The year is 104 A.D. Two years have passed since King Decebalus knelt in submission to Emperor Trajan. The recent war between Rome and Dacia was brutal and costly for both sides. The graves of many thousands lie between the River Danube and the gates of Sarmizegetusa. With peace finally come to the frontier, Trajan returns to Rome in triumph. Yet Decebalus' feigned surrender was but a ruse. With echoes of the previous war, the spirits of vanquished warriors crying out for retribution, and the humiliation of kneeling before the Emperor of Rome, the King of Dacia renews the call to arms.
Tiberius Artorius Castus' tenure as Deputy Prefect of the Imperial Horse Guards is ending. But before he can begin the next chapter in his life, perhaps returning to his native Britannia, the emperor asks he remain for a time. Tiberius accepts the offer, just as renewed war with Dacia becomes inevitable.
Outraged by Decebalus' flaunting of the treaty between Dacia and Rome, Trajan orders an even greater army across the Danube. Rather than subjugating the king, Trajan declares peace will only come with Dacia's fall and Decebalus brought to Rome in chains.
