The Fall Of The West (COMPLETED)

Part 4: Clash of the titans

This chapter is largely fiction, because it will be better to tell the events of one of the greatest battles of European history like this, than to simply list facts and figures.

Enjoy.

Before the battle, a group of Gepids on Attila's side met a group of Franks on Aetius's side, resulting in a skirmish that left about 15000 dead. This might have been a tactical delay set up by Attila in order for him to find a suitable battlefield for him to meet Aetius, since there was no escaping him now.

***
The following is purely fictional.

Lugotorix stepped into the circle, bowing his head as he did.

"They tell me you are a priest of the Celts."

Lugotorix nodded his head. "Correct. And which one of you is Attila?" he raised his head without being told to.

But there was no need to ask. Attila was right in front of him. Large, fierce eyes that naturally glowered at anything, and a hideous face with four Tengri crosses carved onto it.

"You're ugly," Lugotorix said, right to his face. Normal men would have gawked at the possibility, but being a Pict Lugotorix had not heard many stories about the Scourge of God.

Attila's nose flared up, but Lugotorix glared back at him with Pictish savagery. For a moment both barbarians locked onto each other with their eyes, engaged in a mental battle of wills.

Perhaps he had lost, or there were more important things to attend to, Attila then broke the gaze.

"Bring the horse here," he said to an attendant.

A small calf, barely two years old, was led in by one of Attila's sons, Ellac. Another son, Dengizich, handed Lugotorix a sword.

"Do your divining of entrails", Dengizich said.

Lugotorix looked at Attila. "Right." He nodded, and he swung the sword around in a few strokes, testing its weight. Everything mattered in an animal sacrifice, even the method of stabbing the animal.

Lugotorix stepped up to the horse, which was then leashed to a post in the ground by Ellac. The latter nodded, and Lugotorix stared deep into the horse's eyes. Back in Britain he had learnt the art of "horse whispering" from another priest.

The horse seemed to be entranced by Lugotorix, who then abruptly thrust the sword into the neck of the horse, felling it. He then ripped it out and then stabbed it in the stomach and started cutting like a butcher. Once a large enough opening was made, he dropped the sword and reached into the horse and started tearing out its insides.

Ellac grimaced and looked away, while Attila looked on in wide-eyed astonishment. The horse made no sound nor movement as the life was ripped out from it.

Lugotorix held up a length of intestine and examined it. Then, he put it down and picked up the liver and sniffed it, and then probed at it with his finger.

Attila, growing impatient, asked,"Done?"

Lugotorix held up a bloody hand. "You must not rush the gods."

After more probing and scrutinizing, Lugotorix stood up and wiped his hands on his cloak.

"Well? What do the gods say?" Attila asked.

Lugotorix shook his head. "The omens do not bode well. You will lose this battle, no doubt. But at least you will bring one of their leaders down with you."

Dengizich drew his sword in rage. "How dare you spout blasphemy! My father is invincible! No one can defeat him!"

"Stand down! Let the man speak!" Attila bellowed, shocking his son into silence.