IL SIGNUM

 Chapter 1

  The Drawing on the Bow

          The cane came down so fast that the whole of Maximus’s hand was already coated with the damp sweat of fear. “Crack”, the sound shook the walls of the small study. Archimedes, the scholar in charge of educating the young teenage son of General Titus, stood panting like a dog passed its prime. “I thought you had memorised chapter 7 a week ago, and look! You forget the second sentence! Learn it for tomorrow or this stick will be the least of your worries, boy!”

Young Maximus was a fifteen year old boy battling to live up to the status of his father, General Titus, leader of the seventh legion who had just been relieved from a tour of duty in Hispania. Titus would expect to find his son ready to attend the ceremony that consisted of him becoming a real man. Before any arrangements could commence, Maximus must first learn all of the tales of the Trojan wars by Homer as designated by his father. However, for Maximus this task seemed to resemble an endless pit.

When Dr Archimedes left the room Maximus was left grasping onto a hand which burned like fire. The mark surfaced through the soft skin followed by a warm trickle of blood that rolled down his sweaty palm. The pain was excruciating making Maximus’s face shrivel up so much that it resembled a dry fig. Maximus remembered the warrior blood flowing through his veins and laughed through his tears. “My father would have never approved of this type of beating.”

            With the corner of his tunic he wiped the tears from his stained face and acted as if the pain was normal. However, soon the sting was unbearable so he walked out of the villa onto the large patio. Relieved to have left the stuffy tablinum Maximus took a few welcoming gulps of the night’s fresh air then headed towards the large fountain situated in the centre of the courtyard.

Maximus dipped the cut on his hand into the cool water until the pain numbed. His submerged hand felt the soothing flow of water making young Maximus dream of his future. He would have a great mare which he would name Clio and he would ride her away from civilisation and explore the legendary forests of Gaul.

The sound of a barn owl brought his dreams to a halt, flooding his brain with the reality that surrounded him. Looking down at the ripples he made with his numb hand he grinned and reminded himself quietly that his future would not be controlled by his evil teacher.

One of the slaves, Fulvia, exited the villa and called out “Maximus come inside now please it is time for you to retire to your chamber.” The call made by Fulvia had disturbed Maximus’s conversation with his reflection and with a dangerous grunt he strode off towards the house. Giving up on making as much noise as possible on his way upstairs to show his anger he finally accepted the warmth of his room and sat on his bed staring at the crackling fire.

His favourite possession was his bow which he had mastered with utmost skill. He was famous in his area for being able to hit the smallest of items with great precision. He held the bow in his hand, admiring the quality for the hundredth time. The bow had a strong frame made of yew, which had been waxed in order to make it smooth. The string was made from the famous flax plant that grew in the highlands of Hispania. The handle was made from deer hide that had been tanned so skilfully that it was as tough as wood.

            Carved into the top of the bow was a symbol, made by the Gaul chieftain to which it belonged to. He was killed for not following the Roman laws of taxes without benefits and facing up to being occupied by Roman legionaries. Maximus’s father had brought home the relic for his son as a gift. It was a day that he would never forget.

             The arrows that lay in a bulging quiver on the ground by the fire were his making of his own craftsmanship and proved to be perfectly balanced and instruments of a quick death. Maximus held the bow in his right hand and tickled the string which vibrated while creating a low humming sound. Suddenly Maximus’s eyes strained at the bow, there was a small carving emerging from the bottom of the leather handle that wrapped it.

Using his hunting knife Maximus cut free some the thin string that held the bow and the leather strap together. Slowly Maximus unravelled the deer hide strip; something had been carved into the handle. Dropping the leather strap onto the floor Maximus took a closer look. The faint carving was covered by small bits of powdered hide that had worn off from the leather handle.

             Maximus walked towards the table situated opposite the fire and dipped a small cloth into a jug of water on the table. Slowly he began to clean off the powder in order to reveal the identity of what the carving contained. Finally, all became clear, to Maximus’s astonishment the carving turned out to be writing. However, it became soon obvious that the writing was not Latin but Gaulish.

At the end of the text there lay a symbol that was different to the ones on the rest of the bow. It contained a diamond with a four edged star in the centre that touched each points of the diamond. In the centre of the star there lay a small circle that joined with the interior corners of the star. Excitedly, Maximus said to himself “I hope this leads me to a certain quest.”

 End of Chapter 1

 Hey, this is a book i have come up with from scratch so give me some feedback on it and i can keep writing. Sorry about any spelling or grammar, they are sadly not my strong points. Anyway enjoy!