Aurelius stood in his office, the glow of light of the orbs in the room shimmering off the polished plates of his armor.
His silver mask sat firmly on his face, its cold sheen reflecting the massive map spread across the table before him.
He traced the lines of ink with his finger, checking the troop deployments. Red pins all over the map denoted choke points, and the tiny carved figurines represented the strength of each battalion.
He had long since memorized every inch of this map when he was a boy. Every tunnel and passage carved into the bowels of Carthage had been imprinted into his head by his father for the purpose of protecting Carthage.
He knew every advantage the terrain granted. This city, built in layers, had been designed to be impenetrable. Or so he thought.
It all started when the tremors began.
At first, it was a faint vibration beneath his boots, as if a giant heart was beating within the stone.
