Peter Darman - Parthian Dawn

‘Don’t stop, straight into them!’ screamed Domitus as he charged towards the enemy. The men gave a great cheer and followed him. My heart was pounding in my chest as I held the shield in front of me and ran at the enemy. Arrows hissed through the air and felled some of our men, but not enough to halt the momentum of our charge. I screamed my war cry as our rear ranks threw their javelins and I ran at a man who had his spear pointed at my chest. I barged the point away from me using the metal boss on my shield and then rammed my gladius over the top rim of the shield into his face. The sword point went through his mouth and out through the back of his neck. I shoved him back into the man behind, who staggered back. I lunged forward and thrust the gladius through his wicker shield and into his arm. I jerked back the blade and stabbed it into his thigh, then thrust it again, this time into his belly. I charged on, treading on men slain by javelins, smashing my shield boss into a man’s face and then driving the point of my gladius upwards into his guts. I was elated. I screamed and with all my strength pushed the entire blade into his body up to the handle. I could not extract it! I pulled and yanked but it was stuck fast! Out of the corner of my eye I saw an axe blade coming at me. I parried the blow with my shield and Domitus severed the hand that was holding it with one blow. I finally freed my blade, which was now covered in blood.

‘Stop being a hero and concentrate,’ shouted Domitus, bloodlust in his eyes.

On we went, stabbing at enemy bellies, thighs and groins. Around us more and more centuries were pouring into the city and forming into line, then charging the enemy ranks, which were being pushed back. We stepped on and over the bodies of the enemy dead and dying as we pushed them back away from the gates. Some were running now. Others were trying to give themselves up. One man threw away his sword and fell to his knees, clasping his hands in front of him as a sign of surrender, but just as at Surkh Domitus thrust his sword into the man’s chest and then kicked his body to the ground with his right foot. On we went. Suddenly a hail of javelins flew over our heads and hit the thinning ranks of the enemy, felling dozens. Trumpets sounded. We halted and reformed our ranks and charged once more. We were killing boys and old men now, the dregs of Chosroes’ army, but we killed them anyway. There was no mercy in Uruk this day.

The threadbare ranks of the enemy fell back. Now Nergal’s dismounted archers came forward and poured volley after volley into them as all around me men were suddenly gripped with a raging thirst and drank greedily from their water bottles. Domitus, his tunic and mail shirt splattered with enemy blood, shared his bottle with me as other legionaries brought full bottles forward for the men and took away empty ones to be refilled. The ground in front and behind us was covered with enemy dead. How many more Mesenians were there?

‘Thirsty work,’ said Domitus. He slapped me on the arm. ‘Not a scratch on you. Well done.’

‘Well done to you, my friend.’

Behind us the rest of the Duran Legion was filing into the city and forming up, followed by the Exiles.

Uruk is divided into four main areas, the palace quarter, the temple quarter, the royal gardens, called the Royal Orchard, and the working quarter. The latter is located in the southern part of the city, a vast collection of mud-brick homes and businesses not unlike those found in Dura, Hatra and a host of other towns and cities throughout the empire. These were now ransacked as the army moved through the city. The Exiles and the Duran Legion maintained their discipline and formation as they marched through the streets, searching for enemy soldiers. But after them came the Ma’adan led by Surena and they were looking for vengeance. They smashed anything that could be broken and killed any unfortunate enough to cross their path. Marcus and his men cleared away the rubble from the smashed gates to allow horsemen to enter the city. Nergal ordered his dismounted archers to get on the walls and in the towers to prevent any enemy archers or slingers shooting at us, but he and his men found no one on the walls. They had all fled to the north of the city. At the northern end of the working quarter I called a halt and retrieved my armour, helmet and sword, handing back my legionary’s kit that had served me so well. The legionaries took the opportunity to sit or lie on the ground as Nergal formed a screen of horse archers in front of the army and the Amazons joined me. Behind us I could hear screams and shouts as the Ma’adan slaughtered those who had failed to find refuge in the temple compound or the palace.

‘Are you going to do something about that?’ asked Gallia, gesturing with her arm to where houses burned and innocents were dying.

‘Not until the city has fallen.’ I replied curtly.

Orodes rode up at the head of the cataphracts.

‘The people are being slaughtered, Pacorus,’ he said.

‘You must do something,’ said Gallia.

Half the city had fallen but there was still some fighting left to do. Still, I had enough foot soldiers to do the task.

I pointed at Gallia and then Orodes. ‘Very well, take the Amazons and the heavy cavalry and stop the Ma’adan in their slaughter, but do not kill them, however tempting it may be. We need those people.’

Orodes raised his hand and wheeled away. Gallia was about to do the same when I called after her.

‘And Gallia.’

‘Yes?’

‘Do not kill Surena, that’s an order. I need him too.’

I heard no reply as she galloped away. A wide canal bisects Uruk, separating the homes of the citizens and the city’s businesses from the royal quarter and the great White Temple that was on my left as I looked across the canal. Several bridges spanned the waterway, the widest of which stood directly in front of us; white stone viper statues sat on pedestals either side of it. These were the only guardians to the last bastions of Chosroes’ kingdom.

‘We had better get across the bridges before they decide to make a stand,’ said Domitus, who had walked over to where I was sitting on Remus.

‘Very well. The Exiles are to take the temple and the Durans are to assault the palace.’

He saluted and ran back to his officers. After a short conference the first centuries sprinted across the bridges and formed up on the opposite bank. Dismounted horse archers stood on the edge of the canal to provide covering fire should it be needed. It was not; there was no sign of the enemy. I trotted over the bridge and joined the foremost centuries, which were now forming into great columns ready to advance against the temple and palace. I made my way to the head of the Durans and we began to move through the royal gardens; a great expanse of date palms, fountains, orchards and flowerbeds. Nergal joined me on his horse, a host of horse archers behind him.

‘We will scout ahead,’ I said, ‘bring your men.’

The Royal Orchard was not only a place of flowers, trees and watercourses, it was also a large park used for hunting. It covered many acres and contained an abundance of wild animals, such as deer, antelope, onager, boar, bulls and panthers. The noise of thousands of hobnailed sandals would have frightened away any wildlife nearby, but I passed the word for the men to take care and watch the trees for any panthers that might be in the branches, ready to pounce.

In the centre of the royal gardens was a large pool with a temple on a small island in its centre. This was a shrine to the goddess Anahita, the goddess of all waters, war, love and fertility. I gave orders that no one was to desecrate this temple surrounded by stone columns plated in silver. Anahita had been good to Gallia during the birth of our daughter and I had no wish to offend Her. We moved past other rectangular pools that had steps leading into their waters, and around the edges were terraces filled with water plants. The waters themselves were teeming with brightly coloured fish, with ducks swimming on the surface. Around the ponds were acres of trees — date palms, doum palms, sycamores and fig trees — planted in straight lines. The Royal Orchard was truly a sanctuary of peace and beauty, and I said a silent prayer to Shamash, asking for His forgiveness for marching an army through its sacred avenues.