Chapter 18

Constantius' spies or traitors seemed to be getting their act together. I accepted no place to stay and chose my own. They were usually only where the destitute would stay. No matter where I went, I was pursued with uncanny accuracy. I covered my tracks with all the tricks I knew but still the soldiers flushed me out. The city was just getting too hot to hold me.

At the same time, Constantius began to really round up all the Wodenists. The numbers in custody grew all the time. I would like to think it was conviction but it was more like McCarthyism all over again were somebody denounces an enemy as a Communist.

The arena was the only place to hold the thousands of people and the conditions they were held under was abysmal. There was no law and soldiers went into the arena to have sport with the captives and this was not just rape and murder. Every crime known was perpetuated on the people. The arena was well guarded and I think it was mainly aimed at me.

The persecution only became less when I started using my stingers on the soldiers. This was done in the barracks that was set up in the city. Normally a legion was not allowed too near for fear of it being used against the rulers.

Again I was almost caught and had to keep moving. It was almost like I had a microchip implanted on me and they were just triangulating my position. Some of the Wodenists I trusted were sent to find Mithridates and Lazeez and ask them to leave the city. There was nothing they could do to help.

I was a scientist and tried to analyse what was happening. One time I went into the sewer that was under the city with a small boat. When I came up close to the river, I was again pursued. It crossed my mind that somebody else may have come back in time and produced a way to track a person.

Eventually it came to me to find who was giving the soldiers their directions. I did not want to use one of the few stingers I had left and used the regular arrows. I pierced one man's breast and for a day I had a chance to rest.

When the chase started again I found a man dressed as a legionnaire but obviously was not. Another arrow pierced his armour and I had more chance to rest. A few days later I tried the same thing but as the arrow came close it veered off and I used two more with the same result. It was then that the truth finally seeped into my mind. Constantius was using people that could actually use magic against me.

I asked my own questions of the senators but this time it was done by messenger. A senator would send somebody to meet me at a time and place of my choosing with the answer if he had one. Apparently Constantius had combed the empire looking for people to fight me. It was a well known fact that mages assisted in battles or wars but I figured it was just the bullshit that men of this age wanted to believe.

I did remember Fidelis Marius having short talks about the subject. I had to believe the existence of magic because I was in this age and not the one I was born into. I had met no other mages and had no proof that they actually could do as they said they could. People bought snake oil even easier now then they did in my time.

The abilities of the magical practitioners were unknown and Constantius probably had the best he could get. The talks with the senators dropped to nill as I went hunting. This was not that dissimilar to what I had been taught as a lad. I had to quickly search out a target and then eliminate it before the soldiers got me. I had little intelligence to go on and tried using my mind to find my enemy as they did me. It didn't work.

Those that sought me did not detect some of the few Wodenites that remained free and this was the only way I knew to find the enemy. I was not sure of their purpose but I used many arrows on people that did some directing but the supply of targets seemed to be much higher than my supply of projectiles.

Another time I was almost caught when I killed a supposed mage to find out that he was just bait. I left with an arrow in my back and another in my leg. It was only a stinger that I had that dissuaded close pursuit by the mage.

Those in the arena were now being put to death a few at a time to lure me out of hiding. An attack on the imperial box was useless, because I could not get near the arena even when the spectacle was not going on.

I found three men that would plant the explosives as I wished and they would trigger it at the right time and I would not be near. Constantius was not in the city and I was not able to find out who was leading the fight against me. Each of the senators gave different opinions and I could not be sure if any of them were right. I resorted to just buying information. It felt good when the explosive destroyed the man but the next day I was pursued once more.

Two days after the explosion my name was broadcast but by then everybody in the city knew that I was here. Constantius came back in a form of procession and I got close just to spoil his day even if his mages would tell him of my presence. Somebody was a good tactician because I could not get close enough to put an arrow into Constantius even though I had no immediate wish to do so.

Sextus Aquilinus brought me the current news and he seemed very worried when giving it. "Constantius has managed to capture one of Julians's children. It is the young woman named Patricia. Tertius, the son of an officer by the name of Lucius was taken too. I heard that many others were killed."

This shook me. I loved Patricia. She was the nearest woman to a wife I had unless it was KhAvar. I immediately knew that this was a trap. One I would not be able to avoid. Before I could reply Sextus said, "That is not all the bad news. He sent one of his legions to a small town in Persia and found two of your women. I do not know how this was done because there were hundreds if not thousands of towns to search. He must have very good spies."

This really shocked me for again. Magic had to have been used. The girls best chance to safety was to live anonymously with a small guard detachment. Patricia and Tertius meant that there were quite a few deaths because Julian would not leave her unprotected and Tertius was at the Rhine site with her.

Events had been going too good for too long and now I had a ruthless man that had control of my immediate family.

"Where does he keep them?"

It was hard to tell but I thought I saw the faintest smile creep onto the man's face before it disappeared. "I can find out for you."

With my suspicions aroused I said, "I would not put it past Constantius to have actors take the place of my women and the boy. How can I verify that it is really them?"

"They were in the procession."

"I was not able to get close. I cannot just walk into Constantius' trap without some knowledge of who is really there."

"Constantius has a party where he shows off his captives. Perhaps I can have somebody ask them a question or two and the answers should prove to you who they are."

"That sounds like my only hope." I thought for a few moments and then gave him the questions that only one person in the world besides me could answer. Sextus listened avidly and now that I watched him closely, I saw that he was not behind me or not much. I could see that he may have been influenced by Constantius or any number of other groups. A lot of wealth could have been shifted to get this particular senator to shift his allegiances.

I was currently living in an attic so I had no need to go home. I did want to follow Sextus to see just where he would lead me. If the smile was an indication of his loyalties then he would have to report to Constantius as soon as possible.

Before we parted, Sextus asked, "Is there anything I can get you? I could put you up at my home for the night."

"Thanks, I have a place to stay near the main gate. I have to keep moving in any case."

"Do you have silver?"

"I have enough gold to last me for a while. Thank you for offering."

We parted cordially with each of us going in opposite directions. Once out of sight I went slower and veered toward the imperial palace. At the same time I was listening for the distinctive sound made by Sextus' carriage.

Sextus did go to his home though but in a half hour when I was about to leave my roving perimeter, I saw the carriage again. I came close once and saw the blinds pulled but I could smell Sextus when I went downwind.

The carriage pulled into the imperial grounds and the gate closed. Wary of magical bloodhounds I kept moving. One position I had never used was the top of a synagogue that was near the palace. The top level was ten metres higher than the palace walls but it was not directly across from the front gates.

Tonight I used this and hurried to the top by climbing one floor on the outside of the building and the rest inside. I had just enough time to see Sextus being admitted to the palace before I had to leave.

A mage would tell Constantius that I was near but only suspect that I knew Sextus for a traitor. Constantius could now use this information to lay another trap for me with Sextus as the bait.

I had scouted this area many times from different locations and had acquired a lot of information in the process. The castle and grounds were difficult to enter but even if there were no walls then a mage would find me before too long.

With no better target in mind, I went to the nearest watch station but there was no alarm given out. I had to wonder if this was planned or the mages were just not everywhere as they may like me to believe.

It was four hours later that a century of men came my way and I led them on a few turns until I could see just who was directing them. I hurried to the north but heard men coming to cut me off and I headed east. I stayed long enough to see who was leading the pursuit.

I put on a burst of speed that the well muscled legion could keep up. I turned south then west. Again I ran as fast as I could down the streets instead of over rooftops and through walled enclosures.

I heard some excited yelling ahead and burst on four men. One was an officer and two runners; and a mage.

The men drew their swords but I was moving very fast and used my feet or my two swords but mostly I used my mind. It took longer than expected because the mage was fighting me too with his mind but he was not strong.

The two runners fell first with stab wounds but they were not dangerous to their health. The mage ran then and in seconds the officer fell to the ground. I raced after the mage and he turned on me with a knife. I beat it down quickly and kicked him in the nuts. I left the man in the alley we were fighting in and went back to heal the three men.

After returning to the mage, I threw him over my shoulder and ran down the alley and then climbed a wall with a lot of difficulty. On the other side was some trees in a simple garden that looked to be going to seed. The mage was left senseless until I returned. If I didn't then he would die. I left to find the other mage if I could.

I made a similar play for the other mage but he was better defended. He could also defend himself better with weapons and with his mind. In the end I had to kill instead. Three of his men had died but I was able to heal six others before I fled. Soldiers were coming and there were too many to fight.

With the hope of a respite in people chasing me I returned to the first mage near dawn. I kept the man from using his muscles and woke him up normally. I did not think he could see me but that did not matter. "My name is Jón of Germania or the Hand of Woden. You have been chasing me for a while now. We are going to have to have a talk."

I could feel something tickling my mind and instead of kicking the man I tried to analyse it. It took a moment but I saw that it was actually a way of gaining control of my body and sending pain to me. It had almost no strength and I just deadened my own nerves to the discomfort he could cause. He could probably hurt anybody else with this sort of attack.

The man gave up suddenly as if the effort had used all of his strength. I said, "You did not do that very well. I will show you how it is done but you are not going to like it. The pain I cause is the most severe pain you have ever felt. In your case it will last a quarter of a minute but feel like all of eternity. The pain will happen again and again until I get what I want."

I took hold of the man's body and caused the pain I had mentioned and stopped when I said I would. It took quite a while until the man could even be forcibly roused.

"That was the first sample. I think we have time for one more then we have to get moving." I was sure if the man could shake his head he would. The pain came back and I had to monitor his heart because he looked like this would kill him. Getting the man to focus back on me the second time took longer. I also had to heal the man but without the endorphin rush.

When I got the man's attention I gave him back a shadow of his former control of his body and a bit more for him to speak. "Do you wish another demonstration or is that enough."

"Please, no more. I will do what you wish."

"Then tell me how many more people with your abilities are in the city looking for me?"

"Six."

I was going to correct him but I let it lie. "Tell me where they stay."

"In the Imperial Palace mostly."

"Did Constantius bring some of my family to this city?"

"I do not know for sure but that is what I was told."

"Fair enough. Now tell me what you know about their capture."

"It was my time to leave and try to find you so I was not able to hear much. Those that took your people suffered a lot of casualties. Constantius demanded that those he sought be brought here undamaged."

"How did you find KhAvar and MehrAk?"

"I do not know. We worked as a large group and the information became clearer as we sought them out. It took days to narrow the area down and then Constantius just sent some of his special men after them. I do not know about any deaths or how they were captured."

"How is it that you can track me?"

"We have gone to your sermons and were able to get close enough to make a kind of contact with you. I do not understand this and nobody really does. It is just something we can do."

"Show me how it is done."

"I cannot. I just get close and try to fit myself into your body. That is how I can cause pain. Somehow or other I get to feel your presence when we are close."

"How close for you and then for the others?"

"If the night is quiet I can find you in a third of a mile. Others can do it up to a mile."

"Is there some way of hiding so that you or the others cannot detect me?"

"I do not know. Whatever you have is very strong and we can see you from far away. If I searched for somebody else I would have to be, at best, ten paces away."

I did not necessarily believe the man but I did not necessarily disbelieve him either. There were many questions I wanted to ask but I did not have time and with another mage dead and one captured or dead they would be looking for me much harder.

"I cannot stay here much longer. There are a lot of questions I have to ask. Before I let you come after me again I would kill you..."

"I will leave the city and never come back. I will not hurt you."

"I am going to leave you the way you are now. I will come back later and we can talk more. If they find you I suggest that you say that I burnt you out and you cannot find me any more. If I catch you chasing me again I will let the pain you felt before stay with you until you die of it."