There was a floating sensation...sort of tingly, and then a flash of
sunlight. When Max opend his eyes, he was surruonded by fields. He had no
idea where he was, seeing as he had just fought Commodous in the arena, and
then blacked out. He put his fingers on his sword carefully, since new
surrondings often brought danger. He turned slowly and noticed that he had
no blood on him. His sword was clean too. He took a step and felt no pain.
When he had turned halfway, he saw a dirt road that he immediatley began to
walk on. It took about 10 minutes of walking before he reliazed this was
the road to home. He began to quicken his steps. He saw his horses and cows
out in a pasture. This wasn't right, his home had been burned. There was no
grass left at all. He went faster still, and saw movement in the distance.a
small figure began to run twoards him. He blinked a few times because he
must have been imagining it. A boy, his son!- was running twoards him
quickly. he just stopped. He didn't belive it. His mind was playing tricks
on him. His son ran up to him, and embraced him. Max stooped and picked the
boy up, hugging him to his body, not beliving it possible. He looked at his
son, carefully.
"Are you ok?" he asked.
"It was scary. But Im ok now" his son answered, and threw his arms around his father again. Max felt tears in his eyes as he began to jog down the road. He saw his wife, scattering food for the hundreds of chickens running around, the same chickens that would be eaten in a few weeks. He set his son down and ran twoards her. She turned when she heard the footsteps and dropped the feed right on one of the chickens. She clung to him, and they stood there like that for several minutes, while his son ran chasing the chickens. He kissed her passionatley , then asked her if she remembered anything.
"Vaguley. But lets not talk of it now" she said. "Im so glad you're home"
The two of them spent the rest of the afternoon side by side, watching thier son run and play. Max didn't want to bring up any bad memories, so he did not ask of how they all got here or why. He just enjoyed it. They ate late at night, watching the stars creep across the sky. His son pointed to the different constellations he knew, and Max watched him, wondering how much he'd missed while he was gone. He put his son to bed, and told him his adventures as a general, and some adventures as a gladiator. The son was thrilled, and soon fell asleep. Max wondered out to the garden, admiring everything about his home. He wandered around for quite sometime before heading off to bed.
When he got inside, his wife was crying.
"Whats wrong?" he asked, soothingly.
"You can only stay a short time" she answered. "You must go back, you're not dead."
It took awhile to sink in. When he reliazed it, it hurt.
"I will come back though. This is just like a visit"
"Someday. Not soon." she sobbed.
"Lets make the most of it now" he said, soothing her. He brushed her dark curly hair away from her tan face and kissed her. Taking his face in her hands, she looked directly into his face.
"Wait. Don't go for other women. I'll be here when you die"
"I know, I won't, I promise you" he said. that was the last word that was said. He undid his armour and brought her closer to him. he felt her shiver. He slowly pulled off her long dress like cloth and kissed her from head to toe. she ran her hands over his smooth chest and wrapped her fingers in his hair, as they kissed. She held to him tightly as he gently entered her. They made love all night long, and awoke in eacother's arms the next morning. The sunrise had awaken him, and he got up slowly, so as not to wake his wife up. he pulled on his sleeping garmets, and walked outside. He saw the mist rise off the leaves ofthe poplar tree outside the house. He felt the dew in the air fall on his skin. the hair on his arms stood on end from the wet cold dew. He heard the chickens calling thier morning call. He looked over to the hill where his servants had been burned. He went over to it and bent down, examining where he could have sworn he saw his servent Sergio charred black. He touched the dirt and instantly memories of the arena came back to him. He clenched it in his hands and his head hurt, remebering all the painfull things in his life. The memories ran from him instantly when he felt a tug on his sleeve. He turned sharply , eyes afire, ready for anything. He looked into his little son's eyes. His son looked slightly frightened. His expression sofented as he bent down and rested his hand against his son's sandy hair."Sorry" he said. "When do you have to go?" his son asked him. He sighed and his face became sad. "I don't know. But i do know enough to tell you this- No matter when, where or how I go...no matter how far apart we are, or how long it will be before we see eacother again, you must promise me thes two things: one, to be strong for, and take care of you're mother, and two...never give up hope. Remember me always. I will be here" with that he put his closed fist over his son''s heart. His son embraced him again. "I want you to have something" he said suddenly. He brought his son into the house and went upstairs. He crept into his bedroom, careful not to wake his wife up. He went to his side of the bed and pulled out his armour. His chest armour and sword he handed to his son as they walked out.
"keep this and make good use of it" he said. His son set the armour down and wrapped his arms around Max's neck. "You'll be back" he said. Max smiled down at him and took his hand. He lead him into the pasture behind the house and brought him to Argento, one of his horses. He ran his hand over the powerful muscular body of the quarter horse. "Argento's yours now too" he told his son. But his son was gone. He turned in a circle and reliazed that the horse, pasture, and house were gone too. He began to feel faint and then everything went black.
"Are you ok?" he asked.
"It was scary. But Im ok now" his son answered, and threw his arms around his father again. Max felt tears in his eyes as he began to jog down the road. He saw his wife, scattering food for the hundreds of chickens running around, the same chickens that would be eaten in a few weeks. He set his son down and ran twoards her. She turned when she heard the footsteps and dropped the feed right on one of the chickens. She clung to him, and they stood there like that for several minutes, while his son ran chasing the chickens. He kissed her passionatley , then asked her if she remembered anything.
"Vaguley. But lets not talk of it now" she said. "Im so glad you're home"
The two of them spent the rest of the afternoon side by side, watching thier son run and play. Max didn't want to bring up any bad memories, so he did not ask of how they all got here or why. He just enjoyed it. They ate late at night, watching the stars creep across the sky. His son pointed to the different constellations he knew, and Max watched him, wondering how much he'd missed while he was gone. He put his son to bed, and told him his adventures as a general, and some adventures as a gladiator. The son was thrilled, and soon fell asleep. Max wondered out to the garden, admiring everything about his home. He wandered around for quite sometime before heading off to bed.
When he got inside, his wife was crying.
"Whats wrong?" he asked, soothingly.
"You can only stay a short time" she answered. "You must go back, you're not dead."
It took awhile to sink in. When he reliazed it, it hurt.
"I will come back though. This is just like a visit"
"Someday. Not soon." she sobbed.
"Lets make the most of it now" he said, soothing her. He brushed her dark curly hair away from her tan face and kissed her. Taking his face in her hands, she looked directly into his face.
"Wait. Don't go for other women. I'll be here when you die"
"I know, I won't, I promise you" he said. that was the last word that was said. He undid his armour and brought her closer to him. he felt her shiver. He slowly pulled off her long dress like cloth and kissed her from head to toe. she ran her hands over his smooth chest and wrapped her fingers in his hair, as they kissed. She held to him tightly as he gently entered her. They made love all night long, and awoke in eacother's arms the next morning. The sunrise had awaken him, and he got up slowly, so as not to wake his wife up. he pulled on his sleeping garmets, and walked outside. He saw the mist rise off the leaves ofthe poplar tree outside the house. He felt the dew in the air fall on his skin. the hair on his arms stood on end from the wet cold dew. He heard the chickens calling thier morning call. He looked over to the hill where his servants had been burned. He went over to it and bent down, examining where he could have sworn he saw his servent Sergio charred black. He touched the dirt and instantly memories of the arena came back to him. He clenched it in his hands and his head hurt, remebering all the painfull things in his life. The memories ran from him instantly when he felt a tug on his sleeve. He turned sharply , eyes afire, ready for anything. He looked into his little son's eyes. His son looked slightly frightened. His expression sofented as he bent down and rested his hand against his son's sandy hair."Sorry" he said. "When do you have to go?" his son asked him. He sighed and his face became sad. "I don't know. But i do know enough to tell you this- No matter when, where or how I go...no matter how far apart we are, or how long it will be before we see eacother again, you must promise me thes two things: one, to be strong for, and take care of you're mother, and two...never give up hope. Remember me always. I will be here" with that he put his closed fist over his son''s heart. His son embraced him again. "I want you to have something" he said suddenly. He brought his son into the house and went upstairs. He crept into his bedroom, careful not to wake his wife up. He went to his side of the bed and pulled out his armour. His chest armour and sword he handed to his son as they walked out.
"keep this and make good use of it" he said. His son set the armour down and wrapped his arms around Max's neck. "You'll be back" he said. Max smiled down at him and took his hand. He lead him into the pasture behind the house and brought him to Argento, one of his horses. He ran his hand over the powerful muscular body of the quarter horse. "Argento's yours now too" he told his son. But his son was gone. He turned in a circle and reliazed that the horse, pasture, and house were gone too. He began to feel faint and then everything went black.