�I was beginning to think you weren�t coming,� I said smiling.
He picked me up and walked to the window. We rose off the floor and took off into the night sky. Trees whirled by and the ground below was a blur. After ten minutes we approached a castle and flew into the window. He laid me down on the bed and then laid down next to me.
�They can�t keep me from you,� he whispered.
I brushed my hair from my neck and looked him in the eye.
�Take me.�
�Never before have I met anyone as impatient as you. You must wait.�
�Why?�
�Because you must be sure this is what you want. Absolutely sure.�
�Were you absolutely sure?�
He looked down at the ground.
�It wasn�t the same with me. I am because of an accident.� I raised my eyebrow. �I suppose now is a good a time as any to tell you who I am.�
Chapter V
The Story of Aeneas
In the ancient days when gods ruled and humans served, all was well. There was no true evil; only that of the war of men and the wrath of gods. In Greece these gods ruled most heavily. All the deeds of men were attributed to these gods.
One of these gods was the beautiful Aphrodite. Only once in her immortal life did she bed with a human, and their offspring would grow to do great and treacherous things. He would serve in Troy, the city which he would flee to save his and his family�s life. Considered a traitor by his people he was let go by the Akhaians. He went on to found what would one day become Rome. The son of Anchises and Aphrodite, Aeneas would be feared and revered by mortals.
The great hall of the former King Turnus buzzed with excitement after the marriage of Aeneas and the princess Lavinia. The feast had begun and all were happily eating the fresh meat. Aeneas happily surveyed the hall which was now rightfully his. Sure, he had to kill the king to get where he was, but that was quite all right. He turned to his right and took in the sight of his beautiful new queen. She turned and looked at him and returned his smile. This night would be the best Aeneas had seen in a long time. The dancers danced around the room to the music of the singers standing in the middle of the crowd. Nothing was better than a wedding feast.
After all had settled and the crowd dispersed, Aeneas and Lavinia left for their wedding bed. She was nearly giddy and could hardly keep the slow pace of walking. He took her hand and slowed her down. The anticipation was best for them both.
The bed was centered in the middle in the room. From the bedposts flowed white linens made from the finest fabric in Latium. This same fabric covered the bed and made for the perfect setting for their wedding night. Her maids scattered about the room getting everything in place. Most candles were blown out and perfumes were sprayed. Aeneas gave them the signal to leave and they did as told. He led his new wife to the bed and pushed away the fine linens. They descended into bed and made love the entire night.
The next day gave way to business that only the king could know. What to do with the prisoners, the livestock, the slaves and so forth. Whenever Lavinia would pass he would smile with a love that he had not known since Dido. He thought that perhaps this was greater, although his heart didn�t want to admit it.
The most important business to attend to was of what to do with Turnus� allies. For the moment he did nothing, waiting to see what they would do. And for a while they did nothing, leaving him time to secure his place on the throne.
Lavinia bore Aeneas a son, Silvius, and his throne was now secure. Then Turnus� allies began to rally in opposition to Aeneas. He knew he had to leave his family and fight the ensuing rebellion. One in particular must be stopped: the army of Mezentius.
He left with his army on horseback to try and put down the army of Mezentius without their knowledge. It began as nothing more than a simple campaign, but grew to much more. They knew he was coming for them, and were more than prepared. During the battle there grew a meeting on Mount Olympus.
�O Zeus, King of us all, please grant my wish. My son lies with mortals when he deserves much more. He is the son of a goddess and should be treated as such. Please Lord, make my son immortal,� Aphrodite begged Zeus.
He thought her plea through and agreed. Her heart gladdened at the thought of finally being with her son. She took the form of a warrior and went down to the battle. To her horror she met her son near death. She took him in her arms and whisked him away to a far away river. She assumed her own form and her son, with his last moment, glanced at the goddess and knew it was his mother. He smiled and slipped away. Panic coursing through her body, she quickly anointed him with nectar and ambrosia in hopes that he was not yet dead.
In those few moments Hermes came to take him to the Underworld. Seeing his mother obviously panicking, he knew that there was nothing left he could do, and he went with Hermes. Darkness soon engulfed him and they were flying to the land below. Shades passed him, forms he knew well; Dido, his father Anchises, Achilles, and even the ill fated mother and wife of Oedipus, Iocasta. Just as he came to the gate a jolt went through him and he flew upwards. His eyes shot open and he was again in the arms of his mother. The sun beamed down upon him and he screamed out in pain. Smoke rose from his skin and he began shaking. Aphrodite again became panicked and immediately brought him to Mount Olympus.
�O Zeus, mighty lord of the gods, my son, there is something wrong with my son!�
�Did you anoint him in the river?�
�Yes!�
Hermes appeared before them and surveyed Aeneas.
�What has taken place?
Moments before I saw his face.
In the underworld I took him,
Where the light is ever dim.
There before my eyes he went,
Away from where I sent.�
�I anointed him, Hermes. He is supposed to be immortal.�
�Impossible. He can�t have died and become immortal. Hades!� Zeus called.
In a flash of fire Hades appeared before the crowd and the still screaming Aeneas.
�O Father Zeus, please summon the clouds! The light hurts him so!� Aphrodite cried.
Zeus did as requested and Aeneas visibly calmed.
�What is going on? He should be in the underworld. Why is he not?� Hades asked looking upon Aeneas.
�That�s why I have summoned you. While Hermes took him into the underworld, Aphrodite performed an anointment to make him immortal.�
�And he came back? How is that possible?�
�We don�t know. That�s why you�re here,� Zeus said.
�I obviously do not know how this is possible. Perhaps he is dead and alive.�
�At the same time? How can that be?� Aphrodite asked taking her son in her arms in an effort to soothe him.
�Well there doesn�t appear to be any other explanation. Do you all have any?� Hades asked looking at them all. The answered him with blank stares. �That�s what I thought. Now, I have a job to do, so if you�ll excuse me.�
With another burst of flame he disappeared.
Zeus rubbed his temples in frustration.
�Aeneas, can you speak?� he asked.
�Yes sir,� he moaned.
�So much pain,� Aphrodite whispered rocking her son.
�Until we can discover an explanation for this enigma you may stay here, Aeneas,� Zeus said standing up and walking away.
�Come my son, I will make you at home,� Aphrodite said helping her son stand.
They walked away with Aeneas crying more cries of pain from his singed skin.
Night fell over the earth and Aeneas was finally able to emerge from his mother�s home. He walked through Mount Olympus, the place which he had but dreamed of his whole life. Then he came to the place of Zeus. The gods had gathered and were discussing Aeneas� current state. He hid behind a pillar and listened to all that was said.
�The sun seemed to burn his skin. Why does this occur?� Athena asked.
�That�s simple. He had been taken into the place where there is no light. He was never supposed to see it again, and now it causes him physical pain,� Poseidon said. �Am I right Hades?�
�Yes.�
�So my son will never see the light of day again?�
�That would be the least of his worries,� Zeus said.
�What else must trouble his mind?�
�His immortality.�
�His what?� Hades asked raising himself in his seat.
�His immortality. He was anointed and nothing can change the power of a god. I�m not sure how it�s possible that both dying and living can coexist, but it does now. Your son, Aphrodite, shall become a mortal god.�
Aeneas backed up and ran from the hall of Zeus. He ran until he had left Mount Olympus and was once again among the living. He tried desperately to catch his breath, but found that he was far too upset to do so. A servant woman approached him and put her hand on his shoulder.
�Sir, may I help you?�
His temper rose in him and he lashed out at her. With a simple flick of his wrist her neck was wrung and life had escaped her. Blood trickled out of her mouth and he found that he had an incredible urge to taste it. He leaned close to her and kissed her roughly, letting the blood pour into his mouth. A power unlike he had ever felt before coursed through him like a river. A stinging burst forth in this lower lip and he jumped back. He felt over his mouth with his finger and found that his teeth had changed into fangs. He pulled his mouth away in horror.
�What�s happening to me?� he whispered.
Zeus sat up straight in a panic.
�He�s fed off the blood of a mortal,� he said in shock.
�He what?� Aphrodite screamed, jumping up.
�Well that�s it then. The dead aren�t supposed to do that. Now he�s a monster. An immortal, dead monster,� Hades said. �My work is done here. Please don�t call me back here unless it�s absolutely necessary.�
He burst in to flame and was gone.
Aphrodite was now pacing back and forth, mumbling incoherencies.
�Aphrodite, if you want to help your son you will have to calm down. Now, I can go down and knock some sense into him. You know, give him a knock on the head; a whack to normal. Do you think it could work?� Athena asked.
�No. There�s nothing we can do but try and console him,� Zeus said.
�Console him. Console him!� Aphrodite called as she disappeared to go to Earth.
Aeneas ran through the trees of the forest with increasing speed. All he could think of now was running away. In a flash of light his mother appeared before his eyes. He stopped and looked at her pleadingly.
�What has happened to me?� he screamed gesturing to his mouth. �What have you done?!�
�I have not done a thing. You fed on the blood of the living. When the dead do this� they become monsters. Not a day will go by without the burning necessity for blood.�
�What do you mean �the dead?� How can I be dead?�
�I�m afraid neither I nor the other gods have an answer to that question. What we do know is that you will live forever, yet be dead.�
�How can that be?�
She put her hand on his chest and felt for the beat of his heart. She felt none. Her head lowered and her heart sank.
�For the rest of your life the sun will burn you, kill you if you let it. The blood of mortals will be the only thing you yearn for. You will� live and be dead for the rest of eternity.�
With the news he sat down upon the ground. His head was spinning. How could any of this be possible?
�I am so sorry. I will do everything in my power to help you. Everything.�