![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thanekos posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
scans_dailyIt's a four-issue mini, a sequel to Valiant's previous Britannia.
It opened some time before that'd ended, on a house in Rome.
A man drinking wine called for one of his slaves. She came, bearing a jug.
He grabbed her. She dropped the jug.
He threw her down.
Five years forward, in the story's present, the " Detectioner " of Rome stumbled onto another murder.
He, Antonius Axia, was investigating the disappearance of a patrician youth with his loyal slave Bran.
The two of them walked into a temple of Apollo.
There, they saw several young men of good family bloodily butchered.
Antonius, only Antonius, heard a cold voice describe their deaths.
He stood amongst the bodies as the sun set, with no idea as to what'd killed them.
He had no answer by the next day, when his son (whom he'd taken custody of following the end of Britannia) was expressing his own nervousness about the goings on in Rome that the violence in the temple was one of.
That night, another such incident happened.
The Emperor Nero was provoked to confront Rubria, chief of the Vestal Virgins.
Rubria turned to Antonius (whom she'd remade), tasking him to discover the root of Rome's afflictions.
He told her about what he'd already found.
That night, Nero sent for him.
When he arrived, the emperor asked him what he'd discussed with Rubria.
He said only that she'd asked for his help.
Nero warned him about associating with her: " As soon as I have the evidence I'm destroying that witch.
" Anyone too close to her will be destroyed too. "
The next day, he was in the middle of things, fearing more what could happen to his son than himself.
So he went investigating into the house of Senator Craxus, who'd lost a son to the gods.
He discovered that the senator's daughter was also blighted- she was delirious, begging for mercy for herself and pity for Carthage.
Antonius left, thinking about her words. On his way out, he pocketed an incongruous thing.
It was a memento from the arena, a plaque denoting a certain gladiator.
In the streets, he and Bran considered it, Carthage, and the matter overall.
Then they saw that gladiator's symbol on a wall.
So they went to the arena, where Antonius had a look at the crowds.
He noticed that amongst the spectators reveling in the combat were " many [women] of noble birth.. "
They watched the match..
.. and its end.
(People's eyes look practically viscous in parts. Frankie D'Amarta's colors here're brighter than Jordie Bellaire's were in Britannia.)
(Yes, the slave at the beginning's the gladiator at the end.
This week's issue makes it explicit that she was sentenced to the arena for what she did.
Her having lasted this long, having achieved what she has, was something nobody was expecting.)
It opened some time before that'd ended, on a house in Rome.
A man drinking wine called for one of his slaves. She came, bearing a jug.
He grabbed her. She dropped the jug.
He threw her down.
Five years forward, in the story's present, the " Detectioner " of Rome stumbled onto another murder.
He, Antonius Axia, was investigating the disappearance of a patrician youth with his loyal slave Bran.
The two of them walked into a temple of Apollo.
There, they saw several young men of good family bloodily butchered.
Antonius, only Antonius, heard a cold voice describe their deaths.
He stood amongst the bodies as the sun set, with no idea as to what'd killed them.
He had no answer by the next day, when his son (whom he'd taken custody of following the end of Britannia) was expressing his own nervousness about the goings on in Rome that the violence in the temple was one of.
That night, another such incident happened.
The Emperor Nero was provoked to confront Rubria, chief of the Vestal Virgins.
Rubria turned to Antonius (whom she'd remade), tasking him to discover the root of Rome's afflictions.
He told her about what he'd already found.
That night, Nero sent for him.
When he arrived, the emperor asked him what he'd discussed with Rubria.
He said only that she'd asked for his help.
Nero warned him about associating with her: " As soon as I have the evidence I'm destroying that witch.
" Anyone too close to her will be destroyed too. "
The next day, he was in the middle of things, fearing more what could happen to his son than himself.
So he went investigating into the house of Senator Craxus, who'd lost a son to the gods.
He discovered that the senator's daughter was also blighted- she was delirious, begging for mercy for herself and pity for Carthage.
Antonius left, thinking about her words. On his way out, he pocketed an incongruous thing.
It was a memento from the arena, a plaque denoting a certain gladiator.
In the streets, he and Bran considered it, Carthage, and the matter overall.
Then they saw that gladiator's symbol on a wall.
So they went to the arena, where Antonius had a look at the crowds.
He noticed that amongst the spectators reveling in the combat were " many [women] of noble birth.. "
They watched the match..
.. and its end.
(People's eyes look practically viscous in parts. Frankie D'Amarta's colors here're brighter than Jordie Bellaire's were in Britannia.)
(Yes, the slave at the beginning's the gladiator at the end.
This week's issue makes it explicit that she was sentenced to the arena for what she did.
Her having lasted this long, having achieved what she has, was something nobody was expecting.)
no subject
Date: 2017-06-24 04:43 pm (UTC)