Chapter 15 My Volcano!

As I flew I was deep in thought. I was not really paying attention to where I was going. The wind in my face, the feel of the air all around me, I honestly lost track of where and what I was doing. I had no set destination. So when I did stop, I had absolutely no idea how I had gotten to where I was. I had come up on a volcano. It was a highly active volcano. But it was so warm! I must have flown around the volcano a dozen times before I landed.

I had found a cave on the side of the volcano. The cave when you went inside was roughly the size of a modern house. It had little avenues that came off of the main complex. All in all though it was actually laid out kind of like a house.

There was even a section of the main cavern that had a ledge with a decent hole in it. If you sat on the hole and did your business, there was a boiling lake of lava down below that cleaned it up. When I got to the very back of the cave I found a boiling waterfall. It had a decent stream coming down. As the water fell it ended in a small pool where it cooled. I was able to drink from the cooled water at the bottom. This cave system was so amazing!

I decided I would make this cave system my new home. But for it to be a safe home I knew I would have to burn out all the insects and vermin. I did not want to ruin my new dress while I was working. So, I stripped down naked. I put my dress in the small pool. I walked into the center of the cave and spread my fiery wings.

I felt the cave system with my flames. I wanted to know ever nook and cranny my new home had to offer. I burned so hot that I burned up the small cool pool of water that had accrued. I burned off roots, insects, and unwanted pests. Like scorpions, spiders, and biting insects. When I was finished the walls looked like polished black and white marble. I had melted some of the rock as well which sealed 90% of the cracks and openings. I had not burned the floor as hot as the walls. But I still ended up with some decent glass material.

I used it and melted it over the left over entrances. The only opening I had remaining was the entrance of the cave. Then it occurred to me that I did not have fresh air avenues. So again, I went to the back of my now polished granite cave. I found where the water was coming in at. Then I made the opening bigger.

The shaft opened up into an air shaft for the volcano. It was not a magma chamber at least. But I would be willing to bet the magma chamber would be directly on the other side of that shaft. The steam rising out of the shaft caused a vacuum. It sucked all the hot and stale air out. It was better than an air conditioning unit.

It brought the temperature in my cave system down from between 150 to 200 degrees to a comfortable 65 to 70. Then I went out and used some of the naturally occurring granite around the cave, to extend the over hang. If the volcano was to erupt. My overhang was thick and extended way out about 20ft from the mouth of my cave. No magma would be able to enter.

I knew I would have to put some kind of door up. But I wanted to wait until the cave had completely set. The next big thing would be to bring in either crushed granite for the flooring or sand. I was seriously considering sand. Glass might make a more fetching floor than granite. But I was having a hard time making up my mind.

I made myself a couple of chairs and a small table out of the granite. That way I at least had a place to sit down. I kept it close to the entrance to my cave system. I had just sat down when I began to hear music. My cave system was completely enclosed now, except for the main entrance. The music echoed through my cave.

I had not noticed it before. Though I will admit I was quite occupied with making my cave into a home. I quickly went to my little pool. I had forgotten I had made the pool bigger. It was big enough for me to bathe in now. I was just so busy with everything else.

I had to giggle at myself. I had no idea how long I had been working on my home. But it must have been weeks. In that time, I had not bathed or rested very much at all. I took my dress out of the water. Right now it was smelling rain fresh clean. I laid it and my hanky out to dray on my granite table. Then I slowly climbed into my make shift bath.

It was cool and smelled fresh. I went ahead and heated my water up though. I needed a decent bath. It had just been to long. I used sand at the moment to help get all the grit and grime off of me. Once I was clean, I laid back and enjoyed the steaming water. I was so relaxed!

That is I was relaxed until I felt a rope tied around my wrists and ankles. It happened in an instance! When I opened my eyes, there were a pair of early Etruscans. (Etruscan was what the romans where before Rome was developed) I screamed, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING! LET ME GO….." They knocked me out.

They carried me naked down the volcano and into town. I looked like a pig for them to roast. They had slid a long wooden bar between my arms and legs and used it to carry me. Luckily I was knocked out for the whole walk of shame. They took me straight to the man in charge.

The man in charge was a young man in his twenties. He had a dark blond shade of hair. He was very well trimmed with a beard and mustache blended together. He was taller than me I knew but I could not give a good height comparison. He was wearing a red and gold toga, and sandals.

His name was Romulus, and I was laid at his feet like some kind of offering. I began to stir as the two men untied me. The two men backed up slowly. I sat up slowly rubbing my wrists and my ankles. The two men escaped before I had a chance to find them in the room. I reached up and my beautiful red hair was stained with blood. They must have knocked me out. That would also be why I literally have a splitting headache.

That is when I noticed Romulus. He had gotten up out of a make shift throne. There were two identical ones. The other one was empty. He pulled a table cloth off of a table as he approached me. He knelt down as he put the cloth around my shoulders. He was grinning the entire time.

I had a chance to look around a little now. The room was filled with people. I accepted his offering. I did not like being so exposed in a room in front of all these people. I felt more than anything the horrible stares I was getting. He helped me to my feet and I was escorted out of the hall. He did not come. He stayed behind.

I was taken to a beautiful little house. It only had essentials but I thought it was perfect. The woman that brought me brought me a dress to put on and helped me to put it on. Once I was dressed she left.

There was still a bowl of water on the table. I used it to quickly wash my hair and clean my wound. It would not take long to heal I know. But it still bothered me it even happened. I think those two men were farmers. Anyway, the bleeding had stopped. I used the brush the lady had left behind and brushed out all the knots very delicately.

I just noticed something! During this whole thing I either could not hear anyone talking or nobody had said a word to me. Those idiots had better not have messed up my hearing! There was one sure fire way to heal myself quickly. I opened the front door to leave but there were men standing there. The lady who had been helping me pulled me back in and shut the door.

WHAT IS THIS! I was starting to get very upset. Because of it, my hair caught fire all on its own. It scared the other woman. She ran out of the little house screaming. I quickly put out my hair before my guards could look in and see what was happening. The woman was older. I hoped they would chock it up to old age.

My hair had been on fire just long enough to heal my head. I splashed the water and found I could hear again. So at least I had that taken care of. BLAM!!!! The door flew open and there stood that Romulus person. He came in and walked around me, looking me up and down. I rolled my eyes at him. I did not have time to be evaluated.

He smiled, "I trust you are feeling better?" Okay, he was asking after me. That was a good sign. I kept eye contact with him. "Yes, I am feeling more decent now." Romulus had a surprised look on his face. But he was pleasantly surprised. "She does speak! What ever those farmers did to you must have been traumatic."

I did not know where this was going and I did not like it. "Please, I need to get back to my home. I still have much work to do." As I turned to walk out the door, the door was slammed shut. I turned back to Romulus. He poured two cups of wine and sat down. "Drink my dear. I think I must explain to you your situation. You see you are the farmers payment to me. I thought you were the daughter of one of them. But they would not risk their own families. One of the men said you are a sprit. But I do not believe in those. As of right now you belong to me. If I decide to keep you, I will not destroy their farms. If I throw you back, I will kill the farmers. I am afraid you have been used as their payment." He breathed in and out with a sigh. "You wont understand this, but my brother and I are building a nation. Women I know do not understand these things though."

I picked up the cup and downed the sweet red liquid. To his astonishment! I then poured myself another cup. "I understand you would keep me against my will. What would I be to you? Mistress, wife, maid? I am not interested. I do not need your permission to leave. But I will not have you hurt those two farmers. They are my toys. It was not you who was kidnapped, and knocked out to be brought here."

Romulus smiled, "You are just what this great nation needs! Women with fighting spirits." I downed my drink and slammed down the cup. "I do not have a fighting spirit. I am the fighting spirit. I am a Phoenix." Romulus laughed out loudly! "If only you could prove such a thing. I think the wine is doing the talking for you. If you wish to drink with me, learn to hold your liquor."

Okay I took that to heart. I could not even feel the wine yet. I let my whole body burst into one singular flame. Romulus fell down backwards over his chair spilling the wine all over himself. I calmed myself down. The fire had changed my dress into a red female toga. It came all the way down to my feet and was outlined in gold. I did not do it on purpose. But I loved the dress. So I shrugged it off.

I walked over to the chair and peered over. Romulus was doing his best at standing back up. I smiled trying not to laugh. "What do I need to prove. I am who I say I am, or that you no not who you are talking to?" Romulus stood up. He was grinning from ear to ear. "Woman, I except you! You will be my wife!"