Sunny grains of sand baked the metropolitan districts of Gladia. Its surface citizens grew accustomed to the heat. While they enjoyed their lit days of sunshine, breezes, and clouds, the district of Insulae enjoyed its much cooler, caved, and mass tunneled complexes scattered all about the underbelly of the metro.

Within the Sudo-Emperor's chambers, the ruffian madman diligently worked on his required admin duties with sloppy agitatedness. Paperwork consisting of approval signatures were met with his authority stampage. Remarks of writing barely legible, scribbled replies dashed by letters and scroll documents. Finished batches layed pushed onto rugged piles of unorganized files as he worked. Sat at a table stand adjacent from the headmaster was Devol, swaying his legs back and forth, bobbing his head from left to right, staring at the madman performing his admin tasks to any resounding success. Raningo Mulsuevi occasionally cocked his deranged gaze at the curious 9 year old, the boy merely staring him back with a seductive glare as the lanista resumed his task at hand aloof. After another glance, the madman licks lips and smacks them like a hungry predator grunting a short growl, resuming his work.

Raningo slaps a few finishing touches on his remaining letters and tosses them off to the side, sliding his rolling seat back to face the child. Comfortably laid back in his lanistal chair, Raningo winks his nose at the boy.

"Come eir boyo." He ordered.

Devol squinted a brow, the Insulae boy, known to follow the boss man's demands on a whim, entertains it, scooting off the table, warm bare feet coming into contact with the cold cavey floor as foot patter echoed. Coming up to him, he gave the madman a rebellious look.

The man grinned slightly, "Hop on up eir."

Devol smiled, jumping up his knee, balancing himself as Raningo helped him onto his lap. The lanista looked at Devol with ill intent, running a rough hand on the boy's handsome chin and cheek, observing facial structures, turning his head left and right, then sliding the hefty calloused hand off Devol's face, the fleshing boy's cheek skin wiggling slightly.

Raningo exhaled a satisfied look of approval to his subject.

"Ye know how much I adore ye boy?"

Devol glances a squint of obvious eyes, "Yeah pops."

Caressing his temple, Raningo pinches his ear pulling the boy's head toward his prickly stubble, lips smooching the temple of his head, ear still held, "Fetchie me some pleasant company at Botox's corner next ye come back to me."

With that, Raningo grappled the boy playfully, rubbing his spiky parted hair fatherly like, seating the child on his paperwork on the desk. The ruffian stood then stepped out of the room grasping a shot of preserved alcohol, drinking it, shattering the shot glass to the ground right at the entrance.

Devol smiles cheekily to himself. Always the charmer in my books. Amazingly, this child walked out too, right through the glass like it wasn't there. His Insulae feet have long adapted to the rough flooring of every part of the district's ruggedness.

1

Through the mazy tunnels, Mulsuevi traveled casting challenging glares to any that caught those menacing psychotic eyes of his. Coming to an open chasm balcony overseeing one of many canyon holds, the outlook was grand to the vastness of the district. Seated at the edge of railings, the men see their ruler approach, their glances on him are enlightened.

"Well... If it isn't the bossman himself. How's the dictating?" Said the toga dressed black man sipping a pint of readily served cherry wine from nearby servants.

"Lik pathetic weasels to cannibals Yosifner." Raningo growled, seating upon other highly distinguished officials of the district.

"Sir," Called one of the black man's underlings, "We still wagering tonight's fights."

Yosifner tapped his fingers on his knee, "A mild no, I want to savor some of our winnings for a real bettings time in the coming tournaments."

Raningo chuckles, "Real betting ay." The madman looks down from below seeing from far a ways, Devol walking slowly around a prostitution club, Botox's corner, of the cavern's rock formated wooden hut village. "How's about a fun bet tis moment?”

The black man's eyebrow raised, "A bet, from here?"

Pointing a finger down to where Devol is from far below, Raningo elaborated, "See that rascal down ere?"

The group of important men and few women glanced.

Raningo noting their attentive curiosity, "I've sent a hit on that boy.”

The group began laughing, "A hit, on a boy, but why? And more importantly, whose the poor sap you've wasting their time on?" Yosifner inquired.

"A crupellarius." Mulsuevi says, boldly smiling, taking drink from served glass scotch.

The group nod away chuckling, intent on knowing what the bet would be on.

"Right then." The black man said. "What's the bet?"

The madman spat across the rail, "I's wager free coin that a single crupellarius kan hunt down tha boy right ter... en a mweer 10 secs."

"A free coin wager huh? Is that a fact? Why this just made things a whole lot more interesting." Yosifner snapped his fingers for a slave to bring him his billfold. All the others interested in the bet whistled and called theirs too, in their own fashions. "Slave!" He called out.

In the midst of handing the billfold over, the high classed servant looked worried, afraid of any wrongdoing, "Yes sir?"

"Are you a registered notary by chance?" Yosifner asked strongly.

"Yyyes sir." Relief in his voice.

"Gentlemen! I direct proof of witness agreement to..." turning to the slave, "what's your valid name slave?"

"K... Kalito Usurab, sir."

Yosifner quickly resumed his statement, "to notary, Kalito Usurab."

The officials wrote on their billfolds.

The black man looked at the madman with a smirk. "Name the stakes, my emperor."

Raningo's gaze lurked about the group as he gnawed on a minty chew stick fetched from his toga's robe pocket, "Tas thy usual favors, but now's ar promises!"

The other officials eyed one another and mutually agreed. Kalito withdrew a notepad and began documenting numbers along with the surrounding distinguished members.

From the back of the group to the front, wagers were being placed. "500 sestertii", "I take on 60 denarii", "On for 700 dupondii over here", "I wager 20 quinarii, silver", "Betting 70 denarii", "1000 easy assarii", when it came to Yosifner, he chuckled at their betting amounts.

"I seem to be in awe... in why we're betting carefully. I don't know why?" The rest of his wine poured greedily down his throat, snapping fingers for another expensive refill. "It's free coin! From our emperor no less!" The bold senator stated. "I wager DOUBLE all bets, put together."

The vip crowd gasped, few spitting out drinks at such high stakes against an opponent who's known for trickery waging such as Mulsuevi. One person mentioning, "Jesums, you must be mad as him sir!" Another chiming in, "You forgetting? That man's the one making the bet, savor your coin against possible antics!"

The senator rebuked them, "I'd go-eth with my coin as I reasoned fit! Reason being that no crupellarius has a chance to catch a swift nimble child, let alone in exactly 10 seconds! I'm so confident in my reasoning, that I'd also wager free coin on a side bet against your doubts!"

One of the officials took on the side bet, along with a few others, looking to pocket some easy earnings in the midst of the chaotic wagering.

These few doubting officials took him on, "Humph! An additional 20 quinarii, GOLD for you, Yosifner." , "I'll take on that action." "Likewise."

Raningo barked a chuckling reply, "Blahh ha ha haw! What fun tis wee bet as turning out for I!"

The senator glared at him, "We'll see how 'wee' this bet of yours really is... after it's said and done. We all owe favors as it is... Headmaster. This time though, we make some coin for our troubles with you."

Mulsuevi grinned mischievously, "Well ten! Kalito! How much ta pot?"

The notary wrote intensely in his notepad, "Uhh umm several hundred den... uhh alot, alot of denarii headmaster, annnnd counting."

The madman spat off the railing again, "Well bet's on a now gents, me hitman's acoming in view own ere."

The officials peered down, seeing some heavy fitted crupellarius slowly lugging themselves up some stairs from an ascending tunnel way. The black man and his associates laughed.

"Really Raningo, those guys down there." Yosifner mocked. "This is gonna be the easiest money I make in all my life then."

Raningo's gaze frowns at him, "As ye all will know! Time starts when me slave pounces."

Another official mocked along this time, "Oh yes my emperor, heh if able to close any distance on a vigilant child that is."

The important crowd observed onward. Mulsuevi stood up, one hand on the railing peering down annoyed, mumbling to himself.

"That bastard better be there."

Yosifner couldn't help but add insult to the ruler's might, "Ha ha yes, he better be up to the challenge to catch twas a freaking child just, while all armored up to the brim. Ha ha ha.” The others laughed.

Mulsuevi grumpily reserved his anger to throw the senator and anyone else off the balcony. As they peered below, they saw Devol strolling about the club door entrance being shooed off by Insulae guard, preventing him access. The child backed away, just looking at the exterior. The crupellarius warriors walked slowly towards the club door's entrance, aroused looks inviting to the females welcoming them within. The guardsmen allowed them in, some receiving fruitful tip payments. The wagering crowd's eyes were on the scene, but none of those heavy armored gladiators bat an eye towards the child.

"What foolishness is this, Headmaster, none of those slaves were yours?" Asked one of the officials.

Getting irritated, the brute ruler grimaced, not wanting any lip from the senator as well, "Hold that tongue of yours before I slice it out me self. Me slave is down there."

The gentlemen looked further on, gasps galore. From below, a sudden frightening appearance of the dark, fully impenetrable armored monster of a gladiator, stood a ways distance from Devol. The child was completely unaware of it.

The officials grew silent, especially Yosifner. They watched as the giant slowly reduced the distance. Surrounding pedestrians walked past the daunting figure respectfully. Others trudged on not to wary of it, as long as it remained neutral.

The black man couldn't believe it, "You're jesting." He tried a hard look on Mulsuevi.

The madman snapped a psychotic eye back, a cruel bent of the bars of the railing he held his answer, lowly growling, "Do I look it to ye!"

The silence of the crowd began speaking amongst themselves. The giant moved to where an approximate 100 meter distance was left. The boy's eyes and gaze perked up as he looked across, spotting the monstrous figure walking extremely slow as citizens walked by it avoiding its small pace steps. The spectators watched in awe. What followed next was surprising, the child began approaching the beast, initially curious, then the boy stopped. The monster growled, its cladded head looking about, as if it knew many important minds were acknowledging its presence. It wasn’t until its gaze caught sights up towards Mulsuevi, along with the higher ups sat diligently observing from the chasm balcony that Devol, intuitively looked to see them as well, he himself now confused. The officials stood from their seats excited that the two factors were aware of their observing presence. Devol peered up at the madman, giving him the 'what?' gesture. Mulsuevi mouth out and pointed 'Stay right the f*** there!' he ordered. Yosifner and the other officials saw this, one of them calling out the sudo-emperor on foul play,

"Hey! That's against what we agreed..."

The grizzled Headmaster roared a life threatening demand for the guy to shut his trap, "HINGE THAT MOUTH OF YERS!!!" Raningo's dominance controlled the situation, explaining, "Deal's longith started! No room fer justs!"

Mulsuevi's roar was heard by Devol and the beast figure with some pedestrians onlooking the echoing shout above them. The headmaster turned his gaze to stare at the monster, then pointing at Devol, Raningo mouthed "Kill him," and gestured with a thumb, ear to ear, in cut throat fashion, adding authorization to do so.

The beast shifted its head, snorting towards Devol and stanced itself for a sprint, causing the immediate pedestrians to jog away from its intended path. The child gawked at Mulsuevi, the boy’s obvious betrayed look didn’t remorse the madman. Then with a taste of rebellious attitude, Devol took a step back putting himself in a sprint away stance from the giant, seeing the headmaster's gaze sweetening in pleasure of the child's moxie.

”Time anyone?" Asked Yosifner, nervously dabbing the sweat of his brows.

Some of the officials pulled out their watches keeping a close eye of the beast's next move. Devol eyed the heavy armored giant. Then the monster inhaled monumental burst of air and exhale in a blaze of glory, vicious speeds heeding no account of its metallic weight. The scream and yells from spectators horror on as this ton of metal and armor exploded with such ferocity, such intensity, its stomps of heavy chainmail and clad plating rumbled of sounding devastation made worse by the cavern’s echoey ambience. Devol's eyes widened and instead of running away, he ran towards the pursuer to everyone's surprise, jutted left towards the guards of the club. Their weapons were long drawn from holsters vigilant, but not for Devol scattering towards them, instead, for the colossal gladiator charging towards them. Devol, in a tactical movement popularized by skilled retiarii, expertly slide canceled his way to the side, scrapping his lower legs but profoundly making the beast's movements impossible to change direction, steamrolling through the guards and busting a hole down the club entrance. Devol looks up at Mulsuevi smiling from ear to ear of the carnage ensuing. The child ditches the scene to escape the quickly recovering monster whom bursts out of the building with ease, chasing after him. Its abnormally fast reactions send horrors of catastrophic anxiety to everyone witnessing.

"TIME!!!" Yelled out an official. Raningo's humored expression faded to one, of annoyance and explicable aggravation.

The group breathed sighs of relief, celebrating.

"Yess!" Yosifner declared, rubbing it all in, right up at the madman's face. "Time to pay up, big time bossman!"

Upon giving the senator a boring glare, Mulsuevi immediately headbutted the black man's temple vicious hard, knocking the important figure unconscious to the ground. The few women there screamed as the people distanced themselves scared from the ruffian. The madman glared menacingly as he stood over the body. His psychotic eyes threatening them.

Closing his angry mouth from shouting obscenities, Mulsuevi withdrew a hand full of aureus pure golden coins, thumping the prized currency at the senator's unresponsive head. Nobody moved.

The crime lord stepped over Yosifner's plastered body. The madman taking leave aggressively, shouting, "F***!!!"

2

Sprinting as fast as his feet carried him, the demon boy hops through obstacles and barriers that the crupellarius demolishes in its ravenous path. The beast was locked in this time, grasping to catch the boy quick on his toes. The monster grew fed up with the boy's evasion through lively scenery and aimed to incapacitate the child. Running up to him one last time, the chainmail plate cladded hand of the giant slapped Devol's back, launching the minor forwards a ways. Slammed onto a hard wooden door of an apartment rock complex, the boy skidded off to the side, wounded and dazed, but not injured. Laying there, Devol saw the giant corner him, its panting evident from a valiant pursuit. The monstrous hand reached at him, one menacing, easily capable of crushing a grown man's skull wide open, Devol braced for his inevitable doom.

"Ahem." Called someone from behind the massive figure.

The beast growled as it lurked sights about, taking view of a man.

Devol remained still, hoping to find his opportunity to escape, as the beast was deterred.

"Hey there, big buddy" The man said, one arm raised. Voice respectful in tone. "Mind unblocking yourself from the door?" 

The giant, in a surprising obedient manner, adjusted itself, heavy chainmail vibrating as it stood away from the door and Devol took eyes on the person. Whatever hostile state that the monster's being held before, was now neutralized by the presence of this very stranger. The individual sported intriguing lower garments coupled with simple belting. All that covered his torso was a maroonish colored shoulder cape sided on his right. The most striking feature that peaked the boy's curiosity was his hair, it slightly parted in a way. The man peered at the door, moving along, stopping in between Devol and it. Turning his gaze towards the beast, he initiated a small chat with the giant but briefly.

"How's Mulsuevi been treating you?"

Devol's ears perked up at the mention of Raningo.

The beast sighed a disgruntled deathly growlish reply, "Noooot gooood ennoughhh."

The individual blinked in a way to say 'figures', taking a glance at Devol and his minor wounds. Returning a gaze back at the beast, ”Guessing he's got you chasing kids now?"

The monster growled disappointedly.

The man sighed too, understanding. Then he smiled, "Let's catch up sometime... over ribeye steaks." The man patted the purse secured on his left beltline. "My treat. Just like ole times."

Devol was now curious as to the relationship of this stranger to the giant.

The beast said nothing as it looked at the boy one last time and backed away leaving, trudging back through the madness it had laid in its chase.

The man watched it leave. He placed a hand on the doorknob and gazed upon the demon child, simply disregarded the boy's appearance as this fellow strolled into premises, leaving Devol on the ground where the beast had nearly nabbed him.

For the first time in his life, Devol never remembered anyone without reaction about his facial features, let alone his hair. It sparked a growing interest as to who this man is. Driven to stalk him, the child followed privately.

Inside the neatly chiseled rock decorum of the lobby, the receptionist desk was vacant save for the bell that rang by the man. The clerk returned from the back, viewing the individual with familiarity, then simply checking off something in the desk ledger, speaking afterwards,

"Room 7. Belongings room 3c."

A key slid on the counter, received by the man, taking leave further into the facility. Devol spied from the corner, inching his sore shins. Once the man left view and the receptionist returned to the back, the boy made a stealthy wander over to the desk, peeking at the ledger. The day date held a number of individuals who recently came in, their initials being the only identifiable information by reservation. The most recent wet inked check mark fell on a person's initials 'L.V.' the one Devol was interested in.

L.V. huh. I'll be finding out who you are soon enough.

Halls held rooms that situated them, where leisure under a steam bath resided. The man already downgraded his garments into a safety deposit locker maintained in the few privacy booths. Other lockers held themselves communally accessible about. The provided towel laid tuck and wrapped around his waist by his left hand alone, the shoulder cape remained, covering his right side torso. Transferring himself to steam room 7, he sat himself among the cool moist wooden benches, adjusting the towel to lay over his lap. Hot coals from the pit centered the room with a bucket of water accompanying the large ladle inside. Pouring a cup into the coal pit produced a large warming steam within the area, engulfing the room in humidity.

Taking a breath, this man waited for his body to eventually perspire.

Relaxed eyelids wandered over to his own cape as he went to check underneath it for but a brief moment. It was then when he heard a bench creak beside him. Covering a hand over his cape fabric, he glances onward to see Devol seated adjacent to him, leaning in. The boy looked at him with curiosity, the man simply eyeing back indifferent to when he first saw him. After a few seconds, the stranger blinked forward, leaning his head back, closing chillaxed eyes, showing no concern or even interest as to the boy's presence about him. Devol blinked, puzzled and furthermore intrigued. Not only did the guy witness him again, but with the same lackadaisical impression as before. The demon boy just glared at him as he sat there, sweat beading off the two of them by the ensuing sauna. After a straight 15 minutes, Devol was itching to leave the place. He stared at the man for a long time and he not once saw this guy open his eyes to bat a look back at him. Irritated by the sweat and heat, this was the boy's first time in a sauna. Mumbling to himself, Devol hopped off the bench and walked away, aching for the cool standard air of the outer chasm environment.

Walking on out, the damp coolness refreshed his body. Damn heat, no sense on itching my day away in that messy hobby. Journeying back throughout where he was recently chased, Devol kept a high guard for any potential hitman whom might have also been sent by Mulsuevi for his personal entertainment. The citizens around were already quick to repair and or replace pieces and portions of the scenery that the giant demolished in its path. Heading back to the gentlemen's club, Devol, in a sick twisted way of his own respect, wanted to hold himself accountable on bringing a few cuties back to the headmaster's chambers, as the psycho requested.

Watching from a distance, Devol analyzes the exterior, noting many possible roof access routes where few if any guards lurked. Climbing up and over pillars and jutted out pieces of rock, he made his way to the roof, spotting access to the building via a door patio deck. Entering inside, he quickly hid among the curtained table peeking out observing his erotic surroundings. Sounds of couples in rooms rustled throughout the apartment. The dimly glass colored lanterns luminated the musky halls with a bluish pinkish tent. Devol felt opportune moments to dart from cover to cover hiding spots, taking advantage of the shadows. Reaching the indoor lobby was easy. He scanned the lightly lit area, spotting a few charming women... topless and very much catching to any male eye.

Oaww boobies. Devol's eyes awe goggling, slowly coming out of hiding to invite them over to the sudo emperor's invitation. Right as he approaches. A large figure grabbed him by the ankle and held him upside down. "Wha! Let go of me!" He demanded.

Looking closer about the assailant, it was Mulsuevi to the demon child's surprise. The madman eyed him hungrily as Devol covered his loose pecker with his loincloth.

"Yee pesky meanie beez wall! Hadn't yee leeched away me order, I'd be pulling in guarantees uff me competition!"

"Uh... " Devol retorts, "You sent a hit on me and I'd have the goodness to go through with bringing you pleasant company anyways? Cut me some slack pops!”

The madman glances over to nosy ladies relaxing on their lounge couches all innocent and heads not minding the grunt. A mild grin crosses his lips, tossing Devol at them. The women flinch suddenly, bracing hands as the child awkwardly lands on them, their breasts coming in contact with the aroused boy. The ladies laughed as they began shoving the minor back and forth, towards one another. They had no interest in pleasuring a minor, but teasing him like bullies, they much obliged. Soon afterwards, Mulsuevi grappled the tousled boy by the arm and pulled him away from the beauties, pushing the kid up on a wall.

"Sey ere boyo, ye's gonna make me's coin loss up wether ye like eth o ye like eth nunt!" Raningo sat the child down by his feet, palming his bare shoulders. "Tis a f*** up world we livith in, ye's to know own int, if's ya's got thy guts at is." The madman ruffles the boy's spiky parted hair, smiling. Then manhandles him to his side. Raningo heads out, busting open the recently torn door that the giant tore through not too long ago. The injured guards react on noise instinct, drawing weapons behind them to see the sudo-emperor exiting, "Get yurs blades in check ya bostards!!!" The madman shouted, bumping through them while holding Devol next to his waist like a small log. The guards apologetically slid to the side, eyeing the devil boy suspiciously.

"Pops, it ain't my fault that you wasted money on a bet against my know-how." The boy reasoned.

"Auh! Ye was to heed mis demand, liken a good's slave. Rather ye instead fumbled me advize."

The headmaster traversed throughout the district back towards his lanistal school.

"Since when am I your slave? I'm more like staff by the fact I don't fight, you know." Devol argued.

"Haha heh hehe, pwaps I'd toss ye to thy fighters, and flesh ye out as a slave proper then?"  Mulsuevi grotesquely offered.

Devol wiggled and pounded his fists into the lions of Mulsuevi, the deranged man was unfazed and yet entertained by the child's aggressiveness, "I don't owe you an honest quadran of my life! I do my own thing!"

The lanista dropped the kid on his back accompanied with a hefty knee pressed against the child's resisting arms that would otherwise compress his tiny chest. The boy's face stared into the psycho's up close strained wide eyes.

"Ye will do as I deem, laddie." He whispered in a threatening tone. "Yee owe me mearth 1000 denarii, over thinkinth nunt."

Devol eyed him seriously, then spat at his face. The madman flinched back, shaking his head, his knee pressed onto the boy's chest securing him from running off.

Raningo wiped the saliva off with his toga sleeve, mad eyes rolling side to side, eyeing the child below, the man smiled, "Hehe heh haw, I love ye boyo, e'll be tinking of tis moment hen yer mother comes visitithing me bed chambers... alone and very, very, volnerable."

"Oh yeah?" Devol taunts with equal eye expression, "I'll get you your damn foolish loss back, and once I do, I'm gonna stab you. How about that?”

Mulsuevi grins excitedly, and in a split moment change of personality, face, eyes relaxed and professional, in a manner totally different, he says, "Agreed." Then shoves the child off to the side with a leg, the boy scooched next to a pile of sandbags prevalent to the environment. The brutish grunt walking away.

Devol gets up dusting off his back, thinking to himself, Now... How am I gonna make 1000 denarii?

3

Heading back to the sauna apartment complex, Devol sat deciding on watching the entrance from a rooftop balcony rather than ground level. Perhaps the man left already, he assumed. Waiting for 10 minutes, he stared at the door where the beast had flung him in, itching his now faded wounds. The stranger exited the place to his surprise, and with another individual. This person was tall, stocky, and brute looking, paled skinned with viking gallus style of a thraex warrior. Their soft chatter among the cave's echo ambience of life blended in, the two males discussing something as they pathed on through the immediate vicinity. Devol couldn't quite make out what it was. The child made a move to eavesdrop this chat. Shuffling quietly down from the balcony to even ground, taking a nearby barrel as cover, listening intently.

"I've given you plenty of chances to repay your debts Shaof, it's full due by now." The caped man said.

Shaof, the pale thraex believed it reasonable to be provided another chance, rebudding within a deep viking accent, "Varför ja. Why yis, sa contract stats it, how bout yey reup the ole one instead, one final chance långivare?”

The man considered it for a moment, then warned in a modest tone, "Be aware Shaof, the Kaosma family wouldn't take you so kindly if I'd decide to take means on 'acquiring' personal assets to justify this."

The gallus thraex sighed, revealing a large sack of coin, "Jäkla! Ti's afriard yoo'd say that. Payment en full."

The stranger held his left hand open, receiving the bountiful purse. "It's the way of business in these parts warrior. Plan better and accordingly if you seek my services next time."

The fighter grunted, walking away. Devol heard everything, now learning that this person, this intriguing fellow, is of technical loan shark expertise. The rattle of coin being tucked away made Devol peep out in view. The encounter between them arises once more, seeing the man walking up to him on the same path. He only gave a simple glance over, continuing on. The boy began to grow challenged by this man's neutral expression about him, thinking that he knew all along he'd be listening in the entire time. Following behind him, the boy decided to stay by his tail, whether to annoy him or get him to talk to him, Devol just wanted a reaction out of the man before he'd just let him go. The stranger walked on, unburdened that Devol pursued him. Then after a few minutes and general passes by the district's large spacious traversed markets, the male sat at a bench of tables situated next to a restaurant cookery serve out. Devol crossed his arms looking at the man while he simply glanced at him before making himself comfortable at his spot, lifting a leg cross over the knee, intending to remain there a while, unburdened by the demon boy still.

Challenged once again, the child decided to take a seat adjacent to his bench, simply eyeing the stranger like he owed him something. The individual just ignored him and watched as crowds of citizens and warriors passed along, some taking seats in the benches nearby momentarily, others seating themselves at tables where waiters came to serve them menus, drinks and ordered meals. 10 minutes pass. Devol, about ready to call it quits, starts scooting off the bench as another stranger comes sitting next to the shoulder caped fellow. This one stood out from the regular warriors Devol was aware of. A fighter of scissores but in the patted leathery style of a naumachia sea warrior, they're among a rare sight in such a carven place. The fighter was also dimachaerus in nature, sheathed by the sides, the very crescent moon shaped blades used to slash and disarm opponents. This sea fellow handed the loaner a large coin purse like the thraex, but more forthcoming. The provider, stashed it under his belting, thanking him,

"Thank you, Pozzio Osyrus."

The warrior nodded a bow, "A good return fo a good investment during mi tempo in la canals de Insulae."

Devol recognized the hispanic lingo as he observed the exchange. Pozzio noticing, calls him out,

"Eh. ¿Que te miras nino? Whatcha looking at child?"

Devol eyes a squint at the loan shark, hopeful he'd say anything for his defense.

Pozzio glances between the two, "Es he with you? A bratty cousin o somthing?

To Devol's disappointment, the loan shark didn't defend him, stating in a chill tone,

”I don't know him, he's not with me."

The sea fighter calmly stood, then drew a blade, dashing towards the boy grabbing his neck, blade aimed to kill. "Oye ese, I'm gonna be nice this once. You should mind yourself o you get killed, de entendes?"

The child glared at him, "Back off punk! I'm just another potential customer is all."

Pozzio's gaze behind the scratchy glass eye holes blinked intimidatingly, preparing to gouge out the pesky smirk off the child's demonic face. His arm jolts forward but is halted with sudden resistance. Looking beside him, he sees the loan shark had gripped his elbow from carving up the boy. "Ey! ¿Que hacers? What's this?"

The loan shark brought the fighter's weapon down, "I don't know him, but if he's wanting something from me, then I suggest you move on."

Pozzio glinted at him, then at Devol, "I be watchin you boy. Don't cross me." The warrior released his grasp on the child's throat, the watery assassin taking leave into the passing crowds of the cavern.

With a child's dumb look about the lender who stood before him, the demon boy called him out, "Now you want you to talk to me?"

A look of unamused interest was returned to him, "No Devol. You never asked"

"What? Grrr." The boy admittedly agreed, then puzzled. "You know my name."

"It's not hard when half the children in this place speak them rumors of you."

"Alright, well why'd you been ignoring me all this time?" Devol asked, pissed that the man is just now opening up.

"Humph. Perhaps ignoring isn't the right word, you think?" The man corrects Devol, again.

The child noticed his boyish mistake, for how could it be deemed 'ignoring' if he knew he'd be stalked. The kid glared at him, "Well why didn't you react at my looks, my hair? Aren't I a creep, a boy that scares or even makes your skin crawl just a little?"

The guy leans a little down to the boy's level, ”You're whatever you make yourself out to be. You have a very... peculiar face, yes, but I don't take things by that value."

Devol pondered his words carefully. The lender sat himself back in his spot. Then the child dared a stark request. ”I want 1000 denarii."

The man looked at him with a raised brow, "I don't do business with strangers."

Ignorantly, Devol argued back, "I'm not a stranger..." After realizing what the man meant, the child felt stupid, again. "Ok." He grumbled, sighing, "My name... is Devol, what's your name?"

"Lony, nice to meet you, Devol." Lony greeted back.

Attempting the request again, the boy bowed with a hand reaching out, "May I have 1000 denarii sir?" Asking politely this time.

The lender glanced back with the slightest of smiles. "I don't do business with you minors."

Devol began to get real annoyed with Lony, but it was starting to dawn on him to the reality of looking at things 'face value' and such. The child closed his eyes and stuck a thumb to his forehead thinking. "Ok ok. You're not in the business of just minors. Are you in the business of minors with supervision, guardians, parents?" The child asks looking up, eyes curious.

”Well yes, I suppose."

His words left much to be answered for. It bothered Devol.

"You're a hard guy to follow. You know that?"

Lony flaked out some grizzle off the bottom of his footwear, "And you're treading over matters you'd better have thought out before you end up at the depths of the Grand River." The chill man advised his warning in a likable tone, but the situation is true, cautioning the boy's responsibility for a loan from one of Gladia's most dangerous of loan sharks.

Devol blinked curiously, tapping his elbows from his arms crossed. "So you'd consider loaning me 1000 denarii then?"

Lony tilted and shook his head pondering, "Let's just say, if you're my first... child client, you'd need a consenting adult's say so. And if you could make good on your deal... I'll maybe... maybe... consider loaning to you on an exclusive basis, without... supervision."

The child smiled, blinking a look of seductive approval, "Alright, it's a deal. Let's go meet my... foster mom. She'll be down with this."

The lender half chuckled, "That's one faithful guardian to entrust her kin on this substantial loan. She might withdraw to your confidence." He reasoned the overestimation of the boy's caretaker.

The child grabbed the man's left hand and pulled him off his seat, Lony was slightly irritated by the unexcused behavior. "Lony, you'll get to know of who I really am, especially once you meet my guardians."

4

The home of Devol's was a simple one, filled with regular indoor caved decorum and rocky flooring. Rugs covered the living and bedrooms. Lanterns filled with long lasting burn oils, providing the rich aroma of scented pumpkin, wheats, and other varieties of veggies. Vanessa spent what little labor it took to maintain the rocky indoor apartment she calls home. Dusting off surfaces and mostly broom cleaning were the weekly chores. On parts of the week, the task of washing her household's belongings consisted of the usage of a manual pedal washing machine with fast water pouring and drainage values. Once washed, the clothing and armor would hang off strengthened lined wire, air drying soaked belongings.

On this particular day, within Devol's bedroom, his mother was making the bed fold corners, reminiscing the younger years of her boy. It was out of habit as usual days go, this time the deviant son surprised her by slapping her gorgeous rump like her brother Xizor does.

"Ooye, Devol, you had me thinking you were Xizor for a second, what's going on?" Vanessa patted her child's head, bringing the child to hug her sexy thigh looking up at her suggestively.

"I brought a guest over ma, a loan shark." Devol says.

The gladiatrix gasps, holding her son by his sides, "Nooo." She says in a hush tone, then ponders. "Which one? Is it the guy down the street, at cave hall, or at the school? The one in canals? ... Oooo, or is it that Cortelyous senator charmer who's earned my pants, coming here for a quick booty call?"

"What?" Her son said ashamed of her, "Since when you'd suckered one in the canals? Oh wait, nevermind." He teased, tickling his nose on her leg, making her giggle playfully. "Look ma, this guy's name is Lony. Don't do anything sexy to him until he gives me what I want." Devol instructs.

Vanessa's curious eyes are just asking for how much her little boy is getting indebted for. It's no surprise to her; the boy's favored rep with Mulsuevi could lead him to all manner of ill elk. Her kid just shakes his head at her, that curious expression of her's asking about the score.

"No ma, I'm not telling you how much I'm pulling cause I'm needing this money for my goals, regardless how much of the pie you want out of it." Devol states.

"Fine kiddo," She teases, "at least tell me you have some wits about how much interest he's asking for."

"Ma, whatever it is, I can pay it back."

"Alright sweetie," She purrs and sexually smooches her son's forehead, "but if you can't, you know me and Xizor are always here to help in."

"Ma." Devol nudges her off him, peeved about her flirtatious habits might interfere, "Just freaking do what I say and sign whatever paper, form, or contract this guy pushes at you..."

The mother grabs the cheek of her little boy's handsome face, wiggling it. "Mmmm. You're becoming quite the aggressive young man, your granddaddy would be proud."

A hopeless wide eyed annoyed expression formed on the demon boy's face. The two leave his bedroom.

At the dining table, Lony sat across Devol and Vanessa.

The guest clears his throat, his first impressions on Vanessa very similar to Devol, "Good evening Miss. I'm Lony Vandolio, your foster child has requested a loan from me. Would you adhere and consent to this transaction taking place under a guardian's full special permission?"

Vanessa couldn't help but eye the lender's body and facial features. Devol glanced up at her.

"Ma."

Vanessa blinks refocusing to the task at hand, "Unm yes, whatever you say. mmmm. Whatever you say and... more." She coos on Lony's catchy eyes.

Devol elbows her to act right and proper for at least a minute.

Lony's collective expression blinked, undeterred by the mother's gaze on him. "Very well," Pulling two documents out of his caped side, "I have two forms that need signatures from the both of you. As necessary, please read all agreements before signing and I'll fulfill my portion as to Devol's request."

The mother just kept her succulent mind on Lony. Devol noticed and gazed at her mother's lack of focus, then proceeded with what the document reads. The assortment of rules, policies looked reasonable enough, but the interest rate, (50% Weekly, return in full anytime), was being placed for the principal allotted.

The child sighs, shaking his head at Lony, "You seriously want to play it that way huh?"

Lony's chillaxed gaze simply blinked a nod. "This is the first loan in your life. You're my first minor to receive an official warranted loan. The first minor to ever receive a loan in Gladia's history of administration. Keep in mind that it's prohibited for any child to have a loan in their name on the surface. It's furthermore and downright outrageous to receive a loan illegally in this very district and or underworld of any Gladian influence to a mere child. So therefore, I shall make an example out of you for having it 'thought out' precisely, as I advised you."

Devol blinked a little agog with irritated betrayal.

Lony taunts the child in a way too, still holding himself chill and lackadaisical as always, "You can always do the 'just' thing and say 'no thank you.'"

This is a jab to Devol's critical reasoning earlier, thinking he cleverly encouraged the man to agree on loaning to him in the first place. Now it's forcing him to eat his words out in a very humiliating way personally. Looking at Vanessa, she is too engrossed by the man's looks to be of any help.

Lony asks Devol, "Well child? You sign it or won't you?"

Being challenged over and over by this relaxed man's outsmarting mannerisms, Devol felt defeated, and as such, he wasn't gonna let another slip up happen with Lony, not if his time as a reputable feared child has anything to add to it.

"And what?" Replied Devol. "Be calling myself a 'just' child, by the likes of you? No my calm sir, I fully heartily accept the ramifications for my actions and I will pay you back!"

To this, both of Lony's eyebrows rose slightly for a moment, chill lips lowering, "Very well then."

Devol grasped the expensive fountain pen and signed on the dotted line. Looking at Vanessa, he told her to sign her document as well. "Sign it ma. I want this guy to keep his end of the bargain."

Vanessa just kept her lustful eyes on Lony. Her son was getting agitated by it.

"Ma! Freaking sign already. Ma?" Devol got more upset with her, "Ma! The sooner you sign it," Her boy pointed at her form, then at the lender, "The sooner you can f*** that guy. Alright?" Devol was hoping with all his might that she wouldn't give up on him now.

Vanessa placed her hand on her document, and pushed it towards Lony. The lender began to blink a surprised gaze for a very brief split second. Then to Devol's surprise, his clever mother counter offered. Her eyes closing seductively and then opening in all the seriousness brought about by this very woman fighter deemed the sexiest gladiatrix alive could, "It's got to be 1200 denarii."

Lony's mouth opened slightly, lessening by her sheer tenacity to double down the consequences that her son is embarking on. He cleared his throat. "Ex... cuse me miss..."

"You heard me, handsome." Vanessa stated with alluring seductiveness. The kind of suggestiveness that pushes a man to prove himself 'able' towards a woman, especially one who's just called out his masculinity to the test. Devol looks at her with an 'omg' mouthed expression stunned.

The loan shark's eyes widen briefly then brow with one glaring at her, "Miss? Are you challenging me?"

Vanessa does what she does best next, adds fuel to the fire, "Are you wasting my time, Little?"

That struck a nerve! Lony held the bottom of his lip up to his front teeth, pressing the upper lip of his mouth closed, not wanting to show a clear reaction. It was clear that he's to show his more dominant side of his personality. Reaching into his pocket, the now irritated loan shark pulls out 8 pure golden aureus coins stacking them on top of her form, then as to show angered authority, he pushed the form and the vast coinage back to her with a single finger. A qued statement that she's gonna be put in her place soon enough.

Devol looked at the golden coins and then at his mother's focused gaze on Lony's hard sights, "Ma, si..." Before the boy could finish his sentence, Lony, in a manner whole heartily different then his usual self, interjected.

"Sign... It... Woman." Lony stated, not as a request but by demand to Vanessa's inexcusable, delinquent tenacity that's making the loan shark show his true colors.

Vanessa blinked, licking her lips, picking up the fountain pen and signing her signature on the dotted line. The lender reached over and took the two documents, sliding the one under the stack of aureus out without collapse. Gazing on towards Devol's surprised look, Lony reaches into his beltline pocket to reveal a small sack of aureus coins on the table. His fingers withdrew one as he coin rolled it across his knuckles presenting it.

"50. Equivalent to 1000. Have at it, boy." Lony said in an annoyed tone.

Devol looked at the sack and grabbed at it, Vanessa's hands grasped his arms. The boy child wide eyed her, she looked at him with loving eyes, palming the 8 extra gold coins and adding them to the sack of 50.

The child looked at his mother, "Why?"

"Cause I love you so very much, Devol. Please be careful with it." Vanessa said, motherly eyes true to her heart, then she whispered something into his ear, Lony didn't hear, frankly he could have cared less. To her concluding gesture towards her son, she kissed the boy's temple, much like Mulsuevi had done. The mother returned a lustful gaze back at Lony's heated state.

The loan shark stood from his side of the table, pocketing the forms in scroll fashion under his cape. He approached the mother, strong arming her with his one shown arm. He guided her out of the home, leaving the demon boy at the table with his desired money finally.

Grasping the bag, Devol couldn't help but shed a tear for how clever his mother really is, and furthermore, loving, to such a diluted boy in a district so rancid, it felt... just, to be loved at least this once in a really long while.

5

The early evening neighborhoods of Capua sauntered on through as ambient life continued with everyones' day. Devol walked paranoid, he was carrying a lot of currency, though a man's handful of coinage, he palmed them close to his person. His current destination, a vast southern complex tower hosting a large variety of business, one in particularly, currency exchange services. Dressed in his tunic and footwear sandals, he was able to blend in well enough, hiding within groups of passing children. 

Earlier in the day, his mother whispered to him something unique. Prior to the loan shark taking her away and having his way with her, she wisped a clever ploy to get the best of both worlds, tricking Mulsuevi and paying back the 1000 denarii to Lony. 

Devol ambled into the stairways, marching up the multitude of floors ahead of him, taking his time not to tire quickly. Thoughts of his mother's guidance lingered; to perform the same trick the madman tried to pull on the notorious grand headmaster of the Extremus during the Lanista Festival. A fraudulent coin bag with promised currency on top but lowest value on the rest underneath. 

The financial floor, with its multiple bank businesses, populated this section of the complex. Devol watched as passing citizens and warriors occupied many of the few open teller booths where bank clerks exchanged countless coin deposits and withdraws hourly. Due to it being later in the day, operation hours were closing soon and much of the public were adamant on performing their transactions prior to the weekend. The demon boy walked by, seeing if there's any booths open at all. Seeing short lines on each one, Devol considered perhaps paying one of the clerk's closing booths to conduct business with him. Walking up to one situated farthest from others, Devol observed the woman behind the counter, diligently counting her end of the day deposits, the coinage in her booth consisted of only sestertii and below. The boy needed denarii for his false coin payment to work. Hopping up a stool, Devol slid over his only silver denarii he's found from searching throughout the catacomb-like network of tunnels below the Gladian metropolis. The lady behind the counter paused for a moment looking at the offered coin, then when her eyes gazed at Devol, she let out a muffled cut off scream with her mouth. The boy's appearance startled her as to be expected.

"Ma'am, please don't freak out." The child implored. "I just want to make a simple exchange of currency and be on my way."

The woman looked at the coin, before taking it, she looked about herself to make sure no one was looking. Afterwards, Devol brought out his loan money of golden aureus coins. The lady, seeing the exorbitant, quickly halts Devol, whispering, "Boy, I can't exchange your gold!"

The child looks at her confused, whispering back, "Well why the heck not?"

"I'm not allowed to, I need my supervisor's approval."

Devol blinks, cautiously putting his gold back into the bag.

The woman questions him, "How much are you wanting to exchange anyway?"

"50 aureus for 1000 denarii."

The woman's eyes widen, "I'm... afraid I can't help you."

Devol brows at her, "What? Then give me back my..." Before Devol could finish, he felt a tap behind his left shoulder. Securing his money about him, he looks up, seeing to what the woman meant.

Before him, a male who looked every bit the banker from the wares to the spectacles stood before him.  "Step away from the counter."

Devol eyed the man, from behind him a ways, stood a warrior, possibly the man's security guard. Not wanting to cause a scene, Devol did what he was told. "Ok... chill."

"Come with me." The bank manager said moving forward a bit keeping an eye on Devol, his armed scissores slave neared behind the boy, encouraging the child to follow the man. He didn't trust where this was going.

The banker guided Devol to an executive elevator lift. Upon entering it, the three elevated a few floors up slowly, the conductor taking his time against gravity. The elegant man questioned Devol, "What are you doing here, with that amount of money?"

"It's mine, just wanting an exchange is all." The child stated.

The man crossed his arms, tilting his spectacles, "It's very unusual for a minor to carry many years of coin on him, wouldn't you say?"

"I'm telling you, it's mine." Devol retorts with a serious look.

"Then prove it. How did you attain all that?"

Devol remains silent, not wanting to say it was an illegal loan.

The banker, in a quick snap of his fingers, had his slave quickly slap the sack of gold off Devol's grasp, handing it to the master. The boy argued while the slave held him back in one corner, "Hey that's mine!"

The banker examined the bag and the currency within, smelling the coinage and bite testing it. "Not counterfeit, I'm surprised." Inspecting further, he finds a note within the sack unbeknownst to Devol as he stops struggling. "What do we have here?" The note contained a certified valid receipt from an unnamed loan officer. Serial numbers following an account number tied to the amount. The banker folds the receipt back into the sack, well memorizing the slip in its entirety. "Well I'd be damned, you were telling the truth."

"Freaking a, I am! Jeez, take a look at an unfortunate looking kid with some gold and you straight away accuse him for being a criminal, why don't you? Wait? You just did!"

The banker blinked, shaking his head and jaw, "Release him Juko."

The custom classed warrior lessened his grip off Devol, the child marched over to take his money back.

Returning the rich purse, the banker introduced himself with an apology. "My earnest regrets, I'm Acquitus Yamahan, this here is one of my slaves, Juko Mauri, one of the elites of Spectacula. How may I assist you this evening?"

Devol glares at the banker, "Name's Devol Ixion. I want you to exchange my gold for denarii."

Yamahan nods, "Anything else?"

"Yeah. A portion of it in 1200 quadrons."

The banker raised an eye to this, but did not question it. The gate doors open as the three enter the floor where more of the high class citizens and slaves would perform their transactions. For now, it's empty, save for the few custodians sweeping and mopping. Acquitus guides Devol to a seat at a private booth, the banker heading off elsewhere. Juko stood back at the elevator gate, sights trained on the deviant. The decor of the place was much more vibrant and detailed compared to its lower level one. Looking about, the child saw serving tables for those that would wait for the turns or long processing orders. Bottle collections of delectable wines remained at the recently emptied small buffet line.

Yamahan returned with miniature briefcases, one of denarii stacks and another one for quadrons. Setting them up, the banker sorted the requested amounts, Devol was to verify that the correct amount is present by his gold coins to be exchanged. Paperwork was filled out with receipts made. Afterwards, Devol carried with him two hefty coin bags.

Acquitus handed the boy a travel coupon to give to the elevator conductor to bill the banker. "Take this, it's good for a couple trips in this building, a comp for your troubles."

Devol takes the ticket and heads off, "First impressions are very hard to forget, mister. Remember that."

Yamahan watches him suspiciously as the child takes the elevator. His slave opens and closes the gate for him. After the boy leaves the floor, Juko approaches his master.

"The Ixion fall under Evad Nortorapoly, sir."

Adjusting his glasses, Yamahan then takes them off wiping them, "I think I'd want to discuss this very… unorthodox predicament with him. Loans to a minor are illegal, but knowing exactly who gave the loan is not in my jurisdiction."

"Allow me to send word for you to meet with Evad."

"Via letter should suit matters better. No one must know of it. Writing is more secluded under the proper eye."

Juko nods. 

Re-entering the bank hall, Devol grabs a nearby mini empty trash bin placing his coin bags within it. Heading to the main elevator center of the building, he rings for the lift. Heading all the way to the bottom floor. Gates open along with the operator's satchel for depositing coin. Using the ticket, the conductor hole punches one of three slots on the coupon, bidding Devol farewell, and onward the child leaves the station. Eyeing his surroundings carefully.

6

Within the chambers of the sudo-emperor, Mulsuevi laid back in his desk chair, feet propped up. Throwing wads of crumpled up letters across the room everywhere, the madman read through his junk mail. Devol entered the room, carrying with him the 1000 denarii agreed upon, along with a pugio short blade. Tossing the bag on the man's lap, the headmaster eyed him angrily.

"Not bin even a day and ye's already got the coin?” Mulsuevi said.

"Yeah, as ordered. Now, you're gonna keep your end of the deal, and let me stab you."

Raningo sat up in his desk, eyeing the coin bag suspiciously. Opening the top, he rakes the upper layer with his fingers, pulling a handful onto the table. The madman can see a worried eye about the boy, seeing right through his cunning ploy. Smiling smug, Mulsuevi calls him out, "Ye tink me dumb boyo, that I'd jost take yer payment sincere? Tis impossible fo a bratty child ta gain wat me, an emperor gets, in a single week!"

Devol narrowed his look at him.

Mulsuevi smiled, "Ye regret tis boy, haha ha, ah rookie's mistake, cunning but fallish,"

As to make his point clear, the headmaster poured the coin bag out. What the madman saw next, chilled his spine, every last coin was denarii, as promised. Blinking regrettably, he mashed his teeth angrily. "Yoou've dun et now." He growled.

Devol rebukes the madman wholeheartedly, "No! YOU done it now!" Hopping on top of the desk, brandishing the blade, "You sent a hitman after my skin unawares, task me on bringing you company that I honored, blame me for your coin loss, and after I go out of my way to get you your coin, you suspect me of betraying you?!!”

Raningo's glare began to slightly… lessen.

Devol cussed him out, "F*** you, you miserable piece of sh*t!” Poised to strike at Mulsuevi……. the boy instead… dropped the blade on the desk. Growling back at him, "You ain't even worth my end of the deal." The child skulled, sliding the denarii into the bag, taking it with him.

"Boyo!" Raningo shouted. "Where'd ye going weth me coin ter laddie?”

Devol glared at him, "The deal was I'd get to stab you if I got you your money back, but after all the crap you put me through. I don't have to honor sh*t to you anymore."

As the demon boy made way to exit the chamber, the headmaster rose from his desk, "Raghh! Wait!" The madman shouted, collecting proper thoughts of talk. "Riiiff! Ye give me that there coin… I'd consider yer debt's to me… paid and furthermore, raaagh!!... Never bother ye again."

Devol stared at the brute, pondering to himself, holding the hefty coin purse in his hands and dreading how in the world he would even payback Lony at the outrageous rate he's charging. He wanted to so badly scam him with false payment just like his mother guided him, but still, Devol chose to honor his idol. Devol sighs disappointedly, guilt making him teary eyed, slowly walking back to the headmaster. "You make me sick, you rotten scumbag."

A twinge feeling of guilt crosses the brute's mind, one he hasn't felt in a long… grueling… decade. "Raagh!" He skulls the boy out of his chamber, flipping the cold granite lanistal desk over, "AWAY WITH YOU THEN!!!" The child runs off, dropping the coin purse, it clacks onto the hard stone ground. The madman felt ever more ashamed. Laying back in his chair with elbow propped on a chair arm, knuckles pressed against his cheek, forehead and psychotic eyes frowning. He just stared at the purse slumped on the floor as his panting subsided. After an hour of pondering, he stands, picking up the coin purse, seeing the promised payment his loyal asset begot for him. The madman feels it in his guilty conscience to at least honor a deal he promised a certain someone he'd paid back… Evad. 

7

The Extremus district held its usual daily routine teachings of vigorous youths training to become exemplary fighters in years to come. The mid-evening dusk came rolling in as dinner mealings we on. The postal servicemen arrived on horseback delivering mail orders to the postage housing block situated within the school. The more important letters were sent to the Lanista Villa, ones related to the headmaster's notice as empiric official messengers deliver the high priority mail. Evad's daughter was always first to sift through the mail that came for her relatives, often letters of hers mingling with theirs. She's done it so much that her recognition of the senders was obvious, patterned, and expected, but when ones with new or rare senders arrive, the young acolyte makes it her business to acknowledge their whereabouts. It's how she's prepared herself exquisitely to one day become a fully fledged certified lanista, in her own right.

The one in question was from a rare sender, Bank Manager, Acquitus Yamahan of the southern Capua tower complex. There's only a handful of times Tierra's father ever did dealings with this low level lanista. One for financing some gladiator fights, and other times, recruiting first picks of the best custom classed students seeking a master with enough leniency to let them train on their own completely.

The girl saw the letter addressed for Evad's attention only, making her very curious. Reserving the letter within her tunic, she finished through her sifting, heading into her room with her respondent mail. She closed the curtains on the door, her quarters were dark as blinds and window shutters were closed to imply her absence there. Withdrawing the exotic letter, she performed one of her erudite tricks to snooping what's on the important parchment. Opening her blinds carefully, she lifted the scroll up to the beaming sun, using a special kaleidoscope (procured contraband from the said outer world) that focuses a strong ray of condensed light, the thin material shown rolled up writings. The darker lines of words vs the more faded ones guided her to where the letter started.

Letter: 

Dear Grand Headmaster Nortorapoly

It has come to my attention that one of your slaves of Ixion, a minor, came to our establishment exchanging vast amounts of wealth. Under the circumstances, I've tooken part on investigating the child's wealth myself to find no wrong with the currency. But how such means of coin was given to the child stemmed off a receipt from a loan officer by serial number 200-3161-1687. Though it's by no means my duty to look into the identity of the individual or organization that lent money to Devol Ixion, the law prohibits it, nevertheless a vast exchange of over 1000 denarii and request for an additional 1200 quadrans from a mere boy has peaked my suspicions. When time permits for the two of us, let us discuss moreover what is to be done for young Devol. A swift correctional adjustment to the boy must be necessary in my opinion, for how foolish a child is to be given a loan at all it. Furthermore, suspicions of foul play are evident by such a request for much quadrans as well. I deem this boy's next course of actions problematic for our long standing administrative system if corrective action isn't pursued.

Deepest concerns

A. Yamahan

Bank Manager.

Capua South Station Metro Complex.

Tierra placed the untampered scroll down, narrowing her eyes, already finding this banker's outlook on Devol's predicament sour. She held onto the scroll, looking to return the letter to the manager herself and give the banker a piece of her mind.

Late evening ran long for Evad, he usually sorts his mail during the dusk period of the day prolonged after students are dismissed for the day, but now the aging headmaster sought some rest in his lounge patio outside. It pleased his worked mind to view the growing vegetative atmosphere growing throughout his villa garden, growing bountiful crops, beautiful architectural villa marbling, and water fountains flowing as exotic trees canvas soothing shades nearby. His peaceful resting was cut short. A servant arrived by his sights, bowing and regretting the disturbance of his rest.

"Headmaster, it's an unusual visit of another that comes to visit you unannounced."

Evad blinks intrigued, "Curious. Most curious indeed. And as to who comes by my steps so willingly without prior arrangements?"

The servant lowered his eyes, "The Headmaster of… Insulae."

Evad sighs, "Mulsuevi then, tell him I'll be right over."

Arrived by his dark armored large carriage stagecoach, held the headmaster in question, hearing the villa servant hop up to the door window.

"He'll be with you shortly sir."

Raningo grunted off his seat coming out of the carriage and into the weakening daylight of the surface. The brute brought no Insulae guards. His driver was among his elite slaves and a fitting alumni to suit traveling alongside him to the villa personally. Xizor Ixion stood by his headmaster as the two awaited the arrival of the slave's official owner, Evad. The man arrived with some of his other slaves and a visiting doctor accompanying him. 

His daughter, Tierra, watched from on top of the villa patio as her father's group of warriors marched by him, the tall formal dressed physician stood tall in spring lock propelled stilts, observing everyone including her from all the way where she's sitting. Eternal Rest is one of, if not, the last remnant of descendents from a generational heritage of doctors. The Rest family of physicians are of most importance to the young acolyte daughter of Evad, studying under the mysterious birdish beaked figure. Hearing her father's unfond introduction, her distant attention is placed at the two very important headmasters.

"sudo-emperor! How do I find myself speaking to you so... informally?"

Mulsuevi narrowed his look down at the 6 foot man, taking time to formulate proper words, "I'd feel an annoyed conscience plaquing me mood rashly. Me seekeths to replenish me false deed, and for one, honor a deal me says I would."

Evad was skeptical about the madman's genuine proposal, but still had to sympathize partially for him, for it isn't normal for the madman to speak this proper lest a 'real' issue drives it. Sighing, "Your words… sound truthful… my grizzled friend. Perhaps, there's no need to inspect the coin in full. It's been a long troubled feud between us, I like to see it put to rest."

Mulsuevi nodded along. The money that Devol honored to give him only felt just in soul to at least pass the boy's effect through Raningo, and allow him to inturn, for once, be faithful as well. "Count ta money in full still, I seekith proper undor yer autority."

To this, Evad's expression and doubts changed, "I declare you trustworthy Raningo. This time at least. I'm not used to your aching wearies. I… believe you telling the truth."

"I insist." Declared the sudo-emperor.

"Well, why not then, afterwards maybe we can catch up properly for once in the comforts of my villa." Evad invited.

His slaves Miarzim, Acolytus, Amadeus, Falx, and Spartacus stood at their official owner's call, "Acolytus, Amadeus, if you please?"

The netman is a butler of sorts, normally stationed in the Mercatus but recently arrived at the villa for a physical health assessment along with all his other fellow school comrades, hence the elite doctor's visit as well. The spearman used his round shield as a surface, the retiarius held the other side. The two warriors positioned themselves in front of Evad, the master nodding at Mulsuevi to put the money bag on the shield for him to inspect. Raningo handed the hefty coin bag to Xizor, having him reunite with some good friends and rivals. The secutor places the bag on the inner shield, taking his side back with the madman.

Evad opened the bag, raking the top layer of the coin, finding it all silver denarii just like he's done the first time Raningo handed him the fraudulent purse. Now this time, Evad prepares to flip over the sack and pour out the rest of the contents to verify its authenticity.

As Evad places the rest of the coin bag upside down ready to lift, all the madman could think of is how foolish he's been to Devol's honest and loyal nature. His mind briefly fluttering back to when he expected fraud payment, only to be given true payment in full.

The important authority figure lifts as out slides the rest of the coin... pure zinc quadrans…

Evad's full sympathetic expression lessons, squinting at the madman.

Mulsuevi gawks at the payment, left eye twitching. For longest he can remember, the elements of himself being played by anyone was lost to him. Now it's a certain bad boy that's perfectly swindled him. His breathing arises as he glares at Xizor, who's confused as to why he's looking at him, "haI'm goona turn that pepsqueak's head unto A FLOOR SHIFTER!!! RAAAAAGH!!!"

Evad stomps and slaps his own right short sleeve inner elbow, a loud fleshy echo immediately charges forth his gladiators on to the madman. The netman grasps Amadeus's shield, careful not to spell the fraud coin purse into the sands of the ground as the hoplomachus joins his brethren on taking down Mulsuevi. Xizor being grappled by the tall master gets thrown at the warriors. Spartacus and Falx slide low to the ground as Miarzim and Amadeus break the fall of the secutor with their cooperative tumble back.

Citizens and pedestrians watched from a distance, engrossed by the unfolding conflict.

The dimachiarus and thraex aim to subdue the madman but once he closed in on them, he wolfhound step forward with his hidden greaves cladded in spike vicious shin nails. The two combatants were forced to draw weapons and deflect his furious shin kicking blows. The retiarius scooped loose coin into its bagged container foot launching the shield towards Amadeus who rolled off the ground catching it as he withdrew his spear. Miarzim paired alongside him, shield to shield, attempting to cooperative bash Mulsuevi to the ground. The madman glanced sights of incoming defenses and dynamically swooped under the two gladiators, catching them off guard and balance tripping them, tumbling to the sands. The thraex swung his two handed greatsword at the sudo-emperor. Through a hidden thin casted gauntlet tucked under his toga sleeved arm, spring forth light armored spiked protection, taking on against the incoming strike. Falx went wide-eyed as an upclose fist of Raningo came smashing at his right manica arm, stunning him to the ground temporarily.

Tierra arose from her seating, observing the rare unauthorized spectacle. The loud commotion brought out many of the members of Nortorapoly watching on. The girl's uncle, Wisely, came by alongside her, along with her mother, Alysia, accompanying her young brother with equal curiosity.

"What's all the fuzz out there?" The uncle asked.

"From the looks of it, the crazy lunatic gave Evad payment and somewhat regretted it." The daughter assumed.

Wisely cleared his throat. "A physical dispute over coin? There's surely more to it than that."

Her mother shook her head at the fight, "Definitely more to it than that. Evad will have some explaining to do."

The rising crowd of onlookers steadily grew from different parts of the district as pedestrians lingered out their home, sighting the comotion. 

Spartacus jumped over his downed comrade, duel wielding the swords of his at the madman's relentless charge. The might of his wolfhound step, mercilessly juking the swordsman fighter precision swing. The brute growled smug, sending a whirlwind jab of his sleeved spiked gauntlet at the mistimed block of the dimerachrius, breaking his posture sending the elite warrior to the ground landing with suboptimal recovery.

With raging eyes at Evad ahead of him, the ruffian sprinted a charge at him. The Nortorapoly man stood his ground, gaze narrowed, undeterred by the charging madman aiming to sock him. The physician that stood tall next to Evad immediately advancing forward, lunging with mechanical aerial advantage, performing a similar fashion juke of the madman's, causing the ruffian to hesitate a faulty side step, getting caught with the plague doctor mounting his back. Mulsuevi continued dashing the remaining distance to Evad anyways. The Nortorapoly man held his exact position still, unwavered by the deranged threat closing in on him. Eternal felt through the maniac's back collar, hand on the spinal column of Raningo's open section of his toga. Finding a suitable vertebrae, the doctor held a guided finger to it, then with a retracted stilt, momentarily popped the bone out of place. The brute felt loose, losing control of his legs, arms, and feet, collapsing towards Evad, sliding through the sandy surface as the doctor launched himself off him.

Mulsuevi's roughed face laid inches away from the Nortorapoly's right foot. Angrily grimacing, the ruffian jolted his crowned head forthward, aiming to bite off the vulnerably exposed flesh of Evad's foot sandal. The grand headmaster instinctually lifted his pedal up, nearly avoiding the chomp, then slammed the bottom of his luxurious sandal at Raningo's side of the head, rendering vicious molars useless to where they were at.

The doctor sided next to the grand headmaster.

"Interesting maneuver Eternal." Evad complimented.

"Temporary though." The doc said calmly, advising caution.

The recovered fighters raced back to their master, picking up the incapacitated madman off the ground. The tingling sensations of his limbs remain, nevertheless, the warriors locked any potential recovering moments futile in various unfair and difficult strangleholds and grips.

"Graghh! Ye squabbling rascals, release me tis once!" Ordered Mulsuevi.

Evad gripped the madman's ear, "You'll keep your mouth closed for as long as possible, if you know what's best for your interests Raningo." The look he gives him demands absolute respect for the brutes drastically misdeeds this evening.

The grand headmaster signaled for his slaves, including Xizor, to haul the ruffian towards his villa. Onlooker servants watched as their owner held a hand gesturing series of communicated signs. They immediately bursted into the villa and brought out a pillory of wooden shackelments. Multiple servants logged the hefty pieces into a station wagon and the driver swiftly pulled up to the group of warriors. The infamous 3 holed entrapment device was firmly installed on the madman, permanently immobilizing him. A similar restraint was installed to his ankles. The group lifted Mulsuevi onto the cart. Evad climbed up next to the driver, instructing him to head to the Extremus school.

Tierra and the others watched as the warriors jogged alongside the rolling wagon heading towards the school mist the distance. She quickly ran down the steps of the villa, saddling on her pony, following. The rest of the curious relatives equally saddled horses and carriages heading to the school. Citizens and witnesses likewise.

The Extremus school rested quietly with passing local students roaming the grounds. Their late evening involved studying on their own accord at the lecture halls and reflection, leisurely spending the remaining day until bed rest hours ensue. This evening however, things were going to be more exciting. As some students relaxed in the cooling dusk outdoors, some of the ones that stared into the sky saw Eternal fly and perch himself at the very top of the lecture hall facility. Soon after, the station wagon carrying the madman rolls in. The elite warriors accompanied on foot, jogging.

The children slaves watch as a large rising spectacle of audience members came by in various means of travel. Their chatting and excitement began catching the attention of the students peering out their windows of the school.

Evad hopped down the wagon, waving at his warriors to prop the madman up off the wagon and set up the remaining pieces of the pillory where Raningo is to stand hunched over, locked up. Feeling his limbs returning, the lunatic resists.

”Bragh! Why have ye brought me to yer's pity runt of school, Vad!" Hollered Mulsuevi.

Evad bonked the real pity runt in the head, "Careful for what you say Raningo, some of the children you see here today will one year be working for you or rather… your competitors."

Many of the local children and teens began populating the windows, balconies, and rooftops of the school. The madman seeing their curious eyes observe the "humbling" position that the infamous sudo-emperor has himself in.

"Raggh! Takeths a reel gladiator to entir me halls uf academy! Une of pain and aggression!! Member that, ye's unearned guod fer notings yaps!" Raningo warns, seeing much of the Insulae students eye him directly, either fondly, or challenging.

Evad walks up to Acolytus, the retiarius, guiding one hand on his back as the two very casually and slowly strolled further up towards a side of the school.

"Leo. I'm keenly aware that this man had some... altercations with you in his neck of the metropolis. Would you feel comfortable on letting me know how many times he's... you know?”

The netman knew and didn't appreciate where this was going, "Headmaster, though I yearn with my natural burden of the man, I don't see it just to witness the very disciplinary action conducted to him as he'd done to me." Leo Acolytus reasoned.

Evad raised an intrigued brow, "Oh? Really? How do you reckon that?" He challenged.

The netman narrowed a look of sincerity, "Because I wish better onto others than I'd ever do to myself, regardless of what they've done to me or my closest ones."

Closing his eyes, the headmaster patted the back of the netman's scarred back. As the rising crowd of witnesses began gathering more to view the scene unfolding, Evad chose to rebud the retiarius. "You truly are in the service of others and right to be as you ought." Halting a gathering crowd of the school, the headmaster stops them from obstructing the clear view of the spectacle. "But you must realize how burdensome a brute like Raningo is in my line of work. He's double crossed me and fooled around my offers more times than I bother to recall. Now listen to me carefully Leo. If you let a real man insult you enough, eventually they'll attempt to kill you. So..." Evad gives a side glance to the imprisoned trespasser at the center of the school grounds and returns a charming look back to Leo, "I am to do what is necessary to maintain Nortorapoly influence within all the future of Gladia." The netman became nervous, the wise man notices it, "You will not go anywhere, you are to remain here and observe what will happen and when you take word to Sinus's curious acknowledgements, it will be that of this very evening; a message to every Gladian, that no one crosses a Nortorapoly." Before leaving the netman, Evad looks at him dead in the eyes, "And it was 38 times he's treated you with his 'hospitality'."

With that, Evad strolls back to the center of the strange event. Ordering the station wagon off to the side, his elite gladiators are to stand by as an inner circle of security and admiration to the youths, their slight roaming moments to remember all the faces that will bare witness of an example of correctional treatment to perhaps the most insulate Gladian within the nation.

"Miarzim!" Called Evad.

The murmillo came, "Yes Headmaster!"

"I understand that you've taken a liking to the paegniarius fighting style, have you not?"

"Indeed master. Bullwhips used to tame and calm the untamed."

Evad smirks a squint at Raningo's shut eyes, apparently bored, "You wouldn't happen to be carrying now, would you?"

The Egyptian reached into his large scutum shield, withdrawing a specially tailored whip that the establishment's renowned blacksmith manufactured.

Evad received the elegant lassoed weapon within his grasp, "My my. Mits is something else now, isn't he?”

"It's yet to be tested, master." Miarzim says, honoring the chance for this momentous event.

"Hummm. Well, seems fate has it in for it to be... broken into." Evad says unwinding the weapon, smugly eyeing Raningo's doubtful glare back at him. "Return to your post, Miarzim. I believe now I shall demonstrate some law and order for a real delinquent here."

The murmillo returned to his part of the circle, the elite famed warriors very slowly circling the scene, eyeing everyone, remembering faces and descriptions.

"Xizor." Called Evad.

The secutor arrived, "Headmaster."

"Relieve Mulsuevi of his upper toga wear, no need to be gentle, and oh… as well as any gear that's attached to his torso and arms."

The secutor eyes back a blank neutral stare, turning to his other master who is leasing him. Evad walks back a ways, gauging how far the whip can strike and crackle. The headmaster inspects the weapon further, seeing that it's adjustable in different varieties of lengths, very adaptive to nearly all situational fights. Xizor approaches Mulsuevi from behind and without hesitation, tries stripping and yanking off the toga to varying difficulty. The fabric is made with hardened cut resistant leather.

"By goval, headmaster! How sharp is ya gauntlet spikes to tear through this material?” The secutor said. The crowds commenting on the failed attempts on revealing the full exposed back of the sudo-emperor.

"Heh ha ha, looks lik me be keepin me wears on then." Mulauevi taunts.

"Yeah?" Removing the spring locked spiked gauntlet, Xizor still had a hard time slicing off the material but made do. Shredding off the right toga of his master's, the side tunic underneath follow too. The extra spiked harnessed gear was thrown to the sand ground. People were shocked that the madman carried this much fatal spike armor with him, everywhere he goes.

With his back fully exposed, the madman's slave bows to his master one last time, "Having it the hard way is best, master. I envy your position."

"Ta heck withe ye, yus jusst pappy yur's still undar me wing." Raningo growled. Xizor returned to his spot in the slowly revolving outer circle.

Evad lightly dangled the whip, prepared to strike. He's had experience using them before, but not like this one that his school's blacksmith created. With a 'whatever, let's see how this goes' gesture, the grand headmaster reels the whip back a little and sends the very tip of it flying at Raningo's bare open back echoing the dreading echoey 'crack'. To everyone guttural gasps and concerns. The whip had done something unbearable to the sight.

The madman only felt one pathetic lash, his head and eyes glaring at the audience in the midst of their astonishment. "Wut ar ye all gawking aboot? Ye's never witnessed a whipping prior?"

What Mulsuevi did not know is that when the whip's tip had close proximity contact to his exposed back, the few end strands split into multiple voracious strands of slash shlinging spindles that immediately clinged under the dermis of the skin and as the whip naturally retracts back, it torn off flesh, leaving exposed beating muscle secreting blood.

Evad looks at the damage done by the whip and observes the tip of the weapon, "What the? Uh oh."

Raningo taunted for more, seeking to relieve his boredom already, "Well com un ya mangy scrawl of heedmuster! On to it then!! I'd got mor fun giving it to that headmistress b*tch wher'd it counts than what ya offoren!!!"

Evad scratches his head, doubtful of the whip being that powerful, goes at another lash, same gesture and all. A crackle later, this time the audience panicked in their spots. What they witnessed was a chunk of flesh shredded part way off the madman's back as the fatal spindles of the whip split apart the held piece in it clutches in the air, then ripping it into smaller portions as it retracted into a single stands.

"Whell! Me gets a better kickin if ya just try's me head rather, perhaps ye make me feel it fine ta least!!!" Mulsuevi doubly taunted.

Everyone gasped in silent chatter, dreading what severe damage the weapon would do, should a poor target's cranium come in contact with it. Seeing the hunk of hanging flesh and tissue bleeding out beyond serious injuries, Evad collectively breathed in and out, grumbling to himself a morbid chuckle, "God damn it Mits, why'd you make a lethal whip?" Calmly preparing to strike once more, the audience couldn't bare to watch another. The children were scarred by the level of blood ozzing out of the madman, let alone his large portion of fleshy meat ripped out of his back. Evad reels the whip back poised to strike, the audience starting to plea, pleading as few by few wish for it to stop.

For Mulsuevi, he saw the concerned faces of the crowd and became infuriatingly furious, jolting with all his strength, shifting the pillory forward a bit, "HOW DARE YE'S PETTY MEEE!!!"

The roar of the madman caused the steady blood loss from his injuries on his back to suddenly geyser out a meter of gushing blood behind the madman's ignorant yet realization still. The torn cavity revealed bodily functioning organs operating in exposed oxygen, pulsing and moving. The elite warriors were at a loss, equally unsettled by the unfolding events from their distances alone. Evad became aware that much of the crowd wanted this to end, but he dared to push it, not to yield to unprecedented circumstances when the must to express real authority is called for. With a determined look, he charged his strike. Now, many of the members of his very own family are beginning calls to stop the next strike, ordering it with their own imbued authority collectively. Evad recognized this as failure of influence of the very name his very own were birthed into. Mulsuevi heard the conflicting weakness of Nortorapolys, making the madman's psychotic eyes twitch uncontrollable anger as he struggled against his imprisonment. 

The grand headmaster narrowed his sights about his own kind. Now realizing that those of his own family would rather throw out their hard earned respects to cherish the madman's wellbeing. To this Evad, went along with his strike, fully committed to the strike. The crowd shouted against it, but it was too late, the whip came hurtling forward. Expecting the worst, the tip of the whip had barley reached the madman's back, only this time, the large hanging dangling hunk of flesh was hacked up in the air slicing up the piece into many bits. The clinging retract of the heft of meat pulled the headmaster forward a step, himself surprised by the weight of the flesh that just got eviscerated. The crowd of people gasped in relief, seeing only the already torn flesh get stripped off the man. Evad sighed disappointedly, actually cheated out of his final blow having to redo it again, everyone was noting this. The crowd was at an uproar, some of the people were willing enough to step forward and possibly stop Evad, yet through instinct, the elite circle of his warriors displayed sheer force of discipline to draw their weapons at the advancing crowds, forcing the audience to remain back. Leo was mortified by the chaos and the strictness of Evad that nearly all of his own flesh in blood family denied him. The madman kept at his ramblings. The grand headmaster poised himself ready to strike one last time. Reeling the whip back, he launched it. People yelled and screamed. But miraculously, the tip of the whip barely missed the back of Raningo. The crowds and the elites warriors look back to see a discontent gaze on Evad's face. His swing had been halted by, shockingly, the chief executive doctor himself, Eternal.

Mulsuevi threatened the crowd, "Ye's plastered dumb buggin f***en fools, ta lot of ya!!! I should hunt ye all down MYSELF fo think me weak!!!"

Much of the people certainly believed now, after the amount of blood loss and energy this madman yet carried with him, they knew he was not at all weak, furthest beyond it.

Evad glanced his narrowed look upon Eternal.

The doctor looked at him back in much similar fashion.

The headmaster widened his narrowed look, "Don't you even know who that man is?"

"Of course, but the public doesn't." Eternal nodded, his grip on the man's wrist was yanked off.

Evad became so annoyed and disgusted by the sheer ignorance of the people. Walking forward a few steps, the headmaster reeled the whip back and cracked it at Raningo once more. The shock of the crowd roared in anger, about to riot against Evad at first but then saw what followed. The crack of the whip's tip made contact with the left locking shackle placement of the pillory, busting the mechanism open, loosening the upper hands and head restraints. The madman, feeling this, bursted out of the hefty logs and smashed the other mechanism with his own raw brute force freeing the logs from their planted hinges, then quickly smashed open the locks holding the wooden log entrapments of his angles. The elites noticed that their own headmaster freed Mulsuevi of Evad's very own accord. Knowing this, they knelt down in appeasement.

Raningo looked behind him to see all the blood and gore laid behind him and gaze focusing towards Evad. Picking up the logs he threw them in his direction, but Evad held his ground, the people were confused, seeing the logs fly above the grand headmaster and hurdling at the Nortorapoly relatives that sprinted for cover behind carriages. The thrown logs bust their windows and side wheels. The madman marched towards Evad, the brute stepped on his own torn apart flesh to the people's shock of how a man like Raningo can still be awake at this point, watching his organs operate with his back to them. Once the ruffian got up to a calm collective but pissed off Evad, Mulsuevi didn't attack him, rather he shoved the man off his way. The madman's real focus was on those disloyal and outright pathetic family members of his.

"Raaaagh! ALL YE! Fools to thy fluttering lips, whose spoken against yer greatest. To envoke yurs privlages... en saving me? Ou DARE YE!!!" The madman's continuous blood loss lingered trailing him. "Since ye think yurself mightful to saveth I, how about I'd envoke me own sacred demand?”

The family members looked at each other surprise, ragged breaths worried, trembling before him and regretting their decision. More surprisingly, forth came Tierra with her uncle and mother right behind her, the only ones that hadn't spoken up. They walked towards the barbaric madman, his eyes focused on the other family members. The three walked right passed Mulsuevi with him not even batting an eye to them. They are with Evad, in reality their side of the family now officially holding pure to the influence. The others were being challenged by the madman.

With the removal of his crown, a symbol of Insulae emperorship solely crested by the very helmet of Pantheon Prudes himself, the 1st sudo-emperor, melted into what it is now, Mulsuevi frisbees it towards the false authority figures. "I decree as sudo-emperor of Gladia, ye's greatest warriors step forth to challenge me." Raningo ordained.

The remaining crowd gasped. The state of which the madman was dying at yet willing to find off some of Gladia's most experienced warriors is... most definitely fitting of the leader of the Gladian underbelly.

One of the family members, rebuked the demand stating, "Though amicable as it might be, false emperor, you're in private territory, you've no right."

Evad interjects with a commanding snap. "Under normal circumstances I'd agree, but you've lost your imbued power for some time. All of you did. Now, our elders may hold some say still, but they aren't in our midst at this time, so I as the highest representative deem it allowed."

The crowd and the students were amazed by the fact that this Nortorapoly family feud is happening before their minds, power struggling forces being put in line.

Without any plausible rebuttal these Nortorapoly family members slowly offered the best warriors they had around them to participate.

"Everyone tas once!" Raningo ordered. The 8 skilled warriors eyed the madman wearily, prepared to fight one of Gladia's most notable and grizzled war fighters of the wild lands. The crown of Prudes lay on the sand, a statement of challenged authority in progress. 

For Mulsuevi, bits of torn flesh began catalyzing slowly if not at all, but as the fight began, his sudden movements bleed over again, the warriors are shocked of the blood flying at them as he took a thraex's assault by the missed weapon swing, grappling the warrior by the neck, tripping feet from under, planting the guy to the ground dazed and out of the fight so soon.

”Whey that's all ee's had in em? Remind me ya pathetic lots why's he's deemed so called 'warriors'!!" He taunts.

That slave's Nortorapoly master, walked back behind others not wanting to bare the humiliation of a so easily beaten fighter. This gave the masters a freight, ordering theirs to engage the madman fully. The murmillos and secutors advanced upon him, thrusting swords cutting his chest and arms up. Mulauevi grinned with pleasure, slapping their armaments off on their next assaults, taking a slave's disarmed stance to grapple their wrist and pull them onto his shoulder twirling him around as others pursued on him, getting smashed in the helmets by the grappled warrior's disposition. 2 more gladiators beaten with ease and the one in Raningo's grasp getting headbutted and tossed at the family members, knocking down a few of them. It was humiliating for them to be losing such valiant fighters on such a disadvantage, injured and dying madman.

"Yur's Nunt fitt fo fighting at ALL, ye's amateurs!!" The madman called out. The master's were tired of his baseless intimidation. Collectively ordering eery one of their fighters to engage Mulsievi at once, the crowd bursted into applause and excitement. Here displayed a true Insulae master ex-fighster, bleeding to death, massively injured, beyond ill-equipped for battle, and taking it yet so well.

The rest of the remaining pro-fighters engaged after him, stabbing, shield bashing, and slashing, bit of his lower remaining clothing tearing off, but for every successful hit they brought to the madman, he'd in turn began incapacitating, dispatching one fighter after another with a thunderous wolfhound spiked shin now more in view, stomp off blocked defenses, parrying out offenses, breaking down postures until every challenger laid bruised, battered, and beaten. The velocity of how much force the madman's kicks landed, proved his lethality. If it were in real armaments combatives, they would of surely died by the scope of such lethal offense.

The Nortorapoly members backed away, seeing the yet standing sudo-emperor panting, coughing, victorious against such notable warriors laid stricken down. Raningo twinkled his nose, the urge to sneeze called out to him as he closed his eyes, growling, inhaling and blowing out forced air, frighteningly startling the crowds as they panicked. 

"Raagggh ACHEWWWW!"

The sneeze had pushed out vital damaged organs jutting out of his back, intestines hanging off coiled and free, another geyser shot of blood loss covered the sands before him and on the down warriors that slowly crawled away from the psycho, disgusted.

The madman barked out the scared crowds, ”SHUTS Yur ever blatting YAPS!" A line of his intestines twirled around and pierced the shin guard of spikes in front of him. Raningo looked down noticing, his look frowns at the crowd still, "DONT take me current state fir weakness an PITY!!!" Mulsuevi shouted, silencing the crowd. His body just now began showing hints of faintness, the man still very attentive.

Evad hands the whip to Wisely, then approaches at a distance, "As you all can see, this man isn't what you'd call, a weakling, he could survive a full flogging, regardless if the tool just so happened to be lethally prepared for actual foes. BUT that being said, I'm now aware that there's those in my statue that haven't the loyalty to trust my actions." The family members look down upon their lacking exposed qualities. "Let it be known that, a great disparity now divides us. For us that hold true to our influence, and to then, those who simply wield it. Let it be known that a Nortoraploy's word is comparable to our very Emperor still!"

The crowds understood this, seeing the executive doctor approach Mulsuevi. The madman glared at the doc, vision faded slightly more and more.

"Whatcha luking ayt!"

Eternal peered at his bludgeoned state, "tsk tsk tsk, Quite a mess of yourself."

Raningo picked up and dawned the sacred crown, "Me's fine, be taking me leave already! Xizor!" The madman said.

The doctor nodded, chuckling, "Yes indeed." Then proceeded to inspect the man's back closely.

Raningo paused, suspiciously gazing upon the physician, then he swung at the doctor, Eternal quick about dodging, leans back, nearly missing the clobbering punch, grasping at his arm. With a curved over fist, middle finger curled further up, the physician pressure point jabbed the brute's side shoulder.

The ruffian mocked the pathetic punch, "Whut? Tis the heck that ole man?"

Eternal clarified, "Not any attack sir, just a simple diffuser. Though if you were much more clothed, I couldn't be of any effect to you otherwise, you won't be moving that arm for a while."

Mulsuevi tries moving his left arm, the limb's done gone numb and paralyzed, "Grrrr? RAGHH!" He charged at him.

The doctor made good about his dodges, semi-paralyzing his legs for the kicks he's thrown, the neck for headbutt attempted, and the final puncture point to his right arm that missed, finishing him. The madman's body stood for a few seconds trying to stand, only to collapse forward onto the physician. "Gaaa, you're much heavier than before!"

Xizor came and shouldered the paralyzed master. Eternal withdrew a syringe and administered a sleeping agent to knock out the brute from awaking for a few hours.

Exhaling relieved, the doctor bows a thank you to Xizor, "Very well then." With the madman subdued, Evad approached the grand doctor. "Headmaster Evad, if you would arrange cautious travel for master Raningo here to my quarters in the Oscan, I would much appreciate it."

Evad nodded in agreement, "Thank you for calming our untamable member of society. I'll have him sent over." Signaling for his elite slaves load the scattered pieces of pillory onboard the wagon, along with the madman's careful bundled unconscious body.

The citizens and onlookers that saw this conclusion began to depart from the scene slowly, the members of Evad's family leaving in similar fashion.

Wisely finds something inner whip's features, "Brother. Take a look at this..." Evad is shown that the whips handle unlocks at the base of the handle, sliding down, it reveals the other tip from below, not at all lethal and more traditional thread spindles compared to its fatal counterpart.

Miarzim approached the two. The headmaster gave him complimentary eyes, "Looks like you're authorized to use this weapon interchangeably for foes and opponents. Enjoy this mighty furnished piece of equipment."

The egyptian bowed, receiving back the rolled up lassoed whip, reharnessing it under his scutum shield. "May the opportune enemies of my future never bare its wrath, should it come to that. Thank you Headmaster."

The crowd began dispersing more rapidly now. Evad takes his walk back to his villa, his daughter, and two siblings accompanying him. 

Alysia asks, "What will become of our whole family?"

Evad just smirks disappointedly, "Those who have and those who have not."

8

Throughout the Insulae District, within its many hotel residents housing complexes, Lony spent his aroused time giving it to Vanessa. He proved his worth as a man to her, having her submit under him. The gladiatrix really enjoyed the handsome lanista's body. Being properly taken by a man suits her frisky.

Lony laid on his side of the bed, sweating and panting after another long intercourse session with Vanessa. The young woman snuggled up to him, also so panting, pleased by another go around.

"Looks like you weren't so little after all... Lony." She respectfully complements.

The man gazes at her, "You don't know how long I've waited for this."

Vanessa blinks intrigued, "What are you saying?"

"I wouldn't expect you to remember me." Lony puzzles her.

"No, not really."

"I always had a crush on you."

Vanessa smiles doubtful, "Nah, I don't even know you."

Lony smooches her lips, "That's because I always had a crush on you since I was just a little kid."

Vanessa raises an eyebrow, "Really? Where did we meet?"

"At the Extremus school. I was that little mail boy you always made fun of for being short and scrawny."

The woman begins to recall now. "So you were that cutie that was always been eyeing me up and down huh?"

"Oh yeah, and I never understood why you kept bullying me, until I learned that you really have something for scrawny boys huh?" Lony adds.

Vanessa blushes, "Well yes. I do like a man with a thin frame, skinny is pretty in my eyes, and you're the entire package." She kisses his cheek.

Lony surprises her, "Vanessa, I was a virgin too."

The sexy woman giggles, "Awww, so you've really been packing it down there for me, for years, jeez."

"You're as hot as I'd ever dreamt of. But having you as a friend… would make me happy too."

"Mmmm. I'd woooould like that. But there's more to you than getting your rocks off and helping me with my desires too, you know."

Lony strokes her hair, "I know you're a cunning b*tch, so how's Devol gonna pay me back?"

"Much sooner than you think." She rises from her bed, "Come on, let's go visit him now."

Within Insulae, Devol was in the middle of an intense board game with his grandparents. Sat in his grandmother's lap, his grampa made his moves,

"Thirty seven and sixty, pay up kiddo." The daunt of a past primed secutor warrior chessed his gladiator pon card over.

"Savan." Said the gramma. "Go easy on Dev. He's new to playing."

"Mmmtnah, Melania, the boy justs keepin his wits, he's gotta take initiative and chances."

Devol observes his next move, "Don't fret gramps, I think I'll get you back." The grandchild plays his wild, opening a weakness to Savan's defense.

"Better be a good one, boy." Gramps hopes.

"Forties and fifties. Works for me, your turn."

Savan looks at his set up, thinking. "Well, it looks like you gut me."

Devol smiles victorious to the man's stumped action. Then suddenly the wife helps Savan out,

"Have you tried any of your eighties, honeybun?"

Devol gawks at his gramma, "What?"

Savan reanalyzing his play, readily agrees, "Ohh your right, I can actually break through his guard this way."

Devol sees his mistake of being vulnerable and opened, facepalming. "Aww gamma, why'd ya help him, I was so close to winning for once?"

Melania smirks, playfully smooching the boy's forehead, "Gotta be there for my man or he'll for sure have my hiney tonight."

Devol's expression reddened, the grand dad and mom laughing.

Savan patted the child's shoulder, better luck next time kiddo, between you and me, if she's not around, then I'll just ask your mother for help."

Melania chuckles, Devol in turn laughing too.

The front door opens with Vanessa bringing in Lony. The lender looks as calm, collective, and very peachy by his looks on Vanessa as she greets her parents,

"Hi mom, hi dad."

The father takes one look at Lony and the secutor arises from the table approaching the daughter, disgruntled swagger intimidating, "Young missy, how many times did I tell you not to bring boys to house!" He scorned her. Lony shortened his small friendly smile, letting go of Vanessa's hand, placing his behind him in respects. The father laughed, "Hahahahaaa," The parents laughed at Lony's reaction, Savan's open arms welcoming the lender. "I'm only sh*tting with you, having fun!" The family cracks up, Vanessa giggles to the lender's returning smile. Savan then continued on with a serious finger pointing accusation gesture, "Hey! But seriously, if my daughter wasn't such an angel, I'd have her do you too!" The moment of silence gets broken by Devol's then Savan's followed laughter, "Ha ha hahaa," Everyone laughing again. "I'm joking, come on! F*** and roll!" Savan rhythmically jingles, "This is the Insulae, not the Nobilium huh! Ahhh Hahaha!" Gramps snatches a bottle of whisky pouring two shots.

Vanessa reminds Lony, "he's only cherry and humorous when he REALLY likes someone, sooo, I'm not saying to watch out or anything buuuut."

Savan nods to this, handing him a shot. The grandpa immediately clanks shot glasses together in a cheers fashion, drinking. Lony drinked too, handling the strong alcohol with a brief distraught expression. Savon nodded favorably, taking the two shot glasses back into the nearby wall counter. The secutor gazes back with a hand to his crotch gesture, switching glances at his wife and the couple, "Aww Malania, would you look at these two, damn, I got to get laid. Ahh jeez!"

Devol hops off his grandma's lap, strolling up to Lony and Vanessa, "Ohh mister," His wide eyes smirk up and down the handsome loan shark, "I bet you're looking for this." The boy reaches under his own loincloth, withdrawing the 1000 denarii loan bag. "Present and accounted for!"

Malania sides next to Savan seeing the large amount of coin, "Jeez Dev, you never told me you were loaded. I would have treated you so good." She teases. Devol smiling at his gramma's incestous remarks.

Lony cleared his throat, "Um well, yes? Heh ha. Very well Devol, I'm not sure why you needed the money if you were gonna just return it on the same day, but, a deal is a deal."

"Oh it was put to good use, like you wouldn't believe it." Devol said. "So Lony," the boy had to ask, "If I do any more business with you, would you allow it by my own self?"

Lony smiled, squinting unsure, "If the sudo-emperor allows, I would. Otherwise, maybe in about 5 years."

Devol grins a wide row of teeth. "Oh I'm sure that bastard wouldn't mind. We have a deal then, rest assured."

Savan chuckles, "Good on you boy. And Lony," The lender gave a respectful gaze to Vanessa's father, "long have I remembered you as the little paper boy making good on yer deliveries." The elder man pats him in the back, "Are you still having fondness over my lusty daughter?"

Lony gave a half smile, "I'd look to her as a friend now than a girlfriend, sir. She'll always be someone to help me 'relax' from time to time."

Savan and Malaina chuckled approvingly. The father patted Vanessa in the back, "That's my daughter, ripe to please a worthy man's time. By my grace, she's yours at your booty and call. Between you and me, I want to see that spirited young self of yer's take what's bin itching your loins the most all these years."

Lony bowed, "A thousand thanks sir, I wouldn't dream it any other way." Savan shaked his hand like a son, loving and fatherly. Lony smiled at Vanessa, smooching her cheek. "Well, if all is satisfactory here, I have some coin to deposit. Be seeing you all."

Vanessa dismisses Lony personally, "Be seeing you ever so often handsome."

For the young demon boy, all wasn't entirely answered though, "Lony?" Devol asked. The man turned to gaze at him. "I still never quite understood, who is that giant beast of a gladiator to you and 'why's' to that cape you wear?"

Lony's face blinked a humble smile, quickly pondering how to answer him. "The best man to answer that little quandary, is that of the sudo-emperor." The lender took his leave after bowing one final time.

Devol was now more curious than ever, he wondered what Mulsuevi's whereabouts about Lony and the giant were, along with about the false coin payment the boy's tricked him with thus far. He really wondered what the headmaster's thoughts about him, himself, really are now. So much so, curiosity drove the child's desire to head over to his chambers.

9

Upon walking into the grand Insulae lanistal office space, the room chamber was empty. Devol inspected any possible whereabouts of where the madman might have left for. The hefty desk was still toppled over. The coin bag was no where in sight, leaving him to believe the madman took it. Finding nothing of note really, the boy simply decided to leave back home. His way out of the chamber was interjected, Xizor was around the door. The two bump into each other.

The secutor looks at Devol with a questionable gaze, "Come with me." He ordered.

Devol raised a brow at him, following back into the chamber.

At the headmaster's thrown desk, Xizor began piling stacks of scattered documents, folders and administration tools into a large straw woven sack. Handing the hefty sack to his son, Devol swung the bag over his back.

"What are we doing with his stuff?" The boy asked.

"Taking it to him." The secutor says in a serious tone, piling another sack with things related to Raningo's administrative work. Xizor hands the other packed sack to Devol.

"Hey, why can't you carry one?"

"You need the muscle, shrimpy. No more questions. Now come on."

Heading out, Devol spotted a mini loading cart nearby the mailroom of the cave complex. Borrowing it, he loaded the sacks in it. His father glanced back to see his son rolling by. The child smugly remarks, "You see dad, work smarter, not harder." Proceeding onward, the boy moves his now light load with relative ease, Xizor halted the cart's back wheel with his greave foot, Devol bumping his forehead on the handle bar.

"Not harder, you say?" The secutor challenges.

Devol gulped.

Throughout the Insulae District, Devol was seen pushing the cart with his father in it holding the two bags, the boy was getting his workout in for his size and age, also reminding himself to keep one's mouth shut for one. Xizor mocks him in front of all the warrior buddy's his father rolled passed. "Come on ya little flake, we'd better get there before sundown! More your damn butt!"

Some of the humored warriors began mocking Devol too. "Puts some pep in ya's step sqeak!", "O've seen more muscle on baby donkies than yu, rat!", "Heh he ha, you's gonna be sore in thee morning tere, kid!"

Xizor saw that he was approaching moving crowds up ahead. "Move it suckers." The secutor announces with his mighty hammer raised. "Special delivery for the bossman coming through!"

The Insulae warriors laughed as the boy was huffing and puffing all the way to the main entrance of the hell hole. Coming across a border crossing, Insulae folks freely roamed the vicinity. Surfaced light glowed above the subway like division between the surface and underbelly dwellers of the metro. Xizor signals for Devol to stop. The father hops off, visiting with the few guards coming up to them, inspecting cargo.

"Ey pal! Whut's in the cart?" Asked one of them.

"Office supplies and admin work for Raningo Mulsuevi.”

The officer glances around, "Yeah, for what exactly?"

"Bossman's gotten pretty over there at the Extremus lately. That doc's all the way up in the Oscan there's a holden him until he's fully recovered. Took a mangy sleep dart from the doc, he did. Rightfully swung at the chief for all the repairs job ahead of the doc. What a joyful treat of legendary surgeries he's got in store for our robber barren proving that birdman righter than rain."

Another guard anxiously sighs, "He's ain't gonna like that. Man enjoys the pain the healer works about him."

A third guard swigs a canteen of water, "Yeah you'd think it be the case, but when that chief has a surgery score to settle, he ain't letting even a sudo-emperor say otherwise, smug surface dweller has it in for all of us when we bow ill." 

Xizor scratches his back with his hammer. "I had to drag him all the way up there after the medic wagon rolled all it could to a point." Devol is engrossed by the events that happened at the Extremus.

The guard pats the secutor by the shoulder, "Well I hopes he'd go easy on you. Fate forbid he wakes and is still red after the matter."

"It'll be an honor to get into scapes with the sudo-emperor personally if and when." Xizor laughed.

The guards laugh too, bidding the two luck.

Devol continues rolling the cart, much lighter after his father got out of it. The heat of the surface is eminent as they fully cross over. "Dad, tell me what happened over there, why's Mulsuevi with the chief?"

"Son, I'm not sure what the hell you and Raningo had going on, but when he tried to payback a large fortune to Grand Headmaster Evad, the madman's eyes lit red when a sack of quadrans came a spilling out the bottom end of his promising redemption. Quite unlike the psycho, he was genuinely insistful on making real amends with Evad."

Devol's eyes widened.

Xizor noticed, "Deeeev? What have you done?”

The boy continued pushing the cart, "Nothing wrong."

The parent lowly growled, "Sure as sh*t don't look like."

"Ay, I… I was just minding my own use, doing what I was told. When the bossman messes with me enough, I'm glad to see him get a piece of karma thrown at him for once."

The secutor calls him out, "You actually tricked the Mulsuevi?”

"Well yeah, not without mom's help though, she was the one that suggested the false payment bag."

"Yeah kiddo, she's clever, but she ain't no master of deception. How'd you convince the madman with false payment? He would of looked right through it from the gecko, as he do with your mother's sly ass and all."

Devol rolled the cart into an elevator lift, his father paying the conductor ahead of time as the lift operation begins heading upwards towards the Capua surface.

"Well, it was really his fault. I was gonna give him the false bag of coin firstly, but I... instead gave him the actual 1000 denarii payment, out of my genuine kindness. Then he accused me of betraying him. Calling me a fool and the like. Well no more I said, I chewed him out after he'd poured out the rich purse, discovering who I really am to him. I then slid all the money into the bag and hopped off his desk. When he asked for it back, I justly told him I didn't have to; I'm already as good as a traitor to him the way he's deemed it. But then the madman gets frustrated and agrees to clear my debt to him and even, never bother me again… if I just give him the coin bag he's saw in my hands."

Xizor smiled, "And that's when you had the other, then?"

"Yeah, he didn't expect I would even agree to come back to him, but when I did, he yelled for me to leave."

"So then you dropped the bag."

"Yep. How was I supposed to know he'd be paying it back to Evad anyways?"

Xizor pondered that too, "Why yes, why would he pay him back." Then the father started putting two and two together, "Unless... by Prudes gavol...."

Devol was curious, "What?"

"That would explain why he's only had me tag along, driving him personally to Evad unannounced." Xizor looked at Devol, he kneed down eyeing him, "You… might have actually… tugged on his heartstrings."

"What?" Devol inquired, "Heartstrings?"

The dad elaborated, "When you stayed loyal to him, even after all the sh*t he'd tossed at you, and you were just on tricking him with a false coin bag, he thought he'd catch you off guard, but you actually obeyed him. And after he offered to clear your debt and never disturb you, he for sure thought you'd decline, but you still honored him. It's no wonder why he even came to Evad informally. He for sure thought that paying his debt forward to someone else would settle his inner demons, inner demons that rattled him about you. But when truth be ultimately told, you duped him in the best way possible." 

The lift reached the top, Xizor taking the cart this time, rolling it, "Not only did you touch his gentlest side, but you also wreaked havoc within him, forcing him to have to honor you, in the grandest respect, otherwise he'd be stabbing himself."

Devol pondered the power of his decision, "Well, I made a deal with him, if I give him the 1000 denarii he's wagered behind my back, I get to stab him. Looks like I got my end of the deal after all, wholly indirectly. And he cleared my debt incessantly so."

Xizor couldn't believe the amount of the bet. "What in the world got you involved with that mess in the first place?"

"Mean bastard put a hit on me. Apparently, he wagered that a single crupellarius could snatch me fast."

"A fully armored head to toe warrior, catching a child? Heh I'd take those odds too." The father laughed.

"Well yeah, but lo and behold, it's that giant beast of a gladiator that's after me."

"Sh*t, you mean Mephisto? Aww god. No wonder the madman had the balls to call it."

"Yeah so I'm freaking out, I see this giant eyeing me and it looks around seeing Mulsuevi from far up on a chasm balcony. I catch wind of his observation along with a bunch of grand higher ups of the district too. Those guys were eyeing me like a threat, not to get caught by Mulsuevi's greatest gladiator."

"Well I take it you avoided the giant?"

"Oh yeah, my time with Leo wasn't all wasted in good manner and book smarts, nah, the netman rubbed off on me, educating me the ways of dodging with grace, especially because I'm so young and light."

Having now traveled across the early nighting skys of the Capua, Xizor took out the bags, carrying them, he left the cart at the district's nearby mail office as the two blended with small crowds of people roaming the streets. Torches were being lit, illuminating the adobe paradise, overgrown by some vegetation.

Xizor was proud of Devol, "Son, you have lots of guts to have taken on the giant after you."

"Awww, are you actually loving on me for once." The boy teased.

The dad hip shoved Devol, "I'm serious." Reaching a large building leading up into the Oscan, the two entered the complex, taking immediate lifts to the top, Xizor paid for the fees. He looked at his child, so clever yet the boy didn't realize it. "Devol, I've always been a hard guy on you. But if you gain the full respect of the sudo-emperor, I say you're more of a man than I'll ever be in my life."

Devol looked up at his father, "I never imagined I'd ever get that far with the crazy guy, but if I'm that special to him... I think I might be letting it get over my head."

Xizor disagreed, "Nah, you've done it worthy. Done worthy outside of Gladia too. Done worthy in your young love life too. Veronica is crazy about you."

The boy raised a brow at Xizor, "How would you know my love life with her?”

"Cause Vanessa fantasies about you and Veronica, especially when we're in bed together most nights."

The boy half smiled, mouth small and himself liking the idea of his hot sexy mother at first disliked the wealthy headmistress's daughter, but now had been growing on her.

Upon finally reaching the heights of the Oscan, Devol got to see the very esteemed citizens and masterful slaves living around these parts. The chief doctor's quarters is situated at the north-west corner of the local area. Large houses, two story heights in campus apartmental surroundings huddled the center of the Capua peak of the metropolis. Much of the highly esteemed tenants inhabited these expertise facilities, holding congregations within this squared neighborhood.

The secutor knocked on the door. A metal springed claw opened the door. Further in, the two witness Eternal's gaze on them, he extended spring-lock flexible foreleg retracting back to him. Xizor went in, the chief doctor welcoming them inside, out of the heat

"Come in."

Inside, the pair watched the operation. A diligent performance of medical prowess. Small tables stood adjacent, surgical tools laid precisely in an array of what Eternal needed. In the middle of completing the stitch work, woven horse haired silk needles through toughen leather skin. These re-enforced strings shined under the lantern patient light. Disposed mounds of blood rags carefully sat in containers to be sent to cleansing professionals. With the operation completed, series of level pulleys rise Raningo's unconscious sleep state, guiding the mechanisms to lay the madman down on a bed. Heavy cooling blankets set on his body, arms rise above as the blanket tucked underway, relaxing the slight frown the sleeping man had.

Xizor placed the bags of paper work on the countertop next to Raningo.

Devol couldn't help but look at the man. He's surely been a jerk, but deep down, Devol loved him for it. It always brought him closer to the madman, knowing it was in his nature to be cruel and unbelovant. 

The doctor finished his clean up, organizing receipts and paperwork documentation on his end of the room, filing them into categorized bins of administration work. Turning to the Ixion father and son, he stood from his work stool.

"Everything is done. He will recover. Much sooner if under my continual care, that is. How his current state will be, is at your discretion. As of now, I am heading out to patrol local settlements, performing welfare checks with other Gladian physicians."

Xizor nods and semi-bows, watching the good doctor leave the apartment out of the window balcony. The incredibly light frame figure flying off. 

"Humph. Birdman." Xizor mutters, admittingly jealous. 

The secutor stood watching his son sat on the bedside of Mulsuevi's slumber. 

Nearing the boy, he whispered to him, "I am yearning for my own bed rest son. Do what you do best, follow your instincts, and keep your wits about yourself." The father left Devol alone with Raningo's unconscious state. The outside lively atmosphere of passing pedestrians and rackets play muffled from the indoors of the doctors station quarters.

The boy didn't want to leave his idol's side; the unresponsive bear laid motionless. Crawling up on the bed, he sat on the headmaster's lap. He wanted to make sure the first person he'll see is him. Watching the man sleep, made him feel sleepy. Mind trying and trying to stay awake as dusk turns to night and night wears on. The cold blankets he sat on felt nice. Feeling fleeting eyes get to him, bobby head motions failing, he leaned forward accepting his tiredness. The soreness of his bones were kicking in from the cart pushing earlier. Nearly laying himself on the blanketed chest of Mulsuevi, the feeling of the madman's hands caught him. Slowly nudging Devol upward. He brought the child up to his barely awakening eyes, eyes not so crazed anymore. A sympathetic smile followed his iconic red stressed eyes, welcoming the boy with openness.

Mulsuevi embraced Devol, happily knowing he loves him so dearly. The boy sleeping soundly on him as Raningo too sleeps soundly as well

10

The following new day frosted through as the morning sun warmed up the metro. Banker Yamahan blinked his restful eyes awake. Yawing up and rising out of bed, he took a nice warming shower within his current home in Capua, dressing and readying himself routinely. Coming out of the cozy cottage home, morning sunshine was beaming. Down the steps the lanista walked, greeting his salve who arose much earlier awaiting his master's scheduled wakes. Juko was socializing among some gladiator warriors passing by, some friends, some potential business goers, and the like. Sights of his master bid them off, the two proceeding on their day.

Yamahan strolled by his usual place where coffee and light breakfasts were being served locally.

"Coffee o coco?" The outer bartender offered.

"Coffee please." Acquitus tapped 3 quadrans on the counter. 2 for coffee, 1 for tip. Other men and women passed by with requests of their own, the brief lots of them at the stand ready to depart among others with received orders up.

Making way to his work zone, warmth sips of earthy flavor bitterness sate the rest of the day to come.

Juko attended him. The banker viewed up at the nearing grand tower where he is stationed, "Hopefully a swift reply from Evad arrives."

"Yes master."

The two enter the complex, taking one of many main elevators up.

Midway through, the elevator halts for one. The gates open and in came a little girl. Not just any girl, the very daughter of Evad Nortorapoly, Tierra. The confident little one glanced up at the banker, her stern determined eyes on him. Acquitus peers down at her, lenses flash by morning beams of sun peeking all about. His questioning brow looks to her's.

"Came to make a few withdrawals, missy?"

"No." Tierra said, elevator doors closing, resuming up. She observed the warrior next to him. "I'm here for a meeting with someone."

Acquitus nodded, "Must be an important one if it involves you there, miss."

"Indeed it does." She looked at the passing floors.

Handing the yet full wooden cup of coffee to Juko, the lender wipes his lenses, curious. In a morning raspy tone, "May I ask to whom you're meeting with today, anyone of my elk?"

"Yes, it's you, yourself, and thou.” Tierra said with authority.

The manger blinked a squinted look upon her, "A meeting with me miss?" He placed his glasses back on. "As you wish." Upon entering the finance floors, Acquitus greeted some of his staff members as he made his way to the executive elevator, the important girl following by eyeing much of her father's fierce competition.

The high-class finance floor held many members of society with their early start of the week transactions, adept tellers tending to their rich business. The banker's quarters set further in, privately set space of office for the lanista to discuss personal matters away from curious eyes and ears. The setting was an upper class luxury mix of lounge style leisure and admin accessibility. 

The center of the space catered silver platters, covered pan lids of variable sizes lifted by Juko as the warrior set them readily aside, the man and child laid comfortably across another. Yamahan offered some crumpets and tea. Tierra accepted, the lender's slave- in trained class fashion, carefully lifted the lid pot with one hand, the other grasping the handle, pouring hot tea in her cup, returning the set pot back. The banker sipped his coffee as Tierra dipped a small piece of crumpet in her drink, twirling it around before eating it.

"Now miss, what would you like to discuss with me personally?"

"Oh, nothing much..." Tierra set her tea plate down, then from her toga wear, withdrew the man's scroll sent for her father.

Acquitus raised an eye to this, "I see you a letter of mine. Planning on letting your father have it anytime soon?"

Tierra shook her head with disapproval. "I have no intentions on disturbing my father's greater priorities as of now."

The bank tilted his head suspiciously, "Missy, you ARE aware for the penalty of opening someone's mail to another?"

The girl revealed the scroll's custom stamped seal, perfectly untampered. "I've done no such thing." The girl then proceeds to set the banker in his place. "Now. My father has no business in dealing with private affairs. Especially when it comes to his slaves. This little boy, Devol? He's my responsibility, not Evad's. So if you want to talk with my father about disciplining him, over my say, you have another thing coming."

Acquitus tilted his lenses to eye the girl seriously, he knows that scroll is indeed his, the make of the papyrus is rare and special tailored to his urgent matters of business. "What are you planning to do with my letter then?"

"I'm going to keep it with me, as proof. Feel free to send another at your own risk, I will just have my father know ahead of time to forward anything pertaining about you to me. Merely wasting 'his' valuable time is an offense to a Nortorapoly you know. Besides, you're out of your place if you think you can take personal matters up with him."

Yamahan sighs. "Well... If you're aiming to be like that?" With a snap of his fingers, Juko marches forward towards Tierra, intent on snatching the scroll off her grasp, much like Devol's coinbag.

For the Nortorapoly girl, she held her spot, lifting one hand and snapping her own fingers. Right from the morning's shadowy casted corner, out appears a figure immediately grasping the scissore's hand at stealing the letter.

The banker looks to see the goatish daunting gladiator, "Sooo..." followed by a lip smack, "This is the legendary, cannibal warrior I've heard about. How mistakened I am to assume you'd come alone, missy… and as to the company you keep."

Tierra took another bit of her crumpet after light tea soaking, patting her lips with a napkin, then sipping her offered tea. "Bold Yamahan, but rude. Cannibalous here is loyal to me for I have spared him a great crime against my father, the only ever crime he'd be caught if, it weren't for my withheld word. Ponder that, banker." The girl stashed the letter within her toga.

Acquitus sours his look at her, "I have no idea how you manage to know the contents of my letter. But you must know, a great crime like that of Devol's won't go unsupervised. Who's ever the lender, they are to be sorted out."

"Well Yamahan, keep your nose out of it. I'll investigate the matter myself. Next time, do your due diligence as to who the boy really is. It might shock you."

Signaling for Juko to stand down, likewise, the girl does so too. Both fighters side next to their masters.

Tierra rises from her lounge seating, "I'll be taking my leave, I thank you for your initial hospitality, but being bold in the face of a Nortorapoly? You have my mercy that I'd excuse your behavior only this once." She forewarns him, taking her leave.

The bank manager observes the gallus warrior noting the bank man's face along with his warrior's features, then Cannibalous muffley snorts threateningly, exiting the room by the mistress.

Juko crosses his arms, "Master, I won't stand for this."

Yamahan nods, "Indeed, I must take action myself. Prepare the staff to check records, affiliations, and any known connections to that serial number."

The warrior bows, much liking to his master's determination. "Anything else to ease the search?"

"I want this person found. Track every deposit that comes in, every withdrawal made, until we find this loan shark and I deal with them personally."

11

Morning rays on the Oscan beamed orangeness within the quarters of Eternal's medical center. The good doctor has yet to return from his flights across the nation. The quiet apartment life outdoors lingered, Devol sat on a desk, stool propped up as he took much of the paperwork of Mulsuevi's and filed them neatly and organized. Though the boy had so much to learn from the contents of each letter, contract, and scroll management he encountered, he enjoyed filing away.

Raningo watched him work. The madman's body is still in the bed, unmoved mostly, save for his arms laid in front of him. Every now and then the boy got off of his stool and brought some documents to the bossman's lanistal attention, the madman giving an answer to the boy's return to the desk. All the admin filing had been done swiftly to the man's liking.

"Yur's a worker well on tos paupers boyo." He compliments.

"I hate to admit it, but my manny, Leo, really taught me how." Devol didn't like to brag.

"Leo?" The madman asked.

"The retiarius from Mercatus.”

”Awww Acolytus. A thin swift swit lul e is."

The boy brought all the organized files into sections. Bagging them in the two sacks they'd came in. Turning to look at the grizzled man, Devol wanted answers.

"So, pops." The child sat at the foot of his bed. "Tell me, who was that giant beast you sent after me?"

The madman's red stressed eyes opened slightly, smiling, "Hehe he ha, that be Mephistophilim... Theokoles. Biggest, heaviest, warrior of um all. Ta best in me ranks." Raningo hummed with pride, yawning.

"Why have I never heard of him?

"Caus you be but a wee smidt when he'd bin fighting fights in settlements." Mulsuevi said, less enthused about talking, nodding off."

"You know anyone named Lony?" The kid asked quietly.

"Humhph!" The madman scoffed, tilting his head, napping fully now.

Devol was curious. He wanted to know more.

It was then that the doctor returned, seeing his rough patient sleeping. Looking at the boy, Eternal greets him. "Morning young one, how are you feeling?"

Devol's sore back still aches from yesterday's sudden workout. "I'm sore. My dad made me haul a cart with him in it part way up here."

Humored, Eternal nodded. "An unconditioned body will do that." taking a lid off a medicinal jar, the doctor withdrew a doughish cookie. "Eat one of these, it'll give you some energy for your day."

The boy came to him, palming the treat, "What is it?"

"A delightful unsweetened pastry mixed with some of my remedies."

Devol bit into the soft bread, savoring the texture. "Say doc." The boy chewed and swallowed, "You wouldn't happen to know anyone by the name of Lony V?"

"Vandolio?"

"Yeah?"

"I assume you encountered him."

"Oh I did, took a loan from him too."

The doctor batted an uneasy eye.

Devol understandably agreed, "Relax, I paid him back in full, probably won't do it again, no guarantees though."

"What do you wish to know of the man?"

"What does the giant armored gladiator have to do with him?"

The doctor sat up on a bookshelf, retracting his forelegs comfortably. "If you must know, those two have humbling history with one another. The giant wasn't always a fighter, in fact, it was the young man you speak of, that brought the massive figure into the fights." 

Devol's mind sat and paid attention to the physician's informative detailings. 

"Long ago before even I have existed, my ancestors spoke whereabouts of such a creature being alive. It's one of the few remaining extinct nephilim of our world. It lives much longer than us any of us. When the few gladiators inhabitant these inner ruins centuries ago, the figure, being much smaller, normal to the eyes of the people, walked the earth treated as one. When it had long lived era after era as it does now. No one dared disturbed the creature roaming the Gladian developing settlements. The warriors saw it as a guardian, warding off all elk of hostiles from the neighboring lands. It was said that just the site of it alone, traumatized the wild invaders from sending out full sieges within a region." The doctor adjusted himself more comfortably on the bookshelf.

Devol was very much intrigued, like a child listening to a grand story of history being played out.

Eternal continues, "After long decades recent to my father's living, we physicians studied it, learned about it, and respected its gentle intentions. The land it treaded on was more than honorable to its kind, it was safeguarding the creature. Its previous kin were hunted and removed from the alleles of history. What they've done, what they've built, robbed from them and pushed into shadows of doubt."

Devol pondered it, not at all truly understanding the tale on that.

Eternal shrugged, "It's not for you to understand, lest you seek it, but otherwise, it wasn't until recently, in the last 5 years, a bold man took to recruiting the giant. His efforts were not at all in vain. It took many months of socializing with the creature and feeding it all forms of meat, its favorite meat, prime ribeye steaks to finally attempt a chance on his offer. The giant wasn't at all dumb by any means, but without its family, it lost its courage to grow in learning. The help of the man, Lony, provided a resemblance to his kin, a connection of sympathy that had long been tarnished and bored out through time. The young lanista wanted the beast to be a part of Gladian traditions and culture, to grow into them as one of their own. The fights it had gone through were exhilarating. All attempts of abled bodied warriors to beat the giant were just tossed off like annoying pests. Mephisto didn't have any problems in any fight he dwelled in. Every settlement that witnessed his display of brutality, yielded, when amongst their greatest warriors stood no chance. Lony happily earned all the coin that his warrior profited him. The monster was just happy to make his master pleased. More and more success followed until word of this potential fighter battling within the big leagues happened. The Extremus District privately held a competition that will send the victor to the Spectacular District to fight professional warriors all competing for the chance against an infamous champion. Everything mattered for the giant to bring his master fame and fortune like no other, so it easily made its way to the Extremus finals, where its last losing challenger stood. The earlier years of that day stemmed off what potential these two fighters bestowed upon witnessing eyes. On one side, the giant provocator of the outer metropolis. On the other, a sica classed egyptian murmillo. When the bell rang, all was deemed set for the giant to end the fight short like always, but not this time. This was his first ever true challenger, one that he'll recognize for the rest of its lifetime. The Egyptian repeatedly recovered from beating after beating, the fighter utilizing its shield for the life of him. The bell roared for the first round, the first round any warrior stood against such an unbeatable foe. The stakes were at the highest for such a low end spectacle. Visitors from all across the nation still came to witness such extraordinary talent. Many powerful individuals who basked in the opportunity to gain handsome collections of coin, wagered on bets, profits to be amassed. No one was more adamant about this than Raningo Mulsuevi."

Devol glances at the madman sleeping throughout the spoken tale. Returning back to Eternal, the doctor resumed,

"He's wagered unorthodox deals with a number of personnel, but what he agreed with Lony at the time, was far from honorable. The freelance lanista had chosen to commit a very unloyal bet with the madman. One that is frowned upon, even by the 1st sudo-emperor's own diluted standards. Lony had wagered massive coin for the murmillo to win."

Devol curiously asked why to that, "Why'in the heck would he do something like that?"

"It's because he knew Wisely. The very brother of Evad Nortorapoly. This housemaster came across the freelancer's looks as 'fortunate'. Taking a very deep liking to the young man. He warned him about his brother's fighter. The murmillo wasn't just some normal challenger that the giant can simply pummel to the ground with the rest of them. This fighter held a heritage gene passed down generations to withstand any challenge before him. Fighters may win combatively against him multiple times but the devoted fighter believes in himself to arise time and time again. The egyptian's father was especially trained by Grand Headmaster Evad when the two of them, the slave and owner, were just fragile younglings. When the decades passed, their offspring learned massively under their esteemed disciplines. With this knowledge, Lony decided to play with the ruthless, insane, and lethal headmaster, Mulsuevi. He humorously wagered a limb, that Miarzim Oenomaus would beat his own fighter."

Devol's eyes widened at the thought of such a casual readiness officer at the Extremus School, went toe to toe with the beast, in a full on match.

The doctor nodded to the child's awareness of the man. "As you might expect, Mulsuevi was quite perplexed as to Lony's sudden jest. The sudo-emperor humored the deal for kicks. When the day arrived, the fight's first round resulted in Miarzim making it out standing. Imagine the madman's disposition now, knowing what a fool's bet he made with Lony. The headmaster threatened actual payment in full sway for the atrocity of disowning one's own pristine property. When the second bell poised to rang, the young man's nerves began to show. The start of the round resulted as normal, his beast of a giant clobbering down the small opponent, trying its rising efforts to incapacitate him. The beast knew only to win and not yield. But then in a shocking display, the murmillo actually retaliated a sica blow. A jab onto the beast's hand, it backed dazed, then angered. The full fury of its kin's shed blood all those years ago, brought the giant into a rage of colossal smashing into the murmillo, the fighter desperately trying to repeal the series of smashes. Being grappled and then thrown to the ground and devastating stomps. Many spectator's deemed for the fight to be intervened, but Evad advised against it, by his own right. To the people's astonishment, Miarzim slowly arose from the pounding, yet wielding sica and scutum shield. It was a relief to Lony. For Mephisto, it was tiring, the thrash beating it had delivered proved fatiguing. Then in a sprawl attempt the small fighter charges forth to hack at the giant, the beast unleashing a thunder of blows at him. The wounded egyptian was still able to dodge and weave most of the attacks, sending off strikes of his own onto the monster. The crowds roared in approval, for the first time in the giant's dominating career, it finally met an opponent that won't give up. The spectacle's 2nd round bell rang out. Everyone, utterly shocked by the performance, cheered on the murmillo. The giant looked unto his master's worried state, seeing Lony's concerns. Little did the monster realize that its master was worried about breaking the news to it, about having to deal with the consequences should the monster win. Meanwhile, the beast naturally acknowledged that the murmillo threatened the possibility of Lony making it to the professional fights, it enraged it furthermore. The third bell rang and the two fighters had to give it their all for the last round." Eternal cleared his throat, and hopped off the bookshelf, he went to his sink station, pouring himself some cold tap water.

Devol, so engrossed in the story, forgot where he was, wanting more, "Wha, what happened next?"

The doctor lifts his mask away from the boy's eyes, sating his parched throat. Sighing gratefully, he adjusted his mask back, looking at the child's attentive focus, "Those two, they never backed down, it was a sudden death, called by Evad himself. When there was no more daylight, they called it. A magnificent draw had occurred. But the District still had to send a victor. So the match was to be settled by electoral vote. Judges and the say so of Evad's opinions were accounted for. In the end, with reasonable analysis and accurate points tallied for each fighter's performance throughout the entire fight, the verdict ruled that Mephisto is the victor."

Devol's jaw dropped, starting to piece together the consequences for Lony.

"When the verdict was called, the giant glanced at Lony, assuming he'd be very pleased, but that man just looked to him with a neutral expression. He was immediately approached by Mulsuevi and his guards who looked up at the beast, admiring its promising qualities, then taking Lony into the back of a carriage stagecoach."

Devol began to see now why Lony carried a cape around his right shoulder.

"The beast was escorted to the Extremus holding zone for slaves, Evad spoke to him, told by the headmaster that Lony is consolidating his coin with everyone who's wagered in the match, he will be reunited with him when he's finished. When Lony returned, he donned a cape, one that signifies high lanistal status among Insulae. An honor reserved for only the most promising of masters welcomed into the deepest parts of the underbelly of the metropolis. Lony thanked Mephisto deeply for getting him such a valued title, and swore to wear it in memory of him for all his lifetime."

Devol couldn't believe that Lony had hid the truth from Mephisto and that Mulsuevi had actually took his right arm as payment for losing the bet against him. "But... wh... why didn't, did the big guy not notice something off?"

It was then that Mulsuevi answered that strange quandary for him, "Nah boyo, ye think that beast would'of tell thy difference, all es see'in is a gift he's ear'ned fos is master."

"You cut off his arm?" Devol confronts him.

Mulsuevi smiled, "Aye."

"You think if Mephisto ever finds out, he'll come after you?"

The madman chuckled in his bed, "Hehehe, ye still don't know? That beast ere, he's not likith ye o me, ee's knows what tis is ta know."

Devol was just confused, looking at Eternal the doctor enlightens him.

"Child, what he's referring to is that the giant sees the shoulder cape as no different than his arm."

Devol was still confused. "I don't get it."

The doctor kneels before him, "It's alright, in time, you shall, ponder it long enough, seek the answer and you shall find it, sometimes in the least way you'd expect."

Mulsuevi overhears this to his humor, "He he ha. Whut's this, parable hour? Tis already for ye to be gone with ya boy. Get yur silf some proper rest, food, fine company. I'd be good weth the doc."

Devol looks back at Eternal's further guidance, "Take some time off, and rest yourself. I'll take care of him… for as long as he behaves, that is." The physician squints at the madman's smirk, dull eyes returning to his slumber.

"Thank you." The demon boy leaves, but glances back at the doc, "By the way... do my looks not disturb you?"

Eternal tilts his head in a charismatic fashion, "I remembered your looks since the day you came into this world."

Devol blushes, now knowing that he was the one who delivered him during Vanessa's pregnancy.

Heading out, the boy walks around the calming neighborhood, spotting Tierra strolling by. Her eyes catch sight of him as she, in an unfathomable hand gesture, summons Cannibalous from a corner of his eye and the warrior snatches him. The look into the killer's eye sockets spawned darkness surrounding Devol as he blinks unimpressed by Tierra's means of subduing him. The kid knew this was a hypnotic paralysing trick the warrior used in subduing weak minded prey, but though Devol could have broken out of it, he much allowed himself to linger within the gallus's mind for kicks.

12

In a soothing instinct, Devol found himself awake at Mulsuevi's office desk. He was seated in his big chair. The boy looked around him to see Tierra across from him in the two visiting chairs. The hefty desk was placed upright in its normal state, most likely by a band of strong enough warriors to lift the half ton boulder back into position. 

"Sooo." The cunning girl demanded, "Mr. 'I'm gonna take a 1000 denarii loan from one of Gladia's most dangerous loan sharks without her consent.'" Her peeved tone was very satisfying  to Devol's arousal.

"Eayy. I paid it back. And oh, thanks for the quick trip back, I didn't feel like stretching my legs out there." Devol argued smugly with cocky sas.

"The point is, the way you gone about it made some… susy eyes start snooping around after your hide, in particularly, about who exactly lent you a loan. Though a bold move, we're under age restrictions." She lectured on behalf of order and admin law of land.

"I've done what I had to please my boss, Raningo. If it weren't for him ordering me to return a missed bet by his fool's aim, I would have never done any of that."

Tierra began leading up a series of questions, the kind that involves Devol informing her all about the events the madman had put the demon boy through. And then she found out about Lony too. The gal was impressed, verily so. She held her memories of the last 2 evenings into account of what perspired in Insulae that day. In turn she informed Devol everything she learned and witnessed in the Extremus recently.

The two were in awe, sharing big puzzling pieces to the otherwise convoluted series of total events.

Shaking his head, Devol blinks, "Guy's got balls on taking a beating then going after pitying crowds of your fam."

"That side of my family weren't always the wisest; they didn't do much in terms of renowning the family influence. In fact, it was one of my great greats of grandfathers that issued in the whole professional outlook on building a legacy of reputable fighters in training, that man, also on my side of the family.”

Devol blinked at Tierra suspiciously, then seductively approving.

The girl swayed her head at Devol, "Keep that mind of yours in check, don't think too deeply about it."

The demon child then pondered about the loan shark's cape once more. "Tierra, the good doctor Eternal said something about Lony's cape. That Mephisto sees it like his arm."

The girl was sus about the saying, thinking onto her warrior slave for its thoughts. "Cannibalous?"

The goatish figure appeared from out of a shadow gleaming its stance over the two children.

The girl raised an eye to him, "Do you know of anything pertaining to Mulsuevi and Lony? Any dismemberment related occurrence far in the past?"

The gallus provocator squinted, "Long ago, the madman, brought Lony to me, kept the deal honest in full. A promised limb. Then I'd been tasked to create the cape."

Devol's mind pondered and he just had to know, "What happened to Lony's arm?"

Cannibalous lowly growled, gazing about, the quiet morn left few onlookers preoccupied by their business to hear. "Flesh and bone isn't easy. Muscle fibers and shaping was different, but, able."

The two kids wide eyed the killer. Tierra asks of it, "Did... did you make the cape out of... what I think you did?"

The goat nodded.

Devol was mortified, but interested, "How is that possible?"

It says quietly, "Bloooood makes usually fit thickener."

The two children looked at each other, now understanding.

With more forethought, Devol pieces it together more, "So. That's why Mephisto never questioned it."

Cannibalous adds in a dislikable grunt, "Giant is aware further more than it leads. Has different looks to the world. Sees life, people, fates... differently."

Tierra nodded, dismissing her loyal guardian off, the creature disappearing into the shadows.

Devol blinks to himself, thinking about Lony. "Humm, a one armed man?"

Tierra ponders with interest, "I would like to see this man, though I know his name, his identity is more important for my notes." Clearing her throat, "Cannibalous."

The moment later, the goatish killer reemerges from the shadows. "Miss... tress…?" It says becoming annoyed by overstating its exposure.

"Search out Lony for us please, Devol here will accompany me out back to the main metro." She orders. The figure swiftly heads out.

"Humph! I will?" Devol questions.

"Yes, that a way you can introduce me to him."

The boy humorously shook his head, "I'm not your slave, remember?"

Tierra narrowed an authority look on him, "When you're in Gladia, you are my property. My father has his best slaves leased to every headmaster. I want to follow into his footsteps."

"Hey girl, as much as I'd bent over backwards for Mulsuevi, I ain't gonna be a slave. Slaves have to fight. I'm no warrior."

The girl tried to reason with him, "Wouldn't you like to follow in your father's footsteps someday?"

"I only considered that before I met Mulsuevi, now I want to be my own man."

"Doesn't the protection of the Nortorapoly interest you?”

"I seem to have done just fine without it. I have my ways of influencing others. Ways that you'd never expect." Devol countered.

Tierra chuckles, smiling, "Well then? I must give you props, you got some guts."

"Guts barely begin with it sister. I got the looks, the rumors, and the respect of the sudo-emperor at that."

The girl chuckles again, standing off the visit chair. "Come along then sudo-emperor's lap dog, escort this poor defenseless gal back to the safety of the surface."

Devol arose from the headmaster's chair, "With pleasure… missy." He playfully mocked.

The children reached the surface fine. Devol donned his tunic attire, walking next to Tierra, the two blended with the masses of life happening all around them. Kids running, scurrying here and there, pedestrian traffic tending to their affairs, business goers chatting away, and workers of all walks of life employed by their preferred job holdings. 

Her thoughts about Devol's tunic are casual and stern. "Ever thought about purchasing new wears for all the power you wield?"

"I'm a simple boy, with simpler tastes. When I feel like wearing something new, I'll get one."

Tierra sighed. Her eyes were preoccupied by the admirable architecture of Capua though, truly a marvel unlike the cities and modern outer world ran by corruption and vanity. She turned to Devol, telling him something peculiar about him, "I've spoken to Mulsuevi in the chief's quarters."

The demon boy glares an eye at her. "You did? When I was out?"

"At first, my intention was to visit Eternal, but seeing the madman eye me with 'vulgar' interest, I greeted him. He was not at all the maddening ruffian he normally is. Still rude and unwieldy though, just how I observed in my father when he met him initially at the Extremus."

Devol was curious, "Well what did he say then?"

"He taunted me with his rule. A decree that he hinted to me personally. One that you will do well to adhere by."

The demon boy rolls his eyes, "Awww, this oughta be good. He can't really mess with me anymore, though he is like."

"Though that's true, it doesn't really make your life any easier. What that brute has in store for you is something I'd be careful about."

"And what would that be?"

"Consigliere."

"What?" Devol went wide eyed.

"You are gonna be appointed as such."

"I have no clue what that means."

"You advise the bossman and settle any disputes, whenever he and his underbosses get into scraps… with the law."

The boy gawks at her, "He really expects me to handle his nonsense on his behalf?"

"Why else would he consider you, a boy with no experience of fighting aka leadership."

"I just like the psycho, is all."

"Well how did you handle yourself outside of Gladia?"

Devol shakes his head at the rhetorical question, answering anyways, taking pride among that humbling journey, "My looks intimidated people, got me what I wanted, made my life easy, rumors about anything involving me, influenced my power over those who thought of crossing me."

Tierra raises an approved brow, "Looks like you're good for the job then."

"Huh? This is Gladia honey, ain't no gullible foes and foreigners out here. These guy's..." Devol was cut off by what followed towards her interjections.

The girl leaned in close to the deviant boy's ear, "Will respect someone in charge, serious, and determined for their betterment." Tierra smooched his cheek, then pinching it cutely.

Devol nudges her hand off, lost for words. Then realizing his actual qualifications, he admits, "Fine then, I'll take on the madman's decree." His blushed face simmered.

"See, that wasn't that hard, now, I'm only wondering where the heck is our guy, Lony? I'd like to make sure he's aware his 'loaning' transaction with you isn't exactly friendly to someone."

"Who's unfriendly?" The boy recollects his thoughts from the day before, figuring it out with narrowed eyes. "That banker guy."

The girl seats herself under the shaded benches of the street. "Afraid so, he's intent on giving you a lashing by my father's say so. I intercepted his letter, savoring the untampered document as evidence, but without my father's acknowledgement and thoughts, I told off the guy."

"Humph, figures, I didn't like him one bit. Nosy prick." Devol said, peeved. Then he give thanks, "And... Thanks, for covering my back."

"Yeah, but you would be surprised how many of your kind sneak into banks and steal away hard labored coin. And what's more, like you said," she smugs a humorous look, "you look the part." She giggled, then gave a half-smiled glance, "But seriously though, that will be the last time I ever help, you're on your own as you wish."

Devol crossed his arms, sitting himself adjacent to her, "Whatever, how long you reckon your slave will be looking till he comes back?"

"Give him time. He'll make good on his find. The metropolis is huge, but his loyalty to me… unmeasurable."

Devol rolls his eyes about her powerful ally, a little jealous. Looking forward, he sees a mobile food vendor traversing the district, selling cotton candy grapes, jerky meats, and light pastries. The boy gets a cheeky smile about himself, glancing at Tierra, Surely she's loaded. He thought. Clasping his hand under hers, the Nortorapoly girl eyed him unimpressed. The boy shrugged, "Want anything he's selling over there?" He nodded at the rolling umbrella cart passing in the distance, a few kids come and go, adults with them.

Tierra eyes back at Devol, slipping her hand off his, she shoves him off slightly, "Veronica has been rubbing off you. That trick would work on another wealthy girl, but not me."

Devol giggled at her.

Tierra glanced over to see the vendor selling some cashew nut bags, her minor craving for a serving peaked, "Alright bad boy, here's 5 quadrans, get me a bag of nuts and whatever's left, you can keep."

Devol narrowed his look at her, "A bag of nuts? That's like 4 quadrans already."

The girl smugly laid back at her side of the walled bench. "Not my problem. I'm not gonna buy you anything. I'm not like your 'luvy duvy' Veronica."

Devol lowly grumbles, grasping the zinc coins in his hand, looking at the vendor, thinking. Rising off the bench, Tierra watches as the demon child walks over past the vendor, towards a group of kids relaxing under a shaded table eating away their lunches. Children of middle classed citizens, 7 of them total. They linger disturbed looks at Devol then suddenly curious ones with doubts. The boy then returns to the vendor. After what seems like a brief chat, Devol hops up on the cart, slaps the vendor's hat off his head, hops down, then proceeds to throw the cheap hat far away, to the man's laughter. Normally such behaviour would land a child straight behind bars. Then the boy gestured 'give me a moment, I'll be right back,' then headed back to the group of boys having stunned looks.

Returning to the vendor, one of the disgruntled child's went and returned the hat to the vendor as well. The man nodded at Devol's order and received the cashew nut bag along with a bunch of cotton candy grapes.

Upon returning to Tierra, she eyed Devol with wonder. "What did you do?"

The boy smirks, "I got what I wanted, and oh, you said I keep whatever's left? Well, that's a few dupondii."

Tierra looks at him curiously as he hands over her cashew treat bag, "Care to elaborate?"

Devol sat on his side of the bench, popping a sweet delightful grape into his parched mouth, "I told the vendor I'd bet him a dupondius that I can throw his hat farther than the greatest archer. He obliged, happy to take the free money. So, when I threw his hat, I told him I'd get his money real quick, along with the hat. So I headed to the group of boys that I betted one dupondius each, that not only would I not get in trouble throwing the man's expendable hat, but that he'd be happy about it too. That's what I did."

The important gal glinted a half-smile to him, "Well done, for an Insulae boy." Munching on a few nuts. The two awaited for Cannibalous's return.

13

Across multiple floors and stair hall floors, Lony Vandolio exited the grand station's main doors. Within the metro's financial institutions, no banks were created in Insulae. This always forced criminals and thieves to one day have to deposit coin at the surface. For the law system in play, a criminal caught in the act only had 60 seconds to escape a policing guard before said criminal was deemed off their tail by eyesight. This simulated a multitude of scenarios that occur within other civilizations and societies foreign to Gladians. Else the suspect would be pursued as long as a visible line of sight is on them.

For Lony, he just concluded a transaction deposit of 1000 denarii, not at all irregular for the man, given his lanistal popularity. The transfer caught eyes by admin personnel, immediately notifying Yamahan about the description of the customer. Unbeknownst to Vandolio he now had two pursuers after him, Cannibalous and Juko. The loan shark was momentarily off the property until the goatish figure, blending in the passing crowds, sighted him.

Quickly returning to its mistress. Tierra and Devol are notified.

Through district streets of Capua, nearing the grand Oscan, Lony sat on a bench to rest in the shade from the heat, Insulae citizens like him hadn't enjoyed much of the scalding weathers the surface dwellers grew accustomed to. Anyhow, the beauty of the metropolitan neighborhood was taken in. His presence is a rare one up on the surface, watching as countless pedestrians go about their day passing on by him like one of their own.

A random gladiator Lony didn't know had sat down adjacent to his bench. The warrior, Juko, was viewing some documents of its own, not bothering the loan shark. Then its master, Yamahan came by.

"Hello... How are you doing?" The banker greets with suspensions.

Lony didn't know if he wanted to show any respect back to the stranger before him. He looked to be part of the law based on the wears.

It was then that Juko leaned in and showed the lender a balance ledger of a similar transaction between Devol and Lony along with the actual spotted loan case where his serial account numbers were in view, opened and recently closed.

Lony kept a steady uninterested look on the slave and master.

Acquitus narrowed his suspicion upon the lender. "What do you say I buy you a cup of coffee, Lony?"

The loan shark glances around the place, seeing passing citizens minding their own daily businesses. Then he gazes a neutral look at Yamahan, "Sure, let's go."

The Oscan holds multiple hangout locations for the wanders, roamers, and leisurers. Among its tall ruins holds very large stone column built architecture that proves the scale and vastness of the metropolis's pinnacle spots of interest.

The banker and loan shark sat amongst a dine in restaurant filled with passing travelers and staffing personnel meeting orders and meals.

Yamahan sips a cold coffee, mixed herb coco delighting his senses.

Vandolio sips his too, a variety of hybrid black tea, strong, and bitter.

"So." Acquitus inquires, "Have any idea what a fool is capable of with 1000 denarii?"

Lony blinks another uninterested look. "Devol I suppose."

"Indeed, he's an influence on your current standing. Though I take it he's paid you back, with you depositing quite the lucrative coin?"

The lender nodded away.

"Do you know of the ramifications of merely lending to children are?"

Lony stares across the land from the spectacular view of the Domus and Capua. "Tsk, enlighten me."

The banker glared him down, "You'd be daring the full extent of administrative judicial law against you. One that I hold a position of power in."

Lony questions back now, "You're no senator or governing official I'd know of. Who exactly would you be then?"

The older individual added a teaspoon of sugar cane to the cooled drink, "A sweet runner up to one of Capua's finest financial adjutants working for the very administer adjutant general of the region."

The lender squinted an eye of suspicion, "How is it that you came for me?"

"You're not the only one who's 'caved' to dirty tactics. After my attempts to do things by the book went south, I took measures of my own to track you. You are lucky I don't bring word of this to the Emperor."

"A man of the people… has no need for a case of an unorthodox dealing."

"No… but he's mostly peculiar when said dealing has a 'minor' people involved, in particularly, the first ever. And you know his reputation about that."

Lony finished his drink, briefly rising brows, "Well, I have no quarrel with you, the deal was done and over within less than 6 hours, and it might as well have never happened."

Yamahan retorts, adjusting his lenses, "6 hours or even 1 second. You still broke the rules."

"And so have you, going over your jurisdiction." 

"I'd every right to put you behind bars after I reveal your grand wrongdoing."

Lony narrowed an annoyed look back, "And I, the right to keep you from that."

Acquitus chuckled, observing the immediate vicinity of any Insulae guards, "You seem to be without protection. I thought a member of Insulae's finest lanistas would carry at least one slave by them at a moment's call." Snapping his fingers, Juko poised his dagger blade towards Lony.

People around began staring.

Vandolio calmly eyed the warrior with a half smile, clearing his throat with an obvious "Ahem!"

From out of the blue, a giant clad blackened armored hand grappled the scissores fighter by the neck, lifting him. Low and behold, Mephisto appeared from behind. Its large state, masked behind a wall of curtains, privacy dividers that hid its colossal presence from eye level.

The surrounding people began eyeing the sudden intense instigation.

Yamahan went wide-eyed.

Lony stood, patting his mouth with a napkin and tossing it towards the bank man, "Well, as much as I'd like to encourage you to keep your voice on the matter on the down low, if you're feeling confident on… sacrificing a special fighter, in the grasp of mine, tell me now." He taunted.

Juko clinged to stop the monster from crushing his neck, dropping his hook moon blade, grappling the tightening pressure around the monstrous fingers of the beast.

Acquitus angered his look at Vandolio, not wanting to submit defeat.

The giant warned Yamahan in a deathly low growly tone, "An easy loss. Like breaking a toothpick."

The banker stood, warning the beast, "Gladiator! Put my warrior down!"

Lony raised an eye at him. Go ahead, do what this 'just' man says, oblige him.

Mephisto flung the secutor at a nearby wall as if aware of his master's displeasure. The warrior flew, smashing into the pile of hung dividers, dazed and battered, incapacitated. The beast bashed the set of dividers between it and Yamahan, "As you wished. My way that is."

"Ho... how.. dare you!"

Lony signals the monster to stand down. Glinting at Acquitus, "You and your slave will show me proper respect the next time we ever meet."

The banker stood his ground and with disapproval, rebuking him, "None to likes of you and your elk, and see yourself back into Insulae before every guardsman here hunts you down!"

It was then that Tierra arrived to defuse the headed situation, 

"Not so fast gentlemen." Her authority for a mere child girl was palpable for the daunting figure that stood before her protection, Cannibalous. "There will be none of that."

Yamahan frowned at the Nortorapoly gal. "Missy, you are to know better, that these swine..."

The girl interrupted the man's insult with a correctional intention, "AHhhp. Mr. Yamahan, it is you that is to know better than to chase foul naming on an Insulae guest among our crowds."

The bank man glared with surprise and shock to the girl's defense for a criminal. Yet arguing, "Preposterous! Missy, this man is an illegal loan shark who's conducted..."

Tierra abruptly whistled to shut his yap, also, once more, speaking with interjection, "Under who's authority and who's regard of investigation are you allowed to accuse a man of whatever crime he's committed? There's no witnessing guard to catch him at the moment, though witnessing eyes carry on, we simply must adhere to the law that this man is guiltless till a guard catches him and brings him before a proper trial. Again Mr. Yamahan, it's becoming very apparent that you have overstepped your jurisdiction. You only apply to the finances of the institute you operate at. Not within the confines of the judicial laws of justice. Lest you have adequate representation in the matter, it is to your best interests to move on from this."

The banker grimaced, shaking his head with disapproval, "I'm afraid I can...” Before he'd finished. The girl now had to bring her father's name into the matter to settle the score indefinitely.

"Do I have to involve my father unto this petty squabble?" She said with a fed up tone against the banker's current behavior, "Would it interest you that much for Evad Nortorapoly to personally see into this matter how profound and foolish your case is? How pathetic and wrong your decisions will irreversibly deem you unfit for admin duties should you press on?"

Yamahan gawked at Tierra, obviously she's having to make him cave.

The girl demanded an answer, "Well then? What will it be, Mr. Yamahan? Do you need my father's personal outlook on this?"

Acquitus bit his lower lip, angered that he's left with but to humble himself humiliated, "No… ma'am."

"Will you want to press the matter further?"

"Noo... ma'am."

"Then there's nothing more to discuss here. Keep your powers that be in check next time."

"Yes, ma'am." Yamahan said regrettably, walking away. Juko arose from his wounded state, limping after his master, eyeing the savage crupellarius that threw him, along with the gallus figure beside the privileged girl. The defeated slave mutters,

"Insulae swines, the two of you warriors."

Lony eyed everyone staring, their looks returned to their business and discussions, avoiding any attention from the loan shark's massive bodyguard. Nearby diner employees begin cleaning up the ruckus, attaining order as the area once was.

Devol popped out from the corner, spying on the whole spiel that went down.

Long eyed the Nortorapoly girl that stood before him, "Afternoon Miss." Seeing Devol catch up to her side, he greeted the demon boy too. "Ah hello Devol."

The boy waved and greeted while introducing Tierra to him and Mephisto, "Lony, this is Tierra, Tierra this is Lony and his ex-slave Mephisto."

The loan shark gives a pleased look to her, noting the exquisite slave she held about her standing, "Quite the reputable minx I must say," Lony bowed to the girl's level.

Tierra was pleased by the man's first expression of her.

Mephisto gazed upon Cannibalous, "Hurrgggh? You now work for her now?"

The goat figure eyed the beast with nodding agreement.

The giant wondered, "Mulsuevi, allowed you?"

"Zza headmaster has no personal contract of me. I chooseth whom best protects my interests... old friend."

Devol was shocked to this, "What wait, you two know each other?"

The two warriors glared at Devol to mind his business.

"Heh heh, I'll just be here then."

Lony chuckled, withdrawing a card from his cape, "My thanks Tierra for handling that man justly."

The girl blinked a serious half smiled look, "I wouldn't be too sure he'd let you off that easy. Next time he just might take you by surprise when you'd least expect it."

"Most noted, well then, would you care for some lunch elsewhere from here? I do want to compensate my slave with a delectable series of steaks." Lony offered.

Tierra bowed in return, "I would like too. I see it fitting to know more about your statue and your association to my friend, Devol, here."

Time is well spent between the three as unanswered discussions are settled between a filling meal, any quarrels with the banker as hush hushed, along with promising future ahead of Devol's special duties for what the sudo-emperor has imbued him with.

Epilogue

Through the next months, Devol is officially installed as the sudo-emperor's trusted advisor. His personal influence rises anonymously within the cracks of Insulae's caverned habitats. Tierra sees him worthy and dependable with a cunning mind to make it through any situation that presents itself. Veronica comes to enjoy and furthermore adore her love interests upon the demon faced boy. This trio of children have long ago made plans and successfully visited the unknown world and briefly returned to Gladia for a short time as they embark on another journey that would shape a grand interest with a society of other very like-minded younglings out to become innovative and useful.

The family of Nortorapoly suffers a division between two sides where one holds actual authority and influence (Evad's lineage), while the other merely looks the part (separate branch of descendents.) The division goes amicably, the very eldest members have long recognized Evad's side of the family responsible for much of the renown and incredible feats that arose the family's reputation to where it is now. Without it, Extremus would have remained a settlement apart of the metropolis's growing might. Members of the other branch family live their lives regularly as before, this time, only representing parts of the Nortorapoly significance.

Raningo recovers mightily from Eternal's treatment. His brutal outlook on Gladia and life in general remains the same. Now taking the demon boy by his side, he fervently treats the boy with respect and care privately, but semi-ordinary when other eyes, ears, and people are around. Devol smiles as he's now earned his idol's side as Gladia's future successor sudo-emperor.

Acquitus Yamahan, being foiled by the might of a young Nortorapoly acolyte now blocking ties to his lucrative opportunities in the past with Evad, decides to take matters on breaking into the business of running an illegal ponzi scheme network of money lending and banking for the criminals to justify his reputation loss. Through the surface, he is as innocent looking and professional with the finances he operates with big businesses, but in the shadows where Insulae Gladians lurk, they barter favorable contracts with him. Here lies his true self of grudgingly having to perform unorthodox means to rise to power. This time, his deeds and actions work well in the underworld of Gladia, allowing him to do whatever means to aid the Crime Syndicate in having an advantage against the Judicial System of Gladia.