Ma'riine: Extinction Level Event 6 (The Medusa Syndrome)

By Lynnfred Smith

Ma'riine: Extinction Level Event 6 (The Medusa Syndrome) is the source novel to the Ma'riine series. The series began with my book Narratives: The Continuing Generational Pandemic which sets the tempo for the series. Ma'riine uses fictional and real life places and events beginning with the discovery of an ancient city in 2022 that holds a deadly secret. A secret that could end the human race. It is a race against time for Professor Tuan Rashauni, a South African scientist who is chased around the world by a mysteriously unknown force. The danger heightens when militias and gangs hunting each other place a target on the professor unaware that he and his family are the only ones who may be able to save humanity!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gatekeeper Press
• Release date: Feb 13, 2022
• ISBN: 9781662916861

Book preview

Chapter 1

Curiosity of Unknown

In 56 A.D., a 120-foot-long double-decked ship with two masts anchored just off the beaches of an unknown stretch of land. The ship, the Romanian Borath, had a black hull with bronze shields attached to its railings and 18 oars bristling from each side. It had come from a place so far away that it took nearly four months to reach its temporary rest stop off an unexplored part of the southeastern African coast, while en route to India. She carried fifty-four sailors eager to set foot on land. The weary crewmen put a small boat in the water and went ashore to set up camp.

The captain, Tiberius Lanothian, who was a rotund-about-the-waist sort of gentleman and an excellent, experienced sailor, sent some of his crew to venture into the wilderness to hunt wildlife and collect fruits to restock their dwindling supplies. One of his men, Navigator Magnus Grendoline, was a tall, slender man with shoulder-length jet black hair. He was rough around the edges and had a strong voice that always drew attention. Magnus wondered if this land was the same place that he had heard about that may contain hidden treasures. He remembered a story about an explorer who had spoken of hidden mounds of gold and diamonds. He suggested to the captain that they should explore this new land to try and find the riches among their routine supply runs.

Captain Lanothian knew his navigator’s intuitions were well founded and he had always trusted Magnus in all their voyages. They agreed on a month’s journey to see what they may find. With a prayer, he sent Magnus and twenty of his men on a trip into the wilderness. Magnus and three of his men, dressed in their traditional Roman wear, rode horses as they encountered very hot days, reaching 100 degrees and above and a humidity so unbearable that they would have to travel during the earliest and later parts of the day, while looking for more shaded areas to walk.

Three days into the journey, they had begun to adapt to the searing heat and humidity. Some would go swimming in the cool rivers and some just simply undressed and laid in the sun to relax and get a tan. After six days, four of the men returned to the ship’s camp, suffering from what appeared to be moderate burns and black spots all over their bodies. The men were in excruciating pain. One managed to tell the captain that Magnus and the others continued their journey. The ship’s physician, a stout man named Mil Arian, was puzzled when he examined the spots on all of them. Three days later, two of them died unexpectedly. Lanothian became stifled when he learned of their deaths. He caught his breath and asked Mil about their injuries.

Mil replied, I’m not sure, but it could be from contact with some sort of plant or insect. I’ll have to keep the bodies away from camp, but under constant watch from a distance. I just want to make sure whatever is happening to them isn’t contagious.

Lanothian agreed. He ordered the doctor to put them in quarantine. It didn’t take long before the last two men expired. Lanothian ordered the doctor to do autopsies on all four bodies and report his findings.

Mil was mortified when he noticed how the skin on the deceased strangely began to turn transparent. He made no progress into why this was happening and couldn’t find what exactly caused their deaths. His only guess was the bodies just shut down from all the pain. Mil kept thinking about how he was able to see right through the skin. He wanted to advise the captain that they should just pack up and sail away because he felt that the others were probably dead, too. Instead, he chose to say nothing of the sort. Mil pondered what he saw, and the sight of the bodies stayed in his head.

Lanothian ordered the bodies placed in a nearby cave they had found a few days earlier. The bodies would then be cremated for fear of disease. He kept the other crewmen on the ship, choosing not to bring more men on shore. He didn’t want to send anyone on a journey to rescue the remaining men, only to find them looking just like the four men who just died, and then watch the rescue party die as well. Over time, he and his shore party had not shown any signs of infection. He prayed and surmised that Magnus would make it back with his men safely. After a few more days, Lanothian became more apprehensive every time he looked in the direction of the cave containing the cremated bodies. He decided that he and most of his men should wait offshore aboard the Borath. He would leave twelve men on the beach at the camp site while keeping an eye on the shoreline, just in case Magnus and his men did eventually make it back and needed a speedy evacuation.

Meanwhile, Magnus and the remaining expedition moved on. They encountered swamps, quicksand, steep hills, and canyons. They passed extremely large trees with heavy, low-hanging foliage. Some of the foliage appeared sort of white and shiny near the tops. The trees drew the curiosity of Magnus. So, the group headed toward the strange-looking trees. They were also astounded at the many kinds of jungle wildlife they encountered. Most were larger than the ones they were used to seeing.

Magnus’s horsemen, Ramus Targarus, Spann Zilrelni, and Darius Moss, took point and guided the group through the rough terrain. Giant bats were hanging upside down in some of the shorter trees. One of his handlers, Nero Hadriana, drew his sword and walked up closer to look at one of the bats. He could see its blood-red eyes staring back at him. The body was at least three feet tall. It stretched out one of its six-foot wings and screeched loudly.

Startled, Nero yelped and stepped back. He tripped over an above-ground tree root and dropped his sword while trying to cushion his fall. Nero found himself in shock at the sheer size of the bat when it dropped and flew downward. It extended its legs and almost strafed Nero.

Spann jumped from his horse while drawing his sword and quickly ran to the downed man. He swung his sword wildly and yelled to help fend off the attacking oversized bat. His yelling caused more of the giant bats to suddenly fly off, making blaring, ear-splitting screeches. Spann was then torn between fear and anger as his horse became frightened and bolted away, leaving a light dust trail. The other horsemen jumped off their horses while still holding the reins to keep their animals still even as they knelt.

By the gods! muttered Spann. Terrifying imaginations came to life as all they could see was a gigantic black cloud of wings and red eyes flying at them.

TAKE COVER! screamed Magnus.

The group was hollering as they knelt and took cover under their shields held high over their heads. The men found themselves jabbing wildly at the flying menaces with their razor-sharp swords. Nero was screaming as he lay in a fetal position, covering his head.

Some of the bats were killed by the defending men as pieces of their bodies were falling to the ground with bloodied parts landing everywhere. The blood of the fallen dead bats also rained on the ground and on the men. The attacking bats suddenly retreated to the upper tree line and circled. Everyone stood up and checked themselves. Spann looked up to make sure it was safe. He then reached down and helped Nero to his feet. Nero thanked him and picked up his sword. Magnus checked to see if anyone was scratched or bitten.

They suddenly saw the reason the bats retreated. A fleet of larger hawks flew directly into the cloud of bats. The men witnessed an aerial slaughter of the bats being cut down by the predator hawks. Some of the hawks dove toward the ground to feed on the remains of the dead bats killed by Magnus and his crew. The men were strangely fascinated at the onslaught and thankful that the hawks didn’t attack them. They kept their eyes on the battle above while checking on each other.

After finding that everyone was good, they continued their journey under the white-topped trees. Torr Ganfini, the son of one of Rome’s top Prefects, stopped to take off his helmet and wipe sweat from his brow. He set it down near a tree behind him as he and two other companions near him began chatting. They didn’t notice a huge black spider crawling down the tree behind him. It managed to quietly crawl into Torr’s helmet while he was looking elsewhere. While not paying attention, he reached back to pick up his helmet and felt what he thought was a string but didn’t look to notice that it was a piece of webbing. After he put his helmet on, he felt heavy movement on the crown of his head and then a sharp sting at the base of his skull. He screamed so loud that nearby birds took off all over the place. He then fell to the ground tensing and convulsing.

Magnus and the others ran over to him as he lay still and frothing at the mouth. They all winced and jumped back as they saw the huge spider emerge from Torr’s loose helmet.

It was as big and as flat as a man’s hand. It had four thin, white stripes on its abdomen, and it made a loud, hissing sound. The monster moved very slowly with webbing coming out of its spinnerets. Some of the webbing stretched over Torr’s dead, contorted face and onto the ground. Spann took his sword from its scabbard and tried to impale the creature but missed and fell over. He misjudged his awkward stance while not accounting for the strong pull of the centrifugal force of his sword’s heavy swing arc.

The spider quickly turned. Its eight, white, ice-cold eyes locked onto Spann. It moved toward him so fast that Spann didn’t have time to lift his sword again. Suddenly and unexpectedly, it jumped with its eight long legs spread. The swiftness of its movement frightened everyone who just screamed.

The men turned and ran away a short distance as it landed on Spann’s chest. The creature moved slowly towards Spann’s neck and with lightning speed, it bit down into his neck with its one-inch-long, needlelike fangs. Spann’s body convulsed and his eyes rolled back as the creature injected its burning venom. Spann gurgled a scream while swiping at it, but it didn’t budge. Blood and froth spewed from his nose and mouth.

Moss bravely ran back and impaled it and Spann with his sword. It hissed so loudly as it died that Moss froze and thought he heard it echoing in the distance. He stood in shock looking at the enormous size of the creature. Magnus’s eyes were also locked onto the spider’s eight legs as they seized up and the thick mandibles slowly moved back and forth as it died. He was in such terror that he had to take long, deep breaths to pull himself together again.

They heard more of the hissing sounds coming from above them and looked up. Everyone was horrified when they saw hundreds of the spiders descending from the white treetops on thin webbings. Some were as big as small dogs. Ramus almost found himself trapped by one that was bigger than the one that attacked and killed Torr and Spann. He ducked down and ran toward a clearing while encouraging the others to follow him.

All the horses were captured by many of the larger creatures before they could run away. Gareth Cicero started to run but was snagged by one of the giant creatures when it landed on his back, causing him to drop his sword. He tried to reach for the sword as the giant monster began to pick him up. The strong legs had hidden sharp talons on the ends of each leg that dug into his flesh.

He screamed as the giant spider lifted him higher. The spider’s quarry struggled so much that it stung twice with its four-inch fangs, one of which went through Gareth’s left arm. His lifeless corpse was hung by a string of webbing as the giant monster quickly carried it up into the trees to be cocooned.

Magnus and his men ran from what they would soon realize was a humongous spider web canopy. The spiders chased them across the clearing and toward a fast-moving river. Everyone jumped in and was carried by the rushing current. Petre Vitus almost made it to the river when a dog-sized spider jumped on him from behind and stung him several times all over his body.

He had a short scream that drew Magnus’s attention. When he turned around, he saw Petre being dragged back to the trees. Other spiders ran toward Magnus. He yelled Petre’s name and then turned around and jumped into the river. The spiders ran alongside the river expecting dinner to come ashore at any time. Some of the spiders became snacks to waiting crocodiles that were lying along the banks with their gaping jaws wide open. The river’s strong current carried the men for about three miles until it emptied into a small lake.

After swimming to the nearest shoreline, all the frightened men crawled out of the lake and stood on a small beach, breathing hard. Everyone was still aghast at what they encountered. They began to relax when, like a bolt of lightning, a thirty-foot boa constrictor grabbed one of Magnus’s men as he was sitting on the edge of the lake. It coiled itself around the man and crushed him quickly.

Magnus, again, stood in shock trying to comprehend what he was witnessing. Darius grabbed him by his shoulder and pulled him as they began running further into the jungle. Finding a clearing and still trying to catch their breaths, Magnus came to the reality of their situation and gathered his men. He prayed for their god to get them through the journey without more loss of life.

They continued their journey west for nearly sixty-five miles, watching everything around them. But not long after the deaths of their comrades at the spider’s den and at the lake, tragedy struck them again after one of their scouts, Mooret Poulos, wandered off to pee.

When he finished, Mooret found what he thought was a harmless, thick red flower. When he picked it, tiny thorns on the stem injected a green poison into his hand. Mooret dropped dead within a couple minutes. Magnus and his men didn’t realize Mooret was missing until one of the other men came to the leader and reported the missing man. Magnus ordered everyone to carefully search for a mile behind them. They found him half-eaten by an enormous alligator a few hours later.

Still in shock, Magnus chose to leave Mooret’s body right where it was, fearing the reptile could return and attack them, too. He warned his men to not touch anything and watch each other’s backs. Despite their misgivings, they were pressing on with their journey and there was no turning back.

The group stayed in the shadows of the forest to keep out of the direct sunlight, which beamed the unrelenting, burning heat. Even though they would encounter a huge panther, stumble upon a swarm of enormous-sized fire ants, and lose a man as he was decapitated by a falling tree branch, nothing slowed them down. Determined to find anything of value, inching fear began to fall away. Balancing their bravery with the foreboding events that awaited them and the determination to find hidden gold and valuable gems ruled their psyches.

They were later terrified by an attack of three other giant boa constrictors in which they lost a man. Another man died as they were attacked by a pack of wild elephants. Everyone depended on Magnus’s intuition and no matter what circumstances befell them, they would still soldier on as the riches they searched for fed their drive. They began noticing small, dark spots on some areas of their bodies, but ignored them even as they experienced some stinging where the spots appeared.

The group found another river and used its cool water to soothe the pain of the spots. As they camped in the evenings, Magnus ordered his men to cut down high, grassy areas with their swords to make sure they had a good line of sight. The camp was lit by a very big bonfire, which allowed them to see far out in the distance at night without much effort. The men would take turns standing watch as the others rested.

Darius and Ramus were best friends and would always stand watch together. The two were Magnus’s best and strongest of all his men. Ramus had piercing blue eyes, black, shoulder-length hair, and a short black beard. He was a talker while Darius, who had brown eyes and short black hair plus a thin mustache, was his best listener. Ramus lived in the Roman Republic, although his roots were Greek. Because of the conflict between Rome and Greece, the Roman parents of Darius raised Ramus as one of their own to protect him from the prying eyes of the Roman hierarchy. They lived together under the rough living standards of Roman law and watched each other’s backs when the going got tough. They could read each other very well. Most of their conversations were about their adventures of being drunk in Roman brothels.

I remember when I was accosted by that woman in Pompei! said a nearly drunken Ramus.

You mean the whore in that ugly orange half-tunic? asked Darius who was equally inebriated.

Aye, that one? Yes, that one! Ramus answered, second guessing himself. I was so drunk I couldn’t even remember her name ehhh? He drank some of his rum. That was the woman I kissed. Ya know she almost tore off all my fucking clothes in one try, ha, ha, ha! She told me I have a big cock and I had to give it to her… or did she say all of them, um? So, I eloquently explained that I have to come with it! They both laughed. Darius bit off a mouthful of roasted rabbit and drank his grog while laughing.

Darius then said, I remember how dark it was that night. There were so many of ‘em, too. So, which one did you fuck, huhh? Was it the one in the ugly orange tunic?

Ramus raised his cup and said, I honestly don’t remember ’cause they both were a fucking blur to me, but I imagine it was the prettiest of the five! Ha, ha, ha, ha!

Darius lifted his tunic and looked down at his crotch. He grumbled a little and said, If we find some women out here, I wouldn’t care if I fucked the ugliest of ‘em all! My balls are blue from lack of whores after five months, man! Ramus stopped laughing and looked at Darius for a moment. He smiled at Darius while raising his cup. Then he broke out with a very loud laugh, waking up some of their companions. Darius laughed at him, spitting out some of his grog.

They both had stopped talking abruptly early the next morning of their fifteenth day. Ramus thought he heard what sounded like drums in the distance. On the sixteenth day, they stumbled onto a very large hidden city.

Ma’riine

Ma’riine was an isolated but beautiful and wondrous city located in a land now known as Tanzania. This city had existed for over four thousand years. The nearly five-and-a-half square mile city sat in a valley surrounded by many outer mountains, trees, and swamps, which helped it remain hidden. Ma’riine was about ninety miles east of Mt. Kilimanjaro, a 16,100-foot, three-coned set of mountains that was an inactive, yet dormant, stratovolcano. It had several lava tubes stretching far in every direction. In some of the tubes, super pressurized magma was steadily pushing up and out through other places rather than firing through the mountain itself. At times, the city would experience minor seismic activity, but nothing too alarming. Even as three major tubes extended around the valley, including one that was about a mile underneath the city, in certain areas, small fingers extended from that tube reaching up to about an eighth of a mile closer to the city. In those places, the tubes provided pressure to several hot springs. A sixty-foot waterfall emptied into a nearby lake that sent a narrow, shallow river running through the city. Several small bridges spanned the river throughout the small, but illustrious, city.

Ma’riine had an economy that was rivaled by no other known civilizations according to its people, the Hutue. Some of the descendants were direct offspring of the pharaoh Menkaure himself. Along with the descendants of one of the Hebrew tribes that were led out of Egypt by Moses, some of the deposed inherited Egyptians traveled southward until they settled in Cush. Their royalty continued to be passed down to those in line. Others continued farther south until they found themselves in the lush valley surrounded by mountains and fresh water not too far from Mount Kilimanjaro. Over time, they took on and adopted the language of a neighboring tribe known as the Swahili.

The land flourished with many riches such as gold, silver, platinum, and diamonds, elements, plus many other rare Earth commodities like phosphorus and coal. Based on methods of their Egyptian ancestors, the rich elements were mined and processed in large caves that were located just north of the city. The coal was stored on the southern side of the city in a separate cave. It provided the public with a type of fuel to burn in stoves to heat water for cooking and through an early form of plumbing, the Hutue were able to bathe themselves with warm water in their homes. Some of the coal and phosphorus was also used to provide in-home lighting and other applicable uses. The caves also contained rich deposits of ammonium and nitrates which could accidentally detonate as the miners learned over the centuries when fire was introduced into the combination. The ammonium nitrate combination was carefully extracted and refined as fertilizer for farming and other uses. Using phosphorus as lighting, the miners were able to extract the rare earths without danger. The tools they used were crude but effective. Wooden or clay shovels and spars were used to break loose the materials. The materials were then placed in four-x-six-foot boxed pallets resting on wooden rollers. They were pulled out of the caves by small elephants because of the size and weight of the pallets. Each specific type of material was then placed on separate gutters that led downward toward several vats. The rare Earth material was then washed down and placed in giant material-specific vats and sent to their respective refinery for processing.

There were many large temples and tall buildings that served as the central governmental places which sat near the middle of the city. They were made of mostly stone and mud with arched entryways. The city center was also eloquently made up of several smaller buildings which served as the marketplace for its inhabitants. The Hutue lived in lavishly large homes. Each home had its own twin water extraction pumps that was powered by coal fire. The home pumps were part of a natural and strategically planned water routing system underneath the city, which was connected to the river, the lake, and one of the hot springs. They farmed some of their fruits and vegetables in a common area just outside the center of the city and on some of the city’s western outer perimeter fields. Most of the Hutue men fished from the nearby lake only a half-mile outside the city to the west. These people lived naturally to an average age of about two hundred years. There was hardly any sickness or diseases in this utopia-like land. Many of its natives were tall and mostly slender in build. Even some of the women were considered very strong and somewhat muscular. The Hutue had strong grey or silvery eyes which was their most distinct feature. They dressed in scant attire since they live in a very hot and humid environment. Whether man or woman, some of the villagers go about their day completely naked or just topless. Many of the children went about their day, also mostly undressed, running around as their parents tended to the family’s needs.

On occasion, the Hutue would celebrate with drum songs and dance for their God Jehovah. They danced for His Blessings and His Love for them. They also celebrated their past leaders or Neguses, by building thirty-foot statues made of gold. The First Negus, Nuri, is the descendant of Queen Cleopatra. The Queen’s grandmother Isis was considered a goddess. Now Nuri’s great-great-great-grandmother is Hatshepsut, the niece of Queen Cleopatra. Ma’riine, his daughter, was believed to have the same architectural gifts as Hatshepsut and was the chief architect for the development of what the city would become. She loved her people and as a fierce fighter, she fought alongside her father to protect the city from foreign invaders. In her honor the city was named after her. In the last thousand years, the villagers have adapted to a peaceful lifestyle after surviving some threats from neighboring tribes. The Neguses kept a sizable contingent of soldiers who were well-trained to watch over the city.

In the year 2000 BCE, they were threatened by a rival tribe from the north known as the Punts, which is now Somalia. The Puntite King Parahu and his Queen Ati sent a small army south in hopes of finding new riches and nearly started the war with the Hutue. The Puntite army leader, Umpoc, tried to strong-arm his way into Ma’riine’s sacred temple to kill Negus Mambe, who was leader at that time. That attempt was thwarted by some of his own warriors in the Puntite army who were loyal to the King and Queen of Punt. Umpoc and his allies were captured and arrested by some of the Hutue soldiers and sent back to Punt to be executed. As an offering of peace, Punt’s rulers sent another emissary to Ma’riine to create a trade line between the Puntite nation and the Hutue. The Hutue chose to not have the trade line with the Punt as they feared that another attempt to overthrow them would result in an all-out war without end. Queen Ati respected the hierarchy of the Hutue and their wishes. She recalled the emissary without loss on either side and kept a line of communication open in case the people of Ma’riine needed help or trade. The Hutue went on to care only for their own and would limit any incursion from the outside.

The Hutue were a very independent tribe. They were extremely resourceful and would explore various ways to keep themselves healthy and strong. Using ancestral medical practices and improving in their medicinal methods to prevent sickness and losses around Ma’riine, few natural deaths occurred. In some of the western parts of the valley near the city was a rare, but valuable, plant called the Waaset which was bluish in color with green dots. This plant emitted a yellowish, sweet-smelling, powder-like residue called Qet. Qet, in its original state, is a jelly-like substance that is secreted through tiny pores in the bulbous body and stem of the Waaset. After it dries it is carried by the wind up into the atmosphere. The Hutue collected the Qet in small, wooden flasks while in its jelly-like form. They would use it as a sweet aroma for indoor shops and most of their homes. It would also leave the yellowish dusting on everything as it dried. Qet was also used as an ingredient for an anointing oil which was applied to a new born’s skin as a blessing from their God Jehovah. Qet was so valuable that its attributes were stricken from the knowledge of the common Hutue residents, by the Neguses. This would prevent outsiders from accidentally learning about its other powerful characteristics. Many Hutites traded other medicines and food with nearby tribes like the Swahili, Umbo, and the Wachagga to maintain a harmonious relationship. However, Qet was forbidden to trade. None of Ma’riine’s people would travel beyond their perceived sight of Jehovah to trade. Even travel on water was forbidden because they feared unseen gigantic creatures.

Strangers

When Magnus and his men stepped out of the jungle, they startled the villagers as they appeared ghostly carrying long, glistening blades of metal that the Hutue could only construe as weapons.

About twenty of the Hutue soldiers ran toward the strangers and surrounded them, drawing their seven-foot ornately decorated arrowhead spears, ready to protect their home. Most of the soldiers were very dark complexioned. They were also tall and muscular, uniformly wearing black crowns with interwoven blue straps with jewels attached. They also wore matching red leather straps over each shoulder and across their chests with small silver ornaments hanging down. They were also girded with loincloth around their waists. The skirts were adorned with lion’s teeth around the waist and little yellow diamonds held in place by a piece of leather tied through a hole at the end of each tooth. A strand of leather, with animal teeth attached, was tied around each ankle.

Their tallest soldier, whose name was Kaasha, raised his hand and pointed at Magnus. Usiguse! Usiguse! he ferociously yelled in Swahili at Magnus, which meant Don’t move!

Magnus correctly guessed what Kaasha meant and gestured to his men not to move a muscle. Kaasha was astounded at how much lighter their visitors’ skin appeared. He also noticed that some of the strangers had dark spots on their bodies. Magnus and company were equally mesmerized by the silvery-grey eyes looking back at them. Without saying a word, Magnus knelt and waved his right hand downward several times to show he was no threat. While looking Kaasha in his eyes, he gradually moved his left hand across his body toward his sword scarab and loosened the bindings. He let the sword scarab fall to the ground and then raised up and stepped back. All his men repeated the gesture. Magnus then noticed, just inside of his peripheral sight to his left, a stout but very tall male wearing a large, colorful, jewelry-laden headdress, reminiscent of the lower Egyptian headdress, approaching him.

The man was dressed in an ornate-style tribal light robe. He was followed by three other men and one woman. They were similarly dressed, but with less ornamental accoutrements. Everyone in the tribe knelt as they walked toward the visitors. The leader looked Magnus in the eyes and then looked down, scrutinizing the shiny swords lying on the ground next to each of the strangers. The man in the colorful headdress crossed his arms and put his open hands on his chest.

Nina Negus T’umani Kyeii! he said, identifying himself as Negus Kyeii. "Mji huu unaitwa Ma’riine!" (This city is called Ma’riine!) Magnus pointed to himself and gestured his identity to the leader as well. He stooped down and picked up a small stick that was lying next to him and began drawing pictures on the ground. Magnus was able to convince the Hutue, they were friendly and wanted to rest after their long journey. Kyeii spoke to his soldiers, and they lowered their weapons. Kaasha looked at Kyeii and then gave Magnus a hardened stare. With that same stare, he looked at the strangers and waved his hands at them, gesturing them to follow Kyeii and his entourage. The procession would also include a few of Kaasha’s soldiers who would accompany them into the city.

Magnus and his men watched the remaining soldiers pick up their swords and take them elsewhere. He and his men felt totally defenseless, but still cooperated, and followed Kyeii and Kaasha. Kyeii rendered the hospitality of Jehovah to the visitors. Such hospitality is revered among all nearby villages as a form of respect and acceptance.

The Romans listened as Kyeii spoke in his native language but didn’t understand anything he was saying. Most of the men noticed how dusty, yet magnificent, the city looked. It didn’t ruin their relief of being terrified in the jungle. Except for the irritating pain and soreness they were experiencing, they were content, although feeling exhausted. They were led into the middle of the city, observing the people and their lifestyles.

The Hutue people stared at the visitors with amazement as they walked by several buildings. The men were astounded at how enormous and great the city was. It made them wonder how a city like this could exist here in the middle of this deadly jungle. Kyeii and Kaasha took them to a great open hut to be waited on by some women the Negus had summoned to care for them.

The visitors reeked of body odor, which made Kaasha and other residents snort at them. He requested to take his leave from Kyeii, which the Negus granted. Kyeii led the visitors to a warm stream behind the hut to get cleaned up by the women. The Romans were fascinated by the beauty of the women Kyeii assigned to them, especially the woman who was in Kyeii’s company. The Negus then left the group in the care of the woman. He trusted her mostly to be a caregiver for the visitors. He also left a few of his guards.

Ramus and Darius were introduced to the tall, shapely woman named Chuni. She commanded the congregation of the women in the hut. Her hair was waist length, and she had an infectious smile. Her grey eyes matched the eyes of the other women in the hut. Chuni took off her ceremonial dashiki, revealing a small lion skin wrapping adorned with ivory trinkets that covered her breast. She was also wearing a matching loin cloth covering around her midriff.

As she laid the dashiki on a wooden bench, her amazing body caught the eyes of all the men who just wallowed in excitement. She and another beautiful, darker complexioned woman named Tshira gave them baths and washed their clothing in the stream. They were as curious about the ghost men and looked upon them with as much erotic interest. Darius couldn’t help himself from getting aroused as he studied Chuni’s body. He watched as her medium perky breasts and hardened nipples would reveal themselves behind the skimpy top wrapping when she stooped down to wash his feet with her hair.

Darius reached out to move her hand over to touch his penis, but she would slap his hand away. He tried twice again and Chuni began to understand what he was attempting. She gave him a smile while lightly rubbing his manhood after the bath and said, Ukitaka jinsia? (You want sex?) He had a smile from ear to ear. She then took off her lion skin wrappings and faced him to show off her fantastic body. She straddled him while guiding his penis into her.

The next morning, Darius had a hard time walking. He was sore because Chuni sexed him out all that night. Ramus laid with Tshira that night and vowed, that he would never leave her or this paradise. Her silvery eyes and the perfume she wore captivated his mind. Even though he did not understand her language, her voice was erotic to him.

Magnus and his friend Touly Greylini were also cared for by two women named Tiri and Zmun’a. Later that morning, while Magnus was dressing, the burning sensation on his back seemed to be getting worse. Tiri saw how agitated Magnus was becoming and went to try and comfort him. When she saw how much larger the spots on Magnus’s back had become, she refused to touch him. She slowly backed away from him and ran out of the hut.

Touly looked at Ramus and asked, What just happened, man?

Darius, who was also experiencing a slight burning sensation from spots on his arms, replied, Maybe she thought Magnus was too small for her, heh?

Magnus scowled at them and stood up. They both laughed but that was cut short when they noticed Zmun’a had gotten up and went after Tiri, which made Touly wonder even more. Then Darius saw the larger black spots on Magnus’s back. He became puzzled.

Hey Magnus, you are faring well, yes? he asked.

My back and arms are on fire, man, Magnus answered. These spots feel painful and tender to the touch, but I’m not too concerned. They’re probably just severe sunburns.

He stood up and headed toward the exit that led to the river. They all decided to go to the river and let the waters cool their bodies, which seemed to give a little relief.

In the early afternoon, despite their discomfort, they met with Kyeii, who made sure Magnus and his men were fed well and shown the giant, golden statues of Ma’riine’s past Neguses and the many other wonders of the city.

They were awestruck when they saw what appeared to be small mounds of raw gold and diamonds afar, off near the western edge of the city. Magnus and Ramus’s curiosity peaked as they wondered where all the precious metals and diamonds had come from. Kyeii and his guards took them to another one of the temples, leading them away from the small mounds of riches. He never intended to show them where the mines were or the refining places outside the city.

Suddenly, just outside of another temple, each one of the visitors began to feel sick and nauseated just before nearly passing out as they entered the temple. Skarret Daw, one of Magnus’s scouts, fell over and began to vomit. The men noticed the same black spots on Skarret’s arms and legs, but to their surprise, they each thought they could see Skarret’s bare muscles through his skin. The sight made Magnus suspicious. He began to think that they were poisoned and wanted to go into defense mode. But he and the others felt the same sensation of being disoriented, sick to the stomach, and weak and were unable to respond.

Kyeii stood surprised as the visitors fell down retching. As his entourage quickly helped Magnus and his men back to their hut, the villagers became frightened and stayed back, not understanding what was happening to the Romans, as they themselves had never seen anything like it. Kyeii called on one of his aides to go get their chief physician.

Later, a bald and very tall, muscular man who had very dark skin appeared. He was wearing a brown fur headband with small, curved bones adorning the top edges. Ec Dam walked into the hut carrying a small basket made of twigs and black leaves. He was the village doctor who never had to treat anyone for this type of illness. Astounded, he found himself apprehensive and not wanting to touch the sickened men. He had no idea what was happening to the visitors. Darius, having more black spots on his body, saw the spots beginning to turn transparent and to his surprise, he could see what appeared to be his bare muscle through his skin, leaving him frightened, confused, and too weak to move.

Chuni stilled herself, trying not to be afraid. She stayed with him and did everything she could to keep Darius comfortable as he, too, would go into more vomiting spells. Ramus was stunned as he could see through some of the skin on his friend’s back and sides. Curiously, Ramus touched his friend’s back; the skin felt almost as hard as a stone. What he saw gave him a terror that he was unable to comprehend. He himself showed lighter signs of the sickness and chose to stay with his best friend.

Daw and Darius died three days later. Touly suspected that their illnesses might be coming from what they had eaten days before. Or maybe from something, somewhere in the village… or perhaps the river.

Two days later, Touly asked Magnus if they could just leave. Magnus, who was just as weak, agreed with Touly. Except for the now gravely ill Ramus and no one stopping them, they gathered some of their belongings and by nightfall, the remaining travelers left the city, only to die stumbling through the deadly jungles.

Ec Dam thought maybe Jehovah would take Ramus to Heaven if he was anointed before he died. He reluctantly decided to use fresh leaves, to administer the Qet to Ramus’ infected skin. Ec Dam could only pray to God and wondered if He would accept this strange ghost-like man’s spirit into Heaven to rest in peace with the Hutue ancestors.

In the next few days, Ramus began to feel better, but he still felt weak. His skin began to show a brownish appearance and left irreparable damage to his psyche. Ramus became very angry that his best friend Darius and others in his expedition had died and blamed the doctor for not helping them sooner. He didn’t take into consideration how the language barrier complicated any chance he would have to understand Ec Dam’s ‘miraculous’ choice in saving his life. So, his anger went unchecked.

Ec Dam would look in on Ramus and was astounded at how quickly he was healing. He also detected the exhibitive inner hostility Ramus displayed toward him or anyone who watched over him.

After Ramus fully recovered, Ec Dam and some of the Hutue helped him get through the jungle. The route they followed was completely different and much safer. After a few days of travel, they reached the beach late in the night. Apart from Ramus, the Hutue put out their torches and would not approach the beach. They stealthily stayed in the shadows of the jungle, to not draw the attention of the Romans sitting around a campfire near the tree line. Ramus, carrying his lone torch, walked away from them without saying a word, not even a thank you for saving his life.

Ec Dam and his people quickly and quietly turned back and headed home. Ramus just walked out into the clearing of the beach toward the captain, who had coincidently come ashore to check on his men. The captain’s eyes widened as he saw the apparition of a familiar man walking toward him. Ramus grabbed and gave Lanothian a long hug and told the captain that Magnus and everyone else was dead as he whimpered. Ec Dam and his party were long gone into the shadows of the jungle, leaving Ramus with his own people.

Ramus told Lanothian about how his group had all died and how he alone was mysteriously healed. Lanothian explained to Ramus that he saw the same spots on the four men who had returned not long after they began their journey. Ramus looked hard into the captain’s eyes and said, I want to leave this fucking god-forsaken shithole, sir, if it’s all the same to ya!

Lanothian looked at Ramus’s face and saw fueled anger mixed with sorrow. He took the demeanor as a sign that they may be in danger if they stayed any longer. The captain and most of the shore party escorted Ramus back aboard the ship. Once there, Lanothian summoned Ramus to his quarters. Lanothian’s Hand, who held the captain’s supper, knocked on the door to the captain’s quarters. He was immediately followed by Ramus.

They stepped into his quarters and the Hand put the captain’s dinner on a large table. Lanothian waved at his Hand, who promptly exited the quarters. He then looked at the angry man standing before him, while he went to the table.

His heart was moved as he explained to Ramus, I chose to stay if I felt it would be a great possibility of your party’s return. As time moved on and there were no signs of any of you, I was about to abandon all hope.

The captain then lit a candle next to his supper. But then, we see your torch emerge from the jungle.

Ramus’s eyebrows furrowed sharply, and he shouted, cutting off the captain, You didn’t see them! They were there, right behind me in the shadows of the jungle’s edge, captain! He pounded his fist on the captain’s table, nearly causing a spoon to fall onto the deck.

Lanothian caught the spoon and just stared at Ramus with bewilderment and somberly said, I didn’t see anyone near you or behind you, mate.

They killed my friends... Ramus continued. And then they brought me back to warn you that they would kill all of us if we stayed any longer.

This was a lie. He hung his head and kept thinking about Darius. He kept remembering the image of seeing the man’s exposed muscles through his skin and how he watched his friend die. The captain sat down to eat his meal as Ramus stared at the deck.

Lanothian looked at his dinner and said, Look, you went through an ordeal which, by my understanding, was already probably unavoidable and dangerous in nature, man! We have a long journey on to India and then back home, my friend. Don’t dwell on what happened. Just thank your god that you got back to us. Now I’m saddened by losing so many of my men to the perils of the jungle and the unknown, but those kinds of things come with exploration.

The captain lightly shook his head as he took a bite out of his meal and continued, I regret giving Magnus permission to set out on such a dangerous and perilous journey. Now, he and the others are dead. He looked at Ramus with saddened eyes and said, You need to rest and get ready for our voyage. Since we lost both men and time on that foolish journey, I now have to live with that decision.

Ramus gave Lanothian a very sharp stare and nodded his head. He looked at the captain’s supper and relented. He began to feel grateful that the captain stayed as long as he did.

Thank you for waiting for me. I am truly humbled and grateful, he said. His mind said other things as his blood boiled inwardly. Ramus huffed as he turned to leave the captain’s quarters. The hatred toward the Hutue kindled in his heart. He could only think of returning one day to avenge his friends’ deaths. Lanothian ordered everyone who was still on shore back to the ship, and they sailed away toward India.

On their way back to the city, Ec Dam pondered Ramus’s anger and began to fear that the ghost man would someday return with reinforcements and try something that would threaten his people. So, he reached out to Kaasha and the two of them agreed to increase the city’s defenses. They also both believed that they needed to hide the Qet. Ec Dam chose to break the tradition of secrecy about the Qet, but only a few were to know where to find it. Upon their return, he pleaded with Kyeii to remove the Qet and hide most of it just in case Ramus would return. Kyeii reluctantly agreed, and only that Ec Dam would not tell him where they hid it. Ec Dam agreed and gathered his most trusted friends. He told them to take as much of the gel as they could carry and to dig up as many of the Waaset plants as possible to take to the other tribes in the vicinity. They were told to hide everything just outside their lands but tell only their Neguses about the gel and let no one else know of its secret.

Ec Dam also instructed his men to burn the remaining plants in the valley. Each person placed gallons of the gel in large bags made of treated rhino skins and carried as much as they could to the Umbo, Swahili, and Wachagga tribal lands and buried them in fields outside each village. Ec Dam took some of the gel and dug up a few of the plants as well and took them north into the jungle as far as he could and replanted the Wassets. He also buried the gel in an undisclosed place near one of the rivers toward the north. He told his wife and sons where to find the gel just in case there was trouble.

The western valley was on fire as most of the remaining plants burned. Ec Dam was relieved and felt that he prevented anyone from finding and learning the secret of his heritage. Kyeii assigned his soldiers to guard the perimeter of the city and Kaasha gave the Roman swords, left by Magnus and his men, to some of his best trained soldiers. They would later find out how much they would need to know how to use them.

Roman Trireme ship Kolath

Rome

Rome was indeed the shining city on the hills, ever beautiful and growing in its lavishness and riches. Its dirt and brick roads were always bustling with commerce. To the lords, it was their paradise to do with as they pleased. Sitting on some of the tallest hills were the city’s high courts where the hierarchy of Rome ruled. Ships came and went with many types of commerce or whatever the trade winds would blow in their direction. Homes of the rich were covered with vines and had the aroma of fine perfumes. The gods provided them with both foreign and indentured slaves to suffer at the bidding of the rich. Roman men had several wives and still would use their slaves for sex, whether male or female. They would often trade the slaves for that reason and for prostitution. Some of the male slaves were brought in from different parts of the world to become gladiators. Others were used in the coliseum for preparing the gladiators for the games or to be used as targets for the barbarians. All the same, if you were a skilled hunter, you never had to worry about your unarmed prey.

Ramus woke up with night sweats and raced to a window to retch. Two years after his return, his nightmares had been a terrifying part of his existence. His much longer black hair and bluish eyes gave him the look of the warrior he was. The anger he let grow in his heart drove him to near madness. But for his woman, Dionna, he would have committed suicide many times before, because he was unable to forget the sight of watching Darius die the way he did.

At times, he drank so much that he would find himself sleeping in horse stables because he couldn’t find his way home. One night, he nearly fell down a flight of stone steps. Thankfully, two of his guards caught him and took him back to Dionna to tend to him. His disdain for the African slaves he’d seen around the city grew as they reminded him of the Hutue. He had indeed become a wreck of a man but maintained his respect for his leaders. After all, he was now part of the counsel for the city.

One afternoon, he stepped out onto the street from the office of the city council with three of his guards, all of whom were heavy men with rock solid arms. Ramus’s cape, adorned with the markings of Rome’s highest office, ripped on a nail sticking out of the doorway. He began walking at a mad pace, pushing an old man down as he angrily rushed to the ruler’s court. He turned around and cursed the older man telling him, You fucking old dog, I will have you fed to the lions, you idiot!

The old man replied with his head down, Forgive me my lord… please forgive me! Ramus gave him a bullish stare and turned around and walked away, telling one of his guards to give the old man 50 lashes at the stake. He had to climb several palatial stairways to reach the ruler’s court. Ramus was pretty much out of breath when he reached the threshold of the court. He had to sit down momentarily and rub his aching knees. Leaving his guards outside, Ramus entered the court with purpose and knelt before Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus. Ramus gained the respect of Pompeius over a few months, after hearing of Ramus’s fateful journey and his participation in a previous coup. Pompeius was especially honored to hear that one of the men who perished during Ramus’s journey was also named Magnus.

Now Pompeius formed an unofficial alliance known as the First Triumvirate with Marcus Licinius Crassus and with none other than Gaius Julius Caesar. It became a problem when Caesar used new laws to promise Pompey their part in the Roman assemblies, even going against his colleague, Marcus Calpurnius Bibulus, with violence to ensure Pompey’s passage. Ramus held an honorary consulship position only because of his help to overthrow a previous governorship.

He stood up and addressed Pompeius. Your Grace… I, Ramus Targarus, Sixth Honorary Counselor to the King, request an audience of your choosing to discuss a matter of urgency. Pompeius nodded his head and stood up. He went to a room off to his left along with six others. His High Guard escorted Ramus into the room.

Everyone sat at an enormous table trimmed with golden ropes. Eight high-backed chairs, adorned with scarves hanging on the backs of the chairs that had the traditional Roman empire ensign painted on them, surrounded the huge table. Ramus stood at the far end of the table waiting for Pompeius to be seated. Ramus then took a seat and waited to be called upon.

State your matter to His Grace, Counselor, said one of the king’s court men.

"Your Grace, I am a man of distinction and honor. My request stands with regret. So, I am asking your permission to take five hundred soldiers to a place called Ma’riine. I discovered it in the lower portion of a mysterious jungle. He paused. I know you are aware of my plight there. I lost many of my comrades and barely survived getting out. It is full of many riches that can be added to ours. I regret not bringing back some of those riches and I want to correct that error, Your Grace. The inhabitants will also serve us well in our economy."

Pompeius looked at Ramus hard. Then he stood up and walked over to an arched windowless opening in the wall to look out. He could see the Colosseum and marveled at its beautiful arched columns and ornate structure.

Counsel Targarus, you must know how I feel about maintaining the security of this city. Five hundred men fewer could leave us weak in certain areas of it. Our outside lands would also become more vulnerable, but not by much. He waited for Ramus’s response. He didn’t have to wait long. Ramus answered.

Your Grace, I have friends who serve under Caesar, your ally, who can send able men to police the city. I need our soldiers to carry out the kind of mission I purpose! He stood up and said, When I lost my crew, we were nowhere near prepared to acquire that place. But, with well-armed soldiers, it can be taken without as much as a whisper.

Pompeius turned and looked Ramus in the eyes as the counselor reseated himself. Pompeius again looked out and observed a sparrow landing on the ledge of one of the nearby buildings.

I’ll give you the soldiers you asked for, Counsel Targarus, and the ships to carry them. He again paused and tilted his head down. He furrowed his eyebrows and said to Ramus, "Bring me the head of the leader of Ma’riine. The city and the lands surrounding it will become the property of the Roman Empire. You will abide by my authority only. He paused and turned around to face his administration. He pointed at a very tall individual, then he said, With you, I will send my trusted hand Lord Talos Geminiua and twenty-five of his most trusted guards to assist. Do I have your full loyalty, Counselor?"

Ramus smiled, then stood up and bowed his head saying, Your Grace. With nothing else to discuss he turned around to walk out of the court.

Pompeius, knowing how deadly politics can be, summoned his trusted Hand, Lord Talos to meet with him alone. Talos was very tall and had two missing front teeth on his bottom jaw. He lost them after getting head-butted by a shorter opponent in a challenge at the Colosseum. Pompeius was thinking, if Ramus took that many men with him, there must be something more to his plan. So, he instructed Lord Talos to go with Ramus and make sure he did what was expected of him. If Ramus did anything that undermined Pompeius, Talos was to kill Ramus and bring back his head. Wisdom and cunningness were Pompeius’s best attributes as he guessed correctly and knew something was afoot. He could look at a man and know he was about to be betrayed. He could tell that Ramus did have other plans that didn’t include himself or the Empire. He correctly figured that Ramus wanted Ma’riine for himself and no one would take that from him. Pompeius expected to receive a basket with Ramus’s head in it.

Thirty ships departed the Roman bay nine days later, carrying Ramus and his mission to Ma’riine. As the ships began their journey west on the Mediterranean Sea and through Gibraltar, Talos watched Ramus intently. Both were on the colossal 196-foot Roman flagship Kolath. Its sister ship, the Birithian, sailed a parallel course two miles away. Both ships were Greek-designed Trireme Dreadnoughts which were adapted to fight against the Greeks. The ships were extra-large with three decks for operational and living spaces. They had a large, arched bow with a hardened, keel ram and stern sprits. The Kolath’s mizzenmast spiritedly sported the traditional Roman emblem. On the stern was a wasp tail-shaped metal spar that, when needed, it was placed in a slot at the bow. It was used as a deck spear to punch holes in an opposing vessel.

The two massive main masts were at least sixty feet tall each with a seven-foot width near the base of the top deck. They were made extra strong to hold against heavy winds and stress. Both were fitted with two metal rods which were inserted inside the treated wooden masts and secured with three twelve-inch-wide metal bands. Her great sails were attached to fifty-five-foot yardarms on the main masts. Her beam was forty-seven-foot wide at the center. She could sail without her oars at speeds of about seven knots with a ramming speed of thirteen knots. She moved silently as the wind and was crewed with sixty well-trained sailing men in addition to the fifty soldiers on board. Ten other dreadnoughts carried the soldiers and horses while the other twenty ships carried either supplies or extra weapons and space for the people who Ramus intended to bring back to Rome.

Talos knew his assignment and would sit in on the meetings Ramus had with his commanders. Ramus proudly addressed them while sitting next to Talos.

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