Hi everyone,
Here’s today’s snippet of chapter 9, although I still cannot believe that I’ve actually made it to nearly 27,000 words in just 16 days. It’s a record for me! If you’re doing NaNoWriMo2015, or if you’re just curious, join up and become my friend/Writing Buddy! You can check my progress and see how I’m doing in the most up-to-date way possible!
Kickstarter News: I’ve been packaging the orders, and these should get sent out this week. I know I promised that I’d be able to get them out today or yesterday, but the truth is that with my schedule the way it is now, I can barely get to the post office before it closes (doing it at lunch is a non-option for me). However, I foresee having time on Wednesday Afternoon, so I hope to have everything (meaning all 10 packages) to go out. This means that, as soon as they are sent out, that I will send out ALL the ebook files to every backer.
If you have changed your address, you must let me know IMMEDIATELY. Tuesday at noon is the deadline to send me a message here or on Kickstarter. I’ll post this message on Kickstarter as well.
Thanks! And remember, if you’re not a kickstarter backer you can still get access to the book through our pre-order!
Later that evening, just after sunset, Constantine’s caution was rewarded. At least a half-turen, the scouts estimated later, launched a quick assault on the hastily emplaced segmented-steel walls of the castellum. Screaming their warcries, at least a thousand men came charging out of the purple haze of dusk, clambering up the walls. Legionnaires ran hither and tither, many falling under the seemingly endless waves of invisible arrows that swept in from the darkness.
“Rally to me! To me!” Constantine screamed out, echoing the cries of many officers in the camp. He ran forward, clad only in his soft tunic and trousers, plus his helmet and scuta, the only things he could don hastily as the alarm bells began to ring. Nearly immediately, he ran into a handful of Mongol raiders slaughtering Roman wounded and hacking their way through the surprised legionnaires. Careless of danger, Constantine charged in, bashing ones’ head in with his shield while hamstringing another. Turning, he ducked low, barely avoiding a slash from a scimitar. He stabbed upwards, and was rewarded with a scream as his assailant stumbled backwards, clutching his arm.
More Romans ran forward, gathering their courage as they saw their commanding officer engaged with the invaders. “Rally to me! For Rome! Rome!” He shouted, parrying a spear with his spatha and then pressing his attacker.
“Rome!” the battle cry echoed louder this time. The Romans were rallying now, numbers beginning to tell over the initial shock of the ambush. Fewer arrows fell, as a distant horn sounded. Awooooo, Awoooo. The Mongols scurried backwards, the Romans pursuing with a vengeance now. They cut down any they could catch. As quickly as they had attacked, the Mongols scattered back into the darkness.
“Shoot them down, men! Leave no man alive!” Legionnaires on the wall picked up discarded repeaters, shooting out into the blackness for a few minutes, occasionally rewarded with a distant cry of pain. Finally, Constantine, his blood cooler now, ordered them to halt. No point in wasting ammunition.
Modern Papyrus 