The Price of Freedom: Innocence Lost

Arrival In Rome

You've been at sea for about twelve days when the sailors come down and start herding all the slaves on deck. Once your eyes have adjusted to the light, you see a strip of land on the horizon. "Rome!" Lula says, excitedly tugging your arm. "See, I tell you it not many days. We going off the boat!" You have absolutely no idea what kind of life awaits you once you're on dry land, but you share the girl's enthusiasm. After your time on the ship, you can't imagine anything worse.

Every slave is given food individually, so you don't need to worry about sharing or getting your food taken away from you while you eat. The sailors want you all to be strong enough that you don't keel over when buyers come to look at you.

While you're half way through eating a hand full of rice, you're distracted by the sound of fighting, and turn to see that a slave has attacked the ship's captain. You're not sure what started the fight, but a group of sailors are on him in a second, beating the slave to the ground and then stomping on him with their feet. You hear his cries of pain but you know there's nothing you can do. They'll get bored of beating him in a moment and leave him alone... Or at least that's what you think.

Moments later it becomes apparent that the captain wants to make an example out of this slave. With a cruel smile on his face, he orders two of the strongest sailors to bring the man forward where all the other slaves can see him. "It appears my men have been too soft on you!" The captain yells out for all to hear. "As Captain, it is my job to specify this failure! Let every one of you know, that while you are in my possession, no act of rebellion will be tolerated!" Gesturing to the slave in front of him, the Captain dramatically raises his voice. "So that all of you will know the fate of a slave who does not obey his master! Men... Chain him to the anchor!"

The slave lets out a horrific howl and struggles against his captors. Three more sailors are forced to intervene, to drag him to the side of the ship. There's nothing you can do. You are still chained up with the others and no act on your behalf could save the man from his fate. If you tried to help him, it would only result in your punishment and when the anchor went down, the slave would still go down with it. You know this... Still, you always have a choice.

You know there's nothing you can do, but you can't just stand back and watch an innocent man get murdered. With a shout of anger you run towards the slave as the sailors chain him to the anchor. Of course you only make it a couple of steps forward before your shackles hold you back. You're still linked to the rest of the slaves, but that doesn't stop you. Pulling against your bonds with all your strength, you try to move forward, pulling the other slaves with you bit by bit. Lula and Alexius who are chained up on either side of you are tugged forward, but the others barely even feel it. There's too many of them, and none of the other slaves are going to move to help you. Still you keep pulling, shouting your rage to the world like a caged beast, ever so slowly edging closer to the beaten slave, yet never able to reach him.

The Captain just watches you for a moment, almost amused by your rebellion. He considers his next move for a moment before taking a whip from one of the sailors. This doesn't make you back down. You're still pulling at your chains, still trying to help the slave, still shouting out in anger. Even as the Captain walks right over to you and looks you in the eye, you simply glare up at him with a spark in your eye that says "You'll never break me."

The whip comes down across your face. Then the anchor is dropped. All you can do is stand there, stunned, hearing the man's last horrific scream before the anchor hits the water... Then nothing. The man is still down there, still alive, slowly sinking to the bottom of the harbor, suffocating to death. You drop to your knees in defeat. The Captain walks away from you looking smug. To the other slaves, it looks like he only needed one whip lash to shut you up, but that had nothing to do with it. Once the slave hit the water, you just had nothing to fight for anymore.

Things go calm in the ship and you find yourself wondering the exact moment when the slave will run out of air and drown. You're distracted from this depressing thought when Alexius gently wraps his arms around you and Lula leans down, wiping the trail of blood from the whip lash away from your cheek. "Why you do that?" She whispers to you softly. "Stupid thing for to do. Why you do it?"

"I don't know." You admit to her. "I knew I couldn't save him but... I had to try. Even though I knew it wouldn't work, I just... Had to."

The girl gives you a fond smile then and shakes her head. "Silly boy." She says, taking your hand and getting to her feet. "Come up. Boat is stopping. We moving soon. They take us to market next. Then they sell us."