The Demons of Rome

XII - Ashes

Max's eyes flickered open to see he was inside a small tent. He took a moment to blink away the sleep and carefully sat up. He winced in pain as his joints protested the movement. He rubbed his face lazily with both hands and sighed, then pulled his hands away in shock. He turned them over and looked at the back, shocked to see them wrinkled beyond recognition and his skin so pale it was almost transparent.

"What the..."

"Oh, Governor, you are awake!" a voice from behind him cried.

He turned uneasily and saw his personal physician bounding forward to examine him.

"Capernicus... What happened to my hands? Where are we?" Max asked, his voice croaked and wavered like the old men of the senate, tired from a lifetime of shouting.

The physician swallowed nervously, and Max thought he saw a glimmer of pity in his eyes.

"Governor, I'm... I'm afraid it is not just your hands that have been affected," he reached for a reflective silver disc and held it up for Max to see himself.

Max's mouth dropped open as he looked at his reflection.

"What happened to me?"

"We don't know, I'm afraid, sir..."

Max ran his hand down his face again. He looked ancient; wrinkled and frail and gaunt.

"Iatus... I can't feel Iatus, the link is gone!"

"I'm sorry, sir, Iatus? Your scribe?"

Max scowled in annoyance, "Get out, get out now!"

The physician scurried back, "At once, sir," he snivelled and left the tent.

Max stood up shakily, but now that he was fully awake he felt something was different inside him, nothing to do with his new-found age, but he felt like a weight had been lifted, he felt... powerful.

Something must have happened to Iatus... If he was killed, the mana drain on me could have done this.

He bit his lip and traced out a basic circle, not bothering to look for something more powerful. He spoke Iatus' summons but nothing happened. He tried again and received the same result.

He frowned in concern and then had an idea, if Iatus was in trouble Aelith would know.

He tried the summons for Aelith but again nothing happened.

What is going on...

Just as he was about to try and summon Aelith again, his knees buckled from under him, sending him tumbling to the floor.

He cried out in shock and pain, and he heard a snap from his hip as he hit the floor.

A guard rushed in and knelt by his side.

"Governor, are you alright?"

Max grimaced in pain, "I think... I broke my hip."

"Just stay there, I shall call for the physician."

"No, just pick me up and put me back onto the bed."

"But Governor..."

"Just do it soldier, that's an order!" Max snapped.

The soldier frowned but did as he was told. He didn't have much trouble, Max realized he was painfully thin, almost a skeleton to look at his chest.

Now, what was the spell my father used... He used it for everything. Heal by fire? Heal in fire? I think Heal in fire.

Max gently put his hand against his hip and said, "Yesil sa Fas."