THE WRATH OF THE HUNS













REVA THE HUN, MASTER OF BLEDA AND ATTILA















THE BATTLE OF SISCIA





Autumn 417 A.D.











The fierce Gothic war-bands fight with years of memories of the subjugation goading them to blood-lust. A time for lamentation is also a time for revenge.





The battlefield is slick with gore. The Uar Warriors fight on!!!! A moments hesitation to observe the battle might mean death.









Watch your back! They may be discouraged, but like savage beasts are never subdued.





Kipsca leads his Huns on order of Reva and Bleda, perhaps the more human of the attacking Huns.











He shouts orders in his Turkic language, that may as well be the gutter utterances of a bear or beast to the Goths. The Roman Legio fight for his head.





The carnage is absolute! Flames engulf the Uar after the Gothic Lancers charge, heads roll, and bodies burn.











Gelimer has been slain. The Uar begin to retreat. Ataulf carries on the fight against the Huns.

It was the beginning of the year 415. Winter had passed, and with it, the commemoration of Widimir the Heir and his fallen brothers from the battlefield. They were given Christian burials with the Lord's prayer, and sent to their rest, under the black consuming fertile soil of the north.The affair between Widimir of Lugus the pagan, and Gaatha had been exposed, and the forty three year old High King Vithericus had made demands of Gaatha that she marry Widimir, to consecrate their union before the lord, Christ.To make no mistake, both of the brothers of Lugus, Widimir and Alaric, held a deep seated hatred for the Romans, with their straight roads, clean aqueducts, and bent noses, not excluding the Separatists of Saturninus, but the rebellious elements in the camp demanded peace with them nonetheless.Alaric was becoming quite influential, and had been sent prior to Vithericus' arrival to Lugdunum and the northern frontier, to bargain for peace on behalf of the Governor of Rome and Italia, Amalius Egica.Already in their old Gothic warpath they wished upon Gaul, they had enlisted and taught Widimir's young bastard son Eutharic to fear and hate the Romans, which would be an obstacle if he were to ever reach the throne, as he would be appointed Sacred King of Rome, naturally a city of Romans.With the death of Widimir, Vithericus swore revenge and called off any notion of truce, before declaring his teenage son Ammius, a scholar of warfare and history to be his heir, should he fall in combat to the north of Lugdunum.Lugus was the god of the skillful and swift black hand, deified by the Celts, and so Lugdunum had received this name. More recently it was associated with the Roman god Mercury, and by Alaric and Widimir, Tiwaz. They saw their legions unique position at Lugdunum as a sign from the pagan gods of the Goths that they were mandated to rule Maxima Sequorum and the Aquitaine, and all of newly held Gaul that would be taken from the Roman enemy.Truth be told, for all they told their men, Achilius had determined that Widimir would become the Governor of Ludenensis, with Alaric serving as a king in this fugue, a border territory set up between Italy and Gaul, until both Alaric and Viridius Funarius could march on Rome, the gates of which would be opened by Egica, when the time came.Gaatha part in this ploy could not be determined as of yet by the turncoat Achilius, so he was sent to spy on the wedding tent of Widimir and her, the night of the wedding, before Vithericus commited to the most unforgivable of sins. If she was complicit, or had indeed conspired with Egica and Alaric, she would not be pardoned.The Romans within their ranks, Comitensis among them, saw no scruples with the employment of Alaric, as he paid well, being rich alongside most Goths, and would only become richer, now that Vithericus had forced his hand to marry the wealthy thirty six year old domina Amalia Gaatha.The night of the wedding in Lugdunum was black, with red lights from torches casting a golden sheen on the iron and steel that hung on racks in Lugdunum, the braziers flickering up quick licks of embers so chaotic, hot and ephemeral, like the god himself.The ceremony was brief, but already Alaric had called into question it's integrity. He first demanded that the Gothic gods be honored at the wedding, and would not hold his tongue among the men, until he was paid a weightsome bribe. The attendants saw to reminding him that their Lord was a jealous one, and that the inclusion of the Germanic spring figure of Freya would invoke his curse on the proceedings, in fact that they could not be truly ordained with the words included. Gaatha was quick to find a saint of of similarity, using her wits, who would stand in proxy to the pagan goddess. This, by appearances, satisfied Alaric, who was paid more for his continued silence.Vithericus was silent and grim at the wedding, much as he had been at Hethin's, but furthermore was wrathful in spirits, particularly towards the retainers of Egica, his brother.Achilius wore the guards chainmail and tunic, emblazoned with the bow of the Gothic armies, and the standard of the Vanguard of Lugus.To his surprise, they were fighting with words, within the tent already.Egica entered his chambers in his tent, between dividers, and walked past his armor. He was wearing a red and gold silk shirt, that stank with sweat, and was exhausted, having danced for most of the night. With his bright wife Scarilo back in Rome, there was no-one to comfort, and he would sleep well, having gambled with his guards earlier, who had become quite drunk and all retired to their vices. Surely no enemy would think to act on a night such as this. He mussed his golden hair, and extinguished the flames from the brazier, pushing them down with a fist, as people often did when drunk. He had not drunk in excess, but with the lights out, he began to take off his sandalions from his stinking feet so he could crawl to his bed.There was something stirring in the night, but he could not care for it, as tired as he was. He pulled the shoe from his foot, kneeling. Something struck him on the back on the head with a thud as he removed his shoes. He had not heard anything unsheathed. 'With your own sword.' Hissed some unseen assailant. Egica cradled his bleeding skull, and crawled towards the weapons drawer. 'My wooden sword, it would seem, fool. Alarum!' He shouted in the darkness. He whirled on the assailant with a spear taken from the rack. He could see nothing but stabbed into the darkness, searching for his foe, crying out the alarm at once. His guards were coming. He felt his leg break with a sturdy sweave. He cried out for his men again and again.Gaatha was near weeping, shrilly screaming at Widimir. 'Vithericus will kill you. He will feed your face to spiders, and you will beg for death, you cripple.''Not without his army. Not with the gates of Rome lowered by his own blood.' Said Widimir calmly. She threw a dish at him. 'I agreed to peace, not treason.' She sobbed.'What should we do?' He asked his guard, quickly.'My wife is coming with us, to Saturninus' protection. She will stay in the tower if she continues her tirade.' The guard answered.'You heathens, you've lost your minds. Saturninus will kill you for desertion from his own Empire's army. He knows of your debauched ways and hate for the Latins, and you have doomed so many practicing Gothic men to death for your treason. My confidant Achilius had told them!' She answered, being taken into manacles by the guard.Achilius walked into the tent. 'You're both under arrest.' They were brave words, perhaps even stupid, drunk words, but they sure stopped Gaatha's detention in a hurry.'Ritter's companion Achila, this man plans to....' She was knocked unconscious by Widimir's cane. She fell to the sheeted ground of the tent with a thump.'You're under arrest too Gaatha.' He said looking at the unconscious woman.' There is to be no peace with the Magister Miletum.' Achilius answered.'This is your plan?' Widimir looked increduously to Achila. He limped on his maimed leg for his sword and laughed. 'One man, arresting the entire Vanguard of Lugus.'Achila took several steps forward, looking to make sure Gaatha was unharmed. He smiled. 'It's my duty.' Achila answered snidely. He unsheathed his sword and made for Widimir.'I say she would not perform hers. It's your word against mine.' Soldiers from the Vanguard of Lugus began filling up the tent. Their commander came to the ear of Widimir.'The, ah, rebel, Vithericus is approaching our position.' Said the commander.'With how many men?' Widimir the pagan asked, annoyed.'The entire army.' The commander answered, bowing.Widimir spat. And tried to quickly come up with a response. ' Comites, Kill this interloper and make for your horses, flee north, the Vanguard of Lugus has alread departed for Avaricum with the King, Alaric.'The first guard said. 'And lady Gaatha?' Widimir pushed a spear from the nearest post into his arms. 'Do you think I care?' He shouted. 'To your horses, all of you. If you can't find yours, steal one of theirs, no, in the name of Lugus, steal two!'Egica fled from the encampment in Lugdunum the second his guards arrived, never learning more of the assailant. He had taken a hard blow to the head and leg, and was delirious in the carriage for the entire trip to Rome.Upon learning of the civil revolt in Lugdenensis, Reva the Hun, Bleda's warchief, declared war on the Gothic positions in Siscia with a surprise attack. Creepy white haired Gelimer moved to defend the town, alongside Ataulf, son of Egica. Upon learning of the attack, rumors were ablaze of the ceremony to appease the old gods, invoking the one god's wrath, and that the Huns were punishment for this and many other sins of Vithericus. He became unpopular overnight, owing as much to the very real civil uprising that had arisen in Gaul. The next two years saw Widimir fleeing deeper into the north, with Saturninus' protection, and Alaric, now king of the Gothic Separatists, raiding the gold mines, and trade roads of rich Avaricum and the Aquitaine.While Widimir the Heir's body had just become cold, Moritex, leader of the Ebdanian Irish, like a Vulture circling, demanded his young bride Munifrida to become his wife. For purposes of the alliance, this was agreed.In Carthage in Africa, the papal council of Carthage determined the accused heretic Pelagius, who taught that original sin had never occurred, and that God was not needed to absolve all sin, was tried under the protection of Attius, Governor of Africa. The missive delivered by the Gothic delegation of Sister Guitifrida found him not guilty of heresy, and his followers were grateful to the Gothic Bishop and Guitifrida for this. The Gothic pagans, just as Gaatha had said, were treated as enemies following the outbreak of the civil war. Gaatha was recovered and confined to a tower in Ancona for her scheming of peace over Widimir's body with her husband.Thorismund, who had succeeded Filimer to the position of High Judge, immediately declared the two commanders of Lugus criminals, and was approached by both Goiswintha and Teus, the wife of Scipuar to secure his loyalty in all decisions. This was one of several efforts by the Queen of Goths to gain support during the civil uprising. Soon after Teus made her intentions clear to Thorismund, he began spreading rumors of her infidelity, offered favors, to Scipuar, to seal his trust beyond what he already possessed. He claimed he had never been erring in judgement and that being pushed offended his loyalty itself, which was beyond reproach according to himself. Scipuar was not pleased.Filimer was appointed to warchief in 416, and ordered a force to relieve beleaguered Siscia. To the north, the Marcomanni held Sopianae, and were allied to the Goths alongside the Langobards who were ordered to hunt down Widimir the pagan.The Huns were undeterred and burnt the Marcomanni fortifications at Sopianae to the ground. Thousands of Marcomanni refugees flooded into Venetia, telling of the horrors of the Hunnic warriors and their trophy taking, and the typhus and consumption that wracked them into surrender.The Huns at Siscia were nothing the Gothic Kingdom had ever encountered before, their numbers had swelled, and their commander, Kipsca, with impaled Gothic soldiers ringing the town, and Marcomanni commanders' heads planted on his banners, ordered his men to fight from the edges of the town, slowing any attempt to break the siege with downpours of arrows and ropes, nets, and lassos. The devil had indeed come to visit the Goths, along with the famine that would follow the sowing of salt over the lands, and the grueling sieges that pushed over Salona and much of Dardania.The guard towers on the edge of the town did not last long, and the Uar, previously unencountered by the Ostrogoths, entered a melee with the defenders, who fell one by one to the utter shade of wave after wave of Hunnic arrows. The defender's worst fears were confirmed when they saw Germanic soldiers fighting under the Hunnic banners. The Huns had turned to their old practice of subjugating peoples to the same fate the Ostrogoths once had suffered, and now they were fodder for the enemy. Kipsca led the charge of these foreigners with his motley savage men, seemingly indistinguishable from their saddles.Soon, the Nokkors and Devil Cavalry of the Huns, found gaps in the Gothic line, and pushed to the inner hill-fort of Siscia, abandoning their bows and using swords and lances, where they met with Gelimer's reserves and nobles. Gelimer was killed in battle trying to attack Kipsca's formation, who was eventually killed himself by Palatina loyal to the Agorian Romans who reinforced the the town.The Gothic archers pushed back, and many of the lancers of the Huns were slain in their retreat from the edge of Siscia. Gelimer had won a close victory, but was killed in the struggle for the city. The dead were taken down from their impalement and given Christian burials.Filimer was appointed to lead the war effort in defense of Venetia, while Vithericus held Lugdunum. The old blind man had seen his plan go to waste, and war had now come to the very border of Venice. Sindered traveled to the east, and injured the Hunnic commander who was nearing Salona after the battle of Siscia, sending him back to suffer in whatever hell of the steppes these numbers of Huns were coming from.In 417, Egica, still recooperating, was approached by the Palatina Guard of Vithericus. He would serve as a retainer, accompanying his brother in his travels, while delegating his decisions as Governor of Italy. He would be kept close. His plans had gone to ruin as well. The Huns were preparing their great host to bring war to all of Roman and Germanic Europe, and Pannonia and the Goths were right in their path.