Two months had passed since Titus had dispatched General Cassius with the gladiator Falco and the strange priestess. A courier had arrived from the XXV Legion’s headquarters reporting that the entire legion had disappeared. The courier also informed the emperor that the strange black Shadow was also gone.
Titus pondered this for several days, but since there was no more information forthcoming, he moved on to other things such as the rebuilding of Pompeii and the construction of the Coliseum. He did have General Cassius’s name added to the roll of honor.
The gladiator Falco was soon nothing more than a tale a few experts on the games told among themselves and, after a generation, his name was spoken no more.
In Delphi, a new priestess took the place of the oracle. She was a niece of the slain oracle. Her first duty was to add the name Kaia to the roll of the true priestesses.
Dane threw open the hatch, and sunlight hit his skin, a most welcome feeling. He pulled himself up the ladder onto the top of the Crab and peered about. The gate was gone, open ocean all around except for the destroyer headed toward them, the Salvor right behind it, and the top of the FLIP bobbing on the surface. Ahana joined him, blinking in the bright light.
“We did it,” she said.
“We only stopped the Shadow temporarily,” Dane said.
“We stopped it this time in between our world and its,” Ahana corrected. “That’s an improvement.”
“We still didn’t get to the other side.” Dane was weary.
“We will,” Ahana said. “We’ll take the war to their side next time.”