Caelius was currently aware of two things: the persistent hunger that had pestered him ever since he ran out of food, and the incessant blabber of Adelrik, who for some reason, had insisted on following him.
The Roman checked his pockets, finding only a small amount of money. He had no idea when the next town would show up, and even if they did manage to reach one, he didn't have enough money to feed one person let alone two. Caelius considered asking the ex-king if he had anything on him, but decided against it. The last thing he wanted to endure was another lecture on how Adelrik was "too important" to contribute anything.
"Peasant, it has come to my attention that we do not have any more food. What are you planning to do about it?" The Roman looked up to see Adelrik staring at him expectantly. "Well, I'm not sure. I barely have any money left, and I don't even know where we could go to spend it. In a word, we're fucked. Do you have anything on you?" Adelrik rolled his eyes. "As per usual, I shall be the one to have to provide for my people." "I am not your peop-errr, person!" Caelius retorted. Adelrik huffed, "That's what you think."
Caelius rubbed his temples. "Look, I don't want to argue with you. Do you have any money or not?" For once, Adelrik fell silent. The Roman looked at him expectantly. "Well??" The ex-king stopped walking and turned away from his companion. "Well, the thing is..." Caelius turned to see the man holding a small money pouch. Upon further inspection he found it to be empty, the cause of which seemed to be a gigantic hole in the bottom of the bag. He started to laugh, a low chuckle that soon turned into booming laughter. Adelrik turned red, saying "What on Earth are you laughing about? Stop that this instant!" Caelius continued to laugh, tears streaming down his face. "You- you're telling me--", he said between chuckles, "that the great and mi-mighty Adelrik has no money? You've gotta be kidding me AHAHAHA!" he fell to the ground laughing me. The ex-king huffed again. "Y-yeah, well you shouldn't be laughing. What the hell are we supposed to do now? Clearly we can't survive on the paltry sum that you have."
"Ok ok, you're right" the olive-skinned man said, calming his laughter. "Well, maybe we'll be able to get a job at the next town we come across. At least to make enough to get some food." Adelrik winced as if he'd been slapped in the face. "A... job? Me? I don't think so." Caelius shook his head as he got to his feet. "Oh no mister high and mighty. If we're gonna make enough to feed us both, you need to pull your own weight. You stick with me? You get a job. I don't know what kind of lazy life you're used to, but from now on this is an equal partnership. I got your back, and you got mine. Understand?"
Adelrik took a step back, surprised at the fact that the usually quiet and shy Caelius just lectured him so firmly. "I- I suppose I do. Fine. I... I will get a job. But, what do we do in the meantime? The next town could be days away! We'll never make it that long without food and water." The Roman rubbed his chin; he hadn't thought that far. "Well, I guess we'll just have to look for-" The ex-king suddenly reached out and covered the Roman's mouth, ducking behind a tree. "Shhhh, look!" he whispered, pointing in the distance. Caelius looked and gasped softly. "Oh shit."
There was a group of men heading towards them. And they did NOT look friendly.
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Long Live Us
General FictionCaelius, a young Roman, has just witnessed the destruction of his entire family and the only home he has ever known. With Pompeii buried in ash, he has nowhere to go and nobody to turn to in his grief. Meanwhile, the recently dethroned Adelrik finds...
