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TOTAL WAR ROME |
Fire and ruins were brought upon them, as all trembled under a hurricane, and surrounded by the destruction.
But among the people to ran to escape death, a brave man remained to escape death, and he planned so by being the man to kill it and escape the death it brings with it. With only a bow and a few arrows, he stood over on top of a tall tower where the bell used to toll, as he continued to let loose arrow after arrow with no effect.
Yet he continued until he had none left, and he felt hopeless until a boy climbed to the tower and spoke up to be revealed as Bain - his son - with a black arrow before he began to urge him to get to a safer place. But the tower is shaken as it trembled under the winds the dragon - Smaug - made as he flew over and landed to talk to the man.
"Who are you?!
That would stand, against me!"
Bard retrieved the bow from the debris and he founds it split in half - broken and useless - as he heard a mocking voice.
"Now that is a pity...
What will you do now, bowman?"
He sought out what he could do, what he would do then as the serpent continued to taunt and deliver its speech.
"You are forsaken,
No help will come!"
Then it averted its attention to Bain, as his son sat shaken in fear and terror as he watched the serpent approach them ever so slowly while fire danced all around them. Then Smaug spoke.
"Is that your child?
You can not save him from the fire,
He will burn!"
Like clockwork, Bard began to execute what he had in mind until...
"Stay still, son. Stay still..."
After Smaug's taunts and speech, the serpent had enough of the tease and play as he launched at them.
"Hey, look at me. You look at me." Bard said softly and Bain had heard despite the loud sounds of destruction. A boy and a father in the face of death shared a moment of love and trust that were conveyed with their eyes.
"A little to your left. That's it..."
With excellent marksmanship, Bard aligned the arrow to the target before he trusted it to strike the mark, and an arrow flew against the serpent from the north and the aim was true as Smaug collapsed to the lake. The large, as it was a dragon smashed into burning houses until it slide into a halt on the lake. The depth of the lake barely as much submerging the dragon's tail.
There were no words needed to convey what they had just accomplished, as the father and son watched the body of the dragon - Smaug - lay upon the lake unmoving.
TOTAL WAR ROME |
Over the time the dragon had spread fire and ruins, the legion had fortified their camp at the end of the bridge, a place that became a temporary refuge for the people of Lake-Town who ran to them with fear evident in their eyes, as red flames lit the dark night.
Albeit not like a properly built fortification - due to just having hourly arrived - the palisade walls made the folk of Lake-Town at least feel an ounce of security within them. While others still shivered at the thought of being a meal to the dragon or burnt to crisp and ashes. It shook them to the core as a brush of hurricane swept the place yet again.
"Who let these people here?!"
Magnus shouted - he questioned not truly expecting a reply - as he rode a horse with the others as Numerius let the horse neigh at the frantic folks of Lake-Town to give way as they had swarmed to their base. "Magnus! Pave a way!" Justinian yelled over the screams of the terrified crowd as Magnus and Justinian took the side - acting as a barrier to Numerius in the middle - as they raced their horse to the center of the base.
Until an earthquake trembled the land before a man that was drenched wet - having swum from the town to them - pointed and yelled.
"The dragon fell!"
With a mixture of emotions stirring among the people of Lake-Town, there was a brimming emotion that was a promise fulfilled. The looming danger of the serpent in the Lonely Mountain was no more, and so the people let out a few cheers, as others cried in both relief and pain, then there were those that remained cautious despite an extraordinary event that has unfolded before them.
Without a word, Numerius conveyed what he expected the other praefectus to do as he merely looked to Magnus - who merely nodded in reply - as they got to work.
TOTAL WAR ROME |
With the sun approaching, as a new dawn breaks, the others that had been unfortunate to stay during the havoc, and ruins of the dragon have finally made it over to the mainland that were met by those that had arrived earlier.
Alfred among them as he began to whine and complain, using the authority he had when Lake-Town still stood. A shameless bastard, Justinian thought as he remained mounted on top of his horse - ever watching - until it was about time he lectured the man. But was beaten to it by another man.
The scene unfolded into an uproar as the mob lifted the man - prepared to punish him through various means - until the same man spoke up again, calming the crowd, as he gave a reasonable speech. Then, the man looked at him and was followed by the others.
Justinian having heard what the man has just said - seemingly becoming the appointed leader with the mayor a long-forgotten fool - he merely stared back at the bowman that had brought down the dragon.
"Follow me, Bard, the Dragonslayer."
Justinian beckoned as he reins in his horse as he began to lead the hero to the Legatus.
TOTAL WAR ROME |
As Bard was led to a large tent, he took a glance at Justinian before the captain gestured for him to proceed as he remained mounted on his stead and went elsewhere as he took to the crowd.
Without wanting to waste a moment, he entered as the guards let him through, and inside he was met with a big group of officers conversing and arguing until one among them noticed him. "You must be the bowman, is that right?" Magnus confirmed with Bard as he stepped forward and declared "Yes, that is right." just before he was about to request a favor from them.
"The dragon would have dealt a devastating blow to the legion, bowman. You should be rewarded."
A sudden voice revealed his presence as a man stood up from a chair, a man that was clad in armor, and had a distinguishing decor to him. The man must be on a rank higher than the rest as all stood in silence. Then, he set out a hand for him to shake as he introduced himself.
"I am Numerius, the Tribunus of the Seventh Legion."
"Bard." He responded.
Immediately, he began right after and requested for the legion for refuge - with warm meals and shelters - as an undeniably cold winter sets in. Though it seemed Numerius wouldn't mind considering the request, he let out a loud sigh before giving a reply.
"We can certainly provide an amount that would lend your people much-needed help. But we would not have the luxury to provide for all. In truth, we actually planned to restock at Lake-Town but as it would seem there won't be any. Not when half the town has sunk and the rest burned to a crisp."
Understanding their situation, Bard was not ungrateful enough as he accepted what they could offer them. "It is a troubling time, friend. Those dwarves have brought nothing but more death and ill-fate than that dragon could and so I say, if those dwarves have promised something to your people - I hope they deliver as promised."
TOTAL WAR ROME |
Taking in the words that Numerius gave, he then wondered if the dwarves were even alive when they had wakened the dragon from its slumber before it went to cause havoc and rampage on Lake-Town. Whatever the case was - it was certain - that he would make it where that promise is kept regardless.
They had claims in that mountain as much as the Legion had.
TOTAL WAR ROME |
"What seems to be the problem, chieftain?"
A warrior from Gaul spoke in their language, as he wondered what the chieftain's take was on all these before a response was gifted to him. "Death... I can only see death in these lands..."
Then a Roman Praefectus Cohortis intruded in their conversation, Cicero, as the auxiliary unit came to learn the Roman's name. "Death is everywhere, chieftain. Here is not much different."
"The auxiliary unit has been tasked to march ahead with a cohort to the old ruined city of Dale, just ahead near the slope of the Lonely Mountain. I will be leading the cohort. Be ready to march, chieftain."
He then departed as he went to organize the cohort, leaving the chieftain and the warrior to prepare their troop.
TOTAL WAR ROME |