***
Marius hurled the weapon into the wicker shield and grinned. It was a good shot, one of the best on the field. After fifteen years in the army, he considered himself an expert thrower and the master of the pilum, which he’d proved in Parthia. Admittedly he’d aimed to kill Junius, but from that distance to have even hit him had been an achievement. He turned back to Paulinus and the others and frowned. Watching apart from the group was his friend, but something about the way Junius was standing worried him. He ignored the other men and marched over to him.
“I looked for you, but I assume that you slept elsewhere last night. Junius, it’s not safe for you…” He stopped, seeing his friend’s face.
“They’re here, Marius.”
Marius walked up to him. “You met them, didn’t you?”
Junius didn’t say anything.
“Did you kill them?”
Junius shook his head. “No.”
Anxiously Marius licked his lips. “So what happened? You obviously didn’t go with them. I’m sorry, I should have trusted you…”
“Marius, you were right. You can’t trust me. They were waiting, and I joined with them again.” Marius yelped his outrage but Junius calmly ignored him. “I’m tired of running from what happened to me. It was easy and a relief to submit and become one with them. I couldn’t stop myself, I’m sorry, Marius.” Marius felt his face darken and he balled his fists in anger, but Junius continued. “I’ve been scared, terrified of losing control and I don’t have to be any more, not with them.”
Marius came closer and stared at his friend. “Junius, we agreed that we would go back to Parthia and talk to others, you don’t need to do this. You can beat them.”
Junius shook his head. “It’s too late, I exchanged blood with one of them and I spoke with Isher–Dan. Marius, they’re coming to Rome. They’re planning a full scale invasion.”
“What the hell, and you’re…” Marius interrupted angrily.
“I think I can stop them,” Junius said loudly, forcing Marius to stop. “It might be possible to persuade them to go east, to the civilizations far away that don’t know about them. I have to try to do that, Marius, otherwise they’ll come and you won’t be able to stop them.”
“No, you don’t. We can destroy them. Both of us, together. We’ll find where they’re living and kill them as they sleep. We did it before and we can do it again and end them once and for all.”
“You won’t be able to. They have the fort and many of the auxiliaries there; there are too many of them. They plan to infiltrate Rome via the soldiers. That’s why I have to try to lead them east. I think they’ll follow me.”
Marius shook his head and turned away in frustration. “Junius, there has to be another way.” Then a thought struck him and he turned back and stared at his friend. “If you exchanged blood with them, how come you’re walking around in the sunlight?”
Junius shrugged. “I woke this morning and… well, here I am.”
Marius smiled grimly. “You’re not Kin, if you were, you wouldn’t have been able to move around at all, and if you were Becoming, then you’d be in agony by now. Something’s different.”
“She was new, not long Kin, maybe her blood wasn’t strong enough and the moon not that powerful? An old one will be able complete the transformation.”
“Do you really want it, or are you being a coward, because you haven’t the stomach to fight any more? Your family would be so proud.” Marius saw that he’d hit home then, because Junius paled and dropped his gaze. “There is another way, you know. One where you don’t have to be a martyr and innocent people in the east won’t have to die.”
For a while Marius was sure that Junius was going to concede defeat, but after a few moments, the younger Roman shook his head.
“It’s what I want, Marius. Please let me. I’m sorry. Maybe you’ll understand one day, but I’ve only been half existing since Parthia. All I ask is that you wait two nights before you start to kill the Kin. If any remain here after that, then feel free to destroy them.”
Without another word, he turned and began to walk back through the practice field.
“Junius, wait. Please.” Marius almost ran after him, but then he realised that he would only be delaying the inevitable, his friend had made up his mind, he was going to go and nothing would stop him. Just like on the battlefield, when Junius made up his mind to be the hero, nothing on earth would prevent him carrying out his plan.