Si vis pacem chapter 8
Sian had walked into the steadily rising sun half the morning, keeping her eyes on the barely visible pillars of smoke over her destination. Every step closer got her more excited, more apprehensive about what she would find in the town of Nipton. She was halfway there before anything of interest happened. She heard gunshots erupt from the ruined building on the side of the road and saw raiders shooting down two wastelanders. She didn't care for the travelers, but she hated raider trash and the anticipation of what the day would bring made her frisky and trigger-happy. She and Eddie made short work of the scum, while Aurelio stayed nestled safely in her bag. After she'd looted anything of value, including some weird bottle caps with stars on them, Sian pulled Cooper's shawl up to cover half her face and pulled the mirrored aviators on, then with her goal in her sights, she pressed onward to Nipton.
How he hated crucifixions.. Everytime he had someone flogged and then lashed onto the cross, every muscle in his back cramped up painfully. He hated being able to empathize with this vermin, but he couldn't help it. His hand found the small amulet around his neck, a golden pendant with a fox carved into it. Whenever he encountered some part of his work that he couldn't just shrug off, the familiar shape would help him focus. It had been a gift upon his being made Decanus and belonged to his most treasured possessions. Suppressing the shiver the crosses sent up his spine, he turned his head away and instead opted to watch the corpse of Mayor Steyn slowly disintegrating in the flames. That man was disgusting, a prime example of why the town had met this fate. He had been willing to sell out the town's patrons and now had experienced how the Legion felt about disloyalty.
Vulpes Inculta stood underneath the scorching midday sun, not at all fazed by its glare. He surveyed the fruits of his labor with a smug smile. Another lesson taught in the name of the great Caesar. It had taken an entire night and half a day, but every living soul in this scarlet town had felt the Legion's justice. Turning this into a lottery had been an excellent idea, much more entertaining than mindless slaughter. He had shown these people just how greedy and selfish they'd been, and then seen their eyes when they realized that they would die next. It was this pleasure in his work, that lead even fellow legionaries to fear him.
He was about to order his men to pack up when something at the end of the road caught his attention. A young woman came walking up to him, seemingly not at all bothered by the dead and dying around her. A little robot bobbed through the air just behind her. Vulpes watched her from the top of the town hall stairs. Something about her seemed a little off.. Her walk almost reminded him of someone and very few people were that small. He examined the girl as she drew closer to him and his men, no fear apparent. She had hair in a shade of blue that he had never seen before, and it was very long, hung halfway down her back. He saw almost nothing of her face, the girl was wearing sunglasses and a shawl was covering her face, against the sand presumably. She packed quite a few weapons, walked with courage and her movements were nearly feline. The fox found himself staring at her, and shook himself out of his reverie. This woman could not have come at a more opportune moment, with the wound he had slashed into the Mojave still fresh and bleeding. Keeping his face completely impassive, he started walking down the steps, approaching the town square where she had stopped, simply looking at him.
Approaching the smoldering town, Sian screwed the silencer onto her .45. She didn't really know why, but it seemed like the right thing to do. And when a insane looking man startled her because came running towards her, screaming, she reacted upon instinct and pulled the trigger. He crumpled to the ground and Sian carefully ventured further into town.
The air was filled with the sickening, sweet smell of burnt flesh, fresh blood and fear. It made her stomach turn and her body tremble in anticipation. Walking up to the biggest building, she took note of the crucified that seamed the road and she felt her stomach lurch. The sight of the men lashed to the crosses sent waves of fear washing through her all of a sudden but she pushed the unsettling sensation away. She had noticed some men at the end of the road and seeming unfazed by the carnage became imperative. She holstered her weapon, so as not to appear hostile and continued walking towards them.
Sian came to a halt on the little open patch before the building and watched the man descending the steps to meet her. His apparel seemed outlandish, a leather skirt and.. football gear.. It should appear hilarious, but it came together very well and empathized his tall, sinewy build. He was wearing a coyote head dress and large, black goggles obscured his eyes. What she could see of his face was all pale skin, sharp angles and a determined expression. The way he held himself showed a certain authority and Sian assumed that he was the leader of this little group. When he was only two feet away from her, he stopped and stared down at her for a few seconds.
"Do not worry, I will not have you lashed to a cross like the rest of the degenerates. It is useful that you happened by here." He spoke with a cold drawl, raising the hairs on the back of Sian's neck. She'd have to be very careful around him. This man was dangerous in a way she had not yet experienced. For now, the girl kept silent as he continued.
"I want you to witness the fate of the town of Nipton, to memorize every detail. And then, when you move on? I want you to teach everyone you meet the lesson that Caesar's Legion taught here, especially any NCR troops you tun across."
"All I see, is a massacre. What was the lesson that you planned to teach here? Why wipe out an entire town?" Sian's voice was even, not a drawl like his, but betraying no emotion nonetheless.
Vulpes faltered for a second. He couldn't tell why, but something about this girl was unsettling. Maybe that she didn't seem to be afraid of him? He forced all his thoughts back to the topic at hand.
"Where to begin? That they are weak, and we are strong? This much was known already. But the depths of their moral sickness, their dissolution? Nipton serves as the perfect object lesson," he spread his arms, motioning to the destruction around him.
"Nipton was a wicked place, debase and corrupt. It served all comers so long as they paid. Profligate troops, powder gangers, men of the legion such as myself - the people here didn't care. It was a town of whores..." Sian noted his voice was now tinged with something, pride, maybe, at what he'd done here. She found herself listening with rapt attention. This was the first time she heard how the legion felt about the situation in the wasteland and it was the chance she had waited for.
"For a pittance, the town agreed to lead those it sheltered into a trap. Only when I sprang it did they realize they were caught inside it, too."
The girl crossed her arms, and looked around her. Vulpes noted that neither the burning bodies, nor the heads on the pikes seemed to bother her, but never once did her gaze land on the crucified.
"So, because you wanted to make an example of them, you killed them all.. How?" she asked, facing him again.
"My men herded them to the center of town, right where we now stand. I told them their sins, the foremost being disloyalty. I told them that when Legionaries are disloyal some are punished, others made to watch. And then I announced the lottery." The man allowed a wicked smile to creep over his face. "Each clutched his ticket, hoping it would set him free. Each did nothing, even when 'loved ones' were dragged away to be killed."
The blue haired girl noticed how derisive he spoke of loved ones. If what he said was true, then these people had deserved what they had gotten. Being too cowardly to save someone they loved.. It was the pinnacle of disloyalty. She thought about what he'd said. The Legion's punishment wasn't pretty, but it was impressive in its own way. She pulled down her shawl to her chin.
"The Legion's justice has a definite purity. I admire the message it sends."
"It has a stark beauty, doesn't it? I'm glad you can appreciate it. Now go, and teach them what you learned here. There will be more lessons in the days ahead." Vulpes turned to leave, when she called for him unexpectedly. He faced her again, gazing at her with carefully veiled confusion.
"I will do as you ask, if...," she could hardly believe that she was doing this. No matter that she agreed with their actions here, it didn't mean that these men weren't dangerous. But she had a gut feeling that he wouldn't harm her. "...if you do something for me first."
Vulpes was floored. This was new... He occasionally spared someone to spread the word of his atrocities, but they usually scrambled to get away from him. She had the audacity to demand something of him, seemed not to realize how lucky she was to be alive. He growled at her. Calling him out like that in front of his men, simply assuming that she was in a position to make demands, challenged his authority. Every other woman, he would have put in her place, but something about this one's voice stopped him. Somehow, he enjoyed her differentness. If he were alone right know, he might let his baser instincts take the lead, but instead he just decided to make her uncomfortable. After all, she still had a message to convey for him...
He came closer to the girl, who was at least a foot shorter than him and she didn't back away, even when he was only inches from her. She just stood her ground, the ghost of a smirk on her face. Feisty little minx..
"And what might I do for you?" He purred at her and smiled eerily when she couldn't suppress a shiver and her head twitched away a bit. But when the girl looked up at him, her face was set, her expression the slightest bit amused. It suddenly bothered him that he couldn't see her eyes. He had trouble reading this woman. The proximity between them served to make him uneasy as well, for reasons he didn't understand. There was something about her that exuded power, authority even.
"I want answers. I have been told many things about the Legion, mainly not to get within three feet of a legionary. But I want to hear the other side. I want to know what the Legion is, what values you stand behind and what plans you have for the Mojave. I want to know, which side is the right one to support."
Vulpes Inculta prided himself in being a master of words, capable of finding an answer to everything. But now, he was speechless. This was absolutely the last thing he had expected her to say. And, to be honest, it was the first time he ever heard any wastelander wanting to learn about the legion. But he didn't have the time to spare to give her a lesson, a taste of the Legion, even though he very much wanted to. He waved for one of his men, a young recruit who had stood at a respectful distance with the others. He addressed the unusual girl again.
"Where are you headed now?"
"Novac."
Sian watched as the man turned to his recruit and addressed him in Latin, making sure her face didn't betray that she understood them. He told the recruit, who looked to be no older than Sian, to get her to her destination safely and then return back to the base camp. And he told the boy to not let his guard down. That if she made any move to attack him, he was to bring her to the camp as well. The man in the dog head faced her, his expression unreadable.
"My recruit will escort you to Novac and answer any questions you might have. This is an exceptional favor I grant you. Don't make me regret it. I bid you vale. Until we met again."
Vulpes walked away without looking back, but he still felt her gaze and her voice echoed inside his head. He'd keep an ear out for news of her. The frumentarii might find use for her in the future.
Sian stood in the ruins of the town, the recruit a few feet away and watched him leave.
Until we meet again... Indeed.
His words sparked something in the girl and the back of her neck prickled. Sian didn't know what to make of that man and he scared her as much as he intrigued her. She turned to the young legionary at her side.
"We should get going as well. Novac is quite a ways. I'm Sian, by the way, and you are?"
She smiled at him and the boy couldn't seem to fight down a small smile of his own.
"My name is Syrus. Come on, let's take the hills. Streets are always infested with raider trash."
It was late already, and they would need to find a place to make camp in an hour or two. Sian and her new companion climbed the rather steep hills in silence for a while, both keeping a close eye on the surroundings. There would be time to talk later and Sian was still preoccupied with Nipton, the man she'd met and the things that had been revealed. There was something about him that wouldn't let her go, something nagging at the back of her mind that she couldn't place. Strangely, despite how uneasy he had made her, and how dangerous he probably was, she looked forward to seeing him again. Sian always enjoyed a good riddle.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
It had grown dark and Sian and her legion companion had found a sheltered ridge to spend the night. It wasn't wise to wander the wastes in the darkness unless you had to. Syrus had built a small fire, just enough to heat up some food and Sian was currently warming the rest of the squirrel stew and some gecko kebab. She pulled out her last two bottles of Sunset Sarsaparilla and passed one to Syrus. When the food was warmed, Sian handed him a plate and the nightstalker pup poked its head out of her bag. Syrus recoiled slightly, he hadn't seen the puppy yet, the little mutant having slept the entire time.
" Why the hell do you have that thing with you? It's dangerous!"
Sian just laughed at him. She grabbed her pet and set it on her lap. The girl started feeding him with dainty fingers.
"Calm down. I found him a couple of days ago. He's still a baby and won't hurt anybody. Ain't that right baby?" She cooed at the puppy a bit, and took some bites of her own.
"Well then, what's his name?"
"Aurelio."
Syrus stared at her, his wide eyes making him look a lot younger.
"That's a Latin name!"
Sian smirked at the boy, a knowing, haughty smirk, her bright blue eyes shining.
He put two and two together immediately. Pointing an accusing finger at her, he exclaimed.
"You speak Latin! You... You understood us!"
Sian threw him a lazy grin and leaned back against a rock behind her.
"Yeah, I did.. Don't plan to attack you, though."
Syrus was still sitting with an open mouth.
"Where the hell did you learn Latin? I thought only we spoke it? Are you.."
The girl sighed.
"Listen, Syrus, I'm gonna level with you. I have no idea where I learned it. I was shot in the head, see," she pulled her hair back to show him the bullet wound. " and thanks to the jackass who tried to kill me, I have no clue about who I used to be. But, hey.. Now I can be who I want to be."
Syrus stared at this unusual girl and started to understand why his boss had sent him to go with her. If she survived being shot in the head, she had to be tough as no one he'd ever met. Those wounds looked to be pretty fresh as well. And the way she had so casually spoken about the slaughter at Nipton, with one of the most feared members of Caesar's Legion. She was definitely something else.
Neither he , nor the rest of the frumentarii, were under the delusion that women were only good as slaves. Sure, they were weaker than men, physically, but one of the first things he'd learned when he was accepted into the esteemed circle of spies and infiltrators, was that women were exceptionally adept at this kind of work. He had been surprised to find how many women Vulpes had supplying him with information. Pillow talk, gossip and female confessions, things that he could never find out. This girl, Sian, she was a sly one, and he'd bet his last denarius that his boss was thinking about recruiting her in. And she wanted to know about the legion.. A sense of pride washed over him. He was the newest of the frumentarii and Vulpes had chosen him to convince this girl that the legion was the side she should be supporting. If they could keep her away from the main force, that should be possible...
"So, tell me. What would you like to know about the Legion? Now that we're not scaling the hillside anymore, we actually should have the air to talk."
Sian looked at the young man across the fire, the flames dancing across her face. Her stare became hard and unyielding. If not for his training, Syrus might have squirmed under that gaze, bright blue like steel in the sunlight..
"Tell me about what the Legion is. What I've seen about your sense of justice, it speaks to me. But I've heard many bad things about the Legion, mainly that you're a band of slaving rapists. I know that there are always two sides to a story. And from what I've seen from the Mojave up to now, I'll have to chose a side eventually.. Why should I side with a faction that sees women as slaves and breeding stock, for I am neither. I am a fighter and that is what I'll always be."
Syrus had hoped that the girl had not yet heard so many bad things about the legion. He sighed and rubbed his face. The man had a fleeting suspicion that Sian would see through any petty lies he could tell, and so he settled on the truth.
"It's not quite like that. Of course we have female slaves, but men can be slaves as well. And where there's slaves and masters, there is always unjust violence. But it's more the exception than the rule. Beating your slaves means they won't be able to work. It's counterproductive, see.. As for breeding stock, I won't deny it, of course there is the fact that some men in the army take what women don't want to give. But again, it's not all of us who do that. Normal legionaries often have children with slaves, and what happens to those children depends on the men who sire them. But back in Arizona we also have free women who have relationships with soldiers. And everyone over the rank of Decanus usually has a wife, most officers do in any case. The Legion doctrine is that a woman is beneath the man and is bound to serve, but not everyone believes that. Us frumentarii, for example, we are infiltrators and we have women helping us. None of these women is weak or worth less in my eyes. But to be completely honest, soldiers in the main force often believe that woman count less than men and tolerate no disrespect or disobedience from them. As for the general opinion of our adversaries... People call us slaving rapists, because that is our way of warfare. It's a way of breaking morale and weakening the enemies resolve."
Sian listened intently. What he said, made her less tense about the thought of being alone with a legionary. And it was what she had suspected all along. After all, she had seen wastelanders and troopers throw her glances that made her uncomfortable. She suspected that, if given the chance, men of every walk of life would take advantage of a situation. As for the way the Legion waged war..
"This kind of warfare has been around since the beginning of mankind. I've read a few history books and all of them tell me the same thing. Nobody ever wants to own up to it, but every army commits these acts." She smiled kindly at Syrus.
"Thank you for your honesty on the Legion's view of women and slavery. Now, with that uncomfortable topic out of the way, tell me about what drives the legion."
"Well," he began with a relieved smile, "We put a lot of value on honor, loyalty and the right of the stronger. Rising through the ranks of the Legion means that you've earned it. There is no corruption like in the army of the profligates. We all serve under the great Caesar, and every man under his command would gladly give his life for the cause. We want to free the Mojave, not burn it down. Our lands in Arizona and New Mexico are safe, the towns are filled with free citizens and we don't tax our subjects into submission. We have no junkies in the streets and the people are grateful for our protection. Our caravans need no guards, because there's no raider filth running amok. Of course we want to expand and we want rid people of their dissolute beliefs, but we don't want to drown the desert in blood."
Sian and Syrus continued talking for a long time, and when the fire started to die down, he told her to rest, he'd take the first watch and wake her in a few hours. Sian, using her bag as a pillow, fell asleep, her thoughts swirling like a maelstrom around everything she had learned about Caesar's Legio
