Othello the Legatus Act One Scene 1 Part 1.2

"Iago, my dear friend. You are obviously more pained than I thought." Roderigo sat back and laughed. "What ails my favorite Centurion?"

Roderigo looked to the other man. He had knew Iago since when they were youths; Iago was of Roman ancestry while he was a bastard son of one, but his father left him for another. He was raised by his mother who was a Spaniard. She had him named to remembered his grandfather, and among it imparted the skills of the family to him. He became a trader, starting small and then bought himself the caravans.

"Do you not despoil on your mood that Desdemona..." Iago was blunted on his words.

"Hush, my friend. Don't bleed my wound with salt when you know the facts too." Roderigo had his left hand raised from the water. "She is no more of mine, and I had perish her image from my mind." 

Iago laughed out loud and then looked to his friend's agitation look.

"Tell me of my coins." Roderigo turned to change the subject. He may be a friend, but his coins are his family.

"Your coins are not all lost. It just that we made a loss on the deal." Iago told him bluntly. He felt no remorse nor fear of Roderigo. The deal was jointly agreed by the other and even then everything was working for them. The deal was to supply the legions armor but the promotion of Micheal Cassio had stiffen his sleuth hand of switching the order. The Centurion was not even of true Roman blood, but adopted at birth by his foster family who saw it fit to raise a son among the three daughters they had. Senator Thaddeus was a benevolent man and fine Legatus too, but he lack the ambition to be more. He cared too much for his family than his legion at times. He had plucked the kid from the battlefield and had him brought to his wife. He nurtured the boy till his adulthood and paved his promotion to be a Centurion. Such blessing made Cassio a rival of Iago, but the later also displayed great skills in the art of trading.

"Cassio had all my blacksmiths sidelined. He brought in a shipment from outside the city at a lower price on the orders. Its was done by his father's ships. I ended up losing the deposit to the blacksmiths." Iago replied on. "I may be the powerful one among the Legionaries but the blacksmith have the backing of more powerful friends. Even I deal with them on the understanding of true barter but alas I am the one who cannot deliver."

Iago did not tell Roderigo that he was warned by another Legatus; 'back off or faced been send to the remote forts', shall he tempt to steal the shipment. It seems the Cassio family still holds a lot of support from the Legion elders.

"The one that became Pilus should not had been a trader of sorts, but he took the deal to his own gain or more his family gain. He had the backup of the three rich traders, that financed the supply and left us less of the amount of coins." Iago told his failed business partner.

"Was he not claimed to be a bastard of the Goths? They are more than plain barbarians, they are good tradesman too. I dealt with them before, and if the negotiation failed, then I would resort to my barbaric skills." Roderigo was part Spaniard and Italian. He used to be tough with his sword arm more deadlier, but the years of indulging into rich foods and drinks had dulled his fighting skill. More so his trading ones too, which he relied on middle person like Iago to perform.

"Cassio approached the Othello while I was there." Iago ignored his friend's remarks and continued on his part of the discussion. "He knew I was there to talk to Othello on the same issue, and he cut me off. He told Othello like it was his role to safeguard the Legion. The armor was superior to the ones made by the blacksmiths. He made his point and then threw in the offer to Othello."

"And your Legatus agreed." Roderigo said it out like a statement. "Does he not fear the local blacksmiths?"

"Othello feared not the blacksmiths. He does not when he had the ears of the Emperor. He is the favored Legatus now." Iago replied cynically. Under the rule of Emperor Commodus, the Emperor had taken into his own the control of the state affairs. He ruled them with an iron hand.

"Oh, he also admired the older Cassio; his mentor before he came Centurion. Othello agreed there to the new shipment. He refused to even consult me when I offered it to him better advise. I thought for the ten years I had served to him, I would be given a hearing. But not the man whom I served for over ten years. The bastard raised up his hand to shut me up." Iago showed the pose that Othello took that day. "I was upset. Me, his most trusted lieutenant was ignored. To think that I fought by his side for so many battles; with the sword and with my tongue. And my body."

Roderigo laughed out louder.

"For what are you still doing there. You could had left the Legion." Roderigo told him. "Are those scars not enough to tell you otherwise?"

"Me leaving the Legion? Not likely." Iago told his friend. Then he looked around and saw the slave still standing there. He motioned her to come over. He asked her to stand into the bath.

"Take off you clothes." Iago ordered her. She did as he asked. She stood there in her natural beauty with the water lapping above her knees. Iago got up and bend her over. He then thrust himself into her causing her to cry out. He did not stopped there but continued his thrusts. He then grabbed her hips and thrusted into her harder.

"I am serving Othello for my own purpose. We can't all be Legatus and not all Legatus should be followed. Look at her, if she was Legion, she would had work for her life without knowing why. She is stupid to followed that as she is a slave here. They ought to be degraded for being that stupid. Loyalty or submission draws a thin line." Iago pulled himself out from her. He turned her around and pushed her down to the knees. He then did as Roderigo, and continued his speech.

"She can't complained like myself. I am my own Legatus, not so in the rank but in myself. I command my own battles and win on the ones I could, or withdrew to fight another day when faced by defeat. If she was like myself, she would not be subject herself to his degradation." Iago stopped his speech and continue his degradation on the slave. He took his frustration on her and then pulled out at the last moment. He spurt on her face.

"You do not deserved my fluid unless I spat on you." Iago then pushed her away while Roderigo laughed again. The slave crawled away and then stood by her station again. She was more afraid to leave lest she would be subject to worse by the handlers.

"You made a point, but your only avenue was to leave. You are his Pilus and not his Legatus. But you have another profession; be the actor on the stage. You were so convincing."

"Me, an actor? I only act on my own stage. If I was to be Legatus, I would not have one like myself on my Legion. I am seen to like my Legatus as it served me. I was lifted from Centurion Primi to Pilus within five years. He did not pulled me up, I worked hard and he just happened to notice me then. But if I have one like myself in the ranks, I would had him sent to the front to die first."

"I am leaving." Roderigo cut short the personal ego of his friend. Roderigo pulled himself up and took the towel handed by the slave. He wrapped himself, and walked to the doorway. Iago followed suit but stopped at there. He looked to the handler who was standing outside the room.

"Handler, she was dis-obedient. Punish her." Iago walked on while the handler approached the slave who was in tears. He was smiling at the fact that he had sent another one to be punished and that made him happier.