Pompeii

Prologue

Mars looked down from his perch on a cloud as the scene unfolded in Pompeii. He reveled in the feeling of chaos that the volcano caused. The battle in the arena had whetted his appetite but the volcano was a whole new game. He could feel the panic and the fear in all those humans down there. He was nearly rolling along the frothiness of the cloud as he let the waves of frightened emotions roll over him; he loved it.

As Mars giggled out his enjoyment in the clouds, a flash of light caught his eye. He looked toward the stars. There, in the sky, Milo and Cassia's future was written clearly. Their time wasn't finished yet. They would be the only ones to outrun the lava. Mars shrugged carelessly and looked back toward the events of Pompeii. A future of love meant nothing to him. But that senator, Corvus...he created much chaos!

Mars grinned and decided that he couldn't help himself. He whisked himself down to the ground as the senator fought the teeming crowds in the streets.

Mars went unnoticed as he glided through the air to whisper in Corvus' ear. "You must go back!" Mars laughed heartily. "Go back to the arena. For something special!"

The senator fought the mobs back and rushed back to arena, driven by some gut instinct.

Mars watched the senator and his forces. Glee pounded through his body. He glanced to the sky and watched as the stars changed, and the senator delayed Milo and Cassia's journey. He smiled with satisfaction.

While he could feel the madness on earth tingling on his skin, he could feel the anger of the other gods wash completely through him like the tidal wave that washed through the city. He knew they were displeased with the interruption but he couldn't get enough of the pounding wave of their anger. It coursed and rolled through him, and he loved it.

As he watched Milo fight Corvus, Mars decided he quite liked the senator. He was a force to be reckoned with, a force that caused the chaos Mars so enjoyed, and Corvus was a man who didn't care who he hurt or what the ramifications were so long as he got what he was looking for. Oh, yes. Mars enjoyed the senator's efforts very much! He laughed maniacally as the senator came sauntering down the steps toward Cassia after his battle with the slave was over. Mars was quite enjoying the look in the senator's eyes as he gazed upon his prize!

There was movement to the side. Milo! The slave had leaped back into action! Mars was disappointed. His fun was going to come to an end! He watched as Milo chained the senator to the broken chariot. Watched them jump onto the horse and watched the lava flow toward the senator. With no thought to the anger of the others, Mars blew a wind upon the senator's body as Corvus screamed in fright of the lava slithering toward him. The senator instantly went into a deep sleep; instead of burning and destroying the senator, the lava encased his body.

More anger. Mars could feel it, like a building orgasm waiting for release. He was in trouble and knew he needed to hide before he was punished, even as the happiness of the fight sailed through him.

Seeing what Mars had done, the other gods grew angry. More than angry; they were livid! Milo and Cassia had had great futures ahead of them that should have led to even more worship for the gods, which would give them more strength, and it was taken away by a few simple words. But Mars had created a great idea.

To rectify what he had done, Apollo and Victoria dropped down from the cosmos and landed near the entwined forms of Milo and Cassia. Wind escaped from their mouths, whisking between and around the two humans, causing them to sleep. Still standing. Still embracing. Still kissing. The lava soon flowed over their bodies; it hardened and turned to stone and ash around them.