Chapter 15: Of Lucius and the Tiger

Lucilla paced back and forth outside her brother's room. She wasn't sure exactly what had transpired. The Praetorians were investigating and so were Falco's scribes. The physicians said that Aislinn's actions had saved Commodus's life, for now. The emperor lay in a horrendous fever, fighting the remnants of the poison and a slight infection. They bled him twice before Lucilla ordered them to cease. The three guards that Aislinn had spared weeks before were outside her room. Quintus had ordered that they be the ones to watch her. He found it impossible to think that Aislinn would try to kill the emperor. Even if she was angry with him for her wounds and captivity, Aislinn had none of the demeanors that were common in the prison cells that held murderers and other miscreants. She was demanding at times and bold, but not cruel. She treasured life. All of the Celts held life in a high regard, or so Commodus had claimed once. He stood beside Commodus, a great deal of concern on his face. Something slid past his foot. He looked down quickly. A black and red snake slithered along carelessly. Quintus immediately drew his sword and slashed its head off. "Got it!" he yelled to the other investigators. The men came and took the body of the snake to Falco's scribes. They had been sent for when Falco had told Lucilla that they had been schooled in assassination attempts of ages past. They knew how to sniff out a traitor, or rather, traitoress. Lucilla was too overcome with anger and grief to argue about it. She ordered that any evidence found be brought to them so that they could uncover the attempted killer. When the guards passed by her carrying a bloodied cloth, her heart dropped (despite the fact that the cloth was incredibly small and probably wouldn't have had anything to do with her brother's anatomy being amputated). She stopped them.

"What do you have there?" she demanded.

"The body of the weapon, my lady. A snake. We are taking it to the appointed scribes to discover its origin," they said. She nodded and went to go and check on Lucius. She walked into his room. She noticed him kneeling at the window. He must've been overwhelmed with sadness. She walked over quietly to embrace him, but stopped dead when she heard his small voice speaking.

"Jehovah God, please heal my uncle. Please don't let him die. Please help him, please help Rome," he prayed softly. Lucilla's face twisted in rage and she flew over to her son. She grabbed him by the collar. She yanked him to standing up and knelt in front of him looking angry and truly concerned all at once. In the latter expression, she hoped to keep him from thinking she was angry with only him.

"Lucius Verus! What in the name of the gods are you doing? Do you want your uncle to die? Never do that again!" she shouted at him. Lucius burst into tears and embraced his mother so tightly she was sure that even he would have had a hard time breathing at the moment. She tried to soothe him. "Lucius, who taught you that, Where did you learn that treachery?"

"I...I...I asked Aislinn if I could help," he began. Before he could finish, Lucilla stood up, furious. She turned to leave. Lucius cried after her. "I'm sorry, mother! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! It was asleep!" Lucilla was too far away to hear the last part of her son's apology. He dropped to his knees and wept madly. He knew that his uncle was going to die; he also knew that Aislinn was going to be killed.

(*)

Aislinn had fallen asleep on the floor. She was exhausted from crying and praying as well. Claude paced back and forth in front of the door muttering a protective charm that his nanny had once taught him. He spoke it for Caesar, and for Aislinn. The door was pounded furiously by the hand of a Praetorian. Claude answered as Aislinn stirred and got up. Lucilla, Falco, two scribes, and five guards entered. Lucilla was looking hatefully at Aislinn who looked back with desperation. If they were here, then it probably meant that Commodus had died. Aislinn lowered her head and began to cry. Lucilla growled.

"Oh, do not be sad. Your plot has almost worked. Caesar is as good as dead," Falco said triumphantly. Aislinn looked at them in shock. "My scribes have discovered your weapon, but we were all too aware of your disdain for our beloved emperor." Falco snapped his fingers and the snake's body was tossed to the floor in front of Aislinn. She looked at it curiously. She had never seen anything like it. Lucilla was infuriated to see the little traitor acting as if she were innocent. "Behold. A cunning beast of the highlands. A red dragon. The men have spoken of it. My scribes were clever to put this together indeed. The beast is serpentine with bright red scales according to legend, but breathes fire. We now know that it is its poison that burns like fire. It will consume him, just as you intended."

Aislinn looked up at him enraged. "This is not a creature of my homeland! Anyone who has ever been there knows that!" she yelled.

"Only you have been there out of any of us, Boadicae. And besides, you knew instantly how to give a shoddy, albeit impressive, show of healing skills to such a bite," he pointed out.

"I was removing poison! His arm was as round as a column! You saw it, my lady, they all saw it! I simply know how to treat poison!" she shouted defensively. Lucilla remained unmoving and hateful. "Didn't anyone see that I was trying to save him?"

"We saw you try to drink his blood, typical of your putrid faith!" Lucilla spat angrily. "My brother is going to die, and the one who killed him must die!"

Aislinn looked horrified at this. She looked at Claude. Claude was in complete bewilderment. Aislinn was not a murderer, she couldn't be. He moved forward to say something, but Aislinn put her hand up to silence him. He nodded and swallowed hard.

"I am not guilty of this. You know that, Lucilla. Killing me is very foolish," Aislinn breathed. Lucilla rushed forward and threw Aislinn to the floor. Aislinn looked up defiantly. Lucilla reached down and yanked off Aislinn's medallion. Aislinn cried out and began to fight with Lucilla. Her medallion was her only link to her people. It was something precious that offered comfort even in the belly of the beast that was the Roman capital.

Lucilla stepped back as four of the five guards grabbed hold of Aislinn and held onto her as best they could. Aislinn was an incredible fighter, but her sorrow and anger made her careless in her attempt to escape. Her skill was flailing in a sea of unshed tears and brewing rage.

Lucilla looked at the guards.

"Take her to the arena. We will have a massive cleansing. All of the Christians that my brother spared out of pity will die for this tragedy... today. Have her ready to follow their fate at noon. My brother will not be un-avenged." Lucilla looked Aislinn in the face and spoke very coldly. "And my son will not be enchanted, either." Aislinn struggled a little harder as the guards carried her off. Claude looked at Lucilla. He felt panic in his chest and lungs so thick that his body was not responding when he commanded himself to scream something, anything, to save Aislinn. He thought quickly, then headed out of the room and raced to find Quintus. He would tell Quintus of this. Quintus would tell Maximus. Maximus had been confined now in quarters similar to Aislinn's. Commodus planned to give him his freedom back, but not immediately. Until that time, Maximus was free to participate in any of the games he wished. Maximus could defend her.

(*)

Commodus walked endlessly through a lake of fire. There were many voices around him. At one point, he had heard Aislinn's sweet voice, but it was only for a second. Now there were mumbles of people he knew, but didn't recognize. He could barely understand their words and the place he was traversing was too dark to allow him to see who was speaking and what was being said. Suddenly a pleasant cool breeze touched his face. Light began to trickle through the sky above him. He smiled and began to reach up towards it, willing his spirit and his body to move into the coolness and brightness that was surely waiting up above him. With a great deal of effort, he floated towards the sky. Instead of floating into a wonderful paradise, he slammed into what felt like a hard stone floor. He jumped and opened his eyes. He was lying in his bed. His arm was throbbing and bandages were covering it. His bedclothes and he himself were dripping with sweat. Quintus stood over him at the bedside and smiled.

"Welcome back, Caesar," he said saluting him with more than protocol. Admiration and fatherly affection glistened in the man's eyes.

"What happened?" Commodus asked groggily. His sense had returned, but poorly for the moment. Immediate memory failed him entirely. He looked around. He tried to remember what had happened, and then suddenly realized that Aislinn's voice had been silenced in his dream. He looked up at Quintus urgently. "Go and see about Aislinn. Now!" he ordered. Commodus was sure that if an attempt had been made on his life that someone would've tried to do the same to Aislinn. As Quintus left, Commodus rubbed his head and groaned. The fever had left aches in him. It felt as if his body had been stiffened like clay in the sun.

"Uncle!" a familiar voice cried as the speaker ran to the bed. Lucius jumped onto the bed and held onto his uncle. Commodus was taken completely aback by this. He looked down at Lucius and put both arms around him. "I'm sorry, uncle; I didn't mean to! I didn't know it would hurt someone! I didn't want it to hurt you! Please make mother stop! Please don't let them kill Aislinn!"

Commodus felt fear grip his now recovered senses. He looked down at Lucius. He grasped the boy harshly around both his arms. He looked into the boy's face as he cried. "Lucius, what happened? You must tell me what happened. Who is going to kill Aislinn? What didn't you mean to do? Where is Aislinn!" He was now shouting at the child. Lucius wept louder until his uncle hugged him comfortingly.

"I thought it was safe! Lady Drachma told me that it was sleeping! She gave it a potion to make it sleep. I went to go and get it an apple so I set it on your desk. She told me that was where you kept it! I didn't know it would bite you!" Lucius exclaimed.

Commodus felt his heart sink. Drachma had given Lucius a snake that was what he had seen jump at him and bite when he had removed his crown and was setting it on his desk. He remembered now. He looked down at Lucius. "What of Aislinn, Lucius?" he asked urgently. Lucius looked very hurt and rubbed his eyes. Commodus hugged him tightly again. "It wasn't you fault, Lucius. Don't be sad. No one is angry with you," he soothed.

Lucius looked up at him and sniffed. "Aislinn is going to the arena. Falco said it is too merciful for her, but mother said it is very fitting," Lucius said sadly.

"What! When!" he shouted holding the boy in front of him again.

"Today, in a little while," Lucius said. Commodus felt fear and desperation like he had never felt before. He looked down at Lucius. "Go to your mother; do not stop to talk to anyone. Do you understand me?"

"I'm to go with her to the games," he said with a tone that said he felt being there was a punishment for what he had done.

"Fine, do that. I have to get there, first," he said. Lucius went to run out of the room as he heard his mother call for him. Commodus grabbed him by the arm. "Do not tell your mother I am awake," he instructed. Lucius nodded and left. Commodus mustered all that was within him and ran to try and stop this.

(*)

Lucilla sat down in the imperial box with Lucius. Lucius was crying and he could not help it. Lucilla scolded him to be quiet every now and again. The orator announced what was to transpire. He explained the attempt on Caesar's life, and that the dying emperor lay in the hands of the god of all the Caesars. The only way to pay homage high enough to save his life was to offer the blood of every Christian in the prisons and to slay the Celtess. The crowd went mad with blood thirst driven excitement. Falco and Drachma sat triumphantly in the imperial box with Lucilla. Quintus had met Claude half-way. The two had gone to speak with Maximus. Maximus agreed to do what he could, but when the group had approached the arena's under-tunnels, guards informed them that by order of the emperor's sister and her advisor, Senator Falco, the arena was off-limits to any fighters. The prisoners and the traitor were to be fed to hungry tigers, a symbol of the emperor's strength. Maximus and Quintus headed into the stands. The three soldiers that Aislinn had saved followed. Perhaps once in the stands they could enter the arena from above and save at least Aislinn. At the same time, Commodus had dressed in very basic attire. He had no strength to take his sword. Besides, he would not need it. At his command, Aislinn would be spared. He ran furiously past the guards. Then past the physicians and scribes. Then past senators and servants. He ran at break-neck speed from the palace to the Coliseum. To Commodus, he felt as though he was running like a horse, fast and efficient. To anyone that saw him, he was running, but not quite as fast as he wanted. He forced his way through people in the city. Forced his way into the stands in the arena. Aislinn and a very large group of Christians were in the arena. Aislinn had been given a wooden sword to mock her talent as a warrior. Commodus began racing down towards the edge of the stands. People that weren't too caught up in the impending carnage noticed him and fell silent. He felt silence around him. It was amazing. There was no sound, there was no breeze, and there was no pain in him or desperation. It was all very focused and peaceful. He knew what he wanted to do, and carrying it out would be simple enough. He reached the edge of the stands just as the gate opened to release the tigers. The people suddenly began shouting that the emperor was there, he was alive! Lucilla stood in amazement, noticing her determined brother on the opposite side of the stands. She gasped.

"Close the gates, do not release the beasts!" she shouted urgently. All of the men holding the cages obliged immediately. Luckily, only one tiger had been prepared for the moment. There were five scheduled to be released, but one at a time. One every five minutes. The man at the readied gate hurried to close it as Commodus jumped head-first into the arena behind Aislinn and her brethren. Aislinn had her sword at the ready, and stood defensively in front of them. She looked confused when Lucilla gave the command. She whirled around and gasped. Commodus knelt at the very base of the arena walls. She smiled. He looked up. Just as she was about to run and embrace him, she heard a scream from the stands. She turned again. A tiger suddenly leapt from the cage-pit. The handler's hadn't been able to close it properly in time. The tiger ran ferociously at Aislinn. Aislinn turned and held up the sword. Commodus felt all of the blood in his body gather as courage in his heart. It burned and danced like the fire and Aislinn a few nights ago. He smiled and rushed forward to save his beloved. He pushed Aislinn down and collided with the tiger.

"Asliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin!" he screamed as the powerful creature hit him.

"Commodus, NO!" Aislinn screamed as the tiger landed, mouth open and claws out, onto her beloved. The crowd went silent.

((To be continued...)))