Hey guys and gals...



No, I haven't forgotten about any of my other fics...The semester up here
has begun, however, so the chapters will come in longer time...



For those that liked it, the second chapter of Pearls is about halfway
done...It's an interesting experiment...



Anyway...



Disclaimer:

Evangelion doesn't belong to me or anyone else on this list. Live with it.

I've borrowed the characters with situations to make a grand story of love

and betrayal and men in skirts...Er...Togas...Live with it.



C&C, as always, is wanted and welcomed;

gargoyle@glasscity.net

gargoyle9@hotmail.com

or

gargoyle4@hotmail.com

Flames will be sacrificed in the name of Caesar!



Many thanks to me prereaders...Adrian Forest and Dave Menard and David Anez
(sorry about the tilde)...Thanks! ^_^



So...Sit back and enjoy!

Salud!



***



"Isn't there any other way?"



Aequus looked at the man across the table. He just sat there

sometimes, looking out the window at the horizon, as if searching

for an answer. Aequus went back to the mound of papers in front

of him.



"No," the man said.



"Even you're not sure of this, are you?"



There was a silence.



"Didn't think so," Aequus sighed, "They should all return in a

couple of weeks. Your son has become something of a soldier.

He's been in a few battles and has even been given control of the

army..."



There was more silence and Aequus glanced up from the

provincial paperwork. He was struck, in that instant, by how much

alike the man and his son looked.



"What of Kalendis?" the man asked.



Aequus read the note again.



"She was injured in the first battle," he said, "Your son took over at

that point and most likely saved them all. At least that's what the

message says."



Silence.



"They'll be home shortly," Aequus said quietly.



"Yes."



***



The Fate of Hearts

By

Joshua Trujillo



Part IX - A Piece of the Empire



***



Caeles turned in his saddle and looked back across the column of

troops. It still amazed him that the Empire could give him such an

army as this. All crack troops, numbering in the thousands...It was

a commander's dream. Caeles sighed. Of those troops, the final

count said that for every legionnaire lost, the enemy-



No, Caeles stopped himself, Not the enemy anymore.



...The people they were fighting lost five of their own. Five for

one. Those were damned good odds. But still, Caeles lost over a

thousand men. Many of the men marching in the columns had

injuries on top of injuries. Caeles had ordered that the columns

slow so that those men wouldn't be burdened to keep up and that

the rest of the men could flank them in case of attack. None had

come in the two weeks of marching home, but that was no reason

to think it might not happen.



They had been in Fragosus for only two weeks. It took them longer

to get there and get home. The new mayor had wanted them to stay

longer, but Caeles declined. He wanted to return home. A rider had

come from Urba Tertius a few days before they left saying that the

Emperor himself had designated a new provincial governor and

that Aequus Neocorus was now this new man's second. Caeles

wondered what his father thought of the decision, but let it drop.

No one knew what his father thought. Ever.



Two weeks in Fragosus and five pitched battles. Five long, painful,

bloody battles. A thousand legionnaires and five thousand Daens.

That's what they were called, the tribe that attacked them. Daens.

They had come from a region up the coast and had fled their

ancestral home because of bad crops in the summer and harsh

winters. Caeles could understand. He lived through a bad year in

Egypt and knew how that could affect a people.



The first fight was the worst. It had seen the promotion of Caeles

the civilian to the rank of Commander. The fight had taken General

Kalendis right out of the action. She had been apparently speared

in the side during the battle and was close to death when he and

Vivo finally got her back to the city. Certus certainly had some

kind of magic to get her to live. Caeles smiled. He had

remembered the horror stories of his youth that were drilled into

him by his teachers. "Leave the wounded where they lay if they

can't rise for themselves."..."'Tis better that wolves take back their

Roman babes than the enemy behead for a trophy."...Other bitter

aphorisms swam in his head. And all of them quashed in the light

of Certus mending the wounded. Troops that Caeles certainly

would have thought not long for this world she had brought back to

health. Some were even marching now. It truly amazed him.



Compared to the first fight, the rest were skirmishes, but they still

took their toll. During the fourth battle, a band of legionnaires were

able to capture one of the leaders alive. It was really a stroke of

luck that they stumbled upon him as he watched the battle from a

nearby hillside. The huge man was brought back to Fragosus under

guard and Caeles negotiated a truce with him to take back to his

people.



Caeles was dumbfounded the man listened and agreed as he did.

Then the big leader, whose name Caeles couldn't pronounce if he

tried, explained why the raids into Roman territory were necessary.

Caeles thought back to that little blonde girl he had seen on his ride

into town. Sure, she was happy and warm now, but what of then?

What if she had been that way for a couple months? A couple

years? His heart went out to these people and Caeles, against the

wishes of the older legionnaires, fought for a bargain to end the

conflict.



In the end, the fighting was over and a truce, however tenuous, was

agreed upon. It stated that the Daens would stop their attacks on all

Roman lands. This included the stealing of livestock and crops on

the outskirts where they thought no one would notice. In return, the

town of Fragosus would act as a fair and free trade town between

the Daens and the Roman Empire.



Romans trading with barbarians. Caeles couldn't believe it, but it

worked.



He thought that Mistura would be angry for taking the high road

with the Daens, but when she heard it from Caeles, she simply

smiled an odd smile and nodded before falling back to sleep.

Caeles didn't understand any of the signals, but Certus said that she

approved of his peaceful solution. The first of the Daen traders had

arrived a couple days before the legionnaires moved out. Having

hard years didn't make for that large a selection, but the work they

did have was exquisite. Caeles picked up a small wooden shield

that was intricately carved all around.



He looked down on his charger at the shield and picked it up to

examine it in the light of day. The carvings were wonderful. The

trader that sold it to him said that the actions depicted on the shield

weren't myth, but rather really happened. Four sections, divided

somewhat unevenly by two crossing bars in the middle. It looked a

bit like a crucifix, which disturbed Caeles to no end, but the

serpent around the edge was what sealed the deal between them.

The snake was wound upon itself, around and around the edge of

the shield. It intertwined inside and out around it's own coils, but

having only one discernable beginning and end. At the top, there

was a bit of yellow-colored stone set as an eye, like someone

dropped a dollop of honey and it had dried. The end of the snake

was in the it's mouth. It was swallowing it's own tail! Even as he

turned the shield this way and that, he thought he could even see

the jaws of the serpent working away at it's own self, always

greedily gulping more as it chewed away for eternity.



Caeles blinked a couple times and replaced the shield. It had been

a long day, even if the Spring sun had come out to warm them all

southward. He slowed his horse and brought it back to a wagon,

flanked on the side away from Caeles by Certus.



"General Kalendis, you should be resting," he said.



"I am," she replied brightly, "I'm not riding a horse, am I?"



Mistura had propped herself up in the back of the wagon with

some of the other wounded, who were looking at Caeles for some

respite. Apparently, the small mound of coins in front of Mistura

represented their waning salaries. He stopped himself from

smirking. They knew better.



"I believe you know what he means, General," Certus said as

Mistura handed her the water flagon.



Mistura huffed and leaned back against the side of the wagon.

Certus gave her the flagon and trotted up to examine some of the

troops. Caeles came around and rode next to the brooding General.

She looked up at him with her violet eyes and Caeles thought for a

moment a look of envy, which quickly faded into a short smirk.



"Wanna play some cards?"



Caeles smiled back.



"No thanks," he said, "I'd rather keep my money."



She huffed and sat back again.



"It's just so boring..."



"You sound like Lagena," Certus said from near the front of the

wagon.



Certus rode back and Caeles came to the other side again.



"You'd rather we get attacked again?" he asked sarcastically.



Mistura smiled.



"No," her smiled faded, "Do we have final estimates yet?"



Certus nodded.



"We lost almost a third," Certus tallied, her voice tight, "Another

hundred or so later on from wounds. The Governor's REALLY not

going to like it."



"Aequus can go jump. We got the job done."



"Yes, General."



"Umm," Caeles wondered at himself, "You...Don't seem to get

along with Governor Neocorus."



"No," Mistura said sourly, "He slept his way to the top."



"And you're mad you didn't think of it first?" Certus piqued.



"Stuff it, Certus!" Mistura snorted, "He was a damn fine

commander in the legions as I was coming up through the ranks.

Then he met your father, Caeles, and something happened. Now,

it's like he's almost afraid to fight."



Caeles almost laughed out loud.



"My father has those kinds of effects-"



Sleeping to the top? Then, that would mean...Caeles began to feel

sick.



"Mistura," he asked cautiously, "When you said that he slept his

way to-"



"You're right Caeles, I'm sorry," she smiled weakly at him, "There

wasn't much sleeping going on..."



Caeles swallowed hard against the tide of things trying to come up

from within him.



"I think I'll see what Vivo's up to," he said softly.



He took a couple breaths and rode off toward the front of the

column. Mistura laughed and settled back into her own space at the

back of the wagon. The others in the wagon were more toward the

front and therefore not as liable to hear if she mumbled in her

sleep. That was good. Her side ached. Perhaps she could sleep a

little more. The road had flattened out as they reached the higher

plain toward the Alps and they'd soon be home.



***



Flustra watched as the command group entered the gates of the

governor's estate. A cool breeze blew up from the waters of the

river below. The last word she received was that they were on their

way home and that had been three weeks ago. Now was the time

that she would know him, and that he would know her.



"Lady Caecus," her slave said from the wardrobe, "There's still the

winter breeze from the mountain. I'll set out something warmer."



Flustra nodded and the woman began her work. A light covering of

snow lay on the ground, easily making way for the return of the

prodigal son. He was back. Flustra smiled slightly. He had a

present waiting for him and she would make sure he got it.



***



Caeles had dismounted as soon as they got into the courtyard,

eager to be on his own feet once again, but just as eager to get to

Mistura. Certus had stopped the wagon and helped some of the

more battered men as they passed the hospital in town, so it was up

to Caeles to help Mistura. She looked pale, but smiled nonetheless.



"Yeah," he said, "I'm glad to be home too."



She allowed Caeles to help her to the ground, but straightened

stiffly and saluted. Caeles turned and saluted to Aequus as he

crossed the courtyard, though not knowing why. He was, after all,

no longer in charge. Most likely out of respect.



"General Kalendis," he saluted them in return, "Welcome home. I

know you need to continue to heal, so I shall let your appointed

second deliver your report."



He turned to Caeles, who frowned and looked to Mistura.



"Yeah, that means you," she said, "Marcus was killed in the

advance group that was ambushed and you seemed to lead them as

well as any other."



Mistura smiled and laughed a little, but winced. Caeles threw up

another salute and tried not to smile. Aequus smiled and nodded.



"You know," Mistura said quietly, "That was probably the most

painful two miles on horseback that I've ever done..."



"You're the one that insisted on riding into town," Caeles smirked.



Mistura stuck out her tongue as Aequus turned back toward the

entrance to the domus.



"Unfortunately, you won't be giving that report to me," Aequus

continued, "I have been replaced in this matter, though the new

provincial governor wants me to maintain my place."



A small procession emerged from the residence, led by three men

in white robes. Caeles knew at once the style. It spoke that they'd

be wearing togas if it weren't so damned cold. Money. Quite a lot

of money, perhaps even patrician-



Caeles knew the walk of the man in the lead. The swagger that just

knelt on the throne of arrogance. Just enough to proclaim that he

knew better than to question his place, but that he was better than

that anyway. He had grown a beard since Caeles had last seen him,

another indication of the arrogance of power. Caeles felt sick. He

wanted to help Mistura away and almost wished that he had some

other reason to be elsewhere...But he didn't.



"And I think you know our new governor," Aequus continued as

the three men strode across the courtyard.



Fear ran hot and cold down his spine as Caeles watched the man

approach. Fear worse than when he faced down death by the blade.

Fear greater than anything. He knew that, even in the coolness of

the Spring afternoon, he was sweating and he knew that the man

wanted him to be fearful.



The leader of the three stopped and looked down at the boy, now a

young man, that he hadn't seen in almost ten years. He placed his

hands on his hips and smiled a leering smile that made Caeles

swallow hard.



"Good afternoon Caeles," he said, "It's been a while..."



Caeles almost couldn't speak at the familiar, terrible voice.



"Father..."



***



The Fate of Hearts

By

Joshua Trujillo



Part X - A Consequence of Faith



***



Mistura lay back in bed. Certus had just come in to change the

dressing on her wound and to give her the state of things.

Apparently Caeles was missing something from his room and

thieves were suspected. That's all they needed. Lagena insisted that

there were no thieves, but couldn't help anymore until Caeles told

her what was missing. Which he wouldn't. Of course, Mistura

could order Caeles to tell her and then they could just keep it a

secret and get on with it, but Mistura assumed that it was

something personal and disdained from ordering her troops

concerning anything personal. That tended to destroy morale. Not

that the new governor couldn't do that all on his own...



Effero Soter was a son of a bitch. That's all there was to it and

Mistura could understand some of the reasons that Caeles hated

him. She wasn't all that fond of him herself, but it was when he

ordered that all slaves be collared that things just went too far. This

wasn't Rome, dammit! Lagena had resigned her post as City Watch

Commander and it was only the fact that she was Mistura's slave

that kept her from being executed for disobeying an order. Mistura

gave her to Caeles as a belated birthday present, which seemed to

make his father happy and Caeles' first order was that she resume

her position as Commander of the City Watch.



Mistura smirked. Lagena chafed at being his slave, but she wisely

kept her mouth shut because she knew that Caeles could order

other things, too. Mistura doubted though that he'd take advantage

of that. As Commander, Lagena wouldn't be required to wear the

collar, and that calmed things down over the next few days. So that

lost the man favor amongst the servants. Then Effero wanted to

decree that the troops be taken out again and to have them force

taxes out of the two nearby villages. Mistura and Aequus were able

to talk him out of the idea before he said anything out loud, but it

was too close again. It was like he was trying to destroy what

they'd built, she didn't understand it.



There were two men that had come to Urba Tertius with Effero.

Memini Flos was the name of the youngest. A kid with sandy

brown hair, not too much older than Caeles, and yet he managed to

look weasely all the while. Probably too much time around the

elder Soter. Apparently Caeles was a study partner from his time in

Pompeii and that was good. It was good to see Caeles develop new

friends like Vivo and to be able to keep old ones alike. She was

afraid that she was pushing him along too quickly when she made

him Commander and all. He was just a natural leader, even if he

didn't think so. Memini was a good kid, if a little weird. He seemed

shocked to meet Mistura that day and find out she was a woman.

Mistura smiled up at the ceiling in her room. She liked doing that

to guys. But Memini seemed to shake it off and he had this weird

glow of awe toward her. It made her hackles stand on end a little

and she was slightly afraid that he'd prostrate himself if she said

anything. Mistura shook her head. Kid's these days...



And then there was the other man. Well, if man was a good term

for him. Pond scum fit better. But there was no surprise in his

appearance, really. She'd known he was going to be in Urba

Tertius...well...Since Fragosus...



***



Cold light shone through the burned out husks of the buildings

around him. He looked down again from the full moon that had

shared a part of his attention for a moment. The thing at his feet

was round and dull, shaded black from the soot, hardly

recognizable for what it was. The sides and front had been crafted

lovingly in clay, with a fine weave of animal hairs sewn into the

top. A simulacrum. The laughing face staring back at him, no less

than the laughing face of the child it belonged to in the far corner.

A cloud gently passed across the cold landscape and a slight breeze

settled around his feet. He went to the child and knelt, placing the

doll's head in her grasp one last time. The moon shone once more

and the white of the child's skull grinned a thanks for the return of

her plaything.



The man stood. He wasn't supposed to be in Fragosus this night,

but there he was. He looked across the small single room of the

burned out apartment to an adult in the other corner. Could have

been this child's parent, who knows now...He spied something. The

hand of the adult lay apart from the rest of the body, which was

sprawled out on the floor. The hand lay on a small pedestal,

probably of stone, that escaped the blaze set nights before.



The man shifted in his heavy tunic, honestly not used to being this

far north. He was caught a little unprepared for the harsh climate

and had improvised from the locals. He reached to a place at the

left side of his belt but froze as he felt the sharp point of a blade at

his right side. The point dug in, but suggested that he should turn

around. And so he did.



He smiled slightly at his assailant. Another cloud passed away,

letting the moon shine down on the smooth, pale skin of her face.

Her hair was just as he remembered it, almost a royal purple in its

darkness. The effects were marred by the heavy furs surrounding

her, the large bandage wrapped around her head, the thick draughts

of air that she seemed to be expending just to stand, and the silver

glint of her sword as it dug into his midsection. She breathed out

once more and straightened a little.



"Figured it was you," she said softly.



His slight smile faltered, but not enough to show.



"Mistura Kalendis," he said carefully, "As I live and breathe..."



"I can fix that," she replied as she dug the point in a little more,

"What are you doing here Libet?"



Libet Emissitius smiled and remembered what he'd reached for at

his waist. He pulled out a small camel-hair brush and showed it to

her. Mistura lowered her sword slightly, more out of decreasing

her effort than giving Libet solace.



"You have some idea why you're here," he asked, "Don't you?"



Her eyes narrowed.



"The barbarians..."



"The real reason?"



"The barbarians ARE the-"



His soft chuckle broke through the silent cold that was more than

the breezes that came off the bay. He turned back to the little

pedestal and knelt. She began to protest, but stopped herself.

Whatever brought him out here had been worth the Emperor's

time...He looked back up at her, his face deadly serious now. Libet

took the brush and flicked aside the hand from its place. He swept

the soot and ash away from the front of the pedestal. A small

carving appeared on the front side of the pedestal. Mistura held her

breath as she bent to look at the thing in the moonlight. He blood

ran cold at the sight of it. A snake. Wrapped in a never-ending

circle. Always swallowing it's tail. She tried to straighten, but felt

like she was going to pass out. She closed her eyes against the fear

that ran through her and stood straight.



The air felt cold. A cleansing cold that also smelled of death.

Mistura knew the meaning of the symbol on the pedestal as well as

Libet. She also knew what it meant about the intelligence that was

provided her. A jab of pain at her side made her whimper slightly,

but more for the heartache than from the pain. The pain in her heart

cried out, but found no surcease in the frozen night air. A sharp

clang rang through the ruins of that part of the city as her sword hit

the ground. Mistura opened her eyes and absently held her side,

trying to relocate the pain.



"You're injured?" he asked as he picked up her sword.



"How many houses..." she couldn't finish, but he knew what she

meant.



"We can talk about this later," he offered her blade back to her,

"Especially since-"



"How many?!"



She looked into his eyes and the dread river of fear grew as his

face hardened with the answer.



"All of them."



The pain left. She knew it would return, but for now, the news left

her numb. Her mind was numb. Her fingers, as she slowly

reclaimed her sword, felt numb. She felt like crying. But not now,

not in front of him. She wouldn't dare give him that pleasure...



"I take it you understand the meaning behind the symbol..." he

asked, "The everlasting life and all that?"



She nodded. Libet surveyed the situation. She stood there, looking

for all the world like she wanted a good cry, but he knew that she

wouldn't let him see it. Libet smirked to himself. He still had that

effect on her.



"Well," he threw up his hands, "You'll do no one any good if

you're dead."



He got under her left side and supported her as they climbed back

toward the seemingly distant fire light of Fragosus.



"And I know what you're thinking," he said softly, "Don't blame

Certus. She was giving orders and acting on false information. So

were you for that matter."



They walked together for a block, coming at last to a well that

delineated the burned out section of Fragosus from the rest of the

city. Mistura leaned against the well, taking a break.



"Was it a plant?" she asked as she looked into the well.



"In your legions, perhaps," he said, "Mistura?"



"Hmm?"



"How did you find me?"



Through the pain, Mistura allowed herself a slight snicker.



"You're a lousy spy, Libet."



"Hah. I'm a great spy," he said with a flourish, "You're just a better

soldier."



"You're an ass."



He smiled a lopsided smile.



"You're not the only woman to ever express that opinion..."



***



Mistura turned slightly in her bed. She wiped away at the tears that

now came. So many of those people in Fragosus didn't have to die,

so why...She sat up in bed and looked out across the valley in

which Urba Tertius sat. The Spring was now upon them and very

soon the city would rejoice in the plantings for that year. New run-

off from the mountains would mean more and healthier fish and

game. A real renewal of life for the whole city.



So why did a third of Fragosus have to be put to death for what

they believed in?



Mistura cried a little more because she knew she wasn't strong

enough to face the elder Soter alone. Not without some kind of

support, the backing of the military, something...She just prayed

that Caeles never found out. The vengeance she saw from him on

the battlefield would be nothing compared to what he would

unleash against his own father. His father, the one that ordered

those people to death...



***



Joshua "Gargoyle" Trujillo

"Stone Cold Protector of the Righteous"

"Owner of The Anime Bar & Grille - Mm, mm good!"



Come visit The Anime Bar & Grille!

Now with two locations!

http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Towers/1509

and

http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian/museum/1275