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The troop that was making its way back into the Roman camp was all cheers and grinning faces, the general especially. Their trip out had been to new land, exotic land, against enemies they had never fought before. It had been invigorating, a refreshing change from the barbarians that they usually fought. The legion that had gone out was not as large coming back, meaning not only had they fought a new brand of warriors, they had been tough. As consolation however, new territory and new heathens to fight also meant interesting new spoils of war. The general made sure to stay close to his.
It was a beautifully decorated carriage. A sturdy wooden frame with colorful accents around the corners and above the wheel wells. The windows were stained glass, looking as those they had been broken and fired back into one piece to create an intricate style of glossy art. The wood of the carriage itself was carved and shaped delicately, inlays of lions and dragons etched into the side panels. The top of it was shaped like an A-frame roof, the tiles made of red clay and accentuating the dark wood gorgeously. Even the two horses that pulled the carriage were not of Roman or European ancestry. They were muscular with longer legs, taller than the average Roman warhorse, but their coats were pristine and silky. They were downright beautiful horses, especially so considering their hitches were decorated in gold and red, giving the horses their own sense of royalty. Everything about the carriage and its pullers spoke of the Orient. The general had gone far to bring back such a prize.
Another general was standing by with his trusted second, Typhus, as he greeted the returning general. "My my Octavius, you certainly didn't fail to bring back a souvenir!" he said with a curious glance to the carriage as it came to a stop nearby. Octavius laughed, loud and triumphant with his head thrown back. "Yes! And you won't believe what it is!" The man hopped off his horse and handed the reigns to a stable boy, coming up to the other general, Marcus, and shaking hands, nodding to Typhus.
"My brother, we fought hard and our enemy was skilled, but in the end we triumph, and we claim another territory for Rome."
"Wonderful. But about this... well, gaudy looking thing.." Marcus motioned vaguely to the carriage as the driver got off and left in a rather nervous hurry. Octavius slapped Marcus's shoulder with a wide grin, turning to look at the carriage in question. "It is not just a lovely carriage and fancy new horses I bring back to us, it is what's inside the carriage that I was intrigued about."
He motioned for Marcus and Typhus to step closer with him, Octavius moving to the cart and tapping a knuckle on the glass. The cart shifted a bit, meaning there was something inside. A dark shaped moved passed the colorful window before disappearing. Marcus raised a brow, reaching out for the door. "Enough of the dramatics, let me see--" Octavius slapped the hand away, moving to stand in front of the door. "I must insist you don't open it!" Marcus rubbed his hand with a growl, glaring at Octavius. "Well then get to it man! By Jupiter what is it?" He knew his brother was one for dragging things out, but this was just annoying.
"What lays inside here, dear brother, is something I took from the general after our attempted peace talks did not work. We were drinking together and I noticed this carriage sitting beside his tent. I inquired after it as the drinks flowed and he said it was a demon." Octavius paused for dramatic effect while Marcus just raised a skeptical brow.
"A what?"
"A demon! A temptress! An incubus, succubus, whatever they're called! In their country, their word for demon is Oni, and their general was very proud of himself for having caught and contained one. He said their shaman created a magical band that contained the worst of the creature's powers." Octavius drew his finger against his own neck. "It's a black strip of leather around the creature's neck, said to be enchanted. The general told me about his first encounter with the creature, how a mere look from it could turn his men onto their backs and have them writhing in ecstasy. No one could get near it, and when it chose to get near someone on its own, no one could stop it! Men lowered their swords, went slack-jawed. They managed to wound it with a sleeping arrow, and that's when the shaman put the collar on it. And then, the general kept it, like a prized pet."
Marcus, at this point, was already looking bored, but the word ecstasy caused his head to tilt. He hadn't been expecting that word. "Ecstasy? This creature causes bliss?"
"Just being around it! Or so the general claimed. It brought men to their knees. He said the demon's body, which -- oh, I forgot to mention. It looks human, for the most part. I haven't gazed upon it myself, but the general said the creature's body is perfect. His skin is silk, sun-kissed. His hair woven from the blackness of night and his eyes are piercing and golden! They even said the wound from the sleep arrow magically healed over without a trace. Anyone who lays eye on it is destined to crave it. Men, women, the creature lures either with naught an ounce of violence or threat and --"
Marcus held up his hand, hoping to stop his brother of this ridiculous story. Octavius pouted, clenching his fists. "Don't you want to hear the rest?"
"I have heard enough. Clearly your brain is still heated from battle. Go have yourself a bath and a nap. We shall wheel the cart near the supply train and you can finish your outlandish story later. Whatever is in this damn cart is of no use to me! It will be kept with your other spoils." Marcus turned to Typhus, motioning to the carriage. "Lead the horses to the carriage corral and leave it there. Post a guard to make sure no one bothers it."
Typhus, having been standing there and listening to the whole exchange, wasn't sure where he stood. Clearly there was some sort of being inside the carriage, but whether said being was some sort of mystical demon who caused pleasure to whoever it met, well, his skepticism was still present. "Yes general."
The soldier watched as the two generals walked away, Octavius grumbling the whole time and Marcus shaking his head at his brother. Typhus chuckled, taking one of the reigns of the horses and tugging it forward, leading them and the carriage off to the corral. As he walked across camp to the supply train carriages, his mind kept drifting back to the bits and pieces that Octavius had spoken. "A beautiful demon that causes ecstasy," he muttered, laughing at the thought. Such lovely creatures, if it was one, did not appear to filthy enemy heathens. Although... such talk of mythical things from the Orient weren't uncommon. The Orient itself was still massively uncharted territory. Who truly knew what sort of things lay out there. If his own people spoke of nymphs and lion headed creatures, who were they to suggest that the Orient didn't have its own brand of alluring beasts?
Before Typhus realized it, he was standing among the other carriages, having completed the task asked of him. He lowered his hand from the reigns after giving the horse's neck a pat, turning to look at the carriage suspiciously. Octavius hadn't even looked upon it? Then what was to say there wasn't some peasant boy or whorish woman just moving about in there? Octavius could have been tricked, spurred to take the decorative carriage because of his own eye for lavish and exotic things.
Typhus moved to stand before the door, lifting his hand slowly and resting it on the handle. Could something so tempestuous truly lay behind this door? Typhus had yet to be sent on a war path to the Orient. He didn't even know what Orientals looked like. An incubus with the body of a beautiful man... The soldier scoffed at himself, dropping his hand and starting to walk away. By the gods he was being so foolish! Curiosity was for children.
That thought remained in his head even as he whipped around and stomped back up to the carriage, growling under his breath and yanking open the door.
The rush of air from the open door brought the scents that lingered inside the carriage to flow out over him, Typhus's nostrils flaring as he subconsciously took in a deep breath. It smelled of musk, of the promise of soft warm skin and bed sheets. It was the heady scent of so many nights spent in passion, a warm dark echo of decadent moans released into the night air. It smelled of exotic spices and oils, pillow perfumes intended to make one's head spin. Typhus felt his skin rise with goosebumps, staring into the dim carriage. The inside was completely padded with pillows and blankets, all vibrant colors and plush material. But that smell. By the gods it made his body ache! His foot came up, resting on the first step of the carriage as he leaned his head in just slightly, eyes drawn to one corner. He gasped softly at the sight that met him, golden eyes staring back at him.
It was... a man? No. Truly Octavius was right. Only a temptress demon could appear so flawless and pristine. The man leaning back into the corner of the carriage was a vision. He was nude, lithe but muscular, the kind of body that made a man think of a panther. His face was sharp and his eyes slightly slanted, full lips, and long, straight black hair that went down passed his shoulders. The only thing seemingly out of place on this... man, was the black collar of leather around his neck. Their eyes met and Typhus felt his body pulse, felt a warmth settle into his very bones. He inhaled, feeling short of breath. When had that happened?
The creature shifted --
Typhus slammed the carriage door shut, leaning his back against it. He noticed he was panting. His body was flushed and his head felt muggy. He pushed himself away from the carriage, stumbling a bit and turning around to look at it from a distance. Could Octavius's ramblings be true? He wiped his face of the bit of sweat that had gathered on his brow, rubbing his arms to expel the goosebumps as he turned and hastily walked away, barely managing to tell a guard to watch the carriage. He needed to be alone. His mind was engulfed in heat and he needed to collect himself before returning to the general.
What in Jupiter's name was in that carriage?