VII
Lacus Sanctus
‘The Sacred Pool’
The summer rain upon the road south was incessant at first, but for the Metelli and Dagon’s family it was a blessing, for it cloaked their passage.
In the past, whenever Lucius had travelled the roads of the empire, he had done so with a retinue of his warriors, been recognized and lauded by the men of the legions, men who had come to know the ‘Dragon of Rome’ and be inspired by him.
If Lucius was honest with himself, those were good days indeed.
There had been times of course, when he had journeyed in secret: once when he had fled for his life from Leptis Magna, in North Africa, and more recently when he had last travelled to Dumnonia to help Einion reclaim his father’s throne. But even on those occasions, there were many who would have, and did,
