Spirius blushed; Adrian could tell that he was embarrassed.
�Then we shall each kill 7 men!� came a voice from next to Adrian. He was shocked to see Otto standing next to him.
This sparked a roar of enthusiasm from the crowded room, Otto sat down pleased with himself.
Spirius smiled at Otto and took a swig from his flask, �Thank you�� he paused for a moment.
�Otto, sir.�
�Otto. Now, I think we all know what we must do. People of Gaul, arm yourselves! The cities armory will be open to whoever desires it but I fear there will not be enough. I want every man, women and child in this room to be prepared to fight by nightfall. I�d like anyone skilled in archery to meet with me after the meeting is adjourned. I�d like all the children to begin gathering rocks. When the Huns come they will be safe on the rooftops. Every able-bodied man and woman, find yourselves whatever weapons there are. Tomorrow we will be prepared!�
There came a mixed roar from the crowd, some scared, some excited, many sad but determined. The hall began to empty and Adrian and Otto left. There was a awkward silence between the two friends. They walked along quietly, waiting for someone to make the first move.
Adrian moved first. �What happened in there Otto? You know that if we don�t leave now they�ll kill us all.�
Otto glared at Adrian, �You don�t get it do you?�
�Get what.�
�The Huns will overtake us whether or not we leave. We�re not fighting to save our save our sorry behinds, it�s for the rest of Europe. If we are strong enough to make a dent in their army, what right do we have not to?� Otto said shaking his head.
�We have the right to live,� Adrian said with a grim look on his face.
�I�m afraid Jupiter took that right away already,� said Otto sadly.
�You don�t still believe that stuff do you?� Adrian asked.
�Adrian I don�t have time for this,� Otto said shaking his head, �I�m sorry but I have a family, and a battle to fight. If you want to be a coward then do it. I don�t care any more,� and with that he walked away.
Adrian headed home. If you could call it a home. Adrian�s career in the military had served well to provide for him. He had more than enough money to take of himself. Yet it left him little room to grow roots. Frequent traveling and hardening of battle had left him alone at 35. If Otto hadn�t been a childhood friend of Adrian�s he didn�t know if he would even have him. After years in the Britons he had finally been stationed back at home. He had been thrilled at first but now� he wasn�t so sure anymore. The gods sure had dealt him a hell of a hand this time. He looked out the window and saw a little girl playing on the street. So young, so innocent. He longed to have a girl of his own. A young woman walked past. He wouldn�t mind one of those either.
He shook his head, dismissing his thoughts. They were no use anymore. He had 24 hours. What use was there in running? He knew that the Hun�s would find him. He was a military advisor, obviously high on their list of targets; at least that was what Adrian vainly thought. He gazed outside his window into the mountains, wishing he could be anywhere but here, but his eyes were averted by Gaul. It really was a beautiful place. The birds, the fountain, the people. It would all be destroyed. It was not the first time that Adrian had seen beauty, but he was to be damned if it would be the last. Gaul was where he was born and if it was where he would die, then so be it. He stood up and set out to find a sword.
16 hours left
Otto sat his son down on the table. The boy was only 12, but was suited up with a shovel and a slab of wood across his chest. It was crude but it would have to do. His heart wrenched at the sight of his son preparing for battle but knew that it was necessary.
�Daddy?� the son asked, �What�s wrong?�
�Nothing, go find me a bucket,� Otto said harshly. He felt bad for being short with his son but there was so much to be done. Otto looked down at his own armor. It was made of the finest steel. He had worn in it during his term in the military. It was only a chest plate, but he felt ashamed to wear it next to his son�s piece of wood, but it was the best he could do. It was a horrible thing to send a child to battle, but also a necessary thing.
Suddenly he heard a knock at the door. He ran to see who it was. Adrian walked into the room, his armor gleaming, his sword shining. He opened the mask of his helmet, and saluted Otto. �I heard you needed some real soldiers around here.�
Otto smiled and sat down and began working on another wooden chest plate, �When did you get the change of heart?�
�Hey,� Adrian said, �if I�m going to die anyway, we might as well go down fighting.�
Otto laughed, �Eh� its still not great but at least your going to try. Sit down I need to make more of these things.�
�It would be my pleasure.� Adrian sat down and began carving a piece of armor.
Otto�s daughter Persephone was playing with her dolls alone in the door. She was only 4 years old, much to young to understand the magnitude of what was happening. Yet she too was forced to face the harsh reality. The army was on its way and there was nothing they could do to stop them.
The day was ending and it was beginning to grow dark. Otto, stood up to light a lamp. He began striking the flint trying to get a spark. In his carelessness he hit the lamp spilling the oil it contained. The spark drifted down and lit the oil, incinerating the shavings of wood littering the table.
�Adrian, I think I might have an idea� How much oil do you think we�d have in the city?�
�A whole bunch. Why?�
�Enough to soak the whole plain that the Huns are going to be arriving on?�
Adrian realized what he was saying, �Enough to burn them to hell.�
