5 CHAPTER 4 - CAPITAL OF THEIA, THE EMPIRE. ROMANS
My name is Winning, and I'm a simple man. I was a farmer and although circumstance has changed, I like to believe I still am.
I lived in a small town, with simple folk, enjoying a simply live, until the Empire came.
Drafted in to slavery, the same as everyone else I knew. I worked well, getting by, but I planned and I watched. I was the slave of a famous gladiator, Valus, though I dared not represent my curiosity or overstep.
I watched him in my peripheral, how he moved and how he struck, that is until he lost. With my master slain, I was to be moved.
Julius was a prominent Dominus, he had a gift for identifying men and woman that would make him rich, rich by fighting the Gladiatorial games.
Julius became my new master. Now I was to be trained in his Ludus, under house Julius, the greatest gladiators in the Empire, or as the Emperor called it, the capital of Thiea. A selected few, he carefully choose quality over quantity to be his gladiators.
I was beaten within a pulp, but I did not stay down, I persevered and surprised Dominus with a few tricks I secretly learned within the house of Valus.
Once in the games, I triumphed, over and over again, but never cocky, not like my former master, which lead to his downfall.
I became known as 'Invictus.'
The Empire was stagnant and corruption grow. Carefully and patiently Juliuses secret plans unfolded and unfoiled the regime.
After many months of underground trading, hiring the right commanders and obtaining enough strength, Dominus Julius made his move.
He gave me the honour of being one of his Praetorian Guard during his coup.
Successful, he stomped out corruption and expanded the Empire under guidance from Mars.
Under prominent Generals, I was trained in the art of strategy. I became a tactician and Tribune.
Our God of War, Mars, sent us out to conquer more land, eventually forced to halt once we meet the various dominant threats that circle the Empire.
To our right are the blades, the Japanese and the bolts, the Chinese. Above, the Norsemen and to the west, the Knights and Clans. Below us, the horrors of Hell.
Mighty are our war-engines, tall are our siege towers, far fire our Ballista's, unlimited are our Legions.
After a decade of endless war, I became a General, a Legatus, and for another decade I have laid a series of onslaughts against the mightiest of walls, crushed the fastest ships and trampled the hordes, but I am, still a simple man.
Perhaps we expanded too far, now we have refined enemies at the gates, but I knew, better than most, that simple lives are seized.
Our designers excel in siege warfare, and tactics our speciality. We work best in open warfare, were our phalanx can crush the toughest of foe.
The Empire is a stone haven, were think walls surround us and rivers connect our cities. Our streets' are cobbled and houses' white marble. Statues are in abundance, presenting the Empires' greatest heroes.
Villas are plenty and citizens wealthy. Farmland is fertile and climate gracious.
Forts circulate our boarders, garrisoned with seasoned legionaries.
Now, I'm on a secret mission. Under me, are the finest legionaries and gladiators in the Empire. In my caravan, are siege engines, because you never know when you need a five-foot-long bolt.
