The Tale of Nero Chapter 1: The Fallen King
“Nero,” yelled a voice not too far away. “The Rex Regum was attacked!” It took me a second to process the words before I began to run. My heart raced as I dashed towards the palace, the Arx of Rubica.
As I climbed the marble stairs, I saw General Olviar and General Zaix coming out, their faces grim. They were carrying a body on a wooden board. My blood ran cold. I instantly knew it was my father—the Rex Regum, lord of Rubica.
Suddenly, I heard a booming explosion. Olviar grabbed me by the arm and pulled me towards the city square. The faint whisper of my father’s voice reached my ears: “Boy, you—”
Boom. A flash of fire lit the sky. In that instant, the Arx crumbled, and the force of the explosion engulfed us. I watched helplessly as the mighty fortress fell, taking my father with it.
“Are you awake?” whispered a familiar voice, pulling me back.
I opened my eyes. It wasn’t my father or my mother. Instead, it was General Olivar and his wife, Lady Statilla, the mayor of Rasna, a neighboring town near Rubica.
“The protectorate of Rubica is crumbling,” said Statilla with a pained expression. “And soon, it will collapse entirely.”
“The Rex Regum is dead,” Olivar said sorrowfully. His words hit me like a physical blow. I hadn’t fully realized it until that moment. A tear slipped from my left eye.
Statilla continued, “The Prodótis Kingdom of the Aegean Sea has retreated from the Gelid Sea. They have no hope in Rubica anymore. Rubica is alone.”
My mind raced. The Prodótis Kingdom, our last hope for aid and alliances, had abandoned us. Rasna and Rubica were on the brink of collapse. My heart sank at realizing we were vulnerable, and the future seemed bleak.
I turned my gaze out the window. Below, a vast jungle stretched into the horizon, teeming with life. Tents had been set up outside, marking the location of our camp.
“Where are we?” I asked, looking to Olivar for answers.
“The Tiberians bombarded our city,” he explained. “They destroyed the Arx. The generals decided that Rubica was no longer safe for the militia. We brought you here to a large jungle we’ve been investigating for some months. We’ve called our camp ‘Gladius’ in honor of the late Rex Regum.”
I stood there, silently taking in the enormity of the situation. My father was gone, and Rubica—once the shining beacon of power in the land—was in ruins. Now, all that remained was survival in the shadow of a crumbling empire. To be continued…
