Section Four: Rules and Reason

Duo had always been a restless soul. Being able to roam pretty much where ever he wished, when he wished, was one of the few virtues of being a street urchin. Being cooped up in a small cell with four others quickly began to flay his nerves. Removing the clip from his braid and lacing his arm through the bars he took to fiddling with the lock. The tip of his tongue slid out of the corner of his mouth as he concentrated on the task he had set for himself. It was not too long before the lock fell away. Opening the door carefully he stuck his head into the hall.

"What are you doing?" Quatre hissed. "You can't just leave; the guards will kill you on sight…or worse."

"I wasn't intending on getting us caught." Duo frowned unhappily. He had expected the other boys would be overjoyed to leave with him once he showed them the way. He missed having close companions he could trust and these four didn't seem bad sorts; a bit prickly some of them, but not bad.

WuFei only shook his head no, his mouth an impassive line. During his months of slavery in the west he had learned that escape was not worth the risks.

Quatre let out a measured sigh. "Even if you leave the cell and somehow get free of the complex…you can't pick a welded collar. Even with tools it takes four men to remove and you will still have the brand. You are marked now. Wherever you go you will still be a slave. Where would you go with no one to vouch for you?"

Duo could tell the blond was visibly upset. "I can avoid soldiers," he explained keeping his voice calm hoping it would reassure the boy. "I have been doing it all my life. This is the first time I've ever been caught."

Quatre shook his head emphatically. "It is not just the soldiers you have to worry about now. There are plenty who would take advantage of a misplaced slave given a chance…and there are much worse things in life than slavery." Quatre shivered. He had tried to run away once…the tiny bells on his ankle were not the worst things that experience earned him. He would save the braided boy from that if he could.

Duo closed the door with a sigh and stalked the cell in agitation. He mulled over the things Quatre had said. "I don't like this," he frowned tugging helplessly on the collar. "Being stuck in here is driving me crazy. I have to DO something."

"Really, it is not so bad." Quatre tried to convince him. Of course freedom wasn't something he has much experience with. His last mistress had been harsh at times but she had been fair. He served her well and he hoped his file would appeal to a master of similar temperament. "We shouldn't be here more than a few more days." He explained "Then they will take us to the bazaar where we will go to auction. I expect you'll get a pretty good price, probably more coin than you've ever seen in your life. Last time I went for 500 Silver Denari."

Wufie's scowl deepened. "Slave auctions are inhumane. It is humiliating to parade oneself before savage hordes. To be poked and prodded, leered at and slapped. And that is before some foul smelling ruffian decides to make you their property. His most esteemed Emperor Jujun was most justified in his attempts to do away with such things."

But truth was, WuFei wasn't under that most benevolent emperor any longer. His connection with his past life had been irreparably severed. He was property. Despite what he told the others, these barbarians made him what they wished. WuFei tried to ignore the fact…tried to forget it…deny it, but all he need do was dislodge himself from his cramped corner and stretch himself out, as he longed to do, and the annoying jangle of bells would call him a liar.

"Some Master's are kind…some aren't." Quatre shrugged, "We don't have rights like citizens do. But we can have as much faith in Octavian Caesar as WuFei has in his Emperor Jujun! My mistress told me he openly objects to the harsh treatment of slaves. He even stepped in when he learned one of his senators was going to feed a slave to his eels."

The blond shivered at the thought before continuing with the tale, "The slave was particularly useless disserved to be punished. He was clumsy and broke some priceless glassware. But our Emperor Augustus thought the punishment did not fit the crime. The emperor had the duke brought to the palace and informed him that slaves deserve consideration and forbade him from dealing such harsh punishment. My mistress told me that the Emperor's warning made an impact on many in the court. I think we should hope for the best."

"What happened to the slave?" Duo asked his eyes shining with curiosity.

The little blonde's eyes were down cast and he drew his toe absently across the slate floor of the cell. Quatre's silence implied that the fate 'clumsy slave' was yet to be decided…how could it be, since he was sharing a cell with the rest of them.

Trowa frowned. "Augustus isn't all that understanding. Did you know he placed an age limit on manumition? It used to be that if a gladiator was victorious in three major bouts they could be eligible for release…provided they have earned enough coin to pay back their original purchase price. Not any more," The warrior reflected shaking his head in frustration.

"I've won four matches and earned ¾ of my bond price; not in silver but gold. I had almost 40 Quinarii, one more fight and I should have my Rudis, and my freedom. Instead I have got another fifteen years to serve. Do you suppose Augustus Caesar took into consideration most gladiators never reach the age of 30?" Trowa had likely spoken more in the past few hours than he had in the year before that but truthfully, there wasn't much else to do. He idly wondered if the boy, Duo's, nervousness were catching.

The braided boy stopped pacing, he was a casteless orphan what did he know of politics? He'd never considered what the nobles did as having any bearing whatsoever on the lives of the rest of the population. Apparently, these slaves knew better. Duo slumped to the ground in dejection. The thought the feeling of being trapped did not abate. To top it off he was hungry too. "When are they going to bring us something to eat." He wondered aloud.

"Not for a while." Quatre answered. "But you can be sure they will bring at least one meal every day. They want to keep us healthy for the market."

He couldn't stand it any longer. He needed a distraction. Duo mumbled something incoherent. He was down on knees and elbows crawling obliquely toward Hero.

"I wouldn't," Trowa warned. But the other boy didn't pay him any heed. He crept closer and closer to the statue like figure. Finally Duo took the tip of his braid and tickled the other boy's nose with it.

"Heeeero," Duo called in a whispery voice, "Shinigami god of death here…Just thought I should let you know you're still alive."

In a fraction of a heartbeat Duo found himself flat on his back with his chestnut braid twisted roughly around his neck, like a garrote. If not for the metal collar caught under the loop he'd likely be meeting the death god face to face, himself. Not to mention that the collar seemed to have protected the burn on his neck from further abuse. Minutes earlier Duo would not have imagined he would actually be grateful to the hated fetter. But, in a strange way he was.

"Idiot!" the dark eyed gladiator growled down at him, giving the hair a final tug before settling back down in the same position he had left. 'Shinigami, He knew Shinigami.' Hero's mind blurred. The death god taunted him many times over the years…no this irritating boy wasn't Shingami. But the fact that he had to prove it to himself only went illustrated how badly the darts were still affecting him. But he hadn't killed the braided baka. And that proved he still had some measure of control…no matter how small. Better just to sit quiet and wait for it to pass.

Trowa fought the urge to say 'I told you so,' but smirked none the less.

"At least we know he can talk," Duo said smiling as he gasped for breath.

The sound of movement in the hall silenced any reply the others might have made.

"Please be food…please be food…please be food!" The orphan thief prayed to any deity that might be listening.

It wasn't.

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Section Four Notes:

Roman slaves were treated in a wide variety of manners, as would be expected, depending on the circumstances, the household and the time period. Some house slaves were so highly regarded that they were considered parts of families. Tombs and gravesites lend evidence to support the praise that some Romans felt towards their slaves. Some really worked what we might consider a regular shift and were free to come and as they pleased outside of that time. Others lived in the cruelest and harshest conditions, victim to the whims of society or the cruelty of their masters. The incident with the slave and the eels is true as is the Emperor's reaction to it.

In the past, morays eels have been feared for many reasons. Giant morays can reach 10 feet in length and weigh 75 pounds. They have sharp needle like teeth that curve back into its mouth and powerful jaws. Some eels, such as the Atlantic green moray have a third row of teeth located on the roof of the mouth. This gives the animal a "snaggle-tooth" appearance. Roman Emperor Nero (15 AD - 68 AD) was also known to throw disobedient servants into pits filled with hungry morays. Even today, divers tell of being held in a bulldog grip by eels that "attack" for no reason. While it is true that some morays are aggressive, it has been found that many of the "attacks" were the fault of the divers! Some divers were injured while searching for lobsters or shells when they poked their hands inside of caves occupied by eels. In other cases, the animals were attracted by freshly cut fish which the divers carried into the water.

Manumission is the act of freeing a slave. The change in the law pertaining to gladiators also occurred during the reign of Augustus's. In the Republican period slaves had no rights and were always subject to the whims of their owners. They did have some legal standing. They were allowed to act as witnesses in trials, and could gain freedom either through their owner's gratitude after loyal service or by buying it through the meager earnings they might collect over a lifetime of service. For example, owners in the Republic had the right to kill or mutilate slaves at a whim, but later imperial laws took this right away, Augustus's reaction to the thought of feeding a slave to the eels is documented though in practice his law could be largely ignored. Not so with the change in laws pertaining to gladiator which was thought to be an issue of public safety.

In the first century a full grown male slave cost between 500--1500 Denarii, Females were worth more. 1 Gold Quinarius is equal to 12.5 Silver Denarii. (I hate math)

The expense of slaves made it lucrative for the smart Roman to treat them well and keep them healthy. Gladiators were sometimes considered worth their weight in gold, and while still kept closely guarded, they could also be afforded the greatest of luxuries when appropriate. Great fame and fortune could not only come to the owner, but the gladiators as well, and the best of the best were treated as such. Some Romans would even sell themselves into slavery, including the arena, in order to pay off tremendous debts or in an effort to become famous.