Night X
“Few men desire liberty: The majority are satisfied with a just master.”
- Gaius Sallustius Crispus
The large group of men moved through the city cautiously, through back streets and alleyways. As they approached their target, they slowed down and eventually halted. There before them was a large and impressive villa. A high wall encircled it, but light was blazing forth from behind the barrier. The occupants were awake. The four leaders of the mob huddled together, discussing what to do, when a shout startled them.
“Come on, come on!” A man was standing at the main gate of the villa, waiving to them. Their cover blown, the men stood up and walked forward into the illuminated street. Before them stood spL1tp3r50naL1ty, apparently unarmed and unconcerned. “You took long enough!”
The men looked hesitantly at one another, before one asked “You were expecting us?”
spL1tp3r50naL1ty laughed. “Expecting you?! Your masters proclaimed their intentions to kill me openly in the Curia itself! How could I not be expecting you?” He shook his head wryly, then turned around and walked back through the gates. When the men did not move to follow him, he stopped, turned, and beckoned them onwards. “Come on then, you’re here to kill me, are you not? Yes? Well then, come in here and do it!” The mob of men drew their pugii and followed after spL1tp3r50naL1ty.
No sooner had they crossed the threshold than the gates slammed shut behind them and armed men charged from concealed locations on either side. With a cry, the mob turned to meet them. A desperate fight ensued, and soon cries of terror and pain began to echo around the villa. Though they outnumbered their foes, the men were clearly not as well trained at battle and they were out-maneuvered as well. The leaders of the group called for a retreat, but with the gate barred, there was nowhere to go but deeper into the villa.
They ran forward, fending off the attacks of the armed men who followed them. Tables were thrown over, chairs broken, and expensive artwork and decorations scattered about as the battle moved through the building. Men began to fall, wounded and bleeding, only to be left behind as the battle passed them by. The mob broke through many doors, looking for an exit, but they found only walled rooms or further corridors. They began to lose hope of ever escaping when at last a broken door revealed a room with a high window. The men bolted inside, throwing any object they could into the doorway to keep their foes at bay, while one by one they began to climb out the small window and into the streets of Rome.
The last man left had a desperate struggle, as he held the barricade, waiting for his companions to get clear, before he threw himself forward, jumping for the window. He caught the ledge, and pulled himself through, landing heavily on the outside. Other men pulled him to his feet, and together they ran off into the night.
…
AggonyDuck had not been sleeping well lately. The crisis caused by the confrontation between Caesar and Pompey had inflicted horrible suffering on Rome. Well, actually more on the Senate than the population as a whole, but the Senate was Rome, was it not? Even more importantly, AggonyDuck was part of the Senate, and thus his own neck was on the line every day! Ah, those ignorant plebeians, growing wealthy through proscriptions and free from the risks of assassination in the night. All they had to worry about was the normal kind of murder. Murder and poverty. Unemployment was rife, of course. Plus starvation. And war, since they would inevitably be the ones fighting it. Oh, and disease. Indentured servitude was a risk too, if they fell into debt. Plus fire, you couldn’t forget fire. Or the gangs that ran the streets.
Yes, all in all the plebeians had it pretty well, while the Senate had to sit in their large villas, wondering whether an assassin was hiding behind this fountain, or perhaps that fountain, or maybe even the fountain over there! It was nearly unbearable, so AggonyDuck consoled himself with late nights drinking fine wines and eating delicacies imported from Africa and Illyria.
Still, the paranoia ran deep. It crept into AggonyDuck’s heart and soon he was eyeing those damned fountains, looking for assassins. Why had he made them so huge? An entire legion could hide behind one of them, and a cohort could hide behind another! Damn be the life of a patrician! Slowly, he crept up on the largest fountain, carefully protecting his eyes so that the light reflecting off the numerous jeweled inlays would not ruin his vision. Circumventing the entire structure, he was relieved to find it empty.
Next, he approached the second fountain, certain to find a cohort of dastardly legionaries waiting to end his humble life of public service. A cautious perusal soon proved this one to also be free of assassins. AggonyDuck was now much more relaxed. All that was left was the third statue, and that couldn’t possibly hide much more than a few armed men. Steeling himself, he snuck up on it, then jumped forward, revealing what was behind.
Just as he expected, there crouching in the shadow of the statue was a group of men clutching gladii. Typical. As the men got about their dirty work, AggonyDuck couldn’t help but pity himself and the miserable life of suffering and hardship he had endured. For the previous few nights at least. Easily a week; maybe a bit more.
…
In the morning, the small group of Senators filed through the forum and took their places in the Curia. No one paid any attention to the newly empty seat in the Optimates section, as an incredibly important note was nailed to the main doors. They all read it very, very, very closely and agreed that it was wisdom of unparalleled magnitude:
Alive (13):Originally Posted by A message from Gaius Julius Caesar to the Senate
Beefy187
Greyblades
LittleGrizzly
johnhughthom
Shinseikhaan
spL1tp3r50naL1ty
Khazaar
Jolt
Marshal Murat
Iskander 3.1
Ignoramus
TheFlax
Caius
Killed (14):
White_eyes:D
mini
Beskar
Yaropolk
pevergreen
Glenn
GeneralHankerchief
Andres
woad&fangs
Sasaki Kojiro
Askthepizzaguy
Gaius Scribonius Curio
Ichigo
AggonyDuck
Proscripted (9):
navarro951
Tiberius of the Drake
Cronos Impera
Cultured Drizzt fan
YLC
Atheotes
Captain Blackadder
Chaotix
Tratorix
WoG/Suicide (1):
everyone
It is now Day X. You may begin voting. This day phase will end on Thursday, June 4th at 7:30pm EST.
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Micheal D'Anjou
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