Blade Of Blood It was a mess. Bodies lay in the street. Some, deformed and disfigured, were barely recognisable as human. Gaius Equitelus Maximus stood in the midst of it all, his legionnaires at his back. Four-hundred men had been under his command an hour ago. After a light skirmish, three-hundred and sixty remained. But, he knew, within an hour, that number would change again. Men died, he got used to it. His friends died, he got used to it. It was war, and he had got used to it. He was cold and ruthless, but loyal and effective. His superiors liked him, and he had been promoted twice in three months. He had a strategic mind, and, despite nearing fifty years old, was a skilled warrior. At first they had given him command of his own unit, now he was in charge of four. As he looked around, he noticed the buildings surrounding him. He they were quite beautiful, and he liked the architecture. It reminded him of the city of Imperia, the capital of the Imperial Empire, and the place of his birth. But this wasn't Imperia, this was Basilica, a city towards the south of Imperial territory.War horns sounded in the distance. Friend or foe, he didn't know. That was what he hated about this civil war. Each side were like identical twins, the only thing different was their minds. Gaius served the Supremists, supporters of the monarchy. The rebels, or Senate Loyalists as they called themselves, supported the senate, and...... Democracy. Gaius hated that word. One man should rule, he thought. No arguing, less corruption, one dman.