once upon a time

[MusclesBaby]

ooc: Sorry the delay guys. I've been sick recently.

bic:

I considered a moment, staring at the grass as I did. They were right in a sense. The Roman army of the Empress was getting too close to our families. But here, we were on familiar ground. We knew what slopes to fight on, how the air felt the night before a victory.

I sighed heavily. But if we took the fight to them, too many would die. The Romans were wrong, and I had no qualms about fighting them. But killing boys didn't sit right with me! The Gods would find some way to punish me for their lives.

I shook my head suddenly, resting my forearm on the pommel of the sword at my side. "Alright. We take the fight to them... two nights from this. Until then... we have to get back to the Sanctuary, and regroup. Catlin should have found Lacy by now..."

 

[sojournerwolf]

ELIOS

As we walk towards Sanctuary, I explain my thoughts to them, how the wild Roman holiday of Saturnalia gives us the perfect opportunity to infiltrate the city. How the slaves are given free rein for that night to indulge themselves in whatever vices they can find. How the masters pretend to be the slaves, serving their slaves the evening meal and taking over the slaves' duties.

"It could be no more perfect," I say. "Conor, the slaves will be running loose in the streets, their blood at fever pitch. We will be able to raise rebellion right there in the city!"

The children venture forth shyly. I smile, for though their parents may have some reservations about me, I have always found acceptance with the children. Perhaps they sense my mission here, the obsession to end the dammnable trade in slave children run by the Patricians...for so once was I one of those slave children, and saw my own sister sold to a brothel.

Though there are laws forbidding such horrors being visited on slave children, I recall only too vivdly how when i had finally acquired sufficient proof of the Patricians' iniquities, I took it to the Empress...the rage burns within me still at what I saw as her indifference. To this day, though, I sometimes wonder if she was merely distracted that night or truly did not care. Perhaps, it was my own rage that made me commit the act of lese majeste and turn my back and walk away from her.

I nearly did not make it out of that palace alive, certainly many of her guards did not, the ones who answered her angry cries to stop me. Since then, I have fought her and the Patricians in every way I know how: battle, assasination, sabotage...and earned myself the axe if ever I am caught.

But it will be worth it, I tell myself, if it can be stopped..

We enter the coolness of Sanctuary as I continue spinning my scheme to Conor and Seamus as to how we might make this holiday work to our advantage when I feel the words catch in my throat.

Sitting, looking bewildered...there can be no mistake.

It is her.

The one foretold...

 

[TygerEyez]

Catlin

"Elios!"

I jump nearly out of my skin. He surprised me; I was so intent on Lacy the world had melted away. Yet, I cover my surprise and offer him a smile, then one back to Seamus, and finally to Conor. His normally light eyes are dark, tired...

I shake myself quickly, and lay a hand on Lacy. She truly has no idea... she's lost and scared. The more we push on her, the worse it will be.

"Lacy, this is Elios. Seamus is behind him, and Conor is last. Do you recognize them?"

 

[sojournerwolf]

I am puzzled. Lacy, as Catlin calls her, seems disoriented, confused. Can I be mistaken about her? No, it is definitely her face I have seen in the waters and the blood. The sense of her is potent. She is the One, I am sure of it.

Catlin seems to know her. I step closer to Catlin and say, "Thank the gods, you made it out of that battle safe!" then ask in a whisper, "where did you find her?"

 

[Moonlight_33]

OOC: sory guys, i had a few relationship troubles, but then, when isn't a realtionship trouble? I'll catch up in teh next few days, love it so far though.

 

[TygerEyez]

I lean closer to Elios, lowering my voice so as not to intimidate Lacy.

"She came to the Sanctuary last week, saying she had to see Conor. She was out on the battle field, I don't know why. Must've wandered away from the families."

ooc: sorry so lame guys. *grins* My brain didn't want to work. And it's okay Moon_lit. We'll keep an eye out for ya.

 

[Flurtayshus]

Empress Akhaia

OOC: i apologize for my absence. I am currently in the process of relocating for a new job. I will be absent for a little while but will get back in the story as soon as possible. keep writing, and i look forward to reading your posts. L.

 

[sojournerwolf]

I look at Lacy for a long time. My study seems to unnerve her. She is a not uncomely woman, who, despite her seeming distraught state apears to have deep reserves of strength. Still...Something about this is not right, not as it should be. I sigh. The gods are not without their humors, some of which are at best malicious. And we have very little time to waste. Saturnalia is upon us, and if we are to make our move, it must be very, very soon.

But, first...rest. I see Conor's eyes upon Catlin and hers upon him and would not begrudge them their reunion. I nod to them both and slip off towards the inner recesses of Sanctuary, the hidden spring only a few of us know about where the last pool of the Druids remains unpolluted.

 

[Moonlight_33]

Lacy

As I lock eyes with the men who had just entered the cavern, it was obvious that they knew me, and yet, i had no memory of them. They did remind me a lot of some of the people i attended high school with, but save that, i knew nothing.

"This may seem a little odd, but could one of you enlighten me as to where i am, and when, and perhaps even who, i seem to be at a loss here."

The looks on their faces seems somewhat surprised at my request, and I still hoped that at some point I was going to wake and find myself back in front of my telivision. A cold chill ran down my spine, and something deep within told me, that wasn't about to happen any time soon.

 

[Neale]

Seamus

The brawny Celt looked askance at the various lovers reuniting, and decided to find something wet and alcoholic.

 

[Flurtayshus]

Empress Akhaia

Akhaia stood proudly with her closest female friends...all of them now dressed in the garb of the roman slave. They held trays full of wine goblets and sweets and they were then ordered by one of her most loyal slaves Kiantala, to begin he serving. Kiantala was not of their country. Her skin was a dark golden brown and her hair was in long thick braids starting at the beginning of her hairline and flowing down past her shoulders. Africa...was her home land.

Akhaia and the other women began to offer their wares to the slaves who were now the patricians. As they were playfully groped and teased they reminded them all of the grand costume party that began the following evening. The fever pitch of the crowd began to rise as the sun rose with them. Even as Akhaia smiled her tension mounted as the thought of the masqueurade came to mind. She felt uneasy...and was tapped on the shoulder...she turned quickly and found a crowd of faces....none turned to her...she could not find the culprit....but she knew someone had deliberately tapped her shoulder.

Feeling the knot in her stomach grow she made her way back to the stage near Imoen. She wrung her hands anxiously as she scanned the crowd...unaware that she was being watched in the shadows of a pillar yards away.

 

[Moonlight_33]

Lacy

As I waited for an answer, or some kind of explanation, i could not help but see the look in Connor's eyes as he watched me. it was obvious he knew me, and although he looked familiar, I had no memory of him. The other man however, Seamus, looked much like a guy I had a crush on in highschool. he was the star school footballer and never had time to notice a geek like me, still, it was a chush strong enough to never be forgoten. As I watched him walk away, there were other things about him that seemed familiar, yet i could not quite put my finger on it. He was a stranger to me, and yet, not strange at all. As the others still talked amungst them selves, i followed after him, a strange feeling stiring within me.

"Seamus, could you help me?"

[Edited by Moonlight_33 on 05-31-2001 at 03:02 AM]

 

[Neale]

Seamus

Seamus had just found a skin of wine, when the strange newcomer walked up to him, asking for help. He looked at her, then... the sight of her causing the hairs on his neck to stand on end... There was something very extraordinary about this one.

He handed her the wineskin, "'Ere, lass... 'elp yerself!"

 

[Moonlight_33]

Lacy

Taking the wine skin, I poured some of the sour wine into a mug and sipped it slowly. This was definately an aquired taste.

"Seamus" I looked for a whay to find answers without looking like i was completely out of my mind, but i could find none. There was somthing about his eyes, about him in general, it gave me a feeling of comfort that i could not explain, like he was a familiar thing in this strange world.
With heavy sigh, i looked away, suddenly feeling very tired. "Thank you for the wine." I turned and walked away, feeling more lost and confused than before, but determined to find some answers.

 

[TygerEyez]

Catlin

I sighed, watching Lacy. She had questions, and... well the story was too long to be told out right.. and probably more confusing.

"What do you want to know, Lacy?"

 

[sojournerwolf]

Elios

There are no answers in the pool. Yet the sense of urgency is upon me. We must strike and now, while the opportunity is at hand. I still have no idea what part the one called Lacey is to play in all of this, yet I know it is a vital role if we are to succeed.

I leave the secret pool and go in search of Conor. I like not disturing him in his reunion with Caitlin, but I am driven to see the evil of the Patrician's trade in children put to an end.

Why then, I ask myself, is there such a pain in my heart when I think of Akhaia....

 

[TygerEyez]

ooc* bumping this to the top so our Lacy can see.... Dustin should reply as Conor later today... he called me earlier, and apologized... *shrugs* Dunno why.. it's not a serious afront. He's still sick, poor boy...

 

[Moonlight_33]

Lacy

OOC: Sorry i have taken so long, been kinda ill myself.

Lacy, as much as she was lost and confused, never missed a thing that went on around her, and slowly she was putting a few pieces together. It was more than obvious that time was of the essance, but what was it that was so urgent?

"I need to know a few things, and i don't need you to question why. I keed to know what year this is, what land, and what was that conflict out there in the village about. I also need to know who you think i am, and what i am suposed to be doing here. I saw the woman watching, she looked to be in control and far from friendly, yet i got the feeling i know her, who is she? I know this seems like a lot of strange questions, but it would help me greatly if you could just answer them as plainly as you could."

As Lacy asked her questions, it was almost as if she knew the answers. There was something about the whole situation tha reminded her of a movie she has seen a few years back, except maybe for the wardrobe. The outfits in the movie were definately more sexy, but this had a better set. She almost scoffed at the irony. Here she literaly taking part in a play that could very well cost her her life, but why? Why was she here? Seamus, Connor and eliot were by far the best looking heathens she had ever seen, even on tv, and Caitlin was ever bit sexy as as any actress could be, but she was the real thing, and quite impressive. They all had a roll here, so it only stood to reason Lacy had a roll as well. She waited for Caitlin to give her the answers she needed.

 

[Flurtayshus]

we really should

get this one started again.