Through the Thorns
Thirty-Five
March 15th, 44 B.C
I come awake with a start. Sweat covers me. The blanket is wrapped tightly around my legs. Cauis' snores fill the small one room. The sky outside is still dark. Quietly, I untangle the blankets from my legs, and leave the bed. Cauis' chest is bare as he sleeps, the moonlight illuminating him. He is perfect. When he sleeps, the ever present worry lines on his face recede. He looks so peaceful.
I leave the hut, needing fresh air. For the last week, dreams have plagued me. In all of them, Cauis and I are running, hiding. The one this night though, was about Rome burning. I still have not had a vision telling me how, or why, the city burns. All I know, is the day is approaching.
I come out of the tree line, and look down the hill to my families estate. I have not spoken to any of them in a long time. How I wish I could go down there and give my father a hug, my mother a kiss. But they have turned their backs on me. I have been shunned, never allowed to come back. My protection spell is still in place, giving them what little I can. I wrap my arms around myself as a cold breeze comes.
"Esmerelda?" I hear Glabodus say quietly behind me. "What are you doing up at such an hour?"
I turn my head to him on my left. "I could not sleep." I answer him. I have tried to keep my distance from him, and the pack, without being rude. I can not grow close to them. Even if I acted in my desire to.
"What troubles you?" He asks, concern written on his face.
I can not tell him I foresee his death. For me alone to know is a heavy burden. One I do not wish to share with it's victim. One should not live always looking over their shoulders for death. For that is not living. I may have kept my distance from the pack and all it's dealings, but they are still my pack. I am part wolf. I am mated with Cauis. I care for all of them, even if I know nothing about them. Cauis believes my distance has been because I still practice magic. I allow him to believe that. A curse of seeing the future, is that you see everyone you care about die. I have seen other things too. Things that do not make sense to me. As if it is a whole other time.
"I do not wish to trouble you too, Glabodus. Please, keep this between us." I tell him after a moment of silence. "I also do not want to trouble Cauis with matters. He has enough worry."
"As you wish." He bows to me. "I am here, if ever you feel the need to unburden yourself."
I smile at him, knowing he will give his life to save mine.
The sun begins to rise. This used to be my favorite part of the day. Now, today, I wish I could make the sun set again. In my bones, I know today is the day I have been dreading. The day the Republic will begin to crumble. That Cauis and I will run. And the day our pack dies. Today, is going to be the worst day of my life.
I leave Glabodus without saying another word, and go back into the small one room home. I need to prepare for our escape. I gather my things, keeping quiet. I fill a satchel with empty vials, some that have potions in them, and my spell book. The protection spell has worked beautifully on my families home. With its success, I've forgone using Master Druses' spells, and started creating my own. It takes much work and effort, crafting spells, but these I can rely upon.
Cauis wakes just as I've finished packing. I need to tell him what the day will hold. Even if I do not understand it myself. He will be furious at me, I'm sure. Grief washes over me as I think of how best to tell him. We are mates. Full partners, and I have managed to keep a large secret from him.
Cauis gets out of bed, coming to me. He wraps me in his arms. "The bed is to cold without you in it." He purrs in my ear.
"I could not sleep." I tell him, moving out of his arms. Cauis looks at me with concern. I'm suddenly very self conscious.
"What is it, Esmerelda?" He asks taking my hand.
I take a deep breath, and tell him everything, spearing no details. As I tell him of my vision for the pack, his face goes pale. His eyes turn black, and his clenched fists start to shake.
"Why have you not told me of this? They are our people! You would see them all dead?" He shouts at me. He runs a hand up over his face, pulling at his brown hair. He begins cursing at me. Cauis has never been angry at me. Not even when I kept my distance. But now, he is finally letting all his anger at me out.
I knew this would be his reaction. Even if I had told him all those months ago, I do not think it would make a difference. When every wolf decided to stand with us, there was no changing the future. "I would see them live, Cauis! Their fate was sealed when they all joined our ranks. I do not wish this life on any of them! You were right. We should have sent Glabodus away that day." I try explaining to him. I do care greatly for the pack.
Cauis storms out of the room, out the front door, and shifts, taking off from sight. I sigh, wishing I knew how to prevent this from happening. I had tried several times to see a different outcome, to no avail. The future is set in stone. There is nothing I can do. And that is the worst part. I may be a powerful sorceress, but I can not stop this. This is the will of the Gods.
I knew Cauis would not return any time soon, so I wave my hand, and flash myself to Master Druses' home. He opens the door before I even take a step. "Esmerelda," he greets me, kissing my cheek. "What brings you here?"
We walk inside, and Lucinda smiles at me, Latisha on her hip. "May we speak privately?" I ask him, not wanting Latisha's young ears to hear this.
Master Druses' waves his hand and we are in his study, where a flower burns, allowing us to talk freely without fear of being overheard.
I lay my satchel down on his desk. "Today is the day Rome will burn." My voice sounds calm, surprising me.
"You are certain? I thought you did not know when?" He asks taking a seat, indicating for me to take a stool.
"In my vision," I start, "I do not. But, today, I awoke and I feel it. It will happen today. That, I am certain of."
Master Druses' jaw locks. He takes a staggered breath, and swallows loudly. His breathing is hitched, and I can clearly see fear in his blue eyes. "Very well." He says after a few minutes. "What do you need from me?"
I give him a sad smile. "Our pack will also fall today. I had a vision months ago about it. I did not know when that would happen either. Until this morning. In this bag are things Cauis and I will need to survive. I ask that you simply hold onto it, keep it safe. I will return for it later today."
I pick the bag up off his desk, and hand it to him. He takes it, and places it in a bin behind his desk. "I will keep it safe." He promises.
"Thank you, Master Druses." I dip my head at him. I owe him so much.
I go to stand, and Master Druses asks, "Esmerelda, do you think we will ever see each other again?"
I close my eyes, and search the future. And see nothing. A tear slides down my cheek. "I'm sorry."
Master Druses stands, and comes around his desk. He hugs me tightly. "You will survive, Esmerelda. That is all that matters. Please know, I consider you a daughter. Your father is a fool for having shunned you. You are beautiful and strong."
He releases me after a moment. I smile at him one last time, and then leave. I make my way into the village, walking. I have to see Aidos one last time. My dearest friend, who had not shunned me like my family.
"Ah! Esmerelda!" Aidos greets loudly as I step into his shop. "How lovely to see you again!"
Aidos grabs me in a tight embrace. "It is good to see you too, Aidos." It saddens me deeply that this will be the last time I see him. Soon, the streets will flow with blood, and building will be set ablaze. I may not be able to protect the pack, but I can warn those I care about. I need to protect those I can. "Aidos," I say pulling away from him. I look at him, making sure I have his full attention. "You must leave Rome. This morning. Now."
He give me a perplexed look. "Leave? Why would I do such a thing?"
I look over my shoulder, making sure we are alone. I lean closer to him, "Because the Republic is going to fall. Today."
His eyes go wide as saucers. "You are certain?" I nod my head, hating that I had not told him sooner. That I had not told anyone sooner. But what difference would it have made? Doing so may cause even more chaos that what is to come. "You have had a vision of this?"
"Indeed." I say in a small voice. "I'm so sorry, my dear friend." I should have told him sooner.
Aidos breathes deeply, and lets it out slowly. He kisses both my hands in his. He moves away from me, and goes behind his counter. He picks up his lock box, turns the dial, and produces the ruby neckless he showed me what feels like a lifetime ago. "This is yours now, then. I will heed your warning, and leave at once. Do not fear for me, Esmerelda."
Tears fill my eyes. "Thank you." I tell Aidos honestly, and take the neckless from him.
I do not stay with Aidos, as much as I would like to. There is much that still needs to be done. I walk through the town, heading to my father's home. Even if they do not love me anymore, I can not stand by and give them no warning. I still love them. With all the heartache I have given them, I owe them everything.
A man rushes by me, knocking me to the side. He does not stop to apologize, he continues to run. Screams start coming from behind me, and I know it is beginning. Whatever forces brings down the Republic, it is here. I stand from leaning against the wall where the passerby had pushed me.
"Caesar has been assassinated!" I hear a woman yell behind me up the street. "Caesar has fallen!"
Shock races through me. This is why the streets will be filled with blood. Caesar's death. I run, trying to get out of the city.
Cauis! Cauis! I scream for him.
What is it Esmerelda? He is still unhappy with me. But he must put that aside.
Caesar has been killed! It's starting! I tell him frantically. The streets start filling, people running everywhere. A woman holds her little boy, weeping. We have no more time. We must leave the city. The destruction that will follow will bring too many vampires here.
Where are you? Cauis demands. I can feel him running, his anger gone. Replaced with pure worry.
Just leaving Adois' shop. We must warn my Father.
I run with the crowd, desperate to leave before things get out of control. I round a corner, and smack into someone carrying a large object. My head connects with it, and I fall to the ground.
Cauis
Esmerelda?
She doesn't answer. Panic fills me as I push my legs faster.
Esmerelda!
Still nothing. I push myself harder.
Glabodus! I growl for him.
M'Lord? He answers immediately.
Something has happened to Esmerelda. Go to Aidos' shop and wait for me there. Be careful, the city is falling. I order him.
Her vision is true then? Glabodus asks. I can hear the fear in his thoughts. What has caused this?
Caesar has been murdered.
He is silent. Caesar was a great man. He did much for his people. And someone has killed him. We knew tension in the Senate had risen in the last months, but for them to have killed him...
I run as fast as I can, desperate to find Esmerelda. What has become of her? Is she hurt? I can not let myself think that. In the distance, I see smoke billow to the heavens. Flames scattered all about inside the city's walls. Already I can hear woman screaming. The city is falling. Fast.
I push harder as I come into the city. The streets are already filled with people. Some crying, others screaming at their neighbors, most tearing everything they see apart. I do not shift, needing to stay alert. There is too much going on, and most people would not remember seeing me. They very well just may think we are just oversized dogs. I hear they have such in Egypt. I push people out of my way as I head to Aidos. He may be Esmerelda's friend, but I will not hesitate to rip his throat out.
When I charge through the closed door, breaking it in half, I shift. I feel my blood boiling with rage. "Where is she?" I demand from the short man.
Glabodus comes in a few seconds after me. He too choose to stay in wolf form. As far as I know, he is an amazing second. He tends to matters, relieving some of the stress of being Alpha. He stops the pack from internal fighting. And leaves me to deal with what Esmerelda and I were to do after today.
Aidos points with a shaking finger back out the door. "She went left."
I shift, and push pass Glabodus. I sniff the air, only smelling the smoke. I go left, and rush down the street. Up ahead, I see her lying on the ground. Panic floods me again as we rush to her. I put my paw under her neck, and lift her top half. I duck under her back as I let her go, letting her fall on top of me. I lift her body and look back at Glabodus. An uneasy feeling starts coursing through my body.
Do you feel that? Glabodus asks me.
I do. I tell him and take off with Esmerelda on my back. We come around a corner, and we see the reason for our unease. A vampire stands there, sucking on a naked woman's neck. I growl at them, catching their attention. The naked woman falls to the ground, dead.
I feel Esmerelda stir on my back. Her timing could not be worse.
She's waking, Cauis! Glabodus shouts at me.
Esmerelda falls from my back, landing on her backside. The vampire smiles at us, blood covering his face and teeth. Glabodus, kill him.
I shift as Glabodus lunges for the vampire. "Esmerelda? Can you hear me?" I ask as I cup her face in my hands. Her skin is cold and pale. "Are you hurt?"
Her beautiful eyes flutter open and settle on me. "I think I will be alright. What's happening?"
"The city is falling. Can you shift? We must get out of here." I look up and see Glabodus rip the vampires limbs from his body. And he takes orders well.
"Cauis," Esmerelda breaths. I look down at her, and suddenly, I'm seeing the vision she had. I grab her hand, pull us up, and start running. All around us, people scream, and demand the blood of the senators who are causing this. Fires have been set to half the homes that line the street. Shops are pillaged. Woman are being raped every other home. Men who try and stop it are having their throats sliced open. Kids scream for their parents as they watch. The city is falling into chaos. Glabodus runs just behind us, growling at anyone who even looks at us.
Just as we make it out of the city, Esmerelda trips. I grip her arm roughly, and throw her over my shoulder. I shift again, keeping her on my back, and we run into the trees, leaving behind our home.
Esmerelda
Cauis sets me down once we get further into the forest. I can barely breath after what I have witnessed. Tears stream down my face as I'm unable to hold onto my emotions. So much violence. So much cruelty. So much destruction. I will forever have the sound of a woman screaming for her husband while she is being raped echoing through my mind.
I see Cauis kneel in front of me, his mouth moving, but all I hear are her screams. He grabs my shoulders, and shakes me gently.
"Esmerelda!" Cauis shouts.
"I hear you." I shout back.
"Are you alright?" He asks me, lowering his voice a little.
"Well, well, well." I hear a deep voice say. A tall, very pale skinned, man walks through the trees behind Cauis. My blood runs cold.
No. I can not handle this now.
I curl my fingers at him, making a tight fist. His long, loud, screams surround us, birds fly from the tops of the tree, screeching away. His knees bend inward, his arms flail to his sides. He arches his back as I rip his heart from his chest.
Before Cauis and Glabodus can react, I stand, pushing Cauis' hands off me, and stalk to the vampire. The wolf side of me has taken over. It fuels my powers. The anger for what their kind are doing in the city to the innocents boils over. I form a tight ball, cupping my hands together, twist them, and then blast the vampire into oblivion. I scream as his body explodes.
Cauis comes up behind me, and wraps his arms around mine tightly, securing my hands to my side. "Shh, there are more."
I listen, and can hear them running. Too many to count.
"Call everybody in." Cauis orders Glabodus.
"Cauis!" I try to turn in his arms, but he will not let me go. "You can not do this!" I hiss at him.
"Enough!" Cauis commands me. Never before has he used his Alpha command on me. "I will have you protected." He adds a little softer, warning me to protest again.
Cauis shift, finally letting my arms go. I hear a mixture of wolves running, and vampires. Our pack is running head first into their deaths. And I am ordered to sit by.
Just as the first group of vampires are coming close, I shoot my hands out, and manifest a barrier. The first two that hit it, bounce off it and into the trees. Using one hand to keep the shield up, I use the other and rip out the hearts of two others. A vampire gets through on the left side of my barrier and Glabodus attacks him. As more start to show up, I swipe my whole right arm across my front, and slice a line of vampires' heads off. I bring my left arm up, and blast a smaller group of vampires back. As one of them goes flying through the branches, a large black wolf grabs it by it's neck, and bites it's head off.
With the pack now here to die, the battle starts. Screams and snarls fill the area. I do what I can, but do not shift. In moments of crisis, my powers have always gotten me out of it. I want to trust them now too. I put protection spells over wolves who had more than one attacker on them. Some wolves I would lift from the ground and move just as a vampire is about to bite them. In between all this I am ripping hearts out of vampires who come close to me. Not that any are, as Cauis is firmly at my side. At least ten vampires lay dead at our feet. Even still, there are too many of them. One by one, our wolves begin to fall. Cauis looks over at me, and I see it in his eyes. The pain of losing our pack.
Cauis howls, and then charges into the mass of vampires. I stretch my arms out straight ahead of myself, using all my strength, I follow him, protecting him. A vampire comes up from the right, and Glabodus rips it's left arm off. The vampire swings its other arm at him, and knocks Glabodus to his side. A small yelp escapes his mouth. He gets to hit feet again quickly, and buries his head into the vampires chest. He knocks him off it's feet, and the vampire tries to use the arm he no longer has to balance himself. He falls to the ground, and Glabodus stomps on his neck, severing it's head. Glabodus looks at me, nods, and then lunges for another vampire coming to me.
I see it happen in slow motion. One vampire goes head strong at Glabodus, another comes up behind him. The vampire behind him grabs him around the midsection, and lifts him from the ground. The vampire grips him tighter, and Glabodus lets out a loud, pain filled, bark. The vampire that had been coming from his front swings it's fist and smashes his face into his scull. Blood pours from his broken face. I scream, and use every ounce of my powers to rid our immediate area of vampires. All the vampires around us explode, blood covering everything. I rush to Glabodus' side, knowing it is useless.
I start a healing spell on him, but before I can recite the first cadence, a hand grips my upper right arm. Glabodus shifts back, and I'm seeing my vision.
Cauis' grip tightens. "Leave him, Esmerelda! We must go!" Cauis shouts at me. Tears stream down my face. I beg the Gods to accept him as Cauis runs with me over his shoulder deeper into the forest. When we get just a short distance away, Cauis puts me on the ground.
"Shift." He orders.
I may not like my wolf form, but we will get away. We run to the east, leaving our home. With each step that I take, I feel my heart get heavier. I have never left home. And now, I flee from it. Hearing the distant cries and screams of Rome.
Thanks for reading!
~Stefanie