The dirt road we traveled on was wide enough for us to ride side by side, followed by legionaries and supply carts. It was a warm, sunny day. It would take us five days to reach the Porosian capitol Stratonis.

“You’re making a mistake,” said Julia to Tiberius. “Some Captains will protest.”

“They always do,” he answered and waved his hand.

“You’re willing to gamble? To risk it all?” she kept nagging him.

“What is it that I am risking?”

“The benefit of our people.”

“The wheels are already set in motion, Julia. Either we take part, or wait, stunned when consequences of our indifference arrive at our doorstep.”

“Or consequences of our actions. At the end of the day the final decision is yours. But I do plead you, think it over.”

“Thank you for your concerns, Vicelord,” he smirked and with that ended the conversation.

We traveled for most of the day, not stopping for food. We passed some villages and small towns. People waved at us and smiled. The children ran to us, offering us carrots as a kind gesture. We returned the favor handing them sweets from our supplies. Their eyes widened and they seemed very grateful.

It felt good being outside Vetulonia. Home was becoming an abstract distant memory, almost like a dream. But I couldn’t get accustomed to how poor Porosian towns and villages appeared. Their houses, all made from wood, seemed ill built and people shared their homes with animals. Their towns were dirty, with narrow streets with no roads to speak of. I saw nothing extraordinary, nothing grand, even their sacred temples looked plain. But the population seemed warm and hospitable.

“I’ve groomed my people to look favorably on Vetulonia, but don’t get fooled! Once you leave the borders of my realm, people will get nastier, meaner. Don’t take it to heart,” said Lord Cronos as we were saying our goodbyes.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

In the late afternoon we decided to camp in an open plain, near a small river. The forest was a walking distance away. A couple of legionaries tended to our horses, while Otho and I set out to find Marius. It didn’t take us long. He grinned at us when he saw us coming. He just finished with setting up one of the camp fires. He and I embraced each other and laughed with joy. He then hugged Otho as well, which made me grin. Their awkwardness towards each other was quite amusing.

“I couldn’t have imagined we’d be reunited so soon! So, diplomats, ey? Lucky bastards, riding horses like some fancy-pants, while I have to carry all this bloody gear! Sit down, will you!? I finished my duties for the day, we can relax a bit.”

“How are you? Have you fought any battles yet? What was that like?” I mocked him, not expecting him already having any combat experience.

“I didn’t kill anyone, if that’s what you’re wondering. But I came close. Our unit was ordered to clean an area south-west of Dwarvenlands. Bandits infested those lands, terrorizing local free folk. We located them fairly easily. Their camp was in a small forest by some creek. I engaged an older man, he had a white beard that covered half of his chest. At first I was thinking I’m done for! This grandpa-looking donkey penis is older than a fat tree. If he’s running with bandits and is still alive he must be a master swordsman to have survived this long.”

I laughed, while Otho listened in silence, but with a smile on his face.

“So we drew swords and started dancing. Metal started hitting metal, oh, how I love that sound! After a while I managed to cut his face, right beneath his left eye. He screamed and then I smelled… feces.”

“What do you mean?”

“He soiled himself.”

“He did not!” I screamed and shook my head.

“He did! I felt sorry for him. He noticed my grimace and the whole affair became quite confusing. To the point of him apologizing! Then he dropped the sword and ran away. And that’s it. Legionnaire’s life, ey? How about you, fancy-pants, what’s new!?”

We talked and talked until it was time to set up our tents and go to sleep. But I could have talked with him until morning. Only then did I realize how much I’d missed Marius. In the following days I couldn’t wait for us to camp, so we could spend some time together and talk nonsense. It was fun and it felt like the old days.

By the fifth day we reached the Porosian capitol, Stratonis.