Julius Root contemplated the meaning of life over a cup of coffee.
The steam rose in his face, adding to his mood of weary angst. There was a
heaviness in his soul; there had been for four hundred years. Yet he had
ignored it, used to the fettering and chipping of life and age. But on
quiet, uneventful days such as this, the feeling rose into his heart again,
putting him in a thoughtfully depressed state of being.
And the memories. They flooded back like so much water into his head.
Julius lit one of his trademark cigars. He knew he should quit smoking. But the intoxicating fumes and poisons had stimulated his emotions and memory of his life before the LEP for so long. They were helping him by slowly killing him, he observed.
And yet.
He wanted the memories, after all, bittersweet as they were. They were a part of him, shaped him into the male he was now.
And so Julius let them flow, closed his eyes and gave in to his life events.
He was young, about Holly's age. It was night, and he was holding the hand of Iliana Vinyáya. They were at a gathering; a dance sponsored by the university he had attended, as he remembered. Iliana laid her head on his shoulder as they walked, and he smiled at her. He could see very clearly in his mind: the long, flowing, white dress she was wearing, her golden hair shining over her back. Julius was dressed in a more casual manner: a simple gray robe, traditional and ancient Elven wear.
"I'll only be a minute," he told her, walking towards the table where someone had rebelliously placed a large pitcher of wine. Julius fixed himself a glass when he heard someone shout his name. He turned, and saw a few of his acquaintances gambling at a table.
"Get over here a lay and card down!" one called, grinning drunkenly.
"None of you have changed much, have you?" Julius glanced where Iliana was watching couples dance with vague interest. He sat down and said, "I can only stay shortly." He took a shot of wine and dealt out cards. He got a bit carried away and stayed for about five minutes when he felt a gentle whack to the back of his head.
"Hey," Iliana said. "I didn't come here to watch anyone mess around with dice." She grinned indulgently. "Now are you going to dance with me, Julius Root, or not?"
The other men laughed uproariously. Julius got up and said amidst the raucous cheering, "Yeah, you all are just jealous because I have a girl." He smiled and led Iliana Vinyáya to the dance floor.
His memory showed him the scene after the dance. Iliana and Julius stood near the future Councilwoman's house. Julius twirled a giggling Iliana in his arms again. He held her against him and gazed up at the stars.
"They're beautiful," Iliana observed.
"Just like you."
She grinned and shrugged. "I know."
He withdrew something small and silver and pressed it into Iliana's hand. She gasped at the pendant decorated with little star-shaped diamonds. "It's gorgeous," she breathed.
Julius looked into her eyes and stroked her hair. "You're my star, Iliana," he said. "My bright, shining star..."
Root rubbed his forehead. He was glad that, at that moment, he had not known the way it all would end.
~*~
Hello again! No, this is not the end of the story. There will be more chapters. I came up with this story at ten o'clock at night, and it screamed to be written down. So, here it is. Please review, and no non-constructive flames, please! ^_^
And the memories. They flooded back like so much water into his head.
Julius lit one of his trademark cigars. He knew he should quit smoking. But the intoxicating fumes and poisons had stimulated his emotions and memory of his life before the LEP for so long. They were helping him by slowly killing him, he observed.
And yet.
He wanted the memories, after all, bittersweet as they were. They were a part of him, shaped him into the male he was now.
And so Julius let them flow, closed his eyes and gave in to his life events.
He was young, about Holly's age. It was night, and he was holding the hand of Iliana Vinyáya. They were at a gathering; a dance sponsored by the university he had attended, as he remembered. Iliana laid her head on his shoulder as they walked, and he smiled at her. He could see very clearly in his mind: the long, flowing, white dress she was wearing, her golden hair shining over her back. Julius was dressed in a more casual manner: a simple gray robe, traditional and ancient Elven wear.
"I'll only be a minute," he told her, walking towards the table where someone had rebelliously placed a large pitcher of wine. Julius fixed himself a glass when he heard someone shout his name. He turned, and saw a few of his acquaintances gambling at a table.
"Get over here a lay and card down!" one called, grinning drunkenly.
"None of you have changed much, have you?" Julius glanced where Iliana was watching couples dance with vague interest. He sat down and said, "I can only stay shortly." He took a shot of wine and dealt out cards. He got a bit carried away and stayed for about five minutes when he felt a gentle whack to the back of his head.
"Hey," Iliana said. "I didn't come here to watch anyone mess around with dice." She grinned indulgently. "Now are you going to dance with me, Julius Root, or not?"
The other men laughed uproariously. Julius got up and said amidst the raucous cheering, "Yeah, you all are just jealous because I have a girl." He smiled and led Iliana Vinyáya to the dance floor.
His memory showed him the scene after the dance. Iliana and Julius stood near the future Councilwoman's house. Julius twirled a giggling Iliana in his arms again. He held her against him and gazed up at the stars.
"They're beautiful," Iliana observed.
"Just like you."
She grinned and shrugged. "I know."
He withdrew something small and silver and pressed it into Iliana's hand. She gasped at the pendant decorated with little star-shaped diamonds. "It's gorgeous," she breathed.
Julius looked into her eyes and stroked her hair. "You're my star, Iliana," he said. "My bright, shining star..."
Root rubbed his forehead. He was glad that, at that moment, he had not known the way it all would end.
~*~
Hello again! No, this is not the end of the story. There will be more chapters. I came up with this story at ten o'clock at night, and it screamed to be written down. So, here it is. Please review, and no non-constructive flames, please! ^_^