FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Late republic

Villa of Titus Antonius Magnus

15 miles outside of Rome

It was a terribly hot day and all little Lucius wanted was some water.

He had been working all day in the fields and hadn't had a drop to drink. The hot sun was beating him down and burned his dark grey fur. It was nothing new to the ten year old wolf, as he was made to work the fields for as long as he could remember; hot days or not, he worked sun up to sun down like everyone else. Although today felt hotter than usual.

The slave that carried the water bucket hadn't reached him yet, and to Lucius it felt as if she would never reach him. As tempting as it seemed, he knew better than to leave his work and search her out, he had to wait his turn like everyone else. Perhaps she will take pity on him and give him an extra mouthful like she sometimes did when he had worked very hard on tough days. He didn't care how much he got; he just wanted something the calm the fire in his throat.

Lucius bent down to clear toss away a stone that was interfering with his work when he heard his name called.

"LUCIUS!" an authoritative voice calls to him, one he knew all too well. He turns and dreads to see Sertor and Hostus towering over him.

Sertor, also a wolf, and Hostus, who was an ox, were vilici of the masters estate; slaves that oversaw the other slaves and administered their duties. They were arrogant and cruel and were hated and feared by all the slaves on the estate. Both were tall and strong, which made them all the more intimidating. The sight of their whips on their hips always made Lucius feel uneasy, once or twice he had the displeasure of feeling that whip upon his back.

"You slacking your duties, boy?" Hostus asks as a grin stretched across his face.

"No!" Lucius replied hastily, knowing Hostus looked for any excuse to hit a slave. "I was only-"

"Shut your gob, boy!" Sertor interrupted. "The dominus has requested your presence at the villa."

Lucius wondered if he had heard him correctly. Had the heat been so bad that it caused him to mishear the vilicus? The dominus, senator Titus Antonius Magnus, his master, wanted to see him? Lucius was so lost in his stupor, that he failed to see Hostus raise his large calloused paw, which he swung hard and brought it down on the little wolfs ear with a hard "CLAP."

"Did you fucking hear him?!" He heard Hostus snarl through the other ear, the one wasn't ringing and trickling blood.

"Y-yes vilicus" Lucius yips as he clenches his bruised ear.

"Then get moving!" The ox commanded, pointing towards the villa in the distance.

Lucius observed the distance of the villa from where he was. It wasn't too far, but the terrible heat would make the trek up the hill a long one. Not to mention he was already tired from his daily labor, and the water slave had yet to arrive. As if it was an answer to his prayers, he saw her walking down the path towards them, carrying the heavy bucket of water in her hand. Lucius looks up at Sertor pleadingly and begs.

"Please vilicus, may we wait a moment for the water girl? It's terribly hot today and-"

"I said shut it!" Sertor interrupts and looks towards the approaching water girl, who was doing her best to hurry towards them. "However, you are correct" he says with a more reserved tone "it is fucking hot today" and walk towards the approaching slave.

The slave stops in front of vilici and holds up the gourd to Sertor, who takes it and gulps down the water before handing it back to her. The slave dips the gourd back into the bucket and this time holds it up to Hostus. Hostus takes the gourd and quickly gulps down the water inside. Then without warning, picks the water bucket off the ground and begins to chug the water down. Lucius can only watch in horror as Hostus drains away the bucket, and to add insult injury, dumps the remainder of the water onto his face before shoving the empty bucket back into the slaves' hands. With their thirst satiated the vilici turned back towards the mortified Lucius.

"Well?" Sertor says pointing towards the villa on the hill "let's get moving."

Lucius, while filled hate for the vilici, knew better than to argue. Admitting defeat, he drops his hoe and begins up the path with Sertor and Hostus behind him. Lucius couldn't help but look back at the slave girl still standing there with the now empty bucket, watching them go. He noted the deeply apologetic look she had on her face. The one that said: "I'm so sorry for not getting her sooner, I really am." Hostus gives him another clop on the head, telling him to get moving and the three continued up the path the villa; to the great house of Antonius.