Chương 7: Memories of Humiliation & the Raging Fire

The forest was silent save for the soft sobs coming from Lucilla. After a long moment, Galan tapped Gaius on the shoulder and gestured toward the grieving girl. The boy stood and walked over to Lucilla. He sat beside her, took a steadying breath, and carefully moved his arm around her back. She leaned into him, her quiet cries muffled against his shoulder.

"Alright, Gaius," Galan said, his voice soft.

"Yeah?"

"Now it's your turn." Gaius shrugged, his gaze distant.

"There's not much to tell. I'm just the bastard son of the noble we're traveling with." Lucilla pulled back, startled.

"Really? I always thought you were his legitimate son."

"No," Gaius said with a bitter chuckle.

"Admitting the truth would have made him look bad. He never laid a hand on his other children. Just me and my mother."

"So what happened?" Galan asked. Gaius' fists tightened.

"To him, I was a mistake. An inconvenience. I lived in the shadows of his real family. They had tutors and lavish meals. I was sent to 'help' in the stables, the kitchens… wherever they wanted me. If I got anything wrong, the whip would find me. My mother… she tried to shield me from it." He looked away, his voice cracking.

"The nights she spent crying, the bruises she tried to hide… it ate away at her until there was nothing left. She took her own life when I was eight." He clenched his fists harder, his nails digging into his palms.

"At her funeral, I saw him smile for the first time. Even in death, she was still his to use, a prop to make himself look better. After that, he made me a slave in his own house. I survived. And when I turned thirteen, I left." He told them of his years on the street, of discovering his gift of the flame, and of finally finding a family that loved him for who he was.

"A servant turned arcanist," he finished with a sad laugh.

"Now bound to serve the very man who once tried to break me." Galan nodded slowly.

"It's a cruel twist. But the world has a way of rewarding men like him." He paused, choosing his words carefully.

"I mean… sometimes, when people in power realize no one is watching, they start making deals. They find ways to profit from other people's misery… trading more than just the regular goods and services." This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Gaius' face hardened.

"So he's trading people."

"Oh, you already know," Galan said, his voice calm and cold.

"Yes. Not just for labor, but for services that rob them of their dignity, their very selves sold to the highest bidder. And with said money, he buys silence. Buys men. Buys people."

"Yeah, what else is new?" Gaius said, defeated. Lucilla trembled, her eyes wide with horror.

"Wait, Gaius… how come you already know?"

"You should be shocked if I don't," Gaius replied.

"There's a settlement northwest of the winery. A place where they keep them. I was forced to help there when I was three. I tried to help some of them escape… but someone betrayed us." He gritted his teeth.

"The noble whipped me until my back was bleeding in front of my mother and the other captives. But I didn't regret a second of it. Never did. Never will."

"Gaius…" Lucilla whispered, placing her hand over his. He forced a small smile.

"It's okay. I've made my peace with it. Mostly."

"No one should ever have to go through that," she said, her lips quivering.

"I wish Aurelia and I could have done something." Galan smiled, a sharp, dangerous glint in his eyes.

"Well, we still could."

"What do you mean?"

"All of that will end tonight. At least, for the big cities in the Roman Empire."

"What's the plan?" Gaius asked, his voice suddenly sharp with focus.

"The Divine Council is planning to cleanse the vermin plaguing the Empire from top to bottom," Galan explained.

"And I got a job to take out your father."

"You can't do that!" Lucilla cried, staggering back.

"The gods ordered it," Galan said with a shrug.

"You're lucky I even bothered taking this job. Most assassins aren't known for their kindness in sparing witnesses."

"But… can't we talk about this?"

"They've been talking for ten years, and nothing got done," Galan said with a grin.

"It's about time things change for the better, don't you think?" Lucilla looked down in defeat.

"If you're here to kill," Gaius said, his eyes blazing, "then what's with the cloak? And where's your weapon?"

"I like this cloak. Got it custom-made by my wife. Also, I fight barehanded," he explained, showing his palms.

"Then do it," Gaius said, getting to his feet.

"Wait, he's your father!" Lucilla panicked.

"No," Gaius said, his voice cold.

"He's a monster, and he deserves to be hunted like one." Galan clapped his hands once.

"Great. Now that we've reached an agreement, it's time to start the show!" He got up and walked towards the outpost.

"You guys ready?" he sent to his crew.

"We've been ready the past ten minutes, Master," came the collective, exasperated reply. Galan chuckled.

"Oops. Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Hold on, let me wash my hands first!" Aelia's thought cut in. Galan rested a hand behind his head, embarrassed, while Gaius and Lucilla exchanged puzzled glances.

"Just a bit more," Galan called out.

"Be patient."

"Okay! I'm ready!" Aelia projected.

"Then we start in three, two, one," Galan shouted.

"Aelia! Flavia!" He raised his right hand and snapped his fingers.