In my eyes all men are equal; Slaves, soldiers, romans and gladiators all equals upon my shores. I hear the souls call out for me but their hearts and minds call to those they love. Many of the soldiers amongst Spartacus's ranks called from those here in the after-life. I send their loved ones to retrieve them to bring comfort as they arrive to me. A thing I had not done for centuries tell Pluto himself suggested it. I obliged and began with the first soul and she came willingly to the voice of her husband calling her name. I watched many fight to my call and my hand some turning away far too late and now walk as ghosts on the shores of the living. But sending loved ones to claim the souls after I had touched their loved ones brought me great joy to see souls at peace. Though there were some I still collected. All souls cried when I came begging me to let them live. If they were of wealth or status they would try to bargain with me to let them live but with no such luck.
For I am Death and no man's earthly possessions sawed me into giving lives that already claimed and marked for their time. I had watched many souls look into pools hoping and waiting for loved ones.
"She is down the wrong path," I would hear from mothers and fathers.
"He'll get himself killed!" friends and brothers would yell. I paid no attention to them, yet hearing every word. I knew each of their fates because they are all written down. Their names appearing in in my book and being crossed out after I touch them.
"Spartacus! I knew him of no such name!" a Thracian woman yelled a Roman man. I stopped prepared to end their bickering. The roman man towered over the woman. I knew their names instantly as did all gods and servants to them; Varro the Roman man and Sura the Thracian woman.
"It is the only name I know him by," the man told her. "And he is a great friend of mine a man I considered a brother." I knew the man they spoke of. A man that will forever be remembered, when new lands are discovered and man entered the heavens searching the stars. The name Spartacus will forever live on. The two that stood before me were the cause of the great leader he will become.
But For I am death I knew his fate. I knew Spartacus' death would be in the battle field and the thing he last sees will not be an image of his mind like many before him. It will be the tears of the gods themselves for they hoped that he would win his war. And I knowing his fate will send Sura, and Varro to great him and bring him to the after-life.
Sura's death
I touch my husband's face as I try to take breath but none came to me. I try to say his name but it does not leave my lips. Suddenly he was gone, I cry out suddenly finding my breath. I sat up and looked around I was still within the ludus that I was taken too. The day had given away to night and I was alone. I looked around more. I was completely alone.
"Sura," I looked behind me and there stood my mother and father that had fallen when I was a child. Tears fall down my cheeks and a smile broke across my lips. I stand up and I hug my mother and father. But I knew then that I had joined them in the after-life. I pull away from them and the tears began to flow more.
"My husband?"
"Will join you when his time comes." My mother told me.
"We will watch him as we watched you on the shores of the after-life." My father told me. I look back as ghosts began to fill the sand with torches. Faces I do not know till I see my husband carrying my body. He places my body on a pyre and then sets it ablaze. A man how almost towers over the rest with golden hair that curled stood beside him and gave him comfort. "The man with him is Varro. A man like a brother to your husband." My father informed me.
"He will watch over him on the side of the living till he is returned to your arms" my mother said. I step away from my mother and father and go to my husband's side. I look into his deep blue eyes and almost cry.
"I will be waiting for you on the shores of the after-life," I told him. I turn to my parents and I leave for the after-life.
Varro's Death
The last thing I felt was the pain of the blade and seeing the tears on my brother's face. But they soon faded into the fields out-side of Capua. My son upon my shoulders and my wife beside me swollen with child. I would never see my sons grow to become men. One son from my blood and the other I claim as my own. I blink and the image is gone. I try to breath but no air goes into my chest. I push myself off the ground and look around myself. Only ghost surround me. I look behind me to Spartacus and see his ghost with tears in his eyes and I know them I am dead.
"Varro?" I looked to see a women standing amongst the ghosts. "I have come to bring you to the after-life." I know her Spartacus' wife, Sura. But why did she come to get me?
"Gratitude but I wonder why do you come for me?" Sura looked to Spartacus and spoke.
"Because you made sure he would stay the man we both love." I looked to my brother and suddenly we were outside and my wife was beside my body and all my brothers were watching. My wife angry at Spartacus and rejecting his help and telling him I loved him like a brother. I close my eyes.
"Accept his help Aurelia," I whispered. "Accept his help my love." Then I left for the after-life with Sura, The two of us telling stories of the man we left behind.
Aurelia's death
"Stay away from my son," Spartacus was gone then but there now was my Varro. He held me in his arms and tears in his eyes.
"Our son is safe." He whispered to me. "Janus will become a great man," tears filled my eye and I kissed my husband. I never wanted to leave his arms again.
Crixus' death
I kneeled upon the ground looking on ward where I once saw Navia. I was in the After-life and no one to greet me so I thought. I heard laughing behind me and I turned to see five men standing there.
"Well isn't out little brother," my eldest brother laughed. I stood and greeted my four brothers and my father.
"You fought as amusement in the arena for the romans how shame full." One of my brothers laughed.
"He lasted much longer than any of you would you little shits," my father cursed at them. A smile broke across my face. My father and brothers men I had not seen since I was yet a child. "Come," my father put his hand on me. "Many men and your mother wait for you."
"I can't wait to greet her,"
Spartacus' death
The gods began to cry and I fade from this world. The faces of Agron and Nasier in my sight gave me joy. I knew some of the people I set to free would die free. The pain left my body and their faces gone.
"Get up you lazy fuck!" I knew that voice. But it couldn't be who I thought it was he was dead. Footsteps approached me then I saw the man with golden hair and a boyish smile. "Just because you're dead doesn't mean the bringer of rain get's to lay on his ass all damn day!" Varro laughed and held a hand out to me. I grabbed his hand and he pulled me up.
"and here I thought you would be angry with me that Aurelia is dead because of me?"
"I'm angry at the Romans who took her life." He still wore a boyish smile "not my brother who tried to send her back to my son. Though she angrier than Crixus being slain by a child." A smile broke upon my own face. Varro then turned too looked back for a moment. "there is someone who wants to great you more than I wished too." I looked behind him and there… there was Sura. She wore the gowns of the privileged romans and she looked just as beautiful as our last day together. I looked to Varro and he patted my back. "Go to her." I looked at my wife again to see tears upon her face. I could feel my own tear and I ran into her arms. Sura held me tight in her arms as I kissed her deeply. Her lips that I longed to kiss in the after life. I pulled away and held her face in my hands.
"Please," I begged her. "Say my name." a smile came across her lips and she spoke my name. a sound that I had longed for and will cherished for eternity. Varro laughed
"I think I'll just keep calling you Spartacus."
"so you may." my wife and my brother walked with me leading me into the after life. when I walked upon it's shores I was greeted with many of my people. Crixus, Oenomaus along side his wife and my fellow Thracians. all greeting me and Aurelia came up to me only to hit me in the face. Varro laughed at that as well as Crixus and Oenomaus. but she told me how she watched my battles and fought in honor of both my wife and Varro. She said watching my men kill romans made her cringe but to see the Romans to killed her die. I smiled in content to see everyone I cared about. My family long dead as well as my friends. this was what I always wanted. even when I once was in Thracia.
Yes many have bartered their way trying to live all cried wishing to return even despite having family to great them. Only a few welcomed me those who are sick and those who are old were common in welcoming me. I remember them all but only a few truly stick out in my mind.
Varro: welcomed me knowing that he had fallen by the hand of a friend and knowing his family would be safe.
Oenomaus: knowing he would be with his wife again.
Gannicus: knowing he would be with his friends and that he did his best to honor them.
And Spartacus: The killer of Theokolesthe bringer of rain a death mourned by the gods; his death was one I'll remember the most. He welcomed me so kindly and honorably I had to tell him his true fate.
I stood before the man mourned by the gods. He was standing tall and amongst his fallen brothers.
"King Spartacus," I could not help but bow my head in respect.
"That is not my name," he replied "it's"
"I call you the name that history will remember you by," I told him. "And not many get a to have death herself bow before them." I spoke. "In fact you're the only one"
"and why would that be."
"A man to be remembered his history as a man with a past unknown but after the time of being a gladiator is known through-out history. People will remember you, Spartacus. They will remember you and tell stories of you your wife and your men. Even when The Roman Empire falls and new empires begin. When Gaul, Thracia, and many lands fade to make new ones, and when new lands are discovered; you will be remembered. Rebels will hold and learn from your stories. Friendships will be forged in telling's of your stories; King Spartacus of the free slaves. Man who the gods mourned on your death bed. You will be remembered thousands of years from now. That is your true fate. Though in body you have died but you truly live forever in legend." Spartacus stood there in silence. Until she finally spoke,
"Why is this my fate?" he asked simply.
"Because unlike any other man before you, you bring hope."
"How do you know all this?"
"I am death, I know the lives of every being who lives and will live. I know their fate and I know their legacy. I see all men as equals." I smiled at Spartacus. "Slaves, masters, citizens, politians, Thracians, Gauls, Romans. I see them all the same but you Spartacus. You are the only one I see above the rest. I cannot grant you your life back even if I wished it. But I can make sure in the next lives you have your battles you fight you will have victory in many. And you will be by the side of your friends in each life. And the promise that you made Varro will always be one you two shall keep even if it wasn't spoke." Spartacus looked at his best friend and they smiled at each other.
"That's all I can ask for, is to be with my friends and my wife." Spartacus then took the hand of his wife.
"In each of your lives you will." I told him. "Each of them loyal to the end."
For I am death no men stand above the rest but, Spartacus The slayer of Theokoles, the bringer of rain, man mourned by the gods, freer of slaves and legend.
For I am death and I tell no lies.