That fateful day was meet within the deep of summer. I was a fully grown young man at the time, having a name for myself as one of the most wisest teachers within the secret organization. We followed strictly the teachings of Christ Almighty and his Disciples. My sermons of the Heavenly Kingdom were so grand and so profound, that people became dazed and fixed to the sky. There was even a time that I was called the 13th Disciple, but I digress. My works, they said, could have rivaled even that of Socrates and Virgil, but I frown at such notions so that I may be a more humble man. Besides, revelations of my words and wisdom would have called for certain death for me and my people. It was a noble but futile effort as the Roman guards heightened their vigilance and aggression against those rebelling the false and lying gods.
There have been rumors about guardsmen arresting and slaying innocent families on the false assumption that they were harboring fugitives. Men selling these rebels as slaves to work for mines and as expendable foot soldiers on the very edge of the empire's border. Although, as the growing population lends their ears to Jerusalem, these atrocities became more lucid, more graphic, and more known. It was only a matter of time before they would find a way to break my seal of secrecy and have me throat to blade.
Adonia was of course weary and afraid of the oncoming threat and I don't blame her. But her lack of faith in the community's plan seem to be her folly, following nothing but mere instincts and letting fear of authority get the best of her. But all that would subside every time I would stand before the crowd and proclaim my preaches. Just standing in awe of the unflinching courage that burns in my heart. The fact of the matter is that I was just as scared as she was, but I was wise enough to carry on. Bless Adonia and her youthful ignorance, blessed are the beautiful and the ignorant.
Though that blessing did not fall on to us. One day, as I was lecturing, the guards has discovered our hideaway. My memory was foggy as to how they managed such a feat but they managed to caught us. It was a frenzy, an entropic series of chaotic events that spiral into fear and hopelessness. And know one knows this better than Adonia who literally could not stop crying through the journey from church to the dungeon. Not even a stroke on the face would subdue her tears. And I have to wonder, was it genuine fear or an exaggeration? And if it was genuine, was I righteously brave, or arrogantly insensible?
It seems that the emperor has found a new punishment for the scholars of Christ: cheap entertainment. Apparently it has never crossed the denizen's minds when pitting slaves and criminals in pit fight every weekend that they would run out of their “wholesome” merriment. And when innocent civilians with their only crime was apostasy are taking up valuable jail cells, the choice was obvious. Adonia can hear the growls and moans of the lions nearby fasting to get their hunger fueled. For the three days she would tremble in her own fear. In the meantime, I was praying constantly to the Good Lord, casting spells of protection and blessings of peace into the souls of the captured. Even with all my strength, all my wisdom, all my unconditional love, I could not play a hand in this tragedy. I could not do God's blessings.
The hour of doom as arrived. Adonia was nearly about to collapsed when the guards came over to manhandled us.
“Let us go! Please! Pl-Eas-e-e-es!. Have Mer-ce-e-e-e...” Sobbed Adonia
“Aww, what primed love do we have here, Marcus?” Sneered one of the guards as he thrown on the shackles. He makes a mocked version of a man prostrating to the Lord
“Oh Save us! O' Great King of Worms!”. He picks up a worm from the earthy floor and slips it into Adonia's cleavage.
She squirms and cries, squirms again and cries. The guards let out a bellowed laugh and I could not do anything except pray.
“De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine; Domine, exaudi vocem meam. Fiant aures tuæ intendentes” I muttered as the prisoners lineup before the gate to the Colosseum floor.
“What Lord! What Lord can save you from the depths of Pluto!” Marcus backhands me and Adonia gasps immediately.
“There is no 'Lord' to save you from the depths, worshiper of worms!”
