Kracken
Disclaimer:I don't own them and I don't make any money off of them.
Warning:Male/male sex, roman slaves, A.U.,language, violence.
Peonies
1x2
Truth Be Known
"You fight in the Imperial Army," Duo said as he pulled up a chair and sat opposite Heero. "You should know, better than most, how things are changing there."
"I've been given leave to manage my father's estate," Heero corrected him. "I haven't been active in months." He shrugged. "The Emperor has always been heavy handed, though, when it comes to managing the outlying provinces. That's necessary. While you claim to be independent, you're hardly self governing. You are all part of the Empire, whether you wish it or no."
"That's where you're wrong," Duo growled back. "We do give fealty to the Emperor. We do send men to fight in his wars. We do send our crops and beasts to fill his stores. We have always been fairly autonomous, though, despite all of that. Now he's closing his grip and sending his own governors to carry out his will. He's making decisions that benefit Rome and not the welfare of the Provinces. We are withering under his heavy hand. People are being killed, crops and beasts are being taken in greater and greater numbers until we starve, our rites, as citizens, to be heard, has been revoked. We are all slaves, now, you see, and we have had enough of it."
"You've been spoiled," Heero replied, half turning away, his jaw clenching. "You chafe under new regulations, that's all, like brats."
"Is that what you think?" Duo glared and smoothed a hand along his tattoo. "How many men have you paid off to keep what you have? What would have happened if you had refused, or not had the money? Maybe you would have been the one to dance, not me?"
"Isn't that what's happening now?" Heero wondered bitterly. "What is my future, if not that or the grave?"
"You have a reputation, I've heard," Duo said. "You'll die to follow orders. What I want to know is, will you die for any orders, or just for the ones you know to be right?"
Heero shook his head sharply. "I fight because it's the Emperor's will. I don't trouble myself with the why and wherefore's of those orders."
"Why not?" Duo wanted to know.
"Because an army can't be triumphant that way," Heero retorted. "If everyone questioned their orders, there would be chaos."
"Even when those orders are so clearly wrong?" Duo pressed. "Would you spit a baby on your sword if the Emperor commanded it?"
Heero winced. "He has never ordered that."
"You don't think so?" Duo countered angrily. "I tell you that he has."
"Your word on that," Heero shot back in disbelief.
Duo cocked his head sideways and smiled with a hard edge."No, not my word. Your own vaunted government documents tell the tale for the dead. Thirty six men, women, and, yes, babies, spitted by the Emperor's decree because they refused to give up their crops."
Heero went cold. "Why did they resist?"
"I told you," Duo replied. "They are starving because of the Emperor's greed. Some would think a sword point mercy rather than watching their own children starve."
"I wouldn't," Heero whispered, but then scowled and squared his shoulders belligerently. "So you say," he repeated. "I doubt that you will allow me the freedom to find out these things for myself."
"We are going back to the provinces," Duo replied as he stood, long braid swaying. "You are coming with us. I will show you what you refuse to believe."
"Why?" Heero asked hotly. "Why do you care what I think?"
Duo's amethyst eyes were needy suddenly, full of emotion."A hundred good intentions make a lot of graves. Trained soldiers, willing to fight for our cause, are few."
Heero gaped and then shot back, "Against the Emperor's army, I have no doubt that you will find many cowards."
Duo splayed a hand against his own breast. "Not here. Maybe I'm just street trash, an orphan, but I will fight for my freedom still." He grinned suddenly, "Besides, I've heard that it is brains and skill that win the day, not sheer force of arms."
"A street boy heard that... where?" Heero wanted to know sarcastically.
"My friend, Chang Wu Fei is a soldier of the East," Duo explained. "He is full of such wisdom."
"He taught you to fight?" Heero asked, wanting to know which of his enemies was most powerful.
"Some," Duo admitted, but then cryptically, "But there are teachers older than he is who've had this bone to pick with the Emperor for many, many years."
"And they are going to allow me to live?" Heero asked doubtfully.
"They'll do as I say," Duo replied with a rather arrogant lift of his chin.
"Why?" Heero wondered.
"Because I'm the best," Duo flung at him as he turned to leave the room.
"Duo?" Duo paused, but didn't turn, hand on the door latch. "Are you truly a virgin?" It was meant to taunt, to push Duo back into his place, but Duo only shook his head and chuckled as he left Heero to think over what had been said.
The town they finally arrived in was half gutted, people peering fearfully from doorways, expecting more violence. When they recognized Heero's captors, though, they came out eagerly and even offered happy greetings. Wu Fei kept his arrogant demeanor, Trowa ducked his head shyly, Quatre touched hands and offered returned greetings, and Duo grinned from ear to ear, hands raised, as if he were a general arriving from battle victorious and this was his processional.
People were indulgent, though, and a few of the women even threw Duo garlands of whatever was at hand. Onion sprigs made Duo laugh and he tossed them back with a wink at the blushing girl.
"We were afraid that you'd been captured or killed," an old man said as he came from the ruined arch of a villa.
"Castor," Duo crowed. "You decided to stay!"
Castor gave him a jaundiced eye. His tunic was ragged and his cloak torn, but it was obvious that he had once been in a wealthier state. "There are no cowards in my family," he replied. "This is my land."
"It belongs to the Emperor." Heero said as he slid from the cart to the ground.
Castor looked Heero up and down."He rules us all, that's true," he replied. "But my land belongs to me."
Duo elbowed Heero in the gut, furious. As Heero bent over, choking, Duo snarled,
"Castor has risked his life, again and again, for us. He lost his family
to the Emperor's army. Don't insult him or I will make you regret it."
"Boy," Castor chided. "It's not necessary. Swords wound, not
words." He peered at Heero and then grunted. "I know you." and
then to Duo, "Is he for ransom? He doesn't have enough standing to bring
a very large one."
Heero drew himself up, rubbing at his gut. "I'm important enough to bring soldiers down on your head for this."
"I believe they're busy, at the moment," Castor chuckled. "Trouble at the borders. Our little rebellion is a flea bite compared to that."
"Not a flea bite for long," Wu Fei avowed.
"Perhaps not," Castor agreed, and then made a motion as if casting off a burden. "Come, my manners are poor. You may partake of my hospitality, such as it is."
Duo climbed the cart and patted a bulging sack. "We can offer a gift in return, this time."
Castor smiled. "Give to those who need it most before you give to an old man."
"See to it," Duo ordered Trowa and Quatre and then followed Castor, with Heero between himself and Wu Fei.
Braces kept things from falling over, and some repairs had been undertaken, but there was a definite air of emptiness and things let go too long. Heero thought of vermin and felt somewhat comforted by the few cats he saw skirting their arrival.
One room was both living quarters and hearth. Well used pots and pans were arranged about the burning coals and some fresh caught fish were half prepared on a plate.
"Your servant shirks his duties," Heero muttered."Perhaps he's seen sense and fled?"
Castor grimaced. "Full of yourself, aren't you boy? I'm my own servant. I'm a marked man. It's only a matter of time before they realize that I haven't given up my home, so I sent everyone else away. It's called charity."
He waved to them all. "You stink of the road. The baths still work, though they're cold. Clean yourselves and I'll have food prepared shortly."
"I'll see to the beast first," Wu Fei told him with a high degree of deference.
"Wise man," Castor replied. "Care for your beasts well, and they will return the favor tenfold."
Wu Fei gve him a small bow and then eyed Heero.
"I can handle him," Duo retorted as if Wu Fei had said his doubts out loud.
"You won't get far, if you run," Wu Fei felt the need to say to Heero anyway.
Heero scowled back, but Duo was plucking at his sleeve and urging him through an archway.
"Thought you'd be eager to get me naked again?" Duo chuckled.
"In my own home," Heero replied.
Duo took off his tunic, and began working on removing the belt of his pants,
as they entered a wide room with a clear pool. An opening to the sky allowed
the sun to sparkle over the surface.
Duo hopped to get off his shoes and then tossed his clothes into a corner. He was... glorious, Heero thought, all lithe body, smooth skin, and lean muscle. The tattoo turned and flexed with his motions, a riot of color against his pale skin. He also had the beginning of a hard on and seemed totally unashamed of it.
"Why..." Heero said, confused.
"Because," Duo replied and then stepped towards him. "Maybe you aren't such a terrible person? Maybe I felt something for you while I was yours to command? Or maybe you're a complete bastard, and I'm an idiot, but...It wasn't so bad when you were about to...Well, it never hurt, not really. It felt... good." His eyes were serious as he added, "I've seen the ugly side of that, all my life. You made me think there might be something in it that I've never seen before."
"There is," Heero replied, forgetting anger and hurt pride. He reached out a broad hand and cupped Duo's cheek. He pulled Duo in by it, staring down into his eyes. "Let me show you," Heero begged.
They stood poised like that and then Duo was stepping out of his grasp and leaping into the water. He surfaced, sparkling with water like some sprite, and grinning."I'm not that easy. I'll think some more about it."
Heero cursed under his breath, his hand going down to loosen his clothing around his own erection.
"Come on," Duo told him. "Get clean or Castor won't feed you."
Heero clenched his hands, wondering at himself. Why did he still entertain this attraction for this infuriating rebel slave? By the Emperor's order, he would probably have to slay all of them. He was, after all, a soldier.
TBC
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