I cheered along with the rest of the crowd,as well as the armored gladiators,when the lion's pelt was raised. “Papa!My Papa!”,i screamed cheerfully. Haltic smiled and patted my head. “Ah,Leo,why have you not yet to join in the merry-making?”he said to my older brother. Leo's small scrawny form could be seen in the back of the stands,slumped in his seat,nose buried in a book. He turned his pale gold,luminous eyes upon us,gaunt features hardening. Even his looks seemed to be of perfect precision. A hooked nose,much like the beak of a hawk,and thin pale pink lips. Short,dark brown hair framed his sharp face,eyebrows and lashes the same almost black shade. But of all his facial details,the eyes were by far the most interesting. Set slightly far apart,they were pale gold in color,which was highly unusual,and rounded at the edges,they seemed to have an eerie glow,so it was hard for me,or anyone for that matter,to hold his cat like gaze. And now our ability was being tested as they were fixed on us,obviously both our eyes slid away from his at once. “please,inform me Haltic,why should I be merry? Is the death of a magnificent beast to please me?Leo,son of Alexander,the greatest warrior the realm of the walking has ever known?Peno,dear brother o' mine,it has been brought to my attention that the Great Earth Shaker,Poseidon,has become angry with us,did you not feel the rumble some 4 days prior? Pliny the Elder,mock him if you must,but he is true to us,he tells no lies!I swear by my life that Pompeian blood will shed of Pompeian soil!”,and with that his book snapped shut. He stood up and stormed away. I looked at Haltic,expecting a explanation,and I got one “your brother,he must worship Ares,for all I know he could very well be Ares with a attitude such as that” he growled,starring at where,moments before,Leo had stood. Yet I believed him...
The next day I woke at dawn and followed Leo to the bakery,like every other day. After taking a few bites of my biscuit, I finally worked up the courage to ask “what happened yesterday? I have almost never seen you get so worked up” even as I spoke it was clear day I would not get an answer,and I was proved right,for he didn't even spare me a second glance. I ate my large,scratch that,huge plate of food.“why do you never eat?” I questioned,looking at his measly meal of a biscuit and water “Peno, I do not stuff myself so others will recognize my place in-” he was cut off by a ear-splitting crack that sounded through out the whole city of Pompeii. The women shrieked,men shouted and the tinkling of pottery filled our ears. In a split second Leo had me in his arms, dashing for the door. His hand shielded from the view I so dreaded.
