Hope you like it.
Scotland 120 ad - 3am
They marched for miles in lockstep, following their standard: the eagle; 5200 men, the pride of Rome, death personified: The Ninth Legion.
They followed their newly appointed Primus pilus, a legendary giant Centurian whose name escaped from their minds. Still, they were proud to have him lead them.
...fools...
...or were they?
The Primus turned to the first cohort, "Be proud men of the Ninth," he shouted, "This day shall see you in your full and earned glory... for all times!"
They raised their voices, and swords with their diamond embedded gauntlets - a gift from a regional governor... so they were told - in a shout of pride.
The Primus then sucked in the air and shouted, "Immortality... or Elisyum... find glory this morning!"
A thick, dank fog rolled in... swallowing the ranks.
Visabilty... vanished. Screams and mad laughter filled the air. Dangerous men... trembled.
"HOLD RANKS!" officers shouted; their angry voices, cracking with fear.
Diamonds shined in the dark.
"Sylph... wind," HIS voice whispered.
A sound... like rolling thunder - everywhere - the trees torn free of the earth like tearing parchment... tornado.
The first 'charge' knocked all to their knees... some it lifted off the ground; the second pass killed a third of all... those not enrapt by bloodlusts.
"Volcanus... fire."
Rage gripped them all... they lashed out at each other.
Two types emerged from the carnage: feeders and food. The more blood thirsty ignored their mortal wounds and attacked without mercy, hesitation, or fear; the others...
In the end the herd had been culled, only the strong and most 'deserving' of HIS blessings stood.
Caesar stood with Longinus as the fog cleared. Caligula left the fray to join them; the Primus helped the survivors - now bound to volcanus - trapped in the diamonds - and through that elemental to HIM - to their feet. The survivors gaped in awe and disbelief. Some assumed they themselves had died.
Caesar looked them over, and nodded, then turned to a blood soaked Caligula, "Let the giant move them out. He'll teach these northern tribes the cost of resisting our right to rule. Let us civilize them."
...
NOW... The Black Forest.
How was he still alive?
The seven German police officers opened fire on the man, unloading their HK machine guns over and over again... all for nothing. He kept coming... all eight feet, six hundered pounds of him
He must have been on some strong street drugs; but what drug kept shot to hell knees functioning?
He reached their fireline, grabbed the first by his helmeted head, and crushed his skull like a hollow sea shell... with one massive hand.
He tossed the still twitching corpse at the other police officers. Those that didn't get knocked down, backed away in terror.
He grew visibly much more powerful, muscular, more intimidating.
The terrified fled, those who stayed...
When it was over he stood breathing deep and grinning, their blood saturating his clothes, his flesh... the lingering terror of the survivors filling him with renewed vigor as Volcanus blessed him for his tribute. A diamond in a bear-head ring on his right hand glowed.
"Child," the word was sighed from all around him... by HIM.
"Father," he sighed solemnly.
"Come to England, one of your brothers has fallen... another has need of REDIRECTION."
He grinned, "Caligula... the eager welp. He was always too weak," he sighed, "we are made stronger by his rending. Is that not true father?"
"NO CHILD. YOU are not to do that... though you may have to. You are to see to the well being of one favored by the sylph. A promising potential sister to be. He may have come to the same way of seeing her himself as I do, and may try to recruit her - the fool. I sent him knowing he was ill prepared to take that 'test'. He was a good provider... BUT... he is ill suited for the times. STILL... If he has seen my will clear... aid him in her passage to us. if he cannot... then rend him, and bring her to me."
"And what of Caesar? He still has no idea I live. Will this not render me useless to you against him?"
"Child... there is only one true way Caligula can deliver her to me; by her willfully killing him... and she cannot do that without becoming one with terror... and by doing so... become one with me. So either way - his death at your hands, or her conversion to my will - he dies, and you are safe."
"Will I need to go... THERE? We lost so many to HER... that THING in that lake," he asked, a note of genuine terror in his voice.
"NO. Besides... that nymph sleeps; the girl does not believe in it; and it will never reach her... go."