by Jared Stone
“Ooooo, alright!” said Gus, seemingly spurred into action. Swallowing his last bite, he handed Lucian the remaining two sandwiches. “Hold these,” said Gus. “I’ll go buy you some too, then!”
With this, Gus whirled around and jogged away from the gate, back toward the shop. Lucian looked down at the two sandwiches in his hand, and he couldn’t help but chuckle and shake his head.
* * *
Sunday, November 2nd
“Hey, Lucian…,” a voice said as Lucian awoke with a start. “We’re gonna be landing soon.”
Lucian groggily looked over to the seat beside him. Gus smiled back at him and said, “Wow, you sure were tired!”
Lucian turned back to face the seat in front of him and tried to remember what was going on. I’m on a plane, going to… Rome. Right, Rome. He recalled that the first flight had been very short: just a quick jump over to Chicago, where they had had a four hour layover before the much longer second flight to Rome. He remembered boarding this second flight, sitting down next to Gus after they had adjusted all their belongings in overhead bins, and fastening their seatbelts. Next was an excruciatingly boring demonstration of the safety features which, though having not flown in a long time, Lucian still remembered perfectly from when he was a kid. Lucian then read a bit in the magazine stashed in the seat pocket in front of him, musing over car seats for dogs, movie replica jewelry, back massaging neck pillows, and a giant yeti statue for a garden. After exhausting that mode of entertainment, he closed his eyes, and….
“Sorry; I must’ve drifted off,” said Lucian as he wiped his wet mouth, horrified that he had drooled while he slept.
“Yeah, you slept through practically the whole flight!” said Gus with surprise. “I guess you really needed your rest!”
Lucian nodded in agreement. The events of the night before had left him feeling positively drained, and, although his body felt remarkably better after Panhavant’s sagely first-aid, it seemed as though he couldn’t get enough sleep to make him feel rested again.
He looked over at Gus’ fold-down table. Upon it was an empty can of apple juice and conservatively ten empty packages of biscotti piled one on top of the other in a giant trash heap. Lucian looked at Gus in astonishment. Gus smiled back apologetically. “Sorry, I kinda ate yours too….”
“Geez, you’re always eating!” said Lucian with a laugh. “I would’ve thought you Kílánór would only, like, eat the wind and drink dew or something.”
“Nah, I’m no Panhavant,” said Gus more seriously than Lucian had expected. “I have some lower levels of realization and powers, as you’ve seen, but nothing like the great sages you’re thinking of…. Yet.”
At this, Gus took another swig of juice from the can. As the flight attendant came around with a trash bag, Gus gathered up his mess and carefully dumped it into the outstretched opening. With a smile and a “Thank you,” Gus returned his tray table to its upright and locked position and stayed silent for the remainder of the flight.
Finally, the plane touched down at Italy’s Fiumicino Airport. Lucian could see out the window that the sun was just preparing to make its entrance into the sky, seemingly having accompanied them to Rome, even though Lucian knew they had gone around the globe in the opposite direction. As soon as Lucian and Gus had exited the plane and passed through customs, they found themselves in front of a crowd of people holding up signs and looking for friends and loved ones who had just arrived. Gus stopped before them and began scanning the crowd. As he searched, Lucian looked out at all of the hopeful faces. People both old and young anxiously looked about, sometimes crying out with joy when they had spotted whomever it was they had come for. Lucian unintentionally cracked half of his mouth into a smile as he observed this heartwarming spectacle.
Without warning, Gus let out a “Hah!” and started moving toward someone standing in the crowd. Lucian whirled around and quickly followed after him. Gus approached a tall and lean older man holding up a sign which read “Titus.” The man wore a very stern look on his face, his beady eyes glaring at Gus as he came nearer. Walking right up to him, beaming with a giant smile, Gus proudly said, “I think you’re looking for us!”
Lucian walked up next to his friend and looked at him quizzically. Despite the unfamiliar name on the sign, Gus showed no hesitation.
“You are Mistress Dareia’s guests?” the old man queried with a thick Italian accent. Gus vigorously nodded his head, still wearing that giant smile that Lucian sometimes thought looked a little goofy.
“Molto bene. Please, come with me,” instructed the man, lowering his sign, turning, and striding toward the exit. The two world travelers followed along behind, carrying their minimal baggage with them.
“Titus?” whispered Lucian to Gus as they hurried along. “What’s that about?”
“Oh, just a very, very old joke between friends…,” responded Gus, who, as usual, couldn’t hide his grin as he looked down at the floor, almost bashfully.
* * *
Lucian looked out the window from the backseat of the luxurious black car. He had never been one to know anything about car makes and models, but he could at least determine that their ride was very expensive. As they sped down the road, Lucian could see limitless green fields stretching out before him being slowly illuminated by rays of sunlight as they pierced through the early morning gray.
“I always thought Rome would be more…,” started Lucian, turning to Gus, “urban.”
“Oh, this isn’t the city,” responded Gus as he, too, gazed longingly at the scenery as it passed him by. “We’re just headed north from the airport to the countryside outside of Rome itself. We won’t have the chance to go into the city on this trip.”
“What??” said Lucian, adjusting himself in his seat so his whole body was now turned toward Gus. “We traveled all the way over here, and I’m not even gonna get to see the Coliseum!?”
“Trust me, you don’t want to,” said Gus with a quick shudder that ran through his body as he continued to stare out the window. “Too much bad stuff…,” he continued as his voice trailed off into silence.
Frustrated, Lucian slumped back down into his seat, facing forward. In a somewhat juvenile display of displeasure, he folded his arms across his chest and continued to watch the fields whiz past them.
The ride wasn’t very long – just about 30 minutes – and the car soon pulled off of the main road and onto a long driveway that stretched down into a green expanse on either side. As the car traveled along the seemingly endless tree-lined path, Lucian saw numerous statues sail past. Each one appeared to be a lion, and there was one in between each tree stretching the length of the road.
“Wow, lots of lions,” Lucian stated with surprise, but just dryly enough to send a message to Gus that he still wasn’t happy about not seeing Rome.
“Hah,” responded Gus as he bent down into the middle of the backseat to look up at the building appearing before them through the front windshield. “Yeah, Dareia’s always had a thing for lions….”
Lucian joined the Kílán in his examination of the approaching structure. It was absolutely massive. A giant mansion loomed before them, and Lucian couldn’t help but let his jaw drop a bit as it came into view. The building was composed of three floors that stretched out endlessly in both directions from the enormous wooden door in the center. Each level was lined with narrow windows bordered by white marble arches, and the outside was composed primarily of gray and brown stone blocks. In the front, tremendous marble columns supported a massive overhanging roof with a triangular top. Lucian could barely discern some kind of scene carved into the flat frieze beneath it. As the car pulled into the circular roundabout in front, Lucian noticed a gargantuan fountain in the center. The marble lions on the fountain were lounging around in various poses while a voluptuous nude woman poured out an inexhaustible flow of water from the vase she carried. The early morning light bathed the whole scene in a warm orange hue that only added to the luxurious grandeur of
the estate.
After stopping the car, the driver climbed out and came around to Lucian’s side. As he opened the door for the boy, his left hand was held out to the side in a polite gesture of invitation. Lucian slid out of the car, and Gus followed behind him. The driver then walked to the trunk, withdrew the travelers’ bags, and brought them to their owners. He bowed to the two visitors, then immediately strode around the back of the car and into his seat. As he drove off, another person came trotting down the expanse of the marble staircase to greet them.
“Gentlemen!” this young man cried out, holding his arms out before him in a welcoming gesture. He was clad in a fashionable black suit with a vest that was meticulously pressed and spotless. “Welcome to Lady Dareia’s estate. She has been expecting you.” This young man appeared to be not much older than Lucian himself, and he was remarkably attractive. His accent was the same as their driver’s, though not quite as strong. He had deep brown eyes and medium length dark brown hair that flowed in curls above his forehead and ears. As he smiled, bright rows of pearly white teeth shone out, reflect-ing the ambient sunlight which bathed them.
He came down to the level upon which Gus and Lucian stood and quickly grabbed their bags out of their hands. “Please, follow me,” he urged, bowing down a little, while at the same time placing his foot up on the next step. Then, straightening his body, he continued his way up the staircase with a bag in each hand, and the two esteemed guests followed along behind. Lucian clumsily climbed the stairs, occasionally missing his footing as he looked up and admired the building rising up before him. Gus continued on, looking straight ahead as the elegant young man led them past two marble lion door guardians and through the towering white marble door frame.
The entranceway opened into a grand foyer, and, in the center of this area, a long, ornate marble table supported an enormous bouquet of flowers in a vase that was over half the size of Lucian himself. The reds and greens and yellows sprang up from the top and draped over the sides in a way which added life and color to the entire room. The table was set upon a great Persian rug covered in black, red, and gold twisting floral patterns that slithered across the floor like resting serpents. On either side of the foyer, a marble staircase curved along the wall, up to the second floor, and two great doors led into additional rooms at the ground level. However, because they were closed, Lucian was not able to see into the additional wings of the mansion.
Standing at the base of the staircase to their left was a tall, thin woman wearing a flowing golden dress that draped down past her feet in a long train. The tanned olive skin along her arms and face provided little differentiation of her body from her garments. Her dark blonde hair was done up and held together by two sticks stuck in diagonally from either side. She held her right hand on top of the thick marble baluster in front of her and stood sideways with her head twisted slightly to her left to observe the two men as they walked in. Her hands and arms bore no jewelry of any kind, which seemed oddly out of place, considering her obvious wealth and social status. Dangling beside her bare neck were large earrings made of bright, colorful peacock feathers, and their green and blue eyes provided the sole contrast to her otherwise golden form.
“Argus!” cried the woman upon seeing him, gliding up gracefully, arms outstretched, and pulling him into a tight hug. Gus stood there unprepared for such a greeting at first, arms hanging awkwardly by his side and a look of shock on his face. Then he smiled brightly and wrapped his arms around her too.
“Dareia, it’s wonderful to see you again,” said Gus as he stepped out of her embrace and planted a kiss on either side of her face. “It’s been way too long!”
“Too long indeed…,” responded Dareia dryly. She glanced over at Lucian. “So, this is the boy?” she then asked. Lucian noticed a lingering peculiarity on the end of her words, though it did not have the sound of a typical Italian accent. She fluidly twisted away from Gus and flowed up to Lucian’s side. Holding out her hand, palm facing down like a lady of privilege, she addressed Lucian. “Welcome to my home, Lucian,” she said, with an icy cold stare straight into his eyes. Her own eyes were a brilliant emerald color which sparkled in the magnificent light of the room.
Not knowing whether to kiss it or shake it, Lucian awkwardly took her hand and wiggled it up and down a bit. “How do you do?” responded Lucian, trying to sound proper and dignified while truly feeling terribly out of his element.
At this obvious display of discomfort, the elegant lady before him cracked a grin. “You have all the makings of a fine young gentleman,” she stated, pulling her hand back from Lucian’s grasp and once again slinking over to Gus’ side. “Argus,” she said playfully, “you are positively rugged now! I could just eat you up!” She reached up and ran her hands down his chest. Looking him in the eye, she asked, “Did you appreciate the sign?”
“Yes, very much so,” said Gus, smiling back at her. “So few who knew me then are still around today. It’s nice to occasionally remember times long past.”
“I was hoping that you would think so,” said Dareia with a short giggle that seemed more practiced than genuine.
“I like your earrings very much, too,” Gus said with a smirk, positively glowing now that he was in her presence. Lucian had the feeling that there was more behind that assertion than was being openly expressed, yet he couldn’t determine what.
“I wore them in honor of your visit today,” said Dareia, smiling coyly. “You might have forsaken the Queen Goddess centuries ago, Argus, but She will never forget your faithful service to Her.”
Suddenly changing the mood to a tone of business, Dareia lifted her hands and dropped them again as she exclaimed, “Now, I hope you both are hungry. I have prepared quite the breakfast feast for your arrival!” She accentuated this final point with a boisterous flip of her hand in the air.
“You were always such a wonderful hostess,” said Gus, beaming with joy. “And yes, we’re starving! Right, Lucian??”
“Oh, yes!” Lucian agreed. With all the excitement and strangeness around him, he had forgotten that he hadn’t eaten anything since before the flight. At the mention of food, he suddenly realized that his stomach was empty and needed some filling. But he also thought that Gus, on the other hand, had no reason to complain.
“Well, then, follow me,” beckoned Dareia, clasping Gus’ hand and gracefully leading him out of the room with an accompanying sweeping motion of her right hand. Lucian, not wanting to be left behind to starve to death, quickly hurried after them.
11 - Recollection
Sunday, November 2nd
Lucian looked down before him at the vast wooden banquet table stretched across his field of vision. His eyes met plate after plate as he scanned the length of the feast. Dareia sat at the head of the table, and Gus and Lucian sat opposite one another one seat further down. There was such an expanse of choices that one would have to get up and walk, as if at a buffet, in order to sample everything. Thankfully, this effort was not required, as there were two servers in attendance who would deliver anything one wished directly to one’s plate. There were platters of ham, eggs, beef, duck, chicken, and various other meats which Lucian could not readily identify scattered about. In fact, almost every dish was meat. At the far end of the table, farthest away from their host, was a bowl of fruit, added as though it was a scorned afterthought. Lucian thought this carnivorous spread strange, especially for breakfast, but he reasoned that this must be the way the Italians ate. Hey, when in Rome…, Lucian mused.
They were only seated and eating for a few minutes, but Gus and Dareia were already reminiscing of times long past, leaving Lucian feeling lost and cut off from most of the humor.
“Hahahaha!” Dareia roared with laughter. “And do you remember that centurion? The one with the…, the…?” She frantically pointed at her face as she said this, searching for the word. Gus busted out laughing, nodding in complete comprehension. The intensity of his movements caused the crystal he was wearing to bounce a
round wildly on his chest. Lucian just stared blankly at the two of them.
“Whatever happened to that vulgar oaf, anyway?” inquired Dareia, still chuckling as she thought back on the times. Lucian noticed that her subtle accent grew stronger as she became more enthused.
“I think killed by Goths!” Gus said, howling.
“Oh, thank the Goddess!” cried out Dareia, slapping the table beside her plate. “He was such a distasteful individual!”
The two old friends continued to laugh for another moment until Gus glanced over at Lucian, who sat there looking down at his meal, feigning a smile. In an effort to throw the boy a bone, Gus cleared his throat and said, “Lucian, isn’t this food delicious!?”
Lucian looked up quickly when he heard his name. With relief, he smiled at Gus as he responded, “Yes, this is one of the best meals I’ve ever had!”
Dareia, once again fully composed, blithely smiled and patted both sides of her mouth delicately with a corner of her golden cloth napkin. “Thank you so much, Lucian,” she said as she laid her napkin down. “I actually hunted most of them myself,” she added, displaying her pride with a slight smirk.
Lucian’s eyes grew wide as he stared at the elegant woman beside him. It seemed highly out of place to picture her holding a gun… or a bow… or whatever she used to hunt. He expected some kind of joke, but she remained as serious as he had seen her since they arrived. Gus grinned broadly as he said to Dareia, “You always were a mighty huntress!” She smiled back at him gently as she used her long fingernails to tear off some meat from a bone and delicately place it between her plump red lips.
“I truly had no choice,” said Dareia after a moment, chewing slightly. “The men of my village were so useless.” She accentuated this point with a flippant flick of her hand in the air.
“So, where are you from, anyway?” asked Lucian, seizing on the opportunity to inject himself into the conversation.
