Lost Legio IX: The Karus Saga

by Marc Alan Edelheit

  “Still,” Karus said, “better to remind them anyway.”

  Pammon let slip a slight scowl, then nodded. He glanced up at the suns, which were now sitting high above them. “We can speed things up a bit by not being as thorough picking through these buildings.”

  Clearly Karus wasn’t the only one frustrated with the slow, painful progress the cohort was making.

  “No, we continue as is,” Karus said. “We do this right. I want to make sure there are no surprises.”

  “Do you expect any?” Pammon asked.

  “Do we dare take that chance?” Karus asked. “Are you willing to bet your life or those of your men?”

  Pammon said nothing.

  “I thought not,” Karus said, then patted Pammon on his shoulder armor. “This snail’s pace is getting to me as well. Best to suck it up and not to give into it.”

  Pammon gave a curt nod, a sour expression on his face. He stepped away, bawling the men of a century out for their laxness.

  “Stop dragging your asses,” Pammon shouted. “Get in that bloody house or so help me I will kick your sorry butts in there.”

  Karus watched for a moment and then started up the street. With each step, he noticed the grade was ever so slightly increasing. They were beginning the climb up the central hill.

  Throughout the afternoon, the progress of the cohort was excruciatingly slow as they worked their way toward the center of the city. Karus waited as patiently as he could, occasionally entering buildings, but more as not standing outside with Delvaris. He did not want Pammon to feel like his heels were being dogged. Nor did he wish to undermine the newly promoted officer’s authority.

  Eventually they came to the temple district. The buildings, like those in Rome, were designed to impress and awe the populace. Karus felt small in the shadow of these grand temples. The marble columns before each were nearly as wide as the massive trees in the forest. Karus stopped to look over one such temple. He followed the mighty columns up to the roof, a height of at least seventy feet.

  “Makes one feel kind of tiny,” Delvaris said, coming to up Karus.

  “Compared to a god,” Karus said, “I guess we would be rather small, perhaps petty even, in their eyes.” Karus looked over at the tribune before resuming his pace. Delvaris fell in beside him as they moved down the wide avenue, temples to either side. Karus counted thirteen grand temples. Romans honored twelve gods. He counted again to be sure his math was right. One of the temples at the far end looked to have collapsed into rubble.

  “The priests teach we were made in the gods’ image,” Delvaris said.

  “Do they?” Karus said. Never having been terribly religious himself, he could see the logic. “I guess that makes sense. Just by living our daily lives, we, in a way, honor them.”

  “I’ve never looked at it that way,” Delvaris said.

  A legionary, red in the face, hustled up. He stopped before the two officers and came to attention, saluting.

  “Sir,” he said, breathless yet excited. He pointed up the street. “Centurion Pammon requests your presence. We’ve found some bodies.”

  “Inform him I will be along presently,” Karus said.

  The legionary saluted and jogged back the way he had just come, armor chinking. Karus and Delvaris picked up their pace. They found Pammon and a century of legionaries standing before the temple that had collapsed. Close up, it was apparent it had been razed.

  The columns had been pulled down and, with them, the roof had collapsed. A few of the ropes that had been used lay in the street. One was still wrapped around a column, which had fallen into the street and split into several large sections. The once grand building was now an extremely large pile of rubble sitting upon a raised foundation. Whatever it had looked like previously was now completely unrecognizable.

  Several bodies had been staked out before the ruins and rubble.

  “That is a terrible way to go,” Pammon said to Karus in almost a whisper.

  The dead had their hands tied behind their backs. They had been spitted upright through the asshole by a large sharpened stake that Karus assumed penetrated through their lower bowls. Karus was sure they had been allowed to slowly die, in agony without their feet being able to touch the ground.

  “Death is always ugly,” Karus said, “whether one dies peacefully in bed, on the battlefield or,” he gestured at the miserable-looking bodies, “like this. There is really no good way to die.”

  Pammon said nothing.

  Karus turned from the nauseating sight and glanced over at Delvaris, who looked pale but had not turned away. He gazed on in what appeared to be a morbid fascination mixed with horror. Once again, Karus was impressed with the mettle of the young man.

  Karus walked up to one of the bodies, which had been stripped naked. The smell was horrendous. Though their flesh had blackened as the bodies bloated, Karus had the impression they had been old men. Flies were thick upon the corpses. Karus waved a hand to shoo them away so he could better see the body. It helped a little. He figured these poor sots had been staked well over two weeks ago, perhaps three, which gave him an idea of when the city had been abandoned or, at the very least, the last time people had been here.

  He stepped between the line of stakes to better look over the ruined temple. Whoever had set to work on it had done a thorough job. There would be no searching it. Sending legionaries up to poke through the jumble of destroyed masonry would be dangerous. A scrape behind drew his attention as Pammon came up.

  “This is something the druids would do,” Pammon said, holding a hand close to his nose and looking over one of the bodies close up. “What do you think happened?”

  “I don’t know,” Karus said, thinking it through. “Since we have happened across no other such scenes, I suspect,” he jerked a thumb at the row of staked bodies, “their god fell out of favor.”

  “I guess,” Pammon said, turning his gaze from the bodies to the ruins. “Though this looks more than a simple falling out of favor. There is serious hate tied up in what was done here.”

  Karus agreed. He regarded the bodies once more, eyes swinging over the ruins of the temple and then back to the dead.

  “Take them down,” Karus said, “and see that they are buried. The last thing we need is an outbreak of disease.”

  “You men,” Pammon shouted to the century that had been standing by. “Bury them.”

  Karus’s eyes met those of Delvaris as he moved back toward the street. No words were exchanged, just a silent mutual understanding that the world they lived in was a hard one. It was a tough lesson to impart, but the trials of the last few weeks had begun the lad’s lesson. Perhaps, Karus thought, the staking out of the men had completed it. Karus understood that the tribune would forever after look at the world differently, as he himself had long ago.

  Karus left the century and Pammon behind as he walked farther up the street. Delvaris followed. The grade increased with each step, more so than before. On either side, additional centuries from First Cohort were sweeping the temples. Karus considered going inside one but decided against it. He was more interested in what lay ahead just up the hill within the inner wall.

  Glancing down a side street to his left, Karus saw legionaries in the distance. These were likely from one of the three cohorts charged with exploring that side of the city. Karus watched for a moment, then continued, moving up the street, which became even wider, broader, and steeper. It was slow going, but they finally came to the inner wall and a large, imposing gate.

  Karus stopped before the broad gate. It took up much of the street. The gate was part fortification and part artwork. As such, it had an ornate, almost delicate look to it. The outer façade around the heavily reinforced gate was covered with carvings of soldiers fighting great battles. Though Karus had seen such things before in Rome, he found it very interesting. A coat of arms rested above the center of the gate. It had two golden birds to either side of a blue shield topped by a gold crown.

&n
bsp; “Those carvings,” Karus said to Delvaris, pointing at the images of soldiers, “tell a story.”

  “A military one,” Delvaris said, eyes roving the carvings. “That’s for sure. It’s like one of the monuments back in Rome celebrating a victory.”

  The gates had been left open, and several centuries had already passed through. Despite the ornate appearance of the gate, Karus sensed real strength in the defensive works. The inner wall and gate would, he felt, withstand a serious assault. The wall, though smaller than the city’s, was around fifty feet in height and, judging from the open gate, at least ten to twelve feet thick.

  “In Rome,” Delvaris said, glancing to his left and then right, “the buildings are built right up to the defensive walls. They did not do that either here or at the outer wall to the city … ”

  Karus looked. Delvaris was right. There was thirty yards of open space between the buildings of the city and the wall. At least knee-high grass grew thick in the open space.

  “That’s because … .” Karus stopped, studying the wall. He noted several patches along part of the wall. It had the appearance of having been recently repaired and maintained. A wooden barricade sat atop the wall. It also looked relatively new, as in the wood had not yet had a chance to gray over with age and the weatherproofing stain was still a dark brown. “That’s because it’s been a long time since Rome has been threatened militarily. The rulers of this city were taking no chances.”

  “Then there must be a serious threat nearby,” Delvaris breathed in understanding. “Why else leave such a great city as this? Especially with such solid defenses?”

  “That,” Karus said, starting forward again, “is the question. One I think Valens and his cavalry will likely answer for us if we don’t find it in there.”

  He and Delvaris passed through the gate and emerged into a wide open, paved space that looked like a parade ground. To his front, on a rise, loomed an incredibly impressive white-marbled palace that gleamed brightly under the sunlight. At least four stories in height, it towered above the parade ground. Hundreds of wide steps led up to the main entrance.

  The structure was unlike anything Karus had seen. There were over a hundred windows, each filled with real glass, an incalculable and extravagant expense. Several balconies with stone railings overlooked the parade ground. These appeared to have been strategically placed to gain the best views.

  Lawns and gardens graced the sides of the palace, disappearing around the back. A single tower in a skinny minaret rose behind the palace. Karus presumed that it would provide a perfect vantage point. He made a note to climb it to get a better sense for the city.

  To his right was the fortress, large and imposing. There was nothing ornamental in its appearance. Next to the fortress was a large building with wide doors that had been shuttered. A century of men was busily working to open the doors. The exterior gave it an appearance that looked like it was a combination barracks and stable. Karus judged that the palace guard likely lived there. To the left of the palace was a three-story building rimmed with windows that had all been shuttered. It seemed an administrative building.

  Karus continued toward the palace. Delvaris followed along behind him. Another century was working their way up the steps ahead. As Karus placed his foot on the first step, the men above were already disappearing inside the palace.

  Slowly working his way up the steps, Karus felt like the conquering general. A breeze caught his cloak, ruffling it slightly. He glanced back. Delvaris was still with him. Karus continued until he reached the top step. He then turned and surveyed the scene before him. He was higher than the lips of the inner wall. The city spread out in a magnificent display. From his vantage, the city seemed far larger than it had from the main wall several miles below.

  Where he should have seen tens of thousands of smoke trails lazily rising upward to form an ugly blue-gray cloud above, Karus saw only a few hundred coming from the part of the city where the legion and camp followers had spent the night.

  In the distance, he could see the three gates along the city’s main wall. The fourth would be somewhere on the other side of the palace behind him. Karus was gratified to see tiny figures on the walls of all three gates that granted access into the city. His men had taken possession and secured them.

  “Karus,” Delvaris said, drawing his attention. A man was running from the building that looked like a barracks and combination indoor riding arena.

  Karus took a deep breath. They had found something and Karus feared it would not be good news. He considered going down to meet the runner, then dismissed the idea. He would not undermine himself by showing concern or weakness of will.

  “Sir.” The legionary stopped on the second to last step and offered a hasty salute. His chest was heaving. Running in armor and then climbing the steps to the palace at the pace he had done was exhausting.

  Karus looked down upon the man and nodded for him to continue, though inside he worried about the messenger’s portent.

  “That building, sir,” the legionary turned and pointed. “It has an indoor parade ground that is packed to the ceiling with equipment, and rations, sir.”

  “What?” Karus snapped, not quite sure he had heard correctly.

  “There is more supply in there than I ever saw at the depot in Eboracum,” the legionary said, gulping down air. “It’s all been packed neat and orderly like.”

  “Are you certain?” Karus was still having trouble believing the man’s story.

  “Centurion Ajax said it could feed an entire army for months, sir.” The legionary paused, making a strong effort to catch his breath. “We opened a few of the barrels and crates, sir. Wheat, salted meat, spirits, and some stuff we don’t recognize, but it’s food.”

  Karus rocked back on his heels and closed his eyes briefly. The gods had provided again. Felix had been right. Karus took another deep breath and exhaled it slowly. He would be able to feed his people for the foreseeable future, and that did not even consider any supplies they could scrounge from the city and surrounding countryside.

  “An army’s worth?” Delvaris said in a quiet voice that was speculative. “I wonder whose army it belongs to.”

  Karus’s turned to look at the tribune. Truer words had not been said, he decided.

  “Whose indeed?”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  “My men would like to kill the druids,” Flaccus said.

  “You mean you want to kill them,” Karus said.

  Dio, Felix, and Delvaris looked on in silence.

  “Yes,” Flaccus said, gaze flinty and unblinking. “They deserve to die.”

  “No.”

  Karus could well read the exhaustion, hate, and anger warring on the other’s face. It was clear Flaccus had not yet recovered from the loss of so many of his men. He hungered for revenge, even if it was sated on a pair of helpless prisoners. For a moment, Karus considered giving in to him in the hopes that the steady, cantankerous combat leader he had known for years would return. No, Karus decided, he would see this through.

  “Why ever not?” Flaccus demanded.

  “We may need them at some point,” Karus said.

  “Mark my words,” Flaccus said heatedly, “keeping those bastards alive is a mistake.”

  “Then it is mine to make. Can I trust you and your men to guard them?”

  “Yes,” Flaccus fairly ground out through gritted teeth. “They will come to no harm.”

  “Very good,” Karus said. “Then you may relieve Felix’s men and assume responsibility for their care.”

  “When it comes time for them to die,” Flaccus said, “I want to do it. Give me your word on that.”

  “You have it, if it comes to that.”

  “I will hold you to that, Karus.” Flaccus gave a curt nod, turned, and left the room, stomping out.

  “He has become a problem,” Felix said, breaking the silence that followed. “You should relieve him.”

  Karus stared at the empty doorway and r
ubbed his jaw, wondering if he had done the right thing. He turned to the others. All wore grave expressions.

  “No,” Karus said. “I will not relieve him.”

  “Do you think it wise for his men to guard the prisoners?” Dio asked. “They’ve been through a lot.”

  “Flaccus will follow his orders,” Karus said, although he was not altogether sure he would.

  “A test,” Felix said, snapping his fingers. “There was no reason to change the guard to his cohort. You are testing him with the druids then? You don’t really care if they live or die, do you? All you want to know is whether Flaccus is steady enough to follow orders, even those he feels are patently wrong.”

  The room became silent. Karus was not at all surprised Felix was onto the truth. He almost opened his mouth to reply, then stopped himself. It was time to move things along.

  “Let’s have it.” Karus looked over at Delvaris, who held a good-sized wooden tablet. Felix held a similar tablet and had made notes on its wax face using a silver stylus held loosely in his other hand. Karus had set each of them specific tasks, and they were here now to report back.

  They had gathered in a spacious room Karus had selected on the second floor of the palace to serve as a temporary headquarters. The space had been devoid of furniture. Instead, sturdy shelving neatly stacked with hundreds of scrolls lined each wall. It was one of the reasons he had chosen the space. Many of the other rooms were cluttered with gaudy pieces of furniture, both large and small. This, he was sure, was a library. It also had a small adjacent antechamber that had likely served as the librarian’s office. He had decided it would serve well enough for the legion’s headquarters.

  The shutters to three of the four large windows had been thrown open, allowing in plenty of the late afternoon light and a gentle breeze that periodically flowed into the room. The fourth shutter’s hinges were rusted stuck and so remained closed. Two heavy wooden tables had been manhandled in. A sturdy but battered-looking stool had also been found for Karus. A pile of parchments was stacked neatly atop one, along with an ink bottle, stylus, and feather pen. These writing supplies had been found in the administrative building next to the palace. The other table held a suit of dull gray armor. Next to the armor sat a small metal lantern that Dio had brought in. The flame, protected from the breeze by glass panes, burned bright and yellow.