The Broken Vase

[Meilekh]

Aodh had been a slave to his new master for just a month.  He never accepted being a slave and certainly never accepted his name Germanus, which was given to him by a rather ignorant and uncaring slave trader.  He was and would always be Aodh Fylani of the Arnati tribe in Germania. 

His first master punished Aodh for his own wife’s transgression by killing Aodh’s mother.  His second master flogged him the first time he attempted to escape him and broke his right leg the second time.  The worst punishment for Aodh was his mother’s murder.  Flogging hurt, but in a weird way you learned the flogger’s rhythm.  It hurt but he bore the pain.  It hurt more than the broken leg.  He walked now with a limp, but it wasn’t due to any pain he felt.  It was due to the leg having been set incorrectly, making it a little shorter than the left leg.

Now, his current and third master, the Barbarian – as Aodh thought of him – was a bona fide sadist who liked to cut his victims, er his slaves, whenever they angered him.  At first, the sting from the Barbarian’s blade being inserted into his flesh bothered Aodh.  But he was able to bear the pain.  So much so in fact that when anything went wrong in the household, Aodh took the blame for it.  He felt he had to protect the other slaves from their master's sadistic whims.

And he was about to do it again.  Someone – Aodh knew not who – had broken a vase.  Aodh requested to see the master to confess to doing it.  He had tried to come up with some stupid story, thinking the dumber it was the worse the punishment the Barbarian would give him.  Aodh had scars on his chest from the cuts he received from the Barbarian when he first arrived.  You can’t cut deeply into a person’s chest due to the bone underneath.  The wounds on Aodh’s arms were deeper and one or two had yet to fully heal.

There seemed to be an ongoing rivalry between the Barbarian and Aodh.  The former would try to hurt the latter and the latter would try to bear the pain as much as possible and not show that it bothered him.  And by doing so, not allow the Barbarian to quite enjoy his sadistic hobby as much as he might like.   

 

@Atrice

Edited February 25, 2020 by Meilekh

[Atrice]

Germanus was so new that he was still kind of a mystery to Marcus. The new slave had been cheap because of the limp and because Marcus was apparently the slave's third owner. It was kind of surprising, to be honest, that Germanus had survived for so long. A third owner and still alive and with his attitude and clumisness too! Marcus was honestly glad that he was so cheap, because so far, he was not very useful. Hopefully that would improve! 

He tried to teach Germanus the lessons by making him bleed. No slaves liked the pain and no slaves wanted to feel it. They feared it. It kept them well-behaved. But Germanus did not seem to learn. Marcus had cut him at least three or four times and he'd also taken the younger slave to bed a few times, but little did it help. And for some reason, whenever Germanus was cut, he seemed to pass out! Which was also kind of annoying. Good that he had not been expensive! 

Marcus had been busy in the barbershop in the afternoon, when Tinus came and said that Germanus was apparently looking for him. What now? Marcus had just closed the shop and left Tinus to clean it up, while Marcus went to find Germanus. It didn't take long, the apartment was not that big, after all.

"What is it now? You know slaves are not supposed to summon their master. It's the other way around. What do you want?" Marcus wondered, already annoyed with the newest slave of the household. 

@Meilekh

[Meilekh]

Aodh was not surprised at all that the Barbarian was muscular.  He was still young, and, as far as Aodh was concerned, very handsome.  He actually liked going to bed with him the few times they did.  He enjoyed caressing the Barbarian’s muscular abs.  The Barbarian was as good in bed as he was with a knife.  Aodh actually began to like his master, much to his trepidation.  He still despised his sadistic whims, however. 

As soon as the Barbarian entered the room, Aodh realized he was annoyed with him.  As his master had told him, masters were supposed to summon their slaves, the slave was not supposed to summon their master.  But he merely asked to see him.  He didn’t see what was wrong with that. 

“My apologies, Master.”  Aodh said, showing him total respect. “I wished to see you because had you found out another way, you might have punished the other slaves and it’s not their fault.  It is mine.  I have trouble walking as you must have noticed when you bought me.  I ended up stumbling into a table and broke your light blue vase.  I wish your forgiveness, Master.”  And know you have no concept of the meaning of the word, thought Aodh to himself. 

Aodh had no idea how much the vase was worth, he hoped it wasn’t too expensive that his life was now forfeit.  But he knew that the Barbarian wouldn’t be happy by its destruction.  And whenever the Barbarian was unhappy, someone usually got hurt.  And that was why he decided to sacrifice himself to the pain the Barbarian would decide to inflict upon him for such a transgression.  He was strangely getting used to the pain inflicted by a knife. 

@Atrice

 

 

Edited February 26, 2020 by Meilekh

[Atrice]

Honestly, annoying Marcus was not the hardest thing in the world for his slaves. He was probably too easily annoyed and upset with them, but it gave him all excuses to treat them the way he did. If they did not act as he wanted, he had an excuse to punish them. And while the whip could produce blood too, knives and blades were far more effective. That's why he preferred them. It fascinated him - seeing them bleed and seeing them react to it. Even if this one had the strangest reaction yet!

Germanus apologized for summoning Marcus then, and then explained himself. Apparently a vase had been broken and Germanus took the blame. It was odd that he was more clumsy than the rest. Lately, whenever something had happened out of Marcus' sight and outside of his earshot, it was Germanus who did it. It was strange, was it not? But he listened and Germanus wished for his forgiveness... for breaking a vase! 

"Where is the broken vase?" Marcus simply said, not replying to the part about forgiveness, "You need to learn to be more careful, Germanus. You know what happens when you're not." He then added, he both felt annoyed that he had been summoned like this and for knowing the reason now. A broken vase. Probably not a cheap one either. Marcus didn't own a vast amount of vases, there was only one woman in the house and Aculia did not put flowers in the vases. They were there for decoration, the few he had, and he barely knew why he had them. But they were definitely not meant to be broken by stupid slaves. 

@Meilekh

[Meilekh]

Aodh looked at Marcus, searching for any hint of the anger he must have in him.  Was it going to be a very painful punishment he wanted to give him, or was it not?  Aodh wondered.  He thought he heard annoyance in his master’s voice.  That was good. 

“It was in the living room, I believe.”  Aodh said.  He wanted to annoy his master and he hoped the “I believe” at the end would do the trick.  Aodh was having extremely dangerous fun annoying his master, the Barbarian.  But then he was so easy to annoy. “Yes Master, I know.”  Aodh said, definitely with a smirk on his face and a strange tone he hoped the Barbarian would catch.  He wondered where on his body the Barbarian would cut him.  Would it be in his chest or arms or somewhere else?  It would also tell him just how annoyed he was.  He couldn’t really cut him too deeply if he cut Aodh in his chest, but he could cut him very deeply if he cut his arms. 

@Atrice 

Edited March 2, 2020 by Meilekh

[Atrice]

Marcus didn't walk around angry all the time. Only it was easy to upset him, because he would take any excuse he could get to punish his cheaply acquired slaves. But Germanus had already crossed one line and now he spoke of a broken vase and Marcus wanted to know where it was at. Germanus said he thought it was in the living room. So he wasn't sure? He said he broke a vase but he was not sure where it was? What nonsens was this. Then Germanus of course knew he should be more careful, but it was too late now.

"If you broke a vase, how can you be unsure of where you broke it?" Marcus asked and walked closer to his slave. Was he stupid or something? He took hold of Germanus' arm and practically dragged him to the sitting area of the house, but there was no vase on the floor... "Did you pick up the pieces? Or maybe it wasn't here?" He asked, not letting go of the arm just yet. The light blue vase... he vaguely remembered something from last night, when he went up to find a drink and knocked something over. Maybe the vase? But he hadn't cared to pick it up, it was dark and besides, it was not his job to pick up things here. He had his slaves for that. And now Germanus claimed to have broken a vase but didn't know where it was.

"I warn you, Germanus, if you're lying to me..." He said, giving Germanus a firm look. 

@Meilekh

[Meilekh]

Aodh really wanted to fight with his master.  How dare he take his arm and pull him to a room?  He really had to fight his temptation to fight him.  However, he might be able to trip him up a little.  Call it an accident.  The Barbarian was already angry.  He was also a foolish man, Aodh considered.  As they entered the sitting area, Aodh desperately fought the temptation to trip the Barbarian.  If only they could fight each other, without the master killing the slave.  Aodh was sure he would give him a very good fight.  Perhaps even kill him.  Something that had entered his dreams some nights, as a matter of fact. 

"It was last night," Aodh explained.  "I was tired and I don't remember.  I'm sure I cleaned up the mess.  It would be in the trash, Master."  Inside, he was thinking, if I was lying what?  More torture?  You haven't hurt me really yet.  I'm sure you're incapable of hurting me.  So try your worse.  Pig!  None of this was out loud of course, he wasn't that stupid.  

Edited March 3, 2020 by Meilekh

[Atrice]

How could Germanus claim to have broken a vase, when it was no longer there and Marcus could not judge who had done it or how bad it was? And on top of that, Germanus summoned his master to tell about it. Of course honesty was good, but he could also just have hidden it and hoped Marcus would never notice. There was a good chance he'd never have found out and then Germanus would have been safe. This slave was among the more stupid ones, he thought. Germanus said the vase broke last night and he did not remember really what happened and said the vase would be in the trash.

Marcus sighed, frustrated and pulled Germanus closer to him by the arm he still held, "I'm not sure you did it or why you're even telling me. You say you broke the vase, but now you don't remember and it is not here, so there is no proof of anything." He rolled his eyes, his fingers digging into Germanus' arm. He would have to teach Germanus a lesson again. Marcus clapped on the purse by his belt, but there was no knife there currently.

"Go into my chamber and wait for me there. Don't touch anything!" Marcus said and then roughly let go of the arm to stalk to his barbershop, where he unlocked the heavy, wooden chest and picked one of the simpler looking blades. It was sharp enough though. With a pounding heart - pounding with anger and possibly also anticipation - he walked back to his chamber, with the razor in his hand, hoping to find Germanus waiting there. 

@Meilekh

[Meilekh]

Aodh fought his temptation to fight with the Barbarian for digging his fingers into his arm.  He wanted to beat him to death with his own fucking arm.  If he was able to find a knife, he would hide it and show his master how to cut somebody for real, he thought.  As his master let him go, he went into the chamber.  As he was looking for a blade of some sort, his master walked in.  

Aodh tried to make it a game of withstanding pain and that was what kept him from fighting with the Barbarian.  But he was losing his patience with him.  He wondered how long it would take for him to strike back at him.  And then of course, what would happen to him after that.  Masters could kill their slaves and Aodh had heard that the Barbarian wasn't one to keep slaves for too long.  He would have to see what happened then.  Why didn't the slaves rise up against the sadistic bastard?  Why didn't they complain to somebody about him?  Was there anyone they could complain to?  Perhaps Aodh hit on another point that would keep him alive for a little longer.   He wanted to see what the Barbarian had in mind for him now.  

Besides, he was amazing in bed!  That does matter to a slave, believe it or not.

@[Atrice]

[OOC Note: So sorry this is a week late.  I'll try to be better in the future.]

Edited March 18, 2020 by Meilekh

[Atrice]

He had the razor in his hand when he entered his bedroom, where Germanus was hopefully waiting for him. He wasn’t worried that someone would tell on him. There had been slaves in the past, who had wanted to, but for some reason the slaves couldn’t keep it to themselves and shared it with one of the others. And somehow through the wine, Marcus heard about it and dealt with the idea the way he knew best. If they dared to speak up to him, if they dared to be disobedient and dishonest with him, he would punish them until they understood or died from it.

Germanus had seemed busy with something when he walked in, but now he stood straight and waited for what Marcus would do.

“You know what’s going to happen now.” Marcus said, “Remove your tunica.” He said with a lifted chin, looking intently at the stupid slave, “Today you will learn to not tell me lies, Germanus. And you will remember it.” He added with a firm voice, watching as the slave hopefully knew his place and removed his tunica when told to do it. He knew exactly how to do this; what he wanted to do. He could barely wait.

@Meilekh

[Meilekh]

Having not found a blade of any kind, Aodh turned around as he heard his master speak.  Lies?  Aodh only wanted to help his fellow slaves by admitting blame of breaking the vase himself.  He never imagined the foolish barbarian wouldn't be able to find it.  How was that possible?  He would've looked for it but he was ordered into the chamber.  He had no choice really but go.  As he removed his tunic, he imagined what he would do once the Barbarian came close enough to him.  He wondered how much the Barbarian liked pain himself.  He enjoyed giving others pain, but Aodh wondered if he could take it half as well as he was able to take it.  Probably not, he thought.  Most of them couldn't.  Come on, Aodh thought as he stared at the Barbarian.  Come closer to me.  Come to me and cut me.  Then we'll have some real fun!

@[Atrice]

Edited March 19, 2020 by Meilekh

[Atrice]

Germanus did not utter a word when Marcus came in and soon enough he ordered the slave to remove his tunica. He seemed surprised at Marcus’ words, but he said nothing and removed the tunica, revealing that very handsome body, although already with a few healing cuts on the left upper arm, proof that so far, he had failed to behave as he ought to. Maybe after today he would learn; one could hope, after all.

He approached the now half-naked slave with an odd smile playing on his lips, “Remember, if you move, you’ll only make it worse for yourself.” Marcus reminded Germanus, who should know, since this was not the first time Marcus cut him. At least the other slaves more or less had a break from this at the moment, because Germanus was making so much trouble so far. He moved around Germanus, to his back, so that the slave could not see and he ran his fingers over the lower back of Germanus’ neck, his fingers writing a word. It would be perfect.

Then with his left hand, he took hold of Germanus’ left shoulder to keep him in place. And the blade dug into the skin, while he would ignore any sounds of pain or pleas coming from the slave. His eyes were fixed on the blood the blade was producing, while he wrote the first letter in the word; the letter F. He would not give Germanus a break before that letter was done.

@Meilekh

[Meilekh]

Aodh was planning on kneeing the Barbarian in his groin when he came close to him.  He didn't expect the bastard to go behind him.  He thought about trying to kick him in the groin behind him, but then he couldn't be sure he would get him.  He also might kick himself in the groin instead,  Aodh thought.  At first, the barbarian's finger moving on the back of his neck was cold.  But Aodh liked it and felt himself become hard.  He tried to figure out what he was doing with his finger but couldn't.  Then he felt the stabbing of the blade in the lower part of his neck.  The barbarian unknowingly helped Aodh by being behind him, so he didn't see the slight grimace upon his face at first.  It was gone in an instant.  Was the bastard writing on him?  What the hell was he writing? As soon as he stopped, Aodh turned around and punched the bastard in his face.  This was too much.  He didn't care if he died, the bastard was going too far!

"What the hell are you doing to me?"  Aodh shouted at the man.  

@[Atrice]

 

Edited March 23, 2020 by Meilekh

[Atrice]

An instant after Marcus had removed the blade cutting into Germanus' skin, admiring the "F" that he had cut into the other man and the blood running from the cut, something happened. He only got that tiny instant to admire it all, because Germanus turned around and punched Marcus in the face. He stumbled and fell backwards, landing on his bottom and lower back with a surprised sound. What in the name of Hades was going on? When he regained his wits, he stared with mad anger up at the slave, who was shouting at him.

"Teaching you a lesson!" Marcus growled and got to his feet, the blade luckily still clutched in his hand. He would need someone to massage him tomorrow on his lower back where he fell, because that was going to hurt longer than tonight, "But you're not learning. And now you struck your master!" He said and held the blade in front of him, ready to defend himself if the mad slave came at him again, "I should kill you right now and get another to replace you. You're no good." He said and lifted his chin, trying to calm himself, but his heart was pounding like crazy. He inhaled a deep breath, "I will let you live, if you will let me finish." 

@Meilekh

[Meilekh]

Aodh fumed as he looked at the Barbarian.  How could he get away with doing this to his slaves and not have any bodyguards to make sure the slaves he was abusing didn't fight back?  He didn't understand it.  He wasn't going to allow it to go on and he couldn't believe the Barbarian said he would let him live if he allowed him to finish what he was writing.  

"What do you plan on writing on me?"  He asked, obviously very angry.  He wanted to say more, that the Barbarian was out of his mind for thinking he could get away with this without some kind of reaction.  And as he looked at his master, he noticed no understanding of that whatsoever.  He was serious.  Either Aodh - Germanus the slave - was going to allow his master to actually write something on him, or he would die.  He decided to try to keep the man talking and make him think he was deciding on whether to allow him to carve more letters into his flesh.  Meanwhile, he would try to figure out what he was going to do to the wretch and how he was going to get out of there alive.  

@[Atrice]

Edited March 26, 2020 by Meilekh

[Atrice]

Why on Earth would he have bodyguards or anyone else to tell him that what he was doing was wrong? Marcus knew well that not everyone treated their slaves the way he did. He knew that murdering people the way he did it… that it wasn’t right to do. He knew he would be persecuted if it got out and that people would turn their backs to him, so it was very important it did not get out. Which was just another reason to kill those who found out or considered telling on him, because well, the dead didn’t speak.

 This slave here might as well be dead. Marcus thought he did it well when he bought Germanus, he was cheap and seemed strong, but he was also stupid, apparently. Now he was glaring at Marcus while he spoke and asked what Marcus planned on writing on him.

 “Just something to tell everyone what you are.” Marcus said, “Falsus.” He then admitted, because it would be right that it said on Germanus that he was a liar. He had not broken that vase and why he lied about it was beyond Marcus. Why would you admit doing something you had not done.

 “Now turn around again. I am not done.” He continued, attempting to sound calm, but he really wanted to sink the blade into the flesh once more. He wanted the blood. He wanted to see Germanus’ pain…

 @Meilekh

*falsus means false/liar in Latin

[Meilekh]

Aodh looked at the Barbarian.  He understood that as far as he was concerned, the other man owned him and felt he could do whatever he wanted to him.  Aodh didn't understand why the broken pieces of the blue vase wasn't in the garbage, unless someone emptied it.  He didn't understand why the Barbarian didn't believe him when the vase was no longer where it once was and was nowhere to be seen.  But he needed another idea in case trying to reason with his most sadistic master didn't work.  He seemed very intent and happy doling out pain, but could he take it?  He seemed to have taken Aodh's punch well enough.  

"If I'm falsus," Aodh smiled at the Barbarian.  He didn't care if he used the word correctly or not.  "Why isn't the vase about?   It certainly isn't on the table where it once was.  Where is it?"  

@[Atrice]

Edited March 31, 2020 by Meilekh

[Atrice]

Germanus refused to do as told, it would seem. He did not turn around to allow Marcus to continue cutting letters into his back. Marcus kind of just wanted to see it, now. What the letter looked like now and how Germanus' back looked like with blood running down over it. But Germanus did not turn around. Instead he just looked at Marcus and argued against being a falsus - a liar and a false person. He wanted to know where the vase was.

"I thought you said you broke it and picked up the pieces." Marcus said, "So it is you who ought to know all this... if it was you who did it." He continued, "But this is why I name you a liar... because I do not believe it was you. And I don't know why you lie. But you do and you should not." He added and came closer to Germanus and with his free hand pushed at Germanus' chest, towards Marcus' bed, "You need your punishment!" 

@Meilekh

[Meilekh]

Somehow Aodh didn’t think his punishment was going to be one of their fucking sessions, which was too bad.  Aodh learned to like them passionately.  One thing the Barbarian was good at, besides cutting him, was pleasing him incredibly in bed!  He resisted the temptation to take another punch at him.

“If I was lying, Oh Great and Most Worthy Master,”  Aodh said, and thought You fucking idiot, “would the vase not still be on the table?  But it is not.  Therefore, where is it?  That is my question to you, Master.  That is my proof that I am not lying.” You fucking idiot!

Aodh wanted to fight the fucker and see where his life stood then.  He was sure he could get at the very least some good shots in and hurt him badly, before the master called for his guards.  Or would he be able to put up a good fight himself?  That was basically the question Aodh was dying to learn the answer to.  It would be a grand death, if he died.  It would be a grander death, if he was executed for killing the sadistic bastard!  He thought he would die a martyr to all of the Barbarian’s slaves.

@[Atrice]

 

 

Edited April 3, 2020 by Meilekh