Forums / Roleplaying / Cidellus

Cidellus

By Septim

Introduction

For three hundred forty-nine years, the entire human race was enslaved. Having migrated from a dying continent, they avoided death and instead found themselves under the yoke of the tyrannical elves. The tall fair-skinned elves believed themselves to be superior to humans due to their ability to use and manipulate magical forces. However, in the year 349 AA (After-arrival), the humans rebelled.

Sarvalai of Serilon, a young, intelligent, and fierce human, led an uprising against the elves that grew to envelop the entire continent. The elves, who had become unfit and weak, numbered only five-hundred thousand. The human slaves numbered almost five million. Sarvalai would accept no surrender from his former masters, and he drove them to absolute extinction.

After the war, Sarvalai recognized the need for an organized government and established the Serillian Empire, with himself as Emperor. For forty years he reigned, and his reign was a constructive one. He established the capital of the Serillian Empire, Seris, and proclaimed the year the Empire was founded as 0 AF (After-foundation). The men that had acted as his lieutenants during the war became the patriarchs of Serillia’s twelve high noble families. Slavery was, naturally, outlawed and Sarvalai’s reign was peaceful and prosperous. Emperor Sarvalai the Magnificent died in 40 AF, and his son Grevarai took the throne and crown.

The reigns of Sarvalai’s son and grandson were both peaceful and prosperous; however, in 131 AF, Bertrum the Zealous took the throne. He led a series of religious persecutions against the followers of Aldros, and in 135 AF a man named Matthias of Allus led a massive migration to lands outside the Serillian Empire. He called it the Kingdom of Tasidian, and proclaimed himself King Matthias I. Tasidian’s borders grew, and it soon controlled the entire Grullon Archipelago, along with a good portion of the mainland. Its navy became unparalleled, though its army was far weaker than Serillia’s legions.

In 204 AF, General Kordolan Marifos rebelled against the Empire. He was crushed in the Battle of Erein, but managed to escape. In 210 AF, he returned to Serillia at the head of a massive barbarian army. After crushing several Serillian armies, he fought against the Imperial Army. After ten bloody days of warfare, a peace treaty was made. The terms: Marifos would receive a large amount of land south of Serillia and north of Tasidian and Marifos would pay tribute to the Serillian Empire for thirty years.

In the year 267, inspired by the rise of the Kingdom of Tasidian and the Kingdom of Marfor, Varidan Polenos led an uprising on the Heartland Peninsula. Destroying a great many of Serillia’s legions, Polenos was able to carve out a large kingdom to the north of the Heartland Peninsula. He named it the Kingdom of Bertrol, after Emperor Bertrum II the Wise; a man that Pelenos revered deeply. The Serillian Empire could do nothing against Polenos, who seemed unbeatable in battle, and as a result they were forced to make peace.

In the year 295 AF, Marcus II ascended to the throne after the death his father, Emperor Marcus I the Pious. Marcus turned out to be a terrible ruler, and the frontier governors rebelled. After twenty years of war, the Serillian Empire had lost all but the Heartland Peninsula. However, the allied governors were unable to move past the Great Northern Wall. Marcus II was able to make peace, and he was killed by his own bodyguards not long after.

The Allied Governors intended to make a united government, but were unable to agree on anything. After a while, they began warring amongst themselves. They are collectively referred to as the independent principalities. Due to the border changes, making an up-to-date political map of the area was impossible.

The year is now 354 AF, and Emperor Numerius I (b. 321, r. 345 - present) is the reigning Emperor.

In Seris, a small tragedy has befallen the young Gaius Manius Cidellus, an equestrian (lesser nobleman) of no great prominence or influence. This tragedy, unknown to young Gaius, has lit the fuse of destiny within him. 

Seris, Imperial Province

Fifteenth day, fourth month, 354 AF

Her body was lifeless, her face in a state of perpetual shock and sorrow, but only a few hours ago it had been a face of happiness and innocence. A puddle of blood had leaked from her multiple stab wounds, and her clothes were torn, though somebody had pulled them back over her. A young, well-groomed, clean shaven man was above her, yelling in a mixture of sadness and rage, his tunic stained with the woman’s blood. Althea Nurella Cidellus had been raped and murdered not twenty minutes before, and already the body was pale.

Gaius Cidellus knelt next to his sister’s body in an alleyway off of one of Seris’s many wide avenues, and a crowd had formed. They watched the man, and each scream caused their hearts to ache. They were the screams of a man who had lost everything. After a while, he got up and turned to the crowd.
“Get out of here! Go!” he yelled, his face contorting into rage, “Go now, damn you!”
The crowd dissipated quickly, and the few stragglers were quickly scared off by direct yells. When the crowd was gone, Gaius turned back to his sister and knelt down on the floor. His mother, Nurella, had died giving birth to Althea. His father, Manius, had died from an unknown disease. Now his sister had been raped and murdered in broad daylight. He had been at the bathhouse while his sister was dying; he had rejected her offer of accompanying her to the theatre. He refused, however, to believe she had died because of him. She had been alive and lively just a few hours before, and now she was cold and lifeless.

***

Spurius Salvanius strolled casually into the Salvanius Villa relishing his latest conquest. He had a deep bite-wound on his arm where she had bitten into him as he had ripped her clothes off, though it had bled little. He was the son of Cassius Salvanius, a wealthy and powerful patrician. Spurius had been infamous for his lustful and overindulgent lifestyle, but Spurius was not worried in the least about the possible repercussions or consequences.

He layed down on a luxurious cushioned mattress in the spacious living room of his father’s villa and hailed a servant.
“Yes, dominus?” asked the servant, using the Elven word for “master” or “sir”.

“Wine, now!” ordered Spurius.
“At once, dominus.”
The servant walked off, and Spurius turned over on his back. He had not even known the woman’s name, but she had been beautiful and well-worth the bite to his arm. As a matter of fact, he had sort of enjoyed that as well. A large pitcher of wine was set down next to him, along with a glass. He didn’t even bother with the glass, and drank straight from the pitcher. Not a drop spilled, for Spurius had a lot of practice. He was quite proud of that. He would drink himself into a stupor that night, and probably order some prostitutes. It would be a good night. Just as he drifted off into sleep, Cassius Salvanius entered the room.
“Son!” he yelled in rage, “What have you done!?”
“What? Huh?” asked Spurius, lifting his head up with his eyes half-open.
“Is it true? You raped a woman in BROAD DAYLIGHT!?” he roared, “Get up, damn you!”

Cassius walked forward and kicked the elevated bed-couch over, causing Spurius to roll to the floor.
“Wha’d you kickh me for?” asked Spurius, slurring his words.

“Are you drunk? It’s not even sunset yet!” yelled Cassius, examining the empty pitcher, “Servant! Cold water, now!”
“Yes, dominus!” yelled the servant as he scurried off towards the kitchen, he returned thirty seconds later with a bucket.
“Pour it on him,” said Cassius, pointing to his now passed out son.
The servant looked at Cassius, and back at Spurius who was lying on the tile floor snoring. With a smile, he poured the cold water on Spurius, who immediately jumped up screaming.
“Spurius, we need to talk,” said Cassius, now calm, “We have preparations to make.”

***

The Cidellus Villa in Seris was an ancient building. Built in the time of Emperor Grevarai, it was a prime example of old Serillian architecture. It was a single story, with a large pool in the courtyard. There were four bedrooms, a study, a large main room with several couches, lavatories, a kitchen, a dining room, and a reinforced room which currently acted as an armory. However, they had no servants. The Cidellus family had long believed in getting things yourself, and disapproved of laziness. The villa was every inch a nobleman’s villa, and at one point Gaius had been proud of it. That time had long since passed, and now all he could think of was the coming trial, as Spurius Salvanius had been pinned as the perpetrator.

The case was to be presented a week from Althea’s death, and it had been two days. The tribunal would make their judgment, whether it would be a fair one or not was unknown to Gaius. The evidence was overpowering and the witnesses many. There was no way Spurius would get away with it.

*Two days later*

“Spurius!” roared a voice outside the Salvanius Villa, “Spurius, get your ass out here, now!”
Spurius Salvanius was in bed, a woman passed out next to him. He had not been drinking that night, surprisingly, as his father had forbidden it. He was to appear a model citizen over the coming week, and had been seen down at the granary giving out free loaves of bread to the plebeians. Cassius Salvanius entered Spurius’s bedroom, gave the passed out woman a disgustful look, and then looked at his son.
“Gaius Cidellus, the man whose sister you raped, is outside yelling your name. He’s been doing so for the last half hour. Have you not heard it?” asked Cassius after seeing that his son was awake.
“Yeah, I have. Why should I go out and see him?” asked Spurius.
“Son, I know you are a moron, but follow my instructions…” started Cassius.

After thirty-five minutes of yelling Spurius’s name, Gaius Cidellus got his audience. The gates of the Salvanius Villa opened, and Spurius Salvanius stepped out to meet him.
“Spurius Salvanius!” yelled Gaius, “I demand an honorable duel in the arena! You and me!”
“Cidellus?” asked Spurius, seeming surprised, “A duel? Those are forbidden by law…are you drunk?”
Cidellus had been barely keeping his balance, and his words were slurred. He had indulged himself that night, unable to keep himself from doing so.
“No! And if I am, are you afraid? Afraid to punch me? C’mon, lay a hit on me!” yelled Gaius, “Beat me like you did my sister, you piece of garbage! Not so brave now, not so tough! You ain’t tough!”
“Cidellus, I am going inside now. Have a good night,” said Spurius before turning around and walking towards the gates.
“Spurius!” roared Gaius, “Get back here, coward! Fight me! FIGHT ME!”

Spurius continued walking, and Gaius continued yelling for the next hour before being removed from the neighborhood by city prefects.

*Three days later*

A Serillian trial was a swift procedure, and there was little argument allowed amongst the accuser and the accused. That was a matter that was expected to be addressed before the trial. A tribunal was a body that would act as the judges and the jury, and were supposed to study the evidence extensively before the trial. There were three tribunes on each tribunal and their word was law.

The room that the trial took place in was small, and only a desk, three seats, and two rugs furnished the room. The accuser and accused were meant to stand on the red and blue rugs respectively while the tribunal would sit behind the desk.
“Will the accuser please come forward and present his accusation to the tribunal,” ordered the speaker of the tribunal; a gray-haired and short-bearded old man who seemed bored. Gaius stepped forward and looked up at the tribunal. Gaius, in every sense of the word, looked terrible. His usually well-groomed hair was dirty, as was his face. A short beard had grown in the week since his sister had died, and his body projected a disgusting odor. He seemed to have made no effort to make himself presentable.

“My name is Gaius Manius Cidellus. My sister was violently raped and murdered by this man a week ago and I demand justice!” roared Gaius, a dark rage surfacing inside him, “This trial seems to be an insult, if anything! It is quite clea-”
“That is quite enough, Cidellus,” interrupted the speaker, “Will the accused please present his defense?”

Spurius, as opposed to Gaius, had made every effort to prepare himself for the trial. His posture was straight, his gestures well-rehearsed, and his tone controlled.
“Yes sir, thank you sir. I’ve come here to say that I’ve been wrongfully accused! This is a attack against my honor, and anybody that knows me knows that I would never do such a thing! This is an outrage of unspeakable horror, and there is no evidence to prove my guilt! This is a travesty, and a waste of my time and yours!” exclaimed Spurius.
“No evidence? Almost a dozen people saw you do it, you swine!” snorted Gaius.

“What witnesses do you speak of?” asked the speaker.
“What witnesses!? I talked to them myself the day after the murder! They saw his face!” yelled Gaius, suddenly worried.
“The man is clearly deranged! He is conjuring his own reality. Three days ago, he came to my villa and started howling wild accusations at me and my family, a dozen people saw him! He has quite obviously descended into insanity, sad as it may seem.”
“You bastard!” roared Gaius at Spurius, using every ounce of his self-control to resist beating the life out of the man.
“Silence!” yelled the speaker, “Gaius Cidellus, do you have anything meaningful to add?”

“He is guilty, and everybody who saw him knows it! His father must be covering it up, his father bribed the witnesses!” yelled Gaius.
“Now he is attacking my family! He is a paranoid wreck!” yelled Spurius.

“Silence, Salvanius!” yelled one of the tribunes.
“Yes, your honor.”
“We find the evidence to be inadequate, and we find the accuser to be quite unstable. Spurius Salvanius is cleared of all charges,” said the speaker.
“What!?” roared Gaius, “He br-“
Gaius stopped himself, as it would do no good to accuse the tribunal; he would probably be thrown in prison. There was nothing Gaius could do, at least not at the moment, and Spurius left the room confidently with a smile on his face. Gaius would not let it end like that, he would never let it end like that, and Spurius was an arrogant man for thinking that he would. He would make sure that both Spurius and his powerful father would pay for what happened to his sister, and he would not rest until he did.

*Two weeks later*

It had been two weeks since the trial, and Gaius had eaten little. His once normal build was now one of an emaciated slave, and the hygienic habits that he had less than a month ago were virtually non-existent. The bath he had taken on the day of his sister’s death had been his last, and he smelled terrible. His skin was suffering, and it now had a waxy quality about it. He was barely recognizable from the man who, three weeks before, had cried and yelled over his sister’s violated corpse. His thoughts were haunted by memories of his sister. He would often hear her voice calling his name in the darkness, and he would often see her when his eyes closed.

He got up from his kneeling position, walked into the dining room, and stared, as he often did, at his sister’s seat. He was the last of the Cidelli, a line descended from Vardum. Vardum of Cidemor had been an excellent swordsman, and had served as the head of Sarvalai’s Royal Guard during the war against the Elves. Gaius had at one point been proud of that, but he no longer cared about anything but revenge. All he could think of was watching Spurius Salvanius die slowly for his crimes. Vengeance would come soon; very soon, that much he was sure of. Then his sister’s could rest in peace and honor, and maybe he could learn to enjoy life again.

***

The streets of Seris were almost empty at night due to the harsh curfew put in place in response to late-night crimes; you could only be out on the streets if you had a cart, wagon, or pack-animal. However, Spurius seemed quite able to walk around at his leisure without any of those things, even being seen by prefects. The unfairness of the law fueled the anger inside him as he shadowed his sister’s rapist, taking care not to be seen by the corrupt prefects. He had a dagger at his side, and was dressed in the torn and disgusting remains of the toga he had worn to the trial. Spurius began whistling a tune, making it easier for Gaius to follow him due to the background noise. Spurius was approaching the point where Gaius would make his move, he had to act.
“Sir!” yelled Gaius in a raspy voice as he rapidly approached, “Just a few coins!”
“What? No, don’t come any closer!” exclaimed Spurius, “Filthy beggar!”

Gaius continued to creep closer, slower, feigning uncertainty and indecisiveness, his face displaying a question: “Should he approach?”
“Stay back!” yelled Spurius, balling his hands into fists before starting towards Spurius, “I’m going to beat the hell out of you!”

When Spurius got within range, Gaius pulled a hidden dagger out of his ragged toga and smashed Spurius over the head with the hilt. He fell to the ground, his face frozen in shock. Gaius picked him up under the armpits, dragged him over to a cart that he had arranged for, threw him in the back, covered him, and began pulling it back towards his estate. Despite the fact that he had eaten little, he possessed a wiry strength fueled by the desire for retribution. Nothing would stop him, nothing.

They soon reached the Cidellus villa, and Gaius pulled the cart into the courtyard. He shut the gates, locked them, and pulled the blanket off of Spurius. He stared at him for a few seconds, staring at the face of the man; it was still frozen in shock. Althea’s face had been the same way in death. Gaius began dragging him into his house, hatred and excitement building. The reinforced room that had earlier acted as an armory had been rearranged, and now had a large table inside with shackles bolted on. There was also another smaller table that held a variety of tools, including pliers, knives, scissors, hammers, nails, needles, and glass tubes. A large bag of salt also rested upon the tool table. Gaius had never tortured a man in his life, but two weeks of constant meditation was a long time to think of methods.

Gaius placed Spurius’s hands and legs into the shackles and his head into a special brace. He held down Spurius’s torso with straps and waited nearly a half hour for him to regain consciousness.

“Where am I?” asked Spurius at first, then he looked around, “Where am I!?”
“You are in the Cidellus family villa, do you remember me?” asked Gaius, looking at Spurius.
“It was two weeks ago, of course I remember, but I didn’t rape your sister!” yelled Spurius.
“Those two weeks have been an eternity for me, and you did rape my sister. You did it in broad daylight!” yelled Gaius, “You know what the punishment is for rape? Do you!?”
Spurius didn’t respond, he just looked at Gaius in hatred.
“Torture until death; that is the law! The moment you penetrated my sister, you sealed your fate, you piece of filth! I am merely a vigilant citizen, making sure that the law is fairly carried out,” explained Gaius.
Spurius’s face contorted into rage as he looked at Gaius.
“Your sister screamed like a whore, you dirty low-born piece o-“
He was cut short by a gag being shoved into his mouth. Gaius then tied a long cloth around his head to keep the gag in.
“Are you ready for some fun? I think I might cut your testicles off,” said Gaius, relishing the look upon Spurius’s face.  
Spurius let out a long, muffled, blood-curdling scream, and Gaius laughed for the first time in three weeks.
“Scream all you want, for no sound escapes this room!” yelled Gaius.
Gaius joined in with him, letting out a loud, raspy yell.
“Nothing! Nothing!! NOTHING!!! Nothing will escape this room, Spurius!” roared Gaius with a laugh, “Let us play a game, shall we? It’s called ‘How long can the victim’s brother keep the rapist alive?’ Sound like a fun game?”

Muffled screams came from Gaius’s torture chamber that night, and for the next week, and yet none escaped the villa. On the seventh day of torture, Spurius Salvanius died. His body was barely recognizable, as it was so bruised, cut, and mutilated. The teeth were missing, as were the fingernails and eyeballs. Gaius was worried that Cassius wouldn’t recognize his own son, but his hopes were high.

***

In an alley opposite the Salvanius Villa, a yell was heard.
“Murder! Murder!” yelled a man of around forty as he examined a disfigured corpse, “Somebody has been murdered!”

A crowd gathered around the body, but nobody could identify the corpse. Cries of “Barbaric!” and “Who could do such a thing?” were heard from the crowd as they waited for the prefects to with a meat-cart and take the body away. Nobody had seen the man who had left it there, but the body had obviously not gotten there of its own power as the man’s legs and arms had been broken. Suddenly, the crowd parted and Patriarch Cassius Salvanius of the Salvanii stepped forward, looking at the body.
“Is that?” he asked with a fearful tone as he examined the body “Is that my son? Is that Spurius?”
He ran over to the body and knelt down next to it, his eyes tearing up despite his usually calm and emotionless demeanor. He lifted Spurius’s head up and rested it in his lap.
“My son…” he whispered sadly, “Who did this to you?”
The crowd was silent as they watched the father lament his son’s apparently painful death. Tears slid down his cheek, and he began yelling in sorrow and anger. He turned to the crowd, and looked at them for a few seconds before getting up and walking towards them, his face contorting with rage.
“Get the hell out of here! This isn’t a theatre; I’m not a god-damn actor! Show some respect!” roared Cassius.

Gaius, along with most of the crowd, left the alley. His revenge was complete. The man who had raped his sister was dead after a week of unbearable pain, and the man who had deprived him of justice now had a dead son and would have no justice. It seemed like equal punishment to Gaius, and he now felt free of the weights that had held his mind for the last month. His sister had been avenged, and now he could finally put it behind him. He would miss her, certainly, but he would not let it destroy him. For what seemed like the first time, he noticed that he smelled terrible, he noticed the disgusting filth that had accumulated in his hair, he noticed the greasy facial hair on his face, and he noticed the painful skin irritations that had developed all over his body. He began walking towards the bathhouse with hygienic intentions.

Seris, Imperial Province

Twenty-fifth day, fifth month, 354 AF

The irritations that had developed were now eradicated, though it had taken twelve days of good hygiene to do so. His hair was clean once more, and his beard trimmed down to a respectable length. His fingernails and toe-nails had also grown quite a bit, and he had cut them too down to a reasonable length. He was hygienic once more, and he could concentrate on another far more complicated goal than the revenge of his sister.

If the Serillian Courts had been clean and free of corruption in the first place, he would not have needed to take revenge. His sister would have been avenged by the law, rather than the efforts of a vengeful sibling. Taking revenge on the individual judges would do nothing, for they would be replaced by judges with similar levels of greed. The weed had to be pulled at the roots, or else it would grow back. Gaius intended to pull corruption out by the root, but in order to do that he needed power. Power could not be gained on the senate, as it was merely a powerless body designed to make the plebs think they had a say. The Patrician Council had a great deal of influence, but that was available only to patricians and not to equestrians.

The Serillian legion, a military force consisting of nearly 100,000 men, was the only place an equestrian could hope to gain real power. The independent principalities had recently been weakened severely by a large plague, and the other nations had quarantined the independent principalities as a result. There had been few plague victims in Serillia, Bertrol, Marfor, and Tasidian, and the villages that had fallen to the plague had their populations killed, their bodies burnt, and their buildings burnt to the ground. Desperate times had called for desperate measures, though they were horrifying and cruel.

In 4 AF, Sarvalai had created the equestrian class to which the Cidellus family belonged with the goal of creating a “horseman class”. There had been 100 original equestrian families with around 12 members each. By 354 AF, due to breeding and offshoot families, there were around 1000 equestrian families. The equestrians, from the 350 census, numbered 60,000. However, many of the equestrian families could not be told apart from plebeian families. Only 98 families had enough wealth to support a villa, and only 19 of those were the original equestrian families.

Gaius Manius Cidellus was proud of his lineage, but none of his family had served in the cavalry since his great-grandfather’s time. The thought of leading a charge of cavalry into enemy lines excited Cidellus. He would do well in the cavalry, though it would take nearly a year of training; six months for the standard legionnaire training, and another six months for cavalry training. It would be grueling, hard training, but in the end he would be a soldier; the first step on the staircase of power.

Fort Erusded, Province of Lorum

Fifth day, eighth month, 355 AF

The year of training had been hell for most, but easy for Gaius. His mind was not on gold, or glory, or commendation; it was on power, the power to pull the weed of corruption and restore justice to the law. He was up the first step, with many more to go.

War had been declared on several of the independent principalities, and the other principalities had quickly declared war on the Serillian Empire in defense of their fellow Princes. Ten legions, or sixty thousand troops, were being devoted to the war. Six thousand of those men were equestrian horsemen, armed with their spears and swords. They were protected by the same armor that legionnaires wore, segmenta armor. They also used a longer version of the gladius, the legionnaire’s short thrusting sword, called the spatha. Finally, each equestrian horseman held a long, round shield which was simply called the cavalry shield. He had been assigned to the fourteenth legion, which consisted of 3,000 legionnaires, 1,000 archers, 1,500 light infantrymen, and 500 horsemen.

When war was declared, the fourteenth legion was mobilized for war and left Fort Erusded two days later with their packs on their backs and their swords at their sides. The equestrians had the luxury of using their horses as pack-animals, and Gaius did so as he rode in the long marching column. Their destination was Mardiom, where they would prepare for the invasion. The entire operation was officially commanded by Emperor Numerius. However, Emperor Numerius had little military experience or talent, and was a far more able politician. His brother, Marcus Serillus, would be the true commander of the war.

Marcus Serillus born 323 AF, was one of the youngest generals the Serillian Empire had ever employed. He was also one of the most effective generals the Serillian Empire had ever employed, although a true test of his generalship would come in the coming wars.

It would take the fourteenth legion forty days to march to the Great Northern Wall, and it would probably take ten more days for the other legions to arrive and prepare for battle. It would be another fifty days at the very least before Gaius would see any combat, and that was even doubtful. The enemy commanders, unless they were reckless or stupid, would not ambush the far larger invasion force as they came out fresh from behind their massive stone wall guarded by thousands of archers. If they were to stand a chance, it would be a war of attrition. The independents would attempt to cut off their supply lines, launch ambushes, and would probably employ scorched-erus strategies. It would be a tough war, despite their numerical advantage, better training, and more sophisticated logistics, but they would be victorious.

Berunsdale, Principality of Validon

Twenty-ninth day, ninth month, 355 AF

The three-day advance through the Validon-Mordiom Gate went off without a hitch as 60,000 men crossed into Validon, starting one of the largest invasions in Serillian history. To lessen the effects of attrition, Serillus split the army up into three parts. Marshal Marcus Cnaeus Serillus would command the First Army, General Sarvalai Decius Karallus would command the Second Army, and General Lucius Marinus Torenus would command the Third Army.

Sarvalai Karallus, named after the legendary first Emperor of Serillia and hero of humanity, was forty-six years old. His black hair and beard were graying, and he was short in stature. However, he was a good warrior in his own right and a decent enough general.

Lucius Marinus Torenus, 53, was the brother of Tiberius Marinus Torenus, Patriarch of the Torenus family. He was a wise and valorous man, and he respected his soldiers. However, he was often regarded as a soft judge.

Gaius had been assigned to the First Army under Marcus Serillus. Gaius was part of the second cavalry squadron of the fourteenth legion, and he eagerly awaited a chance to win glory and fame. That chance came near the large town of Berunsdale, where the first major battle of the war occurred.

***

Logistics and the preparations soldiers made before battle were often regarded as more important than combat prowess. They made use of many of Sarvalai’s logistical breakthroughs, such as the constructing supply dumps, the usage of purchasing agents, and the usage of soldiers as well as baggage trains to carry equipment. They would also make sure to have a camp built every night, complete with entrenchments, a palisade wall, and sentry-posts. However, their enemies would make use of many of the same systems and tactics as Serillia, as the independent principalities had only been independent since 295 AF.

Once the actual battle was to take place, the soldiers would eat breakfast and begin deconstructing the camp, loading the gear onto the baggage trains. The cavalry had to take part in this too, but Gaius didn’t mind at all. He used the camp as much as everybody else, and it wouldn’t be fair for the equestrians not to do their part. After the baggage train was out of the camp, the camp would be burnt to the ground. This was to prevent the enemy from occupying it at a later date. They would then get in marching formations and march to the battlefield while the light cavalry engaged in scouting operations.

Both armies would be in position, and a phase known as skirmishing would begin as skirmishers began throwing their light javelins and archers began volleying arrows. The skirmishers and archers would be deployed at the front of the formations to allow for maximum range.

Once the skirmishing ended and the armies were getting close to each other, the skirmishers would retreat behind the heavy and light infantry. The infantry would then close the channels in their formations, forming a solid line. Before the infantry would charge, they would throw their javelins at the opposition.

Intense fighting would then occur as the soldiers would butcher each-other in a battle line that could go for miles. During this time, the Serillian commanders would feed fresh troops into the battle and withdraw the wounded or exhausted soldiers from the fighting. At other times, both sides would withdraw for a short while. It would be during this fighting that the heavy cavalry would come into play.

Their job would to move around the enemy and attack their flanks or rear in a wedge-like formation, breaking their ranks and causing great panic and confusion. However, most of the time they would encounter resistance in the form of spearmen or heavy cavalry, and would be forced to fight or flee and regroup rather than do their jobs.

From then on, it was up to the generals and officers to command the battle as it went along. There were several plans for several different scenarios, but they could not prepare for everything. Battles were unpredictable, and the job of a General was to inspire his men and predict the unpredictable.

The air was cold, and Gaius’s breath was visible. It was early morning, and frost had encased the dormant grass. Gaius was in his position with his squadron, and his commander was awaiting the signal to begin his maneuvers. The archers of the legion were standing in front, with the light infantrymen and the legionnaires behind them respectively. They were volleying arrows at the opposing army in what could be called skirmishing, and four squadrons of light cavalry were standing by in preparation for an attack. Gaius’s heart-rate was up, and his skin was tingling. He wanted to fight, he couldn’t wait. It was strange, as before the war he had thought himself a coward. Revenge for his sister’s death had not been an act of bravery; it had been an act of justice fueled by the desire for retribution. He was sure that any good person would attempt to do the same. Perhaps he was a coward, only real battle would tell.

***

“Skirmishers, fall back!” roared a series of voices as the order relayed throughout the deployed army. The skirmishers ran back through the gaps in the infantry formation as the enemy infantry marched towards them in tortoise-shell formations.

The tortoise-shell, sometimes called testudo, was a formation designed to withstand missile fire. The soldiers in the front would hold their shields forward, the soldiers behind their shields above their heads, and the soldiers on the side would aim their shields towards their left or right. The result was a box-like image. However, against melee and close-combat it was extremely ineffective due to the tightness of it, and the soldiers could only use it during advances.

Once the skirmishers were falling back, the IP soldiers reverted back to normal square formations. The enemies were now yelling and charging with their swords raised above them and their shields out in front of them. The Serillians threw their javelins, and the IP soldiers did the same. Then, the enemies charged into the Serillians, and the intense melee began.

“On me! Move!” yelled the cavalry commander after around thirty seconds as he charged forward on his horse, Gaius and the rest of the cavalry followed behind him. The rest of the cavalry was moving as well, except for two squadrons that were being used as defenses for the archers’ flanks. They circled around the melee, which was a mile long and a thousand feet thick, and saw the well-predicted light infantry standing behind the melee, guarding the archers and the rear.
“WEDGE FORMATION!” roared the cavalry commanders, and Gaius angled his horse into his spot in the wedge. The light infantry grew closer, and finally he heard a crash as the tip of the wedge crashed into the light infantry. Gaius’s spear smashed into a light infantryman’s shield and splintered apart, he drew his spatha and slashed down, cleaving the stunned soldier’s shoulder apart, his blade cutting through the leather armor. He didn’t keep his focus on the man, obviously, but he knew he had delivered a mortal wound. His first kill in battle, and the second of his life. He leaned sideways and cleaved at another soldier, this strike was blocked by a round shield. The soldier countered with a spear thrust, but Gaius was out of range, his horse walking forward as he slashed and stabbed the light infantrymen. The smell of blood was in the air, and several cavalrymen were now dismounted (their horses had been killed) and were fighting and dying on foot.

Gaius’s horse suddenly screamed, and he felt himself falling. His shield hit the ground at an angle, causing him to roll forward a few feet. He struggled to his feet a few seconds later and raised his shield, circling around. A soldier came at him with a spear, and Gaius raised his shield. The spear struck the shield with incredible force, and the point of the spear went two inches in. Gaius then moved his shield to the side and swung his blade into the soldier’s torso, causing him to scream in pain and fall to the ground, whimpering. He spun around again while pulling the spear out, trying to get oriented. There were people fighting all around him, but he could barely friend from foe. He stabbed at an engaged man in leather armor, and the man screamed in pain as Gaius’s spatha went between his ribs. Gaius pulled it out, causing the man to fall towards him. He then felt a force collide with his upper back. He turned around in time to block another such spear attack (the first one had been aimed at his neck) and stabbed at his attacker, only to have his sword blocked by a shield. The attacker dropped his spear and began to take out his gladius. However; he was stopped by a horseman, who cut his head partially off with a nice clean strike to the neck.

The horseman kept going, and Gaius looked around. Reinforcements had arrived in the form of another squadron, and the light-infantrymen were being slaughtered. Gaius’s sword was covered in blood, and his armor had been sprayed with it during the melee. The horsemen continued riding, not taking a second look at any of the men on foot, and began attacking the nearly helpless and trapped archers.

Gaius looked around and saw no riderless horses. However; he did see a large group of dismounted horsemen standing around idly like he was. Seeing a potential form of heavy infantry; he began yelling orders, despite the fact that he held no rank.
“Form up, dismounted cavalry!” yelled Gaius, pointing his sword to a spot on the ground with authority.
Most of the men responded, but several didn’t.
“Form up, now!” roared Gaius, pointing his sword at the idle horsemen and then pointing at the rally point. The men now recognized the order, and the block formation began to get organized. Gaius had to constantly yell orders, but the square of improvised heavy infantry was formed after around two minutes.

Gaius took his wrongful place at the side (the Centurion’s position) and pointed his sword towards the archers.
“Advance!” yelled Gaius.
The block of soldiers began moving as they were taught to in their six months of basic legionnaire training. However, the archers had been slaughtered by the time they got close. Instead of stopping there, Gaius turned his head to the melee going on around four hundred feet away on his left. The cavalry was preparing a charge to make a hammer-and-anvil move, and Gaius felt that heavy infantry would be useful support troops.

“Turn left ninety degrees!” ordered Gaius.
The soldiers, as they were trained to, responded well the voice of a man in command. They formation turned ninety degrees and stopped.
“Advance!” yelled Gaius as he pointed his sword at the rear of the enemy heavy infantry, who were turning to face the approaching threat of the cavalry and improvised infantry. Gaius had nearly a hundred men, and he was sure that they would make useful support troops for the cavalry. They began marching forward, but the horsemen were forgetting about the impending javelin-throw.
“Raise your god-damn shields!” yelled Gaius as he saw the enemy legionnaires ready their javelins. He raised his own, and a volley of javelins was unleashed upon them. One flew into Gaius’s shield, and another landed less than six inches from his foot. He didn’t seem to notice though, he was intent on causing as much harm to his enemy as possible.
“Halt!” yelled Gaius, and he looked behind him. The cavalry was just finishing getting into wedge formation, and they were about to charge. Out of courtesy or honor, they had decided to let Gaius’s men attack one area while they would attack the enemy rear around them. It would take pressure off of Gaius, which was good. The cavalry began its charge, and Gaius turned to his men.
“CHARGE!” roared Gaius.

Gaius and his men began running, their shields out in front of them. They all ran the same speed, which had also been taught to them in legionnaire training. They got closer: forty feet...thirty feet…ten feet…and SMASH! Gaius’s shield smashed with an enemy’s, and he jumped back. A gladius was thrusted at him, which he blocked with his shield. He made an attack of his own with his spatha, and it was repelled as well. Gaius was at a disadvantage as far as equipment was concerned. His sword was longer and better fit for mounted combat than melee. His shield was round, instead of square, and didn’t cover as much as a square shield would have. However, his spatha did offer better reach than the gladius, and he also had the advantage of attacking from the rear. He ran forward, smashed into the enemy, angled his sword around, and cut the legionnaire’s hamstring. The legionnaire fell to the ground, screaming, and Gaius delivered a chop to the legionnaire’s head, severing it completely.

The battle was over in twenty minutes due to the combined pressure from the infantry in the front, and the cavalry and improvised infantry from the back. The hammer-and-anvil strategy worked well, and the Battle of Berunsdale became the first battle of the war and the first Serillian victory. The Serillian Empire lost a total of 4,500 infantry, 300 heavy cavalrymen, 650 light cavalrymen, and 0 archers. The Independent Principalities lost a total of 23,000 infantry and 5,000 archers, with them not having any form of cavalry.

***

The battle had ended an hour before, and General Marcus Serillus was pleased by the results. His strategy had worked, but one part of the battle had not been in his plans. After the initial charge into the light infantry guarding the archers, a dismounted equestrian had rallied the other dismounted cavalrymen and formed a large formation of heavy infantry. He had then used them to charge into the rear of the melee, causing an unknown number of casualties for the Independent Principalities. He had also fought bravely amongst his men, killing nearly fifteen men in single combat during the melee, and around five while on horseback. The man’s name had been Gaius Manius Cidellus, and Marcus Serillus saw quite a bit of himself in the man. Cidellus must have had the leadership ability to take charge, the charisma to get the other equestrians to follow him, and the tactical knowledge to get them into decent formations for the attack.. That alone made him valuable, and Serillus would be sure to commend him later.

***

After several hours of marching to a suitable position, Serillus’s army set up camp. It took them around four hours, with part of the army standing watch in the unlikely event of an enemy attack. When the camp was set up, many of the soldiers began resting.

***

Gaius Manius Cidellus, however, was not resting. He was celebrating, or was the source of celebration, anyway. Most of the men in the fourteenth legion’s cavalry wanted to meet him, and they spoke of his achievements as if they were something of legend. He had simply been doing what any good soldier would do: increasing the chances of allied victory. The men he had organized were also being celebrated, and they were making the tales as tall as they could. During the celebration, a man Gaius recognized as one of General Serillus’s camp messengers rode up to him and looked around before looking at Gaius.
“Gaius Manius Cidellus?” asked the camp messenger, and the celebration immediately grew quiet.
“Yes, that is I,” said Gaius.
“General Serillus would like to see you as soon as possible,” reported the camp messenger before riding off.
“I’d better not keep the General waiting!” exclaimed Gaius as he turned to the crowd and waved goodbye. They laughed, though he suspected that their laughter was either caused by the joy in the air or their respect for him, and he walked off.

***

The command tent was not lavish as he had often suspected during his time as a civilian, though he guessed that the luxuriousness of the tent depended on the commander’s taste. Gaius guessed that General Serillus was an austere man, and he would be sure not to count on any form of a sense of humor. He stopped at the front flap leading into the tent, which was guarded by four Altorian Guards.
“Name?” asked one of the guards, though he already suspected the answer.
“Gaius Manius Cidellus; horseman of the 2^nd cavalry squadron, fourteenth legion,” answered Gaius.
“Surrender your dagger and enter,” said one of the guards, holding out his hand for Gaius’s pugio. Gaius drew his pugio, flipped it in his hand, and handed it to the guard handle-first. The guard gestured for Gaius to enter, and he did so.

The tent was barren except for a bed, a chest, an armor stand, a desk, a chair behind the desk, and a large table. On the table was a map, and on the map Gaius could see several arrows and circles, along with writing, which was obviously a campaign plan. Marcus Serillus was seated at his desk reading what looked like reports, and didn’t seem to notice Gaius enter.
“Sir!” exclaimed Gaius as he brought his fist to the center of his chest in a salute, snapping Serillus out of his trance.
“Gaius Manius Cidellus,” said General Serillus, looking up and rising to his feet, “At ease.”

Gaius lowered his salute and loosened his posture, but kept his eyes on Serillus.
“It was a brave thing you did, though a bit risky. How did you know you would not be punished for such actions?” asked Serillus.
“In all honesty, sir: I didn’t. However; it seemed like the most useful thing I could do in the position I was in, so I did it.”
“Well; the battle would have been won regardless of what you did, but I commend you none-the-less. You’re a natural leader; that much is obvious. A natural leader should not be a follower, so I am promoting you to the rank of Squadron Commander. You’ll be commanding the second cavalry of the fourteenth legion. Your new horse and equipment will be presented to you in the morning. Have a good evening.”
With that, Serillus sat down and continued reading his reports.
“But sir,” interrupted Gaius, and Serillus looked up.
“Yes?” asked Serillus, surprisingly not annoyed.
“Commander Lupinus is in charge of that squadron,” said Gaius, “And I can vouch that he is a good commander.”
“Ah, you should not question my assignments, but you a new recruit. I will let you off. Lupinus has been promoted out of the fourteenth’s second cavalry squadron,” said Serillus.
“I am sorry for questioning you,” said Cidellus.
“Apology accepted, but never question my judgement again. Dismissed,” said Serillus before

Gaius returned to the celebration, which had died down a bit in his absence, and gave everybody the good news. There was even more celebration as the men of the second cavalry squadron attempted to suck up to their new commander, and Gaius merely smiled. He was another step closer to his goal and he knew, without a doubt, that he was no coward.

***

The war continued to drag on, and Gaius served his country well as a cavalry commander. He would lead the charges at the tip of the wedge formation, cutting and stabbing his way through the enemy lines. He was de-horsed often, but rarely injured with much more than a deep slash. He called it luck, but his men called it skill. He didn’t consider himself a great warrior, he considered himself a good leader who led by example.

The next notable moment of Gaius’s career in the cavalry came during the Battle of Harburg Fields, almost two years after Gaius’s promotion after the Battle of Berunsdale. For two weeks, Serillus’s army had been pursuing an army under the command of General Varunai Caletus, one of the better commanders of the new Allied Principalities.

Harburg Fields, Principality of Morvinoll

Third day, sixth month, 357 AF

The invasion of the Allied Principalities had gone well, and most of the major cities and towns in the north of the now allied nations were taken. Gaius had been made quite wealthy by the looting that they often engaged in after a siege, though he had little use for wealth on campaign, so he sold his treasures and had his money shipped back to a bank in Seris.

Gaius was mounted on a flat plain not far from the infantry’s flanks; a spear in his right hand and a shield in his left. Several scars now covered his body where swords and spears had marked him, but he had miraculously survived his many battles relatively unscathed compared to many of the men in the legions. He was glad for this, but it could always change. He was reckless, and that increased his chances, but most of the time he took good risks that paid off.

The skirmishers were running back now, and the infantry were marching forward towards the waiting AP legionnaires. Each and ever one of those soldiers had a name, family, history, and their own experiences, and yet Gaius only thought of them as “the infantry” and “the enemy”. It might’ve been a way for him to not go insane; thinking of them as numbers, but it still bugged him.

The stopped and threw their javelins before charging forward, at which point the enemy threw their own javelins. Then the two forces clashed, and the heavy fighting began.
“On me! Move!” yelled Gaius before riding forward; his squadron of cavalry following close behind. They circled around, with Gaius intending to use the classic hammer-and-anvil strategy. However, as he circled around near the forest, he heard a horn. He knew what it meant, and immediately stopped.
“Ambush on the right!” roared Gaius, “Defensive maneuvers!”
A large number of light cavalrymen came riding out of the forest armored in leather and carrying long lances. They had intended to catch them completely off-guard, but the horn had been blown too soon and alerted Gaius. They rode back, away from the forest, and turned around to face the light cavalry. The tree line was around 100 feet away, and they had no chance to get in wedge formation.

“Charge!” yelled Gaius as he lowered his spear and began riding towards his enemies. His men hesitated, but followed. Gaius knew he could never outrun the lightly armored troops; he knew that they stood a better chance fighting. The outnumbered heavy cavalry crashed into the lightly armored but numerically superior force of light cavalry, with Gaius’s spear going through a light cavalryman’s torso. The anonymous enemy fell off his horse and Gaius let go of his amazingly still-intact spear. Gaius then blocked a lance-strike from another enemy on his shield. However; the lance went through his shield and nearly hit his lower chest, but it barely missed. However, due to his speed at which he was riding he was forced to let go of his shield or risk falling off his horse. He finally drew his spatha and parried an incoming lance from his right before slashing the hostile rider’s chest. He made sure to slash while on horseback, because a stab could cause the blade to go through and form a situation similar to what had happened with his shield.

Two lances glanced off his armor, and he slashed one of the attackers with his spatha. The heavier armor of the heavy cavalry was proving valuable, but Gaius wondered if it would be enough of an advantage to gain them victory. He would find out; he would make a gamble. He continued fighting in the brutal battle between light cavalry and heavy cavalry, his sword cleaving through flesh and bone and parrying lances when possible. However; he wasn’t fighting for thirty seconds when a blunted lance struck him square in the chest and caused him to fly off his horse and onto the ground below, knocking the wind out of him and almost knocking him unconscious. He layed there for nearly thirty seconds, and as he got up he saw his men retreating and the light cavalry pursuing them. Both the enemies and the 2^nd Cavalry Squadron thought him to be dead. Gaius’s horse had run off, but he was able to pick up his dropped sword, grab a nearby discarded shield, and stop a riderless horse. Once he had all three, he began to give chase.

They rode along the treeline, with the light cavalry slowly gaining on the slower heavy cavalry. There was still more light cavalrymen, but not as large of a ratio as before. They were riding away from the battlefield, and Gaius would never let his men desert or flee. Gaius would not be able to yell orders over the noises around him, so he attracted attention the only other way he could: he yelled. He yelled as loud and as long as he could, and some of the light cavalry spun around to engage him. They charged at him, and Gaius turned around and began riding in the other direction; back towards the battlefield. He turned around, and beyond the light cavalry he saw the heavy cavalry giving chase. Gaius’s men either thought that the light cavalrymen were fleeing, or that they were going back to attack the melee fighters. Either one was bad, especially if they got charged with desertion.

Gaius stopped, turned around, and charged into them with his shield raised. He blocked several strikes with his shield, several with his armor, and the rest caused cuts and gashes. Once he was through, he took of his helmet and raised it in the air.
“Cowards! I am not dead!” roared Gaius, “Wedge formation, quick!”
The cavalry, though surprised their commander was still alive, got into wedge formation with Gaius at the tip. Once they were in formation, however, the light cavalry charged into them. Another fight began, and after around five minutes; the light cavalry routed with only four men left. Gaius had lost nearly a quarter of his men, and many more were injured. He could not; however, stop fighting before the battle was over.
“On me!” yelled Gaius, “We’re late to the party!”

It took them nearly a minute to reach the battle, and it looked brutal. However, the enemy archers were already dead (at the hands of the other cavalry squadrons), and they were just starting the charge into the rear of the enemy formations. He continued riding, leading his men around the enemy formations. However; by the time he got there, the few enemies left were routing. The battle was over, and he had missed it all due to a damn ambush.

***

There had been no mention made of the ambush for the rest of the time they spend checking the bodies and counting the dead. Afterwards, they walked to a suitable campsite and set up camp. While setting up, Gaius was called to see General Serilluc once again.

“What in the hell happened!?” asked Marcus Serillus as Gaius walked through the tent-flap and saluted. Serillus was seated at his desk once again, but didn’t bother standing up this time.
“Sir, we were ambushed by light cavalry while circling around the enemy to attack the archers. Instead of running; I decided to charge. We would’ve never been able to outrun them,” justified Gaius.
“More happened, soldier. Tell me the whole damn story,” said Serillus.
“I was knocked off my horse by an enemy lance and nearly knocked unconscious. By the time I woke up, my men were retreating and the light cavalrymen were giving chase. I grabbed my sword, a shield, and a horse. I then gave chase.”
Serillus nodded, still listening.
“I yelled as loud as I could to get the attention of the light cavalrymen who were chasing my men. I then turned around and rode off, hoping to give my men the illusion that the light cavalry were either retreating or going back to attack the melee fighters. It worked, and they turned back around to give chase. Once I saw that my squadron was giving chase to the enemy, I turned around and charged through the enemy light cavalry. They had no lances left; and I felt that since they were in a shallow, wide formation, I could ride through them. I received several cuts and gashes for my trouble, but the rest were blocked.”
“You’re a lucky man, then,” broke in Serillus.
“Thank you, sir. Once through the enemy, I regrouped with me men and organized them into wedge formation before the enemy light cavalry attacked. We were engaged in battle for around five minutes before they began routing with only four survivors. Instead of giving chase, we intended to return to the battle. However; the battle was already won by the time we got there,” said Gaius.

Marcus Serillus sat back in his chair, thinking. After nearly a minute, he looked up at Gaius.
“Cidellus, you made a few mistakes in your command of the cavalry. However; I have learned never to judge anything in retrospect, so I will let you off. A large number of your men survived, and you also inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy. You did well under pressure, and I admire your courage. Go get some rest, Commander. You’re dismissed,” said Serillus.

***

The Allied Principalities were crippled, but they kept resisting. The chances for Gaius to win glory were few and far between now, as most of the fighting consisted of skirmishes or small battles. However; on the second day of the fifth month in the year 258 AF, the second army was crushed at the Battle of Prenium. General Sarvalai Decius Karallus was killed in action, along with almost his entire army. The last remaining army of the Allied Principalities had been commanded by General Caius Lucilius Evodius, and he had suffered light casualties during the engagement.

Marcus Serillus, shocked by this turn of events, began a march towards Prenium. The march would take ten days.

Field near Prenium, Principality of Berunusia

Sixteenth day, fifth month, 358 AF

The legions were infected with pride and arrogance, and they naturally wanted justice for their fallen comrades. They believed themselves better than their fallen brothers. Gaius Cidellus watched from his position on the right flank of the army as the legionnaires and light infantry (now called auxilia) marched towards their enemies with revenge in their hearts. Revenge; that was a word Gaius understood well. Evodius was a skilled and cunning commander, and getting into battle with him was far more dangerous than usual. Serillus was a skilled commander as well; however, and Gaius felt that it would be an even match between the two generals.

The skirmishers threw their javelins and the archers shot their arrows. The missiles flew and zoomed into flesh, armor, and shield. Screams and yells resonated throughout the battlefield. When the skirmishers were out of javelins, they retreated behind the legionnaires and the legionnaires began their march with their shields raised to deflect missiles. However, they did not go into testudo formations due to the proximity of the enemy.

They threw their javelins and charged, and the butcher’s work began as soldiers hacked and tore each other apart, screaming in ecstasy and bloodlust as they did so. The archers volleyed arrows at each other, and the skirmishers stood near the back in case they were needed. Gaius watched from the right flank, and felt sorrow for once. He questioned his cause for a moment in his heart before hearing somebody yell.
“Light cavalry to the east!” roared a cavalry commander.

Gaius turned his head to look, and saw several squadrons of light cavalry come out of the forest nearby followed by several squadrons of heavy cavalry. They quickly overwhelmed the men on the left flank. To the west there was only a large field, so there was little chance of a surprise attack coming from there. Gaius was glad, but he quickly rallied his men.
“Wedge formation!” yelled Gaius.

His horsemen took their positions behind him with Gaius once again becoming the tip of the spear. Some civilizations questioned the commander being the spear-tip, but Gaius knew the advantages. He could effectively lead his men in a charge and he could boost morale by being the first in. The drawback was, obviously, the high risk of death. Gaius had managed to beat the odds thus far, and hoped he would be able to in the future.
General Marcus Serillus and his mounted bodyguard rode up next to Gaius as they charged, as did many of the cavalry squadrons from the right flank. With all of the squadrons in individual wedge formation, they smashed into the opposing cavalry and began fighting. After around ten minutes of heavy fighting, it seemed that the Serillians were losing badly. They had more experience, better armor, and better training, but they didn’t have numbers. General Serillus seemed very confident as he fought (which served a morale-boosting purpose), so perhaps he had a plan. Or, maybe, he was just being confident for his men.

The second turned out to be true as no reinforcements came, and General Serillus ordered a withdrawal.
“WITHDRAW!” repeated Gaius.
Gaius was near the edge of the battle, and as such it was easy for him to escape the thick fighting. He rode beyond the edge of the combat and awaited his men, who slowly trickled out. Once they were with him, he began riding a safe distance away. Looking back, he saw a large number of horse and human bodies being constantly trampled by a still raging battle. General Serillus and his men were in the center, unable to escape.
“Halt!” yelled Gaius, “Turn one-hundred eighty degrees!”
The 2^nd squadron hesitated, and Gaius repeated the order.
“It’s suicide!” yelled Amulius Ausonius Priscillianus; one of the horsemen.
“Dammit, he’s the Emperor’s brother! Now on me!” roared Gaius.
They didn’t follow his order, and Gaius turned around.
“If you cowards won’t go, then I’ll go alone!” yelled Gaius, forcing guilt upon his men as he rode off towards the stranded General.

As Gaius rode, he noticed his men behind him. He slowed down, and turned to look at them all. His trick had worked, and they had been guilted into following him.
“Wedge formation!” ordered Gaius.
The survivors of his squadron formed into a wedge, and Gaius aimed himself right at the General’s position behind the wall of cavalry men. They charged into them by surprise, cutting them down and knocking down others. Gaius rode through the swarm, cutting down enemies, until he reached the now dehorsed General. He reached his hand out, grasped the General’s arm, pulled him onto his horse, and rode off out of the swarm. No words were said between them, as none were required at that moment.
“WITHDRAW!” yelled Gaius as both he and General Serillus cut their way out of the swarm. A slash struck his leg, causing a deep gash. One cut his arm and another glanced off his segmented cuirass. His horse was cut several times as well, but it was well-trained not to spook when injured. Finally, he broke free and continued riding across the field with General Serillus on the back of his horse.
“Orders?” asked Gaius.
“The bastards are routing,” said Serillus, looking back.
Gaius’s spear-charge had worked well, as the enemy had not been prepared. With their main target (Serillus) gone, they had no reason to continue fighting. They began fleeing into the woods. Gaius ordered his men, again, to withdraw. Once they had regrouped, Gaius got off his horse.
“Take my horse and my men, sir, and go command the battle,” said Gaius.
“You have my thanks, for saving my life and for your horse. On me!” yelled General Serillus as he rode off, the 2^nd squadron following close behind. The other cavalry squadrons of the First Army had routed, and Serillus would need to devote his attention to winning a battle without the hammer-and-anvil strategy.

***

The battle ended thirty minutes later, with General Serillus himself leading the 2^nd squadron in pursuing the routing enemies. General Caius Lucilius Evodius had been captured during the battle, and Marcus Serillus executed him personally in front of his men. With his death, the last sophisticated AP resistance was over. They walked a considerable distance away from the battlefield and set up camp.

***

Gaius Cidellus, unsurprisingly, was called to the General’s tent not long after camp was set up. He was a hero amongst the remaining cavalry and a hero amongst the legionnaires as well. When he entered the command tent for the third time, Serillus stood up and saluted Gaius.

“Gaius Manius Cidellus,” said General Serillus, “I have quite a debt to repay you. I have spoken to your men; I know what you did. Your actions saved the battle, and saved a great many lives, including my own. You will be promoted for this, I can assure you. You may become a legate, or maybe even a general. I don’t know; it is my brother’s call.”
“Thank you, sir,” said Gaius with graciousness.
“I have a feeling you will be a fine general, Gaius. I would like to present this to you…”

Marcus reached under his desk and pulled an ornate gold-hilted spatha from underneath it. He pulled the blade from its sheath (causing his bodyguard to look in through the tent flap) and let Gaius examine it. Gaius took it in his hand (causing the vigilant bodyguard to stare with suspicion) and balanced it. It was well-balanced, and it was a fine sword.
“It is called Quicksilver, and it belonged to General Evodius. He has no need for it now, so I present it to you,” said Serillus with a smile.
“Thank you, sir. It’s a fine gift,” said Gaius as he sheathed the sword.
“Not sure if we’re quite even yet, but this helps a bit,” said Serillus with a laugh, “You’re dismissed, Gaius. Go get some rest or celebrate a bit. You’ve earned it.”

***

The war soon ended, with the Allied Principalities becoming a non-militant vassal state to the Serillian Empire. They were forced to pay large tributes, and also forced to give men of fighting age to the Serillian Empire as auxiliaries. Several hostages were also taken from each Principality’s Royal Family. Gaius was awarded the Civic Crown, Serillia’s second-highest military award, for personally saving General Marcus Serillus from certain death. He was also promoted to the position of legate, with quick promotion to general being hinted at by General Serillus.

Serillus’s triumphal parade was a spectacular display. Gold, armor, weapons, silver, jewels, crowns, and other piles of wealth were dragged through the main streets of Seris on carts as Marcus Serillus rode behind them in ornate armor on a gold-rimmed chariot. Behind him marched his infantry, and behind them marched his cavalry. Gaius Cidellus opted to ride with the 2^nd cavalry squadron rather than with the other legates. The parade ended with a massive feast, followed by executions of former AP soldiers. It was a triumph for the history texts, no doubt.

[[OOC: Comments? =D]]

Seris, Imperial Province

Ninth day, third month, 359 AF

It had been months since the end of the war, and still he thought about it. During the war the thoughts had been suppressed by constant fighting and the desire to stay alive. Now there was peace and solitude, and with those came the freedom to think unnecessary thoughts. His mind wandered to every death he had caused during the war, and every man who had died under his command. He always attempted to justify their deaths as the price of war, but he never could convince himself that it was true.

His sister still haunted him as well, but not as heavily as before. His mind would occasionally wander to memories of her, and he would often think about the night that Spurius died. He still did not regret his actions, for Spurius deserved every bit of what he got.

He heard ringing outside and got up from his chair. He walked to the front room of his villa, opened the heavy wooden front door, and saw a Royal Courier ringing the bell outside his gate. He stopped upon seeing Gaius, and waved him over.
“Are you Gaius Cidellus?” asked the courier.
“Yes,” confirmed Gaius.
“Sir, I have a message from his majesty, Emperor Numerius Serillus,” announced the courier, “I must ask that you sign this tablet as proof that you received this message.”

Gaius walked over to the gate, grabbed the courier’s stylus, and wrote down his signature on the wax-covered form. The courier smiled and handed him a rolled up piece of parchment before getting on his horse and riding off. Gaius watched him leave, then locked the gate and walked around the courtyard pool to the inside of the villa. Once in the main room he sat down, unbound the sealed letter, and began reading.

To:
Gaius Manius Cidellus
Legate to General Marcus Cnaeus Serillus

Head of the Cidellus Family

From:
His majesty, Emperor Numerius I Serillus

Emperor of the Serillian Grand Empire

Lord of Seris

Patriarch of the Serillian Temple

Protector of the Empire

Gaius Cidellus,

Marcus informs me that you are a capable leader of men, and a capable warrior. He has been vouching for you since he returned from the war, and I have grown curious about his stories. He is quite trustworthy and loyal, my brother, and I believe in his judgment. If you are as intelligent as my brother claims, then you will know why this letter found you. I would ask that you come and join me in the Imperial Palace as soon as you receive this letter. I would prefer we talk face-to-face.

Gaius tossed the letter away and sat back, thinking for a moment. The Emperor was obviously considering Gaius’s promotion, but to what he didn’t know. There were several paths: Captain of the Altorian Guard, a General of the Serillian Empire, and being invited to become a courtier. Gaius hoped for the second, but wouldn’t have minded the first.

***

The Imperial Palace was the symbolic heart of Seris. It was there that all Emperors had lived and it was there that all future Emperors would live. With its own fortified walls, draw-bridge, barracks, and food stores, it was also one of the most fortified buildings in Serillia. With a garrison of nearly a thousand elite and loyal men, taking the citadel with anything short of an army would be impossible. Those thoughts were in the back of Gaius’s mind as he crossed the drawbridge, as it would likely be his one chance to look at the palace up close. The gate was open, as it always was during the daytime, but it was extremely well protected. Four men approached him with their swords drawn, frisked and searched every part of his body for weapons, and escorted him to the great room.

The Great Room was, by far, the most famous room in the palace. It not only housed the Imperial Throne, but it was also where foreign dignitaries were met, and it was where court ceremonies were held. The walls were decorated with a great many sculptures and mosaics, most of which represented former emperors or famous generals. The ground was made of white marble, and the stained-glass skylights above would constantly form a shifting scene upon the floor. It was a genius design, and was one of many that made the great architect Markuus Regunas famous.

The guard escorting Gaius did not speak, he simply led. Gaius soon found himself in a spacious office furnished with a desk, a large armchair, two smaller oak chairs, a couch, several book-cases, a large map, and several rugs. A man in his late thirties, though he appeared much older, was reading a book at his desk. His face appeared worn and weathered, and his hair was prematurely graying. His clothes were wrinkled, and he looked like he hadn’t shaved in a long while. Gaius knelt and lowered his head as soon as he entered, and Emperor Numerius watched with an amused smile.
“You may stand up,” said Numerius as he sat back, still obviously amused, “Do you know why I have called you here?”
“No, your majesty, but I can speculate,” replied Gaius as he stood up.
“Then do speculate,” said Numerius through a smile as he leaned forward, placing his chin in the grasp of his right hand.
Gaius felt embarrassed; would he be wrong? He was allowed to be wrong, as it was only speculation.

“Have you called me here to promote me?” asked Gaius.
“Is that your speculation?” asked Numerius, feigning a snort.
“That is my speculation,” confirmed Cidellus.
“Then you are correct. I have called you here to promote you; however, do you believe yourself worthy of promotion?” asked Numerius.

Gaius had to be careful; the man was testing him. If he said “no”, then Numerius could agree. If he said “yes”, then Numerius could think Gaius too eager. He answered with the first thought that entered his mind.
“I am as ready as I ever will be, your majesty.”
“Clarify your answer,” ordered the emperor.
“Few men have ever been completely prepared for the responsibilities of command and leadership,” clarified Gaius.
“So, what you are saying is that you are no Sarvalai, but you believe that you are as prepared as any other person to have ever been promoted?” asked Numerius.
“Yes, your majesty.”

“Your opinion seems fair enough, though it differs from mine. Very well, you will be granted the rank of General and command of three legions: the fourth, the fifth, and the sixth. Your men are waiting for you at Fort Pellenor in the Province of Resdion. You can appoint your legates when you arrive at Fort Pellenor. Do you understand?” asked the Emperor.

Gaius was shocked; he had expected a promotion, but he hadn’t expected it to happen immediately. He now had 18,000 men under his direct command, and less than four years ago he had been a powerless equestrian crying over his sister’s corpse. He could not let the power that he now wielded corrupt him; he could not let it ruin him. His purpose was to rescue Serillia, and that is what he would do.

“Yes, your majesty,” replied Gaius.

***

Gaius departed from Seris the next morning, and he doubted that he would ever again see his family villa. He knew that he would return to Seris either in a coffin or at the head of an army. He took the small fortune he had with him, and he hired four men to act as his bodyguards for the journey to Fort Pellenor. As he rode away from Seris on the back of his horse, he did not look back. There was no looking back, and there was certainly no going back.

***

He arrived at Fort Pellenor a week after leaving Seris and immediately became acquainted with the soldiers that had been placed under his command. He appointed Gaius Novius Eonus, Servius Velius Arius, and Decimus Livius Valerian as his legates. Valerian and Eonus had been cavalry commanders, while Arius had been the First Centurion of the Fifth Legion. They were all capable men, and could all be depended on if problems were to arise.

Over the next year, Gaius encountered several problems with the plan he had formed. One was that legal war with Bertrol would be impossible. Emperor Numerius himself said so, and his word was law. They had no reason for war, and war at that time would be disadvantageous in any case. Serillia was still recovering from the Principality Wars while Bertrol was at full strength. Bertrol’s economy was stronger than ever, and their trade empire reached all the way down to the ports of Tasidian. Illegal war was out of the question, as it was punishable by death even if he succeeded. After the war, he was unlikely to have much of an army left anyway, and he could also just as easily be defeated by the armies of Bertrol.

It was about fourteen months into his command at Fort Pellenor that he finally concocted another plan. He would marry the Queen of Bertrol.

Queen Livana I of Bertrol was born in the year 329 AF, and was the daughter and only child of King Hector II. She was the great-great-granddaughter of King Varidan I, and had inherited her ancestor’s administrative and political talents. She was also well-renowned for her generosity and kindness to the lower classes, but she was also known to be quite harsh if somebody wronged her. Her temper was fiery as well, and she was known to engage in acts of torture if she needed to. She, just like every monarch, had a good side and a bad side.

However, Queen Livana was unmarried and childless, and Cidellus was a man of similar age (having been born in 330 AF). There was a good chance she would refuse, and if she did he would be forced down a different road. If she agreed, Gaius would have a talented and powerful wife, a relatively powerful nation backing him, and an army of decent size to work with. It would be gambling everything he had worked for thus far, but it was the only way to go. Now he just had to leave the fort without anybody noticing he was gone.

Seris, Imperial Province

Third day, sixth month, 360 AF

The walled city of Bertrol was often called a beautiful city, and the reputation was well-deserved. Tens of thousands of people called the city home, and hundreds of merchants passed through the city each day. In the north of the city was the Grand Cathedral dedicated to Mastros; God of Time. In the west of the city was the Royal Palace, and in the center of town was the Grand Forum, or marketplace. It was often said that, “If you cannot find it in Bertrol, you cannot find it at all.”

Gaius Cidellus weaved his way through the busy streets, the hood of his cloak concealing all but his face. He had only a dagger with him, having decided that Quicksilver was not concealable enough. The roads were made of stone like the streets of Seris, but Gaius’s attention were not on the streets. The numerous shops lining the streets of Bertrol were far different than those in Seris. They were not mere stalls, but were whole buildings, and each one had an enormous glass window. Behind the windows were various products with the purpose of catching a potential customer’s attention.

Suddenly, pressure was felt around his arms as two men grabbed him and redirected him into a nearby alley. Gaius pulled, but the men were stronger, and he ceased resistance. After turning a corner, they let go, grabbed Gaius’s dagger from its scabbard, and pushed him forward. He stumbled, but kept his balance and turned around. Both were several inches taller than he was, but he had fought far worse before.
“Get down, now, or we’ll kill you here,” yelled the one on the right as he took a dagger from its belt scabbard.
Gaius said nothing; he simply waited in a defensive stance. He could have run, but running was a coward’s way out, and Cidellus had decided long ago that he was no coward.

“Alright!” they yelled, and both ran at him.
Gaius moved to the left, balled his fist, ducked, and punched, catching the one on the left (who will henceforth be referred to as Goldie for simplicity’s sake) in the chest and knocked the wind out of him. The one on the right (whom will henceforth be referred to as Baldy for simplicity’s sake) turned and delivered a slash, which Cidellus jumped back from. He kicked Goldie’s lurching form and backed away, watching Baldy carefully.

Baldy looked enraged, and enraged he should’ve been. Goldie was his brother, and they had lived that life for nearly five years. Few had attempted to resist before, as most were too intimidated by their size to attempt to fight. He attacked, delivering a slash at Gaius’s chest. Gaius strafed to the side, and grabbed Baldy’s knife-arm. He then began punching Baldy in the face, and Baldy began doing the same to Gaius. Suddenly, Goldie came from the side and tackled Gaius to the ground. Gaius kneed him in the testicles and kicked him in the face before rolling to the side and getting up.

Baldy attacked once again, this time delivering a flurry of wild stabs and slashes. Gaius dodged two attacks, then grabbed Baldy’s knife-arm. Baldy delivered a hook to Gaius’s face, and Gaius stumbled to the side. Baldy raised his knife in preparation to stab the stunned Serillian, and but Gaius grabbed his arms as the blade lowered and redirected it, with great force, into Baldy’s stomach. Baldy screamed in great pain as Gaius pulled the knife from his stomach and kicked the wounded mugger over. He then looked and saw that Goldie was recovering from his earlier misfortunes. Gaius closed the five feet between him and Goldie, and stabbed the dagger into his backbone. Goldie let out a sputter, and fell to the ground. Gaius pulled the dagger out and stabbed again, this time through Goldie’s neck. He died almost instantly.

Baldy was still alive, but barely. Blood was pouring from the vicious wound that Gaius had dealt, and the mugger was dying slowly. Gaius walked over to him, looked down, and stabbed the dagger into his heart. Baldy twitched, looking at Gaius in horror, and finally died.

Gaius surveyed the scene with sadness, for he had not come to the city to kill. The men were wicked, and they would’ve mugged again and possibly killed if Gaius had not slain them. His attempts at justification were pointless, however. He still felt terrible. He grabbed his dagger and left the scene as quickly as possible, hoping that nobody had seen the fight.

***

“Your Royal Highness, there is a man outside requesting an audience with you,” said one of Queen Livana’s Royal Guards, “He’s definitely Serillian, and his name is Gaius Manius Cidellus. He looks as if he was just in a fight.”

Queen Livana thought for a minute. She had heard his name before, but she could not remember where she had heard it.

“Let him in,” ordered the Queen.

A minute later, the doors at the far end of the throne room opened. A man walked in, his posture was straight, and he radiated confidence. His face was covered in what looked like markings of a fight. A short beard graced his face, and a smile was visible beyond it. He was wearing the robes of a commoner, but the boots of a soldier. When he got within twenty feet of the throne, he knelt.
“Your royal highness,” greeted Gaius.
“Stand,” ordered the Queen, “Gaius Manius Cidellus, please enlighten me on where I’ve heard your name before.”
“I distinguished myself in the Principality Wars fighting for Serillia. During the Battle of Prenium, my actions saved the life of Marcus Serillus and allowed us victory,” said Gaius, still bowing his head.
“Ah, yes. You were that cavalry commander, weren’t you?” asked Livana.
“Yes, Your Royal Highness,” said Gaius.

“May I ask why you look like you just got out of a brawl?” asked the Queen, amused.
“You seem to have a problem with muggers in your city, your highness,” laughed Gaius.

The Queen displayed the first hint of a sense of humor at Gaius’s comment, smiling ever so slightly.
“What happened?” asked the Queen.
“I was forced to slay them, as they attacked me with weapons. Their bodies are in an alleyway off of the main street. I can take your guards there, if you’d like,” explained Gaius.
“No, it is fine. I am sure that they have already been discovered. Why are you here?” asked the Queen.
“I have come here out of desperation and out of fear. The Serillian Empire is in an irreversible decline. The Emperors are suppressed, and the patricians are greedy, dishonorable, corrupt monsters. Emperor Numerius is a slave, confined to his office at all hours by his “loyal” Altorian Guard. General Marcus Serillus is a madman, and his younger brother Aulus is a puppet of the patricians. There is nothing left of the old ways, your majesty, not since the reign of Marcus the second,” lied Gaius.

Livana was taken aback, for she had not been expecting this. Never before had a rebel enlisted foreign help.
“You wish to betray your country then?” asked Livana, “You wish to follow the path of Marifos and my ancestor and lead a rebellion? Is that it?”
“It is not betrayal if the country you serve is a lie. I will not serve the patricians, or their agendas, any longer,” said Gaius, “I need your support; I cannot do this alone.”
“And why should I help you? It is your country, not mine,” said the Queen.
“Do you truly believe that this will not affect Bertrol? Do you truly believe that the patricians will be satisfied with only the Principalities under their thumb?” asked Gaius, “They are waiting until they have the strength, and then they’ll take your country right out from under you.”

Queen Livana sat back for a moment, contemplating and analyzing the argument she had just heard. Serillia had been far more aggressive in their negotiations since the subjugation of the Allied Principalities.
“Very well, Gaius Cidellus. What do you have in mind?” asked the Queen.
“A political marriage with the purpose of forming an alliance, then war against the Serillian Empire,” said Gaius, “In Serillia I have eighteen-thousand loyal soldiers and I control of part of the Great Northern Wall.”

“And what benefits would I have in this alliance, besides the salvation of my nation?” asked the Queen.
“Upon conquering Serillia, I would give control of a large portion of the Allied Principalities to the Kingdom of Bertrol. You will also be married to one of the most powerful men in the world,” said Gaius.
“I have my kingdom to lose if you fail, Cidellus.”
“And great power and influence if I don’t,” added Gaius, hoping to tempt her.

She was in a dilemma, and she could not make up her mind. The fact that he was a stranger was discomforting in all aspects, but his words had truth to them. Serillia would attack eventually, and now was the best chance she would have to strike.

“Gaius Manius Cidellus,” she said, “Although I do not like the situation you have put me in; I accept your proposal.”

nothing to do so I might just as well try to criticize you :) if you don't feel like being criticized just don't read this it's just as likely that it makes no sense at all ;)