The Sagas: Honor and Duty

Advance! Roared the centurion at his men. The Legionaries in the column did as they were commanded and move forward with the best of their ability. Arrows and stones were coming in all directions as they direct, with only their shields keeping most of the projectiles from hitting them. The testudo they formed was still holding strong from the constant barrages coming at them, but some of them still manage to get through cracks in the formation and one by one men fell and another replaced him to seal the breach they made walking over those dead who were dead or wounded. Closer and closer they advanced to the enemy position inch by inch. But it's defenders would not give up the ground they stood upon to the likes of the of their assailants. Both sides continuing their assaults to wipeout the other, it either one or the other to be victorious this day. The testudo moved close and closer to wall that they stationed themselves as they continued to use anything to harm them at all. There sides of the formation were still being assaulted on but, they started lighten up as they began to run out of ammunition to fire at them and some began attack the legionary the sides and behind. "Square formation!" The column stopped and formed a square to defend all their sides with quick efficiency, cutting down their attackers before they could reach them. Blade after blade cutting through the would be attackers with eases like a bread through butter. The rest of them head to the main lines to strengthen it in hopes to stop the advancement of the column. "Testudo, quick march!" once more they reformed once more and advanced at as faster pace, with not a single one man losing pace with the formation and they quick approached their destination. "Halt!" "Prepare pilum!" obeying his commands they stop with the first row kneeling down with their shields held up covering them and those behind them form projectiles that came at them, each row preparing their pilums to be thrown. The defenders frantically increasing their fire upon them, many of them becoming sloppy as their arrows and stone missing their marks. Some began to duck behind the wall knowing what was about to happen next. "Loose!" Then there they went, second row released their pilum and with accuracy as many of them hit what ever was in range as the defenders began to fall. They kneeled down like the first row and each row repeated the same and the centurion repeated "loose" over and over again. The defenders began to waver as their numbers began to dwindle and some began run for their live. "Advance, triple line!" Once more the lined moved on in rows of three and they quickly reach enemy defense which were nothing more then stacked stones which easily topped by the force that was pushed upon them. Many of the remaining defenders fled, but some still remained and try stop them with all the resolve they had. That resolve would be all but in vain as they quickly dispatched as gladiuses would meet them as soon as they clashed with those shield. Many of the defender fled deeper in the village, "There coming, there coming!" one of them yell as he ran. The column continued to move deeper into the village in search of any resistance. Killing any of the enemy wounded along the way to ensure the could not escape. Many of the houses were closed and the windows shut, with some attacker coming from around the houses to attack them and meeting the same fate as everyone else who did this. Those that remained headed towards a large hut near the center of the village, rushing in pushing one another aside like rats trying to escape a shipping ship. Some even jumped through the window to get in as they were unable to get through the door. Then suddenly the Door and window shut leaving some of the them outside, franticly shouting and begging to let them in as the column reach closer and closer. "Loose!" shouted the centurion once more and pilum were released from the legionaries striking many of those trying to get in the house, their screams and pleas became silent as many were impaled onto the wall, door, and window by they pilums, some killed instantly with others slowly dying from their wounds. But surprisingly some of them were unscathed as the bodies of the dead shield them from certain death. Those who survived dropped their weapons and raised their hands into the air, slowing advancing towards the column. " W--e surrender." said a terrified young man looked nothing more then a teenager approached them as peacefully as he could. The centurion approached him and hit him as hard as he could, knocking him off his feet plummeting to the ground. His comrades pulled him over and picked him up. " Lucius, Augustus take them away and throw them in the cage, if they try to run kill them." Two Legionaries left the column and took them away and the sound of horses and marching could be heard in the distance. Horses pulling prison wagon and more Legionaries came marching right behind them. "Surround the house!" shouted the centurion and his men formed a circle around the house to ensure no one escaped.
A man soon appear in uniform approached him as more men began to surround the house. "Centurion Commodus." Said the man. Atticus turn towards him. "Tribune Leon." he hit his chest to saluted him and Leon did the same. "You did a fine, job here Atticus at repealing this rabble." he said with some cheer in his voice. "Thank you, sir, you were right about sending in a single company sir, they never stood a chance!" with a professional tone in his voice." Leon stared at the house and looked at the dead piled up the house. "Indeed was it really necessary to do this centurion, this looks like an slaughter rather then battle." Commodus turned for a moment at the dead and looked back a him. "It was sir, we keep meeting resistance after we broke through the enemy defenses and the one trying to get into this building would have turned on us since they were cornered." He wasn't taken aback by this and it seemed that he understood. "Yes, animals will fight back when cornered as much as any man would." "What is the situation right now centurion." as he looked at the men surrounding the building. "An unknown number of rebels have barricaded themselves inside, but they have no way of escaping now." "Sir may I know how many causalities there were?" The Tribune looked over and nodded to a man near him and he approached him. "Cyprian, have the dead been counted yet? The man quickly responded. "Four dead and six wounded sir, but were still counting the enemy dead sir it may take some time though, since there are so many of them." "But we are currently gathering all the villagers from the surrounding buildings and gather into the square sir." He turned to and proceed to his current task. "You have no need to worry, you men are well taken cared and those have died, did their duty in protecting the empire and have brought honor families." Said Commodus. "Thank you sir, their sacrifice was not in vain." "Come on hurry it up now the sooner we get this done here the faster we can go back to barracks." Said Augustus as he was making the prisoners move faster. "Move it you rabble trash." said Lucius hold his gladius at one of the prisoners backs. "Were goin, were goin, alright" said a fat look prisoner. "You two, hold it." said Cyprian. Both stopped with the prisoner. "Take this lot with you too" he handed over a few more men and women. "Move on." he returned to his duties. "You better not do anything funny, you here or I got every las one of you!" Said Augustus. Easy Augustus, don't want them to get too jumpy do we, they might try to jump us if were not care full. "Please let me go I didn't do anything wrong, I'm just a farmer." said an older looking man among the prisoners. "Too bad, you lived with rebels, you are a rebel!" replied Lucius as he shoved them along to the wagons. "How is trying to feed you family an act of rebellion?" said another man in the group. "There's hardly any food to go around since the war ended and you imperial scum keep hording it all to yourselves." Lucius was tired of this complaining, a hit the man in the back with his gladius' hilt. He almost fell down, but the prisoner picked him up before he could. "No more taking, get in there." as he said this they were at the wagons and some guards stationed there to them and put them in them. The wagons themselves were starting to become crowed as many were forced to stand due to being packed together. "Are we doing the right thing Lucius? asked Augustus. The young browned hair man looked and his blond haired friend with a puzzled look. "What do you mean by that?" replied Lucius. "I mean, look at this, there nothing but desperate people trying to get by." "Should we even be doing this at all." He looked down at body of a old man as they went past it, probably trying to just take care of his family and was killed for it. Along with the rest men and women that were killed by them just to take the village. "Hey here is how I see it, these Ardanians don't know how things work in the empire yet." "They can't accept that we won and they lost yet, sure they are staving and all." "But that not our fault, it was their armies that burned their fields to keep us from getting it instead." "So its their own damn fault in the first place and if we don't get the food that left here we'll starve and then they kills us while we're weak." "Besides, they killed some of our boys when they were collecting the food." "They brought this down on themselves really." His reason made some sense to him, but it didn't ease his mind. "That makes some sense, but shouldn't just leave them some food just to get by, just look at them" The looked at some of the people being crowded together, some were thinner the most and some were having trouble standing by the looks of it. Look just don't think about it to much, its governor Argos' decree, we can do anything about it, none of us can." Lucius placed a hand on his troubled friend to ease his worrying as they walked. "Come on lets get back to Commodus before he has us flogged for keeping him waiting. He chuckled a little, knowing that was true, centurion Commodus was a strict officer that wanted every man to do his job as efficiently as possible. He always said that a good soldier had to be like a clock or something like that. Then they quickly head back as quickly as possible.
"Attention rebellious scum, we have you surrounded and there is no escape." Drop you weapons and come out quietly or were burn you out of their if we have to!" Said Commodus as loudly and clearly as he could. "If you surrender now your lives will be spared." There was no reply from the hut, until the window by a few inches. "How do we know that your telling the truth and you not going to have us killed on the spot? An elderly voice answered. It's better to have you alive then dead, so you can be put on trial." "You may have a chance to avoid the rope if you cooperate now." For a moment it was silent as the windows closed once more and a few had past. "Sir, prisoners are secured and waiting for transport." Then they notice Leon beside him and they both gave a quick salute to him. " Oh, Tribune Leon, forgive us we didn't see you there!" Said Augustus quickly. "Deepest apologizes sir." replied Lucius. Both of them tried to be as professional as they could be, but the blood and dirt on them didn't help or even the dents in their armor and shields that matter. "Its all right, at ease. Said Leon. Both of them relaxed a little, but not to much with Commodus in front of them. Your two are from the academy are you not?" Lucius quickly replied. "Yes sir, we only graduated a few months ago, this is our first posting sir." So this is your first time seeing battle then?" Y-yes sir, its the first actual engagement weave been it sir." replied Augustus "What are your names soldiers?" "Lucius Mallius Longinus." "Augustus Vibius Falco." He both looked at them with approval. "Well you're real soldiers of the empire now, make sure you continue you duty." "We will sir." said Lucius. He turned to Commodus. "You've done well with them centurion, they will make fine soldiers one day." Commodus saluted him once more. "Thank you sir, all my men are worked till their like clock." "Indeed." He looked back at the hut. "Alright you two get into position." ordered Commodus. Lucius started to head towards the hut but Augustus stayed. "Sir" he turned around to look at Augustus. "Will their be anymore prisoners, the wagons are get a bit overcrowded." "We might need more of them." Commodus gave him a stern look and was about to say something but Leon responded before him. "If the Spirit is kind to us their will be, if they listen to reason." He looked back again the hut. Lucius came over to grab to avoid their centurions wrath and to pull him along. A creaking sound huts window as it opened up as wide as it could even though a body was stuck to it. Everyone stopped Everyone around the building stopped to see what was about to happen. Many of them tense to see if a fight was about to happen. "Alright, we're coming out." said the elderly voice. "We have women and children inside, we won't try anything." Club was thrown out the window and the door started to open. Some relief came all around them that this was finally over. Several men started to come out along with an elderly man all unarmed.
Lucius came back to his senses and started to tug on Augustus to get him moving again. Augustus started walking on his own and Lucius let go of him. But something caught the corner of his eye for a moment and stopped. He looked a tree near the hut, it looked like nothing was their, but he though he saw something moving up their. "Come on." Lucius said trying to get his friend to move, but he would budge. "Do you see that?" he looked at were his friend was look as well. Both of them realized that their was someone up their and they were armed with a bow. Augustus looked down and looked at Leon and Commodus and quick rushed towards them without thinking. The Bowmen readied his bow aiming at the tribune unaware what was about to happen. "Archer!" Lucius shouted. The Bowmen released the arrow, but before it reach it's target, Augustus leaped in front of him with his shield in front of him. The loud clang echo as hit the shield, with some of it piercing through it. Leon and Commodus were startled from what just happen and Commodus raised his shield with Augustus to shield the startled tribune. Arrows started to fly in all directions as men began to fall. Lucius rushed to help his friend and covered their backs. Panic came across the men and those leaving the hunt. Some rushed and started to attack the Legionaries while were distracted killing them other tried to get pack in the hut but were being rushed by the Legionaries and cut down were they stood. The elderly man tried plead with them but he was impaled by several of them dropping ground with terror on his face. The villagers rounded up in the town square started to run for it to escape their capturers while they we distracted. Other mobbed them and started to beat them as those guarding them fought back. The four of them locked close together to ensure no one was hit. "Where is he?" shouted Commodus. Arrows keep coming down on them as they hit his shield. "The tree in front, sir!" Said Augustus. He looked up and was him shout "Crossbowmen on me." Two men rushed towards, one was shot before he reached them the other manage to make it. He pointed at the tree. "Aim for the tree." he shouted. The crossbowmen steadied his aim, but an arrow hit him in the neck and fell, chocking on his own blood. "Damn it." He looked up a the tree he tried to figure out how to get him. Augustus looked at the crossbow, he was closest to it. "Lucius up front." Lucius quickly move up in front with them. "Sir I'm going for the crossbow, keep the tribune covered." Commodus seeing the chaos around them and no other option nodded. He passed his shield Leon and dived. Lucius saw what was happening and a look of fear came over him. "Augustus!" shouted Lucius. He manage to reach it and franticly tried to load it. The bowmen looked down and aimed for him. He calmed himself and managed to get it. Both aimed at one another and released their projectiles. The arrow only shield across his helmet and sunk into the ground next to him. The bolt on the other hand hit were it was suppose to, right into the bowman’s heart. He slowly looked up at killer and fell from the tree. The danger was over, they lowered their guard. Commodus blew a whistle around his neck and the Legionaries slowly stopped their hostilities. “Stop all fighting, its over.” He looked around him many were dead on both sides of the fighting. “Sir, you alright.” He asked Leon. The attempt on his life shook him, but he seemed fine. “Yes, I’m fine, go see to this chaos.” Commodus saluted him once more and head towards the damage that was call. Augustus walked towards the body of the bowman with the crossbow still in his hand. The body had its back facing up and he slowly flipped it over.
What he saw terrified him and fell to his knees. It was boy! Only a few years younger then him and he killed him! He looked at the crossbow and threw it as hard as he could. A feeling of dread over came him as he looked upon him. Lucius came over to him not knowing what was happening. "What are you doin-." His words left his mouth upon seeing the boy. "Flame cleanse us." The only words he could think of. He tried not to looking a him and tried to get Augustus away from the body, placing a hand his shoulder to comfort him. He recoiled as he heard hand touch his armor and looked up to see Lucius besides him. " Augustus, you had no choice, it was him or us." "He wouldn't hesitate to kill you." He tried to comfort the horrified you man, but he then looked the boy again. Sadness had filled him as well. Lucius heard footsteps coming towards him and looked it was tribune Leon. He turn to him but didn't bother to salute him. Leon saw the look in his eyes and looked to see the other one kneeling. He then saw the boy that was by and he was saddened a little by it. He kneeled down to Augustus and looked the boy a little more then Augustus. "Look at me, soldier." but he didn't respond. "Look at me" in a sterner tone. He finally looked at him to see tears in his eyes. "This is what you signed up for when you joined the legion, things like this were bound to happen sooner to happen." This is war and he choose his side when he tried to kill me." Augustus tried to speak but no words came out. "Who are you?" he asked He started to say his name. "Augus-" he was interrupted. "No, who are you? He placed his hands on his shoulders. He started to remember what those words. A soldier of the empire." "Then act like it then it, learn from this to become better." Augustus felt comfort in this and started to stand up and Leon let go of him. He rubbed the tears from his eyes and saluted him and acted like a soldier. Commodus walked towards them to give him his report. Leon walked towards him "Sir, Casualties are up to twenty four and twelve are wounded." "What about the rebels?" he asked. "When the shooting started, it became a blood bath some of them attacked and our men cut anyone they could get their hands on, even the one surrendering. They stormed the building and managed to capture the ones that they spared, but only half of them. The villagers that rounded up attacked as well and some were killed. "Well this is a fine mess, once people hear about this they'll be demanding for blood." "Round up the last of the prisoners and tell your Optio-." My Optio is dead sir. Then there's your Optio then." The three of them were surprised to hear this, especially Augustus. "Sir, with all due respect sir he nothing more then a raw recruit, he doesn't have any experience to be my second in command." He looked back at Augustus "You there, Augustus was it, have you ever had a role in leadership?" Even though Augustus caught off guard from it quickly tired to answer. "I was in charge of a squad at the academy, but that's all. He looked back at Commodus." "Close enough, as a reward for his bravery and saving the life of tribune, I give him the rank of Optio under you command. Commodus felt some anger towards him, but grudgingly accepted. He couldn't deny the truth either, the young man had potential. "Now then lets get out of here before something worse happens." Leon went off and the rest followed. "Congratulations, sir," said Lucius with a smile. Augustus laughed a little but stopped before Commodus heard him. "You don't have to call be that Lucius." "But I do, your my commanding officer now and have to listen to you." He knew he was right and decide to go along with it. Everything else happened quickly, All the dead and wounded were carried off, along with the prisoners and Augustus was marching next to Commodus as his Optio, which made him nervous due to the fact that was a scary man when he had to be. The villagers stopped resisting and the soldiers took what food they could find. The tribune lead the men out of the village with what food remained and the rest followed suit. Augustus tried his best to lead the men, he was a little sloppy but he improved over time on the march.
The march was uneventful and they manage to get to there barracks at the town of Luster, by nightfall. A few weeks would pass as Augustus tried to be accustom to his new rank and the alterations it had gave him. He had to ensure all of duties were completed and the men stayed in line. He slowly got us to it and got better at it, but he was still lenient with Lucius who gave him advice and informed him of anything. He wasn't use to how the men looked at him though it seemed that they were giving him looks as if he had betrayed him in some way. One morning when he was doing his daily duties he was called upon by Commodus and hurried to meet him. He had stationed himself in a small building just across the barracks as an "officer's quarters" to suit his needs. He knocked a few times to wait for an answer. For a few moment he thought that he wasn't there and started to walk away until he hear, "come in" which stopped him his tracks. He turned around and let himself in. the house was not that big and it looked to be some kind of storage shed of some time with only enough space to fit one person. there was nothing but personal things and a rack for his weapons and armor. As he closed the door he saw the centurion

at a desk writing something in is uniform clothing. " optio Falco reporting for duty sir." He gave him a salute and waited for him to answer. He was still writing and did not say anything for a few moments. Then he finally said something as he finished his letter. " Tell me Falco, what is you option of our current posting." "Sir, what do you mean?" The question caught him off guarded. " I ask you again what do you think of this hell hole of a town we are staying in." Something seemed off about him when he said that. 'Well it reminds me a little of Dead End sir." The town might as well be a slum in the state it was in, the streets filthy, building in ruins and people gave you a look as if you were about to die. He smiled at this, which made him a little uncomfortable about it. "A slum, that might as well be the most honest answer I heard in a long time." "This place what is the point what is the point of us even being here, this place has no value and the people want to slit our throats the forest chance they get."