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Sons of Antiquity	By : Grumblebear Category: +M to R > Ronin Warriors Views: 2158 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Ronin Warriors, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
Chapter 3

The last thing in the world Touma wanted to do was get out of bed.
He had hardly slept at all during the night, the events of the
previous evening still weighing too heavily on him to allow his mind
any peace. The sun hadn’t yet risen as he pulled his blankets
over his head and willed the hours to slow so that he could stay
hidden a bit longer. But the crowing of roosters outside couldn’t
be ignored, and at last he grudgingly drug himself from his bed. An
unpleasantly humid air had begun creeping in through the windows the
night before, and he had closed the shutters in an attempt to keep
the dampness out of his room. As he opened them again to allow the
first light of the early morning in, he saw the entire city engulfed
in a thick blanket of fog. He groaned. That was going to make an
already unpleasant morning even more so.

He quickly washed, dressed, and pulled some clothing from a large
chest that sat on the opposite wall from his bed. After placing the
clothes and a few other possessions he would need for the week into a
small pack, he pulled on a heavier outer robe to fend off the chill
of the morning. He reached into the chest one last time and withdrew
a long, hooded cloak. Touma took a moment to gaze admiringly at the
meticulously made garment.

It was one of five that had been made for the troupe by one of the
city’s most esteemed tailors, who, after witnessing one of
their shows, had decided to gift them with cloaks to match their
richly colored performing silks. Touma’s was the color of
midnight blue, and was trimmed along its edges in gold. The inside of
the cloak was a light brown color, trimmed in the same rich blue as
the opposite side. It had been made this way in order to be
reversible and to afford the wearer some anonymity while dressed in
it. When they wanted to be recognized in public they could wear the
colored side outwards, and when they wished to go unnoticed, they
could wear the neutral side out. Because of this, the cloaks had been
an invaluable gift to them and they used them every time the weather
was cool enough to do so.

He draped it over his arm, picked up the pack and quietly headed
downstairs. He assumed from the silence in the house that his parents
were still asleep. Calling for his horse, he sat and began putting on
his boots. He heard footsteps and looked up to see his father walking
into the atrium from the courtyard, heading toward him. Touma
prepared himself for another word of warning from him. He knew the
man wasn’t happy about the trip. While his father didn’t
carry the same open distaste for Gaius that Seiji did, his son’s
friendship with the young noble had never sat well with him.

This morning however, his father surprised him by giving him only
a strong embrace and a wish for a safe journey. Touma knew the look
in his eyes. It was one of resignation. He understood that his son
was going to go no matter what he said, and the least he could do was
to send him off amicably. He walked with Touma out to the street.
Waiting for them was a servant holding the reigns of a gray horse
with a black mane and tail. Touma frowned in confusion. “Father?”
he turned to the older man.

“I want you to take the gray mare this time. She has a
steady gate, and that will make the trip easier for you.”

Touma looked at his father with wide eyes. It was the man’s
favorite horse. “Your sure?”

“I know you will take good care of her.”

Touma smiled and ran a hand down the length of the mare’s
neck. She was a beautiful, well toned animal, one that any man would
be proud to be seen riding upon.

He wrapped the cloak around his shoulders, brown side out, and
fastened it at his neck. He hoisted himself atop the horse and
reached down to take his pack from the servant. “Give mother my
love,” he said to his father.

His father nodded and with that Touma turned and headed down the
street, quickly loosing sight of those behind him in the fog. The
chill of the early morning was harsh in his lungs, and within a few
minutes he felt the fog collecting on his skin. He wrapped the cloak
tightly around his body and pulled the hood low over his head. He
didn’t want to be soaked by the time he arrived at the estate.
Winding his way through the streets, he tried to busy his mind with
random things, but ultimately his thoughts always drifted back to the
night before. The look on Seiji’s face after he had yelled at
him had cut Touma like a blade. He knew that look would haunt him for
the rest of the week. Now Seiji was probably furious with him, and
the last thing Touma ever wanted was to anger his best friend. But it
was his own fault. He shouldn’t have tried to run away with out
discussing things, and his guilt would serve as punishment for a
while.

As he rode up to the estate he found several slaves attending to
horses and a large carriage just outside the gates. He dismounted
and, after giving charge of his horse to one of the slaves, was lead
by an attendant into the house. When asked to wait in the lush
anteroom at the front of the house, he sighed, thinking that probably
meant his friend hadn’t even gotten out of bed yet. Finally the
sounds of voices began to filter through the halls, and eventually
Gaius himself appeared, sounding a bit irritable. He was complaining
loudly about something when he walked into the room and saw Touma.
His demeanor immediately brightened as he greeted his friend
excitedly.

They ate a quick breakfast and were then ushered out to the small
caravan waiting in the street. By this time the sun was high enough
in the sky to begin burning off some of the fog, and visibility had
improved greatly. Before his friend could complain at him, Touma
removed his cloak and turned it so that the blue side faced out.
Gaius required anyone seen in public with him to be presented in his
or her finest, and the exquisite cloaks were one of the troupe’s
trademarks. Any person of importance who they traveled with wanted to
make sure onlookers recognized the celebrated company they kept, and
always insisted the boys wear their cloaks.

Touma finished refastening the clasp at his neck as he waited for
his friend. After Gaius’ attendants helped him mount his horse
he began barking orders at the slaves and guardsmen who were
accompanying them. Several attendants quickly climbed into the
carriage. Touma shook his head as he mounted his own horse, glad his
trips didn’t end up being this much of a production. Gaius
instructed Touma to ride to his right and he smiled cheerfully as
they headed out.

“I’m so glad you decided to join me this week Touma.
Whether you like it or not, were going to add some excitement to your
life. Your going to come back from this trip a new man!” he
said, sitting proudly atop his white mount.

Touma grimaced inwardly, but gave the man the best smile he could
manage. He appreciated his friend’s efforts to make his life
more interesting, but Gaius’ ways of doing so often included
situations in which Touma found himself uncomfortable, and now he
found himself dreading this trip even more. He cursed the bad timing
that had caused him to accept Gaius’ invitation before that of
his other friends.

The streets were already busy with the city’s residents. As
the procession passed and the people recognized the man on the white
horse, they paused to cheer and call out to him. Even before he was
named as a potential successor to the emperor, Gaius had been a star
among the people of Rome. His father had been the adopted grandson of
the emperor Augustus, and also a famous general in the Roman army.
His mother was the granddaughter of the same emperor. Having such
famous parents had aided greatly in his popularity among the people,
and as a child he had accompanied his parents on military campaigns
in northern Germainia, becoming a beloved mascot for his father’s
troops. It was they who had given him the nickname Caligula, after
the tiny military style boots called caliga his parents had made him
wear. If the army of Rome loved you, so did its citizens.

As the people lined the streets to cheer for this impromptu
parade, Touma heard a few shouts here and there of his own name. He
nodded and smiled, but didn’t wave. He didn’t want to
give Gaius reason to think he wasn’t receiving all the
attention. It would have turned his friend’s mood sour very
quickly. And his friend was greatly enjoying all the attention he was
receiving, calling out to the crowds and reaching down to touch their
hands as he rode past. But it made the pace very slow, and Touma
feared they wouldn’t even be out of the city by midday at the
rate they were going.

A large crowd had formed at an intersection ahead of them, and the
guards on horseback accompanying them worked quickly to make way for
the procession. It slowed them momentarily, and just before they
moved to turn the corner, something straight ahead caught Touma’s
eye. A figure on horseback stood just behind the crowd, facing toward
them. A light brown cloak that was trimmed with green covered the
figure, and Touma recognized it immediately as a match to his own.
The hood was pulled up over the figure’s face, hiding it from
view, but he didn’t need to see the face to know who was
underneath.

“Seiji…” Touma whispered, stunned at seeing him
there. He had to fight the urge to draw up his horse and head towards
his other friend, but the crowds had him trapped in the street, and
it would have angered Gaius to have his parade interrupted. Touma
stared at the figure as they rounded the corner, and then he was lost
from sight behind a building as they continued down the road.

He continued to stare behind him until he heard Gaius’ voice
ask, “Is everything alright Touma?”

Touma snapped his head back around and quickly nodded.

“See someone in the crowd you know?”

“I thought so, but I was probably mistaken.”

Gaius seemed satisfied with that and went back to greeting the
crowds.

Why? Touma thought. Why would he come out to
watch me leave? He must still be angry, so what is he doing
out here?

*****

He had no idea what he was doing out here. Without giving it much
thought he had gotten up from his bed and sneaked quietly out of his
house, being careful not to wake his friends. After throwing on his
cloak as a servant had fetched his horse, he had taken off into the
cold, damp morning and wandered the city for a couple of hours,
finally stopping to wait along the main avenue coming down out of
Palatine Hill. He had ignored the absurdity of his actions, instead
focusing on his annoyance at who it was he was waiting for. And
eventually along they came, his friend looking embarrassed and
uncomfortable at all the fanfare. Seiji figured Gaius would make a
big show out of his departure, and it angered him even more to see
his assumption come true.

It infuriated him. To see his friend being paraded through the
streets with that man like some prized dog made him grip his reins
with white knuckles. He had wanted to call out to Touma, wave or
something. Anything. But instead he had simply sat there. He knew
Touma had seen him, and now his friend was probably just as confused
to see Seiji standing there as Seiji had been to find himself waiting
for him.

He turned his horse away from the crowds angrily and
began to make his way back to his home. He is so blind, he
fumed as he wound his way through the streets. He can’t see
the obvious when it’s right in front of him! But slowly, an
unexpected guilt began to play at the edges of his mind. Maybe
he’s not the only one… But he shook his head before
he could think about it anymore and hurried home.

*****

Once they finally made their way out of the city, they began to
make good time as they headed to the west and into the mountains. As
they emerged from the mountains, the countryside opened out before
them. Gently rolling hills dotted with farms and vineyards stretched
as far as they could see, and tall evergreens and cypresses lined the
stone paved roads they traveled along. The sky was mostly overcast,
but the clouds above them would break here and there to allow the sun
to reach through and run its beams across the hills in the distance.

Shortly before the sun began its final descent into the sky, they
arrived in the resort town of Tibur. It was Touma’s first trip
to the town, and he marveled at the magnificent villas perched atop
lush hillsides and the sprawling fields of grape vines, fruit
orchards and olive trees that surrounded each estate. They wound
their way through the town before turning off onto a path that led up
into a large group of foothills. As they passed over a small bridge,
a magnificent waterfall came into view, pouring its way down one side
of the largest hill, pounding loudly on the rocks at its base, then
calming into a steady river that flowed beneath the bridge and
disappeared into the forest. At the top of the waterfall, sitting
just at the edge of the hillside, he could see a large, stately home
shaded by ancient trees. Gaius pointed to the building.

“There it is,” he said proudly. “Tiberius built
it years ago, before he decided to seclude himself in Capri. He never
used this villa, but said that I could as much as I wanted,” he
explained. “It’s nothing compared to the villa in Capri,
but it’s easier to get to from Rome.”

Touma nodded. “Its beautiful.”

Gaius grinned. “Wait until you see the inside, my friend.”

He was right. The inside of the villa was more extravagant than
any vacation home Touma had ever seen. The interior was much like
Gaius’ estate back in the city, only much more spacious, with a
larger courtyard, higher ceilings and larger windows. The floors were
beautifully decorated with intricate tile mosaics, and the walls were
covered in tapestries and painted with vibrant murals depicting all
kinds of stories, legends and historical heroes. Huge colonnades and
archways encased the building, opening out to terraces with
breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside. Touma wandered his
way out onto one of the larger terraces that had a good view of the
town below and stared out admiringly. The sun was just at the horizon
now, and the shadows in the surrounding meadows and woods were
growing long. A fine mist was rising from the ground, blanketing the
countryside.

Gaius walked up next to him and gazed out over the scenery. “I
told you so.”

Touma chuckled. “It’s the most magnificent villa I’ve
ever seen. Your lucky to have acquired it.”

Gaius shrugged. “Its not bad. If I didn’t despise
Capri so much I would have taken you there instead,” he said,
his voice taking on an icy tone.

Touma continued to admire the view, remembering back to some of
the stories Gaius had told him of his time in Capri with Tiberius.
After the exile of his parents, Gaius had remained in Capri with
Tiberius as the man’s “guest”, but had really been
no more than a hostage. The emperor’s sanity had begun to
deteriorate in his old age. He had become paranoid, and increasingly
perverse. Gaius had been exposed to all manners of decadence and
depravity as a boy, and Touma had no doubt that his friend’s
time there had had severely damaging effects on him.

“Does the villa in Capri have a range?” Touma asked
with a clever smile.

Gaius smirked. “No, it doesn’t.”

“Then this one will do just fine.”

Gaius shook his head. “You always know how to distract me
from my demons…” He gazed out over the hills. “Its
infuriating.”

Touma glanced up at his friend, who was smiling wistfully out at
the horizon. He snorted. “Next time I’ll let you ruin
your mood then,” he said, feigning hurt.

His friend laughed. “Well, if you like it so much, when I
become emperor, I’ll have you live here,” he said
complacently and headed back into the house.

Touma raised an eyebrow at his retreating back. Something about
the way Gaius had said that didn’t sit well with him, but then
his stomach growled loudly, distracting him. He brushed off his
unease and followed his friend into the house. It was almost time for
dinner, and he was starving.

*****

“Hey. You’ve been moping all day. What’s wrong?”
Shuu asked as they rode slowly down the street. The four young men
had spent the day visiting friends and patrons and greeting crowds
who had gathered to see them, and were now heading back to Seiji’s
home.

Shuu’s comment had been directed at Seiji, but the man in
the green cloak continued to ride beside them silently, eyes
unfocused.

“Seiji…” Shuu prodded. When that still didn’t
work, he reached over with a foot and kicked his friend’s leg.
“Hey! Wake up!”

Seiji jerked away from the kick and blinked at Shuu. “What?”
He had been thoroughly lost in his thoughts and not paying attention
to his friend’s conversations.

“See? This is what I was talking about.” Shuu glared
at the other man. “You’ve been out of it all day. What’s
wrong with you?”

Seiji narrowed his eyes and turned back to the road in front of
him. Everything’s wrong with me, he thought. “Nothing.
Sorry,” he replied.

Shuu sighed. “So stoic. Your always in a better mood when
Toumas around.”

He’s right. “Your right, I am,” Seiji
agreed.

“But this is worse than normal…”

“Shuu…” Ryo interrupted. “That girl who
pulled you off to the side earlier when we were in the Forum, who was
she?

Instantly distracted, Shuu replied brightly “Ahh, you mean
Presia? Isn’t she a beauty? She’s been making eyes at me
for months now and I…” As he continued to ramble on
mindlessly, Seiji gave Ryo a thankful glance. Ryo was still the only
one who knew about the fight between himself and Touma the night
before, and the only one who would know that, right now, Touma was a
subject Seiji preferred not to talk about. Ryo gave him a knowing
look and continued to distract Shuu with questions that Seiji was
sure he had little interest in learning the answers to.

He turned his eyes upward to the darkening sky. The anger he had
felt earlier when seeing Touma leave the city with Gaius had stayed
with him throughout the day. It was preventing him from thinking
clearly, and more importantly, from finding the best way to handle
what his friend had told him the evening before. And his frustration
was only getting worse with each passing hour. The day had been so
busy he hadn’t had a moments rest to try to sort his thoughts.
He was sure if he could just get a few minutes of quiet he could
figure everything out. He was hoping to get some time later after the
others had fallen asleep, but he was so tired from the day’s
events that he doubted he would be able to stay awake long enough for
his mind to find any kind of resolution.

Suddenly, Shin laughed loudly at something Shuu had said, briefly
distracting him.

“And if she had asked you, what would you have said?”
he heard Shin ask.

What would you have said? As if turning a key in a lock,
his words triggered something in Seiji’s mind. What would
you have said? He swallowed dryly as the question formed
completely in his mind. If Touma hadn’t run away, what would
you have said?

Without a moment’s hesitation or second thought, he
answered, I would have told him I didn’t mind if Gaius
thought Touma and I were intimate.

The quickness and absolute honesty of his answer startled him, and
immediately the random thoughts and emotions that had been plaguing
him all day began to form one coherent realization in his mind. He
suddenly realized that, somewhere along the way, he had grown to care
for Touma so much that the idea of being something more to him didn’t
seem like such a strange notion. Touma was his best friend, and was
closer to him than a brother. The truth was, they were so close that
Seiji had sometimes wondered what it would be like to be in a deeper
relationship with his friend. But he was so clumsy and Touma so
indifferent when it came to romantic endeavors that he had always
brushed the thought aside, not wanting to cause any turmoil in their
friendship just to satisfy curiosity. But now… if that’s
something that Touma really does want, could I share the same
feelings for him?

Again, the answer came to him immediately. Of course I could.
Among all the people he had ever met, none could put his mind at
ease, none could make him laugh, none could distract him from his
troubles, and none could make him drop his guard by simply being near
him like Touma could. Of course I could, he repeated in his
mind, smiling. He sighed, enjoying his brief moment of clarity. Then
he almost smirked. He was actually surprised this hadn’t
happened sooner, with all the joking they had done over the years. He
was sure it probably would have, if it weren’t for their
friends always being around to spoil any small moments with their
good-natured joking.

So it was jealousy after all, he thought, remembering back
to the scene earlier that morning that had set his mood off. He
realized that, in addition to the fact that he believed Gaius to be a
monster, it was also his jealousy of the man’s relationship
with Touma that made Seiji dislike him so. Because of the noble’s
depraved and gluttonous reputation, Seiji had always been concerned
for his friend’s well being. But now he realized that because
of the man’s repute, he had also seen him as competition for
Touma’s attention. That too would be something that they would
have to settle once and for all when his friend returned.

Seiji set his eyes straight ahead, a new determination burning in
them. Be safe, and come home soon Touma.

*****

Touma was feeling his spirits. It was only natural considering all
the drinking he had been doing that evening since they arrived. They
had eaten a huge dinner and had then retired to one of the villa’s
many terraces to lounge about and drink wine for the rest of the
evening.

“I’m actually surprised,” Touma said, raising
his cup to an attendant who filled it with more of the spiced wine
they had been enjoying. “I was expecting some huge dinner party
the first night we got here.”

Gaius chuckled. “Even I know my limits after a long day’s
journey. The idea was tempting, but I didn’t think either one
of us would be up to a party tonight. But…” he smiled
mischievously. “that doesn’t mean that I’m going to
go easy on you the rest of the week. You wont be getting much sleep
after tonight my friend.”

Touma rolled his eyes. “What sort of devious things do you
have planned?”

Gaius smiled over his cup and said nothing.

Touma snorted, his mind too fuzzy from the wine to protest his
friends teasing. “Just don’t get me killed or exiled.
That’s all I ask.” He carelessly threw back the entire
glass of wine and held out the cup for another refill.

His friend laughed. “I would never do that to such a good
friend.” He watched as Touma quickly finished off another full
cup. “You’re going to make yourself sick.”

Touma’s head was swimming. “I don’t care.”

Gaius regarded him thoughtfully for a long while, calmly sipping
at his own drink. Touma was stretched out on the couch, staring
through glassy eyes up at the evening sky. The two remained silent
for a long while. Eventually, Gaius leaned over to set his cup down
on the table next to him. As he did so, he asked, “Is something
wrong Touma?”

Touma lolled his head back and forth.

“You were distracted all day on the ride here, and at dinner
as well. It’s not like you to be so troubled.”

Somewhere in the back of Touma’s mind a warning went out for
him to guard his tongue. But his mind was so muddied by all the
drinking that he barely noticed it. “I just have a lot on my
mind I guess. It’s my own damn fault.”

“Something happen with your friends?

The wine was making Touma careless. “Just a fight, after I
told him. I couldn’t say it how I wanted to though…”
His mind was screaming at him to shut his mouth, but now that the
floodgates had opened, Touma was finding it very hard to stop
talking, and he continued to babble on. “I had to tell him. He
would have found out anyways. And I didn’t want to risk him
finding out on his own. Maybe I should have just told him everything.
We should have at least finished talking. I’m so selfish. Now
he’s confused and I’m an idiot and I’ve messed up
everything. I shouldn’t have run away like that. I don’t
know what to do…” He laid an arm across his eyes and
sighed.

Gaius stared at him for a moment, then said dryly, “Its
Seiji isn’t it?”

Touma cringed. Sobering slightly, he realized he had said too much
and his friend had caught on to who it was he was talking about. He
knew in his drunken state there was no way he could talk his way out
of this. All he could do was nod his head miserably.

Gaius sighed. “I figured from the way you spoke about him
the other night. He isn’t really taken is he? You lied to keep
me away from him.”

Touma nodded again, his eyes still hidden under his arm. “I
just wanted to…” he began but then stopped himself,
gritting his teeth and trying desperately to concentrate on making
sure he didn’t say anything else that would just make the
situation worse. I just wanted to protect him, and keep him…

Instead of becoming angry about the lie, Gaius asked, “So…
did you do it for your friend, or for yourself?”

The question surprised Touma. He remained silent for a while, then
said softly, “Myself.”

“So he’s the one you’ve been pining after
all this time then.”

“Yeah.”

“Does he know?”

Removing the arm from his eyes, Touma stared blankly up at the
sky. “I don’t know. We didn’t talk about it. I left
before we could. I even yelled at him when he tried to stop me. He’s
probably furious with me now.” He ran a hand through his hair.
“I wouldn’t blame you if you were too.”

Gaius remained silent for a while, much to Touma’s dismay.
But when he finally did speak again, his words were smoother and more
calming than Touma had ever thought the man capable of. “Well,
Seiji may hate you, but I don’t Touma.” He reached over
and placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder.

I didn’t say he hated me, Touma thought. Did I?
His mind was still clouded by the wine. He felt a small squeeze on
his shoulder and looked up at his friend. Gaius was smiling calmly at
him, but Touma wondered if he would have been able to read something
else in that smile had he been more sober.

“I think you need to sleep off some of your wine, and you’ll
feel better in the morning,” the older man said. Touma nodded
and Gaius waved for an attendant. “Help him to his room,”
he instructed. As Touma stood on unsure legs, Gaius smiled up at him.
“Don’t worry my friend. You can forget about your
troubles while you’re here. Save them until we have to return
to Rome.”

Touma nodded gratefully. “Thank you. Goodnight.” With
that the attendant helped him back into the house and led him to a
bedroom. After excusing the attendant, Touma closed the door behind
him and staggered his way over to the bed. He lay down wearily, and
almost as soon as he closed his eyes he was asleep. He didn’t
wake once the entire night.

The next day, after a large breakfast, Gaius took him to the
villa’s archery range. It was a large field located at the base
of the hill the villa sat atop. Touma gaped as he looked out into the
field and saw targets of every shape and size that had been set up,
arranged in places and ways that would prove challenging even for
him. There were some set in trees on the farthest end of the field,
as well as deep in some tall grasses just before the tree line. There
were even moving targets that ran on ropes across the field, moved by
the weight of attached sandbags that were dropped off of tall wooden
towers on either side of the clearing. Gaius had supplied them with
the finest bows Touma had ever seen, and they spent the better part
of the day trying to outdo each other in marksmanship. Much to Gaius’
annoyance, Touma won almost every one of their matches, as usual.

As the sun began to sink slowly towards the west, they headed back
to the house, where they bathed and changed into clean clothes for
dinner. Just as Touma expected, guests began to arrive shortly before
the food was served. Gaius only grinned and shrugged at him. “I
told you not to expect such peaceful evenings for the rest of our
time here didn’t I?”

Touma rolled his eyes but decided to make the best of it. The
guests were all around his age, and came from the families of senate
members or wealthy citizens. They were all vacationing in Tibur as
well. A few he had even met before at previous parties and occasions.
They numbered fourteen in all at dinner, and Touma was certain that
their enormous meal could have fed a small army. After they had
eaten, everyone participated in several rounds of a drinking game
called acommissatio, where all the guests had to empty their
wine glasses in one go. Touma did his best to pace himself, but he
still began to feel the effects of the wine after just a few rounds.

Eventually they all moved out into the large courtyard in the
middle of the house to socialize and continue on with different
games. Barely sober, Touma graciously tried to bow out of the ones
that included drinking, but was only partly successful, most of the
time finding himself pressured into “just one more round”.
He had to admit it; he was actually enjoying himself at one of Gaius’
parties for a change. One of the guests, a young, attractive woman
with tempting curves sitting next to him started up a conversation,
and he found himself happy to indulge her, though he was certain the
wine had something to do with it.

As they talked Touma noticed she seemed to be moving closer to
him, and eventually she was sidled up right next to him. He couldn’t
help but notice her breast brushing against his arm when she would
turn towards him, but it didn’t surprise him. He was used to
these kinds of people being around Gaius, and this normally happened
to him at parties he attended with his friend. It was part of what
always made him so uncomfortable. He certainly wasn’t a prude,
but he had come to the realization some time ago that if the person
he was with wasn’t the one he wanted, then he didn’t get
any pleasure out of the experience. So normally he shunned any kind
of physical diversion. Tonight however, he found himself flattered by
the attention and the distraction from his troubles that both she and
the drinking were providing him.

It must be all the wine, he thought as she slipped a
delicate hand behind his neck and pulled his face down to hers. That
must be why this doesn’t bother me… why it doesn’t
matter. She brushed soft lips against his and, without thinking
about what he was doing, he returned the kiss gently. A sudden small
wave of self-consciousness made him glance around the courtyard to
see if anyone was watching them, but to his surprise, everyone else
was either engaged in the same act or engrossed in conversation. The
two of them were sitting off to the far side of the garden, so no one
paid them any mind.

She insistently deepened the kiss and, as he accommodated her, his
eyes found Gaius at the other end of the garden, sitting in the group
still holding conversation. He wasn’t participating in the
discussion however. He was barely even moving. His eyes were locked
onto Touma, his face completely devoid of any emotion. But the fierce
intensity in his eyes made Touma shudder slightly. Gaius looked
almost… furious.

As she reached her arms up and around his neck, he let his eyes
slide shut, desperately wanting to escape his friends unsettling
stare. She leaned into him, pressing her chest tightly against his
and running thin fingers through his hair. His head was swimming
again, and he found himself becoming more willing to give in to the
temptation of this woman. Anything to forget his troubles, even if it
was just for a little while.

A voice at the front of the courtyard suddenly caught his
attention. “I think that’s enough for one evening,”
Gaius was saying with a smile as he stood. “We can continue
this another night.” All his guests groaned at him.

“What are you talking about? You never end a party this
early,” one of the men sitting near him said incredulously.

“Well tonight I’m making an exception. I’ll make
it up to all of you, I promise,” he replied. “I’m
just still very tired from the ride yesterday.”

The woman, who had also heard Gaius, pushed off of Touma in a
huff, whispering a promise in his ear to finish what they had started
the next time they met. But Touma only half heard her. He was looking
at his friend who he could tell was forcing his smile. He wondered
what had happened to change Gaius’ mood so abruptly. He had
been in good spirits all day and into the evening. So why had things
changed all of a sudden?

As the last guest was leaving, Gaius turned to Touma and asked
quietly, “Are you sober enough to ride?”

Touma gave him a confused look. “I think so.”

His friend nodded. “Good. Ill have the horses prepared.”

“Where are we…?”

“You’ll see,” Gaius cut him off with an impish
smile. He quickly headed off down a corridor, leaving a bemused Touma
in his wake. He returned a few minutes later with a pair of
attendants and four guards. One of the attendants carried a stack of
towels, and the other carried two water skins.

Touma blinked at his friend, completely clueless as to what the
man was up to. But Gaius glided right past him and out to the front
of the home, where slaves were waiting with their horses. “Lets
go my friend,” he called to Touma, who was lagging a few steps
behind him. Still bewildered by his friends behavior, Touma only
nodded and mounted quickly. He knew that whatever it was Gaius was
planning was going to remain a secret until his friend decided
otherwise. With a guard leading the way, they left the yard of the
house and made their way further into the hills, the fire from the
guard’s torches the only source of light along the wooded path.
Touma stole a few worried glances at Gaius as they rode, but the man
only stared straight ahead, a serene look on his face. As they rode,
Touma noticed that the temperature was beginning to drop
significantly. It had been unusually warm for the past week or so.
Normally the temperature at this time of year was much colder.
Perhaps the weather is returning to normal, he mused as he
pulled his clothing tighter to his body.

Eventually they came to a small clearing in the middle of the
woods. To the far side of the clearing, nestled against the side of a
steep hill and lit by starlight, was a large, dark pool with rocks
surrounding its banks. Steam billowed up from the surface of the
water. “It’s a volcanic spring.” Touma said,
surprised. Gaius stopped his horse and dismounted, motioning for
Touma to do the same.

“I figured we could both use a bit of unwinding,”
Gaius said, handing his reins to a guard.

They wandered over to the water with the attendants following
behind. They undressed and each took from the attendants small towels
with which to wrap around their waists. Touma eagerly waded into the
hot water, cringing a bit at the heat. He sunk down to his shoulders
with a contented sigh as his friend followed him. They wadded a bit
to get used to the temperature, then wandered back to the water’s
edge. Gaius motioned for the attendant with the water skins, and she
quickly handed them to him. He waved her off and she and the other
attendant headed back to where the guards were standing. As a group
they all headed back down the small path.

“Where are they going?” Touma asked.

“Just far enough to where they wont bother us. I don’t
want them hovering about right now,” he said with a dismissive
wave.

Touma noticed he could still see the light from the guard’s
torches through the trees where the group had stopped. They were far
enough away where they wouldn’t be imposing, but close enough
to be within earshot should they be needed. He sighed and splashed
his face. “This was a great idea. I haven’t been to a
spring in ages.”

“I’m glad you like it,” Gaius said, tossing one
of the water skins to him. “Drink up. That’s a specialty
of the wine makers around here.”

Touma caught the skin and pulled the cork out of the top. “I
hadn’t planned on drinking again tonight…”

“Oh stop it. Were supposed to be enjoying ourselves out here
Touma,” Gaius said, sounding slightly annoyed.

Touma shrugged and sipped some of the wine. It was deliciously
sweet. “Its good!” He exclaimed.

Gaius smiled and raised his own skin to his lips. “I know. I
was saving it for a special occasion.”

They continued to sit in the water enjoying the wine, neither one
saying much for a while. Then finally Touma spoke up. “So why
did you end the party so early tonight?” His words
sounded slow coming off of his tongue, and he thought it was strange
for the drink to be affecting him already.

His friend sat quietly for a moment, as if choosing his words
carefully before he spoke. “Because I wasn’t enjoying
myself anymore.”

“Why not?” Touma squinted and shook his head. He was
dizzy all of a sudden. It must be the heat from the water. He
tried to prop himself higher in the water but found that his
movements were slow, and he only succeeded in making the feeling
worse.

Gaius looked at him languidly. “Because I saw something that
made me angry.”

Touma was trying to push himself back up onto the shore without
alerting his friend to his sudden trouble. “What made you
angry?” he asked, more concerned with his own condition than
his friend’s answer. He just needed to get out of the water and
cool off…

His friend gazed back out over the spring. “You. Indulging
that filthy whore,” he said coldly.

What? Gaius’ words registered with Touma just as his
hand slipped on the embankment, and he slid back into the water with
a splash. Suddenly he was barely able to move his limbs. He realized
in a panic that he wouldn’t be able to pull himself out of the
water in his state. Ignoring his friends comment he said quickly
“Gaius, help me out of the water… Something…”
He sank a bit and water threatened to fill his mouth. “Something’s
wrong… I can’t move…”

Gaius turned to him again, a cold, distant look on his face. He
sighed and waded over to the younger man, grabbing him from behind.
He wrapped his arms around Touma’s chest and hauled him higher
in the water, pulling him toward the shore. Touma was in a panic. “I
can’t move Gaius. My arms, my legs… they won’t
work…” he said fearfully. His limbs were useless. He was
still able to keep his head up, and could move his arms, but just
barely.

Suddenly, he felt Gaius lean in close to his ear. “Shhhhh,”
his friend quieted him as they drifted towards shore. “I know.”

Touma stiffened. A sudden sense of dread took hold of him as Gaius
hauled him onto the bank and then stopped, letting their legs remain
in the warm water. Still holding Touma from behind, he leaned back
against a large rock and pulled the younger man up against him. He
sighed and dropped his chin to rest on Touma’s shoulder.

“What are you doing?” Touma asked roughly. “What
do you mean you ‘know’?”

“I mean I drugged your wine.” Gaius replied simply. “I
brought you up here and gave you that skin on purpose. Because you
angered me.” Touma shuddered as the man leaned in to place his
lips against his ear as he said, “I told you. I saw something I
didn’t like. You and that bitch, together. And you,
looking at me the whole time. Were you trying to make me jealous?
Excited? Because it worked…” he said, letting his breath
drift over Touma’s ear.

Touma tried to steady his mind. It was in a haze from whatever it
was that Gaius had slipped into his drink, and he was having a hard
time concentrating. “Of course not! You said have a good time…”

“I didn’t mean with that bitch!” Gaius hissed,
squeezing his waist. “I would rather you had chosen me.”

Touma tried to swallow his panic. “I didn’t know…
You never said anything...” He tried to push away, but his body
still wouldn’t cooperate.

Gaius smiled, almost sadly. “I’ve tried to tell you,
in subtle ways. But the gentle touch doesn’t work with you,
Touma.” He reached up to brush the younger man’s hair
gently. “You’re brilliant and well educated, but when it
comes to matters of love, you can be remarkably stubborn and timid.
That’s why I had to show you this way. I didn’t want to,
but you would have just run away if I hadn’t. Like you did with
your other little friend.” The last bit he whispered
maliciously, slowly running his fingertips along the length Touma’s
arms.

That was a completely different situation! Touma thought.
He was furious now, his anger helping to clear his mind a bit. “And
by drugging me, what exactly is it your trying to show me other than
the fact you think I’m a coward?”

Gaius grinned and leaned in closer. “That I’m better
for you than any other man, especially Seiji. Even if it means I have
to force myself on you. I have to make you see, Touma. Why would
someone choose a common man when they could have an emperor, a man
who is almost a god?”

“Don’t you dare say that. My feelings have nothing to
do with any need for power. I don’t want a god…”

Gaius chuckled against him. “Such an honorable man. But
you’re just fooling yourself. Everyone adores me, and everyone
wants me. Including you. You just seem to be the only one who
hasn’t realized it yet. And Touma…” he said,
reaching up to grab a fist full of the younger man’s hair. He
pulled Touma’s head back slightly so that they were eye to eye.
“Take care to guard your tone around me. I can say whatever I
want. And don’t forget, my friend. As the emperor, I can also
have whatever I want…” he said, reaching up from
behind to run his fingernails lightly along Touma’s collar
bone.

Touma’s eyes hardened in defiance. “Your not emperor
yet Gaius.”

The hand stopped at the middle of his collarbone, stiffening.

With a snarl, Gaius pressed his fingertips into Touma’s skin
and viciously raked his nails down the younger man’s chest,
eliciting a small cry of pain from him. “Stop saying that!”
The older man almost screamed. “You stupid little dog!”
Gripping his fistful of Touma’s hair roughly, Gaius lifted him
up by his head, and thrust him out to arms length. Helpless to fight
back, Touma felt him pull back with his other arm, and then his head
exploded in pain as the man’s fist slammed into his temple. The
force of the blow knocked him out of Gaius’ grasp, ripping his
hair from its roots where he had been held, and threw him back into
the water face first.

Touma’s ears were ringing loudly and he tried to blink away
bright flashes of white light. He held his breath as he struggled to
right himself into a position where he could breath, but his body
still refused to work. Running out of breath, he fought back panic as
he felt consciousness begin to slip away.

Suddenly, he felt two strong arms lift him from behind, and he
gasped desperately as his face broke the surface of the water. He
hung limply as Gaius carried him back onto the shore again. “Like
I said Touma… gentle doesn’t work with you,” Gaius
said wearily as he dropped him onto the ground, flat on his stomach.
He sat down next to the younger man and shook his hand loosely in the
air. “Damn it that hurt! I hit you with my rings on. I could
have broken my hand on your thick skull!”

Touma’s head was spinning from the blow and the lack of air,
and Gaius’ words sounded as if they had been spoken to him
through a long tunnel. He struggled to sit up, but only managed to
pull his arms up to either side of his head. They sat silently like
that for a while, Touma still regaining his breath and Gaius staring
down at him. Gaius picked up his wine sack that had been tossed
nearby and began to drink heavily from it, sighing when it was dry.

Touma closed his eyes, trying desperately to ignore the pain in
his head and fight off the effects of the drugs. Just one hit…
He’d probably kill me, but I don’t care. I just want one
good hit on him. Still his body refused him and he dug his
fingers into the grass in frustration. He shuddered when he felt warm
fingers graze the skin of his back. He looked up to find Gaius
leaning over him, the man’s eyes shamelessly wandering back and
forth along Touma’s vulnerable figure.

“Stop it.” Touma demanded through clenched teeth.

“You really are a beautiful man,” Gaius mused, letting
his hand drift along the length of Touma’s spine. “I have
to show you…” he frowned slightly. “I have to show
you… this way, because I don’t know any other way to do
it…” his voice quieted to almost a whisper as he
stretched out beside Touma and took his face in his hands, lifting it
slightly off the ground. “I’ll make you
understand…”

“No…” Touma said coarsely as Gaius leaned
forward to press his lips hard against the younger man’s. Touma
pursed his tips tightly together and tried to pull back, but Gaius
held fast.

“Don’t fight me, Touma,” he said, releasing one
side of the younger man’s face to push him up on his side so
they were facing one another. Gaius slid against him, propping him
up, and hooked his arm under Touma’s head and around his neck,
using the leverage to press harder against his mouth. He enticingly
ran a hand down the younger man’s back towards his seat,
gripping hard onto a cheek when he passed below the waistline. Touma
hissed in pain, and Gaius chuckled against his mouth. “You’ll
learn to like the pain…” he said, licking Touma’s
lips. “Why wont you let me in?” he asked guiltlessly,
nibbling at the mouth that refused him passage. Touma only replied
with a cold stare. Gaius smiled. “It’s alright. I have
other ways to convince you,” he said, his lower hand creeping
farther down to pull up the thin, wet towel Touma still had wrapped
around his waist.

With a shudder, Touma desperately tried to buck away from him, but
the man held firm. “Stop it Gaius!” he yelled, using his
forehead to push away the man’s face and his persisting mouth.
He was tiring, and his instinct to fight back, strong as it was, was
quickly fading with his strength. Between his panic and the pounding
in his head, he felt as if he could pass out at any minute. He was
about to give up when, without warning, Gaius’ grip suddenly
loosened and his head snapped away, staring back in the direction of
the path.

Touma held his breath, waiting to see what it was that had caused
him to stop. Eventually, the sounds of voices filtering through the
woods met his ears and he glanced at Gaius. The man looked livid.
Touma raised his eyes to the trees and saw what made him so angry.
The torches were headed back toward them, along with the sounds of
excited voices. He suddenly felt the body he was propped up against
move away from him, and he fell back onto his stomach.

Gaius cursed blackly as he sat up and pulled Touma by his waist
back down into the water until he was covered to just past his hips.
“Pretend like your asleep,” he growled softly at the
younger man. He splashed the grass from his skin, grabbed his
discarded wine skin then propped himself up against a rock at the
waters edge, out of arms reach of Touma. As the group of attendants
and guards entered the clearing Touma closed his eyes. He didn’t
understand why his friend had taken such pains to make it look as if
nothing had happened between them. Why should he care what his
servants think? But Touma wasn’t going to complain. He
certainly didn’t want anyone seeing him in such a compromising
position, especially one he was forced into.

“I thought I told you no interruptions!” Gaius snapped
furiously at the attendants who approached. Touma opened his eyes
just a crack to see what was going on. A man who had not accompanied
them on the trip to the spring now stood next to the attendants. He
stepped forward and spoke earnestly. “Tiberius is on his death
bed. You are needed in Rome immediately.”

Touma’s heart dropped. The emperor was dying? He glanced
quickly at Gaius. The man was gazing out over the water, an
indecipherable look on his face. But Touma knew that Gaius was barely
containing his delight. You get your wish, he thought grimly.

Gaius nodded and stood, his attendants rushing to cover him with
towels. “Then back to Rome it is,” he said with a solemn
appearance. Touma, knowing it was all an act, clenched his teeth in
disgust.

As he was being dressed, one of the attendants bent over Touma to
help him up, but Gaius stopped her. “Leave him,” he said.
“He’s too drunk to take with us. He will only slow us
down.”

Ahh, so that was it, Touma thought. He wanted me to
appear passed out from the wine so they wouldn’t see that I was
drugged.

Gaius took a towel from the attendant and walked over to where
Touma lay, still appearing to be asleep. He knelt down beside him and
said in a soft voice that only the two of them could hear, “You
see? It was only a matter of time, Touma.” He gently placed the
towel over the younger man’s torso, being careful not to let it
fall in the water. “You should be grateful to me,” he
continued. “I could have let them see whatever they wanted when
they came rushing back up here. You… helplessly pinned against
me. The marks on your chest from my fingers… You know how
servants love to talk. You might have been ruined from the gossip
alone. But I chose to save you Touma. Don’t forget that.”

Touma bit back an angry retort and forced himself to remain silent
as Gaius stood and headed back to where the guards waited with his
horse. “But sir… what about wolves?” One of the
guards protested. Gaius stopped and took a torch from him. He
returned to Touma’s side where he thrust the torch into the
ground next to him.

“There. That should take care of it. The beasts wont come
near the fire, and he will be awake by the time it burns out.”
With that the guards helped him mount, and they headed quickly back
down the path toward the villa, leaving Touma’s horse and his
clothes near the tree line.

As soon as the torches were gone from sight, all of the rage and
fear Touma had pent up inside came tearing out. He did the only thing
his still mostly unresponsive form could do. He cried out angrily,
slamming a half limp fist into the ground and clenching at the grass
and earth. Turning his face into the grass he screamed his
frustration until he felt his voice start to crack and his lungs
strain for air. A stifled cry escaped from deep within his chest as
he lay there, regaining his composure. After a while, his body
finally began to respond a little to his wishes, and he curled up
slowly into a fetal position, his legs and waist still submerged in
the warm waters of the spring. But the heat from the torch and the
towel covering his upper half did little to fend off the encroaching
cold.

As his head throbbed violently with pain, he turned his eyes up to
the stars, desperate for some comfort, but found he would be denied
even those. Massive, rolling clouds drifted gently through the sky,
blocking out all view of anything that lay beyond them. Without the
stars to help light the clearing, the darkness seemed to thicken
around him, only adding to his heightened sense of unease. As the
torch crackled and hissed above him, he shivered and moved a little
farther into the water. Left with no other choice, he closed his eyes
and waited for his body to obey once again.

Continued in chapter 4

This chapter ended up being a bit longer than I had intended. I
wanted to be sure to squeeze all this into one chapter, with the end
result that it got a tiny bit lengthy.
- 5
- 6
- 7
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Sons of Antiquity