Arthur II Chapter 5

5.

Prima Pilus Artorius have a quiet corner in his tent where he placed his idol of worship. Almost all the Legionnaires worshipped Mars; the God of War but unlike them, he took his prayers towards Bellona; the Goddess of War. She was portrayed with the military helmet with a sword or shield when she rides into battle on the four horses’ chariot.

“The barbarians as you call them are no different from the Gaul’s of the northern lands. They are like us with their own Gods and Goddess. One of them was the Goddess of Wild Life named Artio. She was their protectorate and held great strength.” Lucius heard the Decurion who had remained behind after the others left the tent. “The slaves here consider as one of them. They called you by the creature name of the Bear from your name Artorius. It also meant Arth or the Bear in their tongue.”

“I have heard of that many times when I was campaigning in Gaul. They feared me there for I once wrestled a local chieftain that was named the Bear too. He lost to me and paid with his life.” Prime Pilus laughed. “What other children tale have you heard to amuse me today?”

“Heed my words, Artorius. We are in a strange land that our mighty Legion has not been able to tame.” Percival shifted his concern to a personal level. “The First Cohort needed more than the idol to lean on. You may be the one they need now. Their prayers to Mars have gone unheeded. We are marched here to protect the land where others have left with relief.”

The Prime Pilus looked hard into his Decurion. He had never heard of the man to the complaint of any bad days even when they were surrounded by Gaul warriors or retreated to the deep gorge. His Decurion had fought back and overturned the odds to emerge alive.

“What is your concern, Decurion?”

“It’s not the …. I have ridden for days here and the land beckon to me like the dead warriors I have slain. They want to re-surface and kick me out. I am not a coward nor a …”

“Speak your real mind, Decurion. If not, I am ready to retire.” The Prime Pilus grew agitated by the behavior of his aide.

“Okay, Artorius. I will speak my mind.” Percival voiced out in anger. “Ever since we assigned the task, we have heard murmurings of the barbarians and this particular land. It was not abandoned because it cannot be guarded. The wall does not belong here. It’s their land and….”

“Have the Legions stopped to ask any Gods of the conquered lands for their permission? We take what is there and make them part of us. Do you know how many other tribes we have taken down and absorbed into the Legion strengths? They now served us like those from Rome.”

“Yes, we hold many warriors not of Rome descent but the conquered lands. They fight for Rome for they are promised citizenship at the end of their service. Or they fight because they know we are the superior army and we condone looting upon victory.”

“We condone looting of limited value and not mass killings.” The Prime Pilus reminded the Decurion. “We do not rob the poor. We only do the richer and part of their loot now pays for our stone wall here. The Gods are smiling at us. None can defy the wills of the Gods. Not of any idol, they worshipped.”

“There is the tale of the druid.” Decurion refrained from mentioning the name. “He is said to be an influence here.”

“The druid? I heard of him. What is his name? Whispered but never spoken. I think it was Merlin or …. “

“Merlin, Prime Pilus. He is a powerful soothsayer and sorcerer. They say he can bring forth the dead to live once more.”

“Then you must have heard of the Ghost?” The Prime Pilus asked while he placed his right hand towards the nearby 

brazier. “Are we so scared of them that we are afraid to look at our own shadow? Even shadows are with a physical body. Destroy that and the shadow dies.”

“I hear you.” Decurion replied.

“Then leave me to my sleep. My God has told me we will have more days to live for.” The Prime Pilus then dismissed the Decurion. He then turned to look at the idol of his. He told himself, that Bellona also the Goddess of the Wild Life will be more powerful than this druid. With that, he took the last drop of his wine and then approached his bedding. It will be a short rest and then he will sleep in his quarters soon at the Fort.

If it was rest for the beyond then the Ghost was not to have it. He had assigned the others to deliver the warriors across the wall. They have lived here long enough to know where the cracks could allow them to cross. That was not enough for his warriors to require more guidance. He knew that the only figure who could do that was the druid.

The druid was not someone you could find unless he wanted to be found. He lived in the forest away from the villages and even the isolated woodsman. Nobody knew if the druid was real or a human. Some of them believed that he even had any real form. He could be a tree or a creature of the land. Hunters have asked for forgiveness before they take prey to feed their families.

But the Ghost knew where he could be found.

The Ghost was after all one of his one trusted friends, and at times, bringing food to him.

“Did you bring me another sack of vegetables? You do know that I have plenty of them here. It’s the meat I desired.” The Ghost heard the druid that he had found by the pond hidden by the low hills. He lowered the sack load he had brought there. “Do sit with me.”

“I did have some salted meat in there. It will keep for days.” The Ghost approached the druid. He had seen the later a few times. He was clothed in the thick cloak over the knee-length tunic and the hood covered his head and part of his upper face. From the uncovered part was the unkempt beard that had turned grey.

“Lawnslot, you came to ask me for guidance.” The druid started off the conversation. “I will say go ahead but beware of their leader. He is a bear in the wilderness. We are all creatures of the wilderness. We are dis-united and we will need the leader. The Bear is one. One day Artorius will be that.  He may lead us to better days.”

“The Roman leader? Druid, have you lost your mind? We are the people of this land not creatures of the wilderness. We cannot be led by others. We will have our leader.” The Ghost snapped out in anger. “We will rule ourselves.”

“Have we? Have we ever had a leader? Our land is overrun by the Romans. We are divided by half of our land. The South of us is under their control and to the North, the tribes have not come to be one together.”

“Lawnslot, you are a great warrior but not truly the leader to them.” The druid looked towards the other then he reached inside the sack. “We can’t even agree with the food we should grow. I disliked carrots. Why do you bring me that?”

The Ghost did not reply. He was still upset at the druid for saying that the Romans will be the conqueror. He had fought them for years ever since he returned to the land.

“Lawnslot…” The druid called the Ghost by his real name. “You must see beyond your anger. Today he may be your enemy, but he may the friend one day. Artorius is designated Bear as seen in my visions. You may one day know him as Arthur as he will be called by the local warriors in their language of the land. That will be the name he will be remembered.”

“Enjoy your meat, Druid. I am to battle a bear.” Lawnslot left the druid at the pond. The Druid looked to the pond and muttered to himself.

“Lawnslot, he is much like you but if I am forced to choose, it will be the Bear.” The druid dropped a stick of carrot into the pond. There was a ripple on the pond then before all calmness prevails there.

That was how it should be before the battle.

“Have at them, you knave. Do you want to live forever?” The Decurion swung his gladius at the barbarian head striking deep into the left side of the neck. He pulled the blade out and spurred his mount forward. The attack had begun before dawn when the sentries were looking to have the rotation then. It was also the period when they feel relaxed after a night of guarding with no alerts of any intruders. The barbarians were few but their surprise attack caught the sentries off guards. He counted five from the skirmish and then got the alert that the barbarians were only a diversion.

The real attack was at the Roman families.

It was the Marcellus’ family they had targeted.

Percival turned his horse and rode hard for the camp. The Marcellus had camped to the south much further than the others. He does not fault them for they reckon the furthest south will be safer. They have the Legions at the wall and all will be fine as assumed by the family.

The Marcellus has a small number of servants and five mercenaries to guard the family of five. Antonio Marcellus was not from Rome but a noble of the upper reaches of Sicily. He was a small-time noble with no influence on Rome but some Senators took interest in him. They had him badgered into submission of his land and left the homeland. He staked his future was away in Gaul but found his way to Britannica instead. His family was his three daughters and his aging mother.

Percival arrived at the camp late and saw the carnage. He saw several bodies dressed like mercenaries but it was still dark to distinguish if they were barbarians, but the slaves were not there. They have scattered for safety, and the Marcellus’ was missing. The wagons were looted and the tents are torn or burned. He rode among the dead with his sight of the killings; they have not named the barbarians without a reason. The dead bodies were gutted and the women folks were not spared. He saw none of the Marcellus.

“Find the Marcellus!” Percival gave the command. His riders have followed him and they took off in all directions.

Then it was time to pray for the ones they can save from death.

Deep Seas Chapter 31

31.

The Surface

“Au revoir.” Lord Henry looked to the sky where the French have taken to fly back to their borders. The Squadron of Sopwith has flown overheads to oversee the invasion fleet took to the open sea. They were under orders not to engage.

Lord Henry looked back at the letter from the Senior Adviser. It was worded to state that their noble intentions were misread and the conflict occurred. However, they will withdraw and do their trade liaisons on another day.

“Blasphemy! I never understood how they can a war to trade-in seconds.” Lord Henry cursed out.

“It’s a matter of negotiation.” Lord Chamberlain Gibbons replied. “Nothing is set in stone and even then if it was, the mallet could shatter it. So be contented that we are not fighting on.”

“What of the damage at Bale and Devan?” Lord Henry asked. “Do we get compensated?”

“None but we saved lives.” Lord Chamberlain replied. “And once again, we are united from the North to the South.”

“Aye, a battle won but we still lose at the war.” Lord Henry looked to his men. “Our food supply remains low. We need to get food for our people.”

“Eventually, Lord Henry. First, we take on the Dragons. Will Sea King win today?”

“I hope so.” Lord Henry replied.

The Depth

“Hold depth at a hundred feet.” Senior Captain Cheng Ha called out. He had picked up the lady en-route to Little Jaws.

“Why do you ask that we battle here?” The Senior Captain asked the lady.

“This is their stronghold and here the sea is deep. We will have rooms to move in.” Lady Jan replied. She then saw the movement across the bow.

“The old serpent has come to view the battle too. It will be a good sign for us.” Lady Jan motioned to the serpent seen from the bridge of the Mother Dragon. At over a hundred and twenty feet in length with a sleek scaled body that breathed over eight feet across, the serpent was a splendor to be sighted by the Senior Captain. Without any warning, he saw then the harpoon from the portside was shot towards the serpent.

“Who gave the order to shoot?” Senior Captain Cheng Ha roared out. The question was relayed down the hull and reached the sailor who fired the harpoon.

“I made …. A mistake.” The harpoon shaved the serpent on its upper fin. It annoyed the serpent that it was attacked. The fin sprouted blood and soon the bleeding left a trail in its swim.

“Fool! You will bring in the sharks.” The words were out of the Senior Captain when he saw the school of huge sharks swimming towards them. “Take positions. We have the predators coming at us.”

Sea Dragon Two and Three were to the stern of the Mother Dragon in a straight line. Sea Dragon Two Captain saw the school of sharks approaching the submersible.

“Battle stations.” The Captain of the Sea Dragon Two called out. “I want the cannons loaded.”

“Captain, we have sight of the Sea King. It’s to our port side.” The sailor called out.

“You fool! That is a serpent. And its…. Huge.” The captain of the Sea Dragon Two was overwhelmed by the size of the serpent. “Fire at it. Distract the sharks.”

The eight harpoons on the port side went out at the serpent. All of it missed the serpent which swam below into the depth but the sharks have arrived. It was a school of ten huge sharks from fifteen to over twenty feet.

“Turn to starboard.” The order was given by the Captain of Sea Dragon Two. The submersible turned then and it was hit by the fore three harpoons released by the Sea King. The Sea King had arrived then and saw the opportunity to attack. The twelve feet length harpoons bored into the double metallic hull as if it was paper wafer. The three breaks in the hull caused the seawater to surge into the submersible.

“Abandon ship.” The call went out on Sea Dragon Two. The Captain himself stood knee-deep in the rising seawater trying to organize the evacuation. They have trained in the past but it was on shallow levels. There at the depth of a hundred feet, the sailors on the abandoned ship panicked when they tried to open the hatches.

“We have sharks out there.” One called out but he was soon silenced by the others. “We have to leave or die here.”

“We will take our chances out there.” The hatches were blown open and the sailors swam out. The issue was during the attack by the harpoons, some of the sailors were wounded and their bleeding soon attracted the sharks. The school of sharks swam towards the feeling of sailors.

“Help our friends.” It was Sea Dragon Three which had arrived. “Fire at the sharks.”

Sea Dragon Three harpoons fired out and impacted on three sharks. The harpoons caused the situation worse with the wounded sharks adding to the blood scent. The sea there became a feasting ground with sailors and sharks.

“Watch out for the ….” The Sea Dragon Three captain warning was cut off when the submersible was hit by the harpoons from the Sea King. Like its sister ship, the harpoons impacted on the hull and created mayhem on board.

“Blow the ballast! We need to surface.” The Sea Dragon Three Captain called out. His sailors were more organized and went into a position to raise the submersible. Some sailors went to try to mend the tears on the hull but the seawater rushing in then had created more tears in the hull body.

Meanwhile, the Mother Dragon ahead was unaware of the fate of its smaller escorts. Senior Captain Cheng Ha looked at the sea canyon ahead. He was only alerted when he saw the schools of predators moving to the aft of the submersible.

“Turn to starboard. Check on the other dragons. Senior Captain Cheng Ha called out. He then saw the commotion at the rear and spied the Sea King on his starboard.

“Fire at the Sea King.” The explosives tip harpoons were fired from the front bow. The four harpoons there leveled towards the Sea King. The later was not aware of the Mother Dragon. It was saved by a huge twenty footer shark that intersected on the harpoons. Two of the harpoons impacted on the shark and caused a reaction on the other two harpoons explosive. The explosions caused a ripple in the sea and it impacted on Sea King.

“Whoo…” Captain Arthur felt the explosion. “What was that?”

“Explosion on the port side. I think it’s the Mother Dragon.” First Officer Kenneth called out. “Taking evasive action.”

“Signal the Nemo to engage.” Captain Arthur called out. The signal went out in a series of lights and the Nemo to the aft of the Sea King went into action. The small craft sailed towards the Mother Dragon. It caught up with them later and then it crossed the bow of the Mother Dragon. When it was there, it released the dark ink which was its only weapon against the predator. The Nemo had carried double its weight in the dark ink and soon darkened the view of the Mother Dragon.

“We are blind.” The sailor manning the steer on the Mother Dragon called out.

The Nemo then steered away but it was not prepared to be ram by the serpent who had seen the attack. In the feeble mind of the serpent, it assumed the Nemo was a Box Jelly and it took to attack it.

“We are being….” The seawater gushed in through the thinner hull of the Nemo. It was not built to withstand such impact and then craft sank when the seawater filled up the interior.

“Nemo is down.” The First Officer called from the periscope. “It’s the serpent that hit it.”

“Forget the serpent. We will attack the Mother Dragon while it's blind.” Captain Arthur called out. “Steer to starboard and then ready the harpoons.”

“Fire at will.” Captain Arthur saw the Mother Dragon moving across its bow. The next salvo of harpoons went out but only one harpoon impacted on it. The Sea King was jolted by the serpent which had swum above the bow and dislodged the Sea King in its direction.

“We got a hit.” First Officer Kenneth called out. “She is springing a leak.”

The impact of the single harpoon had hit the stern of Mother Dragon.

“Fire the portside harpoons.” Senior Captain Cheng Ha called out. The eight harpoons went out in an arc formation. Five of the harpoons impacted on the Sea King and caused it to tilt backward.

“We are hit.” First Officer Kenneth called out. “Lock those compartments.”

“Captain, we may need to surface.”

Lone Ranger Chapter 49

49.

Lance had to hold onto the ropes there to avoid slipping on the wet deck. Falstaff had decided that his girth will not suffice as a floating ring so he stood at the doorway like a sentry there. He had directed Tonto who stepped out there like a seasoned crew of the boat. The Native American had sloshed on with his wet moccasins to the railings. The view on the deck was different from the one which they had climbed on. There was no rower named Charon there, nor was it a boat. They were not on any river but the high seas with the high waves and the dark skies.

“Where is our boat and where is …” Lance called out.

“Lance, you need to know something on Hades here or the realm next to Hades.” Falstaff voiced out. “In this realm, there are multiple realms within the multiple realms. We are constantly traversing them and it may be mind-boggling unless you are guided by one who knows.”

“Like yourself?” Tonto asked in a loud voice.

“Yes like me. Without me, you will not survive here.” Falstaff replied. “But right now, we have another issue on the deck.”

Lance looked at where Falstaff was motioning. It was not hard to miss the Sirens for they were provocative with their appearance. More to it, the so-named rowing boat was a huge ship with the waves higher than the keel and the waves were intimidating. The sea waves slapped the sides of the ship without mercy but the genius Captain steered the ship well to avoid they capsized by it.

“They are beautiful, are they not?” Tonto bellowed on the Sirens standing there. If there were lewd words to describe the Sirens, they were Venus with all her limbs inviting. They were dressed if it could be described in the scanty seaweed material that may not keep the coldness off but the multiple layers helped. And it kept the voyeur’s from the scant details to that of a fantasize visionary. Their beauty was flawless and it can’t be said for their manners of speech.

“Oh cease thy course and listen to our lay! Blest is the man ordain’d our voice to hear, the song instructs the soul, charms the ear.” The voices were inviting and even the great Odyssey had to be hogtied to the mast to avoid being enticed. “Approach! Thy soul shall into raptures rise! Approach! And learn new wisdom from the wise!”

Lance was transfixed by the singing and seems to be moving on his approach towards the nearest siren when the sound of the rifle broke his trance. The Winchester 73 roar rose above the slamming waves and it nicked the siren at the left ear. Lance turned around and saw Tonto still have the rifle leveled at the siren.

“Kemo-Sabe, you might want to close your ears more often,” Tonto called out. “The Sirens are bad for your hearing although they sang well.”

Lance shook his head and then saw the Siren shot by Tonto lunged at him. The Siren was no more beautiful but a grotesque monster that resembled a harpy in the looks with the fanged teeth. Lance was pushed to the rear and fell on his back but he had his knees bent and with that, he kicked the siren over his head. He rolled over and to his dismay saw the Siren had landed on its feet and snarled at him. It was then Tonto clobbered the Siren over the back of the head.

“She was best kept silent.” Tonto smiled while holding his rifle. “I would have shot but the silver bullets are short in supply.”

It did not deter the other two Sirens who had taken flight towards Tonto. They have changed their appearance to that of their sister in kind. Their flight was augmented by the appearance of the bat-like wings but it did not improve their vocal for it resonated more like screeching. It was akin to the desperate noise of a wounded coyote or the passion yowls of the owls if one ever heard of one before. Their flight was swift and more furious was their talons when it struck mat, Lance. He had sidestepped to avoid the slashing move of the Siren and rolled to the right. On his body roll, Lance had drawn his guns to fire at the flying Sirens. His aim was good but the waves raised the odds. He managed to nick one of the Sirens in the left-wing before they both flew away.

“Darned!” Lance cursed at his firing. He then stood up and it was then he saw a new threat.

“Vlad Tepes!” Lance shouted out. “I am not surprised to see you here.”

“I was just passing by and heard of the Lone Ranger had arrived here.” Vlad Tepes stood there on the deck shrouded in the dark overcoat that reached his knees. His feet were covered by the knee-length boots but his weapon was intimidating. It was a three-pronged trident that looked it belonged to Neptune.

“Lucifer was enraged that you have come. He expected none the less for your arrival meant that Michael was using you here.” Vlad spoke out. “I am here because I died in the last battle. It also marked the end of the war I was waging there. I was given the better of advice my war was here.”

“To win the realm of Hades for Lucifer. He does not want the one I was trying to create before. He told me that the real realm he treasured is here. Hades was his until his banishment. And we resurrected him.” Vlad burst out into laughter. “And he dragged me here. He had me volunteered as his warrior.”

“So you are here with Lucifer? I need to find him and from him my brother.” Lance voiced out.

“So the Lone Ranger seeks the brother whim he assumed was dead. Did you know that somewhere in there could be more than you knew? You had Father Dennis that turned out to be a demon, and he told you things that changed the course of your role. Then you were told that your brother is alive? Have you ever wondered who’s the Lone Ranger? The real Lone Ranger? Have you have ever considered that you may be led by your mask here or when you donned it.” Vlad laughed again. “I did not know much then but soon I was told by the one who had planned it for a long time.”

“Let me recount to you the real tale behind the tale of the Lone Ranger.” Vlad Tepes sighed. “I would not ask you to shed any tears but please feel free to do so.”

“You were told that your brother the original Lone Ranger was serving the House of the Lord.” It was then the deck was started vibrating as if it was coming apart. The horn on the bridge sounded off. Vlad looked upwards and then out to the open sea.

“We are to be boarded.” Lance saw the threat seen by Vlad. It was a pair of dirigibles and headed towards the ship. Just as he was warned Tonto, he saw the flashes on the dirigibles.

“Jump for cover!”

Lone Ranger Chapter 48

48.

The rowboat of Charon was twelve feet in with the three planks across designed for the seating. There was the hanging oil lamp in the fore and to the rear which lends light to the boat and the water. The boat was coated in some dark shade blending it to the scene of the dark chamber. Charon himself was standing at the rear with the long staff into the water. The figure was short by height and was dressed in a shapeless gown that reached from over his head to below his knees. He was barefooted and with the hood covering his head, his face was not seen. He was pushing the boat with the staff and soon docked at the river bank. The rower then grabbed hold of the two bodies on the boat to discard them by the river bank.

“Aye, the misfortune mislaid on the journey.” Falstaff placed on a grim expression and then saw the confused expression on Lance. Falstaff soon explained.

“They think that the passage to Hades could be done by themselves but they forget the road to Hades has many surprises.” Falstaff looked at the bodies and shrugged his shoulders.

“A big price to pay for not paying the fare.” Falstaff continued on and then stepped away. The bodies on the river then engulfed by the river water and the river flowed the bodies back against the flow. It was intriguing then for a small part of that river was flowing in reverse sweeping the bodies in it. The bodies soon submerged and the river bank reverted to its original state.

“Aye, the River Styx is alive and well. With some unusual ways of reclaiming its own set of souls. The souls here will remain as part of the river till eternity I guess.” Falstaff smiled. “Never cheat on the river or Charon.”

Falstaff then looked at Charon and held out his hand with the gold coins. 

“Eleven coins for us.” Falstaff reached for his guineas in the bag and they boarded the boat. Once on board the boat, the eleven found themselves drawn to another dimension. It was no more a boat but then a ship with a huge deck and the bridge that overlooked the deck which at that moment throng with guests. On the deck were rows of tables with the gambling boards and the spread of buffet with a wide array of delicacies. No servants were serving the refreshment but one need not look far to sought one. The drinks stands are well spaced out and with it the ongoing flow of the servings. It was the sight of the server that amused the drinkers. It was poured out from the machination that resembled the trunk of the elephant although no one fancied the pudding served at the other end of the elephant.

“The drink is sweet nectar.” Falstaff took a whiff of the trunk that was pouring. “I may recommend the pudding if you don’t mind the serving protrusion.”

Tonto took to laugh at the dry humor but Lance was more fixated on the others there. Most of them were plying the trade of luck with a score at the buffet servings. There were about a hundred of them in various dressing according to their taste and credence or placed on them at the moment of death. Lance looked at one which caught his attention for the man was dressed in his long johns and appeared to have a poor run of luck from his adultery antics. He saw another was a lady in her fine dressing but the hair was disheveled with the crochet stick end pierced into her temple.

“There are many who get onto the boat and never leave,” Falstaff told Lance. “It’s truly a nicer death that way.”

“I wondered if one could die here in Hades.” Lance sank his thoughts into the vocal sounds of his. He was overheard by Falstaff who explained the workings of death after death.

“They won’t come back undead if that was your line of query. They will revert to the start of their journey once more. It’s the way of Hades here. Once sent here, we remained forever unless we are banished to the physical life trough once more.” Falstaff smiled. “I don’t envy that I much prefer life here despite the battling. I will know as I did love a longer living life than from the start of the time and to the English being shoved over by the colonists. Sadly I died then not by the hands of Man but the brother of mine. I was banished here but I fought on to stay on the right side. Lucifer was a good lad.”

With that, Falstaff silenced his words. Lance was to ask when he was stopped short by Tonto who changed his focus towards the far side.

It was Vance Hawkins. He saw Lance.

“The Lone Ranger, I presume.” That call turned several heads. “I never thought to see you going to Hades. Or was it to hunt us who had escaped your pursuit?”

Lance glared at the man who was killed by Tonto. Hawkins had his face disfigured with the bridge of the nose and part of his left cheek torn. The man approached them and glared at Tonto.

“I do not expect you to be here so soon.” Hawkins voiced out with disdain. “Since you are here, we can resume our battle once more.”

With a swirl of his right hand, a group of twenty figures stepped up to face them. They were the Legionnaires of Vlad Tepes. 

“You destroyed an army of mine. For those destroyed, they were banished here. Since I was also destroyed by you I am now gathered here with them at the edge of Hades. I do not know if you knew this or place here. It’s called Limbo; a halfway or neither place for we are not in Hades or anywhere.” Hawkins saw the rifle and the tomahawk. “Your weapon may well be bloodied soon.”

“Aye,” Tonto replied.  “I will make sure you to be there for your next reading at the funeral.”

They were to clash when the whole deck jolted as if it had hit something hard. The assembled on the deck screamed and Lance ran to the bridge above. He was followed by Tonto and Falstaff although the later was heaving in deep breaths. He reached the ship bridge and met the one steering the so-named boat. He was dressed in the formal Captain’s uniform with the peaked cap. He was tall with the slim look complete with the wide shoulder. It was the look of a true commander. He was not alone and there were two on the bridge dressed like sailors. The Captain saw the newly intervened trio and jumped into an acute irritation.

“Leave the bridge now!” The Captain hollered out his command. “I got a ship to steer here.”

 The other two jumped into action but Falstaff held them off.

“Captain Nemo, I would like you to withhold the command. We are here to help. He is the Lone Ranger.”

“Blimey! Another typecast.” Captain Nemo cried out. “I have seen the likes of Queen Mary to the Norse Gods before they were sent off with their arses tumbling down the stairs. I was not surprised they could holler louder than the siren wailings.”

“Bloody sirens? I knew them from my days at Dover.” Tonto had to impress the Captain.

“Mutations of the demon. I doubt they ever exist with my high seas sailings but I saw more of them here than then.” It was then the bridge was rocked once more and the eerie sound vibrated through the area.

“If they keep on yelping like that, I will bloody keel over my sword.” Captain Nemo moaned his disgust with the Sirens. “I still got to get them off my deck.”

“Perhaps we can help.” Lance volunteered. “We are new but we know all about demons.”

Captain Nemo glared at Lance and then broke into a smile.

“Lone Ranger, do your worst. I will keep us towards the sea and the devil off your back with my finer steering.” Captain Nemo then nodded to one of the sailors to lead them.

The scene on the deck where the Sirens were harassing them was not your scenic view of the high seas.

Arthur II Chapter 4

4.

Gaheris watched his brother rode out following Percival. He had wanted to ride out too but then he saw the slave signaling him. He knew the slave and took the message. His direction was the opposite.

The tent was not as big as Prime but it had a fire going which was what Gaheris was looking forward to then. He dismounted at the tent and handed the reins to the slave. He took his way past the tent flaps and smiled at the family facing him.

“Legionnaire, we are having supper. Do join us.” The head of the Augustus invited the young Legionnaire. It was rare for a Legionnaire to be seen in the company of a noble family from Rome. Gaheris saw the vacant seat among the five at the table. The food and drinks on the table was few but it was a relief from the camp’s food.

“We are simply bare here.” Lucius Augustus formerly a noble from Rome has helped many to the Senate but his days were over. He chose to retire from Rome, and Britannica then seems like a good choice.

“We are to go to the land of barbarians and druids? You must be mad in your old age.” Augustus' peers have sounded to him. “Retire down south to the beaches at Hispania where the sun shines daily. Or move to the Dark Continent where there are plenty of lands for grab. And slaves which we can use or trade.”

“Or I can go to Gaul. We have tamed the barbarians there.” The talks were there but Augustus ignored them all. All those lands are filled with their other families. He wanted someplace new. He was set on going across the sea. He took his family then under objection. His only daughter Elaine Augustus had objected greatly. He did not argue with her but he made her followed him. It was to let her cool down but she was stubborn like him. She wouldn’t talk to him until they reached the shores of the new land. There they met Gaheris and all changed.

Elaine was once more the grateful daughter.

‘Tell me, Gaheris. Are we at the final stop? We can build our homes here.” Augustus asked the young man. “We need to rest after so many months of moving. And Elaine needed to …find a home soon.”

“I think so, Master Augustus. We are at the Antoinne Wall.  We are to restore the wall and protect it.”

“Like the Hadrian Wall. It will then flourish the lands before it. I was there during the debates on building this wall. I was a weakling then.” It was Augustus's way of making himself small to the audience but he held influences on some members of the Senate.

His way then, Julia had seen the greatness in him.  

“No, Lucius. You were young then. My father had seen the greatness in you but you refused to run for the Senate..” Julia Augustus was the daughter of the local Lord in Hispania and wedded the younger Augustus from Rome than for the coming glory as promised by her lover then. He did deliver it but in his elderly years, he had moved her to the new land soon after Julia’s death.

“We are all weaker at a young age. That’s why we needed the guidance of the elderly.” Gaheris was diplomatic in his reply. It was one of the qualities liked by Augustus who met the young man on the journey. There were others including the Centurions but he settled on young Gaheris.

“So, you do.” Augustus smiled at the young man. He knew in his heart that Gaheris will be a great man one day. “Tell me of Lucius. Have you been to his tent?”

Augustus knew his way around the powerful. He knew that Galahad had dined at the Centurion’s tent. He knew also the young Gaheris was there before.

“Not of late. I have been busy with the patrols.” Gaheris replied. “Centurion Lucius has his aides to dine without me. His quarters are almost ready.”

“Yes, I heard too. The Optio looked to his Prime well. They are building the outer walls with the stones from the nearby quarry and I heard wagons of woods from the South. The Emperor must favor the Prime here.”

“Yes, Prime Artorius is well-liked,” Gaheris replied. “He held some influence at the Head Quarters.”

“I best be going back to re-join my unit. We will be having supper soon.” Gaheris asked for permission to leave but was stopped by the later.

“Aye, you must dine here too. We can always hold a seat for you here…. anytime.” Augustus smiled. “I am sure Elaine will be pleased.”

Elaine Augustus's expression beamed up in embarrassment on the mention of her name. She had liked the young rider because they shared some interests but beyond that, she was unsure. She had nothing to wish for than to be wedded to the one she loved but the decision lies with her father. She cannot decide but could influence. She looked to Gaheris and smiled.

“I am honored to be here,” Gaheris replied once more in a diplomatic tone. He then decided to change the subject matter. “Tell me, Master Augustus. What do you know of the wall?”

“Besides its name, I am afraid not much of it. I was not there when they voted for it. It was the other wall, I was involved in.” Auric was referring to the Hadrian Wall. “That wall served its purpose and then the Emperor was ambitious to have a new line of defense against the barbarians from the north. The Emperor does not favor an open boundary like in Gaul. So, he decided on the second wall and maybe the third until he cornered them like we did the barbarians at Gaul. The difference was we have both the seas at the sides. Today, the Antoinne Wall, tomorrow maybe the Caesar Wall…”

“Or one day, Gaheris Wall.” Those words came out from Elaine without thinking. “Sorry, I was out of line.”

“No….” Gaheris raised his goblet. “It may not rival the wall here but it will keep the families safe.”

“The families then. May they all prosper here.” All the six of them raised the toast.

It was the toast or was it, an agreement then by the group of warriors seated there by the small fireplace far beyond the wall. They are not the Romans but barbarians from the land. They don’t need a bigger fire with the coats of furs worn by them there; a single coat may not work on a cold night and the extra fur does sometimes stop an arrow from piercing deep. There were four of them, and their mind was fixed.

“We strike at them before the next moonrise.” The one who spoke was a huge one with the broad shoulders and wider girth on the waist but his huge forearms held the double-edged battle-ax. He picked the ax from a dead warrior who almost cleaved him with it. “I am unhappy to wait for long.”

“Kay…” The one on the left was snapped off.

“It’s Sir Kay to you all except for him.” Kay the Huge made his point. He was motioning to the one the enemies called the Ghost. The others nodded. They held command of eight warriors but seated there, they were all equals except for Sir Kay. He was their leader.  

“We are facing the First Cohort. I had been tailing them.” One of the leaders seated opposite of the Ghost voiced out. “That is about a hundred and sixty legionaries and maybe forty Auxiliaries’.

“I know.” The one who was named the Ghost replied. “I have fought the Legions before. Now we plan the skirmish.”

“Skirmish? I thought we were going to …” Another one hit out but Sir Kay snapped in.

“Are you mad? I am the one who was supposed to be mad. Not any of you.” Sir Kay was upset. “We can’t fight them all. We can only engage them with hit and run. We are outnumbered and they have the wall.”

“Yes, we will hit them but not at them. We can go behind them. We can hit the Roman families. If we hit them there, it will hurt them.” The Ghost told them.

“The wall had the other cohorts to guard it. So how are we going over there?”

“There are sections of the wall which are yet to be reinforced. We will cross there and regroup at the rear. More to it, the other cohorts are stationed elsewhere along the wall. The Legion is stretched and we will sneak across in groups of three or four.” The Ghost told them. “We will sneak in at a different location. Then we hit tomorrow dawn.”

“Which one?”

“The one which I will lead all of you.” The Ghost told them. “We will hit them hard and then leave.”

“Which one? And where do we meet?” The fourth one asked again.

“You will know tomorrow when we will meet at the dry river bed by the lilac.” The Ghost told them. “Now let me consult with the druid.”

The Ghost stood up and looked to the wall. It was a fine wall before and when restored, it will be theirs. He will use it to stop the new invaders coming from the North. Never again will the land be ravished by the others.

“I will take what is mine, Roman.” The Ghost swore at his oath.

On the wall, Optio Lamorak was watching the wagon's load of wood unload their wares there at the wall. The peasants grabbed the long trunks of the fallen trees to implant them at the breaches forming spikes toward the Northern side. It will hold any cavalry attack but behind the spike will be the stone wall where his men will hold their position on the wooden palisades. He had assigned for fire torches to deploy for the invading alert. At every strategic distance clustered of woods and leaves were left in a mound to be lighted to alert the others.

The concern he had was the pace they could get the wall up before the enemy's attack.