#kings of the subura

[labeteenmoi]

Kings of the Subura

Part 2

Fandom : Those About To Die

Pairing : Tenax x OC

Warnings : Mentions of violence, rape and slavery

Summary : Wavering feelings and power teachings

Note : if you want to be tagged for the next chapter, just raise your finger

The bell rang.

“The race is on! Bets are over!” the man behind the counter shouted as he closed the jar filled with betting odds amid protests from the latecomers.

Another chariots race Tenax already knew the results of. He didn't even have to fix it anymore; he had the greatest power in the Subura: information. Tenax knew all there was to know about anything race related: who runs for money, who runs for glory, who runs for life. He also knew about all the power struggles involved: who owed who, who owned who, who fucked who. Incidentally, what the horses ate for breakfast and how much quality shit they had had mattered too, and he knew that too.

However, all that power, his pride and joy, mattered a little less lately. As he was distractively watching the chariots enter their second lap in a cloud of dust as they passed in front of the stable’s door, his mind shifted to the creature that roamed his house like a caged tiger, yearning for freedom, or at least for a hint of it in the streets of Rome, something he had always denied her.

Almost a month had passed since he had brought her home and the least he could say was that this woman’s pride was beyond imagination. No matter how good the care and security he provided to her, she resisted fiercely and that was probably the very reason she was growing on him. He liked it, her irrepressible spirit of rebellion—not in deed, she did what she was told, but her attitude was untamed, her eyes insolent, her repartee sharp on the rare occasions she bothered to answer him. Briga was far from purring while rubbing against his leg — she still seemed constantly tense, on alert, watching his every move whenever he got too close to her, but Tenax could see a change in the way she looked at him, a formal coldness had slowly replaced the ostentatious hatred she used to address him, and sometimes, he could swear, there was even a hint of curiosity.

It was only in the quiet, soothing moment of Claudia's bath that she seemed to find real comfort. The occasional glances he threw at her at that moment, a moment far too tempting for him to constantly be able to hold back, gave him the opportunity to witness a few rare moments when she let her animal sensuality express itself. In the incandescent darkness of that room, she looked something like a snake, undulating and glistening. Then she would see him and stare as if she had spotted a prey; fascinatingly deadly.

What never ceased to amaze him was how oblivious she seemed to all of this, oblivious to this aura of danger that emanated from her, unconscious to the attraction she exerted on him. Either she had no clue, or he was extremely good at hiding it. Anyway, it could be of use for his business. Not that it was his plan all along, he wasn't the kind of man to do things on a whim usually, except when it came to her apparently. Tenax could recognize an opportunity when he saw one.

The last silver fish tipped over to a cheer from the crowd announcing the final lap. Tenax's eyes widened in the ray of sunlight that streamed through the door's skylights as if suddenly coming to. The rider of the blue faction, Scorpus, had taken the lead, as usual. He didn't seem very happy about it though, whipping his horses with rage.

Tenax didn't linger after the race ended that day, each time a little less than the last. His home had gained in appeal lately, in a way, he wanted to return there more and more as the days went by.

At this twilight hour, it was bath time, so it was not surprising to find the first rooms empty. However, the quiet of the place struck him as soon as he passed through the door. No light came from the kitchen which was unusual, and the slight whispers of Claudia and Briga's conversations in the bathroom were muted.

Tenax stiffened, moving cautiously towards his room. He pushed the door open wide with a slight creak. The air that reached his face was thick, loaded with humidity and floral scents. Someone had indeed used the bathroom but as he moved a little further into his bedroom he saw the bathroom was empty.

When he turned again, peering into the darkness at the back of his room, a movement of air made the hair on the back of his head stand on end, immediately followed by the cold contact of a blade on the side of his neck. He froze for a couple of decisive seconds. Gritting his teeth angrily, he suddenly stepped back, hitting hardly the body of his assailant that he carried in his momentum against the wall behind him. The knife bearer let out a slight hoarse gasp under the heavy shock. Tenax immediately realized that this body was much lighter than he had anticipated. It was her, of course. He turned around quickly, pushing aside the hand that held the blade with one arm and grabbed the slave's neck, who didn't seem surprised.

"What are you doing?" he growled sharply.

Briga grabbed the hand on her neck.

"...You should have knocked." she muttered sarcastically under her breath.

Tenax took a breath, trying to calm down a little. He loosened his grip on her throat just enough to let her gulp.

"Drop the knife now." he snapped with a hint of worry in his wide opened blue eyes.

Her eyes narrowed as she formed a slight smirk before letting go, the kitchen knife fell heavily to the floor with a loud clatter.

Tenax sighted lightly, she could have pressed a little harder on that knife if she had really wanted to, cut just a bit at this exact point of his neck and he would have bled to death at her feet no matter how quickly he had reacted. She knew how to kill, now he knew, and it could be useful in the future, well, since she had chosen not to end his life on the spot of course. He should have felt dread but instead, he felt somehow aroused. The aftermath of gambling with his life when the odds seemed quite off. Suddenly, his thoughts interrupted: something on his peripheral vision seemed strange, there was way too much skin.

Lowering his face, his eyes fell on a damp chest to which were stuck soaked strands of her black hair that heaved with each deep breath she made. He moved away a little, realizing that he was still pressing his all body against her, and then saw her stomach and further down, her legs; she was naked and still wet. Tenax's hard gaze faded little by little, as it travelled the firm contours of her body.

The fine grain of her skin, tanned no doubt by the sun of her native province, appeared clearly to him now that he saw it so close. Claudia's care had borne fruit; she was immaculate, as if she had never been bruised. Despite the dizziness of such a magnetic vision, he began to feel observed and suddenly raised his head and met her piercing gaze. Briga was indeed watching him in silence, without any sign of embarrassment at being thus exposed to Tenax's eyes, without any sign of aggression despite his proximity and the contact of his hand on her neck, the elbow of which grazed the tip of her breast. She was too busy scrutinizing his reactions to her nudity to care much.

Briga still didn't know if she could trust him and somehow, she needed to prove to herself that he was just like these others perverted men who caused all her troubles. She needed to confront and kill this increasing attachment feeling he had awakened in her over the weeks she had spent with him. She had seen his haunted eyes when he thought he was alone in the room, the inner struggles he sometimes seemed to have when coming home. She had heard the screams at night, his wanders in the darkness of the apartment trying to catch his breath. He had secrets and dark thoughts that usually seemed to disappear as soon as he laid eyes on her. Do vile men ever feel remorse?

Maybe he was different after all, and that mere thought was enough to make her mad. More than once, she had trusted a Roman only to be painfully played in the end, how could she still be so naive? So, she often looked on his face for the same scornful looks that she had seen on the faces of her Roman delinquents. His occasional, not-so-accidental glances while she was taking her bath couldn't be that innocent.

Tenax suddenly had the feeling he was somehow being put to the test. That was some vicious way but certainly the most effective one, clever girl. He did want to feel more than just her neck under his hands, he wanted to smell these scents of rose oil all over her body which turned out to be all the more intoxicating once applied to her skin, to kiss her lips, but above all, he wanted her to want it too. He was closer than ever. So close, and yet, that enticing creature was expecting to see him losing control. He would hate not to disappoint.

He raised his head in a controlled inhale, hardening his expression.

"Where is Claudia?" he curtly asked, closing a little harder his hand on her neck.

She startled slightly, blinking at the pressure.

"She’s resting," she let out looking him straight in the eyes, "she felt ill.”

Tenax sustained her look, he wasn’t sure she was telling the truth. After all, she had just reminded him that she wasn’t as harmless to him as she had let him believe lately. He searched her face for any signs of a shifty glance but saw none, she seemed sincere enough to reassure him. He asked more calmly:

"Where is she?"

"In the guests room."

As she had answered in a soft voice, veiled by the pressure on her trachea, his eyes had landed on her lips. She talked so rarely that he had barely ever seen them moving. Fleshy velvety dark-rosed lips that never smiled, only sometimes grinned disdainfully at him when not firmly shut. But now they were parting slightly under his sudden hypnotized glance. Briefly looking up, he saw a glimpse of confusion in her eyes as she witnessed his softening mood, felt her breathing becoming barely perceptible under his hand but her pulse quickening.

Strangely, his own pulse caught the same rhythm as hers. A warm sensation invaded his own chest, a shiver ran up on his skin and before he knew it his hand was no longer holding her neck but simply laying on her collarbones, still held by hers.

It was as if time had frozen, the surroundings had disappeared, and they were all alone in the middle of an undefined mist. Their gazes travelling over their faces, he slowly leaned in, uncontrollably attracted towards her mouth that trembled a little at his approach when, suddenly, the walls of the apartment began to shake from violent blows.

Tenax and Briga opened their eyes wide in surprise, abruptly emerging from whatever spell they were under. The knocking started again, someone was banging on the apartment door with their fists and shouting "Tenax!! I know you're here!"

Tenax suddenly turned his head towards the door behind him:

"Scorpus!" he breathed shortly. "Get dressed," he addressed Briga eagerly.

She took a few seconds to react, her mind still foggy from what had just happened, then hurriedly grabbed the dress lying on the bed. Tenax opened the door without waiting and at the same time Scorpus burst into the apartment in front of a dazed Claudia who had rushed from the corridor.

With a quick glance, the man caught a glimpse of bare legs in the half-open bedroom door as Tenax was closing it.

"Scorpus! What's going on, my friend?" Tenax said hurriedly, opening his arms wide to the newcomer with a faked smile, pretending to ignore his rudeness.

The man had stopped dead in his tracks, staring at the closed door behind Tenax with a disconcerted look, before looking back at his host who was advancing. He seemed to regain his senses and pointed an accusing finger under the latter's nose:

"Where's my money?" he barked.

"Scorpus, I warned you not to bet on the lap," Tenax sighed, "the white faction has been running new horses that are younger than yours..."

"What?!" Scorpus shouted indignantly, "You didn't tell me anything!" he bellowed.

"Of course I did, you were probably still drunk…" Tenax retorted, shaking his head in disapproval.

The man sighed heavily, ostentatiously rubbing his eyes in disappointment. He looked up at the closed bedroom door, holding his hips, and seemed to ruminate for a few moments before fuming loudly:

"I lost big on that, Tenax!"

Tenax approached him, opening his arms again in a gesture of comfort as the man cast furtive glances at the door. Ignoring his friend’s approach, he kept on:

“And who’s in your room there?” he asked suspiciously, pointing toward the bedroom.

"Nobody." Tenax hastened to answer as innocently as possible.

Scorpus wasn’t listening, he walked around Tenax who didn't have time to hold him back, and pushed the door open, revealing Briga inside who suddenly sat up. Seeing that she had had time to get dressed, Tenax let out a discreet sigh of relief.

The newcomer stared at her for a few moments, stunned, while Briga, motionless, gave him a stone-hard look.

"Who are you?" he finally asked, visibly intrigued.

Briga remained unmoved, eyeing the visitor up and down.

Scorpus tilted his head, seemingly offended by the girl's silence.

"Who is she?" he insisted to Tenax behind him.

"No one," he sighed as he stamped his feet on the ground, "just… a slave..."

"A slave!" Scorpus exclaimed, a smile growing on his lips. He looked back at the girl, ogling her without shame. "What's your name?"

Silence still as the only answer, the man was starting to look seriously upset.

"Briga is her name, and she won't answer you..." Tenax intervened.

"Why? She can't talk?" he asked curiously before returning his interested gaze to the girl. "I bet this pretty mouth can do other things though..." he mumbled to Briga, whose eyes narrowed in return in a murderous glare.

Tenax heard it too and rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Because she hates you, Scorpus. She hates all of us, don't take it personally." he sighed heavily, shooting a complicit grin at Briga whose fierce eyes oscillated between him and the visitor. It had been a while since Tenax hadn’t seen such a fierce look on her face, he could tell a cold anger was slowly rising in her, her knuckles were turning white.

Scorpus stamped his feet, hesitantly waving his body towards Briga but held back in the face of the hostility emanating from her.

"No one hates Scorpus, I'm not a fucking Roman." He retorted in a mock-outraged tone, ostensibly giving her a smile of the kind he usually gave to his future conquests. Nothing seemed to stop this rake in front of a beautiful woman.

The thought of the knife left on his bedroom floor crossed his mind; Tenax started to fear for his friend’s life if Briga ever remembered it as well.

“What else can I do for you, my friend?” he cut in impatiently, loud enough to catch both their attention.

“Oh, well…” Scorpus mumbled, trying to stall for time before being openly dismissed from the place, “you’re not going to help me, then?”

"There's nothing more I can do Scorpus…"

"You should take her to the races one of these days," Scorpus unexpectedly eluded, "I'm sure she'd appreciate seeing the great Scorpus at work!"

He puffed out his chest, a display that still didn't seem to impress Briga whose gaze had not softened one bit.

"Or else you introduce her to your debtors, Tenax, if she looks at them long enough like that, they'll quickly settle their debts!" Scorpus noisily laughed.

Tenax chuckled. Of course he had thought of it, he had realized her silent hard looking presence could indeed have a certain power of persuasion. Surely others besides him could perceive this feeling of danger that her attitude gave off, Scorpus did seem to feel it as well or he would have been closer to her already, Tenax believed.

“I’ll consider it Scorpus,” he answered, “now I have things to do.” He concluded firmly, tilting his head towards the door.

Scorpus bit his lip in frustration, nodding at Briga with a salacious look.

“Of course, my friend!" he eventually gasped, "I’ll see you at the Circus in three days!”

Slowly stepping back without taking his eyes off her, he added with a wink:

“See you soon, Briga…”

Tenax accompanied him through the entrance door, holding his breath for any new try at poking at his slave. Scorpus passed the door but suddenly turned back and whispered in his face with a dubious look:

“What were you doing in there with her?”

"Goodbye, Scorpus" he replied with a contented smile, closing the door in his face.

Tenax held the door for a little longer, taking some time to recollect his thoughts. Finally turning around, he caught eyes with Claudia, holding her hands together in a confused expression.

"I’m sorry, Master, I…"

"I know." Tenax interrupted gently, "Are you feeling better now?"

"Hum… yes, thank you, Master."

He glimpsed at Briga, just long enough to see her staring into the void, when Claudia kept on:

"I’ll prepare supper right away, Master. Briga, please come, child." She called in a still sleepy hoarse voice.

Her name came to her as a distant sound in the air, only after some instants she seemed to have heard it and raised a confounded face to see Claudia and Tenax looking at her in puzzlement.

The way this man had looked at her had shaken her core. All these weeks locked in the security of Tenax’s apartment almost made her forget what it was like to be preyed upon like this, submitted to the depraved eyes of men willing to abuse her.

Regaining her senses, she saw concern in Tenax’s eyes, and it reminded her that she could breathe, he was there. Swiftly seized by the soft and warm sensation of being so close to him only instants before, for a mere instant she wished he was holding her again, leaving her all the more stunned.

"Briga?" Claudia called gently.

She shook her head and walked across the room quickly at the renewed call, unconsciously avoiding all the eyes on her; a confusion that first left Tenax speechless. It seemed so unlike her to appear overwhelmed like that and something told him it wasn't just about him and the unexpected letting go they had experienced a few minutes before. In some way it was bothering him and that was so unlike him.

Briga had eaten with Claudia in the kitchen as usual, mostly in silence from what Tenax had perceived from his sit at the table, only to reappear in front of him for the sole purpose of clearing the table. He tried to cross her eyes that she seemed to avoid.

"That will be all Claudia, you go rest home, the cleaning can wait." He announced suddenly, staring at Briga who finally met his eyes with a hint of suspicion; it was unusual for him to send her home so soon.

Briga immediately stopped and waited by the table in silence, staring at Tenax, both wary and curious about what would happen once Claudia left. When she did, the heavy silence between them lasted for a moment until Tenax calmly ordered:

"Sit. Please."

Please? That was new and rather intriguing to her. She was more used to him showing who the master was than that. Further arousing her curiosity, she complied and took a place at the table in front of him, keeping her hands on her lap and her eyes firmly locked on his.

He took a slow sip of wine, pondering how to address the elephant in the room.

"You didn't like the way Scorpus looked at you." Tenax finally let out.

Briga took a breath.

"I've seen this filthfy look on Roman's faces before." she bitterly said, thinking back to what these men had done to her.

Tenax nodded slightly, showing he knew well what she was referring to.

"Hmm… You see, I’ve learned in the streets that rage arises from fear, it’s like a defence mechanism. As impressive as your rage mays appear at first sight, it mostly reveals weakness."

She slowly tilted her head and intensely glared at him, unsure to appreciate the direction Tenax was taking there.

He softly smiled at her expected reaction; calling her weak and getting away with it was probably a privilege all his own and he certainly appreciated the sensation it provided. But beyond that, he mostly wanted her to understand his point, it was key to the purpose he aimed for. So, he resumed, calmly but more firmly than before, imposing her to listen through.

"When men look at you like Scorpus did, it means they covet you and that, Briga, gives you power; the power to either refuse… or accept, at your own terms. In my world, that is called an opportunity. You could use that to get what you want. You could use them..."

"Refuse or accept?" she interrupted sharply with an ironic frown, his voice almost hissing, "As when you have the choice? What power do you have when you are held by both arms… or chained?"

For a split second Tenax felt his mind on the verge of wandering; finally, there was a chink in her impenetrable armour, willingly giving away an ounce of what might have happened to her. He felt the urge to know more, but now was not the time, so in a controlled inhale he simply nodded thoughtfully, holding her stare with a surprising intensity:

"We are all bound to something."

Briga narrowed her eyes, wondering in what way could a man like him ever feel restrained. It just then occurred to her that outside these walls she did not know anything about him. She didn’t know much about him even inside these walls for that matter.

She observed him silently for some time. Being used by people, using other people… This would have never occurred to her before, not in the simple life she used to have back in Lusitania. But now she was in Rome, very far from her home, her way and her life. Adapting may well be her only way out of there someday.

"So, does that mean… I could use you?" she finally addressed him, biting her lip in an equivocal way.

She was getting it. Tenax rejoiced inwardly. He grinned back and playfully answered:

"You are free to try."

"Am I? You do want something from me… but you’ve never looked at me like that." Briga dared, eyeing him up and down ostentatiously. There was indeed a shift in the balance of power between her and Tenax, she could feel it now; something about domination that felt quite pleasant.

Tenax straightened up imperceptibly, a contented pout on his face. He knew the feeling that Briga was displaying, maybe a little too much. She still had a lot to learn though, he had to put her back in her place. He stared deeply in his slave’s eyes and softly said :

"Hmm…Well, that must be because I don’t covet what I already own."

[egocentered]

Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Those About to Die (TV) Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con Relationships: Tenax (Those About to Die)/Original Female Character(s) Characters: Tenax (Those About to Die), Claudia (Those About to Die), Original Female Character(s) Additional Tags: Romance, Slavery, Sexual Content, Ancient Rome Summary:

What made him wander around the slave market that day, he could not say. Somehow, a dark and bruised human form caught his attention from the corner of his eye.

"Now this one should be firmly handled for she’s kind of a wildling," the slave merchant loudly claimed as he pushed the girl to the front of the stage in a rattle of chains, "beware of your throats! "

Tenax hold his stance as the lean creature rose in front of a suddenly quiet crowd. Chained both at her wrists and feet, her black dishevelled long hair hardly dissimulated the bruises and swellings on the tanned skin of her face; and the ripped dress could not cover the shades of purple marks on her arms and thighs, and yet, there she stood tall and proud, glancing at the crowd with a ferocious disdain in her clear eyes.

[wewererogue]

Tropes: The City Narrows

[by TV Tropes, beware of links!]

Every town in the multiverse has a part that is something like Ankh-Morpork’s Shades. It’s usually the oldest part, its lanes faithfully following the original tracks of medieval cows going down to the river, and they have names like the Shambles, the Rookery, Sniggs Alley… Most of Ankh-Morpork is like that in any case. But the Shades is even more so, a sort of black hole of bred-in-the-brickwork lawlessness. Put it like this—even the criminals were afraid to walk the streets. The Watch didn’t set foot in it.

— Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett

In the setting of a large sprawling Metropolis, there is always a certain spot that contains the dark side of city life. It will be the place where the police rarely tread and where those who attend to certain unsavory professions rely on their own methods of protection. It will have its own nickname from the locals, it may even be marked out on the official map. Its level of actual malice may vary; it could be a terrifying, silent place where the protagonist is in constant danger for each moment that they spend in this dark corner, or it could be a rather lively and cheerful area with an active Black Market that forms an actual market and where gamblers, whores and dealers collect for decadent revelry. The latter is more common when The City Narrows are the Not-So-Safe Harbor district and are thus filled with pirates’ and sailors’ entertainment in levels that would make Frank Miller blush.

It will also manage to be made entirely of back alleys that seem to only back onto more back alleys. It is basically the back alley of the entire city which is what distinguishes it from the Wretched Hive: the Wretched Hive is an entire locale of crime and vice but the City Narrows is the subsection of the city that you can accidentally wander into from the nice side, if you walk too far along the Wrong Side of the Tracks (however, as in the above example of Ankh Morpork, a Wretched Hive may have a Narrows area if the subsection manages to be even worse than the rest). So you can expect plenty of “What’s a nice girl like you doing here then?”

A subtrope of Wretched Hive and Wrong Side of the Tracks. It is Truth in Television to a degree; that degree being how much you can tell the inhabitants of a real life version of this trope that they live in their city’s arse end and not be given a Glasgow Grin.

Night at the Subura by Milek Jakubiec

Examples (a selection)

The Narrows of Batman’s Gotham City also appears in abundance in The Dark Knight Saga.

Suicide Slum in Metropolis, from Superman

Hell’s Kitchen, NYC, had this reputation in real life; consequently, it serves this purpose in the Marvel Verse.

Sin City: Even as scary as the rest of Basin “Sin” City is, The Projects are the scariest parts.

Judge Dredd: Sector 301, dubbed “The Pit��, had a reputation as the most crime-ridden area of Mega-City One.

Five Points was this in Gangs of New York, as well as in Real Life, in the 19th century.

The Shades of Ankh-Morpork on the Discworld.

Thieves’ World, the shared world fantasy series created by Robert Lynn Asprin, has the Maze in the city of Sanctuary.

Knockturn Alley in the Harry Potter books. It’s the place where the stores sell artifacts of doom instead of normal magical artifacts.

In Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian story “Rogues in the House”, the Maze.

King’s Landing in A Song of Ice and Fire has Flea Bottom. Never, ever enquire too hard as to what goes into the bowls of brown served there.

The Cauldron of Camorr, in The Lies of Locke Lamora.

Brown Sector, commonly referred to as Downbelow, on Babylon 5.

The Court of Miracles in The Musketeers, which is ruled by the King of Thieves. So called because when lame and blind beggers return to the Court, they’re “miraculously” cured. The Cour des Miracles was a real area in Paris named for that reason.

Shadowrun: The Redmond Barrens of Seattle (which even have a mall that is one gigantic black market), the Shattergraves of Chicago, and the Aurora Warrens in Denver.

In Planescape, the city of Sigil has the Hive, one big lawless slum where criminals, anarchists, death-worshipers, and demons fight for control.

The Slums district of Amn in Baldur’s Gate II, home base of the Thieves’ Guild, full of beggars.

In Dragon Age: Origins, Dust Town in Orzammar is regarded as a breeding ground for Casteless, criminals and the outcast members of Dwarven society.

In Mass Effect, the worst parts of the Lower Wards on the Citadel are implied to be like this.

[source] (43)

[ducavalentinos]

“Caesar was born and raised in the Subura neighbordhood of Rome, just a short walk from the Forum. The area was an odd choice for Aurelia and her husband of the noble Julian clan. The Subura district was a lower-class neighborhood in a small valley known for tradesmen, prostitutes, and foreign residents, including many Jews. It’s likely, in spite of new family connections, that Caesar’s parents lacked the money needed for a home on the fashionable Palatine Hill. Since Caesar lived in his family house in the Subura for over thirty years, he must have gained a familiarity with the rough-and-tumble life of the Roman streets that few of his upper-class peers could have known. His later populist politics may in fact be due to his childhood friends and surroundings as much as political opportunism. Whatever the reasons for his family’s long residence in the grimy Subura, it created in Caesar a unique individual —a patrician descendant from kings who knew intimately the lives and sorrows of commons Romans.”

Philip Freeman - Julius Caesar

[labeteenmoi]

Kings of the Subura

Part 1

Fandom : Those About To Die

Pairing : Tenax x OC

Warning : slavery, violence, mentions of rape, sex

Summary : Slaves are easily bought but then have to be dealt with

What made him wander around the slave market that day, he could not say. Somehow, a dark and bruised human form caught his attention from the corner of his eye.

"Now this one should be firmly handled for she’s kind of a wildling," the slave merchant loudly claimed as he pushed the girl to the front of the stage in a rattle of chains, "beware of your throats!"

Tenax hold his stance as the lean creature rose in front of a suddenly quiet crowd. Chained both at her wrists and feet, her black dishevelled long hair hardly dissimulated the bruises and swellings on the tanned skin of her face; and the ripped dress could not cover the shades of purple marks on her arms and thighs, and yet, there she stood tall and proud, glancing at the crowd with a ferocious disdain in her clear eyes.

"I’ll take no claims," continued the enormous bald merchant, "as I’ll let you have her for the cheapest price: fifty sesterces!"

The crowd gasped in surprise, both appealed by the bargain of such an undersold slave, and worried by the aftermath of having around such a dangerous looking thing.

"Oh, come on people, have no fear, even wild animals can be tamed! Look at her, a Lusitanian, hardworking people these are! Don’t let yourself be fooled, she speaks the language," the man kept on, a hint of anxiety slowly rising in his voice.

But no hand arose from the now timid audience for what seemed an eternity.

"Twenty!" Finally claimed a man’s voice in the back.

Some astonished faces turned around to see Tenax rising a finger at the merchant, a confident smile on his lips. The merchant recognized him and his angry look from such a ridiculously low offer slowly faded into a somehow submissive expression before declaring:

"Twenty sesterces for Tenax, yes! Please come take your belonging."

As she was being pulled down the stage, she glared at the man who approached to stand in front of her. Despite her disillusioned expression, he narrowed his big, piercing blue eyes, searching her face with a serious look as the sign from around her neck was removed.

"I’d keep her chained if I was you, Tenax…" the fat slaver whispered as he handed him the key. Tenax took it but did not bother to answer and imperiously grabbed his slave by the arm before leading her through the crowd which parted as he advanced.

The chains on her ankles were barely long enough to allow for any real strides, so she almost jogged through the streets of the market square to keep up with the pace the man set for her. Not once he looked back at her, all she could see was his curvy brown hair on the back oh his head, and the tight grip of his hand on her arm.

A few turns further and they entered a tall building as she had only seen on her way through Rome with the men that had transported her from the port of Ostia directly to the market. It wasn’t a house; it was several houses in one. Tenax lead them upstairs and through another heavy door into what looked like a real house this time. The room was vast, adorned by a large table and wooden benches around. There was a small corridor on her left that led to other rooms and a closed door at the opposite side. He took her towards the table and flipped her over to face him.

It took her a few seconds to have her sight accommodated to the dim light of the place despite the window behind them, but as soon as her eyes crossed his, she regained her composure and fiercely held his gaze.

"Sit." he dryly said.

She did not move. A cold smirk grew on his face as he advanced closer and pressed a hand on the base of her neck.

"I said sit." he threateningly repeated, pushing her firmly.

Unbalanced, the girl fell heavily onto the wooden bench behind her and angrily looked up at a smiling Tenax. However, the knife hanging at his belt suddenly caught her attention making her stare; it didn’t go unnoticed.

"Do you know what happens to slaves that kill their masters?" He asked in a heavy tone, crouching before her.

Only silence and furious glances responded to him.

"They are crucified," he said. "Hanged on a large wooden cross outside the city for the crows and flies to feast on and the men to laugh at. If they try to run away, they are left to their master’s will." He paused for a moment, observing a slight wavering in her eyes.

"I would probably get more than my money back selling you as fresh meat to the wild beasts of the Circus Maximus," he resumed, now almost whispering. "or as amusement for the gladiators perhaps… Do you want to take a shot at any of those?"

She was giving in; he could sense as her head tilted a little. With a now satisfied smile, he reached for the key in his pocket and bowed a little more towards the chain holding her ankles. She looked with disdain at the man: how on earth could someone consider owning another human being like an object was beyond her. Still, the calm and confidence he displayed were quite disarming. She could tell he was used to be respected and obeyed without too much effort; another man who considers himself above the others, another stinky Roman. However, by the way he had observed her at the market, this one seemed a bit different; unlike the other men she had encountered so far that either looked down on her with disgust or lubricity, he seemed more intrigued than anything else.

As her expression unwillingly soften while lost in her thoughts, Tenax started fidgeting the lock of the chain. His face near her knees, the bruises on her thighs appeared deeper than he had thought. A diminished slave brings in less for the merchants, so they are rarely heavily mistreated unless they are particularly hostile. These contusions were large and fresh from their still purple color and went from the top to the inner thighs. Even if he did not doubt her hostility already, Tenax also knew the slavers had gone far and beyond discipline with that girl.

He threw the chain behind him and looked up at her, her wandering gaze and milder expression, almost sad, laid on him and turned harder suddenly, but not as much as before. Swollen torn lip, black eye and filth created a very opaque mask on her face. One would expect to see a distressed person in this state, but she seemed to make a point of not showing weakness every time he laid eyes on her.

"Good." He resumed, softer than intended. "Now that we are clear on that," he kept on, hardening his tone, "I’m your master and as such, you’ll call me so and obey my commands. That’s how this works for you now."

He paused, waiting for a sign of approval that never came.

In a frustrated sigh he stood up and proceeded to free her wrists. Again, he caught her eyes focusing on the knife now at her sight level, stopping him in his tracks. His sudden immobility rang an alarm in her head but too late to back down; Tenax swiftly reach to her neck and lifted her up against the table, knocking over the bench behind her in a loud crash. He wasn’t smiling anymore, an angry expression on his face with wide open eyes. She instinctively grabbed his wrist to alleviate the pressure, but he squeezed harder instead, making her clench her jaw in pain.

"Do not test my patience," he coldly hissed between his teeth, leaning his face so close she could feel the heat of his skin on her cheek. "Now I want to hear you say it, or I’ll squeeze all the air out of you: are you going to obey?"

The girl did not whimper a sound, a hint of defiance still in her eyes, so he kept on pressing her throat with a growing threatening glance. She soon found herself gasping for air, but he kept on, relentlessly.

"Yes…" she hardly let out in a wince of panic.

Tenax relieved his grasp allowing her to let in some air but did not let go of her neck. His features however remained tensed, only after a last infuriated blue glance he let her go.

"Claudia!" He curtly called out.

An old woman with a worried face suddenly emerged silently from the adjoining corridor, as if she had just materialized at the sound of her name.

"Wash her, and treat her wounds," he ordered without taking his eyes off the girl who was rubbing her neck and trying to catch her breath.

"And the chains, master?" Claudia asked in a neutral tone.

"They stay, until I decide otherwise." Tenax advanced imperiously towards his slave, "Until I consider her trustworthy."

Looking up again, her gaze hardened. The will of this man, determined to dominate her, further fuelled her inclination to resist him.

"Come on girl." Claudia said as she swiftly slipping between them. Grabbing her arm, she gently but firmly carried her towards the closed door, ending their little ego battle.

She let herself be guided without much resistance through the door. On the other side was a spacious bedroom with a large bed against the wall, just as dark as the previous rooms despite the window and the daylight still visible through the pierced shutter, and a small adjoining room that contained two pink metal basins of different sizes in its centre, a large terracotta jar and a few small, closed pots. There were no windows in this room, only a few flickering flames on an oil candelabra hanging on the wall diffused a little light that the ochre-coloured walls diminished a little more. The air there was warmer, almost humid, despite the absence of a door.

Claudia left her on the threshold then grabbed the jar and tipped it into the small basin. Clear water gushed out. Still without a word, Claudia poured a clear powder into the water from one of the pots, then a thick liquid from another. The slave watched her slow and assured gestures in silence; this woman was meticulous, precise. Her face, completely absorbed in her task, showed no fear but rather a sort of maternal worry whose sweetness was exacerbated by the folds of her forehead and at the corners of her eyes.

The girl did not feel threatened by her presence, the man wasn’t there to watch her, so she allowed herself to let go a little. A slight numbness began to invade her as her body seemed to relax, her shoulders sagging and her breathing became deeper, as if her chest was becoming lighter. She couldn't tell if it was the powder’s scent, the soft light, the light rustles of small footsteps on the stone floor and pots gently clinking together, or the lapping of flowing liquids with herbaceous scents mixing, but she let herself be carried away by the slight tingling on the back of her neck. It tasted of serenity, she hadn't felt this way since she had been torn from her home weeks ago, weeks that felt like years already

"These oils will soothe the pain of the blows." the old woman said softly, tearing the slave from her torporn with a slight start.

Claudia looked up, stared at the young girl in front of her for a few moments in silence, then held out her hand.

"Come," she murmured, "come closer."

The slave hesitated at first, but finally came forward. This woman meant her no harm, and the temptation of a real wash was not going to displease her deep down.

Claudia placed her hands on her shoulders and guided her to the centre of the room, gently pressing her to kneel on the thick fabric that decorated the stone floor. She stood behind her, gathering the mass of her long, tangled black hair to push it to one side over her shoulder to undo the coarse knots of the shapeless, dirty and worn dress that covered her back and that slid to the floor around her folded legs. The slave jumped as Claudia applied the cool, oil-scented water to the skin of her back, she gritted her teeth as she delicately rubbed the bruises on her limbs, and in the hollow of her thighs, particularly painful. Her thoughts strayed to the unpleasant memories of the times spent at the mercy of these men who abused her, especially the first time. She clenched her fists, making the chain that held her wrists rattle sharply.

Claudia quickly withdrew her hands, no doubt aware of the torment that was assailing the girl at that moment.

"I'm sorry... for what happened to you." she said softly near her ear, placing a comforting hand on her arm.

The slave exhaled deeply, fighting back the tears that threatened to flood her eyes. Claudia resumed her task, wetting her hair before coating it with a floral-scented powder that she distributed by massaging all over her hair. She tilted her head back to rinse, water running down her face and taking the painful memories with it.

When she opened her eyes again, straightening her head, she saw him. In the space that separated the entrance to the bedroom from that of the bathroom, Tenax was watching her. The light of day behind him was backlighting, she could not see his face, but he could see her perfectly: he saw her suddenly raising her shackled arms on her exposed chest, her face closing and her gaze hardening. There was something captivating about the vision of this fierce creature looking so vulnerable at this moment. Tenax continued to look at her despite her protective moves, not to impose his will on her though, he just could not take his eyes off this beautiful body glistening in the warm glow of the flickering flames. An unusual emotion seized him, suddenly tearing him away from his contemplation and he finally turned around, clearing his throat to regain his senses as he left the room.

Long minutes passed before noise was heard from the bedroom. Claudia came out followed by the girl and found Tenax sitting at the large table, a glass in his hand. He stared at her for a moment: she looked less wild now with her hair clean and styled in a long ponytail. She wore a dark dress tied above each shoulder; Claudia, always so provident, had chosen an item of clothing that did not require removing her chains. Her face now free of her locks, Tenax could finally see her eyes more clearly. That was where her fury resided: despite her opaline green eyes, her gaze under her black eyebrows was dark as a storm. Her expression, however, seemed more peaceful than before, Tenax noted. The vision of her slender body and damp skin suddenly returned to him, he took a sip of wine to regain his composure and chase away these thoughts.

"What's your name?" He questioned without looking at her.

The girl was still staring at him, walled in her silence. Tenax looked up and smiled with a falsely understanding look. With a sigh he got up and walked towards her, ignoring Claudia who moved away as he approached:

"I remind you that I own you now, and you'll do as I say," he said as calmly stating a fact, planting himself right in front of her. "Just accept your fate."

A slight smirk widened the corner of her mouth, Tenax understood that she had no intention of doing so.

"Or don’t!" He kept on before leaning very close to her ear, "But then you already know what I’ll do of you," he whispered. "Be smart, slave," he viciously insisted on the word, "your life could get a lot worse than it already is."

A shiver ran up her spine from the breath on her neck. Or maybe it was the threats, or the disgust she felt at that moment realizing that this damn Roman may have a point after all. She didn't want to belong to anyone, it was against her nature, but was she ready to face an atrocious death or suffer a thousand more torments in other disgusting hands for the principle of not giving up anything to him?

He recoiled slowly, watching her smirk fade from the corner of his eye. He turned around with a satisfied expression, ready to leave the room as the girl seemed lost in thought, weighing the pros and cons of now becoming a well-behaved and obedient property, this man's property.

"Briga." she finally muttered.

She would give in, for now.

Tenax stopped dead in his tracks and turned around slowly, an exaggerated questioning look on his face.

"What?"

She inhaled and exhaled deeply, as if she was gathering all the calm she could muster.

"My name is Briga." she reluctantly repeated more intelligibly.

A slight conquering grin grew on Tenax’s face, he shamelessly exposed it in front of her slave, waiting for her expected irate pout. Once she did, he approached again and grabbed her wrist firmly. Visibly satisfied by the lack of resistance other than her defying gaze, he unlocked the chain and set her arms free.

"Go help Claudia in the kitchen." he proudly ordered.

Claudia broke off their intense exchange of glances again by taking her away.

“Claudia, make sure she doesn’t spit in my food!“ he teased loudly behind them.

Under other circumstances, Briga would have found it amusing.

Claudia brought her some potatoes and onions to peel off, while she would put the meat on the stove.

"You'll see, Tenax is a fair man. Give it time." Claudia said, discretely eyeing Briga’s reaction, but she remained impassive.

When Claudia brought the food to the table Tenax quietly asked:

"How are her wounds?"

"Some will heal quickly, others not..." she hesitantly answered.

Tenax, was expecting a more detailed report, but seeing the worried look on Claudia’s face he asked:

"What is it, Claudia? Speak freely"

She took a breath, anxiously looking at her master.

"She's hurt… and angry…understandably so if I may… What they did to her..." her voice trembled a little. "But she'll calm down, master, with time"

Tenax appreciated the concern Claudia showed for this girl she didn’t even know. She had all the mercy and kindness he lacked.

"I doubt it," he ironically let out, "but I’m more tenacious than she is, don’t worry."

Claudia smiled softly before returning to the kitchen where she served a plate for the two of them.

"Eat, child, you must be starving." She kindly said, addressing Briga with a warm smile at the fatigue she could see on her face.

At his table Tenax kept listening to any noise or voice that he could perceive from the kitchen. She sure would be a tough one to tame, that stubborn girl hadn’t said any more words, even to Claudia who treated her so well. But he was a man of challenges, and his appetite was even the more enhanced by her rebellious behaviour.

"Settle her in her room then you can go home, Claudia." They could hear Tenax say from the other room.

Briga froze, a new shiver ran through her realizing she would be alone in the house with this man. His intentions were still unclear to her, he seemed to live alone, no wife, no family around that would need her assistance. He enjoyed having the upper hand on her, she had well noticed that, but she feared that he would reveal himself to be much more brutal once Claudia would not be around anymore. For a second she thought about grabbing Claudia’s hand and never let her go, but she had already left the kitchen through a corridor. A few minutes later she reappeared and called for Briga. She led her into a bedroom, small but it had a bed, and a window, too small to allow a child’s body to go through it.

"You’ll sleep here, girl. I’ll see you in the morning." Claudia said before nodding gently and leaving, letting her alone with her thoughts and fears.

There she stood, motionless and alert, expecting to hear Tenax enter the room in her back and violently push her down, and be the disgusting man he surely is, as are all Romans; and abuse her, and hurt her like she was nothing more than a doll existing only to satisfy perverted and filthy desires.

A strange feeling suddenly interrupted her running thoughts: there he was, standing behind her at the doorstep, silently, his imposing presence filling the room. Her mind went blank, and her blood ran cold; she was exhausted, and he was strong, there wasn’t much she could do to avoid the inevitable, but she’d be damned if she didn’t try. She closed her eyes, breathing short, tensing her aching body, waiting for it. The door closed, a key was turned in the lock, then the silence. He was gone.

Her body collapsed beneath her as if all her strength had left her at once. There she laid on the hard bed, numb, uncontrollable tears rolling down her cheeks as she fell asleep. Resisting was hard, she had well deserved a rest at that moment.

[egocentered]

Chapters: 2/? Fandom: Those About to Die (TV) Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con Relationships: Tenax (Those About to Die)/Original Female Character(s) Characters: Tenax (Those About to Die), Claudia (Those About to Die), Original Female Character(s) Additional Tags: Romance, Slavery, Sexual Content, Ancient Rome Summary:

The bell rang.

“The race is on! Bets are over!” the man behind the counter shouted as he closed the jar filled with betting odds amid protests from the latecomers.

Another chariots race Tenax already knew the results of. He didn't even have to fix it anymore; he had the greatest power in the Subura: information. Tenax knew all there was to know about anything race related: who runs for money, who runs for glory, who runs for life. He also knew about all the power struggles involved: who owed who, who owned who, who fucked who. Incidentally, what the horses ate for breakfast and how much quality shit they had had mattered too, and he knew that too.