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scans_dailyThe Roman Antonius Axia, tasked by the Emperor Nero to investigate goings on in that place, was in the thick of them.
A monstrosity loomed before him on a field of gore.
Then it resolved into a more pleasing shape- the beckoning spirit of his dead wife.
Antonius and his slave Bran stood in what had once been the Roman outpost Fort Paulinus.
Now it was the ground where the fort had been- now it was a place strewn with butchered locals.
Antonius was taken to the commanding officer of the Romans in the area, Prefect Gabinius.
He learnt that the legate he'd expected to meet was dead, killed by " the devil " that'd necessitated the fort's being moved.
He noticed that Gabinius was attempting to frustrate his investigation.
He saw soldiers whose violence towards the locals was more than the familiar, colored with " [s]omething wrong. Something rotten. "
To facilitate investigating the things going on in Britannia, he took Gabinius aside.
Antonius the detectioner went to work, investigating the bodies of soldiers supposedly killed by that devil.
Back in Rome, Nero summoned the chief of the Vestals, Rubria.
She came before him as he was in the bath.
He stepped out and demanded to know what exactly was happening in Britannia, grabbing her by the shoulders: " What do you know about the demon? How dangerous is it? Was it sent by Jupiter to punish me? "
" Remove your polluting hands, Emperor, or there shall be.. consequences. "
" .. or Rome will burn around us. "
Back in Britannia, Antonius' investigations continued.
He'd detected that the wounds of the soldiers seemingly killed by a demon looked as if they came from Roman swords.
He went into the nearby village to seek answers, and got some.
Then he noticed the locals rioting against the Romans.
He and Bran went over to the action.
That night at camp, as he and Bran were talking, he heard something beyond the fierce wind- dogs barking, loudly.
He remembered the excited pawprints he'd seen on the former fort's grounds, and went out after the sound.
He came across a local being run to ground by dark shapes with fiery light.
He noticed " .. a change.
" Air pressure falling. A stench. The dogs restless. "
Gabinius seemed to fall too- his voice shook as he ordered his men back to camp.
Antonius wondered what it was they were afraid of.
" You used to be a soldier. You should have remembered. "
Antonius watched him raise his sword.
(Pagecount's just under 7 and a third of 22.)
A monstrosity loomed before him on a field of gore.
Then it resolved into a more pleasing shape- the beckoning spirit of his dead wife.
Antonius and his slave Bran stood in what had once been the Roman outpost Fort Paulinus.
Now it was the ground where the fort had been- now it was a place strewn with butchered locals.
Antonius was taken to the commanding officer of the Romans in the area, Prefect Gabinius.
He learnt that the legate he'd expected to meet was dead, killed by " the devil " that'd necessitated the fort's being moved.
He noticed that Gabinius was attempting to frustrate his investigation.
He saw soldiers whose violence towards the locals was more than the familiar, colored with " [s]omething wrong. Something rotten. "
To facilitate investigating the things going on in Britannia, he took Gabinius aside.
Antonius the detectioner went to work, investigating the bodies of soldiers supposedly killed by that devil.
Back in Rome, Nero summoned the chief of the Vestals, Rubria.
She came before him as he was in the bath.
He stepped out and demanded to know what exactly was happening in Britannia, grabbing her by the shoulders: " What do you know about the demon? How dangerous is it? Was it sent by Jupiter to punish me? "
" Remove your polluting hands, Emperor, or there shall be.. consequences. "
" .. or Rome will burn around us. "
Back in Britannia, Antonius' investigations continued.
He'd detected that the wounds of the soldiers seemingly killed by a demon looked as if they came from Roman swords.
He went into the nearby village to seek answers, and got some.
Then he noticed the locals rioting against the Romans.
He and Bran went over to the action.
That night at camp, as he and Bran were talking, he heard something beyond the fierce wind- dogs barking, loudly.
He remembered the excited pawprints he'd seen on the former fort's grounds, and went out after the sound.
He came across a local being run to ground by dark shapes with fiery light.
He noticed " .. a change.
" Air pressure falling. A stench. The dogs restless. "
Gabinius seemed to fall too- his voice shook as he ordered his men back to camp.
Antonius wondered what it was they were afraid of.
" You used to be a soldier. You should have remembered. "
Antonius watched him raise his sword.
(Pagecount's just under 7 and a third of 22.)
