James Mace - Soldier of Rome - The Sacrovir Revolt

Heracles strode through the rubble and ash that still smoldered; the charred remains of Sacrovir’s mansion house. The Romans had taken anything of value that they had been able to find. Corpses were left where they lay. He climbed over mounds of fallen roof tiles and collapsed walls, searching for. . well, he was not sure exactly what.

He came to the remains of the great hall they had been meeting in. The roof, as well as the entire second story, had collapsed on this area. The charred ruins of furniture still smoked, even though the rains had long since put out the fires. And then he saw it, a glint in the gloom of the destroyed building. He crawled over until he could see it plainly; a gilded sword handle, sticking out of the pile of rubble. It was Sacrovir’s weapon, the one he had had made by the best smiths in all of Gaul.

Heracles pulled hard on the handle, slowly the debris giving way as the weapon came up and out. The blade was covered in dark crimson, Sacrovir’s blood. Heracles knew the man lay charred and buried beneath the wreckage. As he gazed upon the sword, a fierce sense of determination welled up inside him. The Gauls were not his native people, yet it was Sacrovir who had liberated him. In that, a debt was owed to the man. Into the shadows would Heracles go; from thence he would rise again. He would see Sacrovir’s dream to fruition. He would raise another rebellion, stronger than before, and he would liberate Gaul!

“All in due time,” he said to himself in a sinister voice, his eyes burning with hate.