"QUO NON ASCENDAM?!?!"
"To what heights can I not rise?!?!"
~ Cicero
---
The next day, Marcus exited his tent and looked at the vast expanse before him.
The stench of blood still lingered in the valley as Marcus surveyed the battlefield. The broken bodies of the barbarian horde lay scattered like leaves after a storm, their weapons glinting in the morning sun.
His men were weary but excited, their cheers echoing through the hills.
For the moment, the frontier was secure. But Marcus knew that every victory came at a cost.
The reports soon came in. In this battle, Rome lost 1300 valiant warrions. Another 600 were wounded and might not see another battle for the rest of their lives.
But they had killed 13 thousand barbarians and captured 5000 of them. A huge figure. Only 7000 had escape, and not even half of them would get home, dying on the way from hunger, thirstiness, poisoning or some wild animal.
It was a great victory, one which would stabilize the Danube-Barbarian frontier for several years, as the barbarians would take some time to lick their wounds. Some time Rome and Marcus desperately needed.
"BROTHERS!!
Yesterday, we have done what few thought possible. Outnumbered and sorrounded, we stood firm. Not as scattered men, but as a single, unbreakable legion.
Today, the world has seen the strength of Roman discipline, courage and tenacity!"
Marcus paused, scanning the faces of his soldiers, his voice growing louder and more impassioned. Then he continued.
"This victory was not mine alone! It belongs to each of you, every shield that held the line, every sword that struck true, every voice that refused to waver in the face of death. It belongs to the engineers who built our defenses, to the archers who rained upon our enemies, to Rome itself!!!"
He stepped forward, his expression stern but proud:
"But let this victory be more than a memory. Let it mark the beginning of a new way for those who serve under my banner.
Here, in this legion, merit will be the path to honor. A man's deeds, not his birth, will decide his future.
Those who show courage in battle and wisdom in command will rise, no matter where they come from. The gold we siezed from our enemies will be destributed to each one of you.
Be sure my men, be sure that every sacrifice you make is valued, respected and honored by me and all of Rome!"
The soldiers began to cheers but Marcus raised his hand up, his authority shutting everyone's mouth.
"You fought for Rome today. Now Rome will fight for you. As long as you serve under my command, I promise you this: when we march victory, we march together. When we win glory, we win it together
And when Rome and Mars reward their sons, you will be the first to stand in the light of her favor."
Marcus paused again, his tone softening:
"Rest now, for battles still lie ahead. But take pride in what you have done today. You are not just the soldiers of Rome. You are the the sword and shield of her survival!
You are the example every legion will look to when they hear of this day."
At this exact moment, Marcus raised his sword, pointing it at the sky:
"To victory! To Rome!
ROMA INVICTA!!!"
The soldiers erupted in frenzied cheers, shouting Marcus' name and "Roma Invicta!"
The promise of gold and the assurance of merit-based promotions sparked hope and loyalty in their hearts.
...
Later, inside his tent, Cassius began talking to himself.
"Tsk. This plebeian is quite good with his words isn't he. The day that devilish tongue of his slanders the emperor isn't that far.
I still have to leave this place though. Those men are mesmerized by him already. I will get marginalized soon if I stay here. It is possible I will even lose my current status.
I need to return to Rome and warn the Emperor of him. The Emperor will sympathize with me. I think I can profit from that..."
...
Meanwhile, Cassius Corvinus, the veteran Centurion who had been the first officer to back Marcus in the pre-battle meeting was smiling to himself.
'That kid. He really made it didn't he? Hahahahaa...
But he doesn't understand what he has done or what he represents now does he?'
Cassius was born in the region of Hispania in 215 AD. Right at the time the empire was beginning to face growing instability from both internal strife and external threats.
His family, though not wealthy were proud Romans who valued military service.
Cassius' father, a former soldier, had instilled in him a deep sense of duty to Rome.
At the age of 18, Cassius enlisted as a Miles (common soldier) in a legion stationed in Hispania. Over the next decade, Lucius worked his way up through the ranks, first as a Decurion then as a Centurion.
His rise was marked by his ability to stay calm in the face of danger and his consistent effectiveness in battle, even tho not entirely stellar.
As the Empire's crisis deepened, Cassius found himself continously in the frontlines, witnessing the collapse of the Roman Empire's once unshakable stability. His experience under previous Emperors had exposed him to the brutal reality of Rome's fragmentation.
Cassius fought in the Gothic wars and even against the Sassanid Persians, both of which tested his military expertise and leadership.
His character was built upon the values of honor, discipline and experience, instilled by his upright father. He has seen many of his comrades rise through the ranks only to fall prey to political intrigue, a fate which had become all too common during the Crisis.
He had always kept a distance from the political power struggles of Rome, preferi g the stability of military life, even though he had learned a lot from them. Cassius was a smart man. It just wasn't in his character to meddle in those dirty waters.
Over time, growing older, Cassius adopted a fatherly role to many of his junior officers, especially Marcus, recognizing his value.
He saw in Marcus a young officer, who, despite his military prowess, lacked the political savvy that would be neccessary for long-term success in the ever-shifting Roman world.
'Do I have to be the one to teach him how to be a snake in the Roman world?
That kid attracts trouble even without searching for it. Just his presence and the air around him make some men admire him, and others fear him.
A good trait in other times, a bad trait in these dark times...' he thought.
Cassius sighed for the third time tonight
'I'll let him rest for today, he deserves it. I will talk to him tomorrow and begin advising him on some things. He's a smart kid. I recon he will pick things up fast enough.
Fast enough for him to not fall prey to the soft swords of the senators as my comrades once did. At least I hope so...'
Cassius stared into the sky with a heavy melancholy, only getting interrupted and brought back to the real world 5 minutes later by a patroling soldier.
Then sighing for the fourth time this night, he got back to his bed and drifted back to sleep...