III
The First Immortal
Catus woke slowly, rubbing his head where he had bumped it in his fall. He pushed himself up and leaned upon his sleeping couch, his face buried in the lumpy mattress and blankets until his head stopped spinning. Once it did, the memory of what had happened rushed upon him and he whirled around to scan the room, his hand groping for the cudgel.
It was as dark and bare as ever it had been.
“I must have dreamt such a thing,” he told himself. “Krelis…you always were a bother. Making more work for me!”
Outside in the streets there were shouts of ‘Io!’ on top of song and raucous laughter, and Catus shook his head.
“The Dead to dine on Saturnalia…”
Just then he heard the loud crackle of fire very close, and then smelled something. He fumbled for the tinder box on hi
