The Saviors

1

I never thought things could be worse than they already were. My life was pretty bad already. I was diagnosed ADD (attention defect disorder), which made my life twenty-times harder than it was. I had the attention-span of a banana, which says a lot because bananas are inanimate.

My father raised me alone because my mother had died when I was five. I attended a boarding school in San Francisco; my father had to send me away when I got kicked out of my last school, or at least that's what he said

My dear old dad decided it was time for me to go away to a more... strict environment. There were plenty of other public schools and boarding schools in Los Angeles, where I had, and my father currently, lived. That's why I think the reason my father sent me to San Fran was to get me away from my step-mother.

I spent two years at home after my dad re-married. Living with my dad's new wife wasn't easy. She wasn't like Cinderella's evil step-mother, or anything, but she was too... nice. She tried to be like my mom. And I was not going to let her be my mother.

My father didn't tell me that the boarding school, Heartland School for the "Academically-Challenged", was going to be torture. His exact words were, "It's a lovely campus, Julius. It's very old, and has excellent teachers!"

Yeah, right.

I had to agree, the campus was beautiful. With stone walls covered with ivy, and gardens and trees. I loved nature. But, the teachers... at least every one I'd met have had a goal of making me miserable.

The only things that kept me going were the books I brought. I'm actually pretty smart.

My dad used to say I look a lot like my mother. He said I had her face... Blue-green eyes and pale skin. I got his hair. His jet-black hair.

I didn't really care what other people thought of me. When I lived with my dad, he would constantly tell me to dress better. I never did. Ripped jeans and tee shirts were my usual outfit. And my Converse, of course.

As I pressed my back against the wall of my dorm room on a stormy afternoon in April, I examined myself. The tee shirt I wore that day had a faded band name on it. I couldn't even read it. Even inside, I wore my jeans and Converse. I hated having to share a room, and kept to my side well. My roommate walked in. I averted my eyes when I saw he only wore his boxers. I examined what I'd written.

Rome was one of the greatest empires in the history of the world. Rome was founded by Romulus, son of the God Mars, and the (soon-to-be) goddess, Rhea. Romulus and his brother, Remus, were set in the River Tiber by Rhea as infants, and were carried down the stream until they were found by the she-wolf Lupa. The wolf fed the brothers, and brought them to a shepherd. As they grew, both wanted to become a leader - a king. Romulus struck his brother with a rock, killing him. Romulus became the founder and king of his great empire, which he named after himself. Rome - Romulus.

The Romans conquered many lands, including the great cities of Greece. There is a terrible legend that relays a feud between the Greeks and Romans - an argument on a statue. The statue of Athena in the Parthenon (Athens, Greece) was stolen. It was believed to have great power, and was the symbol of the city of Athens. It is said that Athena broke down, becoming Minerva in Roman mythology, the goddess of crafts. She was no longer a war goddess.

The statue of Athena was never found -

I sighed, and started scribbling again. I hated my handwriting, and my teachers punished me for writing in all caps.

- and it remains one of the world's greatest mysteries.

Rome continued to grow, the legion growing as well. The Golden Roman eagle soared over many cities, having great power. Soon, as all Empires do, the time of the Romans fell. Present-day Rome is located as the capital of the European country Italy.