The Traitor's Son Chapters 37-38
By Zelamir, adapted by Pueros

This story is intended for ADULTS ONLY

Chapter XXXVII

The sleeping potion did not dare to be too strong or a barely awake boy might be presented at market for auction. Consequently, Marius stirred at breaking daylight, knowing the time despite the lack of natural illumination from the dawn chorus of birds, which was loud despite the urban setting in Rome.

Marius had slept well and been reasonably rested. Having also eaten well on the previous evening, the boy now really only needed to be washed and groomed to be ready for market.

Marius sat up on his straw mattress and the chain about his ankle rattled as he did so. He resumed his sitting position and listened for the noises of the similarly awakening household in the distance.

As Marius listened, he felt some discomfort in his groin and glanced down to attempt to ascertain the cause, which he discovered straightaway. The cord tightly binding his genitals was making the delicate flesh against which it rested sore. The boy's restricted sexual organs were also darker in colour than normal because of the reduced blood- flow, although thankfully they remained relatively healthy and were not black, which would have meant that they were dead and he had been castrated.

Marius was briefly tempted to remove the cord to bring some relief from the soreness. However, the idea was quickly dismissed. Such an action would break the seal, which Scyrax had taken trouble to affix, and the fat man might actually make good his threat to convert the boy into a eunuch for his disobedience, or at least otherwise punish him severely.

As Marius sat in his cell, naked and alone, enduring the discomfort in his groin, he next contemplated the fact that the day ahead would probably determine the whole course of his future life. He was going to be taken to market and sold to the highest bidder like any other item of livestock. His purchaser would own him and could do anything with him in just the same way as his dogs, horses or cattle.

Marius did not feel any great resentment in being treated in such a way. After all, the institution of slavery was an integral part of Roman life.

Marius naturally wished that he was not a slave and he was fearful of what was to come. However, he generously and philosophically considered that his current servile status was as a consequence of misfortune rather than injustice.

Marius believed that being a slave was the price that the gods were insisting that he must pay in return for not letting him be killed like his older brother and sister. The boy considered that lamenting or complaining about the divine judgement was not sensible but sacrilegious. He instead simply thought that he must make the best out of what the deities had now gifted him in life.

Marius did profoundly hope that the gods might now still have sufficient remaining consideration for his welfare to ensure that he was imminently delivered into good hands by being bought by a kind master. The boy's pride made him prefer the idea of having in such a paternalistic society as Rome another male owner. His stance was also enhanced by the fact that his chances of being castrated would certainly be increased considerably if he was purchased by a female.

Marius fully appreciated that Scyrax only dealt in exceptional boys, who were regarded as expensive luxury speciality goods for the discerning rich. He also realised the nature of some of the services that he might be required to provide to a man.

Marius knew too, genuinely without exaggeration or personal hubris, that he was truly a very pretty boy, as Scyrax only traded in such lucratively outstanding juveniles. His body, especially his unruly cock, also told him that he was ready to endure and perhaps enjoy a new role in a pederast's service.

Lying naked, alone and apprehensive in the small isolated cell, Marius even now attempted to imagine what some aspects of his life might be like with such a new master. The boy's thoughts were of such intensity that he could almost feel the man's arms about his nude body, the adult's smell in his nostrils and his taste in his mouth.

Marius' preparation for resale by Scyrax had not just comprised manners and domestic duties. Instruction in how best to pleasure a man was also included, which indicated the fat man's thoughts about the most likely ultimate destiny for his special young slaves.

The relevant lessons were taught through practical demonstrations, generally comprising two of Scyrax's older and experienced slaveboys, with one compelled to suffer sodomy and the other forced to perform fellatio. The relevant youths were usually in two minds about their involvement.

The youths generally disliked the public nature of their demonstrations, especially as most of the spectators were younger than them, and the fact that their acts were frequently slowed and even stopped so that Scyrax could point out certain key issues to the class. They were also averse to the regular criticisms levied at them from their master for any perceived ineptitude, which was often undeserved but which the hypocritical fat man nevertheless liked to deliver to satisfy one of his cravings, namely to humiliate. However, they additionally did usually gain some pleasure, given that the occasions represented the only time that the boys of the household were allowed to have sex with each other, apart from when such deeds formed part of their owner's personal entertainment.

The rare virgins, like Marius, amongst Scyrax's young slaves were, of course, not allowed to participate in such demonstrations, other than as invariably intrigued spectators, in order to protect their valuable purity. Other younger boys were also generally excluded but not because of likely ineptitude.

The age of such boys instead usually meant that their bodies had not been molested too much, and their anuses in particular had not suffered regular penetration, or Scyrax would not have bought them in the first place. Their master prided himself on sending juveniles to market whose rectums, even if they were no longer virgins, were still nicely sufficiently tight to provide their new owners with immense pleasure if they were so inclined.

Marius had been as intrigued as most of his fellow young slaves when watching the homosexual demonstrations, in which the foreplay required to provide a man with the greatest pleasure was given as much prominence as the sex acts themselves. The boy's loincloth frequently bulged to provide evidence that his unruly cock was equally enthralled.

Marius now told himself that he would indeed try hard to be a good slave and to please his new master in any way that he wanted, whilst optimistically dismissing the worrying idea from his mind that his new owner might be female. Apart from the obvious motive, namely that he might be punished if he was not competent, another more subliminal reason for the boy's attitude was that, having been brutally wrenched from his family, he was in desperate need of affection. He wanted to love and be loved.

Marius next contemplated who his new master might be. He pondered whether he might be a Senator or at least a rich equestrian.

Perhaps, after many years of loyal service, Marius' new owner might grant him his freedom, and subsequently he would be able to find Pannnychis, the slave girl who had suffered so much for helping him, whom he would buy and set free. He would also purchase Sulis from Scyrax and they could then all live happily ever after together. The girl could cook and look after the house, whilst the boys worked to earn money.

For a while, Marius sat happily dreaming such thoughts but then his recall of Pannychis reawakened nightmare memories of the last few weeks. He remembered Echios, his father's steward, who had suddenly changed from obsequious servant to insolent and cruel gaoler.

Marius recalled his imprisonment in the farmhouse cellar and the inherent darkness, squalor and hunger, relieved only by the scraps of food smuggled to him by Pannychis. He remembered the terror that had overcome him when the girl eventually did not come again and he was left to lie there in his own filth, with his increasing starvation gnawing at his guts.

Marius recalled the sudden appearance of Crastus, who informed him with casual brutality that his father had been executed as a traitor and he had personally killed his older brother and sister. He remembered his own shame at the way his body had been humiliatingly aroused by the touch of this sadistic butcher.

Marius recalled the brutalities committed by Crastus and his men during their stay at his late father's farm, including the whipping of Echios' favourite boy, Pulchellus, and of his own protector and friend, Pannychis. He remembered the horrors of the long and painful march to Rome.

Marius recalled his sale to the slave dealer, Scyrax, and the cruelties he had witnessed and endured in his house, including the needless flogging of Nisus, Giton, Sulis, Lysias and dozens of other frightened and defenceless young slaves. His mind heard again the sound of cane and leather cracking against bare flesh, and of boys screaming as the harsh blows hit and tore their tender bodies. He remembered his own agony, as Maccius had beaten his quivering bottom.

As a consequence of such horrible recall, terror of the future suddenly replaced hope in Marius' mind. He therefore curled up in a small ball of naked misery, sobbing quietly to himself. However, in time, renewed sleep eventually brought him momentary release from his fears.

Chapter XXXVIII

Marius was eventually awoken by the same adult slave who had brought him to his small cell. However, the servant was now unlocking the chain around boy's ankle.

Marius was subsequently led out of the cell and along a series of corridors to a large room with a high ceiling and windows overlooking the central courtyard. The bright sunlight that pervaded the place brought out the brilliant colourings of the frescoes that covered the walls, which portrayed scenes of the most debauched but also rather refined depravity. Beautiful children of both sexes were pictured catering to the perverse tastes of various gods and other creatures. The artist had combined cruelty and sexual licence to create a masterpiece of eroticism.

The beauty of the boys pictured was, however, rivalled by that of the scantily attired variety, who hurried on bare feet about the room, bearing trays laden with food, drinking cups, ewers of hot water, towels, mirrors and all the other paraphernalia of a luxurious breakfast and toilet. In the centre of this activity stood the gross figure of Scyrax.

At the moment when Marius was brought into the room, Scyrax was standing naked by a couch, with his huge belly bulging before him. The fat man was urinating into a silver bowl held for him by a small black slave with the sweetest round bottom, which was fully revealed because the boy only wore the minuscule white thong appropriate for his tender age. The child knelt respectfully on the floor while his master directed a stream of pungent amber fluid into the dish, which was held dangerously close to his face.

The adult slave left the still naked Marius standing just inside the entrance into the room. The boy immediately experienced a feeling of great horror because he now saw that Maccius was lounging on the couch close to Scyrax.

Maccius was also naked but, while Scyrax's body was obscenely fat and covered with a mat of dark hair, the youth was slim, with the only hirsute patch being a little tuft above his genitals. However, regardless of how lithely smooth he was, he disported himself with such arrogance that no one could confuse him with the slaveboys who hurried nervously about the room.

Maccius was playing with a dagger with an ivory hilt, which was a gift from Scyrax and the pommel of which was set with a single large ruby. The sunlight glinted on the slim blade as the youth toyed with the weapon.

Whilst Marius watched, Maccius lent forward and, smiling wickedly, rested the point of the dagger against the side of the little black slave's thigh. The boy instinctively tensed, as he felt the touch of the sharp cold metal against his bare flesh.

Maccius' smile broadened as he increased the pressure on the dagger. Marius then saw the point of the blade sink into the boy's taught thigh, causing a bead of blood to form on his dark skin and begin to trickle downwards. The child's chest clearly heaved, as he felt the resultant pain but he still somehow held the bowl steady, as proof, if any were needed, that discipline in the abode of Scyrax was firm.

The stream of urine finally dwindled to a trickle and Scyrax shook the last few drops from the tip of his cock and wiped his hands on the young slave's tight black curls. The fat man subsequently gestured and the boy rose to his feet, bowed deeply and backed away, still carrying the bowl with the obnoxious steaming contents.

As the black boy passed Marius, the latter noticed that the side of the young slave's leg was glistening darkly with fresh blood. Meanwhile, Maccius laughed and licked the tip of his dagger.

Scyrax glanced around and, observing Marius, beckoned the boy to him. The 11 year-old obediently moved forward but on leaden legs and with his fearful eyes fixed on Maccius. The youth said nothing but smiled coldly at the advancing child, whilst testing the point of his dagger on his thumb.

"I think the brat remembers you, darling," Scyrax remarked before giggling softly, whilst reaching out to draw the reluctantly arriving Marius to him. Seating himself on the couch beside his youthful lover, he subsequently bent forward to examine the wax seal on the cord still knotted tightly around the boy's now sore genitals.

"So, Mariullus, you've been a good boy," Scyrax commented, "and not done any of that nasty playing with yourself. I knew you wouldn't be naughty."

Scyrax subsequently turned towards Maccius and requested "Darling, please be very kind and cut the cord off our dear sweet Mariullus." The youth giggled and, leaning over the fat man's gross thighs, pressed the blade of his dagger across the base of the boy's cock. The young slave immediately shuddered and instinctively closed his eyes.

"Stand very still now, dear sweet Mariullus," Scyrax gently and wisely counselled the alarmed boy, "as I wouldn't want Maccius making a mistake. A pretty little thing like you would be worth much less if he cut too far and sliced your little prick off!"

Maccius again giggled and the deeply apprehensive Marius then felt the sharp blade of the dagger drawn lightly across his cock, which amazingly suddenly snapped upright. Such unruly behaviour was proof of both the boy's renewed shameful arousal and the fact that the cord and not his penis had been neatly severed.

In reaction, Marius uttered a loud sigh of relief, which caused both Scyrax and Maccius to laugh, whilst the boy glanced down towards his released and rapidly reinvigorated genitals. He noticed that the cord had left a red mark around his scrotum that was already thankfully rapidly declining in soreness and intensity of colour.

Marius was encouraged to look up again from his genitals when he next heard other people entering the room. The boy subsequently saw that Felix had appeared, carrying a tray with a variety of objects on, including a strange canvass tube with a bronze nozzle at one end and a wide funnel at the other.

Felix was followed by two young slaves, one carrying a large empty earthenware bowl and the other a pitcher full of steaming soapy water. "Now, Mariullus, we have to ready for today's auction," Scyrax advised and, after taking hold of the boy by his wrist, pulled him face down over his knees.

"As part of the process," Scyrax next informed Marius, "we must have you clean inside and out." The fat man subsequently rested one hand gently on the boy's bottom.

Marius shamelessly wriggled appreciatively under Scyrax's touch. The boy felt strangely content lying across his master's fat thighs, with his bare bottom being visited by the man's hand. He somehow experienced no shame, just a feeling of acceptance and surrender, plus a rather perverse sense of pleasure.

"There's a good boy," Scyrax next murmured softly, whilst patting Marius' naked bottom. "Now push that pretty little bum of yours as high as you can," the fat man subsequently instructed, "and spread your legs."

"There's a good boy," Scyrax then repeated, as Marius complied with the instruction. "That's right," the man fat added just before causing his young slave to gasp and wiggle slightly because he now carefully and gently pressed freshly grease-coated fingertips into the child's virginal anus.

Marius' gasp and wiggle had not resulted from any pain. The boy's audible and physical reaction had instead emanated from the sudden surprise of the intimate intrusion, plus some guilty pleasure.

Marius' little erection, which was currently pressed against Scyrax's thighs, simultaneously quivered, which was a reaction that his master felt. With the other evidence of the boy's apparently delighted gasp and wiggle to support his conclusion, the fat man remarked "You really are hot for it, aren't you child. Well, be happy in the knowledge that I think that the odds are that your new owner will quickly give you it!"

Scyrax subsequently returned his attention to the task literally in hand by carefully withdrawing his fingertips from Marius' now greased anal entrance and collecting the strange canvass tube with a bronze nozzle at one end. The boy was soon to discover to what purpose the contraption was put.

"I'll just make the nozzle a little warmer so it doesn't make you jump so much when I push it in," Scyrax said in explanation as to why he was now rubbing the bronze tip between his fingers, whilst also providing a hint as to the contraption's use. Soon afterwards, Marius caught his breath again in response to a gentle anal intrusion.

On this occasion, however, a tip of bronze rather than of a finger was the invader, followed after a slight pause by the initially pleasant sensation of warm soapy water flowing into his innards. However, this early feeling of wellbeing soon turned first to discomfort and then to positive pain, as the pressure of the fluid inside him increased.

Marius began to murmur a protest, whilst he now started to wriggle uneasily on Scyrax's lap. In response, the fat man cooed "There's just a little bit more to go in, dear sweet boy. So please lie still."

Marius somehow obeyed and, just as he thought that his insides might burst from the pressure, the nozzle was withdrawn from his anus, and Scyrax instructed "Now, stand up, little one, and hold the water inside you until Maccius counts to twenty." The fat man reinforced his command with a sharp slap on the boy's bare bottom.

After Marius had returned extremely uncomfortably to his standing position, Maccius began to count very slowly, deliberately leaving long pauses between each number and drawing each word out for as long as he could. "Oooone……..twoooo……..threeee……..," the wicked youth started.

Marius whimpered and clapped his hands on his curvaceous bottom, attempting desperately to clamp his buttocks together to hold the liquid inside him. He also began to jig about on his bare feet in order to try to find some relief from his anguish, whilst his two tormentors lent back on their couch to watch him and enjoy his discomfort.

Marius' severe discomfort had not, however, returned his cock to flaccidity. The boy's shameful unruly erect penis instead wobbled around in line with his jigging.

"Fourrrr……..Fiveeee……..Sixxxx……..", Maccius happily continued to recite with purposefully slow deliberation, whilst Marius proceeded with his distressed jig to accompanying chortling from the pair of amused spectators. Felix also looked on merrily, thoroughly enjoying the boy's misery and hoping that the child would not be able to prevent expelling the fluid from within him until the sadistic youth's count had reached twenty and so earn painful chastisement. However, the eunuch secretary's wicked wish was to be thwarted.

By the time that Maccius counted "Twentyyyy", Marius had somehow still not expelled the fluid within him, although he was immensely relieved when he subsequently did so into the empty earthenware bowl. The boy had to squat degradingly over this container for the purpose of emptying himself.

The smiling Scyrax watched Marius perform the demeaning deed, whilst the busy bustle within the room carried on around. Despite the other recent bad experiences that the boy had endured, he nevertheless fully felt the indignity and shame of his current situation.

Marius subsequently had to suffer another similar distressing enema but, as the fluid that he expelled from his innards was on this occasion clear, indicating that his insides were now clean, Scyrax did not require the boy to undergo a third. The fat man instead summoned the delivery of a large wooden tub.

The tub was carried into the room by four of Scyrax's older slaveboys, who also filled the bath with warm scented water. Marius was subsequently required to kneel inside, whilst his master personally sponged him down.

Scyrax later lifted the diminutive and therefore light Marius out from the tub and used a towel to dry him. Scented oil was brought and the fat man's plump soft hands again strayed over the boy's delectable body, this time kneading and stroking, leaving no cleft or cranny of his young form untouched and uncovered by the perfume.

As Scyrax worked, he spoke softly, almost hypnotically, to Maccius of the experiences that Marius might face with his new master, including the sexual pleasures that he might have to provide and possibly enjoy. The fat man referred in particular to the undoubted immense attractions of the boy's body and the uses to which some bits might be put, whilst apparently being very proud of the latest goods that he was sending to market.

"Look at these legs, Maccius," Scyrax proudly requested of the youth, whilst pointing in admiration at the relevant parts of Marius' anatomy, "as they're so slim and elegant and yet so strong. Look, his thighs are firm and smooth, and his bottom is so wonderfully pert, so well rounded, with those cute dimples there……..and there!"

"Look at the nicely tight cleft of his bottom," Scyrax recommended, before ordering Marius to "Just bend forward a little, my child, so that Maccius can see." After the boy, who was experiencing a strange mix of humiliation and pride at being discussed and ogled in such a manner, obeyed, the fat man crudely suggested "Don't these delicious curves simply appear to crave to be fucked by a man's big virile cock!"

"Talking about cock," Scyrax continued, whilst turning Marius around and placing one of his stubby fingers underneath the boy's still resolutely stiff penis, "doesn't this prove how hot and desperate he is to have sex and be fucked. I'm sure that the discerning customers at the market later will be of the same opinion, and they'll want either to oblige him or castrate him to terminate his lusts!"

In reaction to Scyrax's touch and words, Marius' cock visibly quivered again in apparent shameful masochistic excitement, with the shaft even rising from his master's finger, which caused the fat man and Maccius to chortle once more. However, underneath the amused façade, the clever and perceptive merchant in special boy flesh realised that his young slave was truly ready for something else apart from sex.

Scyrax was an expert at readying his young slaves for resale at market. He cleverly appreciated that, in order to obtain the best price for a boy of the sort in which he traded, the child concerned should be sent to the auction block in a high state of sexual excitement. Such a condition generally enabled them to show off their liveliness to best effect, in particular one of their principal physical assets, namely a proudly aroused and erect cock, which many customers appeared to like to view.

All of the pederastic customers enjoyed the spectacle as evidence of how lively the boys were likely to be in their beds. Some others, including most females, were frequently just happy to see proof of the need to have the young slaves castrated to prevent them being a sexual danger.

Boys so aroused and displayed on the auction block also often seemed to develop a kind of energised physical pride, which overwhelmed any shame resulting from their situation and was additionally somehow very attractive to many customers. The mental state of the young slaves could often be ascertained by a glazed gleam in their eyes, which was another factor in drawing prospective purchasers to them and thereby increasing their value.

Scyrax eventually finished oiling Marius' naked body, which was now standing before him, burnished and glistening. The fat man subsequently neatly combed the boy's fair hair and stepped back to ask of Maccius "Have you ever seen anything nicer, with his little proud cock all stiff and hard, ready and eager for his new master? He'll definitely fetch a good price at market today in this state!"

"I'd like to have the brat," Maccius disturbingly revealed in reply, "to torment and hurt whenever I want." The sadistic youth subsequently briefly paused in responding, with a puzzled look on his face.

"Why is it that I so enjoy harming, even destroying, beautiful boys?" Maccius then suddenly queried, as if philosophically debating in his cruel mind why he was such a nasty sadist. Meanwhile, Scyrax momentarily worried that the youth was actually asking that he give the precious young slave to him, which he considered was too much to request, given the child's undoubted auction value.

In current market conditions, young pretty boys were far more expensive than any other kind of slave, even their female equivalents. A lot of rich men, even those who were not pederasts, and women possessed a fashionable taste for them, with many of them considering them nice ornamentation in their households.

Wives were also often more happy to allow bisexual husbands, who displayed their tastes more commonly, openly and tolerantly in the ancient era than in apparently more sexually hung-up modern times, take boys to bed than girls. Jealousy was somehow reduced if the object of passion was not another female and the danger of inconvenient unwanted pregnancy was eradicated.

In order to protect his valuable investment, Scyrax declared to Maccius "Well, dearest, I'm afraid that you can't have this boy, as he's going to make us lots of money. Aren't you Mariullus?"

Scyrax subsequently took the boy's chin between his finger and thumb and tipped his beautiful young head back so that he could look down into his face. "You see, Mariullus," the fat man then suggested correctly, " the value of a slave brat like you is your only protection. The more you cost, the more your new master will surely look after you. So, if you try your best to fetch a high price, it'll be good for both of us!"

Scyrax next paused and, whilst smiling, ran a podgy finger along Marius' rosy lips. The fat man subsequently announced "And just to make sure that you try really hard to fetch a high price at the market, I'll put a nice big reserve on you. If you do not achieve that valuation, you'll be brought back to me and I will then give you to Maccius for him to play with!"

"So you will try hard, won't you Mariullus?" Scyrax added. In response to the sinister threat, the boy whispered in fear "Yes, Master!"

Scyrax proceeded to advise Marius of the reserve price that would be set, and Marius' heart sank. The valuation was not just big but huge, certainly enough to buy about a dozen strong and experienced agricultural workers, which was the only slave market about which the child possessed knowledge because he had spent the bulk of his early life on his late father's country estate.

Marius wondered who would possibly pay such an enormous sum for a mere 11 year-old boy. He did not believe that such a scenario could possibly arise and his face immediately displayed his clear misery at the thought of being returned unsold from market literally into Maccius' cruel hands.

Scyrax noticed the boy's miserable facial expression and laughed. "It is a high price, Mariullus," he subsequently chortled, "but I'm sure that a little pretty virgin like you could achieve the valuation on a good day, especially if you display yourself to best effect. You'll therefore just have to try hard and hope there's a very rich buyer who fancies golden boys like you!"

The fat man laughed again, whilst Maccius simultaneously lent forwards to rest the sharp point of his dagger against Marius' bare chest, just below his rosy left nipple. "Do let me have him, Scyrax, please," the wicked youth then pleaded, "as I would like so much to make his blood flow and to hear him scream!"

Marius felt the cold sharp blade press against his vulnerable skin and glanced across terrified into Maccius' devilish black eyes, which were sinisterly stern and glittering with libidinously cruel intent. The boy also believed that he could perceive sadistic madness in the youth's returned stare.

Marius additionally noticed a small fleck of lustful saliva appear at the corner of Maccius' painted lips, which essentially represented a scarlet slash in the youth's cruel pallid face, and subsequently begin obscenely to trickle down his chin. As a result of the sight that was this nasty sadistic visage, the boy could not prevent himself from instinctively whimpering in terror.

Marius initially did not know whether Maccius' plea to Scyrax to give him to the youth to be tortured was genuine or fake, designed just to terrify him. Whatever the motive, the entreaty certainly did acutely frighten the boy, so much so that his persistent little erection disappeared, with his cock disappearing to scared flaccidity.

Scyrax, witnessing the sudden loss of Marius' erection, admonished Maccius, albeit again gently, by saying "Now look what you've done, dearest. The brat's prick has softened when I wanted it nice and hard for display at market. You shouldn't tease him like you've done, knowing full well that I won't give him to you unless he fails to achieve his reserve price at auction."

Maccius had indeed already reluctantly accepted that Marius would be sent to market instead of immediately being delivered into his cruel hands. He fully appreciated that Scyrax needed such lucrative sales to maintain his lifestyle, which, of course, included lavishing all sorts of treats on the youth.

Maccius therefore recognised the necessity, not least for his own quality of living, for Marius and his like to go to market in pristine condition, which earlier being badly damaged by him might preclude. However, the youth had for some unexplained reason felt an especially strong sadistic attraction to this particular boy, whom he wanted intensely to harm. The previous caning that he had inflicted on the beautiful child not only had not been enough but also had conjured a deep desire for more such hurtful action.

Maccius' motive for making his request to Scyrax had actually faced reality by being mainly a tease designed to frighten Marius, fully knowing that the fat man would still send the boy to market. However, the youth did develop a furtive hope that the scare that he had induced in the child might also make him sulkily sullen at auction and consequently perhaps less attractive to prospective purchasers and more liable to fail to meet his reserve price.

In such circumstances, Maccius did anticipate that Scyrax's easily stirred anger would facilitate Marius being given to him to receive comprehensive punishment. However, the youth was still realistic enough to know that the fat man would even then not want the boy to be permanently harmed.

Once Scyrax's bad temper had calmed, he would undoubtedly decide that he wanted to try again to resell such a valuable asset as Marius. Certain limitations would therefore be placed on how far Maccius could go in punishing the boy to avoid permanent damage. Nevertheless, the youth would still enjoy reaching these painful parameters and perhaps even beyond, whilst falsely claiming such misfortune was an accident, which he was sure that his charms could persuade the fat man was true.

Such wickedly cunning furtive planning had pervaded Maccius' mind at the very time that he had been teasing Marius with his dagger and plea to Scyrax. The boy' reaction, namely the look of terror on his face and his sad return to genital flaccidity, also suggested to the youth that his hope, that a certain reserve price would not be attained and consequently the child would be returned to him, might yet be achieved.

Scyrax now gestured to one of the young slaves who were attending to the morning toilet of their master and his guest, Maccius, as well as helping with Marius' preparation. The boy obviously already knew what he was supposed to do and brought forward a freshly laundered sparse white loincloth.

The young slave subsequently helped Marius to redress in this sparse loincloth, afterwards carefully looking from all angles to ensure that the brief attire was perfectly positioned. The front flap just about concealed the inherent underlying minuscule thong that covered the wearer's groin. However, the rear was not so efficient, folding down the sweet curvature of the boy's bottom but leaving the very lowest part of his bumcrack just visible, in line with Scyrax's tastes. Meanwhile, apart from where the thin cord that held the skimpy garment in place was resting, the sides of the child's buttocks and thighs, including the cute dimples present, were completely exposed.

Scyrax next gestured to his huge muscled black eunuch, whom Marius now knew was named Alseus and who had been summoned to the room to collect the boy. The African slave subsequently advanced towards his master and the child, whilst carrying a slim metal ring with a light chain attached.

Alseus subsequently snapped the light manacle tightly around the right wrist of the boy, who was slowly becoming more relaxed now that Maccius' plea was clearly not going to be met, at least yet. "Take him as arranged to market," Scyrax then commanded of the black eunuch, whilst mentioning the required reserve price.

The boy next felt his wrist-chain being gently tugged, forcing him to turn to follow Alseus out of the room. Behind him, he heard Scyrax say "Farewell, Mariullus, and don't forget to ensure that you obtain a good price, for the sake of both of us!"

Marius also heard Maccius declare "But I hope that you don't so that you can be returned to me!" The wild laughter of the wicked youth subsequently again reverberated shrilly around the room.

"You're being naughty again by trying to frighten Mariullus, dearest," Scyrax once more admonished mildly. "Will you forgive me if I kiss you?" Maccius enquired in response.

Marius then heard two sets of lips smacking together. The boy was too disgusted to glance around for what he now sincerely hoped would be a final sight of Scyrax and the dreadful Maccius.

As Marius was later being led by Alseus along the great colonnaded entrance hall of Scyrax's house, decorated by lewd elaborate floor mosaics and brilliantly frescoed walls, depicting other perverse scenes, Sulis darted out from behind a pillar. The departing boy immediately surmised that the other child must have been dangerously hiding there much of the morning, hoping to catch a last glimpse of his friend.

Alseus immediately stopped his progress down the colonnaded hall in surprise. He was rewarded by the sight of Sulis rushing out of his hiding spot to place his arms tightly around the neck of Marius.

Sulis' fast action was achieved despite the fact that bodily movement still hurt because of the recent comprehensive caning of his rear by Scyrax. In his eagerness to see Marius for one final time, the boy had momentarily overcome the anguish by simply somehow forgetting the pain.

In response to Sulis' action, Marius looked down into the slightly younger and therefore shorter boy's face. The cheeks of the 10 year-old were wet with tears and his lips were trembling.

Marius subsequently instinctively carefully held the sides of Sulis' shoulders, where Scyrax's cane had not caused harm, and bent his head to kiss the boy hard on the mouth in an act of both affection and attempted reassurance. Alseus simultaneously laughed at the sight of the two almost naked children embracing in this manner.

Sulis knew that he was taking a dangerous chance in escaping his household chores, hiding and subsequently revealing himself to hug Marius in farewell. However, his bravery or recklessness had been aided by seeing Alseus leading his friend.

Alseus was enthusiastically competent at thrashing boys at the evening assembly when Scyrax so ordered, but mainly out of a sense of duty to his master, plus a fear of his owner's displeasure if he spared the rod somewhat, rather than from inherent cruelty. The black eunuch was not a sadist like the white version, Felix, and also tended not to report observance of minor misdemeanours by the younger slaves, such as that currently being perpetrated by Marius and Sulis.

After all, Alseus considered, he too was a slave and consequently he felt some sympathetic rapport towards the boys of Scyrax's household. Both Marius and Sulis were also aware of the black eunuch's gracious general attitude.

Sulis had therefore taken the chance that Alseus would not seek retribution for the boy's brief farewell gesture. His risk was rewarded when the black eunuch eventually simply said to him and Marius, as they continued to cling to each other, "Now, that's enough, you two!"

"Go back immediately to your duties, which I'm sure that you've evaded for too long, Sulis," Alseus continued, "and I won't report you for this interruption to my own task at hand. However, I'll have to appraise the master about your foolhardiness if you make me arrive too late in the slave market to sell Marius, as I wouldn't want to suffer punishment for your recklessness!" However, despite this warning, the younger boy momentarily continued to exhibit some reluctance in releasing his slightly older friend.

Sulis had just suffered the loss of Nictys. The imminent disappearance from his precariously unhappy life in Scyrax's household of his newly found soul-mate, Marius, was almost too much for him to bare, as was evidenced by his dangerous desperate desire to wish his friend farewell.

Marius instead felt compelled to end their embracing for the sake of Sulis' welfare. Still looking down at the slightly younger boy, he suggested "You'd better do as Alseus says before we're delayed too long or someone else sees us."

Marius subsequently forced the younger boy's reluctant arms away from his neck and let Alseus tug again at his chain to lead him away. "May the gods always be with you, Sulis," he then wished. However, his words appeared to be of little comfort.

Sulis' emotions broke completely, as he observed Marius being lead away to meet an unknown destiny, in the course of which they would probably never meet again. However, the younger boy did not follow down the hall. He instead just stood his ground, sobbing pitifully.

A last sight of Sulis in such a state was not what Marius wanted to see on leaving Scyrax's house and that is not what was actually achieved. The scene instead soon became much worse.

Bad luck caused Felix to choose this moment to enter the hall and suggest that the gods would not always be with Sulis. The astute eunuch secretary assessed in a glance what was happening and immediately drew out the metal tipped strap, which he always carried, and advanced on the boy, whose bottom was fully exposed because he only wore a thong and offered a very attractive target.

The fact that the rear of Sulis' body already bore the marks of a recent comprehensive beating by Scyrax was no obstacle to Felix's cruel intent. The hall was therefore soon echoing with the crack of leather and the squeals of a boy in deep distress.

On observing this dreadful scene, Marius checked again. However, Alseus pulled firmly on his chain and he was led out from Scyrax's house, with the unmistakable sounds of a helpless younger child under correction ringing in the boy's ears.

Such last sights and sounds were definitely not what Marius wanted to see and hear on leaving Scyrax's house but they were what were actually achieved. Their regular remembrance was to haunt the boy for a long time, although they were now briefly forgotten.

The sights and sounds of juvenile misery were instead quickly displaced in Marius' mind by those of the busy Roman street outside Scyrax's walled abode. Men, women and children chatted, laughed, shouted and cursed, whilst barrows rumbled noisily past, pushed by those delivering goods. Horse or ox drawn vehicles were only permitted in the Imperial capital, by decree of the Emperor Augustus, at night for safety reasons.

Marius had, of course, experienced Rome's busy streets before but long weeks spent confined to Scyrax's house had made him temporarily forget and consequently be unprepared for the crowds and din, plus the scenes and the smells that now assaulted his senses. The sudden shocked excitement of being out in the teeming thoroughfares therefore drove all thought of Sulis' sad sufferings from his mind.

Marius' excitement was substantially heightened by the fact that he was himself a subject of much interest and admiration. On the previous occasions that he had been out on the streets of Rome, few had taken any notice of him. The boy had then been just a naked but filthy and half-starved young slave, whose appearance was too disgusting for anyone to spend much time ogling. However, now the situation was very different.

Marius had now been carefully tended, fed, washed and groomed with as much care as if he was a thoroughbred horse. The boy's hair and oiled skin glistened with health.

Marius was now a highly desirable object of great beauty. Consequently, many men and women turned to look at the almost naked honey-skinned boy with the dusty gold hair. The majority of them smiled at the sight of his barely covered slim young body, with the deeply dimpled sides of his curvaceous bottom open to full view.

Quite a few men and women actually called out words of admiration, or offers of money to Alseus if he would only let them briefly enjoy the boy's obvious attractions. Some even tried to touch him but the muscular black eunuch was sufficiently big and fierce to cause most of them to fall back when he turned on them.

The chain around Marius' wrist was actually present not to prevent the boy from running away, as there was nowhere in reality for him he escape to, but to help Alseus prevent him from being molested or even stolen. The black eunuch accordingly often yanked his young charge closer to him to avoid the attentions of more persistent admirers.

Alseus was invariably entrusted with the task of taking Scyrax's precious young slaves to market. The black eunuch had acquired such proficiency in delivering the boys safely, and with equal skill and security returning with the coinage gained for their sale, that he had never let his master down yet and he did not intend to do so now.

Meanwhile, the various flattery directed at him had caused Marius' excitement to revert to including a thrill other than that gained by being reacquainted with Rome's busy streets. The identity of this particular variety became evident when the front flap of the boy's skimpy loincloth began to bulge once more.

Marius would therefore perhaps, after all, arrive and remain on the auction block in as sexually excited state as Scyrax had desired and Maccius had attempted to sabotage.

(To be continued)