mereo stood.
germanicus climbed one of the winding, rough-hewn paths to the top of the canyon. he faced toward mereo and let his voice lift.
today the sunspire inherits the strength of rome.
today we stand as guardians of this land.
the eagle hoped the pharaoh was able to hear.
the imperator's voice poured over the canyon.
tamar looked up. she still did not know how to think of the man.
but here she had been given freedom.
and so her own voice lifted, defiant, pure, winding around the notes of anyone else who called out.
i no longer belong to you.
It was strange how fast things could change for her. One chance meeting and she had found herself a home, and in many ways, a second chance and a way to redeem herself. She didn’t think that her mother thought that she had failed… but it lingered in her mind.
She heard the call. She was still learning names and faces and voices but she knew that was the Imperator’s voice. She raised her maw to the sky, responding in kind, eager to start this new chapter of her life.
Today I start anew. It seemed fitting, and she truly hadn’t expected her life to take such a drastic turn, but she was excited to see where this led her.
Their numbers had increased yet their patrols remained strongly regimented.
There were women among them, yet Glaukos had been told do not stray.
As everyone called forth the strength of Mereo, this particular guardian of the canyon was reluctant to join in; when he let his voice climb, it was not in celebration — it was one expletive or another, drowned out by the din of voices.
The founding call was made, and the Imperator’s voice filled the canyon.
Arsenio could hear her, could hear Tamar join in their newfound freedom. Her cries filled him to the brim and swelled his heart. The Greek man threw his head back and called out. It was a voice filled with victory, with love for his wife, with pride in having released her from her servitude.
They had a home. She was safe. The redstone man was at peace, knowing that she would not come to harm as long as he was at her side. So, he sang with the rest and reveled in their good fortune.