When The Eagles Reached The Crown

BROTHER HOOD

Night had fallen and both of men had taken their cloaks to ward off the chill of the winter night. On either side on thoroughfare the dark masses of the cheaply built the tenement blocks reared up, pierced by the loom of occasional lamp and tallow candles glimmering within. The footie stink with sweat, sewage and rotting vegetables filled the air, Narius walked calmly . There been moment of tension between him and Voracio, where finally now there's a small square opened out around a public fountain. A strong breeze had picked up during the early evening and had swept away most of the pall of smoke that hung over Rome, and now the stars glinted coldly from the heavens, bathing the city in a faint glow, picking out the roof lines of the tenements blocks further down the Esquiline Hill. As both of them entered the square, they say their right a large door with a sign hanging above it with the neatly painted wording . The Archives wine. The sound of shooting and laughter spilled outinto the square and the door opened briefly as a man staggered outside, and threw up in the warm glow cast by the oil lamps and braziers that burned within . 

" Like bunch of temple's of warriors here, no doubt." Voracio commented .

" Funny how you describe these shit place. Let's go to the source. I'm parched." Narius replied in cold tone. 

Voracio held Narius's shoulder to restrain him for a moment . " You sure about this? By Juno name, why the hell we were here?"

" Trust me on this. I'll stay as sober as vestal virgin. Assuming we work to our main resource, this place where they're was gathering and doing they're  free nights." 

" I assumed you been doing your research?" Voracio asked Narius while scrutinised the place around them.

"  on my account yeah, are you gonna talk in here or coming? I'm working now, this include our work ."

Voracio nodded as he agreement, He knew Narius when he was in Britannia, Narius was the Tribune of Fourteenth legions, knowing as the iceman commander when he was still in the Optio until eventually Legatus Vespasian removed him from the Second Legion to be Alexius scout messenger in the Fourteenth. And he's been sent to be an agent forLegatus Vespasian and Legatus Alexius. That's why he knew Narius the tribune of Fourteenth Legion Gemina, the cruel cynical man. Voracio reflected as he follow suit Narius crossed the square and carefully stepped round the men doubled over in the gutter as he continued heaving up from the pit of his stomach. Stepping through the entrance, Narius glanced around he knew the inn was large and extended much of the way beneath the tenement block above, which rested on the thick support columns that divided the room. It was already filled with the evening trade and the warm air was thick with smoke from the lamps and Braziers and some candles and filled with the Odour of wine. The flagstone floor was covered with a loose layer of straw and sawdust, there were over a hundred men and few women squeezed into the space and all the tables were occupied and some of customers sat slumped against the walls . A small clusters of off duty guardsmen as well as men from one of the urban cohorts. Rest of the customers were civilians .

" Magnus! Over here!" A voice of a man rose above the crowd. Slowly Magnus turned towards the voice and saw Fabian beckoning to them from the corner not far from the entrance. He was sitting at a long table with some other guardsmen, several jars of wine stood before them.

Narius waved his hand and smiled as he speak at Voracio from his shoulder. " That's our new pet. Follow me ." Narius made his way over to the table and Fabian, the young man with several cups of wine under his belt, made a greeting and smiled at Magnus, " Magnus! Finally you made it, lad"  He wrapped an arm round Narius shoulder. " Lads! Here's the man I'm talking about, the new boys in the job." he breathed over Narius's  neck as he turned to grin blearyly at the men  around the long table