Chapter 1

Uprising

Every man believes himself a hero, and the other a villain. However, it is left for time to decide who is mistaken. But until such day, each man shall play their part on fortune's stage, where the clout of the gods shall hold no water. Fate shall be set to motion, and each man leashed to the dictates of his purpose.

Only by feast of blood shall the lowest man rise beyond the heavens. Steel shall crash against steel, and blood shall take a bow in sacrifice, only to set sweet tongues wagging of the freedom of a boy who bore a twisted fate. His freedom was a curse as it was a blessing to his kind. But then, such freedom was bound to happen for maximus who was destined to tower beyond the black holes of captivity and slavery. His birth was but a mistake that escaped the sight of the gods and a taboo that could only grace the sight of his yearning father, king Gaius.

However, such was the taboo that the brooding between king Gaius and his slave, Limah, was a fleeting stroke of trivial affection that spawned a child who was fated to bring curse and blessings upon the throne and the city of Athena.

The words of the oracle in Delphi had fallen upon the King's ears as would a burning ember upon a water lily: ''The child shall cast blood and sword upon the throne and overturn the crown on its head,'' Pythia had forewarned. ''Great Shall be his name and he shall set a new world order.''

Curious, Gaius ventured a question to the oracle, daring to unravel the twist of intent of the gods upon his kingdom

''Why have the gods brought this to be? Upon my kingdom?'' Gaius asked somberly in a low baritone voice. ''What offence of mine have the gods taken to heart?''

''Oh, great king,'' Pythia called, as if to scold Gaius of not keeping memories, ''Have you no memories of your deeds? You have ravaged the treasure of the gods. And this blessing--the child--is the wrath of the gods upon you.''

Gaius fell into a long silence and reflected upon the priestess's words. He combed through memories and searched deep within himself, but he couldn't find fault or where he had stolen the god's treasure. He had always been in spiritual consonance with the gods and he ensured that all his spoils of wars were religiously credited to the gods. No, he couldn't find anywhere he had erred against the gods. He couldn't reflect properly any longer; rather, all he could think of at the moment was a drastic resolve to eliminate the new-born and his mother. At least, he would have taken the gods' wrath off himself, he thought.

Amidst the frigid silence that echoed within the temple space, the priestess swallowed hard and cast a sombre look from under her gloomy, all-black veil. She flung a doom-laden stare across and fixed it on the King's puzzled countenance.

''The gods have spoken,'' Pythia continued, caressing her huge crystal ball as though she communed with unseen forces. ''The child's greatness shall come at the cost of the throne of the great city of Athena,'' Pythia announced, this time, sending the king to his feet and to prompt action, as he could no longer tarry to stomach the searing impact of the Priestess's words.

''Guards!'' Gaius barked out, charging his small army while he dashed out of the temple to reach for his stallion standing by on the mass of rubbles outside the temple, ''we make a return to the city now. Seize Limah and her new-born. They spell nothing but danger to my kingdom.''

King Gaius and his small entourage broke into a gallop and rode many miles eastwards towards the Burg of Athena. The walled city of Athena was an ancient city that cut an isolated but gigantic geographical feature along the coast of Euphrates. The legendary city was renowned for its martial superiority along with its combative dominance, having conquered many kingdoms and subjecting emperors to slavery and instant death.

Gaius II, the direct descendant of the late mighty king and warrior, Gaius Marius Caesar, had fought many wars through to the throne. He had brought many empires down to their knees in cold blood and sheer thirst for powers and superiority. Gaius Jr., along with his troop, had tested his mettle against the best warriors and empires and, for all intents and purposes, he had matched the genius of his father, the great king Gaius Caesar. The neighboring cities and the natives of Athena had claimed that the gods were truly on his side and the valour of his late father had rubbed off on him, except his virility and strength to spawn a proper heir to the throne with his wife, Queen Augusta.

Gaius had sought to remedy his sterility when he went to bed with one of his slaves, Limah. Limah was one of Gaius's bounties and spoils of the war he had waged against the small city of Kinsas. He had overpowered Kinsas and beaten the empire at the strike of a sword in sheer militaristic superiority. However, his triumph over Kinsas had not come off without bounties of women he had captured as slaves to serve the great city of Athena. One of such slaves was the drop-dead gorgeous Limah. Limah was the daughter of king Linca, the defeated king of Kinsas. The ravishing young damsel had been betrothed to the gods at temple Nuh in Kinsas where she performed her daily priestly rituals and duties as a priestess before the invasion of the power-mongering king Gaius and his ever-ready army. Limah's looks were sensationally striking and her physical features were too enthralling for Gaius not to accord her a serious thought. Limah was a beauty to behold. Her sensational beauty could all but invite Gaius between her virgin thighs in a sheer act of taboo, which the gods frowned upon. But then, Gaius threw caution to the wind and subjected Limah to a sex slave from which she spawned a child--a male child at that.

The birth of the child had seemed to to cast a smile upon Gaius's face. It seemed to have confirmed his virility and ended his long quest for a child. But this time, the oracle at Delphi could only confirm to Gaius that his new-born from Limah was a bringer of doom upon his throne, rather than a continuation of his own lineage.

The Oracle's message set forth Gaius and his small escort of soldiers in a hurry away from Delphi where he had gone to pay his obeisance and adulation to the gods in the wake of having a son he could call his heir. This time, he knew that the gods were angry and would not accept his veneration. He had never found rejection in the sight of the gods but, this time, his footing with the gods had been dished a blow with Pythia's message to him. He saw it all on the priestess's face: the gloom, the doom and admonition. He was shocked as much as his impatience grew stronger to arrive at Athena in order to decision Limah and her cursed child.

Athena was quite a long distance away from Delphi, and Gaius's impatience and anxiety to return to his city and hit the soil would have to last the length of the long trip back home. He seethed with rage and thirsted for the heads of Limah and her son while galloping towards home on his stallion alongside his two soldiers. He couldn't wait to bring his shame to an end and restore harmony with the gods. He couldn't wait to eliminate his enemy in a child, and save the future of Athena. As would a king, Gaius raged within himself at the prophecy of a prospective opposition to his authority. He would do whatever within his capacity to douse the flames of a possible uprising against his long-standing reign as a king. And, of course, the prophecy of a rebellious child would be the easiest for him to deal with.

However, it was not long before the climate changed its complexion and the firmament gathered strong dark clouds. A heavy current set in, as the atmosphere became dangerously windy. The nature seemed to herald a huge storm, as the torrential turbulence and thunderstorm threatened to slow down the return of Gaius and his soldiers to the city. For once, the climate didn't seem right and nature was in utter shambles.

This must be a sign from the gods. They must be angry, Gaius concluded within his mind, even as he forged ahead and still managed to charge his soldiers through the heavy storm that came in the wake of the dangerous torrent.

''We must hit the city before night falls!'' Gaius bawled at his soldiers, charging them as they all sprinted on their horses. ''The storm is nothing but distraction.''

In this moment, they were all saturated and they dripped of rain even as the troublesome wind would not cease a bit. The current grew stronger and the leaves whispered and rustled violently across the woods.

Amidst the storm, Gaius suddenly observed that one of his soldiers had ceased movement. Surprised, he equally halted his stallion and looked back with his clammy face and drenched long beard, only to find Patroclus far behind him sitting still on his horse as he struggled to whip the beast to action, but to no avail.

Gaius couldn't quite understand what had happened to Patroclus but he could see, from a distance, that his horse had suddenly come to a Halt. Patroclus and the horse looked disinterested even as they froze to a spot without a stir.

''Move, Patroclus, move!'' Gaius shouted at the top of his voice, aiming to drive action into his soldier.

''The horse wouldn't move, sire!'' Patroclus informed, shouting back at the top his voice.

In a wink of an eye, the horse that had come to a halt suddenly broke down and collapsed, throwing Patroclus off to the ground. Patroclus tended to the horse's broken leg afterwards. The horse could no longer move, and it looked as though it had been subjected to agony and torture.

Gaius was left with no choice this time, as he retraced his step backwards quite a distance to Patroclus, and examined the tired horse. He looked into the horse's eyes and saw its eyes glimmer with agony and pains. Without wasting much time, Gaius ordered his soldier to euthanise the horse as there was no proper treatment handy; more so, the night was gradually upon them and the time was fast spent. Afterwards, Patroclus rode on the same horse with his fellow soldier as they forged ahead in spite of the turbulent storm, and they made for the city that awaited to welcome them back home.

''This is a sign from the gods,'' Gaius muttered to himself frowning in dissatisfaction, as the travel party got sprinting on their horses again and bound for Athena.