FORTY-FOUR: REVELATIONS

  “When this is done, you two shall report to me,” General Invictam spoke softly to Valeria and Cassius as they stood and watched as Vira spoke loudly, clearly, to the entire group. She stood before them exhausted, dirty, still wearing her bloodied armor, but with poise and grace that Cassius doubted he’d ever be able to replicate.

  “Of course sir,” Cassius and Valeria responded at once. While Vira went over their tracking, the attack at the pond, and finally the hunters driving them from the woods, he looked over the groups who were in the pavilion.

  There were three major factions that he could detect. The blonde, green-eyes Agricola family with their numerous branches in attendance dominated the group. Centered around Flavinia were several more ladies similar in status to Lady Statia, likely branch heads who had been called upon. In the camp there would be more of the heavy cavalry warriors, not just of their blood but also their sworn blades and lesser holdings.

  Across from Flavinia with a retinue half the size was Lady Victoria. Garbed now in a similar tunic, she rested on her lounge with one leg brought up as her dark eyes took everything in. She had fewer retainers but all of them held the same hard edge their lady did, as if they were blades exposed to the world.

  The final group were the four senators who sat in a loose arc with their own attendants and courtiers who came and went like buzzing flies. Hadranius was there with his wife curled into his side, neither of them bothered to look at him, keeping their attention fixed to Vira.

  A wizened man sat leaning on a cane, his rheumy eyes empty as a trail of saliva slowly trickled free of his mouth only to be wiped away by one his attendants. Gums showed as he opened his mouth to take a cup, spilling wine across his tunic as he slurped loudly on the golden cup.

  Watching him with a mix of disgust and horror was the only woman of the group. She appeared middleaged, gray streaking her thick brown hair as she lounged on her couch, matronly figure on display as she ate slowly from a small plate, only partially paying attention to Vira.

  The final of their number was the one who drew the majority of Cassius’ attention. Young with a knife-like face, all sharp angles with dark eyes and hair, his skin was pale and nose was crooked as if it had been broken before. There was a cruelty to his looks and eyes that sent a shiver down Cassius’ spine. It was the look of a man who enjoyed breaking the wings of birds to see them struggle.

  “I see you have caught Senator Egnatius’ attention. A poor place to be,” Basilides said, sidling up to Cassius. Vira had gotten to the freezing cold temperatures that had forced them to search for the dungeon at risk of death.

  “What say you of the good senator?" Cassius asked.

  “I would not leave myself alone in a room with him. That and your clash with the guard was orchestrated by him. He bristles under Hadranius’ control and has been a constant bastard since he arrived,” Basilides said. Cassius fought hard to keep his face still as he struggled to not laugh.

  “I observe, it is my greatest calling. And what I have observed of the senator is nothing but petty antics and cruelty. He is skilled with a sword though, trains everyday with his guards and has a combat class he obtained from somewhere. Nobody really knows.”

  “You are well informed for having only just met him,” Cassius said, turning slightly to look at the taller man.

  “Oh, I never said I just met him. It has been several weeks of his company that has soured my opinion on the man. I traveled north with his party, before this entire event began. A snap inspection of the thirteenth,” Basilides informed Cassius.

  “Snap inspection. By three senators?” Cassius had no idea if that was common or not, but his instincts warned him it wasn’t.

  “General Invictam is a powerful man. Personally and politically. I heard them chant Imperator toward him, that is not a title given, but earned. The senate gets nervous anytime one of their generals grows a bit too powerful.” Basilides' reasoning sounded logical, but as Cassius looked over the group assembled before him he tried to piece the timelines together.

  The Shifting Wall’s constantly moving gates had ground to a near halt allowing a team of infiltrators and saboteurs to enter the republic. Senator Hadranius had already been in the region with a small personal guard that he had rapidly expanded and joined forces with Vira and her own warriors as they began to look for who had begun to kill the peasants and farmers who lived in the borderlands.

  The Thirteenth had been moving about, cohorts deployed and centuries out on patrols. It was that patrolling motion that had allowed them to stumble upon that cursed granary and had kick started the entirety of this whole affair. Cassius remembered what he could of the talk around camp when he had arrived.

  “He knew the inspection was coming. We had received orders to start moving north to the wall and increase our patrols and come to a state of readiness,” Cassius said. The complaints had been light around the campfires as legionnaires complained, but it had been there.

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  “The good general has both foe and ally in Aurum it appears. It explains why he was able to mobilize the entirety of the thirteenth and arrive here in such short time and why he was willing to push through the Shifting Wall. Out here, on campaign, the senators have no power over him.” Basilides had a wide smile on his face as he drank from a chalice as Vira reached her explanation of the dungeon and how Leto had grown infected.

  “Interesting as that was, what was the point?” Cassius asked.

  “The point? Oh dear, brother. The point was to know, to understand, to piece together the tangled web of politics and schemes that are rife in this camp. It is a delight,” Basilides said with a shudder as he looked around the room.

  “You understand more now though, don’t you. The senatorial guard is under the command of Senator Egnatius and they move with poor skill to disrupt the legion. While the good general has positioned himself in a way to keep ahead of the political knives at his back.”

  “And the strata?” Cassius asked. Vira had reached the point of Leto’s death, sparing the crowd and his kin how he had died. Simply stating that he’d fallen to the infection and they had retreated to the treasure room.

  “Power, wealth, and who knows what else. This dungeon they have found, they are certain it will allow them to push their children into the second tier. Without having to pay the steep licenses the senate levies. For we are beyond the republic at the moment, are we not?” Basilides reasoned.

  “That does make sense,” Cassius agreed.

  “Ahh, so you and your cohorts did use it to pass into the second tier. When I could not press through the strength of your veil, I suspected, but what legionnaire with a gutter slum accent would know of how to pass into the second tier?” Basilides said.

  Cassius froze and cursed himself seven types of fool for entering into the logic games the [Observer] had led him. Basilides had given him information, but drawn it forth with ease as well.

  “It is an easy guess, everyone here sees the weapons, the artefacts, and how you carry yourself. Your friend will reveal it as well here soon. I just had to sate my curiosity,” Basilides soothed him, drinking again from his cup.

  “Few enjoy being made the fool,” Cassius said, thankful for his skill to keep the heat from his voice.

  “But so many act the fool. It is a strange dichotomy, is it not? Anyways, when this is over and your commander gives you your orders, I would like to accompany you,” Basilides said.

  “What would you know of that?” Cassius asked, narrowing his eyes.

  “Before you three entered this camp, there were only four tier-twos in the camp. The two heads of the strata, the general, and the captain of the senatorial guard. Do any of these people sound dispensable to you? Now, how about a pair of legionnaires and a third daughter?” Basilides asked.

  “I see your point. And why is it you wish to go with us?” Cassius asked, knowing he didn’t have the power to approve of the observer, but wishing to know either way.

  “To [Observe]. And maybe find a dungeon stone of my own. I am sure that we will be moving quickly toward the dungeon you left behind to secure it so that the general can begin strengthening his legion.”

  “And the summoners. That is where they are,” Cassius reminded him. Basilides offered a tip of his chalice, wine sloshing along the rim.

  “Of course, of course. The summoners,” Basilides said, a sly smile on his face.

  “You doubt us?” Cassius asked, the first prickling embers of anger starting to leak through.

  “No, not at all. The proof of the countryside is definitive. But few in this room cares about them, not truly. Power and wealth are here and their eyes have grown wide with avarice. Duty means it shall be pursued, but it no longer holds the weight it should,” Basilides explained.

  Vira briefly went over the riches of the treasure room and their training in it. She kept it concise, hardly breaching the depths they had plumbed in their desire to grow stronger. Cassius knew what was coming and silenced Basilides with a wink and a nod toward the noblewoman.

  Watching as everyone’s faces grew thin and pained at the mention of not one, but two separate groups in addition to the summoners was worthwhile. Greed might have filled their hearts, but their minds could still work. If what was said was true then the republic was in danger on all sides. That even if they could grow wealthy here, a threat larger than all of them loomed along the sides and pressed against the door.

  Vira came to them, sitting next to her mother again and taking Flavinia’s wine chalice again without question. Vira’s slight tremble was hard to see, but Cassius could see how much talking had taken from her. He wished they all could sleep, the last weeks having stretched and pushed them to furthest limits of what man could withstand.

  “This is disturbing news, but I see little need to change what we have planned,” Hadranius said, leaping to his feet, deep voice rolling over the pavilion as he stretched his hands out.

  “We have found not one but two powerful resources here along with strong foes. But our legions have faced strong foes before. All have eventually bowed and we have become stronger for it. I am no master tactician, but I think we should secure this second dungeon with haste and begin growing our forces faster,” Hadranius argued.

  “And who shall lead that? Your houses?” It was not Lady Victoria, but one of her coterie who objected. Cassius saw how this was going to go as the strata and senators began to argue with each other.

  “Ready to report?” General Invictam asked as he sidled up to them, lost in the chaos of the fighting. Cassius and Valeria both nodded, passed their respects to the Agricola, then departed the pavilion. Aside from Vira, none really noticed their passing as they moved along the edge of the room and then out into the camp.

  “Blessed be the gods, you are alive!” Marcus yelled, standing right outside of the ring of [Praetorians] who guarded the pavilion. Cassius felt something in himself shift as he looked at Marcus in his full centurion armor, the solid breastplate and horsehair helmet distinctive as he widened his arms to his fellows.

  “Come along Marcus, we have work to do,” General Invictam ordered, sweeping past the senatorial guards, dragging the three legionnaires behind him like a cloak of steel.