FIFTY-ONE: CENTURIONS’ CHORES

  “What are you doing with him? And why does he have armor?” Valeria asked as Cassius walked toward her and Marcus in his freshly fitted armor. It felt good to have the second skin wrapped around him again and the shield even more so. His spear felt natural in his hands and with the twin swords strapped to his waist, Cassius finally felt equipped again to deal with the Wilds.

  “He is with me,” Cassius said.

  “And you are with us, so why is he with us?” Valeria fired back. Marcus snorted softly as he looked up from the slate he was using a piece of chalk on.

  “Forgive me, for I am Basilides of the Lyceum, and I am an [Observer].”

  “Congratulations, you know your own name. Why are you here?” Marcus picked up where Valeria had left off.

  “He is a scout and trainer for me,” Cassius said.

  “Scout and trainer? How fancy. Is the General not enough?” Valeria asked, a touch of venom in her voice.

  “If I am with you and he is with me, then he is your trainer as well,” Cassius said. The few hours he’d spent with Basilides was already changing his speech.

  “He can train us with our skills? How is it that you are so knowledgeable?” Valeria asked, leaning in to stare at Basilides as Cassius walked around her to look at the slate that Marcus was working on.

  “Congratulations are to be had then on your skill,” Cassius said as he leaned down.

  “How did you know?” Marcus asked idly, not looking up from the names as he tapped a finger on the large board.

  “Your gray hair has receded. [Regenerate] is a powerful skill,” Cassius said.

  “It is. I hear I must thank you, that you gave up part of your share to claim this for me,” Marcus said, finally looking up from the slate and offering Cassius a brief nod.

  “Thank Valeria, it was her idea. I was well-rewarded myself,” Cassius assured him as he touched the hilt of his swords.

  “Regardless, you have my thanks. Come and look at this headache that has landed in my lap,” Marcus complained as he pointed at the list. Cassius peered at it and saw the list of names, years of service, as well as who their tribune was.

  “I fear I can not be of help here, I know none of these people,” Cassius said, slapping Marcus on the shoulder.

  “I know that, but I need a runner to inform them. You remember how the camp is arranged and what cohort is where?” Marcus asked.

  “It was literally beaten into us at the camps,” Cassius said drolly. Marcus grinned and began to give him a list to memorize of all the people he was to pull free and come to report to Marcus and his newfound century. Cassius left his shield, spear, and helmet with the trio as he was used as a runner to fetch those that Marcus had singled out.

  It was the break Cassius needed. Even with [Unyielding Spirit] he had been forced to confront things about himself and the changing world he now found himself in. Time was what he needed, a moment of silence to just understand how much the world had shifted beneath him.

  The world had yet to offer him that break. Already the camp was beginning to break down. Legionnaires packed everything non-essential as the camp followers, few that there were, began to gather their own gear. The lines at the quartermaster’s section continued to build as men set to gather repaired gear or fresh items as they got ready to march.

  It made finding his list of legionnaires harder than it should have been. Cassius didn’t mind as he walked around, often to see smiling legionnaires who offered him friendly smiles and rough shakes of his shoulder as they congratulated him on his bout against Hostus. If General Invictam’s goal had been to make Cassius recognizable, it had been a tremendous success as every man and woman he met knew his name.

  It did not make him the most welcome as both centurions and tribunes glared at him as he pulled men out of their lines and free of their current duties to report to Marcus and Valeria. Wielding the General’s authority became second nature over the slow afternoon as he bulled his way through irritable officers to slowly gather the men.

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  “Legionnaire, the general will see you now,” Attia’s voice pulled him out of his own mind as the small woman simply appeared by his shoulder.

  “I had thought he was done with me for the day?” Cassius said, raising an eyebrow at the woman.

  “You were incorrect. I shall inform Centurion Marcus that you have been summoned,” Attia said as she strode away.

  “Something about her is just strange,” Cassius muttered to himself as he turned and headed toward the general’s tent in the center of the camp. Closer to the center of the sprawling camp there was a marked shift in apparel as steel was replaced with cotton and silk; the strata filled the area as they lounged about, a hungry anticipation in the air.

  Cassius passed them all with hardly more than a few veiled smirks aimed at his back. The general’s tent was thankfully vacant of the nobles, a pair of fully armored legionnaires standing in the front of it, shields and spears at the ready. Cassius looked around and spotted the rest of their line spread out in pairs around the edge of the large tent, slowly moving and creating a rotating guard that kept the average noble from coming too close.

  “Cassius Null?” the right guard said, eyes squinting as he took in Cassius’ clean apparel and the swords on his hips. If not for the two non-standard blades he would have passed for any other legionnaire in the Thirteenth.

  “Yes, I was summoned,” Cassius said, meeting the guard’s eye without worry. The man nodded and moved slightly away from the flap as his partner did the same, creating a comfortable walking space to enter the command area.

  “Good, you are here. I need you to page for me,” General Invictam said the moment Cassius passed into the tent. He was seated in the back of the tent at his small desk, a pile of papers in front of him.

  “Sir? I do not know what that is,” Cassius admitted as he stood at attention.

  “Errand boy. Refill the wine for the senators and the Blood when they arrive. It seems they were not as keen upon me leaving as I thought,” Invictam said with a short, sharp laugh.

  “I thought the goal was for the senators and some of the strata to come with us?” Cassius said.

  “It is. They wish for us to remain and continue looting the nearby dungeon. With your arrival and news of your own dungeon, they have gotten it into their fool heads to try and find more in the nearby area. Greed drives them more than duty now.”

  “Has that not always been the case?” Cassius asked, feeling more courage than sense as he spoke plainly with the general. The man rewarded him with another laugh and shook his head before looking up from his papers.

  “When we are in private you can be at ease. Speak to me like an honored mentor or teacher. When we are in the presence of others…” the General trailed off and Cassius felt the same questioning air that he’d fought through this morning.

  “Then you are the Imperator, General of the Thirteenth Legion and master of all who bear the title [Legionnaire],” Cassius responded.

  “Excellent. We have a few minutes before they arrive. Attia will arrive shortly with wine and you will serve it from pitchers as they ask for them. The Agricola may have already cleared the dungeon, but I doubt it. If theirs has built up as much as yours had then their party could be down there for days as they reap the rewards of the treasure room. Regardless, Lady Flavinia will be here with her daughter as will Lady Victoria and one or two of her own retinue. They will wish to stay here and grow and push their retainers into the second tier.”

  “Yes, sir,” Cassius said, bobbing his head in agreement. He didn’t know what it was the General was working toward, but he had no doubt that it would be coming soon.

  “I would like some cavalry, especially Lady Victoria’s branch. They’re excellent horse archers and from what you explained of the land outside of the other dungeon there will be plenty of room for them to maneuver. Lady Flavinia’s heavy cavalry would be most welcome as well. Were you successful at all in your endeavors with her daughter?”

  “I believe her daughter would be willing to move with us. They approached me about sponsorship to a limited degree,” Cassius reported. Invictam smiled thinly and nodded his head.

  “I am glad you reported that. It is a good sign for your future,” Invictam said. Cassius felt a wave of dread roll down his body as he stared at the General’s cold, pale eyes when he said the word future.

  “There is little I detest more than a hound who will serve any master,” Invictam continued. Cassius bristled at the implication, but mastered himself before he could say anything.

  “Work that angle with the Agricola, but remember who you are. We are Legion and we serve the republic and senate first and foremost,” Invictam said. Cassius nodded and tried not to think of how that seemed counter to how the general acted around the individual senators.

  “There is Attia. Are you ready? Pay attention to how they act and what they want, not just the words but further. This could be good training for that eye of yours, push it to the fullest extent of its abilities,” Invictam ordered just as his aide entered with multiple jars of wine in her arms that she deposited on Invictam’s desk before disappearing again.

  “Is she not staying?” Casssius asked.

  “Senators get nervous around assassins," Invictam said plainly as he put his papers away and started to organize the table and find his own cups out of one of the chests that lined the back of his tent.

  “Knew there was something strange about her,” Cassius muttered to himself before helping set up for the meeting.