"blah hate, blah resistance, blah blah I'll kill you..." Lupis Dae Lucis sighed "what a pain" the high priest of Vestia held his hand against his forehead dramaticly exhaling "this is why you don't take slaves, see look down there" he pointed to a couple of the slaves "see how they instantly resent you, how are they supposed to adapt to roman socity if you place them outside it." he turned to one of the other roman officals watching the slaves being herded in, looking down at them through his faceless winged helm. "about one in five will die in the first match, and that's not taking into account the actual warriors, and of those who do, if they could slip their chains, they'd strangle each and every one of you with it." the woman beside the senator, possably his wife, looked offended  "these brutes are no match for..." "shut up you yappy oversexed bitch." he seemsed irritated the senator more so, as it turned out it was his wife "you upstart whoreson, what right do you have to speak to my wife like that." the senator threatened to slap the young priest.<br/>He ignored the idle threat. and slapped the senator's arm aside casualy. "Any of these people could have been roman citizans, as they are now, they are near useless. They hate the republic, they see nothing but the man with the trunchon who beats them, and his master who crushed their homes and lives."<br/>"sir you will not speak to Master Episus like that" came the attending slave carrying the senator's wine.<br/>"let us try somthing"<br/>he pulled a sword from his belt and thrust it into the boy's hand. "there we go. now tell me what do you want to do." the boy's knees seemed to shake, suprised, Episus and his wife were shocked "what are you getting at Lupis?"<br/>"proving my point" he walked up behind the slave placing a hand on his sholder "you want to use that. you don't know how, but I can see it" he walked around the slave "you have power, you could take his life, I won't stop you. tell me, were you seprated from family, our parents, tell me does he beat you, I've seen him do so, he's unarmed, alone, here in the box" he leaned in to the slaves ear "all you have to do is... lash... out..."<br/>The box erupted in a scene of violence, the slave flew into a rage swinging wildly, Episus backed up, his wife screamed and just before the slave could drive the blade into his master's gut, Lupis cuffed him in the back of the head, the slave swung around and Lupis pulled his arm from it's socket, not from the body, but loose nontheless.<br/>"you said..." the boy wheezed through the pain, Lupis pulled his blade from the boy "I'm a politican, I lied"<br/><br/>His eye was drawn by the one woman among the incoming slaves "you see Episus, the moment they realize the chains are just metal, the trunchon only wood, and the whip only leather. Your slaves will tear your throat out, even if, like this boy, they don't have the skill to do so." he swept a hand down at the slaves "now imagine trained warriors like these?" Episus turned white. "I don't keep slaves, because I don't like having a few hundred would be assassians on every estate."<br/>From there on the night was filled with wine and women before the nobles would return to rome, Lupis had big plans for their return, more importantly his political rival had sold him the boy who knew the ins and outs of his mansion, and gone to bed early, completely parinoid, and left the oil burning.<br/>the great game continued.<br/>the white and gold robed man in the silver helm did not drink much, but he did have much to entertain him. best of all, he bedded that yappy bitch, Episus's wife, while he lay awake in the other room scared that every shadow held a slave with violent intent.