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FIVE THOUSAND YEARS, that was how long Lithor had been alive, and yet he still found the amusement of walking through human markets in the dead of night. It was the night markets that the truly terrible came out to play. It was the year 9 Before Christ, Lithor was without his children; Heda, Ahmose and Cassandra, all of whom decided to stay within the lovely villa rather than join in on his walk with filth as Heda had so kindly put it. Though it could just be because she had just received a new set of beautiful sandals.
His other two children were off doing their own things that night — Ahmose was enjoying the four humans Lithor had gifted him not even three nights before and Cassandra was spending time with her husband Antony from what he had heard as he left the villa.
Rome smelt of shit and was never silent, much to Lithor's displeasure. This was the first time Lithor had brought his small nest of a family into the area Rome occupied. It had been on his list of exploration as soon as news spread of a new kingdom growing and conquering and this was finally the time none of the nest had other priorities to deal with.
Walking along the cobblestone roads lit with pits of fire that illuminated each night, merchants who, as he passed their stalls, held their wares out as they tried to entice him to spend his gold with them. It was little surprise the attention he pulled, seeing he and his protégés pass themselves off as royalty. He had even found himself invited by Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus to attend a Gladiators match the second month following their arrival, though he had to send a missive off with a day human with his great apologies that he and his children could not attend as they were ever so busy. It also cost him a beautifully crafted gold armband to appease the humans.
He believed nothing would be bought this night as he passed stall after stall without anything catching his fancy, up until a stall that was in a dark alcove. The stall was filled with shivering, dirty and nude humans with many of them being women and children, while burly men with spears and swords guarded the sniveling old man who ran the stall. Each human had their emancipated legs shackled together with at least one arm chained to the human besides them, some of the smaller ones were softly sobbing; though as he had superhuman hearing, it was quite clear to him. This stall had Lithor pausing on his walk as his eyes scanned the collected humans. Maybe a gift for his spoiled children was in order.
It seems that Lithor was not the only vampire seeking entertainment among humans this night. The vampire Appius Livus Ocella, his family's Roman host, was walking with the slave trader with his hands locked together behind his back as he checked each of the chained humans already with an impressive bundle following behind him and the seller as their chains clinked with each step they took. Appius was respected in many other worldly circles as he was what was now labeled as an ancient vampire, though Lithor found him to be a bore and a babe in comparison to even his youngest child. Since his nest came to Rome, Appius had been trying to sew his way into the tightly-knit weave that was his family, as he knew that Lithor was an ancient vampire among the ancient vampires, and that he held much power with vampires and humans alike. Though he did not truly know of Lithor's origin, no one knew the exact age Lithor was but he and those he turned. Only knowing that he was an ancient being that held power beyond belief. Many have tried over the millenniums to be either his lover or his friend, so as to have such an ancient being and his ancient children on their side would be ever the reward for them.
