Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:42:37 +0200 From: A.K. Subject: The Iron Crown 10/12 (fantasy) ---------------------------- THE IRON CROWN by Andrej Koymasky (C) 2009 written on on May 28, 2002 translated by the author English text kindly revised by Randhir ----------------------------- USUAL DISCLAIMER "THE IRON CROWN" is a gay story, with some parts containing graphic scenes of sex between males. So, if in your land, religion, family, opinion and so on this is not good for you, it will be better not to read this story. But if you really want, or because YOU don't care, or because you think you really want to read it, please be my welcomed guest. ----------------------------- Chapter 10 - THE MYSTERIOUS CAVE No, the seed magic didn't work any more. Anyway the three passed a night full of fire, taking each other in all the possible combinations. Just before dawn Octavius had to say goodbye and dress again. But he asked them if they would have again such a meeting... "We two are lovers, even though at times we like having a threesome... Don't you have a lover?" Altma asked him. "Not a real lover, just a good friend with whom at times we fuck. We also at times like a threesome... or a foursome... a plebeian boy or a young servant... or else we go together to the boys brothel..." "There is also a boys brothel?" "Yes, even though a very secret one... only trusted people of the Roman aristocracy are admitted." "There are handsome boys?" "All the catamites are very beautiful. Moreover there are boys of all races and colours and they are skilled..." "We would like to possibly visit it..." "It would not be easy, but... I will see with my friend." Octavius promised and took leave. "Now that we are alone, Bughail, let's make love..." Altma said, caressing him, "This was just sex, good sex, but... Oh, by the way, you drank from him... so?" "Nothing. I think that the enchantment came an end." "Well, we don't really need it any more, now. Do you love me, Bughail?" "Of course I love you. And you?" "Do you want me to show you?" "Yes, please." They made love with tender passion, calm, gentleness and vigour, until the room was flooded with the sunrays. The night spent without closing eye was not heavy for them, who on the contrary were feeling full of energy. When the servants went to tidy their rooms, after giving them their breakfast, were surprised, but not even too much, finding six untouched beds and six rather in a right mess. The twelve friends, after they confabulated and came to know that the power of their seed came to an end, decided it was time to start their quest. Alfeo and Jens decided to go and talk to the scribes of the Great Priest. It seemed that none of them were able to give them any clues, but at a certain point an old scribe of Greek origins, using his language, said to the former novice, "It is said that the dreams have not to be believed, and yet at times... Do you know the mystery of the numbers?" "A little, Father..." "You are twelve, right? Do you know what is hidden in the number twelve?" "Well... the twelve months, the twelve Apostles, the twelve hours of the day..." "Yes, yes, yes... Before coming to know about your quest, I had a dream... I dreamt that upon a time at dawn, there were twelve hands, six lefts and six rights, and each couple of hands were holding a fragment of goat hide, a total of six fragments. I then dreamt a second dawn and there were twelve small bells, tied in groups of three by four rings, and from each ring was hanging a key. I dreamt of a third dawn, and there were twelve wheels, united in fours to three wagons, and each wagon rode towards a different destination. Then in my dream I saw a fourth dawn, and there was a double door with twelve hinges, and six opened one side, and six the other side. I finally saw the fifth dawn, and in the sky that was becoming brighter, there were twelve stars that together formed a constellation that was setting in the horizon, towards the north... and my dream ended here. And you are twelve, and in five days you will leave for the north..." "With the iron crown?" "I have no doubts. The fourth dawn will be next Friday... and in the past the iron crown was always found on a Friday." "But what are the meanings of the hides, the keys, the wagons and the double door?" "Ha... I really am not able to explain it. But you, certainly, will understand at the right moment what it means." "And today is the first dawn of your dream?" "So it seems." "We are six couples... six couples of hands... do we have to find six pieces of hide?" "Not necessarily... or possibly yes, who knows? Dreams at times are metaphors, and at times show things as they are, it isn't easy to understand that beforehand..." "Then..." Alfeo started to say. But the old man hurriedly stopped him, "I have to go, now... I have nothing more to tell you. I wish you a good quest, knight." he said and, after a short bow, he went away along the corridor of the Scriptorium. "What shall we do?" Jens asked, thoughtful. "I don't know. Let's tour the city and... and something will happen." Alfeo said smiling to the man he loved. They left the palace and started to tour the ancient city that already had one thousand and five hundred years of history. Without a destination in mind, looking around in admiration and marvel, when the sun was already at the zenith they passed in front of a tavern from which was coming an inviting smell of cooked food. "I'm feeling hunger pangs..." Alfeo said to his man, looking at him in a silent suggestion. "Yes, let's go eat something." Jens answered, taking him by an elbow and leading him inside the tavern. They sat at a table and at once a young man asked them what they would like to eat and drink. "We don't know your cookery, bring us something special." Jens answered. The youth smiled and nodded. They ate a first course of Greek "opson" made with onions, olives and meat, then a plate of broad beans and green peas cocked with lard, a serve of cheese cooked on live charcoal, then dates filled with nuts, pine-kernels, ground pepper and fried in honey. A good red wine accompanied the meal. They ate with pleasure. When they paid, the youth said them, "If before resuming your way you would like to rest for a while... at this time the rooms are almost all empty... may I take you there?" Jens was about decline the offer, but the peculiar glance with which the youth made his offer, made him change his mind, "Yes, thank you... But how much will it cost?" "Nothing, it is included in the meal price... come..." They followed the youth along a narrow stairway, passed through an almost dark corridor, until the youth opened a door and made them sign to enter - it was a small room, with a square bed at its centre and around just enough space to pass. A small and tall window closed by a slate of alabaster let seep in a blade of faint light. At the walls were hanging eighth oil lanterns, now off. In the room there was nothing else. They entered and the youth went in with them, and carefully closed the door with a bolt. Then smiling he said, "Let me help you to get comfortable..." and before getting an answer, he opened Jens' mantle buckle and took it out, carefully folding it. Alfeo took off his mantle, but the youth said, solicitous, "No, allow me to do it..." Alternating between them, the youth gradually undressed them and while he was taking off their clothes, he brushed their bodies with expert fingers, in light caresses more and more erotic. When they were naked, they both were fully aroused. The youth smiled, "I never saw such splendid bodies, knights... it is a honour being able to serve you. You are so different and yet, looking at your bodies, you could seem brothers..." he said caressing with both hands their members proudly erect. Then with a fast move he untied his tunic and let it fall on the floor, remaining naked between them, "Take freely your pleasure... my body is yours..." he said in a low and excited voice. The two friends sandwiched him between their bodies, starting to caress and brushing against him their erections. The youth had a smooth and warm body, wich was more than desirable. Alfeo kissed him on the mouth and the youth returned the kiss with a pleasure moan. Jens drew them on the wide bed. Alfeo kneeled and the youth went on all fours in front of him, bending between his legs and started to skilfully lick his testicle sack and the pole proudly erect and throbbing. Jens kneeled at the youth's back and with a finger searched between his buttocks until he found the hole and felt that it was already slippery with ointment and was throbbing. He drove in the tip of his member and started to push - he slowly slipped inside, without difficulty, and felt it warm and tight, welcoming him with pleasure shudders. Meanwhile also Alfeo had his entire spear of firm flesh slip in the mouth of the obliging youth who, as he felt he was fully penetrated at both his ends, started to rock back and forth, balancing on his hands and knees, so that when one of the two friends' member was slipping partially out, the other slipped in and vice versa. Jens and Alfeo looked at each other with a smile, bent on top of the youth's body, embraced and kissed each other playfully moving their tongues, while the youth between them was gradually taking them towards the peaks of the enjoyment. The young Roman was skilfully teasing with his tongue Alfeo's member which was stuffed into his mouth, as he cpntracted his sphincter's muscles around Jens' member, so giving to both of them increasing waves of pleasure - he was undoubtedly experienced. The two friends were almost oblivious to the youth; they were feeling almost as each of them was inside the other in the same time. The youth managed to bring then to orgasm simultaneously. The three fell on the bed, on their sides. The youth disentangled himself and slipped away, while the two lovers were tightly embracing each other, got off the bed and wore his tunic. "You have been fantastic..." Jens said turning towards him. "I am glad I am been able to please you. Here... if at times you want to come again here... keep this..." he said handing them a thin wooden board. He then added, "I have to go back to work. If you want to have some rest, you can stay without worries. I thank you, it has been really good being able to share some time with you, knights." and, making a bow, left the room. Jens looked at the small board - on one side was painted a small tavern sign, and on the other side there were only some lines and symbols that seemed not to carry any meaning. "Can it be the first... piece of hide?" Alfeo asked unsure after having checked it in his turn. "I don't know... let's just wait to meet the others... We have still some hours left before the sunset, what do you think to explore more of this beautiful city?" "Yes, all right." They dressed and left the tavern, greeted by the owner and by the youth who was at that time serving three more customers. "Do you think he will also have sex with those three customers?" Alfeo asked, amused, when they were on the street. "I don't know, it could be... I found the food quite expensive, but as the service of that handsome youth was included, the price becomes even cheap!" Jens commented with a chuckle, turning the small board in his hands. The rest of the day passed without particular encounters, admiring the beautiful mansions of the aristocrats and the big building for the cult. It was really a wide and ancient city, and had a peculiar fascination. That evening, back at the palace where they were guests, they discovered that each couple had had a special encounter, each one different from theirs but which had always ended in a sex session, and each couple at the end received as a souvenir an object. They put all six of them on a table - besides the small board of Jens and Alfeo, there was a bronze medal, a small parchment square, a little slab of alabaster, a small embroidered cloth and an enamelled shard. Each object on a side had different decorations, but on the reverse there were lines and symbols. They put them one near the other on the reverse side, trying to see if there was an order and what was, until Nikolaos found out that in a certain order they were forming a kind of drawing, something similar to a map. And the odd symbols were lined up making lines of writing, but in an alphabet that none of them was able to recognise. Alfeo took a sheet and a stylus and carefully copied that odd graphic and those lines of unknown characters. "I think that tomorrow morning we have to go again to the Scriptorium to ask if any them is able to read these symbols and to recognise this map." Jens said. "Yes, but now let's go to have some sleep, it is already dark." Axel said taking Derk's hand and leading him to their room. The others readily followed suit, full of desire in spite of the sexual adventures they had that afternoon. The following day at the Scriptorium, nobody was able to read the mysterious characters, but the map, they were explained, was the trace of the ancient Roman roads around the city. Alfeo told the others about the old scribes dream, "... therefore today we should have to go around in groups of three, I think, and possibly the keys are something that will make us able to read this writing; in fact for each secret writing there is always a key to read it..." They split in four groups of three and went downtown. Kimon with Floriano and Bughail decided to walk along the river - they didn't know what to look for, but they thought that something would happen. A mysterious power seemed to control their footsteps, after they had reunited. They saw an old bridge and crossed it, so finding themselves in the outskirts of the city. "Don't you think it would be better to go again inside the city walls?" Floriano asked. "Yes, but let walk along the river on this side, and at the next bridge we will cross again." Kimon answered. The day was clear and mild, and pleasurable. They were walking slowly, enjoying the atmosphere of the spring day. Suddenly they heard somebody crying, then some yells. They were coming from behind a hut. They walked around it and saw a man and a boy - the latter was tied to a tree, his back bare, and the man was lashing him with a bundle of reeds. "Hey there! What did that boy do to be so severely punished?" Bughail asked frowning, recalling when he was a servant of the land, and was lashed even without a good reason. "What did he do? He is a little thief and a liar, this bastard!" "No, it's not true!" the boy screamed turning his head towards the unexpected passersby. Floriano noticed that he was a really handsome boy. "How it's not true? I saw you stealthily come out from the villa of the noble Sabelli, yes, and look here, sirs, he had this belt, that it's for sure not his!" "Dominus Mercutius gave it to me!" "Oh yes, he gave it to you, little bastard! Right to you!" the man said ready to resume flogging the boy. Bughail blocked him by seizing his wrist. The man looked at him in surprise. "Is he your son?" Bughail asked him. "My son? No, he was delivered by my wife, but not with my contribute, that shameful woman! He is just a bastard who cadges my meals! If at least he worked! I should kill him, I should..." Meanwhile Floriano was looking at the belt with interest, "Man. Give us this belt and this boy, and we will go to talk with the noble Sabelli..." he proposed, then added, "And if he stole it, we will punish him as he deserves." "You, noble knights... you know the noble Sabelli..." it was not a question but rather a statement, so none of them answered him. The man interpreted their silence as a confirmation. "All right. But if I am right... you don't dare to come near me or this time I will flay you alive, did you understand?" the man said, untying the boy and pushing him towards the three men. The boy tried to cover his back with a thorn coat that was on the ground while Floriano turned the belt in his hands - it was a band of silk weaved with knots, with an odd decoration red and green that remembered him the symbols in their map, alternated by roman letters embroidered in gold. Bughail had circled the boy's shoulders with an arm and all four went away. "Really, I'm not a thief, noble lords..." the boy said, plaintive, drying the tears on his handsome face. "So, how did you get this belt? Why do you say it was given to you?" "Because Dominus Mercutius gave it to me for real!" "Oh, really? And how it came? Are you his friend?" Kimon asked him. The boy had a contempt sneer, "A friend? I a friend of... Nooo!" "So, then?" "Well, I... I cannot tell, or else the Dominus will kill me..." "He, really!" Kimon said with an unbelieving giggle. "He gave it to you for a service?" Bughail asked him, crouching in front of him and taking him by the elbows, looking straight in his eyes with a friendly smile. "A kind of..." "You can trust me, boy..." Bughail insisted, giving him a light caress on his cheek. "But I can't..." the boy grumbled. "What's your name?" "Marcus..." "How old are you?" "Sixteen..." "I thought you were younger. Do you know that you are a beautiful boy?" "It is my only asset..." the boy said in a low voice. "Therefore you are aware of it. And a beautiful boy, at times, can get gifts... for his beauty." "Yes..." Marcus admitted, hesitantly. "And dominus Sabelli likes beautiful boys..." Bughail added, smiling him and winking. Marcus widened his eyes, "How can you know it? He told me that nobody knows that his son likes... He made me swear I would tell nobody..." "Oh, but we know about it." Floriano said, smiling for Bughail ability to make the boy discover himself. The boy looked at all three of them, then like brightening, said, "Ah, but then you too like the boys, it is so, right? That's why you know..." "Yes... But do you like being in bed with a man?" Kimon asked him. "Well... at times it's really good... at times not, it depends..." "Listen, if we give you a gold coin, will you give us this belt?" Floriano asked. "A gold coin? For that belt? Certainly... and if you want to take me in your beds, I'll willingly go with you three... I'm good at sucking it, and my little arse is still tight... Moreover I like you three..." "We are guests at a place where we cannot take you. But we would like to do something with you... " Bughail said, caressing the boy under his cloak and feeling he was already aroused. "There is a place... The old Giustina will let us use her hut for just a copper coin... it is not a dirty place... Oh, sir, if you go on touching me in this way... you will make me spurt..." he then said in a low voice to Bughail who, smiling, stopped caressing him between his legs. The boy was unbridled - even though he did it to earn something, almost as a job, it was clear that he really enjoyed doing it. At the end, after he had fully satisfied all three of the friends, he asked, "Take me away with you! I don't want to go back to that man! Please!" "We cannot, but we would like to help you... Listen, I am friend with the noble Columna, with Octavius, who would certainly be interested in meeting you, and he possibly can help you... I can't promise you anything, but... come with us, for the moment." Bughail told him. "Oh, thank you, thank you knight!" the boy said embracing him and kissing him with ardour. Back at the palace, while Marcus was waiting in the street, Bughail went to talk with Octavius. The young man looked by the window, "He seems a really handsome boy... all right, I will take care of him and if in bed he is good as you say, I can take him into my service as... as my personal room servant!" the young aristocrat said with a pleased smile. The other three groups found a dagger, a copper plate and a silver cup. Each had carved on them symbols and letters - together with the belt, they were able to reconstruct all the alphabet and so to read the writing. It said that they had to find three keys to have access to the mysterious cave, and it also gave the cave location. But is wasn't written where they could find the keys. "I wouldn't worry," Alfeo said, "we found all this simply wandering downtown, and everything happened as in the old man's dream. So tomorrow we have just to split in three groups of four, and I am certain that each group will find one of the keys." All of them agreed. They were excited, feeling that their quest was nearing its end. The following morning, after Octavius thanked Bughail for the "beautiful and fantastic boy" whom he took with him to his mansion, the friends formed the three groups. Harti, Nikolaos, Tantas and Kossur went to the east of the city. They crossed several roads and squares, and stopped to eat at an inn, then resumed their wandering. It was about mid afternoon, but nothing seemed to happen. An elegantly dressed man approached them, "Noble knights, from your aspect I dare say you are foreigners..." "Yes... we are coming from very far..." Tantas answered, hesitant. "Oh... so you should be tired. Please, come with me to have a good rest, here nearby... We have just a new tepidarium, with young efficient girls skilled in massage and... and very available..." "No, thank you..." Harti said. "Oh, come on, it is not expensive, and it's worth a visit. We also have very handsome boys, if you prefer, at the Bronze Key..." Harti, as he heard the name, asked, interested, "The Bronze Key? Why did you choose such an unusual name for your tepidarium?" "Because, my lord, doing the renovation works, we found in a wall a casket full of old bronze keys, hidden god knows how many years ago, by whom and why, all absolutely identical... Thus, we always give one of them to our most affectionate patrons, each tenth time they use our services..." "That's interesting. And how much do you charge for the assistance of a boy servant?" "Ah, the noble knights would like better the boy servants? Well, each time, each boy, is a copper coin... it is not expensive, it is a special price, as we have just started out services..." "And how many boy servants do you have?" "We only have fourteen boys, for the moment. But they anyway are all handsome, clean, and healthy..." "You convinced me. Let's go!" Harti said. The man brightened up, "You will not regret, my noble knights. You can choose the four best ones and..." "We want ten of them. And the bronze key, of course, as a souvenir!" Harti said, and the other three nodded, smiling. "Oh... ah... well, as you like, of course... This way, please..." It was a real orgy. The youths, besides three who on that side were nothing special, were skilled and having sex in the room flooded with steam was a pleasurable experience. After a good final massage with musky balms, they got their key, and the four went back to the palace. Also the other two groups got, under different occasions, two more keys, one made of silver and the other gold pleated. Satisfied, they prepared themselves for the last day, when they would finally access the mysterious cave. The following morning, they made two groups of six and went to the place marked on the map. The dream told about a door with two wings - evidently each group had to push one of the wings, they thought, therefore they went there all together, even though divided in two groups. The point marked on the map was just outside the city walls - along the old Roman road there were several ancient tombs, and the arches of an aqueduct flanked the road. On the spot marked on the map there was a crooked building, in old times possibly beautiful - there remained vestiges of marbles, worn out by the time and by the plants that grew in the interstices. On its side towards the road there was a door with a triangular gable. The door seemed made of massive wood. They tried to push it but to not avail, even uniting all their strength. There weren't keyholes therefore their three keys were not for that door. They toured all around the building but there was not any other access or traces of windows. Back again in front of the door, they asked each other what to do. They were discussing, when they saw an old, white haired woman, dressed in rags, who was walking leaning on a walking stick. "Oh, welcome, my lords. Would you like to enter in the catacombs?" "The catacombs? Is this the entrance of a catacomb?" Alfeo asked, interested. "Yes, exactly so. I know how to let you enter but... the second door... nobody got to open it, not even with pickaxes." "There is a second door, inside?" "Yes, down in the depths. Moreover... do you know that you risk dying, down there? It is filled with bones, down there, of people who tried, before you, uselessly." "How can you know such things, old woman?" Nikolaos asked. "Ha, young man, in the long years of my life I saw so many people going down there... but very few coming back... and when I went inside to check, there was nothing to do for them, the ones who didn't come out on their feet, were all dead." "We want try anyway." Harti said. "Do you have lamps? Down there it is dark... and it's also cold..." "No, we haven't." "It would be better you have some, and also an oil jar and some wicks... and why not some food, that can be useful... Come with me, I can get you what you need, if you are really determined to run this risk..." They followed the woman to a small adobe. On a table they saw twelve lanterns, a roll of wicks, two flints, and an oil jar. Near the table there were some baskets full of food. "But... you already knew we would come?" Altma asked, surprised and curious. "In a way... At times I just feel I have to prepare these things, so I go and buy them, then I go to the catacombs and there, there are people..." "How much did you spend for all that? How much do we owe you?" "Oh, what your generosity suggests you..." the old woman said, as if the matters was not important to her. Kimon, who was keeping all their money, handed her some coins. The old woman, with an abstracted expression, gestured him to put them in a small wooden box near the window. Kimon went there and slipped the coins through a slot - he was surprised not to hear them jingle. Made curious, he raised the small box and shook it - it was light and no sound came from it. He slipped inside two more coins - as before... "This small box of yours..." he started to say, perplexed. "Well, take all your things and let's go!" the old woman said with unsuspected vigour going out of the adobe. Back near to the ancient building, the old woman clambered up quick as a squirrel, amazing the twelve young men. On the top of the building, she moved aside some bush branches and pointed to a perfectly circular hole. "See, go down from there, you will see that there is a set of holds. Go down and you will find three galleries. Chose one, and if you find the right crossing, you will find yourselves in front of the iron door that nobody succeeded to open." "How can we understand which is the right gallery and the right crossing?" "You have just to try." "And the door?" "The bones of the dead people will tell you that it is the right one. The others don't have bones in front..." "Aren't you coming with us?" "No, I can go down there only when the dreams tell me so, if I want to come out alive. Go, now..." They lit the lanterns, tied the baskets on their backs and started to prudently go down. They reached a wide rectangular room, just behind the blocked door towards the street. On the other three sides were three arches leading to three galleries sloping down under the ground. "Which one shall we take?" Kossur asked, and his voice resounded in a thousand far echoes. "The one at the left." Altma said in an assured tone, and then explained, "When the old woman told us to chose one of them, almost unintentionally and imperceptibly, her hand made a sign towards the left." "Let's try." Harti said. The gallery was excavated in the tuff and was sloping down abruptly, bending to the left. They reached the first crossing. "Let's go straight." Tantas proposed. It was a real labyrinth. The air was cold and wet and a weird smell permeated it. Along the corridors there were ancient graves some with marbles and sculptures, other small and simple, all excavated in the tuff. They walked for a long time, until they decided to stop to have some food. They then resumed their exploration. "The bones!" exclaimed Harti who opened the line. He turned to the right, and they were in an almost round cave, with more graves all around, and in front there was a big bronze door. All over in the cave there were scattered bones, some still with clothes wrapping them. Remains of baskets, lanterns, showed that they were the remains of previous explorers. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ KEYS TO UNDERSTAND AND TO OPEN On the bronze door there was a keyhole. Using their bronze key, they slipped it in the hole and turned it inside. The key made three turns without difficulty, but with a sharp noise of three clicks. Then, trying to push, six men to each wing, finally the door opened, loudly creaking and screeching and the noise resounded in the caves and corridors like a thousand damned souls were crying and groaning in a chorus. On the other side of the door, there was an octagonal room, with eight arches made of bricks. In one was the door they had just passed through, the other seven lead into dark corridors. At the sides of each passage there were sarcophagi of white marble, all carved in bas-relief, and the twelve friends saw that each couple of sarcophagi represented different scenes. Only the two sarcophagi at the sides of the big entrance door were totally smooth. The twelve friends carefully observed them, shining on them with their lanterns. On the first couple of sarcophagi, on the left one were represented scenes of rulers and kings, sitting or walking on the bodies of their subjects, using them like stools or carpets, careless of their suffering and pain. On the one on the right, instead, kings and taddermalions were sitting at the same table eating together in a merry company. Tantas and Kossur said, "These images made us think that they carry a teaching - the rich, the powerful, the aristocrats... should not put on airs for what they have, but should remember that all the men are equal for dignity and deserve the same respect." Everybody nodded in assent, and moved to observe the scenes on the sarcophagi at the sides of the nearby passage to another corridor. On the second couple, the one to the left showed scenes of men holding tight sacks of coins and caskets, turning their backs to poor, ill and dying men. On the right one there were represented rich men giving coins to the poor, and caring and assisting them with a smile. Altma and Bughail after observing the bas-reliefs said, "And here it teaches us not to be jealous of our goods, not to keep our riches only for us, but to be generous with what the life granted us and share it with the others, avoiding to become niggards." On the third couple, on the left one there were scenes of men and women making sexual acts on slaves tied or chained, or paying prostitutes and catamites; while on the right one were represented couples tenderly enlaced, kissing and caressing, serene and full of joy. Axel and Derk happily said, "And here it teaches us not to use badly sex, but to live it as the higher expression and manifestation of the love that has to unite us, don't you think?" All the others nodded in assent and almost instinctively each couple moved closer, some holding their hands, other tenderly smiling to each other while they moved to the next sarcophagi couple. On the fourth couple there were people with upset features, shouting abuses or wildly beating each other, while on the right one they were all smiling and exchanging the peace and forgiveness' embrace. Harti and Nikolaos then said, "Nothing is worst than hatred and anger - here it teaches us we have to try to live in peace, forgive the offense, and accept all the others like brothers, looking for what unites and not what divides us." On the fifth, at the left there was a banquet were everybody was gobbling down and getting drunk, throwing each other pieces of food or sprinkling each other with jugs of wine, while on the right there was a convivial meal, where everybody was merrily eating and drinking with moderation and pleasure. Kimon and Floriano commented the two scenes, "And here it teaches us the temperance in enjoying food and drinks that life offers us, not to waste them, not to exaggerate, but to enjoy them in a moderate way and according to our needs, in a merry convivium." On the sixth, at the left there were people prying from behind windows, curtains or trees, with an envious expression some rich, beautiful and well clothed passerby, and on the right sarcophagus the same people seemed instead to be pleasurably together, any way they were dressed, rich or poor, beautiful or not. "Here then it is shown how we have not to surrender to envy towards the ones who are more beautiful, rich, strong or wise than us, and again it teaches us to remember that in spite of having different talents and lucks, we are all essentially equals - Naked and without anything in our hands we are born, naked and without nothing in our hands we will die." On the seventh, at the left there were represented loafers lying to rest, sleeping on their works, with a bored expression, amongst spider webs and tall weeds, while on the right each one was busy in a joyful activity of any kind of works in tidy places or in well cared gardens. "This teaches us to always be joyfully active, not to put off till tomorrow what we can do today, not to waste our time in an unproductive laziness..." several said. "Yes, all these sculptures are filled with very good teachings, but now, which of these seven corridors do we have to take to reach our destination?" Kossur then asked. Derk said, "In my opinion we have to take the corridor opening between the two sarcophagi with sex and love scenes. In fact, my brothers, is it not sex and love that lead our way until we got here?" After a short discussion everybody agreed. The corridor was, as all the others, lined at the right and the left, with graves, and often it opened in smaller corridors or small caves, some square or round, some rectangular or elliptic, these also full of more or less beautiful or simple sarcophagi. The main corridor was still sloping down, at times bending to one side or the other, and the air was still oddly fresh and pure, in spite they should be very low under the ground level. They finally reached an hexagonal room, entirely excavated in the tuff. In front of the gallery that lead them there, there was a door that seemed to be made of massive silver. On the door were inserted four panels, two on the left and two on the right, with bas-reliefs. On the left top there was represented a young man with a hand in front almost to say to wait, and with the index of the other hand on his lips as to say to be silent. On the left bottom there was represented another young man, a king, his eyes blindfolded, his hands in front of him at the same level, and on one was sitting a rich man holding a casket full of jewels, and on the other was sitting a poor man, his hands empty. On the right top there was a knight, powerful and beautiful, his legs slightly spread, his hands in the hilt of a big swords standing in front of him, the tip on the ground. On the right bottom there was a youth pouring wine from an elegant jug in another simple one and graduated, as if he was measuring it. "These sculptures," Alfeo said, "are the symbols the virtues that every man should have..." Everybody nodded then Harti took out the silver key and tried to open that door. The key turned twice with resounding clicks, and as he pushed the two wings the door opened with a light and shrill note. They were now in a square room, all covered with multicoloured inlaid marbles representing trees, flowers and fruits. On the other three sides were opening three corridors. Each passage was sided by two columns with a beam surmounted by a triangular gable. On the beam at the left were carved, with the mysterious alphabet they had discovered, the words "Believe in me", on the central one was carved "Trust me" and on the right one "Love me". Nikolaos said, "We should possibly take the one on the right, where it is written to believe, as who believes will get an everlasting prize..." "In my opinion, instead, we have to try the corridor wit the words trust me, because the one who trusts will receive a prize." Floriano said. Bughail then said, "Don't you think instead that the one who loves can have in his hands the entire world... therefore also the crown we are looking for, for the love of our king?" "The old woman said that if we take the mistaken corridor, we risk to die under here, not to ever find the way back, and what's worst, not to be able to bring the iron crown to our king..." Jens made them notice. "We could split in three groups, four in each corridor, at least four of us will be sure to go back with the crown..." Tantas hesitantly proposed. "No, I don't think it is wise to separate. We have anyway two possibilities on three to be wrong..." Jens made them notice. "Before we had as much as six possibilities to be wrong on seven, but it seems we made the right choice..." Derk said. Then Axel said, "Before, we chose the way of love and we have been successful. In my opinion we have to try again with the way of love, as after all it has been, is and will be our real strength." Everybody nodded in assent. They therefore entered the gallery that had at its entrance the words "love me". The gallery this time was devoid of graves and instead of going straight, the corridor was a series turns and twists, of upwards and downwards stairways and it seemed to become narrower and lower, so that in a while they had to walk in Indian file bending. They went on in silence until Alfeo, who lead, threw an exclamation, "Good Lord, that's incredible!" "What's up? What did you see?" several voices asked behind him. "Let's go in, and you will see..." the young man answered in a whisper. They were in a kind of terrace carved in the rock, from which a very steep stairway was going down. The terrace overlooked a wide circular hall that seemed carved in rock crystal, lit by a round hole on top of a dome shaped roof. The light entering through that hole was reflected by the walls in thousands of rays with all the colours of the rainbow, so creating a kind of phantasmagoria of such a beauty to leave them breathless. They slowly went down that stairway, looking around and holding back their breaths. When they reached the floor of the wonderful hall, that seemed made of a mosaic of precious stones, they saw that at the centre of the hall there was a round table, this also carved in crystal, with on it a tabernacle in fine gold. The door of the tabernacle had carved a text whose letters were made of mounted tiny rubies. "Here is kept the Iron Crown, whose core is a iron leaf obtained by one of the nails with which Jesus of Nazareth was nailed on the cross. Only the hands one who has kings' blood in his veins can touch this consecrated crown. Only the son of a king can wear it on his head. If this son of a king will rule with justice and wisdom, with right power and understanding, the Crown will bless his deeds and make them fruitful. But if he is lacking even just one of these virtues, the Crown will become an unbearable burden. If he will mend his ways, it will again be a light and fruitful weight, but if he persists, he will lose his worldly life and his eternal life, and the crown will come back here. The one who found it once, will never find it a second time. So it has been, so it is, and so it will be forever." Axel whispered, "We have found it; king Waltha will be glad." "Hoping we will be able to bring it to him. Arseno foresaw that also the way back would be filled with difficulties..." Jens remembered them. Harti took the gold key and pushed it in the keyhole of the tabernacle. He did a turn and the door opened. Inside there was a casket of smooth clear wood without decorations, surrounded by twelve small, red, lit lights. On the glass of each of the lights was carved in gold the name of one of the twelve friends. Bughail exclaimed, "There are our names!" Floriano whispered, "Therefore we twelve were deemed to come right here..." Harti tried to extract the wooden casket but it didn't move from its place - it was either too heavy or fixed in some way to the floor of the tabernacle. Kossur said, "Let's each of us try to take the light with his name on, and let's see if it will become easier to lift the wooden casket." They did as Kossur proposed, then Harti tried again, but the casket didn't move. Then Derk said, "Let's swap our lights - I will have that of Axel and he mine... and like wise the other couples... I feel that so we will be able to take also the casket." Then each couple swapped their light, then Harti tried again, and this time the casket came out of the tabernacle with no difficulty at all. Putting it on the table in front of the tabernacle, Harti opened its cover - inside there was an iron casket, smooth and shiny like the iron of a sword, with dark studs keeping it together. Harti extracted it and put it in front of the wooden one. He raised its cover - inside there was a fine gold casket, all worked in precious filigree. Harti extracted this also, with reverential awe, put it in front of the iron one, and raised its cover. Inside, on a cushion of purple silk, was resting a crown made of eight gold plates, lightly curved, decorated with precious red and green stones and with green and white enamel of exquisite workmanship. In the inside part there was a blade of dark iron, connecting the eight plates... "It's incredibly beautiful..." Altma whispered. "Be careful not to touch it..." Nikolaos said to Harti. The man nodded, then closed the gold cover, put back the gold casket in the iron one, and this inside the wooden one. "We can now go." Harti said, taking in his hands the wooden casket. They turned towards the stairway they used to go there, but they couldn't see it any more. Somewhat surprised, they looked around to find a way out. They then noticed on the crystal wall a door that was slowly opening. Almost in a procession, they passed through it. They were in a dark, ascending corridor that only their twelve small lights were faintly lighting, but sufficiently to go forward without problems. In front of them, still far, they saw an arch from which the daylight was entering. They walked in silence, until they reached it and went out on the side of a low hill. In front of them the Roman countryside was stretching under a luminous and warm sun. They looked back just in time to see the rock wall silently close. They were asking themselves what direction they had to take to go back, when a shepherd leading a flock of twelve sheep, with a small lamb on his shoulders, came. Jens greeted him and asked, "What way do we have to take to go back to Rome?" The shepherd said, "You don't need to go back to the city. The servants of your host, the Pope of Rome, are waiting for you with your luggage and your horses, just behind that bend. Farewell, knights. You are valiant, strong and wise, and you will overcome all the difficulties you will meet along your journey." "Who are you, shepherd, to know these things?" Derk asked, curious. The young shepherd looked at them in the eyes, one by one, with an indefinable smile, "I am the first of the lasts, and the last of the first... be satisfied with this answer. Leave here your lights, noble knights, they will be of no more use, now. But don't forget to have with you the belt, the dagger, the cup and the plate - without them you will not be able to overcome the last tests waiting for you." All twelve the friends deposed in front of the young shepherd their light, feeling it would be useless to ask him more questions. Then in silence, escorting Harti who carried the wooden casket, they went to the road pointed out by the shepherd. As they were beyond the bend, they saw there really were some servants in livery were waiting for them with their twelve horses already harnessed, and eleven other horses loaded with their luggage. A twelfth horse had two packsaddles, the left one containing some objects and the right one empty. A priest wearing a wide red coat greeted them paying them homage. "All is ready for your journey back. Place the wooden casket in this empty saddle pack and, with God's blessing, start your return journey." Harti saw that the empty saddle pack was of the right shape and size to carry the wooden casket. Jens went to check the content of the other pack and saw that, kept in four boxes of good wood, there were the silk belt, the steel dagger, the copper plate, and the silver cup. The twelve friends mounted each his own horse and, after a gesture of salute to the prelate and to the servants, they set out along the paved road that was going to the north. ----------------------------- CONTINUES IN CHAPTER 11 ----------------------------- In my home page I've put some more of my stories. If someone wants to read them, the URL is http://andrejkoymasky.com If you want to send me feed-back, or desire to help revising my English translations, so that I can put on-line more of my stories in English please e-mail at andrej@andrejkoymasky.com ---------------------------