A Tale of Romans and Slaves | PJO/HOO

Chapter 7: Leo

Have you ever had a really bad day?

You know, one of those days where it felt like everything was against you?

Yeah, I was having one of those days. But where you probably slipped on your toga or something, I was enslaved.

I remembered how it happened, too. Piper and I were planning a prank on my sister Nyssa when the horns sounded.

We had rushed to the safe room, but of course the Romans found it. Thinking back, it probably would've been smarter to hide in a vase or something.

And now here I was, in the back of some pale-dudes cart filled with a bunch of people I didn't know, being shipped off to a life of unpaid servitude.

Worse, I had no idea what happened to Piper, Nyssa, or my bros Travis and Connor. I just hoped that they weren't sold to Lord Dionysus.

After around a day of moving, the cart stopped. We must be here.

The cart doors opened, and we were all herded out and forced to our knees. The rocks in the ground tore into my skin, and I hoped that we would be allowed up soon.

Pale-dude looked at us, and then began talking to the other smaller pale-dude that was probably big pale-dudes son.

After a couple of minutes, we were all hauled to our feet. Pale-dude junior started assigning us roles. I was put in the forge.

Then he left, leaving us alone. Then some guards started leading us to our new workplaces.

The forge was in a building outside, which made sense. Fires were a common occurrence, and pale-dude senior probably didn't want his house to burn down.

"Hi," Some buff dude said when I walked in. "I'm Butch. I've been assigned to show you around."

"Okay," I said, not even bothering to think about who gave him this assignment. I surveyed the room, and I had to admit, it was a damn good forge. I could probably make anything in here.

Back home, I had always loved inventing things. My mother had too, back before the fire. After that, my father had forbid me from even going near the forge. But that didn't stop me from making things.

Also, not having the right materials didn't mean I couldn't make anything. Give me some sticks and a couple minutes and you'll get a helmet.

"So, your role here is to make and fix things," Butch said. "That dude over there," He pointed to a guy in the corner. "That's Hank. He'll give you a job that needs completing, and after you finish it, go back to him for another one."

"When's lunch?" I asked, because I was starving.

Butch looked at me. "There is no lunch. But there is a water break for everyone around midday."

My heart broke at his words. No lunch! But I loved lunch! I needed lunch! I was hungry!

"Do you know how to use all the equipment?" Butch asked, and I shook my head. "I'll show you then."

Let me just say, Butch sucked at teaching. But I got the basics down, and I could figure out the rest later.

I went up to Hank. He told me to fix a steel helmet. That took me around an hour. Then he told me to make a sword. I was just about to get started when the water break was called.

Everyone rushed out of the forge. I followed them to a well that had a huge line behind it. There was also a table covered in bowls, and I grabbed one. Then I got in line.

When a Roman guard filled my bowl with water and I drank it, I felt happier than I've ever been. My throat had been so dry you could light a fire in it.

The well was in the middle of a big courtyard, so I just awkwardly stood a couple meters away from the well.

After a couple minutes, a blonde guy approached me.

"I've never seen you before," He said. "Are you from the auction yesterday?"

"Yeah," I said. "Name's Leo."

"Will," He said. "Nice to meet you."

Then we shook hands.

"Hey, Will!" Some guy with blonde hair called out from across the courtyard. "Who's that guy?"

"Leo!" Will shouted back. "He's new!"

"Cool!" Blondie shouted back. And that was the end of that conversation.

"That's Bobby," Will said. "He's from Athens. Used to be the King's son."

"Do you know what they do to the kings, after they take a city?" I asked. I had no idea what had happened to my father, and I needed to know.

"Why, they kill them," Will said. "To break the peoples spirt. Usually kill the heir, too. Why?"

His words broke my heart. Into pieces. That can't be true. My father can't be dead. He can't be!

"Leo?" Will asked. "You okay?"

"My father was King Hephaestus," I said, trying not to cry.

Will's eyes widened. "Leo, I am so sorry. If I had known-"

"No," I said cutting him off. "Don't be sorry. It's not your fault."

I stared at the Roman guard who was handing out the water, hate coursing through my veins.

"It's theirs."