Casca makes his way north and crosses the Rhine, following the route he and Glam took two centuries before, ending up at Helsfjord. However it is an abandoned ruin, and evidence is there of a fight and burning. He finds a medal of Teotec origin and surmises Olaf and his men managed to get back to Helsfjord after all. Alone with memories he turns insane and becomes more of an animal and at one time imagines he sees the ghosts of Glam and others he has met in his lifetime. Eventually a wounded man stumbles into the hold telling of an approaching horde of barbarians and the Germanics are fleeing into the Roman Empire to escape. Casca, recovering his mind, agrees to help and learns of the Huns and their new leader, Attila. Together they make their way to Gaul, now under the rule of the Franks and part once in civilized territory. Eventually Casca meets the remnants of the Roman army under the command of Aetius who knows Attila from old and the two armies meet in Gaul near Orleans. Casca commands the Orleans garrison and leads them out to take the Hunnish army in the rear but arrives in time to see the Huns defeated.
Attila leads his forces back to Germania and invades Italy from the north. Aetius tries to rally the army again but is blocked by politics as much as lack of soldiers. Casca leads a small group of soldiers into a village but all the people are dead of plague and Casca falls victim to the Cholera bacteria. Although seemingly dead he is not, and recovers a day or so later. He stumbles on a group of people leading the Pope, Gregory, north to parley with Attila and they meet across the River Po. Attila, convinced Casca is a ghost - having seen him dead in the village - believes the Pope has special powers and turns his army around and leaves.
Attila then falls victim to a conspiracy led by one of his sons and his Chinese advisor and dies, his burial being witnessed by Casca from a nearby hilltop. Casca memorizes the spot and rides off away from the dying Roman Empire.