On the other side of the continent, Frank and Reyna were sitting inside the Praetoria. It was very hot ourside and most people tried to hide from the heat. "Any news from Hazel? Reyna asked. "No, not yet." Frank answered.
The door flew open and a Tesserarius, called Hank, followed by Edward, a Hastati, entered. "Ave Consuls! This soldier has an important report!" Both looked to the Hastatus "I was on guard duty with Andrea at the highway, when three warriors attacked us. They used steel swords and we can speak of luck, to have these new swords. We killed two and captured the third. Andrea is guarding him at the moment, the bodies are hidden on our side. And they looked a bit like us, from their weapons."
The two jumped from their seats and Reyna said "Lead us." They followed Edward, escorted by seven Triarii who were walking in their way. At the tunnel, they found Andrea, holding a gladius to the neck of a kneeling boy. He had a long hair flowing out under his Montefortino helmet with black feathers, a round bronze Pectorale over his chest and he had only a short tunic to cover himself. A bit away were three large shields, shaped like early roman Scuta, three greek style double edged swords and two bodies with equal armor as the captured had.
Frank looked at one of the dead. It was a man around fourty years, with long blonde hair and rings in his ears. He was clad only in a tunic, like the prisoner. Than he at the prisoner and said "This one is Velthur Partunus. We saved his live and he threatened to kill us when we meet again." The prisoner spat on the ground and cried out "Our king will avenge us! He will wipe out all of you halfbreeds! Calu, bring death! Veive avenge us!" A triarius kicked him and said "Shut up!"
They took the captive back to the Principia, where they put an iron collar around his neck and cuffs around wrists and ankles. On their way through the castellum, many legionaries saw the prisoner and Jason, followed by other centurions came into the building and asked "Who is this?" Than he saw the face and said "You!" Frank nodded. "Velthur Partunus. The one who threatened to kill us. Led a band of three, him included, to the tunnel. They attacked but they were three mortals against two demigods. His two friends are dead."
They sat across Velthur and Frank asked "What were you and your friends doing here? Why did you attack our guards?" The prisoner laughed. "Hapre Matulnai Atna minpi Lauchumne ama ica lucairce. Ica sacnisa huth ruze. Rumathe rachthe lupure. (Hapre Matulnai Atna is my king who rules. Who sacrificed four pigs. Romans prepare to die.)" He laughed again after saying that.
"What do we do now? I don't understand, what ever he said." Frank said. "We could torture him." Michael Kahale, one of the centurions of the principes said. Shocked faces turned to him. He raised his hands. "I know, I know. But they wanted to kill our guards without provocation. And he threatened you two and Hazel." At the last sentence he pointed at Frank and Jason.
Dan Coopers, the second hastati centurion, nodded. "They warned us that these etruscans would attack us. They had obviously send these three to scout our positions. We have to find out what they plan or they will come and kill us all."
Marcus, the other hastati centurion said "But we can not torture someone! That's wrong! Just wrong!" He looked to Frank and Reyna. Frank looked at Reyna and said "Today is your day in command." He said. She nodded grimly, looked to Michael and asked "You would really do it?" He nodded. "Than do it." He nodded again and said "I'll just go and bring two principes." Than he left. The others surrounded Velthur and Frank said "You have one last chance. Answer our questions or Michael will press the answers out."
The prisoner laughed and said "You can do what you want. I won't say anything. Only that you will die, rumathe."
"We all will die. That makes live spicy." Frank answered.
Michael came back with two grimm looking Principes, who held a variety of torture tools in their arms. He walked around the prisoner and said "You have to know, my mother is Venus.... Yes I know 'Oh what could the son of the love goddess do? I bet it is not much.' Well, mother is also the goddess of the Latin League. You attacked romans. Romans are Latins. I have sworn to protect the roman people by all means, in the name of my mother. And because of that, you have two choices. Choice one; Tell me what you and your comrades wanted here and where your base is and I will just throw you into prison. Choice two; I will torture you until you tell me what I want to know. I promise you, you will not die from it, that would be to easy. And I will check if you are right. If not, we start over again. Day after day."
They left the etruscan with Kahale and the principes and soon they heard screams. Marcus was pale, as were most others, and muttered "It's wrong. Just wrong."
Reyna than addressed them. "Alert the troops, strengthen the defences."
The centurios and optios hurried away to alert their troops or to call the citizen to arms. In less than three hours, the entire legion had was ready on the field of Mars.
Reyna rode up and down the ranks and repeated her speech.
"Quirites! Romani! Today our land and our citizen were attacked by etruscan warriors. As I speak here, Hazel is on a mission to another group of etruscans to form an alliance. The greeks were already in contact with this group and learned that there is a war going on. Our enemy denies all demigods the right to live. Be they etruscan, greek or roman. And as far as I learned, the enemy is superior in numbers and mortal. This means that we have to arm ourself with weapons of steel or normal bronze or a mix of bronze and celestial bronze. If we want it or not, we need to fight, or else we will all die. Right now I want every MILES to be ready to move out at any time. If this etruscan King Hapre thinks that he can kill us, let him try I say! We fought giants! We fought titans! We stormed Mons Othrys! We are the children of the big wolf! ROMA INVICTA!!!" She cried the last two words and while drawing her sword and pointing it at the sky.
The soldiers bashed their spears and against their shields and raised them high into the air so that it looked like a forest of gleaming bronze and gold and they yelled, too; "ROMA INVICTA!" They yelled it again and again.
Than, Gaius Manlius Capitolinus the Flamen Dialis, or priest of the Iuppiter temple, who wore the leather cap called Galerus together with the Apex, arrived. He was followed by the Flamen Martialis, the priest of the Mars temple, Titus Ahenobabus. Than came Marius Larcius, the Flamen Quirinalis, who was the priest of the Quirinus temple. The other two wore the same head dress as Gaius Manlius Capitolinus.
After them the three Ponticifes, led by Pontifex Maximus Jason Grace, entered the field of Mars. They were followed by the Salii Palatini (dancing priests of Mars) and the Salii Collini (dancing priests of Quirinus).
The Salii carrying achaic bronze shields with them and wore equally achaic helmets and armor. They danced and sang a song in achaic latin, which most gathered could not really understand.
They stopped and Jason stepped for. "We sacrificed and read the will of the gods! MARS NOBISCUM EST! (Mars is with us!)" The legion cheered.
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Etruscan Demigods
FanfictionGaia is defeated, the Giants, too. But an other mythology, similar but at the same time entirely differend, clashes with the greeks and romans.
