Augusta 18th, A.D. 79:

Ten miles outside of Pompeii.

Romulus was glad for the day off. His job as the personification of the Roman Empire was tiresome, and despite his usual attitude at home and the many benefits that came along with it, he was overjoyed to hear that his new boss, Emperor Titus, had 'ordered' him to spend the Vinalia Rustica with his friends and family.

So now he was on his way to Pompeii, where he had a summer villa, which in all honesty was rarely used due to his often heavy and demanding work schedule. At least he had his sons with him. Smiling, he glanced around the carriage they were riding in. Across from him, Antonio, João and Francis were sound asleep, leaning against one another and rocking along with the carriage. To their right, up against the window, Vladmir leaned against the side of the carriage, his fangs showing everytime he smiled from his dream.

Poor boy, Romulus worried he'd be an outcast all his life, and it's because of those fangs.

Romulus looked at his sides. The twins were asleep on either side of him, their curls bobbing as the carriage moved along the road. Feliciano slept peacefully, cuddling up to Rome's side. He didn't really like leaving Rome, except when it involved Romano.

Lovino, the other twin, lay against the wall of the carriage, opposite from Vladmir. The dark haired twin loved when they visited Pompeii, and the Campania was his favorite part of the lands he made up. Romulus could tell that the announcement of their visit to Pompeii had taken a happy toll on Lovino, and the kid had notably been much nicer and kinder to people over the last few days.

He thanked the gods silently for his boss's 'generosity'.

Lovino woke to the loud sounds of shouting and yelling. He glanced out the fenced windows of the carriage to see the monuments and shrines lining the road, and even more people carrying bags and parcels, carts laden with wine and grapes, all headed to one place:

"Pompeii!" He shouted, voice in a light voice heavy with a southern Italian accent. "We're here! We're here!"

"Lovi, please, get back inside." Romulus pleaded, seeing the boy leaning out the door like he was about to jump out the carriage.

"But grandpa, we're here, we're at Pompeii!"

"I know, but there's a lot of people outside, and I don't want you getting hurt or lost." Rome counter-argued. Lovino shrunk back into his seat, scowling that he was so close to his 'home' yet couldn't even get out to it yet. "Let's get to the villa first please, then you can go run around and have fun."

Lovino, however, just leaned up against the wall by the door, catching glimpses of the city as they approached the gates.

Four Auxiliary guards stood watch at the gate, checking bags and people before letting them into the city. The Auxiliary stopped their carriage, asking for travel papers, which Romulus handed him, a scroll of paper signed by Titus himself.

The guard saluted him, and let them pass. Once inside the city, Lovino felt at home. The plastered brick homes and shops with their red tiled roofs and balconies lined the stone roads, overflowing with shopkeepers and citizens, milling about in the markets.

They passed into the forum, where the majestic temple of Apollo stood, sunlight gleaming golden off the statutes on its roof.

Continuing, the baths and theaters were passed, and the arena gleamed in the distance. And up on a hill, overlooking the brilliantly blue Mediterranean: a massive villa stood, it's grounds surrounded by a cast iron fence that outlined vineyards and fields... all owned by Romulus.

They were home.

The guards outside the gate awaited their arrival.

"Ave! Welcome to your villa Magister Romulus, young magisters Francis, Antonio, Joao, Vladmir, Lovino & Feliciano. You must be tired, allow me and the other guards to carry your luggage."

"Thank you, Quintus, you're too kind." Romulus replied, walking past the guards and leading the kids into the large courtyard, the alabaster colored walls gleaming in the mid morning sunlight, red tiles glowing almost orange. Francis and and Antonio smiled, smelling delicious foods from the kitchens, running over each other in attempt to get to the food. Vladmir disappeared, walking off somewhere, probably to explore the villa, as it was his first time at pompeii.

Joao was chasing a dog that the guards kept while the guards laughed at the antics. One asked how old he was and Joao proudly and defiantly replied:

"I'm a nation. I'm older than you'd possibly imagine."

"Oh really? What nation are you?" The guard, Flavium, replied in a fatherly voice, tickling the teen nation till he laughed.

"I'm the great Lusitania! I may be a province now, but one day I'll be an empire like Romulus!"

"Oh please, Lusitania. It will be I; the great Hispania, that will be Rome's legacy." Antonio called over his twin sibling. Francis smiled.

"Oh please, it will me moi, the Gallic lands that will be the legacy of Rome."

"Where is Dacia?..." Romulus wondered, drowning out the bickering of his sons as white noise. He scanned the courtyard, before spotting the lone son sitting on a shaded balcony, watching the events.

"Silentium Gaul, your mother surrendered so fast your heads still spinning." Joao yelled.

Antonio stopped arguing as he felt something was about to happen.

"Brothers...?"

"Shut it Lusi! You're a shadow of Rome!"

"Guys...?"

"Gaul, you have no room to talk, your people are soft and enjoy the wine too much to risk fighting."

"Silencio!" Antonio yelled, causing Romulus to turn towards them. He looked at the Spaniard, who was standing aggravated and enraged, a red aura surrounding him, then soon subsided back to his usual self. "Won't you pay attention for one second...?"

Suddenly, the ground shook a little, and somewhere in the villa, a pot or vase broke.

"Quintus! What was that?" Romulus asked. The guard walked to the groups side.

"The mountain," he shrugged towards the lone standing mountain, Vesuvius, "it grumbles from time to time."

"How long has it been going on?"

"Since the great quake in 62 AD. Leveled a lot of the older buildings, but the city rebuilt, and we're booming for the vinalia."

"Have the quakes gotten more frequent or just occasional?"

"Magister, you have nothing to worry about. There's wine, women, and war games for the festival. Enjoy your stay here." Quintus answered. Romulus sighed, still worried slightly, but letting it go when he saw Francis and Joao wrestling each other, Antonio pulling Lovino and Feliciano away from the fighting.

"I don't think I need an arena for war games..."