Prelude, part I
A shadow within a shadow sneaked trough the near-empty streets of the City. Roma. The one.
The shadow knocked on a door in a darkened alley.
"Ophelia is busy" someone with a femine voice behind the door said.
"Fire is the question to the answer." The shadow uttered.
"Come in."
The shadow entered, and shedded his darkened outer clothes, and a man emerged, a man with a scruffy look, a man who wouldn't hesitate to sell his own mother to get a solidi. In the lights of indoor, a women is seen. Black hair, and a skin, like that of the people of Persia. Endowed with a generous nubile body. A lady of the night, yet, her eyes were not those of a lady of the night, but sooner an assassin, a lady of knives, a lady cunning of subterfuge, and alight with fire.
"It is chilly out there, maybe I could get some warmth here?"
"No. Not tonight. There are bigger things that must be handled."
"Afterwards?"
"If you pay."
"Good good. Let us get over with."
"Yes, and good riddance of him. No longer will he stand in our way. Soon we will take power."
"Are you sure that the man east of Persia is reliable?
"Of course, his father served my father."
The lady hands over a non-descript bag, with something inside, it jingles when it changes hands.
"Take this and wait in the alleys west of the Senate. Afterwards, make sure that he get his bonus." A smile danced on the face of the lady, a smile devoid of all warmth, and full of malice and evil.
"Of course my Master. I am to serve you."
"Good Servius, now go. You can get your "warmth" later. A change is in the air now. I can feel it. Grasp it. Go, now!"