Africanus - Flumine Sanguinis Ep.3

Nothing worse can be said of a man who neglects the lives of his men. Tiberius Sempronius Longus is an unhappy man. He seeks to undermine his peer and fellow Senator of Rome, Publius Cornelius Scipio, disregarding Scipio's initial warning of underestimating Hannibal. However, not all the blame belongs to poor old Sempronius. The man has a shred of dignity in him, even if it's solely there to serve his purpose. A raiding Carthaginian party has taken a liking to pillage the surrounding villages of Placentia. Unbeknownst to the Romans, this raiding party is only a few miles away, and word quickly reaches their camp that they are going about their business yet again. Not waiting for a second opportunity, Sempronius, now in charge of the two consulate armies in the North, attempts to engage the Carthaginians before they know what hit them. Scipio, at the head of only a few men, can do nothing but watch and hope his peer is successful, unable to keep his son out of harm's way as the latter is now under the command of his counterpart. However, no one can predict what is to come. As the Romans and Carthaginian raiding party engaged on the banks of the Po River, a messenger reaches the Carthaginian camp with word of the battle. The Carthaginian forces, without Hannibal's knowledge, head a large detachment against the Romans. The Romans, seeing the reinforcements come to the rescue of their allies, send for their reinforcements. What was once a skirmish quickly turns into a full-out melee from both sides. Hannibal, caught unawares, rushes to the battlefield upon hearing of the battle between his men and the Romans. Meanwhile, in Rome, the Scipios continue to expand their dealings as patrons of trade. Pomponia, lady of the House of Scipio, watches over the education of Lucius, the youngest of the heirs to the family name. Little does she know of the dangers that surround her husband and eldest son. Back in the North, Hannibal takes command of the battlefield and helps his men retreat to the camp. Not all is lost. The Romans, in their infinite wisdom, have given Hannibal the perfect idea for their own demise. Hannibal is not making light of it. He means to push his luck, using his best advantage, his cavalry, as the bait. Hannibal seeks to lure Sempronius out into battle, and in his eyes, Ticinus will be child's play compared to the rivers of blood he means to drown the Romans in. The trap is set and Sempronius has taken the bait. The waters of the river Trebia will run red. Will the Romans turn the tide?