“Who are you?” Lucius didn’t lower his sword.
“I’m the pater of the local Mithraeum. I was told to look out for you. Hurry. Before more Parthians show up.” The little man looked nervously up and down the alley.
“Who sent you?”
The little man’s eyes drifted up toward the moon. “She did.”
Lucius nodded, placing his hand over the crescent moon Selene had carved in his armor over his heart and casting a prayer of thanks to the night sky. He ushered Ariazate and Tigran toward the man. As soon they stepped inside the door, a larger, muscular man pushed it closed, barring it. Putting himself between the doorman and the pater and the two Armenian youths, Lucius lowered his sword some, but kept it ready.
“Please, follow me.” The little bald man waved them deeper into the building.
“Send your man in first, then you, then I’ll follow,” Lucius ordered. If this was a trap, he wanted the strangers in front of his sword and the siblings behind his back. He didn’t like this, but it was better than running into gangs of Parthians.
The man nodded and sent the large man ahead, stepping in behind him. Lucius caught the eyes of the two Armenians and gave them a faint nod before turning to follow the men deeper into the stone corridor. It matched the basic gray stone of the alleyway as they wound through more halls before descending a set of stairs. When they reached the bottom, they stood in the antechamber of Tigranocerta’s Mithraeum.
The man spoke rapidly in Armenian, sending his large companion away. Though he tried to follow along, his grasp of Armenian was far too rudimentary to catch more than a word or two, though he’d been trying to learn. He’d have to rely on Ariazate to translate. She didn't seem bothered by what was said, though she looked distracted, a wide-eyed look of horror on her wan face as she stared into the distance. A motion caught Lucius’s eye—Ariazate’s hands trembled.
“My man is fetching a bucket of water and a rag so you can clean up. If you tell me where your horses and belongings are, I’ll see them brought to a safe stable nearby,” the pater said, returning to his rough but adequate Latin.
“Thank you, Pater. But you’ll have to forgive me if I’m not exactly feeling terribly trusting right now. If you don’t mind, I need to speak with someone…” Lucius nodded toward the main chamber of the Mithraeum.
The little man nodded, gesturing toward the door with an open hand. Lucius nodded and stepped into the Mithraeum, stopping just before the large painted scene of Mithras slaying the bull. He’s spent the weeks since leaving Antiochia thinking about his brush with the divine. Marching allowed for a lot of time to ponder such weighty topics. Though he’d come to terms with catching the eye of Selene, he was about to reach out to her directly, something he wasn’t sure was a wise idea. Dropping to his knees, he laid out the gladius before him, the side marked by Selene facing up. He closed his eyes.
“Blessed Selene, I thank you for your aid.”
“Of course, my brave soldier. I’m glad I was able to help in your time of need,” the goddess replied in the vault of Lucius’s mind, her voice warm and gentle.
“Can this man, he who claims to be the pater of this Mithraeum, be trusted?” Lucius asked.
“I’ve looked into his heart. You are safe while you are with him. He commands respect among the local adherents of Mithras. He will aid you in getting back to your men because I have so ordered it with the backing of The Wanderer himself.”
“Thank you, My Mistress, for watching over me and my friends.”
“Be well, Lucius Silvanius Ferrata, and look you toward the temple of Gorneae on your way to The Wanderer’s temple. The pater will provide a guide for you.”
“I am in your humble debt.”
“Go with my blessing, Lucius.”
Lucius opened his eyes but blinked as the silvery glow surrounding his body dissipated. As with his first interaction with the goddess of the moon, warmth and serenity infused him. He stood, picked up his sword, and rejoined Ariazate, Tigran, and the pater in the antechamber. They stared at him wide-eyed, their mouths hanging open. The pater bowed deeply before Lucius.
“Selene says I can trust you.”
The small man nodded jerkily as he stared at Lucius, his eyes flicking about a bit wildly. Lucius told him where their horses were billeted and what room they’d been staying in. Once the doorman returned with water, the pater sent him to get food and drink, then left to take care of procuring their horses and the rest of their belongings. Lucius offered the rag and bucket to Ariazate first who eagerly washed the blood from her hands until they looked pink and raw from scrubbing. Lucius took her hands and dried them, then helped her to a nearby bench to sit down. Her eyes were having trouble focusing. He’d seen the look in soldiers suffering shock and would address it as soon as he got himself cleaned up.
Tigran had managed to stay free from blood and left the water for Lucius to use. He couldn’t do anything about the blood on his tunic, but he washed his hands and face as best as he could, finishing with his gladius. With that stowed, he sent Tigran to look at the murals and statues inside the Mithraeum with the order not to touch anything.
Sitting next to Ariazate, he left a foot between himself and the young woman while remaining quiet. After a while, she broke the silence.
“I killed that man…” she scooted over, resting her head on Lucius’s shoulder. “I keep hearing his scream over and over as my knife plunges into his back.”
Lucius wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave it a squeeze, letting the girl cry quietly on his shoulder. When she finished, she sniffed and sat up, wiping her sleeve across her nose.
“I’ve never killed anyone before,” she said quietly. “I can see every detail in his face when he turned around. Does it ever go away?”
Lucius thought back to the Dacians he’d killed in his first battle. After the intense fight to survive the ambush in the mountains of Dacia, he hadn’t had time to think about what he’d just done, but the faces were still present in his mind. He’d killed many people in battles since then, but those first stuck with him.
“Not appreciably.” He sighed.
“I hope it goes away.”
“The intensity of the imagery will decrease, but at times it’ll flash back just as bright and clear as right now.” Lucius squeezed the bridge of his nose. “I’m sorry you had to do that. It was my job to protect you and your brother.”
Lucius was about to speak more but clacked his jaw closed when he heard the scrape of leather on stone. His hand drifted toward the grip of his gladius. When he saw the pater reemerge, he relaxed.
“I have food and drink for you, as well as blankets. It’s probably best that you stay here for the night. In the morning, we’ll sneak you out of town and back to your people.” The pater directed a few servants to set up their beds along the wall.
“Thank you, Pater. You probably saved our lives.” Lucius bowed his head in respect.
“You are most welcome, Perses Ferrata. Is there anything else I can do for you?”
“I’ve been informed you can provide me with a guide to get us to Gorneae.”
The pater bowed. “I have been instructed by holy Selene to aid you in this manner. We’ll leave at first light. I’ll send someone to wake you.”
Lucius nodded. “We’ll be ready.”
“I know there aren’t many hours before dawn, but sleep well.”
