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Mark of Mars Page 2


  “Wow, you really look the part,” beamed Sarah. She produced a couple of wraps and wound one expertly around Jenna’s head, doing her best to contain the mop of blonde curls. “Temple handmaidens need to keep their face partially covered whenever in public.”

  “Yes, please try and hide your face, Jenna; one like that has already caused a major war in Greece, the last thing we need is a repeat in Rome.”

  Jenna giggled as she caught the Professor’s reference to Helen of Troy. She turned to see Amelia and Luke emerge in their outfits.

  “Not bad,” Sarah nodded in approval. “Now you should get on your way. I can’t wait to see your faces when you come back.” She looked so excited, Jenna began to believe that they were truly about to embark on a great adventure.

  The Professor opened another door which led into a small ante-chamber. The stone room was empty expect for an older man in a security guard uniform sitting at a bank of computers behind a glass screen; he was seemingly quite oblivious to their weird costumes.

  “Morning, Professor.” The man barely looked up from this station.

  “Morning, Bill.”

  “Where to today?”

  “We’re visiting Gaius for a short spell. Student induction.”

  “No problem. When you see Gaius, please remind him he owes me twenty quid.” He punched a code into the computer and a stone doorway opened in front of them. He went over to the wall and pressed what looked like a series of hieroglyphics. “All set.”

  The Professor grinned. “Well students, if you would like to follow me.” He held his hand out to Jenna. “Miss Duvall, may I escort you?”

  Play along, Jenna thought. She took the Professor’s hand and stepped through the stone archway with him. She was immediately hit by a wave of nausea and extreme dizziness. It beat anything she had experienced on the ferry. When she refocused her eyes, she thought she was dreaming. They were actually in a real temple and judging by the massive statue in front of her, it was Mars’ temple. She was immediately struck by the overpowering smell of incense but one that had not been used for millennia. She turned back to the archway just in time to see her two fellow students literally materialize before her eyes.

  OK, now I’m starting to believe, she said to herself. She headed straight for the main entrance and stopped dead between two marble columns. The scene outside was not something McVale could manufacture for a student prank. She could see the Forum of Augustus, beyond that the Forum of Trajan with its golden horses and chariots decorating the top of the columns, the Temple of Venus and so many other wonderful sights. She was standing in part of the Pantheon, most of which no longer remained. She watched the people buzzing about the forum in front of her, almost disbelieving what she was seeing. These were ancients Romans going about their day to day business. Her legs felt like they had turned to jelly, her mind was still telling her this was just not possible. But she really was in Ancient Rome.

  She jumped as a hand touch her shoulder lightly. It was the Professor. “I need you to head to the back to the temple. Until you have been properly inducted, you cannot be seen by any locals.” His voice was soft. Jenna nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

  She was glad to see that Luke and Amelia were also similarly awestruck. “And to think I nearly bolted out of the classroom.” Amelia spoke as though she could not quite believe her eyes.

  Jenna focused on the huge statue of Mars in the middle of the temple. It looked to be cast in white marble. He was standing in full battle gear, a spear in one hand, his shield in another. On his head was his famous war helmet. “Hello, handsome,” she purred, very much drawn to it. She ran her hand lightly down the line of his arm, over his hip and down to his thigh. “Now this is one fit guy.”

  Amelia sighed. “Yeah, they sure don’t build them like that anymore.”

  “No, they don’t.” Jenna walked around to the other side of the statue and ran her hand over his other thigh. “Absolutely magnificent.” He had been sculpted to perfection.

  Professor Daniels cleared his throat “When you’ve quite finished feeling up Mars, Jenna, could we get you back here?” Jenna looked up and felt the colour rush to her cheeks. The statue had totally captivated her.

  The three students were ushered into a back room of the temple. “The temple’s head priest is Gaius, he’s one of our tutors and is based permanently here at the temple. When we come back in a couple of days, you Luke will be spending your time here in this temple. Jenna and Amelia, you will be spending time in Apollo’s temple which is a short walk away.

  “Now unless any of you need further proof that we are genuinely in ancient Rome, I suggest we return to our present time so I can get you prepared to come back here for study.”

  “Can we just have a couple of minutes longer here?” Luke asked. “It’s just fascinating.”

  “OK, two minutes. Just don’t speak to anyone.”

  Jenna was drawn back to the statue of Mars. There was something about him that mesmerised her. The Roman God of War, he was the embodiment of masculinity and strength. She cast a look behind her and was pleased to see Amelia and Luke occupied with some inscription. “I’ll see you in a few days, handsome,” she murmured with a smile on her face. Her hand could not resist one more run down his fine silhouette. She was surprised that although the statue was cast from marble, it felt warm to her touch; perhaps it retained the heat that came in through the tall columns at the front?

  “Well guys, I guess it’s time to go prepare for our return.” She put her arms around Luke’s and Amelia’s shoulders and ushered them to the gateway. “The Professor awaits.”

  A noise at the entrance caught her attention just as she was stepping through the gateway and she turned briefly, catching sight of someone in black. She could have sworn he shouted Siste. Halt. Too late, she was back in McVale.

  CHAPTER 2

  He pulled his horse up just before the square. His troops halted behind him. The riot had just broken out. With cold detachment, he barked his orders, unsheathed his sword and pushed his horse forward.

  The rioters heard the sound of the troops approaching and the sensible ones dispersed quickly. Those who hesitated were cut down. It was over very quickly. Moments later he surveyed the bloody scene with aloofness. The rioters had been dealt with, his soldiers were largely unharmed, it was a job well done. It was his duty to keep the peace in Rome at whatever the cost. And he did it ruthlessly. He was Rome’s Marshall of the Peace.

  “Our job here is done, Centurion. I want you to take a small group and patrol the Via Lata. Order the rest of the troops back to barracks.”

  His centurion’s right hand crossed his chest in salute. “Yes, Marshall.”

  He found life as Marcus Vilnus quite fulfilling. Having an active role in society was very rewarding and it served his purpose. War was to be avoided, and so a tight control on Rome’s citizens was necessary. Sitting high on his horse, he rode through the streets, cutting a very imposing figure. He had a fearsome reputation and this worked very much in his favour. Just his presence often dispersed a crowd. The majority of trouble broke out in the poorer neighbourhoods so that was where he spent most of his time.

  He knew his father wanted to see him, so reluctantly stopped by his residence when all was quiet on the streets. It was never a good sign being summoned.

  Jupiter was in his study and looked up as his son entered. “You took your time,” he grunted.

  “I had a riot to deal with, father,” Mars growled back. “What is so urgent that you need to see me?”

  “The latest outbreak of riots seem to be spreading from the Via Lata into the Isis region. You need to increase the soldier presence there.”

  Mars gave an impatient sigh. “I am well aware of where the riots are breaking out, Senator. I spend much of my time suppressing them.”

  “If you stationed more troops in the Isis, it would deter the rioters.”

  “If the Senate actually contemplated dealing with the cause of
the riots, then I would not have to waste my time suppressing them.”

  “I do not need a lecture on how to do my job,” Jupiter snapped.

  “And I likewise do not need any help from you, father,” Mars responded scathingly. “I am the God of War and I do not need advice on military s..s…strat…..” He did not finish. He couldn’t. He was stunned to his very core. He could feel this icy cool hand slowly running down his arm, over his hip and onto his thigh, setting every nerve on fire. It was incredibly pleasurable yet painful at the same time. He let out a low howl as sparks shot through his body.

  “What is it, Mars?” The concern on Jupiter’s face was not something he had seen in a long time.

  “I don’t know, father. It….it feels like someone is running fire and ice over me. It’s causing a pain I have never felt before.” Mars straightened up as the burning stopped and ran a hand through his thick black hair. He was soaked in perspiration. “But how is this possible? How can a God be affected so?”

  Jupiter looked a little bemused. “It is very rare, but not impossible for a mortal to touch a God. A temple handmaiden of exceptional gift has been known to reach the God she worships. Although I have to say I have never seen a reaction as strong as yours.”

  “I don’t have any handmaidens. So how do I find this mortal?” Mars growled. He was only too eager to meet the one who had inflicted such sweet torture on him.

  “I imagine she is still in your temple, son. A touch like that can only occur through your statue.”

  Before his father could stop him, Mars transported in a flash of golden light directly to his temple. He knew there was a chance someone might see him materialise, but he did not care. He needed to see who was inflicting him with these sensations, tormenting him. No-one subjected a God to this kind of pain without retribution.

  As he stood in the colonnaded entrance of his temple, it hit him again; that wonderful bittersweet feeling running slowly along his arm and down his body. He saw a cloaked figure, her delicate white hand running across the thigh of his statue, she looked completely absorbed. It paralysed him temporarily, such was the burning. He watched her join two other similarly attired beings and move towards the back of the temple.

  He called out for her to stop and held his breath ever so briefly as the woman turned her head to look behind her. It might only have been a partial glimpse of her face, but she was stunning. Then a split second later they were gone. All three of them.

  He ran into the back room of the temple, only his head priest was there, no sign of anyone else. His priest looked a little surprised. “Marshall Vilnus, can I help you?”

  Mars barked. “Did three people not come back here?”

  “No, Sir. There were people in the temple earlier, but no-one comes back here,” Gaius responded.

  Mars grunted and headed back outside. Once out of sight, he transported back to his father’s residence.

  “Well, son, who was she?” Jupiter asked.

  “I never got to find out.” Mars poured himself a large goblet of wine. “She and her companions just disappeared into thin air. How can these mortals vanish in my temple? Right before me?” His black eyes were starting to flash angrily. Mortals just did not disappear, it was beyond their power.

  Jupiter looked dumbstruck. “They just vanished?”

  “Yes. As though they walked through a stone wall.”

  Jupiter looked deep in thought for a moment. “She has to be a time walker. That can be the only explanation.”

  “A what?” Mars scowled.

  “A time walker,” his father repeated. “I have come across them before over the last millennia or so. They move in and out of our world, and spend their time observing other mortals. They are easy to spot as they wear a wide pewter band on their left wrist. They have never given me any reason to take real notice of them before.” Jupiter’s brows furrowed. “But this woman interests me greatly. A time walker who can stop the God of War in his tracks with just one touch is very intriguing indeed.”

  “And now she’s gone before I have the pleasure of meeting her,” Mars spat.

  “She’s a time walker, so there is every chance she might be back. Keep a close eye on your temple, it seems you have found one of their gateways.”

  Mars left his father and retreated to his own residence. He needed time alone; this woman had shaken him up. She might be a time walker, but she was powerful. His body still tingled from her touch. Never had a mortal come close to inflicting the pain she had on him, she was truly unique. He was eager to see the rest of her face; if the brief glimpse he had was anything to go by, she was certainly beautiful. He snorted loudly to himself, he finally finds a woman who sparks his interest and she disappears before he has the pleasure of knowing her better. The Fates really were against him.

  Jenna was just buzzing with excitement. “Can you believe what just happened?” she squealed. “We were actually in ancient Rome. Ancient bloody Rome. How amazing is that.”

  “Will you gag her, Luke” Amelia spoke with great deliberation. “I’m having a real moment here and her squealing is killing it.”

  Luke laughed. He was still trying to get to grips with what had just happened to them too. It was not possible but they had just taken a trip back over two millennia. It kind of messed with your mind.

  Professor Daniels ushered them back into the costume room where Sarah was waiting for them, grinning ear to ear. “It feels kind of surreal doesn’t it?”

  “Awesome, absolutely awesome,” breathed Jenna. “How soon can we go back, Professor?”

  “In a couple of days. First we need to prepare you for life in ancient Rome. We’ll cover everything from clothing to rituals for the temple you are at, and day to day living. You will also have to undergo several vaccinations for diseases, some of which are now extinct. “

  Amelia shivered. “I hate needles.”

  “Well if you prefer a healthy dose of the plague, diphtheria or cholera, I would be happy to forego your vaccinations.”

  “On this occasion, I might make an exception,” she grumbled.

  Jenna had a question which had been loitering at the back of her mind. “Have you ever had a student go missing, Professor? I mean we’re going back to dangerous times where human life was not considered as precious as it is now.”

  “We try to safeguard our students as much as we can, which is why everyone wears one of these wrist bands.” He lifted his shirt sleeve and revealed a wide, pewter looking band which had a blue crystal in the middle. “The band has two uses. Firstly, it is a locator. Should you ever go missing, we will be able to track your whereabouts.

  “The band is also a translator. It taps into your neural pathways and will be programmed for Latin, so it will help you when speaking in Latin without you even knowing it. Impressive, eh?”

  “You’re saying it acts like an instant translator?” Amelia could only believe so much.

  “Exactly. The only way you can move around in that time is if you speak their language fluently. Our students would soon stand out if their Latin was not as it should be. You, Jenna, for obvious reasons will just have the locator.”

  Amelia and Luke both looked at her quizzically. “How come?”

  Jenna turned a little pink. “It sounds highly geeky, but I’ve been able to speak Latin fluently from childhood. My parents must have taught me it alongside English when I was a baby.”

  Luke laughed. “I think you might actually be a bigger nerd than me, Jenna.”

  “How long are we supposed to stay there?” Jenna was curious.

  “It varies from student to student. All three of you are starting at the same place but not all of you will suit the period. You may decide you would prefer a more ancient Rome, say 100BC or that Ancient Greece attracts you more. Until you begin your studies, you have no real understanding of which area you will excel in. I guess it’s very much trial and error.

  “Luke and Amelia, you will need to let your families know that you are go
ing on a site visit and will be out of contact for a while. Students usually say that mobile and internet signal at the site is terrible so contact from them will be patchy. If, for any reason, they need to get hold of you urgently, they can call the Institute and we will get a message to you.

  “I know you still have many unanswered questions, but I suggest you hold onto them for now. I need to get you to Medical so we can start with the vaccinations.”

  Amelia rubbed the top of her arm in anticipation. “Did I tell you I hate needles? Injections always make my arm so sore,” she moaned.