Ben Kane - Clouds of War

That was fair enough, thought Quintus. His bladder twinged; irritated, he did his best to ignore it, and his churning guts. It was as if he hadn’t emptied his bladder and bowels before they left the camp. He had, twice. Everyone had been at it: packing out the latrine trenches and making overloud jokes. I’ll forget about it when the fighting starts, he told himself, trying not to imagine what would happen if he never got that far. If a Syracusan sentry heard him climbing the ladder-

Corax materialised out of the blackness and put his face close to Quintus’. ‘Ready?’ he mouthed.

Quintus nodded.

Corax pointed at the wall. ‘Go,’ he meant.

With a final look at the ramparts, Quintus set about getting down into the ditch. The process was nerve-racking. He felt as if a warning cry would issue from above at any moment, or that a massive rock would be dropped on his head. Maybe the lunatic with the carnyx, he who had so terrified a patrol on the south side of the city the night before, would even appear. Nothing of the sort happened, but that didn’t make Quintus feel any better. With gritted teeth, he and Urceus took the first ladder from Placidus’ hands. When more men had joined them in the ditch, they passed it over the bundles of sharp-ended branches. Quintus took a moment then to listen for sentries. Apart from some singing a little way off, he heard nothing. Without further ado, they lifted the ladder up and laid it against the wall. Despite their best efforts, there was a soft noise on impact. They froze, but no challenge rang out.

Quintus burned to ascend at once, but their orders were not to begin the assault until at least five of the ladders were in place. They just had to stand there, hearts pumping, as the rest of their maniple copied what they had done. Eventually, it was done. Hastati packed the ditch like fish in a pool. Scores of others were visible at the edge of the trench, waiting their turn. Pera was out there somewhere too. Gods grant that he comes within reach of my blade later, thought Quintus bitterly. He was determined to utilise the chaos granted by the sack of a city to take his revenge. Urceus agreed with him. If the chance came, they would kill Pera.

‘Fortuna be with you,’ whispered Corax in Quintus’ ear. ‘Go.’

Quintus hated climbing ladders in full kit. In the darkness, it was even harder than he expected. What it would have been like with his shield as well, he could only imagine. With every step, his scabbard threatened to betray him by knocking against the wood of the ladder. Through trial and error, he worked out that by tucking his sword hilt into his armpit and keeping his upper arm clamped against his body, he could minimise the gladius’ movement. With luck, Urceus and the men behind him would work the same thing out.

Up, up, keep going up. Dry-mouthed, sweating, stomach churning, Quintus counted the rungs as a way of getting through the terrifying experience. The tactic didn’t stop images of the soldiers who’d been flung to their deaths during the first assault on the city from filling his mind. When his head popped over the rampart, he almost cursed out loud with surprise. A glance to the left, to the right. Exultation filled him. There was no one in sight. Fifty paces to Quintus’ left, Galeagra loomed. He could hear nothing from within. Stay in there, sleeping off your wine, he prayed, throwing a leg over the top of the wall and easing himself on to the stone walkway beyond. That done, he leaned out and beckoned to Urceus, who was already halfway up.

Before long, there were five of them atop the defences. Then it was ten. Corax appeared with the next set of men; on his orders, they waited until thirty of them had gathered. ‘Remember, stealth is everything still. We kill everyone in the tower, so that it remains in our hands, but our main objective is the Hexapyla.’ Leaving ten soldiers to guard the ladders — yet more hastati were climbing — the centurion ordered the rest to draw their swords and led them towards Galeagra. For the first time, Quintus began to feel naked. The troops they’d be facing would have shields; he and his comrades did not. Fuck it, stop worrying. They’ll all be asleep, he told himself.

But the first man wasn’t. They came upon him right by the door into Galeagra. Yawning, rubbing his head, clearly drunk, he didn’t see them. With his cock in his one hand, he pissed out over the top of the wall. Corax darted forward before anyone else, grabbing the man around the mouth with his left hand and sawing through his throat with the gladius in his right. Black blood showered down into the ditch below as the man struggled. His heels drummed a hypnotic rhythm on the walkway, and then he went limp, like a sacrificed beast at the altar.

Corax lowered him down with care. When he straightened, he pointed to Quintus, and to the door, which was ajar.

Quintus moved before fear froze his muscles. The strip of light cast on the paving meant there were lights burning inside. With infinite caution, he peered around the jamb. His eyes took a moment to readjust. He took in the slumped shape of a man propped up against the outer wall of the room within. There was a trapdoor to the chambers below, and that was it. ‘One soldier,’ he mouthed at Corax. The centurion motioned him in.

Around the doorframe. In, sliding his feet over the timber floor, sword raised. His victim didn’t stir, even when Quintus stood right over him. His eyes opened wide with shock, however, as Quintus’ blade thrust deep into his chest cavity via the point where shoulder met neck. Quintus shoved his left hand over the man’s mouth to keep him silent and ripped out his sword. As blood showered everywhere, they stared at one another in the brief, bizarre exchange that Quintus hated — and loved so well. The Syracusan was dead a few heartbeats later. Quintus propped him against the wall and went to get Corax and the rest.

It didn’t take long to seize control of the rest of Galeagra. Its entire garrison was asleep; discarded jars and beakers of wine lay in every chamber. Level by level, the hastati stole down the ladders and slew the occupants, most of whom were in their beds. Corax summoned the rest of his men from the ramparts and then liaised with another centurion. The decision was taken to move at once for the Hexapyla with two maniples. The rest of the hastati, who were still climbing the ladders, could follow on with all speed. With that, Corax led them out of the Galeagra and on to a narrow way that led along the inside of the wall. It was lined with two- and three-storeyed brick houses that faced on to the defences, but not a soul was to be seen. Despite the almost complete darkness, and the danger that they were in, Quintus was beginning to enjoy himself. There was an insane delight to be taken in their mission. They were but two maniples. If the alarm were raised, thousands of Syracusan defenders would rise from their beds, drunk or not, and annihilate them. If it weren’t, the rewards would be immeasurable.

They moved as fast as was possible, cursing under their breaths at the uneven paving and the rubbish strewn everywhere. Scrawny cats eyed the group with suspicious eyes. An occasional cur stood chewing on the scraps dropped by drunken revellers or thrown from the windows above.

The massive stone towers that formed the Hexapyla had just come into sight, profiled against the starlit sky, when they came across a postern gate. Its bolts were fastened with padlocks, but that didn’t stop Corax grinning and summoning the other centurion. After a brief conferral, Corax’s maniple continued on for the Hexapyla while the second unit waited by the gate. They were to wait for a count of five hundred — enough time for Corax’s hastati to gain a foothold in the towers — before breaking the gate down with axes.