Achilles

"Csepel!" I shout joyously and start running towards my friend.

"Arian! The Aureline Legions! Are here!" He says, out of breath.

I could not see myself at this moment, but I am sure my face beamed. For there is no higher honor in the eyes of a Syracusan kid than serving in the Aureline Legions. In children's eyes, the Aureline Empire represented law, righteousness, honor. I know little of the Empire at this moment, but all I knew was idealized.

Midway upon the journey of its life,

The Empire found itself within a forest dark,

For it had gone astray,

Upon a path that was lost.

The Aureline legions visiting isn't ordinary affair, but it isn't so strange either as our Syracusae is a client state of the Empire. It isn't everyday we see the Legions though. Usually, a messenger or representative would come. Once, the provincial governor had come and Syracusae had thrown its most lavish party to expect him. I had even seen him with my own two eyes. Lucius Bellona, a pampered noble who looked like a God to me. The lavish clothes, gold and his confident demeanor did well to hide his well-fed body, or at least make it foggy in my eyes.

I hoped I'd see him again today and ran to my mother to ask for her permission to go look at the parade.

She looks at me with those caring green eyes of her, thinking to herself. Finally, she decides.

"Alright. I will come along with you two. And only because we will probably find Lucan there too. Just give me five minutes to prepare myself."

I also have green eyes. Dad always says they're identical to mom's

...

Syracusae isn't a huge city, so it didn't take much for us to get to where the commotion was.

I had seen the central square countless times in my life. The ionic columns and its white marbles certainly knew how to leave an impression. The perspective is central, made to make the palace seem like a house of Gods.

All of this is contrasted by red which made our eyes glow. That blood-like red of the Legions. It's everywhere. The uniforms, the flag, the eagle standard. Everywhere.

Mother had me and Csepel by her hand. We kept walking slowly towards the centre because me and Csepel are nagging her to get closer and closer.

Soon, she says "Arian, there's your father." She pointed but it's easy to spot him since father is taller than average and his blonde hair surely stands in the crowd.

Me and Csepel immediately let go of her hand and ran towards father. He squats and grabs both of us onto his arms while smiling. From that high vantage point, I can clearly see the full Aureline Legion. They stand proud, representing the might of the Aureline Empire.

"But where is the General, dad?" I ask.

"He went inside with the King. I heard some rumors that there's another Legion outside the gates too. We'll have plenty of Legionnaires for you two to see today, be grateful, haha!"

Dad's laugh is always so beaming with energy and contagious for everyone.

...

I was lost into admiring the legionnaires' uniforms so I am unsure how much time passed. But then, out of nowhere, someone comes outside the Palace's balcony.

It becomes immediately clear he was a high-ranked Aureline.

The crowd notices him and immediately goes silent. The Aureline troops stand at attention. Everyone waits for him to speak up.

Siezing the stillness in the air, he shouts:

"SYRACUSANS!"

"He didn't even mention people or subjects of Aurelia..." father mumbles to himself, stupefied and seemingly uncomfortable.

"I am Marcus Lucretius Sulla!" The commander continues.

"I am the General of the Aureline Legions sorrounding you in this city."

That guy certainly knows how to speak. He speaks slowly and deliberately. Quietly, even.

And then he shouts.

"AND I HEREBY DECLARE!!!

By decree of the Senate and the People of the Aureline Empire,

King Sophron has been found guilty of treason, corruption and subversion!"

The crowd gasps and started shouting for explanations. The King we know would never do that.

At that moment, the Legionnaires batter their swords and spears on their own shields simultaneously, creating a defeaning noise, making all of us silent.

With a satisfied grin, Sulla continues.

"As of this morning, he has been executed in accordance with Law Twelve."

Then, he raises his hand and reveals the head of the King. Bloody and battered as it is. Then, he throws it onto the square for everyone to see. Horror grips the crowd's face but Sulla kept talking, as if everything happening is below him.

"His household and known associates are to be purged.

In accordance with Decree 411, collective punishment is authorized for the city of Syracusae. We have reason to believe the King had the support of his own citizens.

Curfew begins at sundown. Any resistance will be treated as insurrection."

"We need to return home. And Fast!" Father says, panicking. With me and Csepel on his arms still, he starts walking hurriedly while mom follows us from behind.

At that, the crowd erupted into chaos. Some shouted, some cried, some started throwing stones.

"Legionnaries! Maintain order!" Sulla shouts.

At that, the Aurelines unsheathed their swords and start attacking the citizens of Syracuse. Men, women, children... It's indiscriminate.

We start running. But where do we even run?

There's no place to run to in this city anymore. But we still run, panicked as we are. Father passed as many small alleys as he could. We left the crowd behind, we ran cowardly and think we're saved. Csepel is already crying for his mom and dad and I try comforting him but it's useless.

We turn right, then left, then we run more in the same direction, then right, and right again. For a moment we see hope... But as fate would have it, it didn't last very long.

It doesn't take much to notice the three legionnaries. How did they get here? Are they from the second legion Sulla brought?

Sulla, that damned Sulla.

That name is now engraved into my memory. I will never forget him again.

The fact is that at the moment father notices they have seen us, he knows.

He immediately puts us down and looks at mom compassionately.

"Take them away," he says, his face almost stoic by now. It looked like he had accepted his fate.

Mom starts tearing up and she shouts

"No!"

Dad puts a hand over her mouth and shouts:

"You don't have time, go!"

Then, he turns to me, his mask starting to crack up but he still manages to give a smile

"I am sorry, my son. You'll have to go with your mother from now on."

Then, he turns toward the legionnaries, grabbing a wooden piece from the ground while mother dragged me and Csepel off. I imagine father didn't last long against 3 fully armored Legionnaries but, even so, he still feels like Achilles to me.

All three of us are crying now.

But we continue running until night falls and mom feels it's safe to finally take a moment's rest. We are tired and mom is breathless. We don't have any water either which made it worse.

We are safe. For now. We can still hear people screaming but they seem to be very far away. I can't understand how the Aureline Legions could do something like this. But I am too young to understand. And tired. Tired especially.

I almost fall asleep when mom whispers:

"Arian. Don't fall asleep. We have to keep moving."

I get up with sleepy eyes and see my friend Csepel taking the courage to get up too. He looks and me with a worried face and I smile at him. Right at that moment, from the corner of my eyes, I see an arrow, which plunges itself right into Csepel's chest.

I start shouting like crazy. I take Csepel's body while mom hugs mine out of fear.

Two legionnaries come out and one of them laughs loudly.

"You owe me two Sesters." He says, grinning ear to ear.

"How the fuck did you shoot him from so far away?" The other says.

"Professional secrets," he responds, putting a finger over his lips, indicating silence.

"Oh fuck off." The other says, pushing him by the shoulder.

Then, they turn their heads to us, studying us. Then the one on the right sees mother and I can see his eyes flashing.

"Well, what do we have here?" He says, licking his lips.

Mother is crying, and she shivers.

"Please, do what you want, just do not hurt my son."

"Oh?" He grumps, curiously.

Then, he grabs me by the hand but mother doesn't let go of my wrist.

"Let go, you witch, or I'll cut it!" He ordered.

After that, mother lets go and I fully turn to look at him, scared as I was. He looked into my eyes very curiously.

After that, everything went black.