Hey guys! Sorry this chapter has been so long in coming. I tried to make it longer (and flash back to Calliliana's fate) but I couldn't quite seem to make that sound right. So I will have that for you in the next chapter.
Enjoy!
Marching, marching, always marching…it seemed to the weary group of soldiers that never before had they been forced to march so far, and for so long a time. The golden sun was now perched so low in the west it appeared as if it was soon about to descend into oblivion. As their fatigued muscles cried out for succor, every man wished as one that the sinking sun would give their commander reason to let them rest for the evening…
"Alright men, we shall make camp here for the night!" Groans of relief echoed throughout the twilight as the men gratefully unshouldered their supplies and began to do as they were bidden. One soldier, a handsome young man somewhat slighter than the others, heaved a great sigh as he watched his comrades at work.
"What ails you, Antonius? You have been moaning all day…" A burly soldier guffawed and elbowed the first speaker.
"Like as not he is thinking of some pretty woman now, hey lad?" As the two men chuckled to themselves, Antonius willed the hot blush creeping up over his face and neck to set like the stubborn sun.
"Stop this foolishness." This comment only made the men laugh the harder; wordlessly Antonius snatched up his bedroll and victuals and made his camp farther away from the others. He lay down upon his worn blanket, trying to ignore the sharp rocks that pressed themselves through the thin fabric, and concentrated on the stars emerging above. "It is said that you can read a man's fortune in the stars," he mused to himself, as he slowly watched the heavenly bodies blink their fierce magnificence in the darkening sky. "I wish that I could know just what it is that lies in store for me…"
"Have you tried asking, young friend?" Antonius started up at the sound of a deep voice; he had thought he was safe from all prying ears here in this more private place.
"Who are you?" the stranger sat down beside him, and immediately the young soldier grew uneasy. The man beside him was certainly no soldier at all; instead of a chiseled breastplate and crimson cape, the man was garbed in a thick black cloak that covered him from head to toe, and completely obscured his face.
"A seeker, some call me. I have traveled far and wide in these past few months, seeking that which is most dear to me." Antonius scrutinized the man's hooded face.
"And what might that be?"
"Information, my friend. News of what is going on in this wide, rapidly changing world of ours is more precious to me than any amount of gold or silver on this earth." The stranger turned so that he faced the young soldier, and Antonius could see the reflection of the stars in the man's glistening eyes.
"What kind of information is it that you seek?" The man chuckled mirthlessly, fidgeted under his cloak for a moment, and produced a yellowed roll of parchment before the curious eyes of the confused soldier.
"I am an executor of sorts, my lad; those who are too poor to hire great men come to me. I do what I can for them, although I daresay I am not always successful. Would you do me the honor of looking through this scroll and telling me if you have ever heard tell of the names on it?" Antonius nodded agreeably and took the paper; he nearly dropped it when he read the names upon it.
"C-Calliana M-M-Maximinus…yes, I…" he cleared his throat, "I know her." The hooded man nodded and took the parchment away from his confused comrade.
"That indeed saves me much trouble. Just how do you know this woman?" Antonius gulped; for no reason in particular, he was becoming uncomfortable with this peculiar visitor of his.
"She is a…a handmaiden for my sister."
"Is she well?"
"I have not seen her for a few days, but I believe that she is." The hooded stranger nodded again and stood, his powerful frame blotting out the sparkling diamonds of the night sky.
"That is good news indeed. Her late husband, Leander Maximinus, commissioned me to inform her of the terms of his will." Antonius started in surprise.
"I understood that her late husband was a man of great wealth. Why then would he choose you as an executor?" The stranger laughed, a peculiarly lifeless laugh, and turned to face his companion.
"How much do you know of young Maximinus' fate, lad?" Antonius shook his head in negation.
"Only that which his wife told me, and that which I could glean from others who knew the situation."
"Then you know that he was a wealthy man indeed…at least until Marcus Agrippa of the Emperor's army had him imprisoned without trial. Maximinus had a suspicion that the man was after his wife and his wealth, so he chose me," here the man bowed flamboyantly, "to look after his affairs. By using an obscure executor, such as myself, he could be assured that his enemy would have no way of tracing the whereabouts of his fortune."
"Then he left everything…"
"To his wife, yes. Young Calliliana is a wealthy woman indeed, my good lad." Antonius sighed audibly and rubbed his hand across his brow.
"I regret very deeply that I cannot give her this news myself. I have no idea how long this journey is to be."
"Where are you to be stationed?" The young soldier stood, ignoring the sharp pricks of soreness that invaded his muscles, and shrugged his broad shoulders.
"Gaul, I believe. I was sent for so hurriedly, I had not much time to bid my sister farewell or even give her any news of my future whereabouts—and certainly no time to tell Calliliana that I had to depart." Antonius strode forward until he was shoulder to shoulder with the executor; the two men stared out at the night sky. While their eyes were emotionless, their minds sparked and raced with the fires of curiosity. Finally, the cloaked man tilted his head down to meet the eyes of his young companion.
"Is the wife of Maximinus still residing in your house?" Antonius attempted to descry the color of the stranger's eyes—but he could only see the blinking star-lights reflected in their mirror like depths.
"Of course." The man nodded brusquely, and laid his hand on the soldier's shoulder.
"Then I thank you very much for your information. I will go to the woman as fast as my expensive mode of travel permits," here he pointed at his feet, "and make her aware of her great fortune." Antonius nodded in agreement, and offered the mysterious visitor his hand.
"I am sure that she will be glad of it." As the outsider took his hand and delivered a hearty shake, the young man added, "and perhaps, you will tell me your name before you leave? I will send word to my sister of your arrival, that she may have a comfortable room ready for your use when you arrive." Almost instantly, the young man felt the hand of his new acquaintance flinch within his grasp.
"I am called many names, by many people. You may tell your sister that Vitus comes to see her young friend." And then, almost as instantly as he had appeared, the man vanished once more into the darkness.
Antonius lay back down upon his uncomfortable blanket, folded his arms behind his head, and contemplated the glowing stars once again. "Vitus, his name is," the lad mused to himself, as he felt his eyelids grow heavy with slumber, "Vitus, which signifies life. Life, then, is coming to visit Calliliana once more."
But in his deliberations, the young man realized that the stranger, shrouded in his black cloak as he had been, would have been better served by another name.
A name that meant Death.