Chapter 5: Gods and Voices

The morning sun illuminated the atrium of Ulixes' villa, its gentle light reflecting off the tranquil surface of the pool. The air was cool, carrying the faint scent of blooming gardenias and freshly baked bread from the kitchen. Ulixes sat alone by the pool, a goblet of cool water in his hand. The silence felt alien, a luxury he had never known in military camps or within the walls of a ludus cell. He wasn't training. He wasn't planning. He was simply waiting.

A slave approached with silent steps. "Dominus," he whispered. "Domina Lucretia has arrived."

Ulixes nodded, and a moment later, Lucretia stepped into the atrium. She was no longer dressed in simple mourning clothes. Today, she wore an elegant indigo stola, her hair neatly styled, signaling her slowly recovering status. She moved with purpose, but there was no longer despair in her eyes. Instead, there was the sharp energy of a businesswoman.

"I hope I'm not disturbing your peaceful morning, Tiberius," Lucretia said, her voice holding a dry, amused tone.

"Your arrival is never a disturbance, Lucretia. It is a portent," Ulixes replied, gesturing to a chair opposite him. "Wine?"

"Still too early for wine," she countered, though she took the seat. "But never too early for good news." A thin, triumphant smile played on her lips. "Word from the Forum has spread. Strabo has announced his resignation. 'Sudden ill health,' he says."

Ulixes merely nodded slowly, his face showing no expression. He raised his goblet and sipped the cool water, his eyes watching Lucretia over the rim.

"The old senators looked like they'd just lost their eldest sons," Lucretia continued, clearly relishing every detail. "Such delightful confusion. No one expected it. Yesterday he was barking like a guard dog for the optimates, today he has lost his teeth."

"Who mourned him the loudest?" Ulixes asked, his voice calm. His question wasn't about Strabo, but about what came next. About the void that had been created.

"Some of the Fabius and Cornelius families," Lucretia answered immediately, indicating she, too, had analyzed the situation. "They were his most vocal supporters. Now they look like chicks who've lost their mother."

Ulixes set down his goblet. "Then we know who to approach next."

Lucretia gave a small laugh. "You never stop, do you? Not even enjoying your victory for a moment."

"Victory is merely a high ground we capture," Ulixes said, his eyes staring blankly at the pool water. "It merely gives us a better view of the next battlefield."

Lucretia looked at him for a long moment, her gaze now more serious. "This victory will make you many new friends, Tiberius. And there is nothing more dangerous than new friends in Rome."

She rose, her mission to deliver the news complete. "I will begin approaching some of my old contacts in the merchant guilds. With Strabo removed, they will be easier to talk to about your new Ludus."

After Lucretia left, Ulixes was alone again in the silence of his atrium. The echo of victory felt hollow. He felt no relief. He only felt the weight of the next step he had to take. He had won the votes with blood and secrets. Now, he had to win the favor of the gods.

Two days later, Ulixes no longer moved in the shadows. He stepped into the bright, clear sunlight of Rome. He wore the clean white toga of a citizen, the heavy fabric signaling his status as a free man, not the purple robe of a magistrate. By his side walked Licinia, her now visibly showing pregnancy beneath her stola a silent statement of future and continuity.

They did not walk to the Forum. They ascended the steep slope of the Capitoline Hill, towards the center of the entire Roman world: the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus.

As they climbed the wide marble steps, Ulixes could feel hundreds of eyes on him. He heard whispers that followed their steps like echoes. He saw senators pause in their conversations to stare at him, their gazes a mix of curiosity and wariness towards this unexpected new candidate. He ignored them all. His eyes looked straight ahead, to the gigantic pillars soaring into the sky.

In the bustling temple courtyard, before the colossal bronze doors, the Pontifex Maximus awaited them. An old man with a still-straight back and eyes that had seen the rise and fall of dozens of ambitious men like Ulixes.

Ulixes bowed his head with perfect deference. "Pontifex Maximus," he greeted, his voice calm and clear, cutting through the slowly subsiding crowd. "I have come to make an offering to Jupiter Optimus Maximus, in gratitude for the blessings bestowed upon my family and upon the city of Rome."

He gestured. A servant stepped forward, not with a bag of coins, but with a sealed papyrus scroll. Ulixes took it and handed it to the Pontifex.

The Pontifex unrolled the scroll and read it in silence. His white eyebrows lifted slightly. He looked at Ulixes, then back at the scroll.

"This..." the Pontifex said, his hoarse voice now holding an undeniable note of surprise.

"A promise, Pontifex," Ulixes said, his voice now slightly louder, enough to be heard by the nobles beginning to gather nearby. "To fully fund the restoration of the golden roof on the eastern wing of this temple. And to be the primary sponsor of the next Ludi Romani, for the glory of the Gods and the entertainment of the people of Rome."

A collective murmur of awe spread through the crowd. It wasn't just a donation. It was a declaration of wealth and piety on an extraordinary scale. A brilliant campaign move.

The Pontifex Maximus slowly rolled the papyrus back up. He looked at Ulixes for a long time, his old eyes now showing deep understanding. He saw the game being played. He then smiled faintly, a rare smile of approval.

"The Gods value the generosity of Rome's most faithful sons," the Pontifex said, his voice now loud and full of authority. "May your endeavors be blessed, Acilius."

With those words, he had given his unofficial blessing. In front of witnesses, in Rome's most sacred place, the religious leader had publicly shown his support for a candidate. Ulixes merely bowed his head once more, his face showing no triumph, only solemn respect. The voice of the gods, or at least the voice of their representatives on earth, was now on his side, strengthening his path to victory on election day.

As they descended the marble steps of the Capitoline Temple, the sunlight felt warm on Ulixes' face. The air was filled with the hum of the Forum below, a symphony of thousands of conversations, bargaining, and footsteps. His political victory before the priests felt real, a solid foundation stone laid.

"Your thoughts seem far away," Licinia said by his side, her hand gently clasping his arm. "Are you already planning the next war in the Senate?"

"War is never far from my thoughts," Ulixes replied. "But for now, I'm just savoring a small victory."

"Then indulge me," Licinia said, pulling him towards a row of lavish shops selling goods from across the Republic. "I want to see some silks from the East. A future magistrate must ensure his wife looks presentable."

As they walked through the bustling market, amidst fabric merchants and jewelers, a rough, loud voice caught Ulixes' attention. In a small square, an impromptu slave auction was underway. Several men and women with blank stares stood on a rickety wooden platform, while a pot-bellied auctioneer shouted their prices.

Ulixes would usually ignore such a sight. It was part of Rome, just like the temples and sewers. But then, his eyes fixated on one figure. A woman was pushed forward. Her clothes were tattered and dirty, her hair disheveled, but her back was straight, and her eyes held a faint spark of defiance.

The world around Ulixes seemed to fall silent. He no longer heard the auctioneer's shouts. All he heard was the echo of Varro's laughter in the damp ludus barracks. "Her name is Aurelia. She's stronger than me, Ulysses. She is my world." He felt again the chill of the garden at Numerius's villa, seeing his friend's body collapse on the neatly trimmed grass.

His jaw tightened.

"Tiberius?" Licinia's voice sounded anxious beside him. She saw the change in her husband's face.

The auctioneer roughly grabbed Aurelia's arm. "This one may not be fresh anymore, gentlemen, but she's still strong! Look at her arms! Can still grind grain or warm a soldier's bed on a cold night! We'll start at three hundred sesterces!"

A cunning-faced merchant raised his hand. "Three hundred!"

Ulixes stepped forward, his voice calm yet cutting through the crowd like a knife. "Ten thousand sesterces."

Absolute silence descended upon the square. The auctioneer stared at him, mouth agape. The merchant who had bid quickly lowered his hand, his eyes wide. No one dared to bid further.

"Sold!" the auctioneer quickly exclaimed, before Ulixes could change his mind.

Ulixes walked towards the stage. He handed a purse of coins to one of his guards to complete the transaction. He then looked at Aurelia. The woman trembled, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear, sorrow, and recognition. She recognized the face beneath the nobleman's toga.

"Ulysses..." she whispered, still using the name from the arena, the name of the man who stood beside her husband as he died.

"My name is Tiberius Acilius now," Ulixes said softly, his voice softening. "You are safe. You are going home."

Tears finally streamed down Aurelia's dirty cheeks. "He... Varro... I saw him..."

"I know," Ulixes said, a sharp, unexpected pain piercing his heart. "He was an honorable man. He was my friend. My debt to him is not yet repaid."

He turned to his guard. "Take her to the villa. Give her proper clothes, food, and the best room. Ensure she is not disturbed."

As they walked away from the market, leaving the whispers that now followed them, Licinia looked at her husband. She had just witnessed a ghost from his past, a man whose loyalty to a dead friend surpassed all political calculations.

Election day dawned under Rome's bright, cloudless sky. The air on the Campus Martius, the vast field outside the city's sacred walls, was tense and full of energy. Ulixes stood near the Villa Publica, the building where officials conducted the census, his sharp eyes observing the scene before him. Thousands of citizens, from the wealthiest nobles to the humblest artisans, gathered in groups according to their class, ready to cast their votes.

He was no longer campaigning. His work was done. Now, he was merely an observer, wearing his clean white toga with forced composure. Beside him, Licinia stood gracefully, her increasingly visible pregnancy a silent symbol of the future they were fighting for. Near them, Ilithyia and Domitia were also present, the faction of queens silently displaying their power, their presence a reminder to all of the strong connections this candidate possessed.

Ulixes could hear the noise, a symphony of the Republic at work. The shouts of divisores trying to buy last-minute votes, fierce arguments between supporters of different candidates, and the constant hum of thousands of conversations. He saw Strabo's remaining supporters, now leaderless, looking confused and adrift. He also saw the respectful gazes of several legion veterans who recognized him from the wars.

"They love you," Licinia whispered, her eyes watching a group of common citizens pointing at Ulixes with admiration.

"They love the story I gave them," Ulixes replied softly, his eyes never leaving the crowd. "Today, we will see if that story is strong enough."

As the trumpets sounded, the voting process began. Citizens started entering the saepta, the wooden booths where they cast their votes on wax tablets. The process lasted for hours under the scorching sun. Ulixes waited, his composure a spectacle in itself, contrasting with the other candidates who paced anxiously.

Finally, as the sun began to dip towards the west, a magistrate ascended a raised platform. He raised his hand, and the deafening noise slowly subsided into tense silence.

The magistrate read the results in a clear, emotionless voice. He named several names for lower positions, then he arrived at the position of Quaestor.

He paused for a moment, looking out at the crowd. "With an unprecedented majority of votes..."

Ulixes felt Licinia's hand grip his arm tightly.

"...the Republic has chosen Tiberius Acilius Ulixes!"

The silence shattered. An incredible roar erupted from the crowd, a wave of sound that seemed to shake the very pillars of Rome. His supporters cheered, throwing their hats into the air.

"ACILIUS! ACILIUS! ACILIUS!"

The name echoed throughout the Campus Martius, shouted by thousands of voices. Ulixes raised his hand, a calm gesture of acknowledgment to the crowd. Amidst that sea of voices, he felt no overwhelming joy. He only felt the coldness of victory. He had won their votes. He had gained his seat. He looked into the distance, towards the Palatine Hill, towards the Senate House. One arena conquered. The next, far more dangerous, now awaited him.

That night, Rome celebrated. From his villa's balcony, Ulixes could hear the faint echoes of singing and laughter carried on the wind from the taverns in the valley below. His victory as the new Quaestor was on everyone's lips. Yet, in the quiet of his study, there was no celebration. Only silence and the light of a single oil lamp illuminating a blank papyrus sheet.

Licinia found him there, sitting at his desk, staring blankly at the papyrus. She stepped in, her warmth and the scent of her perfume breaking the cold, calculating atmosphere.

"All of Rome cries out your name, and you are here alone with your thoughts?" she asked gently, her hand caressing her husband's shoulder.

Ulixes turned, his sharp eyes softening at the sight of his wife. "There is one unfinished business," he said. "One last debt."

He took his quill, dipped it into the black inkwell, and began to write. His movements were unhurried, each letter formed with the precision of a commander drawing a battle map. Licinia watched him in silence.

The letter was addressed to Lucius Vorenus Minor, Varro's brother, Aemilia's husband.

To Lucius,

I write this letter first to congratulate you on your new status as the husband of the esteemed Domina Aemilia. I trust you will discharge your duties as head of the household with honor.

I also write concerning a matter that requires your attention. As you know, your brother, Varro, was an honorable man. His sacrifice will not be forgotten.

It is the will of Domina Aemilia, and my will, that his widow, Aurelia, and his son be cared for. You will use funds from the Aemilian household to purchase a fertile plot of land with a simple house outside Capua. Ensure they never lack for anything, whether food, clothing, or the education of his son. Consider this your most important first duty. I will expect word that this has been carried out as soon as possible.

Respectfully, Tiberius Acilius Ulixes, Quaestor-elect of Rome.

He didn't write "please" or "kindly." He wrote it as an order, wrapped in formality, clearly asserting that Aemilia's wealth was under his control. It was an act of kindness that was also an assertion of absolute power.

He carefully rolled the papyrus, then sealed it with hot wax, pressing his new signet ring onto it. He handed the letter to a trusted slave waiting at the doorway. "Ensure this reaches Capua by the fastest courier."

As the slave left, Ulixes finally let out a long breath, a burden he hadn't realized he was carrying, now lifted. He looked at Licinia, who had been observing him with an unreadable expression.

"You use kindness as a dagger," Licinia said, not as an accusation, but as an admiring acknowledgment.

"I repay a debt to a friend," Ulixes replied. "And ensure our allies remain loyal. Sometimes, those two are the same act."

He stood and pulled his wife into his embrace. His last debt to the past was paid. Now, he was entirely free to look to the future. And in Rome, the future always came at a higher price.

The summons from Marcus Crassus arrived the next day. Ulixes walked through the general's cold villa corridors, each step heavy with anticipation. He found Crassus in his study, standing before a large military map, his back to the door.

"You have proven your worth at the ballot box, Acilius," Crassus said without turning. His voice was flat, a statement of fact, not praise. "Your overwhelming victory has given me the leverage I needed in the Senate to push my agenda."

He finally turned, his sharp, emotionless eyes assessing him. "You have earned your vote. Now, earn your honor in the way Rome understands. With steel."

Crassus pointed to a region on the large map on his wall. A wild, untamed territory across the Adriatic. "The Senate has approved your appointment. You will receive a special command in Illyricum. The province is restless, full of pirates on the coast and wild tribes inland. Pacify them." He paused, his gaze piercing. "Do not disappoint me."

"An honor, Dominus," Ulixes replied, bowing his head.

As he turned and stepped out of the study, passing a stiffly standing guard, he caught a glimpse of a fresco depicting Jupiter and his wife, Juno. Something about the goddess's majesty, standing beside her mighty yet seemingly separate husband, triggered a memory. An echo of the gamble he had taken weeks ago, at the height of his desperate campaign...

(Flashback)

The night was a feast at Senator Fabius's villa. The air was filled with forced laughter and the aroma of expensive wine. Ulixes moved through the crowd, a polite shadow. His eyes then found his target. Tertulla, wife of Marcus Crassus. She sat alone in a dimly lit garden alcove, elegant, beautiful, and utterly ignored by her husband, who was busy forging alliances.

Ulixes approached. He had activated his Subtle Influence moments before, burning ten valuable Essences. "A woman standing by the sun is often left in shadow, Domina," he whispered, his voice calibrated to sound respectful and understanding.

Tertulla turned, her tired eyes showing surprise. Under the subtle influence, Ulixes' words felt like balm to an invisible wound. "People admire its light," Ulixes continued, "but forget the true source of warmth."

He didn't flatter her with sweet words. He didn't admire her for mere beauty. Ulixes stripped her soul bare, touching hidden wounds no one had ever touched. How a woman like Tertulla, wife of Rome's most powerful man, could still feel invisible. And from that wound, a wild passion grew.

Behind a statue of Diana, in a hidden alcove scented with jasmine mixed with damp earth and the coolness of marble, Tertulla held her breath. Her hands trembled as Ulixes touched her cheek. He kissed her lips slowly. Not out of shame, but out of reverence.

His kisses flowed down her neck, then her shoulder. Her silk dress slipped away effortlessly. Her breasts were freed, pale white with pink nipples that instantly hardened in the cool air. Ulixes kissed one, sucking deeply.

"Ahhh... yes... yes..." Tertulla moaned loudly. Her hips moved involuntarily.

Ulixes knelt. He slowly parted Tertulla's thighs. From between her labia, clear fluid was already dripping, wetting her inner thighs.

He lowered his head, licking slowly from bottom to top, tracing the entire fold. He sucked her clitoris hard.

"AHHH! YES! YES, KEEP GOING! SUCK ME!" Tertulla shrieked as she reached her first climax.

Ulixes' tongue entered the narrow opening, licking up every drop of hot fluid that spilled out. His hands held Tertulla's buttocks tightly, pushing his face deeper into the wet, passionate fold.

"YAAHHH... SO GOOD... AHHHH... GOD! I'M CUMMING!" Tertulla's body jolted violently. Her fluid exploded, drenching Ulixes' tongue.

Ulixes stood up. His penis was perfectly erect, hard, long, its veins prominent. The head of his penis was dark red, gleaming with natural lubricating fluid seeping from its tip.

Tertulla looked at him with pleading eyes. "Put it... put it inside me... now..."

Ulixes lifted one of her legs, placed it on his hip, then thrust inside.

"AHHHH... OH MY GOD... YES! DEEP! SO DEEP!"

His penis filled her entire vaginal canal, stretching, rubbing against the sensitive inner walls. Each thrust from Ulixes produced a wet, loud sound as their hips collided.

"Ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh... YES YES YES... KEEP GOING! FASTER!" Tertulla cried like a wildwoman.

Her breasts bounced wildly. Her buttocks moved with every thrust. Her vagina gripped his penis tightly, reddening, throbbing.

Ulixes slowly pulled his penis out, then slapped her butt hard.

SLAP!

"AHHH! AGAIN! FUCK ME!"

He turned Tertulla over, making her lean against the marble. From behind, Ulixes inserted his penis back in, this time harder.

"AHHHHH! YES! DOGGY! OH GODDESS IN HEAVEN!"

Her body shook violently. The sound of flesh colliding filled the room. Her vaginal fluids were already flowing freely, wetting Ulixes' penis, making it even slicker and deeper.

After dozens of hard thrusts, Ulixes pulled out. Clear fluid dripped from Tertulla's opening.

"Turn around," he said coldly. "Now your back hole."

Tertulla bent over. Her anal opening looked tight, reddish, throbbing. Ulixes spat on his finger, then massaged gently. When it was loose enough, he pressed the head of his penis against it.

"Ahh... slowly... yes... come in... come in..." Tertulla moaned like one possessed.

Ulixes slowly pushed in. The narrow hole squeezed hard, swallowing every inch of his penis. Tertulla's face was contorted against the cold marble. Her hands clawed at the wall. Her breasts shook downwards.

"UHHH... YES! YES! IN MY ASS! AHHH! FASTER! FASTER!"

Ulixes began to pound her from behind. Her buttocks were red from the impact. Each thrust was accompanied by splashing sounds and sharp whimpers.

"AHH! YES! HARDER! HARDER AGAIN! DAMN IT! I LOVE IT!"

Tertulla reached orgasm again. Her back hole gripped Ulixes' penis so tightly. Her body shivered. Tears streamed from her eyes from the unbearable pleasure.

Ulixes groaned. He thrust quickly. Three final thrusts, he plunged in fully, and ejaculated his hot semen into the tight anus.

"ARGHHHHHH!"

Thick semen flowed from Tertulla's buttocks. She fell to her knees, trembling, white fluid dripping from two open orifices, wetting the marble floor. Ulixes pulled himself out. His penis was still hard, glistening, wet with semen and the noblewoman's mucus.

Tertulla couldn't speak. Her breath came in ragged gasps. Her eyes were vacant. Her body was covered in kiss marks and pure pleasure.

Ulixes bent to her ear. In a low voice, he whispered:

"Now we share a secret, Domina. And this secret... will make you want me every night."

He had gained +50 Essence, but more importantly, he had gained his insurance policy.

(Back to Present)

The flashback vanished as quickly as it came. Ulixes now stood in the cold corridor of Crassus's villa, holding the papyrus scroll that gave him command over thousands of lives. He felt a chill run down his spine, a full realization of the game he was playing. He had accepted a gift from a man whose wife he had slept with, whose secret he now held.

He stared at the scroll in his hand. This was not a gift. This was a golden cage, meant to take him far from Rome's dangerous intrigues. But Ulixes knew that for a wolf, every cage could eventually be broken from within. He stepped out of the villa, into the Roman sunlight, his mind no longer on the city, but already across the sea, in the wild lands of Illyricum, where he would begin building his own empire.