in memorium: a celebration in nova roma.

[x-volcanic.livejournal.com]

Backdated because I can't read a calendar properly, the Nova Romans gather to remember their dead and celebrate their freedom.

The citizens of Nova Roma had been preparing for this celebration for days now, with the activity reaching it's peak that day. Animals had been slaughtered and was slowly roasting on spits, with all kinds of other foods being prepared. As much as Amara had gazed longingly at the preparations, she had instead taken charge of her guests, talking to them a little bit about what they could expect from the celebration and the etiquette involved. It essentially boiled down to 'just listen and watch, and you're welcome to join in the dancing once it starts.'

Amara had left them an hour or so before the celebration started, excusing herself to go and get ready, and giving them a chance to do the same. The ceremony was set to start at sunset, and the group from New York was lead down to the area by a couple of Amara's friends who they'd met earlier in the trip. Dressed in Roman-style stolas and sandals, they said little as they walked.

The area they led to was a very large clearing near the ruins of the old temple. Nova Romans milled around in the finest, some of it echoing Ancient Roman fashion, while others in dress similar to the traditional dress of the local natives. In the centre of the clearing was the set-up for a large bonfire, though the wood had yet to be lit. Amara's father stepped out into the middle of the area, and the crowd fell silent when he raised his hands.

Before he spoke, Amara stepped out of the crowd, dressed in a white stola with her hair free and curling around her face. Once she reached the bonfire she lifted her hands, wreathing them in flames before dropping them to light the fire. Most of the crowd gasped, unused to such a spectacle. She withdrew her hands from the fire, stepping back to join the visitors with a small smile on her face.

Amara's father began to speak in the pidgin language spoken by the Nova Romans, Portuguese, English and the local native language combined to create a language only barely understood by outsiders. Amara translated for them, murmuring just loud enough for them to hear in English.

"Tonight we gather here to remember those we have lost, those whose lives were stolen from us by the Dark Goddess. We have lost mothers, wives, daughters and sisters, sacrificed to She Who Walked the Night. We also celebrate our liberation from the Evil One, and rejoice in the safety of the women of Nova Roma." By the time he finished speaking, Amara was stumbling over her words, her eyes shining with tears.

Once Amara's father stopped speaking, young men and women from the crowd came forward, lighting torches as drums began to beat. They, and others, began to move with the beat, some of the elders of the community beginning to sing. Amara remained silent, her eyes still shining and a smile on her face. This wasn't what she expected from the celebration when she'd heard about it, and she couldn't help but be overwhelmed.

Amanda had been uncharacteristically quiet since their arrival, spending most of her time in the ruins of the old temple where Selene's cult had been defeated years before. If anyone asked, she'd tell them she was "checking" things, making sure there was no remaining trace of the witch's magic. She'd have been there tonight, even, except she'd promised Amara to be there for the celebration, and so there she was, tugging at the stola awkwardly. At the mention of Selene, her fists had clenched, eyes turning stony as she remembered her own dealings with the woman, how perilously close she'd come to losing everything because of her.

Marie stood slightly behind Amanda, her eyes glistening. Her thoughts were still on those she'd lost not long ago. Running to Nova Roma hadn't distanced her from the pain, it had only brought into sharper focus the fact that she'd lost people she cared deeply about and no amount of running would change that. A part of her also wondered if she'd ever truly learn to stop running, since she couldn't seem to stop. Noticing her friend's clenched fists, Marie reached forward to place a gloved hand on Amanda's shoulder and squeezed gently.

Crystal stood nearby, unmoving and silent, watching and listening intently. She found it fascinating to visit different countries and cities, to see different cultures and the ways people lived. As she had discovered during her time touring with Laurie, it was always wonderful to arrive at a time that was special to the people who lived there, to be able to experience something that might be a regular yearly occurrence to the people who lived there, yet something unique to people who were visiting. These people of Nova Roma were celebrating freedom tonight, freedom that had come at a high cost.

Somewhat apart from the women, Marius watched the ceremony with a kind of strange disconnect that had nothing to do with the culture. Though he had a basic idea of some of the history behind the celebration, it was all intellectual. The same was not true for the citizens of Nova Roma, and the naked emotion in Amara's voice as she translated made him feel almost a voyeur. This was a night of shared experience, both of loss and triumph, and one he could witness only as an outsider. Standing in uncharacteristic silence, the Australian fixed his eyes on the dancers, shadows moving across the bonfire.

Cammie had no idea what was going on. She was in her own little corner and went between watching the people, all the people, and paying attention to the landscape that went beyond the town. She honestly had no idea why Amara had thought it was such a good idea to bring her. She supposed she had at least one dead snake to show off for the experience. That was amusing if nothing else. But everything here just managed to remind her how disconnected she was from other people.

But watching everyone wasn’t unpleasant by any stretch of the imagination. It was sort of a hobby of hers. If people started getting wasted it’d be even more amusing, she thought with a smirk.

Standing near all the others, but removed enough to allow him some room for contemplation, Lex didn't really see the celebration before him. He was staring at the beautiful landscape and wondering if it wouldn't be easier, and so much simpler, to stay there. It had been something he'd felt upon arriving in Nova Roma, a sense of calm, of slowed living that seemed to free him from his inner turmoil. Even so, he knew it wouldn't last. He had committed to joining the team and he would see it through, this diversion was just what he needed to get his mind back on track.

Jubilee had had an interesting time putting on the stola and she figured it had to be one of the more interesting fashions she'd worn in her life. She stood amongst the group, gaze focused on Amanda for a moment when the speech was read out, and then scanning the crowd afterward. Despite the feeling of both hope and determination that seemed to fill the crowd, coupled it would seem with sad memories of the past, there was a distance to it all, something that just didn't touch her. A monster had fallen, it was true, but she had been only one of many.

While Amara had always intellectually known that her home had changed since she had left, it had never truly occurred to her what the events of that day three years ago had meant to her people. Yes, they'd lost people, and they would always mourn them, but they also stopped losing people. The sacrifices had come to an end, the power of the dark cult had been broken, and Nova Roma was free to develop and exist how they pleased.

Amara turned to those who had joined her on the trip, a somewhat proud smile on her face despite the tears glistening in her eyes. "Thank you all, for being here. You are welcome to join in the dance, or simply to watch, as you like. The feast will be served soon, and my father would love it if you all would join him for the meal." The food and drink would flow late into the night, with the drums and the dancing likely to last just as long. Tonight was a night for both joy and sorrow, and the guests were welcome to share with the locals.