Chapter 11: Decimation
"Beast Boy, are you there?" Robin's voice jolted Beast Boy from his stupor. He opened his eyes disoriented by the afternoon sunlight.
"Robin?" Beast Boy said meekly. He saw two Alanae inspecting his communicator.
"The devil, the devil," they quickly dropped the device and began stomping on it.
"Stop!" Beast boy's voice rose slightly as he realized that they were destroying his only link to his friends. The two men finished smashing the offending device then turned their attention to their wounded opponent.
"We've got a live one," one of them commented as Beast Boy's heart sank. Pain still racked his body. He could offer no resistance as the men closed in on him. One of the men grabbed Beast Boys hair and held his head up exposing his neck. Beast Boy then realized he had been stripped of his armor and weapons. The other man put his sword to his neck. Beast Boy hoped the men would provide him with a quick death and relieve him of the horrible pain he was in.
"HALT," Augustus cried out. "He is Spectibalis." The men paused and turned to the man who attempted to command them. They sheathed their swords and released their grip on their captive.
"Augustus," Beast Boy meekly addressed the emperor. He tried to stand but the pain was overwhelming.
"Do not rise Defensor," he replied as he knelt next to him. His face was dirty and blood trickled from his head down the side of his cheek. He had also been stripped of his armor and weapons.
"Where is everyone?" Beast Boy asked knowing the answer in advance.
"We are the only ones left from our original group," he glumly replied. Beast Boy slumped further, dulled by the pain and the realization that was lost.
"Get him up now," a finely dressed man on horseback addressed the duo.
"He can not walk in his condition. He is Spectibalis. You must provide him with a horse," Augustus quickly demanded. Beast Boy looked up and recognized the rider as the Dux Sebastian had pointed out earlier. The man paused unsure how to respond to his prisoner's demand.
The other footmen looked up at the rider awaiting his decision. He nodded and the men brought a horse forward. Augustus helped Beast Boy to his feet. His head spun as the weight of his arm drove further waves of pain through his body.
Augustus gently boosted him up into the saddle. Beast Boy leaned forward trying to steady himself. From his new perch he could see the remnants of the battlefield. Bodies, broken equipment and dead or dying horses lay strewn around him. Some of the Alanae were wandering through the debris salvaging equipment or scavenging for trophies. Somewhere on that field lay Sebastian's broken body. Beast Boy saw a small group of two dozen unarmed men that were all that remained of their troops. Armed men on foot and several horsemen surrounded them.
"Let's go," the Dux commanded. The Dux and several horsemen took the lead striking out from the field back down the road they had emerged from earlier. Each step Beast Boy's mount took shot agonizing pain through his body. He was sure if he had not been given a horse he would be laying dead on the battlefield. The others fell in behind him but he was in too much pain to notice them.
The group traveled along the road through the afternoon without a break. The afternoon sun was unrelenting and the dust from the road only added to the general misery of the defeated men.
After several hours the group approached a small walled settlement. The group was lead inside to a square and was greeted by another large group of soldiers. Augustus helped Beast Boy off his mount. Beast Boy leaned heavily on him momentarily until he felt some strength return to his legs.
"Come forward Julius," the Dux commanded. Augustus stepped forward as Beast Boy struggled to keep his balance. The Dux unceremoniously stripped him of his purple cape. The opposing troops broke out in cat calls and foul language serenading the disgraced leader.
The captured men were quickly lined up. On of the officers went down the line of prisoners and selected two of them. Other soldiers grasped their arms and dragged them forward then forced both of them to their knees. Jeers erupted from the soldiers in the plaza. Another soldier stepped forward, drew his sword and quickly thrust it into the prone man's throat. The man emitted a wet cry then collapsed onto the pavement as blood quickly pooled underneath his lifeless body. A loud cheer erupted from the other soldiers. The other man struggled with his captors but quickly met the same fate as the other. Soldiers then led the rest of the prisoners out of the plaza.
Beast Boy stood numb watching the proceedings. "What's happening?" he weakly asked Augustus.
"Decimation," he calmly replied. "Punishment for rebellion; the victor always decides the fate of the defeated."
Several soldiers came forward and roughly pulled Augustus and Beast Boy towards a large stone building. Beast Boy nearly collapsed as pain shot back through his body. Both were led inside and down a dimly lit corridor into the bowls of the building then into a dingy basement room. The door quickly swung closed and latched behind them. Dim light filtered in through a small barred window in the door. The stench was nearly unbearable and Beast Boy could barely stand due the immense pain in his shoulder.
Augustus gently lowered him to the floor and knelt over him. "Rest now if you can," he tried to reassure him. Beast Boy figured this was the end. The door opened and two men entered with torches.
"Julius, come with us," one requested. Augustus looked down and nodded to Beast Boy. This would be the last time he would see his clear blue eyes. The light faded and the doors closed behind him leaving Beast Boy lying on the cold floor drifting in and out of consciousness.
Eventually the pain and stench became overwhelming and Beast Boy lay in misery on the cold floor for what seemed like several hours. He could see light intensify in the door's barred window. The latch was engaged and then the door swung open. With great effort Beast Boy hoisted himself into a sitting position. Two men dragged an unconscious body between them depositing it in the middle of the room. By the looks of it they had savagely beat Augustus nearly to death.
Beast Boy barely recognized the man they had taken from him. He began to draw deep breaths as his heart began to race in anger.
"What have you done to him," he demanded.
"We just gave him a bit of the royal treatment," replied one of the guards in a gruff voice. His partner let out a slight laugh. "It doesn't matter. Neither of you are going to see the dawn. We've got bets on what color blood comes out of you when we lop your head off you little green freak."
Beast Boy crawled over and knelt next to Augustus' beaten body. His breaths were shallow and short. Beast Boy closed his eyes as the rage in his body began to rise. His left fist clenched in anger as he drew deep breaths trying to drive out the pain that had consumed him. He let out a fierce shriek helping him focus his rage on his intended targets.
When Beast Boy relented he stood in the dark cell slightly stooped drawing deep ragged breaths. He looked around and noticed both guards lay prone on the floor. He couldn't remember what had just happened. The pain in his shoulder returned with a vengeance as he staggered back to the body of Augustus.
He fell to his knees next to him and closed his eyes as another wave of pain shot through his body. When he looked up a long shadow fell across the room; someone else was entering the cell. Beast Boy dared not turn around. He drew several breaths unsure if he had any more strength to confront the person entering the cell.
"You must be Beast Boy," Warp's voice echoed in the stone cell.
"Yea," Beast Boy replied glumly.
"Come, it's time to go."
"But we were supposed to have an imperial banquette in Gaul," he weakly protested. "Me and Sebastian were going to hook up."
"Oh please," Warp said with a slight laugh. "You don't even know were Gaul is."
"But we were the good guys. We were supposed to win," Beast Boy continued as he watched Augustus draw short breaths.
"Well let that be a lesson to you; the good guys don't always win." Warp opened the time portal grabbed the back of his shirt and dragged Beast Boy into it.