Octoclus had taken any many that Corvus had decided Pompeii no longer had a need for. These people could have re started a whole new town...which was the idea I might have given them. Oops.. Still I knew I had to try and think of what to do next. Looking down from the large balcony that was in Octoclus house I saw both Ali and Milo talking with one another. It was good that they were getting along but I also knew they both were warriors and would easily kill. Then there was the whole volcano that may erupt any day issue. Closing my eyes I bowed my head and tried to think of something, anything to do to save Cassia.

"You seem distressed young woman." Octoclus says as he walks up to my side.

Turning my head and looking up I couldn't help but nod in agreement with his observation.

"You are a wise man, Cassia is still with that horrible man Corvus, if you call him a man I prefer the tern coward and ass kisser." I sigh as I straighten to my posture.

"I like you, you speak your mind. If you want her back then train with the two who brought you here, Corvus doesn't think anyone can beat him in a fight, let alone the thought of a woman beating him." Octoclus said with a clever grin. "Ali knew the ins and outs of what Corvus did and Milo was a gladiator. I would say the odds are well with you, a warrior woman."

Grinning I couldn't help but let out a small laugh, Octoclus hated Corvus just like the rest of us did and he had no problem letting anyone know. Adjusting his robe, which he figured out he would have to wear around me to make sure I was comfortable Octoclus gave me a brief hug.

"You have the heart of a warrior just like any other man, don't let anyone, not even Corvus tell you different." He smiled then turn to take his leave but stopped and turned back to me. "Oh, your dress for the party is on the bed in your room, I hope you like it."

With a wink he then left, curious to see what dress he was talking about I made my way through the large estate and once I went into the room I shared with Milo and Ali I was very surprised to see a long white dress laying upon the bed. Lifting the garment I looked at it carefully, the details of the small embellishments were amazing. A small rose was carefully stitched in white where it would rest right above my heart. Looking back to the bed I saw a gold belt and a note. Picking up the note I grinned as I read it.

Grace,

In honor of my long lost mother, I bestow upon you her birth flower, the rose. Though you are beautiful and delicate you also have thorns that draw blood when you need to be protected. Wear this and bring out the power inside of you. With that power, you are unstoppable.

- Octoclus

Looking at the dress again, the doors to the room open again and both Ali and Milo walk inside and look at me confused. Both of them came to my side and examined the dress, probably wondering where I had gotten it from since we had no money at all.

"Getting married?" Ali questioned as he looked between the dress and I.

Instead of arguing with him I handed him the note that was left with the dress. Both he and Milo read the note over and when they were satisfied with what was upon the page they looked back up to me.

"The rose, it does describe you quite well." Milo comments with a small nod.

"We have bigger things to worry about than a dress, I want no I need you both to train me. Corvus will never expect me being able to fight and if any of us could distract him long enough we could save Cassia." I tell them in a bit a of a rush, excited by the idea that Octoclus had given me.

"That sounds like the craziest idea I have ever heard, even if we did train you and we got in the guards would kill us before we ever reached Cassia or Corvus." Ali said with a sigh as he sat the note down. "It's impossible."

"No, if we find a little help and let them know they could get their revenge on Corvus it might work." Milo said as he began to pace the room. "Octoclus said himself many people come here after being sent away from Pompeii these are the people we need."

"What? You will train them and her? Then you are going to send them to their deaths." Ali said aggravated as he went to the window and looked out. "They are simple people, how could we train them? Maybe if we are given years but not within two months. The wedding will happen before we are ready."

"That's it! We could crash the wedding, get rid or two birds with one stone! Take down the guards and Corvus at the wedding!" I pointed out and Ali's jaw dropped but Milo nodded in agreement with me.

"This is madness, pure insane madness." Ali scoffed as turned to leave but I stopped him by blocking the door with my body.

"No this is a desperate sister trying to save her sister from the worst mistake of her life, will you not help me Ali? The man who claimed to be in love with me? Will he be the one to abandon me now?" I question as Ali's eyes grow soft looking at me.

Ali's shoulder dropped and he leaned in and hugged me.

"Against my better judgement, I will do all that I can to help you and your cause." Ali sighed and I knew he would hate me for it now but I would train just as hard as any man would.

The next day we started, in the courtyard both Ali and Milo began to train me even as the strangers passed us I could hear them whispering things about how a woman couldn't do what a man did. Wearing a short brown skirt, a brown vest if you could call it that, I had more flexibility than fighting in a dress. Milo was showing me how to handle an attacker hand to hand. Grabbing me from behind I moved to my left and using my elbow I hit him right in his gut before grabbing his arm and throwing hi over my body to the ground.

"Are you sure you haven't had any training before?" Ali called out from behind me.

"That's self defense where I come from." I say looking down at Milo who clearly had the wind knocked out of him.

Offering my hand to Milo he grabbed my arm hard and pulled me down to the ground with him. Rolling around on the ground trying to defend myself wasn't something I was planning on doing but I had to prove myself to them, that I could take whatever they threw at me.

"I never knew that was part of training...or else I train a lot in the bed room." Octoclus commented with a giggle as he passed us by.

Hearing that I release my grip on Milo and roll away from him. Just as I did that, Ali was standing above me. I couldn't tell if he was ready but I decided to try and catch him off guard. Kicking my leg out and forward I caught his leg and he came tumbling to the ground. Standing up I look down at the two men.

"Where did you learn this?" Milo asks as he looks up at me.

"Uh...really from my father." I lie as I try to remember all the self defense classes I had taken.

"He taught you well." Ali said as he stood up.

Hours later at dinner Milo, myself and Ali looked as though we would pass out at any moment. They gave me all they had and I was fighting back every step of the way. Octoclus looked at us concerned but couldn't help but have a small smile.

"Have fun boys?" Octoclus questions with a chuckle.

"She could be a goddess of war...I swear and she only calls is self defense." Ali says as he takes a bit of his food.

"Good, then everyone will underestimate her and she will be able to take them down with not problem."

"No, she cannot take more than one opponent at once. That's what we will have to work on." Milo sighed as he closed his eyes. "Two months and we will be at that wedding."

"I promise you it won't end the way Corvus plans for it to." I comment.

"Good, that bastard deserves to have a little karma come his way. Just so happens karma's name happens to be Grace. Quite the turn of events." Octoclus said as he continued to eat.

Later that night, I sat on the window edge and looked out to the moon. No matter what I did I wondered if the same moon was shinning in my time. I mean I knew it was but perhaps a much older moon in my time. Closing my eyes I tried to picture what may go wrong with crashing the wedding and it didn't have the best result.

"You always look up to the moon, why?" Ali questioned as he sat down beside me.

"It never abandons you, no matter where you go or even what time you go to...it's always there." I say as I look over at Ali. "What about you, will you try to take revenge on Corvus as well? For your family?"

"Revenge is hard to take, life in itself is not simple to take away from anyone. Though if I must do so to protect someone I care for then I would do it without blinking." Ali said dodging my question.

"You may have a point but I have to get Cassia away from him, even if that means killing him."

Ali nodded knowing that even if he did argue with me it would do him no good.

"Get some rest, the party is tomorrow and there we will find the rest of our army." Ali said as he left my side.

It wasn't long before I sensed someone else behind me, turning back I saw Milo looking past me and also at the moon.

"We'll save her, I promise Milo." I try to reassure him.

"What if they kill you? Then what will happen?" Milo questioned as he sat down beside me.

"Then I die knowing I did all I could to try and save my sister."

"Cassia will forever feel the guilt of your death then, could you bare to put that burden upon her?"

"Milo what are you trying to say? She needs to be free even if it does cost me my life." I say hoping if I do die here that I would just go back to my own time.

"Freedom is never free Grace, though I wish for her freedom and my ow revenge Ali maybe right is saying all this will do is lead to our deaths. Please think carefully before you make a true decision." Milo say as he lightly nudged me. "Sleep now, please."

Milo went to where his bed was, it was more of a chaise than a bed though. Both he and Ali slept in separate chaises and they gave me the bed. Sighing I began to think deeper about what Milo said. He made good points as did Ali but I felt I had to save Cassia, no matter what.