"It is often in the darkest skies that we see the brightest stars."
- Richard Evans

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  ⚠️ Trigger warning : Mentions of assault, slavery, child abuse and blood.

Romania, House of Batiatus Slave Quarters

A loud scream echoed the walls of the rotten shell situated in the underground quarters of Lanista's house as a 5-year-old kid screamed in pain. The walls appeared smudged in the blood which looked dry. There was no death or suicide in the last few years which occurred around those small four walls.

The hot iron rod had a smaller coil for iron, The slave mark was imprinted on it. The white well-built gladiator held the little boy's arm in a firm grip as he placed the hot burning coil on his arm. The Mark of a gladiator, a new slave of the house Batiatus was added. Well, if we note correctly then he was a slave since he breathed for the first time but according to rules, the only good rule the savages followed was imprinting the symbol of the slave on a slave's hand when the slave turned 5. Birthdays were never joyous for the humans who were born in the grounds of Romania. The capital of gladiators.

The 5-year-old guy wept hard holding his burnt hand as no one came to apply medicine to the scar or comfort him. The same man who coined the mark on his arm dragged him carelessly to the other room. His screams grew louder as the pain increased due to the constant dragging. The pain intensified making him clench his eyes shut giving up the life he cursed. The man dragging the child grew annoyed at each passing step.

"You are not the first one to get a mark. Be a Man. Grow as a gladiator" The man snapped stuffing a dirty paper cloth in the kid's mouth muffling his screams.

The child helplessly half-slid walked along with the mighty man, tears falling continuously from his little green eyes. He knew he could faint anytime due to overexertion and pain embarked on his little body. But he stayed awake, he stayed awake staring at the ground sliding down his feet. He stayed awake glaring at the man who gave him this wound. He stayed awake allowing the hatred for the man who ordered to make him go through pain. He stayed awake to challenge the person he people called God. The moment the iron coil touched his hand he gave upon every ounce of belief he had in the stone sculpture people worshipped.

If pain was the only thing he could endure since he was born then he would gladly worship the devil instead of worshipping someone who was deaf to the weeps of the people who trusted him so much. And that was the moment he turned himself into an incarnation of a devil. God made him do it.

A week has passed since that ugly burning mark was imprinted on his right arm. He was lying carelessly on one of the excuses of beds they called underground pits. Right now he was lying on one of the stone beds in the hospital. The woman wearing a creamish Căciulă with layers of red strips looked at him daily. She made sure his wound was well-rested and he was well fed. For a second, he thought she was his mother. But he knew a slave didn't have a mother.

The lady was removing the bandage of herbs from his arm when her son came running inside the room where the guy was laid. Truthfully, The little child was jealous of the lady's son. He had everything he wished to have.

"Mother, I tried to pick the hammer today and it fell on my feet " The lady's son babbled holding his right foot. The kid rolled his eyes in annoyance staring at his so-called injured foot.

"You are not even hurt. Why are you lying" the little guy gritted in annoyance, it was his jealousy speaking.

"Did I ask you?" The other guy fired.

The healing lady stared at the two kids as they both fought with each other forgetting the pain enforced on them.

"Mother, please apply some herb on my foot. Don't listen to this stupid guy"

"Stupid! I am not stupid. The only stupid person is you. You appear elder than me but you are crying over a wound which is nothing compared to mine. "

"Oh! I get it. You are jealous because I got a little wound and you got this big one. Well, you are not the only one who got this mark. There are others out there and guess what they parade this as a pride"

"But I didn't ask for this. I DONT WANT THIS" the little guy screamed, tears threatening to spill from his little doe eyes flowing like a waterfall as he cried remembering his fate. The other guy felt guilt surfacing in his little childish heart looking at the little guy who was crying. He slowly moved toward the guy lying on the stone-cold bed. His face held deep sorrow and worry as he took the scar still bleeding, with burnt marks embedded on his skin. This Mark on the little guy was different from the one he had.

He was a Gladiator in making. But this little guy, he had a slave mark similar to the redhead whom the lanista's brother visited at night.

"I apologize for my behaviour. Please don't cry " The black-haired guy whispered holding the blonde small hand in his. The cries intensified when the little human saw a little comfort coming his way.

"You...You are nice to me" He cried.

"I will always be nice to you. But please don't cry" the other guy comforted tears falling from his own eyes. His heart ached to look at the tears falling from the wounded human's eyes. After all, he was only two years elder than him.

"Why are you crying? You are not that hurt!" the boy exclaimed in annoyance.

"I am crying because you are crying "

"Well men don't cry"

"Mother said they cry they are human too. " The seven-year-old whispered wiping the tears of his friend.

"Your mother is beautiful and she took care of me " He muttered looking at the healing lady who was talking with some random man who had a wounded finger. It seemed like she was treating him.

"My mother takes care of everyone. The redhead only talks to my mother nicely. "

"Who's the redhead?

" The pretty redhead is very strong. He is elder than me and can take stronger men in combat. While I am struggling to defeat the skinny gladiator. If I didn't defeat the skinny one then the lanista won't allow me to fight in the arena" he whispered sadly. The tears were long forgotten as the two kids conversed with each other staring at the stars from the tiny window situated on the left side of the room. They both were lying next to each talking all their worries out and building a bond differently and special from everyone out there.

"You want to fight in the arena? That's dangerous! "

"My mother says if I fought in the arena then I can take the throne. "

"Throne?" the guy laughed pushing his blonde hair out of his face.

"Yes, my throne. Mother says someone is waiting for me far away from here in Hind. I will become a king if I win the arena and defeat every warrior here. "

"Hind? Where's that place? "

"It's far away from here. They say people wear gold-plated clothes there. There's no impoverished and cruelty there. "

"There are no slaves?"

"No, mother says there aren't"

"I want to visit hind too. I want to wear gold-plated clothes and have my freedom" the little guy exclaimed in happiness.

"Then you have to become a warrior and win the arena "

"I will win the arena. No, We will win the arena and travel together to Hind. " The boys smiled looking at each other promising that they will always stay together and have each other's back till they breathe.

"If you become the king then can I be your soldier? "

"You are my friend. You will have the same status as me. Not a mere soldier. "

The blonde guy smiled widely hugging his friend in happiness.

"Be careful. You are still hurt"

"Before we travel to Hind I want to punish the person who ordered this pain on me. " He said pointing toward the scar which glowed with the small drops of blood still oozing out of the wound. The black-haired guy wiped a lone tear cascading down his friend's eyes and clasped their hands together in a promise.

"If you are both finished with your little plans then can we have dinner? I am hungry! "

"Can my Friend eat with us mother? "

"He can but we need to share the little food we have "

"I will share like a good person. Because before becoming a good king you need to be a good human!" the lady smiled ruffling her son's shoulder-length hair.

"You will be a great king, my friend "

That day the five-year-old entered the little life of the mother and son's house and never left. He became a second son to the lady who healed his wound and a brother to the guy who cried with him.

"Does the princess who mother talks about in her stories really exist? " The blonde asked.

"Mother says she does. But we will meet her after we travel to hind. She says they are very pretty and appear like angels walking down from heaven. "

"They live with gods!"

"They do. But they become other-half of humans"

"If they live with gods then I will steal her from him. He doesn't deserve beautiful angels around him." he gritted, the anger he had for the almighty intensified as the time passed.

" We spent hours together, and had dinner together but we didn't ask each other's names!"

They giggled facing each other as the night crawled on their heads. Their mother was fast asleep the whole day was tiresome for her.

"What is your name? "

"Zravasaya, Meaning Fame and glory"

"You have such a powerful name. And you even know its meaning. Mine is small and plain " he whispered sadly. His friend comforted him saying they would find the meaning of his name soon but before that he should tell the name.

"You think a lot. First, tell your name then we will look after the meaning "

"Really, we will"

"We will"

"Meglos, My name is Meglos"

TADAAA!!!!!!! Finally, I have introduced both of them. I am so happy 🥳.

Hello, Pals'! It's nice to see you 💜.

Glossary

(Lanista- a trainer of gladiators in ancient Rome.

Arena - an area with seats around it where public entertainments (sporting events, concerts, etc.) are held

Gladiator- A gladiator was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals.)

What are your views about this chapter!!

I dont think I did justice to both of these characters but I tried to shape these characters as fine as possible. I am not a perfectionist but I think meglos and lekha deserved it.

Meglos' character will be more dark in this book compared to Ranisa. We know him as a joyous guy but here he will get a raw exposure. So be prepared.

Lekha will be well! I dont know. I am still scripting her character. If you guys have any preferences then list them down.

I hope you guys liked this chapter.

Name the healing lady!!!!

Zravsaya!

Meglos!

Redhead guy!?"

Bye

Phir Milenge, 💗

Love Aditi 💜