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TOTAL WAR ROME |
It was early dawn, before the sun had not even risen yet when the legion began to prepare for battle. The looks on their faces were steeled and hardened for what may meet them on the battlefield.
'Mars aid us' a legionnaire prayed as he stood tall - watching from the wall to the open field - as he and the men prepared for battle. With basic knowledge that the legion was in deep enemy lands, it was safe to assume that an army would amass in coalition to confront them. The Romans would be outnumbered.
However, the legatus and her close circle - the Tribunus and Praefectus Cohortis - had a trick up their sleeves to tackle any surprises that would appear in the battle ahead.
But before the legion would march to battle, Numerius pulled Estelle aside and asked a simple thing that would, and steeled the men. "The men need to be inspired, commander. A short speech would ought to do it." Estelle's eyes went wide and her heart skipped a beat.
It was true that the woman felt no more fright at the thought of combat and being in the middle of it, but it was comforting that the woman still had something she was anxious about doing. Especially, when public speeches were only performed by men. Yet, she has already broken so many Roman laws that just a speech would be a dot added to the list.
"You will know what to say when you're standing before the men." Numerius confidently assured Estelle as he and the praefectus cohortis went to their men and joined the ranks.
There was silence, as the legionnaires of the Seventh waited to hear what their legatus had to say, while Estelle wondered what she - herself - had to say. 'What was all this for?' 'Why did they have to come all this way, away and far from home?' 'When could they finally go back to Rome?'
'Rome'
Rome was where the senate was held and subjects on matters were legislated; proposed and debated, and other political argumentative. The same senate who made the judgment and condemned the Cornelius; her family, to an execution. A plot to ruin Marcus Julius Cornelius, the biggest supporter of their clan of Julius, and by destroying the man's military career either by his legion's defeat or his death.
It made the young Julia vengeful.
Estelle would show them, that the mysterious land over the Hadrian's Wall where others feared it and dared not to approach it would see that - the end of civilization - would not stop her legion. Instead, she would conquer it all and bring it; civilization.
"Now, we know what we could expect from these barbarians! They are a race of rabid bastards! Who would fight us tooth and nail!"
Her voice boomed and echoed over the silence, as the words reached the men, while she spoke with passion about a goal she desired to achieve.
"But they don't know what they are up against." What was previously loud, became soft as she made sure to get the key point across.
"Rome is Civilization! Rome is Order! Rome is Power!" Once again, her voice began to pick up the volume as she let the intensity rise. Until - in a form of declaration - she inserted.
"And out here... We! Are! Rome!"
At once, the legionnaires of the Seventh Legion of Gemini let out an uproar as power surged through them. Their body pumped with adrenaline. Swords and shields were raised, as others yelled provocative insults at the savages and barbaric foes.
Looking at the product of her speech, she looked at Numerius who stood proudly as did the other praefectus cohortis. Then without further more time to waste; they march.
TOTAL WAR ROME |
As the Seventh Legion marched, the sounds of their armor and the drums of their steps quake the lands, as they emerged from the trees and out to the open plains.
Their trumpets and horns announced their demand for a fight, and as they have asked, the barbarians answered from the opposite sides; emerging with enthusiasm from behind the dark woods - savage warriors ready to kill, and spill Roman blood. In an attempt at intimidation, several pulled out their tongue and lick their blades as an army more emerged from the woods.
"Look at these filthy animals. Even a rabid dog would be easier to tame." Magnus spoke to the centurion beside him. "Well sir, these are barbarians beyond the Hadrian's Wall - the border where civilization ends - sir." That he agreed. "Then we do what we do best when we can't tame the animal. We kill them!"
Magnus's cohort cheered at his words before other praefectus cohortis prepared their men with speeches of their own. "Steel yourselves, men. You're legionnaires - Rome's protectors and conquerors - stand fast!" Numerius, the second in command of the Seventh Legion commended the legionnaires within earshot.
Then without indication, the barbarian horde rushes to meet them in the middle of the open plains.
The trumpets and horns sounded again, as the cohorts formed a shield line as each cohort maintained cohesive momentum to remain in formation. Like beautiful firm architecture, with a strong foundation, the legion went to meet their enemies as a strong unified army.
Before both opposing armies could collide and engage, the Tribunus shouted an order, "Halt! Hold shield walls! Hold!" and the order was passed around by centurions and eventually to the Praefectus Cohortis who repeated a order from command. "Brace yourselves, men!"
Then within a moment, both armies began their engagement and the fighting ensued.
With swords, axe, and spears thrusting and slashing at large shields, the legionnaires continued to hold them back, as the western side was performing incredibly well on keeping and even pushing the barbarian horde back. But on the eastern side, however, the lines were failing albeit not disrupted.
'We just need the western lines to break through and we'd sweep them from the flank. We need more time.'
Estelle assessed their situation from her high horse, as it enabled her to see the progress of the battlefield. Then without any hints of hesitation, she steered her horse to the eastern side where Cicero's cohorts and centurions were in charge. At once, when Numerius saw his legatus make her way to the eastern lines, he took command of the central and western flank before he ordered several reserves to reinforce the right flank.
"Cicero! Cicero?!" Estelle shouted for the Praefectus Cohortis, as she rode further to the eastern flank until she saw Cicero and his centurions barely holding back the line along with their legionnaires.
"Reinforcement from the center! Switch!" a centurion that went after the legatus at the Tribunus orders shouts as he and his fresh legionnaires relieved the exhausted men. Pulling back on a tactical withdrawal from the line - Cicero and his tired centurion - the soldiers vomited and fell to the ground in need of respite.
But before things could become any worst on the eastern flank, the trumpets and horns sounded again and this time Cicero could barely hide the smile behind tired lips.
It was the signal - the trick up their sleeves - that Magnus has proposed to place the equites - cavalry - conceal, and hidden from sight after much of the battle. With the equites led by their Decurion - Captain; Justinian - the cavalry sprang from the woods and onto the open plains, ripe for the taking as the barbarians lacked cavalry of their own.
Bewilderment and panic set in as the barbarians felt the thunderous quake of horses barreling behind them, the Roman cavalry raming through the enemy's exposed and vulnerable back before pulling out. Then the cycle was repeated, a hammer and anvil - a deadly blow to infantries without any support or reserve - as the equites made repeated cycle charges at the enemy relentlessly.
Not long since the cavalry had joined, the cycle charges were effectively making the barbarians waver as others, especially on the western flank have begun to break and flee the battlefield. With the score on the left side, there was no trouble for the cohorts to easily encircle the barbarians in the center - with the enemy's flank destroyed - it was easy picking.
Like a tidal wave, the battle was already won when the enemy's flank broke, and with the successful cohorts from the left flank hacking and killing their way through the center - the sight striking fear in them - the right flank eventually turned tails and fled despite the victory they were gaining on the eastern flank of the Romans.
However, just before the battle could be deemed over and the barbarians captured as prisoners, a strange storm has formed over their heads and at an instance a lightning struck them and in a split second everyone disappear.
TOTAL WAR ROME |