Chapter 1: Drawn

After more than 2,100 years, you’d think I’d have a clue when it comes to women. But I guess you’d be wrong. The woman sitting across from me said she wanted to hear my story and know all about me. After what she had just witnessed, I thought she’d be open to what I had to tell her. But now, I’m not so sure.

I just met this woman yesterday – last night, as a matter of fact. I was nursing a drink at a club when she came up to me. I almost did a double-take, as she reminded me very much of someone very dear to me.

“I know we’ve never met, but I somehow feel drawn to you,” she said. “Almost as if we’ve known each other all our lives. I’m Noemi Schlager,” she added, holding out her hand.

“Steve Iverson,” I said. “It’s a pleasure meeting you, Ms. Schlager,” I told her, seeing no indication of a ring on her finger.

“Please call me Noemi,” she said with a smile. “Listen, I have to run to the ladies’ room, but would you mind ordering me a drink when I get back? I’d like to get to know you a bit.”

“Of course,” I said. When she got back, I immediately saw it – there was a subtle change in her eyes and in her mannerisms. I knew right away that she had been occupied by the creature I had been tracking for the last two months.

I knew the thing had come to this club, which is why I was there, but I kept calm and ordered her drink. We talked and danced for a bit before inviting me back to her place. I watched the creature for any indication it would attack the whole time.

I accepted her invitation and went to her condo. She immediately turned and attacked me when we got inside, howling like a banshee. I knew it was the creature that had occupied her body, so I whipped out my sword and made short work of the thing, hoping I didn’t inflict any damage on Noemi.

I put her on the couch and considered her carefully. Something about this woman intrigued me, so I pulled a cotton swab from one of my coat pockets and took a sample from inside her cheek while she was still unconscious. Shortly afterward, she came to. She watched, shocked, as I crushed the last vestige of the beast lying on the floor.

“What was that thing?” she asked.

“It occupied your body, Noemi. It attacked me when we got here. Don’t worry, it’s gone now. It won’t bother you again,” I said.

“Occupied my body? You mean, like a demon or something?” she asked, shocked.

“Something,” I said.

“You didn’t answer my question,” she said. “What was it? Why did it occupy me?” I knew the answer, but I wasn’t sure how to tell this woman that the thing I just killed was related to a 2,100-year-old story.

“It’s a long story that goes back many years,” I said. Over two thousand years, to be exact, but I didn’t tell her that.

“Well, I want to hear that story,” she said. “I don’t care how long or how far back it goes.” I pulled out a card and wrote my address down before handing it to her.

“Be at my place tomorrow evening, and I’ll tell you all about it,” I said.

“I’ll be there,” she responded, taking my card. Very well, I thought. If she wants to hear a 2,100-year-old story, so be it.

And yes, you read that right – 2,100 years. Before I get too deep into my story, let me explain a little bit. According to the modern calendar, I was born on March 15, 101 BC, in the ancient Celtic kingdom of Noricum, located in the area currently known as Austria.

These days, I’m known as Steve Iverson. My given name no longer matters as that person ceased to exist a long time ago. Nothing remains from that time, not even the language I spoke as a child. My father was a sword maker, like his father before him. My brother and I worked with our father, and together, we made some of, if not THE best, swords in the region.

Not only did we make the swords, but we also knew how to use them. We were damn good at what we did. The three of us also mined much of the ore we used to make swords. That sometimes meant long trips to the southern regions of the kingdom. I hated being away from my young bride and our two sons, but it was necessary. Noricum ore, also known as chalybs Noricus, was quite superior to the Greco-Roman wrought iron and produced excellent blades, which were highly sought after by the Romans.

It was on one such trip that my current story began. My father and brother had already left the area for home, their carts loaded with ore. I thought I would stay and try looking in a different location that hadn’t been mined very much, so I went further into the mountains. Sure enough, I found a vein that looked quite promising, so I collected what I could.

While collecting the ore, I spotted a flash of green light between two rocks and went to investigate. I saw a strange orb about 15 feet above the ground, emanating the green light when I got there. I was mesmerized, not knowing what this thing was. My entire body was wrapped in green light the next thing I knew, and I felt an odd tingling sensation.

The light quickly went out, and I fell, face down, on the dirt, unable to move. When I awoke, I noticed the grass was much taller, and the sky was clear. The orb was gone, and I had no idea how long I had been asleep. My head hurt a bit, but not too bad. I wiped my eyes and took inventory.

My horse and cart were no longer there, and I saw no tracks to indicate where they might have gone. I still had my clothing and the bag I carried. I checked and found I still had everything I had brought with me. At least I hadn’t been robbed. I stood and realized it was pretty early in the day. If I started now, I could be back in the village in two days, maximum.

I knew the way well, as I had traveled there often with my father and brother, and fortunately, most of the return trip was downhill. I headed out as fast as I could and got back to the village in a little less than two full days. But when I arrived, I got the shock of my life.

The village was destroyed. Much of it was simply gone. What remained were piles of burned lumber covered with moss. It looked like no one had been here for quite some time. I searched but found no sign of life whatsoever.

I found a slag pile near where we used to forge our swords, but it looked like no one had been here for years. I called out for my father, brother, and wife, Noei. But I received no answer. Frantic, I ran from one pile of lumber to another but found nothing. Then I heard a man’s voice calling out to me.

“Who goes there?” the man called out in the language of the Romans. Surprised, I turned and looked to see a somewhat older man with a walking stick looking in my direction.

“What happened here? Where is everyone?” I asked. He snickered and held his arms out.

“What does it look like?” he asked. “Everyone is obviously gone. Who are you, anyway?” I told him my name, and he looked at me, funny, almost as if he couldn’t make out my name.

“Are you Noric?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said. He nodded his head and motioned for me to follow him. I did as he suggested, and we ended up at a small, rock building full of trinkets and swords laid out on wooden tables. I recognized the swords, as they were ones we had forged. But they looked old, worn, dirty, with signs of rust on the blades. How was this possible?

“By all means, call me Maximo. You look tired and hungry, young Celt,” he said. “Would you like something to eat and drink?”

“Yes, I would like that very much,” I said. “How much?”

“Hmm?” he asked, looking back at me, his eyebrows raised. “Oh, no, think nothing of it. The household gods would not be happy if I took advantage of a lost, hungry traveler. Please, accept my offering.”

“Thank you, sir,” I said, hoping my somewhat limited knowledge of his language didn’t show. “Do you know what happened here?”

“Barbarians from the north and the west came through and leveled the place,” Maximo said. “They raided several other villages before they were chased off.”

“How long ago did this happen?” I asked.

“I guess about 35 years ago or thereabouts,” Maximo said.

“That can’t be,” I said, shocked. “I was born in this village not more than 25 years ago.” He looked at me funny, then chuckled as he pointed a finger at me.

“Ah, you are trying to make old Maximo laugh,” he said with a smile. “I’m sorry, young Celt. But no one has been born in this place for 35 years.”

“But my wife, my two boys ... My father and brother. All my friends ... Where did they go? What happened to them?” I asked, panicked. He came to me and put a hand on me to settle me down.

“Shh, calm down,” he said. “Drink this,” he added, handing me a cup of wine. I took a sip and let the liquid calm me down. “I heard that some of the women and children escaped and made their way to Noreia. The men bought them time with their lives.”

That made sense to me. We had discussed what we would do if the village was ever attacked and overrun. And I knew my father and brother would stay with the men and defend the village while the women took the children away.

“Then I need to go to Noreia and find my wife and boys,” I said.

“Perhaps tomorrow, after you have rested and regained your strength. You are welcome to stay with Maximo if you wish,” he said. “Tomorrow, you can select a horse and pack for the trip. First, we eat.”

He placed a wooden bowl filled with savory soup in front of me. It was delicious, filled with tiny bits of meat and vegetables and bits of what he called pasta. I don’t remember what he called the soup, but it was tasty and quite filling.

“So, what do you do here, Maximo?” I asked as we ate.

“I collect what I can, clean it up, and sell it to travelers,” he said. “I have been visited by all kinds of people – soldiers, diplomats, couples looking for trinkets. You name it.”

“These swords. Where did you find them?” I asked. “They look rather old.”

“I found them in the dirt throughout the village,” he said. “I cleaned them up as best as I could and offered them for sale. There is one sword, though, that I have not been able to get anyone interested in.”

“Oh?” I asked. “And why is that?”

“It is much longer than anything used by the Romans. And heavier,” he said. “Plus, the markings on it appear to be those of royalty. I’ll show you.” He went to a table and brought the large sword back to me.

I instantly recognized this sword. My father designed it specifically for the King, a powerful, large man who preferred to fight on horseback. The blade was meant to be used by a man on horseback and could rend a man in two with a single swipe if swung with enough power. My father hoped to present it as a gift to the King. It seems, though, that he never got the chance.

“I see you recognize it,” Maximo said.

“Yes,” I said. “My father designed it. He wanted to give it to the King.”

“King? That explains the markings. But haven’t you heard? Noricum is now a Roman province,” Maximo said.

“I hadn’t heard,” I said.

“You say your father made that?” Maximo asked.

“Yes, he did,” I said.

“Then you should keep it. To honor the memory of your father,” the older man said.

“Thank you again, Maximo,” I said, fighting tears. “That means a great deal to me.”

“The shadows are getting long. It is nearly time to start the evening fire. Why don’t we relax and get some sleep? Tomorrow, I will help you prepare for your journey,” Maximo said. He started the fire after I helped bring wood into the house, and I watched in silence as he paid homage to his household gods. We then drank another cup of wine and fell asleep in front of the fire.

The next day, he took me out to a pen behind his house, where he kept a couple of horses. Both looked like strong, healthy animals, so I picked one out as Maximo put together a bedroll and a pouch filled with provisions. I offered to pay when we finished, but he refused, citing his gods.

“Please, Maximo,” I said. “You fed me, gave me a place to sleep, and now this,” I added, pointing to the horse and provisions. “At least let me give you a silver piece. To appease my gods.” He thought for a moment, then nodded his head.

“If it appeases your gods, then so be it,” he said. I handed him a silver piece from my pouch, and he looked at it, his brows furrowed.

“This looks to be fairly old,” he said.

“It’s still good, though, isn’t it?” I asked.

“It is silver,” he said with a smile. “Silver is always good.” He stopped me before I could climb on the horse. “Remember Maximo in your thoughts, young Celt,” he said.

“I will never forget you,” I said. He smiled and nodded his head.

“I hope you find what it is you are looking for,” he said.

“I hope so, too, Maximo,” I said. “Thank you again. For everything.” I climbed on the horse and headed out. It took me two full days to reach Noreia. Fortunately, the provisions Maximo gave me held out.

I sat on my horse and looked at the city walls in disbelief. I had been here once before when I visited the city with my father and brother. At that time, it was a bustling community, the fortress walls standing high above the manicured fields below. But now, it looked to be falling into disrepair. The fields weren’t as carefully cultivated as before, and the walls appeared to be crumbling.

I rode into the city and looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of my former life. Maybe my sons were still here, I thought. I rode around, paying particular attention to the open-air shops. But I saw nothing. Then it happened.

I was just outside a small market selling vegetables. That’s where I saw her, a large wooden bowl in her arms filled with vegetables. She looked somewhat older than I remembered, but I could still make out her beautiful round face even through the wrinkles and crow’s feet.

Her long beautiful blonde hair had turned gray, but it was still thick and luxurious, and she tied it behind her ears. I saw the family mark on her cheek and knew she had not taken another. It was then that our eyes locked. And I knew without a doubt this was my wife, my Noei.

Her eyes grew wide, and she dropped her bowl, the vegetables rolling hither and yon. I climbed off the horse, tied it to a nearby post, and ran to her. We held each other for dear life, tears streaming down our faces.

It would appear as though a mother was reunited with her long-lost son to the others who watched. But in reality, it was the embrace of two lovers, two soul mates who pledged each other their lives, their love, and their sacred honor.

“Noei, is that really you?” I asked. She looked at me and nodded her head, hot tears pouring down her face.

“Yes, my husband, it is really me,” she said. “I’ve missed you so much. No one knew what happened to you. You just ... disappeared. Your father and brother looked for you for days but couldn’t find you. They returned, and half the men from the village went back. They looked and looked, but there was no sign of you anywhere. What happened?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “I was looking for ore when I saw a strange green light. The next thing I know, I’m ... here. I went to the village, but it was gone. What happened to you? Where are the boys? Are my father and brother still alive?”

“About five years after you vanished, barbarians attacked the village. They had been raiding villages all along the river for a while. When they came, the women took the children out as we had planned, and the men stayed behind to fight and give cover,” she said.

That wasn’t because the women were wallflowers who needed protection – far from it. Only a fool would scoff at a fully-armed and pissed off Celtic woman. It was simply the logical choice, given their cunning and fighting skills combined with their stealth and maternal instincts.

“They were all killed,” she said quietly. “They bought us time with their lives.”

“I should’ve been there,” I said. She shook her head.

“No. You would’ve been killed with the rest. There were simply too many of them. One more blade wouldn’t have made any difference,” she said, tears running down her face.

“What then?” I asked.

“We came here as we planned. The King took pity on us and let us stay in the palace. I started working in the kitchen, and I still work there,” she said. “I go out every day to buy food, and that’s why I’m here.”

“The boys? Where are they?” I asked.

“They’re in the Roman Army,” she said. “The last I heard, they went to Carthage and are heading east from there.” I shook my head in disbelief.

“I see you’re still wearing my mark,” I said.

“That’s right,” she said. “A couple years after you disappeared, your father suggested I take another. I refused. I told him I would not until I saw your dead body. I knew in my heart you were still alive. And I was right. You are the only man I have ever been with. But you don’t look like you’ve changed at all. You look the way you did the last time I saw you.”

“And you’re just as beautiful as the day we married,” I told her. She smiled and shook her head.

“No, I’m not,” she said. “I’m old and wrinkled. But you ... You still look young.”

“I can’t explain it,” I said. “I don’t know what happened. I wish I did, but I don’t.”

“We have to be careful, though. The prince is on his way here now. I’ll tell him you’re my sister’s child, and he’ll probably let you stay with me,” she said.

“Are you sure that’s wise? Lying to the prince?” I asked.

“Just ... trust me, please,” she said. I nodded my head. I heard a group of horses coming up from behind us and looked. The prince climbed off his horse and walked toward us.

“Noei, are you alright?” he asked. “Is this man bothering you?”

“No, My Prince,” she said. “This is my sister’s son. He heard I was here and came to visit. With your permission, I’d like him to stay with me.” The prince looked at me, and I thought I recognized him. But he was much younger when I saw him last.

“Of course, Noei. You look somewhat familiar to me,” he said as he looked at me.

“I visited Noreia with my father when I was much younger, Excellency,” I said. “Perhaps you may have seen me then.”

“Perhaps,” he said. “That is an interesting blade,” he added, looking at the sword now hanging on my horse. “May I?”

“Of course, Excellency,” I said. I pulled out the old sword and handed it to him, hilt first. He took it and examined it closely, his brows furrowing. He looked at me before speaking.

“It looks to be fairly old. Where did you find this?” he asked.

“My father made it,” I said. “It was his desire to present it to the King in honor of his bravery. He died some time ago.” The prince nodded his head. “I just recently recovered it and thought I would present it myself.”

“Your father made this?” he asked.

“Yes. I come from a long line of sword-makers,” I said.

“I see. And you are also a sword-maker?”

“I am, Excellency,” I said.

“Well, I’m afraid you won’t be able to present it to the king, as he has already gone to his eternal reward,” the prince said.

“Then perhaps Your Excellency would like to keep it, as a gift,” I said.

“It is a bit heavier than I am used to, but I like the way it feels. And the handiwork is exquisite. Yes, I would very much like to keep it,” he said.

“Thank you,” I said.

“It is I who should thank you, young Celt,” he said. “Perhaps you can stay, make swords for me. Perhaps train my soldiers to use them.”

“I would be honored,” I said.

“Good,” he said. “I’m sure Noei has room in her quarters. You may stay with her if you wish, and that is if she consents.”

“I do,” she said.

“Then it’s settled,” the prince said.

“Thank you, Excellency,” I said.

...

I stopped my narration and looked at the woman sitting across from me. Her eyes were wide, and the color seemed to have drained from her face.

“Are you getting all this?” I asked. “There may be a test later,” I added with a smile. She shook her head and looked at me. “Would you like me to refresh your drink, perhaps?” I asked. She looked at her glass.

“Yes, please,” she said. I poured her another glass of wine and poured some for myself as well. “I’m sorry, I know you warned me, but I wasn’t expecting ... this.”

“I understand, Noemi,” I said. “But I did say my story would be hard to believe. You promised me an open mind and a fair hearing.”

“I know, but ... I just don’t know what to think. Did you ... sleep with this ... I’m sorry, what was her name again?”

“Noei. Very similar to your name, in fact. Yes, I slept with her. She was my wife, and I loved her. But that was all that happened. The spirit was willing, but her body was simply too frail. I was content with holding her in my arms,” I said.

“But she wasn’t really all that old, was she?” Noemi asked.

“Around 60, I guess. Maybe a tad bit older,” I said. “You have to remember, though, that in those days, commoners like us didn’t live very long. With war, disease, the lack of medical care, clean water, and sanitary facilities, most of us were lucky to live much more than 30 to 35 years or so. Sure, a few lived to be older, and the wealthy often lived to be in their 60s. But those were often the exceptions.”

“How long after that were you two together?” she asked.

“She died a few months after that day,” I said. “After the death ritual, I stayed in Noreia for another 15 years. I made the prince’s weapons, trained his soldiers, fought his battles. I was never defeated. Not once. That’s how I got the battle cry, ‘Semper Invictus.’”

“That sounds like Latin,” she said. “What does it mean?”

“Literally, always undefeated,” I said. “I remained with the prince until he died. He called me to his chamber just before he passed away. He asked me about Noei. ‘She wasn’t really your mother’s sister, was she,’ he asked. I couldn’t lie to him, and he was in his death bed, after all. So I told him the truth. That she was my wife.”

“How did he take that?” Noemi asked.

“He nodded his head and smiled,” I said. “Told me she had been approached by several eligible men since she arrived – including him – but she refused them all. Said she was keeping herself pure for her husband, who she knew would return to her one day. He told me he asked her how she knew I was still alive, and she said that she could feel it in her spirit.”

“That’s so sweet,” Noemi said, wiping a tear from her eye.

“Yes, that describes her perfectly,” I said.

“Did he say anything else?” she asked.

“He mentioned that I hadn’t aged since arriving. He wondered if I had been bewitched or punished by the gods. I told him, no, at least not as far as I knew. He suggested the gods had a purpose for me that I was unaware of. A goal that could not be fulfilled in Noreia. He gave me a bag of coins and my father’s sword. Then he released me from my duties and said I should go and find my true purpose.

“After his death ritual, I left Noreia, never to return,” I said. “After a major battle with Germanic tribes, it crumbled back into the dust from which it sprang. As far as I know, no one has ever located it.”

“That’s sad,” Noemi said. “What about your sons? Did you ever find out what happened to them?”