I woke with a start, feeling my lungs expand for the first time in over two thousand years. I looked around, blinking rapidly as a searing light blazed against my eyes. Raising my arm, I hid my eyes in shadows, and opened my mouth to let that first breath of life escape. Slowly, I felt the blood beginning to circulate through my veins, heating my cold body, and feeling returned to my limbs. It felt like I had been stiff, like a marble statue in the Forum, for many centuries, and was just not able to move.

I could sense that I was not the only one to wake. Groans and surprised murmurs filled my ears as I discovered that I could hear again, and I sensed other beings moving about me. Steeling myself against the fear that ebbed at my stomach, I slowly peered from behind my arm. Numerous other men were also alive, same as me, and women and children, too.

I blinked. Could this really be? Was I- alive?

The people around me tested their legs and stretched their arms, taking shaky steps at first, and then leaping or running with joyous cries of delight and excitement. I could not help but smile. We were all, truly, alive. It had been a long many centuries since any of us had breathed. For a short few moments, no one seemed to care how or why we were alive. We just were.

Many around me linked together with loved ones that had not been seen since our deaths, and old friends and comrades exchanged greetings and long winded conversations of joyous tone. And yet, no one seemed to panic, or even so much as question why they were breathing.

I myself was still struggling to believe it. I remembered clearly the battle, and the glint of the sword that had claimed my life so many years ago. Those images was clear in my mind; and yet, here I was, standing amidst my brothers in arms. Some of whom I could barely believe I was beholding. There was Lucius, the old medic who had died of plague. And Anthonius, who I remembered had taken an arrow a week before my demise. Even young Paulus, who had been trampled by a horse his first week of training was there, beaming with childish excitement at seeing his friends again.

If they are all here, I thought to myself, looking around. Then Kaius must be too.

To my astonishment and relief, there he was, standing a few meters away from me. His armour gleamed in the oddly distorted light, and the plume of his red horse hair crest bobbed as he looked around. We made eye contact, and a wide smile graced his kind face. Before I knew it he was in front of me, and we embraced.

"Rufus," Kaius said, hugging me tightly. "My dear brother, to see your face again! The gods have answered my prayers."

I smiled, and held him just as tightly. After a moment we parted, and he held me by the shoulders. He looked me up and down, his grassy eyes examining every inch of me.

"My dear Rufus, you are just as well as I remembered you." He said, his voice speaking with a slight tremble. "I prayed to the gods every night that I would see you again. It was not until later I learned that you-"

"We must not speak of such sad things, brother." I replied gently. "I am here, and you are here; that is that matters now."

Kaius nodded. "You are right, indeed. You look well enough."

"I am well indeed. And you appear to have done well after my death, brother." I gestured to his helmet.

He glanced down at his feet, a smirk on his lips. "After I lost you, I led a suicide mission against the enemy. I will be honest; I was not expecting to return alive. But I did, and I was awarded the rank of Optio. In a way, it gave me a new reason to live, since you had always talked about wanting the title. I thought I could keep it alive for you."

I could not help but chuckle, causing Kaius to look at me funny. "I suppose now I must call you sir."

Kaius laughed. "Only when we are on duty." He paused after his laughter, and sat down where he had been standing. I followed suit. "I serve under the Centurion Marcus Agrippa, in the First Cohort."

I stared at Kaius, my jaw dropping. "Marcus Agrippa? The Marcus Agrippa? The navy commander?"

Kaius nodded. "The one and only. He returned from the sea soon after you died. Rumor has it he was homesick, and being such a good friend of the general's, he joined the ranks and was put in place as First Spear Centurion of the First Cohort. I can not say I am jealous, though; he earned his title."

At the mention of the general, I instinctively looked around. "If we are all here, then surely the general is too, yes?"

"Indeed he is." Kaius replied. "In fact I just spoke with him and the Centurion a few moments ago."

"What does he say about all this...being alive suddenly?" I asked. I was very keen to know what our great general thought. Through the years I had come to respect him, as many of us soldiers did, and I had often enjoyed hearing what he had to say. He held so much wisdom, that he reminded me of my father when I was younger. I suppose that is why I liked him so much.

"Honestly," Kaius began, a thoughtful look on his face. "He said very little on the matter. As soon as we awoke, he gathered the nearest of his officers and spoke to us. All he said was that we must keep the people calm, and our men in line. Odd, it is, really. I was expecting some grand explanation. But the poor man had nothing to answer our questions. What do you think, Rufus?"

I could only shrug helplessly. "I do not know. Perhaps it was divine intervention."

Kaius sniffed, and crossed his arms as he spoke. "If this is the afterlife, then the gods are late picking us up."

At the time I could only nod a reply as a hush fell over the crowd. We looked up at the sound of a throat being cleared, and I turned to see the General Octavius standing on a small podium above us. His face looked flushed with anxiety, but he stood erect, and spoke with an unwavering voice.

"People of Rome," He began, casting his brown eyed gaze over us. "I am just as confused as the rest of you, and perhaps more worried than most- and I will not lie to you. I have made the proper sacrifices- but there has been no answer from the gods. If this is the afterlife we have believed in, then it is certainly less than what we- what I- was expecting. There are no grassy fields, nor flowing rivers; and as far as I have seen, we are the only Romans in the vicinity. Which is why I would urge you to please remain in this general area while we send out a patrol to search for clues to this nagging question. I would like to lead this patrol myself. Since this is an unknown land, I will take no man unwilling to risk his life with me. That is why I ask for volunteers."

A few men, including Marcus Agrippa, stepped forth. There was a long pause, before I looked at Kaius. He nodded to me, and the two of us stepped forwards, in front of our general. He paused and looked us over, before he smiled.

"Optio Kaius and Legionary Rufus," He said, his eyes friendly. He clasped hands with each of us. "I am pleased to see the two of you- especially you, Rufus. The army was not the same after your death."

I could not reply, and I bowed my head to hide my red cheeks at such recognition. After waiting another moment for volunteers, the general spoke again.

"That is all. Dismissed!"