Tarpeia: The First Vestals of Rome Trilogy, #2 by Debra May Macleod

Author:Debra May Macleod
Format: epub

CHAPTER XX

“I t is said that when Agamemnon sacked Troy, he cut off the heads of every man, every boy. He even tore the unborn from their mothers’ wombs and sliced off the little pink heads of those destined to be born male.” Romulus pulled on the reins of his horse and the animal turned, allowing its kingly rider to address the some three hundred soldiers that surrounded him, some mounted but many on foot, their boots caked in drying mud, their faces in blood. “The mighty Achilles and Ajax, their greatest weapons were not made of metal—their greatest weapon was terror! The terror of their brutality and the way they descended, like a killing storm, on their enemies. That is how they truly destroyed the fierce Trojans. That is how they annihilated not just their city, but also their hope!” He turned his horse again. “What they did in Troy, we will do here. The difference is this—the gods allowed a few pious men to flee Troy. But neither we, nor the immortals, will let a single one escape Caenina!”

His men cheered. A bloody cheer.

“My father Mars helped us slay the Caeninenses on the battlefield,” Romulus continued, “and now Jove gives us a clear sky to take their city! Remember, Romans! These are the men who crept to our walls, who sought to tear down what we have built. Just like merciless Agamemnon, we will slaughter every man and boy we see, without exception, without mercy! Today begins the age of Rome. What you do today, in the streets of Caenina, will strike terror into the heart of every man who hears your name—the name Roman!”

Another war-hungry cheer from his soldiers. The morning air had rejuvenated not just their bodies, but also their appetite for blood. It was an acquired taste, one they had taken to over the past few days as they had slaughtered the Caeninenses on the fields and hills, butchering those men who had dared to encroach on Roman territory.

Romulus had suffered losses, yes, but fewer than he had expected. And once the scales of war had tipped in his favor, once the Caeninenses had realized the hopelessness of their struggle, they did what panic-stricken men always did. They ran. They ran home, desperate to find their wives and children and flee the city before the Romans arrived at their gates.

The Roman king felt disgust as he gripped the reins and galloped his horse through the demolished gates of Caenina. His own city, not yet a year old, boasted better defenses. Despite Caenina’s age and wealth, despite its troops of healthy men—well, there were fewer of those now—the walls of Caenina were nothing more than earthen aggers in places, mere embankments, as poorly guarded as they were crudely constructed. Even the city’s main gates were made of simple wood without reinforcement. In those spots they did not fully crumble from Roman-set fires, they fell with nothing more than a few swings of an axe. What a disgrace.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.