Night passed, the symphony of the countryside lulling all of them as the stars twinkled and the moon passed overhead.
Lucius’ eyes fluttered beneath their lids and shot open in the early dark. He looked around to see his familia laying still, asleep and peaceful, and then rose himself, taking hold of his gladius. He picked his way out of the ruins. The smell of damp earth and woodsmoke tickled his nostrils, shielding him from the scent of burnt plaster from the ruin of his home. He felt like he was back at the hillfort again, picking through the remains of his family’s life, and the anger surfaced once more.
He walked a little, trying to wrest the stiffness from his joints, rubbing his chest where it burned and itched around the dragon. He continued down the hill to the southeast, pickin
