before the two of them were lying on their sides on the bed. The leering man did not hesitate to fulfil his desires, with Lykos as his unwilling accomplice.
The only minute measure of comfort that Lykos managed to derive from this horrific situation was that, in his state of almost total exhaustion after his exertions of that evening and the one before, he was not required to apply himself physically. He could afford just to lie there and take it, trying all the while to detach his mind from what was happening to his body. He tried in vain.
Lykos was utterly heartbroken to feel a surge of physical pleasure as the man moved inside him. Unlike the acts of digital stimulation that he had been forced to endure over the past twenty-four hours or so, the boy had no idea why his body should repsond in such a way to this invasion.
He tried desperately to focus his mind on absolutely anything else, including the traumatic recollection of his many forced releases in the banqueting hall. It did not work. Lykos spilled his seed onto the bed, feeling as though his very soul were being drained from his body all the while. His companion, on the other hand, was delighted.
The act dragged on, each moment feeling like an eternity. When it was finally over, Lykos lay totally inert, his heart heavy with the weight of betrayal and humiliation. Then he was dismissed.
Walking back to the ludus, Lykos felt the crushing weight of his circumstances. The familiar face of someone who should have been a symbol of safety was now a haunting reminder of his suffering. Despite the somewhat consoling thought of Tarin and Kaelus waiting for him, he felt more alone than ever.
The communal bath was one of the few places where the boys could find a semblance of comfort. Kaelus, Tarin and Lykos sat submerged, the warm water soothing their exhausted bodies and spirits to some little extent.
Kaelus, his powerful frame gleaming in the torchlight, leaned back against the stone edge, his muscles tense despite the calming water. Tarin sat nearby, his slighter form relaxed but his eyes alert, while Lykos leaned forward, his face a mask of frustration.
'I can't stand it here anymore,' Lykos said. 'We're supposed to be gladiators, not prostitutes!'
Kaelus gave a resigned shrug. 'The one thing is the same as the other.'
'Not where I come from, it isn't!' Lykos said heatedly. 'Listen, I'm deadly serious here. If we work together, all three of us, we can get out of this place. I could try to restore my family's good name. Kaelus, you could be with your brother again. We could all find our way to freedom!'
Tarin looked at Kaelus, then back to Lykos. 'If we plan it right, we could make it,' he said. 'I'm willing to try, if it means we have a chance.'
Kaelus's expression was unreadable. His mind drifted to Aulus, the memory of their recent reunion still fresh and raw. The thought of escaping – of risking everything – stirred something deep within him. But the cost was too high. He had made too many sacrifices to throw it all away now.
'No,' Kaelus said firmly, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside him. 'I won't do it.'
Lykos turned to Kaelus, his frustration boiling over. 'Why not? Don't you want to be free? Don't you want to be with Aulus?'
Kaelus looked at him, his eyes hard but not unkind. 'I do want to be free, more than anything. But not like this – not by running and hiding, living in fear of being caught. I want to earn my freedom, to fight for it, so that when I walk away from this place, it'll be with my head held high... so that when I see Aulus again, it's in peace and legality, not as a fugitive.'
Tarin nodded slowly. 'I understand, Kaelus. But what if you never get that chance? What if the only way out is to escape?'
Kaelus shook his head. 'I've thought about it, Tarin. I've thought about it a lot. But I can't risk it. I need to be here – to train, to fight, and to do whatever else is required of me, no matter how much it hurts. I'll earn my freedom eventually, and then Aulus and I will be together, without the fear of being hunted.'
Lykos looked between the other two, his desperation turning into resignation. He wanted to argue, to push Kaelus to change his mind, but he could see the determination in the older boy's eyes – the strength of his resolve was unshakeable.
'All right,' Lykos said quietly, the fight draining out of him. 'We won't go.'
'But we'll stick together,' said Tarin, 'no matter what.'
Kaelus felt a surge of gratitude, but also a weight of responsibility. He had chosen this path for himself, but now he knew he was also choosing it for them. He put out a hand to grasp Tarin by the shoulder. Much to his surprise, Tarin responded by scooting over in the bath and snuggling up to his body like a frightened child. Kaelus hesitated only a moment before hugging Tarin back.
'I'm glad I didn't kill you, Kaelus,' said Tarin.
'So am I,' said Kaelus. 'Even after everything, so am I.'
Lykos watched this scene unfold with an obvious air of uncertainty, then he rose to his knees in the water, shuffled into a different position, and wrapped his arms around them both.
'At least the praetor's leaving in the morning,' said Tarin. 'Then we'll be gladiators again.'
'Until the next time,' Lykos said darkly.
'We’ll find a way out in the end,' said Kaelus. 'But we'll do it the right way.'
The water lapped gently around the three boys as they held each other. They were bound by their shared fate, and they would face the challenges ahead as a team. For now they would remain in the ludus, training, fighting, and waiting for the day when they could walk out in the certain knowledge that they were truly free.
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