Pompeii:
The realization of what had just happened slapped her in the face. Everything was gone… Everyone she had known or loved. They. Were. Gone…
Her mother, she was dead. Her father, he had been killed by that horrid man, Corvus. And Ariadne, her sister and friend, had been killed by the mountain. She had died before her very eyes, and she had been unable to do a thing about it.
She leaned into Milo's back. She still had him. Thank the gods that she still had him! He had tried to get her to leave without him, but she would never. The thought had never crossed her mind despite their immanent death rushing towards them. She was surprised that they had managed to get away from the ashes and flames that had consumed the rest of Pompeii. She was surprised that her horse had managed to carry them both this far.
But where was this? Milo seemed to know where he was going, but there was nothing here. There was no towns or people… Just grass and trees. And she couldn't find the voice to ask him where they were going, either. All she could do was thank the gods that he was alive… that they were alive.
Cassia closed her eyes. She knew that her beloved horse would not be able to make it much longer. The beautiful beast was slowing down and its breathing was labored. But Milo continued to push her. She wanted to tell him to stop… But couldn't. She just couldn't say a word.
Despite the labored breathing and the increasing unsteadiness of her beloved animal, Cassia was lulled into sleep by Milo's warm body.
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He had to see it one more time…
He had to see where it all began one more time.
Cassia was asleep against his back, oblivious to the fact they were approaching the land of his birth and beginning of his enslavement. She was out cold when they reached the place where his world had been snatched away from him.
The horse was dying. He could feel it as it trembled where it stood. But he didn't want to wake her as he looked out over his home: the land of the Celtic Horse Tribes. That name for this land had long since ceased to exist, though. Milo now saw nothing but grass. It was almost as if a massacre had not even occurred there. It was peaceful now. There were no bodies strewn about the ground… No fires burning or dead people hanging from a tree. There was no indication that anyone had lived here at all. Milo supposed he would be the only one to ever know.
He had no idea where the newest civilization was, though. He hadn't bothered to think about that as he pushed Cassia's horse towards his one true home. Now they would have to walk. The animal wouldn't make it much longer.
Milo turned to see Cassia stir. "Hey," he whispered, shaking her a bit. "Wake up."
Cassia's eyes cracked opened. "Where are we?" she asked, her voice still drowsy.
Milo didn't want to tell her… not yet. So he lied. "I don't know."
"Oh…"
"Your horse isn't going to make it much longer," he told her. She seemed to waken up a bit at that news. "I'm sorry."
Cassia nodded. "What are we going to do?" she whispered, fear in her voice.
Milo just returned his gaze to his homeland. "I don't know…"
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