I snagged an oddly ornamental looking ax as Sejanus and me with the other men in his squad jogged toward the new battle line. I say ornamental because the damn thing had small animal skulls and charms all along the base of the blade itself, just where it met the handle. The ax head itself had what appeared to be a purposefully crafted notch in the center of the edge, made jagged with small grooves. The back end looked more like a pick, and I had a feeling it was far more dangerous than the design suggested. I’d check out the stats later, for now, it was a weapon and looked amazing. The knife I had...liberated from the War-Leader was securely fastened into my belt loop. I still found myself checking it from time to time during our jog. I had the oddest desire to keep my ‘trophy’ secure.

Shaking away the idea, I questioned my sanity. Here I was, a modern man, wearing ancient ass fucking armor that was piss-poor and running toward a fight from a previous battle where I all but butchered a man. I could feel the bile rising in my throat, and I forced it down while chanting ‘it isn’t real, they are NPCs. It isn’t real. They are NPCs.’

The odd little mantra helped me some. It also had the bonus effect of making me feel like I could kill more of these NPC fuckers. I was real. They were not. A little maniacal smile spread itself along my face at that mental leap. I’d do what I wished, how I wished, and as long as I survived these games, it wouldn’t matter. It made me feel free, and got rid of the little conscious every child learned to call ‘Jiminy Cricket.’

“Which part is Silvius managing?” There was no real way Sejanus would know that. I asked all the same. He paused beside me and looked around the new battle lines. The Barbarians were clearly disoriented but still fighting with an animalistic fury that baffled me. If I had indeed killed their leader then why were they still struggling? Was it that unsimilar to the game where they would keep fighting without their leader. Was it as simple as them having more than one or just that they were savage little fuckers?

During my internal questioning, Sejanus seemed to locate where Silvius was. “He is there.” I saw his eyes narrow and looked in the same direction. I saw the distinctive red flare of the man's helmet. Marveling at my amazing eyesight for a moment I also saw that the knot of men fighting with him was far fewer than I remembered. Before I lost my shit, we had lost thirty or so of the Hoplites at most. That should have left Silvius over sixty men when you took out the ones left behind with me. What I saw was a flimsy line of battered and bloodied Hoplites that couldn’t number more than a handful.

They were fighting with what looked like stolen weapons and holding back a force that was easily twice their number. The other Mercenary Bands were either ignoring their plight or busy fighting. Judging by the overall set-up, it was the first reason. They just didn’t care. Not shocking, they were mercenary’s. Fewer bands meant less competition for work. At least that’s what I thought.

Well, fuck them then. I’d go ahead and slaughter these NPC’s and farm EXP like a madman and then see if I could kill the other mercenaries for more EXP and rewards. “Alright, let’s go join them. They look a little overwhelmed.” Sejanus smiled, baring his teeth. The action looked more like a feral animal about to snarl. Note to self, don’t get into a fight with the bloodthirsty kid. At least not one where I didn’t cheat like a motherfucker.

We set off at a run. I could feel my blood pumping, hear my heart beating like crazy. It felt like a time when I was still a kid and had almost died. I’d been jumped by some other kids. They had knives. I had run away then, run for my life. I knew it was adrenaline but all around me, time seemed to slow for a brief moment. That moment ended when I reached the line of my men. One fell beneath the combined attack of three bare-chested Barbarians who howled in pure elation at the kill. The howls were cut short when Sejanus dove into them, an ax and spear twirling around him when he hit. The action was flashy and seemed dangerous. It still pushed the three foes back a few steps though. He took that time to slam his ax into the skull of one, deflect a poorly aimed strike by another before ripping the ax free and throwing it at the third one. The ax found its home in his chest, and he rammed the spear into the skull of the one who had acted before his counterparts.

The spear broke inside the man's skull, at least that’s what I thought. Considering the spear was missing the point when he pulled it free it was a logical assumption. The kid rushed forward and pulled the ax free from the chest of his second victim and then he ran into a knot of Hoplites holding off a few more bare-chested men with their battered shields.

I lost sight of him in the resulting carnage. The others in his squad had joined the lines, providing a few fresh bodies to help take the strain off of the others. It wasn't a lot, but it was something. Silvius found me a moment later. The man was coated in blood and gore. He’d long since lost his shield and spear and had instead taken two axes for weapons. With that flaring red fringe on his helmet, he looked like a certain berserker with a Scottish brogue in my mind. “General we are hard pressed here. What would you have us do?”

I looked around the line we were holding a moment before deciding that the other bands really could do with some fucking humbling. “Pull back, make it seem as natural as you can. I want a gap created so they can strike the flanks of the other mercenary’s. Let the men rest a moment, and then we strike.”

Silvius didn’t seem to like that order much. Not like it mattered, just an NPC. After a moment of staring at me, he nodded very slowly and started shouting out orders for the scattered men to form up and pull back slowly.

I actually had more men than I initially thought. More along the lines of thirty-six or so found their way toward Silvius and myself. I gulped down the rising bile again when I found myself in the fucking formation. I needed the EXP, just keep thinking of that. I lashed out in a piss-poor imitation of some of the others beside me with my looted ax. The thing snagged on the raised arm of a Barbarian, and I felt the resistance of bone when it lodged itself in his flesh. I put more force into the strike but pulled rather than follow through with the blow. The resulting scream of agony as the notch in my ax found purchase on his bone and yanked a shard of it, and a chunk of flesh free made me smile. I felt that dark urge rise again and let it be.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

I let it be because when I tried to analyze the fucking thing like an idiot, another Barbarian had taken that ones place and nearly split my skull in two. The only reason I survived was thanks to Silvius, who was beside me, finding a lovely home for his ax in the man's skull. I chose to ignore everything then, trying to not think about how real these things looked and focused on survival.

Another Barbarian showed himself, and I decapitated the man. That continued while we took one slow and bloody step back at a time. Around me, Hoplites fought, bled, and died. For some reason, the Barbarians never actually just surrounded the formation. I was curious about that. It seemed like something you’d want to do. More so when it happened all the time in the game. Another body of EXP fell before me, and we took another step back.

We continued this until the tide of Barbarians realized that they had a clear route at the other mercenary bands flanks. SLowly the ones attacking us were killed while their ‘reinforcements’ split off to strike at the occupied and unsuspecting backs of the others. Rather than fight the dwindling band of Hoplites that seemed to refuse to die, they would rather crush the other enemies first.

I took gasping breaths, my entire body sore and vomited once again after whatever the fuck was wrong with me, that dark place in my mind, receded and I realized I’d damn near died countless times and had reveled in the pain my ax had caused the Barbarians I fought. It had maimed them more than killed. I could still hear the cries of agony from each one I struck in my head. What made me sick though was my odd enjoyment of it.

I closed my eyes, forcing the moral dilemma from my mind. “S-Silvius,” I gasped, “have the men rest some. Keep an eye on the lines, and when both sides look utterly drained, I want us to slam into them.”

The man nodded, looking at the small trail of bodies, Hoplite and Barbarian, that led back toward the ever-flowing line of battle. The hole we allowed to form had a massive chunk of the Barbarian horde flowing through it. I could hear the screaming orders and the roar of the Barbarians themselves. The fact, so few of my men were left now made it easier for us to go unnoticed in the chaos. The mercenary’s still had the upper hand. The first engagement that led to the Barbarians fleeing still affected the monstrous men and their morale.

The two companies of men that had been on the left and right of my men were currently being slaughtered though. I frowned at the loss of potential EXP but enjoyed the fact that they were dying. They had planned to allow my people to perish and reduce the competition. That was just rude, Tutorial or not. Another half hour passed, and the remainder of my men were rested, more or less. The Barbarian numbers had significantly diminished, so had the Mercenaries. Both were down from however many thousands that had initially been present to a couple of hundred all around.

I smiled and motioned Silvius over. “Get ready to charge back in, kill everything, and I mean everything, that is in front of us.” The mercenary bands and barbarians where we had initially been were devastated. They still fought, but they moved like they were just one breath from falling over.

“Form up!” Silvius shouted, and my men formed up. Twenty-nine survived, Sejanus among them, and we made a row of three. Ten in each of the first two rows and nine in the rear. I was putting my happy black ass right at the back as well. No need to risk myself more than I needed.

Sejanus was, unsurprisingly, in the very front and near the center of our little formation. “Charge! Kill them all!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. A responding roar met my shout, and we took off at a run.

We collided with the rear element of the barbarians that had surrounded the other mercenaries and met next to no resistance. My leading element cut into them with their stolen weapons like a hot knife through butter. Several didn’t even have the energy to scream in shock or pain before they died. We did this for a minute, the scattered barbarians falling quickly. That was when we hit the mercenaries. I smiled at the first face I saw through the gaps in my men. They seemed relieved. That relief turned into horror a moment later when Sejanus cut down the first mercenary.

It was almost childs play at that point as we cleared the few dozens or so on both sides with minimal effort. I’d even killed a few of them myself before a horn sounded out across the meadow and I found myself being engulfed in a white light that sent me back to the ‘character creation’ room I had been in prior to the battle.

All the blood and oval was cleaned off my body when I entered, and several boxes greeted me. They were my rewards for completing the tutorial and surviving. I happened to notice my evil little ax was missing, but the knife was still secured in my belt when the first box became clear.

Congratulations Player! You have completed the Tutorial and earned the right to enter the game of Total War: Rome. You have also maintained your right to live.

For Killing a War-Leader in single combat, you have been granted his weapon, Life-Drinker.

You have gained a personal trait for losing your mind in combat yet surviving. Berserk.

You have personally killed thirty-two enemies in the Tutorial and been granted thirty-two experience.

Your Mercenary Hoplite Unit killed two-hundred and three enemies and earned two-hundred and three experience.

You betrayed your fellow Mercenary Bands and earned the title ‘Cut Throat.’

For completing the Tutorial and achieving a hidden goal by killing a War-Leader you have been granted tow additional rewards. ‘Follow Camp’ and one-thousand Gold Coins.

Interesting. I enjoyed those rewards, though I had absolutely no idea what they all gave me. I focused in on the prizes, they were highlighted for some reason and obtained the information I wanted.

Gold Coins - The Currency of your new reality. This currency has taken the place of the games original currency.

Follower Camp - A camp of Followers that do the chores such as making camp, cooking, sexually relieving your men. Essential to the morale and well being of your soldiers.

Cut Throat (Title) - Earned for ensuring the death of allies in a combat scenario that did not require their deaths. You are less likely to be trusted by those fighting beside you and your men. Increased damage while attacking at a .1% ratio.

Berserk (Trait) - You fly into rages during combat. You will lose all sense of yourself while in this rage, barely distinguishing friend from foe. 20% increase in overall stats. Ignore most damage, lack of self-preservation. Mental fortitude will mitigate the adverse effects to a degree.

Berserk might become an issue, but it would also be a nice little addition to my arsenal. Cut-throat didn’t do a damn thing that I hadn’t already chosen either. It might mean that my employers stab me in the back, but I could plan for that in time. My personal favorite though was the Follower Camp. I liked the idea of having more people under my command. More people to use as a meat shield. The sexual relief would be even more fun. The lack of actual sex in my life made me particularly desperate for that. Don’t judge me. Not everyone gets to have sex. Least of all overweight nerds. I turned toward the final rewards, Life-Drinker, I wasn’t entirely sure why I was allowed keep this weapon, but I was pleased about having something that seemed like it would be useful in the future.