Chapter Text
Servus ad Bellum
Chapter One – Inlecebra
Harry carefully picked his way over the hill, being sure to keep out of sight as he kept a watchful eye on the road. He had been on a reconnaissance mission to Capua to find out information and to gather food for the other escaped slaves. A duty he willingly undertook, despite the protest, because of his magic, which could, and did, see him safer than the others. Even still, he had been gone longer than expected. He’d had to hide out overnight, through no fault of his, and he knew the others would be worried about him, perhaps risking themselves to search for him and he couldn’t stand the thought that he might be putting them in danger just because he’d had to hide. He had to get back to the sewer they were hiding out in before any of the others got injured, killed, or captured trying to find him when he was perfectly fine.
Naturally, he wouldn’t have chosen to be living in a fucking sewer of all places, but it was temporary. They were planning on moving off as soon as they could. It would be more difficult to do now, as a young Roman nobleman had hired mercenaries to find them and kill them all. He needed to get back and report everything he’d learned, quickly.
Harry gathered the sack of food he was carrying into his arms and he made a dash to the next area of cover, of which there wasn’t much out here, his ears strained for any sounds or shouts to indicate that he had been spotted by anyone. Everything was silent and Harry was now within sight of his destination. He was almost to safety.
He reached out with his magic and found nothing in the immediate area amiss. He made another dash, crossing the road and running for the hidden entrance to the sewer and he slipped easily inside.
“Harian, you yet return!” Liscus announced. He and Pollux were the ones guarding the entrance and looking out for any Romans.
Harry nodded, breathing heavily, and he rummaged in the bag he carried and handed Liscus and Pollux some bread. “I come with food…and news. Are Spartacus, Crixus, and Agron here?” He asked breathlessly.
“Deeper inside.” Pollux told him, already tearing into the bread ravenously. “They have lost heads as you did not return at appointed hour. They plot a rescue mission for you.”
Harry nodded his understanding and moved for the ladder, heading down carefully with his bag of food, deeper into the sewer and, in the main area that they were using as living quarters, Harry found Spartacus deep in discussion, a serious look on his face.
“Tiny!”
Of course Donar spotted him first. Donar was ever in tune with Harry and, whenever he went missing, it was always Donar who saw him first. The big German came and swept Harry from his feet, hugging him tight.
“What news, Harian? We had feared you captured.” Spartacus told him, looking relieved.
Harry scoffed. “Don’t insult me!” He teased, even as Donar placed him back on his feet. “Mira, I brought food.”
“Thank the gods.” Mira replied, taking the sack from him and moving to distribute the bread and fruit that Harry had snatched.
“Some little shit called Seppius has taken up the cause for hunting us.” Harry told the gathered gladiators. “He gave the most touching speech in the centre of Capua yesterday, it almost brought a tear to my eye. Oh, how dare we kill his good cousin Sextus, and all those bright and beautiful Roman people of nobility. How could we do such a thing? We will be brought to justice and be punished for our terrible crimes! He swears it before the gods.”
Harry faux swooned, hand to his head to express horror and sadness and several people laughed, Harry included.
“He has purchased the aid of several dozen mercenaries to hunt us down.” Harry replied, turning more serious. “That is why it took me so long to get back to you all. They are already on the road, looking for us and I had need to hide myself more than usual for fear of discovery. They ride with Roman guards of Capua.”
“These mercenaries, are they well equipped?” Agron asked.
Harry shook his head. “They are well armed but have little in the way of armour. Few have helmets and even fewer have breastplates, the exception being the Roman guards, who are fully equipped. They have access to horses though, so we’ll have to be careful on the roads lest we be run down.”
“You have done well, Harian. Sit, rest.”
Harry nodded and did just that, taking a seat in ‘his’ nest of blankets and cloaks and settling in for a well-earned break, immediately pulling on Barca’s tunic, which was humorously overlarge on him, but had become his most prized possession due to the comfort it gave him.
He’d been too anxious and frightened to fall asleep outside of the hideout last night, as he skulked back to the sewer with his stolen haul, just in case. It hadn’t been safe for him to sleep and he was now exhausted.
Duro sat beside him and held out a cup of water for him.
“How are you feeling?” Harry asked with a grin, knowing as he did that Agron asked Duro this twenty times a day.
“Do not even fucking start!” Duro ordered, giving Harry a gentle shove. “He has been worse since you were gone all night. I do not even feel wound any longer and still he asks!”
“He almost lost you, Duro. He would have if I had not been right there when it had happened. Allow him this moment, he needs to recover too. Imagine if he had been the one thrust through by Roman gladius, try to imagine how you would have felt if he had almost died in your place.”
Duro fell silent and became contemplative.
“I had not thought of things that way.”
Harry gave him a clap to the arm. “He loves you and he doesn’t care about hiding such affection. You are lucky. I would have loved a brother.”
“You have more than you can count now.” Duro insisted.
“It wasn’t always that way.” Harry said sadly. “I once felt so lost and alone.”
Duro pulled him into a hug and Harry rested on him, snuggling in tight, yawning widely. Harry didn’t feel so alone while he was being held. He still missed Barca and Pietros fiercely, but he couldn’t go to them, not yet. He had to escape from Rome first, and once outside of the vast republic, only then could he board a ship to Carthage and find his lovers. He hoped against hope that he managed to get back to them both. He hoped that he would one day see their faces again and they could live long lives in peace. He no longer thought it possible to get back to his original time and, though being here, with these people he had bonded closely with, helped, he still missed those he had known dreadfully. Not having any news on them was worse. He didn’t know what was happening back in his original time, if he was even missing at all, but there was nothing he could do about it. He had resigned himself to making the most of this life, which could possibly be all he had, and that meant reuniting with his lovers. With Pietros and with Barca. That was what he was clinging to now. That was all that he wanted.
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Harry woke up warm and comfortable. He knew immediately that he wasn’t in his nest of blankets and cloaks. He wasn’t worried, as Donar usually picked him up and laid Harry down on top of himself to keep him warm in the damp, cold sewer. He also migrated over on top of Agron or Duro if he got too cold in the night and once, while Donar was on night watch, he’d even gone and forced himself between Crixus and Naevia, which he was still teased over, but it was very cold underground, it was damp, and he didn’t have the bulk of the other gladiators to keep him warmer, even with Barca’s overlarge tunic to cover him.
He opened his eyes and saw that today it was Donar who had offered himself up as his pillow. He smiled sleepily and rested his head back down for a minute, enjoying this peaceful moment in what was coming to be a war. They were a rebel band at the moment, but with Spartacus’ plan to head south, to liberate rich villas, their numbers would soon swell and then…then they could be called an army. Harry knew that Rome couldn’t afford to leave an army on their doorstep. The longer this went on, the more that Rome would throw at them to bring them to heel. Whatever they were going to do, the quicker that they did it, the more chance of success they’d have.
Donar started moving as he woke up and Harry groaned, lamenting the loss of the warmth already.
“Harian, come up, wake up.” Spartacus encouraged from above him. He’d likely shaken Donar to wake him and now Harry would lose his warm pillow and any chance to rest a little longer.
Harry peeled his eyes open and glared up at Spartacus.
“Both of you, up. Donar.”
“Stop disturbing my pillow.” Harry grumbled as Donar stretched under him.
“No, I need you both up.”
Harry sighed and sat up on Donar’s belly. He stretched himself and then moved off of Donar and went to stand in the circle of Spartacus’ other advisors. He rested against Agron drowsily, who threw an arm around him.
“What has happened?” Harry asked, yawning and stretching again.
“We spotted new mercenaries on road. They are too close to us.” Crixus said, brimming with anticipation.
“Urgh. More idiots who come to die.” Harry groaned.
“We need their weapons.” Spartacus said as he came back into the circle with Donar.
“I can take as many out with my ability as I can.” Harry nodded.
“You come with me.” Spartacus told him. “Crixus will lead a band of his Gauls and we will sweep the land around us for mercenaries.”
Harry nodded his agreement but, since they had escaped, Spartacus was taking Harry’s joke of calling him ‘father’ a bit too literally. He was acting as a father and trying to protect Harry as much as possible. Not that he was complaining overly much, he just didn’t relish being tethered to anyone’s side. But then, Spartacus had always been an advocate for Harry’s protection and innocence.
It took them close to an hour to get ready, to have a small something to eat from what Harry had brought back yesterday and to have some water from the rapidly emptying amphorae. They would need more water soon, as a priority. Harry made a mental note to take the amphorae they had to the nearest well to fill them up.
Harry, who had slipped off Barca’s tunic to keep it safe while he went above ground, climbed out of the sewer entrance first and stood in the clean air, looking around for anyone watching them, waiting for them. As the smallest, and with his magic, he was the least noticeable and the best option to send out as a scout in case there was anything too close by, but, despite that Harry was clearly the best one for the job, none of them liked using Harry as a scout and they hovered close by, just in case. Harry could almost feel their anxiety and anticipation.
He looked around the barren landscape, which didn’t offer much in way of hiding places or cover areas. He used his magic to scout as far afield as he could, checking for anything moving, anything living.
“Is there anything?” Crixus asked him from behind, from the shadows of the hidden sewer entrance, but he had his gladius in hand and he was ready and willing to jump out to defend him if anything happened.
Harry looked back into the hole where his brothers waited on his word. He shook his head.
“There’s nothing within a mile of here.” Harry answered. “We’re safe for now.”
The others slipped up above ground and the two groups split off. Crixus and his Gauls were heading west. Harry followed Spartacus to the north.
“Harian, stay close.” Spartacus warned as Harry slipped off a little too far for Spartacus’ liking.
“Yes, Father.” Harry complained, slowing a little and falling back beside Donar.
He smiled to himself, it felt nice to have someone looking out for him. Or several someone’s. None of them liked Harry taking the lead, or being right at the back of the group, just in case. Agron would do the same when Harry went out with him. Donar was even worse and he would clamp Harry to his side with a heavy hand. Even Crixus was the same when Harry went with his group, as rare as that was, though he would insist it was because he had promised Barca that he would look after him in his place. This likely wasn’t what Barca had had in mind when he’d held Crixus to such a promise. Who would have ever thought they’d rise in rebellion and escape the ludus in a bloody massacre, but Crixus still held to the oath he’d given Barca with all seriousness.
They walked for a while, always on the lookout for these new mercenaries, turning around to survey the land often, but they came across nothing as they reached the hill that led down to Capua.
“We have a group of people to the west.” Harry said, looking in that direction. “There is a cart on the road to the east, which could possibly be food or wine to supply a shop below, or we can head into Capua and cause havoc again.”
“I am all for causing havoc.” Agron grinned.
“It would make the most sense to take the wagon.” Harry told the others, voicing his opinion. “We cannot eat havoc or drink blood. Well…we might be able to drink blood, but I would prefer water. We’re running low, so we can take the wagon and hope for wine and water, or we risk another trip to the well, which might now be being watched with new mercenaries looking for us.”
“Harian makes fair point.” Spartacus said. “We head east and take the wagon in the hopes it carries food and drink.”
They were moving off at a jog then, trying not to be spotted, trying to avoid the mercenaries, as they resupplied themselves.
The wagon was old and in need of repairs. The mule labouring to pull it was elderly, as was the man driving it onwards. Harry almost felt bad for taking his supplies. Almost.
Harry used his magic to break the wheel of the wagon easily and the group heard the yelling and cursing of the Roman who owned it. Harry lost all sympathy for him when he started beating the poor mule with a stick, as if it was somehow the poor animal’s fault that the wheel of the shabby wagon had broken.
“Agron. Donar. First pick of the supplies to the first man to kill that piece of shit.” Harry told them.
“He is an old man, Tiny. He is easily beaten.” Donar insisted.
“Then beat him, Donar. Like he’s doing to that poor mule.”
“You have a soft heart.” Agron chuckled.
“It will yet get softer still, if it is one thing I cannot stand, it is a man beating those who cannot defend themselves. Kill him for me.”
The both of them nodded and they all looked to Spartacus, waiting for his signal. There was nothing else around, no help for the old man and, as the mule brayed in fear and pain, making Harry flinch, Spartacus gave the sign to attack.
They screamed and yelled as they threw themselves down the short slope to the road. The old man saw them coming, his eyes wide and fearful, but had no chance to get away, no time to even attempt it. It was Agron who had reached the Roman first and, without pausing a moment, he ran the man through with his gladius.
“I get the first amphora of wine!” Agron claimed, breathing hard from his dash and kill.
Harry, who had gone straight to the mule to calm it, gave him a grin and a nod. He used a bit of magic to heal the bleeding welts on the mule, before quickly unharnessing it and letting the poor thing walk free from its heavy burden.
“Food and wine, as suspected, Harian. Good work.” Spartacus said, coming back from his inspection of the wagon contents. “Harness the mule back up, we have need of it.”
Harry shook his head. “I have this.”
Harry had been practising shrinking charms on pebbles in the sewer, this was a little bigger than a pebble, but he concentrated and used more magic and he shrunk the wagon down to the size of a child’s toy and then picked it up. He grinned at the shocked looks he was given.
“I was practicing new trick.” He said, shrugging.
“It will go back to full size?” Spartacus asked.
“When I want it to, yes.” Harry nodded.
“Good work. Let’s go and see what Crixus has found.”
Of course it wasn’t that simple and the group that Harry had sensed to the west of them turned out to be five of the new mercenaries who had been bought to kill them and they happened upon them on their return journey.
Harry actually got to use the gladius in his hand to kill one of them, but only after Donar, who was acting as Harry’s shield, had already sliced up his leg. To stop the mercenary from getting up to attack anyone else, Harry had stabbed him through the back to finish him off.
“Nice work, Harian.” Agron complimented.
“You have nothing to fear, Agron, I remember that I promised you an amphora of wine.” Harry chuckled. “You don’t need to praise me so much.”
Agron laughed and clapped Harry on the back gently.
“Take all weapons and valuables. Quickly.” Spartacus ordered.
Harry went to the man he’d finished off and relieved him of his sword and two daggers. He had a small pouch of coin on him as well and an almost full wineskin. Harry took it all.
They hurried the rest of the way to the entrance of the sewers, leaving the dead mercenaries to be found by the remaining men patrolling around.
Harry didn’t slip underground when they made it back, instead, he placed the tiny wagon he was holding down on the ground and put it back to normal size.
“Form a chain and get it underground as quickly as possible, so that wagon isn’t spotted!” Harry urged.
He reached into the wagon and started passing back sacks of apples and olives, amphorae of olive oil, water, and wine. He made sure to keep one back for Agron. There was even a large wheel of cheese in the wagon and Harry broke a bit off for himself before handing that down.
Of course it was unhygienic to live in a sewer, let alone store food down there, but they didn’t exactly have another option. They needed to stay out of sight of the legionnaires and mercenaries until they could move south and no one would expect anyone to be actually living in a sewer, of all places. A testament to that was that they had yet to be found, even though the massacre at the ludus was weeks ago now.
Once the wagon was empty, Harry shrunk it down, dug a hole and he buried it before he hurried back underground and went to his little nest. He handed Agron the small amphora he was holding and the German grinned and hugged him, before breaking the wax seal and taking a gulp.
“It’s good stuff.” Agron said, his grin widening. “Take a taste.”
Harry did so and he immediately regretted it as he grimaced at the acidic, vinegary taste. Agron laughed.
“You are still such a boy.”
Harry chuckled then. “If I had been a man I would have already wrested wine from your hands, so be thankful I am still a boy.”
Agron laughed harder and gave Harry a gentle shove, while taking another gulp of what he called wine. Harry would stick to water.
Mira and Varro’s wife, Aurelia, were distributing the food they had found to the other slaves when Harry wandered over, while also saving enough for Crixus and his Gauls when they returned.
“This is a good amount of food.” Mira said, looking up as he approached and smiling at him. “Spartacus tells that you found the wagon and broke words to take it instead of going to Capua. Gratitude.”
Harry smiled back at her. “We have all the time we need to take out Roman shits. We can only go so long without food. I would see everyone fed, and then take out Romans, as we did today.”
Mira gave him a soft touch and Harry did the same to her shoulder, before he headed to the entrance to await Crixus’ return, sending Peirastes down underground to get his share of what they’d brought back.
He was snuggled up in Barca’s tunic and a cloak, sword tied around his waist, and almost invisible when the Gauls came back.
“They leave entrance unguarded!” Liscus complained.
“Half of those underground are useless anyway, let them be fucking killed!” Rhaskos spat, even as he tore meat from the bone he was holding.
“I could have killed all of you already because, stupid fucks that you are, you did not notice me!” Harry spoke up, flipping the hood from his face and stepping away from the wall. “Where is Crixus?”
“Behind, he would make sure we were not followed, Harian.” Liscus told him.
“Get underground, quickly, and share what food you have with the others. They are not useless, they are people.” He said angrily.
“I don’t take orders from you.” Rhaskos sneered at him.
“I’ll force you if I have to.” Was all Harry had to say and Rhaskos’ piggy eyes widened in fear and he hurried away from him. “All of you, inside, now.” Harry snapped. “It’s foolish to linger in the entryway. You could be seen.”
Crixus arrived just as Ortius came up to take over guard duty for him.
“Spartacus wishes to see you.” Ortius told Harry.
Harry sighed. “Come, Crixus. Let us see what your Gauls have been saying about me.”
“What happened?” Crixus asked him.
“Rhaskos was being a pig, so I warned him off.”
Crixus sighed, but kept a hand to Harry’s back as they headed underground.
“Harian, did you threaten Rhaskos with your ability?” Spartacus asked him, looking like a beleaguered parent.
“No.” Harry answered.
“Do not lie!” Rhaskos argued, looking furious.
“I mentioned nothing of my ability. I said that if you did not share the food you’d found, I would force you to.”
“He admits it!” Rhaskos claimed to Spartacus and looking also to Crixus.
Harry laughed. “I don’t need my ability to force you to share what you found.”
“How else would you do so?”
“Well, if you don’t want to share what you found, we won’t share what we found.” Harry said simply. “I just thought you’d like to, seeing as we have wine and you don’t. But if you don’t want wine…” Harry trailed off, spreading his arms and he heard Crixus snort in amusement behind him.
“Share what you have, Rhaskos.” Crixus ordered. “We have already eaten well and I would have wine to wash it down.”
Rhaskos wasn’t happy to be ordered to hand over the sack of food he’d pillaged, but under Crixus’ eye, he didn’t dare argue. He seemed to be slightly appeased when given a half amphora of wine, however. Not too much, the last thing they needed were drunk men making a racket and drawing those searching for them to their hiding place while most of them slept. Crixus was given a full amphora, which had been given to Naevia to keep hold of. He was trusted to know his limit, and to pace himself with the wine.
Harry shook his head and he went to his little nest to have a sit down.
“I feared for you when Rhaskos came in to say you had threatened him with your ability.” Agron told him, moving to sit with him.
Harry scoffed. “Don’t fear for me. If you all turned on me, I would escape easily enough and go to find Barca and Pietros in Carthage by myself.”
“I would not care if you did use ability on that fucking Gaul.” Agron assured him immediately.
Harry gave him a smile. “Gratitude, Agron. I have never felt such an outcast since everyone found out about my ability. Rhaskos and I were getting on better, before ludus was liberated and everyone found out that I was to be a druid.”
“You have us.” Agron told him. “Me and Duro, Donar, Spartacus, we will not turn from you over your ability. It has saved us more than once and saw us to freedom. We would not have gotten this far without you.”
Harry sighed and wrapped himself in the blankets from his little nest, almost hiding from the others, and he found the little bit of cheese he’d hidden there. He started nibbling on it, even as Donar wandered over and handed him a cup of water.
“Are you well, Tiny?” Donar asked him.
Harry nodded. “Of course.”
Donar sat beside him and Harry automatically cuddled into his side. It was cold underground and Donar was very warm and snuggly.
“I do not care that you threatened the Gauls.” Donar told him. “I would have too, if I had been there.”
Harry snorted. “We shared what we found, without hesitation, yet they have only selfish thoughts to keep everything they had found for themselves! If we start saying that we, as gladiators, are better than the former house slaves, then we are putting them all back into a slave position and I won’t have it.”
“Neither would I.” Spartacus told him firmly, turning to look at him, having overheard his comment, smiling at him proudly. “You did the right thing.”
Harry took a breath and settled himself, turning himself slightly to cuddle back into Donar. Donar wrapped an arm around him, to accommodate him better.
“I didn’t even threaten them with my ability. I only had mind to stop them from having any of the wine we’d found.”
“We know.” Donar told him firmly.
“You could have killed them all like you did Ashur and I wouldn’t have any care for a fucking Gaul.” Agron told him.
Harry gave him a stern look. “No, Agron. You learn to get on with the Gauls! They’re a part of our number too. We’re all free now, and we’re in this together.”
Agron pulled a horrified face, but said nothing.
“We move south soon.” Spartacus said. “We will need to be together if we have any hope of surviving.”
“We need more fighting men.” Agron insisted.
“We’ll get them.” Harry said. “But first, we need to get away from Capua, where Roman shits know we are hiding. We need some space to get away from them and that means going south. They would not expect it. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were mercenaries covering all roads leading north of Capua.”
“Then south we go, but first, we must deal with mercenaries hunting us down.” Agron agreed.
“Then perhaps we should put out bait and lure them into carefully laid traps.” Harry said with a smirk.
“What are you thinking?” Spartacus asked him.
Harry’s smirk widened and he looked up at the men around him and he told them of the plot forming in his mind.
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Harry sat behind the scrubby bush, his heart racing, as he looked down the road for Spartacus. His mad plot had been accepted, but not one man had allowed Harry to be the bait, as he had initially suggested. Instead, Spartacus had insisted that he be the one to do it.
So Harry was hiding, lying in wait, as Spartacus went out to antagonise the mercenaries who were being paid to hunt them down and kill them.
“Quiet!” Harry hissed to the others around him, who had been murmuring softly between themselves, and he listened hard, scoping out the road with his magic.
“What do you hear, Tiny?” Donar asked, after all of them fell silent and strained their hearing to try to listen for what he could hear. They couldn’t hear anything, but Harry could scout with his magic. He didn’t need his ears to know that it was almost time.
“Horses. Get ready, he’s coming.” Harry said and the tension and anticipation in the air thickened.
It took another several heartbeats before the pounding hoof falls of the horses could be heard thundering down the road. Two more heartbeats and Spartacus came into view, running as fast as he could down the road, eight men on horseback giving chase.
Harry drew his magic tight around himself, like his preparations for the arena. He was ready to spring out at a moment’s notice. When the horses drew level with where the group were hiding, Spartacus stopped suddenly, and turned to face the riders, and that was the signal they had been waiting for and they sprung the trap that Harry had thought up.
Agron led the way, as he roared a battle cry and leapt upon the nearest rider, hacking at him. Duro followed his brother’s lead almost immediately. Harry let out his own war cry, which Crixus was taking huge pride in teaching him, but his young, high voice still sounded more like a child’s imitation than the real thing, as he screeched out a battle cry and jumped into the fray, a frantic Donar following and hovering near him. None of them really trusted him when he said his ability would keep him safe from harm, they had all seen what Pericles’ blade had done to him and they didn’t want a repeat.
Harry didn’t have much to do, mostly because Donar killed anyone who came near him, helped by Agron and Duro, but Harry managed to down one of the mercenaries and injure another before Donar finished him off.
“Is anyone injured?” Harry asked, breathing deeply to recover his breath. “Spartacus, I saw them get you, come here.”
Spartacus stood still as Harry probed the shallow, barely there cut and then a wash of warmth and the wound was healed instantly.
“Anyone else?” Harry asked, looking around.
Harry healed a few more cuts, but there was nothing worse than that and they were all easily and quickly healed.
“Strip the bodies and take all weapons and valuables.” Spartacus ordered.
Harry fell to purpose, searching through the clothing for weapons, jewellery, or coins and handing them over to Spartacus. He looked up and down the road, just in case, sending his magic out to search for anything that his eyes couldn’t see, but they were safe for now.
“What are you doing?”
Harry turned at the question and saw that Agron was asking it of Spartacus, who had ripped the tunic from one of the dead men, a dagger in hand.
“I would send a message.” Spartacus said, carving letters into the dead body.
Harry moved closer and stood at his shoulder and looked at what he was carving. Glaber. Harry snorted.
“Well, message should be well received. Rome will send Glaber back to Capua and you would have your vengeance.” Harry spoke up. “Do not die for it.”
“I don’t intend to.” Spartacus told him. “Let us head back.”
Harry kept an eye out on the road for any other mercenaries, while they left the eight they had killed where they had fallen, to be found by those remaining.
“Eight is a good group.” Agron said, very pleased with their afternoon’s activities.
“Would have been better if there had been food.” Harry sighed. “We need to eat, but at least we have more weapons for our numbers.”
“We have survived with less before. We will find food tomorrow.” Spartacus said gently.
“I just…I would not have us forget why we did this thing. I would not have us forget that it was for freedom we escaped. I am all for killing Romans on our way out of the republic, as long as that is still the direction we head in.”
Spartacus gave him a gentle touch and then cupped his chin to lift his head to gain eye contact.
“I will see us all far from the republic and you safely back to Barca’s arms.” Spartacus swore. “Perhaps going south will aid in this. Ships sail to Africa from the south.”
“I would not abandon you in this coming war.” Harry said fiercely. “I am with you until the end. Ships sail to Africa from the west, also. Once we are done getting revenge, only then would I sail for Carthage.”
“North and then west, into Gaul, after we have headed south to liberate villas of all slaves.” Spartacus said.
Harry nodded and as they left the body there, with its grisly message, Harry fell into step beside Donar, who placed a big hand on Harry’s lower back and shuffled him forward a little bit, so that he could keep a better eye on him, ever protective.
They made it back to their hideout with no issue and without meeting anyone else on the road. Harry climbed the ladder underground and he went to get some water for himself from the amphora in the corner. They would need more soon. They would need more food too.
“Harian, come instruct villa girls in the art of fighting!” Tychos insisted.
Harry finished his cup of water and went to where Tychos, Fortis, and Sophus were trying to force the former house slaves to become fighters.
“What can I do?” He asked.
“Help us to instruct new recruits.”
Harry nodded and he went around and he corrected the form of the former house slaves, helped them to swing through with the wooden training swords they had stolen from the ludus, and he held their hands as they went, one by one, against Tychos. It reminded Harry of their Doctore holding his hands, helping him to hit the palus. It felt like a lifetime ago now, but, in reality, hardly a year had passed since then.
“Make sure you feel the swing, so you don’t damage any muscles.” Harry said gently. “Look out for a secondary weapon, and be careful you don’t overstretch and leave yourself vulnerable.”
“I don’t think I will ever understand this.” Aria told him.
“I once thought as you do.” Harry told her.
“I’m not a gladiator. I was a villa slave, a…a concubina to the Dominus.”
“Don’t call him that.” Harry said sternly. “You’re free now and you’ll never be a fuck toy again.”
“I cannot get used to the sword.”
“I was the same when I first started.” Harry told her patiently, helping her to hold the sword correctly. “I couldn’t hold a sword, the training shield was too heavy for me to hold and I couldn’t even hit the palus by myself. It took some hard work and some pain as well, but I became a gladiator. You can too. Though, I would be content with you just knowing how to handle a gladius so that you can protect yourself, if the need arises.”
Aria nodded and she seemed determined as Harry helped her to fight against Tychos. He had spoken the truth, it had taken a lot of time before he had gotten the hang of fighting and it would be the same for those who had been villa slaves too. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the luxury of time…and, honestly, he hadn’t had the time either, three weeks after he had arrived at the ludus, he had been forced onto the sands for his first arena battle.
He didn’t like thinking back to that horrible time, before his brothers were even brothers to him, when they were hazing him still because he was just a recruit without the mark of the brotherhood.
“Aria, you’re doing well, but remember to keep in position.” Harry told her as her legs and knees automatically moved together after she swung the sword.
It would take some more time, but between them all they had enough experience to teach the women, and the men who had been assigned to the villa, to fight properly. They would be moving south soon, after Harry and Spartacus had realised that the Romans would naturally believe they would go north, and straight for the Alps so that they could get out of the Roman Republic. All of their defences, and perhaps a larger force of mercenaries, would be waiting, blocking their path directly north, so they planned to head south first, to liberate the numerous villas, to gather more people to their cause, to free the slaves, so that perhaps they could then fight their way north, and to the border of the Republic.
Harry inhaled deeply and set himself to his purpose. He would help free his friends, his brothers, and as many liberated slaves as they could along the way and then he would head straight to Carthage and he would find Barca and Pietros, who were waiting for him on their little farm. He wanted that more than anything. To live in peace with his lovers on their farm.
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Harry ran as fast as he could, he could hear the horses behind him, getting ever closer. He couldn’t outrun a fucking horse. He could almost feel their breath on the back of his neck they were that close to him.
He’d only come above ground because they needed water and, as the smallest, with his magic, he was the best bet to find anything and he was now paying for it dearly. His magic hummed and he jerked to the side, just in time for a light javelin to whizz past him. It grazed by his arm and he gritted his teeth against the sharp pain of the leaf-shaped blade slicing through his flesh.
He cursed that Roman fucker, Seppius, and his fucking mercenaries too. He just needed to get back to the foraging group. He couldn’t take on all of these mercenaries by himself, not even with his magic, just a little further and he could get help from his brothers.
His magic picked up the foraging group, they were hiding as they had heard the horses, likely to spring a trap like before, but they didn’t know that he had been accidentally caught out as bait. He cursed himself as a fool for going so far out to the well by himself. He had clearly grown arrogant with his own growing magic.
“Spartacus!” He called out, his voice shrill and panicked. “Donar!”
His magic hummed again and he just about managed to duck the javelin thrown at his head. The movement cost him some speed and some distance. It felt like the horses were right on top of him, their hoofbeats pounding through his head so that it was all he could hear, the ground shook as he ran as fast as he ever had before to keep himself alive, feeling as if he would be trampled at any moment by the charging horses behind him, when he heard the loud, angry yells. Several men came swarming onto the road to cut off the horses from chasing Harry, but he kept running until he was sure that he was safe. That the horses weren’t still following him.
He turned, gasping for breath that was as sharp as a blade in his lungs, to see his friends, those who had become family to him, hacking up the men who had been chasing him. Even as he watched, a furious Donar yanked a mercenary from his rearing horse, dumping him on the ground, before thrusting his sword straight into his chest.
Harry was winded and he tried to catch his breath, tried to calm himself down, even as Spartacus hurried over to him.
“What happened? How badly injured are you?” He asked, his hands hovering over him as if afraid to touch him.
Harry remembered that he’d been nicked a few times and he checked on the wounds. None were life-threatening, he’d just had a few chunks of flesh ripped out, but there was plenty of blood and it was that which was panicking the others.
“Not…not too badly.” He said, still trying to breathe, his chest heaving, even as he made a conscious effort to slow his breaths, to breathe deeply, to hold the air in his lungs to calm himself.
Donar came running over and wrapped a secure arm around him, the other hand hovering over his skin.
“They were lying in wait, almost as if they knew we would go to that well. They must have been watching it.” Harry said, his voice still a little breathy, but he was no longer gasping for air, nor was his chest heaving with each breath. He was calming, slowly.
“We can’t use it again, they would poison it first.” Agron said, cursing.
Harry shook his head. “I’ve been using my ability to make sure that no water we collect is poisoned. I could easily remove it, even if it was, so we can continue using the well, but we need to be aware that they might ambush us there. We need fresh water every few days and they know we need water.”
“You are no longer in charge of collecting water from the well, Harian.” Spartacus declared protectively.
“But I can shrink the amphorae and collect more than anyone else.” Harry complained. “It would be more dangerous to collect fewer amphorae and have need to go to the well every day.”
“We would not see you injured or have you risk death.” Donar growled, just as protective.
“Then come with me and act as guards, but I can collect the most water and we need it more than anything else. We can’t live without enough water and I don’t want any one of us to feel so thirsty that they try to drink the sewer water. It’ll kill them.”
“Did you collect enough for today?”
Harry nodded. “I was just storing the last amphora when they charged at me.”
“Let us head back to the safety of sewer.” Spartacus said. “We will clean your injuries and then you need to heal your wounds, Harian.”
Harry nodded and, as they moved carefully back to the sewer, Donar did not leave Harry’s side. Agron stayed right behind them, scanning their surroundings for any more mercenaries.
There were none and they made it back to their sewer hideout with no complications. Harry was hurried straight down underground.
“What happened?” Crixus demanded the moment he saw Harry, alerted to something being wrong by Naevia’s horrified gasp.
“I got ambushed at the well.” Harry declared, even as he removed the amphorae full of water from the coin pouch he was carrying on a belt around his waist, using his magic to resize them.
Everyone fluttered around, worried and anxious, even as Mira hurried over with a rag and used some of the water to help clean Harry off, so that the damage underneath could be seen.
He had been caught several times and the wounds were rather deep in places, the skin ragged and flapping, some flesh missing, but Harry laid his hand over each one as Mira cleaned them, and when he removed his hand, there was nothing left behind, not even a reddened mark.
“Has pain gone?” Duro asked him.
Harry nodded. “Yes. Pain and blood are gone and I am none the worse for the injuries.”
“We need to find a new well, we need water.” Mira said.
Harry shook his head. “No, we will continue to use the well. We will go in groups now.”
Harry looked to Spartacus for confirmation and the man nodded.
“They will poison it now they know we are using it.” Liscus commented.
“I can remove any poisons, from water and from bodies.” Harry said easily.
The others just stared at him, some, who were clearly disbelieving, induced Crixus’ ire.
“He can do as he says.” Crixus growled angrily. “He removed the poison from me during exhibition match. I would have fallen to Spartacus’ blade if Harian hadn’t rid my body of such foul things.”
“We need to start moving south.” Spartacus insisted. “The mercenaries know which well we are using, it will be a matter of time before they find where we are hiding. We cannot be caught unaware.”
Harry nodded at the logic of that and he took a moment to breathe. To take in the fact that he had been ambushed at the well and had also been injured. He could have been killed, or run down by the horses and captured alive, which would have been worse.
They needed to be careful now, they hadn’t noticed anyone watching the well, he hadn’t even picked up on it with his magic, which meant they had been watching it from a fair distance before today’s ambush. They could easily do the same now with their hiding place. They could watch them coming and going for a while before springing a trap on them, butchering them down in the sewers….there wasn’t enough room for them to manoeuvre, or fight as they were used to down here. All of them were used to the sands of the arena, the large oval of sand that had enough room for them to run and dodge. Harry looked at the cramped conditions, all of them pretty much lying on top of one another. No, if they were forced to fight down here, they would lose. They would be falling all over the place, tripping on cloaks, on discarded amphorae, falling into the water, or falling over one another. It would be a bloodbath reminiscent of what they had done back at the villa weeks before.
Harry took a deep breath and he stretched his magic out as far as he could. He was their best chance at scouting. He had his magic and no one else did, he needed to do better, for his friends…no, for his family.
“Tiny, are you well?” Donar asked, striding over and holding him tightly.
Harry nodded, hugging the older man back.
“I didn’t notice that the well was being watched.” Harry said despairingly.
“This is no fault of yours.” Donar told him sternly. “How were you to know stupid fucks were watching the well?”
Because it was obvious to him now in hindsight that that would be exactly what they would do. Keep a watch on all of the wells in the area because the fuckers knew that they needed fresh water. Harry wanted to hit himself for the mistake, for not noticing something so fucking obvious. The mercenaries could have kept a watch on them and just followed them back to the sewer if they hadn’t been so gung-ho on killing just one of the escaped, rebel slaves. If they had been a little smarter, a little bit more patient, then they could have found all of the rebel slaves, and not merely tried to kill one of them. He could have been the one to lead the mercenaries back to their hiding place. He could have led them right to his family.
Seppius must have been riding their arses hard after so long a time with no results and not a single dead slave to parade in front of the terrified citizens of Capua to try to ease their fears, to try and show that Seppius was actually in control of the situation. He wasn’t and, by now, he must have known it. It was them, the so-called rebels, who were running things. They hadn’t lost a single gladiator and they had cut down dozens of mercenaries, raided the wagons that were meant to supply Capua and its citizens, they were still free and at large around Capua and that must have been embarrassing to the noble Seppius. Hence, the mercenaries trying to ride Harry down instead of playing the long game, the cleverer choice, and watching him ferry the water back to the sewer and to the rest of the escaped rebels. Things could have been so much different if there was actual, competent leadership in charge of their capture. He was thankful that it was young, hot-headed Seppius who clearly had no prior experience when it came to leading troops or taking charge of a battlefield. A young, brash man who wanted instant results, content to take just one of them out instead of trying to take them all. That opportunity had been perfect for their enemy, he hadn’t noticed them, they could have all been killed and Harry would have died knowing that it had all been his fault.
“I should have realised that they would watch the wells.” Harry said softly, sadly. “We could have all been killed over this.”
“We weren’t!” Donar raged, trying to get Harry to see he wasn’t at fault, but Harry already blamed himself.
“Donar, don’t shout at him.” Spartacus cut in harshly, wrongly thinking that Donar was angry with him. “It isn’t his fault that the well was being watched.”
“I know that!” Donar said, even louder. “I’m trying to make tiny see it wasn’t his fault! Errant boy isn’t listening.”
“Harian, you didn’t know the well was being watched.”
“I should have.” Harry said, angry at himself, trying to get the others to realise that he had the ability to pick up on people watching him.
“No one else noticed either.” Duro told him. “Agron and I have gone to the well too, they could have been watching us.”
“We don’t know how long they were watching the well.” Spartacus cut in firmly. “They could have watched all of us fetching water from that well before they acted.”
“You are a small boy.” Crixus told him, not unkindly, just factually. “As opponents in the arena underestimated you and your ability, so did the stupid fucks hired to kill us. You go to the well alone because you are able to fetch the most water for us and can defend yourself easily enough; they saw you as an easy target. One boy on his own, collecting water. They don’t know you as we do, they don’t know that amphorae wouldn’t have weighed you down or that you could escape them long enough to reach your brothers.”
Harry breathed out deeply as he realised that that was probably the truth. Agron and Duro went together to fetch water, Spartacus went with others, Crixus went with his Gauls, it was Harry who usually went alone because he didn’t have to carry anything, he could shrink the amphorae. He didn’t have to carry them there and back, and the mercenaries saw him as an easy target. Because of that, they had acted impulsively…or maybe they hadn’t, maybe they had had other orders, maybe only one slave was needed so they had waited for one slave to go to the well alone, but that meant one thing, which made his stomach lurch with nausea.
“They meant to take me alive.” He told the others shakily. “They would have tried to extract our hiding place out of me. That’s why they waited for one of us alone.”
Even as he said the words, he knew they were true. Why else would the mercenaries keep watch of their well and do nothing to the others? They hadn’t even tried to poison the well, which spoke volumes as they didn’t know that Harry could detect and remove any poison. In Roman eyes, they could have killed all of them if they had merely poisoned the well that they knew they were using. But it wasn’t about killing them, Harry realised. Seppius truly was arrogant if he wanted to put them on public display, perhaps to elevate himself, his own standing, with the people of Capua. He wanted to crucify them, or perhaps see them back to the arena, he wanted to kill them publicly to show himself to the people of Capua, to show that he was capable, that they had no reason to fear…so poisoning them and letting them die in their hide hole, away from the public eye, negated all of that.
“We would have saved you.” Agron told him immediately, savagely.
“They didn’t take you.” Spartacus told him, laying a large hand over Harry’s narrow shoulder.
“Regardless, that is what they’re trying to do. They’ll try to separate one of us off, capture them alive, and then torture them for information.”
“We will travel in groups.”
Harry shook his head. “They have horses, if we are ambushed, they could try to split one of us off from the group. If this is what they’re trying to do now, we need to be more careful.”
Spartacus looked at him seriously, then nodded decisively.
“We will, we will only go above ground when needed and we will not leave a man behind to be tortured and killed. We make plans to head south, we will do so soon and leave behind mercenaries in Capua.”
That eased Harry down a little and he nodded. The sooner they left Capua now, the better.
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A/N: Welcome back to the Roman Republic, lovelies. It is 73BC and the third servile war has already been set into motion. Our Harry is already throwing a spanner into the works just by being where he is when he shouldn’t be and there are many more spanners to come.
Bellum still isn’t completed, despite how long it has taken to get to this point…I have way too many fics on the go these days and Bellum is going to be the biggest fic of the trilogy, so updates will be more sporadic than Harenas, but I am dedicated to completing this series, regardless of how long it may take. Of that, you have my word. Please enjoy the fruits of my labour,
StarLight Massacre. X