AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Hi, I'm back. Last time I updated the fanfic and added a character sheet for the Main and Major characters. This time, I'm adding map references so that all of you will have a better understanding of the world of this fanfic in a more physical sense. I will be dropping the map of Londinium to help you understand where is where and where is who. Thanks and enjoy the fanfic.
wikipedia/commons/1/19/Map_Londinium_400_
On the other side of Londinium…
Vespa, the maid who was thought to be King Arthur's assassin and friend to Chara, woke up in her house. If she had to place a word on what she's feeling right now, it would be 'Shaken'. She does not remember how she got there, nor does she remember what caused her to go to sleep in the first place. What she did know is that the High King spoke to her about… something… and a voice from some stranger before she blacked out.
Vespa raised her head to see the entire bedroom. It was a small room. It only had enough space for a cupboard, a bed, and a row of shelves for her clothes. The rats would always gnaw at her garments so she spent weeks saving up enough money to have a carpenter fashion one to fit her room. Nowadays, she made it her mission to ensure that none of the children's clothes would get eaten by the rodents by placing them at the very top.
"Oh, mama's awake." said a voice near the doorway of the bedroom.
Vespa perked up at the mention. The candlelight in the room flickering was the second thing she noticed after that. The windows were closed. Must have been windy, she thought. She slowly got up from the bed and looked down to notice that she was still wearing her maid uniform. Did she sleep on these? Whatever, don't mind it now. She needs answers. Vespa then walked out of the bedroom to enter the hall. It was a moderately sized hall. The children both eat, sleep, and play in this area, so you would expect them all to be here. However, only the eldest was present. Where did the two go?
"Mama, dinner's ready." Said the eldest as he set the table and the pillows. He then sat on his belly and started to eat what he prepared: bread and fruit with a pitcher of wine as a side. The eldest noticed something odd with his mother and looked up to see that she was pale white. Odd.
"Amandus..." his mother slowly spoke. It was concerning to see his mother look so… shaken. She had never acted like this before.
"Yes, mama?" Amandus asked as he looked at his mother strangely whilst pouring himself a cup of wine.
"How did I get here?" His mother then sat slowly onto the bed near the table. The food seemingly out of her vision as she regarded her son with worry and an emotion that Amandus can't pinpoint.
"Old man Vinderus carried you here. He said something about you drinking with someone and then saw you lie on the table after that." Amandus explained as concern etched his face. Did something bad happen to his mom?
"I see… I forgot he was there…" Vespa whispered to herself as she furrowed her eyebrows as if she's trying to remember the time with the disguised High King. On a sidenote, It was fortunate that the barkeep saw her before things went wrong without her knowing. She shivered as the chilly wind blew into the room. She looked up to see the cloudy night sky gloomily reflecting her mood-
Wait… night?
"When did Vinderus bring me back here? It was morning when I went to the tavern." Vespa asked as she hastily got up to grab a third piece to cover herself up. Amandus was alarmed at the quick movements and rose from his bed before he replied.
"A-around an hour before noon. He didn't stay long when he was here. Why?" He weakly asked. His concern morphing into slight fear for his mother.
Vespa paused to control herself. She took that moment to look at her son and realise that she was scaring him. Her face switched to consoling and her voice became warm.
"It's alright, my son. I'm alright." Vespa said it with such honesty that Amandus relaxed his unconsciously stiff shoulders. After making sure that her son is all calm and relaxed, her voice then became serious.
"I simply need to talk to Vinderus. I've been asleep for hours on end and I'd like to have a few words with him. Where are your sisters?" Vespa asked. It was here that Amandus perked up and began to scrunch up his eyebrows to remember where they were.
"Tonata and Apollina are with Madame Severina at the forum. They were playing with their friends there." Amandus then had a bright idea and asked, "Should I call them back home?"
"We'll be going there together so there's no need for that. I'll do it myself. We wouldn't want the old couple to be exhausted with your rowdy sisters." Vespa said as she walked towards the door to which Amandus followed suit. "We'll be going home after I speak to Vinderus about someth-"
stomp stomp stomp stomp stomp stomp stomp stomp
As Vespa opened the door, she was greeted by a flood of red and metal. She should not have been surprised by their presence. She had served with them under the same ruler, after all. But something is amiss. She can feel air shifted as the grim soldiers marched the street. The crunching sound of the snow under boot echoed in her mind as she looked on to see the commander - a centurion it seems - bark with a howling voice news that surprised everyone spectating.
"To the people of Londinium! I bring to you orders from the Imperatrix." the centurion's sneer could be heard even as the cold winds blew "A curfew is set ten minutes from now. Anyone seen outside of their homes shall be treated as a criminal and will be dealt as such. You are all commanded to return to your houses and obey the curfew."
"What? There was never a need for a curfew. Why would there be one now?" Vespa whispered as the entire neighbourhood erupted in justified outrage. She took her son's hand and shut the door tight before she walked her way to Vinderus' house just down the street to the Forum. She kept her head down and covered her face to shield herself from the cold. However, one of the soldiers saw her and thought the wrong thing.
"You!" the soldier exclaimed as he broke rank to talk to Vespa. He was young, Vespa noticed. And that unnerved her, because it was the younger soldiers that were the more uncouth and uncaring compared to the older generation.
"Y-yes?" Vespa asked as she huddled her son away from the soldier thereby making herself a human shield. She made her face shown to the soldier at that point, and it seemed to have calmed the man down.
"Where are you two headed?" the soldier asked after looking at them for weapons and such.
"I need to pick up my children." Vespa said as she internally applauded herself in keeping her voice level. "The curfew's about to start and I can't let them stay outside, after all."
The soldier nodded in understanding and just waved the pair off. It didn't matter much if he let them off easy, they are not so important as the group of drunks making a scene at the centre of the road. Vespa wisely made her son look forward without turning back despite the many wails of pain that came from the drunks behind them.
"What's happening, mama?" Amandus scaredly asked as he led the way to the Forum, where his siblings' friends lived.
"I don't know, my son. But what I do know is that we need to find your sisters and go home as soon as possible." Vespa said as she helplessly watched the people around being pulled, shoved, and whacked by the increased presence of soldiers.
They didn't live far from the markets of the Forum, meaning they rarely a pair - much less a patrol - of the city guard around here considering how militant the merchants are when it came to their goods. It had been one of the many quirks the Gallo-Romans brought with them from their homeland. The majority of the merchants who lined the street before the Forum and after it are old veterans or mercenaries who found their respective talents in the mercantile business. The practice of a soldier retiring to be a merchant is a common thing for the Gallo-Romans in the centuries they existed as a People. As such, no one wanted to steal or destroy what they sold. Lest they meet the business end of a wooden broadsword. So to see the street vendors being tossed aside by the soldiers without a care for what they broke was not just appalling, it made her wonder whether or not Nero truly wanted this to happen. How could the ruler she put so much faith on allow such an abuse of power to happen?
"We're getting close, mama." Amandus said as he walked towards a group of houses that sat beside the street to the Forum. There, at the doorstep of the middle house, was a woman of elderly age with a twin pair of girls that looked towards the two of them with happiness within their wide green eyes.
"MAMA!" yelled the twins as they barreled towards Vespa. The woman knelt down and quickly embraced her children. She did not have time to indulge in it however, and rose up with both girls hand in hand. She looked up to see Amandus talking to the woman who seems to be the mother of her children's friend.
"Sorry for the trouble, madam Severina. I didn't mean to keep them here the whole day." Amandus said apologetically. To her credit, Severina didn't feel offended by the fact that the agreement was only for a few hours. She had the tact to understand that now is not the time to bother with such technicalities.
"Oh, don't start with me, young man. You've done nothing wrong." the old woman waved her hand as she walked past Amandus to address Vespa with a warm smile.
"Ah, Vespa! The lovely mother of these fine ladies." Severina said as she smiled at the twins. "Oh! Where are my manners? Please come in. This is not the place to have a pleasant conversation. What with the winter being this severe."
Vespa was about to say something, but she was stopped by the suddenly sharp look the old woman had for what was behind her rather than herself.
"If it is okay with you…" Vespa, distracted, replied as she more or less shoved her children into the house. The maid then turned around to see roman soldiers a hundred strong march down the road. She did not need any other sign to close the door shut. She turned her back on the door and faced Severina who had a distressed look on her face.
"They've been increasing their patrols ever since Vinderus found you in that tavern." Severina said as she waved her hand to motion Vespa to follow her.
The house of the seamstress was a small, yet tall house. As soon as Vespa entered, she saw the main dining area in the middle of everything. That is where the children are currently. Eating what was prepared on the table. Behind the dining area is the kitchen and the staircase that leads to the second floor. Where the seamstress' workshop and bedroom is, probably. Other than the restroom that is installed beside the kitchen, nothing else was on the first floor. The maid watched as the old woman went into the main hall and pointed at the stack of planks, a modestly crafted toolbox with two hammers and a pack of nails beside the dining area and said,
"Be a dear and help me with them, why don't you." Severina said as she took one plank and walked back to the front door. Where two windows beside the door were. It did not need saying what the old woman was trying to do.
"Does anyone know why all of this is happening?" Vespa asked as she grabbed the spare hammer and a wooden plank. She walked with those items at hand and patiently studied how Severina placed the plank diagonally on the window and started nailing into the window frame.
"Not much. All I know is what Vinderus knows: that due to the final meeting the Imperatrix is having right now, she ordered a curfew for "the security of the people"." Severina then took Vespa's plank to complete the 'X'. With that window safe and secured, the two of them went back to get more wood.
"That doesn't make sense." Vespa countered as she took 2 planks while Severina carried the nails. "If she wanted to keep us safe, she would have done the curfew a week ago or earlier!"
"I am in no power to counter their decision." the Seamstress said as they returned to the front door to take care of the second window. She then looked at Vespa with a determined expression. "And from the looks of things, you as well. I know what your job is and that you hold influence in Nero's halls, but from where we are standing, all we can do is stay here and protect our children."
"You don't have to tell me that." Vespa said in dismay as she held the last plank to ensure that the nail was properly hammered in.
"That's two of them shut. All that is left is the one in the kitchen." Severina said as she felt her shoulders sag tiredly. Vespa took this time to hastily take the nails and the planks herself so as to let the old woman rest.
"I have been following you ever since I entered your home. But I haven't quite understood why we are sealing your windows." Vespa said as she paused to speak to Severina. Who perked up at that moment.
"Well, I didn't want to do it in the first place, but Vinderus has been running around the neighbourhood advising us to do so." Severina explained.
"Well, why would he-"
CRACK! BANG.
"OH MY GOODNESS!" Severina exclaimed as the two women looked towards the once shut window being forcibly open by an object that flung itself into the kitchen. The chill of the winter wind bit into the skin of all the occupants of the room, causing even the children to wonder what just happened. But no questions were said as the object suddenly rose up and shut the window. He was wearing a hooded cloak, so his face was not seen. Vespa considered whacking him with her hammer, but then the man spoke.
"I need those planks, Vespa." he said as he opened his hand and removed his hood. Under the hood was a greying head and a thick beard. His eyes are worn and alert as if the stress is getting to him. It was here that Vespa realised who this man was.
"Vinderus! What do you think you're doing!?" the maid exclaimed as she started to assist the old carpenter with barricading the window.
"Where have you been?" Severina asked as she huddled the children and started bringing them upstairs, where it's safer for them. Her whole demeanour shifted to annoyance at her husband's antics. He's been like this the whole day without any clear reason as to why.
"The whole neighbourhood listened to me… just like he said…" Vinderus muttered as he slammed the hammer on the nail with such force that the whole thing embedded itself on the wood.
"Wait, who said what?" Vespa asked confusedly before shaking her head to get rid of that train of thought. Now is not the time. They need to finish sealing the window.
"Nevermind!" Vespa said as she handed the second plank to the barkeep. "Just finish this last window and then we'll talk.
"I'll prepare something to drink for when you are done." Severina said as she focused on her kitchen as she internally agreed with the maid's proposition.
Once the maid and the barkeep finished sealing the last window (with said maid having to yank the hammer out of the old man because he was using way too many nails), they both went out of the kitchen and sat in the dining area. The layout of the dining area is three beds surrounding a circular table filled with half eaten grapes, a pound of cheese, and some bread. Severina was sitting on the bed closest to the kitchen, so the two just took the other ones.
"My God, Vinderus. There were better ways of getting into the house." Severina frowned as she handed the cup of wine to Vespa.
"I was running out of time, if I took the other route, I would have been caught in the chaos…" Vinderus muttered tiredly as he took a piece of bread.
"What chaos? And what are you talking about?" Vespa asked as she looked at the old man incredulously. All she got was a blank stare and an expression that somewhat unnerved her.
"What do you remember when you met the High King, Vespa?" Vinderus asked suddenly. A question that brought quite the reaction for the two women before him.
"How did you know-"
"When did this-"
"Wait!" Vinderus exclaimed with a raised hand. He then looked towards Vespa and asked once more. "What do you remember?"
The maid looked away, concentrating on the events that happened just hours ago. It was hazy, what with her being drunk and then suddenly knocked out afterwards. A few minutes later, Vespa had an answer.
"I was about to go to your tavern, when I was stopped by the High King at the gates of the Hall. He was disguised as a peasant and wanted nothing more than to help me." Vespa said as she slid a grape into her mouth.
"What else?" Vinderus pushed on. "Did he ask you about finding someone?"
"Y-yes." Vespa said with concern. How did he know? She wondered. She didn't need to asked however, as the old man took this time to explain his side
"... Around the time I noticed you with the High King, I was pulled aside by Merlin himself!" Vespa and Severina opened their mouths in shock, "I know! I know. I didn't know him at first. But then he touched my forehead. Right in the middle, and then I saw it…"
"Saw what?" Severina asked as she handed the cheese to her husband. She was worried for the old man considering his frequent shift in demeanour. What could he have seen to affect him like this?
"I saw a pillar of smoke. A river of blood. I saw two armies fighting each other… I saw you, Vespa. Whatever you were doing, I don't know. But I saw you in an alley far from here." Vinderus finished. None of the women wanted to say anything after he spoke, so the barkeep pressed on.
"What does it mean?" Vespa asked. She was worried that something bad had happened to her in the vision.
"I don't know…" Vinderus shook his head. I simply don't know." He then continued on with his story.
"After he gave me that vision, Merlin showed me another one. It was about me this time… I was running around the village shouting and calling to the people near the Forum. I was telling them - even shaking them - about the smoke and fire I saw. I told them that the only way to keep them safe was to board the windows and stay inside. Next thing I knew, the soldiers arrived and started forcing everyone back into their homes."
"Did he show you why all this is happening?" Severina asked. The food on the table was long forgotten for her.
"No… no, he only showed me what I needed to do. Or was about to do… Or had done…" Vinderus replied as his head hung low. "As for what will happen now…"
"All I know is that there is nothing we can do to stop it."
The Barracks… the fort northeast of the city.
Just after the invasion led by Emperor Claudius - Nero's adoptive father - the location that would now be known as Londinium was created. It protected a key road intersection and the Roman bridgehead on the north bank of the Thames. It stretched east to Tower Hill and west to Ludgate Hill, with Cornhill and the River Walbrook serving as its central points. The region, which bordered an old tribe on the south bank of the Thames, had been disputed just before the Roman invasion by two peoples. With one headquartered to the west and the other located to the east. It bordered the old realm whose location we now know as Kent just on the south bank of the Thames.
The Roman city eventually encompassed at least the size of the modern City of London, whose bounds were primarily determined by its ancient wall. The shoreline of Londinium on the Thames extended approximately 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) from the current location of the modern Tower of London in the east to Ludgate Hill in the west. The roadway that will later be known as "London Wall" marks the path taken by the northern wall as it approached Bishopsgate and Cripplegate, which is close to the location of the future Museum of London. There were suburbs and cemeteries beyond the city limits. To the west of the city, a circular temple is built, the purpose of which is for Christian gatherings every sunday.
The Fortress is located to the northwest of the city, where Cripplegate is located. The fort's history began approximately AD 110, not long after the Roman conquest of Britain. At this point, London was the most significant city in Roman Britain, and the recently reconstructed fort could accommodate up to 1,000 men on a 5-hectare plot of land.
Given that it was constructed at the same time as the forts around Hadrian's Wall, it has a similar layout to its northern equivalents. The London fort's stone walls stood more than five metres high, and an urban bank at the back served as reinforcement. There was a moat in front of the wall, which was another typical characteristic of the era, and several stone towers spaced evenly apart along the walls.
Despite being around three times larger than its Hadrian Wall rivals, the Roman fort in London never really housed a regular garrison. Rather, before the arrival of Romula Claudia Augusta 'Nero', it was the residence of the ceremonial guard that supported the governor of Britain, a position that involved a frequent turnover of troops performing duties akin to job rotations.
The fort itself was dissected by two main thoroughfares; one ran west-to-east and one ran south-to-north. The administrative buildings were thought to be in the middle of the fort (although no remains of these buildings have ever been found) and the south, east and west sides of the fort would have housed the soldier's barracks and support buildings. The north side of the fort was thought to have been completely free of buildings, and instead was used as a parade ground.
Two main thoroughfares, one running from south to north and the other from west to east, divided the fort itself. The soldier's barracks and support structures would have been located on the south, east, and west faces of the fort, while the administrative buildings were located in the centre. The north side of the fort served as a parade field and had no structures at all.
The river of blood must have a source. A source that Lancelot and his men found themselves in without the knowledge of Merlin's vision. They are currently at the centre building after they handily tied up and imprisoned the small skeleton force left behind. Their goal is to find any and all proof of the coup d'etat that threatens the lives of not just the nobles within Nero's Halls, but also the life of their King. In doing so, they seek to unravel the web of skulduggery that their enemy had masterfully woven. They began as the sun set in the west and have tirelessly been searching for hours after that. And as the 3rd hour struck, all they had to show for were empty hands.
"It is no use… They have left nothing behind here." Lancelot said as he closed a closet at the far end of the room. The room they were in was at the top floor of the tower of the command centre. The command centre had three main sections: the main floor, the second floor extension, and the tower. The tower is the tallest structure in all of the city. It was used once as the headquarters for the city messenger birds, but it was decommissioned after Aurelian Dominicus built the current post building that was destroyed by a recent storm. Nowadays, its main purpose is to ensure that the city defence has a bird's eye view beyond the walls.
"What do we do now, sir?" Joshua asks as Lancelot turns towards the door.
"I don't know." The Knight of the Lake muttered defeatedly. "I would say that we must return to Nero's Halls. But with the increased presence of the soldiers, I do not know if that is the best course of action."
The two cavalrymen just looked towards each other as the Knight of the Lake leaned towards the wooden railing just outside the door into the room. The Knight can see everything from where he stood. The thick winter fog could do nothing to hide the hundreds of torches that dotted the city. He can see the soldiers abusing the people. Forcing them into their homes and beating them up if they do not comply. He can see the homeless running away towards the dark alleyways to hide from the brutality that was sure to come their way. The wall guard was few in number. Must be because most of them were ordered to assist in the curfew. Far out the wall to the north was the encampment of the First King's Army on the road between Fleet River and the Holborn. He can see the colours of the Kingdom even from here and the campfires burning defiantly against the winter cold. Lancelot felt both pity and relief for them. Pity as they could not properly shelter themselves from the winter cold. Relief as they would not suffer the fate of being stuck in the middle of this political quagmire.
"Where are those bastards when I need them? You there! Do you have the key to the gate?"
Lancelot's sharp hearing forced him to look down towards the Parade Grounds. The Knight saw a man wearing a Legate's armour walking towards the watchmen of the Cripplegate - one of two areas too far for the Camelotians to properly secure. He knew that he could hear them from this height, but Lancelot needed to get down in order to get a better shot at understanding what the Legate was trying to do. So, without warning, Lancelot silently went into the spiral stone staircase. Not caring for the cavalrymen who were slow to realise that they were about to be left behind.
The spiral staircase had windows of which torches were placed just outside the windowsill. Usually, they would all be lit. However, the garrison left in the fort did not have the time to make the effort. A perfect cover for the three Camelotians to both hurry down from the tower and listen in on the seemingly loud Legate who was barking at the men standing on their posts.
"I will not ask again, soldier. Where are the keys to this gate?" The Legate sternly said. He easily towered over the two guards with his height, so the answer came quickly.
"T-the Fort Commander has it, b-but he left with most of the Garrison a few hours ago, sir." Replied the soldier to the Centurion's left. His knees quaking silently down under him.
"No, he does not. I saw him on the way here…" Huffed the Legate as he pinched the bridge of his nose in impatience. "He probably left it with his lieutenant… Where's your superior officer?"
"a-at the office right at the centre of the Fort, sir." The soldier to the right of the Legate replied shakily. "I haven't seen him since he patrolled the basement, but he's around there somewhere."
"Good. As you were." The Legate then turned around to walk towards the building. He was impatient and it was seen in his brisk walk. His shoulderplates noisily clunked about as he walked down the parade ground. He had been commanding the city garrison in ensuring that the curfew was properly enforced. Sure, the reasons for the curfew existing were outright treasonous, but he is a man of principle. He will not let his people die needlessly. Now, it's time for him to open the gates and return to his army to further the progress of the coup. He's got his personal guard up on horseback and ready to leave not far from the stables, so he had to do this alone. But that's okay, this is nothing but an inconvenience to the Legate.
As soon as he was in the vicinity of the office, Lancelot ordered his men to turn off all the torches of the first floor save for one - the torch that illuminated the entrance to the Fort Commander's room. It is where they planned a scheme to bring down the Legate without setting off any alarm. They heard the front door swinging wildly before slamming onto the wall. They can hear the iron soles of the Legate's scrape the stone floor. The Camelotians can hear the curses the Legate was muttering. The Roman was complaining about how dark it is. And like clockwork, the Legate went into the only room with a lit up torch hanging at its entrance. As soon as he opened the door and walked in to inspect the Fort Commander's desk, Lancelot held him in an arm lock and threw the Legate on the floor. The cavalrymen proceeded to take the Legate's gladius and dagger and cover his mouth with a rag to shut him up. Lancelot then tied his arms up behind his back and placed him on the Fort Commander's chair. The Legate was heaving in exhaustion after struggling to break himself free whilst the Camelotians didn't look like they broke a sweat. If he didn't have a rag on his mouth, the Legate would have cursed the men to the deepest pit of hell by now.
"Looking for this?" Lancelot asked rhetorically as he scooped into his right pocket to reveal a silver key - shining under the dim moonlight - dangling on his point finger. The Knight of the Lake narrowed his eyes at the unsightly man finding renewed strength as he wrestled once more with the restraints. Bart and Joshua had to hold the Legate by the shoulders, and were surprised at how strong he was. It mattered little to Lancelot as he walked back towards the torch hanging at the entrance. As the Knight turned around, he noticed the Legate freezing up at the sight of him. Seemingly flinching as the realisation dawned upon him.
"I will ask you once. And I believe you already know who I am." Lancelot said as he handed the torch to Joshua. The Knight took the key back into his pocket before asking. "What is Lucius Dominicus' planning to do?" Bart took this moment to ungag the Legate, who coughed the lint off his mouth before replying.
"I got nothing to say to you, hellspawn." the Legate spat. He tried once more to release himself but the cavalrymen were hardy men and kept their hold on him with great stubbornness. Lancelot meanwhile, pressed once more with a hint of anger.
"I ask you once more." The Knight paused. His eyes are sharp like a hawk. "What is Lucius Dominicus planning? I see your attempts to open the gate, and I know not your intentions. What is it you are told to do?"
"And like I said, you will get NOTHING from me!." Barked back the Legate with equal ferocity. "I am Antoninus Probus. Commander of the 2nd Legion and I shall not be cowed by a landless knight who serves a bastard king!" The Legate paused with a heavy breath. His anger exuded like the rushing waterfall. "Unhand me and I shall ensure your death is swift."
"You talk as if you have power." Lancelot remarked as he nodded towards Bartholemew who released his grip on the Legate and left the room. They both knew that the Legate was stalling and it might be because he expected that his men would start searching for him. They also knew that he might be secretly calling out to them with his loud voice, thereby alerting them to where the Legate is. Bartholomew closed the door behind him and made his way down the dungeons below. His intent is unclear to the Legate.
Suddenly, the Legate's mind went away from Bart and towards Lancelot who grabbed his undershirt and yanked him forcefully. Thereby making him stare straight into the Knight's burning eyes. A hidden fire just waiting for a good reason to unleash itself is what the Legate saw. Dread crept into the man's heart.
"I am bound by my code of chivalry." Lancelot slowly said as he gradually tightened his grip on the Legate. "And I would not be doing this were it not for the fact that a usurper is threatening the life of my King. Do not make me sink to your level." The Knight then forced the fear of God into the Legate who found himself succumbing to the Knight's threatening tone. The Legate was about to give in, yet his hardiness still showed through. His defiance would have grown had it not been for what Lancelot had to say next. The Knight's lips brushed his left ear and the Legate subconsciously shivered not at the action but at his words.
"For I would strangle you, if so."
"A-alright! Alright… I'll talk." The Legate said as he recoiled back. His brow was wet with cold sweat. He heaved as if he had held his breath for a long time. But after regaining his composure, the Legate began to explain.
"I was tasked with enforcing the curfew and bringing a fourth of the Second Legion inside the walls." He said. Carefully making sure that his breath was not wasted.
"Will you take them to the Halls of Nero?" Lancelot asked as he took note.
"That was the plan. We would surround the palace, kill the guard, and imprison the royalty in it. Killing Romula Augusta and crowning Lucius as King in front of all to see would increase the legitimacy of his soon to be reign." The Legate replied as he looked away despondently. His pride and dignity shattering as every single word he speaks betrays his comrades and allies.
"Are the Saxons involved in this plot?" Lancelot asked once more as his keen hearing heard a commotion outside.
"So far, only one associated with them is in our ranks." The Legate continued to explain, not hearing what Lancelot was hearing. "She disguised herself as a maid. But her identity was made clear to us when she gave Lucius a letter with a black seal bearing the mark of Horsa. Her terms… Well, it's already obvious now. Isn't it?"
"It is." Lancelot said quietly. The pieces of the puzzle in his mind finally falling into place. He then beckoned Joshua to let go of the Legate and walk to his side. The Legate meanwhile, had no time to understand what the Knight was trying to do. For he found his vision turning black after he received a knockout punch. His head hung low as he fell into unconsciousness.
"As much as I loathed disgracing him with such a dishonourable act, I find it necessary for our current situation." Lancelot said as he dropped the torch on the ground and stamped the flames out. He then turned around to address Joshua. "We need to leave. I fear that I heard something outside akin to horse hooves running around."
Suddenly, Bart opened the door. He was exhausted and covered in blood. He was wearing a roman soldier's armour whilst holding his sword on his left hand.
"I hope you got all you needed, Sir." Bart heaved as he leaned towards the door. Joshua took this time to hold him up and instantly regretted it when Bart winced from him accidentally touching his injured right shoulder.
"I have, thank you for buying us time." Lancelot said as he guided the two Cavalrymen out of the Fort Commander's office. The horn and the bell that he can hear outside was most definitely the alarm going off. If they weren't quick enough. They might die here.
"We can't go through the Labyrinth. We do not know how to get out of it if we do." Lancelot warned Joshua, who took the turn towards the basement. "I will deal with the soldier while you guide Bartholemew out of here."
"But Sir Lancelot, there's too many of them. What are you going to do?" Joshua asked as the Knight of the Lake opened the door to the sight of 30 odd soldiers on guard with their shields facing toward the Camelotians.
The only reply Joshua got was Lancelot unsheathing Arondight.
General Morien Arthian… the encampment of the First King's Army near the forest…
The rustling of the leaves near his tent woke the old war veteran up. He need not think twice of who is causing the ruckus as the source of it forcefully opened the flap on his tent. It was his second in command, who probably only had enough time to wear his inner mail shirt and his sword before coming here.
"General, you need to see this." Said his second in command. Morien did not need a second more to understand the direness of the statement. He only took his sword and got up to follow the man. Morien, as he left his tent, realised that he was not alone when about half of his side of the encampment were present and looking up towards the walled city of Londinium.
"Right there, Sir." Morien's second pointed out. "Right there is the Fortress of the city. It's burning, sir."
True enough, a large pillar of smoke darkened the white misty winter sky. So much so that the moon itself was almost covered. It was fortunate that he ordered the campfires to stay lit and burning so as to keep their eyes far from being clouded. But the question remained.
"What do you think it means?" His second in command asked. He was young. A brilliant boy, but a boy nonetheless. You could tell him everything he needs to do yet have no clue as to why he is doing it. He lacks the wisdom to make heads or tails of events that's happening before him.
"Send an envoy to the Second Legion." Morien commanded as he watched the platoon commanders restore order in the camp by ordering the troops to go back to their tent. "They need to know that we are as confused as they probably are."
"Aye, sir." his second in command replied. And as soon as Morien turned around to regard the second half of his army, a whistle of wind came from behind him. He knows what that sound was. As well as the thunk and splattering sound that came after it. He looked to see his second in command dead. Struck by an arrow to the neck. He looked up to see a shower of arrows flying up ahead. He did not know when he started running towards the trees. He did not know when he shouted the command to sound the battlehorn. He did not know who gave the order to gather the men up in formation.
What Morien Arthian does know is that right now, is fighting for his life. And as a consequence, his men's lives as well.
With Lancelot… the Northern walls above Cripplegate…
31…32…34…
It was at that point did Lancelot lose count. All he cared about now is his men. The sound of the alarm rings loud and wide. Soon enough, the east and south gate was flooded by roman soldiers who were ready to eliminate the threat.
A shame that they all fall short of the power of the Knight of the Lake. A disparity that shone even more as he unleashed Arondight and set the birch tar stores near the eastern armoury on fire - thereby destroying the stables and the nearby support buildings
They had one thing going for them, however. Lancelot was but one man protecting his comrades who cannot fight in their current situation. While they are just stalling for time so that the backup mages are able to arrive at the scene. Once they are here, Lancelot du Lac is nothing but short work.
Lancelot, meanwhile, forced his way up the walls through the stone stairs. He had to give the soldiers credit: they almost got them cornered. Joshua had dealt his damage whilst Bart was just hanging on to his wounds. He grimaced at the sight of the two cavalrymen. The Knight would come out of any situation unscathed, with this one being like all others. But the men with him might not. What can he do to get all of them out of here alive?
A horn blew from down below. The soldiers who were clamouring up the stairs stopped to pay attention. Discounting the ones already at the stairs, no one but the Camelotians were up the walls. The Knight of the Lake was at a pause as well. But his guard did not slacken. His sharp gaze still moved around to find archers ready to strike.
"You best give up now! I will personally see to your trial and let you off easy if you do." A soldier cried out to them from the parade ground. Lancelot saw him - through the light of the great fire he caused - wearing a Centurion's armour with a sash bearing the colours of the City. A Primus Pilus, if Lancelot was not mistaken. This man could well be the Fort Commander.
"Customarily, I would heed your words." Lancelot replied cordially. The Cavalrymen behind his back, watching. "But I care not for the words of a traitor to his own leader."
The soldiers perked up at the accusation while keeping their guards up. They looked towards their commander and only saw hatred as deep as the pits of hell. They waited for his response as it might be his plan to keep the Knight distracted.
"Cease your lies!" the commander bellowed. "We are not the ones who started this, you did."
"Then if you swear to not be part of this madness, then heed my word!" Lancelot exclaimed from above. "Amongst you are traitors seeking to usurp the throne of Romula Augusta and reinstall Lucius Dominicus as king. He-"
"LIES! Kill the trespassers now!" The commander countered. He had hatred on the outside, but deep within he had an inkling of fear. For if his troops have half a brain in those heads of theirs, they would not think twice of turning on him on the spot. He smiled in glee as the first few soldiers started running to the top of the wall to apprehend the Camelotians. Once a sizable group established themselves, another group came to support them from the rear.
Lancelot was thinking of turning tail right at that moment. But as he turned around, he saw a detachment of soldiers running towards them from the east. They were alerted by the smoke and saw it as a call of distress. Shit, they're trapped. He turned around to address the soldiers in front of him… yet one of them had his gaze pointing towards the outskirts of the city.
"Commander!" the soldier yelled. Causing everyone to look towards him. "The Second Legion's attacking Camelot's army!"
Lancelot whipped his head around to see the encampment being overrun by red clad Legionnaires. Cavalrymen wantonly slaying even the unarmed and half asleep. Archers burning the tents to the ground with their flaming arrows. Half the army's stuck on one side of the river while the other half couldn't do anything to help them!
"Don't mind that! Take them! Take them out now!" The Commander hastily reprimanded. Lancelot looked towards him and saw deep in his eyes that the Commander knew that this was going to happen. His devilish grin told him everything. His soldiers were reluctant to obey, considering the confusion they were dealing with right now as their comrades are currently attacking Camelot without just cause. But obey they must, lest they suffer the consequences.
"Step back!" Lancelot roared. A strong gust of wind blew just then as Arondight shone blue. One swing was all it took for the roman soldiers to fall on their asses and scamper back towards the stairway. Their fear of the Knight's power stopping them then and there.
"Men of Rome!" Lancelot bellowed towards the soldiers of the fort. "If you are as honourable as your ancestors, listen to me now. That man!" he pointed to the Commander, "and his closest subordinates are in league with Lucius Dominicus. A usurper who seeks to overthrow your leader, Romula Augusta. If you let them control you, your lands will be subjected to the whims of the Saxons - who are supporting them as we speak."
"Do not listen to him!" the commander exclaimed as a counter to the Knight's accusations. "He is but a liar and a trespasser." he sneered. "Serving a king unworthy of his titles as a knight who seeks nothing but to deceive you."
"It is you who is the liar!" Lancelot countered. "If you really are serving Romula Augusta, tell me. Why are you abusing your fellow man? Why did you let such wanton destruction and attacks happen to the very people you swore to protect?"
"They are nothing but a nuisance!" the fort commander unwisely answered. "They are but dregs who threaten to sow chaos in the city."
"Is that what Romula Augusta commanded you to do?" Lancelot asked again.
"It matters little. I am doing what I ought to do." the commander answered non committedly. Neither saying yes or no.
"Then if it is your duty to stop the chaos, why are you ordering your men to kill me? I am here to unravel the truth of Lucius Dominicus' plot. Yet here you are. Aiding the real enemy by distracting your men with this farce?" Lancelot challenged as he observed the subtle shift in the moods of the Roman soldiers. He had sought to garner enough support from the soldiers through questioning the motives of the commander. And as he smartly conjectured, the soldiers were kept in the dark this whole time. They must have been thinking the same thing. For they were becoming displeased as the answers they were hearing revealed themselves as something the soldier's cannot support.
"I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS!" The Fort commander barked as he caught up to what Lancelot was trying to do. He turned around to see a group of hooded men running towards him in haste. Both he and Lancelot realised who these people are. One was ecstatic while the other grim.
"What are you waiting for?!" The commander said as the roman soldiers just stood around. He grabbed a random lad and pulled him towards the direction of the stairway. "Go up there and kill them!"
And so the men rushed up the walls. Lancelot had to give it to them. Even though they wanted nothing more than to understand what the hell is going on, their orders needed to come first. You can never say that these men were disloyal. But that doesn't matter now. Lancelot had given them the chance to listen. And since they rejected his words, he has no choice but to fight them without restraint. But wait, the Commander is to blame for leading them all astray, the Knight justified in his head. If he can kill that man without slaying any more men, he would be able to cut the head of the snake while saving the 'body'.
With a fiery resolve ablaze in his heart, the Knight of the Lake decided to unleash the power he was withholding this entire time. Arondight shone brighter and brighter like a star in the sky as more mana was being pushed into it. Powering it up even more. With inhuman speed, Lancelot rushed towards the roman soldiers. He did not want to kill them, so he knocked them out instead. Joshua and Caleb - seemingly forgotten in the background - followed him down the stairs once more. They found themselves no longer under the threat of being attacked as all the forces of the enemy honed into Lancelot.
The Knight of the Lake was unrelenting. No matter what was thrown at him, be it pilum, shortsword, arrows, and shields, none of them could stop the frightening power of Arondight and her wielder. As he pushed aside the last of the soldiers guarding the Fort Commander, Lancelot glared at the conniving man. The only response he got in return was him shaking in his boots. And is that a leak coming from his britches? If he was going to beg for mercy, the Commander ought to do it now. Thought Lancelot.
A light bright shone through the Fort. Lancelot's attention unconsciously shifted towards the hooded men - the cause of the light. They have finally made their presence known with the large golden dome surrounding them, the Commander, and his closest men. Near the dome, the soldiers glowed red. A sign that one of the mages is giving them strength enhancement. The soldiers looked refreshed and none too worse for wear while the Camelotians are feeling a bit winded from the unrelenting onslaught.
"Leave none of them alive." Said the Commander inside the dome. His menacing smile widening even more as the soldiers rushed forth.