"What would anyone want with you?" Larxene sneered, crossing her arms.
"Apparently I'm desirable to someone," Axel replied pointedly.
Larxene stuck her tongue out childishly.
Lexaeus returned with another man in tow. The man had long hair the color of straw and a short beard to match. He wore a crisp white toga with a piece of crimson fabric draped around his neck.
"This is Ansem the Wise," Lexaeus introduced, "Ansem, these are two of our finest slave gladiators: Axel and Larxene."
Finest? Axel wasn't too sure the title fit, but Ansem must have offered a larger sum of money than he thought.
"Might I be able to have an examination of that one?" Ansem pointed at Axel.
"Of course, sir." Lexaeus grinned. He stomped up to Axel, hissing in his ear for him to remove his clothing.
Axel removed the armor straps crossed against his body and slipped off his armored kilt. He untied the loincloth hung around his hips and let it fall away.
Larxene's eyes drifted across Axel's body, and though Axel had been in situations as these before, he suddenly felt more vulnerable with a countable number of eyes on him.
"His build doesn't make it seem like he would be useful for jobs involving heavy labor...how strong is he?" Ansem inquired.
"Axel's strength is quite impressive for his appearance."
"I've never seen eyes quite like his..." Ansem gripped Axel's face in one hand, forcing him to look him in the eyes.
"Open your mouth, Axel." Lexaeus demanded.
Axel did so, which Ansem replied with, "His teeth are intact...you certainly keep your slaves well."
"We must keep them in their best condition to entertain, sir," Lexaeus agreed.
Ansem let go of Axel's jaw, and Axel snapped his mouth shut.
"Those tattoos, what is the purpose of them?" Ansem wondered.
"Branding, sir, so he is easily recognizable should he try to escape." Lexaeus replied, squinting at Axel.
Despite having been captured as a prisoner of war at age fourteen, Axel had never tried to escape. He wasn't sure what had kept him from trying to return home, nor was he sure he would find out soon. Perhaps it was the overwhelming realization that Isa had been captured and killed, and even if Axel returned to Gaul he wouldn't have a reason to stay.
"He will make a fine personal slave to my son. You see the two slaves before contracted some disease from each other, and so we had to replace them somehow." Ansem explained.
"Yes, well Axel is one of our healthiest gladiators, and one of the most popular. What did you say you were willing to pay for him?" Lexaeus asked.
"I would offer about one hundred gold solidi for him." Ansem suggested.
Lexaeus sputtered as if he were choking on the air. "One hundred solidi?" He repeated.
"Yes, did that seem too little? I'm willing to raise the price to two hundred, though I haven't seen the second slave yet." Ansem reminded him.
"Oh yes, Larxene, remove your clothes." Lexaeus waved his hand at her.
Grudgingly, Larxene removed her armor and her tunic. She unfastened the mamillare around her chest and her loincloth and stood rigid in front of the three men.
"Not so confident now, are you Larxene?" Axel jested.
"A witty one, I see," Ansem noted. Axel immediately felt guilty for speaking out of turn, but he rarely relished in Larxene's discomfort. Larxene bared her teeth at Axel, but Lexaeus gave her a disapproving glare.
Ansem performed the same analysis on Larxene as he did with Axel, and pursed his lips.
"Is this really the second best slave?" Ansem questioned.
Larxene seemed insulted, but she pushed back her emotions and remained as stoic and obedient as Axel.
"I apologize if she is not to your liking, but she is the best we have." Lexaeus replied.
Axel knew this was a lie, since Marluxia and Aqua were far better than he and Larxene. But he also knew Lexaeus wouldn't give two of the elite gladiators away for any sum of money. Axel and Larxene must not have been as important as they thought they were.
"Very well...I suppose they'll have to do." Ansem decided.
Axel sensed the greed in Lexaeus's eyes. "Now, about the price..." Lexaeus purred.
"I believe one hundred solidi for both should be acceptable, should it not?" Now that he had examined Larxene, Ansem seemed less willing to raise the price to two hundred gold solidi.
"A fair price," Lexaeus agreed.
"Very well, come by my villa before sundown and we can discuss the transaction over dinner." Ansem nodded.
"Fine, fine. I shall see you at sundown." Lexaeus bid the scholar farewell for the time being and turned to the slaves again, demanding they get dressed.
"Enjoy your last night at the school, for tomorrow at noon you'll become domestic dogs." Lexaeus chuckled.
Though Axel had a feeling the meal he ate during the feast to end the Equirria festival would be the last filling meal he would have for the rest of his life, he picked at it and eventually left his plate full of unfinished food.
Demyx and Zexion relished in their new fame, drinking and singing merrily. Demyx sang louder than Zexion, as Zexion always appeared quiet and analytical.
"You're not that upset about the race, are you?" Marluxia questioned, observing Axel's solemn face.
"No, it's not the race," Axel replied, not meeting eyes with Marluxia.
"Something else troubling you?" Marluxia sat down next to Axel at the table.
Axel squinted, wondering if Marluxia was drunk. "No, nothing," Axel decided, though Marluxia would soon find out why his cellmate didn't return from training one evening.
"They're letting us out tonight, why don't we go down to the subura where the prostitutes are and enjoy ourselves?" Marluxia suggested.
Now Axel was sure Marluxia was drunk; Marluxia never suggested such impractical things as talking about emotions or spending the evening with a prostitute, even if they were normal human actions.
"Not tonight." Axel replied. "I don't gain much pleasure in indulging myself."
Axel turned his head toward the celebration, which he remained on the edge of. From the midst of the fray, a very intoxicated Larxene stomped up to Axel and slapped him across the face again.
"It's your fault again!" She insisted vaguely.
"Larxene, just shut your mouth. Honestly, all of this is probably more of your fault than mine." Axel sighed.
"I actually liked living here, knowing I could destroy almost any man I wanted to! Of course all of that got taken away because of you!" She continued.
"Larxene, hush," Axel hissed.
"Don't tell me to hush! At least I was useful before I was brought here, pleasuring men in ways you couldn't possibly imagine! But you...you were a sorry excuse for a soldier, not even being able to save your poor friend. What was his name again...?" Larxene rambled, but suddenly her words caught in Axel the way a fish gets caught in a net.
"You hold your tongue," Axel demanded, rising to his feet.
Larxene raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I've struck something, haven't I?"
"Isa...his name was Isa," he growled.
"Oh yes, Isa...it's a poor shame you couldn't save Isa..." Larxene's voice was laden thick with poison.
"Don't you ever speak about Isa again!" Axel threatened. "Don't even say his name!"
Larxene pursed her lips, the entire courtyard on edge of what she could let slip.
She let slip a single word: Isa.
Like a taut string being released, Axel snapped. He grabbed Larxene's shoulders, pushing her into a pillar lining the courtyard. Larxene crumpled to the ground, but she glared at him. When she regained her strength, she lunged. Axel's balance was thrown off and he fell to the ground with her on top of him.
She pinned him, but Axel struggled as he flipped them over.
"AXEL! LARXENE!" A voice roared from the edge of the courtyard: Lexaeus had returned from Ansem's villa, a large sack bulging with gold hanging at his side. "Don't bruise each other up too badly, I've just sealed the deal and promised Master Ansem two of our best slaves."
Translations
- Caveat emptor - Let the buyer beware
- Mamillare - A covering for breasts
- Solidi - Gold coins