4

It would have hardly seemed significant; a bird falling from the sky can be odd, that's true, but ultimately unnoteworthy. That is, of course, without considering how a random bird could have died mid-flight as suddenly as it had.

This could be explained by any of a few things; sickness, another airborne predator, even the weather. The case of the bird that fell unnoticed upon Mount Vesuvius, however, was of a somewhat more frightening nature. High in the sky above the area Mertrashida had just stood, Azrael Din sat atop his white steed, staring silently from under the hood of his robe at the scene below as he watched intently for any sign of detection. 

It was close; if Mertrashida had stayed in place any longer, she would have easily noticed the impact of the dead bird, then subsequently looked up, It couldn't be helped, though; the damned thing had simply flown too close to Azrael and perished under the weight of his Umbra's deathly essence. Riding down to intercept the bird's body posed too great a risk of detection, so Azrael could do nothing but sit and watch, waiting.

After Mertrashida vanished from her place atop Mount Vesuvius, Azrael turned his attention back to the large tree that sheltered the young boy. Surprisingly, she failed to reappear by the tree, leaving Azrael to wonder where she had gone.

As it turned out, she was once again far away over the sea, back among the sands of Egypt. Watching from her original vantage point, she saw that Osiris’ servants had loaded the majority of the waiting supplies onto the ship, but wouldn’t be finished preparing for some time. About an hour, Mertrashida surmised.

Satisfied with this update, Mertrashida lowered herself as close to the sand as possible, then jumped back to the base of Mount Vesuvius.

Still waiting above, Azrael watched on as Mertrashida finally arrived back at the tree, then crept back around it to where the boy still lay huddled.

‘Hey, Alessandro,’ she said, breaking the silence.

Alessandro opened his eyes and looked up at her, offering a slight smile despite the severe pain he seemed to be in. 

‘You came back,’ the boy said, his smile widening.

Mertrashida nodded.

‘Of course I did. But, now… I intend to go after the man who did this. Before I do, I need to get you home, so someone can take care of you. Can you tell me where you live?’

Alessandro paused, fear flickering over his face. First, fear for the kind girl who had come to help him, and then fear for his mother to see him in such a state, and learn what happened to his father.

Raising one hand shakily, Alessandro pointed weakly away from the mountain, doing all he could to signify the direction of his home. 

‘Town there… Dirty house, green door.’

Mertrashida paused to memorise the boy’s words, then scooped him up in her arms. She held him for a moment, considering the journey ahead. At first, she was worried about how the boy would react to witnessing her abilities. She needn’t have worried, however, as Alessandro passed back out after only a few moments of being held.

Looking around, Mertrashida took a few more seconds to ready herself, then focused on the near distance in the direction of Alessandro’s home - far enough away to cover significant distance, but close enough for her to clearly see that there was no danger of surprise - and made the first jump with the boy. 

Immediately after making the jump, Mertrashida felt surprisingly tired. She staggered a little, then caught her balance.

Slow down a little, would you? You keep jumping all over the place, now with somebody else tagging along again, you will only end up wearing us both out.

The voice of her Umbra, Kuyutha, rang loud in Mertrashida’s head as she wobbled in her place.

Sorry, she thought to her internal passenger. I need to get the kid home, as fast as possible. Too much time has been wasted already.

With that, Mertrashida repeated the process, locking on to a clearly visible spot in the near distance and teleporting to it. Once again, she felt an immense drain on her energy, having gotten even closer to reaching her limit. 

Above, Azrael looked on curiously as Mertrashida disappeared from the tree, cradling the wounded boy in her arms. Shifting his gaze to the direction the boy had pointed out, he saw an unsteady figure appear in the distance for a moment, then disappear again. Shrugging to himself, Azrael turned and rode away, satisfied that the pair seemed to be heading to the nearby town of Ottaviano. 

Mertrashida staggered forward a little upon arrival from her second jump, nearly dropping Alessandro as her instincts fought to use her arms for stabilisation. She stopped herself just in time, and stood in place with her eyes closed for a moment, swaying as she breathed. When she finally opened her eyes, they took a moment to tune back into her surroundings. Once they had, she chose yet another location ahead, and she was off.

This time, when she arrived, the energy drain was significantly greater. The moment she appeared in place, she fell to her knees, nearly dropping Alessandro once more with the sudden jarring motion.

The boy stirred in her arms, but curled himself a little more snugly into her grasp and ignored whatever was happening outside the arms that held him. Mertrashida found herself thanking every blessing imaginable that he was so young, for she couldn’t possibly still be holding him if he was much older.

Lifting her head, she stared forward, fighting to focus on finding a new spot. It might have been her imagination, but she could swear she saw the silhouettes of small buildings ahead.

Mertrashida’s eyes began to readjust too slowly for the impatient young woman’s liking, so she made a blind jump forward. She appeared very suddenly just inside the small town that did indeed lay ahead, accompanied by various gasps of shock.

Mertrashida barely noticed such things, however; this jump took everything she had left, and she fell forward upon appearance, just barely managing to spin herself sideways a little as she fell to the ground.

The sudden impact finally woke Alessandro, who looked up in bewilderment right before impact. 

‘What-’

The question he was about to ask was lost, as Mertrashida’s eyes cleared and picked up on her target. A little further ahead, on the far side of a left-hand corner, stood a dirty house with a green door. 

Flicking her eyes toward Alessandro, not even registering that he was once again awake, Mertrashida tightened her grip on the boy and prepared for one last jump.

One more and you are going to pass out. Just let someone else take him the rest of the way, we cannot afford to get caught like this.

Mertrashida considered the warning for a moment, but decided she couldn’t leave Alessandro’s safety to chance like that. Affirming her hold on the boy, she readied herself and made one more jump, right to the front door of the house.

She lay there for perhaps a minute before Alessandro managed to extricate himself from her grasp. Crawling free and looking back, he realised she was fast asleep, her skin pale and almost lifeless. Turning around, he began to bang his fist weakly on the door, calling for his mother. 

The door opened after a few moments, revealing a very stern-looking woman in her mid-thirties. She opened her mouth to speak, but then she froze at the sight of her young boy, barely able to hold himself up in a sitting position and half covered in dried blood, and a bronzed girl laying motionless on her doorstep.

She had them both inside and laying in beds within a few moments, then called for help. She dabbed at her son’s face as she waited anxiously for someone to come, fretting all the while that the worst was about to happen.

When Mertrashida came to, she was not laying in the spare bed in Alessandro’s little broken home. Instead, she was laying on her back on the ground in absolute unforgettable, yet unremarkable, darkness. She needn’t wait for the deep, feminine voice to ring out through the void to know where she was even after only a single trip to this place; the expanse of nothing would never fade from her memory.

‘You… Idiot. I told you to leave the boy…’

Mertrashida sat up at the chastisement, lifting her eyes as countless others glinted in the darkness, all connected to one being. She snorted lightly through her nose, already tired of the possible lecture to come.

‘... And I refused. Look, say what you want, but I will see things through to the end, whatever the cost… Even at risk of capture, I cannot - I WILL not - just give up for my own sake. I believe you know this already, too, bound to me as you are… So how about you spare us both the time it would take to fight over this?’

This time it was her Umbra, Kuyutha, who snorted in response to the other’s words. Still, though she uttered no other sound, Mertrashida could tell she was pleased.

‘Why are you so silent so much of the time, anyway? Telling me to abandon Alessandro was the first time you have had anything to do with me since meeting… I hardly think you have missed the moments when I really could have used your insight…?’

‘Ah, but you did just fine in those moments, did you not?’

Kuyutha paused, seeming to choose her next words.

‘Besides… We Umbra have never been that big on conversation… We prefer action over speech in every situation, and while I cannot speak for the others, I have little desire to interfere with the path laid out before you.’

Mertrashida listened intently as Kuyutha spoke. She couldn’t deny it, the Umbra made a lot of sense, and it would be good to know she had Mertrashida’s back in the right ways.

‘I trust you will continue to at least make your thoughts known when I risk making the wrong decisions or losing everything?’

Kuyutha said nothing at first, though she hummed in agreement. Mertrashida waited, prompting further response from the Umbra.

‘If you die, things will become infinitely more complicated for me. I may not die with you, but I may as well for all the good I would be after the fact. So, yes, I would very much rather help you avoid death than do nothing and let it happen… Just try to keep your expectations realistic, as I am still just a passenger in your world.’

Mertrashida, after considering the words carefully for a moment, nodded slowly. Something else occurred to her then a question she had been curious about since travelling with Alessandro.

‘Why did your power drain me so much today, but not at all any other time?’

Kuyutha hummed again.

‘Tell me, child, if you were to carry a bag of rocks and begin to run, would you feel tired from the run the moment you begin?’

Mertrashida shook her head, confused at Kuyutha’s wording.

‘Think of it this way. Jumping a long distance here and there doesn’t take nearly as much energy as carrying something heavy for a long walk. The more times you use my power in one short period, especially with passengers, the more tired you will become. The distance travelled per jump matters little, as does carrying a passenger for a single jump. Repeating either or both, however, will become quite taxing.’

A mixture of feelings engulfed Mertrashida, mostly shame and annoyance with herself for not taking the time to figure it out for herself when the answer made so much sense.

‘I imagine the other Umbra powers will work in a similar way..?’

She wasn’t really asking, more thinking aloud, but Kuyutha humed in agreement anyway.

‘Deliberate repeated use of our powers is quite taxing for any inexperienced host.’

Mertrashida nodded, then looked around the dark expanse.

‘I should leave, now. I need to check on Alessandro and continue my search for Adil…’

Kuyutha hummed once more, preparing to send Mertrashida back into a conscious state.

‘Good luck, child...’ Her voice rang clear in Mertrashida’s mind as the void faded around her, rapidly replaced with the appearance of a dusty little room.

Returning to consciousness in Alessandro’s house, Mertrashida awoke in time to hear a resounding knock on the external door, followed quickly by the footsteps of the young boy’s mother and the door being opened. 

‘Good evening, madam.’

The voice from outside was deep and booming, but not unfriendly. 

‘Good evening, sirs. Thank you for coming on such short notice. I must admit, I expected you all would have been too busy, what with your new mission...’

Alessandro’s mother sounded like quite a sweet and friendly woman, which made sense; if she wasn’t, Mertrashida likely wouldn’t be resting comfortably in what seemed to be the woman’s own bed. A twinge of jealousy ran through her at this thought; it had been so long since Mertrashida had been a part of a family… So long had she been a servant, in fact, that she had forgotten what it felt like, never mind the memories of her family themselves.

‘Nonsense, my dear. His father was one of us; we owe it to you all. Besides, if nothing else, he may be able to help us figure out what happened.’

Alessandro’s mother was silent for a moment, apparently deep in thought.

‘The girl he showed up with… Alessandro told me she knew who was to blame,  and had plans to go after him. Perhaps she can help as well…?’

The first voice grunted in agreement.

‘You may well be right… We already had hoped to do so, but with this new information, it seems we definitely need to take her with us. Alessandro too, of course, but mostly so we can properly care for his… Injuries.’

There was an extended silence after the man finished speaking, which Mertrashida assumed was followed by a nod from the boy’s mother. Footsteps began to make their way through the small house, past the door to the room Mertrashida lay waiting in and into the next. Trying to envision what was happening in the rest of the house, Mertrashida began to focus on conjuring the same sense Kuyutha had shown her less than an hour ago.

There were 7 people standing in the next room over, forming a circle around a smaller, bedbound figure that could only be Alessandro. With the head-count and tracking completed, Mertrashida allowed her senses to return to normal, with enough focus returning to allow her to hear the others discussing Alessandro’s condition.

She felt absolutely horrible for it, but Mertrashida knew her best option was to simply leave immediately and let those with little to no involvement in the world of the Umbra stay as blissfully ignorant as they were, save perhaps for Alessandro and his mother, who surely had a right to know, but both would have to wait; something about the visitors taking her with them simply didn’t sit right in her gut, friendly or not.

This, however, presented a new problem; when Mertrashida tried to leave, she could neither jump away to a new place nor physically lift herself from the bed. Much as it concerned her, she simply didn’t have her strength back just yet.

Giving up, at least for the time being, Mertrashida allowed her weakened muscles to relax even as the footsteps started up again, stopping right outside the door to her room. Holding her breath, Mertrashida kept her head facing the opposite wall as the door opened slowly, instinctively wanting to give the impression that she was still asleep.

Armor clinked softly in time with a single pair of footsteps as one of them, Mertrashida assumed the leader, approached the bedside. Judging by the noises of his armor, and the source of his voice when he spoke a few moments later, Mertrashida noticed that he had kneeled beside the bed as he carried out his observation.

‘They are both quite a bit too young to be caught up in whatever this mess is…’ He sighed softly. ‘Whatever the case, hopefully she tells us enough to help bring the killer to justice.’

‘Forgive me for being blunt, but please do hurry… Alessandro’s condition seems to be worsening slowly; he is already much weaker than he was when she brought him here, and he was barely conscious then as it was.’

The mother spoke with a mostly calm tone, but even Mertrashida, easily the youngest person in the room, could detect the panicked worry in her voice.

‘Of course… You two, grab our young friend back in there - carefully, mind you - and meet the rest of us at the door. The rest of you, keep the way clear. This one may not look it, but she is awake, and may not be interested in coming with us.’

Mertrashida sighed aloud amid the noise as most of the newcomers turned and began to move.

‘You caught that, huh?’

The man, now clearly the leader, lightly snorted.

‘Of course. The question is, are you going to cooperate with us?’

Mertrashida finally turned her head, looking around at the people still in the room before locking eyes with the man kneeling beside the bed. He was a large, middle-aged man with sun kissed skin and a thick beard over his equally thick jaw that compensated well for the distinct lack of hair atop his head. 

‘Yeah, sure. I doubt I could stop you if I wanted to right now, anyway,’ she answered finally, nodding slightly.

The big man nodded and pulled a length of rope from behind himself, holding it up to show Mertrashida. She in turn nodded and raised her hands together, ready to be bound at the wrists. The big man then reached forward gently and began to wrap the rope carefully, yet firmly, around her wrists.

‘Appreciate it. Most people choose the other way,’ the man said simply as he worked.

‘What exactly was the other way?’ Mertrashida asked, more curious than anything. 

The man tightened the final knot of the bindings before turning to look her in the eyes.

‘I knock you out and carry you away myself,’ he said flatly, rising to his feet and extending a hand. Mertrashida thanked herself silently for not making such a course of action necessary as she accepted the hand in her own - even though she as an Umbra host was now far stronger than any mortal could be, she was so weakened that he may just be able to carry it out if he hit her hard enough, but he would definitely notice her strength either way. The least favourable outcome of this possibility would be the million questions that would arise, which Mertrashida was unsure she should answer as of yet.

‘Glad we can avoid that,’ she chuckled. ‘You should know, I am… Very weak right now. I may need some patience or help holding myself up, at least for a little while.’

‘Good to know,’ the man said, hoisting her carefully to her feet. ‘Just keep a grip on my arm until you can stand on your own. Magnus, you stand on the other side in case she needs you, too.’

One of the men standing by against the wall stepped forward and took up position on Mertrashida’s right as she wobbled on her feet. Lifting her eyes, Mertrashida met Magnus’ gaze briefly before flicking her eyes toward the first man. 

‘Who are you all, anyway?’ She asked, realising that the mention of Magnus’ name was the first and only indication she had received so far as to their identities, save for the very obviously Roman armor they wore and their relatively short distance .

‘If you mean as a group, we are the Praetorian Guard, same as those unfortunate men at Mount Vesuvius. If you mean individually, you will have to ask the others in turn, but my name is Antonio. Antonio Agazzi, temporary Exploratore of the Praetorian Guard, to be more precise.’

‘Magnus is enough for now,’ came the voice from Mertrashida’s right. 

Mertrashida nodded at each man’s words, then lifted her eyes to meet Alessandro’s mother’s.

It occurred to her then that she had never yet laid eyes upon Alessandro’s mother. For the first time, she was able to see the beautiful woman who raised her son to be so cheerful; for the first time, she was able to see the miserable expression on her face, and felt shame in having almost completely forgotten that the woman had just lost her husband and was in danger of losing her child as well.

‘I am Mertrashida,’ she said, ensuring the woman could hear her just as clearly as the men standing on either side. Wherever this situation would lead, she at least had a right to know that much.

‘Balbina Paterra.’ The woman seemed about to stop there, then reconsidered. ‘Thank you for bringing my son home.’

With a name now attached to the face, the woman known as Balbina left the room to check upon her son and the other Praetorians. 

After quickly testing the rope bindings and making sure Mertrashida wasn’t about to fall, Antonio nodded to Magnus. 

‘Time to go,’ he said simply. Together, the three moved to the doorway, followed by the remaining idle guards. When they reached the hallway and reconnected with the others waiting there, Mertrashida noticed the pale form of Alessandro, cradled in the arms of an almost impossibly stocky Guard. He had been bathed and changed while Mertrashida was out, no longer covered in the bloodstains from Azrael’s infliction on him and his father. As clean and pale as he was, he could almost be a lifeless corpse already; a thought that sent a chill right down Mertrashida’s spine. 

‘He grows weaker, Exploratore. We should leave now,’ the Guard carrying Alessandro said quietly, affirming her thoughts.

Antonio nodded.

‘That is exactly what we are doing. Balbina, excuse us, but we must cut this short. I will send for you when the situation develops. Guards, get moving.’

With that, the group sprung into action. The two spare Guards closest to the door swung it open and took the lead, keeping the way clear for the rest to follow. The enormous Guard carrying Alessandro made his way out next, offering a quick nod to Balbina as he ducked through the doorway and moved out of sight.

Antonio and Magnus guided Mertrashida outside next, and the remaining spare Guards quickly took up the rear. Balbina moved to the door and stood in the entrance, watching silently as the Guard began to mount the dromedaries that had apparently been waiting outside. She breathed a silent prayer for their safe journey, waiting in the doorway until well after the Guards were all out of sight. 

Some distance away, bound in place as Mertrashida’s wrists were, Adil sat in place on a makeshift seat as Azrael Din paced back and forth in front of him.

‘So she still has all but two the remaining urns, then. I must say, this actually surprises me. In my experience, most people would scurry about giving urns to the first people they see, just so they cannot be consumed by the enemy. This is better; the last thing we need is people we cannot trust running around with supercharged souls.’

Adil blinked.

‘“We”?’

Azrael sighed inwardly, more than a little exasperated, as though he had explained it a million times already. 

‘Yes, “we.” I know it may be hard to tell right now, given our current circumstances, but I am on your side. Or, rather, I choose to stand against Osiris, and you two are the best allies I have at this moment. Whatever happens, Osiris cannot be allowed to take control of the world. He will raise Hell, and all its demons with it. As long as that is a possibility, your alliance can call upon my aid.’

Adil hesitated before speaking again.

Well, I know one part of that to be true, at least; I truly cannot tell if I can believe you or not…’

Azrael’s face shifted for a moment, revealing an almost spiteful, twisted expression for just a fraction of a second, before he closed his eyes and took several deep, slow breaths.

‘If this is about those people back at that mountain, I told you… I had no control over that, which is why I took you away as quickly as I did… That kid at least has a chance of survival now, purely because I left before my Umbra could finish the job.’

‘But it never would have happened if you had just stayed away, right?’ Adil asked coldly.

Sighing, Azrael nodded, a pained look in his eyes.

‘This is true. I had hoped to leave before anyone could die, even the adult who received as high a dosage of my power as he did, but I had my reasons for coming to you.’

‘Reasons you refuse to share, just as you never shared details on how you found us in the first place,’ Adil responded sceptically. 

Azrael paused.

‘Well, that part, at least, is easy… For whatever reason, my Umbra led me to you.’

Adil shook his head.

‘Yet you claim to only know the direction Mertrashida went…’

Once again, Azrael’s face twisted momentarily, displaying significant annoyance at Adil’s tone.

‘As I was saying,’ he began, his voice dripping with disdain, ‘my Umbra led me to you. Not to your companion, not to the pair of you, but to you specifically, Adil Tekin. More accurately, I suspect he led me to the Umbra within you. Regardless of this, I went out of my way to get even that much information for you, so instead of complaining about how little you know, how about you show a little gratitude?’’

This time it was Adil’s turn to pause.

‘Wait… What? Why me? Why not the Umbra bonded to Mertrashida?’

Azrael shook his head, sighing inwardly.

‘Sadly, as of yet, I have no idea. The Umbra I bear within has been a little hazy on the details, only showing me glimpses of sensation when it was absolutely unavoidable and necessary. You could say we have quite a lot of difficulty in getting along,’ he snorted as he trailed off, deep in thought.

'You want to know why just as much as I do,' Adil realised aloud.

'More. I have grown used to being in the know… These days, anything that gets past me really pisses me off.'

Azrael shook his head as he spoke, then met Adil's gaze.

'Never keep me in the dark. You figure some part of this out, you find a way to contact me. No waiting for a better moment, no distractions. Is that understood?'

Adil nodded, swallowing. His entire body came alive with chills and tremors as fear once again coursed through his veins - the threat in Azrael’s tone was distinct and impossible to miss.

'Say it. It is understood. Say it!’'

'I-It is understood,' Adil stammered.

Azrael nodded curtly, then turned and made his way toward the hideaway's exit. 

'Very good," he snarked as he moved. 'I believe now is as good a time as any to go look for your friend. You… Stay,' he laughed mockingly, shambling away.

Adil pushed and tugged against the bindings on his arms and legs, to no avail.

'Yeah… Right. Like I can go anywhere,' he sulked as he settled into his seat; it was likely to be a long and vastly uncomfortable wait. ‘I thought we were on the same side!’ He called after Azrael, tugging against his restraints.

A distance away, somewhere in the early stages of the journey from Ottaviano to Rome, Antonio ordered the group to a halt. Casting a look at the sleeping form of Alessandro, he then turned his attention to his men and to Mertrashida.

‘Alright, everybody listen up. Our charge is waiting for us in Vasto, to the East. Alessandro here needs to get to Rome. I believe it is clear that the boy will not survive the trip through Vasto…’ Turning to the big man carrying Alessandro, he continued. ‘Take Magnus and the boy, keep going North. The rest of us will meet you in Rome once we secure our charge. Girl - Mertrashida, right? I would like to pick your brain some about what happened to the boy, but I can wait until we meet again if you would prefer to stick with him.’

Mertrashida nodded, thankful for the chance.

‘One condition, though; naturally, you are to stay bound the entire journey. Until I know more, I must insist that you remain our prisoner until we have what we need. Considering the choice I am offering you, this should be more than fair. Agreed?’

‘Agreed,’ Mertrashida said simply, unable to stop a slight smile from creeping onto her face.

‘Then, I believe that is everything. Men, we had better get moving.’

With that, the already small group split into two; Mertrashida, Magnus and the unnamed Guard carrying Alessandro continued their journey to the North, while Antonio took the rest of his team and peeled away to the East.

Eyes glued to what little she could see of Alessandro from behind, Mertrashida kept pace with the others, though her mind was as focused on the boy as her eyes were. So focused she had been, in fact, that she didn’t even notice that something was missing.

Not for the first time, Mertrashida considered taking Alessandro and jumping ahead to Rome. This idea, of course, came with its own risks; as helpful and friendly as the Praetorians seemed to be, she was in no hurry to expose the Umbra to a trained group of soldiers she barely knew a thing about. Though, she supposed, the same was true about Adil, yet she had bonded him without a moment’s hesitation - but, in the end, he had already been attacked by a host and had saved both her and her collection of stolen Umbra before she offered him his own.

She spent some time pondering her options, but opted to save such drastic actions for if Alessandro’s condition worsened. In the meantime, she tried to distract herself with thoughts of Adil. 

What could drive him to do such a thing? What did he even do, and where did he go?

Such questions would have to go unanswered, it seemed. Whatever Adil was up to now, she could only hope to find him before anyone else got hurt.

  A groan of pain from ahead broke Metrashida’s train of thought as Alessandro began to stir. He whimpered and cried, shaking in the big man’s arms. 

‘The boy runs low on time,’ the big man carrying him announced, picking up the pace. 

‘Rome is still a long way away,’ Magnus observed, his face set like stone.

‘I fear we have no chance of making it on time,’ the first man continued, glancing down at the frail form in his arms.

Mertrashida felt a crushing wave of dread and sorrow roll over herself, her body chilling as she listened. As non-specific as the men were trying to remain, their fear was clear - Alessandro was hours, if not minutes, from succumbing to the havoc wreaked on his insides. 

The boy was dying. 

Weighing the new odds in her mind, Mertrashida made a decision. 

‘If we get him to Rome, are you sure you can save him?’

The first man didn’t alter his movement at all, he just called back over his shoulder.

‘We cannot do anything. There is one man there, though, who just might have a chance. Problem is, the way things stand now… Alessandro here has no chance of making it that far.’

Mertrashida swallowed. Magnus, casting a sideways glance at the girl, saw the remaining colour drain from her face.

‘Damn it, Cassius, you grim b*****d…’

‘Lying to the girl will help nobody. At least with the truth out there it will come as less a shock and more a mere tragedy when the boy goes.’

Cassius, the big man carrying Alessandro, was certainly straightforward. Magnus, on the other hand, was more interested in easing the burden. Two very different men, but Mertrashida was thankful for both of them.

‘So… Cassius, Magnus… This is going to sound crazy, but… I can get us tom Rome in time.’

This time, Cassius actually turned atop his mount, staring back at Mertrashida.

‘What are you talking about?’ He asked, equally curious and concerned. 

Is the girl losing it?

Mertrashida pursed and twisted her lips, deeply considering her next actions.

Then, she and her mount completely disappeared.

‘Merda!’ Magnus swore.

Cassius looked around in bewilderment, then froze.

‘Magnus… Magnus! Look ahead!’

Magnus turned from where Mertrashida had just been and looked ahead, past Cassius’s left side.

About 10 metres ahead, standing proudly among the scattered bushes of the Roman countryside, was the combined figure of Mertrashida and her mount, both staring back at the men.

Satisfied that they had seen her, Mertrashida urged her dromedary onward, back toward the group.

‘I was… More than a little reluctant to show you all what I can do, but there is too much at stake here now. Besides, none of your team have given me reason to doubt that I can trust you, so… Yeah, I can get us to Rome in an instant. Come on, gather close and grab my arms.’

‘You and I are going to have a conversation about holding out when this is all done,’ Magnus grumbled, though he and Cassius both steered their mounts closer to the girl, relief and hope etched upon their faces as they did so.

Mertrashida reached toward Cassius with both hands, wrists still bound, and took Alessandro’s right hand between both of her own. Magnus and Cassius shared a quick glance between themselves, then reached forward and planted a hand each on the girl’s arms - Magnus resting his right palm atop her right shoulder, Magnus placing his left upon her left forearm.

‘So, how does-’

Magnus’s words were lost then, as the small group vanished from the Roman countryside, disappearing from sight without a further sound.

  

Quite a distance away, on the outskirts of Rome, the small group reappeared just as suddenly.

‘-this work?’ Magnus finished his earlier question, before he had time to process what had happened.

‘We should hurry,’ Mertrashida said nervously, eyeing off a nearby stable. 

‘Right. Alessandro needs to be seen right away, we should go…’ Cassius responded, glancing down at the boy in his arms. The group dismounted from the dromedaries, though Mertrashida noticed the two men made no effort to secure their mounts - and the mounts in turn seemed content to remain in place while they waited for the riders to return.

Mertrashida nodded.

‘That, and… I may have… “borrowed”  a pair of dromedaries from just over there,’ she admitted, gesturing with her chin toward an empty hitching post. ‘I would rather avoid telling the owner what became of them,’ she continued, thinking back to the mess she had discovered back at her Mount Vesuvius camp.

Magnus chuckled as he urged the group onward, toward the city interior.

‘So be it… Do me a favour, though - try not to confess to any more crimes around Cassius and myself. You may well have done good today, but we still work for the Emperor.’

Mertrashida nodded. 

‘Thanks for the warning. How far do we have to go? I can take us a little closer if we need…’

‘No, no, this is close enough… Besides, you were right to keep this ability hidden from people. We should continue to keep them in the dark, or things may get infinitely more complicated. Come, our man is right through here,’ Magnus responded, moving ahead to guide the way as he stepped through a side alley.

 Making their way around the side of a relatively newly built little structure, Mertrashida was a little surprised to see a short-haired middle-aged man draped in flowing white robes leaning over a table, studying the elderly man resting atop its surface.

‘Archagathus!’

The man in white turned as Cassius called out in greeting. He squinted at the newcomers for a moment, before finally recognising the Praetorian. 

‘Ah, Cassius. Good to see you well, my friend. My apologies, my eyes are not what they used to be,’ he confessed.

‘Can you not fix them?’ Magnus suggested, much to Archagathus’ amusement; the man snorted a little, shaking his head.

‘If only it were that easy… I tell you, once you learn the basics of medicine, people see you as some kind of God… Truthfully, I can do little more than ease pain and discomfort in most cases.’

Mertrashida frowned. If that were the case, did he really have any hope of fixing Allesandro?

‘No matter… What can I do for you, my friend?’ Archagathus asked, turning back to check on his patient.

‘This child needs help. He knocks on Orcus’ door as we speak,’ Cassius answered solemnly, offering a view of the boy in his arms.

Archagathus peered at the boy for a moment, then turned back to his patient. He spoke softly to the elderly fellow, who then thanked him and slowly rose to a sitting position. As Archagathus turned his complete attention to the newcomers, the elder continued to dismount the table, retrieved his robe from a nearby bench, and made his way out past Mertrashida and her companions.

‘This boy is not well,’ Archagathus observed.

‘Yeah, no kidding,’ Mertrashida said under her breath.

Ignoring her comment, Archagathus turned and made his way to the table. He pulled away the sheet of cloth laying on its upper surface, and replaced it with an identical one.

‘Set him down here,’ he said, gesturing to the table as he turned and began to select a few tools from another bench.

Cassius stepped forward, turned to face the table, and gently lay Alessandro atop the surface. Stepping back, he held out an arm to guide Mertrashida and Magnus further from the table, knowing Archagathus needed as little interruption as possible.

‘You can all wait there or come back later, it matters little to me,’ Archagathus commented, not taking his eyes from his new patient. ‘As long as nobody distracts me or gets in the way.’

Mertrashida turned to face the Praetorians, unsure of what to do next.

‘What now?’

Magnus beat her to the punch, turning to Cassius for guidance; there seemed little difference, but Cassius appeared to outrank Magnus slightly, a fact that the former took in his stride. 

‘Now we drink,’ Cassius offered, a gleam in his eye.

‘I hope you realise I am still a little young to be allowed to join you,’ Mertrashida pointed out.

The men seemed to take no notice, they merely walked away in search of the nearest popina. All thought of Alessandro, and indeed, Mertrashida herself, seem to have left their mind altogether in favour of the thought of fresh wine. 

Still standing by Archagathus’ work station, Mertrashida found herself a shaded little hideaway to sit in wait. She wanted to speak to Kuyutha once more, and couldn’t have someone chance upon her while she was out.

Closing her eyes and leaning back against a dusty wooden crate, Mertrashida allowed the void to envelop her, embracing the nothingness as it swallowed her consciousness.

‘You wanted to see me, child?’

Kuyutha’s unmistakable deep voice boomed around and within her, prompting her to reopen her eyes inside the void.

‘I did. I would like to ask you something, if you have no objections…’

Kuyutha bowed once, her eyes never leaving Mertrashida’s.

‘What else can you and I do? Besides jump around from place to place, that is,’ she added, as though it were necessary.

Kuyutha paused, thinking for a moment.

‘To list our abilities now would limit your own capabilities… If you can imagine something that depends on location, the chances are that you can do it. I will tell you, however, you can use our abilities to move, to fight, to observe, or to trick your opponents. There are many applications for our power, and I would never dream of capping off your abilities.

There is, also, the added strength of just having an Umbra bonded to you. As we have already discussed, your body is a significant amount more durable now, and can only succumb to magic-based ailments and injuries - though even those, against your increased fortitude, will be less likely to prove fatal. Your burns from the Fire host are proof of this - the mortals all paid with their lives, but with my help, you were merely scarred.’

Mertrashida considered these words carefully, but for all her attempts, she couldn’t figure out why she felt as though she were paying too little attention. 

‘Can you tell me one more thing?’

Kuyutha hummed in agreement, as seemed to be her custom.

‘Have I been making the right choices?’

Kuyutha sighed, more than a little exasperated. 

‘Second guessing yourself? Do you doubt your own drive?’

 Mertrashida paused.

‘Not at all,’ she lied. ‘I just… I know I can improve, and would like to be aware of any mistakes I may be repeating…’ This much at least was true, though there was little doubt that Kuyutha knew where her honesty lay. 

‘There is one thing…’

Mertrashida froze, wondering what she could have done wrong. 

‘You allow yourself to lose all thought when your emotions come into play.’

Looking up, Mertrashida could do little to hide the confusion on her face.

‘What do you mean?’

Kuyutha paused, weighing her words.

‘Since meeting your young friend, you have become quite careless and unfocused,’ the Umbra answered. ‘Will that be all?’ She continued, dismissing the subject.

Mertrashida gritted her teeth, then nodded reluctantly. She wasn’t sure she had really learned anything, but only time would tell.

‘Until next time,’ Kuyutha’s voice echoed, while the void fell away around Mertrashida, returning her to full consciousness.

Opening her eyes, Mertrashida was treated to the sight of a concerned Archagathus ordering an assistant to find Cassius, then hurrying back to the table where Alessandro lay. Worry gripped her like a vice as she stood on shaking legs, watching as Alessandro’s small body writhed on the table, shaking and convulsing violently. 

Willing herself to move forward, Mertrashida took one step after another, slowly approaching the table. Whatever she expected to see, she was shocked and horrified to see how Alessandro’s condition had worsened.

His skin was a dry, pale grey that contrasted deeply with the layer of fresh blood that coated his torso and half of the table. His entire body tremored, pulling against the restraints that Archagathus was then fixing to his arms, legs and chest. His eyes bulged, betraying an immense pain inside, and as Mertrashida watched, he began to lift his head and repeatedly smash it backwards into the table until Mertrashida placed her open palm in the way.

Seconds later, Archagathus appeared at her side, replacing her hand with a thick padded cloth. He took Mertrashida by the shoulders and guided her outside, insisting that she had no need to see what was happening. 

As she stood there, watching helplessly from a distance, Cassius and Magnus appeared around the corner, hurrying back with Archagthus’ assistant in tow. The men approached Archagathus, both requesting to help. Archagathus opened his mouth to respond, but then he was interrupted when Alessandro’s convulsing grew worse, accompanied by broken screams.

All three men sprung into action; Cassius and Magnus moved to the boy’s side, attempting to soothe him, while Archagathus turned and began mixing a concoction. 

Mertrashida stood in place, unable to do anything to help as Alessandro burned through his final burst of energy. She knew he was about to die; they all knew. Still, all three men and even the young assistant, having joined Archagathus in his task, determinedly continued with everything they had, hoping to save the boy’s life.

Damn it! Mertrashida cursed to herself. There has to be something I can do… Something that can heal him… 

Dropping to the ground, Mertrashida covered her face in her hands, finally beginning to crack. Her hands settled over the various surfaces of her face as she seemed to freeze in place. The slight jutting pressure of her eyelashes, the smooth skin of her left cheek… The scarred, bumpy skin on the other.

That’s it!

Mertrashida’s eyes snapped open as she realised. How could she have been so blind, all this time?

Finally, as her new plan rushed through her mind like the water of a breaking dam, she began to realise what Kuyutha had meant. In her desperation and worry for Alessandro, she had forgotten that she, alone, had possibly the only viable means of saving him - an Umbra. Just as Kuyutha had healed the burns Setesh had inflicted upon her body, so too could another Umbra heal the mess that Alessandro’s insides had become.

Cursing herself for her carelessness, Mertrashida looked down to grab an urn from the makeshift sling she had made - and realized once more how right Kuyutha was.

She no longer had the urns.

Thinking back, she desperately hurried to remember where she might have lost them. She recalled still having them when she took Alessandro home, so…

Balbina!

Stunned, Mertrashida froze at the realization. Balbina must have taken the rope from her when she lay her in the bed, most likely forgetting it herself amidst worrying for her son. At least, so Mertrashida hoped.

Looking up, Mertrashida noticed that Alessandro was still shaking on the table, his head lolling from side to side. None of the adults seemed to be paying attention to her, so she made her way out of view, then recalled the image of the Paterra home in her mind.

Within an instant, she was there, standing next to the bed she had been resting in not so long ago. A quick check of the room revealed no urns, she Mertrashida stepped into the hallway, peering each way cautiously. The last thing she wanted was to frighten or upset Balbina, so she opted to try to find the urns as quickly and as quietly as possible.

Following a hunch, Mertrashida made her way toward the green door that led outside. If she was right, the urns may have simply been set just inside as an afterthought among the commotion of Balbina seeing her son in the state she had. 

Now standing right in front of the green door, Mertrashida peered into the room on her right.

There they were, right next to the open doorway.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Mertrashida ducked into the room and grabbed the rope, looping it around herself as she had previously. As she did so, however, a noise caught her attention. A footstep, followed and repeated, approaching from the hallway. Hurriedly tying off the rope as she did previously, Mertrashida closed her eyes and jumped back to her original place near Archagathus’ station. She shook her head quickly, then began to focus. Rifling through the sack, she chose an urn, then stepped around the corner as she pulled it free.

Alessandro lay motionless on the table, his chest no longer rising and falling shakily.

Hurrying to his side, Mertrashida could hear the blood in her ears as she stared down at the boy. 

Is it too late?

No sooner had she had the thought, then Alessandro took a single, shaky breath.

Good enough.

As one of the men tried to pull her away, Mertrashida tore the lid free of her chosen urn, opened Alessandro’s mouth with her free hand, and began to pour the contents into his mouth. It was difficult, with her wrists still bound, but she managed nonetheless.

Magnus tried to grab the urn as the boy choked and sputtered weakly, but Mertrashida managed to evade his hand and finished pouring the thick liquid down the boy’s throat. 

Alessandro suddenly fell silent again and stopped moving, leaving everyone in Archagathus’ station watching with bated breath. 

No movement. No breathing.

Several minutes passed in silence before Archagathus began to lay a sheet over Alessandro’s body, a grim heaviness weighing down the air. Magnus pulled Mertrashida to the side, where they were quickly joined by Cassius.

‘What was that?’

‘That was me trying to save his life,’ Mertrashida answered determinedly.

Cassius shook his head.

‘Hardly seemed that way from where I stood,’ he said simply.

Mertrashida opened her mouth to argue, when Archagathus’ assistant cried out. Turning their attention to the young man, everyone was stunned to see Alessandro sitting up on the table, wiping blood from his mouth. The boy recoiled in shock at the noise and sudden attention, then his eyes began to tear up.

‘Where is my mother?’ He asked, starting to cry.

Mertrashida paused, then stepped forward.

‘Your mother is at home, waiting for you to get better.’

Alessandro sniffled, noticing Mertrashida.

‘Take me home?’ He asked hopefully.

Mertrashida nodded.

‘You got it, buddy.’

Archagathus held up a palm, stepping forward.

‘Now, hold it right there… Kid, we can get you home soon enough, but first, I need to make sure you healed enough to go anywhere.’

Mertrashida  cleared her throat, drawing everyone’s attention.

‘He healed just fine,’ she observed. ‘Look at him; mere moments ago, he was ready for burial... Now, though? Well, you see,’ she finished as Alessandro hopped free of the table.

‘It is precisely the fact that he died on my table moments ago that tells me he cannot possibly be healed enough…’ Archagathus replied.

‘Huh? I died?’

Alessandro’s voice turned everyone on their heels to look at him once more. Truth be told, he sounded fine, but Archagathus’ every instinct told him that simply could not be the case.

‘Yeah, kid, you sure looked that way,’ Magnus said, as Archagathus’ assistant began to check Alessandro over. 

‘Does my mother know?’

‘No she does not, praise be to the Gods,’ Cassius responded, his face etched with worry. Alessandro nodded.

‘Good.’

Mertrashida frowned, her thoughts now with Balbina. The woman had a right to know what had happened, and that her son was no longer pounding on death’s door.

Calling Magnus to her side, Mertrashida stepped away, out of earshot of Alessandro and the others. When Magnus joined her in place, she turned and spoke softly, showing him the empty urn she still held in her right hand. 

‘I suppose you already figured that this is what healed him… More than that though, this will have given him some… Strange abilities, much like my own.’ Having finished showing the empty urn, Mertrashida returned it to the sack with those yet to be consumed.

‘What kind of abilities should we expect from him?’

Mertrashida shrugged. 

‘He now has the power to control the wind and air, so I would say… Flight, perhaps?’

Magnus’ eyes widened at the mention of Alessandro’s new dominion, but he quickly dropped his expression and nodded solemnly.

‘Right… You know, now that the boy is expected to live, I think you owe Cassius and I some kind of explanation,’ he begrudged.

Mertrashida nodded back, frowning.

‘You got it. First, though… I think I should tell Balbina she can stop worrying about her son.’

The Praetorian considered this for a moment, then shook his head. 

‘No. I mean, sure, we should let her know… But we should wait for his full recovery, and then bring him back to show her himself, once we know for sure. If we tell her he got better and then he dies again anyway… I fear I could never face his mother again.’

Mertrashida nodded reluctantly. She could at least jump back and tell Balbina that they were making progress… Sighing, she turned away from the Praetorian and looked back toward the others.

‘Then I suppose we just wait for the rest of your team so you can finish your job, right?’

‘Suppose that sounds right,’ the man responded. ‘I was hoping you could fill us in a little while we wait... Thoughts?’

Pausing, Mertrashida considered her choices. In the end, though, the Praetorians had been nothing but helpful and seemed to be good enough people… She trusted them this far, there should be no reason she couldn’t give them a little insight, especially if it meant they could help.

‘Alright. Just you and Cassius at the moment, though, then we should probably talk to Archagathus. We can fill the rest of your team in when they show up.’

Magnus nodded, pleased.

‘That sounds reasonable. I want to keep an eye on Alessandro a little longer, but after that, we’re all yours.’

He paused for a second, then retrieved a small knife from his belt. Gesturing with his hands, he had Mertrashida hold hers out, and he began to cut at the bindings on her wrists.

‘If you want something to do in the meantime, I would suggest you go grab something to eat before you end up being the one on the table.’ He rummaged in his coin purse, tucked under his armor, and handed her a small bundle of silver coins. ‘You can pay me back some other time.’

At the mention of food, Mertrashida suddenly realised how long it had been since she had eaten. Somehow, in all of the distress and commotion, she had managed to completely overlook the gnawing pain and weakness. Nodding at Magnus, she stepped away silently and began searching for something to eat.

‘Hey, Mertrashida!’ Magnus called from behind.

Turning, Mertrasida met his eye and waited.

‘Pick something up for the boy, too, would you? I believe he could use it.’

‘You got it! Thanks!’ She called back, then continued on her way.