The Last Caesar by The Last Caesar (retail) (epub)

Author:The Last Caesar (retail) (epub) [Caesar, The Last]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781788632508
Publisher: Canelo Digital Publishing Ltd
Published: 2018-10-03T00:00:00+00:00

XIV

A crisis. A great big bowel-emptying crisis. That was what I was in. Galba’s vaunted army of Gaul had been obliterated, massacred by the Roman legions. Those legions were hardly going to declare their loyalty to Galba, having that day defeated an army supposedly raised in his name. I had failed him utterly. Or rather, Vindex had failed him.

I was still fuming at the arrogant fool for presuming he could lead the army to victory, and now his pride and lust for glory had brought ruin. Striding purposefully through those wretched woods, along with all the other survivors, I tried to work out what to do next. Men hobbled away, clutching at their wounds. Dying men cluttered the paths, a trail of the dead and the dying leading the way out of the woods and away from the slaughter.

A young boy, the downy hair of his first beard stained with blood, writhed in agony. He was bent double on the ground, like an abandoned baby. His hands pressed tightly at his stomach, but I saw some of his entrails leaking out between his fingers. I crouched down, and put my hand on his shoulder. The boy moaned pitifully, but was trying his best not to scream. He turned to look at me, and spoke something in Gallic. I felt so useless, not knowing what he wanted to say. All I could do was shrug my shoulders and look questioningly at him. Gritting his teeth, the boy took a hand away from his open stomach, and there was a sickening squelch as something hit the earth. I didn’t dare look down. Tears ran down the boy’s face, but still he didn’t cry out. His wavering hand reached for my sword hilt. I understood, and stood up. The boy quickly brought his free hand back to the wound, and screwed his eyes shut. Drawing my sword, I gave a swift slash to his neck, and ended his pain. The blood spurted up, all over my chest, and I turned to vomit on the blood-soaked earth.

I was almost mad with rage and revulsion by the time I made it out of those woods and into the open grassland on the reverse slope. I had been betrayed, but that was nothing to the betrayal of the army by the man who had called them to arms with glorious words of rebellion. My thoughts turned to revenge. Two men stood in the long grass just twenty paces away, near where I had first come upon Sextus that morning. Quintus had his back to me, but I could hear him talking to his father. I must have looked like some avenging Fury, the young boy’s blood flecked over my face and body, hand still clutching a sword stained with the gore of my fellow countrymen, and all because of that man. The governor crumpled at the sight of me. He fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face. Some blood had caked around his mouth. A result of my breaking his nose, probably.

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