Battle With the Britons!

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Battle With the Britons! Page 8

by Gary Northfield

“What do you mean?” said Julius.

  “TAKE ON THE WORLD!” She clapped. “Bearing

  the drawings of these creatures gives you their

  POWER! You can be UNBEATABLE!”

  She gathered the animals around her and whispered

  to them. “You’ll find that Pericles, Douglas, and Berta

  are really no different from you; they’re slaves just as

  much as you are. Go back and show Londinium who

  you REALLY are.”

  I KNEW you’d

  come crawling

  back.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  WHEN IN LONDINIUM

  The next day, with the words of the old lady ringing

  in their ears, Julius and his friends headed back to

  Londinium and the eager crowds of the amphitheater.

  This time they were determined to carry out what

  Hadrian and Septimus had demanded of them — to

  win over the Briton crowd. But this time it would be

  on their OWN terms.

  Hey!

  What’s the

  meaning of this

  NONSENSE?

  The cornicines’ horns blared triumphantly, heralding

  the arrival of the Roman champions.

  Julius and his tattooed friends burst defiantly out

  into the arena to a great ROAR of approval from

  the crowd.

  “I ought to have you ARRESTED for leaving me

  in that big puddle yesterday,” growled Septimus.

  “MOVE IT,” said Julius as he pushed past the

  lanista. “We’re here to do our job!”

  The animals strode to the arena, and Septimus did

  a double take at their tattoo-covered bodies.

  What

  trickery

  is this?

  In the center of the arena, the summa rudis gathered

  all the gladiators.

  “WHO IS TO FIGHT FIRST?”

  “I’ll go first,” growled Milus.

  “Then so shall I,” rasped Douglas the sheep.

  The other gladiators dispersed to their gates,

  and the two animals sized each other up. Douglas

  Pericles, Douglas, and Berta looked on, astonished.

  It’s a lion.

  Do you know

  anything fiercer?

  The cornicines blared and the crowd cheered as the

  fight began.

  The brutish sheep wasted no time in thrusting

  his sword toward Milus, but the nimble lion easily

  dodged out of the way of the deadly blade.

  “Ye know, Romans wearing woad tattoos is a

  GREAT INSULT to my people!” spat Douglas.

  prodded the drawing on Milus’s chest with his sword.

  “And what’s that WEE BEASTIE meant to be, then?”

  W

  E

  ’R

  E

  .

  R

  O

  M

  A

  N

  S

  !

  S

  W

  I

  S

  H

  !

  NOT.

  “We’re no different from you!” roared Milus.

  “We’re SLAVES of the Roman Empire, too!”

  “‘No different’?” Douglas laughed as he lunged with

  his sword. “What are ye even TALKING about?”

  Milus pole-vaulted on his trident and kicked the

  confused sheep’s shield out of his hoof.

  “We want to HELP you!” said Milus. He thrust

  his trident at Douglas’s sword and wrenched it away

  from the sheep.

  B

  A

  S

  H

  !

  “Help us”?

  Augh!

  “Ye’ve got a funny way of showing it!” wheezed

  Douglas as Milus stood on him, triumphant.

  The crowd leaped to their feet. Their own

  champion might have been beaten, but he’d been

  beaten by another renegade of the empire!

  Pericles the pig flew into a rage. “I’M NOT

  PUTTING UP WITH THIS NONSENSE!” he cried,

  and raced to the center of the arena.

  Bring

  me the

  ZEBRA!

  “I’d better go out there and face him,” said Julius,

  marching out to great cheers and whistles from the

  crowd.

  Finall

  y

  you

  are

  MINE

  ,

  Zebra!

  In the wings, Septimus was FURIOUS.

  “WHAT ARE YOU IMBECILES UP TO? YOU’RE

  SUPPOSED TO SHUT THE CROWD UP, NOT

  MAKE THEM WORSE!”

  The summa rudis signaled for the fight to begin,

  and Pericles hammered down ax blows onto Julius’s

  shield. “We’re not falling for your TRICKERY,

  Zebra!” he cried out. “We are NOT to be fooled in

  Britannia. We know you Romans too well!”

  Then why

  HAVEN’T you?

  We’re not

  trying to

  trick you!

  We

  hat

  e

  the

  Ro

  ma

  ns

  as

  mu

  ch

  as

  you

  do!

  “LIES!” cried the pig.

  Julius leaped into the air like the spider tattooed on

  his chest and clonked Pericles on the back of his head.

  “JOIN US!” he said to Pericles. “We can take down

  the Roman Army TOGETHER!”

  “Why should we join up with WEAKLINGS? We

  can take on the Roman Army without you!”

  Join

  us!

  W

  H

  A

  C

  K

  !

  Julius stood, triumphant, and raised his sword into

  the air.

  Pericles didn’t have an answer. Julius saw that

  the pig was momentarily troubled by his taunt and

  attacked him while he was distracted.

  “You knew who I was before I even came here!”

  cried Julius as he bashed against the pig’s axes. “You

  know what I’m capable of. If I can beat the best in

  Rome, together WE can be rid of the Roman curse

  from Britannia!”

  Z

  E

  B

  R

  A

  !

  Z

  E

  B

  R

  A

  !

  ZE

  BR

  A!

  ZE

  BR

  A!

  ZE

  BR

  A!

  ZEB

  RA!

  Z

  E

  B

  R

  A

  !

  He turned to the red-faced Septimus and gestured

  to the chanting crowd. “Consider your Britons

  WON OVER!” he cried.

  Suddenly, out of the blue, a barrage of trumpets

  sounded, and a legion of soldiers poured into the

  arena. A standard-bearer followed, leading a golden

  chariot pulled by two magnificent white horses.

  Standing triumphantly on the chariot was Emperor

  Hadrian himself!

  Arrest the

  zebra!

  “HADRIAN? HERE?” Julius cried. “I don’t

  understand!”

  “You disappoint me!” said Hadrian. “My own

  champion A TRAITOR!”


  I offered

  you a

  chance for

  freedom,

  Zebra!

  But you

  threw it

  back in

  my face!

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  HE CAME, HE SAW,

  HE LOCKED HIM UP

  “Take him and his friends and throw them into the

  dungeon!” commanded Hadrian.

  “You’re not the emperor here, Hadrian!” said Julius

  defiantly as he was dragged away. “These woad-

  wearing warriors will rise up and defeat you!”

  “SILENCE!” snapped Hadrian. “As a SLAVE of

  Rome, your words are meaningless.”

  We don’t need

  you anymore.

  We have

  a NEW

  champion!

  “NEW People’s

  Champion”?

  What are

  you talking

  about?

  “While you were out here, plotting with your

  traitorous friends, our new People’s Champion has

  received special intense training from Victorius

  himself!”

  MY WALL!

  Hadrian laughed at Julius’s confused face. “He’s

  far more loyal to the empire than you’ll ever be,

  Zebra. He doesn’t bleat ON and ON demanding his

  freedom; he WANTS to fight for Rome!”

  He leaned in close to Julius’s face. “You shall meet

  him when you battle him TO THE DEATH at my

  GRAND NEW PROJECT!”

  “New project? Have you built yourself another

  golden toilet?” scoffed Julius.

  “ALL WILL QUAKE WHEN THEY

  BEAR WITNESS TO ROME’S GREATEST

  CONSTRUCTION YET,” declared Hadrian.

  Well, THAT

  didn’t quite

  work out

  how I

  expected.

  “I think Hadrian turning up surprised everyone,

  even Septimus,” said Cornelius.

  Suddenly there came a scurrying noise under the

  door. A little head popped out through the gap.

  “Wait, did Hadrian really just get excited about a

  wall?” whispered Felix.

  “These Romans are a funny lot,” said Cornelius.

  The animals were taken down into the dungeons

  of the Roman fort. As the big metal door clanged

  shut, Julius let out a deep sigh.

  PLINY!

  The one

  and only!

  “Have you come to rescue us?” asked Felix

  excitedly.

  “Er, nope,” said Pliny as he squished his whole body

  under the door. “But I have come bearing good news!

  “I was having a chat with those weird Briton

  gladiators, and it seems you and Milus have

  successfully sown the seeds of rebellion in their

  minds.

  “Turns out that old lady was right! Their repre-

  sentatives are either useless or in the pockets of the

  Romans, so you’re exactly the sort of hero they can

  get behind!”

  If you beat

  this new

  gladiator ...

  those crazy

  Brits will join

  you against

  Hadrian!

  “You know, I’ve always said there was something

  special about you, Julius. You’re going to have to be

  the one who takes the bull by the horns yet again!”

  “HEY! I’m not fighting that big cow again, am I?”

  said Julius.

  “No, Berta is right behind you!” replied Pliny.

  “So who IS this new champion?” asked Cornelius.

  “No idea!” said Pliny. “Hadrian is keeping his new

  pet completely under wraps. Which means we have

  Now give

  me twenty

  push-ups!

  What?

  to make sure Julius is in the best shape EVER to

  thrash this mystery champion, so we can show the

  Romans WHO’S BOSS!”

  I’m getting

  deja vu....

  T

  r

  u

  n

  d

  le

  The next morning, Julius and the rest of the gladiators

  were shoved into wooden carts and carried off to the

  wilds of the northern frontier.

  For three long days, they endured being cramped

  up in their boxes. The farther north they traveled,

  the colder it got and the wetter it got.

  On the third day, Lucia suddenly cried out in

  excitement. “Look!” she shouted. “THE WALL!

  I can see the wall!”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  FINAL FRONTIER

  Everyone craned their necks out of their cages to

  try to catch a glimpse of Hadrian’s latest project.

  “Well, that IS a big old wall,” said Julius.

  “So many ROCKS!” yelled Felix.

  C

  a

  n

  y

  o

  u

  se

  e

  it

  ?

  Yeah, we’re SO

  pleased you dragged

  us hundreds of miles

  to see a stupid WALL.

  “All I care about is finding out who this gladiator

  I’m up against is!” said Julius.

  “All in good time, Zebra!” replied Hadrian. “One

  thing you can be sure about is that he is a fearsome

  warrior and your death tomorrow will be swift!”

  Their carts trundled over a bridge and headed

  toward a great fort that sat at the foot of the wall.

  They passed through a huge stone gatehouse and

  into a busy courtyard teeming with soldiers.

  “Well, did you see it?” said Hadrian. “What did you

  think? Isn’t my wall MAGNIFICENT?”

  How about

  a warrior

  mouse this

  time? Seems

  appropriate!

  GOOD

  choice!

  As Julius and the others were thrown into another

  dungeon, Pliny sneaked in carrying a pot of blue

  paint. “OK, we need to get this People’s Champion

  ready for battle!” he squeaked. Pliny dipped his paw

  into the paste. “What animal do you want?”

  Bring on the

  opponents!

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  HADRIAN’S BRAWL

  Julius and the others were taken from their dungeon

  to the wooden amphitheater outside the wall. Inside,

  the thousand seats had been easily filled with the

  Roman soldiers who served the fort.

  Hadrian took his seat alongside Septimus in the

  royal box. Once settled, he signaled to the summa

  rudis to let the game begin.

  Go get ’em,

  Julius!

  We’re

  right behind

  you!

  “Yeah! Good luck, Julius!” called out Pliny. “Go

  kick some —” Suddenly he choked on his words as

  he saw exactly who it was that Julius was up against.

  “ZEBR A BUTT?”

  “Good luck, Julius!” said Cornelius, giving him a

  big hug. “The gods are watching over you!”

  BR

  UT

  US

  ?

  B

  R

  O

  T

  H

  E

  R

  !

  Turns out I’m a

&nb
sp; better fighter

  than you!

  “I find that VERY hard to believe!” cried Julius,

  swatting Brutus’s sword away.

  “Victorius HIMSELF told me, and HE should

  know. He’s fought LOTS of gladiators. Nice work

  Julius could barely believe his eyes. “But HOW?”

  Brutus skipped around, flicking his sword in the air.

  “Word got to me about your star status in Rome, so I

  thought I’d come and get a taste of the action myself!”

  He sauntered up to Julius and poked his sword into

  his brother’s chin.

  This is you,

  apparently.

  “Oh,

  boo hoo!

  I really

  miss my

  family....”

  Brutus let out a great big laugh. “I always KNEW

  you were a huge loser!”

  In the wings, Julius’s friends were in total shock.

  They’d heard that his brother Brutus was a bit of a

  rascal, but they’d never realized he was quite so mean!

  beating Victorius, by the way — that is quite an

  achievement.” Brutus flicked his sword again,

  millimeters away from Julius’s face. “But the

  difference between me and you is that I’M not a

  GREAT BIG CRYBABY!”

  Grr!

  I want to go

  in there and

  BOP him

  myself!

  “It must be the Romans talking,” said Cornelius. “If

  he’s been hanging around with Victorius, no wonder

  he’s gone nuts!”

  In the arena, the summa rudis separated the two

  zebras. “Calm down, you two. We haven’t even

  started yet! Wait for my signal.”

  He held up his stick, waited a few seconds, then

  brought it down: the fight had officially begun.

  Julius immediately took up a defensive position.

  His brother’s swagger told him that Brutus would be

 

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