Roman Squad

A section of churned earth collapses beside Titus. Shields, fallen bodies, and loose weapons slide into a shallow trench, exposing a narrow passage beneath the Roman position. Muffled movement stirs below, and Punic blades glint in the darkness.

Gaius Fabius seizes the nearest Roman soldier by the shoulder and pulls him from the crumbling edge. Behind them, the Roman formation recoils as more earth sifts into the hidden passage.

Valerius leans over the breach, shield angled toward the opening, his hasta lowered. A blade withdraws beneath the Roman position, then another rises through the dust.

The concealed passage runs beneath Titus's position, cramped and dark. Roman soldiers brace around its rim while Punic soldiers move below, their muffled steps drawing closer to the opening.

Titus’s command cuts through the smoke. The nearest Roman soldiers answer at once, hauling loose earth toward the collapse while others brace shields across the opening.

Their work gains order under Titus’s steady direction. Earth pours into the trench, and overlapping shields form a firm cover above the dark passage.

Gaius Fabius plants himself beside the covered edge, guiding the nearest men into place. Gaius Valerius lowers his shield over the last exposed span as earth is stamped tight.

The concealed passage disappears beneath packed soil and Roman shields. Dust settles across the new cover, leaving the Punic movement muffled below and the position secured.

The soldiers reclaim their positions around the sealed breach. Titus’s order has turned the exposed opening into solid footing, and the Roman defense steadies above it.

Beyond the smoke, Punic weapons strike against the Roman front again, but the hidden passage no longer divides the position beneath their feet.