Chapter 4: The Seeds Of Rebellion And Spite

The Open Street, Back Alley, Unknown Location, (1653)...

  Smoldering hazel eyes had finally found focus amid the absolute wave of unyielding rage as a twelve-year-old Athan Accardi moved swiftly through the alleyways and cobblestone streets in a bid to avoid his unwanted fate of being shipped off to his mother's so-called church where he had known all too well that the old bastard, a wolf in sheep's clothes had been lying in wait just to corner him alone and have at him when the rest of the world couldn't be bothered. Vincenzo had been pulled in another direction, being trained by their father  Sergio Accardi for governorship while his mother doted all her pious energy on making Athan see her religious life as something to strive for. Being that he was the second son, she had felt it her duty to see to his wellbeing and as such he'd been forced to attend the twisted church at his rather clueless mother's behest and his father's blind supportive backing. 

While it had been decent at least in the eyes of the world that Antonia lived such a pious existence and wanted the same for her youngest son, as Vincenzo had a different path, Athan's being stuffed in a church had not been what he wanted especially given the fact that he'd known the truth about his mother's favored priest who had been seeing his way to having dalliances with the young boys forced to come to his parish due to the behest of their well-meaning mother's who had no clue that their faith had been misplaced when it came to the wolf in sheep's clothing that tended the flock behind closed doors. 

Athan had truly been alone in his plight against the wicked lecher and as a result, grew all the more resentful of his clueless parents and Vincenzo who had seemed to have abandoned him now that he'd been out of the crosshairs and reach of the bastard Father Gregory. Ashamed and embittered by his fate in terms of being forced to attend the church where the wolf in sheep's clothing resided preying upon the weak and the foolish with good intentions, Athan had become quite resentful of almost everyone and everything in his life. 

At school, he'd been developing something of a scoundrel's reputation, stealing and lying as he pleased. He had picked up how to manipulate and deceive the wolf himself after years of watching his facade go unnoticed by the so-called adults who cared for him and the other children who were mere lambs being sent to the wolf's den in droves. The same humiliation of being violated over and over again by the old man who reeked of smoke and thick booze had only intensified the burning rage in Athan and even at the age of twelve he had begun to want the so-called father Gregory dead. 

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Unknown Location, Unknown Room...

  Once more the pain and humiliation had been back as rough aged hands moved along young Athan's pale bare flesh. The all too familiar suckling sensation of warm greedy wet lips on the end of his surprisingly sizeable pale cock as he stood naked and trembling in the center of a room he had not seen as the blindfold covered his eyes ensuring that he had not known what was being done to him nor by whom. He had of course put it together that it had been the bastard Father Gregory who had been on his knees before him suckling his young cock as if he had not a care in the world. A frequent terror that had been plaguing him since the tender age of six and the reason he'd been feeling particularly murderous as time went past. 

There was no safe place, a harsh lesson that he'd learned and the clueless had often been the result of many a downfall of an innocent when vile men such as Gregory and his ilk got to peacefully prey upon the weak and helpless. Athan had been quite resigned to his fate having to endure such humiliation alone and forgotten by the rest of the world, his elder brother included. 

Like always, the taste of the bastard's booze-filled mouth had been on Athan's lips as he was escorted toward the heavy black door and pushed outside it dressed but enraged and humiliated beyond belief. He had not said a word as he shuffled into his clothes properly and headed down the hall, the blindfold was gone and his path all the more clear. He had fantasized about stabbing the old fake priest in the neck a time or two, even wondered what it would have been like to see the blood ooze from his slashed throat as his rotund body flopped onto the ground. 

But then the face of his mother and her tears and disappointment at his chosen crime would put an end to it. Athan sighed as he headed back toward the usual corridor that led out into the courtyard where the other boys had been located far away from the prying eyes of their unknown tormentor as they awaited their respective parents to come to collect them. 

He vowed in silence to end the miserable bastard's existence once and for all, even if Vincenzo had not been around to assist him. 

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The Open Street, Back Alley, Unknown Location, (1653)...

  Furious and having had enough of being used by the wolf in sheep's clothing, Athan had run away when his mother attempted to take him back to that place. He cut through the alleyways and amid the cobblestone streets as he rushed to get as far away from her and her intent to force him to have to endure another round of that awful serpent of the cloth's touch and rank breath as he hovered and kissed along Athan's pale bare flesh. She knew nothing of his plight due to her insistence upon piety and as a result she had believed her younger son simply wished to be a lawless heathen. It was a difficult decision for Athan, choosing his desire to be free over his mother's happiness, she had always seen him as a troubled but good-hearted boy but never had she imagined he'd reject her faith in such a drastic way. 

Antonia had been devastated to learn that he'd rejected her church and followed after him. 

Athan hid quite well from his rather upset mother, choosing to go it alone rather than to return to have the wrath of his father Sergio upon him. Furious and confused about not only his life but his feelings about said life, Athan had wandered until he came across some younger children playing about amid the cobblestone alleys. They seemed happy enough for poor folk and well-immersed in their little game. One of the children, a rather sweet and frail-looking boy, pale in the cheeks and given to dirty blond locks growing wild and unkempt had worn a green suit and dark brown dress shoes. He looked to have been quite sad as he watched the other children play and exclude him from their game. 

Athan had gathered that the lad's name had been Edmond from the way the other children had taunted him, Edmond Rupert Reeves.  Slowly Athan Accardi approached the less fortunate lad and thought curiously as to why he'd been ignored by the other more wild and rambunctious other dirty looking children. 

They kept at it, teasing and mocking Edmond as they circled about him causing Athan to step in immediately. His fury had gotten the better of him seeing one so helpless and as a result, he'd put his fist into the collective faces of a few of the older boys hitting them hard and fast as they reacted to the pain by scrambling to get away as quickly as possible. 

Up close, Athan had realized that Edmond had tears in his eyes as he sat alone and the other children all scurried away following the scuffle still taunting and teasing him as he sat there with his back against the old brick wall still given to the numerous hot tears that streamed down his sallow pale cheeks. Athan kneeled beside him and offered him a white handkerchief with gold letters in the form of his last name etched into it that he'd gotten from his father and kept in his front pocket ever since. 

"Non c'è bisogno di lacrime." said Athan with something of a charming smile. ""Vieni, lascia che ti alziamo in piedi, ragazzino, tra l'altro sono Athan Accardi, il tuo nuovo migliore amico."

Edmond looked at him quite surprised that someone as apparently wealthy and charming as Athan had been would take an interest in someone like him. 

"Mi chiamo Edmond, Edmond Reeves, non sono di qui, papà ci ha portato in Italia dall'Inghilterra." replied the rather shocked lad. "I mostly only know English."

Athan sighed knowing instantly why he was being teased by the other children. 

"You are in luck then Edmond, your new best friend also speaks this English," replied Athan with a warm smile despite all that he'd been through that day. 

Edmond treated him to a smile that had been the first he'd ever had in this place since leaving England behind. Athan returned his smile and wrapped an arm around his shoulder as he escorted young Edmond home and out of the street before the other children returned to cause him harm once more. 

They had not known it then, but it had been the beginning of quite a wonderful friendship for the two of them, the English-born immigrant and the Italian noble son.