Several nights later, I slumbered safely in my bed. I curled up carefully, dreaming of Roharim. I dreamt that I was standing at the massive gates of the Helios wall. A great defensive structure that surrounded the inner city and capital of Roharim. I was alone, but beyond the gates I could hear other people. I could hear chanting. They were calling me by my name.
“Hadrian! Hadrian!” They boldly stated as they welcomed me, not as a tyrant but as a conquering hero. A liberator who had come to root out the corruption of the old senate and establish something new. As the gates opened, my vision darkened. What I saw was something else entirely, as if I were a toy that had been placed from one child’s room to another. Below me, I saw endless hordes of writhing serpents slithering and entangling. I remember having great difficulty walking in the knee deep pit of vipers. With each step I felt them constricting me. I instantly knew the cause. That was no longer a dream, but a message.
Soon, the ground began to quake and the serpents slithered away. I was then blinded by a bright and blinding light. My eyes stung as the light of day struck me. Before my eyes could focus, the wind kicked up and I was once again bathed in a sandstorm, just as I had when I began my journey. The sand shifted at my feet, and the grains began to twist and form into the image of Ile’Sethak. I knelt down in supplication before the serpent god.
“My lord.” I bowed my head, averting my eyes until spoken to by the man sized snake.
“Hadrian. The time is nearly at hand for your final conquest of the jungle. The broken wall tribe will be made to bend to your will and serve us.”
I raised my head up to see the serpent god. I lifted my hands up in praise to him. “My lord, their defenses are unlike any I have encountered before. They hide in the jungle and slay my men. The Ophidians have not yet arrived. They are still having to uproot their entire civilization to follow me. If I send more people in there now, they will be slaughtered.”
Ile’Sethak simply stared at me, flicking his forked tongue in the air and letting an audible hiss escape from his lips.
“This is true. If you go through their land now, you will surely die. But I shall extend my will and let your people see my glorious power. Go and find silver. Melt it down and craft it into a staff that resembles a serpent. Give it to the priestess Cao Tzu. When you are ready to march, have her at the front of your army with the staff. Command her to raise the staff and then plant it in the ground. Then you shall see my wonders.”
I listened intently. At long last, the serpent would perform a miracle for us. It was a huge favor for the serpent. He rarely flexed his mighty power in our favor. The old snake must have been growing rather restless. It was safe to say that I could not expect another boon for a time.
“Thank you, my lord. I will make it so.”
“One last thing, Hadrian. The Broken wall tribe are formidable. You will need to be at your full strength to face them. There is one among them who is unlike any foe you have faced before.”
“Unlike any I’ve faced?” I repeated, dumbfounded. Was there something far worse than the bull? “What do you mean, lord?”
“He will know of no fear in his heart. He will not run from you. You must slay him. This is my will, Hadrian.”
I will admit, I was fearful. A foe that was potentially worse than the Bull? There was an innumerable amount of terror that ran up my spine at that notion. However, if this foe would not run from me, then I refused to run. I would be in for the fight of my life. And if I could kill this foe, then the Bull wouldn’t be able to stand a chance.
“As you command, my lord. I will do your will.”
“Wake now, Hadrian…while you still can.”
I awoke and found myself in an awkward position. It was still the dead of night and I was in my tent. Sitting on top of me was Domia. She had a crazed look in her eye and a dagger at my throat. The tip pressed lightly against my skin. I was wide awake.
“Domia…what in Ile’Sethak’s name are you doing?”
“I will not be just some plaything, Kai’Sar.” Domia glared at me as she pressed the blade firmly against my throat. She had a crazed look in her eyes. “The mighty Hadrian… at my mercy.”
I swallowed hard. With a knife at my throat, there wasn’t much I could do. I was helpless. If I alerted the praetorians, I would have my throat turned into a red fountain.
“What do you want?”
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“The warrior woman, Kallista. I want her gone. Banish her. Tell her never to return here for as long as she lives. Make me your queen, and make Optimus your heir. I love you Hadrian. I can’t risk losing you.” Said the woman who had a knife at my throat.
It was hard to feel any sort of love with that knife at my throat. Her paranoia and delusions drove her over the edge. That cleverness that I liked about her was absent. This was the actions of someone who was desperate.
“Domia…”
“Say it. Say the words, Kai’Sar. I gave you all of me: my body, my allegiance, my soul, my child. I want something in return. I don’t want to be just a concubine. I want to be your queen. Your wife. Tell me you love me, Hadrian. Tell me you love me.”
She pressed the blade harder against my neck. She drew blood and I winced. I looked up at her. I breathed in deeply and exhaled. I had no choice.
“Domia…I love you.”
A smile appeared on her face. A happy smile. A smile that I loved deeply. She bore that look on her face when she first danced for me and I made her mine. She was a beautiful woman. Even with a dagger pressed against my neck, she was radiant as any sunrise. She pulled the dagger away.
I grabbed her wrist and yanked the dagger out of her hand and placed it against her throat. The force of the tackle sent her on her back. She let out a gasp. That smile turned into a look of fear as I pressed the blade against her throat. The cut on my neck allowed blood to trickle down and plant a few crimson dots on her face. She placed a blade against my throat and could have killed me. By all rights, I should have killed her right then and there. She had shown that she was dangerous. Who could blame me? Yet as I looked into her eyes as they were filled with fear and tears, my heart overruled my mind. I lifted the blade off of her throat and tossed it aside.
I leaned down and kissed her, holding her trembling body in my arms. She dug her nails into me. I sat her up and gently stroked her cheek.
“You are my favorite concubine. You have given me a son. A son who will be the first in the legion, and a leader of men.”
“Then you’ll make me your queen?” she said, leaning against me and clinging to me tightly.
“No. My queen must be strong. You…are delicate.”
She lowered her gaze and tears streamed down her cheek. Her hopes dashed. It pained me to see her like this. I placed my finger under her chin and lifted her face up towards mine.
“That is what I love about you. I meant what I said. As my concubine, I will protect you from any dangers. You simply have to trust me.”
“But Hadrian…” She said with trembling lips and eyes that sparkled with tears. “I don’t want to lose you to someone else.”
“You won’t. You’ll have your days in the sun. No matter what happens, you will be chief among the concubines. Your word is law, and our son will be a great warrior one day. But if I wish to have a queen, and that queen is not you, then you must accept it. But I won’t ignore you. There will be days where you have me all to yourself.”
I tried to reassure her. To let her know that everything would be alright. She simply had to have faith in me. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but she had no choice in the matter. She nodded wordlessly to me. She moved up closer to me and stroked the back of my head.
“My Kai’Sar…” She wanted to apologize to me, but I simply placed a finger on those luscious lips of hers.
“Shhh. Don’t say another word.” I silenced her with a passionate kiss. Our tongues danced and twisted around, and our breath mixed as we held each other. She was wearing a very thin silk robe that left little to the imagination. You could see the silhouette of her body. I might have gotten a bit too overboard when I placed my hands on that thin fabric and ripped it apart with all of my might, exposing her chest and the ample mounds that it concealed. She responded with a sharp and excited gasp. The loss of the robes was insignificant compared to the lust and passion she experienced.
Feverishly, I stipped down as fast as I could until once again we were united in the throws of passion. Her animalistic moans encouraged me every step of the way as our flesh mingled together. Our limbs entangled like two trees merging together in an embrace like no other. Her soft skin began to glow brightly with sweat under what miniscule light there was. She wanted me to show her that I loved her? I granted her wish throughout most of the night.
I know what you’re probably thinking. You’re thinking “Hadrian, you have feelings for Cora, Domia, and now Kallista! You have a problem!” Well yes, as a matter of fact I do. I never could ignore a beautiful face. I’ve always been very passionate in all that I do; I love fighting, I love slaying my enemies, and I love women. Out of all the creations the gods have created, women can be the most beautiful of all. A man can conquer the entire world, and yet it won’t matter in the slightest if he has no woman who he can share his time with.
Entire wars have been fought over women. When a newly married soldier is in the very bowels of hell itself, knee deep in mud and his face is caked in blood, most likely the only thing he’s thinking at that very moment is “when can I see my sweetheart again?” Women have a power over men that makes us weak. Strong men who rarely show any emotion at all will often giggle like small boys when a woman calls them “handsome” in the right tone of voice. Trust me when I say that the old saying is true: behind every great man is a great woman.
Now you’re probably asking, “but if you love women so much, why did you refuse Lak’Ashara? She was a beautiful woman. And what about the queen of Akara, Ankarama? Did you not desire her?” To answer the latter, I did desire her, yes. Had I not been alone with only a small force available to me, and had an army at the time that was sufficient to conquer Akari, I probably would have claimed Ankarama as a concubine or something. However, she was too servile for her own good. She was a puppet queen with no more authority than any slave. She was Lak’Ashara’s pet on a throne. I doubt there was an original thought in her entire head.
As for Lak’Ashara, that creature was a perversion. The acts of debauchery and sadism were unholy to my eyes. That and she used her charms to corrupt and twist people into doing her bidding. If I indulge in anything of hers, it wouldn’t be real. I would be nothing more than a lap dog for her.
But when a woman opens herself up to me —truly opens herself up— then I will match her passion with my own. I will protect her until my dying breath. Domia may never be a queen, but I saw it fit to treat her as one. Yes, she did pull a knife on me, but I doubt she actually would have used it.
By the time Domia and I were done with our love romp, we were both exhausted. Her long hair clung to her face in messy tangles as her chest heaved with every breath. She had a satisfied smile on her face as she rested her wrist on her eyes. I sat up, leaning forward while looking at my handiwork. My shoulder would be sore for a while. Domia’s passion overtook her and she bit me, though I hardly minded.
“Maybe you should pull a knife on me more often.” I chuckled as I joked. She removed her arm from her eyes to look at me and took her pillow, throwing it at me as she giggled lightly.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
“You know I would.” I smirked and leaned down to give her another kiss. I pulled the covers over us. As I laid on my back, she crawled over and planted herself on top of me, her chin resting on my chest. She gently closed her eyes and the world began to fade for a moment. I laid back and would enjoy the company. As we slowly drifted back to sleep, The horn sounded, signaling that it was morning. The sun was rising, and Domia and I didn’t get much sleep.
What better way to spend your night?