Devil's Sea

CHATPER TWENTY-SEVEN

Just in from the coast, in what would later be called France, there had been a strange fog upon part of the land for days. The local people avoided it, noting that even the wind could not stir it. The nearest village was called Carnac, and the word had passed down through the generations to avoid the fog when it came. Anyone foolhardy enough to enter it never returned.

After four days, the fog was suddenly gone one morning. As the people crawled out of their huts, they were amazed to see that the fields where the fog had been were now full of rows of thousands upon thousands of stones. Aligned as if for battle, there were over three thousand stones, stretching as far as the eye could see.

Where the stones had come from, who had arranged them, were both mysteries. But as the months and years passed, it was agreed among those who dwelled close by that on very still evenings, one could faintly hear the cries of men and the sound of metal clashing as if in combat.

Two months had passed since Titus had dispatched General Cassius with the gladiator Falco and the strange priestess. A courier had arrived from the XXV Legion’s headquarters reporting that the entire legion had disappeared. The courier also informed the emperor that the strange black Shadow was also gone.

Titus pondered this for several days, but since there was no more information forthcoming, he moved on to other things such as the rebuilding of Pompeii and the construction of the Coliseum. He did have General Cassius’s name added to the roll of honor.

The gladiator Falco was soon nothing more than a tale a few experts on the games told among themselves and, after a generation, his name was spoken no more.

In Delphi, a new priestess took the place of the oracle. She was a niece of the slain oracle. Her first duty was to add the name Kaia to the roll of the true priestesses.

Dane threw open the hatch, and sunlight hit his skin, a most welcome feeling. He pulled himself up the ladder onto the top of the Crab and peered about. The gate was gone, open ocean all around except for the destroyer headed toward them, the Salvor right behind it, and the top of the FLIP bobbing on the surface. Ahana joined him, blinking in the bright light.

“We did it,” she said.

“We only stopped the Shadow temporarily,” Dane said.

“We stopped it this time in between our world and its,” Ahana corrected. “That’s an improvement.”

“We still didn’t get to the other side.” Dane was weary.

“We will,” Ahana said. “We’ll take the war to their side next time.”