Chapter 8=20 Darius threw Greyson off him and into the corner. He slowly said, "You = forget, I am the teacher--you are my student," and advanced on him, = drawing his dagger, his face a mask of fury. "Get up!" He motioned = Greyson upward with his dagger. "You need to be taught a lesson!"=20 Greyson stood, his own dagger snaking out of it's sheath; he slashed at = Darius who easily leapt backwards like a cat out of reach.=20 "You can't do better than that?" Darius taunted him. "What have I taught = you--nothing? After all these years, I find that I have wasted my time = teaching you!" He inched backwards, watching his adopted son come away = from the corner throwing his dagger from one hand to the other, and = making swift feints before retreating.=20 Greyson was a formidable fighter--Darius had made sure in his teachings = that not an ounce of compassion for his victims flowed in his conscious = mind. The intensity to kill was all that he cared for, the hunt of his = prey and the glory of the kill afterwards. Darius knew just what would = set him off and what would stop him cold but his son had to be taught a = lesson about interfering with things that did not belong to him--and = taught it the hard way. When Greyson was far enough out of the corner, = Darius lunged at him, bowling Greyson over on his back.=20 Greyson gasped as the wind was knocked from him; Darius took the = opportunity to sit astride him and pin him to the floor of the tent. But = Greyson bucked upwards, shifting his weight to one side and throwing = Darius off him. He rolled over then scrambled to his feet as did his = father; both circled each other warily, the light glinting off each = blade.=20 Darius locked his eyes on Greyson's; Greyson's own eyes reflected those = of a bird of prey as they searched for a kill. He was at his most = dangerous at this point and Darius knew it. Nothing would stop him = now--he would continue to fight until one of them was dead. This was = exactly what Darius wanted except for one minor detail.=20 He wasn't going to be the one who died tonight.=20 Greyson was. He wouldn't like it but it had to be done for his own good = and understanding. This was a military chain of command--Greyson had to = follow the rules and obey the commands and he knew that! Otherwise there = would be chaos.=20 Darius waited then lunged outwards at Greyson, his dagger nicking the = flesh on Greyson's arm as he tried to block the attack. As quickly as = the blood flowed, it stopped. Once more Darius attacked, forcing Greyson = to retreat backwards step by step.=20 Greyson took the offensive; he stepped low and inside slashing in a wide = arc at Darius' abdomen, making contact as the blood spewed forth from = the gash.=20 Darius howled in agony, one hand holding closed his abdomen while the = other making contact with an upward and outwards slash to Greyson's = ribs, exposing the bones underneath the muscles. "You will not touch my = things again!" he gasped out, then as he gathered strength he = straightened himself upright and plunged his dagger up to the hilt in = his son's chest, and twisted it for good measure. Blood spurted from the = severed arteries spraying him in the face with the warm liquid and = painting the area bright crimson. "Learn, by all the gods, learn!" = Darius hissed at him.=20 Greyson's eyes flew wide in shock and horror at the act as well as the = pain. His thoughts ran amok; he had been betrayed and killed by the man = he most admired and looked up to, the man who he called "father". His = eyes stared into Darius' as the coldness of death began to creep along = his limbs. As the blood continued to pump from him he rasped out, "May = all the gods of all the underworlds leave you waiting forever at the = gates of Hades!" He curled his fingers weakly about Darius' arms then = slumped to the floor.=20 Darius fell to the floor with him, and cradled his son's now still head = in his lap. "Learn, my son. Learn." He looked about then back at his son = and shook his head. He now had to wait it out to learn what news of = entering Rome he could from him when he revived.=20 One only had to wait for a short time for that to happen...=20 _________________________________________________________________=20 Methos slowly approached the picket line where the horses were kept = staked as a clap of thunder overhead made them move about nervously. He = was cold and very wet, his hair plastered to his head. He looked about = for any signs of a guard; he reached up and pulled loose the traces on a = horse then spied the guard and dropped to the ground slithering on his = belly towards the man through the slick mud.=20 Rising up behind the guard, he tapped him on the shoulder at which the = guard turned. Methos grabbed him around the jaw and upper head and = twisted his head violently until a sharp crack was heard.=20 The man fell limply to the ground.=20 He looked at him for a moment dispassionately as he wiped the mud from = his hands then bent down and began stripping the body of its' clothes = and weapons. Once clothed and armed with a sword and a rounded shield = slung over his back, he vaulted bareback upon the horse he had released, = wrapping his long fingers through its' mane and kicked it in the ribs = towards the outskirts of Rome.=20 He ran the horse for all it was worth, feeling each heartbeat of the = beast in him as closer and closer he came to the Roman legions still = encamped as they waited for their time to come to escort the Goths to = the palace. A cry ripped from him in exhilaration; he slapped the = horse's rump with the flat of the blade urging it to an even faster = speed.=20 On the perimeter of the Roman forces, a guard spotted a dim figure = flying over the ground on horseback towards them. Shaking his head, the = guard peered intently at the figure that appeared and then disappeared = in the sheets of rain falling from the sky. Maybe it was an apparition = he was seeing--it seemed to fade into thin air as he watched it. He = thought for a moment, then turned behind him and shouted out a warning = to the next sentry along the line who, in turn, alerted his officer in = charge of the invader approaching.=20 The officer jumped upon the nearest horse and sat astride to get a = better view of whatever or whoever it was then ordered a small = detachment to the fore.=20 Immediately they lined up in perfect precision and awaited their orders, = grumbling softly to themselves about the weather and trying to discern = what it was they were standing at attention for.=20 The motion within the ranks caught Methos' eye and he pulled up hard, = causing the horse to rear back on his hind legs. "Whoa--down!" He walked = the horse slowly as he assessed the situation and decided against any = further approach. It was too dangerous and he knew enough of the signs = from the Roman contingent to know that he was possibly considered a = threat to them.=20 Wheeling the horse about he decided to head for the villa of a friend, = Gaius Pollonius, on the outskirts in order to get shelter, dry clothes, = and a way to get out of the Goth's commander's grasp. He was willing to = escape in any manner necessary--and at any price.=20 The Roman officer squinted as he watched the lone figure turn his = approach away from his men, then turned and shouted to them. "Stand = down!" whereupon the men shuffled back to their original positions and = wait miserably in the damp for the setting of the sun.=20 __________________________________________________=20 Greyson stirred, gasping the first gulps of air into his once-dead = lungs. His eyelids fluttered and he swiftly clutched at his chest where = the dagger had been impaled. Groaning in agony as he attempted to sit = upright, his eyes flew open to stare into Darius' own pale blue ones.=20 "Welcome back," Darius said as he cradled his son. "How are you = feeling?" He shifted his weight and clasped his son's hand. He stared = intensely at him for a moment before saying, "Learn to keep your temper, = my son. It will be your undoing someday as will your arrogance."=20 Greyson shook himself from his father's grasp and stood up silently = walking away from him, his body language speaking of the hurt and = betrayal that he was feeling. After a few minutes of complete silence he = turned and looked back on his teacher. "You killed me!" The hurt was now = obvious in his voice. "How could you do that to me? I am your son!"=20 Darius stood and walked away over to a bowl of water and cleansed = himself of the blood that covered him, paying meticulous care to remove = every trace of it ever being on him. "When do we enter Rome?" He glanced = in Greyson's direction. "Soon?"=20 Greyson's mouth tightened for a moment as he realized that he had been = taught a lesson about obeying and following directions. He pulled up a = hide-covered stool and sat. "Yes, soon. At sunset but there are = conditions."=20 "That being?" Darius pulled his blood soaked tunic off him, revealing = the heavily muscled back, arms and chest as his eyes searched around for = any signs of Methos. Frowning, he went to the door of the tent and = pulled it back only to not see any sign of him.=20 "Rome is to escort us into its' walls with a small portion of their = army." Greyson paused then went on. "Only a hundred of our men are to = accompany you--no more." He smirked. "I think that they are afraid we = might start something."=20 Darius half smiled. "One hundred will be sufficient--two hundred eyes to = look at their defenses and the strength of their positions when we = enter." He sighed and stretched like a cat with arms overhead, working = out the knots and cramps of when he had held his son during the wait for = him to revive. "Methos!" he shouted. ""Methos!"=20 There wasn't an answer.=20 They exchanged glances. Finally, Greyson softly said, "He's = gone--escaped."=20 "He will regret this, mark me on this, son. When I find him--and find = him I will--then he will know my wrath!" He looked about and finally got = dressed in his finest clothes: a pure white woolen tunic that reached = mid thigh, leggings of black leather and warm boots made of animal hide = that were wrapped in strips of leather in a cris-crossed pattern to hold = them up. On his arms, he placed arm guards of dark leather studded with = bits of silver and gold worked in intricate patterns that reached from = wrist to forearms.=20 Greyson nodded in approval. "You shall put them all to shame, father." = He cleared his throat then continued. "I will try harder to obey your = wishes and commands. I learned my lesson." Lowering his head, he said. = "I apologize for my temper."=20 Darius came to him and embraced him, then kissed him on the cheek. "You = are a good student, son. And a good man to have by my side in battle. = But you must fight your own battles within yourself to control the = demons that could cause you to lose in the Game--your temper and = arrogance will do naught but ill in the final battle for the Prize."=20 Greyson nodded then backed away. "I'll go and choose out the hundred for = your escort." He left.=20 Darius looked after him as he squeezed his fists tight. "Rome has no = idea what we start tonight." He went over and searched for the runic = stone he had taken from the soothsayer and held it up to the torchlight, = read it and then tossed it to the floor as he himself left to attend = things as well as organize a search for his personal slave.=20 Had someone come in and picked it up, they might have had a time as they = tried to translate the simple runic symbol on it, but Darius knew = exactly what it was that it said.=20 War.=20 And when flipped over, another runic symbol was revealed which = translated to another word.=20 Power.=20