Kassius entered a small hut, permeated with the smell of burning seeds. In the center, he saw a hot cauldron beneath a high pole of gold. The priest of Jupiter was seated cross-legged, wearing a red robe and fur boots. On his head, he wore a pointed hat of gold adorned with phases of the sun and moon forged across its shaft. The golden hat, nearly a meter and a half in length, was supported by a wooden structure behind his head. Kassius wondered about its weight.

"High priest!" Kassius said, falling to both knees. "I am Kassius Filyusdpitar Gadlicus, grandson of Aranus of Kashfrud."

"The grandson of Aranus?" the priest said. "Yes, the priest of Mercury told me about you." He took a slow, controlled breath and looked into Kassius' eyes. His eyes were red from the holy vapors, and his hands were clasped in a magical sign. "Sit before me, young man. Why have you come? Is there something you wish to ask the Gods?"

"Elder, I have come here seeking your counsel and begging for initiation. I have studied the texts of the ancient men and women of Tharcia, as you know from my wife . . ." He lowered his head slightly, unsure if the priest would believe him. "I have had some experiences with them."

"I see . . . Young man." The priest extended his hand, revealing a tattoo of an eye in his palm, surrounded by a circle and magical angles. Kassius nodded and placed his palm on top of it.

The priest closed his hand, firmly grasping Kassius' hand, and shut his reddened eyes.

"I can see . . ."

He quickly opened his eyes. Kassius widened his eyes, awaiting the answer.

"The gods are using you, child."

"I am aware of that," Kassius said, bowing his head in humility.

"I know about the sword."

"Sir." Kassius couldn't help but raise his head and express his thoughts. "If you know it is true, you must inform them! You must."

"And yet, they would not believe."

"So?" Kassius blinked in disbelief. That seemed like a cowardly notion.

"I understand your thinking. I would think the same, but they will soon realize."

"Well, let them prepare! If they join us now, we can attack the Empire and . . ."

"It is not wise yet. Trust my words, they will eventually believe, perhaps too late, but they will."

"So you have foreseen the future. Elder, please, I need to learn from you. I have a deep longing in my soul to understand what we are up against, how to confront it. I want to see the things that will come to pass and know the events that have led my wife, my people, and me to this very moment."

"The crossroads of time." The priest inhaled deeply. "You must understand that the Empire is not the greatest threat, don't you?"

Kassius' hands tightened into fists. The Elder knew about them. Did he know that Kassius and Alana had awakened them?

"Have you seen . . ."

"Yes . . . The ones who lay beneath the earth. The ones who have risen again."

Suddenly, Kassius felt as if he were naked and guilty. He lowered his eyes and felt an urge to excuse himself. He had not intended to do that, and since they had disappeared without leaving more trace than those huge footprints, he had stopped worrying.

"It was meant to be, boy."

"Elder, we did not know..."

"It had to be that way. They had awaited until their enemy would rise."

"Enemy? Are we that enemy? But Ares... The ancient god, he was the one who fought them."

"You and I will soon see. Aren't you a son of Ares?"

"Then what? I mean, Elder, where can I start? Where are they?"

"I have seen them ravaging towns. I have seen them tearing forests down and men kneeling before them."

"What?"

"Beyond that, I have not seen. I have only ideas. But you play a part in it."

"And Alana too, for sure. Well." He cleared his throat. "Teach me, please. Teach me to control the visions."

"Tell me what you already know."

"I fasted for long. I disciplined my thoughts and concentrated on the Symbols of the Heavenly Gods. But I cannot call upon them often. I feel them, I see them often, but not enough."

"You are married, aren't you?"

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"Yes."

"Abstain from touching your wife."

"You mean..."

"Not even touching her skin. Not your wife, nor any woman. Do it for a few days."

He shook his head. "But we sleep together."

"Do it for ninety-six days. In those days, you shall drink nothing but cow's milk."

"Ninety-six," he whispered, startled, with his eyes open.

"Can you do it?"

Kassius took a deep breath. "Yes."

"Do whatever it takes. If your flesh is weak, abandon this place and go live in the plains, next to the river, among the rocks."

"Yes!" Kassius nodded.

"We need a brave warrior and powerful priests to face the menace to come. Young Kassius, Aranus was a dear friend of mine. He saw, we both saw, what would happen if the war continued. It was all prophesied, even the rise of the Old Ones, but not all was clear. We could not foresee the treason of the Empire, nor what it meant."

"What did what mean?"

"He heard a prophecy from the mouth of the Oracle of Venus. Fifteen years ago, right before the end of the war. The Oracle gave us its time. It said it was better to die than to see them return."

"I understand." Kassius knew how important he was, and yet, although he felt weak and unworthy, he knew failing could mean things would change, and not for the better. If the magnitude of the war when the Giants were defeated had covered the entire earth and left entire continents in ruins, in that dark age, it could mean the end of the world and the loss of all the people he cared about. He was willing to give all of himself, even his life for them. And yet, he wondered how strong his bodily and sentimental impulses could be.There was so much in Kassius' mind, but so far, he had learned not to demand knowledge, for it could come too quickly, too harshly. Patience and strength of will were virtues he had to cultivate.

"Come with me later tonight, and let us offer a sacrifice to the gods, to mark the beginning of your training," the Elder said.

***

A brown and white goat was sacrificed to Ares that day; its flesh soon mixed with the aromas of the melting fat and the sacred seeds. Kassius ate the savory meal, savoring every fiber, knowing it might be the last time he tasted meat for a long time. The rest of the meat was gifted to families suffering from the plague.

That afternoon, Kassius returned to his tent, where he encountered Alana, all smiles, along with Irema, a local woman who had been among the tribe's officials, and Gitara, who was showing her baby girl to the local woman.

"Kassius," Alana jumped to her feet and pranced toward him, extending her hands to grab his.

Kassius did not extend his hands and took a step back when she approached.

"Are you okay?" Alana asked, raising an eyebrow. "Did you not wash your hands or something?"

Kassius cleared his throat. "Ala, I'm doing something."

"It's about time," she said with a wink. "You spent all day doing nothing."

"I mean, I'm doing a ritual. It will last ninety-six days and," he looked around. All the women were staring at him. He lowered his voice and looked at Alana in her clear blue eyes. "Would you mind if I talk to you in private for a minute?"

Alana raised an eyebrow and turned her head, looking at her friends for an instant.

"Sure," she said.

"Excuse us for a minute," Kassius waved his hand at the girls, then walked out with her. The wind blew through her yellow hair, and the morning star could already be seen in the purple sky above.

"What is it?" Alana asked, hands on her waist.

"I'm doing a ritual, Ala, and it's very peculiar."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I have to do certain things, or rather, not do them. I can't touch you."

"You can't what?"

"I can't touch you at all."

"That's weird," she said, now crossing her arms. "So?"

"Yes, so I think we will have to sleep in different tents."

Alana giggled.

"I have something to tell you too."

Kassius raised an eyebrow. "What could it be?"

"I was hoping you could come with me."

"Where?"

"To the north, to visit the Northern Tribes."

"You? But how? When?"

"Ira told me she could ride with us; she knows the steppe like the palm of her hand. She used to be the fastest rider and the old Chieftain's messenger."

"Alana, I just said we can't be together."

"Kassius, you are supposed to be my husband."

"Yes," he ran his fingers through his messy hair. "But..." He shook his head. "I mean..."

"So you won't go with me?"

"I would..." Kassius felt trapped. He hated making her mad.

She crossed her arms. He hated seeing her frustrated.

"Why? You don't want to go with me?"

"I do, but...""Why wouldn't you want to go? Why do you want to get away from me? Tell me, Kassius."

"Alana, I just told you about my ritual."

"Your ritual? So is your ritual more important than coming with me? Kasha, this is important. First, you and I do things together. We are supposed to do things together. Second, we need to raise an army. Third, I'm seeing the steppe, I'd like to see it with you, imagine, the northern tribes must be so powerful. Maybe they will join us, they need to see you too."

Kassius started to think maybe he could try and do the ritual later. But no, it was a long time, and he did not know how much time it would take before they would ride back into Itruschia.

"Well, it's more complicated than that," he said. "What if we wait until the ritual is complete, and then we go?"

"I have to go now, Kassius, as soon as possible. Sooner or later, they'll come looking for us."

He fidgeted with his belt. That was a tough decision. What if she got mad at him? Besides, he was leaving her alone. The village was full of men more muscular and skillful than him. No, why was he thinking that? Did he not trust her?

He had promised the Elder that he would do it no matter what. He cleared his throat and said it, as if finally executing a prisoner after minutes of hesitation.

"I'm sorry, Alana. Really, I cannot go. I need to complete my initiation."

He looked her in the eyes. Hers were moist, and so were his.