Fires of Pompeii Part 2
Ok guys here is the next chapter I hope you are enjoying this story as the last chapter hardly anyone review to tell me what you thought so I wanted to make sure this one was ok so if your enjoying this story please let me know as I'm worried its not as good as the last one. So PLEASE REVIEW !
"Announcing Lucius Petrus Dextrus, Chief Augur of the city government." A voice sounded which made the Doctor and his companions snap their heads back towards the direction of the other people. The Doctor had his eyebrows in a frown, his lips in a hard line, while Donna had her mouth open, Rose looking on curious. And with that the trio found themselves walking into the other room. The Doctor now having his hands in his pockets, his eyebrows raised his lips pouting slightly. Rose had her eyes looking on intently, Donna's mouth was still open when they noticed an older man walking in. A man who knew his position. He had grey hair as well as wearing a white toga. A red clock was draped over his right side, while Caecilius was walking over to him politely with a smile.
"Lucius, my pleasure as always." The man of the house voiced while Rose looked over at Metella who was forcing Quintus to stand who begrudgingly got to his feet while rolling his eyes and with a long-suffering sigh
"A rare and great honour, sir, for you to come to my house." Caecilius said politely holding his hand out in respect but Lucius simply stared at him, ignoring his hand completely which made the other man rather uncomfortable.
"The birds are flying north... and the wind is in the west."
"Right. Absolutely. That's good, is it?" Caecilius stated puzzled. Rose frowning along with the Doctor while Donna looked on confused. Caecilius had his eyebrows raised, one of his hands slightly levitated as he tried to use it to make gestures so the other man understood what he was saying.
"Only the grain of wheat knows where it will grow."
"There now, Metella, have you ever heard such wisdom?" Caecilius said with a smile, his hand motioning towards his wife who walked over to him with a smile
"Never. It's an honour." She cried talking over and around him, the older man watching her as she walked with an angry frown.
"Pardon me, sir, I have guests." Caecilius stated as he moved his hand over to the three of them. Each one holding a nice smile and a small wave "This is Mr and Mrs Smith, and, uh, Spartacus."
"A name is but a cloud upon a summer wind." Lucius stated over to them
"But the wind is felt most keenly in the dark." Rose said gently with a small smile. Her hand placed over each other by hanging loosely in front of her. The Doctor having his hands in his pockets, a small smile on his face as he watched her proudly.
"Ah!" Lucius cried uninterested, taking a few steps forward "What is the dark other than an omen of the sun?" he stated. His eyebrows in a frown, his eyes hard
"I concede that every sun must set..."Rose said with a small smile looking down at the ground
"Ha!" Lucius cried with a smile but Rose continued to speak
"...and yet the son of the father must also rise."Rose said smiling, her face talking to all of them, her hand motioning towards Quintus and the Caecilius.
"Damn. Very clever, madam. Evidently a group of learning." Lucius stated, slightly discontented, Rose simply smiled at him kindly
"Oh yes, but don't mind us. Don't want to disturb the status quo." The Doctor voice, his eyebrows raised, his face holding a smile as he spoke over to the people in the room
"He's Celtic." Caecilius whispered to the older, more important man
"We'll be off in a minute." The Doctor said to them while motioning his thumb in the direction of the TARDIS. Rose simply bowed slightly and walked ahead of them while the Doctor placed his hands on Donna's shoulders and guided her towards the TARDIS
"I'm not going." Donna said subdued. But the Doctor must have been so wrapped up in his thoughts he didn't hear what Caecilius said to Lucius, Rose's ears picking up on the conversation and she turned to listen to him.
"You've got to." The Doctor whispered into her ear.
"Well I'm not." Donna stated stubbornly.
"The moment of revelation." Caecilius said in anticipation, his wife looking over his shoulder at a cloth covered piece. Rose staring with a frown, her eyes narrowed as she looked at what it was. The Doctor guiding her back toward the TARDIS, not noticing his wife's interest.
"And here it is..." He said as he unveiled the square piece of marble. The Doctor suddenly noticing Rose was not at his side and looked over at her. Took in and feeling her curiosity he turned to look at her.
"Is it me or does that look familiar" Rose whispered as she rested the back of her hand on his chest leaning into him slightly as the Doctor leant in as she spoke to him quietly. The Doctor simply nodded
"You've got that right" He whispered as the pair of them walked closer to it
"Exactly as you specified. It pleases you, sir?" Caecilius asked Lucius.
"As the rain pleases the soil."
"Oh now that's... different. Who designed that then?" The Doctor held loudly, his face in a frown, hands folded over his chest, body angled slightly to Rose who had also turned to face the Doctor.
"My lord Lucius was very specific." Caecilius cried, waving his hand over at Rose and the Doctor.
"Where'd you get the pattern?" Rose asked
"On the rain and mist and wind."
"Well that looks like a circuit." Donna spoke up as she walked over to Rose and the Doctor who moved aside to let her though so she could see what was going on.
"Made of stone." Rose whispered to herself, the Doctor looking down at her, his frown still present as he tried to interpret her complicated emotions
"Do you mean you just dreamt that up?" Donna questioned, her hands moving as she pointed her fingers towards the stone circuit
"That is my job... as City Augur." Lucius snapped his face forever in a frown.
"What's that then, like the mayor?" Donna asked before the Doctor brought in a huge lungful of air and looked at everyone with a smile
"Oh, ah, you must excuse my friend. She's from... Barcelona." The Doctor said as he answered the confused and questions in each person in the rooms eyes. "This is an age of superstition... of official superstition. The augur is paid by the city to tell the future. "The wind will blow from the west." That's the equivalent of the 10:00 news." The Doctor said aside to Donna, his hands still crossed over his chest, his voice very low, talking quickly as he informed Donna. But Rose flickered her eyes towards a beautiful young woman who was looking rather pale and drawn, barley able to stand, her floor length yellow toga unable to hide how skinny she was.
"They're laughing at us." She said, everyone turned around to look at her, the Doctors mouth hanging open, eyebrows raised, while Rose was frowning at her "Those three, they use words like tricksters. They're mocking us."
"No, no. I meant no offence." The Doctor said as he turned his body to talk to everyone. But his mind and focus was purely on Evelina, concerned for her. The Doctor took a quick glance over at Rose who was not looking at him, but her eyebrows in a frown of concern
"I'm sorry. My daughter's been consuming the vapours." Metella cried as she walked passed her son and towards her daughter, taking her hand who pulled it away weakly
"By the gods, Mother! What have you been doing to her?" Quintus said through gritted teeth, obviously close to his sister
"Not now, Quintus." Caecilius snapped leaning forward to talk to his son
"But she's sick. Just look at her." He argued, his hand going to point towards his sister, before he looked towards his father and then to his sibling.
"I gather I have a rival in this household. Another with the gift." Lucius stated as he walked around and towards Evelina.
"Oh, she's been promised to the Sybiline Sisterhood. They say she has remarkable visions." Metella cried happily and proudly, still holding her daughter in her arms.
"The prophecies of women are limited and dull. Only the men folk have the capacity for true perception." Lucius snapped, Rose and Donna simply looking at him, glaring slightly. The Doctor simply smiled at them. Now he was in for it.
"I'll tell you where the wind's blowing right now, mate." Donna snapped
"Not all of us are unintelligent and thick" Rose fixed angrily as she turned back towards the man. But suddenly the ground shook underneath them. Rose stumbling slightly but Lucius simply smirked over at them, one of his eyebrows raised
"The mountain god marks your words. I'd be careful if I were you."
"You said you were consuming the vapours?" Rose asked as she snapped her body away from the man and over to the weak form of Evelina.
"They give me strength." Evelina stated leaning heavily on her mother
"It doesn't look like it to me." The Doctor cried, his eyebrows raised, forehead in creases, hands in pockets, his head shaking slightly as he spoke over to her concerned
"Is that your opinion... as a doctor?" She said. Rose simply snapped her eyes over to her husband and then back over to Evelina, her stomach suddenly exploding with nervousness. Worry settling into her hearts and her form. The exact same emotions falling around the Doctors form.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Doctor. That's your name."
"How did you know that?" The Doctor asked bewildered. His eyebrows still raised, his hair falling over his forehead slightly. All the while Evelina was swaying on her feet slightly, her voice weak before her eyes flickered towards Rose. Who was looking over at the Doctor concerned.
"You call yourself a Rose but you have something like a wolf about you" She whispered, Rose simply looking at her stunned, The Doctor grabbing her hand slightly. Both the Doctor and Rose receiving the comfort they needed from each other. Evelina's eyes then fell weakly over to Donna.
"And you, you call yourself noble." She stated, her mother constantly holding on to her. Her eyes flickering towards her daughter and her guest, her mouth moving in movements but no words fell from her lips.
"Now then Evelina, don't be rude." Metella whispered down to her daughter, slightly shaken, the ground shaking slightly underneath them
"No, no, no. Let her talk." The Doctor said, his eyes boring into Evelina's
"You three come from so far away. Two of you further than anyone have been before." She whispered, her body swaying, eyes watering
"A female soothsayer in inclined to invent all sorts of vagaries." Lucius snarled
"Oh, not this time, Lucius. I reckon you've been out-soothsaid." The Doctor cried, his eyebrows raised, head hanging slightly in the air while Rose was turned to face her husband.
"Is that so... man from Gallifrey?" Lucius spoke, his head turned towards the Doctor. Making him, his wife and companion snap their heads towards him
"What?" The Doctor uttered warningly.
"Strangest of images. Your home is lost in fire, is it not?" He snapped, The Doctor simply staring over at him, Rose looking up at her husband worried. Her eyes holding so much sadness as she could feel her spouse's unease. His mind falling back to the memories of his home. Rose unable to comfort him
"Doctor, what are they doing?" Donna asked as she looked towards her companion and then the soothsayer.
"And you, daughter of... London." He said, looking into time before he spoke
"How does he know that?" Donna whispered shakily
"This is the gift of Pompeii. Every single oracle tells the truth." He said boring his eyes angrily at everyone.
"But that's impossible." Donna said while Lucius turned his attention towards the couple who were standing very close to each other, nervous and wanting to protect the person they loved
"The two of you bound to each other through the whole of time and space" He started before his mouth turned into a small smile "Its coming... oh so very soon"
"What's coming?" Rose asked, a frown still on her face, hand clinging onto the larger one of the Doctor's.
"And you, Daughter of London... you have something on your back." He snapped
"What's that mean?" Donna asked scared looking over her shoulder trying to find something on her back.
"Even the word "Doctor" is false. Your real name is hidden. It burns in the stars of the cascade of Medusa herself. "A knighted couple. Lord and Lady ... of time..." Evelina cried weakly, her form moving away from her mother and towards the Doctor who was struggling to compose himself. His hearts beating in his chest. Rose standing next to him with worry. But before Evelina could say anymore, her eyes closed shut and she fainted on the floor. Both the Doctor and Rose rushing to her prone figure.
Rose and Donna found themselves standing in the doorway of Evelina's room as her mother tended to her weak form. The young girl was still very weak; her breathing coming out in gasps and Rose found her heart leaping out to the small family. Her mother had pulled out a small piece of lining and a small vile of something as she sat on the bed next to her.
"She didn't mean to be rude. She's ever such a good girl. But when the gods speak through her..." Her mother said to them sadly. Rose simply looked down sadly as her mother unwrapped a cloth from her daughter's arms
"What's wrong with her arm?" Donna asked, almost a whisper as she stepped into the room
"An irritation of the skin. She never complains, bless her. We bathe it in olive oil every night." Metella cried. Before she looked over at Rose. "Evelina said your husband was a Doctor. Saying you had come from so far away. Please, have you ever seen anything like this?" Metella said to Rose, almost pleading. Rose simply looked at her and pushed herself from the wall. She hoisted up her jeans slightly and looked down at Evelina. She looked down at her arm and placed her fingertips onto her arm. Metella was looking at Rose with worry and curiosity as the Time Lady set to work. Her heartbeat quickening as she looked at Rose's frown.
"You say she consumes the vapours" Rose said comfortingly up to Metella who was nodding at her.
"Yes, everyday, just like the sisterhood told us too" Metella said, answering Rose's question, hoping this young woman could help. "Are you a Physician?" She asked Rose. Rose simply smiled up at gently.
"You could say that" Rose stated before placing her hand to Evelina's forehead taking her temperature.
"She's running a bit of a fever but her skin is freezing. Almost the same temperature of the irritation" Rose said, mostly to herself but everyone could hear her. But Rose suddenly shifted onto her feet and rested her hands on her knees
"Tell me, these vents where she breaths in the vapours" Rose started "Where do they lead?" She asked. Metella simply looked at her confused, not knowing how this was relevant.
"The base of Vesuvius. But how is that relevant?" She asked. Rose simply looked at her kindly, knowing she wanted to help her daughter
"At this point everything is important" Rose said before running her hand back to the irritation. But then suddenly Rose knew what she was feeling underneath her finger tips, and her face lost its entire colour, her face falling into realisation.
"What is it?" Donna asked worried, knowing that if Rose was worried it was something worth worrying about.
"But that's impossible" She whispered to herself before snapping her body so she was standing again. "Listen, try to wake her and give her lots of fluids, she will probably be dehydrated, and for goodness sake don't let her near one of those vents" Rose cried, shaking her hands towards Donna and Metella who were looking at her worried, Rose simply smiled slightly before bolting from the room, running to the Doctor to tell him what she had found out.
The Doctor was talking to Caecilius over a glass of wine when he noticed the small hypocaust in the corner.
"Different sort of hypocaust." He stated as he cocked his head in the vents direction, his eyebrows in a frown as he spoke before lifting his glass to his mouth. Donna and Rose were looking after Evelina with her mother.
"Oh yes, we're very advanced in Pompeii. In Rome, they're still using the old wood-burning furnaces, but we've got hot springs... leading from Vesuvius itself." The Doctor's newest friend asked
"Who thought of that?" The Doctor asked, his eyes falling back to other man
"The soothsayers after the great earthquake seventeen years ago. An awful lot of damage but we rebuilt." Caecilius said as he walked over to one of the chairs and sat down, his eyes heavy but he continued to talk to the Doctor
"Didn't you think of moving away? Oh, no, then again, San Francisco." The Doctor chimed, rambling slightly; his eyebrows raised causing his forehead to crease. Caecilius simply frowned his eyes, staring off into space slightly
"That's a new restaurant in Naples, isn't it?" He asked before they looked up as Rose rounded the corner a look of concentration present in her eyes. But they were pulled from their thoughts when a loud grating and rumbling noise erupted into the room.
"What's that noise?" The Doctor enquired, putting down his glass and leaning up against one of the stone pillars, his face forever in a frown
"Don't know. Happens all the time." Caecilius chimed, shrugging his shoulders while Rose walked over to the Doctor, Caecilius following the small blonde as she moved her hand into the inside pocket of the Doctor's suit who was looking at her in curiosity, love present in his eyes as he let her remove the sonic screwdriver. Rose frowning, thoughts swimming around her brain as she mumbled to herself. Thanking the Doctor in the process "They say the gods of the Underworld are stirring." Caecilius smiled as he watched Rose walk over to the grating, using a small metal tube on the gratings.
"But after the earthquake... let me guess. Is that when the soothsayers started making sense?" The Doctor said with a slight smile
"Oh yes, very much so. I mean, they'd always been... shall we say "imprecise"? But then... the soothsayers," He stated, the Doctor simply creasing his forehead once again, his lips turning down into a U shape as he agreed "the augurs, the haruspex-all of them, they saw the truth again and again. It's quite amazing. They can predict crops and rainfall with absolute precision." Caecilius cried, nodding his head in the process but they suddenly snapped from their thoughts when they heard a might crash from Rose flinging the grating from the vent causing the steam to fall into the air. She was still muttering to herself, something she did when she was trying to figure something out. The Doctor simply turning back to the owner of the house, but Caecilius never let his eyes fall from Rose who was now leaning into the vent, her torso disappearing slightly
"Have they said anything about tomorrow?" The Doctor enquired
"No. Why should they? Why do you ask?" Caecilius enquired, shooting the Doctor and inquisitive look.
"No, no, no reason. Just asking. But the soothsayers... they all consume the vapours?" The Doctor asked again. But once again Rose was walking towards the Doctor and pulling out his glasses from his pocket on his left hip. The Doctor not batting an eyelid like she did this all the time while Caecilius was looking at her curiously. Rose was once again squinting down the chamber though the Doctor's thick rimmed glasses.
"That's how they see." Caecilius said quietly, just for Rose to make him jump when she exclaimed at her discovery. The Doctor simply smiling at her.
"Rose what is it?" He asked her as both of the men walked over to her, sitting around the gate. Rose simply looked up at the Doctor and pasted him back the belongings she had taken from her husband whose eyes were twinkling with humour, Caecilius was simply looking at her in confusion.
"Metella was asking me if I knew what the irritation on Evelina's skin was" Rose said over to the pair of them. The Doctor looking at her with interest at this new piece of information while Evelina's father simply nodded in understanding. "When something hit me. These chambers flow right into the base of Vesuvius and she breaths in the vapours." Rose said explaining where her thoughts had taken her. "Now her irritation isn't normal Doctor. Her skin has turned to stone." Rose said to him. The Doctor frowned while Caecilius leant back in horror. He had let his daughter do that. And Rose simply leaned in further to the hypocaust and caught something in her hand.
"So they're all breathing in this" She informed as she sprinkled something into the Doctor's hand he was offering
"Dust?" He asked with a frown. But Rose simply smiled at him and shook her head slightly
"There tiny particles of rock." She said before the Doctor began sprinkling them and placing some into his mouth. "They're breathing in Vesuvius." Rose informed importantly. The Doctor simply stopped what he was doing and snapped his eyes towards his wife in complete seriousness. Her eyes showing him her sincerity, knowing that they had both found out something about what was going on in Pompeii.
Rose and the Doctor had walked into one of the rooms to notice Quintus lounging around on one of the chairs sipping a glass of wine when the pair of them walked into the room.
"Quintus, me old son... this Lucius Petrus Dextrus, where does he live?" The Doctor asked as he leant up on one of the stone pillars his arms crossed around his chest while Rose was perched on one of the chairs. Quintus simply rolling his hands as he laid his head back onto the chair's cushions.
"Nothing to do with me." Quintus cried stubbornly. Rose simply smiled at him.
"Lets try again" The Doctor said to himself, winking at Rose slightly as he walked over to Quintus "This Lucius Petrus Dextrus..." he started before pulling a coin from behind Quintus' ear, the boy suddenly sitting up, a smile on his face as he listened to the Doctor "where does he live?" the Doctor said again before he took a glance over at his smiling wife who was leaning her forearms on her knees. But with that single thought in mind Quintus pulled out one of the fire torches hanging in the room and moved to make the Doctor and Rose follow him. Rose stood up just for the Doctor to grab her hand and pull her from the room, a huge smile on both of their faces.
So that was how the time couple found themselves walking through the streets walking a few steps behind Quintus who was walking them through the now empty selling street. They had finally made it to the house that was the soothsayers and Quintus started to get nervous.
"Don't tell my dad." He cried just for the Doctor to leap onto a barrel and opening the shutter doors
"Only if you don't tell mine." He whispered down to the pair of them, Rose smiling at him and he jumped into the villa. Quintus smiled over at Rose who was looking at him gently and he held out his hand in an offering to help
"Need a hand?" he asked, but Rose simply smiled before elegantly and gracefully jumping onto the barrel and leaping through the window. She was leaning through the window to see the Doctor holding out one of his hands which she took and the Doctor helped her into the villa. As Rose looked around her she could see the place was in complete darkness apart from the light from the hypocaust. The Doctor was once again kneeling by the window, his torso hanging out of the window as he spoke over to Quintus
"Pass me that torch." He whispered while Quintus passed him the torch. Once the Doctor had it in his hand he began to check the rooms that no one was around. Outside Quintus was nervously looking about before climbing through the window. Once again the Doctor looked behind the curtain, one of his eyebrows raised before he handed Quintus the torch. With both of his hands now free, he pulled down the curtain to reveal more 'Circuits' The Doctor stepping back as he looked at it while Rose moved over to them, her eyes looking at it intently, her eyes falling over the marksmanship to try and understand what it was. The Doctor simply looked at it open mouthed as he pulled on his glasses, Rose now trailing her fingers over the circuitry.
"The liar. He told my father it was the only one." Quintus informed
"Well... plenty of marble merchants in this town. Tell them all the same thing; get all the components from different places so no one can see what you're building." The Doctor stated
"Which is what?" Quintus asked with a frown on his face.
"The future... Doctor." Lucius snapped making the trio turn around "We are building the future as dictated by the gods." Rose and The Doctor simply looked at each other before turning back towards Lucius.
Evelina had been awake for almost an hour and Donna had still not been collected by either Rose or the Doctor. But right now Evelina was laughing at Donna as she got used to her new purple gown
"You're not supposed to laugh. Thanks for that. What do you think?" Donna asked as she struck a pose, her arm crossing against her chest, her lips falling into a pout "The goddess Venus." She said with a smile while Evelina was laughing at her
"Oh, that's sacrilege."
"Nice to see you laugh, though." Donna said kindly, pulling off the material and pouring Evelina another glass of water, knowing Rose would hit her if Evelina became dehydrated. Evelina taking it nicely when Donna sat beside her on the bed. "What do you do in old Pompeii, then... girls your age? You got... mates? Do you go hangin' about 'round the shops? T.K. Maximus?" Donna asked nicely. Evelina simply looked down sadly shaking her head
"I'm promised to the sisterhood for the rest of my life." She explained to Donna.
"You get any choice in that?" Donna asked just for Evelina to shake her head
"It's not my decision. I have the gift of sight. The sisters chose for me."
"Then... what can you see happening tomorrow?"
"Is tomorrow special?"
"You tell me. What do you see?" Donna asked for Evelina to close her eyes, transfixed with a vision, while she explained to Donna what she saw.
"The sun will rise. The sun will set. Nothing special at all." She said as she opened her eyes
"Look... don't tell the Doctor or Rose I said anything 'cause they'll kill me... but I've got a prophecy too." Donna said for Evelina to cover her eyes with her hands thus creating a link to the sisterhood unknown to Donna listening to everything she was saying.
"Evelina, I'm sorry, but you've got to hear me out...Evelina, can you hear me? Listen." Donna cried, standing up, her eyes sad as she spoke to the young girl
"There is only one prophecy." Evelina cried from behind her hands
"But everything I'm about to say to you is true. I swear. Just listen to me. Tomorrow, that mountain is going to explode. Evelina, please listen. The air is going to fill with ash and rocks... tons and tons of it and... this whole town is gonna get buried." Donna explained
"That's not true." Evelina cried unable to believe her, her voice shaking slightly
"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, but everyone's gonna die. Even if you don't believe me, just tell your family to get out of town... just for one day, just for tomorrow. But you've got to get out! Just leave Pompeii!" Donna cried
"This is false prophecy!" Evelina shouted upset, removing her hands and breaking contact with the sisters.
Back at Lucius's house Rose and The Doctor were rearranging the marble stone slabs. The Doctor had his tongue sticking out of his mouth in concentration while Rose helped him place them. Quintus holding the slabs.
"Put this one... there." The Doctor said while Rose took another slab from the young boy.
"At that one there" Rose chimed before the Doctor looked at what he and his wife were working on "Uh... I'll keep that one upside down. What have you got?" The Doctor asked his glasses still on his face, his hands now in his pocket while he swayed on his feet, Rose going to stand next to a nervous Quintus.
"Enlighten me." Lucius snarled
"What? The soothsayer doesn't know?" The Doctor asked in a high pitched voice rather cheekily. Rose simply smiled underneath her breath, looking down at the ground slightly, her hands crossed over her chest.
"The seed may float on the breeze in any direction."
"Yeah, I knew you were gonna say that." The Doctor complained before looking over at his wife who was smiling at him, he returned it with a smirk, holding out his hand to her. She took it and the invitation. He knew she wanted to show she was intelligent, after all this man was good at making her nervous and claiming she was dim-witted.
"It's an energy converter." Rose said with a smile looking at Lucius and then up at her husband who was smiling at her. Quintus just looked at them shocked on how the pair of them knew so much.
"An energy converter of what?" Lucius inquired. The Doctor simply turned to look at the marble, Rose following suit
"I don't know. Isn't that brilliant? I love not knowing, keeps me on my toes." The Doctor cried happily, removing his hand from Rose's and stuffed them in his pockets as he tip toed over to Lucius, leaning on the pedestal next to him while he rambled at him. "It must be awful, being a prophet. Waking up every morning, "Is it raining? Yes, it is. I said so." Takes all the fun out of life. But who designed this, Lucius? Hmm? Who gave you these instructions?" The Doctor asked, his eyebrows raised, forehead creased, his lips tucking around his teeth as he questioned the man
"I think you've babbled long enough." Lucius snapped, his face scrunched up in anger
"Lucius, really, tell me honestly. I'm on your side. I can help." The Doctor whispered, his head nodding as he looked over his shoulder at the man
"You insult the gods! There can be only one sentence. At arms!" He snapped over his shoulder, the guard entered the room and the Doctor backed away, quickly removing his glasses and placed them back in his pocket. So that was how Rose, The Doctor and Quintus found themselves backed against the wall.
"Oh, morituri te salutant." Rose muttered. The Doctor simply continued to look forward, eyebrows raised while his mouth was hanging open
"My thoughts exactly" The Doctor voice while Lucius was frowning over at them
"Celtic prayers won't help you now." The soothsayer snapped.
"But it was him, sir. He made me do it. Sir Dextrus, please don't." Quintus said rather shakily. Rose and the Doctor simply turned to him with frowns present on their faces.
"Come on now, Quintus... dignity in death." The Doctor chimed in a high pitch voice before turning back to Lucius. "I respect your victory, Lucius. Shake on it?" The Doctor asked as he held out his hand. Rose simply looked on curiously. "Come on." The Doctor said as he started to wiggle his fingers of his extended hand. Lucius not moving. That's when Rose knew what he was doing. The information she had given him was being used. His skin must have been stone as well. The Doctor found himself looking up at the man through his eyelashes. His hand still held out. "Dying man's wish?" He asked but suddenly Rose felt the Doctor urging her forward via their link and she lunged forward and grabbed Lucius' hand and yanked it towards her just so Lucius's forearm to be present in her hand. Her face scrunching up in disgust slightly.
"But he's..." Quintus said in misbelieve as he shielded himself away in the corner. Rose simply passed her husband the stone arm and he looked at it before holding it in both of his hands, twirling it around slightly. Rose couldn't help but smile as she watched her husband acting like an excited school child.
"Show me." The Doctor chimed, his tongue resting on his front teeth while Lucius threw back his clock to revel the stump of a stone arm.
"The work of the gods." He snarled over to them
"He's stone!" Quintus muttered unable to believe it.
"'Armless enough, though. Whoop!" The Doctor said quickly before throwing the arm back to Lucius, grabbing hold of Rose and running from his spot.
"Quintus!" Rose yelled as the young boy threw the torch at one of the guards and clambered out of the window while the Doctor used his sonic screwdriver to knock off the circuits
"Out! Out! Out! Hurry!" The Doctor yelled as the three of them pegged it down the street and back towards Quintus' home, while Lucius was cursing their names.
To Be Continued