Chapter 7: The Gates of Vienna

Note: If you haven't yet, re-read Chapter 6 as it's been heavily edited.

Telarian and Trebil drew their horses out of the forest into full view of the fort. The wearied companions halted and took in its majesty. "Vienna," murmured Telarian.

Laboriously constructed with Druidic magic and weathered from hundreds of years of combat, Vienna projected an image of strength and magnificence. The Rhone River stretched around the outcropping that the fort sat on, almost as if the river itself had bent to the will of Vienna's majestic towers.

The fort had played an important role in Gaul history, both strategically and politically. By tradition, the lord of the fort was considered to be the lord of the Gaul people. It also guarded one end of the mighty bridge that crossed the Rhone. In more peaceful times, Augusta was the gate that Gaul traders went through in order to trade with the Latin people.

However, after the rise of Rome and the unification of the Latium, the Empire set out to absorb her neighbors. After Rome had been sacked several times by barbarian invaders (totally out of control of the Gaul Kings), she set out to create a series of buffer states around Latium. The historically peaceful Gaul became more militant as tribesmen pressed against its eastern borders, Britons pressed against its northern borders, and Latins kept the door to the south shut. A single warlord named Vercingetorix united the disparate Gaul tribes and repelled the invaders. Excited at their success, they raided the lands just north of the Latium Empire. Rome caught wind of the Gaulish advance and was all too happy to use it as an excuse to declare war on Gaul.

That was about twelve years ago. The fighting had been bloody on both sides. The Romans gained the upper hand by spreading dissent in the Gaul ranks, convincing and sometimes bribing entire tribes to rebel against Vercingetorix. Nevertheless, the Gauls had put up a good fight. It cost the Roman army nearly forty thousand soldiers to take Vienna alone. Still, the Gauls have been on the defensive the past five years. Vercingetorix has grown old and feeble, and rules his crumbling empire from a throne far from the battlefield. The Gaul Empire seemed to be on the decline. At least, until now.

Telarian and Trebil watched as the mighty gates of Vienna swung open. A stream of cavalry poured out of the opening, with each squadron of six cavalry sweeping towards its predetermined place.

Trebil nudged his horse forward. "C'mon, lad. It looks like the Praetor has cast out the Paladins already. We'd best get inside Vie with haste. I do believe the optiones would like to speak to us."

Telarian followed, entranced by the disciplined maneuverings of Vienna's Cavalry. "Mars strike me, but I should've gone Paladin," he said.

Trebil belted a laugh, and turned around as he rode towards Vienna. "And be with those uptight prissies? Naw, you chose well, lad, to select the scouts. Besides, you ain't got the noble blood in you for the Paladinship."

-----

Geoff leaned against the wall of the control room and sighed. He had been assigned three months of watch duty for having an affair with a fellow soldier's wife. He hated the job, as it kept him awake during the night and asleep during the day. He knew he was lucky to avoid a military execution, but after being penned up in control room with only an idiot to talk to drove him crazy.

"Hey, I've got an idea!" said his companion. "How about we play a game, huh? I'll think of something, and you guess what it is!"

Geoff groaned. He walked across the room and laid down on a bench that lay in front of the arrow-slits that looked down at the gates of Vienna. "Give it a rest, Peewee. I swear to Mars, if you suggest one more game I'm going to kill you."

"Oh, c'mon, it'll be fun! We gotta do something, we're control room buddies!" whined Peewee.

Before Geoff could get up to give Peewee a good smacking, the door to the control room opened and a Centurion walked in. Geoff leapt to his feet.

The Centurion unraveled a scroll. "You are soldier Geoff, are you not? The Praetor wishes to speak with you. He has special commands for the upcoming battle."

"Hey! What about me?" piped up Peewee. "I guard the control room too! And I volunteered for the job; I'm not doing it for punishment like him!"

The Centurion turned to Peewee irritably and brushed him off. "No, the Praetor asked only for him. I will take his place, and together we will guard control room. Besides," the Centurion continued thoughtfully, "we can't leave the control room unprotected, can we?"

Peewee nodded slowly. "Yes, that's true. But why didn't the Praetor simply give you the—"

Geoff cut Peewee off. "Sir, permission to leave my post to see the Praetor?"

The Centurion nodded. "Of course. Make haste, soldier. I have a feeling that I don't want to wait here very long."

Geoff smirked as he walked out the door. Sucker. You deal with him now...

-----

Hossein sat proudly in his mount's saddle. He surveyed the land in front of him, and refused to look backwards to judge the morale of the troops. It has been too long since I have returned home, he thought. The sky, the trees, the animals...the land itself calls for freedom. One of the Roman roads came into view on the horizon, and Hossein sneered. These Romans are leeches on the land. They cut down the mighty oaks, they mine the sacred burial sites, and they carve their crude roads into holy land. Hossein shook his head. We tried to reason with them. We told them how their violent ways were upsetting the land. Already, most of the wildlife has fled. The land is drying up. But they do not care.

A rider came galloping from the west. Hossein recognized him as one of the lead scouts. Hossein signaled his army to halt, and spurred his mount onwards to meet the scout.

"All is in place, King Hossein," murmured the scout. "The Romans have seen us coming, as we had expected. They have mobilized their cavalry to the north."

King Hossein smiled. They hope to catch us in a pincer. Well, we'll have a surprise waiting for them. "Are all the units in place?" asked the King.

The scout nodded gravely. "Yes, milord. Everyone is in place. Including..." the scout trailed off, and the King glanced from side to side to make certain nobody was looking, and then moved closer.

"Listen to me," whispered the King. "There has been a change of plans. We attack this evening. Go to the other Kings and spread the word, quietly." The scout paled visibly and gulped, but gestured his assent. "If I hear so much of a word that you talked to anyone else other than a King," threatened Hossein, "either before or after the start of the battle, I will kill you myself." The scout hid his face and turned away. "Remember this," stated the King gravely. The scout turned and rode off into the distance.

The King turned back to his troops and signaled them to start moving forward again. Today, I will reclaim Vienna in your name, Emperor Vercingetorix, vowed the King silently. And together, we will wipe the Roman plague from the land.