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If you want this to make any sense, read chapter 1 first.

www.sexstories.com/story/111114/war_booty

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I slept most of the day and night, and felt a lot better after breakfast. My thumb and leg didn’t hurt too badly. I still had a fever but wasn’t sweating so much. I noticed all the bread had been eaten, so I took the empty basket back to the kitchen and considered my situation.

I was a soldier with a city full of emperors named ‘Roast Chicken’, who needed a glowing dog to eat a chariot. Wait … what? The world suddenly spun and turned upside down. I failed spectacularly at swimming through the air. A young woman screamed.

As I fell toward it, I thought; “I hope my nose doesn’t hurt that nice brick oven …” For a long time, everything was dark and quiet.

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A very shiny figure appeared in front of me, quickly asking; “Love or glory?” I could see my reflection on his silvery chest. When I didn’t answer for half a breath, he grew impatient and asked again; “Love or glory? Mars and Venus need to know!”

I wasn’t sure what he was talking about. “Huh?”

He said, very patronizingly; “Oh, you’re a mortal. I’ll help you.” He said it again, MUCH LOUDER, and VERY SLOWLY. “L…O…V…E or G…L…O…R…Y?”

I wondered, “What the heck is going on? Why is he asking me strange questions? Hey! He’s metal! He must be …” I exclaimed aloud, “Mercury! You’re Mercury!”

“Finally! Signs of life! You were quiet so long I wondered if you died. Mortals do that, sometimes.” He sneezed, poked a finger up his nose, then wiped it on my palm. Instead of filth, there was a gold aureus coin in my hand.

“So?” He tapped his foot for three breaths. “Maybe this will take some time.” He pulled a scroll out of my ear and started reading. He might be a God, but he was starting to annoy me. A short time later he swallowed the scroll and asked again, “L…O…V…E or G…L…O…R…Y?”

Two brief scenes flashed into my mind. War God Mars held a baby by one ankle over a pond full of crocodiles, standing next to a throne with an Imperial robe on it.

Love Goddess Venus stood on a boat balancing a throne on the edge, ready to drop it in the sea. There were three beautiful women and a group of children laughing behind her.

Mercury tapped his foot impatiently, asking a final time; “Only two options, nothing could be simpler. Love or glory?”

I briefly saw an image of Mercury counting something and writing on a scroll. Behind him, Een sat on a huge gold bar, wearing a ridiculously large helmet, three times the size of her head. A beautiful woman handed her a bunch of grapes.

I pondered aloud … “Both? Neither? Money?”

“Time’s up!” He swung his silver hand toward me in a slap. As his palm hit my cheek, there was a tremendous ‘BANG!’ and a bright light melted away the darkness. I was in my bed. I had a bandage on my forehead and sunlight streamed in through the open door. I heard another thunderclap and the ground shook a little.

Wow! That was a really strange dream!

An officer yelled, “There’s a storm coming! Get the tents secured! Right now!”

As I moved the blanket to get up, a dozen sestertius coins fell from the bed and clattered onto the floor. Was the dream real? Did I choose money?

I touched my head and it was dry. I felt fine. I carefully stood up. My left leg hurt, but less than before. I waved my arms around and wiggled my toes. Everything seemed to work. I did some simple math and spelled several words to myself. My mind seemed okay, too. I gathered up the coins and got dressed.

Since the army would wait out the storm before doing anything significant, I had some time for reflection and planning. My military career was progressing even better than I hoped, and I knew Mars was pleased with me. But my wife and my boys! They’re gone! The thought hurt, but didn’t paralyze me anymore. Half my town, and most of my friends on the island were gone! Rebuilding would take a lot of people, and a lot of work.

Patrician status was only inherited through blood or official decree, not marriage! Kolius was trying to steal my title! Under the law, if land wasn’t occupied by a noble’s family and another noble lived there for 6 months, they could rightfully claim it! If he was the only ‘noble’ there and the people recognized him as Patrician, it would probably stand in court! He would have my land, my silver mine, and my noble title!

I quickly figured the days since the plague started. I would need to be back on the island by the Fides Veratus celebration, on the first of October! I had to be there in only fifty days!

The trip from Caledonia to Rome normally takes five to six weeks if you march most of it.