Chapter 1 Uncertain future

750 AUC, (after the City’s founding)

3 BC

Ilva island, on the cost of Center Italy

The fleet departed very early in the morning, half from both ports of the gulf, numbering over 60 each. They were called the ‘’Agrippa’’ and ‘’Augustus’’ fleets, respectively for the north and south.

It was a fine spring day, with no clouds or even a hint of bad weather: the Romans were always bad sailors, and many, many bad experiences at sea finally taught them to be always careful when sailing. Also, all Augures gave positive responses in their divination: one of them even claimed to have spotted an eagle, evidence of Jove's will and an assured victory for Rome.

-I know that guy- claimed Gnaeus, the centurion of the XVth legio Apollinares- He also said that Anthony was destined to be the next dictator after Caesar, and look what happened.-

He was now in his fifties and that was the last place he wanted to be.

To not risk a change of balance in the provinces, only a few legions were recalled to be used in the siege of Nova Atlantis. The rest were retired veterans like him, or even older, called back for ‘’one last job’’, and a lot of greenhorns that never saw battle.

Lucius was one of them. Not even eighteen, he left his family farm in search of glory and honor.

They were on the bridge of one of the many ships on the ''Agrippa'' side, together with as many other soldiers as the ship could carry. Most of the cohort was on the bridge, waiting to start the battle.

-Centurion, sir, I'm sure this time is going to be fine. Our fleet is huge!- The youngster said, trying more to convince himself than his superior. The weird fame that surrounded the island didn't help either, as the soldier shared weird stories the night before. Those living close to the island talked about loud thunders coming almost every day from it, even when the weather was perfect. Others heard of animals and plants never seen before traded in the ports close to the island and even claimed to have eaten one that bled like a person. And all of them said the island shined in the night.

The centurion recognized the doubt in his legionaries and tried to calm them.

-Well, it doesn't matter. Those guys are just frauds, what matters is this- Touching his gladius and then his head- And this. As long as our imperator is good, everything else is unimportant. -

- And is he good, sir?- another legionary asked

- He is: Lord Tiberius not only defeated tribes and tribes of Germans, but he was also in control of the eastern provinces. A true Roman, a clever man, never without a way to turn the situation in his favor-   Gnaeus said to boost his troop's morale, but secretly he hoped Agrippa would have been his general again, like many years before. Too bad he was long since his death.

But it worked, as the whole ship erupted in cheers for their imperator ‘’TIBERIUS’’, they screamed, another a more generic ‘’IMPERATOR’’ and soon it was echoed by the rest of the ships close to them.

- Let’s see what you have in store for our, great general -

The plan devised by Tiberius was honestly quite easy to follow: surround the island from every side and disembark on the first possible landing site. He used old maps of the island and concluded that the port right in front of them, Portus Longe, was surely the one more defended of the two, therefore he decided to use the one on the North of the island, Argoos Limen, from Argonautika fame.

- If Jason used it, I don’t see why we shouldn’t- He told his legati during the war council.

So the ‘’Agrippa’’ part of the fleet was going directly to attack it and disembark there, while the ‘’Augustus’’ was going to feint a landing just to then join the other fleet and complete the lending.

That was the best plan he could come up with in such a short time: all the ships he sent to scout the island never returned, so information was almost nonexistent.

Tiberius asked Augustus many times for more intel and accounts of what the people of Nova Atlantis were really capable of. He asked every person he was able to find in the ports but, other than some fantasies about magic and glass, nothing useful was acquired.

‘’Those who enter will never return’’ they all said.

If this battle was against a Roman enemy, or even against barbarians, he would have called back the attack with so little information, but his Principes demanded a quick victory and to get back his ''Light''. Tiberius could not refuse anymore and risk his rage.

- It's just one tiny island, even if the heroes of the Argo were still there themselves, how hard could it be to conquer for more than 100 Roman ships?- he thought.

The fleets in less than an hour were all In full vision of the island. Then a voice right from the sky was heard like the Gods were talking to them.

- Romans, if you hold your life dear, turn back now. This is your first and last warning-

It was the voice of man, but everyone in the fleet was able to hear it, scaring most of them.

-What is this???- Young Lucius was one of them – Gods, it has to be some magic!- He wasn’t the only one and just like that morale was already being tested.

Gneaeus was also shaken, but quickly recovered, and hit Lucius on the back of his head- It's just some trick, just like Archimedes once did in Syracuse during the siege. Don't lose heart- he shouted and most of them recovered. None of them knew who Archimedes was, or when the siege of Syracuse happened, but the power behind their centurion's words made them regain some morale.

The fleet didn’t stop and none of them turned back, a statement on Roman values during war.

Soon, the voice was heard again.

- We see, you choose death. Very well then, it’s time to taste the hammer of civilization-

Minutes passed, and nothing was happening.

-Ah, so it was just a trick- Lucius laughed, and with him the rest of the cohort- You were right,si-

But before he was able to finish that phrase, a series of explosions started on the island and something soon after rained on the fleet. Metal, lots and lots of metal.

Screams were suddenly heard all around the ships close by, while miraculously whatever was hitting them was missing the one with Gnaeus and the rest of his men on. But they all saw what was happening to their allies: ships started to sink on their own, some having their mainmast destroyed in seconds others catching fire after exploding in flames. And all the while sounds like thunder kept coming from the island.

Panic was now everywhere in the fleet, and Gnaeus didn't know what to do to stop it. And even he, a veteran of civil wars and the east border, was almost lost to it.

-I’m going to die here- he suddenly realized. And his family came back to him one last time in his mind. His son Marius, now married, and his daughter Clara, who hated being called ''shorty'' pestering him to eat more meat, and of course, the love of his life, his beautiful wife Cornelia. He knew that he was never going to see them again.

- What are those?-

Screamed one of his soldiers, bringing Gneo back to reality.

Suddenly two ships were in front of them, but those were certainly not the quinquereme or even the new models Augustus used in Illiricum.

Those ships had three masts and three sets of huge sails.

They were at least three times as big compared to the biggest Roman ship and were so fast that in no time they were upon the Roman fleet. Those ships didn't try to ram or board any of them, they just came close, and suddenly more of that metal came crushing on the Romans. Gnaeus could now see what was shot: huge metal balls that destroyed everything they touched.

Those ships were too big to do anything to them, and none of the arrows the few legionaries still brave enough to fight managed to even stick on them.

Soon more than half of the ‘’Agrippa’’ fleet was either sunk or destroyed, while those who could tried to escape, very few managed. Gnaeus and his soldiers weren’t lucky enough to be among them.

Not even twenty minutes after the clash started, they met their fate and sank.

But not all of them died: Lucius woke up on the shore of the island, the only Roman soldier who succeeded in their objective of landing on the island. Marine currents and luck carried him while everyone else was drowning.

- I did it- Lucius said softly, almost crying- I have to win, for them-

He tried to stand up, but his legs were either too tired or just plain broken to move. And even if they did move, what could he have done, all alone in enemy territory? An enemy so powerful to destroy them with only two ships, so powerful that their voice could be heard from the sky itself?

-Ahahahah- Lucius laughed, what else was there to do there, alone in that place?

But he wasn’t alone for long, an old guy soon approached him.

- Hello there- the old man said, jovially.

He was in his seventies and was dressed in a very unusual gear: he wasn't wearing a tunic, but some kind of shirt and long pants in the vain of the Gauls and other barbarians. He also had some kind of round pieces of glass around his eyes, kept together by a square set of wood. There was also some kind of metal hanging under his left shoulder. A black mass of metal.

- Ave- Lucius responded, puzzled. While he was dressed weirdly, he was still a man. He didn’t look like a mage or some kind of god.-

He noticed the legionary's condition and chose to sit close to him.

- Seems like we won the day, so many needless blood was shed- the old sighed with sincerity.- I’m afraid I can’t even offer you water or something to eat.

- What?- Lucius didn’t understand and was almost offended- You are an enemy, why are you sad?

- Because none of this had to happen, nor did we want it to. And it's probably going to lead to even more death: war is a cycle that once it starts, is difficult to stop.- he responded.

-That's right- Those words instead of calming Lucius, just fomented him- You may have won today, but Rome never loses, Rome never surrenders Rome will fight until victory-

- We’ll see about that. We are quite good at this ‘’war’’ thing ourselves- The old man replied, standing up. He then took out the metal thing and pointed it in the direction of Lucius’s head

- Any last words?- He asked the soldier.

Lucius couldn't understand what was going on, but he could still feel it. Whatever that metal thing was, it was a weapon. It was death. His death. Fear assaulted him once again, but at that point, he remembered Gneo and his fellow legionaries, already in Hades waiting for him.

- Glory to the Xvth legion Apollinares. Glory to Tiberius. Glory to Augustus and Rome- Lucius said, ready to go.

BANG was the last thing he ever heard.