Blood Crusade

by Billita Jacobsen

  Antony heard Agrippa reply, “Our men are ready to strike. We could quickly have control of Egypt and silence Antony once and for all.”

  Antony boldly walked into the room so the conspirators could see that their secret was exposed. It was then that he saw Claudius, reclined on a banquet couch, suckling from the throat of a dying, nimble acrobat who had entertained them earlier.

  “Welcome, Antony,” Claudius said with blood dripping from his mouth, “we were just talking about you.”

  “This is how you repay Caesar’s kindness to you,” Antony said, looking directly at Octavian, “by conspiring with the vampire who murdered him?”

  “That was a mistake,” Octavian replied, “Claudius would like to make up for it. The queen should have been killed instead of Caesar and he promises everlasting life to Rome’s leaders in return for letting vampires live in harmony with the republic.”

  “A mistake? I was there, I witnessed this vile creature sucking the life from Caesar. You are making the mistake if you trust a vampire! They can never live in peace with humans!”

  Agrippa pulled his sword, “Let’s end this now,” he said, looking at Claudius, “would you like the honor or shall I?”

  Antony realized his dilemma--he was defenseless against a vampire and a soldier, wearing only a tunic, no weapon at his side. “Your betrayal to Caesar, then, is complete,” he said quietly, resigning himself to his fate.

  “I’ve always admired you, Antony,” Claudius said, wiping the blood from his lips. “You are a successful Centurion, I could use someone of your caliber to help build the vampire troops and fight the Order of the Pyramids. Join us now, let me turn you into a superior being and give you everlasting life with my blood. Octavian will rule in the daylight as a human until he matures and you can own the night.”

  Antony was stunned that Claudius still wanted him to become a vampire and somewhat flattered. All he could blurt out was, “Never. You killed Caesar.”

  “These two can’t wait to join me,” Claudius said, pointing a bloody finger at Octavian and Agrippa, “and yet still you hesitate.” He waved his hand, “Be gone. Contemplate your decision, think it over. After all, we have all the time in the world.”

  Agrippa looked stunned. “Are you sure it’s wise to let him leave?” Octavian asked.

  Antony was halfway down the hallway, planning his escape back to Egypt when he heard the reply. “I’m quite sure, he will join us one day and he’ll be a splendid vampire.”

  Antony stopped only to gather his meager supplies and leave a goodbye for Octavia, who was sleeping soundly, a gift for the uncomplicated mind. She would be safe from the fangs of vampires--Octavian loved her almost as much as he loved himself and would always provide for her wellbeing. She would protect and care for the children, of that he was certain. The only uncertainty was whether Cleopatra would accept him back into her arms or have him beheaded.

  Octavia had lovingly gifted him with a gold signet ring on the night they wed. It was intricately adorned with orange carnelian gemstones and inscribed LIBERA VILLAS, “May You Live Free”. It would no longer be needed to give his seal of approval on Roman documents--he was certain he would never return. He quietly placed the ring on the pillow next to Octavia and whispered, “Goodbye, my dear, may you live free.”

  He gathered an army still loyal to Caesar’s memory with the promise of riches once they reached Egypt. If Cleopatra rejected him and didn’t pay up, his men would no doubt have him crucified. The uncertainty of her acceptance or love preyed on his mind but he anticipated their reunion.

  Stopping only to plunder the Pergamon library, Antony quickly made the journey back to a land he now realized he was quite fond of. Cleopatra had a special love for the library in Alexandria, a gift of thousands of scrolls from Pergamon, the second greatest library in the world, should please her, he thought.

  Before he left her for Rome, he would reluctantly accompany her on visits to the great library in Alexandria. The splendor of Rome paled in comparison to the ancient beauty of Egypt and the knowledge in its possession but he kept that thought to himself. She would roam the Royal Library, with its ten halls of wisdom that contained over a million scrolls, searching for answers to defeat the vampires.

  “Everything is here,” she once told him, “the answer to any possible question. I know the solution to the vampire scourge is here somewhere. We must find out how to finally defeat them.” She’d found references to an ancient vampire plague that was ended and an ancient civilization that once ruled the world with kindness and love. It was here that detailed information about silver being used to kill vampires was discovered.

  Cleopatra also desired to unlock the secrets of the pyramids, the sphinx, and the fabulous temples that were built long ago to worship the gods. Her excitement at discovering an ancient secret was palpable. “Antony, look, this scroll speaks of a time when the pyramids were a source of energy that provided daylight in the dead of night! Was this to ward off the vampires, do you think? I must keep searching until I find the scroll that tells us how to make it work again.”

  “It’s only a myth, dear,” he would say and persuade her away from her beloved library to feast and make love. He pondered now that perhaps it had been wrong to mislead Cleopatra from a righteous goal of vampire elimination. Convincing her that he now desperately wanted to join the crusade would be a difficult task.

  She was waiting for his arrival, sitting on a golden throne, her legs crossed with one knee flexing her leg, up and down, while the long silk gown she wore moved with the rhythm. Catching her unbecoming behavior, she uncrossed her legs and regally repositioned her body. Her cat, Isis, sleeping by her feet, looked up, yawned, and went back to cat napping.

  Antony caught his breath--her presence was still stunning. Around her elegant neck, dangling just above the appealing cleavage, sparkled the winged scarab amulet that was an offering so long ago.

  “I bring gifts for the great Queen Cleopatra,” he announced, waving his hand at the slaves who bore chest after chest of scrolls from Pergamon. She abruptly stood up, pushing her right arm forward, which was magnificently adorned with a golden coiled snake, and held up her hand for them to stop. Isis looked up annoyed at this disturbance of her nap and sauntered away.

  The anger in Cleopatra’s eyes faded as she turned to gaze lovingly by the side of her throne where the children played. Obviously, they were accustomed to her receiving guests and conducting royal business as they did not let the procession interrupt their play.

  Little Cleopatra Selene, whose designation stood for the moon, happily played with a crudely made doll stuffed with papyrus. She had the same noble air about her as the queen, her dark hair braided with pearls, her feet bare but nails artfully colored with henna. Expertly carved wooden horses, cats, and lions were carefully placed in a theatrical circle around her.

  Alexander Helios, named after the great conqueror who had never lost a battle, and Helios after the sun, played with a toy barge, carved to look like the royal boat, complete with silver oars and purple sails. Antony noticed that Alexander resembled his half-brothers back in Rome, the children left behind, the children he had neglected.

  Little Caesar sat cross-legged on the marble floor, seven years older than the twins, he was directing a carved crocodile with a string, making its jaws go up and down. Stretching out his arms, he directed it towards the four-year-old twins. “I’m going to eat you,” he said, laughing.

  Cleopatra Selene held her doll close and screamed a playful yelp. “Mother, tell him to stop!”

  Gently looking at Caesarion, Cleopatra said, “Meet the man Caesar called friend.” Turning to the twins she whispered, “Children, meet your father, Marc Antony.”

  Cleopatra Selene dropped her precious doll to the marble floor. Alexander Helios stopped playing with his barge and stared at Antony. Caesarion stood and approached Antony and held out his hand. “So nice to meet you, I’ve heard how you defended my father and tried to save him.
Thank you,” he stated, reflecting his royal upbringing.

  Antony, overcome with emotion, grabbed Caesarion and gave him a hug. He ran to the children and gathered them in his arms, squeezing them so tightly that they both called out for their mother.

  The queen ran to their side, “Everything’s fine. Your father has come home to you.” Looking at Antony she said, “It’s taken you long enough. Welcome back to the place you belong.”

  While not pleased that he sacked a library to bring her a gift, she did her best to happily accommodate his return to Egypt. For a time, she was quite pleasant. There was a feast that evening in Antony’s honor and she dutifully paid his army what was promised. Cleopatra made love to him again but Antony sensed that there was something missing between them. He surmised correctly the missing something was trust.

  This created a void between them and life would never be as it was all those glorious days and nights on the royal barge, before he left for Rome. “I’ll never leave you again. I love you,” he’d say to her, stoking her hair, time and time again. She would never reply. He realized that trust was a commodity that could not be pillaged.

  They built a navy in preparation for war with Octavian. Antony was surprised when the Roman ruler formally declared war on Cleopatra, leaving his name out of the equation. “The man insults me,” Antony complained to Cleopatra.

  “He’s declaring war on me,” she replied, “isn’t that the true insult?”

  There was no way to know when Octavian would attack Egypt. They paid for spies but not much information was forthcoming, only that there were many mysterious disappearances of slaves in Rome, Antony’s children were being well cared for by Octavia, and Octavian was building a naval fleet.

  In return, Antony and Cleopatra built an armada. Years passed. Cleopatra had another child and they named him Ptolemy Philadelphus. Antony spent many hours playing with the children, when he wasn’t meeting with generals and planning for war. Cleopatra spend days in the Library of Alexandria, sure that the solution to exterminating all vampires would be found there.

  When the day finally arrived for battle with Rome, they were prepared but still surprised, it had been so long in coming. “Our spies said he’s set sail with 260 battle vessels to Actium. He must intend to sink our ships there,” Cleopatra informed Antony, interrupting his game of dice with Caesarion.

  It had been an enjoyable family outing on the Nile River until the courier arrived with word about Rome’s plans to finally invade. They had traveled on the royal barge to Giza so the children could learn about the sphinx and pyramids.

  Cleopatra had given them gifts of silver ankhs. “Wear this ancient symbol of life everlasting,” she told them, “the silver will protect you from the vampire blight.”

  They sailed past the treasures of Egypt--its fertile fields, palm treed banks, and abundant wildlife, the children taking delight in every scene. “Mother, look, the birds are friends with the crocodiles,” little Cleopatra said, pointing to the plovers who flew among the reptiles’ open mouths, picking meat scraps from them and cleaning their sharp teeth.

  “The goddess Ma’at is truly wonderful,” Cleopatra said, putting an arm around her daughter. “She keeps the crocodiles on good behavior so the cycle of life without chaos can continue.”

  The queen wore a sapphire colored light silk gown and a blue lotus that Antony had plucked from the Nile adorned her hair. The perfume from the flowers on the river filled the barge with its delightful aroma.

  There was no family drama on this cruise as Antony struggled to make it enjoyable for the queen. He let the children win at the board game Senet, the board in the form of a snake, the stakes reflecting the journey to the afterlife, when he usually took delight in beating them. Wine and beer didn’t touch his lips on this trip. He soaked in every moment with his family, realizing that living with them in a potential war zone made him appreciate and value their love.

  Only recently had he begun to fear for their lives. He loved them more than his own life and never dreamed he could value another person more than himself. He tried to convince Cleopatra that they should flee the coming battlefield and try to find peace in another place.

  “There is no safe haven to run to, don’t you understand? Octavian will never let Caesarion live to govern Rome or our children to rule an Egypt free of vampires. If we are defeated, I will be the last pharaoh. This is humanity’s last stand. If we lose, the world will be forever changed. Vampires will be the masters and humans will have no clue about the monsters who really rule the world,” she told him unwaveringly. “I believe another future is possible, one with freedom and promise for humanity.”

  She gave the order to return the younger children to Alexandria. She would accompany Antony to Actium, she declared, so Octavian could finally be defeated. “You are almost ready to return to Rome in triumph,” she told Caesarion, “you will go to the Red Sea port at Berenice and wait for us.”

  There was no arguing with the queen. The children sat in silence as they sailed back towards the great lighthouse, no longer taking delight in the hippopotamus that played in the water or the cranes, diving kingfishers, or ibis that called the noble river home. A sunbird flew in front on the barge as if to guide them, its majestic blue and purple feathers gleaming in welcome, the yellow on its stomach suggestive of the sun.

  Little Cleopatra broke the silence, embracing her mother and touching the blue lotus in her hair. “Ra was born in the lotus and brought forth the light,” she said, repeating a story her mother often told her. “Like you mother, bringing forth the light.”

  Antony turned from his family and walked alone to the bow of the barge. His eyes were filled with something foreign--tears, brought forth from fear for his family. He faced the greatest battle of his life, fighting alongside a woman, so unlike a Roman. He knew she had never forgiven his betrayal of her when he married Octavia. Still, he was firm in the belief that his true strength came from her strong will and purpose. He had no skepticism about her love, it was true, and it was just tinged with disappointment. Antony doubted that fate would give humanity a better world. He felt the strong presence of evil and the outcome of mankind’s final stand seemed inevitable.

  Chapter 11: The Final Invitation

  Sailing on the royal barge to the Gulf of Actium with sixty ships, they coupled with the fleet of over two hundred warships Cleopatra’s fortune had built off the coast of Greece. Made by skilled carpenters, of cedar imported from Lebanon, the ships were heavily armored with bronze and equipped with massive battering rams.

  “We’re almost equally matched, according to our spies,” Antony told her. “Octavian has only forty more vessels and they are much lighter. I’m optimistic of our chances for victory, for the first time.” He poured himself some wine, too impatient to pause for a servant, and caught her disapproving glare.

  Ready to dictate to a scribe, she waited as he mixed water with ink and made an offering to Thoth, the god, it was said, who invented writing and passed the secret to humans. The young scribe, the same age as Caesarion, looked up at the queen, holding a reed brush, sitting cross-legged on a grass mat, ready to put the words of Cleopatra on papyrus.

  “My dearest Iras and Charmion, my warriors and friends, I am comforted that you guard the children. I ask now that you also guard the treasures of Egypt and have them moved to the Pharos Lighthouse. Take the children there also and await final word of flight or fight or victory. May Isis be with you.”

  The scribe rolled up the document and placed clay on the fold line. Cleopatra, wearing a gold signet ring with the symbols of lotus flower and scarab and her name in hieroglyphics, pressed the cartouche into the clay, sealing the document. “Personally deliver this,” she said to the scribe, dismissing him.

  Antony poured more wine. He no longer had his signet ring, his documents went unsealed. Battle plans went to his generals with the queen’s seal. The men didn’t like being given orders by a woman. They were disheartened and wanted to re
turn to Rome.

  “The army needs to be given a bonus,” he announced, “an incentive for battle.”

  Sitting on her throne, dressed regally in the finest purple silk, she adjusted her golden crown, once worn by Queen Arsinoe, and simply nodded to him. The three gold rising cobras on the crown signaled to all that this was also a great ruler, as the inlaid large emeralds sparkled, and the lotus flowers of lapis lazuli, the eye of Horus in green malachite, and red jasper and amethysts beguiled the viewer.

  “Send in Strabo, I’m ready to receive him,” she told a guard.

  Antony stood next to her throne, wondering why he didn’t have an ornate chair to sit beside her. Still sulking, he glared at the muscular Egyptian appearing and bowing to the queen. Wearing only a white linen loincloth that barely concealed his impressive manhood, he wore an archer’s quiver over his back, laden with silver-tipped arrows, and carried a composite bow. His only decoration was a silver ankh necklace that looked suspiciously to Antony like the gifts Cleopatra had bestowed to their children.

  “Please rise, Strabo, and meet General Marc Antony,” she said, rising herself and motioning for them to sit at the banquet table. “Have you news from the Order of the Pyramids?”

  Sitting too comfortably at the queen’s table, Antony thought, Strabo’s shirtless, muscular chest adorned with the silver ankh, dripped sweat onto the cedar table. His dark skin, blackened from years out in the sun, was oiled with palm and glistened, as did his lips.

  “We now have an army of one thousand loyal assassins, my queen. Men and women trained in using silver arrows and stakes to kill vampires,” he said, proudly. He eagerly took an offering of beer and roasted goose after noticing that the queen was eating.

  “We will be moving our navy to meet Octavian’s fleet,” she said. “This is the opportune time for the order to move into Rome and destroy all vampires.”

  Antony was surprised; she hadn’t discussed the plans with him.