The Sword of Jupiter (Imperium #1) - Chapter 6

Ky helped the Emperor out of the chair with the older man gripping  Ky’s forearm even after he was standing. Subtly signaling by pulling or  pushing on his arm, he directed Ky out of the building the meeting had  been held in and around the periphery of the large open square at the  heart of the city.

Already Ky could feel a difference in the  Emperor’s condition. The man was no longer putting his entire weight on  Ky in order to walk and he was notably more steady on his feet. The  nanobots had a few hours left in them before they deactivated, and his  body was already healing rapidly. By tonight, he would feel as well as  he had before the poisoning and by the next morning, he’d feel close to  how he’d felt as a young man.

“I am curious, what are your plans now?”

“Sir?”

“You  said you weren’t able to stay here and help us in the coming battle,  that you hadn’t been sent to help us. That would mean you were here for  another reason. I was curious what that was.”

Ky hesitated for a  minute before replying, looking at the people around him going about  their lives in the open plaza. He wasn’t sure what he should say. While  he was certain there was no way that someone from this time could really  understand the full story of how Ky ended up here, there was also not a  good reason to hide anything.

“It’s … I didn’t come here on  purpose. I was testing out a new invention for my people when something  went wrong and I ended up here instead. I am nearly certain I won’t be  able to return to my … to where I came from so now my main goal now is  to learn enough about this place to figure out what I need to do now.”

“So  you plan to learn from us for a time and what? Journey into the  wilderness where no people live and create a small farm? Find a cave to  hide out in?”

“No, or … I’m not sure. I just don’t know enough about this place to know what my best course of action is.”

“From  what you’ve said to me and to my daughter, you seemed pretty certain  you didn’t want to become involved with ‘local’ affairs, and yet  anywhere you go, any city or community you live in, will make you part  of the ‘local’ affairs. It’s the nature of being alive. So the only  answer that would make sense based on your stated desire. The only way  to live apart and unconnected is to live in a cave or in the deepest  unknowns away from all other living souls.”

“That’s … honestly, I  haven’t really thought this through. Living in a cave or in some forest  all by myself doesn’t sound like what I want either but I’m not sure  getting involved in someone else’s war is the right thing to do. We’ve  just met and while I’ve been impressed by your daughter and all the  Romans I’ve met, I only have your side of what is happening. Not that I  disbelieve you of course but it doesn’t seem right that I come here and  immediately pick sides in someone else’s conflict.”

“That is an  excellent point. Of course, anything I say on the subject would be  biased towards my people. All I can say to that is you have to look at  the sum total of your experiences with my people and the sum total of  the experiences with theirs. There’s a reason you decided to aid my  daughter over her attackers. It’s up to you if your judgment then and  now is flawed.”

“I have been considering that. The issue remains  the same as with the question of where I go from here. I don’t know  enough about this place to make an informed decision. I’ve been mostly  looking at short-term goals like landing safely, getting your daughter  back here alive, and helping you. I did have an alternative motive for  coming back here. My hope had been that, if I helped you, I’d be allowed  to look through any records or archives you have.”

“I will, of  course, be happy to grant you access to our libraries and make any of my  scholars available to you as you need. Of course with the army that I  am certain is heading this way I can only promise aid so long as I still  have cities to command.”

Ky didn’t respond since there wasn’t  much he could say. The Emperor wasn’t wrong, and it had been something  that had already occurred to Ky, but he hadn’t yet figured out what he  was going to do about it.

“What do you think of my people so far?” the Emperor asked.

“They seem like all people everywhere. Some are good people and others … less so.”

“That’s true enough, I guess. I can promise you though for every man like Globulus there are many, if not more, like Ursinus who live their lives and try to do the best they can.”

“Not  to be rude, but what is your point?” Ky said, trying to make the  statement not come off as harsh as it might otherwise sound.

“Yes.  My point is you have to end up somewhere unless you’ve changed your  mind on the cave thing. Again, I cannot deny my bias, but I would say  here is as good as any other place you might find.”

“As you said though, you are biased. I’m not sure picking the first place I end up is the best option.”

“Do you believe in destiny?”

Ky  paused again. He was starting to find it disconcerting how the man kept  changing topics unexpectedly in the middle of a conversation on one  thought to another. Of course, Ky knew the Emperor was making a point by  tying multiple thoughts together, to convince Ky to do what the Emperor  needed him to do. Ky was, however, a soldier. He wasn’t a politician or  a diplomat and wasn’t used to verbal maneuvering.

“I don’t know,” Ky said eventually, since it wasn’t something he’d ever considered.

“You don’t know if it exists or you don’t know if you believe in it?”

“My people are very practical. We don’t spend a lot of time on fate or destiny or control by a higher power.”

“So, you just happened to end up here then?”

“Yes.  A lot of things went into my coming across your daughter. Any one of  them could have caused me to end up somewhere else. I could have just as  easily arrived among the Carthaginians or out in the middle of nowhere  by myself, or some other option.”

“Yet you didn’t. You ended up  with my daughter, just in time to save her, and then agreed to travel  with her here, where you were able to assist her a second time and pull  me from the gateway to the underworld.”

“That’s just coincidence though. I made choices at each step, any of which could have been made differently.”

“Maybe  or maybe you’re right where you should be. I know my daughter told you  of the stories surrounding the Sword of Jupiter and I know you don’t  believe in them, or at least you don’t believe they relate to you. That  doesn’t mean they aren’t true and you aren’t the answer to our  problems.”

“I’m just one man. I know a lot of the things you’ve  seen me do, or heard of me doing, have been spectacular. I promise you, I  can’t just keep doing them all on a whim. I’m not sure how I can help  your people.”

“You can bring them hope. Despite what my son and  some of my legates think, my people are on the verge of being wiped from  history. The Carthaginians have too much power and we’ve been pushed as  far as I think we can go. If not now, then in the next few years I am  afraid my people will be no more. I’ve always believed that with just a  little luck we could reverse the tide of what has happened and push the  Carthaginians off Britannia. We just needed something to change the path  we’re on.”

“From what I’ve seen and heard you would need more  than a little luck. The forces stacked against you are enormous and  you’re people are small in number. I’m not sure one man, even someone  with the knowledge and tools I have at my disposal, could turn that  around.”

“Look around you,” the Emperor said, sweeping his arm across the square.

Ky  looked around and noticed a lot of faces were looking back at the pair  of them as they made their way slowly around the perimeter.

“They are watching their leader. I would think that’s pretty common.”

“Yes  and no. I know my people. I make this walk often when I need to clear  my mind. They are used to me being here. Other than the occasional  glance, they normally go about their business. Many have not looked away  since we started walking. They stopped and continue to stare and  they’re not staring at me.”

“I realize my clothes and height make me stand out.”

“They  do, although that only feeds into it. I guarantee by now the word of  your arrival has started to spread, along with the story of how you  helped my daughter. Many of those who haven’t heard her conclusion have  certainly reached the same idea on their own.”

“But it’s not true.”

“Truth  is a unique thing. At first glance, it seems all things exist as either  true or not. The sun will arrive in the morning and travel across the  sky until its journey is finished. The tides will come in at night and  retreat again in the morning. Fire will burn and snow will freeze. At a  second glance of these things, it becomes clear that these things aren’t  always true or false. We know at times the sun goes dark in mid-day,  the tides do not always come and leave at the same times or at the same  height. Fire can be applied to wood or thatch and if it is wet enough it  doesn’t light and the coldest snow will cause your skin to feel as if  on fire. Truth changes.

“There are explanations for why all those things happen though.”

“If  I was to ask that merchant if he knew the explanations, and he said no,  would things be different or remain the same. Truth is what it needs to  be. You might not be the one sent by the gods but if you stay and help  us wouldn’t the story be fulfilled all the same.”

“It would be a lie though,” Ky said again, not allowing the old man’s rhetoric to take the point from him.

“If  the Sword of Jupiter is meant to save us, you are hailed as the Sword  sent to save us and then help us be victorious, wouldn’t you have  fulfilled the prophecy, making it in fact true.”

“I don’t …”

“I  realize I’m playing with words but you see my point. Just because  things aren’t true now doesn’t mean they will always be false. The first  step to making it true is by giving my people hope, something they can  rally around. Even if you leave and the circle never completes isn’t  there value in giving people hope?”

“I …”

“Look up there,” the Emperor said.

Ky  looked where the Emperor was pointing. They had made the way around the  square and were back to the palace, or whatever, where they had  originally started. On one of the upper floors of the palace was a  balcony where Ky was surprised to see Lucilla leaning against the  railing. She’d been watching their progress and made eye contact with Ky  when he looked up at her, smiling and offering a small wave to him.

“She  has faith in you. It doesn’t matter if you believe you were sent by the  gods or not. It doesn’t even matter if I believe you were sent by the  gods. What matters is that people like my daughter, people like Ursinus,  or any of my people who by now have heard of your arrival believe. Hope  is a powerful thing, my friend. If this army is as large as you say it  is, we will need hope if we are going to win.”

“I can appreciate that but like I said I’m not here to pick sides.”

“You already have.”

“What?”

“Others  saw you when you defended my daughter and her guards. Word would have  spread back by now and I can tell you one thing’s for sure, the  Carthaginians do not forgive easily. To them, you’ve already declared  the side you’re on. Unless we go back to discussing the finer points of  caves, that leaves you with the painted barbarians in the north or  finding a way across the sea into the territory controlled by the  various Germanic tribes. You declared yourself an enemy of the  Carthaginians the moment you killed one of them. The only way to keep  from picking sides is to go where there are no Carthaginians.”

“Hmm,” Ky said noncommittally.

He  hadn’t considered that but it made sense. Too many Carthaginians who  survived the encounter would have spread word of his arrival, especially  considering how notable it had been: falling out of the sky apparently  surrounded by flame. Even though everything he did since landing in this  time had been his own decision, he couldn’t help but feel a little  cornered by the Emperor now, as the man cataloged the ramifications of  his decisions.

“Of course, there’s the other reason you should help us.”

“Which is?”

“You  are a good person. That’s been obvious from the moment I met you and  heard about what you’ve done. Look at my daughter. Look at the people  around you. How would you feel if you left and heard about the  Carthaginians overrunning my troops and conquering the last of us? The  men and infants slaughtered, the women raped and sold into slavery with  the children.”

And that, of course, was the thing that had been  bothering Ky all along. He’d hidden behind his lack of knowledge of the  time, behind his not being what these people apparently thought he was.  The Emperor had seen right through him to his biggest fear!

Ky  still didn’t like the way the Emperor was maneuvering him into agreeing,  and he still didn’t think he had anything tangible to offer these  people, at least not in the short run with the battle just days away.

“I’ll consider what you said. You really should go rest so you can finish healing,” Ky said.

The  Emperor didn’t say anything right away. Instead, he had Ky lead him  towards his rooms and help him into his bed, waving off the servants  that moved to intercept them. Ky turned to leave, with the Emperor’s  eyes drooping. His system was taxed from the walk, still needing most of  its energy to repair the damage done by the poison.

“Ky,” the  Emperor called out as he started to leave, stopping him in his tracks.  “Don’t think too long. My people won’t survive it.”

Carthage Camp

“ … upon pain of death,” the courier was saying, ignoring the glower coming from Zaracas or the occasional glance at the two dark, cloaked men standing a few paces behind the courier.

Although Zaracas  had never enjoyed being micromanaged by far away superiors, outside of  the theater of action these weren’t unusual orders. The Great One, and  those he deemed fit to control the various provinces that made up the  Carthaginian Empire, had little patience with failure. The attrition  rate for unsuccessful generals had always been high.

The threat, however, was usually less explicit. The additional unspoken message, in the form of the two Acolytes of Hexitas in their death masks and black robes, was even more unusual. What made Zaracas  curious was why it was necessary. There wasn’t anything he was aware of  that would make this a particularly pressing campaign, at least not  that required this level or reminder of the penalties for failure.

Which, of course, meant politics was into play. That was an area Zaracas  avoided, as much as a general could. The one thing more deadly than  battle in the Carthaginian Empire was politics. It was conducted with a  sense of ferocity that would have made the hardest front line soldier  blanch.

“I understand the Governor’s requirements. We will attack  in three days and victory is a certainty. They have only two legions to  stand in the way of our forces. I will smash through them and deliver  the end of the Romans, once and for all.”

“What of this ‘wizard’?” one of the acolytes asked, his voice deep and rumbling, sounding like metal being pulled over gravel.

Zaracas  was never sure why these people always felt like they had to sound so  ominous. Either they practiced the speech pattern in their twisted  apprenticeships or the Emperor only brought people with major throat  damage to join the brotherhood. The general had not met many of the  cultists and most of those rarely spoke, but the few times he’d had the  misfortune to communicate with them, the men had always sounded similar.

“A man who throws fire from his hands and snapped men in half? Absurd. A coward’s excuse for running.”

“We have reports of the mutilation of the bodies.”

“You of all people should know damage like that doesn’t require special powers.”

“I also know it takes time. Your reports show Romans running as soon as their way through our soldiers was clear.”

“More  exaggerations on the coward’s part. It doesn’t matter. Even if they do  have this wizard, they cannot stop us. My forces will roll over the  Romans and grind their bones into the dust.”

“For your sake, I hope so General or you will envy the fates of the mutilated men.”

Zaracas  was a hard man, but the threat chilled him to his very core. He could  never tell one of the cultists from another and normally he considered  them with little more than contempt. Yet their cruelty and fanaticism  wasn’t something even he could ignore. A direct threat from one of them  would have scared the bravest of men.

“Go tell the section leaders we leave at first light. Any man who slows the advance will answer to me.”

The messenger saluted and left the tent at a sprint, giving the acolytes a wide berth.

“You can assure the Governor in three days the Roman capital will burn.”

“We will be traveling with you, General. To … observe on behalf of the emperor.”

The chill in Zaracas’s  soul intensified at the news, but he kept his face passive, refusing to  give the sadistic bastards the satisfaction of seeing how effective  their threats were.

Instead, he replied with a nod; while secretly  hoping the stories of the Wizard were as inflated as he had stated so  confidently, moments before.

Devnum

Ky  sat on the floor, sheets of leathery documents the AI had called  ‘velum’ spread out in front of him. The Emperor had seen to it that he  received stacks of histories and other documents, to help Ky start  learning what he didn’t know about this time and place. In reality, he  wasn’t learning so much as he was facilitating the AI in gathering data  that it could analyze and use to provide Ky with answers. All he had to  do was glance at a document for the computer to capture all the  information on it and add it to its databases. Already he had read what  would have taken the average Roman years to cover. Twice he’d sent one  of the guards assigned to his door, whether for his protection or to  ensure Ky didn’t wander unaccompanied he wasn’t quite sure yet, for more  documents.

“Anything?” he silently asked the AI.

“Yes,  Commander. There seems to be a clear pattern of deviation approximately  thirty years prior to the conflict our histories classified as the  second Punic war.”

“What was the point of deviation?”

“There  were large-scale influxes of nomad tribes into the lands controlled by  more sedentary Germanic tribes and the northern edge of the Roman  republic. While migratory influxes of nomads were an ongoing problem for  the Romans throughout their history in our timeline, the volume of the  influx is magnitudes greater.”

“How did that cause the Romans to lose to the Carthaginians?”

“Prior  to the invasions by Hannibal, the Romans were forced to combat the  incursion of the tribes from the east. While this was not an uncommon  occurrence throughout Roman history, these texts suggest the incursion  was by a larger group of invaders than historically experienced by the  Romans. Their losses in these conflicts were significant, consuming  large portions of both the available Roman manpower and their treasury. A  similar dynamic happened in our own history hundreds of years later,  involving incursions by the Huns which in turn pushed Germanic tribes  into Roman lands. In that instance, the Roman Empire was significantly  weaker than the Republic at the point of divergence. Instead of being  overrun by Germanic tribes, the Romans were able to push back the  invaders, with the results previously stated.”

“So they were made weak, and the Carthaginians were able to roll over the Romans?”

“The  conquest of Roman territory did not happen immediately. The invasion of  Hannibal over the Alps proceeded as it did in our history and the  Romans were able to eventually force him back to Africa, again as they  did in our history. Although with more losses than experienced in our  timeline due to the use of a higher ratio of forced levies and untested  troops. The following invasion of Africa by the man who would become  known in our time as Scipio Africanus happened as it did in our history,  in hopes of refilling their emptied treasuries. He was, however, unable  to defeat the Carthaginian army. His army was destroyed. This invasion  of Carthage constituted an extraordinary cost to the Republic, which had  borrowed heavily from its richest citizens to fund the invasion of  Africa. When an army under the command of Hannibal returned to Italy,  the Romans were unable to mount a significant defense. Hannibal overran  and captured Rome itself, destroying the last Roman legions in Italy.”

“I see. So they were able to push the Romans back to Britannia.”

“Yes,  Commander, although that was not specifically their goal. There seems  to have been a skilled Roman legate in Iberia who was able to rally the  fragments of the destroyed Roman legions and evacuate a large number of  civilians from across the failing empire and then across the Channel.”

“Why didn’t the Carthaginians follow up?”

“The  Roman records are less specific with information from the conquered  areas being intermittently available. From the sources, it appears  another nomadic invasion occurred, this one somewhat further south,  which forced one of the Persian empires into the area previously  controlled by the Romans. They came into direct conflict with the  Carthaginians who were attempting to assert their own control of these  areas. In addition, multiple Germanic tribes also attempted to gain  control of the previous Roman lands, although it is unclear if that is  because of the same Nomadic pressures experienced by the Persians, or in  reaction to a lack of a controlling government in the contested area.”

“So they were forced to consolidate their gains and fight off the Germanic tribes and Persians?”

“Yes,  Commander. Again, primary sources in the documents available are not  clear, but it appears this took at least a century, which allowed the  Romans to solidify their foothold on Britannia.”

“Although not enough to keep the Carthaginians from eventually invading.”

“No, Commander.”

“What caused all this nomadic invasion, if it didn’t happen in our timeline.”

“That  is unknown, Commander. Roman sources indicate an unknown group was  pressing into the Nomads territory, forcing them west, but data on this  civilization is not present.”

“I see, what …”

Ky’s questioning of the AI was interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Yes,” Ky called out, standing, and heading towards the door.

When  the door opened, Ky stopped, surprised. He’d been expecting one of the  guards with another armload of documents. While he was being brought  documents, the person who walked in carrying them wasn’t one of the  guards, but Lucilla.

“What are you …” he said, caught off guard.

“Delivering more documents than I could read in a week, and apparently your fifth batch, tonight. You continue to surprise me.”

“I read quickly,” Ky said, deflecting. “Why are you the one delivering?”

“I ran into the legionnaire outside and offered to bring them in, since I was coming to see you anyway.”

“Was there something you needed from me?”

“No,” she said, almost reluctantly. “I just wanted to see you.”

“Why?” Ky asked.

Her  reaction confused Ky. She seemed nervous and yet she’d spent several  days on their journey from the ambush site to here and she hadn’t shown  any hesitation around him until now. The behavior didn’t make sense to  him. While they’d been friendly on their journey they were still little  more than strangers, so her wanting to just see him was also strange.

“I  … I don’t know,” she said. She stood awkwardly for a minute, holding  the stack of documents, looking around the room silently before  continuing in a more sure, brighter tone of voice. “Where did you want  me to put these?”

“On the table is fine. I’ll sort through them later.”

“What have you been looking for?”

“Just information. I know very little of your people and wanted to find out more about you, like your history and beliefs.”

“Does that mean you are thinking about staying?”

“I’m considering it. Your father made some good points, but I’m still not sure.”

“He said you told him you didn’t have anywhere specific to go. That you were stranded here. Why wouldn’t you stay?”

“I  don’t know. I thought it was because I didn’t want to get involved in  your war with the Carthaginians. However, your father made good points  about why I should get involved, and how I’m already involved after  helping you.”

“Do you think we’re worth helping?”

“I don’t know your people well enough to answer that.”

“You’ve met some of us like Ursinus, his troopers, and my father. They’re good people and worth helping.”

“I also met your brother.”

“Don’t  judge us by him. I’ve always felt he was touched by Pluto while still  in our mother’s womb. Don’t you have people like him where you’re from?”

“Not … exactly. The society I’m from is very different.”

“Could you tell me about where you’re from?”

“I’d rather not. At least not now.”

“You’re very secretive, you know that?”

“I  do. I’m sorry. I know it’s frustrating, but I’m not even sure how to go  about explaining where I came from. Also, there could be repercussions I  haven’t given enough thought to.”

“Repercussions? Just from hearing about where you’re from?”

“Like I said, I’m not even sure how to explain it to you. Once I figure out how to explain it, I promise I will.”

“For you to keep that promise, you need to stay. You know that. Right?”

“Yes, I do. Why is your brother so antagonistic?”

“Probably  because he thought you might get in the way of one of his plots. The  only thing he’s ever cared about is himself. He’s been like that since  we were children. Always wanted to not only be in charge but to be given  deference by everyone we’d meet. Don’t worry about him, he knows he  can’t challenge Father. Everyone, or at least everyone important, sees  right through him.”

“But you seem so …”

“Different?  Sometimes I wonder if we had different parents, except he is my twin, so  that’s not likely. Which is how I came up with the cursed in the womb  idea. Also, you changed the subject.”

“I know. Because I know  you’re right and because the part of me that wants to stay is winning  out over the much smarter part that’s telling me to run far and fast.”

“So you’ll do it? You’ll stay?”

“I’m  not sure what I can offer. I was trained as a soldier, but … in a very  different way. I’m not sure what I can offer your people. I’ve already  told you my weapons have limited usability. I’ve already used up much  more of them than I should have.”

“You’ll do more than you think.”

“How?”

“By  just being here. My father always said that morale is the key to war.  If our soldiers believe that the gods are behind them, then we have a  chance, at least.”

“So we’re back to the prophecy nonsense?”

“Just  because you don’t believe it doesn’t mean it won’t work for us. You  don’t have to understand something, or believe in it, for it to still  work. Let the people have their figurehead.”

“Fine, I guess I’ll live with it, for now. Please remember that I’m uncomfortable with the idea.”

“That’s because you’re a good person.”

“You haven’t known me long enough to say that.”

“I  can tell. I’m a good judge of people,” she said, turning and putting  her hand on the door to his room. “I should go. You have all this new  stuff to read and you need to get some rest. I’m sure Father will want  you to go out to the camps tomorrow and see the soldiers … or at least  let them see you.”

“Sure. Good night, my lady,” he said, adopting the honorific he’s heard used by other Romans.

“I’m glad you’re staying to help us, Ky. Good night.”

She  pulled the door open and left the room. Ky stood, staring at the door  for several minutes, wondering why exactly he’d changed his mind. All of  the Emperor’s prodding hadn’t pushed Ky to commit to staying with them  and yet, somehow, the Emperor’s daughter convinced him to stay without  him even realizing he’d made the decision until after it was all over.  Not coming up with a good answer he turned and headed back to the new  stacks of documents.

Now that he’d decided to stay, he’d needed to find some clue as to what he’d gotten himself into.