Such a Simple Assignment

The adrenaline of the moment had finally began to fade, and with that came the return of clarity after the heat of battle. The world finally began to spin after stopping in its rotation for the two's conflict and the shriek of a woman entered the ears of the only man standing, Decanus Aleron. The realization of what happened between the two caught up to him and he watched the man silently bleeding out face down in the sand. At the shriek of the woman, Decanus Aleron spurred into action with the word's "Bring Decanus Montano to me" coming from the voice of his Centurion, Centurion Theracos. Slamming himself in the dirt beside the man he put there, Dacanus Aleron instantly turned Montano over who's pale face was noticed despite the layer of sand covering it. Decanus Aleron checked Montano's pulse, and began pouring water atop the blood river pooling across the fallen's chest. Just then, he came under attack.

A light object slammed into Decanus Aleron, but the unexpected assault was enough to knock him onto the work he was doing to heal his victim. Disoriented, Decanus Montano felt hit after hit pummel his arms, back, and head as he realigned his focus only to be shocked when he saw the source. The slim tribal girl named "Clara" incessantly hit Aleron while the shrieking voice of incoherent shouts pierced his ears. Puzzled by the assault and panicked by the deed he'd done to his fellow Decanus, Aleron stood himself up and grabbed the two fists hitting him in one hand. Despite being subdued, the woman didn't stop, the loss of her ability to punch only meant she'd kick and frail even more. The limp little legs of the woman smacked Aleron's shin plates regardless of how limited they were against steel. Aleron didn't know what to do as he saw the tears pouring down Clara's face, and her shouts started making sense when he saw the bleeding man start coughing up blood out of the corner of his eye. It didn't make sense at all, Aleron was trying to heal the man he nearly killed, and the woman sobbing about the matter wouldn't allow him to do so.

"YOU KILLED HIM!" entered Aleron's ears as he felt each kick from the crying subdued woman.

It didn't make any sense, and Decanus Aleron said with a timidity he didn't even think he had, "I didn't, please. Let me help him, I'm trying to help him now. The fight is over."

No use. There was no end to the frantic flailing of the restrained woman though the shouts were becoming more and more weakened by sobs and exhaustion. Montano hacked up more blood from his spot on the ground and Aleron didn't know if it was his imagination or reality that showed an even paler face after stealing a glimpse. Panicked, Aleron didn't know what to do as he begged the woman in the same soft tone, "If I let you go, will you run to get help?"

The question seemingly did little more than create a new wind of shouting and more kicking, and Aleron felt lost. The new energy from the woman almost made him lose his grip. Shuffling to regain it, he saw the elderly woman Montano grabbed as a witness still standing by the stone wall with a face paler than Montano's. Just as he regained his grip on the young woman, he tried to shout for the woman to help, but his sand coated throat prevented him from doing so, making the situation worsen even more. Aleron felt lost, and wished he had a directive from his Centurion or Caesar himself on what to do when relief came in a way he didn't expect.

A commanding voice pierced the noise of the screaming woman, "Decanus Aleron! What is the meaning of this!?"

Almost immediately, the woman was pulled from his grip and into the arms of a large masked man in crimson and black. Not even caring why or how his struggle came to an end, he turned to see another helmeted Decanus of the Legion approach with a tall fan of feathers and two legionaries who picked up their pace to seize Montano upon directive. Finally feeling relieved, Aleron poured the canteen he had down his throat, watching the decanus approach.

Hopping over the stone wall, the approaching decanus lowered his red bandana to expose the face of the senior veteran of Centurion Theracos' staff, Decanus Gula. Aleron was so relieved to see the second in command of the 6th that he didn't even consider the scene he arrived to. Stopping inches from Aleron and before he could give his "Ave", Aleron felt the back hand of Gula crack against his exposed face. There in the dirt, Aleron saw the legionaries treating Montano and turned to the source of his sudden relocation to the ground.

Decanus Gula roared, "Theracos ordered you to bring in Montano, not kill him!"

Propping himself onto one arm, Aleron said, "I didn't, I don't think I did… He challenged me to a duel-"

Before Aleron could explain any further, he was interrupted by a sharp kick in his side and the words, "And you agreed!?"

There was no answering that question, Aleron knew he was in the wrong one way or the other, and wasn't even given the chance as Gula shouted at one of the legionaries, "He alive!?"

One of the masked faces next to Montano held up his hand and shouted, "Yes Decanus, still breathing, blood stopping."

Aleron recovered from the kick but still didn't dare to get up unless directed by his senior. He saw the young woman completely limp in the large legionary's arms, and the two still wrapping his wounds. Upon turning back to the senior who towered over him, Decanus Gula looked from Clara to Aleron and said "Such a simple assignment. I fail to see how a simple detainment could lead to nearly killing one of your brothers in rank and arms, and what I can only assume to be an attempted rape of one of the locals."

Aleron sat himself up again, "Gula, you are mistaken. The two women here were witnesses to our duel, and nothing more. My attempts to assist Montano after the mutual combat were prevented by that bobcat's assault on me!"

Gula saw the woman passed out in the large legionary's arms, and was about to ask where the other woman witness was when his eyes landed on the frail little woman half hidden by the wall but still unmoving from the spot Montano placed her 10 minutes before. Without word, Gula stormed toward the old woman, and began speaking with her. Still on the ground, Aleron took in the scene again, and asked himself again, "What have I done" but with a new question added, "What's to come of this?"

A minute or two later, Gula barked an indistinct set of orders at the two Legionaries beside Montano. Instantly, the two propped up the critically wounded man. Upon stumbling the wounded to his feet, one of the legionaries grabbed up Aleron as Gula marched past with a simple but stern "Follow" directive.

Aleron's arm still bled, as he was helped along by the legionary. Once Aleron adjusted to walking again after the corrective assault by Gula, the other legionary moved to assist Montano's crutch in helping the half dead man along. There, the two legionaries, Montano, Aleron, and the large legionary with an unconscious young woman on his back followed Decanus Gula back to the Legion's camp outside Gold Canyon with a frail old woman hobbling along to serve as a witness to the simple assignment gone horribly wrong.