Chapter 2: Appius Livius Ocella

88 BC – 84BC

Not long after being separated with the only family member I had left – my older brother Crixus – I ended up crying myself to sleep. When I woke up, I was being poked with a sword by a soldier who had opened the carriage. Seeing that I was awake, he began yelling at me trying to make me understand what he was saying, but he was wasting his time.

"Adveho in, puer! (Come on boy!)" He yelled tugging hard at the rope tied around my wrists. He dragged me to the door and then threw me out making me fall to the ground. I groaned in pain as the rough gravel of the road jabbed and tore at my skin. When I stood up, my knees were bloody. They quickly pulled me along by that rope. The city I was in was as strange to me as if I were in a different world. The buildings were pure stone and extremely large compared to our wooden huts back home. I got too caught up in looking around that I wasn't keeping up with the soldier and he quickly yanked the rope yelling at me again and I fell to the ground. Next thing I knew I felt a sharp sting – a pain worse than anything I'd ever felt before – repeatedly. I wondered if my brother was going through this kind of pain as well. After a while of being beaten, they picked me up and shoved me forward urging me to walk again. I was in so much pain it was hard to stay on my feet when my body just wanted to give in and keel over.

One of the soldiers kicked me in the behind knocking me to my hands and knees. "Permoveo, vos spurcus Gaul! (Get moving you filthy Gaul!)"

I wondered what would make these people so cruel, especially to a boy like me who had done nothing wrong. Granted, I had killed Romans, but it was in self defense. They were the ones attacking us for no reason.

Finally we made it into the city and I noticed a long line of people – men, women, and children – chained up like I was. All around us were more Romans, I guess wealthy ones by the way they were dressed. One by one those in the line in front of me stood up on a wooden pedestal and the Romans argued. I didn't understand what was going on, but it didn't seem to be good for those of us in line.

Eventually I made it up there and after the Romans argued like they did with everyone else, I was thrown off and taken over to one of the men who was standing in the shadows with another man holding an umbrella over his head. As they handed me over I watched the man hand over a small pouch that jingled. I realized it was money inside and I had just been bought.

He had bought another young man, who seemed to be about my age, and then we left the city in a carriage. The two of us were put in the back behind bars yet again. The young man I quickly realized was a Gaul like myself. I had heard him mutter something under his breath, and it was a relief to hear the words I recognized.

"You are a Gaul?" I asked him quickly.

"You are too?" He asked in return.

"I am Godric, son of Cadman, from the sea. You?"

"Anwill, son of Angor, from the East, my village was one of the first sacked." He told me, and I felt bad for him. I at least had a chance to run, but he had none. "They came fast and fiercely with at least one hundred men. My father was killed once he ran out of the house. Then they took my siblings and I. One of my sisters was back there and sold to another man, and I do not know where my other siblings are."

"Neither do I." I whispered. "I was with my brother, but we came to a fork in the road and I watched his carriage go the other way."

"This is awful. I cannot imagine what they are going to do to us."

I didn't even want to think about that. I laid there staring up at the wooden ceiling worrying about my brothers and sister.

After about half an hour of riding we made it to a large estate on the edge of the city. One of the men took us both out.

"Get those two bathed and dressed, then show them to their duties." The Roman said as he walked by. A woman was standing in the doorway waiting for him with a smile on her face, and I guessed that was his wife. We were grabbed by more of his men and led inside through the side door. It was a poorer part of the estate, it was where those like us stayed. As I walked in I saw them pouring water into a large tub and they pushed us inside together after stripping us of our clothes.

Once we were clean they put new clothes on us, which was nothing but a white skirt around my waist and sandals. Then we were shown around the estate by other slaves.

"Vos ero famulus Dominus. (You will be serving Dominus.)" He told us. The two of us looked at each other confused. We had no idea what any of them were saying. He showed us around the villa, which was a wide and open area of glamorous and expensive belongings. There were rooms along the far wall. No doors, only curtains between them. They were nearly see-through and flowed in the breeze like waves of water. It reminded me of home and I became very homesick.

"Es illa novus manicipium? (Are these the new slaves?)" A woman asked. She was quite beautiful. She was tall and pale dressed in a flowing silk dress of red with white underneath. Her curly blonde hair held white and red feathers as decorations. She also carried a fan in her hand, she slowly waved it back and forth to cool herself off from the hot and arid climate.

Our guide bowed his head to look at the floor. "Etiam, Domina. (Yes, my lady.)"

She came closer to us and looked each of us over. Her hand came to my face forcing it up and she studied me looking deep into my eyes. I figured it was wrong, but I stared back unafraid. Then she let go of me after a moment and walked around the back of us. She did the same to Anwill, grabbing him by the chin.

"Es etiamnunc tamen puera (They are yet but boys)." She muttered. "Vero, quis vira vires planto (However, what men they may make)."

"Operor vos animadverto quispiam vos amo , meus carus? (Do you see something to your liking, my dear?)" The master said to his wife.

"Ego sum non certus. Tantum vicis mos dico. (I am not sure. Only time will tell.)" She said and then walked away. He went with her and we were able to relax.

Three years later

My master was Appius Livius Ocella. Appius was a senator, a very important man among the Romans. His so-called wife was of no importance. After a year I had learned how to understand the Roman language (Latin). After you get beat enough times for not doing what you're told you learn how to listen. Within that time more slaves had come, yet Anwill remained my closest friend. There was one other, though, that I came to trust. His name was Calix. I suppose he reminded me of my older brother, as he was the same age. However, he wasn't a Gaul like we were, he was a Celt. Dominus had taken quite a liking to Calix, and he became Dominus' right hand who never left his side.

One night Calix was sent out with Anwill and some of the guards to run one of Dominus' personal errands. Dominus must have gotten lonely without Calix. While I was working within the villa I noticed a few servants going into his room one by one. And I saw one go into Domina's room (Mrs. Ocella). He never came back out, unlike those in Dominus' room. After about three servants Dominus stepped out of his room wiping his mouth with a towel and looked to me while I poured water into the small and shallow pool in the middle of the villa.

"Godric." He called and I looked to him setting down the jug of water.

"Dominus?" I bowed my head as I was required to, though I hated doing it. He held out his hand ushering me forward and I slowly walked to him looking behind me to the man that just left his room. He was older than I, about sixteen. "Quam vetus es vos iam? (How old are you now?)"

"Tredecim, Dominus (thirteen)."

"Tredecim." He said seeming like he was taking it into consideration – trying to make up his mind on what he was going to do. Finally, he sighed and said, "Non vetus setis (not old enough)." Then he shooed me away. "Se gero (Carry on)."

I bowed my head compliantly. "Dominus." Then turned around and went back to my duties. When I went back to the quarters for the night I noticed the other boys. One of them was right next to me and he was still holding his neck. I came closer and looked out of curiosity. I couldn't resist. He quickly pushed me away, but not before I saw what was there. He had two small puncture wounds which had bruised over.

It wasn't for another year that I learned the cause of those wounds. Apparently, Appius had decided fourteen was old enough and he started taking me into his room with the others.

I was fetching water from the well and then one of the other slaves came out. I turned around and saw the only friend I had, Anwill. "Godric, vos es accersitus (You are summoned)." He told me. Those words were my worst nightmare. The only time I was ever summoned was when Appius got lonely and wanted to rid himself of his desires by abusing me. I couldn't wait for the day I could punish him for all the abuse. At the time, though, I was nothing but a slave and couldn't do anything about it.

I complied hesitantly and gave the water jug to Anwill. "Take this to the stores." I told him. Every night we gathered water from the well to last us through the night. Then I made my way inside the villa, and then to Appius' quarters where he was waiting for me. I didn't see him, but I knew that didn't mean he wasn't there. So I waited in the middle of the room. Then he came up from behind me biting my neck to feed until I was weak enough that I couldn't put up a fight. I had many scars on my neck from where he had bitten me at least once a week for the last few months. He only had men serving him personally like myself and Anwill, and we were all his puppets to use as he pleased when he pleased. The woman slaves were for his wife who he never slept with; she was more for appearances to appease the other Romans. She was a vampire as well, but nothing more to him than a house guest. She could even sleep with any of the men she pleased. Anwill had become her chosen lover last year saving him from Appius. I envied him for that. She had me a few times once I came of age, but I guess I wasn't her type.

Once Appius weakened me he threw me on the bed so that I was lying on my stomach and I just laid there knowing what was coming. I wanted to fight, but I couldn't. So I dreamed of it behind my eyelids to try and ignore the pain of what he was doing to me. When it was over he cut his arm like usual and put it to my mouth making me drink his blood to heal the wounds.

In the books Appius is Eric's maker rather than Godric. Since, they ditched that idea for True Blood, I decided might as well use him in some way, so now he's Godric's Maker – as Appius was Roman and Godric we know was a Roman slave turned by his master.