The old door creaked open as Merlin stepped into the modest structure. A quick look around the old inn revealed that it was sparsely visited, even in this busy port-town. The breeze carried the scent of salt through the windows, and there was no one about. No one in the inn at all, except the innkeeper, he was an elderly man, with dark eyes and white hair. Merlin approached the old man, no shape cloaking his identity. "Excuse me sir…is this…Icius Portus?*" The innkeeper laughed, "You are trying to get to Icius Portus? You have been traveling the wrong way for many a day then sir. This is Portus Veneris*, along the coast of the Internum Mare*. You need to head north for a fortnight until you reach the Northern Coast, along the Fretum Gallicum*. Follow that westward and Icius Portus is right there. Though Britannian pirates prevent most naval travel across the Fretum, so if you are planning to go to Britannia you should be prepared to fight."
"Fight? I am not a fighter…is there no other way to Britannia?" Merlin began to feel discouraged, how was he going to cross the Fretum Gallicum? "I'm a Scholar from Rome, I was going to Britannia to attempt to learn about their ways…if you know anything please."
The innkeeper shook his head… "There is no other way, except to cross the Fretum by ship. Well…no way that anyone has ever been able to do. I suppose you could try to make it to Brivates Portus*, in the Northwest of Gaul. From there you might be able to catch a ship across Oceanus Brittanius*, however…many say the Fay and other spirits haunt that area, and you should only follow the road if you want to head there. Many travelers fall prey and wander into the Magical Forests there…looking for 'it'." He goes silent and returns to the invoices.
He looked up in curiosity. "It? Tell me about what they go looking for."
"Will you rent a room?"
"Of course." Merlin handed him some gold for the room and a bit more for the information. After carefully examining and counting out the money, the man continued.
"Good…listen carefully. Supposedly the Fay guard a treasure of immeasurable value in the Magical Forests, in the Northwest. Something called the 'Fonticulus Adulescens*' they say that whoever drinks of the water there will become young, even immortal if you drink enough of it. But they only let the Fay and some Spell-casters go there. The rest the Fay devour or turn around or have wander until they die."
"Thank you for your time sir." And with that Merlin turned and walked back to the room he had bought, and sat on the edge of the bed. "Northwest then…towards Brivates Portus, do you think it has a chance?"
"The Fay could very well exist here in Rome, though the church has been working hard to reduce the numbers of 'Witches'…but I have only heard of the Fonticulus Adulescens in fiction, there is no way it could exist."
"I'm going to check it out…"
"If you insist, Myrddin."
"But this bed is comfortable and this night cold. Let us rest here for tonight, and continue in the morning. Perhaps we'll find a Faery even before we reach Britannia."
*Icius Portus: A port to the North of Gaul
*Fretum Gallicum: Strait of Dover
*Internum Mare: Mediterannean Sea
*Portus Veneris: A port along the Mediterannian Sea, Near spanish border.
*Brivatus Portus: Port along the northwestern coast.
*Oceanus Britanius: Atlantic ocean between Gaul and Britannia
*Fonticulus Adulescens: Fountain of Youth