Shadows of Betrayal

The Roman Forum was quieter than Leo had been led to expect for a day of celebration. There were certainly clusters of merchants hawking their deals, children playing with their crude wooden toys, and the faint strains of a musician tuning his lyre; but it wasn't the raucous scene he'd envisioned reading about when he'd read about the grand festivals of Rome.

There still hung a tension in the air: the sort that stayed stuck to the skin of those around and caused involuntary glimpses over one's shoulder, without seeing anything out of place. Leo rested himself on one of the pillars warm as the sun; the filigree was marvelous he allowed himself, while thinking instead.

Cassius knows I am a threat. Brutus sees me as some sort of wild card. Antony is acting like he knows more about me than he's letting on. And Caesar? He's out there shaking hands like nothing's wrong.

Leo pressed his palms to his temples, willing the headache forming behind his eyes away. He could hear the soft hum of his system alerting him to something-it wasn't anything that would break through the noise he wasn't hearing, though-and just pushed it aside. He needed nothing more than a reminder of the fact that everything was falling apart.

"Leo."

The voice came soft but deliberate, pulling him out of his thoughts. He turned, already expecting to see Brutus, but it still startled him how quiet the man could be when he wanted.

"Brutus," Leo said sheepishly, trying to seem nonchalant.

Brutus smiled faintly, but his eyes did not smile. His knuckles were white and clasped together in front of him as he said, "A word, if you have a moment."

"Okay," Leo said, kicking off the pillar. He nodded down a quieter corner of the Forum, far enough from the chattering crowds that no one would pay them any mind. "What's on your mind?"

Brutus did not make a sound. He stood there, looking from Leo to people streaming out on the street outside, weighing what he was about to say.

"Cassius," he said at last, his voice barely above a whisper.

Leo raised an eyebrow. "What about him?"

Brutus exhaled, the heavy sound hanging heavy with hundreds of sleepless nights. "He grows restless. More than that-he grows reckless. His words carry venom, but his actions may soon carry steel. He doesn't trust you."

Leo's gut twisted, but he was hardening himself to shrug. "Not exactly breaking news, Brutus. The guy has had it in for me since day one."

Closer came Brutus. "Worse, he believes you are a threat. And now, standing squarely in the path of what he believes, he will do what he believes, Leo. Far faster than you'd believe.".

A shiver ran down Leo's spine, but he arranged the expression on his face in fine neutral. And you? What do you think?

Brutus's jaw was clenched. "I think you are a riddle to me. You talk of things no man your age should know. You come into Rome at the most precarious moment. And yet. He cleared his throat, his voice softening. "There is something genuine in you. A will to do what is correct, even if it is against your own self-interests."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Leo said dryly.

Brutus's lips curled up into something like a smile, but it was not there for longer than almost the same time period. "Be careful Leo. Rome is not kind to people who stand out.".

The rest of the day was spent in fragments, moments that all blended together into a haze of tension and half-formed plans. Leo kept to the crowded streets, moving from vendor to vendor as if shopping, but his mind was elsewhere.

He knew when others were watching him. So do men like Cassius? He could not know, though the feeling crawled up to his neck, refusing to be dismissed.

As the sunset drenched the city in golden and reddish hues, Leo slipped into the shadow of the Temple of Saturn. Mighty columns towered above him, cool surfaces a welcome relief to the sun's heat.

The system beeped again, this time with increasing urgency. Leo let out a resigned sigh and pulled up the interface, its faint glow illuminating his face.

System message

Quest Update: Shadows of Betrayal

Survive any attempt at taking your life by Cassius or co-conspirators.

Bonus Object: Rescue Caesar from assassination during the Feast of Lupercal.

"Because that's not vague or stressful at all,'" muttered Leo, swiping it away with a swipe of his hand.

He was so focused on the system that he almost did not even notice the figure standing in the edgE of the shadows from the temple. Almost.

"Who's there?" he shouted, his tone more guarded than he had intended.

No answer. The figure had shifted closer, and their presence was revealed by a faint clinking of metal.

Leo's heart pounded; his hand went instinctively to the small dagger concealed beneath his tunic.

"You're brave for a stranger," a voice drawled.

Cassius moved into the brightness, his expression unreadable.

"I don't have time for this," Leo said, his tone attempting to laugh off the situation. "Whatever you want—"

Cassius lunged forward so swiftly Leo hadn't anticipated it. Bright daylight glared off the flash of steel as it rose up to meet him.

Leo barely had time to react, his hand shooting out to grab the system interface. He dumped his remaining stat points into Strength and Dexterity, feeling the surge of power course through him just as Cassius's blade descended.

Steel was ringing out of the temple as Leo dodged that strike, the blow ringing up along his arm.

Sometimes his eyes spread wide in a flash, then narrowed into suspicion. "Who are you?" "Someone you shouldn't mess with," Leo retorted and pushed Cassius back with renewed strength. The older man stumbled forward, his grip on the blade slipping. He eyed Leo, his face angry, yet something else hovered in the air, like a more potent fear. "You will not always have the advantage," Cassius spat, backing away. "Remember that." And with that, he disappeared into the shadows, leaving Leo to stand alone beneath the temple's towering columns. Leo leaned back against the cool stone, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His hands shook-he didn't know if it was from adrenaline or something else. The system chimed again. He ignored it for the time being, having won this round, but far from the end of the game. Rome was a town of shadows, and it was only now that Leo realized just how deep they ran.