I did not desire any of this. I was not the first to raise my hand. But I will be the last to lower it.
I was young... Too young. Right in the age when you start to appreciate the world a little more, but you're still too carefree to understand what you really have. I was 12 that damned day. I already knew how to read, how to write and do basic calculations but even geometry, which few of my friends knew. It wasn't a given back then and I would come to understand it only later, which would make me appreciate my father even more.
That fated afternoon, I was out in the fields as always. Dad was still out while mom inside the house. It seemed like any other normal day until my friend, Csepel came running to my house.
"Csepel!" I shouted joyously and started running towards him too.
"Arian! The Aureline Legions! Are here!" He said, out of breath.
I could not see myself at that moment, but I am sure my face beamed. For there was 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. Little did I know those values were long lost.
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 wasn't ordinary affair, but it wasn't so strange either as our Syracusae was a client state at this moment in time. It wasn't everyday we saw 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 back then. 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 that day and ran to my mother to ask for her permission to go look at the parade.
"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 still remember my mother's caring green eyes. They resemble mine so much it took some courage for me to get used to my own reflection later.
Those eyes are the thing I remember most of her. Forgive me, Reader, for I have forgotten most of her features. Mabye it's Heaven's Judgement on all the terrible things I have done in this world, but I do not repent, for that is my destiny.
...
Syracusae wasn't a huge city, so it didn't take much for us to get to where the commotion was.
Soon, our eyes glowed red. That blood-like red of the Legions. It was everywhere. The uniforms, the flag, the eagle standard. Everywhere. If you had a keen eye though, you would notice they had already occupied the most important choke points and buildings. None of us noticed, at the time. They were our overlords anyway, we had no reason to feel too apprehensive against them.
Mother had me and Csepel by her hand. We kept walking slowly towards the centre because me and Csepel kept nagging her to get closer and closer.
Soon, she said "Arian, there's your father." While pointing to a blonde man. It was easy to spot him since he was taller than average and his blonde hair surely stood in the crowd.
Me and Csepel immediately let go of her hand and ran towards father. He squatted and grabbed both of us onto his arms while smiling. From that high vantage point, I could clearly see the full Aureline Legion. They stood proud, representing the might of the Aureline Empire.
"But where is the General, dad?" I asked.
"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!"
I still clearly remember that laugh of father's. It was 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 came outside the Palace's balcony.
It became immediately clear he was a high-ranked Aureline.
The crowd noticed him and immediately went silent. The Aureline troops stood at attention. Everyone was waiting for him to speak up.
Siezing the stillness in the air, he shouted:
"SYRACUSANS!"
"He didn't even mention people or subjects of Aurelia..." father mumbled to himself, stupefied and seemingly uncomfortable.
"I am Marcus Lucretius Sulla!" The commander continued.
"I am the General of the Aureline Legions sorrounding you in this city."
That guy certainly knew how to speak. He spoke slowly and deliberately. Quietly, even.
And then he shouted.
"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 gasped and started shouting for explanations. The King we knew would never do that.
At that moment, the Legionnaires battered their swords and spears on their own shields simultaneously, creating a defeaning noise, making all of us silent.
With a satisfied grin, Sulla continued.
"As of this morning, he has been executed in accordance with Law Twelve."
Then, he raised his hand and revealed the head of the King. Bloody and battered as it was. Then, he threw it onto the square for everyone to see. Horror gripped the crowd's face but Sulla kept talking, as if everything happening was 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 said, panicking. With me and Csepel on his arms still, he started walking hurriedly while mom followed us from behind.
At that, the crowd erupted into chaos. Some shouted, some cried, some started throwing stones.
"Legionnaries! Maintain order!" Sulla shouted.
At that, the Aurelines unsheathed their swords and started attacking the citizens of Syracuse. Men, women, children... It was indiscriminate.
We started running. But where do we even run?
There's no place to run to in this city anymore. But we still ran, panicked as we were. Father passed as many small alleys as he could. We left the crowd behind, we ran cowardly and thought we were saved. Csepel was already crying for his mom and dad and I tried comforting him but it was useless.
We turn right, then left, then we run more in the same direction, then right, and right again. For a moment we sae hope... But as fate would have it, it didn't last very long.
It didn't take much to notice the three legionnaries. Their red uniforms were visible from anywhere. How they got here no one could know at that time. But the second legion probably had gotten to work already. There might have been a hidden third Legion too. I searched for the answer for years, but never found clear, concise records. Sulla, that damned Sulla.
The fact is that at the moment father noticed they had seen us, he knew.
He immediately put us down and looked at mom compassionately.
"Take them away, he said," his face almost stoic by now. It looked like he had accepted his fate.
Mom started tearing up and she shouted "No!"
Dad put a hand over her mouth and shouted:
"You don't have time, go!"
Then, he turned to me, his mask starting to crack up but he still managed to give a smile
"I am sorry, my son. You'll have to go with your mother from now on."
Then, he turned toward the legionnaries, granbing 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 this day.
All three of us were crying now.
But we continued running until night fell and mom felt it was safe to finally take a moment's rest. We were tired and mom was breathless. We didn't have any water either which made it worse.
We were safe. For now. We could still hear people screaming but they seemed to be very far away. I couldn't understand how the Aureline Legions could do something like that. But I was too young to understand. And tired. Tired especially.
I almost fell asleep when mom whispered:
"Arian. Don't fall asleep. We have to keep moving."
I got up with sleepy eyes and saw my friend Csepel taking the courage to get up too. He looked and me with a worried face and I smiled at him. Right at that moment, from the corner of my eyes, I saw an arrow, which plunged itself right into Csepel's chest.
I started shouting like crazy. I took Csepel's body while mom hugged mine out of fear.
Two legionnaries came out and one of them laughed loudly.
"You owe me two Sesters." He said, grinning ear to ear.
"How the fuck did you shoot him from so far away?" The other said.
"Professional secrets," he responded, putting a finger over his lips, indicating silence.
"Oh fuck off." The other said, pushing him by the shoulder.
Then, they turned their heads to us, studying us. Then the one on the right saw mother and I could see his eyes flashing.
"Well, what do we have here?" He said, licking his lips.
Mother was crying, and she shivered.
"Please, do what you want, just do not hurt my son."
"Oh?" He grumped, curiously.
Then, he grabbed me by the hand but mother wouldn't let go of my wrist.
"Let go you witch or I'll cut it!" He ordered.
After that, mother let go and I fully turned to look at him, scared as I was. He looked into my eyes very curiously.
After that, everything went black