<strong>Autolycus, watching the madness on the sands</strong><br/><br/><div class="floatright">(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Prakkie/Medicus.jpg)</div>Having arrived on the balcony, leading Sorcha by her chain, Autolycus saw his master facing off with a battered and bruised slave and the sight confused him more than a little. As did the Dominus openly flirting with Livia, allowing that to distract him enough to leave himself open to the slave's attack. A moment later a kind of explanation was given. A murder. A high Roman, killed in this very house. That went some way to explaining. The slave had to be punished of course. But why do it like this? Allowing the man to put up a fight, and agains the Dominus himself!? Surely that was too honorable a death for a slave who had committed such a terrible crime. Why not crucifixion, the slave's punishment? Surely that would be a more disgraceful, more painful death, better to appease the not-quite-grieving widow?<br/><br/>Disapproval was plain on the Medicus' face as he watched the fight. The horror and bloodiness of it didn't bother him one bit. The senselessness of it did.<br/><br/>And then it got worse, Manius picked up the body and dumped it at his door.<br/><br/><em>“Autolycus a little something for you to do with as you please.”</em><br/><br/>Autolycus' disapproving expression turned to horror as Manius looked up at him, thinking he'd bestowed some grand gift on him. Yes, he was grateful, always, for bodies to experiment upon. But had the Dominus forgotten that practice was illegal? That no-one was to know of this little hobby of his!? Thus far, no-one had known but himself, his master and a few trusted ones. Now it was out there for the whole ludus to see, as well as all these guests… He composed his face, hoping his shocked reaction hadn't drawn attention to the fact, and glanced around furtively, watching his companions faces, expecting to see disgust as they realized what he did in his spare time.<br/><br/>Perhaps - just maybe - they'd be too distracted by the spectacle below to notice; for just then the Doctore’guts spilled out on the sands. A man who’d served Manius loyally, killed for a single mistake…<br/><br/>Next up, halving the amount of gladiators to appease Matriana.<br/><br/>Autolycus’ head reeled, at that. How many slaves had died already? The murderer, the two female slaves tipped off the cliff, the Doctore... How many more before this madness ended? Would there still be a ludus left once it did? And if it did, would there be a place in it for him, now that his secret had been revealed?<br/><br/>"Good Sor-kha," he said as the slave at his back spoke to him, but his heart wasn't in it, the distraction clear in his voice as his eyes darted between the guests, the bloody mess on the sand, the mangled bodies by the infirmary door and finally to the gladiatrix who now had to decide which gladiators would live and which would almost certainly die.