Preparing for War

Back at the tent, my men were still doing the same thing as when I left them, except some of them were sparring with thick wooden sticks instead of their blades. The slaves sat together on a log by the campfire watching me and awaiting an order. When I didn't order them around, they just sat there staring into the fire. When the flames started to die, one of them would get up and put more wood on it. Other than that, I was essentially alone in a place full of tribals and legionaries. Relaxing the night away, I overheard some of the other legionaries abusing their slaves physically and sexually in the other tents.

My slaves looked at me worriedly, but I said dumbly, "Don't worry. I'm not like them" and gave a non-sarcastic wink.

They then stared at me, still instinctively awaiting orders when I said, "You two are done for the night. Go to sleep and let me know if anyone gives you trouble." They stood up together, did a little bow, and went to their bedrolls in the middle of the tent.

I steadily fell asleep next to the fire and woke up at dawn with a legionary standing over me wearing a brown wrapped hat with a sun visor.

He said, "Ave, Decanus. I am your explorer; we need to leave soon."

I stood up, awoke everyone, and the slaves began disassembling the tent while my soldiers got ready to go. Supervising and assisting my men, I saw a group of Twisted Hairs tribals approaching. Each one of them wore a burlap and leather garb with belts of ammo and wooden plates fastened to their arms and vital spots of the body. Half of them carried hunting rifles, and the other half carried tomahawks or old fire axes. They all had one or two fleshy, rotting slabs of skin tied by hair to their garb! The explorer said that this band of warriors wear severed scalps when they are marching for battle. Caesar was right; I would be there just in time for the Legion's assault on the "Have-Su Tribe."

I led the march with the explorer by my side, going south through the desert and mountainous terrain past the smoldering ruins of "Bullhead City." There was me, the explorer, my eight men, my two slaves, and twenty-three of the Twisted Hairs scouts. I didn't know what we were facing in Have-Su, but I didn't think us alone could take out a village, let alone the entire Have-Su tribe. I heard about the Have-Su a long time before the events at Agua Caliente. Tribals were all across Arizona, but I heard the Have-Su were huge, having hunting grounds for miles all around the western central Colorado. I just hoped that this, "Centurion Talamon" and whoever else Caesar had in the area had enough men to do the job without me having to kill myself for Caesar. We only made camp once before we entered the battle zone on the following day. We packed up camp early in the morning before the sun even started to show and marched on. As the sun came over the mountains, I saw black smoke rising to the south. Marching on, we found Centurion Talamon's camp on a ridge overlooking the massive tribal and pre-war town of Have-Su . The popping of gunshots was heard on the far end of camp that indicated the fringe of the constant conflict.

As we marched up the cliff, two legionaries approached with spears drawn, "Ave, Decanus! Centurion Talamon wishes to speak to you at once."

I gave them a brief acknowledgement and led my forces up the cliff to join the encampment overlooking the war-torn collection of Have-Su villages. My men and the Twisted Hairs warriors began to join others in training exercises while the slaves set up the tent. I approached the command tent decorated in banners spattered with blood. Walking past the sentry and opening the tent flap, I approached the centurion looking over the command table. Centurion Talamon stood there as a monster of a man. Decorated head to toe in steel plates with crimson inscriptions and golden bull emblems, Centurion Talamon was surrounded by several unmasked decanae that paled in comparison.

The centurion took off his large feathered helmet when he noticed me; I did the same and said, "Ave, Centurion. True to Caesar!"

He said as the other unmasked men looked at me, "Ave, Decanus. Have you brought the tribal scouts we requested?"

I responded, "Yes Sir, 23 Twisted Hairs warriors are at your disposal, ready and willing to die for Lord Caesar!"

He said, "Excellent, and as for your contubernium? Are they prepared for the upcoming battle?"

I said instinctively in my brief Legion brainwashed way, "Yes, Centurion! We are ready to destroy the Have-Su savages at your command."

Motioning for me to join the group, he said, "Good, you made it just in time. Our assault begins tomorrow morning. It's as if our Lord was awaiting your arrival to begin. Now, come join me at the table so I can detail my century's role in the coming conflict."

I joined the group looking over the command table, and he explained the plan to all of us. "We are the northern flank, of the line, and our primus objective is pushing through the main line of tribals at the fringe village of Big Rock. Centurions Reylos and Signifer will storm the main line into Have-Su proper and the southern border guards at London Pass respectively. They will act as the main force, but our explorers show a massive mobile force at Big Rock. Our objective is to carve the savages away to prevent any sort of bolstering of their main line…"

Centurion Talamon went on about the details for our individual contuberniae. When he covered my role in the assault, he paused, looked at me, and said, "I am taking direct control of our auxiliary, this includes all the Twisted Hairs Tribals you brought from the north."

I responded simply with, "Yes, Centurion."

He continued about our Century's group objective at dawn when the battle starts, "Once our horn sounds, all of you are to charge the disoriented savages and begin your butchers work. It will be chaos in the killing pit. If any one of you, or your men begins to run from the town of Big Rock, you better be ready to die. Legate Graham is to arrive tomorrow with his Veteran Centurion Guard. Make Caesar and his Legate proud tomorrow or die trying. Once the tribals fall back to Have-Su proper, the Legate's guard will march forth and help shatter the remaining savages. You all have your orders, see to your men and ensure you are ready for tomorrow."

We all shouted, "AVE! TRUE TO CAESAR!" and began to file out of the tent. Centurion Talamon stopped me, and standing next to him was another decanus.

Centurion Talamon called, "Honorary Decanus!"

I stopped in my tracks and asked, "Yes, Centurion!?"

Pointing at the other decanus, Talamon said, "This is Decanus Roblesius, you and him are to stay together during the battle. You two will fight alongside each other, and he will monitor your actions. You are still proving yourself and your allegiance to Caesar. Prime Decanus Roblesius is in the ring for Veterancy and possibly Centurion pending the outcome of the battle. You are to do everything he says as he is an extension of my authority. You two should get acquainted; that is all."

I said, "Yes, Centurion" and walked out of the tent with "Decanus Roblesius."

His tent and men happened to be right next to where my slaves decided to set up, so I sat down by our campfire to cook up my rations with the silent decanus. I studied him for a minute while he intently stared down my slaves with a strange look of seduction, rage, or intrigue on his face. He wore a nearly identical armor set to me, but had a P marked on the shoulder plates showing he was in fact a Prime Decanus. His hair was blonde, short on the sides and only a bit longer on top in old military style, greased over to the side, and his eyes were a light blueish green. He had scars all over his arms and some deep ones on his face that gave his emotionless expression extra character. He didn't really look like the other legionaries who were usually tanner, and typically had brown or black hair. Even the way he sat was seemingly bizarre. He sat leaning back on a log up right, but with his legs stretched straight out and wide making his black leather kilt more…revealing.

The silent and out of place looking decanus turned his head to me and asked suddenly with a foreign and wide smile, "So, what's your story, 'Honorary Decanus?'" giving air quotes around the words, "Honorary Decanus."

I answered him plainly, "I was offered an invitation to join the Legion from Josh-Er, the Legate, after some business in Phoenix."

His grin grew a bit wider before he exclaimed, "Wow, you from there? Never had the pleasure of going myself."

Looking into the fire, I said, "Originally no, I just happened to be passing through when I got sucked into a complex situation… What about you? You don't look like most of the tribal legionaries I've seen."

He smirked, "You have a sharp eye. That, or you just notice race more than I do… You racist… Just kidding, Ha!"

I was shocked by his joking demeanor. This guy didn't even talk anything like the other legionaries. The decanus answered honestly without the sarcasm, "I grew up in a prepper town east of Flagstaff, and the Legion wiped us out when I was around ten or so..."

He paused, but before I could say anything, he added, "Yeah, a few legionaries entered our trailer after killing my parents, and I stabbed two of them to death with my ol' switchblade. Their guys caught wind when their boys never came out and burnt the place down around me. As I came out coughing my lungs away, the legionaries bound me and placed me before the centurion. That guy decided it would be a waste to kill a boy with so much 'blood potential' Haha!"

I didn't know exactly what to say, I was just more surprised that this man didn't speak exclusively in Legion phrases. So, I just asked, "What happened next?"

He didn't skip a single beat before saying, "Next, they butchered all the women, little girls, elderly, and sick. Then they enslaved some of the men and boys for a trek to their soldier camp out by a place called Circle Junction to the northeast. I got out of that camp a few years later when I turned 15 and killed enough of the Legion's enemies to become a Decanus. Served as a Recruit Decanus for a little bit until they shipped me to Flagstaff for more training, granted me Prime, and put me under Centurion Talamon about a year back when I turned 18."

I was honestly pretty shocked by his story, but even more so by the casual way in which he said it. During the short pause, I recalled all the stories I heard about the Legion from other Resistance members like Sykes. The few people down south who had any interaction with the Legion spoke of the same things with tears and panic in their eyes as they remembered the things they saw happen to the people they loved. Not this guy though. Decanus Roblesius talked about his family, friends, and neighbors getting butchered by the organization he now served with little emotion other than enthusiasm. It was in that moment that I strangely realized something; "I disappeared from Swilling's Band two weeks ago!"

Just as I had that thought, I caught Decanus Roblesius' curious look and followed with a question by asking, "What's it been like working under Centurion Talamon? Seems like a no-nonsense sort of man."

He shrugged and responded, "It's been good for the most part. Several months back, and when I was new to his century, Caesar had us set up in Have-Su. Our objective was boring since it was to overlook the Have-Su tribals while they helped us in our Sedona campaign. Aint too wise to leave a foreign ally the keys to your house while all your best warriors are out if you ask me. But hey, that's tribals for ya! Ha!"

He halted, and then laughingly added, "It's actually sorta my fault that the battle is happening tomorrow, Hahaha!"

I asked curiously, "How so?"

He continued, "Well, a few weeks back we were supervising the day to day at Big Rock, and I got into a little scuffle with a tribal. I took matters into my own hands and gutted the tribal's family while my contubernium held the rest of the village at bay. After crucifying the bitch on top of Big Rock itself, we held off the savages until Talamon managed to get us out of there…"

Looking out at Big Rock, the decanus said, "When I got back here, a Frumantarius interviewed me about the situation, and suggested that I be put in for Centurion or Veterancy based on of my men's performance! It aint too easy holding off 200 plus tribals with only my eight little lads. Centurion Talamon initially wanted me crucified for starting this mess. However, Caesar himself saw this as the perfect time to 'assimilate Have-Su' given how Sedona was firmly under his control… Minus some incident that killed a bunch of our guys there..."

He stopped again, and then studied me briefly before concluding, "I guess he also wanted you to be here to prove yourself."

I was a little astounded, and thought back to my own involvement in Sedona. I wasn't about to admit to killing this guy's "Comrades." So, I said, "When I met with Caesar, he mentioned that something happened here setting off the siege. Never thought I'd meet the guy personally responsible." Then I gave a light chuckle.

Upon hearing what I just said, he gave a sinister grin, but asked almost desperately, "Did Caesar have good things to say about me?"

I studied the apparent desperation and pleading in his typically sadistic eyes and answered honestly, "Caesar didn't mention you by name. He just said, 'An incident happened there a couple days ago, and the battle will begin in two weeks.' That was it."

The guy said with an obviously held back hint of sadness, "Oh, ok… I always wanted to do something so great that our Lord would utter my name on his breath… That would be such an honor…"

I interrupted his longing gaze by asking, "So, what does this whole thing mean for us?"

He looked back at me and laughed, "I guess it means that if we win the day, you get in Caesar's good graces, and I become either a Veteran Decanus or Centurion. If we lose; then that means we'll either die in battle or on a cross. HAHAHAHA!"

He halted his maniacal laughter instantly and stood up saying, "Well, I gotta see to my men and slave cuties. I guess I'll see you tomorrow… Oh and stick with me when the fight starts. I know you're pretty new to this lifestyle, but whatever you do; don't run away from the fight. Have a good night, Decanus, and give your slaves a kiss for me." The sociopathic decanus then gave me an actual wink.

I sat there thinking by the fire as the sky got darker. The next day could very well be my last. If I run towards the fight, I could possibly die. If I run away from it, I would most certainly die. My stomach was uneasy all through the night, even as I sat on my bedroll waiting. I envied the contubernium that was assigned to guard the camp and slaves while the rest of us were going to charge into our possible deaths. I watched the legionaries patrol through the flickering campfires, heard the distant gunshots, saw the slaves all undergoing tasks, or heard slave abuse in the neighboring tents. I saw my slaves still sitting silently by the fire outside the tent and suddenly realized why Decanus Roblesius was staring at them the way he was. Thinking about the next day, hearing abuse of slaves, and listening to the distant popping of gunshots, I wondered, "What had I gotten myself into?" but didn't even bother to plan an escape like I'd done in Mr. Dinero's penthouse. I then fell asleep.

I awoke from uneasy sleep in the middle of the night to see both of my slaves sitting by me. I asked what they were doing, and they both just stared at me for a minute. I asked what they wanted, and they emotionlessly stated in a "matter of fact" sort of way that I was the best master they ever had. They even said they hope I make it through tomorrow's battle. It really did warm my heart to be called their best master, and I was glad to make them feel safe over the past few days on the road. I really hadn't done anything aside from not physically/sexually abuse them. I heard the slave propaganda in the Schola Decanus, but didn't buy most of it. Although, I'm not sure how I would have turned out if I grew up in a Legion soldier camp or something.

After the slaves went off to bed again, I thought, "If I'm going to be part of this organization, maybe I can be an example? Maybe, I can steer it towards something a little more… Human?"

That idea seemed like a long shot as I continued hearing the abuse going on in other tents or saw faceless soldiers hacking psychotically away at training dummies by the fires. All morals aside, I was still tired, and still couldn't stop thinking about the next day, my own safety, or the strange blonde-haired decanus in charge of evaluating my loyalty and performance to Caesar. If I wasn't going to be killed in battle, I just hoped I was deemed good enough in the eyes of that sociopathic, devout murderer, and possible predator; Decanus Roblesius.