Scintilla was in her own world, and her world was gold.
A gentle breeze rustled the field of corn that enveloped her. A lingering smell of faraway lands and exotic locales followed in the wake of it, mixed with the familiar scent of the fields. The breeze subsided, and the trickling of the nearby spring gained dominance once again. Scintilla was barefoot, clad only in her day-to-day toga. She enjoyed the feel of the soil between her toes as she skipped through the fields. A blissful smile was fixed on her lips, the glittering ruby lips of a girl on the very cusp of womanhood. She smiled because she was carefree; because she had received many promising invitations from suitors all around Latium. But mostly she smiled because she loved the moment.
Once at the spring, Scintilla plumped down before it and unceremoniously dipped her feet into it. She yelped slightly as the cold water enveloped them, washing away the mud and fatigue that had set into them over the day. She lay back, resting on her elbows as she let the spring revitalize her and the lazy afternoon sun bake her skin. She withdrew her feet from the spring and let herself slide down onto her back, closed her emerald eyes, and pursed her lips. And her mind wandered.
Rushing waves crashed into the rocks nearby. She was lying on an idyllic beach of light, golden sand. The air tasted of salt and the sea. There was a stranger there, tall and strapping and bronzed, muscular and scarred. He had the look of a fighter, a pitfighter. A gladiator.
His skin was glazed with sweat. His muscles bulged beneath his skin as he walked towards her. He knelt down next to her and leaned over her.
They kissed. She could smell him clearly, a heady, manly odour. His kiss was rough, his tongue commanding. She could feel his hands grasping her head and thigh. He firmly but slowly moved his hand across her thigh, down towards her...
Scintilla opened her eyes abruptly. The breeze had picked up again, but something was wrong. It came from the east this time, and the smell was different. It was thick and pungent, almost vulgar. But at the same time, it aroused her. She felt herself bite her lip, and she noticed that her toga was coming loose. Her left breast was exposed, the nipple firm and supple. She could feel a tingling sensation just beneath her navel. Her breathing was ragged and hard.