A surge of lightning swirled around and extended from me as my lightning dash shot me up over the Crab King’s face. The sudden explosion of lighting electrocuted the black crustacean. Mixed with my electrical aura, Karkinos suffered hundreds of damage points and became stunned for two precious seconds. Hundreds of crabs were pouring down to save their king, and water started slipping into my lungs.

It was now or never.

With everything I had, I slammed the Achilles’ Spear down through its thick, shelled skull.

Karkinos didn’t react until the two seconds had passed. Even then, it was only a dying whimper compared to the full throated roar it had given me earlier. Now brain dead, the Crab King lost all control of his limbs and collapsed onto the cavern’s lip.

Strength (+10): lvl 25 (40/260)

Intelligence (+10): lvl 8 (80/90)

Glory (+60): 5,670

Level: 55 (250/570)

The Crab King’s death sent a shockwave to all the other crabs. The sea filled with angry clicking sounds, but to my relief, the crabs scuttled away down the ever sloping seabed.

My lungs were on fire, burning to breathe. Kicking with all of my might, I pushed myself up to the surface. More water trickled into my lungs before I hit the surface, which made me gag and struggle to breathe.

Oh good, Umbra said, swooping down and hovering before me, his flapping wings sending ripples across the waves. I feared you drowned.

When I didn’t respond because I was having difficulty breathing, Umbra gently plucked me from the sea and carried me back up to the top of Medusa’s ruins where Cleopatra awaited.

“Maximus!” Cleopatra exclaimed with relief, bending over carefully to help me sit up against one of the ruined columns. “You had me worried there a moment when the Crab King injured Umbra.”

I was not injured, woman, merely momentarily detained, Umbra said, curling unto himself and nursing his bleeding wounds.

Cleopatra rolled her eyes. “Here, have some of this,” she said, rising to bring over a steaming cup as I finished hacking out the rest of the water in my lungs. The familiar scent of roasted beans slammed into my nose, warming me on the inside.

“You made it so fast,” I said, receiving the hot cup from her. The heat felt good on my cold skin, bringing life back to me.

“No, the energy potion will take time to craft. I’m still in the early stages. It won’t be ready till tonight or tomorrow. This is just a normal cup of coffee. I figured you would need it after fighting the crabs.”

I moaned in agreement as I sipped the magical black drink. “Thank you, love.”

Cleopatra leaned down and kissed my soaked curls. “Rest for a moment.”

Before she could turn away, I grabbed her hand and pulled her down for a kiss. I rewinded this moment for a while, wanting to soak up as much of her love as possible. I only had so much time with her.

I take it you made me a cup too? Umbra said after a few seconds for him but probably a thousand for me.

“How could I forget?” she said, delivering him more of a bowl of coffee than a cup, helping him slurp it down in two seconds.

Umbra’s red scales shivered in delight.

Leaning against the column, I took a moment to breathe and recover, watching my stamina artificially rise from the coffee. From my knowledge of the futures, the next stage of time would be the most confusing.

I could not find my gear anywhere. No matter what decision I could make to search, my gear remained hidden. For a moment, I feared that Caesar had burned everything with my corpse. And with the System unresponsive due to the orb, I was out of luck.

Instead of searching for my gear, I looked for my friends. The most obvious place they could be would be my old palace, where Caesar now reigned supreme.

I could at least see that I would find Titus and Livia there. They were bound conspicuously in my old room of all places, both on their knees and with fear in their eyes. The Praetorian Guards hovering over them were almost too easy to kill. Presumably, once we escaped, they could have a better idea of where my gear was if they hid it. Considering Titus’s unwavering loyalty to me, it wouldn’t be a far stretch to think that he did that in my honor. But within a few seconds after releasing their bonds, my Historical Insight shut off. It was like someone was switching off a light. I was completely blind.

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I tried to see possible decisions around that, by killing as many Praetorians as possible before saving them. Of all people, Sporus would join me in the fighting from the shadows, using the dark bow of Camilla. But again, those futures became a no-go once the guards slit the throats of Titus and Livia during the fight due to my tardiness. I even attempted to ask him questions about what was going on amidst the fight, but he could give me no answers, only that Caesar was hiding.

Stranger still, Sporus had on my Boots of Mercury, aiding him with flight during the battle. Seeing them gave me relief that not all of my gear had been destroyed. But before I could question him more, in every future, once a few minutes had passed, the future would cease.

Why?

This frustrated me to no end. What did Caesar have that messed with my powers so much? Was this the power that he used to trick me in the first place during the colonization of America?

My anger must have been visible, for Cleopatra’s face frowned with concern as she took a break from brewing to sit down with me. Our eyes locked, both of us not speaking for a moment. I sighed, telling her briefly of what I saw, or didn’t see.

“It’s like a blindspot,” I said after explaining. “Only, this blindspot prevents me from seeing anything after it, because I can’t see what happens in between. It’s so frustrating!”

“It could be a special gift of Fors Fortuna,” Cleopatra said, lacing her fingers with mine. “Caesar has agency of his own.”

Would he risk such dangerous enchantment? Umbra said.

“He might,” I said. “From what I’ve gathered of Antiquitus, only the foolhardy and brave ever challenge her to request a divine gift. Even our skill points and various abilities are paid through the most trying situations. Very few have survived such trials. And if any man can endure Fortuna’s quests, it would be Caesar.”

I hadn’t thought about what I would do in Caesar’s shoes. It made sense, doing everything you could to stop a time-bending opponent from killing you. He had seen how easy it was to take down Persephone. He would not make the same mistake.

This sleepless civil war just got a lot more difficult.

“At the very least, Sporus is there with some of your gear,” Camilla said, squeezing my hand for comfort. “He is proof you could get back some of your stuff and our friends, both of which will greatly aid us.”

“But I won’t be able to see the futures,” I said, sighing.

Cleopatra smiled. “Most brave men never have. Yet that didn’t prevent them from trying to do what is right. You are braver than most, Maximus. You do not need some divine gift to help you be a man. You already are one.”

Her encouragement warmed me, making me smile despite the fear and frustration I felt.

I looked away from her eyes as I weighed the decisions. “I just don’t want to lose you again.” I admitted. “There’s only so much time with you.” My hands squeezed hers as my eyes stung with grief.

I couldn’t force out the rest of the words, afraid to lose my composure and admit the deal I had made with Pluto concerning our traded fates. I would tell her once we hopefully survived.

She seemed to understand some of what I meant as she placed my hand on her pregnant belly. “I will always be with you Maximus, both here in life and death.” She looked up at Umbra, who was trying to act like he wasn’t eavesdropping. “Umbra, can you go fish for us? We should eat before the next phase of our journey.”

Sure, sure, Umbra said, chuckling to himself as he launched to the skies.

Before I could inquire about her sudden desire for fish, thinking it to be a pregnancy thing, Cleopatra tackled me with her love. She locked her lips ferociously with mine, eager to show how much she missed and loved me.

Later that afternoon, as the sun began to set, Umbra flew back with a bounty of fish.

Ah, I see you two have been productive, he said, chuckling again as we hurried to dress ourselves from his sudden arrival.

Cleopatra was not embarrassed, thanking Umbra for his detour and food. Umbra carried a smug grin about himself, setting the wriggling colorful fish next to the bubbling cauldron.

I already had a good fill of crab and fish, so you two eat your fill. You’ll need it after your, er, physical labors.

Heat colored my face. “Hey, since you’re so full, why don’t you go take a swim and collect some of that armor in the cavern for me?”

Umbra rolled his eyes. I cannot swim, human.

“Actually, you can. Cetus the Sea Dragon is whose heart you consumed. Try it.”

Umbra grumbled but complied. I’m getting you barnacled greaves, he muttered before taking off again.

I rolled my eyes. At the very least, I was glad for the privacy Cleopatra earned us. We had missed each other very much. I was also thankful Umbra was snatching some gear for me. To go raiding my former home with only a slave’s rags would be suicide.

I paced in thought, unknowingly drifting towards Cleopatra who was deep at work in alchemy. She was a blur as she switched between several stations at once. For a few seconds she would stir the cauldron, carefully pouring honey, olive oil, and chamomile to mix with a ladle, only to jump to the alembic where she purified the brewed coffee that seemed to spark from the Dragon’s Breath Powder and Phoenix Ash. There were still plenty of ingredients not used, but it was amazing to watch her speed and attention to detail. She was in love with the craft.

“It was the only thing that got my mind off of work,” she whispered, noting that I was watching her. “It was the only thing I looked forward to.”

I smiled, though it pained me to do so. I could only pray she could practice this in Elysium as she waited for me.

“You’re the most intelligent and attractive woman I know,” I admitted, causing her to turn around, ingredients in hand, and blush. “I missed you, every second in the Underworld.”

She smiled, raising one eyebrow playfully. “Oh I know, husband. You proved that quite well.”

I walked up behind her, hugging her carefully and our two sons in her womb. Everything in me wanted to tell her the truth, about the choice I had to make. But I found I didn’t have the strength. Not in this blissful moment of joy, with her beautiful smile catching my breath.

No, I would savor it, let her focus on the energy potions. Though the next part of the future was a mystery, I had a feeling we were going to be up for a very long time.

Not long after I had sent him, Umbra rose from the darkening waves, armor in hand, and flew up to meet us. Water rained from his scales as he flapped his wings, spraying us.

He dropped the armor triumphantly before us, spreading his draconic lips wide with pride. You are going to love what I found.