Thread: Desire to Live  Strmas and LingeringDesire

They turned to head back home, Atticus was just starting to allow himself to relax when Nefeli turned to him and asked, Please I need to know what to expect? His heart seemed to be lodged in his throat, how he dreaded the question! His first instinct was to tell her not to worry, they weren't on the list. Everything would be alright. But would that be the right thing to do? Would anything ever be alright in their beloved city again? And was not speaking of what was coming protecting her, or simply sparing him? As they moved through the forum quickly, but not too quickly, they did not want to draw attention, he did not have to look deep inside himself to find the answer. They walked on in silence until the passed the Temple of Saturn, they turned onto the steep path leading up to the Aventine. As they started up the path, Atticus made up his mind and began to speak. How did we come to this?, Atticus wondered more to himself then Nefeli. Of course Rome is no stranger to political murder, the city was founded on the murder of one brother by another. in my father's time brothers Gracchi were murdered, beheaded and their killer collected a bounty but the decent Roman's were outraged. And though both bothers, held office while killed, Tribune's of the Plebs, none of their enemies dared raise a hand against their family. A piece or two of property confiscated perhaps but families were allowed to move on. The mother of the Gracchi were honored by the people, even those that were political enemies of the brothers. A civilized people did not wage war on women and children. That was something that happened in far away eastern despot, not the Roman Republic! Now scores of heads are added every day to the spikes surrounding the Rostrum, countless headless bodies clog the Tiber but Sulla isn't content to murder his enemies, or even those he simply dislikes, no, Sulla seeks to destroy the soul of his enemies. To get full payment of the bounty the thugs must not merely behead their victims. Atticus paused catching his breath, climbing the Aventine while talking was a feat for a younger man but once started Atticus could not still his tongue and soon they resumed their slow climb and his sad tale. No, the head of the household is kept alive long enough to watch the beheading of any sons who are of age. And then he is made to watch the rape of his wife, children and other family. Then he is sent into the afterlife knowing his children will e sold into slavery, all property seized, and any adult women free for the taking by any man who wishes to use them. And any who attempt to shelter one on the list will be put on the list. His shoulders slumped as he finished his tirade of what life was like under Sulla and they moved on in silence. They turned down their street and Atticus stopped suddenly and pulled Nefeli to him. directly in front of them, one of their neighbors was being dragged out of his house by a gang of thugs. The man grasped the gate frantically until one of the thugs slashed the poor man in the bell with his sword. The man screamed, losing his grip on the great he was thrown at the feet of the thugs, in a widening pool of blood. From within the house came the screams of family members. The man struggled to get up but a second slash of the sword on the back of his legs crumple him back on the ground. Several more thugs emerged from the house dragging a oung man who looked to be barely in his twenties. No, pleaded the man on the ground, My son is not on the lists. Laughter from the me greeted his pleas and a sharp blow to the stomach forced the young man to his knees in front of his father. A middle aged woman was dragged from the house and thrown on the ground in the pool of her husband's blood. Please, she begged but the big man, Beorne, one of Sulla's bounty hunters, swung his sword and the young man's head fell from his shoulders and rolled stopping at Atticus' feet. Please, take me but leave my wife and daughters alone, pleaded the dying man. Beorne laughed and signaled for one of his men to take the wife back in the house, Sulla doesn't pay enough to share his bounty with all my men, he sneered, Your wife and daughters are payment for a hard night's work for them. He turned to another of his henchmen, Drag this offal inside and let him watch. Beorne walked over and picked up the young man's head and scowled at Atticus and Nefeli. What you looking at citizens?, he growled. Atticus said nothing, grabbed Nefeli's hand and pulled her after him. He didn't slow down or look back until they were inside their own house.