The City of Fire

[Outskirts of Pompeii, August 1st, 79 A.D.] [23 days till predicted eruption]

I'm not sure how many hours passed, but we finally reached what looked like an ancient Roman city in the distance.

Nero, my new friend and ally in this adventure, held her head the whole time as we marched, not looking too happy with the whole process.

I looked towards the distant city and spotted the giant ticking bomb of a mountain nearby. 

My Alaya implanted headache grew with every step.

'There it is… The colossal volcano, a ticking time bomb set to erupt in over three weeks. How am I to decipher the anomaly in this situation?' I ponder, my gaze shifting to the mini-emperor.

She gazes at the bustling city, its inhabitants blissfully unaware of the impending doom, a peculiar expression on her face. She seems almost relieved as if the city's ignorance is a balm to her soul.

Eventually, we made it to the city "gate," if it could be called that. It looked like there used to be a gate here, but it has long since perished, whether through nature or man. Regardless, the deep and weathered imprints on the ground remain, showing signs of a once-strong gate defending the city's north side. The rest of the wall seemed to stay, but the North gate we approached seemed just gone, missing as if erased. This absence, a testament to the city's past and the passage of time was a stark reminder of the city's vulnerability. 

"Well, are you ready to see a Roman city after your rule?" I turn to ask Nero as we stop at the front of the destroyed gate.

She returns with a resolute nod and looks around at the people with an almost at ease yet apprehension-filled expression.

The gate was left unguarded as we approached, attracting glances from the locals as we walked through the open gate, whether because of the dirt covering me or the exuberant-looking outfit Nero was strolling through with. 

We became a minor focus of attention. 

Ignoring the curious gazes, I was captivated by the city's grandeur. It was a living testament to the glory of ancient Rome, with its majestic structures, the unmistakable Roman style characterized by its arches and columns, and the bustling streets filled with merchants and pedestrians. I couldn't help but feel a mix of awe and disbelief at the sight before me, a feeling that only intensified as we delved deeper into the city.

"Well…My Emperor?" I extend my hand. "Would you like to show me the glory of the Roman Empire?"

She hesitates for a moment, then, with an excited glint in her eyes, exclaims, "UMU!" and grabs my hand, pulling me through the bustling market streets. "I will be your guide, my praetor!" she declares, her ahoge wagging excitedly.

******

The city was the same as we saw at the entrance as we strolled. We passed many homes, businesses, eateries, and more as we explored the surroundings. It was a fascinating experience as someone from the modern world who is literally traveling through time. Nero informed me about all sorts of things related to Roman culture, like their gods and how families operated. It was enlightening to listen to as it couldn't have come from a more reputable source.

Kids were running through the busy stone streets, playing with some kind of leather ball as they navigated through the busy adults going about their business. The air was filled with the sounds of their laughter and the chatter of the adults, creating a vibrant and lively atmosphere that was distinctly a city filled with life. 

Nero had a slight smile persistently as we strolled through the area, her eyes watching the busy turmoil with relief. 

Later, I tried to sell some of the items I came across in that ruined town as Nero started playing with some of the city's children. 'What happened to that town anyway?' I thought as I observed how relaxed the people here were when a town a few hours north of them had been ransacked.

These thoughts, among many others, went through my head as I watched while bartering with this sales merchant as the kids climbed on the emperor while she spun them around. After a while, I left with a reasonably hefty bag of coins. I went to get some new clothes and borrowed a fountain to clean myself up a bit. I wanted to get her an ordinary tunic-like outfit for women of the era because her bright red dress seemed to stand out. 

At first, she was hesitant, but when I convinced her that her beauty would shine regardless of what she wore and that it was essential to the mission, she agreed reluctantly, but only if she got to pick it out. We eventually settled on an outfit that wasn't very different from her initial outfit with its red coloring but had less gold and looked semi-normal among ordinary people.

-

-

Eventually, we found a spot by a tree surrounded by grass and sat down with our backs facing the tree underneath a shaded spot away from the streets.

She looked towards me. "Praetor…Thank you for summoning me and letting me see this," she said as her eyes lingered on the crowds. "I…am genuinely pleased to see Rome's people being pleased like this. They can live without worries, as the children can run around without risk, and the adults are free to haggle, laugh, and drink." 

She looked at peace as if a heavy burden had been eased, as she saw her nation still prospering over a decade after her passing.

Then she turned to me." Praetor…" she started to say as she gazed into my eyes. "What are we to do for these people? Are they not in danger?" She says as her eyebrows scrunch. "According to the proper history, that mountain is set to erupt, is it not? We can't let these people perish…"

"That…" I start before lying down, gazing at the tree's leaves above us." I am not sure. We do not know what this anomaly we are trying to stop even is." My head had been killing me since we approached the city, and the pain only grew the closer we approached the volcano. 

"Can we not evacuate all the people before the eruption? Nero asks almost pleadingly.

"I'm not sure; I don't know what kind of difference in history would constitute an anomaly. Remember, history says that this city is to fall, and Mt. Vesuvius is the one to do it." 

"I see…" Nero says before looking back at the busy Roman street markets. "Please master... if the time comes. Help me save the people."

"I'll see what I can do…"I say, watching the kids run across our line of sight for the third time. "I'll do what I can…"

-

-

-

After a while, we resumed our exploration of the city; I noticed something peculiar: the ground didn't shake.

"This is odd," I say as we walk the stone streets. 

"What is?" Nero asked while her gaze linged on a food vendor's wares.

"The ground has not shaken at all today…" 

She tilted her head while turning to look at me.

"While normally that is a good thing, it shouldn't be the case considering how close to the eruption date we are." 

She widens her eyes as the realization dawns on her. "Is there something wrong with the mountain?" She asks as her eyes move to look at the mountain peak.

As I remember from the article, the volcano was supposed to be active by now. This bit of information was odd as, according to the records, they should have been experiencing some kind of quake daily.

'Did I get the date wrong? No, that can't be it…'

-

-

After a few more hours of exploring and trying the various foods available, we realized we had no place to stay. Nero said we could create a house using her skills (?) and have somewhere to stay, but I told her that it would be suspicious if a new building had appeared around the city suddenly. 

We began looking for somewhere to stay when eventually we found a family-run hospitia(1) that seemed decent as it was relatively popular earlier in the day and had many families coming and going from inside. It doubled as a hotel and an eatery, as it appeared to have a dining area outside the building.

Inside, the place was pretty empty as most patrons had already gone to bed, but a single man was looking about the age of early 20s wiping tables.

He seemed pretty muscular, standing at approximately 188 cm, with dark curly hair and a shadow of facial hair. He turned his head at the sound of us opening the door as he put his rag down.

"Welcome!" he stated as he started to approach us. "The kitchen is closed right now, but if you are here to stay the night, you made it just in time. If you're here to see my dumb father, he's already gone to bed for the night." He states as he goes behind the counter, handing a bunch of coins.

"Ah, we were looking for a room to stay in for the night, maybe three weeks at most," I say while looking around the interior.

Much like the city's other architecture, the building was primarily made from volcanic lava mixed with limestone. Wooden tables and furniture decorated the insides, which were illuminated by candle flames. There were no windows but small openings near the ceiling angled so as not to let rain in.

The man perks up as he lets go of whatever he is messing with behind the counter. "Ah, you are here to stay the night?! For that long? Perfect!" as he walked over to where we were standing at the door. "Please come in!" he says as he ushers us in before closing the door behind us. 

"I am Iason, and this is my family's hospitium," He says while gesturing to our surroundings.

"We only have one room available, but I assume that will be alright…" He says while glancing at Nero and me.

"Together?!" Nero and I say while looking at each other. She looks away as I regain my composure.

"That will be fine… How much does the stay cost?" I ask while trying to keep the conversation going.

He looked amused before continuing, "For you, good sir, it would only be ten asses(2) per night, but since you are staying here for such a long period, I am willing to drop the price to 8 asses."

I look at the pouch I got earlier and then back at him. "Do you want me to pay it all now, or should we do it by day?" I asked as I wasn't sure I had that many coins on me.

He thought about it for a second before turning to look at the counter. "You seem like an alright guy. Il let you pay by the day, but you must agree to stay for the full duration you mentioned." He said while looking at Nero, who seemed spaced out.

"Thank you, sir!" I said as I went to hand him the price for the night.

"Nonsense, just call me Iason," he said as he took my copper coins. "I'm just looking out for my fellow man. You two make a very nice couple," he says before tossing a key at me. "The room is on the far left; we serve food at dawn. Good luck!" He says before giving me a thumbs up and going behind the curtain by the counter.

"..."

I just stood there, shocked.

"Uh, Nero, I think he got the wrong idea…" I say while scratching the back of my head. 

"U-Umu! I think so as well…" She then grabs my wrist and starts dragging me to our room.

"This way, praetor! It is time for us to get some sleep!"

-

After finding the room and unlocking the door, Nero dragged me in before locking the door.

"Master…" Nero says in a whisper,

"Y-yes, Nero?" I ask as she whispers in my ear,

"Did you notice my master?..." She said, concerned.

"Huh?"

"This whole building is surrounded in a bounded field…" She says while looking around the room.

"Eh? What's a bounded field?" I ask, confused as the whole idea of magic still feels foreign.

"Ah! Master, I forgot you had no training in magic!" She says, surprised. "A bounded field is something that mages use to protect an area, as this field we entered seems to have the capability to eject people with hostile intent to the location. It does not seem to be a problem, but it is fascinating to see a mage in a small establishment like this." She says, nodding.

"But how do you know this?" I ask, as I don't remember Roman Emperors being skilled mages.

"I know because I am the Emperor! UMU!" she says smugly, and then suddenly, her eyes start to twinkle. 

"That's it!" She says, "I can be your teacher, my praetor!" 

"..."

"..."

"HUH?"

******

1. A Hospitium was a Roman hotel. Initially, it rented rooms in private homes. Hence, its name derives from the principle of hospitia, or the hospitality a Roman host owes to his guests.

2. The cost of living in Pompeii is relatively low. The Roman currency was comprised of coins which included asses (copper), dupondii (bronze), sestertii (bronze), denarii (silver) and aurei (gold). Other denominations used were the quadrans, the Quinarius argenteus and the Quinarius aureus. Ten asses would equate to $27.19 Us dollars.

Apparently, the city's north gate had collapsed due to quakes 11 years prior, and they had never repaired it.

******

How did you all like the chapter? It took some time to research how the city was supposed to look.