Sempiternal

Chapter Two

"Wait, tell me more," Anna pleaded pulling Jack to sit in front of the fire, "I want to know what happened next."

"I returned to our village not too long after and our town had been raided and looted, those who invaded had killed people who were useless for labor. The old and babies. Useful men were turned into slaves. Women were taken away for other uses, most of which not good. I never saw you again. I mean, I did go looking for you, but I died at sea looking for you. My ship sailed into the sea of monsters and Charybdis came after our boat.
"That's when I appeared somewhere different, I was seated across from a young woman, a chess set was placed in between us, a marble table beneath it. This ethereal woman glared at me for I don't know how long. She spoke to me in a stern commanding voice that sent goosebumps through my body. She explained that she was the goddess, Nemesis, and that she was to be my guide in revenge against Aphrodite. Even though she supported violent vengeance, she pitied me, the love that I have for you was worth angering a few gods over. So Nemesis said I had to live through a few lives before I could get to Aphrodite again. She told me not to worry about how the goddess would show up again but that she would handle what she could." Jack sighed heavily, preparing himself to recount everything he's gone through.
Anna pouted and her breath caught in her throat, "When was the next time we met again?"
Jack pulled her close in a hug, her head against his cheek.
"The second that Nemesis' intervention was over, I woke up in a new life. My life started again in Rome. I was a centurion in the Roman legion, loyal to my emperor to the death. I went by Petros at that time. I loved the emperor like a brother and he in turn me, but we were young and foolish. Aristea was a beautiful woman. She and I grew up together and traveled to Rome where we met Trajan by accident. We all became great friends and soon we both fell in love with Aristea. We set our eyes on a woman poet, who was so well worded and jovial that she lit the room with fire every time she walked in. But she wouldn't have either of us, the emperors bravado and boisterous behavior in comparison with my measured and humble mentality clashed, and proved to be too much for her to handle. The emperor seeing me as competition with his 'future empress' had me stripped of rank and flogged publicly through the streets. He sent me to the Colosseum as my lifetime punishment, he never expected me to survive for long. Trajan forced Aristea to marry him. While I fought for my life in the arena, knowing every second that I delayed in a single swipe of my sword or block of my shield was my life on the line, he forced her to wed him. And I thought that was the end of it, how I'd not be able to continue day after day, eventually I would die. Until the last day I would've dropped my shield and accepted the spear or sword or mace into me, but she sent me a message mixed with my food and wine. She wrote to me and told me that after my release I was to run away from the empire. I had to build my own life far away and do my hardest to make everything the best it can be. I made a solemn vow to her that I would supply her with unconditional love and happiness for all the hours of the rest of my mortal life. Unfortunately, she rejected my provocation and insisted on waiting for her own freedom. And I thought that was the end of it all, the end of seeing her, having someone so amazing as her in my life. So I left and I settled down in a little town along a small beach not too far away from where Aristea and I grew up. Several months later, I was working in my garden when a small shadow covered me, relieving my sun-soaked, baked back, which caused me to look up. My eyes peer upward and I craned my neck to see who stood before me,  Aristea. She greeted me softly before sitting in the field next to me. That woman made despicable plans, and she knew how to follow through, with the help of the household staff. Aristea managed to escape the insane and cruel individual to which we had grown close. She had snuck away and hidden throughout town until Trajan stopped searching, and managed to find me in Anzio."
Jack chuckled at remembering Aristea's face giving him a stern, quizzical look that day, he looked up and noticed Anna making the same face at him.
Jack continued, "You, I mean, Aristea came to me begging for the life filled with love and happiness I had promised her."
Anna's eyes filled with wonder with every second of opia that occurred between her and Jack.
Jack continued in a dazed droning voice, "I was finally happy. I had the woman I loved. I had my farm. I was going to have a child as well. And then it was ripped away from me. Taken away by the invasion of the godsdamn Persians."
Jack became enraged, his jaw clenched and tears welled up in his eyes. Anna pulled him close in a hug, caressing his head gently trying to soothe him. This just made him choke out quiet sobs.
"You were killed in front of me. I failed to protect you, and you died because me. I was a terrible soldier and an even worse husband. I lost you and our child. It was all my fault."
Anna coddled him closely, as Jack began to crumble in her arms with tears streaming down his cheeks slowly. He had been put through so much pain, and this was the first time. But it wasn't the last time either, Jack was in for lifetimes of pain.

***
Hey guys! So a lot of this chapter was written by Josh. He had some great ideas that I thought deserved being used. Thanks nerd. Ily!
So I figured I'd get my shit together and finish chapter two. I'm kinda hoping this is going pretty good. I'm not entirely sure. My writing skills are quite lacking after a few Brit Lit debacles. lol. Anyway but I'm feeling motivated this Christmas break. Can't guarantee a new chapter for Christmas but I'll write as much as I can while I have the time to myself.