EMBERS (Marcus Acacius)

XVI | Across the Sea

10 Years Later...

The sapphire blue ocean glistened with diamonds as the northerly wind carried salt and spray onto the beach. Cargo and charter ships were anchored in the shallow waters, here to transport wheat and slaves to Rome.

I watched them enviously. If only I were on board. I had accepted the fact that I wouldn't ever be going home, but that hadn't stopped me from wishing things were different.

"Adriana?" I snapped out of my thoughts as Jugurtha approached from the cliffs. The Numidian leader looked at me knowingly. "I hear things are pretty bad in Rome." I hummed in acknowledgement, as he stopped beside me, turning his gaze to the sea. "Be thankful you are here."

"I am." I truly was. As homesick as I had felt these past years, it was nothing compared to how I would be if I had stayed in Rome—likely dead. "As I am to you for taking me in."

Jugurtha chuckled quietly from beside me. "You're not the first person to flee Rome." I tilted my head to look up at him, but his eyes remained on the horizon. "A child came a few years before you."

"Hanno..."

Jugurtha looked surprised, turning to look back at me. "You know Hanno?"

I nodded. "I do. He was in my class a few years ago. I taught him to read Latin, though he was already quite knowledgable." I thought I knew what Jugurtha was getting at. "He does not look like he is from here."

"He knows a lot about Rome—things we don't hear about from the merchants. When you came to us, I thought you might be here to take him back." A group of children ran past us, along the beach. They disappeared around the bend in the cliff face. "I never asked what you were running from."

I bit the inside of my cheek. Even the thought of my time in the arena sent shivers down my spine. "I was a gladiator." My voice was quiet and low, but Jugurtha seemed to hear, for he let out a sigh. "I was freed, but when Severus came into power, he wanted to make me fight again. Some people helped me to escape."

We lapsed into a neutral silence, both of us staring out at the horizon as the orange glow of sunset began to spread across the sky like watercolour paint. After what seemed like an eternity, I spoke up.

"Does he know where he came from, before he came here?" I asked, glancing over at Jurgurtha for some sort of reaction. "Does he know his real name is not Hanno?"

"No." Jugurtha's reply was sharp, but not angry. "He does not, and it must stay that way. Wherever he was from—whoever he used to be—it does not matter. He has found a home here—a wife—he doesn't need that knowledge weighing him down."

I nodded in agreement. "I won't tell him. But, can I ask you something?"

Jugurtha nodded.

"Some of the lookouts are saying that Roman ships were sighted near Carthage." The king's face turned grave."Is it true?"

He nodded. "It is." I swallowed the worry that began to rise like bile in my throat. "When they pull anchor, we will better know which direction they are headed. If they are heading towards us, we will take up defence."

Since my arrival at Numidia, the Roman army had attacked no short of three times, and each time the Numidians had managed to hold them off. Now, this was the only free city left in Northern Africa. It made us a target. It had been five years since the last attack.

"Do you think they will come here?" I asked, unease clear in my tone. "I mean, they've failed every single time they've tried to conquer us. Why would this time be any different?"