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an original story by Andrej Koymasky


THE SOUL IN THE CELLULAR CHAPTER 19 - DECIUS

For three days Eugenio didn't talk to the voice, because he had to go out of town for work and forgot taking the cellular phone with him. When he was back, he at once went to take it and opened it:

"It's three days we didn't hear each other..."

"Ah, really?"

"Didn't you notice it?"

"And how could I? The only contact I have with the external world is with you, through the telephone."

"I had to go away for work and I forgot to take you with me. I'm sorry, in my hotel room we could have had long talks in the evenings. What will you narrate me, now?"

"About Decius, a roman slave who did a fine career..."

"What period?"

"I am born as a slave in Ostia in 94 A.D., that is two years before Traianus becomes emperor, and I die in Aquileia in 149, as a freeman and a rich merchant. My name is Decius because I am the tenth child of my parents, my father is a Betic slave and my mother a Dacian slave. Because of the "Pax Romana", slaves are more difficult to get, so my master thought to start a real slave breeding. Men have to work and make women pregnant, and women have to give birth to children one after the other and they take care of them, until the children reach the right age to be sold.

I'm sold when I'm fifteen, to the owner of a gladiator stable, to perform the most humble works - clean up the rooms and latrines, light up the fire to warm the water of the small thermal baths they use, change the straw of the sacks they use as pallets, wash the bowls they use to eat and so on.

But, already on the first evening, I become aware that amongst my duties, there is something else - altogether we are five boy slaves for around twenty men. In the evening, after supper, when the master and his men leave, locking the gates, the gladiators start to play dice and the game at stake is us five boys... They play five games, betting a kind of discs. The winner at the end of each game chooses one of us five boys and takes him in one of the pallets divided by the others with a kind of curtain. When I noticed them, before, I thought that they were the pallets of the leaders, or of the most famous gladiators in there, and just now I understand their real purpose...

Before that day, with the other young slaves, at night we did amuse amongst ourselves, therefore I was not completely unaware of sex, but what was awaiting me was really different - it was... heavy sex, if I can say so. Already in the first night, I am won by a Thracian gladiator, a he-man with severe eyes, who grasps me by my arm and takes me behind one of those curtains. Without much ceremony, he pulls my short tunic out, puts me on the pallet, undresses and comes on me. He asks me if I ever took it up the ass. Trembling, I answer no. So he has the adroitness to take the grease they use on their bodies for training and to thoroughly lubricate my hole...

I don't know if it would have been different without - it hurts terribly. I shout, he puts his big hand on my mouth and continues to ram in me with vigour, while his companions, who from behind the curtain heard my shout, tell him, laughing, to leave at least a piece of me for them.

When he is finally satisfied, he leaves me there, dresses again and goes out. I hear him telling the others that I was still a virgin, therefore, for that night, it would be better to avoid to submit me to a second fuck. I shudder thinking that it was planned also a second time - it hurts me and I'm afraid I am spilling blood. I hear them arguing for a while but then, for my luck, they don't play me again at the dice. So that man comes back, tells me to dress again and to go to sleep.

The day after, one of the other boy slaves, asks me how I feel. Bad, I tell him. Anyway I have to carry out all the same the duties they assign to me. The boy tells me that it will take at least one month to get used to it, but that it will hurt no more in the end. He explains to me that I have to breath deep and relax, and that I mustn't think about the pain, so I will feel less pain. He also tells me that, when I get used to it, it will be all but bad, that I could even enjoy it, expecially with some of the men...

It really takes almost three months for me to get used to it. For the first ten days they bet me at dice just once per night. But then they decide it is time I satisfy two of them per night, like the other boys do... Anyway, when they have sex with me, they are not all the same. Some are happy if I just satisfy them with my mouth, and sometimes they are not rude but almost tender. Some treat us in bed like women, possibly to deceive themselves, I don't know...

I learn rather fast what each of the men expects in bed, and how to make them happy. After about three months, I really start to feel some pleasure in those nocturnal unions, expecially with some of the gladiators, for example with a Macedonian retiarius, Philippos, who, before taking me, caresses and kisses me until I am completely aroused, then takes me without violence. He is not handsome, the Macedonian, besides the "gladius" between his legs, as he jokingly calls it, with which he really makes me feel good.

I am seventeen years old when a young Galatian gladiator enters the stable. His name is Kiron, and he is 23 years old. He is beautiful like a god, and he has already come to fame in the arena from where he is coming, in fact they say he was bought for a very high price. I see him in the training and my clear impression is that he really is exceptional.

One of the first night, he wins at dice, then he chooses me. I follow him behind the curtain more than willingly. He asks me what am I able to do - I tell him that I can do everything he could desire. So he pulls out his short skirt and asks me to show him. I like him very much, so I go on it with all my skill. At first he lets me do it, almost passive, but little by little he becomes more and more aroused and starts to participate... and to me it is a real surprise - he makes love with me with a tenderness quite incredible in such a rude and strong man. He caresses me, kisses me, suckles me, almost as if it was him to give me pleasure and not the other way.

Also when he takes me, he does it with such a gentleness that I feel in heaven. I feel him slip inside me, strong and delicate at once, and while he takes me, he kisses, caresses me, he holds me against him with sublime passion. In the end, while relaxing, he still keeps me against him, in his strong arms, and he tells me, caressing my hair, that he likes me very much. I too loved that union as never before. When I have to satisfy the second man, the contrast is so strong that the sense of amazement for what happened just before, increases in me. The day after I hint what happened to the other slave boys, but they look at me astounded and tell me that Kiron is not different from the average of the others - he stays there still, waiting to be serviced, then mounts you and fucks you almost as he was in a hurry...

I wonder why Kiron was so different with me. In the following days I become aware that if he wins and I am not already behind a curtain with another man, he always chooses me, and makes love with gentle passion, clearly worrying about giving pleasure to me also. And along the day, he is more gentle with me than with the others. Of course, nobody talks of love in that kind of ambience, but inside me I start to think that Kiron is in love with me. Sure thing is that I am falling in love with him.

In fact, when he goes to the arena for the combats, I always wait for him to come back, each time afraid it could be his last combat. But happily he always comes back as a winner, he collects one victory after the other, and soon he is the idol of all the audience. Great amounts of money are bet on him, and in the end nobody accepts any more betting on him - it is evident that he will be the winner again.

Sometimes he comes back covered with blood, but he never gets seriously wounded. During the day patricians, men ad women, come to see him and devour him with their eyes - he is really beautiful, my Kiron! At times some patrician woman or man give a party in his honor - it is the way to take him to their homes, and so to have sex with him. I am somewhat jealous of that but, of course, I am not in the position to say a word - I am just one of the slaves of the stable.

Kiron receives rich gifts and, little by little, his rank becomes higher. Slaves cannot posses anything, but for gladiators it is different, they can keep the gifts they receive.

In Rome, at this point everybody talks about Kiron, the combat where he fights fills the arena and our master's earnings become high as he never could have dreamed. So our master decides to give him a room for himself and has it prepared. Then Kiron asks him to have a slave exclusively for him, and our owner accepts - Kiron chooses me. From that day on, I am no more played at dice by the other gladiators, I now am Kiron's personal slave.

I ask him why did he chose me and he answers with a dry "because I felt like". In reality I understand that I am right to think that he is in love with me, even if possibly he won't admit it, not even to himself. I devote myself to him with real enthusiasm. Normally gladiators are very jealous of their weapons and paraphernalia. Kiron doesn't allow me to keep his gladius shining and sharp, but little by little he entrusts me, besides the cleaning of his clothes, with taking care of his armour, and he never has reason to complain.

After we make love, he wants me to remain in his bed, for a long while and in silence, and he caresses me with extreme sweetness - only when he feels he his falling asleep, he sends me back to my pallet. I think that this is because he doesn't want to be seen in the morning with me still in his bed, in his arms... But I don't really know, because we never talk about it. Sometimes when we make love, when he is fully aroused, he murmurs words in his language that I cannot understand, but the sweet tone speaks for itself.

He wants me to eat with him, and this also pleases me. At times he wants me to assist in his training. I ask him if he wants to make a gladiator of me and he shakes his head - he says that I don't have the right physical frame, then he adds at mid voice "For your luck!"

Now that I am in his bed every night, I become aware that, after a combat from which he always comes back as a winner, therefore during which he killed his adversary, he is particularly sad and he needs more tenderness and sweetness from me than usual. I understand he hates to kill, but he has to do it in order to survive.

I am twenty three when the Emperor Traianus dies and Adrianus becomes Emperor. On this occasion great celebrations are held with gladiators combats, to which the emperor in person assists. And he decides that at the end of the games he will give a premium in gold and the freedom to all the surviving winners. Kiron is now twenty eight years old and in his full shape. He prepares for the combats that could mean not only his survival, but also his freedom.

Of course I hope he could win, even if this would possibly mean that I will lose him. In fact I am sure, knowing him well now, that as soon as he can get his freedom, he will cease to fight. The games last for a full month. At the end, amongst the jubilation of the amphitheatre, Kiron is one of the few gladiators being crowned with laurel by the emperor and freed.

Our owner offers him a high wage if he accepts to remain to fight in his stable, but Kiron refuses. Then he tells the owner that he wants to buy me. The man answers him that he will give me as a present, besides the good pay he offered before, if he accepts to fight in his stable for one more year. I am sure that Kiron will refuse, but instead, to my great astonishment, he accepts, but he requires to make a written contract and to have it registered officially. I am deeply moved, and when I thank him that night, he drily answers that he simply got used to me, therefore he doesn't want to lose me.

That last year, for me, is the more difficult - I fear, more than ever, he could be defeated. But he still his at the peak of his power, nimble, he continues to train with his usual severity, and he continues to come back as a winner. When the patricians, his admirers, come to meet him, differently from usual, he now talks at length with them. Curious, I try to listen each time I can and I realize that all his questions are aimed to understand what's the best way to invest his gold, once that year elapsed.

He tells me only after having made his decision, one month before the end of that year. Brundisium port is in development, and with the gold he has, "we" can open a tavern for the passing sailors. That plural moves me - this is a further proof of what Kiron feels for me, even if he doesn't want to tell it in clear words.

Finally, we leave for Brundisium. Kiron, before deciding where to buy the premises to transform into a tavern, turns the town upside down for more than one month, seeing tenths of premises, negotiating on the prices, with a skill that amazes me. Then, once he decided which premise to buy, one that has also two rooms on the second floor where to live, we furbish it and we have the sign "Kiron the Gladiator" painted.

His fame did reach also Brundisium and many come to drink or eat at the tavern, also to see Kiron's panoply hanging on a wall, to see him, to listen to his tales. Business is more than good. Kiron, little by little, is transformed, he becomes more cheerful, more loquacious, the sadness that for years I felt in the deepness of his heart seems to be vanishing little by little.

One evening, after closing the tavern, we go upstairs to have our rest. He, as usual, embraces me, we start making love with the usual sweetness. I always like making love with him so much! Feeling him in me is my biggest joy. But this time, when we lie down still intertwined, to sleep, he asks me if I know what day is today. I don't know. He remembers me that exactly one year before, we opened the tavern. And he tells me that he decided to free me for that occasion. "So," he adds, "if you want, you can leave me".

I embrace him tightly and tell him that, if it is not him to send me away, I will never leave him and, finally, I tell him what urges inside me for years - I tell him that I love him. He embraces me more tightly, for a while he keeps silent, then he whispers that he too loves me. But he immediately adds, with a dry voice, that it will be better to sleep, because tomorrow we will face another heavy day. But while I fall asleep, he caresses me lightly and I feel happy.

Kiron sometimes accepts that the sailors who don't have enough money, pay him with other things - pearls, golden objects, spices. He is able to rightly evaluate those things and soon in the small strongbox we have at home, several valuable, exotic objects pile up. He doesn't keep everything, but just some valuable objects, he commutes the rest in money and he invests the money in a small commerce of amber from the Germanica, of perfumes and spices from the Arabica and of ivory from the Africa provinces. He doesn't ask the merchants for his purchases, but the same sailors, so he can get a profit margin, so that, even if it is a commerce in a small scale, soon becomes rentable.

Therefore, entrusting me with the management of the tavern, he buys two slaves to help me and he devotes himself mainly to this new activity. He has a vendor's tray with several levels built, lines it with precious colored silks, carries it with a shoulder belt, and he goes to visit some rich people at their homes, offering them his precious goods. He knows what, how and whom to offer his goods, and it is rare that his visits don't conclude with a sale.

One day a young knight enters the tavern and asks me how much I ask to allow him to take his pleasure with one of our slaves. This catches me somehow unaware and I tell him that I cannot answer him, with the pretext that the slaves belong to Kiron. When he is back, I tell him about it. Kiron calls the two slaves and ask them if they would like to have sex with our clients. They accept without any problem, so we decide to get on the back room two small but comfortable and elegant alcoves. When the knight comes again, I tell him the price and ask him which one of our two slaves he wants for his pleasure.

So we start a new, rentable activity. Soon we have to buy two more slaves, so that while two are busy in the alcoves, the other two can work in the tavern. But Kiron is unconditional, he doesn't want the tavern to become a brothel, our slaves have never to allure the clients, their principal work must be the tavern. Therefore he doesn't want them to use make up, their clothes are simple virile tunics, and the prices are rather high, to select the clients. The four slave are chosen so that they constitute a choice of different types - Gaius, sixteen, a Betic with bright eyes and a mischievous smile; Teeto, eighteen, an Achaean with intense eyes and an athletic body; the sweet Avites, twenty-two, a Briton with a slender body and cerulean eyes; and Tingit, twenty-five, a Mauritan oozing with sensuality.

Soon Tingit and Gaius become lovers, then also Avites and Teeto. Kiron is very happy with that, because it contributes to create a more serene, welcoming atmosphere in our tavern. So, it becomes more and more famous and classy - our clients are sailors, but also merchants and patricians, and also legionnaires who are always welcome because with their presence they contribute to make our tavern a safe place.

I get the feeling that Kiron has a liking for Teeto, so I tell him that, if he sometimes wants to amuse himself with him, I would not be jealous. Kiron becomes almost furious - he tells me that in his opinion I have a liking for Gaius and asks me if I want to have him in my bed. I answer that I like the boy, but that I am not interested in him in that way, because I feel fine with my man. Kiron answers me that it's the same for him - he is only interested in me. And, for the second time in those years, he repeats that he loves me. I tell him that he has to tell me more often, because I need to hear it. He smiles, nods and says he is not used to, but he will try to tell me, sometimes.

We live in Brundisium for twelve years, when Kiron proposes me to move to Aquileia. That port is developing and is becoming more and more important, because it is the commercial knot between the Mediterranean regions and Northern regions like the Noricum, the Retia, the Pannonia. We find a suitable premise just in front of the thermae, and not far from the port - the ideal position. Also in this new tavern we put the sign "Kiron the Gladiator".

This tavern has just one floor - there are two vide rooms side by side facing the street, where one can drink, eat, and play games. Then, in the back, there is the kitchen, the larder, the wine cell and the rooms - two for Kiron and me, and two more for our four slaves. They use also their rooms during the day to withdraw there with the clients asking their sexual services.

Kiron's guess had been right, business is prosperous and soon we buy two more small rooms near ours and we connect them, then we buy four more slaves. In fact often the citizens, coming out from the thermae, like to come to drink and eat something, and then choose one of our slaves to spend some time in intimate, agreeable company. We decide that Teeto will be the slaves chief, and that the clients have to ask him in order to use one of the back rooms with the slave they choose.

In the dead hours we always have some ten clients, in the rush hours even more than forty. In the months between November and March, when there is the "mare clausum" because of the bad weather, we can work with more calm and the clients are mainly local people. We profit of this period for a thorough cleaning of the rooms, to renew them, because between March and November, work is so intense that it doesn't leave us even just one free day to breath quietly.

Amongst our best clients there is also Velius, the imperial procurer, and his brother Marcus, a magistrate. Velius, each time, asks Caio's services, the nineteen years old Dacian slave, and Teeto warns me that the procurer is becoming too attached to the boy. One day, in fact, Velius asks me to sell him Caio. Even before we had had similar requests and our answer has always been a "no". But Velius is a very influential person, and making him an enemy could become really dangerous. So, at night, I talk about that with Kiron. He summons Caio and Teeto. First of all he asks Caio if by chance he has a lover amongst the other slaves. Caio answers no. Then he asks him if he feels good with the procurer Velius. Caio says yes. But Kiron is still hesitant, so he discusses the problem with me and Teeto. The slave points out that, all considered, we can buy a new slave at Caio's place and that, by selling him to Velius, we can gain a good patron.

So, when Velius comes back and asks me what we decided, I answer him that the thing is possible, and I ask him how much he is willing to pay. His offer is really generous. Having sold Caio to the procurer, I send Teeto to buy another slave. He comes back with another Dacian, a handsome seventeen year old boy named Arus, that he paid for one third of what we obtained for Caio. Like all the new slaves, Teeto makes Arus sleep each night with a different slave for the first days, so that he can learn to make sex in the various ways that a client could ask him. Arus learns fast and well.

Velius is more than happy with Caio, so that a few weeks later his brother Marcus asks me if I would also sell him one of our slaves, and he asks for Gaius. But I know that Gaius is Tingit's lover, therefore I answer him that it will be really difficult. Again I talk with Kiron and Teeto, but the slave chief tells us that the two slaves are no more a couple, they split... Therefore, after hearing Gaius, we decide to sell him to the magistrate Marcus. Also for him we get a very good amount of money and with part of that we buy a new slave. At this point Teeto proposes us to start a new kind of commerce - we can buy young slaves, teach them to become skilled in making sex, then sell them to rich masters.

Kiron buys a house behind our tavern and entrusts it to Teeto, Avites and Tingit - they have to buy young handsome slaves apt to the task, educate them, then send them to work in the tavern. In a discreet way, the rumor that our slaves are skilled in sex and that it is possible to buy them, spreads. So we start to have a rich clientele that comes to drink and eat at our tavern, then they ask to try and enjoy our slaves and then, sometimes, ask to buy the one they liked most. Always for high prices. And the fact to have always new boys in the tavern, attracts new clients. Also the fact that it is so different from the brothels attracts the most refined clientele - our boys are not effeminate, don't allure the clients, are not impudent, know what their place is and are not vulgar, and they are skilled in bed.

All goes on for the best, and I am happy. But when I am forty one, Kiron falls ill and in just fifteen days he dies. I feel grief stricken. Teeto, with Avites and Tingit close to me, try to convince me that life continues, that I have to continue the work like always. I decide to make Teeto a freeman and to make him my partner in the business.

Then, I begin to bring in my bed every night a different one of our young slaves - I don't want to tie with anybody, but I need sex. When I die in 149, I am the richest and most respected freeman in Aquileia, friend of the powerful people. I leave in my testament everything to Teeto, Avites and Tingit, who I also freed in these years, feeling that they are more friends than slaves. I just ask them not to change the tavern's name..."

"Decius was a romantic person..." Eugenio said with a sigh, then asked: "But why didn't he make couple with Teeto? I would have seen them together well..."

"No, Decius is too much in love with Kiron. He likes Teeto, but just for that he never wants to have sex with him. He is deeply faithful to his gladiator. Moreover, Teeto and Avites are lovers..."

"I see. Well, Now I must leave you. See you... ugh, hear you tomorrow..."


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