Priscus was little more than 17 years old when he was suddenly pulled from school and rushed home.
Upon his arrival at the modest villa he and his father called home, he was immediately struck by the somber mood and distinct lack of noise made by the few gladiators who resided and trained there.
The Lupus family had been lanista for generations, the ludas was passed down from father to son upon the father's death. And each succeeding generation had one goal: glory in the arena and prosperity for their family.
Unlike in ancient times, lanistas were very well thought of in the modern age. With the galactic games being the sole way to expand the empire, gladiators and gladiatorial schools had never been more necessary.
As such gladiator schools had popped up all over the empire almost overnight, but most couldn't survive more than a couple of years. The Lupus family was an exception, having been a Lanista family since ancient times they had built a solid foundation and reputation throughout the empire. However, the family had been in decline since the year 3100 as it was difficult to secure any promising gladiators among so many competitors.
In spite of the fact the family had such a sterling reputation for producing fine gladiators, most new recruits wanted to go where the greatest benefits were. And unfortunately in the modern age there were a plethora of billionaire hotshots who wanted to just give it a whirl.
They promised the new recruits exorbitant fees, and lavish lifestyles, drawing many away from the more established families, and inevitably towards their deaths.
That being said the Lupus family was nearly on its last legs, if they couldn't produce a new champion-class gladiator in the next games...They would most likely be bought out and perish.
After exiting the black 3120 Toyota Corolla which had picked him up, Priscus practically flew through the front doors of the villa and towards his father's office.
Bursting through the double doors his gaze landed on a large figure covered in a white sheet sprawled out on the floor. Deep crimson pools seeped from under the edges of the fabric, causing the color to slowly spread and stain the pristine fabric.
Without thinking Priscus bolted towards the figure and flung the fabric away to discover the identity of the one covered beneath it.
There were two officers present quietly discussing who were so absorbed in their conversation that they were a step slow. And unable to prevent Priscus from lifting the fabric off of the figure and uncovering the horror that lay beneath.
"NOOOOOO!!!"
The scream seemed to wrench itself out from the depth of Priscus' soul. There on the floor before him was his beloved father, mangled to near pieces by some wicked fiend.
The pain and loss were so great that Priscus nearly lost consciousness at the mere sight, unable to understand what exactly would drive someone to do such a horrible and senseless thing.
One of the officers quickly rushed to Priscus to support him and lead him away from the gruesome sight, while the other hurriedly covered the mangled corpse of the late Gaius Lupus.
The officer who was leading Priscus away continually spoke to him, telling him it would be alright, that they would find who was responsible, etc. etc.
But none of it registered in Priscus' mind, the only thought that could be heard in his mind was blinding pain, and a burning rage at whatever or whoever was responsible.
So overwhelmed by emotions Priscus very quickly passed out, his mind and body attempting to seize back control of his wild emotions and imagination.
It was not until the next morning that Priscus once again woke up, and upon doing so immediately began to mourn and cry bitter tears for his loss.
Meanwhile, the two officers were still at the villa having slept there the previous night to keep Priscus safe. Upon hearing the ungodly wailing of the young man the two couldn't help but feel sorry for the boy.
They decided to wait for him to calm down a bit before trying to speak to him, it wouldn't do anyone any good to talk to him if Priscus was too distraught and distracted to even carry a coherent thought.
After a couple of hours went by the crying and wailing finally stopped, and the two officers could hear faint footsteps coming down the hallway towards them.
Opening the door Priscus once again entered his father's office to see the two officers still there.
The haunted eyes of the young man bored into the two officers with an intensity that was mildly frightening.
"Who did this?" Priscus croaked, the hours spent crying had made his voice hoarse.
"We don't know yet," The officer on the left replied calmly. "We are still gathering evidence for our investigation, but so far we don't have much to go on."
"What do I do now?"
"You carry on young man." came the swift reply from the other officer, his tone was firm but not unkind. "There is no way I or anyone else can truly know how you feel, and it is never easy to lose a loved one, but all you can do is carry on, and trust that we will find the one responsible."
A dry hollow laugh escaped from Priscus' parched throat.
"Carry on you say," Priscus cast his eyes roundabout as if to say look around you. "What exactly am I to carry on? My mother has left us, I have no siblings, we have 2 fracking gladiators TOTAL, and the next games are only a few weeks from now."
Priscus began to pace angrily as he continued his tirade.
"Not to mention the loan payments are coming due, and if our gladiators don't perform well we go belly up! At this point it would be far simpler for me to simply sell this fracking place off and free myself, then it would be to try and salvage a sinking ship!"
At this point, one of the two officers approached him and placed a hand on his shoulders stopping him from going any further.
SMACK!
A loud sound echoed around the office after the officer struck Priscus across the face. A large red handprint showing starkly against Priscus' skin.
"I know you're in pain boy," The officer said poignantly. "But to sell off your family's legacy would truly be the height of unfilial disrespect and stupidity."
The smack had shocked Priscus back to his senses, even if only for a moment. He had truly never actually wanted to sell his family's ludas, he had dreamed of the day when he might get to run it. But he had always dreamed of doing so alongside his father, and with him gone, it was hard to see the point.
"You don't know this," The officer continued, still holding onto Priscus' shoulder. "But we found a letter written by your father seemingly only a few minutes before his death. We found it in his pocket along with the key to the ludas, it's addressed to you."
The officer then pulled from his coat a scroll sealed with wax, handing it over to Priscus before slowly exiting the room. He sent a subtle signal to his partner for him to exit as well, allowing the young man some privacy.
Slowly approaching his father's desk Priscus took in the sight of the pristine office. The body of his father had been taken to the morgue and the blood was already cleaned. There was nothing left to indicate the horrors that had taken place aside from the emptiness consuming his heart.
Taking a seat Priscus broke the seal on the scroll and slowly unrolled it. With tears rolling down his face he read his fathers final words.
"My beloved son,
I truly wish that things were different, that I had more to leave you than a failing ludas, and a hole in your heart.
I am so sorry my son, after your mother left I wasn't the same man I once was. I made stupid decisions and got in bad with some worse people, and the debt has come due.
But fret not, I have made a deal that will shield you from them. After my death, the contract is null and void, and they cannot come after you for a single denarii.
I love you Priscus, more than life itself. And I know you will do marvelous things, I only wish I could be there to see them. You have a talent for gladiators that I have never seen before, trust your instincts and you will go farther than any before you.
I have no excuse for the things I have done, I made bad choices and now you must carry that burden. I can only hope that with my final sacrifice, you might be given the chance to live the life I always hoped for you.
I love you, my son, remember that always.
Gaius Lupus
P.s The ludas is yours, do with it as you see fit. But I pray you keep it."
Shoulders shaking with the weight of his grief Priscus read the letter over and over again. Till finally he arrived at a firm determination.
"I love you too father...and I will...keep it."