He snorted. "See that I don't. And Marcus?" His eyes narrowed. "Make sure you remind Livia that this doesn't let her off her night duties. I want her in my room tonight after the fight."
I felt a blaze of protectiveness, mixed with a sharp stab of jealousy at the thought of Drusus touching her. But I forced myself to remain calm, knowing that showing my emotionswould only make things worse. Drusus owned Livia. He had more right to her body than I did.
"Of course," I managed to say, my voice tight. "I'll make sure she knows."
"Good. Now, where's that blasted trader with his 'interesting specimen'?"
As if on cue, we heard the sound of chains clanking and a scuffle of feet. The trader reappeared, leading a figure shrouded in a heavy cloth. My curiosity piqued despite my lingering anger.
"Behold," the trader said with a flourish, pulling away the cloth.
I couldn’t help but stare. Standing before us, wrists and ankles chained, was a Talfen. Even hunched over as he was, I could see the distinctive features of his race - the black skin, the white hair, the sharp teeth visible behind snarling lips.
Drusus's eyes widened, a mix of disgust and fascination on his face. He circled the Talfen, examining him as one might a prized horse. "Where did you get this... creature?" he asked, his voice hushed.
The trader puffed up with pride. "Quite a find, wouldn't you say?"
I watched in horror as Drusus continued his inspection, my mind reeling. A Talfen in the ludus? It was unthinkable. These were the monsters imperial soldiers were trained to fight on our borders. Creatures that bore evil magic and inhuman desires. Yet, here was one, about to be sold like any other slave.
Drusus circled the Talfen slave, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of disgust and fascination. I stood rooted to the spot, unable to look away from the bizarre scene unfolding before me.
"Well built," Drusus muttered, prodding at the Talfen's muscled arms and chest. The creature tensed under his touch but remained silent, his eyes burning with barely contained rage. "How did you come by such a... specimen?"
The trader's face split into a wide, greedy grin. "He's half Talfen. Bought him from one of the villages near the border. They were eager to be rid of him, as you might imagine."
I felt a chill run down my spine. Half Talfen? I'd never heard of such a thing. The Talfen were monsters, inhuman beasts that raided our lands and slaughtered our people. The idea of one breeding with a human was... unthinkable.
Drusus seemed equally shocked. "Half Talfen? How is that even possible?"
The trader shrugged, his casual demeanor at odds with the gravity of the situation. "From what I gathered, his mother was a village woman. Father was a Talfen raider that clearly ravaged the poor woman and deserted. Would have been better if he’d killed her.”
Drusus nodded, but at these words, the Talfen slave suddenly lunged forward, straining against his chains.
"Liar!" he snarled, his voice a guttural growl that was halfway between human speech and animal noise. "I wasn't sold! I was taken against my mother's will!"
I instinctively took a step forward, my hand moving to the hilt of my sword. But Drusus stood his ground, meeting the Talfen's furious gaze with cold contempt.
"Silence, beast," Drusus spat. "You're the product of an inhumane rape by a monster. No mother would want a child that reminded her of that."
The Talfen's face contorted with rage and pain. For a moment, I almost felt sorry for him. But then I remembered what his kind had done to our people, the countless lives destroyed by Talfen raids. Any sympathy I might have felt evaporated instantly.
"You know nothing!" the Talfen roared. "My mother loved me! She protected me!"
Drusus laughed, a harsh, cruel sound. "Protected you? By selling you to a slave trader? Some love."
The Talfen's response was swift and unexpected. He reared back and spat directly in Drusus's face.
Time seemed to slow. I saw the glob of saliva arc through the air, saw it land on Drusus's cheek with a wet splat. I saw Drusus's eyes widen in shock, then narrow in fury.
Before I even realized what I was doing, I had stepped forward. My fist connected with the Talfen's stomach, driving the air from his lungs. He doubled over, gasping and choking.
Drusus wiped his face, his expression a mix of disgust and grudging approval. "Thank you, Marcus," he said, his voice cold. "It seems this beast needs to learn some manners."
He grabbed the Talfen's hair, yanking his head up.
"Listen well, creature," he hissed. "You belong to me now. You'll fight in my arena. And if you don't, you'll die screaming for the entertainment of the crowd. Do you understand?"
The Talfen glared back, hatred burning in his eyes, but said nothing. Hmm, maybe they could learn.
