Author's Notes:

Author's Notes:
When I set myself the task of fitting the GW characters naturally in the frame work of ancient Rome (12 A.D) it seemed an original idea. Since then I have found there have been a few who attempted to do something similar, hopefully you will find my approach somewhat unique. If there is sufficient interest I hope to continue with this being the first story in the 'Slaves of Rome' series.

I like research and wanted to see how historically plausible I could get—without sacrificing any great degree of established character personality or background traits and storyline—In short it should not be boring.

Even so, each chapter will be followed by a notes section about the story and additional information on historical terms and facts I discovered during my research…and why I chose to set things as I have—you just might learn something. Feel free to ignore this section if you wish: reviews and criticism are always welcome.

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"All Roads Lead to Rome"

By Vigilanti

Section One: Lost and Found

The orphan boy had always prided himself on his ability to fall asleep anywhere. In an alley, doorway or tree it didn't matter when his body needed rest it dutifully shut down. The problem is that he often had difficulty remembering where he was when he woke. This was one such time.

The sound of people moving close around him penetrated his sleep fogged mind. Idly he registered the feel of heat on the side of his face. Then he smelled sulfur and the acrid tang of singed hair…his hair. He instinctively flinched and a sharp yelp of pain erupted from his lungs before his eyes were even open. Something hot had just burned the side of his neck.

"Don't struggle boy." A harsh voice growled.

The warning didn't register properly through the panic screaming in his mind. Vainly he tried to recall how and why he should wake to find an imperial guard looming over him holding a metal rod glowing uncomfortably close to his exposed flesh.

His body acted on its own, likely deciding that what ever the reason it could not be a good thing. The boy wormed and twisted fighting to get away only to find that another soldier had the entire length of his chestnut-colored braid wrapped several times around his fist. The only way he could win free was to rip his 'pride-and-joy' out by its roots—likely taking a significant part of his scalp with it.

The guard had not meant to burn the side of the boy's neck with the hot metal but members of the Imperial Questionarius were not known for their sensitive natures. This time the brand connected his flesh with purpose. "I said don't move!" the man reiterated leaving a stinging brand on his shoulder blade.

The sizzle of burnt flesh rocked him flooding his world with red somehow he managed to get free of the burly guards with his braid intact though the flesh beneath would likely be sore for a while. He dove off the wooden platform he had been laying on and rolled. The pain as his neck and shoulder contacted with the cold stone floor sent stars dazzling behind his cobalt blue eyes. He took a few quick steps away from his captors only to find his movement curtailed rather violently. A rope in one on the guard's hands snapped taunt and iron bit harshly into his injured neck. The boy felt himself jerked harshly backward and then nothing.

His head throbbed horribly as he stumbled hazily back to consciousness. A burly legionnaire was positioned on each side of him dragging him by the wrists down a long corridor of damp stone. Torches hissed and sputtered at regular intervals and the smell of pitch stung his eyes. The braided boy tried to struggle but his efforts were wasted. He could barely get his legs under him let alone match the broad strides of his captors.

The boy's lips moved in silent petition to the gods. It seemed he spent half his life begging in the courtyard of the Pantheon or wandering the shadowed alcoves dedicated to the many gods and goddesses of Rome. Most of the urchins he ran with looked to Abeona the protector of homeless children or Furina the goddess of thieves. But Duo had always felt a connection of sorts with Orcus the god of death who punished perjurers. Honestly the boy had hoped to delay actually meeting the lord of the underworld as long as he could. At the moment his prospects looked rather bleak.

His friend Solo warned him he should have chosen a more forgiving patron, and he had laughed at the elder boy. But now it seemed he was being taken to deeper into the underworld to atone for his crimes. Each step took him farther from life he knew. At last the guards halted a massive wrought-iron gate a fitting portal to Hades itself.

A Centurion leaned idly on his spear in front of a wide gate "What have we here?" the Officer asked.

"Thief and troublemaker," The soldier of the left named him.

"A pretty little thing…quite a temper." the soldier on the right added grabbing his hip-length braid again to raise the boy's face into the flickering glow of torchlight.

"Orphan?" the officer asked and the others nodded.

"My name is Duo…you don't have to talk about me like I'm not here." his raw voice announced. Speaking hurt but when he tried to bring his hand to his throat the soldiers roughly bound his arms behind his back.

The officer laughed, "We'll take him from here." He told the men and other hands picked him bodily off the floor and carried him through the gate.

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Section One Notes Section:

Questionarius is the rank of interrogator/torturer in the Roman legion.

Pantheon: meaning "Temple of all the gods" In 31 BC, Agrippa built and dedicated the original Pantheon during his third consulship (27 BC). This would have been the building Duo was familiar with. Agrippa's Pantheon was destroyed along with other buildings in a huge fire in 80 AD. The current building believed to have been built by Trajan dates from about 125 AD,

Polytheism, the worship and belief in many gods, was the common practice of the day. The deities listed are lesser gods worshipped in ancient Rome. In GW, Duo had a catholic background. I expect he knew the rules even if he didn't follow them to the letter. In this time period Catholicism does not yet exist. Many believe Christ was born around 4 AD so he would have been about 16 years old at this time. History tells us persecution of Christians in became widespread in the Roman Empire around 64 A.D.