NIGHT BEFORE HERACLEA

CAMP OF THE ROMAN LEGIONS – NIGHT BEFORE HERACLEA

Lucius sat by the crackling campfire, the cold night air biting at his skin. Around him, hardened legionnaires huddled close, some sharpening their blades, others silently praying to Mars.

Across from him sat the old soldier—the one who had caught him sneaking into the army—his weathered hands idly tracing over the scars on his gladius.

"Boy, you look like you've seen the end of the world," the veteran muttered, watching as Lucius stared into the fire, deep in thought.

Lucius exhaled sharply. He had.

If his dates were correct, the disaster of Heraclea was only two days away.

The first time Rome would meet Pyrrhus on the battlefield… and lose.

Thousands of men would die, trampled beneath the unstoppable charge of war elephants. The very beasts that had paralyzed Rome's legions with fear.

But not this time.

Lucius refused to sit and watch history repeat itself.

"Tell me, old man," he said at last, his voice steady. "How do you kill an elephant?"

The soldier raised an eyebrow. "An elephant? You don't." He chuckled dryly. "Not with a sword, at least."

Lucius leaned forward, eyes sharp. "Then how?"

The old soldier frowned, tapping his blade against the ground. "I suppose… spears, if you hit the legs. Fire spooks them, too. But even then, what army stands their ground when those beasts charge?"

Lucius smirked. "One that knows what's coming."

The veteran gave him a long look. "You have a plan, don't you?"

Lucius nodded. "Three plans, actually. And I'll need your help to make them work."

1. Intelligence & Preparation

Lucius knew that Pyrrhus' army would fight using the classic Macedonian phalanx, supported by Greek cavalry and war elephants. But even the greatest of strategies had weaknesses.

The phalanx was slow and vulnerable to hit-and-run tactics.The elephants were terrifying, but they feared loud noises and fire.Pyrrhus relied on momentum—if Rome could disrupt his first charge, he would lose his greatest advantage.

Lucius scribbled his plans into a makeshift map on the dirt floor, showing the soldiers how to prepare traps and fire-based countermeasures.

2. Tactical Warfare

Rome needed to abandon brute force in favor of strategy and adaptability.

Instead of standing firm, the legions would feign retreat, luring Pyrrhus into ambush points.Light infantry would throw flaming javelins soaked in oil to blind and enrage the elephants, forcing them to turn against their own ranks.The cavalry would not engage directly but would instead target supply lines and messengers, creating chaos in enemy coordination.

"Wars aren't won by strength alone," Lucius told them. "They are won by knowledge."

3. Use Gunpowder

Lucius had spent years experimenting with different mixtures, trying to reverse-engineer what he could remember about gunpowder from his past life.

He hadn't perfected explosives yet… but he had created something loud.

By mixing sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter, he had crafted a primitive flash powder—a substance that, when ignited, would create a deafening explosion of smoke and fire.

Perfect for terrifying war elephants.

The old soldier studied the mixture with wary eyes. "And this won't blow our own men to the afterlife?"

Lucius shrugged. "Only if they stand too close."

The veteran let out a gruff laugh. "Boy, you might be more dangerous than the Greeks."

By dawn, the legionnaires had taken notice of the small boy among their ranks.

Rumors spread.

"That's the son of Varro."

"They say he's a genius."

"He speaks of war like he's fought a hundred battles."

"Even the centurions listen to him."

Lucius sat at the center of a growing crowd of soldiers, calmly explaining how to fight an army that should have been invincible.

"A spear alone won't kill an elephant. But if you stab the eyes, it will panic. If you cut the tendons, it will fall."

"You cannot outmatch a phalanx in strength, but if you break its formation, it will collapse."

"A soldier with both discipline and adaptability will always win against a larger, reckless force."

The men listened.

Because despite his age, they saw the truth in his words.

This boy was no ordinary child.

He was something else entirely.

And so, the legions prepared.

When the sun rose over the battlefield of Heraclea, they did not stand in ignorance.

They stood knowing the storm that was about to come.

And for the first time in history…

Rome would not fight a battle with tradition.

It would fight with strategy.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Would Lucius' tactics work?

Or would history refuse to change?