Chapter 19

“Let us start from the beginning.” Graves said a few minutes after helping Jack up and checking him for damage. The returnee students had returned just after that and Graves put them to work doing a series of grueling tasks that made Jack want to bolt for the door before the professor made him join.

“How much experience do you have with fighting?”

Jack pondered on that for a second. “ I’ve gotten into a lot of street fights, and a couple of people have tried to pull knives on me.”

“And did you defeat them?”

Jack looked at the professor askance. “No, I ran away. That’s what sensible people do when someone tries to start a knife fight. Same’s true for guns, only had that happen once.”

Graves put his face in his hands and groaned. “So what you are telling me is that you are a coward with no real experience. Wonderful, just wonderful!” He started pacing in agitation after that, muttering curses under his breath. He stopped and pointed at Virtus.

“Ferrum, I am enlisting you to be his centurion. Teach him basic legion fighting. Report back when he reaches legion standard.”

Virtus saluted the professor in the same way that the others had done to him. “Orders received!”

Graves nodded as if the problem was solved, turned, and sauntered away letting go of all of his worries.

Jack’s cheeks flushed crimson at the dismissal from one that he had come to respect in a very short time. It stung. He shifted his attention to Virtus who was standing next to him in a ready stance. His hand shot out as he punched Jack in the shoulder.

“What was that for?” Jack asked as he staggered from the surprise blow. It may not have hurt but, it was rude.

“Welcome to the Imperial legion recruit!” Virtus declared in a tone of absolute authority that Jack had only heard in old war movies.

“Why did you just punch...?”

“SILENCE!” Virtus roared. “The recruit is to remain silent when being spoken to. That love tap you just received was the first test every recruit faces. If you are not able to take a punch then you are not able to take a spear. Understood?”

“Ugh, yeah. I gu…”

“I did not ask you to guess! I asked if you understood. Do you understand recruit?”

“Yes,” Jack replied in a more neutral tone. Something told him that just going with the flow would be better than asking his friend why he suddenly went psycho.

“Good. In your hands are the tools of your new trade. As a legionnaire, you will be expected to wield both the buckler and the gladius at legion standard. Take out your gladius!”

Jack grabbed the hilt of the gladius and pulled it from the sheath on the belt that Graves had given him just a minute ago. He held the stygian blade out to the side at an unwieldy angle, not sure where to point it.

“The gladius has been the weapon of the Imperial legions since the days following the Gifting when our ancestors traveled between the stars. It is the perfect weapon for mass combat. One meter long from tip to hilt, it is the fang of the Eternal Empire. Now take out your shield.”

Jack sheathed the gladius and held up the buckler with both hands.

“The shield is different from the gladius in that its style, shape, and even material have changed several times over the past millennia. One thing has never changed about them. The shield is worn on your left forearm and is used to protect the legion as a whole. If you see a brother in arms in danger, it is the duty of his shield partner to take the hit for him.”

Jack dropped the shield to his side and noticed that Virtus had pulled out his own gladius and shield. Though it was a different sword than the one he had used just a few hours ago. That sword had a meter-long blade and had a pronounced cross guard.

“I am now going to demonstrate the forms of legion warfare. After that, we will start on running you through the basics of fighting if we have time.”

The next few moments were enlightening for Jack. He had seen people doing kata’s of various martial arts on tv, they were artful displays of human potential. This was different. First, Virtus wasn’t alone. He had marched off and grabbed a wooden dummy clad in painted wood lorica and set it up on the field next to him. It sat there doing nothing until Virtus pulled out a long metal tool and placed a metal four-sided die into the end, then unceremoniously jabbed the puppet’s torso with the business end of the tool. The puppet's empty eye sockets flared with polychromatic light, constantly fluctuating through the visible spectrum. It took a mechanical step forward and lowered its center of balance, shield arm raised. Virtus swung his gladius down in a savage swipe, the first move in a brutal dance that would define the way Jack saw war for the rest of his days.

Strike, block, counter—the swerving duo performed a series of choreographed exercises that could never be mistaken for anything other than violence. There was nothing subtle about attempting to hack one another to pieces.

Ten minutes later the display was over and it was Jack’s turn.

“Ok, what do I do…” His question was cut off by a fist to his liver.

“To start with, you will learn awareness and poise. Get up!” He didn’t lend a hand.

When Jack was on his feet, the lecture continued. The armored man stalked to and fro as he gesticulated passionately. “There are two types of soldiers: horses and unicorns. The unicorn is a show-off that prances around displaying its horn and pretty mane for all to see as if it were special, which they are. A unicorn can take down a dozen war-horses in single combat before succumbing to its injuries. But…a dozen horses attacking in an organized herd can take down a unicorn with only token injuries. That is legion. No legionnaire is ever ready for war without a shield partner, and no shield pair is complete unless they are part of a shield wall. They advance and withdraw together or die separately. Am I understood?”

“Yes,” Jack replied succinctly. He understood in theory what Virtus was saying but he wasn’t a soldier, so the ‘sir yes sir’ attitude that the other man was expecting lurked, unwanted, in the same corner of his mind that held all his memories of a certain man.

Whack! The air fled from Jack’s lungs as he fell over from another surprise shot. That is getting annoying, he thought as he effortlessly drew in another breath and stood. Virtus seemed surprised that he was able to recover so quickly from getting another organ brutalized but that was just another perk from his new vessel. Things that would stop another in their tracks only inconvenienced him.

“You are still not aware of your surroundings. Do better!”

The rest of the class was filled with a series of balance and form exercises. The purpose of which was to figure out both how skilled Jack was and to start to build a foundation for actual weapon training. Jack bemoaned the fact that training with a sword and shield required completely different stances than the unarmed ones he had been taught back on earth. He had automatically switched to those forms as soon as the first practice sword was swung, only to be knocked over due to because he hadn’t compensated enough for the weight of his gear.

Once the bell rang Virtus, now thoroughly in his centurion persona, shook as if he heard a loud noise. The scowl melted away and the lines around his eyes softened as his guide, his friend, returned to his normal self.

Jack hadn’t been able to put a finger on just what had been bothering him ever since Graves ordered Virtus to train him but now it was crystal clear. He had come to trust and rely on his stalwart companion. Losing that mutual trust and respect, even temporarily, wrankled.

“That concludes classes for the day. Did you have anything in mind for the remainder of the day?” Virtus asked.

“Seriously? Virtus, I got to this world yesterday. What plans could I have possibly made by now that you haven’t heard about?” Jack responded.

The guardsman scratched his head with a gauntleted hand in embarrassment. “Sorry, I just wanted to provide an opportunity for you to be able to act freely without restrictions. You have been clenching your jaw every time someone directed you in any way since you woke up in the infirmary.”

Sigh! “Have I really been so uncharitable?”

“No one blames you, Jack. You were brought to Cognita Prime under dire circumstances and are adjusting.”

“Pfft. I expect more and so does my master.” Jack held out a hand. “Do you remember what I told you earlier about greetings in my homeland?” He waited for a nod of confirmation. “Well, this is another one called a handshake. It has many meanings, but the one that matters right now is that it is used whenever two parties agree to starting over. I would like it very much if you were to do me the honor of starting over. Is that alright?”

Virtus smiled warmly as he took Jack's hand without hesitation. They shook, awkwardly, and when they released their clasped hands they did so as friends.

“What do you think we should do next?” Jack asked.

Virtus seemed to give the question grave consideration. “I would like to continue your combat lessons in the morning before breakfast until you are proficient enough to defend yourself starting tomorrow. This has the dual benefit of getting you up to legion standard quickly and allows you to reap the full benefit of this course. Is that acceptable to you?”

Jack flinched unconsciously at the thought of agreeing to daily beat downs but understood that in this world he would need to learn to defend himself. Reluctantly, he nodded. “But that doesn’t help us decide what to do right now.”

“True, I believe that a full campus tour followed by a trip to the grand library to finish your homework would be for the best.”

Jack smiled. Libraries had a special place in his heart as they served as islands of calm in the ocean of chaos that is city living. Mostly, he just surfed the internet when he was there, maybe a magical library would have something just as interesting?“Lead the way.”

...

Cassius’ POV

Cassius entered the study on the balls of his feet. Some places were not meant to be entered lightly and to Cassius, this room might as well be the fiery pit of Mount Doom. Many more powerful than himself had fallen from grace after stomping in unaware of the consequences of disturbing one so mighty. The owner of this study was a larger man who had long gone to seed. His large bald spot was only accentuated by the unrealistic toupee that covered it like a dead cat and his face was covered in liver spots. Cassius didn’t care about any of that. Nobody disrespected the Adder and lived to brag about it.

“Report!” the rotund man commanded in a wheezy tone common to politicians everywhere.

“We have located the girl, Lord Atticus. She was enrolled in Laurentius Academy by the degenerate, Felix Earthshaker. He has adopted her and keeps her in his territory whenever she is not attending classes.” A drop of sweat dropped down onto his wrist but he didn’t dare move to wipe his brow.

“I see! Have you located any weak points in her security?”

“Not as of yet. She is well guarded and they move her through open roads with no points to set up an ambush. Any attempt to seize her would create a ruckus large enough to bring the Imperial guard down on our heads.”

“But?” Lord Atticus asked. He had sensed a strange note in Cassius’ explanation.

“I...I might have an idea, my lord.”

“Well, spit it out then! I do not have all day to doddle over your failures.”

Cassius explained his idea. He had seen an opportunity that would have been considered crazy just a few days prior. He felt like he was the only one to realize the true consequences of Laura’s little stunt from the day before.

“Yes. Yes. It is daring, but it might just work. And if it does work, then it will mean that our hands will no longer be tied.” Lord Atticus turned his eyes inward as he plotted and schemed with a thin smile that hinted at the ruthlessness beneath the thin veneer of respectability.

“Go forth and make your plan happen. How long do you except that you will need?”

“A few weeks. Two, maybe three.”

“Acceptable, you have two weeks to impress me. It must be done by midnight two Saturdays hence.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“And the other matter?”

“I have arranged for the entire campus to be aware of the Adjudicator’s presence. I have been spreading rumors through my agents that he will be the impetus for a commoner uprising and other such unpleasantness. So far, the nobility and half of the citizenry have turned against him.”

“Half?”

“The half that matters. Those that support him are common-born, they have no real influence and seek to rise above their station.”

“I see, that is acceptable. You are dismissed.”

“Yes, my lord.” Cassius bowed at the waist and took his leave on quiet feet.