Travis Starnes

In the Shadow of Lions - Chapter 15

Starhaven, Duchy of Kingsheart, Sidor

“How could this happen?” Serwyn demanded, his voice shaking with barely controlled anger. “How could a bunch of peasants defeat trained knights? I thought you told me the disruption would be minimal. Bailiffs and knights murdered. Supply shipments ransacked? Ever since I listened to you, uncle, my kingdom has been in chaos. How could you let this happen?”

Every noble and courtier in the throne room tried to find somewh...

The Triumph of Venus - Chapter 30

Syrakousa, Sicilia

Ky and Bomilcar once again made a ride through the streets of Syrakousa, but the experience was much different than the one they had just a few days prior, when the city had seemed equally peaceful and still.

In spite of smoke still rising from fires not yet completely under control and cobblestones still slick with blood, the streets were suddenly teeming with the previously missing women and children. They still didn’t know for sure if the c...

The Triumph of Venus - Chapter 29

Syrakousa, Sicilia

Ky relaxed in the center of the room, eyes closed, his mind focused inward. It wasn’t sleep, precisely, but it allowed more of his processes to shut down and the nanos swimming through his body to do more of the work they needed cleaning his system of the standard degradation of time, which allowed his age to extend so much beyond that of a human life span in this time.

As it did every time he entered his rest state, he thought to Lucilla. She...

The Triumph of Venus - Chapter 28

Syrakousa, Sicilia

Ky sat with Bomilcar and Auspex as the two legions fanned out, marching toward the wall of Syrakousa. The only good part of the slow march down Italy, chasing the fleeing Carthaginians, was that it had given the men a lot of practice of assaulting a fortified position with rifles and cannon.

After first Daramouda and then Rome, they had learned that, in spite of the technological difference in their forces, the Carthaginians were far from helple...

The Triumph of Venus - Chapter 27

Wouri Estuary, West Africa

The small Britannic fleet glided through the tranquil waters of the estuary, its lush, green shores a stark contrast to the relentless expanse of Oceanus they had traversed. The dense tree line seemed to engulf the waterway, stretching as far as the eye could see. The air was moist in a way Valdar had never experienced, damp earthy and plant mixing with the briny aroma of the sea.

Beyond a few paces of sand was a wall of towering trees, ...

The Triumph of Venus - Chapter 26

Arandur, Central Hispania

Cormac rode at the head of his makeshift army comprised of one century of Britannian legionnaires and five hundred warriors from across Hispania, a mixture of all the various tribes making up the new Hispanic Alliance. While he probably would have had an easier time if the force had been more homogenous, as the first battle of the alliance, Cormac wanted every member to have skin in the game.

It was also less than he could have gotten if ...

The Threads of Destiny - Chapter 6

Chapter 6:  A Moment’s Calm

Osric and Talia crouched low in the brush, peering through the leaves at the wooden palisade surrounding Silham in the distance. They had been traveling for over a day now, making their way carefully through the woods since departing the ruined keep. It had been a near sleepless journey, both nervous every step they took, on the lookout for both more of the men that had been hounding them and more typical dangers of the forest. Thankfu...

The Triumph of Venus - Chapter 25

Port of Kalb, Hispania

Cormac stood in the center of the partially finished auditorium, watching representatives from across Hispania file in. He was glad to see the architects had put in the sun coverings already, as it helped with some of the late summer heat.

If he was being honest, Cormac wasn’t sure he understood why the Romans loved building these kinds of venues. The large coliseums, that hosted fights, wrestling matches, and contests, he could understand...

The Triumph of Venus - Chapter 24

Devnum

Medb sat in the empress’s richly appointed office, her feet up on the empress’s ornately carved desk, and looked out the large window with its views of the city, instead of at the stack of papers on her desk.

Since Lucilla’s departure and her installment as the temporary administrator of the empire, she finally had a taste of what it was like to rule again. She was enjoying some of the benefits that came with sitting on the throne, especially the defe...

The Triumph of Venus - Chapter 23

The Port of Kalb, Hispania

Cormac leaned back in the chair at Niall’s desk and listened to the crashing waves and bustle of the docks below, and closed his eyes, relishing the moment. He felt bad about how often he kicked the commander out of his own workspace, and if he was honest, there were probably other temporary accommodations he could set up while he was operating out of the port, but he preferred the commander’s office.

Besides being convenient to mess...

The Triumph of Venus - Chapter 22

Wendhom, Anglii Territory, Germania

In spite of the warm mid-summer temperatures, Lucilla pulled her cloak tightly against herself as she stepped off the gangplank. As soon as they docked, she could see that the vast majority of the ships here were unloading cargo and not passengers, making her appearance noticeable. It was made all the worse by Modius and Cynwig following behind her. Even cloaked and not armored, both couldn’t hide what they were, which made Lucilla ...

The Triumph of Venus - Chapter 21

Northern Italy

Ky waited outside the large headquarters tent at the center of the sprawling encampment, looking through the rows of men and material as he watched the small procession making its way toward him.

They’d been in this camp for weeks now, and as all camps did, it had started to solidify as soldiers built semi-permanent structures here and there to make their lives a little more comfortable, replacing the portable and more rugged materials used when t...

In the Shadow of Lions - Chapter 14

Valemonde, Lynese

Isolde pushed through the bustling crowd that filled the streets of Valemonde’s Traders District. The people parted in surprise at the sight of the princess in her deep blue silk gown, adorned with intricate silver embroidery. She made her way through them, ignoring the hawkers shouting their wares and the smells of roasting meats and baking bread mixed with the musky odor of filth.

Normally, the trip was a heartbreaking experience as she expos...

The Triumph of Venus - Chapter 20

Devnum

Lucilla sat alone upon the imperial throne, the majesty of her office all around her, structured to force audience seekers to look up slightly at the top of the dais. It was designed to put Lucilla in a position of power over those who came before her, and why she’d chosen to hold this particular meeting here today, instead of in her office or one of the quieter corners of the royal palace.

The room wasn’t exactly as it was during her normal audiences, ...

Imperium Concept Art - Character & Location Portraits

Port of Kalb (Image 1), Devnum Palace West Wing Private Courtyard (Image 2), Ursinus (Image 3)

The Triumph of Venus - Chapter 19

Devnum

Lucilla sat at her desk in her private office, transcribing the words Sophus was dictating in her ear, finishing the last in a large stack of documents, when a knock drew her attention.

The door opened a moment later as Gaius admitted Ramirus, Hortensius, and Sorantius into the room, all three men bowing respectfully as they approached.

“Please sit, I know you all have busy schedules so I appreciate you making the time to meet with me today,” Luci...

The Triumph of Venus - Chapter 18

Imperial Palace, Devnum

Lucilla made her way down the dimly lit corridor deep in the palace complex, far from any windows or light. Although she grew up in the palace, this section always seemed so unwelcoming that she hardly ever came down here. Now, as Empress, she usually just made anyone who might be located here come to her. If she hadn’t had one of the guards leading her, she was certain she would have gotten lost.

She didn’t bother knocking as she got t...

The Triumph of Venus - Chapter 17

Coast of Sardinia, The Mediterranean

Valdar stood at the bow of the BNS Bellona, the wind whipping through his hair as his ship cut its way across the water. Ahead of them, still a speck in the distance, was the island of Sardinia, their current target. After months of clearing out the western end of the middle sea and laying waste to every Carthaginian port on that side of North Africa, he was finally comfortable moving his fleet further east, working to clear out sout...

The Triumph of Venus - Chapter 16

Devnum

Medb waited in the Empress’s private garden, pacing among the blooming flowers, trying to ignore the luxury the empress lived in, one that Medb herself had once enjoyed before her downfall. She knew herself and knew if she let thoughts like that fester, she would start slipping back into old patterns. While she’d been able to indulge in those in her former life, she’d come too close to death to court it again so soon.

Besides, she was having fun for t...

The Threads of Destiny - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Glimpses into the Past

They headed back into the crumbling hallway, still shaken by what they had witnessed. The wolf had stopped leading them. Now it only padded along beside Osric, its head swiveling and nose twitching. Not that they needed a guide any longer.

There was only one direction left, and the three turned and headed deeper into the secret underground complex. They didn't have to go far. The shadows had made the room seem larger than it was, ...

The Triumph of Venus - Chapter 15

Lucilla knelt before the altar in the small sacellum, the flickering light of the oil lamps casting dancing shadows across the mosaic floor. She bowed her head, a thin veil placed over her wavy black hair, clasping her hands together, letting the faint scent of incense wash over her.

“Great Jupiter, protector of Rome and its people... I humbly seek your guidance and strength in these troubled times,” she pleaded in a soft whisper. “Your servant Ky, your sword, has brought us great...

Concept Art - Imperium Characters

Imilcar the Carthaginian Emperor (1), Lurio the Roman Treasurer (2), Legate Auspex (3)

The Triumph of Venus - Chapter 14

Central Britannia

Hortensius stepped off the supply train, appreciating for a moment the benefit of being able to travel this far to meet with the disaffected villages and still be back in Factorium to review that day’s production numbers. They were living in the future, and it amazed him that anyone would be against technology like this.

The smell of burned coal and oil filled the air. It was the smell of progress, and one he was getting to know more and more, ...

In the Shadow of Lions - Chapter 13

Cresswell Hills, Barony of Langmere, Duchy of Kingsheart

Tom Fletcher lay on his stomach, peering through the tall grass at the narrow, winding pathway that sloped and curved between the steep grassy hillsides. The Cresswell Hills were notorious for their rugged terrain, with sharp, rocky cliffs interspaced among the grassy slopes, creating dips and valleys all along the chain of hills, making them the perfect place to hide.

A man named Ivor, who’d joined their ...

The Triumph of Venus - Chapter 13

Northern Italy

Ky broke off mid sentence as the flap to his command tent was pushed aside, revealing a dust-covered Aelius, looking weary from the road. Both he and Marcus, whom Ky had been speaking with, turned to the ninth legion legate as the man entered.

“Aelius, welcome to Italia,” Ky said, stepping forward to grasp the new arrival’s arm. “I hope the journey wasn’t too arduous.”

“The roads are clear at least, Consul,” Aelius replied, gra...

The Triumph of Venus - Chapter 12

Northern Italy, Just East of the Border of Gual

Aelius sat tall upon his horse, surveying the small village as his century approached. Scattered huts and simple stone buildings dotted the landscape, smoke rising lazily from a few chimneys, and people moving about the fields outside of town. There had been a lot of talk of these villages being empty as the main body of the legions passed through, but it seemed as if some of the people had returned, now that the armies ha...

The Triumph of Venus - Chapter 11

Northern Italy / Devnum

Ky sat at the wooden table in his headquarters tent, catching up on what he missed during his trip to the Seventh Legion. Dexippus, one of Bomilcar’s tribunes, whom the general left behind when the rest of his legion continued south, was a competent man and had a good handle on what needed to be done. But with his cohort split into individual centuries and spread across villages throughout the region, there was a lot for one man to do.

Or...

Concept Art - Imperium Characters

Legate Marcus (Image 1), Legate Aelius (Image 2), Yrsa (Image 3)

In the Shadow of Lions - Chapter 12

Ebbwater, Barony of Dunwic Reach, Duchy of Kingsheart, Sidor

Tom Fletcher stood atop the wagon, looking out at the assembly of men gathered in Geoffrey’s barn. Local farmers and craftsmen mostly, though he noted more than a few road-weary travelers among them, faces etched with hardship from weeks’ worth of travel to get here. At a glance, Tom counted seventy men at least, so many that the great barn seemed full to bursting even with both large doors thrown open to ...

The Triumph of Venus - Chapter 10

Carthage

Emperor Imilcar Azor sat upon his golden throne, his face an impassive mask as he awaited the arrival of General Hadar and this mysterious visitor from the east. Though outwardly calm, irritation simmered within him at the presumptuousness of this meeting being called on such short notice. Not even his most senior advisors and generals would dare demand an audience with the Emperor of Carthage in such a brazen manner.

Worse yet, he was forced to hold that...