Part 1/3: https://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/zsdrpn/i_served_in_the_9th_roman_legion/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
Part 2/3
Over the next ten years I fought in countless battles against all manner of beasts and demons. We fought all over the empire. From Gaul to Greece. I was good at it. I worked my way all the way up to the level of centurion. While Maxus became the Primus Pilus. I was one of the six centurions in his cohort. Along with both Solaris and Crixus. Then came one fateful day.
I was called into Quintus tent by Maxus. We were camped out on a beach in Britannia. Our mission there had been to track down what we thought was a Druid priest that had been dabbling into black magic and creating revenants. It’s not an easy spell and most require training directly from a demonic entity to do it. We were concerned. We’d spent a few weeks trying to track them to no avail. It was as if they knew our plans as we made them. Our local contact, another Druid magician called Merlin (yes that Merlin) was in Quintus tent with him.
The man wasn’t anything like they portrayed in the movies and stories. He wasn’t or didn’t appear to be very much older then myself. He had a head full of shaggy red hair and a thin beard. He also smelled horrible. Like a mixture of vomit and goat piss. He wore white robes and glared at me the moment I walked in.
“Marcus!” Quintus greeted.
“Commander!” I greeted in response.
“I was just talking to Merlin here about our battle against the children of Sobek in Egypt.”
“They were repulsive.” I said plainly.
“That they were. But you all held your ground. Which actually brings me to why I called you two in here. Do you remember what exactly they were after?” He asked.
“Something about a magical stone in the area.” Said Maxus.
“Something like that. Any of you ever heard the worshipers of the Abrahamic god talk of a man called Cain?”
Both Maxus and I shook our heads. Quintus nodded.
“They believe that he was among the first family of man. He murdered his brother over some sheep and was cursed for it. While that story is close it’s incomplete… He didn’t murder his brother for sheep. He murdered his brother for the arch demon Lilith.. Who’d spent the better part of a year filling his head with dreams of power… She taught him how to use black magic. In turn, he became her apostle.. Her disciple on earth. Together they created… Or maybe found what we call the philosopher’s stone.” Quintus explained.
“What does it do?” I asked.
“In simple terms. It’s a powerful source of magic. Strong enough to pull apart entire planets if that’s what the user wills.”
Maxus stroked his chin. “If it’s powerful enough to do that, then why hasn’t Lilith or Cain used it to destroy the planet?”
“Lilith tried.. Cain, however, decided that destroying the entire human race wasn’t the best idea.” Quintus said.
“He took it and ran!” Merlin replied.
“And how do we know this?” Maxus asked.
“Who do you think taught Merlin the mystical arts?” Quintus said.
“So what does this have to do with the revenants?” I asked.
“We think the druid is after the stone as well.” Said Merlin.
“That’s why they’ve been terrorizing villages.. We think he’s trying to flush Cain out.” Quintus said.
“And what do we know of this druid?” Asked Maxus.
“Absolutely nothing… We don’t even know if it is a Druid. All we know, is that someone is controlling the revenants by the hundreds. Maybe thousands. Which brings me to my next point. Your assignment… Cain is held up in a cave a few miles north of here. I want you to take your century and protect it while we try our hand at hunting them down. I will personally command the rest of your cohort while you’re gone.” Quintus said.
“Are you sure? Marcus and I may be your best chance at finding them?” Maxus said.
“I’m sure. Protecting that stone is of the upmost importance. I wouldn’t assign the task to anyone else.”
Maxus sighed deeply before turning and looking in my direction.
“Let’s go then.” He said as he started to walk out.
We both stopped at the tent’s entrance.
“Oh and Maxus.. You two know the plan. Stick to it.”
Maxus and I marched my century with Merlin acting as our guide. The journey was like any other. That being said, 10 years prior, it would have made my legs ache. Now it was like taking an evening stroll. I’d grown used to the enhancements in my time with the 9th. I’d also grown used to life on the move. We were never in the same place longer then we had to be. This was my third time in Britannia. It only occurs to me now, all these years later, that we never really had a true home.
Merlin guided us through a dense forest. So dense that Maxus and I had my century marching in rows of four. Merlin was in the front. Followed by me, Maxus, and Agustus. Augustus was my right hand man so to speak. He was one of the decanus in my century. The forest was quiet. This alone had me on edge. Thanks to the Omega potion, I could hear a mouse running through the brush at a hundred yards and still… I heard nothing in this forest.
“You noticed it too?” Maxus asked.
“That the forest is deathly silent or that Merlin smells like goat piss?” I replied.
“Are you sure that isn’t you centurion?” Augustus asked from behind me.
“Very funny…” I said in response.
“Merlin!” Maxus barked.
Merlin stopped and turned back to the Primus Pilus.
“Yes?”
“How much further?”
“Another mile or so. There’s a cave on the edge of this forest. That’s where he’ll be.” Merlin said with a smirk before turning and continuing on.
Maxus turned to me.
“I don’t like this!” He said.
“Neither do I.” I said as I turned and signaled Augustus to have the men ready themselves.
I tightened my grip on my shield. Merlin continued onward. We walked for a few more minutes before we came to the side of a cliff. Which contained a cave that was maybe ten feet off the ground.
“Here we are!” Merlin said.
“Cain is up there?” I asked.
Merlin shrugged, “That’s where he’s been spending his time.”
“Great!” I said as I handed my shield and spear to Augustus before I approached the opening.
It took a single jump for me to clear the opening. Enhanced strength and all that. A ten foot vertical jump wasn’t anything to gawk at. I landed lightly. The cave was vast. It smelled like cooked meat. In the distance, I could see a small fire burning in the back. A lone man sat next to it cradling something. I started to approach when I heard someone land behind me. I turned to see Maxus standing there. He was followed by Merlin who seemed to float inside.
“Is that him?” I asked.
Merlin nodded. Maxus and I approached cautiously. Neither of us really knowing what to expect. When I finally reached him I found a rabbit cooking over the fire. Cain was a slender man. With olive skin and dark hair. He didn’t look at us as we came closer.
“Marcus and Maxus.. How very nice it is to meet you! Officially, I mean…. I saw you two fight in Egypt. Those children of Sobek are ravenous.” He said in a soft voice.
We stood silently.
“Please!! Sit!! Would you like some rabbit?” he said as he gestured for us to sit down across from him.
I sat but declined the rabbit. Maxus stood with his hand on his sword. I didn’t blame him.
“You have the stone?” Maxus asked.
“I do. I never leave home without it.”
That was when I noticed what Cain had been cradling. I massive red gem that seemed to glow a faint red where he caressed it. I swallowed hard.
“She’s coming for me you know! She’s always coming for me!”
“Who?” I asked.
“The red queen! Mother of monsters! The maiden of Gehenna! Lilith! That’s why I’m in this cave.”
Now, before I get much further, I have to explain something. Demons are or were a strange bunch. While they weren’t banned from earth entirely, they weren’t welcome. Most that walked among humans kept their heads down. Except for a few. We had a story that was told to us by Quintus himself. About how Gehenna used to have free reign to terrorize everyone that they could. Until heaven stepped in. I guess enough was enough. Heaven bequeathed a young man called Enoch a sword. Enoch in turn led humanity to war alongside heavens arch angels. A war known as the First Gehennian War. A war that ended when the arch Angel Michael defeated Lucifer for the second time since the rebellion. Rather then die, Gehenna and Heaven came to an agreement. Gehenna wouldn’t continue the constant invasions of earth and would keep its sovereignty. The door way between the realms would remain “unlocked” but monitored. Gehennian beings on earth would be required to report before being allowed entry. Which means… If Lilith was wondering around. We’d know. Now, accidents do happen. Lower level demons used to escape all the time and cause problems. But they were never acting on Lucifer’s orders. If they were, that would mean war. This was the queen we were talking about. His queen. There were, however, some ways around having to report. Like a demon sending its essence up to earth and finding a body to possess. Now, I know what your thinking.. I’m a Roman. Romans have their own gods. Why am I talking about Abrhamic mythology? The Roman, Greek, Egyptian, Norse, and most of the others do exist. But like everything else. The stories aren’t exactly one for one. Anyway, I’m getting off topic..
“Lilith is in Britannia? How do you know it’s her?” Maxus asked.
Cain looked down at the stone and exhaled.
“She wants the stone. I can sense her essence. We are connected. Her and I.”
“Can you stop speaking in fucking riddles!” Maxus barked.
Cain closed his eyes and smiled. The cave suddenly lit up. Torches sparked to life brightly revealing cave paintings on the walls. Maxus instinctively drew his sword. Cain opened his eyes and stood. It was then I noticed a table set up against one of the walls. The table was adorned with candles and covered in what looked like runes.
“It’s an old blood magic spell. A trade of sorts. Back when I was her vessel on earth. Some of her still remains.”
“You let her possess you?” I asked.
“Yes. She couldn’t come her herself. Lucifer forbid it. He still does. But I don’t think she cares anymore. Instead she used me to destroy. To maim and murder. This was after the war of course. After she was banished from her earthly body. I eventually took back control. I used the stone to purge her from my mind but there are pieces that still remain.”
“If what you’re saying is true. It would mean war.” Maxus said.
“If what he’s saying is true. Then Quintus has his work cut out for him. An arch demon of her magnitude may be too much for an Omega soldier. Maybe even the 9th itself.” I said.
Maxus turned to me and smirked.
“You’ve been here ten years and still don’t know all the secrets.”
I was about to inquire what he meant by that when I heard the demonic screech coming from outside the cave. Cain only smiled at this.
“Quintus may have miscalculated how quickly she’d find me.”
Maxus looked at Cain.
“Quintus miscalculates nothing!”
I admired Maxus blind faith in our leader. Even when I myself was questioning it. But in all honesty, Quintus had never steered us wrong before. Yes men had died before but it was an occupational hazard.
I ran out to the mouth of the cave. Augustus had arranged the men in a circular formation around the cave. They’d formed a shield wall that was two men deep. He was a good man. He’d done exactly as instructed. I looked out into the forest. I could smell them before I saw them. The rotten corpses of picts shambling our way. Some were armed and some weren’t. There were hundreds, if not thousands of them. I glanced back at Maxus, who gave me a nod before I jumped down. The walking corpses were only a few feet away from the shield wall.
“Pilum! Front line!” I commanded.
The soldiers in the front line threw their spears. Several of the dead fell. Some didn’t. Some missed altogether. But doing this only opened the flood gates. The dead went from shambling to full on sprinting. Before I could get another word in they’d slammed into the outer shield wall and they’d done so hard. But my men were strong. The shields held firm but that didn’t stop several from climbing over. Most of which were cut down by the second line.
I still hadn’t gotten my shield back. I had my sword out and the blade was burning blue. I had a revenant that had jumped over the wall charge me. This one looked like she used to be a pict woman wielding what looked to me like a kitchen knife. I very quickly removed her head from her body. The next thing I saw was Augustus. He was removing his sword from one of the revenants. I looked back up at the wall. It was still holding. By this time Maxus had landed behind me. As had Merlin. That was when we felt the ground rumble.
I stood still. The flood of walking corpses was still coming in from the forest. But my eyes caught something else. Something large and lumbering. It was a creature of which I’d never seen in person.
“Ah shit!” I grumbled.
The beast was massive and humanoid in appearance. Its bald rotten head almost reached the treetops. The undead giant snarled as it used its massive foot to kick its way through my lines causing a massive melee. The beast looked down at Maxus and I. We both readied our swords.
“This is gonna hurt isn’t it?” I asked. Augustus chuckled. Maxus exhaled. Then Merlin. Fucking Merlin started chanting in a language I’d never heard before whilst raising his hands. Before I could ask him what he was doing a massive whirlwind of fire seemed to conjure up underneath the giant’s feet before it swallowed him whole. The creature, maybe realizing it was dying, reached out with its tree trunk sized arm in an effort to grab me but it’s body was ash before it got the chance. We all turned and looked at Merlin who winked and smiled at us.
Maxus and I turned back to the melee. Our men were holding their own. But we were very clearly being overrun.
“Remember the plan!” Maxus said. “Plans already going to shit!” “Still!” “I know! I know!” I griped as I turned to Augustus. “As soon as that priest shows their face you fire that arrow!” I commanded. Augustus began pulling the bow from his back. While Maxus and I tried our best to reform the lines. It was a bloody affair. I can remember seeing one of my men having their entrails dug out by two or three of the creatures. I tried to save him. I really did. But there were just so many of them. I’d kill five and ten more would show up.
The battle went on for a good thirty minutes before we managed to reform the line. As we did so the revenants seemed to let up. The new ones stopped charging and stood back at the treeline.
“What the hell are they doing?” I asked.
It was then that I noticed the woman in white robes approaching us. She had dark hair and white paint covering her face. She was also living. So that meant she wasn’t a revenant. She also walked with a gracefulness to her. I can remember thinking that she was probably beautiful at one point. Before her eyes and teeth went inky black.
“Romans!” She called out with a sinister smile. “You’re outnumbered. You can’t fight here forever. Listen to my offer. For I shall only make it once.” She started.
I turned and eyed Maxus. Who smirked at me.
“Pilum!” I shouted. What was left of the second line all threw their spears. Several more revenants fell! Several were thrown at the woman but they seemed to stop mid air a few inches from her now annoyed face.
“Augustus! For the 9th!” Maxus commanded.
Augustus nocked an arrow. It’s tip glowing a bright blue color as he aimed it for the sky and let it fly. Then came the horn. I loved that sound. The deep bellow that signified help was here. The woman had fallen victim to Quintus plan like a rat in a trap as he’d placed his forces less then a mile away from our position. She turned and eyed us when she realized what was about to happen. There were thousands of us coming and now she was stuck with her back to a cliff. You see, we’d known that she could somehow hear us in our tent. So Quintus had given us written orders that morning. We knew as soon as we went to Cain, that she’d come screaming in.
The woman could have tried to run. But she didn’t. She only pressed her attack harder.
“Get the stone! For the queen!” She bellowed.
The revenants charged again. This time even harder. My line braced for the impact. The only difference this time Merlin didn’t have to hold back. I watched as a wall of fire ten feet high conjured up just outside the shield wall. Incinerating anything and everything that attacked it. I could hear Cain shuffle his way to the cave entrance behind me. I turned to see him with one hand up and an angry glint in his eye. That was when the woman was ripped through the flames whilst clutching her throat. Cain summoned her to him. Leaving her suspended in the air for a moment.
“You’re not Lilith!” He said with disgust. “I-I am her true vessel! Something you could never be!” She wheezed. Cain gave her a look of pure disgust before summoning her closer. “You’re nothing but a slave!” He said before tapping her on the forehead. The woman fainted. By then, Quintus and the legion had completely enveloped the remaining revenants. It took a few hours, but we eventually killed them all.
The woman was brought to Quintus tent to be questioned. I was present, as was Cain, Merlin, Maxus, and Solaris. It turned out that she was a farmers daughter called Gwen. Her father had been killed by a rival clan the previous year and she’d been gang raped by them. Lilith took advantage of this. Promising her revenge in return for the stone. The story was simple. But I could tell that it deeply bothered Quintus.
Later that night, we celebrated. By we, I mean Maxus, Solaris, Crixus, and Augustus sat around one of the camps fires and drank wine. The soldiers around us celebrated as well. But they were lost in their revelry. Maxus was quiet. Which was normal. Usually after a victory he’d sit near the fire and stare into it. He’d been like that since Luke had been ripped apart by a giant spider. Solaris was already intoxicated… Or as intoxicated as one could get with the omega running through their veins. He and Crixus laughed about something that I missed. Augustus eyed me. He knew what was on my mind.
“Six.” He said. I turned to him. “What?”
“Six men. That’s how many we lost. Not horrible.” Augustus said. “Six more then I’d like.” I replied. I could hear Maxus exhale. I turned to him. “Six men gave their lives for the 9th.” He said softly. “FOR THE 9TH!” Solaris called out drunkenly. “FOR THE 9TH!” The entire camp of soldiers called out from around us. I smirked at the bravado. “You’re a good centurion Marcus. Don’t let it get to you. Each of those men would have happily died for you again if you’d asked them.” Maxus said with a soft smile. I took a deep breath and then took another swig of wine. “So what now?” I asked. “What do you mean, what now?” “The girl. We all heard what she said.” Maxus nodded as he thought. “I suppose we’ll find out soon enough. Right now, we revel!!” Solaris said as he stood up and almost immediately fell over. Crixus helped the man off the floor. “Alright buddy you’re done!” He said softly.
I could still see Maxus pondering. I knew his mind was in the same place as mine. “This can’t be over.. Can it?” “It’s not!” Quintus voice said from behind us.
Both Maxus and I stood up and saluted him. Quintus, however, was far from alone. He was flanked on his right by two men. One with dark brown hair and a stern look on his face. He wore similar black armor to Quintus, but his was different in the sense that instead of a sword on his hip. He has a massive silver bladed scythe in one hand. The next was a man in what I could only describe as black Greek hoplite armor with weapons to match. Then came the woman on his left wore black armor as well. Only she didn’t have any weapons. She had dark hair and a greenish tint to her skin.
“We should talk. You’re not going to like what comes next.”