The sound of rushing feet could be heard echoing down the dark, damp alleyways, the squelching of muck and grime interspersed between the heavy footfalls. Here in this section of the capital existed the insulae built in the shadow of the hippodrome, where the light of the sun rarely reached. Beggars, scoundrels, the poor, and the sick, these were the slums of Merlabria, the place where those forgotten by society, the outcasts made their homes.

Where there were large concentrations of humans, there was always bound to be those who were left behind. Crime and violence were as natural as breathing in this place, there were few options for work, few opportunities, those who lived here would steal and murder for a loaf of bread. There’s was a world without hopes or dreams, just darkness and squalor, the only hope of advancement lay with the families, this being the domain of the Taureas. Brutish men who cared little for discretion, they maimed, murdered, and raped as they pleased within their tiny kingdom.

Like any organization that existed within the shadows they operated businesses to fund their lifestyle’s, and those of the Gorgion whom they remained subservient to. Prostitution, racketeering, gambling, drugs, if it made money they were involved. Yet they were relegated to this one district, held in check by the other families. With the Scylla remaining the largest thorn in their side, ever since the Scylla had taken control over the port district in the east, the Taureas were unable to exploit the new arrivals, the foreigners. While the Scylla grew stronger, taking the foreign born under their wing and increasing their military strength, a growing concern not only for the Taureas, but for the other two families of Merlabria as well.

The young man who had been rushing through these dirty and dilapidated streets finally came to a stop outside a better maintained insulae. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he banged on the door, a loud crash erupted from the other side immediately causing the man to break out into a cold sweat. Before the man had the chance to second guess his decision the door was yanked open, a big burly arm followed, the hand grabbing a tight hold over the thin man’s neck.

As the door slammed shut the man who was struggling to breathe was thrown into a nearby wall, and he fell to the ground in a heap of limbs. The young man simply remained there, laying on the dirty floor, unable to do anything other than groan in pain. “Who are ye and what da ya want?” The burly oaf who had laid the boy out stood imposingly above, his meaty foot pressing down on the man’s skull, threatening to shatter it.

“Gylippos… My name is Gylippos! You took my sister Pelopia in exchange for my father’s gambling debt… I want her back!” His yells got him nothing more than a swift kick in the teeth, shattering a few and leaving the man crying in pain. “Aint nobody by that name ere, best run along before I decide to snap u in two for fun.” It was clear the brute wasn’t joking, he could and probably would do so with ease.

“ENOUGH! Let the boy speak Damastor, I wish to hear what he has to say. If it is nothing of value, then you are free to do as you please.” Hidden in the shadows was another man, this one much smaller than the first, but no less imposing. The curved blade hanging from his waist showed signs of use, the edge still freshly colored from its last victim. “Aye boss.” The burly bald man bowed his head slightly and stepped away slowly, making sure not to appear threatening to the smaller one.

“Alright, Gylippos was it.” Gylippos remained collapsed on the ground, still reeling from the rough handling at the hands of Damastor. “Y..Yes…Ar…gad..es…sir.” Gylippos could barely speak as he struggled to take in a breath from the kick to the face, all the while Argades, the head of the Taureas family was watching over him.

Tired of waiting for the young man to catch his breath, Argades reached down grabbing a firm hold of his thick, filthy brown locks and lifted him to eye level. “I don’t have all day, get to talking else I will make sure that the only thing you will ever do is whistle.” Argades unsheathed and leveled his blade to Gylippos’s throat, pressing the sharp edge directly against the skin.

“The wo…man… I saw… the woman… Lo..ng… golden… locks… beautiful…like the…goddess. I sa…w… her…crossing…bridge…. Orlika… Island…” Gylippos struggled with every word, but he was able to successfully deliver the information. Also judging by the look on Argades’s face, it was obvious how important the information was to him.

Argades dropped Gylippos to the ground, “Well boy, it looks like Damastor is not going to get the chance to smash you head in today. You have delivered some new that is extremely important to me, personally. So, while you get yourself situated, I am going to go ahead and get the girls ready, you can take your sister back today… But when I come back, you’re going to give me all the information, then you get to see your sister… Am I clear?” Gylippos simply nodded his head in understanding, trying his best not to anger the kingpin, not when he was this close to getting his sister Pelopia back.

Gylippos simply lay there on that filthy floor, his stare empty as he recalled the memories that led him to this point. It was not always like this, once he was a happy young boy, his family was not wealthy, but they made ends meet. They were commoners, running a small food stall near the walls. Business was successful enough, but eventually it began to go decline, customers stopped coming and the landlord raised the rental fees. Gylippos’s father took out a loan, the problem was whom he had borrowed money from, it was not long before the Taureas came looking to collect.

They lost their home and had to move to the slums just to cover half that which was owed. Soon enough the bloodsuckers returned, this time they took Gylippos’s mother, his father just watched as the men dragged her away. Neither sibling would ever see her again, their father became distant, a shell of his former self. However, somehow, he had become even worse, as Gylippos wasn’t aware of the loan his father had taken, this time to fund his gambling addiction. This time the Taureas enforcers took the only thing of value left, his sister, Pelopia. The only good thing the man had left in his life, yet he was too weak to protect her. Having to resort to selling out another just to save his own, his palms bled as the sharp uncut nails pushed deeper into the flesh.

Soon enough Argades returned, he squatted low, until his sharp eyes were level with Gylippos, “Now talk. Where is she?”