Guardian of Rome (#2 in Gladiator Series)

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

 

Felix sat atop his horse waiting for the slaves’ arrival.

His men were positioned throughout the forest that bordered the main road whilst Felix waited in plain sight with a line of cavalry behind him.

A group of slaves from the south harboured no threat to the might of Roman soldiers but if they were allowed to meet Krista that might very well change.

These simple serfs could, if given the right encouragement, kill any of his men when war came.

Felix and Gaius had a duty to their men and that included helping to keep them alive when the inevitable was breathing down their necks.

War would soon be upon them; it may be a few months away or a few years but there is only one direction this path took them.

Krista, the Emperor Killer, will not rest until she sees the city of Rome reduced to rubble.

And Pompeia will not rest until Krista is killed.

And with the empire caught in the middle of their feuding, it could only lead to an inevitable war that would see many of Rome’s sons, and slaves alike, dead.

Felix, who had grown up in the city and called it his home, would never allow that to happen.

And neither would the thousands strong army at the Empress’s and Senates disposal.

Today, he was charged with defeating the slave party that now deserted their masters and headed north to join the rebels.

It was simply another move on the board that took the Romans one step closer to victory.

Felix had been waiting for nearly a few hours when the signal came; a flaming arrow shot into the sky.

He almost didn’t see it against the backdrop of the setting sun but it did not matter.

Nothing was going to save these rebels now.

* * *

Dianna raced through the camp.

Her hand covered her mouth as she pushed through the crowds of bodies falling to illness.

The weak swayed on their feet as they struggled to breathe against the disease that now claimed their body.

Sweat covered their pale skin whilst their eyes were rimmed in redness and their hands reached out at any passing person, begging for water.

Dianna made sure to keep bodily contact down to a minimum but even she could not get away with touching somebody at some point; the camp was overflowing with people.

But Dianna did not care for the disease at this precise moment; she knew that she may contract it at any point but she had a greater need for something else.

Frieda and Leonidas were too busy aiding the sick to notice Dianna slip past their guard.

For the last few days all thought of fighting and rebellion had been lost as they tried to save as many people as possible.

However the bodies of those they had freed simply kept piling up and words of prayer filled the air every minute of the day.

Dianna didn’t know when she had noticed it but at some point she had realised that Krista was nowhere to be seen.