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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
- 6
- 7
- 8
Chapter
4

His friends had taken their leave
just after the sun had begun its climb into the morning sky. They had
all agreed to make plans to spend a day together as a complete group
once Touma had returned to the city. Now Seiji was alone and bored,
left with nothing else to do but go over the numerous messages that
had arrived for him while he was away. It was a monotonous task,
since there were so many. He leafed through them idly, scanning each
one for anything important. Finding none that looked as if they
needed his immediate attention, he set the letters down and rubbed
his eyes. He had no idea what time it was, but he suspected it was
almost time for the mid-day meal.

Rising from his stool, he walked out
of the side room he had been peacefully reading in and stepped into
the courtyard. He stretched and headed into the atrium, stifling a
yawn. The temperature had dropped dramatically over night, and he was
surprised to see a puff of his breath in the air. As he entered the
front hall he noticed some of the servants crowded in the hallway
leading out to the street, chatting low amongst each other. Something
was obviously happening outside. He walked over to them, frowning
slightly.

“What’s going on?”
he asked, growing more concerned when he was met with worried eyes.

“It’s the emperor, sir,”
one of the elder servants said quietly.

Seiji’s eyes widened and he
rushed past them out into the small garden that separated their main
door from the street. Beyond the front gate, standing just outside,
he saw his father talking with some men. He hurried up to them.
“Father…” he said as he reached the group. “What
is it?”

His father glanced at him with
troubled eyes.

“The emperor?” he asked.

The older man nodded. “Word is
spreading that he is near death, if not passed already. Gaius
Augustus returned to Rome early this morning. It’s being said
he will be named the new emperor.”

Seiji nodded and his father turned
back to the other men. He swallowed, looking around him. All along
the street, numerous people were mulling about, talking to one
another in hushed tones. It was no secret that the people of Rome had
grown to loath their current emperor, Tiberius, who had become
nothing more than a reclusive tyrant in the past few years; raising
taxes, conduction erroneous treason trials, and sending numerous
families with whom he was displeased into exile. He had shut himself
away in his villa at Capri, preferring to let the senate run the
empire on their own. And since the senate wasn’t used to acting
without the emperor, the quality of government and subsequently the
daily lives of Rome’s citizens had deteriorated significantly.
Recently, he had become increasingly paranoid, and there were rumors
that he had gone completely mad. It was even alleged that he had
begun indulging in all manner of questionable diversions with young
boys who, once they had entered his secluded villa, were never heard
from again.

But, while no one doubted Rome would
be better off under a new ruler, the death of an emperor meant the
peace of the entire empire was at risk until a successor was named.
Insurrections, an over throwing of the government, attacks from enemy
countries, and riots were all possibilities if the senate did not act
quickly to install a new emperor in time to quell any uprising. It
was an extremely dangerous time for everyone.

He clenched and unclenched his fists,
letting the gravity of the situation settle in his mind. So they
are going to make that monster emperor after all…he
thought grimly. Suddenly, the sound of a man yelling caught his ear.
He glanced up in time to see a rider on horseback rush by, calling
out “Tiberius is dead! The emperor has passed! Our new emperor
will appear shortly in the Forum!” The man continued to call
out the same thing as he hurried down the street and disappeared
around a corner. Several people cried out excitedly, rushing back
into their houses with the news.

But Seiji could find nothing good
about the situation. In his mind, they were simply replacing one
tyrant with another. He hurried back into his house, past the
servants who were still mulling about and headed into the courtyard.
He was making his way back to the side room along the courtyard to
finish his reading and escape the commotion in the streets when a
thought suddenly occurred to him. He stopped and turned back to the
front of the house. If Gaius was back in Rome, that meant Touma would
be as well. He detoured to his room, hastily put on his cloak and a
pair of boots and headed back out into the street.

His father caught his arm. “Where
are you going?” The older man asked.

“I want to see if Touma
returned. He was in Tibur vacationing with Gaius. If Gaius is back,
Touma must be as well.”

“You should wait Seiji.
Everyone’s headed to the Forum and the streets are too crowded
to ride.”

Seiji looked around, noticing the
masses of people flooding out from their homes and heading towards
the center of the city. He nodded at his father. “I’ll be
fine. I can walk, and I’ll take the side streets and
alleyways.”

His father sighed. “Suit
yourself. Just be careful.”

Seiji nodded. The streets of Rome
were so narrow and winding that even a small crowd would cause
extreme congestion, and one could easily find themselves caught in a
mass that was too large to move through at all. But he wisely decided
to stick to the alleyways and side roads that proved to be only
slightly less congested than the main thoroughfares. Slowly, he made
his way up the narrow streets to Touma’s house. As he was about
the break onto the main avenue his friend’s home sat along, he
heard a massive cheer arise from the center of the city. The new
successor must have appeared, he thought. He didn’t need to
see the scene to know what was going on. As the cheering continued,
he imagined an elaborately dressed man standing on a large balcony
above the Forum. It over looked the largest square in the city, where
literally thousands of people could gather to listen. He knew,
without a doubt, that the man addressing the cheering crowds at that
moment was Gaius.

He narrowed his eyes in disgust and
continued on against the thinning crowd until he arrived at the gate
to Touma’s house. He called out to the door attendant who would
be sitting in a small room just along the hallway. A young man poked
his head out and hurried to the gate, opening it for him.

“Has Touma returned yet?”
he asked the boy as he walked inside. The attendant shook his head as
Seiji heard a voice from the hallway above say, “Not yet I’m
afraid.”

Seiji looked up to find Touma’s
father at the top of the stairs. “No word from him either?”
he asked.

The older man shook his head and
walked down to him, waving off the attendant. “None. I don’t
know if he returned this morning with Gaius and accompanied him to
the Forum or if he decided to stay in Tibur a bit longer. All we can
do is wait for his return.”

Seiji nodded and looked away in
frustration. “Alright,” he said resignedly, then looked
back at the man. “Would you let me know the moment he returns?
I need to speak with him as soon as I can. I’ll come in the
middle of the night if I have to. Just find some way to let me know
that he’s back.”

The older man raised an eyebrow at
him. “It’s that important to you, is it?”

“Yes. It is,” Seiji
nodded resolutely.

Touma’s father nodded. “I’ll
send word once he arrives.”

Seiji nodded and thanked the man.
Willing himself to be content with that for the time being, he bowed
and excused himself. As he stepped back out into the street and set
out towards his home, he noticed storm clouds forming around the
mountains that lay to the east of the city. Off in the distance, he
could still hear the crowds in the center of the city, cheering for
their soon-to-be emperor.

*****

Touma stared at the mountains to the
west. They stood between him and Rome, and dark clouds were gathering
around their peaks. He didn’t know if it was cold enough yet
for snow, but he had stopped at a shop before he had left Tibur to
buy an extra cloak should he need it on the trip home. He had also
purchased some linen, from which he tore a strip to wrap around his
head, attempting to cover the ugly bruise that was spreading across
his temple. His head was pounding painfully, and all he wanted was to
curl up in a warm bed and sleep. He had returned to the villa that
morning just as dawn’s edges began creeping into the sky. The
servants there had tried to convince him to stay awhile longer,
thinking it was only a hangover that ailed him. But Touma had ignored
their requests and insisted on returning home immediately.

Now he was doubting his decision,
thinking perhaps it would have been better to get a room at an inn
until he was feeling better. He glanced behind him to find the resort
town already lost from sight behind the hills. It was too late to
turn back. He just hoped that the weather would hold and that the
pain in his head wouldn’t grow any worse. He kept his head
lowered and his hood pulled up as he rode, not wanting to be bothered
by anyone who might recognize him. He saw very few other travelers as
the hours wore on, and those he did pass neither recognized him nor
made an effort to greet him. He passed only a few guard patrols and a
couple of messengers that raced by, no doubt carrying news of the
emperor’s demise.

A few hours passed before he found
himself at the foothills leading into the mountains. He had made good
time, and was hoping to reach the city before nightfall, but he could
feel the temperature steadily dropping as the road wound higher into
the mountains. He looked up at the dark clouds above him. They
threatened to begin dropping their contents at any moment, and it
prompted him to hurry his horse even more. The mountain passes were
dangerous enough during good weather. It wasn’t long before the
first flakes began to fall, and within a few minutes, the snow was
falling in earnest. He pushed the hood of his cloak back, letting the
cold snow ease his sore temple. The only sounds that accompanied him
were the soft hiss of the snow as it began to cover the world in
white, and his horse’s hooves on the road.

As he rounded a bend deep in the
pass, a new noise caught his ears. It was the sound of men’s
voices. Probably another patrol, he thought to himself. The
mountain passes could be treacherous not only for their terrain, but
also for the bands of thieves that roamed the wooded slopes. Cover
was easy to come by along these roads, making it easy to ambush
unsuspecting travelers. It was the reason why there were often extra
guards that patrolled the passes. But it had been hours since Touma
had seen the last patrol, and he figured the deteriorating weather
had something to do with that.

A small curve in the road and some
trees blocked his view of the path ahead, but as he came closer he
slowed his horse. The voices sounded anything but friendly. He heard
shouting and laughing, and mixed in was the sound of someone crying
out in pain. He dismounted and crept forward along the road just
enough to be able to peer around the trees and see what was going on.
A large wagon loaded with oil jars and bushels of tall grass was
stopped in the middle of the road. Just behind it stood two large,
dirty and disheveled men standing over a young boy. The two men
kicked at the boy mercilessly, laughing as they did so. A third man,
equally as menacing and probably their leader, stood on the front of
the wagon, brandishing a sword at an old man who was pleading with
them to leave the boy alone. Except for a worn bow and a quiver of
arrows on one of the other men, the leader looked to be the only one
armed.

Touma sighed. I just want to get
home, he thought dourly as he assessed the situation. But he
certainly couldn’t just leave these men to do as they pleased.
Besides, he thought. They’re blocking the road. Its
not like I could just go around if I chose to. His temple was
throbbing painfully, but he ignored it and quickly went to work.

“Never a guard around when you
need one,” he grumbled quietly, turning back to his horse. He
patted her neck gently as he pulled the saddle to one side. He had to
make it look like she had lost her rider. Luckily his father had
insisted all his horses be trained to stop, regardless of the rider’s
wishes, at the sound of a deep but sharp whistle. That way the horse
was difficult to steal, and easy to reclaim if it was stolen. He
stepped back and looked around the dense foliage, searching for
anything he could use as a weapon, but found nothing. He exhaled
slowly. He would just have to use his fists.

He stepped to the back of the horse
and gave a solid smack to her backside, spooking her and sending her
off at a canter down the road towards the wagon. He stepped into the
underbrush along the roadside and headed in the same direction,
staying low and out of sight.

The two men on the ground were in the
process of picking up the boy to begin a new round of beatings as the
gray mare went running past them. All three of the thieves paused for
a moment, watching the horse run by. They looked at each other, then
turned to look down the road in the direction the horse had come
from. From his spot in the bushes Touma could see them tensing,
waiting for someone to come chasing after the horse. But when no one
appeared, they began laughing again, this time at their good luck.
“Well, go get it!” one of the men on the ground called up
to the one on the wagon. “Watch this one,” the leader
instructed as he jumped down, tossed his sword to them and took off
after the horse. The smaller of the two men on the ground climbed up
on the wagon and pointed the blade at the old man.

The thief still on the ground leaned
over and grabbed the boy by his hair. “Such a pathetic little
thing. We should have some fun with you before we get rid of you
two,” he jeered, exposing rotted teeth. The other man chuckled
deviously and nodded. He opened his mouth to add to the taunts, but
stopped short, the smile disappearing from his face as he stared past
his comrade. Noticing his friend’s look, the man holding the
boy tensed suddenly and turned, ready to defend himself, but he was
too late. Before he was even half way around, Touma’s ankle
connected squarely against his cheek, sending the man reeling to the
ground, out cold. His companion on the wagon snarled furiously at
Touma and jumped down, wildly swinging his blade as he rushed
forward. Touma easily dodged the man’s clumsy attacks, and the
moment he saw an opening he let loose a hand full of dirt at the
man’s eyes. The blinded thief shrieked and pulled back, but
Touma caught his wrists with both hands. With as much force as he
could muster, Touma yanked the man’s arms down and brought his
knee up, smashing it squarely into the thief’s chin. The man’s
head snapped back, his mouth gaping wide. Pieces of broken teeth,
shattered from the impact, fell to the ground followed by their
unconscious owner.

Touma quickly turned in the direction
his horse had gone and let out a loud, sharp whistle, knowing that it
would stop the mare so that the other man could catch her and return
to his friends. He turned back to the boy staring in astonishment
nearby. “Something to tie them with!” he demanded. The
boy immediately snapped out of his daze and jumped into the wagon. He
rummaged around for just a moment, then tossed a large coil of rope
to the ground. Touma glanced back down the road as he pulled both men
behind the wagon and quickly bound their hands. “Tie them to
the wagon,” he told the boy, who nodded and hastily did as he
was told. Touma bent over and picked up the bow that the first thief
had dropped. It was a standard military bow, and the arrows scattered
about the ground looked as if they had been used and retrieved a few
times. Probably military defectors, he thought, glaring down
at the men now securely tied to the back of the wagon, still
unconscious. He ripped a dirty cape off one of them and handed their
sword to the boy.

“If they wake up, use this to
make sure they stay quiet,” he instructed. “And stay low
and out of sight.” The boy was pale and obviously shaken up,
but he bravely nodded and took the sword, then ducked behind the
wagon. Touma wrapped the filthy cape around his shoulders and pulled
up the hood, hiding his face. With the bow and 3 arrows in hand, he
climbed up onto the front of the wagon and moved close to the old
man. “Turn around and act as if they were still beating the boy
back there,” he instructed. The old man turned and leaned
towards the back of the wagon as Touma loomed over him. He turned to
glance down the road just in time to see the last thief approaching
on the mare, a look of triumph on his face.

“This is our lucky day!”
the man called out as he rode toward them. “This beast is worth
a small fortune. Her owner must have been a fool to let her throw
him. He’s probably laying on the side of the road somewhere
with his skull split open.”

Touma smiled under his disguise as
the man came within a few yards. Shrugging the dirty cape off and
revealing himself, he turned toward the thief. “She is a fine
animal. But I assure you her owner is no fool.” He leveled a
notched arrow at the man. “Now get off my horse.”

The thief paled in shock at finding
himself on the sharp end of an arrow. He paused for only a moment,
blinking away his confusion. Then, gritting his teeth in anger, he
spun the horse around and took off in the opposite direction. Touma
sighed and let forth another whistle, stopping the horse dead in her
tracks. He would have to thank his father again for that little
trick. Furious now, and worked into a panicked frenzy, the man wildly
beat at the animal, trying to get her to move again. When she
refused, he jumped off and made for the safety of the trees, but
Touma didn’t let him get that far. Now that the man was a safe
distance from his horse, he let the arrow fly. Regardless of the
bow’s quality, Touma’s arrow met its mark, lodging itself
solidly in the man’s shoulder. The thief shrieked in pain, but
kept going. He was almost to the tree line as another arrow sunk into
his thigh, causing him to stumble and fall.

Touma jumped from the wagon and
leveled his last arrow as he approached the writhing man. To his
surprise the boy came running up next to him, holding the rope
bravely in his hands. Thankfully, the thief offered no resistance as
he was bound and lead limping back to the wagon. As they walked, the
boy peered up at his rescuer, and Touma returned his gaze with a
smile. “You alright? They hit you pretty hard.”

The boy nodded vigorously. “I’m
fine. But sir, that blue cape…” He motioned to the
inside of Touma’s cloak. “Are you…” but he
was cut off by the old man as they approached the wagon.

“Thank you so much young man!”
the old man exclaimed. “If you hadn’t come along they
would have killed us for sure.”

Touma smiled weakly up at the man who
was still seated in the wagon. “It’s all right. I…”
He stopped short as a sudden stabbing pain tore through his head. In
all the excitement, he had completely forgotten about his injury. Now
the pain was even worse from all his exertion, and he felt nauseous
and dizzy.

“What should we do with them?”
he heard someone ask, but the throbbing was so intense that it took
him a moment to understand the question.

He squeezed his eyes shut, willing
the sting to subside and his mind to clear. “We can’t
leave them here. We’ll put them in the wagon and give them to
the first patrol we come across,” he said.

With the help of the boy, Touma
managed to get all of the thieves loaded into the wagon. He leaned
unsteadily against his horse as the boy finished binding the men’s
feet to prevent any escape. But now he was at his limit. He was
having trouble focusing his eyes and the pain in his head had become
excruciating. He heard the boy ask him something, but then his body
went numb and his legs gave out beneath him. The world turned white
then black as he fell unconscious into the snow.

*****

It was mid morning when a servant
woke Seiji to inform him a messenger from Touma’s father had
arrived for him. He dressed quickly and walked to the front of the
house. The messenger informed him that Touma had arrived home late
the previous night, and that Touma’s father wanted to speak
with him in person. Seiji was aggravated by the fact that the message
hadn’t been sent until the morning, but he brushed it aside
quickly and headed out towards his friend’s home.

When he arrived, he was lead to a
side room just off the courtyard. Seiji paused for a moment to glance
up at the door to Touma’s room, but it was closed, a servant
standing nearby. Touma’s father was waiting for him in the
small room and greeted Seiji as he walked through the door. The older
man appeared strangely subdued, and when asked to sit, Seiji became
worried.

“Is he alright?” he asked
anxiously.

Touma’s father nodded. “He’s
fine. He’s still sleeping at the moment. I know you asked me to
let you know the moment he arrived, but it was late, and there was
quiet a commotion when he arrived. I thought it would be best if
things quieted down a bit before you came.”

“What happened?”

The older man sighed. “It seems
my son was returning on his own from Tibur, and came across a
merchant and his grandson being robbed while passing through the
mountains. Thankfully he was able to stop the thieves and restrain
them for the highway guards. An officer that accompanied the merchant
told me that particular group has been terrorizing the passes for
months now. Touma is being hailed as a hero.” He paused to
drink from a nearby cup. “But he lost consciousness shortly
after the fight, and had to be brought back to us in the merchant’s
wagon. Our doctor looked at him and found a severe bruise on one side
of his head. The boy thought perhaps he had been struck during the
fight, but said that he never saw the robbers land a single blow.
Touma said he probably hit his head when he fell unconscious, but the
bruise had been covered with a strip of linen, and the merchant said
that Touma was already wearing it when he came to their aid. He was
hiding the bruise before the fight, so it must have occurred before
hand.”

Seiji frowned a bit. So he didn’t
return with Gaius. And he was injured either in Tibur or on his way
home, he thought. Why would Touma lie about that?

Touma’s father looked at him
apprehensively and said, “I haven’t seen it for myself…
but the doctor told me the bruise has marks that looked like the
imprints of rings.”

“Rings?”

The older man nodded. “Large,
expensive rings. The kind nobles wear. Someone must have struck him.
And whoever did was wearing a small fortune on their hand.”

Seiji’s eyes narrowed and he
seethed with anger. Touma’s father didn’t need to say
anymore. The implication was clear. He sat quietly for a moment,
trying to calm himself. He tightened and released his grip a couple
times before exhaling softly. “Can I see him?”

“He awoke shortly before day
break and was acting very withdrawn. He said that he didn’t
want any visitors. He may refuse even you.”

Seiji gazed out into the courtyard.
He knew that if Touma were really traumatized, he would withdraw
completely and try to deal with it on his own. He wasn’t the
type to ask for support from anyone. He was too damn proud. Seiji had
dealt with Touma when he was like this before, and knew that just
getting to him to offer help would be a challenge. If Touma wanted to
be left alone, he could make it quite hard for anyone to get near
him. Seiji couldn’t very well just go charging up the stairs of
someone else’s house when their son refused to see him. And
there was also the matter of the argument that they’d had
before Touma had left for Tibur. Things between them were still
awkward, and that would only encourage Touma to avoid him.

The older man seemed to sense what
Seiji was thinking. “Two days,” he said.

Seiji looked up at him. “I’m
sorry?”

“I will give him two days. If
he is still refusing to see you by tomorrow evening, you have my
permission to go up to him, whether he wants you to or not.”

Seiji gaped at him, then his
expression softened a little. “Thank you sir.”

Touma’s father stood. “Just
do what you can for him. Your probably the only one who can get
through to him when he’s like this.” He headed to the
door. “I will have a servant wake him for the midday meal
shortly. I’ll tell him you’re here to see him then.”

Seiji nodded and thanked him, and was
left alone in the small room. He sighed deeply, leaning his head back
to stare at the ceiling. Lousy timing, he thought sourly. Now
he didn’t know how long he would have to wait to settle his
feelings with Touma. Why does it always end up this way? Something
always stops us from just being honest with each other.

True to his word, Touma’s
father returned to Seiji just before the meal. Touma had adamantly
refused to see Seiji and had told his father to send him away. The
older man apologized and asked him to return again later that evening
to try again. But when Seiji returned just before nightfall, he was
turned away for a second time. Frustrated by his friend’s
stubbornness, he headed home, with a promise to Touma’s father
to return again the next day. The next morning, when Touma
predictably refused the company again, his father descended the
stairs and approached Seiji with a subtle smirk on his face.

“He’s becoming annoyed
now,” he said with a hint of mirth.

Seiji chuckled. He knew Touma’s
father enjoyed pestering his son every once in awhile. But Touma’s
annoyance was also a good sign. It meant he was beginning to snap out
of his lethargic state. Left with nothing else to do, Seiji roamed
the city for a while until the sun began to sink into the western
sky. By the time he returned to his friend’s home, it was
almost dark. Asked to give Touma one last chance before they went
against his wishes, Seiji waited in the dimly lit atrium until the
older man returned with Touma’s answer. Still being as stubborn
as ever, Touma had refused to see him.

Seiji shook his head in aggravation
but Touma’s father quickly raised a hand to calm him. “Go
ahead. There’s no telling how long he will stay like this if
he’s left alone. Just make sure he doesn’t get up. He
needs to stay in bed until he’s had more time to heal.”
The man handed him a small oil lamp to light his way up the stairs.

Taking the lamp, Seiji nodded
resolutely and made his way up towards Touma’s room. He paused
just outside the door and squared his shoulders, preparing himself
for a battle of willpowers. He was determined not to back down until
everything was settled between them. He took a deep breath, opened
the door and walked inside.

The room was completely dark except
for the flame of a small oil lamp hanging from a stand off in a
corner. In the faint light Seiji could make out a brazier in the
middle of the room, but the coals in it were dim and it was hardly
providing any heat to the room. The doors to the balcony were ajar to
let out some of the smoke from the lamps and heater, and as he turned
to the bed at the far side of the room, he could see that the window
over the bed was open as well. He shivered. With all the windows open
and the brazier so low on fuel, the cold air outside had filled the
room. But Touma enjoyed the cold, so it didn’t surprise him.

He expected to be yelled at any
moment as he approached the bed. But he heard nothing except the
sound of his own footsteps. As the light from his small lamp washed
over the bed, Seiji looked down to find Touma laying on his back,
eyes closed and fast asleep. His father was just in here! How
could he fall back asleep so quickly? Seiji shook his head. His
friend enjoyed sleeping more than any other person he knew, and it
would take quite a bit of effort to wake him now, judging from the
deepness of his breaths. And Seiji didn’t have the heart to
wake him. Especially when he was injured.

He frowned slightly and leaned over,
bringing the lamp close to Touma’s forehead. There, covering
his right temple was the angry purple and red hues of the large
bruise. He peered at it, trying to find the marks he had been told
about, but the light was too dim. He would have to wait for daylight
to get a better look. As he pulled away, something else caught his
eye and he paused. The light blanket covering Touma had been pulled
down slightly, exposing part of his chest. Seiji leaned forward again
and brought the light close.

There were lines on Touma’s
skin. Seiji gently pulled the blanket back just enough to get a
better look, and as his eyes adjusted to the darkness he realized
what he was looking at. They were scratch marks, wounds left from
someone tearing their nails along his skin. Seiji narrowed his eyes
angrily and pulled the blanket back just enough to see how far down
they went. From what he could see, they ran the entire length of
Touma’s chest. Steadying his shaking hands, Seiji pulled the
cover back over his friend’s sleeping form. What happened to
you Touma? he wondered silently, now more troubled than ever.

He set the lamp down on a nearby
table and walked over to the brazier. He didn’t want to freeze
while he waited. He placed a few new coals on top of the old ones,
blowing gently to spread the fire. Once he was satisfied with that he
took a small chair from a corner and placed it next to the bed. He
sat and folded his arms in determination. He would be right here when
Touma woke up. Then they would settle everything, and Seiji could
find out the story behind his friend’s injuries. All he could
do now was wait.

*****

It was hot. He heard the clinking of
oil jars and the rattle of the wagon, and could smell the bundles of
fresh grass he was laying on top of. He opened his eyes to find that
boy above him again. He was back in the wagon. Must be dreaming…he
thought detachedly.

“Ah! You’re awake!
Grandpa, he’s awake!” the boy called up to the old man
before looking back down at him. “Don’t worry, we asked a
guard to lead us to your house. I knew it was you! You’re
famous! I…

“Let him sleep child,”
the old man admonished the boy gruffly. The boy looked a bit
disappointed but nodded and quieted.

Touma tried to force him a smile, but
the pain was still too much to bear, and his eyes fluttered and
closed. When he opened them again, the flashback was gone and his
dream had changed. He was now in his room, lying on his back, staring
up at the ceiling. He was still hot, and his head still hurt. Why
is it so hot? he wondered.

He turned to look out over the room,
his vision swimming. He could make out the glow of bright coals in
the brazier. That’s why. Who put those there? A blur of
something light colored lying on the bed near his waist caught his
eye. He blinked a few times, trying to clear his vision. When the
image finally came into focus, he froze, his eyes wide.

“Seiji…” he
murmured. His friend was resting his head peacefully on the edge of
the bed, his crossed arms serving as a cushion. His eyes were closed
and Touma could hear his gentle breathing. He smiled sadly. Now
even my dreams are mocking me, he thought. He reached out and
gently ran his fingers through his friend’s blond hair. It was
just as soft as he had imagined it would be. “At least here I
don’t have to worry about upsetting you,” he said
quietly.

Suddenly the sleeping figure began to
wake, and as Seiji’s eyes opened slowly, the fog in Touma’s
head finally began to clear. When his friend glanced up toward the
hand in his hair, Touma frowned. Wait…This isn’t…he
thought, slowly pulling back his hand.

Seiji blinked sleepily and sat up.
“Your awake finally.

This isn’t a dream! thought
a horrified Touma, feeling the color drain from his face.

Apparently unfazed, Seiji leaned
forward and asked, “How are you feeling?”

“Wha… What are you doing
in here?” Touma blurted.

“I was sleeping. Now I’m
asking you how you’re feeling,” Seiji replied evenly.

Touma glared angrily. “I said I
didn’t want to see you! How did you get in here?”

“Your father let me come up
here. We were worried about you,” he replied in the same even
tone.

Touma was irate now. “I’m
fine! Now get out.”

“No.”

Touma sat up, his voice growing
louder. “I said get…” Suddenly the world pitched
violently to the side and he felt the bed fall out from underneath
him, hurling him forward.

“Touma!” he heard Seiji
call out, and then two strong hands grabbed his shoulders. He blinked
and looked up. He was still in his bed, with the world still firmly
rooted beneath it. Seiji was standing in front of him, holding him
steady, the stool he had been sitting on now upset on the floor.
Touma’s head spun, and the world threatened to upend itself
again. He felt Seiji ease him back down onto the bed.

“Calm down Touma. Your still
badly injured,” his friend said in a firm tone.

Touma resigned to laying back down,
but turned his face away. “Please, just leave me alone.”

“I want to know what happened.”

“Nothing happened.”

“Then how did you get that
bruise on your temple?” Seiji asked.

“I probably hit it on a rock
when I passed out on the road,” Touma replied, sticking to the
story he had told the doctor and his father.

“I doubt that. Unless the rock
was wearing a noble’s rings, and the bushes you fell into left
those marks on your chest.”

Touma cringed and stared up at him
defensively. “How did you know about those?” he asked.

“Your blanket was pulled down
while you were sleeping.”

Touma looked stricken and turned away
again. “Get out,” he demanded through clenched teeth. He
didn’t want to talk about this, especially not with Seiji. He
still felt humiliated by the whole ordeal.

“I wont,” came the calm
reply from above.

Touma fisted his blankets and glared
up at his friend. “Just get ou--!” he yelled angrily, but
was cut off as two hands slammed down palms first onto the bed, one
on either side of his head.

“I wont!” Seiji snapped
back, his face hanging just above Touma’s. He looked furious,
but he also looked hurt. “Not until you tell me what happened!”
Touma felt Seiji’s hands fist up on either side of his head.
“And so help me Touma, you yell at me again and I’ll add
to your injuries.” Seiji straightened himself and turned toward
the upset stool. “Stop running away,” he said softly,
almost pleadingly. Seiji bent and picked up the chair, setting it
upright on its legs. He turned and sat back down facing the bed, arms
crossed and eyes closed, waiting.

Touma realized he had sunk deeper
into his bed trying to shy away from Seiji’s outburst. He had
never seen his friend loose his composure like that before, and it
had thoroughly unnerved him. He lay there, staring up at the ceiling
again, knowing he wasn’t going to win this fight. Something had
changed in his friend. Touma glanced over at the unmoving figure and
sighed softly. He had already lost this battle a long time ago.

“Can you help me sit up?”
he asked quietly

Seiji opened his eyes and looked up,
all hints of anger gone from his face. He nodded and sat on the side
of the bed, easing Touma into a sitting position, and holding him
steady until his head stopped spinning.

No more secrets, Touma
thought, releasing a shaky breath. “I’m going to start at
the beginning and tell you everything.” It was time to be
honest, even if it meant risking everything. After all they had been
through, he owed his best friend at least that much.

He started with his meeting with
Gaius the night before Seiji had returned home, and worked his way
forward, hesitating only a couple of times when he became lightheaded
and paused to catch his breath. Seiji reached out to him but Touma
held up his hand, wanting to do this on his own. He recounted his
conversation with Gaius, and why he had reacted the way he had to the
man’s inquiry about his friend. “It’s not that I
wanted to keep others away from you. It was just him that I
wanted to keep away. I’ve seen what he’s done to people.
I couldn’t stand to see that happen to you too. I knew you
wouldn’t have anything to do with him anyways, but I didn’t
want him even thinking he had a chance, so I lied.” He
continued on to the next night when Seiji had arrived home,
explaining that he hadn’t actually meant to tell him about his
conversation with Gaius, but when it had slipped out, he couldn’t
bring himself to lie to his best friend. “But I panicked at
your reaction. You were mad, so I ran away.” He put his head in
a hand. “That was the worst thing I could have done.”

For his part, Seiji stayed quiet the
entire time, allowing Touma to tell his story at his own pace. He sat
calmly next to Touma on the side of the bed, his eyes never leaving
his friend’s face. Touma found it slightly intimidating, and
kept his eyes turned down to his lap as he continued. He paused again
before he began his account of the events in Tibur, but only for the
briefest of moments. He had to remind himself he had decided to be
completely honest and open with his best friend, and that meant
telling him everything. He began to curl in on himself a bit when he
came to the events that had occurred at the spring, but he felt Seiji
discreetly move a little closer, and it comforted him enough to
continue on.

He told of his trip home and the
fight that had ensued on the road, and about how he didn’t
remember any more of the trip except for waking up that one time in
the wagon. He didn’t even remember being carried up to his bed
by the servants. “When my father told me you were here to see
me, I panicked again. I didn’t want to face you after the way
I’d left the other night, and also because I knew you’d
demand to know what happened in Tibur. I knew you’d be smart
enough to figure out I was lying about the bruise. I just… I
didn’t want anyone to know. Especially not you.” His
voice dropped to barley a whisper at the last part, and his
expression turned slightly pained. Then he smiled almost sadly. “But
you just wouldn’t give up, would you? You never let me have my
way when I get like this.” He sighed deeply. “So that’s
all of it.

Seiji remained silent and turned to
study the dying coals in the brazier. Touma’s heart sunk at the
silence, but he calmed himself quickly. You did all you could by
being honest, he told himself. I have to give him time. He’s
probably still angry with me…

“I would kill him…”
came a soft reply, stirring Touma from his thoughts. He looked up.
Seiji was still staring at the brazier, his expression mostly vacant,
except for his eyes. They were smoldering.

“Seiji…?” Touma
asked cautiously.

His friend exhaled sharply and turned
back to Touma, but his eyes remained turned down. He shook his head
and spoke through a tense jaw, “I would kill him… if it
didn’t mean I’d never see you again.”

Touma stared dumbly at him. What
does he mean by that? But he spoke up quickly. “Stay out of
it Seiji. I’m not going to let you get involved.”

“Not going to let me?”
Seiji’s gaze snapped up and he raised his eyebrows
incredulously. “Touma, I’m closer to you than anyone!
What am I supposed to do? Just tell you that I’m sorry for your
misfortune and let it go at that?”

“I can handle this on my own…”

“Damn it Touma!” Seiji
snapped and turned away angrily.

Touma flinched. He had done it again,
tried to push his friend away. They sat in silence for a few awkward
seconds before Touma heard Seiji snort as he turned back toward him.

“You never let me help you,”
his friend said softly, but there was no anger in his voice. Touma
looked up as Seiji reached to place a gentle hand on his shoulder. He
gazed at Touma with sad eyes, but there was a trace of a smile on his
lips. “Even after all this,” he continued, “you’re
still too proud to let me bear some of it for you.” He smiled
and shook his head. His grip moved to the back of Touma’s neck
as he pulled his head forward and leaned in to rest their foreheads
together.

The gesture was a friendly one, and
Touma closed his eyes as he felt the gentle support of his friend.

“So damn proud…”
Seiji muttered with a hint of exasperated amusement.

“My pride is all I have,”
Touma replied softly.

“No, it’s not,”
came a firm response, and Touma felt Seiji’s hand tense on his
neck. “You have me too.”

He felt Seiji pull back just a bit.
The hand at his neck slid up into the hair just behind his ear, and a
gentle thumb reached down to lightly brush the back of his jaw line.
Touma glanced up apprehensively as his friend leaned down, bringing
their faces so close he could feel Seiji’s gentle breath on his
lips.

“Let me help you,” came
the soft plea as Seiji closed the short distance between them,
brushing their lips together in the faintest of kisses.

What?? Touma’s eyes went
wide and the world spun again.

*****

Seiji felt his friend tense beneath
his touch and suddenly his sensibility came rushing back. Glancing up
at Touma, he found his friend’s eyes wide with shock. Seiji
pulled back suddenly, a sense of dismay sweeping through him. What
are you doing? he angrily berated himself. This is only going
to complicate things right now!

“I’m sorry,” he
said quickly, turning his eyes away. “I didn’t mean to…”
He hesitated and glanced up at Touma. His friend’s face was
turned down, his eyes hidden behind his bangs. Seiji cringed
remorsefully and ran a hand through his hair. Too late now, he
thought. “I didn’t mean to surprise you. I just don’t
want you to push me away anymore. I’m tired of chasing after
you. I just wanted to show you… that I want...” He
trailed off for a second, realizing that now he was just babbling in
a panicked attempt to avoid an awkward silence. He stared down at his
hands fisted in his lap. “You were hurt, and I can’t help
thinking it’s somehow my fault. I should have stopped you from
leaving that night. I should have found some way… held you
against the wall and made you listen. If only I’d
understood my own feelings sooner, maybe I could have…”

The words suddenly froze in his
throat as he felt fingers touch his chin and slide up his cheeks. He
looked up to find Touma holding his face in trembling hands.

Touma’s eyes were still hidden
from view under his bangs as he opened his mouth. “Again,”
he said softly.

Momentarily speechless, Seiji sucked
in a sharp breath. “Touma…” he finally breathed.

Touma leaned forward, his voice now
barely a whisper. “Again… please,” he
pleaded.

The desperation and urgency in those
two words sent a shiver coursing through Seiji, and in an instant,
his self-control shattered. He reached up, sliding a hand into the
hair at Touma’s nape and, without a moment’s hesitation,
leaned forward, seizing Touma’s mouth with his own. He felt his
friend shudder against him as they pulled each other close, both
feeling the need to eliminate every inch of open space between them.
The kiss was desperate, crushing, almost suffocating at first, both
of them dismissing their restraint in order to express their need to
the other. Together they poured out years of frustration and longing
into the kiss, neither one realizing until then that they had so much
pent up after all that time. Somewhat out of breath, they eventually
slowed, content with simply holding and savoring each other for a
while

With a shiver, Touma pulled away and
leaned down to rest his forehead on Seiji’s shoulder.

“Are you alright?” Seiji
asked, alarmed.

“I’m fine,” came
the soft reply. “Just a bit light headed.”

Seiji smiled and ran his fingers
gently through Touma’s hair, pausing when he felt the hand on
his chest fist into his clothing. “What is it?”

“How long?” Touma asked.
“How long have you felt… like this?”

“I’m not sure. Probably a
while now. But I didn’t realize it until the day you left for
Tibur. Watching that little parade made me mad and got me thinking.”

They both chuckled a bit at this.
Seiji tightened his hold a bit. “Why didn’t you tell me
sooner?”

Touma didn’t say anything for a
while, then replied “I didn’t want to risk scaring you
away. I thought that… if I could at least stay next to you as
your friend, then that was enough for me.”

Seiji’s heart ached for his
friend. He leaned his head forward to put his lips close to Touma’s
ear and said gently, “I could never reject you.”

“I know. I understand that
now.” Touma raised his head to look at Seiji. “I’m
sorry for doubting you, and for making you chase me.” He smiled
a bit. “Even though all that chasing was really good for my
ego,” he added teasingly.

“I see.” Seiji grinned.
“All this time you’ve been boosting your ego at my
expense. Some friend you are.” They both laughed.

Seiji took hold of his shoulders and
pushed him back down into the bed. “Still plenty of time for
you to get some sleep before the sun comes up. Rest now.”

Touma looked up at him and nodded.
“Hey,” he said, catching Seiji’s arm before he
could pull away. “Sleep next to me.”

Seiji blinked in surprise and then
nodded. He smiled as he began shedding his heavier outer garments.
“Sure you don’t want me to throw a few extra coals in the
brazier?” he asked playfully.

Touma narrowed his eyes at him. “I’m
guessing you’re the one who made it so hot in here earlier?”

“I wasn’t going to freeze
while I waited for you,” he said indignantly, sitting on the
side of the bed and removing his sandals. “Fine, I wont add any
coals. But that means you have to keep me warm.”

Touma chuckled as Seiji, still
clothed in his tunic, laid down next to him, staying above the covers
and pulling his extra clothes over him for warmth. Noticing Touma’s
bemused stare, he explained, “Wouldn’t want your father
coming in in the morning to find you naked under the covers with me.”

Touma looked down at his covered form
as if remembering that he had no clothes on beneath the blanket.
“Yeah,” he agreed. “He probably wouldn’t care
though.” He stifled a yawn.

“Sleep now,” Seiji
encouraged, and Touma nodded, closing his eyes. Eventually, his
breathing slowed and his body relaxed, settling further into the
mattress. Seiji laid quietly next to him, watching him sleep. After a
few minutes, just as he was beginning to drift off himself, the sound
of voices drifted in through the window from the avenue below and
caught his ear. A couple of passersby were drunkenly singing the
praises of Rome’s soon-to-be new emperor as they wandered the
streets.

Seiji closed his eyes with a weary
sigh.

“You know they’re going
to make him emperor…” he heard Touma say quietly.

He started a little, thinking his
friend was already asleep. He reached up, hooking a hand around
Touma’s shoulder and pulling him closer. “Try not to
think about it. We can deal with it later. Just sleep for now.”

He smiled when Touma moved a bit to
settle against him.

“Thank you. For everything,”
his friend said softly.

Seiji replied with a gentle kiss to
his shoulder, and then they both closed their eyes, giving in to the
lure of sleep.

Continued in Chapter 5

AFF.net A/N: Wow!
Thanks for the kind reviews guys :)! I am encouraged by and greatly
appreciate each one of them! One of the best things about writing is
knowing people enjoy my work as much as I do. As always, more reviews
are welcomed and greatly encouraged!
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Sons of Antiquity