by C. A Hines
Rest, child.
Darkness had taken her, now.
Chapter IV
The rolling of the sea stirred her sleep.
The sounds of chaos had long since left her. Had it all been a dream? She tried to listen, daring not to open her eyes, lest she find herself once more upon that ashen field, facing down the very abyss as it rose to swallow humanity in its entirety. Birds. She heard birds, gulls, specifically. That wasn’t all she heard, either. No, there was more; the sound of waves breaking, the creaking of wood, and the dull clamor of voices above finally prompted Alexandra to open her eyes.
A ship? She was on a ship? She couldn’t possibly be on a ship! She shot upright almost instantly, looking to and fro in a panicked frenzy as she tried to make heads or tails of what happened. The dress Tullius had given her was gone as well, replaced instead with simple seafaring garments. But what of her father? What of the people?
“Finally came to, eh?” The rough voice echoed, raspy and hoarse, but most definitely feminine.
Alexandra scanned her surroundings only to fall stop upon a woman wrapped in black fabric. Her fiery red locks framed her freckled face, and a pair of emerald green eyes stared right at her as if the two were the best of friends.
“E-excuse me?” Her voice was timid, but she was tense. Her body language showed it, too, as she drew her legs in closer to her body. Alexandra tried to make herself look as small as possible, but the woman across from her seemed to struggle to suppress a giggle.
“I’m sure you’ll have a lot of questions for me, but now’s not the time. You’ll just have to trust me when I say you’re safe. If I wanted you dead, I’d of done you in while you were sleepin’,” the woman replied, a gloved hand tapping a dagger at her belt.
“But how am I...”
“Alive? We rescued ya. Can’t say much about the rest of them, don’t know if they beat back the beastie, but they might have done.”
“It was real?” She was dumbfounded. She couldn’t believe her nightmare could possibly be real. She suddenly found herself wondering about her father and Uncle Caius.
“Yea. Old Magic. The kind that burns up the soul of the one usin’ it. It wasn’t meant for mortals to mess with, really. Anyways. We’ll be landin’ soon, so you’ll want to get topside.”
“You don’t...”
“Sound normal? No, I’d imagine I sound fairly strange to your ears, love, but I’m just from a different place's all.”
Alexandra watched the stranger with a curious quirk of the brow as she marched her way to the exit. Everything still seemed to sway before her eyes still. The woman stopped, pausing for a moment before she shot a glance over her shoulder.
“Most folk just call me Cass.”
Alexandra couldn’t even respond in kind before the fiery haired woman ascended to the upper decks. It took her a moment to steady herself. Alexandra never traveled over sea before in her life and found it incredible difficult to maintain her balance.
With clumsy steps, Alexandra made her way to the exit, pulling herself up the ladder and into the sunlight. It hurt her eyes, and she lifted a hand quickly to shield her face and allow her eyes to adjust.
“That ‘er nen?”
“Aye, that’d be her. Got five-hundred Aureus say she jus’ some spoiled sort.”
Their voices muttered quietly, as if Alexandra couldn’t hear them. She was more worried about keeping her footing as the boat rolled over another wave. She shifted her weight, bracing herself against the nearest solid object.
“So the princess is awake? Who is she, then?”
This voice was different and it commanded even Alexandra’s attention. The gossiping crew fell silent as they returned to their duties. Before the captain could even reach her, Cass intercepted the man as she stretched an arm out.
“Mind your business, captain. Ya aren’t bein’ paid to ask questions. Just deliver us. You’ll not talk to her.”
Alexandra had honestly never seen anything like that before. Here was this rough looking captain, clearly curious about his newest passenger, and the only thing standing in his way was Cass. The redhead kept one hand on the hilt of her dagger, the other arm preventing his approach. She thought it might turn to violence, the captain looking rather disgruntled as he mumbled curses beneath his breath.
“Thrice damned Frumentarii whore....”
“Aye, move along.”
Just when Alexandra thought it might come to blows, the captain backed off. That should have never happened. In her world, women generally did not wield power like that among men. Sure, the women took care of the land while the men fought, but the men were squarely in charge. The captain sure didn’t seem to like it.
“BACK TO WORK YOU DOGS!” The Captain bellowed. The harshness of his voice started Alexandra and made her jump. Meanwhile the crew quickly dispersed back to their duty stations. Cass stood with a smug grin on her face before finding a solid piece of wood to lean against.
“They took to calling ya Princess on account of that fine dress you were wearin’ when I brought ya aboard. Dun worry, I didn’t let them peek. Besides, they don’t know your name. Breeds curiosity, I suppose.”
“He called you something...”
“Oh? That. That was nothin’. Just a bit of anger.”
She was almost positive Cass wasn’t being entirely honest, but she didn’t have the grounds to challenge the older woman’s claim. However, she folded her arms squarely over her chest while Cass lifted a hand up and pointed to a mass of land in the distance.
“That’s where we’ll be gettin’ off. There’s a place where we’ll be safe for a while. Shahzad’s men aren’t interested in disrupting the Island for whatever reason, thank the Emperor.”
Alexandra's brow quirked. She’d heard of the existence of those that had venerated the Imperial family as divine and she was almost positive that cult had faded into obscurity.
“How long has it—”
“Been since I found ya? Five days. You slept like a babe. Had to carry you to the port. Was able to barter us passage. You drifted in and out, kept mutterin’ in ya sleep for awhile then ya settled down.”
Alexandra grew increasingly annoyed at Cass’ interruption of her speech. To have no say in where she was traveling was pretty normal for the young woman, but to be denied the ability to finish her own sentence was wearing thin on her.
“Could you—”
“Not do this? Sorry, love. People are predicable. I’ll try and mind m’self from now on.”
A smile crept across her lips as she gave Cass playful little shove, snickering before she turned her head toward the distance. The land seemed to be incredibly close now, each heave of the oars brought their ship closer and closer. Alexandra grew curious about what had been happening when she was asleep and Cass so far hadn’t offered many answers. It would be sometime before they would make port, which meant there was still time for her to try and pry some answers out of Cass. There was so much she wanted to ask that she could hardly keep the thoughts straight in her head.
“Come on, you must be hungry.”
Alexandra perked at the mention of food, her stomach rumbling in discontent. It had been entirely too long since she had eaten and the pain of hunger was finally settling in on her stomach. Cass took the lead and Alexandra followed, trailing behind the older woman as she was led back to her room.
“Best not to disturb the crew,” Cass explained, sorting through the provisions, “they’d likely make a fuss, so I kept most of our supplies in here.” A couple of rolls of bread were tossed hastily on a bit of plate along with some salted meat. Alexandra didn’t know what it was exactly, but she didn’t ask. The moment the plate arrived in her hands she was devouring it and filling her stomach with the much needed nutrients.
“Gods this is good.”
The last bit of meat was swallowed down, Alexandra quickly downing the water that was handed to her in a small wooden cup quickly. Clean water was the most important resou
rce on a ship like this. Cass’ laughter filled her ears as Alexandra leaned back.
“So…Magic is…real?”
“Yea. Don’t see it as much these days less you go travelin’ like I do.”
Alexandra definitely seemed interested, but she still dare not talk about her dreams. Could she have changed anything if she had? Maybe she would still be in Arkadia with father if she had told him.
“Where is my father?”
“Don’t know.”
Alexandra didn’t like the reply, her hands clenching at her side.
“You surely must have seen him, he wouldn’t have just left me!”
Anger punctuated her voice as she tried to make sense of everything, while Cass remained as placid as ever. She only gave a sigh.
“When I found ya, no one was with ya.”
“So...is he, is he dead?”
“Could be.”
She was brutally honest and it caused a sinking feeling in her stomach. Alexandra wanted to believe that her father could survive something like that, but she knew he wouldn’t have just left her if he had.
“There was a strange Darkness, I remember it. It covered me right before I passed out.”
Cass gave pause for once, seemingly reflecting on the moment she had found the girl before turning her head back toward Alexandra.
“Didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.”
“Why me?”
“Pardon?”
“Why save me!”
She was livid, the anger etched on her face along with guilt. Guilt and regret. Thousands of people had certainly perished that day and of all of them she was protected. She didn’t understand it, she didn’t want to understand it.
“You don’t think a hundred other people asked that question? You were alive and alone when I found ya. Sometimes, the Gods just favor ya. There’s no rhyme or reason to any of it.”
“So where are we going?”
“Can’t say.”
Alexandra gave a defeated sigh, slumping down. They were words that her father had used when she was a child. The Gods did not answer to the schemes of man, but rather worked on the grander scale of things. It was pointless to wonder why one might be spared when others perished, the Gods always had some masterful plan. They were words he had comforted himself with to explain the loss of his men, to explain why he had survived. Cass seemed annoyed by her original line of questioning, so she allowed the subject to pass.
“So what is a Fru-men-ta-rii?”
“…Bit of a secret,” Cass replied, an aggravated sigh escaping her by that point. The woman might have been wonderful at keeping her calm, but it seemed even Cass could be annoyed.
“You’ve taken me from my home, you can’t tell me why I survived, if anyone else survived, or where you’re taking me. The least you can do is explain who you work for?” Alexandra’s voice took a desperate tone at that, fingers curled into balls as she stared at the woman.
Cass finally groaned and rolled her eyes. “Right. Everyone knows about the senate and the legions, but nobody knows how they make all that work. That’s where the Frumentarii come in. Scouts, agents, spies. Wee lil fingers stretched throughout the whole Imperium. Used to report directly to the Emperor, but we’ve been actin’ a bit autonomously as of late.”
“I see…”
Alexandra yawned, body slumping onto the hard bed. It almost felt like home to her despite the persistent rocking of the ship. She closed her eyes and tried to will herself to sleep, her body still feeling exhausted and her mind hoping that sleep would give her release from the nausea of the voyage. Night fell without incident and Cass stood her vigil over Alexandra.
The next day was a bit more pleasant as she was able to eat a solid breakfast from their provisions before she moved on deck. Being at sea was a totally new experience to her, but it seemed her nerves were finally calming. Cass stood no more than five feet away from her, looking over the side of the ship and into the waters below.
“We should be arrivin’ today.”
Cass turned to face her, Alexandra giving a small nod as she leaned over the side of the ship as well. The weather had been favorable in their endeavor, it seemed. She went about the deck with Cass, watching and observing the woman before Cass decided it was in her best interest to show her the very basics of self-defense. There was no telling what dangers they might face. Before she knew it, the ship was pulling into port.
There wasn’t anything special about it, but Alexandra still looked impressed. For a girl that had only known a shepherd's life until just a few days ago, the entire world seemed so vast and extraordinary. Still, worry gnawed at the back of her mind. Why did she survive? Did anyone else survive? Would she ever see her father again? Her mother? Should she even try to return home?
“We’ve a bit of a walk inland, girl. You’ll want to lose those sea legs fast," Cass announced, drawing her out of her own thought.
She nodded, watching as the ship was tied with several lines before a wooden gangway was lowered to the docks. She slowly moved toward it, Cass standing directly behind her and facing out toward the crew as if daring a single one of them to pass her.
Alexandra, however, soon found herself touched down upon dry land once again. It was a welcome feeling and she’d half a mind to bend over and kiss the ground with all the relief of a forlorn lover. The first time was always the hardest, she imagined. First time sailing. First time riding. First time herding. She could remember plenty of ‘firsts’ in her life and the hilarious time she had of it. The dock fostered a sparse town, the people, seeming mostly fishermen and merchants, stopped over for supplies on their way elsewhere.
A hand clasped her shoulder, drawing Alexandra from her thoughts as the flame haired Cass appeared at her side with a grin on her face. The woman stood several inches taller, with skin paler than any she’d seen before.
“Head out of the clouds, dearie.”
“It’s just so ... new. Overwhelming,” she finally admitted, breathing out a sigh. “I’d always daydreamed about going on adventures... But I didn’t think...”
“Best not to dwell on it. No sense mourning the dead if we don’t know for certain they’re dead.”
Alexandra appreciated the effort to make her feel better, especially after their earlier conversation.
She offered a small smile in return. Cass gave a nod before beckoning toward Alexandra with her hand as the two of them set inland. It didn’t take long for that small town to fade away into a long dirt path. Trees passed them by and the sounds of strange animals and insects filled Alexandra’s mind. They were making the journey on foot, alone. The crew had stayed with the ship upon the insistence of Cass.
“Where are we even going?”
“There’s a temple up the way. Old one.”
Alexandra stopped, staring at Cass as if she were out of her mind at that exact moment. A temple? It seemed a tad insane to drag her this far just to take her to a temple. There were plenty of temples back in Greece, back in Arkadia that she could have simply visited.
“Why come this far for a temple?”
“It’s a special one. Really old, even.”
The girl had so many questions she wanted to ask but knew she’d receive no more a clearer answer from Cass. Many different thoughts swirled around in her mind making it so that she could hardly enjoy the fact that she had finally gotten her life's wish—adventure. She should have known better. All the old stories spoke of the wrath of the Gods. Hubris. Hubris was always the downfall of man, it was always to be the downfall of man, and it seemed Arkadia had been no exception. She had been no exception. To dream beyond one’s station, that was her sin.
“Miss ... I don’t know who you thought I was ...” Alexandra started, her stride stopping as fists clenched at her sides. Tears fell from her eyes the idea that she’d never see her family and friends again crushing down upon her like the very fist of Jupiter. “I’m ... I’m just a shepherd’s daughter. I’m nothing, really. The only r
eason I had that dress on was because Father’s friend insisted on it...” She sighed now, hands raising up to wipe the tears from her eyes. Cass seemed rather surprised at the words, whirling around to march right up to Alexandra.
The strange woman slowly removed her glove, a gentle hand extending until her bare flesh was upon Alexandra’s cheek. The girl shifted, a thumb brushing a teardrop from her eye.
“Now I’m only going to tell ya this once. You’re special, girl. There’ll be plenty a folk that’ll tell ya otherwise from here on, but don’t you forget it.” The woman’s voice, which had commanded such power earlier, had changed. Her tone far more motherly and caring now. That raspy voice suddenly offered her a world of comfort and Alexandra’s eyes closed, leaning into the hand for a moment. The warmth. She enjoyed the warmth of that brief contact before Cass quickly withdrew her hand and returned it to the leather glove.
“Onward,” she announced, leaving Alexandra paused in her steps as she pushed down the path. There was no point looking back, now. She couldn’t go back even if she had wanted to, really. Alexandra didn’t even know where here was, so the way forward was all that remained to her. She quickly composed herself and pressed on after Cass.
Tree and brush slowly began to give way to ruin. Ruined marble, toppled statue, and broken columns with vine wrapped around them soon began to line their path. The dense trees even disappeared as the dirt path below became more like broken and dilapidated stone than dirt. Wide open plains flanked either side of the path which stopped at a sudden incline, a set of marble stairs rose into the distant blue sky, beyond the clouds. On either side of the approach, statues of shrouded figures in thick robes, clutched spears and shields in homage to guardians long past.
“What is this place?” Alexandra finally asked, examining the statues up and down. Cass seemed to have stopped moving all together.
“A powerful cult resides at the top of this mountain, in a temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus. My orders were to bring you here. Ya got to go on your own from here.”
