"I am Egyptian," he began, his voice softening as he recalled his friend. "A good friend." His tone dipped with the weight of the memory. "His name was Aumtehoutep," he said, furrowing his brow and sighing, a mix of pain and resignation in his breath.
"We were inseparable, even in the games. We..." He paused, shaking his head, his gaze falling to his hands as if the blood was still visible. "We were forced to fight each other in the colosseum," he continued, shaking his head. "Hmm... It's been a long time since I've thought about this," he admitted. "Those were horrible days... horrible," he repeated, shaking his head once more.
"Sometimes I think people have changed, but then I'm reminded when others are killed for being the wrong race, the wrong religion..." he shook his head again, "Then, humanity shows me little has changed. It's unfortunate." he said as he looked at Beth and her words tried to console him.
"Ah... thank you, but it's not the pain of his loss that troubles me, it's the reality of those days... and these." as he returned a gentle squeeze from his hand to hers.
"As a child, I don't recall playing. We worked... for as long as I can remember. Carried water. Moved stones. Anything to earn a loaf of bread... a flask of water. One day, I met Aumtehoutep. He was visiting with his father who was in charge of the complex we were building. Although we weren't supposed to speak to each other, he found a way. Over time, we became what most would call friends."
"Mmm... hmm..." he murmured to himself. "Years later, we were taken to Rome, captured during a raid. We were sent to the barracks to train... to fight... those were hard times. So different from my childhood. Back then, it was about working and accidental death. There, it was about doing everything to stay alive."
He brought a half-smile to his lips, "I haven't thought about that in so long, it's almost unbelievable."
"Hmmph," he exhaled a sigh, a rarity for him to speak of such things. His connections were minimal. "Three years, eight months, fourteen days... then," he shook his head, frowning once more. "It was such a long time ago." He took several minutes to reflect on those times.
"How did I leave?" He stood up, turning to gaze at the sky—a sky he often scoured for hope and dreams. "How did I leave the games?" A sad smile crossed his face as he turned back to her.
"I battled Aumtehoutep and emerged victorious. He was better armed, while I had only a net and trident. No one anticipated that I would ensnare him. As he turned..." A soft huff escaped him again, a telltale sign when he recounted certain events. "The emperor showed mercy that night. He spared my life... to fight another day. But fortune did not favor me then, and I suffered a mortal wound. I lay in the arena's sand for hours, clinging to life, until they dragged me and the others presumed dead below. The sensation of hooks piercing my heels still lingers." He glanced down at his feet, where thick scars bore witness to his ordeal.
Meeting her gaze, he continued, "Saint Germain was dining with the next day's combatants and upon his departure, he walked past the fallen. It's unclear how he knew I was still alive... but we both understand his methods. I was on the brink of death when he took me to his villa. Alas, it was too late. I perished in his embrace."
"Saint Germain is a man of great skill, having acquired knowledge in Egypt from the physicians and temple masters. He revived me from death's grasp, transforming me into what I am now—a being sustained by his remedies and his sorcery."
"I am aware that I am a creature. I ceased being human long before your ancestors were born," he began, struggling to find a comparison. "I am as much a creature as..." His thoughts trailed off; unlike the beings in novels, there were none like him. The others his master had revived had perished over time. "...as much a creature as Frankenstein's monster," he concluded.
He quickly reassured her, "I am at peace with my existence. I require sustenance to function, but what defines a man has faded from me. Yet, I hold no resentment. I possess the life my kin desired—a life beyond death, which I have thanks to him. I mourn the losses, but this existence is not lamentable."
He sighed, "You see, I wish he could have spared my friend, but I've since found profound friendship and love. No one understands me as they do, nor do they anyone as I understand them," he chuckled softly, "although they still manage to astonish me. Their secrets remain theirs, even after all this time."
Addressing the young one (Beth), he gently held her arms, then cupped her face to look into her eyes. "You despise that I believe I caused my friend's death. But I assure you, I am more responsible for his demise than you are for your mother's." He rested his cheek atop her head briefly before letting go. "Do not pity my existence. It has shaped me, regardless of my nature."
Last Edit: May 10, 2024 16:49:26 GMT -6 by MADALYNE
