Lost Legio IX: The Karus Saga

by Marc Alan Edelheit

  Karus did not like the sound of that. The city was far too large to search quickly. He knew that criminal elements in Rome used the catacombs and sewers as hideouts, as did runaway slaves. Karus rubbed at his forehead with the palm of his hand. He felt a headache coming on.

  Though they had explored much of the city, Karus was becoming convinced that there was a solid chance no one was hiding out in it. That did not mean he would allow himself or his men to relax.

  “I want those dungeons explored immediately,” Karus said. “If for whatever reason we need a secure place to fall back upon, I want to be sure that we know every nook and cranny of the palace district. We can afford no surprises.”

  “I knew you would want that done,” Dio said with a sudden trace of a grin. “I’ve dispatched two additional centuries to help scour the dungeons. With luck, they will ferret out any tunnels running under the walls and out into the city. I was thinking of assigning two of the auxiliary cohorts to explore the sewers. Also, with your permission, I will detail a century to look for hidden passageways concealed behind the walls of the palace. Wouldn’t want anything to happen to our ‘acting’ legate.”

  “Camp prefect will do,” Karus said, wishing he had thought of searching the palace for hidden passages sooner. Who knew what secrets the palace held? “Do it.”

  “One other thing,” Dio said and reached for the lantern. He handed it to Karus, who was surprised by its weight. “We found a number of these in the dungeon.”

  “It is an oil lantern,” Karus said and set it back down on the table next to the armor.

  “Blow out the flame,” Dio urged.

  “I don’t have time for games.”

  “Do it,” Dio said and opened the glass panel that provided access to light and extinguish the lantern.

  Slightly irritated, Karus bent over and blew the flame out. As he was straightening back up, the lantern reignited. Karus blinked. He blew it out a second time and the flame relit.

  “I’ve even used water,” Dio said, “and doused it. The flame always comes back.”

  “Magic?” Karus found it difficult to believe.

  “That is extraordinary,” Delvaris breathed.

  “Quite,” Felix said.

  “Magic,” Dio said. “There are about forty such lanterns in the dungeon. We’ve also found a few in the palace and throughout the city. There must be some trick to turning them on and off, because we’ve found ones just like this that are not lit.”

  Karus rocked back on his heels. He had never seen true magic before, only sleight of hand performed by charlatans. Then again, he thought back to the glowing druid stones and those warm ones on the hilltop above the forest. There were so many things he just did not have the answers for.

  “What more have you got for me?”

  “Karus, there are plenty of tools and equipment that were left behind,” Felix said, “much of which we can use. Four blacksmiths made it through with the camp followers. I’ve had them study the smithies that we happened across. They feel they can easily work them. However, some of the ore and metals were unrecognizable.”

  “What do you mean unrecognizable?” Karus was surprised by this revelation.

  “Just that, stuff they’ve never seen before.”

  “Huh,” Karus said, not knowing what to make of that.

  “We’ve also found several woodworking shops,” Felix said, “complete with tools and a saw mill just outside the city, near the forest. Between the smithies and these woodworking shops, we have the craftsmen amongst the followers, not to mention our own men who can make whatever we need.”

  “How many wagons and carts were found?” Karus asked, thinking ahead. If they needed to leave the city for whatever reason, he felt it was important to begin planning for the worst.

  “We found no serviceable wagons and carts,” Delvaris said. “They were likely taken when the city was evacuated.”

  Karus crossed his arms and looked down. Then glanced up at Dio and Felix. “We should be able to easily make wagons, right?”

  “Yes. As I said, we have the craftsmen. We also have the manpower to get it done.”

  “Good,” Karus said. “I want you to get started on that immediately. Felix, oversee this. If we need to leave the city, I want to take as much with us as possible.”

  “There is another problem,” Delvaris said.

  Karus gestured for him to continue.

  “We don’t have the draft animals needed to pull any wagons that we build.”

  “Feel free to rain on my parade, will you,” Felix said.

  “We have the mules, and can dismount Valens’s troopers, if necessary,” Karus said.

  “He won’t like that,” Dio said.

  “I know,” Karus said. “Let’s hope it does not come to that. Delvaris, see that word is sent to the cavalry to be on the lookout for oxen and mules. Valens’s scouts are bound to happen across people at some point.”

  Delvaris nodded.

  “Felix,” Karus said, “see that we begin making wagons immediately.”

  “I will get on that as soon as we finish here,” Felix said.

  “Delvaris,” Karus said, “I want an inventory taken of every cohort to determine what materials are in need of repair or replacement: swords, shields, sandals, whatever. A priority will be given to replacing equipment over wagons.”

  Delvaris inclined his head in understanding.

  “I also want javelins,” Karus said to Felix. “We used all that we had.”

  “It will be done.” Felix made a note on his tablet.

  “What of the walls and the city gates?” Karus asked. “How are we progressing on that front?”

  “The walls are patrolled,” Dio answered. “The gates are secured, and each one is strong and defensible. Currently we have an entire cohort on each, which helps covering the gaps between the gates. Two men are posted every seventy-five yards, and we have sections of men regularly walking the walls, patrolling. Still,” Dio expelled a frustrated breath, “the walls are damned long. It would take the entire legion to properly man them, and then we’d still likely be short on reserves should it come to it. Beyond that, I don’t see what more we can do at present. Oh, and as ordered, we’re not allowing anyone other than Valens’s troopers in and out of the city without express orders from you.”

  “Very good,” Karus said. “I know you are doing what you can.”

  Karus walked to an open window, Felix and Dio following him over. From it, he was able to look out upon a good portion of the city. He studied it, silent for a few heartbeats. For the moment, his people were safe, in a strong, defensive position. They also had plenty to eat and, for the first time in weeks, a solid roof over their heads rather than a flimsy tent or being forced to sleep on their arms.

  Karus let out a long, soft breath that was partially a sigh. This unknown city was a temporary refuge. It was not a permanent home. Something was terribly wrong in this land, and eventually it would look his way. Karus was sure of it.

  “Our overriding priority is to return to Rome.”

  “That,” Felix said, from behind, “may not be possible.”

  Karus looked over at his friend and felt saddened. If only his Felix knew what he had seen just a few rooms over. Well, he would, Karus thought, shortly at any rate.

  “We’ve been in this strange land,” Felix said, “for five days. With the dawn of each new day, we find the same two suns still overhead. The moon isn’t even right. Our moon is white.” Felix paused, sucking in a low breath. “Karus, we are very far from home.”

  Karus was silent. He considered his friend’s words. Free from cloud cover, the moon had finally emerged the previous evening, and as Karus had worried, it caused quite a stir. It was slightly orange, and far more pockmarked.

  “Still,” Karus said, “our overriding objective is to return to Rome. If it comes to pass that this proves impossible, we will deal with it then. The last thing we need is the men concluding that they will neve
r return home. If that happens, discipline will break down and I fear we will lose the legion.”

  “That would not be good,” Felix said.

  “The men might surprise us,” Dio said. “For most, the legion is their home. The only one they have known for many years.”

  “We cannot count on that,” Karus said. “They are exhausted and morale is poor. We’ve all been through a tremendous ordeal. However, given enough time to rest, they will recover.” Karus paused and took a breath. “The quickest way to build morale and maintain discipline is through training. I will call a meeting of senior officers this evening. A schedule will have to be drawn up. Each cohort will implement a training regimen that is to be executed once every three days. On days where there is no training, they are to be doing work in and around the city or standing duty. We keep our boys busy and we keep them active with as little downtime as possible. That, and the training, will see a return to normalcy.”

  Karus turned his gaze back out into the city. “My friends, we are in a strange land. We need to hold together or we may lose ourselves amongst its mysteries.”

  “Just a tad optimistic today, aren’t you?” Dio chuckled, though Karus felt he could detect a hint of worry in his friend’s tone.

  Karus glanced at Dio. He noticed that where his friend normally had something in his hands, they were empty. Dio’s fingers were instead fidgeting with his tunic. Karus crossed over to one of the tables and picked up a gold coin that had been found in the city. Karus turned the coin over in his hand. It was well-worn and in places chipped where someone had carved pieces off. A strange face graced one side and a bird of prey the other.

  “What happened to your lucky coin?” Karus asked Dio, turning around.

  “I lost it,” Dio said, a melancholy look to his face, almost as if he had lost his favorite cat.

  “Here,” Karus said, tossing the coin to Dio, who caught it with ease. “I have a feeling that soon we may all need some luck.”

  “Thanks,” Dio said.

  They were silent for several moments, then Karus cleared his throat.

  “Delvaris,” Karus said, “please see to the tasks I set you.”

  Delvaris clearly understood Karus wished to speak to Dio and Felix alone. He gave a curt HHe nod and stepped out of the room. Karus waited a moment. When he heard Delvaris speaking with the clerks, he turned to his two friends.

  “Now,” Karus said, “I have something for the two of you to see.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “Now this is interesting,” Dio breathed, staring down at the floor as he slowly walked in a large circle around the mosaic map. “We’ve not found one map in this the entire city, and here you find the only one that could not be taken with them when the people here fled.”

  Karus, Dio, and Felix were in the palace hall that served as the main throne room. Two other lesser rooms containing thrones had been found, but these were nowhere near as grand. Over one hundred fifty yards long and another fifty wide, the rectangular-shaped hall was vast. At one end, two massively thick wooden doors allowed entrance. At the other, the throne, a large gilded, high-backed chair that sat upon a raised platform. This would have been where the leader of this city held court, dealing with major functions of state, receiving envoys, and conducting diplomacy.

  To either side, slender marble columns flanked the length of the hall, rising at least sixty feet in height to where they supported an arched ceiling covered over with colorfully painted frescos. Suspended by ropes, great candle-bearing iron chandeliers, each separated by ten feet of space from the next, hung in a long line down the center of the hall. Between the columns, colored glass windows beginning at shoulder height reached nearly up to the ceiling. These cast much of the interior of the hall in a muted light.

  The throne had been positioned directly under a large dome set high above. The dome was multi-tiered with clear-paned windows, allowing the sky to be seen. The flooring throughout much of the hall was stone, yet around the throne it gave over to polished white marble, likely designed to further accent the natural light radiating down.

  But all that and the grandeur around them was not what was interesting to Karus, Dio, and Felix. A mosaic map had been laid out upon the floor ten yards before the throne. Karus had never seen such a work of art look so detailed and perfect. The map depicted continents, islands, seas, mountain ranges, countries, and cities. It was at least ten yards around. Yet all of it was unfamiliar and unrecognizable as could be.

  “We are very far from home,” Felix said in a tone that expressed extreme unhappiness, almost bordering on despair. Like Dio, he began walking around the edge of the map, looking at it from different angles. As if by unspoken agreement, no one tread on the mosaic. Instead, they moved around the map, careful where they put their feet. Both were silent for some time as they examined it.

  Karus said nothing. He just waited.

  When Felix finally looked up, there was something akin to pain in his eyes.

  “Very far,” Felix said in a ghost of a whisper, before returning his gaze back to the floor.

  Dio stopped his circling. He now stood as if rooted in place, his eyes continuing to sweep across the map. The gold coin appeared in his hand. Absently, he began rolling it over his knuckles, again and again. Karus simply watched, allowing them time to gather their thoughts.

  “I think,” Dio said slowly after some time, “that the worst thing about discovering this is that, even with it, we still have absolutely no idea whatsoever where we are on it.”

  “That was Pammon’s thinking as well,” Karus said, catching Felix’s eye. “Still, it changes nothing.”

  “How so?” Felix asked. The look of pain that had filled his eyes moments before had lessened considerably. There was almost a resigned look to him, as if he had accepted what fate had thrown his way. Felix was like that.

  “We still need to find our way home,” Karus said, matter-of-factly.

  Felix pursed his lips. He appeared as if he was going to say something, perhaps even object. Instead, he simply gave a slight shrug and returned his gaze to studying the map. Dio did the same.

  Karus took a step back and allowed them the opportunity to continue to study the map. When Karus had told Delvaris that he had been in the minaret, he had been here scrutinizing the map for something, anything, familiar. It had been both fascinating and frustrating.

  He glanced around the hall. It spoke not only of vast wealth, but power, military prowess, and strength. The colored glass windows were thick with imagery, each telling a distinct story. They recounted battles, the history of this land, and the wise and benevolent nature of its leaders. Cruelty and suffering were also on full display. Several windows were devoted to detailing what clearly appeared to be punishments directed at defeated and broken enemies. Karus was familiar with such brutality. It was nothing that Rome had not done to those she vanquished, and would continue to do. It was the best way to communicate a simple message to those who contemplated resisting the will of the empire.

  Karus shifted his gaze from the glassed windows to the columns. From each one hung battle standards that Karus assumed had been taken as prizes. There were hundreds of the captured standards. Some were damaged, the wood staffs cracked, shattered. The fabric of many were torn and ripped. One was spattered with dried blood. Like the rest of the hall, these additions were designed to impress, and intimidate.

  Karus’s gaze fell upon one particular standard. It looked uncomfortably like an imperial legionary Eagle, though cast in silver instead of gold. Upon closer inspection, the bird, however, was not an eagle, but a hawk.

  “We need a shrine for our Eagle,” Karus said to himself as he looked upon the silver hawk. Wherever a legion went, a shrine was set up, whether permanent or tent-based. This hall was a shrine to power. It would be fitting to place the Eagle and the rest of the legion’s standards here. This city now belonged to Rome, as did her past victories. “Yes, this will be our legion’s shrine.”

/>   Satisfied with his decision, Karus considered the glassed window directly behind the throne. It provided a view of the city. Karus could not imagine the cost it’d taken to construct this hall, but he was confident the expense had been steep and the people of this city and others had paid for it.

  Leaving Dio and Felix behind, Karus walked up to the throne, which was on a raised dais. With each step up to the great chair, his hobnailed sandals echoed off of the marble flooring. Once he reached it, he contemplated the dais and throne. He turned and gazed back across the entirety of the rectangular-shaped hall. In his mind, Karus imagined it filled with courtiers, petitioners, supplicants, and ambassadors from other nations, each one having come to seek something, to pay homage to greatness, to beg, to be close to power …

  What would it have been like? Slaves to cater to your every need, people honoring your greatness, praising your magnificence at every turn …

  The two wooden doors at the far end of the throne room opened. Hinges badly in need of an oiling cried out in protest. The sound echoed through the hall. Karus looked up, as did Dio and Felix. He had left orders not to be disturbed.

  Irritated, Karus almost barked an order for the junior centurion who had entered to leave. He bit back on it, as he saw it was Crix, from Dio’s cohort. They would have only been disturbed for a very good reason. Karus also realized that he could not be perceived as hiding the knowledge of the map. Word of it would get out eventually, if it hadn’t already.

  Crix quickly scanned the hall, spotted Karus, and walked purposely over. He came to a position of attention and saluted fist to chest. Karus returned the salute. Felix and Dio, curious, moved up behind.

  “Sir,” Crix rasped in a scratchy tone. The junior centurion had suffered a grievous wound to his throat several years before in a minor skirmish against a Celtic raiding party. He had recovered, but his voice had never been the same. “We discovered a prisoner being held in the dungeons under the administrative building.”