Pliniad: Do ut Des

"Well, my two noble lords, you have certainly earned my favor from your story. But as to whether Fortune favors your boldness, your fortune can speak for herself."

The mysterious goddess stands up from the recliner, wiping a tear from her eye. She looks at the two figures reclining. For a figure of ethereal beauty, distress was written all over her face. She fretted, she played with her fingers.

Curious, Pliny thought,

"Goddess, I have to admit, when I was told that you were one of the great scholars of your world, I was expecting someone with less, you know, fighting capability. But looking at you now, it's amazing that you were able to perform such heroics given your current state."

Pampagnanus chuckles at this.

"If you're referring to our largesse, oh, you admit we've built this well over the years, fortifying our bellies. But under earlier, slimmer times, we have both served the Empire under the great Imperator Vespasian, fighting against the barbarians in Germania. We have our experience with warfare under duress."

"Yes, yes, forgive me." Pliny stops his friend, then turns to Queen Isis. "I must ask, we've told you our story. Did anything come of my efforts? Was anyone saved by this?"

Isis, in her linen gown, touches the edges of her gold headdress and smiles and nods.

"Indeed, Plinias. Your rescue mission saved nearly thousands of refugees that were fleeing the cities from the volcano. Your name alone becomes associated with heroics and with the volcano; they are spoken in the same words. And your son, Pliny the Younger, because of your actions and your training of him, is favored not only by Vespasian, but his son, Titus, after him, and later Trajan."

Pliny smiles.

"I'm glad some good came of it."

Isis then turns to the senator.

"And what about you, O Pious Pompanianus, is there anything you would like to know about how your affairs have ended?"

Pompanianus scrapes some of the wine that was served to him, sniffs it, and then mutters to himself, or says out loud,

"You did not volunteer the good news, so I will assume there is none, and I will assume that I do not want to hear it."

"Your memory is and always will be cherished by your daughter, Portia. Even now she has donned the black robes in mourning. The Goddess then interrupts. Maybe I can help on this. Can I offer to let you see her or bring her with you? She could be a companion on your quest."

"A quest?" But Pompanianus looks at her and says, "We haven't even discussed what exactly you want of us, and even if that may be, no, my daughter is happily married with children and a family of her own. She is under another house, another family. Her fate is no longer tied to mine. And so while I treasure that she cherishes my memory, and I cherish my memory of hers, the line here is severed. It would only bring her pain to try to force the grave to sit back together."

"Even if the mortals forget who you are, Pompanianus, we have not, and we thank you, and we will be with you in the future."

Pliny and Pompanianus look to the two mysterious youths, the young boy and the young girl, each carrying a golden horn, sitting alongside a bearded man. The youths looked as though they could be Pompanianus' children. The bearded man in the great purple toga looked as if he could be his grandfather, with a wild, old beard, not the clean, trimmed beard of ancient Greece, but the wild, feral beard of the Latin League. Serapis nods his glass, his smile radiant through his large beard.

"May I introduce the Genius and the Lares of House Pompanianus. They will accompany you on your mission. Serve them well, and they will ensure that you prosper."

The old man who was recognized as the Genius, turns to Pompanianus and says,

"Rebuild our house, and I will help rebuild your glory."

Pompanianus, recognizing that this is a divine commission, accepts. Pliny then asks,

"Well, then I guess, did my Lares finally abandon me?"

"No," Isis adds, "they have not abandoned you, but they will not abandon your son. The Genius follows the living heir of House Plinias, and that is no longer you. They will continue to watch over House Plinias in Rome and in Asia Minor where your son will go. But no, even if you do not have your Lares, you still have your Genius."

"Can we please learn what this commission is?" Pompanianus says.

The Goddess, eager to explain, says,

"Yes, I need you to come to my world. I asked someone to help me with this a long time ago, and they were able to fix it, but something else happened, and it seems to have gotten worse. And so that's where you come in. So I will give you your bodies back, and you will be able to go into the world and help unite against the forces that are going to destroy it."

"What forces?"

"No, no one's ever really asked me that before. Just, just forces. You know, I'm really not allowed to speak about it. I guess you'll have to find out."

Serapis then speaks.

"I have accepted this woman's request, this goddess's request. You are free from my realm. You will go to her new world. You will be given back your youth, and she is willing to give you any powerful items that you would need."

The goddess, now placing her arms over her chest, before opening them out, palms extended, says,

"Anything you want. Happy to give you any sort of miraculous items you need, anything you can think of. I mean, there's I could give you the one that the previous hero used, if you know how to use it."

She waves around a shiny black rock.

"But you could come up with something yourself. I'm sure your world has stories about great items given by the gods to their heroes. Would you like one of those?"

Pliny and Pompanianus look at each other. Pompanianus speaks in a low voice. Pliny nods. Then Pompanianus turns to the Goddess.

"Indeed, we had many of these stories. Perseus has his winged sandals. Midas has his touch that turns to gold. Jason his ship. Cassandra had her gift of prophecy. Tarquin had his books. All these wonderful gifts given to them by the gods."

And then, as this, the cordial smile melts into a very severe face.

"But never do the gods give them freely."

"What do you mean? Never give them freely? I'm freely giving them to you right now. Just say what you want. I'll give it to you."

Pliny then asks her,

"Are these materials needed for our commission? If so, equip us with them."

"Oh, no, I just thought you would like to have them if it makes it easier. But you know what? Fine, if you don't want the magic items, you don't need the magic items. I won't give you the magic items. Are you happy?"

"Before we leave," he turns to Isis. "There's one more person I would like to ask about, Queen Isis."

Her smile fades.