The milestone, hidden amongst the dwarf elder leaves, told us we were heading to Camulodunum.
“Left! Right! Left! Right!” The centurion barked.
We reached a bend in the road and out of the bushes a group of Celts with raving dogs ambushed us. I pulled my gladius out of its sheath and plunged it straight into the heart of a Celt, a massive dog with razors as teeth bit clean into my thigh. I managed to shake the dog off, but I was struck around the head and if weren’t for my helmet I could’ve died. I fell to the floor and a wild haired Celt rippling with muscle stood over me and was about to strike. Fortunately Marcus slashed the Celt across the face, hot, dark blood spattered across my arm as I covered my face with my hands. He pulled me up to my feet then a barbed spear came hurling towards us and plunged into Marcus’ stomach. Then in a flash of rage I pick up my gladius and stabbed a Celt in the chest, ducked a slash and cleaved into his leg.
After the devastation I ran to Marcus who lay in a ditch lying in a pool of his own blood. I was horrified to see Marcus dead, fourteen years I had been his friend and now he was dead. The gods themselves seemed to be upset as they turned the skies themselves a murky grey.
We piled the bodies into several pits and set them alight the stench was horrific but it would clear bodies faster. We took off, as soon the last pit was alight. We continued our march to Camulodunum with a lot less soldiers. There were three dead Romans to every one dead Celt.
Chapter 2 The Devastation
When we were around 3 miles from Camulodunum we could see black plumes of black smoke rising into the heavens. “Damned Celts burned the capital,” our centurion stated,
“Must have killed loads of their own,” Cleopas said
“They don’t care. They’ll do whatever they can to rid us, even if that’s killing their own.”
“They’re damn mental”
When we reached the capital we saw something worse than we imagined.
All of the Romans that were stationed in the capital were lying on the ground with their wrists and throats slit. We were split into parties and searched among the rubble to see if there were any survivors but as we expected the only people we found were the burnt remains of civilians and some unlucky Celts that weren’t fast enough. We were ordered to regroup, and the reports were that only two gladius’ and a single shield were repairable the rest were too damaged. Mars decided to punish us for letting the rebels do this and sent a huge thunder storm the rain started to turn to hail which pelted us; so I pulled my shield over my head to prevent my amour from rusting.
Chapter 3 The pain of battle
We decided to set up camp just next to a brook in the middle of an open forest. The willow stretched high and streams of the evening light shone through. There was a sudden rustling in a bush. We approached cautiously with swords raised but we were surprised when a severely wounded roman emerged and with no warning collapsed. We sat him down and asked what had happened and he explained that that the rebels had burst out from behind trees and ambushed his century and he was taken prisoner, they set up camp and beat and tortured him. He then told us on his last breath the location of the rebel’s camp.
We decided to leave at dawn so we could use the darkness as extra cover, the road seemed to stretch on forever and the stars shone brightly in the night sky. The camp was heavily guarded but it was nothing for our archers, as soon as the guards were killed we moved into to kill. We burnt, stole and slaughtered everyone and thing. The camp was alight in a few minutes with a luminous orange glow. Screams and howls from men and animals alike filled the air and the shout of victory from our men, we had won. Then the background through the trees English reinforcements! They charged down the hill and engaged us in battle; their chariots crushed our front lines, then a barrage of rocks hailed down upon us and one small boulder hit my temple and knocked me unconscious.
As I awoke I realised there were Celts around me talking quietly to each other in their barbaric tongue. I froze, hardly daring to breathe despite the awful thirst in my throat and throbbing pain in my head. One came close. I heard his foot land on the soft ground next to me. I was turned over but continued to play dead. I guess from the state of me after I saw my reflection in the pool I drank from later I looked pretty dead when they saw me. All my possessions had been stolen including my sword, armour and shield! The only thing they hadn’t stolen was my tunic, and I was able to sneak through the countryside and find my way back to the reinforcements that General Vespasian sent to relieve our legions.
“Left! Right! Left! Right!” The centurion barked.
We reached a bend in the road and out of the bushes a group of Celts with raving dogs ambushed us. I pulled my gladius out of its sheath and plunged it straight into the heart of a Celt, a massive dog with razors as teeth bit clean into my thigh. I managed to shake the dog off, but I was struck around the head and if weren’t for my helmet I could’ve died. I fell to the floor and a wild haired Celt rippling with muscle stood over me and was about to strike. Fortunately Marcus slashed the Celt across the face, hot, dark blood spattered across my arm as I covered my face with my hands. He pulled me up to my feet then a barbed spear came hurling towards us and plunged into Marcus’ stomach. Then in a flash of rage I pick up my gladius and stabbed a Celt in the chest, ducked a slash and cleaved into his leg.
After the devastation I ran to Marcus who lay in a ditch lying in a pool of his own blood. I was horrified to see Marcus dead, fourteen years I had been his friend and now he was dead. The gods themselves seemed to be upset as they turned the skies themselves a murky grey.
We piled the bodies into several pits and set them alight the stench was horrific but it would clear bodies faster. We took off, as soon the last pit was alight. We continued our march to Camulodunum with a lot less soldiers. There were three dead Romans to every one dead Celt.
Chapter 2 The Devastation
When we were around 3 miles from Camulodunum we could see black plumes of black smoke rising into the heavens. “Damned Celts burned the capital,” our centurion stated,
“Must have killed loads of their own,” Cleopas said
“They don’t care. They’ll do whatever they can to rid us, even if that’s killing their own.”
“They’re damn mental”
When we reached the capital we saw something worse than we imagined.
All of the Romans that were stationed in the capital were lying on the ground with their wrists and throats slit. We were split into parties and searched among the rubble to see if there were any survivors but as we expected the only people we found were the burnt remains of civilians and some unlucky Celts that weren’t fast enough. We were ordered to regroup, and the reports were that only two gladius’ and a single shield were repairable the rest were too damaged. Mars decided to punish us for letting the rebels do this and sent a huge thunder storm the rain started to turn to hail which pelted us; so I pulled my shield over my head to prevent my amour from rusting.
Chapter 3 The pain of battle
We decided to set up camp just next to a brook in the middle of an open forest. The willow stretched high and streams of the evening light shone through. There was a sudden rustling in a bush. We approached cautiously with swords raised but we were surprised when a severely wounded roman emerged and with no warning collapsed. We sat him down and asked what had happened and he explained that that the rebels had burst out from behind trees and ambushed his century and he was taken prisoner, they set up camp and beat and tortured him. He then told us on his last breath the location of the rebel’s camp.
We decided to leave at dawn so we could use the darkness as extra cover, the road seemed to stretch on forever and the stars shone brightly in the night sky. The camp was heavily guarded but it was nothing for our archers, as soon as the guards were killed we moved into to kill. We burnt, stole and slaughtered everyone and thing. The camp was alight in a few minutes with a luminous orange glow. Screams and howls from men and animals alike filled the air and the shout of victory from our men, we had won. Then the background through the trees English reinforcements! They charged down the hill and engaged us in battle; their chariots crushed our front lines, then a barrage of rocks hailed down upon us and one small boulder hit my temple and knocked me unconscious.
As I awoke I realised there were Celts around me talking quietly to each other in their barbaric tongue. I froze, hardly daring to breathe despite the awful thirst in my throat and throbbing pain in my head. One came close. I heard his foot land on the soft ground next to me. I was turned over but continued to play dead. I guess from the state of me after I saw my reflection in the pool I drank from later I looked pretty dead when they saw me. All my possessions had been stolen including my sword, armour and shield! The only thing they hadn’t stolen was my tunic, and I was able to sneak through the countryside and find my way back to the reinforcements that General Vespasian sent to relieve our legions.
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