{Location: Somewhere deep in the mountains}
POV: Dias
The cold had teeth. It gnawed through his burlap shirt, chewed his bare feet, and sank into marrow. His breath fogged in ragged clouds with every step. Dias didn't care anymore about the bleeding ankles or the stench of his own rot. Only one thought kept circling in his skull, ragged as his breathing: Survive.
The Picts were out there. Hunting. stalking. He couldn't hear them now, but that meant nothing. They were ghosts in these hills. Dias had been on the run for about four days or so, give or take. It wasn't easy keeping track of the days when you were literally running for your life. Though it seemed as if it mattered not how far he ran, or how well he hid his tracks the Picts somehow always found him.
' By the Gods above how are they doing this!? '
He staggered. His knee gave way. The fall felt slow—like the world itself had thickened to treacle. His face hit snow. Cold fire clawed his lungs as he gasped.
Then he saw it.
A black gash in the rock face ahead. A cave.
Dias crawled, dragging his ruined body toward it. The stones cut his palms. His fingers were too numb to care. He collapsed just past the threshold into darkness.
The air was different here. Warm? No… not warm. Heavy. Metallic. Each breath tasted faintly of iron and crushed flowers. His lungs seized as he wheezed. His breath fogged—except it wasn't fog. It glittered faintly… purple?
'No…'
A strange resonance hummed deep in the cavern. Unseen crystals pulse faintly in the rock walls. His heartbeat slowed unnaturally. Then his vision dimmed. His head felt like lead and his whole body spasmed as a rush of agonizing pain hit him all at once. The last thing he heard before blackness swallowed him was his own heartbeat slowing.…thud-thud… …thud…
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{Location: Garlisle - Headquarters of Julius Agricola III Governor of Britain}
POV: Virilus
Now at the heavily fortified Headquarters of the Governer. Virilus stood next to the man himself in his tent, if you could call such an extravagant thing a tent, in the heart of the camp, heavily guarded by elite soldiers. 'Politicians ' Virilus thought to himself. He had almost sneered out of sheer disgust, but he saved that for later and focused on the present moment. the man took a deep breath to calm himself.
'I'm a general first. Man second, and I will conduct myself as one'
for the moment Virulus had managed to keep his cool.
* Thunk*
The sound of an ornate blade owned by Governor Agricola, echoed through the tent as the blade sunk a few centimeters into his imported wood table, drawing virilus's gaze. the White haired and bearded man spoke, his tone steady, gaze measured.
" I don't care how you do it. wipe them out. Bring Gorlacon before me in chains, annihilate the rest. "
The governor said without blinking,
if Virilus was not used to such behavior then he'd might actually find himself shocked. ' Tsk easy to say when you're not the one doing the killing or dying.' he thought.
"Look Governer, you're the politician. I'm just a simple soldier. "Virilus could see the man barely nodding in agreement slightly smirking. 'Don't agree with me whoreson.' The general briefly thought while formulating what he really needed to say.
" But I'm not so simple that that I can't see that you're looking for a way back to Rome"
Virilus said frankly, The Governer did not deny anything. Instead, the stout man raised his head just a tad bit higher. with a practiced smile, he spoke. "My bones ache for Rome, General, this place is the graveyard of ambition"
' Thats the fucking problem too much ambition and no grit... morals. just schemes and cunning.' Virilus almost scoffed at the man. though he managed to keep thoughts and mannerisms to himself, instead he too revealed his practiced smile and looked at the man with a steady gaze. "And men, and I won't sacrifice mine to be pawns for your game." The general said, tone firm....
there was a moment of silence before the governor spoke "I see." a slight grin tugged at his lips. "Let us be frank, general. he said before taking a single step towards the taller, younger man and speaking.
"The conquest of Britain is a lost cause.... With one bold stroke, we could change all of that. With the Ninth legion at your command, we can crush this enemy. Both you and your men could retire with wealth and honor."
Virilus just stared at the politician for a moment....' we?' that one word alone made the generals blood boil... fuck that. The whole bullshit Rant pissed him off. He took another breath, then spoke. "My men have enough honor." Virilus said, calmly.
"Enough to disobey a direct order?" The governor asked with a knowing, almost amused look.
'Whoreson. bastard fucker. of course you'd pull your rank, there is nothing else for a politician to do.' virilus growled in his mind. "Well.... to kill the snake, you cut off its head. I need to find Gorlacon."
Agricola let out a dry chuckle. "For that I have someone special in mind, follow me" he ordered while turning his back to both his general and servant who was barely noticeable. Virilus followed after the grey headed man, he was also curious as to who this special someone was.... Virulus suddenly turned around gladius in hand just in time to see Agricolas servant charging at him ornate dagger in his own hand....
*Thwip*
A brunette woman materialized out of the gloom, trident in hand. Steel flashed. The servant's wrist separated from his arm in a red arc. He screamed, but only for a second—her next sweep passed through his throat like a whisper.
'Gorgeous. Lethal.' Virilus thought grimly as the body hit the floor.
Agricola didn't flinch.
"General Virilus, meet Etain. Brigantes tracker. She can hunt anything over any terrain, through any weather. Part wolf, I swear."
Then he knelt by the dying servant and plucked his ornate dagger from limp fingers. "Slaves cost nothing. But trust…" He smiled faintly, wiping the blade on his robes. "…trust is priceless."
" Hm, yes, I understand" Virilus said without substance. still staring at Etaine. "I don't know whether to fight her or..."
Etain sent him a stone-faced look.
"She's mute, not deaf." Agricola interrupted the general.
"I have my own scouts." the general replied
"Not like her. She knows the Picts... Knows their ways, knows their hideaways. She will guide you into the mountains." Agricola countered, '' Now go... that is a direct order"
'FUCK YOU! AND YOUR WHORE MOTHER!' Virilus thought. "YES SIR!" he said...
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{Location ******* }
POV: Dias
Nothing. Then—a faint pulse.
He opened his eyes or thought he did. A sky swirled overhead like spilled oil. Purple, green, and black tides rolled against each other in silence. Below him stretched a field of glimmering magenta colored crystal, each shard humming faintly. pulsing. as if the crystal could... Breath.
"What… the hell"
His voice sounded strange out loud. Dias staggered to his feet—or what passed for feet. His limbs felt like hollow glass.
'What… is this place?'
A glow ahead caught his eye: a jagged spire of crystal, pulsing like a living heart. It pulled at him, beckoning.
But as he took a step—
"How curious…"
A voice slick and smooth, coiling through the air like oil smoke. Dias froze.
"A Roman soul… tethered here? And yet not fully mine. Clever."
He spun, but there was nothing to see. Shadows rippled between the crystal shards like ink dropped in water.
"I can smell you, soldier... But I can't yet find you. A flaw I will correct… in time."
"Who's there? Show yourself!"
A low chuckle rippled through the crystal fields.
"Insolence. Delightful. Run along, avatar. You're not ready to play on my board… yet."
Suddenly, a force yanked at his chest. His vision blurred as he felt his soul was being dragged inwards... into the pulsing spire. soon the world around began to darken once more.
"Oh, but don't worry…"
The voice echoed after him as he drifted into the dark, velvet with menace.
"I'll be waiting."