CHAPTER 1
Jade opened her eyes to an uneasy world of greys and blacks; of unidentifiable shapes and soft, sighing sounds. She lay on her stomach, awkwardly sprawled on something cold, slippery and hard. Her right knee ached like she’d knocked it and her right hand stung.
“Hello?” Her voice seemed muffled. Something cold and wet feathered across her cheek. She touched her face with numb fingers and shivered. “Phoenix?” The darkness eased somewhat. Perhaps her eyes were adjusting. Around her patches of light and shadow shifted and swam. It was difficult to tell where the ground ended and the rest of the world began.
Jade gathered her feet beneath her and staggered upright. Shaking, she pulled the hood of her cloak up and tucked her fingers into her armpits to warm them. Her backpack slipped off her shoulder, dragging at her arm. As she took an uncertain step, her foot kicked something long and wooden: her quarterstaff. Snatching it up, she tried to feel more secure.
Was she alone here? Wherever this was, it certainly wasn’t home. She tried to hold back a rising sense of betrayal. She’d been so certain that finishing Level One would catapult her home again. It hadn’t. This wasn’t her England. In fact, it probably wasn’t England at all.
A wolf howled: distant; mournful; eerie. Definitely not England. Sharp, fitful breezes stung her eyes. Jade blinked and scrubbed a hand over her face, trying to hold back bitter tears of disappointment. She just wanted to go home.
For the hundredth time in the last five days, she wished she’d never turned her father’s computer on; never been drawn into this bizarre digital world; wished that she was home again in her warm house with her six annoying sisters. She missed her father; her own, warm, comfortable bed - and hot showers!
Roaming the 80AD world sounded awesome - when she was watching her avatar on a flat screen from the comfort of her father’s study. Living it was a whole different thing. Her scared thirteen year old mind was trapped inside the digital body and memories of a seventeen year old half-elf in a strange time and place. She’d been nuts to think living the adventures she’d always read about in books would be romantic and exciting. Right now, the most awesome thing she could think of to see would be the giant golden arches of a MacDonalds restaurant - or her very own bathroom.
The ground crunched as she stamped her feet to warm them. More cold, fluffy stuff fell on her face and Jade at last realised what it was: snow. A wolf howled again, closer; a primeval sound that echoed strangely and made the hairs on the back of her neck rise up. Dark forms around her resolved into trees. She was in a snowy, dark forest somewhere. Well, that didn’t help much. How could it be snowing at night when it had been a clear spring dawn in the ancient Britain they had just left?
The last thing she remembered was jumping through the portal from Stonehenge in a desperate attempt to escape a horde of Roman soldiers and their ambitious governor, Agricola. She’d thought the portal was going to get her home but it must have brought her to Level Two of the game, instead. If that was right then home was still a long way off – four more Levels, in fact.
So, if she was on Level Two, where were Phoenix and the others?
A low moan to her left sent her in that direction, feeling her way carefully. A dark lump in the snow moaned again. Her hands touched leather and steel.
“Phoenix?” He moaned again. “Phoenix!” She dropped to her knees. He lay face down in the snow, his skin cold, his pulse a bare thread. She ran her hands over him, using her Spellweaver skills to try and sense injuries. He had fought the Romans until the last to give the rest a chance to get through the portal. Had he been wounded?
Her seeking fingers touched wood. She gasped in horror. Two arrows protruded from his back, very close to his heart, by the feel of them. Her instinct was to yank them out but hesitating, she took her hand away. She had fought the Romans with as much magic as she could. If she pulled them out now, she didn’t have the strength to Heal such deep wounds quickly enough. He would die. His only chance was if they could find shelter and warmth. She needed food and her herbs to replenish enough strength to save him.
She needed help. Where were the others?
“Oh, my head!” A voice behind made her turn.
“Marcus!” She hurried over, slipping in the deepening snow. Strong hands grasped hers. Jade sobbed in relief, clutching at them like a lifeline. “Are you ok?”
“Yes - just a headache bad enough to kill a god. Where are we?” The Roman boy sounded pained.
Another, smaller figure joined them. “Somewhere dark, wet and way too cold,” it said, helpfully.
“Brynn!” Jade hugged him, feeling how thin and small he was beneath his patched clothes. “Where’s Truda?”
“I’m here,” the young redheaded girl piped up. “It’s awful cold here.” She wrapped her too-big druid cloak tighter about herself. A flurry of wind and snow snatched the hood off her face. In the gloom, her big blue eyes were dark holes in a white oval.
Jade grabbed Marcus’ hand and hauled him upright. “Phoenix has been hurt. We need to find shelter or he’s going to die.”
“Show me,” Marcus ordered.
She led them to their fallen friend. Marcus felt his pulse for a long moment.
He shook his head, barely visible in the gloom. “It’s too late, Jade. His heart has stopped. He’s gone, Jade. Phoenix is dead.”
TO BE CONTINUED......
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APPENDIX
ROME:
The Roman Republic (510BC-44BC) sent Julius Caesar in 55BC to investigate Britain. Rome wanted good farming land to grow food crops to support its large population. The Republic transformed into the Roman Empire (44BC to 479AD) shortly after when Julius Caesar declared himself perpetual dictator. It was not until 43AD that Rome created permanent settlements in Britain: when Emperor Claudius sent an army of 40,000 men to overcome the natives. It took several governors many decades to subdue the fierce native tribespeople. Eventually, most submitted but the Picts (the native tribes living in what is now Scotland) did not.
Between 378AD and 410AD, with the economic and military collapse of the Roman Empire, troops and governors were withdrawn from Britain, leaving the country unprotected. It lapsed into petty kingdoms and internal conflict. Soon after, the Viking invasions began and Britain lost much of its Roman culture and “civilisation”.
A Roman Governor in a Province such as Brittanica would have had 5 ‘lictors’ (bodyguards) and several ‘comites’ – companions to act as advisors. The Governor was in charge of collecting taxes for Rome, running military campaigns and dispensing justice as he saw fit.
Roman army:
Contubernium: (tent group) consisted of 8 men
Centuria: (century) was made up of 10 contubernium with a total of 80 men commanded by a centurion (officer)
Cohorts: (cohort) included 6 centuriae or a total of 480 fighting men, not including officers.
Legio: (Legion) consisted of 10 cohorts.
Additionally each Legion had a 120 man Alae (cavalry unit) called the Eques Legionis permanently attached to it possibly to be used as scouts and messengers.
Therefore the total fighting strength of a Legion is: The First Cohort totalling 800 men (5 double-strength centuries with 160 men each); 9 Cohorts (with 6 centuries at 80 men each) for a total 4,320, and an additional 120 man cavalry for a grand total of 5,240 men not including all the officers.
https://www.unrv.com/military/legion.php
Roman measurements:
1 League (Leuga) = 2.22km
1 Mile (milliarium) = 1.48km
Gnaeus Julius Agricola (July 13, 40AD - August 23, 93AD) was the Roman general responsible for much of t
he Roman conquest of Britain. Arriving in Britain mid-summer of 78AD, Agricola immediately moved against the Ordovices (native tribes of north Wales) and defeated them. He then moved north to the island of Mona (Anglesey), and forced its inhabitants to sue for peace. He established a good reputation as an administrator as well as a commander by reforming the widely corrupt corn tax. He introduced Romanising measures, encouraging communities to build towns on the Roman model and educating the sons of the native nobility in the Roman manner. He also expanded Roman rule north into Caledonia (modern Scotland). He was eventually recalled to Rome in 85AD and died in 93AD.
He had two sons, both of whom died in infancy; plus a daughter who married Tacitus. Tacitus is famous for his written records of Agricola’s life and it is from these writings that we get most of our information about Agricola.
BRITAIN
Before the invasion of Britain by the Romans, the islands were inhabited by native Celtic-culture and Brythonic tribes. They lived in iron age fashion, with timber or earthen-walled, thatched “round-houses”, basic pottery and agricultural skills. They were farmers living in small village groups, each looking to their own chieftain for guidance. When invaded, however, they proved to be fierce warriors.
Cunetio
The village of Cunetio was originally farmland around the area now called Mildenhall in Wiltshire, UK. When the Romans pushed into the area, a small settlement sprang up around a major crossroads. In later years, the settlement grew into a town with a large stone wall. After the Romans left in about 450AD, it fell into ruin and was lost. In 1978 a hoard of 55000 small-value Roman coins was found there by archaeologists. Recently, the Time Team TV show re-investigated the area and mapped it more thoroughly.
Druids
Little is known of the druids’ true functions and beliefs in pre-Roman Britain. It is thought that they served as priests of a sort and held rituals at sacred sites throughout the year that were connected with the Earth Goddess image and various other minor pagan gods and goddesses revered at the time. They were also responsible for upholding laws, settling disputes and teaching students the ideas of astronomy and science of the time.
Language:
The unusual words Brynn and the others occasionally use are from the Ancient Breton language that was spoken by the tribespeople of the time. There are also Welsh words, as Welsh is the closest living relative to the language of the ancient Breton people to whom Brynn belongs.
The words are translated as follows:
Carega Amgarn (Stone Circle - Welsh):
y Twlwyth Teg (The fair people – Welsh):
Plowonida (Wide river – Bretonic):
Leidyr (thief – Welsh):
Hyllion Bagia (‘all I bag’ – Welsh):
Aurfanon (Welsh – Gold Queen)
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