Tale of Four

Isis stood outside the Pantheon; a large group of men in plate armour stood there. In one hand, they held a sword, in the other a large shield with a design of wheat and a branding iron crossed over one another. Around them, the people of Danmor whispered to one another, wondering why the Panteon’s soldiers were out on display, making sure to stay a good distance away from them.

Once again, she was reminded of the difference between Cras and Danmor. Where Cras made their soldiers the face of the system, people stripped of everything, left with identical blank masks, here they wore vibrant blue armour, which was almost more ceremonial than practical.

Isis looked up at Seth, who stared at everything with disdain. After a long debate, they decided to come, knowing that refusing would likely be worse off. Although she didn’t know the city, Seth did and understood where power sat. His hatred for the people in charge didn’t cloud his judgment in the end.

With a deep breath, Isis stepped past the blue armour guards and walked into the empty pantheon. At the end of it, the silver-haired priest sat on the steps with his finger interlocked, flashing his jewelled smile towards the two.

”Welcome.” His lips curled higher after speaking, ”Welcome. Please sit.” Getting up, he cupped his hands behind his back and watched as they took a seat before him, ”Now. I know you have a little reward on your head.”

”Can we get to the point, please?” Seth said, showing the bare minimum amount of respect he could muster. Augustus shook his head with a soft chuckle and paced back and forth.

”You will listen first.” Walking around, he stared at the two, analysing them, his gaze judging their worth. ”This reward that Cras had placed for you isn’t small. Worth half their yearly income. Now, by my grace and Justinian’s mercy, you have been free to walk around.” He turned to Isis and placed a hand on his chest, bowing slightly, ”Forgive me for the incident you faced the other day with the Chained Brothers. Whilst I try, savagery continues to plague these streets. Allow me to apologise on behalf of the city.”

”It is fine,” Isis said with a stiff voice, looking at the man. Even in private, the suffocating entitlement plagued every word and movement he made, his voice both haughty and smooth.

”It is not. Savages who disrupt the divine order are scum who must be punished for their folly. Unfortunately, they are rats who hide in the darkest corners, never truly purged.” Before she could reply, he clapped his hands and placed them behind his back again, ”Now, you are not savages; in fact, your actions in Cras can be applauded.” Isis widened her eyes in shock and tried to gauge if he was serious, and realised he was.

”You disagree with slavery?” Isis asked, her question making him look almost offended.

”Of course I do. It is not our role to strip people of what makes them human and turn them into lifeless dolls that exist to please and die for their owners.” Her eyes narrowed as she looked at him.

”So what you preach is a lie?”

”Do not mock me now, girl.” His voice went cold, ”Cras is abhorrent. They exist to spit on the divine and live by the rules of cruelty and domination. What I preach is not Cras. A lesser is a child who must be cared for and nurtured. They are beneath the freemen and Masters, the same way I am a lesser to my father, to my God, to the natural order of the world. They must be stopped for their crimes against the natural order, and I will destroy that stain on this world.”

’He’s insane.’ Staring into his eyes, seeing them spin with mad zeal, she could see he believed everything he said; in fact, he embodied it. It was the truth in his mind, but even if it was the truth to him, it was an evil one that still permitted the chaining and collaring of another man. ’I can’t even refute him, however.’ Peeking under his robes, she saw the necklace around his neck with a bundle of wheat attached to it. ’He wears his own twisted chain.’

Augustus took a deep breath and turned around to look at the large statue in the Pantheon. ”I can protect you. My job is to guide the lost and faithful. To spread the truth and establish his order. Even if you do not believe in his teaching, you carried out his will when you planted that tree.” Turning around, Augustus looked between the two, staring into their eyes for a moment, ”You are the one with the choice.” Looking at Isis, he smiled, ”He, even if he doesn’t know it, has subjugated himself to your will.”

”Don’t insult me, priest,” Seth said with a venomous tone. Augustus lifted a hand and touched his heart.

”Insult you? There is no greater man than he who understands his role in the world and lowers his head to a guide. You are the ideal that all should strive for, a man who, be it through debt, belief or morality, faithfully follows the one who guides them.” Augustus turned to Isis, not letting Seth counter, ”Decide. You may hate my city, my beliefs, in time I pray you are corrected, but now you have a choice.” Holding out two hands, he laid them bare for Isis, ”Turn and leave. Lose my protection and this city’s protection. I will not put you in a chain, but Cras will; you can’t escape them alone after all. Or help me destroy an evil and replace it with something more just.”

Isis let out a bitter laugh and shook her head, ”Just? You think this city is more just. To be thankful for a chain. To be thankful for being labelled as a Lesser isn’t just. It’s just slavery with extra steps.”

”It is not.” Augustus took a deep breath and closed his eyes to stop his anger from exploding. Clapping his hands three times, the side doors opened, and a group of men and women in collars stepped out, each with a thin smile on their faces. Isis stared at them and couldn’t help but internally scoff, seeing that each one was beautiful, dressed in lavish robes fit for the nobility of Veston.

All of them came to a stop behind Augustus, and he stepped back, walking down the line, ”Do these men and women look unhappy? Ask them what you want, and they will answer truthfully. They are free to speak what they want.”

Isis stared and shook her head, staring at Augustus, ”I’m not entertaining this.”

”Then don’t but look at them. Do they look underfed? Do they have the same emptiness as Cras? Do they dress any worse than I? Is their skin not without fault and beauty untainted?” Isis stared and kept her mouth shut, unable to disagree. Augustus moved, grabbing one man by the chin, ”He is the one who bathes me, but has a wife and son.” Moving, he grabbed a woman next, ”She cares for my clothes and, due to it, can live in my manor when the alternative was the street.” Moving, he grabbed another, ”He cares for my flowers.”

”They are still in chains,” Isis said, getting a smirk from Augustus.

”A chain to the narrow-minded but,” Stepping forward, he looked down at her with the same smile mixed with politeness and arrogance, ”Each one willingly put it on. I have never bought a Lesser in my life, nor forced someone to take that role. Every single one, all these you see before you, asked me to put them in a collar. And all of them are now my own. They have no wealth to their name, no lands, not even a family name. But becuase of it, they live in peace. Eat a full meal and sleep in silk sheets.”

Isis took a deep breath and looked at the people grinding her teeth, unable to believe that someone could make slavery sound justifiable. ”It’s wrong either way.”

”Is Veston any different? Lords’ own men and women on their land, but call them commoners rather than slaves. I have heard tales. A Lord bedding a commoner’s wife becuase he could. A lord carrying out punishments without proper trials. Why? Becuase they are their subjects, their property. Do not spout hypocrisy when your homeland does the same thing, calling it a different name.”

Augustus held out both his hands again, ”Now, choose. I can’t decide this for you, because you are a freeman. The choice must be yours.”