Wallia's Quest Book 4 - Italian Negotiation: A Goth’s Fight for Freedom in a Roman World

"My name is Wallia, and I am a Goth." So begins the fourth book chronicling Wallia's quest to gain freedom from Rome and a permanent home for his people.The story opens after Alaric's defeat during his first invasion of Italy. After being relieved of their treasure and almost destroyed by the Romans, the vanquished Goths are settled in Pannonia. Wallia, along with several other Goth nobles, is taken as a hostage to guarantee Alaric's good behavior.As a hostage, Wallia soon finds himself in a position of influence. He defends Stilicho's family and is soon part of the Western leader's staff.Then a Greuthungi king named Radagaisus invades Italy. Stilicho uses Wallia to infiltrate the invader's camp and to help him to defeat the incursion. Wallia distinguishes himself and wins great acclaim from the Romans for his actions during the campaign.Stilicho was forced to bring soldiers from Gaul and Britannia to defeat Radagaisus' invasion and must decide what to do with these men after the invasion is defeated. Rather than sending them back to the frontiers, Stilicho uses them to help him to recapture Eastern Illyricum for the West. However, a massive barbarian invasion across the Rhine forces Stilicho to reconsider. This is because a usurper has arisen in Britannia and crossed over to Gaul.After the emperor unjustly blames the Goths for his cancelled invasion of the East, Stilicho attempts to use them to help him defeat the usurper. This creates tremendous resentment among the Roman elites—particularly the rich Senators. Eventually, the Goths are declared enemies of Rome, and Wallia rejoins his people.After his fellow—Goths in Italy are hunted down and murdered, Alaric decides to invade Italy. This results in three sieges of Rome, as Alaric uses the city as a bargaining chip to meet his objectives.Through it all, Wallia is one of Alaric's most important subordinates. He experiences first-hand the constant perfidy of the Romans and does everything he can to help Alaric to win the home his people so desperately need. Through it all, Wallia realizes that force is the only way his people will ever earn their freedom.But how can the wandering Goths force the vast and powerful Roman Empire to give them the freedom and homeland they so desperately need. Read more