As the navy moved about patrolling the shores of the Adriatic Sea, Anubis was on dry land observing the construction of a massive siege engine just a mile away from his encampment. Before his very eyes thousands of trained workers and craftsmen were seen laboring on the massive siege engine's base, which was shaped like a pyramid with the front being covered in wet hide and sandbags.
Wooden I-beams were mounted on the sides to form a frame to haul the battering ram. Its appearance was impressive and over the top and obviously meant to be intimidating to the enemies. "This has better be worth it." He muttered to himself as he watched the battering ram being lifted up by a pair of cranes and being mounted on the I-beams using ropes to have the ram swinging back and forth.
"So brother how's the secret weapon going?" Horus asked as the prince came up next to Anubis looking at the weapon that was being constructed. It had been two weeks of wait and emergency construction so they had become rather anxious to finish the war. "As planned. For now, I certainly hope this weapon will break their morale before it break their walls. Minimizing casualties and damages." Said Anubis as he kept his hands crossed behind his back.
Observing the construction of the siege device was Ra. Ra himself laid down on his back on a pillowed lounging cainr while various servants wafted him with fan palm branches. The breeze hit his body gently while he surveyed the construction. "Phew this is difficult work. So how much longer until this device is crushing our Roman adversaries, and we can bathe in total victory?" Ra asked. He held his hand out for one of his servants to give him another drink while he lounged.
"In my calculation, two days then I'll need Khepri to transport it over sea without breaking it down into pieces for lengthy reassembly." Said Anubis as he twist and rubbed his wrists looking at the massive siege engine before him that can smash through stone walls. "Also Ra, when we get to Rome, do not eat any of its crops. Their food supply is poisoned by someone. We'll have to bring some more bread from Egypt to Rome and up the logistic ante." Anubis stated to Ra with a stern and serious tone apparently the matter of poisoned food the Romans had was still fresh in his mind.
"I'll stick to bird seed for now. Eugh…" Ra moaned while rubbing his stomach. Having the knowledge of the Roman crops fresh in his mind. It upset his stomach a slight amount causing some discomfort while images flooded his mind thinking on the poisoned crops. "Less poisoned and more like a plague hit them. Divine by the looks to me. What kind of poison make a parasite in the BOWELS of humans?" Ra said as he looked over to Khepri. Khepri himself knowing his day was soon coming was seen nearby flapping and spreading his wings out creating a loud windy buzzing noise flexing his insect muscles.
"I said poison for it might have been foul play by someone, a deity perhaps. But for now my suspicion will have to be reserved for certain targets." Said Anubis as he began to head back to the camp of the Jackal Guards, which at this point was being lifted out of Apollonia to board the ships waiting to haul them over the sea towards the coast of the Italian Peninsula. The jackals board the ships one by one using scaling nets that the vessels packed with them, the warriors were soon onboard the decks of the ships along with Anubis and Horus. "We'll move first to establish a beachhead, considering the distance it will take us just a few hours tops to take the coast line around Tarentum." Said Anubis as he sheathed his Xiphos sword and stood on the bowl of the ship observing the sight of the Adriatic before him.
Next to him was Horus with Anhur and Sekhmet on other vessels, the fleet began to sail out into the sea with their sails released from the secured straps of the mast to catch the winds. "Good luck to you all, warriors of Kemet." Said Poseidon from a nearby hill as he sat and watch the Egyptian fleet moving out from the coast of Apollonia heading West. On the flagship of Anubis, the Egyptian Strategos had his arms crossed while looking at the shores in the distant slowly coming into view.
Standing with Anubis on the ship was Thoth who saw the incoming land ahead as they approached. He felt his feathers stand up on end feeling a chill come over him while the ships entered the outskirts of true Roman territory. The true part of the empire. He held his book open in hand and began to pray in native Egyptian while the ships made approach. Quickly battle was approaching for the Egyptian forces.
As expected, they soon encountered the Roman fleet or what's left of it sailing around the port of Tarentum, the vessels were heading out to face the Egyptians head on in battles with Roman Marines and various supporting vessels, each armed with a small ballista on the bowl to fire arrows and javelins at the hull of the Egyptian Navy's ships. "Brace yourself! Ramming speed!" The captain shouted out as the ship began to pick up its pace, the oarsmen underneath began to ram into one another violently. The ships were equipped with bronze rams on the bowl of the ships to make piercing the hulls easier.
Some Egyptian ships were even equipped with fire pots mounted on the side of their vessels, when they grazed the Roman ships, the pots were shattered against the ship's bowls and the archers onboard fired their flaming arrows at the substance that was laced on the wooden hull of the ship, igniting the flame that began to burn the Roman fleet. Other ships were met with Roman boarding crew as the Roman marines swung a ladder over to the deck of the Egyptian ships, their archers exchanged fire with the Egyptian counterparts while the Marines themselves ran along the course way to board Egyptian ships and face off with Anhur or Sekhmet's Karian axemen.
As the Roman soldier boarded they were of course met with more resistance of the native Egyptian soldiers. However, as they came aboard Anubis's own ship they were met with Thoth's magic and wisdom to out play their own brute force. Thoth made a sliding dash backwards before he could be overrun completely by the invading Romans. Quickly his finger swipe the pages of his open book gathering some mana and magic before he flung them outwards as bolts of cyan colored energy. It was powerful enough to strike the Roman soldiers to the pint they felt a burning sensation pierce their armors. Not only that they felt a heavy feeling hit their heads as if being judged by a crowd of spectators. Just one of Thoth's abilities being a deity of judgment as well as wisdom.
"Let the eternal darkness embrace you!" Anubis snarled and opened a portal under the feet of the Roman Marines on a nearby ship as he slashed the neck of a Roman Centurion, carving out his throat and splattering his blood over the deck and on some of the nearby Romans. He then kicked the Roman Marines by his crotch, taking advantage of while the warrior was being caught off guard, he stabbed the marine with his sword burying deep into the head cavity of the Roman Marine. "Ramming speed!" The captain shouted out again as the ship rammed into another Roman Hexaremes, smashing the flagship of the Roman fleet into two, this left the Romans completely heartbroken as they began to ran away further north to avoid the Egyptian fleet.
Seeing the Roman forces retreating already Thoth rose a his hand upwards high above his crowded head. The palm of his hand gathered and accumulated a glowing orb in the current of his grip, and finally Thoth released a beam of cyan colored magic onto the fleeing ships much like a laser ray. The magical ray hit the lower portions of the ships near the water causing them to split apart and gather water as liquid soaked into the hulls of the ships. "Once again this proved to be rather easy on our parts Anubis. But i'm afraid their destiny now lays at the bottoms of the sea." Thoth said as he unleashed his own fury.
"I doubt it will be easy when we meet the Roman deities. We'll have to see what would they do to us." Said Anubis as the fleet came to the shores of Tarentum, the ship ran ashore with the nets tossed down for the warriors aboard to disembark. They began to wade ashore with their weapons and armor laden them down while the waves wash them ashore one at a time. The men took sometimes to form up into proper battle formations as they guarded the beachhead from the possible counter attacks by the Roman Legions that might be around the place.
Once the landing commenced Thoth vaulted off of the ship he sailed on. Unlike the others being a deity once he hit the water his feet simply hit the surface of the water, and actually stood on the surface. It showed him out of all of the other soldiers he and the other deities were the divine power of the war. He ran across the surface of the water striding over it ulti he himself made landfall with the massive Egyptian army gathered. "Alright now it's time to show our proud heritage. I'll be watching over each of you as you charge. Make haste into battle allies!" Thoth spoke in a raised voice.
"Lay siege to their hovels!" Anubis ordered to his warriors as the army began to march out with battle horns blew to coordinate the movements of the Jackal Guards and the regular Egyptian Army to flank Tarentum to the North. As they marched out, they soon came into view of the Appian Road, where rows of crucifixes lined the road, with slaves stripped of their clothes and lives, they were left to be rotting skeletons or carcasses with the carrion birds fattening themselves on the meals of these dead slaves. "Servile War legacy...so this is what civilization look like." Said Anubis in a sarcastic tone as he marched across the road reaching what appeared to be Crassus's Roman Villa with various crops being worked on by slaves growing thinner and thinner by the labors.
It was a truly disgusting sight to behold. Despite the Egyptians themselves having slaves they were at least treated near equal in society, and Thoth knew this. The most work the slaves were to have received were meager house type of chores or maid work, but most of the society was self sufficient. Never cruel either as the slaves were required to be of good health.
This however looked like torture, or a dystopian society. It disturbed Thoth to the deepest parts of his mind as this was both inhumane and cruel. No human deserved to be displayed as such as he thought. And none were to be used just as a warning sign to others. The powerful image of the crucifix though was enough to impact Thoth, but looking towards the city, and its starving slaves it was enough to convince him the ROman society was truly a derelict. One that needed some type of massive reform.
He shook his head and looked to Anubis disgusted by the sight and made a grimace clearly shown on his face. "What did we just stumbled into?... This wasn't what i was expecting from them. I was expecting something better. At least a healthy society. This region of the world looks like the apocalypse has hit, and left no mercy on the citizens here. This empire so far looks like its… its dying. No. Its deceased already. I'm quite sure of it." Thoth stated in a solemn tone. He looked back to the crucifixes and the slaves again with his own judgment in mind. "And what could these people have done to deserve such life? I'm unable to even provide assistance to many hung. If they are even brought down shock will hit their crippled bodies. A painful death." Thoth said in a glum tone.
Anubis was seen making a hiss and even snarl at the sight seeing the excessive punishments handed out to the slaves of Rome, he looked at them and saw that the skeletons were rotting, apparently for decades now with some being merely skeletons while the sky seemingly turned grey in a depressing atmosphere.
"This is Rome…" Said Anubis with spiteful tone as he walked along the Appian Road, his army came to the villa of Crassus where the slaves tossed down their weapons and bowed down before the Jackal Guards asking for mercy. One by one, they were heard whispering prayers in various languages, some spoke in Punic languages while others in Germanic or Celtic Gaul languages. "Their love for conquest, matches with lunacy of a blade in hands." Anubis stated coldly as his army encircled the city of Tarentum to cut it off from reinforcements from up north, as the Egyptian Army and Navy moved around the souther tips of the Italian peninsula, a Roman scout rode North towards Rome to bear the news.
[hr]
Back in Rome, the situation was Martial Law to simply put it, as Janus levitated across the city, his face switched back and forth between the elder and lesser faces. He was like a suit of armor levitating across the city seeing the war weary faces of the citizens of Rome now have to live under the peril of an enemy armor who won't negotiate and will destroy them all if given a chance. Some of them were heard grumbling about the faults of the Senate and the Brutii in particular with driving them into war that they can't escape from. Janus came towards the ever busy temple of Bellona where the priests were busy trying to confide with her on matters of the state and the situation that was deteriorating.
Bellona currently held both sides of her head while sitting down feeling a headache tear into her head while the state of the Roman empire erupted into almost literal flames. However, the attack Anubis and the other deities made didn't go without her feeling her warriors cut down. She rubbed both of the temples of her head trying to soothe her own headache. "Oh if only we had a medical themed deity in this damn pantheon. I could really use some stress relief…" Bellona complained as Janus strolled up to her. She saw him approaching and rose her head to face him.
She stood up promptly upon seeing him approach while waving her hands to both sides of the various priests so she could have a personal conversation. "You! Janus! Tell me something that will get this friggin' headache away! Something happened to the south, and since then I can't get a break! Oh and something else happened with the Julii as well, but I… Can't think straight…" Bellona complained.
"Peace is coming Bellona. Sine pace Imperii. Rome will not hold onto its gains through conquests but rather gains by inheritance of Latinum." Said Janus in a stoic and steady tone to Bellona. But at that moment the two of them were disturbed and intruded on by the chubby and ever joyful Bacchus. Or rather was ever joyful as he now came into the temple an emotional wreck weeping and begging by her feet. "Oh infamy Bellona! Infamy! Someone has it in for me! My one true love, wine, poisoned and desecrated in Neapolis not by Egyptians but by someone else!" He cried out in a high pitched voice before collapsing to the ground in a fetal position.
This was a strange sight to see even for Bellona sine as far as she knew the drunken Bacchus was always jovial and flamboyant. Seeing him crawl up in a state of distress was not part of his usual self, and in fact was a reason for Bellona to draw concern. "Not the Egyptians? And woah. Hold up. You're kind of booze, and wine. And the harvest." Bellona said staring back at Janus. She tilted the side of her head back at Bacchus in a confused gesture as she looked to Janus for wisdom. "What's the deal Janny? He's crying tears probably made of wine on these floors. That's not good at all for any of us." Bellona stated.
"Indeed…" Janus mused on the sight as he looked down at Bacchus's fetal form as the crying deity of wine and harvest struggle to hold back his tears from the cruel act of sabotage that had occured at his cult center. "Who could have done this Bacchus? This transgression against your precious harvest would come to pass but surely you might have an idea of who, right?" Janus asked Bacchus calmly as he gently placed his hand on the shoulder of the crying deity. The chubby and flabby flamboyant God then stood up wiping his tears away to the Janus and Bellona. "It's terrible! I saw my grape crops around Neapolis all torn and withered. And underneath the earth from which they grow, lay a savage golden apple!" Bacchus sobbed as he recount the finding.
The picture of a bright gleaming apple came into Bellona's mind. An odd thought of how something so magnificent and rich could cause so much harm, but a sure thought came to her looking back down to Bacchus. "Uh. A golden apple? If you can pick yourself up can you show us? It feel like someone is taunting us right now." Bellona said as she balled up her right hand into a fist and pounded it into the palm of her left hand. "And I don't much like being played like this… I gotta see this, and get my own investigation thing going. right? " She asked looking towards Janus.
Janus nodded to her as his youthful face swiveled and replaced by the elder version as he spoke out to her in an older and more commanding voice. "Take the Legion with you Bellona, your enemies may not show the courtesy of chivalry as our Legions have shown none." Bacchus in the meantime pulled out a meatloaf he had carried with him in his toga and began to munch on it, apparently as a way to cope with sadness and depression that he was going through. "I shall go with you Lady Bellona! For my wine beckons me to salvage it and Romans beckon me to salvage their greatest treasure!" The God sobbed out a bit more before exiting the temple with Janus to let Bellona plan out her strategies.
The situation to the south was not looking good as it seems like the Egyptians and Carthaginian armies were marching through Roman territories like a hot knife through butters. Roman navy have been decimated and defunct leaving the Army to fend off the invasion using the terrains of the Italian peninsula to protect them with. Croton and Tarentum, strongholds of the Brutii have fallen, leaving their Balkan holdings to cling on to what's left of their Optimates. While then the Roman Legions were retreating and salvaging their formations in a defensive line North of Neapolis preparing themselves for the imminent advance into Rome.
As they advanced deeper into Roman territory there wasn't much in the way of a proper defensive line. In fact as the Roman Legions retreated the territory the Romans had conquered prior to the Egyptian invasion had shrunk retreating with the legions. The last bastion for the Romans now was beginning to turn into many of the families leaders dreaded legatus Lenox as he commanded his final stand. Though he himself wasn't the most confident by now. He set up his prime defensises targeted towards the south ordering the remnants of his army to form up, but with a clear order to retreat should the task proved to be more demanding. He himself wrote in a diary inscribing what could have been his last entries knowing Rome deserved no mercy due to the savageness they enacted on others. Something he was ashamed to admit of his own people, but a fact he faced.
The army of Egypt that Thoth accompanies now had grown in number to a sizeable force of 45000 men including 18,000 Greeks in Egypt and Greeks in oversea colonies. As they advanced towards Rome through the highway of the Appian Road littered with crucifixes and slaves left to die as a warning to future rebellions, they saw the plight of Roman Plebeians who had to pay the price of war, their sons and fathers never to be seen again with no shreds of evidence except for word of mouth passing from one person to another.
Behind them were the Carthaginian forces, Hoplites and war elephants eager to lay waste to their Roman oppressors. Anubis positioned Sekhmet to the rear to keep the eager and highly motivated Carthaginian hoplites in line and discipline to prevent needless pillaging and plundering. He however was at the front of the Army with Horus and Ra while Thoth and Anhur were in the mid section to lead a large force moving through hostile territories.
They soon caught the sight of Neapolis, the port city that was also the wine production center of Rome. There Anubis's sensitive nose sniffed the air, feeling the foul stench of rotten fruits coming from the farms and crops around town. The Strategos jackal panned his head around to observe the area from a hill his detachment took position on and found a city reeling from a sudden harvest failure, some of the peasants fleeing from invading armies were seen in the distance kicking up dust as refugees left the city's wall heading North to Rome.
"Foul play indeed...we'll have to do something about this. An unstable Rome will breed contempt for us in the future." Said Anubis to Horus. The avian prince glanced over at his brother and stroke his chin curiously while standing next to Ramiel. "But brother, would it be exceedingly satisfying for us to destroy our enemies and rejoice in the lament of their women?" Asked the falcon prince. "No. They will breed hatred with the seeds we sow, then they will take the war to us from the same diligent we show here today. Better not give them that excuse." Anubis replied sternly as he sighed out at the sight of war time tragedies that was playing out before him.
Thoth himself cringed slightly listening to Horus's more perverse word choice knowing him to be young, and rather quick to come to decisions. Thoth himself could smell the air and get a scent of the dreadful air. Not as well and the canine nose of Anubis, but a sure smell to take despite lacking what Anubis possessed. "Y-yes. Aside from which… Vengeance such as that will not turn well for us in the longer run. It's best we finish this conflict we so are engaged in and leave it at that. No more, and no less." Thoth said while trying not to gag.
Ra however was less an expert with keeping his words down. "Bah! And their women are all disease ridden as well. Good grief the air here is ripe with this ghastly scent. I sure hope your soldiers here aren't equipped with that canine scent since it must be torchering you Anubis." Ra said with a much blunter tone.
As they observed the battlespace, Anubis gestured his troops to set up a makeshift camp with wooden barricades to keep off Roman forces and funnel them into kill zones around the narrow entrances with spikes and watchtowers raining fire down on their enemies. The army following behind him soon set up camps around the hilltop to protect the Jackal Guards on their flanks.
The Roman Legions in the meantime were now preparing for their battles with the Egyptian army, Felix, son of Crassus was now no doubt facing the shadow of his father's cowardice nature casted over him. With an illustrious Roman family of Patrician denounced as warmongers, hypocrites and now greedy cowards, he felt the burden to destroy the shame somehow. "Check Ballista ammo! Prepare the Onager ropes, we ride to fight them at dawn!" Ordered Felix to the legion under his command as the Auxiliary ran to prepare their weapons and check their heavy and light artilleries in the city of Neapolis.
Anubis in the meantime had his army set up observation posts around the main camp, each one had a string of tripwire with some captured emanelwares wired on them to act as security measures. The men were cycled in and out of each posts to keep watch on the area in front of them while the Roman Legions were seen sending out Scout Equites to keep an eye on the Egyptian army's movements and their possible flanking attacks. All of this was observed by a single deity, Discordia, the goddess of Discord and chaos.
She hides inside a bush on an opposite hill overlooking the city and muse on the two opposing armies facing off with each other. "So I'll finally have the chance to soak up on mindless male entertainment and slaughter? Boring. I'd rather go poison the next patch of grapes than this." Said Discordia with a huff while Felix's legion prepare themselves for battles but neither side knew when will Bellona and her own Legion come.
As they lay and wait the arrival of Bellona's troops soon came in as big of a force as she could muster up. She herself did not ride on any chariot, or arrive in a very formal manner as most deities choose. Rather she walked among her soldiers with her massive sword slung over her shoulder. Her own deity sense told her of another deity nearby and as such she looked over to Discordia. Though not pleased. "Oh boy… I'm with you today? Did they mean for this to be my last battle since i'm feeling like several deities are in that camp over there I think." Bellona sated.
"Discordia! I knew it was you all along! You filthy saboteur of my wine crop!" Bacchus shrieked out pointing at Discordia as she then quickly hide her golden apple behind her back and gave an innocent glee to Bacchus as if to troll him. "What? Me? What did I do? I was just taking a nice little stroll around the place and sowing some of my DISCORD!" She shrieked out in a suddenly high pitched and demented manner with her eyes glowing bright as the stars. "On the populace of Neapolis, they could use some chaos and poisons to brighten their dreadful existence." Said Discordia in a teasing tone as she blew some dust off her shoulder.
Bacchus gasped seemingly outraged by the act of terror and senseless poisoning by Discordia as he quickly leaped on her using his belly to crush her on the spot. "Not today." Discordia flew away using her butterfly like wings on her back, leaving Bacchus to land on his stomach in a hard and less than graceful slam on the ground. "Like I said, nobody invited me to dinners or parties, think Zeus back in the Trojan War, so I decided to wreck their days big time. And by wrecking, I mean fed them with these." She smiled at the two as she held out her golden apple in hand for them to see, on the apple, it had the saying "To the fairest" written on it. She then held up another golden apple, this one had the saying "To the strongest" written on it, both were Latin writing. She smooched one of the apple as if to make herself an affront to Bellona and Bacchus. "The senate loved these in their last major party." Said Discordia.
Bellona dashed over to Bacchus and picked him up off of his stomach while glaring up at Discodia. Looking at the apples she could tell they're worse than gilded. Actual traps meant to alure weaker minded. It was confusing for Bellona to grasp how she worked, or what went on, but knowing Discordia not much in her mind was aligned.
"Oh you bitch! You poisoned them, and now you're going to run like this!? What the hell was any of this for even? Do you even know or was this a stunt to really kill off the rest of what we have left?!" Bellona questioned while circling her massive sword around in a circle. Her glare and red eyes locked onto Discordia.
Discordia giggled as she flew out of the way and dodged Bellona's blade swings side to side before finally summoned a rectangular purple doormat on the ground where Bellona was standing, stunning her just a moment before Discordia fired off her cluster of star sprite attack at Bellona's face. She then flew up into the air where Bellona can't reach her to taunt the Goddess of war and patron of warriors.
"Gee Bell, I wanna tell you something. Oh that's right! You're in a relationship with Vulcan! Hahahahahahahaha! Now I'll be off to let you slaughter all the buffy Egyptian guys over there. Have fun!" Said Discordia as she flew away in the air, "Not unless my wine demands vengeance!" Bacchus bellowed out as he ran after Discordia leaving Bellona and her two Roman Legions to take on the Egyptians that were on a hill on the opposite side of Neapolis.
Bellona after regaining her senses felt her energy drained more than it already had been before after facing Discordia's fierce and crazed onslaught of attacks. Bellona stumbled back onto her feet and shook her head out. "Damn her! Alright! Everyone! Rally now! Go!" Bellona commanded with as much of a stern tone as she could muster while she pointed her sword towards the Egyptian camp. Alone however she felt like her entire pantheon crumbled before her as her battle and war raged on.
The Roman Legion began to make their move towards the Egyptian encampment on the hill with Felix's legion leading the charge to take the camp head on. He positioned his ballistas around the camp to bombard its wooden walls with the bolts and stones being lobbed up at the garrison force. The bombardment caught the Egyptians off guard as they didn't expect the Romans to make a daring and bold attack to so suddenly, their camp's walls crumbled before the bombardments while the men scrambled from their half finished tents to grab their weapons and gears and man the defensive positions.
Anubis though commonly a cavalry commander found himself now on the ground with his heavy infantry, the Pezhetairoi, they formed themselves up into a Phalanx formation with their Sarissa spears pointed to their front looking at the front entrance of the camp, where Roman Legions would no doubt charge in from. Horus himself was manning the East entrance of the camp with his Royal Thorax Swordsmen forming a shield wall to keep the enemies at bay while other contingents of the Jackal Guards spread themselves out around the camp to anchor down the approaches.
The archers were stringing their bows and arrows behind the pikemen and melee infantry while the cavalry forces were tied up by another camp further back to be used as a quick reaction force in case he vanguard being attacked. Anubis himself dressed in a cuirass breastplate made of bronze, the style and design was highly reminiscent of Hellenic cultures with a Makedonian sun in the middle of the Cuirass's design.
On his head, he wore a customized Egyptian helmet made of pure gold with a face mask that covered his upper jaw and face with a pair of visor slits for him to keep an eye on the battlefield. His wrists and ankles all had protective gears and gauntlets with the latter sporting the ankh symbol of life. He held his signature Xiphos sword on his right hand and held up his Hoplon shield on his left ready for battles.
Next to Anubis Thoth came out of his own tent hearing the sudden battle spring up abruptly in the calm, and et tense environment they had orincall. He already had a bow on him, and his book ready for magic magialattackand speall casting, but he looked ahead at the charging Roman forces, and saw Bellona among the troops charging with her shield using it to deflect many of the arrows that hit it.
Many of the arrows turned into burnt ash upon hitting her shield as her fur seemed to channel through it. Thoth himself looked to Anubis nervously. "This war of ours has just turned into a pantheon war. We can't back down from this i'm afraid. Though… I can feel something not right with her…" Thoth commented.
"Either seething fury or begrudging commitment, either way she'll get her war." Said Anubis in a cold manner as he braced himself for the charging Romans that were coming up the hill, the Egyptians barely had time to prepare their defenses properly as a result there were not enough stakes and spikes to hold the advancing Roman troops back. The Pezhetairoi kept their Sarissa spears held up at the enemies, with each block of Roman Legionaries, the pikemen thrust their spears into the Roman's neck and vulnerable abdomen area, dropping anyone daring to come close to them while Anubis standing firmly behind them to keep up the troop morales.
Horus himself was doing the same as the crown prince let out a falcon screech that was so ear piercing to the Romans that some of them fell to their knees holding their ears in agony. Leaving them vulnerable and wide open for Egyptian Thorax swordsmen to hack and brought them down on the ground dead. To keep up the pressure, the Romans rotate Cohorts in and out of the assault to keep up momentum of their assaults while the Egyptians were clinging on to their positions with their men having no breaks in the midst of the fighting. "Hold the line men! Anhur and Sekhmet are on the way!" Horus screeched out as he joined in the fight stabbing the Romans with his tradition Egyptian short, a straight blade with an ornate hilt that bore his falcon head and name with the blade made of gold bearing inscriptions and hieroglyphs on its surface.
However, as Horus commanded his troops to take a firm stand on the ground, he quickly saw many of his troops flung into the air with broken or shattered bones as Bellona shield bashed many of the formations out of the way. "I don't have the energy for this! Someone is fucking with us! You're here at the wrong damn time!" Bellona shouted. She grabbed the hilt of her sword in both hands and spun around in a massive circle. Her sword large and long enough to create a massive rumble through the air in a metallic chime before she swung a circular cutting motion chopping through many of the set up Egyptian formations crippling them.
"Oh no not today!" Horus gasped out at the sight of Bellona's blades cutting through his Thorax swordsmen as he then leap into the air, using his wings to propel him flying towards her before make a heavy slash across Bellona's shield, hoping to knock it flying away only to see it merely having a scratch mark on its surface. "Damn you're good!" He cursed under his breath as the crown prince quickly grabbed his own shield, a large traditional Egyptian shield with spade shape made of gold with a large ankh symbol on its surface. He held the shield up and cover himself from several of her sword's slash and hack but the impact's forces were so strong that he was being pushed back slowly.
Thoth himself dash towards Horus's side skidding forwards and flinging the tip of his finger outwards towards Bellona. From the tip of Thoth's finger shot a cyan colored magical bolt of energy that managed to strike Bellona in her chest flinging her back towards her own men. "Oh this not good. I think we may have overestimated ourselves she-"
However, as he pandered on Bellona got back up from the dirt she layed on and darted her gaze right at Thoth. She spat out a blob of spit and huffed out. "Good then. Let play a little rougher. I don't think any of the legion here is strong enough to fight you head on so I'll be doing the fighting for them!" bellona said. Dashing at Thoth, the tip of her blade cut and grinding into the ground and cut a clear trench. She ran up to Thoth and spun around only for Thoth duck just in time while he grit his beak. He dashed backwards to see he was still in one piece thankfully, but saw bellona stumble around trying to get her foothing back.
"Mummify!" Came the growling voice of Anubis as a mummify bandage ensnared Bellona keeping her stunned and wrapped up tight in front of Anubis. He then summoned his scepter from the gem embedded on the gauntlet in his right palm and slammed its hilt on the ground. "Let the eternal darkness embrace you!" He chanted in a deep baritone as a dark cyan portal opened up under Bellona's feet where skeletal bony arms of the dead reached up and grabbed her leg. He then opened his mouth to bellow out a blast of cyan ethereal locusts at Bellona to further poke damage her before Horus dashed in and slash his blade across her chest.
Bellona gasped and backed up feeling the blade slash her across the chest. She stabbed her sword into the ground to prop herself upwards though clearly some of Horus's damages hit her as some of her deity blood hit the ground. It was however Thoth to stand in front of Horus and Anubis. He gave them both some type of stern look while shaking his head. "Something isn't right here. She's a deity of war, and one that powered the legion long enough to expand their territory. Yet she can barely hold an army or herself in battle now…" Thoth said in a cryptic voice looking back to Bellona.
Instead of charging forwards again Bellona stepped a couple steps backwards and sighed to herself. "Dammit you're killing us!... I can't… We can't… Ugh. You wasted enough. You let Discordia fly away and my entire pantheon, and this entire empire die at your hands.." Bellona argued.
Seeing the sight of Bellona, an enemy that can barely hold her own against her enemies render the battle virtually meaningless to Anubis by this point, the invasion and the objective of taking Rome, would mean nothing. In fact to Anubis, it would make Egypt no better than the enemies he had been slaughtering by the thousands. "Cease your aggression! Fetch water and food for the Goddess now!" Anubis shouted sternly to his warriors, this caught the ears of the Romans and Egyptians who were still locked in bitter combat as they turned their attention towards him surprised and stunned. "But my lord, we are in a war with these Romans! They came to our home and slaughtered our people!" One of the captains in the Jackal Guards protested to Anubis standing next to a Roman Centurion.
"Belay the aggression! We have served our duty well by evicting the Romans from Hellas. Now it is our job to end the conflict with honour and dignity. Lest we become the thing that we fought." He stated with a sigh before looking back at Bellona before approaching her, his sword sheathed and his shield mounted on his back, he then extended his hand to her to help the Roman Goddess of war up to her feet.
She grit her teeth, and nearly growled at him almost in a driven feral manner. She stepped back and panted before seeing Anubis holding his hand out to her. Such a simple gesture of peace, and something Bellona hadn't seen in years. In fact it was almost an alien gesture to her to see. She looked down to her own hand to her left slowly feeling compelled for once to end her own war stature as a goddess, and for once have a more peaceful approach. She held her hand up and grabbed onto Anubis's pulling herself in. As he saw some tears seemed to stream out of her own eye lids. "I don't know how long its been… They've used me… Just to expand past their own borders. I can't… I'm out of energy. I can't support them any longer… I just need… I need…." She felt a burden lift off of her, and instantly she collapsed in Anubis's arms her sword fell to her side.
Thoth looked to this alarmed however. "Used her?..." Thoth asked himself perplexed. His eyes looked upon the strange sight of Anubis almost hugging her. Keeping her supported when she can't support her followers or even herself. Here was more Thoth saw in this situation. "A slave to her followers… I didn't think that was possible. My goodness no. I didn't think deities could be made slaves, but it seems she couldn't answer to the demands of her people, and well... Grew weaker over time. I must say though Anubis. It must have taken some force to keep you from attacking any further. One that wasn't me this time. Let her, uh, rest. In some safer location. Her mana count is drastically low." Thoth said with a lower voice.
"A man can speak religiously Thoth. But he need neither practice nor heed to the creeds." Said Anubis in a cold tone as he lifted Bellona up in his palms into his personal Strategos tent to give her rest, much to the bewilderment of Horus who only looked on and sputtered in absolute surprise and confusion. Finding that the turn of events had become extremely bizarre for him and others liking.
He nonetheless followed his brother into the command tent of the camp to assist Anubis in whatever medical aid he need. The Legions of Bellona all looked on complete lost for words as they stood and watched the situation unfold. They knelt down to their knees and held their palms in a praying manners as they spoke in Latin praying for Bellona's recovery. To think that their own Goddess of War, a patron for warriors like them and yet she could barely hold her ground in war against the Egyptians.
The other Roman Legions of Felix soon saw the battle ended abruptly and felt nervous as to what happened next, the young Legatus rode on his steed towards the Egyptian camp holding a white flag in his hand hoping that the Egyptian army would acknowledge the signal of ceasefire and surrender. "Oh Triumphant warriors of the East, do the deeds of honour and grace, please give Rome your honest words for Peace and bury this hatchet. For wars between men make the Gods weep, war between the Gods make the Heavens cry oceans." Said the Legatus with all the strength and dignity that he could muster to give Rome the benefit of peace.
Bellona herself still barely conscious could make out Felix's word out of the many prayers the Romans for some reason. Though it was clear by her glare Felix may have been a large portion of her energy gone for her boy. "Aw shut up Felix! You and Crassus are the big reasons this is happening!" Bellona shouted. She laid down on her back in one of the tents set up while grumbinmg to any one who listened to her. She looked towards the other deity sniveling humiliated, defeated, and in a weak state, but never out of her determined state. "Look I j-just need f-five minutes. I can l-ead again. After a quick nap. Just leave me be…" Bellona said in a grumpy voice.
Of course Thoth by the bedside documented these events very carefully in his book with a stern frown on his own face while documenting the rare case of a dity being used as a salve to their followers. "They really are slavers. Well I'm fairly certain she can recover. The wound admittedly were harsh, but nothing I can't heal with time and patience. I request for mana chalices, and some materials for meditation. Scented candles, and herbal spices to burn for some relaxing smoke perhaps." Thoth said quickly. He himself seems to be perplexed, and nearly outraged if not for the polite tone he spoke in.
Anubis nodded to Thoth as he then knelt down to Bellona and patted her chest to give her some reassurance for what was going to happen next before he turned towards the entrance of his battered camp where Roman Legions most of whom were young adults, 18 years or slightly older. Barely out of their boy hoods and already thrusted into the harsh nature of War.
The Egyptian and Carthaginians on their flanks came in without a fight as they disarm the Roman Legions one at a time before Felix himself being escorted into the camp to meet Anubis face-to-face. "You have my word...for a ceasefire. But I will have peace with Rome's ruling government." Said Anubis in a stern tone to Felix who was standing before the entrance of the Strategos tent.
The young legatus gulped and swallowed his breath before Anubis before the deity came out to him with his armor still smudged with blood. "Rome started this war and must now accept defeat but do so with dignity. I will be lenient but acts of vengeance will not be tolerated." He threatened the Legatus sternly, making him shudder in his sandals. He nodded to Anubis before making his reply. "I understand that...you require someone to deliver words to Rome?"
[hr]
The streets of Rome was now crowded with refugees flocking into the city for shelters from Neapolis and Capua and the fighting in the South, they hadn't heard of news of their Goddess defeat but only the concern for their family's well-being and the various other concerns such as food, economic opportunities and even more extreme cases of preparing for their deaths. In the palace of Imperator Marcus Lenox, words have been reaching his ears of Roman Legions in Germania falling back to the Gaul's borders and fortify their forts there to prepare for possible migrations by Franks, Goths, Visigoths, Ostrogoths and various other Germanic tribes from central Germania into Gaul and Rome's Alpine border and the Po Valley.
A message was soon brought to his attention however, this one was folded up with a Roman eagle seal on it, He could tell that it was important and he had to answer it soon. The moment he opened the letter he saw one written in Latin but the wording and tone was clearly not Romans, but at the very least the letter was straight to the point and serious with concerns for Rome's future surprisingly enough.
Woe to the mothers of Rome, woe to the sons of Rome. Accept defeat with grace and dignity and Rome may reborn. Bellona fought bravely in battles but her strength was but candles in the winds, extinguished and barely able to hold her ground. For Rome and Bellona to enjoy peace and rebuild, I shall speak before you Imperator Marcus Lenox. Open the gates of Rome, in two days time I shall return Bellona and your legions unharm.
Veni, Vidi, Vici.
Anubis.
"Anubis? The deity? He bothered to write this mortal man a letter such as this? When no one else would heed my words?" Marcus Lenox asked himself. He leaned back in his chair feeling this as his chance to make a proper end. Despite everything this was the one message that he was waiting for. He knew already if the goddess the Romans worshipped couldn't sustain he as a mere man would fair even worse. "Our Bellona what have we done to you… Dammit… I accept. I accept defeat, and i call for a full retreat back into what is left. I want a personal meeting though with Anubis now that I have his attention. Now I can put this empire, or what's left of it to a cease." Lenox said with a thoughtful frown worn on his face.
"Yes Imperator. Ave Caesar!" Said the messenger of the palace as he quickly ran to gather some quills and papers to write on and began to work on a letter for Anubis knowing that this was Rome's chance to salvage its dire situation and the failing regime it is suffering. Once the letter was written and finished, a pigeon was sent out with the letter in tow flying down south to Neapolis to deliver the letter to the Egyptian Strategos.
[hr]
Bloodshed and needless killing red the land as Legionnaires were buried in full armor and military honour, each one had a pair of coins, Roman Denarii on their eyes with their swords in their grasp. Anubis himself sat on the hill of his encampment watching the Roman Legionnaires being given a pyre funeral in a mass grave to prevent their corpses from harboring diseases and germs. The other servicemen were watching their comrades parted the Realm of the living and enter Elysium in the flame, some would go to Pluto's Tartarus but alas, the deeds had been done.
Anubis sat next to Horus with his cuirass resting beside him letting the Roman's autumn air blowing over his exposed torso under the pale moonlight. A pigeon would then fly over their heads before landing down in front of Anubis dropping the letter it was carrying to him. "So Rome had made its reply. Let's see what we have." Said Anubis as he picked the letter up and walked into the Strategos tent with Horus where the important generals were waiting along with Ra and Thoth. "We have Rome's reply. They agreed to negotiate with us, and most importantly, a graceful end to the war they've lost." Said Anubis as he held the letter in hand and unfurled it to Ra and Thoth to read for themselves.
Ra pumped his arm downwards in a jackpot type of gesture while a massive grin appeared on his face. "Yes! We did it! I mean… Of course we did it! We win again just like always!" Ra shouted with victory glee. He grabbed both of his hip in his hands and sighed out. "Now then. What do you do now? I won't actually expecting to get this far yet. We did that with more efficiency than I would have thought we could accomplish." Ra said with some curiosity.
Thoth rose a single digit up on his right hand and cleared his throat. "Well first off we convey with this particular Roman leader. Then we make more negotiations, apply a peaceful tone with them. Then we make talks of a reformed society, rebuild much of their city centers since from what I have seen thus far… They'll require us for a hand. Currently I feel their own deities are anxious knowing our presence draws near." Thoth stated.
"As far as I can see it, Rome must be contained and there are still pretenders out there lustfully crave its throne. I'll sign the Peace Treaty, but we'll have to carve up some territories. Roman Empire will be in Latinum and the Gaul. But the rest, return to their rightful owners. Iberia to Carthage along with Karia and Corsica. Magna Graecia back to the Greeks along with Syracuse restore to its independent status." Said Anubis in a stoic tone as he looked at the world map of the Mediterranean with Horus stroking his chin curious at Anubis's intentions with carving up Roman empire in such a manner.
"Are you just going to draw random borders by sneezing?" Sekhmet asked in a sarcastic tone at Anubis pointing down at the map that he was drawing the border lines on. "No, Magna Graecia is our buffer state with the Greeks against Rome's possible future conquests. Carthage's hold in the Iberia will give our partner in the Western Mediterranean the financial power it need to rebuild itself along with the Agricultural power at home." Said Anubis as he drew the map's boundaries to help Thoth and Ra realize his intentions.
On the map, they saw the southern parts of Italian Peninsula, the cities of Croton and Tarentum being ceded to the Greeks with the island of Sicily divided into two with Syracuse being an independent city state with Carthage holding onto Lilybaeum to the west of the island. On the Iberian Peninsula, the South East corner of the peninsula along the coast were marked as Carthaginian territories. And finally Rome's territories shrunk back to Latinum being under direct central control of Rome, encompassing the northern cities of Arretium and Arriminium and the southern cities such as Neapolis, Capua. "That's the extent of Rome's territories." Said Anubis.
"Still too big." Ra said in an abrupt blurt much to Thoth's own chagrin. "Personally I would have revoked them after seeing the bodies, and the trouble they have caused, but oh well. This is as close to an agreement we are going to receive here. Oh but at least our Greek allies will have their territories returned. That's fair." Ra said while gazing back at the remaining Roman territory with a stern frown.
Thoth however seemed much more gentle here and looked to the map more with a lighter heart. "I believe this is fair. They claimed those territories before and it's just the right amount for them to sustain themselves, and keep to themselves. Not too much where they will end up owning too much they could ever possibly control, and not too little where they won't have enough. I see this as fair. Even if you don't agree Ra. I have to agree though the Greek territories were much desired to be back in the hands of their rightful owners. Who know Anubis. Perhaps this will be a brighter future for Rome as a possible Ally perhaps?" Thoth asked in an optimistic tone.
Anubis himself nodded to Thoth but very slowly showing that he still had doubts regarding the Roman's willingness to take this bitter pill and swallow it whole seeing that they had been spoon fed propaganda of conquests and victories. The pride of Rome rests on the tip of the spear of the Legions marching into the land of the enemies and barbarians to expand Rome's domain. But now they were fighting for survival itself. "They'll either take it with dignity, or take it with a blade." Said Anubis in a menacing tone making his threats clear that he would not hesitate to fight them aggressively.
[hr]
Discreet and discretion were his to use in the high stake situation he found himself in, Ratatoskr zipped from one shadow to another, crawling on the ground and scurry on all fours towards the Roman Palace of Salona. The Balkan was an easy travel for him from the forests of Germania and Asgard. The sly messenger of the held up a shrub to cover his silhouette as he began to tip toe towards the nearby garden of the palace. The place apparently had been built some years ago as one of the Brutii's trophy palace for their conquest of Illyria.
"Infamy! Treasonous Infamy!" Bellowed Crassus in his palace as he slammed his fist on the table upon hearing the news of Imperator Marcus Lenox calling for peace with the Egyptians. He was apparently writing his letter to the Scipii family in the Iberia Peninsula and Karalis island.
"How dare he call for peace while Roman blood scream vengeance!? I will make Rome great again whether he likes it or not!" Crassus coughed out on the table as he finished the letter and went to the Pigeon coup to pick his courier. "Ooooh chance of redemption before moving to Midgard. Maybe I'll stay in some place call Texas." Said Ratatoskr as he rubbed his paws together deviously and grinned.
He then entered the palace window and tip toe towards Crassus as he was walking away from his private chamber to deliver a copy of the letter. As he walked away however, the squirrel of the Norse quickly tucked on his toga and crawl up on his head, he looked around slightly before curled up, pretending to be his hair. Crassus didn't suspect a thing, save for the odd warm sensation he had on his head.
He stopped for a moment before tapping on the top of his head feeling something furry and squishy, he felt it odd that his often bald head had hair. "By the grace of Juno! I've grown hair! Finally no longer being called an old baldy!" Crassus screamed out as happy as a boy finding his first nugget of gold before running out of his palace towards the pigeon coup just across the garden.
"Nuts?" the squirrel suddenly squeaked up from on top of his head causing Crassus to screech to a halt as he looked around for the origin of the voice. "Who goes there? Show yourself so I can make you my slave!" He growled out with his mouth drooling and his facial expression seem to ooze a mentally deranged lunatic with power.
"Up here grandpa mama!" The squirrel hung his face down at Crassus's own making him scream like a lady struggling to remove the roden from his face. As he batted his hands and ran around aimlessly, Ratatoskr grabbed his letter from his hands and fired off a trio of lighting acorns at him, zapping him in the process.
"See ya wanna be a miya! Hahahahahahahahaha!" Ratatoskr chuckled as he ran through the streets of Salona with the letter in his mouth towards the port of the city. "Stop that rodent it stole the sacred letters of Rome's future!" Crassus shouted incoherently as his Legionnaires and mercenaries ran after Ratatoskr, only to find that catching a rodent with agility, speed and maneuverability as his advantage made them bumped into one another and falling over crates and wooden boxes.
Ratatoskr made a lighting zap towards the port where he found a Viking Knarr transport ship that he arrived on, he jumped on the deck of the ship and panted out heaving in and out before handing the letter to the ship's main Viking warrior, Gunter the Geats. "Found the super secret letter of bald head Crassus! The guy is a total crossdresser since he screamed like a woman and wear a dress while having a man's bald head." Said Ratatoskr in an overly excited and cheerful tone as he attempted to lighten the mood.
The overly abrupt entrance of Ratatoskr caused only confusion to form inside of Gunter's mind as he was verbally bludgeoned by the hyperactive squirrel deity. He backed up at first taken off guard, and confused. "Excuse me what? I didn't catch any of that. What did you say. Oh a note." Gunter said as he took the note. He unraveled it while eyeing over Ratatoskr making sure he was staying non rabid. "Hmmm. alright let's see what I got to deal with here. You're not a biter by any chance are you?" Gunter said in a concerned tone unsure of one of deities of his own pantheon.
Ratatoskr shook his head as he munched on some nuts in a basket next to him before being pestered by a tabby cat Gunter brought along. The cat itself began to play fight with Ratatoskr by first pinning the squirrel's head down with its paw while Ratatoskr hold the cat back with his tiny paws. But being a rodent, he himself was rather easy prey for the kitten's picking as the feline continue his curious interaction with the rodent deity. Gunter however saw that the letter by Crassus was an order of attack to the Legions stationed in Karalis and Corsica islands to attack Rome's Eastern coast while his own legions in the Balkan will make an assault on Rome from the West after they have landed on the coast of Italy.
Seeing the attack order Gunter thought it was an alarming find, and possibly a stroke of luck. He whistled to the tabby cat looking back towards Ratatoskr for a quick conversation ."Simon leave him alone for a moment. This sounds like someone has got into Crassus's mind and poisoned him. He does know attacking an entire legion would be a civil war right? I know they have strict punishments including death, but this is crazy now. How did you even sneak in to get this? I thought the Romans had superior body guard coverage." Gunter said in a perplexed tone.
"Ha! They barely pay their bodyguards for capturing the great Ratatoskr woohoo! So I got in and out pretty easily as a result." Said Ratatoskr in an overly excited tone as the Knarr transport left Salona out to the South Eastern coast of Italy in a rather brief trip. "So now we just need to get to the Egyptian edgelord and tell him about Crassus super secret holiday wishlist! Buying Rome!" The squirrel tossed his paws into the air and juggled a trio of acorns around in his paws while looking up at Gunter who carried a large battle axe and round shield, one of the standard weapon loadouts of Viking warriors.
Hearing this they already had plans to make ahead of time before the Roman situation escalated any further. It was a breakthrough for Gunter to hear Rome to go into a civil war even if the full picture wasn't within his head yet. He punched a fist on his shield and grinned. "If you can stay focused long enough then go now! Get our allies informed and I can stay here and get the rest of the men here equipped with this. We are getting our homes back!." Gunter boasted.
"Righty o as Artio! I'm blasting off again!" Ratatoskr hopped up and down before finally leaped into the air disappearing into a brilliant blue light in the sky. Gunter could feel the cold air of Yggdrasil blowing down his shoulders and coats. The the world tree of the Norse had now become rather cold and withered. A premonition of what's to come for the Norse and all pantheons as the war draws to a close in the Winter season.