A month ago my life was unfair and hard. I used to work on the fields. My family served countess Euclio. She owned the land and we paid a lease to be allowed to plant our crops and let our cattle graze the pastures.
It was hard work to make land farmable at the edge of the Nile Delta. The good places though were worked by the people with money and influence. It would remain our dream to buy our own plot of land near the great river.
Our situation worsened when the countess started to increase our levy. We told her that we couldn’t give her more. Our production had reached its limit and we had not made a profit for the last years. She threatened to remove us from her land. Our cattle were sold, our stocks for the winter nearly emptied. I knew that the next year would not turn our circumstances around. I had to do something to help my family.
My parents didn't like my ideas, but both of them saw the writing on the wall. I promised them to be careful on my journey. The destination was the capital of Aegyptus, Alexandria. I planned to work there as a worker, soldier or whatever job I could get my hands on.
A small group of our neighbours followed me to the city. Their families also affected by the higher levies. We were five people in total. 2 humans, me and Pupia, 2 demi-humans, Grumio and Callicles and the sea-folk girl Vesuvia. We started our journey with a few copper coins and rations for two days. Our families saw us off with a mix of hope and worry. We all had an old horse or mule as a mount.
"Does anybody know why the levy has been increased so much?", Grumio asked. He rubbed one of his horns and looked at each of us.
"House Caesar got in some problems and needs the branch families to bail them out. The situation seemed to not favour the house. At least that is what the traveller in the tavern claimed", Vesuvia answered.
"Those nobles and their games. Don't they realize the damage they cause?", Callicles joins in, his tail swaying left and right.
"They do. But what matters our fate to them. The fields are just going to be rented to the next fellow", I added.
"What kind of work are you planning to do?", Pupia asked. She was the daughter from the farm next to ours and I had to admit that I still had a small crush on her.
"Guard or mercenary work", said Grumio and Callicles at the same time.
"The nobles are searching for pawns and you can make a small fortune serving for them", Grumio explained.
"If you survive", Vesuvia reminded us of the dangers far away from our homes. "That city is no playground. Especially you Pupia need to be careful."
"Yes I know", the girl answers and gulps audibly. It seems she knew what could happen to female visitors from the countryside. The city was far from a safe haven for any of us.
"We will just have to make the best out of it", I say and got a few heads shakes in return.
The trip to Alexandria would last for three days and so we sent up camp near a small oasis when the sun started to set. We had few things with us, but managed to make a small fire and turned our rags into sleeping places.
Pupia set up a pot with our rations. The resulting soup was more water than actual food, but we had to do with the things available. I took the first watch while the rest tried to get a bit of sleep.
An old spear from my father was in my left hand. I checked the border of darkness beyond the light of the campfire. The shadows played games with me. Shapes assembled, noises sounded sometimes near sometimes far away. The night kept me on edge.
Every time a noise neared our camp I prayed to the gods that the creature making them would go in another direction. I threw myself on the ground when the noise of flapping wings awoke my companions. They looked sleepily at me and their surroundings. I kept quiet and glued to the ground.
"What in the nine hells is making those sounds?", Pupia whispered.
"Don't know, but it must quite large. Bigger than a few cows I reckon", Callicles informs us and the girls and I as well turn pale. The demi-humans equipped bow and quiver. Each of them stood on one side of the camp and listened to the sounds in the darkness. All of us shut our mouths.
The noise of the wings grew louder and quieter, but never left the perimeter where we couldn't hear it. Another sound soon joined the first one. Something stirred up the dunes and circled our camp.
Then there was a deep roar. My blood froze and teeth rattled. Callicles dropped his arrow while Grumio aimed in the direction of the roar. His arms trembled as his arrow was shot into the darkness. We heard it impact the sand and the bowman cursed as he tried to control his trembling.
"Shit!", he shouted before turning quiet again.
This situation continued for a few minutes. Both noises circling our little camp. A roar and a hiss challenged each other in the darkness and we fired again an arrow into it. This time Grumio did not hit the sand. No, his iron-headed arrow bounced off from some kind of metal or scales.
"Great whatever it is has a heavy armoured", Callides provides and prepared to fire as well. The hiss stopped after we seemed to hit the creature while the roar continued.
The roar neared our camp and we huddled together around the campfire. Our backs to the flames of the campfire. We face the darkness with three spears and two bows. Silence ensued as the other noise vanished as well.
As everything turned quiet I hoped to wake up. Imagine this situation to be a dream, but nothing like that happened. Pupia started to pray to Athena, mumbling something about warding off evil spirits and banishing them to the underworld.
The sand exploded to our right. A giant massive white serpent sprang towards us. Its maw opened and aimed at me. My spear dropped and I stood there frozen in place. I heard the shouts and cries of my mates.
Then I saw 'it'. A black form landed on the head of the white serpent and pressed it on the ground with its momentum.
"Wyvern!", Vesuvia shouted. Somebody pulled at my hand and we ran away from the camp.
I looked back at the fight devastating our camp. The snake easily dwarfed the wyvern. Being over five times bigger than the draconic being. The wyvern on the other hand had embedded himself with his claws, stinger and maw into the back of the serpents head.
The snake continued to trash around, throwing the unwanted passenger against dunes and trees, into the small lake or our small camp, but the wyvern held on to the back of the head. Its life depended on it.
"Mico, keep it together", Pupia said to me and got me out of my trance. I left the two fighting monsters behind me and ran together with my companions. We huddled together near a dune and tried to warm us up with the body warmth of the others. The night was long and cold.
We woke up exhausted and hungry. I looked at each of them. Pupia seemed the most affected by the last night. She flinched at every noise and checked the sky again and again. Vesuvia looked silently towards our old camp. The demi-human boys checked their arrows and bows while trying to come up with a way to defend themselves against a wyvern. I thought about what we should do now.
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"We need to get back. There could still be supplies left", I proposed and got shot down immediately.
"Are you crazy one of the things could still be there. We will die!", Pupia screamed into my face.
"I would rather not", Callides added.
"He is right. Without our mounts nor supplies, we won't reach the city. Not without a ton of luck and I would say the gods did not bless our journey", Grumio said and I saw Vesuvia nod.
"We should check. Regardless of the risk", she said.
Pupia and Callides joined us reluctantly. The fear to be alone was stronger than going back to those two monsters. We slowed down when the camp was near and I pecked over the dune.
"It is still there!", I exclaimed and hid behind the dune again.
"You will need to be a bit more specific. Which one is at our camp?", Vesuvia asked.
"The black wyvern and the body of the serpent lay next to our things", I answer tensed. If the wyvern could kill an enemy that much bigger than himself then we were in no position to fight such a being.
"And what is it doing?", Grumio asked, but choose to peak over himself before I could answer. "I think it is sleeping and it is injured. Let us sneak in and gather what we can find."
"You want us to go next to that thing?", Pupia asked.
"Our supplies are there and now is our chance to act. Gods know when that thing will wake up again", Grumio explained.
"You said it was injured. Could we finish it off?", Callides asked and all of us stared at him horrified. "Guess not then."
What follows were the tensest minutes of my life. We gathered the water bottles and a few provisions and lumps of rags and then we sprinted the hell away from the wyvern. Every little movement or sound the creature made put us in immediate panic. I was glad when the operation was over. Our mounts were all dead. They couldn’t escape. We had tied them to the few trees.
I looked one last time over the dune at the dead snake. There were a few open places where the wyvern had fed from and a few charred scales. This suggested the creature could breathe flames. Something rarely seen in wyverns or so I had heard from Grumio.
Our journey continued for another five days. We reached the city with no supplies left and a few coins in our purses. There was no other attack like on the first night, but we still all had problems sleeping properly at night. Expecting the darkness to hide monsters.
There was a long line before the gates and as commoners, we would have to wait for our turn. It took hours until the guard winked us to him. The human female checked all of us before starting her questions. We told her our names and where we came from.
"And what business do five peasant children have in our grand city", the guard asked intrigued.
"We want to join the guards or mercenaries!", Grumio and Callides proclaimed loudly and proudly.
The guard just smirked but didn't comment.
"I am looking for a safe job inside the city. To support my family back home", Pupia said.
"I will try to build up my own shop here", Vesuvia answered and got a thump up from the guard.
"I am looking to help my family as well", I said.
Our names were written down and two coppers were taken as a fee to enter the city. Our group headed to the market area and ate one last cheap meal together it was now time to split up.
We said our goodbyes, Vesuvia and Pupia went somewhere to find out about available jobs. Grumio and Callides went to the next guard office to apply and I went a bit around the town to find something for me.
The city was bigger than I expected and most prices were well over my pay limit. I steered sometimes near districts of merchants and nobles, but the guards made clear that I was not allowed to enter there.
I spent the rest of the forenoon running around the city, but all those jobs didn't seem to fit me. I sat down near a fountain and thought about my options. My musing was interrupted when a chest was dropped next to me. A massive minotaur climbed it and shouted at the people on the plaza.
"Fellow men and women of Alexandria I have the business opportunity for all of you!", he started and few people turned to listen to him.
"My employer, Prince Lucius Vespasianus, heir to Neapoli, is seeking able warriors to join his legion. Two gold for every soldier who passes the training and fifty silver for every month they serve", the minotaur grinned. Now he had all the attention he wanted. My own included.
The people surrounded the minotaur and asked for a chance to join the well-paying job. Some minotaurs split the group and started to take names and explain names while their leader stepped down from the chest. I stared at him and he noticed it.
"And what about you young man? Do you want to join this adventure?", the minotaur asked me.
"Yes please let me show my worth. I can fight well", I lied. I wanted those gold pieces for passing the training.
"Excellent. We will expect you at the plains to the west. There are our camp and training grounds", he said and explained the way shortly to me.
I went into a cheap inn and went to bed with mixed feelings. This was a great opportunity but might also turn out as a waste of time if they lied to us or if I fail to pass the training. Nobles liked to lie and I had to be careful.
The trip to the training fields turned out to be easier than thought and I found the other recruits in time. Two acquaintance were also standing with me.
"Grumio, Callides you are also here for the gold?", I asked both of them from behind, startling the boys.
"A Mico, yes we heard about it and thought we could give it a try", Grumio answered.
"If only to get the two gold pieces", Callides added with a smile. "It is like they are gifting it to us."
"Attention!", the minotaur who had recruited me stood before our group. Easily towering over all of us.
"My name Cycnus and my job are it to guide you through the hell you will face for the next months!", he declared loudly and faces turn from smiles to worried expression. This didn't sound like easy money.
"The ones who can't keep up will have to drop out. Any disrespect or crime against the legion or other recruits will be judged under military trial", Cycnus added. "Let us start the warm-up maggots!"
And warm up we did. We ran circles around the camp until thirty recruits dropped out only then did we move on to the next stage. An obstacle course sounded easier than it was. Especially when you were out of breath.
I gritted my teeth and pressed on. Climbing over walls or crawling under felled trees. Only success mattered at this moment. I collapsed at the finishing line and Cycnus moved to my position.
"Stand up legionary or you fail", he said and waited.
I pressed myself up on shaky legs and met his gaze.
"Congratulations you made it in", he said with a smile and went away.
What followed over the next months was hell indeed. Our trainers took us to our limit every session and forced me to surpass my boundaries. We trained in different weapons, battle formations or survival skills. The training was set up broadly and later we would be allowed to specialize in certain abilities.
Grumio and Callides both dropped out during those months. They said it was easier to earn money elsewhere. I for once wanted to pull through to the end. The mock fights against the veterans were the most humiliating procedures. Our elders didn't take it easy on us and we were left beaten and unconscious most of the time.
But learn I did from those beatings. My partner this time was a human woman in her late thirties. She had been cocky during the fight and didn't take me seriously. And she was to pay for it. I disarmed her in a moment of inattention, her gladius fell to the ground and mine was at her throat.
"Lucky hit, recruit, nothing more", she grumbled with a frown. "Put down your weapon."
I thought about taking revenge for all the beatings I had received, but the decision was taken as a hand landed on my shoulder.
"Don't take your anger out on your trainers. While some might enjoy beating you down, they were all instructed to do so from high up", the boy behind me said.
My gladius went into the scabbard and I met the red eyes of the stranger.
"And who are you?", I asked. I couldn't put a name to the face.
"Cycnus superior", he answered. I immediately went to one knee and lowered my head.
"Forgive me your highness Vespasianus", I said and hoped to not be punished too hard for my disrespect.
"I am not sure if this was an insult or compliment", the red-eyed boy asked himself.
"A compliment of course Alaric. What else should it be?", a blue-eyed boy with brown hair answered.
"If you say so Lucius", Alaric said and turns his eyes back to me. As did my lord.
"Rise legionary", Lucius said and I rose and met his gaze. "Your name?"
"Mico. I am from a farming family far east from here. Looking to support my family", I answered.
"Do you hate your instructors for the beatings, for the harsh words and for the training?", he asked and I was silent. I didn't want to answer nor to lie. The lord observed calmly for a while.
"If you want to hate somebody, hate me for ordering the training. But do not forget that no training nor harsh beatings can prepare you for what you will face on the battlefield. War will turn you into a soldier and you should use your time here to increase the chances to become one", Lucius explained.
The lord starred at me for a while but dismissed me at the end. I was not motivated by the speech I got, but my certainty to give my best in the training was reinforced.
I hear a roar and my blood froze again. A few recruits and I started running and we only stopped when we heard the laughter of the soldiers. The black wyvern, from the night in the desert, landed next to my lord.
I already imagined the creature to eat him whole when he started to pet the creature. My gears stopped turning as I observed the for me surreal process. My lord turned to us.
"Legion Primum Multarum, your time of training will soon end. You will prove your worth and become the first of many to fight for me and my cause. Stand with me and gain glory and honour. Stand against me and you will fall. We will hunt the monsters of this time and succeed. I and all of you will need to become one as well", our Lord spoke loud and clear.
I could see the fervour and excitement in some, while others looked uncertain and worried. We would be fewer at the end, but the ones to remain would go down in history. I was one of them and my blood boiled at the thought of going down in the annals of time.