A slight, brownhaired woman walked down a narrow street of ancient Rome. Her simple light-beige tunic flowed around her legs and gave a little wind around her feet in the warm evening.
She had a goal, her hazel, almost golden, eyes shone brilliantly as she gazed forward. Soon her road would turn and in front of her would be a great plaza, and beyond that the gladiator quarters.
A man stood waiting there for her, smile mild and composure relaxed. But apart from that nothing shone calm or safe about him.
The hair was long and tied back in a fashion common among higher ranked warriors, body shaped in numerous battles. Scars littered his whole being and his clothes were those of a payed fighter.
As she emerged from the shadows in her usual fashion and stepped onto the plaza he walked towards her to meet the lone woman.
"What a surprise to see you here Duele, a lonely and powerless woman should not mix with the savages of Rome."
Coundtrary to his words an inviting smile played on his lips.
"But Cal, no man could be better company for a lonely woman as myself than you. All men of Rome, free of not, fear you as Death himself."
She talked with a teasing tone, as if she meant the opposite of her words.
"Pluto have nothing against me; while he plays in his underworld I can roam free here.
Have you no faith in me, even after all I have proven to you?"
She leaned forward at his words, a quick and innocent peck on the cheek before stepping back again to civil distance.
"Did I talk lies to you the last time we met? I fear nothing with you here or not but what I have told you. As I have said, Pluto does not hold me and pain is my old friend. I only fear for your sake, you amongst those other brutes."
As she stepped in his arms moved to hold her but they fell to his sides just as fast when she moved back again and a sigh escaped his lips.
"So we fear for each other then, what luck. Still no chances of you coming to terms about my choice of work? You know that I can still marry you as I am a free man, and you know that it is my highest wish.
We love each other and I will quit the arena in a few years. Why won't you let me have your hand and love you openly?"
She dearly wanted to tell him the truth to why she sometimes traveled the streets at night and why she could not say yes to him even though she wanted to. They were not alike, and she knew that he would never have the chance to quit the arena.
So intead of telling him, lies or truth, she stepped closer to him again and gripped the front of his toga to pull him down to her level. The kiss was fierce, filled with so many warring emotions.
It felth as if her soul would unhinge and merge with his, and knowing that she had the power but not the permission to do so amost made her cry. No god would let her save him and it saddened her to the very core of her being.
She leaned her head against his shoulder and whispered quietly in his ear.
"I love you and I will always do. Be carefull tomorrow and please think of me, I will be with you to the end."
She leaned back out but still held him and med his quizzical look with saddened eyes.
He parted his lips to speak but she quieted him with another kiss, this one chaste and sweet.
Cal looked dumbfounded at that and a sweet, caring smile setteled on her lips.
"Shape up and get going love, you will have a tough day come sunrise."
She stepped back from him after that and turned away from him to once again disappear in a shady alley.
He shook his head and went back in after that, having expected no less from her after all this time. He lied town in bed to once again dream about the woman he had known for many years and loved for just as many.
She on the other hand merged with the shadows and stood suddenly at his bedside. She stood there in the dark watching him dream, still living and breathing and warm.
"He is dreaming dirty dreams about you again..."
Drawled a voice at her feet.
A great snake slithered around her leg, up her waist and she held out her arm for the snake to meet her eyes.
"Let him dream in peace and no not tease me Vasi. We both know that his time is up and you know what I feel.
If you utter another word that I could see as missfitting and I assure you that I shall skin and eat you alive."
Voice suddenly like ice, Duele talked with a regal power in her words to the snake.
Her sleeping love could not hear them, see or feel them. He dreamt on, maybe not so innocently, oblivious about his future being revealed.
"Please Duele. You know that I am on your side in this but I am powerless against the Elders. My father detests humans as you know and he never felth easy around your kin.
He fears you but knows that you can not take revenge without consequences.
And as the rules state, beings like you aren't meant to love and especially not mortals. At least not here and now."
A frown set in between Dueles brows, she was fully aware of the rules but she longed for the Laws of Old instead of these new regulations that the strongest gods of a few combined worlds, called the Elders, had placed upon the deathgods.
"Sorry my friend, and I thank you for that Vasi. But I really wish to take your fathers soul after this ordeal, consequences or not."
Duele said no more, neither Vasi the Snake of Shadows.
As the hours of night passed neither moved, woman and snake guarded the sleeping male.
Morning came, the sun rising fast and rousing the bustling city from its temporairy slumber.
Cal rose as well, never noticing Duele, or poor Vasi that slowly slithered away as the shadows died.
Duele followed him, invisible and quiet, inwardly steeling herself for the dauntingly task before her.
Cal walked out onto the hot and sandy arena, the crowd roaring in bloodlust. The previous fight had been uneventful and this man lived and fought for the people watching him.
He wanted to give them something special.
It begun, steel meeting steel and blood being shed on both sides.
Suddenly the strap of Cal's sandal snapped and he slipped for a single step. That was all destiny needed and the sword of his enemy slit his throat, blood and air oozing out with a quietly wheezing and gurgling sound as he fell to the ground.
His vision swam, colours melting and blending with black until he stood in front of Duele in an empty plane.
He asked her without thinking, feeling slightly out of place and not knowing exactly what had happened apart from his death.
"Where is this, Duele? And why are you here?"
Her eyes were downcast, tone solemn as she answered.
"Drausus Caelius Faustius, you died and I am the one that brought your soul from the arena to this place between worlds my love. I am supposed to send your soul forward into Plutos' care but I can bend the rules enough to give you two alternatives.
You can stay here until you wither, here we can meet but it is an eternity of loneliness in between for you. Or I could take your soul to another dimension to be reborn again and again, I do not know if I will ever be able to find you again but I shall forever try."
A sense of clarity seemed to have come over Cal, he looked at Duele with loving and trusting eyes.
"I pray that this is not just a dream, and that you are ready to tell me some more about yourself in time. Nothing can keep us apart; not time, space or death and I trust Fortuna to let us meet again soon."
He seemed to glow in her eyes, uncharacteristic tears fell and a wavering smile vurved her lips at his words.
"And I hope that you won't keep me waiting too long, slowpoke."
Voice laden with both happiness and worry, she let him hold her close for a moment and she felth the warmth of the kiss he planted on her temple.
"I must send you fort now before someone interferes. Please remember me as I remember you and I shall search every last world until I find you."
Those were her last words to him before she placed her palm against his chest and he faded away to be reborn in a new world and maybe in a whole new shape.
Rubrik: Duele, Döden klär henne 
mån feb 22, 2010 6:47 pm
