He wasn’t really aware of them going. Gently, he stroked his daughter’s hair, tidied her and made her look beautiful. Then he sat quietly holding her hand remembering their happiness together, which at least had been longer than last time. He’d wait, he’d no choice but to. He had to hope that one day the gods would relent and let them finish what they’d started.
At some point he became aware of Mutta in the room with him. She‘d probably been sitting with him for some time, but he hadn’t noticed. He turned giving her the invitation to speak. She reached out and touched his shoulder, for a moment she didn’t say anything but her touch united them together in their grief.
Finally she spoke. “Cimon, your daughter needs to be here until she’s weaned. After that it’s up to you. But I speak for everyone in the hope that you’ll remain here and allow the child to grow up here amongst us. And if that doesn’t sway you, I’d like you to stay as well.”
He didn’t say anything, but he felt her hand touch his face. He looked at her, seeing the sadness and loss echoed in her eyes. He stood up and pulled her into his arms allowing Mutta to grieve finally for the loss of her friend.
“Where else would we go, Mutta? This is our home,” he told her quietly. “We’re safe and wanted here… Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me.” Mutta pulled away and admonished him. “I’m being selfish, I’ve lost a good friend and I don’t want to lose both of you.” Cimon smiled sadly and wrapped Mutta in a heartfelt embrace, which she returned. “You can wait in safety here until next time,” she added quietly.
The End
Historical Notes
Obviously the story is a work of complete fiction but I’ve tried to put it into historical context and portray the culture at the time as accurately as possible.
The Rabisu are known in Akkadian mythology as the vagabond, and are supposed to be a vampiric spirit or demon which springs unaware on its victims at the entrance to houses. Hence the name seizer demons. They live in the Desert of Anguish, attacking newly arrived souls as they travel down the Road of Bone to the City of the Dead.
I’ve adapted them a little to fit the story and make them a little different to vampires.
The catacombs and caverns of Rome are well documented for the early Christian burials built under the ground in tuff, the soft volcanic rock which hardens on contact with the air. The burials began in the second century as the pagan romans would cremate their dead, but the Jews and the Christians believed in interment. Yet there was also mining work which took place beneath the city for the volcanic sands or tuff which was an ingredient in Roman cement. I’ve merely assumed that some people might have made use of the properties in the geology of place and sought sanctuary in the ground before the Christians.
Estakhr was a city in what is now modern day Iran in the Fars Province. It is only five kilometers from the Achaemenid capital of Persepolis and was prosperous due to its location on the western end of the ancient caravan route which ran from the Indus valley to Persia. The city briefly became the capital city of the Sassanian Persia around 200 CE, but after that it gradually lost importance so that today only ruins remain.
I have placed Inga and her family in the Harz Mountains in Northern Germany, though I have not given a specific site, I have tried to make the roman towns on the Rhine as accurate as possible, including the roman withdrawal from Germany and the following reprisals made by Germanicus.
As said at the beginning I’ve tried to place this fantasy story in as accurate historical context as possible.
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