Neganus' cruel ways bring together a surprising group of people ready to rescue and avenge his victims.
Begins with a slight overlap of the last chapter, this time from Carola's POV.
Notes: Dwight is an English name derived from the Latin Dionysius, referring to the god of wine.
Some violence and sexual content
Carola watched as he man she loved gently touched the face of the cruelly bound man in front of him, his eyes filled with sorrow. He ran his thumb over Aaronus swollen lower lip and sighed, his other hand closing over his fury induced half erection, preparing them both for the coerced sex act they had been commanded to enact or face worse torture and death.
She blinked away her furious tears, trying to inch her hand closer to her knife concealed in its leg sheath, her only weapon, while everyone was distracted with sickening anticipation of Aaronus and Darolus' forced performance.
"Keep eyes open, girl, and watch evidence of how little he truly cares for you." Neganus ordered Carola, standing behind her, one cruel hand circling her neck at the nape, his other arm wound tightly around her chest, forcing her to watch.
Darolus met her eyes and she saw him shutting down, giving up. She realized he probably believed that she would see this as a betrayal of her love. She saw his despair and fear for her, his willingness to do whatever he had to save her, even if it meant sharing his body with Aaronus. Didn't he know that nothing he could do would ever sway her love for him? She put all of her love into the look she gave him in return, her tears flowing freely, letting him know she understood. She knew Aaronus loved him as well, that they had helped each other survive in the ludus, how could she think less of him for doing what he had to do to protect them both?
She felt Neganus' excitement grow as Darolus made ready to let Aaronus suckle him to hardness as commanded. The Legate's arm surrounding her body moved back, giving her the freedom of movement to finally draw up her gown and find her knife, but she froze when his hand closed over her breast, rubbing the nipple with his thumb, and felt his erection rise against her back. The sick spectacle he had engineered had aroused him fully and this time she feared she would not escape being used to sate his lust.
Just as Aaronus opened his lips to receive, a deafening roar sounded at the door followed by a scream that was cut short. Then there was the noise of a scuffle, yelling and bodies thudding against it and the floor. Then the double doors burst open to reveal the Legate's scarred steward holding a key, a bow and a look of fury, followed by a thousand pound tiger, its mouth red with blood, held on a heavy chain by a very angry huge red haired man—Abram. An equally large well-muscled Nubian—Tyresius—his wounded arm tightly bandaged, held the leash of another cat, a tawny maned lion. Both men were clad in the armor of a Bestiarii.
Carrying battle axes wet with fresh blood, two more beast men followed, leading about a dozen other well-armed and armored gladiators, including Doctore Viride with a Parthian bow, arrow notched and ready. They were followed by Carola's Custos, Tobin and Erikos and several others of Ezekias' House guard all holding gladius short swords and looks of determination.
They quickly moved to take the room, killing anyone who fought back, and then freeing Darolus. Viride handed him the bow and then knelt to also free and care for Aaronus, sharing a nod of greeting with Ezekias as well. Tobin went to protect Regulus and Deanna while Erikos looked for Carola.
"Shiva, my love." Ezekias smiled and moved in to clasp arms with Abram and then bent to hug the tiger, which rubbed her head against him like a giant kitten. He took the chain from the gladiator and advanced on the Legate with a dark smile.
The last four Centurion guards in the room drew their swords and raised their shields, forming a human barrier in front of the Legatus and Carola, whom he had held on to in the initial confusion. His guard passed him the spiked club and he held it threateningly at the back of his captive's head.
"Hold, good Ezekias!" a familiar commanding voice called from the doorway.
The beast master stopped, but the cat lashed out a lethally clawed paw at the Legate's guards, slicing through the air mere inches from them before its master could rein it in.
Wearing the full battle armor of a Primus Pilus, red helmet plume crest standing tall, face shield obscuring his identity, a lone Centurion strode to the front of the room, brandishing his long sword. At his side was the scarred man, Neganus' steward, Dionysius, carrying his bow and wearing a look of feral satisfaction.
"Apologies, it seems I was late for celebration." the Centurion drawled, taking in the scene and then he shot a questioning look to Darolus, who nodded that he was all right, and then lifted the Parthian bow Viride had given him to aim it at the Legate's head. Carola's Custos flanked him, at the ready to provide back up.
"What is this?" Neganus demanded angrily, drawing Carola more firmly in front of him, blocking any shot Darolus could take.
"I'd like to know what you thought you were doing with my property." Merlonius asked, pinning Neganus with his steel blue gaze.
"Your property? Sagittarius is property of Lanista Ezekias, my host. I purchased Aaronus from Lanista Regulus." the Legate snarled arrogantly.
"Wrong on both accounts, Legatus." Dionysius said, "Darolus was sold three days ago and unfortunately I neglected to properly put your seal on purchase contract for the pretty wool-headed catamite and the others you acquired at House Monroviatus."
"Traitor!" Neganus bellowed at his steward. "You will pay for this betrayal!"
"As I paid for trying to stop you from taking my wife?" the steward spat and raised his hand to his burned face. "After you forced my beloved Sheria to do unspeakable things at your depraved orgies?" he raised his bow and aimed it at the Legate, "After she took her life just to escape you, monster?"
"Dionysius." Merlonius said gently, putting his hand on the other man's shoulder and giving it a firm squeeze. "It is not yet time."
After almost half a minute, his hands shaking, Dionysius lowered the bow, eyes glittering with repressed anger.
"So you're his master now?" the Legate asked, narrowing his eyes at the mysterious Centurion.
"Since you took my steward from me, I claimed him as recompense." Merlonius said stepping closer to the Legate and his captive. He flicked his eyes to Carola and was pleased to see that she remained calm, ice cold anger, not fear flaring in her beautiful blue eyes.
"And just who in fuck are you?" Neganus asked.
Merlonius pulled off his helmet and threw it onto the floor with a heavy clang of metal. There were gasps of recognition which made him grin broadly. Then he held up his middle finger so that his large ring, which bore the insignia of the Legion of Blood etched in relief on the large jewel surface, was visible.
Carola and Darolus smirked at the digitus impudicus gesture—so much Merlonius' style—but Neganus shook with anger at the insult.
"Dominus Merlonius Gaius Lucius of the House of Dixus." Merlonius said in a clear forceful voice. "Primus Pilus of a hundred murdered men including my steward, my friend Hector, late of the Legion of Blood, Legatus."
"Dixus." Neganus narrowed his eyes in recognition and then grunted in disdain. "You were drummed out of the ranks for insubordination and cowardice in Pontus. You disobeyed a direct order."
"I was drummed out for refusing your orders to slaughter dozens of innocent women and children after battle had already been won." Merlonius snarled.
"We leave none alive to rise up against us a second time." Neganus said self-righteously.
"Not even you can kill an entire people, Neganus. They will carry names of their dead cities on their lips as they come to slaughter Rome. You cannot use men so cruelly and not expect them to revenge."
Merlonius looked around the room at the gladiators and slaves who had rallied to help him save his brother and the others and then made a sweeping inclusive gesture with his sword arm.
"Rome sows seeds for its own destruction in its treatment of these men and women." He said forcefully, "We enslave them and then teach them to be most efficient killers in history and yet expect them to remain as obedient as trained dogs."
"Slave curs could never bring down the might that is Rome." Neganus laughed. "We would crush them underfoot as Hannibal's elephants did Carthage—"
"Enough dogs can pull down an elephant and kill it one bite at a time." Darolus completed the thought, his voice hard and unyielding, his eyes and bow still trained on the Legate.
All around him the rest of the gladiators and Custos moved in to totally surround the Legate and his guards until they were blocked from any escape.
"As a representative of Senate of Rome, I demand safe passage from this place." Neganus said, keeping Carola directly in front of him, his hand around her throat, using her as a human shield.
"Release girl and we'll discuss it." Merlonius said. "She is promised to my House and so is under its protection."
"No." the Legate growled, not about to lose his only bargaining chip.
A rushing sound whooshed out and an arrow suddenly appeared in the small opening for the eyes in the helmet visor of one of Neganus' four remaining Centurion guards, who spun back and thudded to the floor, dead. When a second guard went down the same way just as he notched another arrow, Darolus looked to his left and saw Dionysius with his bow raised, the string still quivering from the bolt he'd unleashed. The two men's eyes met and they gave the barest of nods in acknowledgement before returning to sight their next targets.
The last two Centurions threw down their swords and went to their knees in surrender, leaving the Legate fully exposed but for Carola's body in front of him.
Darolus stood completely still, his bow aimed at Neganus' head, all he needed was for Carola to move an inch more to the side to be sure his arrow would miss her.
Carola met his eyes and then slowly lowered hers, indicating he should follow them down. When he saw the flash of silver in her hand he nodded and in as fast a move as he'd ever seen, she had buried the razor sharp point in his right thigh. The Legate reacted, howling and shoving her forward to paw at the knife imbedded in his flesh even as he held on to Lucilla with his other hand.
Carola half-ran/half-fell forward into Darolus' targeting path and he dropped his bow, reaching out his arms to catch her. At the same time Neganus wrenched the knife from his leg and with a bellow of rage swung the club to bash in the back of Carola's skull. At the last second another body stepped between the Legate and his target. The solid hollow sound of the club meeting flesh and breaking bone was horrifying.
"No!" Neganus cried and stumbled forward, falling to his knees at the side of his unintended victim, Aaronus, who had taken the crushing blow full force on his chest to protect Carola.
Carola and Darolus looked on in shock as Neganus took Aaronus' hand in his, kissing it and imploring him to rise. They moved to kneel down on Aaronus' other side, unsure of what to do to help him.
"Help! We need help! Where is Medicus!" the Legate yelled, in a panic.
Aaronus struggled to breathe, his face drained of all color, his eyes wide with fear.
"Move aside!" Doctore Viride yelled, kneeling down as Carola moved to make room for him. He palpated the fast bruising area on Aaronus' chest, trying to be gentle, but still making him groan in agony and then gasp for air.
"I have seen this in arena—blow broke a rib inside his chest—robbing him of his wind as it fills with blood." Viride said grimly.
"Can you save him?" Darolus asked, his voice so desperate and laced with pain that Carol took his hand trying to give him strength.
Viride looked wildly around the room and leapt up, running to the altar of Priapus. He grabbed the small hollow cast bronze god with the large phallus and bashed it against the marble floor, breaking off the penis from the body.
"Give me that." He demanded, pointing at a gladiator's ax and used it to chop off the tip of the bronze phallus. Then he picked up Carol's knife from where Neganus had thrown it down and returned to his patient.
"Bring me a brazier!" he yelled and the scar faced steward quickly went and brought one of the small grills filled with coal that had been used to cook small spits of meat for the guests. Viride plunged both the knife blade and the end of the hollow metal penis into the white hot coals.
"You cannot leave me, beloved—I just found you—we will be together in Rome, my love. I will care for you..." Neganus begged Aaronus, kissing his hand again.
Darolus fought the urge to plow his fist into the Legate's face, exchanging a disbelieving look with Carola at the words of love the man was murmuring over Aaronus' prone form.
"I will need more of these for dressings." Viride told Carola and then he began ripping long strips off of the hem of his toga and wrapping them around his hands to protect them from the blistering heat of his surgical instruments and to use as dressings.
Carola nodded and released Darolus' hand so she could rise and find more clean cloth to do the same. As she looked up she was overjoyed to see Andrea, Tara and Rosa had come into the room and were standing at the front of the crowd of observers enthralled at the new spectacle. They looked exhausted and sported fresh bruises and ligature marks on their wrists and ankles, but they were all alive. She moved to embrace them and then explained her task, which they quickly helped her complete.
When the blade and metal tube he had created glowed red Viride was ready to begin.
"You'll have to hold him down." He instructed Darolus and Neganus and after a few moments of shocked indecision, the knowledge that they were being asked to work together when they had only moments before been ready to kill each other, Viride snapped at them, "Do it now or he will die!"
Neganus put his hands on Aaronus left shoulder and hip and Darolus did the same on the right. Custos Erikos moved in to immobilize his legs.
Viride thumped on Aaronus' chest in several places and then crouched over his patient and used the knife to make an incision and then widened the opening enough that he could shove the hollow bronze tube in the hole he had made. Blood and fluid immediately began to drain out of it and Aaronus was soon breathing much more easily, his lung able to begin to re-inflate. The cauterizing heat closed the flesh around the tube, keeping the drain open.
The Doctore sighed in relief when he saw his work had yielded the result he sought.
"You can release him now." he told the men holding Aaronus down and all four of them let go, the Custos rising and returning to their watch over Carola who came forward with the bandages which Viride used to anchor the life-saving tube in place and then bind the gladiator's broken ribs.
"Thank you for saving him..." Neganus told Viride with great emotion, gazing down at Aaronus in a way that could only be described as lovingly. He was a completely different person than the one who had been engaging in sadistically torturing the same man less than an hour before. He sat next to him and gently stroked his forehead, murmuring snatches of love poems and more promises about taking him to Rome.
Darolus moved to pull the Legate away, but Viride stopped him with a hand to his arm and a shake of his head.
Merlonius and Ezekias came closer, both of the beast master's hands on the tiger's chain holding it back from attacking, and stared down at the Legate in puzzlement.
"This needs care too." Viride said, looking the Legate's bloody thigh and then up at the Dixus brothers and Lanista Ezekias questioningly. Did they want the Legate to be helped or should he let him bleed?
Darolus shook his head in confusion and stood. Finding Carola beside him he took her in his arms, unsure of anything else but the need to assure himself that she was all right.
"My fierce little warrior!" he murmured his praise against her ear, his arms crossed over her back, shaking hands gripping her gown and holding her close as the adrenalin gave out and the impact of almost losing her hit him full force. He pulled away slightly, enough to look into her eyes, and she saw that he was crying.
"I'm so sorry..." he murmured, his eyes full of shame.
"Shhh, my love." She soothed him, her hand moving to cradle the back of his head as he lowered his forehead to her chest to show his submission, that he was hers, always. After a few moments he looked up at her again and she put her small hands on his face, drawing his lips to hers in a gentle loving, deep kiss.
Ezekias motioned for Viride to see to Neganus' wound, but also ordered several of his House Custos forward to stand guard over the Legate, not trusting this new seeming passivity.
The Medicus arrived then and puzzled over why there was a metal tube protruding from his patient's side, forcing Viride' s attention away. As the men discussed aftercare from the emergency surgery, Merlonius came up to Darolus and waited until his brother was done kissing his woman before he spoke.
"Are you all right?" he asked, addressing them both.
"You are making rescue a habit." Carol said dryly. "It makes it hard to keep hating you."
Merlonius gave her a snorting chuckle grunt.
"Gratitude." She said more softly and sincerely.
Merlonius' lips turned up in a pursed lipped grin and he nodded back at her.
Darolus sighed, but then nodded in agreement with her. His brother had come through for them.
When a tearful Deanna came over, her arms held out for an embrace, Darolus reluctantly handed Carola off to her. The women walked away arm in arm, supporting one another, to join Regulus and Andrea, who were kneeling by Callicus' body.
"Her father..." Darolus said sadly, his eyes never leaving her.
"He was a fool, but had a good heart." Merlonius nodded in sympathy. Then he frowned, looking his brother up and down. Shaking his head at Darolus' nudity, he stepped back and rummaged through a pile of clothing that the orgy participants had discarded. He handed his brother a toga, the garb of a Roman citizen, not a slave, the choice making Darolus raise an eyebrow at him.
"Just put damned thing on—don't need to be showing House Dixus' generous assets to whole world." Merlonius chided, but somehow it sounded like he was taking credit for the impressive size of Darolus' manhood as a family trait.
Darolus removed the quiver that he'd hastily slipped over his shoulder in the battle and then expertly draped the long piece of cloth around his body, leaving his broad shoulders and muscled biceps exposed. He returned the quiver to its place and picked up his bow.
"What now?" Darolus asked, surveying the aftermath of the battle in the large room. Gladiators and Custos stood guard over the few remaining guests. The Legate's steward, who apparently had turned against him even before the fight, was talking in low tones with Ezekias while Medicus and Viride treated Aaronus and Neganus.
Merlonius and his group had fought their way in, but it would've been much more difficult if the door had not been opened by Dionysius who'd held the household keys. Their casualties had been light, with the exception of Callicus; they'd only had two men wounded. There were at least 15 dead Centurions in the triclinium and who knew how many more out in the villa peristyle and the rest of the estate grounds. The big cats had been invaluable—those who saw them ripping their brethren apart had surrendered much more readily.
"Too bad so many soldiers were killed in the slave rebellion here before you were able to broker a deal with your fellow warriors..." Merlonius said thoughtfully, rewriting history as he put his hand on Darol's shoulder.
Darolus cocked his head to the side and threw a questioning narrow-eyed look at his brother.
"Slave rebellion?!" Lanista Batiatus asked incredulously from his position near Callicus' body and those gathered around it. "Don't be Legate was out of control—we saw what he did! He gutted a Patrician like a flounder!" he pointed down at the dead man, "You can't just sweep murder out over the threshold like yesterday's straw!"
"Neither can harm come to an official representative of the Senate without consequence." Merlonius said. It was a sad fact that despite everything that he had done, Neganus was under the protection of his office. He was considered sacrosanct, untouchable by any citizen of Rome. To kill or even wound the Legate without the express vote of the Senate removing him from office first was death not just to his killer, but to that person's entire family.
Darol's eyes went wide at the reminder of that fact. Carola had stabbed the Legate. If he so chose Neganus could have her put to death for the offense regardless of the fact that he had been threatening her life.
"We need to return House to order—but there may be remaining pockets of resistance—I will take the Legate into protective custody." Merlonius said officiously
"You would protect this monster?" Carola asked incredulously, "Will I have no vengeance for my father's death?"
"The murder of noble Callicus was not the first time he overstepped his authority." Merlonius told her. "As his steward, Dionysius witnessed and has kept detailed records of the Legate's every offense. I return him to Rome to face justice."
"If he is found guilty, he will be stripped of his command and seat in the Senate." Batiatus said, a slow smile of understanding breaking over his face.
"You said you'd take away who he is." Darolus said, shaking his head, "You knew that once he loses his office..."
"He loses its protections." Merlonius smile was as wide as it was dangerous.
"You planned all of this?" Carola asked, astounded, growing furious as she spoke. "Just so you could entrap the Legate? You knew he was coming here, you knew how dangerous he was, you could have warned us! My father—"
"I am sorry for your loss, but I did warn you, little one." Merlonius said unflinchingly. "I told you he is the cruelest of men, that he breaks bodies, minds... hearts... souls..."
"I think that this time perhaps it was his mind that was broken." Viride said, unwrapping his hands as he came to join them. They all turned to watch as Aaronus was placed on a stretcher to be carried to the ludus infirmary. Neganus tried to go with him and fought the Custos' hold when they restrained him from following, plaintively calling the gladiator's name and pleading to be allowed to go to him.
"He imagines himself in love with Aaronus?" Darolus asked, his brow furrowing in disbelief.
"Devotedly so." the Doctore nodded at Darolus, raising one bushy eyebrow. "But it is for you Aaronus asks in his extremity."
Darolus blushed, knowing all those who had witnessed Neganus' sexual torture had heard his name on Aaronus' lips as he climaxed. There was little doubt of how he felt about Darolus.
"Will he live?" Carola asked with concern, coming closer to stand next to Darolus and taking his hand in hers.
"I do not know. He was badly injured—and the open wound I was forced to make to save him invites ill humors into the body and can produce yellow bile—we will do everything we can for him." Viride told them and then bowed. "I must take my leave to attend him." he added and then followed the stretcher bearers and Medicus.
"You should go to him as well." Carola told Darolus, her eyes wide and sorrowful, "He needs you."
"You should." Merlonius agreed. "I will watch over Carola. I will help her with arrangements for her father—after all we will be family soon enough."
"Funeral meats will feed the wedding guests?" Darolus said tightly, his jaw visibly clenching at the reminder that the woman he loved was to be his brother's bride. With a sound of frustration he released Carola's hand and without another word left to follow Viride.
Carola watched him go, her tears welling and spilling over.
Merlonius watched her watching his brother and moved to her side.
"Come little one, we have sad tasks more deserving of your tears to which we must attend." He reached out his hand and gently wiped away her tears with his thumb. Then he held out his arm for her and she placed her hand upon it, allowing him to escort her over to her aunt and uncle.
Carola glanced back and saw Lucilla, the spiked club with which Aaronus had been struck lying in the blood from his life-saving surgery next to the emasculated small bronze of Priapus, a hole where his manhood should have been.
So yes, I ended with the dis-empowered phallic symbols as a final image. Happy Valentine's Day!
This was actually one of the first chapters I wrote & I love that we finally got here! It juggles a huge cast of characters doing lots of things, so I hope I didn't leave anyone out.
How about Carola going all stabby on Neganus! That's our Queen! And Aaronus taking the "bullet" to save Darolus' woman? Ezekias & Shiva together again! Dionysius has the receipts!
Merlonius is a master manipulator & he's not done yet...
Medical stuff: Viride's emergency surgery on Aaronus may have seemed far-fetched for this time period, but it is possible: "Hemothorax is a collection of blood in the space between the chest wall and the lung (the pleural cavity) and can be created by severe chest trauma. It can cause a collapsed lung. The concept of chest drainage was first advocated by the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates (460-375 BCE) when he described the treatment of empyema (pus or "yellow bile" in the pleural cavity) by means of incision, cautery, and insertion of metal tubes. The goal of treatment is to get the patient stable, stop the bleeding, and remove the blood and air in the pleural space. A chest tube is inserted through the chest wall to drain the blood and air. It is left in place for several days to re-expand the lung. When a hemothorax is severe and a chest tube alone does not control the bleeding, surgery (thoracotomy) may be needed to stop the bleeding. The cause of the hemothorax should be also treated. In people who have had an injury, chest tube drainage is often all that is needed. Surgery is often not needed."
Other Notes: To keep cold floors warm people would cover them with straw left over from the threshing (separating grain from the stalks). To keep the straw from being carried outside the house, a low board was nailed to the foot of the doorway flush against the floor, hence it was called a "thresh hold."
Darolus' line: "The funeral meats will feed the wedding guests?" is a riff on a line from Hamlet, when the melancholy Dane is being sarcastic about the fact that his uncle married his brother's wife, Hamlet's mother, not long after she had been widowed.