Katz was there, she was at the place in the street they were, it was colder than her clothes; winter was there. The snow fell, as the wind picked up and up faster. “It is going to be a blizzard.” Said Christopher.
“How bad?” asked Anjel. “A month or two, Darling saved us from this day but while she is gone; my lady we get to do our duty.” Christopher laid his hands on another soldier in the underground hall, he went down; deep and low with chicken, torches, hay and water; sat the elderly already and the smallest children, some cried for hunger as mothers feed them.
“What is this place?” asked Anjel. Christopher said as he gently touched the face of a woman, she looked up to him. “This is the final keep; if we get to here we have lost all.” Anjel said. “The alamo?” Christopher looked at her, he put a piece of straw in his mouth; and said. “Did you know this is how in the past they cleaned their teeth with twigs, today we know that antibodies are found in twigs; better than plain toothbrushes.” “No.” replied Anjel.
The night fell on them; it was very bitter, with the solar power gone all they had was the
batteries going low, and wood for fuel so many fireplaces were started, Many huddled together.
“Amazing how a crisis will bring people together.” Said Christopher. “Too bad we have to be here to see it, but we can leave.” Anjel said. “Leave?” he asked. “Yes there is a time machine here, we found it.” Christopher shook his head. “What?” Anjel said. “A time machine here, we can get them to go, who cares where.” “Show me.”
Anjel standing looked at him. “One thing. I killed many there and then they killed more of ours.” He made sure to bring ten soldiers with them as they went to look for it, the house was empty and getting colder, no fires set. The bodies were there. “You did this?” “Yes.” said Anjel.
Katz was freezing when the elder woman saw her, she begged her in and in front of a fire gave her soup. “My dear what are you doing back?” “I could not leave Anjel alone, she confided in me her deepest thoughts.”
Down they went and followed her past the
tobacco leaves, and to the dungeon. “There is where the children were caged and tortured, that is their mother.” “Get her down.” The soldiers looked. “I said get her down! And cover her now!!” The others listened and moved on order. He went close to watch. “Careful.”
It was then that they heard the first horns, the alarm was sounded. As the door was opened by Anjel the machine was destroyed, the crystals gone, wire torn sabotaged.
“Well so much for that thought, can you build it?” “No.” What they did not know, the Celtic king had been watching, Darling had given them away. One day as he was delegating the death of deserter slaves including torture to Doom. “My lord, it is here again.” He stood up, a beast of a man 280 pounds of pure muscle.
He watched Darling as she watched TV. He did not get it as she turned the channel. “What is this?” “Magic.” said the tattooed woman. “She has power, and this blonde woman is her mother?” “We think so.” “I want them both to be my slaves.” His first in arms was beside him. “Do you see this? What is that?” “My lord I… I do not know” He knew he was a roman legionnaire in many battles with scars to prove it.
As Darling watched the TV and did her thing, modern warfare was on the TV
tanks, planes, rockets. “How?” “My lord I do not know.” “Take the wares to the hadrian wall, you may go past that back to your place; take six months and see your family.” He knelt, “My lord.” “Stand, I want you to make sure and get the most money you can for the slaves, and find out what this is.” “My lord, I…..” He put up his hand. “If they can, we can.”
He did the journey was months long and the visit back let him relive his past. Rome was bustling, the coliseum was bristling; he did not care to see it again, slaves vs deserters. But as soon as he came in on the convoy he was noticed, the cages full of people the spoils of war. Money was good for such a thing.
Past the large marble columns he went, his mother was there, pearl necklace, white gown. “My son.” She hugged him. “Mom it is good to see you.” “Are you done?” “No mama.” She hugged him again. “What?” “I am to find out what we saw, it was like fire, but faster; my lord told me to find it.”
“If you do this for him will you finally be free?” “Mamma I, he began to think; fire has been used forever, but this was a new fire. “I have something you should read.” “Okay Mamma” He read what she gave him and it dawned on him powder, he read again, powder. He read so closely that even though Rome did not have it, the material was there, he imitated what he saw on the TV. For days he got it wrong and then one day. Poof.
As he laid the candle to the material it flared in brilliant color. The selling of slaves made a fortune and he bought a ton of it. “Son what are you doing?” one day she asked.
“What I am ordered to do.” He gathered the material separately in wagons covered; enough money for guards, but the celts and romans were no longer fighting. They decided to work together; this pleased his master for dominance.
The army that Abby fled from, as she killed one scout then many more; did not forget the river. It took him another few months to travel back; and as he did he noticed the tower was larger; he already told them how to lift rocks. Wood was gathered all around.
Fire was made hot with blowers again by his words. He came into the city with the wagons the wealth. His master said. “Just in time, show me.” He said as he got down. “Just a moment, this is dangerous.”
He trusted his first and waited and knelt as he pounded the parts together and threw it in the fire, it sparked and blew burning his hair. “Perfect.”
Some million strong went towards the castle, some 1 million more for supplies, carts; the logistics were hard. To feed an army on the march. “Take from all the areas as we go.” He smiled as he got on the horse, “Good job.” He got on his horse and followed as the winter fell, the snow helped them move undetected. The fires they held on torches seen by others looking like a moving worm, or lava; letting them know they were coming.
The snow was already deep as one of the scout parties was trying to find out what was going on. The horses were tired and sweating even in the snow; Christophers nephew was in the lead. “Build a fire.” The blizzard made it hard; but in time it was built, carefully they built the fire. It was night, not that they could tell.
The horses would not budge tired out, so on foot, thick animal cloth for protection. In their city they knew it was needed. His nephew watched through the snow, as listened, the snow was falling on them all and collecting on their coats. Another of them went further, in the snow he said. “Wait.” and then he saw it. In the snow blinding him, two fell fast to arrows. He grabbed his horse and started back. “Go, go go!!!
His horse was tired and would not gallop anymore, he let it go slow. The snow blinded him, he could not see well and could not see the tower. He knew it was his duty. He got off the horse and led it in the snow, as he watched over his shoulder. He heard screams in the night, sounds of laughter.
How he thought, and one was captured alive. “This is a viking punishment, for traitors” The fire was built on a piece of metal for iron hot; he took his blade as the young man waited. The blade tore the flesh of his back and was flaided back, then the iron was used to cauterize the wound. “This will hurt.” He took his blade and split his ribs apart from the back. He took the iron and stuck it in his back. He screamed in pain and it could be heard from a long way.
They flaided his skin back and raised him on wood, he stood up like a cross, his skin like angel's wings. He was brought closer so his cries would be heard and finally seen. Anjel ran to the wall again, Christopher shouted. “Open the gates!” His cousin came in fast as the army was first on the north. “It has begun.” Said Christopher. “Men get on your stations!” But they did not come, they waited as the man was brought forth on a wagon split open. Christopher took an arrow and shot him in the heart. He ended that suffering.
“They will try to take the first wall, we must hold them back.” Katz had been with the elderly lady, she was tired. “Are you okay?” “My lady.” She was old and an elder and sat in her bed. “I was the one who saw Angel and Darling come to the city clothed in your time, I was the one who saved Darling and tutored her; but I am old; my time has passed. I led a good life; what can i say?” She laid down and gave up her ghost. Nearly 300 years of Darling's desires made her well past her prime.
Katz placed the blanket she had over her head as she was gone. The keeper of records. “Rest well.” “Please come back Darling, please.” She pleaded in her brain.