NOVEL NEXT B2 Chapter 42: Home, Sweet Home
B2 Chapter 42: Home, Sweet Home
The Legion barely had to narrow their column as they passed over the bridge to Habersville. What had once been a quick and temporary stopgap now had been replaced with a more permanent construction of quality stone, the materials courtesy of Stonester, allowing them to easily stride ten abreast. It was even wide enough to allow siege engines across, a nice bit of foresight that Tiberius had surely appreciated.
The men's steps clattered against the bridge, the studs lining the soles of their caligae ringing with deafening thunder. Quintus briefly considered whether even this bridge may need to be widened eventually, yet discarded the notion. It would likely be unnecessary. Besides, doing so would make no sense unless they also widened the path through the forest even further, a move which would also make pursuit easier for their foes.
Of course, Quintus didn't anticipate pursuit being an issue. Not with how well battles had been going for them. Even if they were forced to retreat by a superior foe, the probability that the Legion would even survive to travel this far was slim at best. He couldn't imagine more than a handful of men surviving that dragon attack if it truly had been after them instead of the horses.
Although a superior for also probably wouldn't care about the bridge. They'd likely be able to simply leap or fly over the river anyway. Hell, many of their own men might be able to as well, if not now then in a few levels.
Life was truly odd.
As they filed down the forest path, they found it quite a bit busier than ever before. When Quintus had left there had already been some evidence of travel, but now it had greatly increased. Carts being pulled along by slow beasts of burden were commonplace, their owners watching from the side of the road as the Legion passed. A few children riding atop said carts even waved excitedly at the soldiers.
Quintus emerged from the treeline alongside his men and took in the sight of Habersville. It hadn't been long since they'd left on their latest campaign. Yet even their short absence had proven enough for some significant changes to be made at their home base.
The village had expanded once again to fill its clear-cut surroundings. In addition to the Legionnaires' camp and Habersville itself, a third area had been added on as well—a more permanent set of barracks and residences for the Legion that had seemingly sprung up overnight. The three sections of the budding city together were encircled by stone walls that stood even higher than the trees themselves.
Before, Quintus might have considered the height of the walls a bit excessive. But now, after his encounter with the dragon? He couldn't help but wonder if they could be expanded further and turned into some kind of defensive dome. It was something to ask the engineers and builders about.
The men passed through the outer wall of the city and headed toward the old camp. The Legionnaires standing watch saluted Quintus as he neared. "Primus! I hear the assault went well?"
"Indeed." Quintus confirmed, returning the salute. "Was there any doubt that it would?"
"No, sir!" The man hurriedly assured him. "I would never dare doubt our forces!"
Quintus chuckled. "If you have no doubt, then you are either arrogant or a fool. I've heard far too many tales of men being humbled for their hubris to take any battle for granted."
The Legionnaire stammered as Quintus passed him by. Perhaps it was a bit harsh and maybe the man meant nothing but congratulations. But it was clear that the man hadn't experienced the real threats this world had to offer.
Quintus looked up. Atop the wall, he noted quite a number of mounted ballistae and other ranged weaponry that stood ready to fend off invaders, as well as a collection of other defensive features that they had been able to build. Proper crenellations, murder holes, protruding tops that made them difficult to scale… it was all there.
It was truly a relief to see. He'd almost forgotten what proper fortifications looked like, given what he'd had to deal with so far. But their enemies' failures were to their benefit. If Hausten had boasted defenses such as these, the Legion would have needed to think twice before assaulting it.
As the column returned home—or rather, the closest thing they had to a home at the present moment—the Legionnaires were debriefed and dismissed in batches. Many moved to explore the changes the town had undergone, but most went to retrieve their things and move them to the new barracks.
Quintus considered doing the same, but honestly? He hadn't collected many belongings besides those he marched with. Well, he hadn't before this battle.
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He glanced over his shoulder at the suit of silver armor he now carried. Intricate engravings decorated the edges and breastplate, making its already polished surface seem to glitter in the sunlight. Despite its sturdiness and overall bulky size, the whole set somehow weighed even less than his own.
Tiberius had awarded the armor to him for a job well done at Hausten. He said it was only fitting, seeing as Quintus had been the one to slay It's original owner.
He wasn't entirely sure what he would do with it yet. Perhaps he would keep it as a display piece. Or perhaps he'd speak with the master blacksmith about altering it into something that Quintus might actually use. It fit the centurion surprisingly well, but there were plenty of qualms he had with the functionality of heavy armor such as this.
That was a matter to consider later. For now, there were other things that demanded his attention. Specifically, he needed to report to Gaius.
Quintus turned away from the old camp and headed for the new district. The route took him through Habersville proper, and he took advantage of the opportunity to inspect the changes that had been made there as well.
As it turned out, the new district wasn't the only thing the Legion had been hard at work on. Habersville had already been in the process of being modernized, but it seemed that the last vestiges of barbarian constructions were finally disappearing.
In their place stood proper walls of concrete and decorative pillars of a quality he had yet to see in this world. Burbling canals ran alongside broad paved streets that allowed for ample sunlight to reach all parts of the city. On the outskirts, Quintus also saw that additional housing had been constructed, with even more in progress.
The expansion came not a moment too soon. Quintus knew as well as anyone that they needed more space. Some of the former residents of Stonester had been brought here during the city's reconstruction, and between them and the conscripts they'd captured only days before, space was certainly becoming hard to find
He saw that it wasn't just Legionnaires working on the projects, either. A group of people Quintus didn't recognize were helping to widen a canal along the street, their brows beaded with sweat. Evidently, the city was starting to make use of its new labor force.
Those weren't the only new faces, however. There were other visitors to Habersville as well. Not just family members visiting their loved ones, either. There were also farmers whose fields now fell inside of Rome's territory. Quintus recognized one or two of them as they passed in the street, as he had personally informed them of the new tax situation a while back. They seemed to recognize him as well, a few either waving or cringing away, depending on how their interaction had gone.
As he reached the center of town, he saw that it had been converted into a broad and grassy forum complete with fountains and a few statues of famous emperors. Around its periphery were a few parked carts, their signs and owners advertising various different wares. The centurion noted that one hawking wine and liquor had conspicuously empty shelves while the man running it wore a rather pleased expression.
Quintus just shook his head. How the merchants even knew to come here, he could only guess. But so long as they were bringing in worthwhile goods and paying taxes, he wouldn't complain. Though he couldn't help but feel a bit of pride at what he saw. The once-humble village was quickly becoming a place worth seeing.
His pride only grew as he passed through the temple district. Many of the temples to the Roman pantheon were finished, their craftsmanship of a quality that would have put even those in Rome to shame. Many sported statues of their gods before them, and while most were composed of marble or some similar white stone he couldn't name. He was a solider, not a mason after all. One was far more ornate than the rest. A tall, bearded man whose armor and spear shone with a coating of gold. A few small rubies adorned his helmet, the gems sparkling in the sunlight.
Quintus paused at the sight. He had never been particularly religious. Not really. He treated the worship of the gods as more of a tradition than anything. But things had changed since coming here. Quite considerably. Perhaps it might be worth rethinking his stance.
After a moment's hesitation, he headed toward the temple of Mars. As one might expect, this temple in particular saw a significant amount of traffic. While the other temples had their fair share of visitors, this one was absolutely packed. Quintus saw a fair amount of the Legionnaires he'd just returned with among the sea of faces, many praying or making offerings to the god of war after their victory.
There were no temple priests here. There were, however, Legionnaire volunteers stationed inside at regular intervals. Just like elsewhere in the city, they made sure that order was maintained at the temple.
Quintus made his way toward one of the flaming braziers at the back of the temple. After waiting his turn, he dug a few gold coins out of his pocket for an offering. Then, thinking for a moment, he also plucked a feather from the baron's helmet. Holding them all in his fist over the flames, Quintus muttered a soft prayer.
"For a swift victory over our foes. I offer you my thanks."
He dropped the offering in. As he watched, the gold liquified and pooled in the bottom of the brasier. The flaming feather floated within, disintegrating into flecks of black ash that speckled the shining pool. Soon even the pool of gold began to burn as though it were mere oil. The gold and ash evaporated into a thin stream of shining smoke that rose up into the heavens.
Quintus watched the smoke go, then bowed his head respectfully. He'd heard some of the men's talk of Mars, how the god had sent them signs in response to their offerings. He simply hadn't expected those signs to be so… direct.
Once the last of his offering disappeared, Quintus turned to leave the temple. He'd delayed long enough as it was. It was past time for him to speak with Gaius. Besides, there were plenty more soldiers waiting to make offerings of their own. And it wouldn't do to make a god wait.
As he left, a familiar smell seemed to linger in his nostrils. The smell of blood.