The Tide of Total War

The Last Stand

"You two, Septimus and Augustus! Why don't you both be Marshals, you two seem good for the job." Said Marcus, while Brutus stomped out the door, fists clenched and escorted by two guards.

Before the two elated new Marshals could say anything, one of Marcus's advisers barged through the door

"Sire!! Sire!! King Aeghard is here!!" Shrieked the adviser, his arms waving like roman noodles. His legs trembling like jello.

"What!! Hurry send all the troops and men or women willing to fight!!" Commanded Marcus.

"What shall we do with the troops sire?" Begged the adviser with is balded head shaking like there's an earthquake.

"uuhh.....Umm.... Send all... The... Pike men to the gates and curved around it, and..... The Archers on the walls set with fire arrows protected by our Pedites!! Have the Hastii and the Princeps behind to line up behind the pike men for any reinforcing." Commanded King Marcus

"yes... Sire" Trembled the adviser as he stumble his way out in a hurried scamp.

Marcus turned to the Marshals and told them to go with the adviser as he sprinted his way to his own Praetorians. As he was zooming down the stone streets, he looked up in the sky as he saw several boulders the size of the castle itself rain down from the heavens. The boulders were on fire, and he saw boulders crash in and destroy the homes of innocent peasants. He saw the people run in terror around the streets like beheaded chickens by the butcher. He saw the wildfire of his own town grow wilder. He looked up and saw the blue, fresh sky immediately be surrounded and covered in the black, dry, demonic clouds of smoke as they sky scrape to tarnish the heavens itself. He saw that, with a tear in his eye, as he knew that this war was over.

As he saw the destruction and heard the blood curtailing screams, feeling like his skin was in an open fire, he was cut off by his Praetorians. They have found him. The guards, even with all the destruction, stood stiff and un-moving and said,

"Sire!! We need to get you to safety!! This way, to the castle!"

After what felt like a millennia, Marcus replied

"No.... We need to fight. Or at least not hide and cower, it won't work. Quick, follow me."

The guards followed Marcus without a second of hesitation or remorse as they head to the Hastii and Princeps lead with the two Marshals. Marcus walked to the two Marshals and yelled out,

"Men, this may be our last day here... But lets not make the last day in vain, lets be remembered and carried on with greatness by the hands of Jupiter himself!!" 

To Marcus's surprise, his men raised their spears and swords and cheered, and with a big swing in the air of his sword, the somewhat big army charged out the huge and only gates of the Capital. They charged out into the endless sea of smoke to face the massive army that was facing towards them atop a large hill.

Marcus's men didn't stand a chance, they charged in and almost half of the men died immediately while Marcus Boomed,

"We can win!!"

He knew what a tremendous lie that was, but he had to motivate them somewhat.

As he got his sword and shield ready, two men with spears rush up to him, he hasn't fought in a long time and was a little rusty, but he hoped for the best.

He raised his shield and readied for the first attack, the soldier on the right wearing leather armor with purple and white pushed out his spear to his Marcus's side, but Marcus expected such a move, and moved his shield down and left just a couple of yards. The shield bounced off the spear with a loud shriek as the spear almost flew out of the soldiers arms. Since Marcus saw such an opportunity, he raised his sword to the left of his head while his shield was on his left to protect himself from any surprises from the left soldier, and slashed across the soldiers body, bursting out a sea of red, as his purple quickly turned to a red as he collapsed on the ground, Marcus looked back fast and found the other man swinging his spear the same motion as he did but on the other side. Marcus got a little cocky as these obvious new recruits were trying to fight him, and he just went for a quick stab to the abdomen, collapsing the wide eyed man down to the ground.

As he looked back to the army after his personal victory, he saw a sea of purple completely start to surround and swallow the only particle of men they had left. He decided what was best and sprinted out and around the caste to maybe climb up the mountain and try to escape as the sea of purple has surrounded the Capitol. As he ran, he saw a man in purple there, to intercept him. 

He raised his shield and yelled "Give me your best shot, you pathetic lump!!"

The sudden boom of the young mans voice, kind of jumped the man a little, as he raised his hands stating,

"Hey, i'm not here to fight, I never want to fight, especially with that king.... But I have to earn a living for my family so we could actually afford a home and food every day, I have been doing this for a while just joining a war, but just stay in the corners making everyone believe that i'm actually fighting when in reality... I just want the money. Don't kill me man.... If you let me go, I might be able to help you leave. I think I saw a way through a little whole down there." 

As he pointed towards the very corner of the castle walls and the mountain. Marcus didn't see anything there, but it was the only shot he had of redemption.

"Fine, but if you don't lead me to an escape, you'll be dead before you could say "Jupiter""

The man's eyes dilated for a second in fear, but corresponded and walked towards the corner, Marcus had his sword pointed to him ready for any type of tricks. But, by his surprise, the man actually lead him there without a second of hesitation. As he approached he saw a little whole covered by vines. The man cut off the vines, and it showed a little passageway into the small crawlspace. Marcus, started to crawl in and turned back to the man.

"well...Thanks, wasn't really expecting an enemy to help me out. Whats your name?" Said Marcus.

"Alcred." Replied Alcred,

"Well, hope our paths cross again." Fare welled Marcus as he crawled out.

He crawled down the claustrophobic ally way. The light in the space quickly got erased and was replaced with darkness. He soon really had no idea where he was going at all. But soon after a couple of minutes of crawling in the insect infested dirt whole, he felt nothing on his elbows and immediately fell down the dark abyss.

He felt the cold wind blow past his face and eyes, after what felt like a couple of minutes of falling in an arctic, stuffy, stream of air, he felt a sudden pound on his head and rolled across several feet as dirt got all over his armor and cape, and the rocks jetted into his hands and face. He got up with an exasperated moan and stretched out his now sore.... Everywhere. He bushed off some dust on his armor and got off some rocks and needles still jammed in his hands, and walked down the blank slate in his vision. He bumped into a jagged wall and felt, in his and a type of stick, and could barley see a pedestal, with what seems to be a clump of dirt..... And a...... knife? He grabbed them to see closer expection. He automatically knew that the dirt clump was actually flint by how it felt, and the knife couldn't have been a knife since it didn't cut him and there was no handle.

After a few minutes of consideration, he found out that it was flint and steel, and that the stick must have been a torch. He stroke the flint and steel a couple of times, with only a few sparks to see, but soon an explosion of fire bursted out from the torch and he could see the little, cluttered room he was in. He saw a sign and decided to inspect that first.

"King Gottfried's Escape Cave"

Marcus's eyes opened wide by this sign, Marcus thought that maybe the king before him didn't die, he actually just went through what he just went through. Marcus decided to try to find a way through this dirt maze and see if maybe he could find the former king.