The Demons of Rome

VII - A Sea of Sand

After the dimness of the Library, the outside was spectacularly bright, especially as the heavy marble works all seemed to be as bright as the sun. Iatus had to blink a few times to make out the swirling mob that had flooded the square.

The mob completely covered the square and they were chanting 'Death to the Romans'.

"Looks like we've got a few dissenters in the city..." mused Aelith.

"At least they're not violent."

A shout came from the far end of the square as legionaries arrived on the scene and suddenly there was a clamouring of shields on humans as the mob swarmed them.

"You were saying? Well, looks to me like we can say you did a great job policing this place. Took them a day to organise themselves into a mob, but surely we can put that down to the local people being supernaturally gifted in organisation and planning."

"Are you done?"

"Just for you, sure, but seriously, are we going to do anything about this?"

"I don't see why it's our responsibility, we are no longer the employees of the state. I'm actually considering joining them."

"You? In a mob? Go on then, you'll be trampled to death within half an hour."

"Anyway, we have more important things to concern ourselves with, like searching the whole desert for a set of tunnels."

"We're going to need a horse and supplies."

"Well, with everyone here there has to be one left unguarded somewhere."

"Iatus, you're despicable."

"I know, let's go."

They skirted around the edge of the mob until they were well out of sight and began browsing for a horse. They wandered through the market distract as casually as they could, Iatus munching on an apple he had picked up from an abandoned cart. Eventually they came across a horse that appeared to have been saddled up and then abandoned. Iatus cautiously approached it and checked the saddle bags, they had dried meat and bread for at least two weeks.

"Well that's convenient," remarked Aelith.

Iatus looked furtively around, jumped up on the horse and with a quick flick of his heels they were off. They galloped out of the city, then, when they realised no-one cared about them, slowed to a steady trot.

"So, where do we start?" Aelith asked.

"Well, I thought you might have some suggestions, oh Aelith the Wise."

"Sorry, I've been asked to do many things before, but not dig up a desert. And that name used to hold a sense of gravitas to it, when it was spoken there was a palpable sense of fear in the air, whatever happened to that?"

"I'm no expert, but the fact that you've spent the last decade as a baby owl can't have helped."

Aelith nodded thoughtfully.

"Why do you stay like that anyway?"

"Well, for one, it looks better for a scrawny kid to have a pet owl, and secondly when I turn my enemies to dust it has a certain sense of irony about it."

Iatus shook his head.

By the time night fell, Jerusalem was a faint glimmer on the horizon. They had been keeping to the main trade route heading east, into the desert. Every few miles Aelith would blast the sand with a gust of wind, leaving boring holes about three metres deep. They had yet to find anything.

It was the beginning of a beautiful, clear night and the sky was alive with millions of stars. The sand reminded Iatus of the ocean, the unendingness of it, the way the dunes were stacked up like waves. Iatus had loved the crossing to Jerusalem by sea, the smell of salt, the wind in his hair and the feeling of impending adventure. He hadn't been outside of the city long, but that sense of adventure was quickly returning. The feeling reminded him of home, of Rome. It all seemed so very far away and he missed it.