Adrian Gaius was living his final moments. He could feel the life sapping out of him. He knew that this would be the last time he would see the sun. He looked down his makeshift armor and laughed at the spear protruding from his chest. Fat lot of good that did him. His laughing erupted into a fiery pain in his chest. He tried to grab the pain but it was as if his arms had already died and the rest was soon to follow. The blood was soaking through his shirt, in and out. He no longer knew if the blood that his body was soaked in was his own or his comrades, or even one of them. He also no longer cared. He looked to his left and his stomach churned. The vultures had already come; they had already torn flesh from Otto, lying next to him. Adrian just hoped that he would be dead before they moved in on him. Otto� he was gone now, all Adrian had known was destroyed, save for a few woman who had been taken away for the enemy to do what they wished to them and they would all be dead soon.
The city of Gaul was now little more than a pile of ash and corpses. Adrian had feared this day for months, but they had finally come. The Huns had arrived, bringing with them a tidal wave of death and destruction. He could only hope the rest of Rome would fare better than they had. Gaul had been used as an example for the rest of Europe. He had seen the Huns, their armies stretching across the mighty Danube, as far into the distance as the eye could see. Rome would fall under this army; it was already too fragmented as it was. The army would destroy it, and they would destroy anything on the path towards it. They had traveled halfway across the world to conquer this land. The Roman army would be child play to them.
Adrian groaned as the last bit of life left his body. He closed his eyes and all of the cruelty was gone.
24 hours left, January 11, 451 CE
The town hall was especially quiet that morning. The whole town had crammed into the building, yet it remained the quietest it had been in years. The meeting had not yet begun but everyone in the room had heard the rumors. A small shrewd looking man stepped up to the central podium. He walked with a drunken swagger. The sight of it set off a round of murmurs among the crowd.
Adrian Gaius turned to whisper to his friend Otto, �I guess you know what to expect with people. They�re more interested in a piece of gossip than about their lives.�
Otto turned to Gaius frowning, �They�re just rumors. There aren�t any Huns on our doorstep yet.�
The small man, Spirius, cleared his throat trying to get attention. The murmurs calmed down and the people trained their eyes on him. �I come to you today with news that I regret to have to share with you, but I feel that you have to know. Peace talks with the Huns have ended�
The crowd murmured with mixed emotions.
�With war. The Huns will not make peace with us. One of our own has betrayed us. The Hun ambassador has been assassinated. They have declared war! I think we all know where they are but in case you don�t, the Huns are stationed approximately 200 miles away. We are the nearest large settlement to the Hun�s if they are going to make the first move, and I suspect they will, they could be here within 24 hours with an army 700,000-strong. They are going to make an example of their power, and I fear that that example will be us.� Spirius paused for a moment to allow it to sink in.
The room was silent for a moment as the chilling fact was slowly realized by everyone in the room. A women in the third row began to cry.
�I�m sorry, you were right they aren�t on our front door they�re on our walkway,� Adrian said cynically.
Otto looked at him in such a way that Adrian felt guilty for saying that, �It just gives us that much more time to get ready.�
Adrian rolled his eyes, �Otto, there are about 100,000 of us. I thought you knew this was coming.�
Spirius cleared his throat, �I am telling you this, not as a warning to prepare to die, but to prepare to fight! The Huns have the strength to destroy not just Gaul, but all of Rome. There are 102,000 men, women, and children in this village. If the Huns do come, we will not just sit down and let them destroy us. They will not take prisoners; they will kill every one of us if we let them. Only if we let them!� Spirius screamed.
Adrian stood up, �I advise we request back up.�
Spirius shook his head, �It�s too late. By the time the army arrives it will be too late, and I feel that rather than protecting us their time would be better spent preparing their defense�s in other places. It would be foolhardy to ask them to give up what ever plan they had to come to our rescue.�
�Then we should flee,� Adrian said determinedly. �The Huns army outnumber us 7 to 1. I find it funny that you used the word foolhardy.�
