The Strix That Offered Protection

Greek Jubilance.

Rome was in a state of mourning, but many Romans were glad of the emperors death. The Romans were soon to learn the tribespeople took their territories back. Ricardus made a decree, that no soldier would go to war to claim more territory, at least not for the moment. The Strix began pushing the Romans back further towards Rome, the Strix were able to discern which people were truly aligned with the Roman ideology or that they wanted to stay and regain the respect of the gods again and the people they were forced to leave behind.

The Strix identified where their former markings were, they assigned them back to their former tribes, sending confirmation that the gods are on their side. The tribes welcomed the men back, they sought forgiveness from the leaders and their people. Family members recognised the men, they soon welcomed them back to their families. Ricardus was more intelligent than his brother Concilius, he kept friends that were from the old Greek empire, they pretended to show respect and gratitude to the Romans, but many quarters despised them. They still kept their old ways hidden, they swore that one day they would take back what was theirs. Ricardus sent for his friend Helliganus, Helliganus arrived and was wondering why Ricardus had sent for him?

Ricardus explained what happened at the southern and eastern border, how his brother was killed and that the Barbarians were making their way back onto their old lands.

Helliganus asks, "how am I to help? I do not know what savages wander those borders?"

Ricardus asks, "remember when we were just boys, you told me of the story, the story about creatures sent to kill and feast on the flesh of the humans?"

Helliganus replied, "I haven't seen such creatures you speak of brother, I heard stories passed down by generations before me. I know they're called Strix, a form of monster. I have never seen them, it's just stories brother."

Ricardus tells Helliganus that they should inspect the bodies, to see if the injuries match what he was told as a boy. Helliganus told Ricardus to take him to some fresh graves to let him inspect the wounds. Ricardus took him to the tomb of his brother, Helliganus and Ricardus unable to bear the smell of the decaying body. Helliganus told Ricardus the body had decayed to the point of him being almost a skeleton, the wounds were no longer visible. This brought Ricardus to a dead end. Helliganus told Ricardus that lore told him that the Strix could not be killed by humans. The gods wield power over them and it's only them that can destroy them.

Helliganus took his leave back to Greece, he told his father of all what was happening, his father says, "son, you know what this means do you not?"

Helliganus replies, "indeed I do father, the Strix have been sent to earth by the gods, this means that soon the Romans will only have Rome to rule once they're done."

Helliganus the first laughs, "it's the best news he's heard in a very long time."

Helliganus the first still had a connection to the gods too, he knew they would finally send them. Helliganus the first threw a huge banquet and told his most trusted confidants of the Strix arrival, they too were thrilled at the news. Helliganus the first knew this was the beginning of the end of the Roman Empire.

The Greeks don't want further wars, they're satisfied with their lot, the Romans however are greedy and uncivilised, yet they claim to be the most civilised on the planet. The gods never answered on request what the Romans ever asked for. The gods made the Strix push the Romans back further, soon millions of people descended onto Latin Italia en masse. Ricardus told the people to move south, there was no room in the northern territories for them.

Many people headed towards Pompeii and Herculaneum, they were there a season and Mount Vesuvius blew, killing thousands, many survivors scattered to the western shores far away from the smoke and the falling pumice. Pompeii and Herculaneum were flattened killing all in its path. The gods were blamed for this, but of course the gods didn't have control of the earths natural entities or abilities, which is why they created supernatural beings to help when needed. The tribespeople had most of their land back.

The Roman people were seething, they lost so many people fighting for land that wasn't rightfully theirs. Ricardus called for calm, he told his people that war isn't the way to achieve things. That he would see to it that the people are taken care of and that widows and families will be given reparations. Ricardus had the wealth his brother didn't, he was left all the families wealth when their father was murdered.

Concilius was always jealous of this, Ricardus spent his youth on the island of Capri and the family wealth was there with him. Concilius asked his brother for some money when he wanted to finance his war. Ricardus denied him the money as he hated war, especially the empire killing in the name of conquest. Ricardus gave away a vast amount of his wealth to the families of the lost soldiers. When word reaches Rome about Mount Vesuvius blowing and entire towns and villages needed rebuilding or at least the survivors needing a new place to live.

The Strix still had work to do, they had to make sure every Roman was back in Latin Italia. They had to make sure the people born on certain lands get their homes and their cultural heritage back. The Romans are vicious in their ways towards others, most tribes have warred because they didn't understand their differences, but they accepted they had differences. The Romans forced people to change to their identities, tribespeople wouldn't do it, they've always believed in individualism and they were pro choice. The tribes weren't all innocent and loving, but they had values where the Romans had none.

The gods tried for centuries to protect the multiple tribes, they seen how the tribes would be instrumental in making a great future for the world. The tribes will be there to show the world how differences matter. The Romans and future ideologies that echo their past, won't ever be tolerated by the gods. The gods plan to keep the Strix on earth until the Romans remain in their own territory, that they live there for future generations to come and those that want to live under Roman rule can do so of their own choosing. The gods are fair and they have tried to see things from their point of view, but with all the bloodshed, they couldn't allow them to continue with how they treat people even with menial things one might've done wrong.