The Kin

by Elsye Harwood

  ***

  The Junii town house closest to the Palatine seemed almost as big as the villa in the country, the only difference was the lack of sprawling land surrounding the house, but as compensation, there was a large garden with a pond and several fountains. Junius assured Marius that it was one of their smaller properties, then laughed when he saw Marius’s face. The whole place screamed wealth and tasteful opulence, from the beautifully crafted furniture to the mosaics and frescos on the walls of even the smallest bedrooms.

  As a guest of the eldest son of the house, despite his lower rank, Marius was treated with polite respect. It was rather disconcerting that his every whim was catered for at a moment’s notice; he only had to ask and he received. It had been like that at the villa, but after a few days he’d made it plain to the servants that he was happier mucking in. Here, however, he didn’t think that he could get away with that.

  Four hours before noon the next day, the two of them set out on foot to the Emperor’s residence at the Palatine. Marius had never been before and stared around as they walked. In contrast Junius strolled beside him, confident and controlled, but Marius could sense his tension below the service.

  Instead of walking to the main entrance, they turned left and came to a side gate, which was guarded by two praetorian guards. Junius introduced himself and showed them a seal. After a moment, they were waved inside and told to wait.

  Marius waited nervously in the corridor. For a while he studied the white marble walls, wondering at their lack of decoration, then he glanced over at Junius and noticed that although his friend appeared his usual calm and collected self, a muscle twitched in his cheek, belying his cool exterior.

  Eventually a figure appeared at the end of the corridor and began to make its unhurried way towards them. As it drew nearer Junius stepped forward and the richly dressed man smiled.

  “Junius Silanus, I’m glad to see that you’ve recovered from your ordeal. The Emperor is looking forward to hearing your account. I assume that this is Marius Tullius Varens, your adjutant and fellow hostage?”

  Junius nodded. “He saved my life, Turbo, I owe him everything. I’m honoured that the Emperor is willing to see us at such short notice.”

  Turbo smiled. “Junius, you’re too modest, Caesar has a special connection with Parthia and it was partly due to his advice that Trajan sent you out to do the survey. He feels responsible for what happened to you, and has been extremely worried, but your father insisted that you were not yet ready for public life. So your message came as a marvellous surprise. But please come this way, he’ll be waiting.”

  Fabius Turbo led them down a plain passage, then into a more opulent corridor, which was lined with the marble busts of famous Romans and previous Caesars. To Marius, it was like walking through Rome’s history and he felt out of place, a mere lowly soldier, intruding on greatness. In contrast though, the two men in front of him didn’t seem perturbed in the slightest and chatted like two old friends, which he realised they were. He shouldn’t have been surprised that Junius was at home here, he’d spent a year at court before going to the army, but he rarely talked about it.

  Turbo showed them to a room where they were told to wait. Marius sat down on a bench, whilst Junius adjusted his toga, which showed the broad stripe of his patrician rank. Once again it was an uncharacteristic sign of nervousness.

  Almost immediately the door opened and Turbo called Junius into the room, leaving Marius to wait alone. After a while a servant came in with watered wine and bread, which Marius nibbled at tensely and washed down with a cup of the good quality wine. Sitting and waiting made him increasingly apprehensive and the temptation to have another cup became strong, but he couldn’t be drunk in front of his Emperor, even though he knew the man and had served with him in Parthia.

  As he had no means to measure time it seemed to drag, and he realised that he shouldn’t have been surprised that it was taking so long; Junius had served with Hadrian when the old Emperor had conquered Mesopotamia and part of Parthia. Junius had been a tribune, and would have known and socialized with Hadrian both during the campaigns and afterwards when they’d been stationed in Antioch.

  Suddenly the door opened and Junius peered out.

  “You still awake?” he asked. His face was set, but his eyes flashed dangerously.

  Marius nodded cautiously.

  “Good, Caesar would like to hear your account of what happened. Are you all right to come in?”

  Marius stood. “That’s why I’m here.”

  Junius stepped aside to let him in and Marius walked in to the private apartment of the Emperor.

  Hadrian was sitting at a desk with several maps in front of him, as well as a few scrolls which lay partially open next to them. He was a well-built man, in his forties, and unremarkable except for his beard, which distinguished him from his fellow Romans, an affectation picked up whilst serving as Archon in Athens. He looked up as Marius came in.

  “Ah, Marius Tullius Varens, we meet again. Firstly, I must thank you for returning my dear friend to me in one piece and for alerting us to this new threat to the Empire. You are a very brave man, Marius.”

  Marius bowed his head, but wasn’t sure if he should say anything.

  “Take a seat. Junius, give him some wine, we’ve kept the poor fellow waiting long enough. I always admired the Twentieth; you led the first cohort, didn’t you? A hardy and resilient group of men, the pride of the Empire, Caesar used to say.”

  Marius nodded. “Yes, sir, we attacked the Parthian King together at Seleucia.”

  Hadrian smiled. “A good day for Rome. I remember it well.”

  Junius handed Marius a cup and gave an encouraging look. Marius bit his lip worriedly, but his friend gave a slight shake of his head to indicate all was well.

  Hadrian sat forward. “Marcus has told me what truly happened and not what Junius Silanus, his father, wanted me to hear. You see, Marius, I was there with you in Parthia as you know. I heard those stories and we laughed and dismissed them. But then like everyone else at night, we shuddered when we heard the wolves howl. We soldiers are a superstitious bunch, we dismiss and brush off, but deep down we believe. When you’re faced with death every day, the unknown is a real and frightening place, always at your shoulder and only a step away.

  “Marcus has shown me the reports written by General Celus and Governor Valens. He’s also told me his version of events, so now I’d like to hear it from your side as well. But before you do, please understand that I do believe you both. I’m sorry that you were sent to do the survey, but I take consolation in the fact that you were the right people for the job and you were both able to return and warn us of this threat. Now if you please, tell me what it was like to resist these creatures and to fend them off.”

  Marius bowed his head and glanced at Junius who was sitting on a chair to his left. His friend nodded almost imperceptibly, so Marius took a deep breath and began his story.

  When he finished, Hadrian was standing with his back to him and staring out onto the sunlit garden beyond the open window. Junius quietly got up and poured more wine into the Emperor’s cup, then refilled Marius’s and lastly his own.

  Hadrian took a deep breath. “I will speak with your father, Marcus, about trying to keep this from me. I’m convinced that this is a real threat and a danger to our Empire. I’ll send new orders to Celus and Valens.” He paused and turned to face them. “I know that you say this tribesman Nasir and his fellows have destroyed most of them and scattered the rest, but the Empire is too big. My adoptive father was a great man and he achieved more than any other Emperor. But he stretched the Empire too far. Something has to give and I believe that we should pull back from this region and consolidate what we had and make Parthia a client kingdom.

  “I’ve been thinking of doing this for some time, and this gives me the perfect excuse, though of course, not one I can tell the world.

  “But the real question this throws up is that if
this is real, then what other tales we dismiss as stories to frighten children have some truth to them? Are there still druids in Britannia, sacrificing their victims to their dark gods? What about the wind demons who lurk at the door and seize people’s souls? Even the multitude of the dead who are said to wander the earth?”

  Junius spoke up. “I would suspect that there must be some truth to them; you don’t have smoke without fire.”

  Hadrian nodded. “My thoughts entirely. But we Romans are practical people, farmers and soldiers, architects and engineers, we see the problems in front of us and we find the solution. The Greeks are far more imaginative, they ask why, but they’re too cynical.” He looked at Junius for a long moment, as if seeing him for the first time.

  “Yes, I can see the difference. You’re yourself, yet not. Something inside has shifted. I think that you, Junius, can stand between this world and the other unseen one. If you say that these experiences have made changes within you, then you could be the ideal person to seek out other such creatures.” He continued to stare at Junius, who looked back warily.

  Marius watched, wondering exactly what the Emperor had in mind for his friend.

  Eventually Junius spoke. “My father wants me to become a lawyer and then run for quaestor in a few years.”

  Hadrian nodded. “He’s told me. He has high hopes for you, but I suspect that you don’t want that yet. You’ve won a plethora of awards and merits for bravery. You’re a natural soldier, Marcus. It would be a waste to make you sit in the courts on your backside. Especially if these changes to your body last, as they make you the perfect warrior.” He turned away to look back out of the window. “Of course, I’d rather you stayed here in Rome, but I have to do what’s best for the Empire and not what I personally would like.”

  Marius watched both men, unsure what was going on, but realising that something significant was taking place between them.

  “There’s no question, you have to go back to the army. I can make you quaestor when you reach the right age, without you wasting time in the courts, though we could, in a few years get you your own legion, if you wanted that. As I’m sure you’re well aware, there are other ways to gain influence in the Empire, and they would also keep your father happy.”

  “You honour me, Caesar, but where would you send me in the meantime?”

  Hadrian spun around and began moving through the scrolls on his desk. Eventually he found what he was looking for and held it up.

  “Ever been to Dacia?” he asked looking at both of them. Marius realised that the private exchange had finished and he was now back in the conversation. Both men shook their heads.

  “My adoptive father finally annexed it for the Empire, and it’s been mostly settled since then. But recently I’ve been receiving some worrying reports from my internal advisors. I checked the information with the governor and he assures me that it is only a small problem and nothing to be alarmed about, but after hearing your tale, I’m not so sure.

  “My eyes around the Empire tell me that a strange malaise is affecting men at a fort there. It’s quite a way into the mountains and on the River Axios, close to the military headquarters of the province at Apulum, which is home to the illustrious Thirteenth Gemina. It’s also on the newly constructed main road that links Apulum to Potaissa, the base of the fifth Macadonia. So this fort’s centrally located, between two legions, but things are not as they should be. Several men have committed suicide there and a number more have gone missing. I’m told even a whole patrol vanished into the night. General Sulpicius Rufus insists that it’s nothing, merely spores in the woods making the men hallucinate and lose their minds. Apparently it’s a common problem in these mountains.

  “He may be right, I’ve never been to Moesia or Dalmatia, but I’m sure that I would have heard about this from my adoptive father’s campaigns. He was proud of what he achieved in Dacia, subjugating the Roxolani and Lazyges tribes was no small task; it was something that took years.”

  Junius nodded. “I’ve heard of the campaign and yes, it was difficult, but worth it for the gold and silver. He went there before he died to settle the area again.”

  “Yes, because it was close to his heart,” Hadrian agreed and took a sip of wine. “Now, I wonder if this is an area for your expertise. If this is a mystery that needs two men who can see beyond the obvious and have an open mind as to what else might be going on? My agents insist that something sinister is happening with my soldiers, but my aides tell me there’s nothing to fear. Do you understand what I’m asking?”

  Marius did, but he glanced at Junius, to see his reaction. The younger man as usual wasn’t giving anything away.

  “It would be an honour, Caesar,” Junius finally said, after a few moments of silence.

  Hadrian laughed. “Good, so we have you back where you belong. Marius, will you accompany your officer and friend or would you prefer to return to Syria?”

  Marius scratched his chin. He knew the answer, but he wanted to make Junius wait. He glanced over to see his friend looking quizzically at him; for once the nobleman didn’t look so confident.

  “I’ll have to go, to keep him out of trouble,” he said, smiling, whereupon Junius let out a breath of relief, and they both turned to Hadrian.

  The Emperor nodded. “I’m happy to hear that. Marius, you are the voice of caution and reason. I ask you to look after my friend here and bring him back safely and I pray to all the gods that this really is nothing more than mushroom spores.”

  Marius bowed his head. “You have my word, Caesar.”

  “How do you want us to appear? Private citizens or officers?” Junius asked, obviously thinking ahead.

  Hadrian thought about it for a moment. “Marcus, I’m going to make you a tribune of the Praetorian Guard. The frumentarii report to the Praetorian Prefect, therefore an investigation is within the praetorian’s jurisdiction. Quadratus is prefect and he’ll provide you with all the information you require, and then as my personal guard, you’ll go to Dacia with my authority and investigate what’s happening. Marius, you’ll become a tribune as well, a thin stripe tribuni angusticlavii. Does that cover everything?”

  Junius sighed. “I’m not happy to be linked with the frumentarii, they’ve a bad reputation. It wouldn’t be honourable for a Junii to be associated with such a low ranking profession.”

  Hadrian laughed. “Finally we see the real Marcus Junius Silanus, I was wondering where he’d gone and if he’d return at some point. Don’t worry, my friend, your names won’t be connected to my spies. You will be praetorians acting on my authority, which is a perfectly respectable and a highly sought after commission for a soldier, even a patrician like yourself.” He came to stand in front of Junius. “I promise, Marcus, when the times comes, you will get your quaestorship or if you prefer your own legion, where you can still lift a sword and fight.” He looked fondly down at the younger man.

  Marius suddenly felt like an extra body in the room, and hurriedly looked away, not wanting to understand the complexities of the relationship between these two highly born men.