I've been liking the story so far. I think you did an especially nice job with Bitt's culture shock!
On Thu, Jan 9, 2020 at 11:49 PM <[email protected]> wrote: > Send MKGuild mailing list submissions to > [email protected] > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://lists.integral.org/listinfo/mkguild > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > [email protected] > > You can reach the person managing the list at > [email protected] > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of MKGuild digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Roman story Part 4 ([email protected]) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Fri, 10 Jan 2020 04:42:21 +0000 (UTC) > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected], [email protected], > [email protected] > Subject: [Mkguild] Roman story Part 4 > Message-ID: <[email protected]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Withthe ceremony done Bitt?s group was led off to the left while the prey > specieswere led off to the right. The fox turned and looked back at the > prey tiros. Hewondered if he would ever see the rabbit again.??? ?Bitt,? > the centurion ordered. ?You?re nothere to gawk.???? ?Yes sir!???? They were > lined up on one side of the paradeground so that the centurion was standing > in the shade of the only tree.??? ?Here is your uniform,? the centurion > said.??? A legionnaire walked down the line ofrecruits. He came to Bitt and > shoved a pile of clothes into the fox?s hands.??? Bitt found it consisted > of:1Tunic, linen, red.1Cape with hood.1belt, leather with dangly bits in > front1pair sandals,1wooden canteen2pieces of oddly shaped linen cloth.??? > He held up the tunic and found it was prettyshort. It wouldn?t even go down > to his knees. ?Where is the rest????? ?You?ve been issued everything,? > thecenturion snarled.??? He eyed the tunic carefully. On closerexamination > it didn?t seem to get any bi > gger. ?Where are the pants????? ?Pants? You don?t need any pants,? > thecenturion countered. ?A tunic is good enough for me and its good enough > foryou.???? The wolf was wearing a red tunic held inplace by a leather belt > whose buckle was of silver chased with gold. All he hadon below the tunic > was a pair of sandals on his paws.??? Bitt had traveled light. Aside from > severalshirts and tunics he had three pairs of pants and a pair of shoes. > Also he hada knife, fork, spoon of pewter, a small bronze bowl to eat from > and brush andcomb all of which were stuffed into a large satchel made of > linen.??? ?This is Vinius,? the centurion said andpointed to one of the > people standing nearby. ?He is the Decanus of your newContubernium.???? The > figure that stepped forward was acanine. The dog had thin fur the color of > bleached sand and a bushy tail thatcurled up so much its tip rubbed the > back of the red tunic he was wearing.??? ?Do you speak Aramaic?? The canine > asked in somewhatstilted Latin > e.??? ?A little,? the fox responded. ?I do speakLatine well.???? The > canine just scowled at him. ?You?d bestlearn it. Not only do all the > civilians speak it but most of the legionnairesas well.???? ?I?m good at > languages,? Bitt responded.?? ??Ihope so,? Vinius responded darkly. ?What > did you bring with you?? Vinius askedas they walked. ?Aside from that > satchel.???? ?Just the essentials,? Bitt answeredhonestly. ?Some boots, a > few tunics and pants and a knife, fork and spoon. Ohand a brush and > comb.???? The Decanus nodded. ?Traveled light? Good.You?ll need to get an > extra tunic or two and another pair of sandals,? Viniuscommented.? ?Also > you might want a decentchest to store things in. There?s a place outside > the gate I?ll show you.???? Thebarracks was a long low, one story structure > with white plastered walls andlined with doors. The place was alive with > people. Wolves, dogs, lions,leopards and other species that Bitt didn?t > recognize were moving about. Somewere in armor and > some weren?t but all were plainly legionnaires. The fox triedto take it > all in and noticed one fact.??? ?No Long Ears?? Bitt asked.??? ?What?? The > canine asked.??? ?Sorry,? Bitt responded. ?All I see arecarnivores. No > herbivores????? Vinius pointed to across the open paradeground. ?They are > in the second century.???? ?They two don?t serve together?? Bitt > wassurprised.??? Vinius cocked his head to one side. ?Ofcourse not. They?re > in different centuries.???? ?They do in the Tenth,? The fox countered.??? > The canine came to a halt. ?Well. This isn?tthe Tenth. Now is it?? He > snarled.??? He shook his head. ?No sir. No it?s not.?And the two kept > walking.??? They were greeted at the door by a tall lionin full armor and > weapons who was just leaving.??? ?This is Tossius,? The Decanus said.??? > Vinius pointed to a leopard seated on abunk. The feline was wearing a > somewhat battered tunic and was cleaning hisarmor. But the feline seemed to > be more interested in the jug next to him on theb > ed. ?That is Eteiwi.???? He pointed to the fox. ?Eteiwi, this isBitilus > our newest Tiro,???? ?Most just call me Bitt.???? Bitt bowed to the feline > who only nodded hishead in response. ?Another Tiro to worry about.???? ?As > warm and friendly as always,? Viniussnarled.??? Decebalus was relatively > tall and fromlooking at him Bitilus was reminded of the gray wolves back > home. But he wasthinner and could be described as lanky. His fur was a > light brown except alonghis back where it was dark to the point it could > almost be black.??? Their part of the barracks and Bitt?s newhome was a > large room. The walls closest to the door were lined with racks andtables > holding the legionnaires equipment, weapons and armor. The back part > wascrowded with five sets of bunk beds. Against one wall was a small stove. > It wasreally just some stones carefully mortared into a little walled fire > pit barelyankle high. To boil water you placed a pot filled with water on > the stones andit was positioned so th > e flames just touching the bottom. Just the rightheight. To grill > something they used either a wire grill or a metal plateplaced on the > walls. Simple but practical and it worked fine.??? Bitt was assigned 2 > pegs, a section of shelfand square of floor space for his tunic & cape, > helmet and shieldrespectively.??? ?What is this?? Bitt said and held up one > ofthe odd, roughly triangularly shaped pieces of linen.???? ?That is your > subligaculum,?the hyena answered.??? ?And exactly what is a subligaculum?? > Heasked.??? ?It?s a loin cloth,? The hyena explained.?Haven?t you ever worn > one before????? ?I?m from the north? Bitt explained. ?Wecover the important > body parts. What isn?t covered in deep winter will freezeand fall off.???? > Several of the legionnaires winced and theothers laughed.??? ?Your biggest > enemy here,? the lionexplained. ?Is the heat. Trying to keep cool.???? ?How > do I put this on?? The fox asked.??? ?First, tie the strings around your > waistwith the long part hanging do > wn back, covering your butt. Next, bring the longpart between your legs > and pull it up behind the knot you tied in front. Thendrape it over the > ties so it forms a loincloth,? the lion responded.??? Bitt stripped out of > his pants and tunic andstood naked for a moment as he looked at the loin > cloth. It seemed to be allcords and odd shapes. He fumbled with it for > several minutes as everyone elseoffered (unwanted) advice. Finally he got > it on in something he believed wasthe right way.??? It seemed mighty small > and left more of hisbody exposed than he would have preferred.??? ?How does > it feel????? ?Drafty,? the fox responded. ?I?m not usedto being this > naked.???? ?I thought all you barbarians fought naked,?the jackal > laughed.??? Bitt shook his head. ?We stopped runninginto battle naked a > long time ago.???? ?They really did it?? Kegan asked.Surprised. ?I thought > it was just a story.???? The fox shook his head. ?Oh no. It wastrue!???? > ?Why? Why run into battle naked????? ?It was a > n ego thing,? the fox explained.?I?m so tough I don?t need armor.? He > waved his hands. ?Makes no sense to me.If I am going into battle I?m making > sure all the important parts are covered. Noone does it anymore. Except my > uncle Keagan. He NEVER wears any clothes.???? ?Ever?? The hyena asked > nervously.??? ?Never. Even in midwinter,? the fox shookhis head. ?But Mom > says he caught a fever as a child and it effected his mind.???? ?Maybe you > should send him a few loinclothes?? the hound joked.??? ?The whole clan > would be grateful if he didwear them,? Bitt responded.??? The lion pointed > to the fox?s right armwhere there was a long thin scar.??? ?That,? the fox > said and ran a finger slowlyalong the scar. ?A Mintiri spear did that.???? > ?The Mintiri are?? The hyena asked.??? ?Rude neighbors to the north,? the > foxanswered. ?They?ve always been trouble. Raiding and stealing but lately > they?vegrown bolder and more violent.???? The rest of the group nodded in > agreement.?We all know how th > at feels.???? ?A good-sized group had raided clan farmsalong the border,? > the fox explained. ?They weren?t just looting and stealingcattle. They were > killing people. So we had to stop them.???? ?It was decided that I was > finally oldenough to take part in real combat,? the fox said. ?I was to go > on a raid tostop the Mintiri.???? ?How did you feel?? The lion asked > softly.He was watching the fox intently.??? ?Excited, nervous, confused, > proud andterrified!? The fox answered. ?So, with a score of my family and > friendsincluding my father, two elder brothers and fourteen cousins we set > off.???? ?It was two days of running and searchingbefore we caught up to > them. There were only a few ways to cross the river. Sothe 10th legion set > themselves up at two of the fords and we guardedthe third. It was our luck > that they came to ours.???? ?The fight was chaotic,? the fox shook his > head.?I remember a lot of screaming, shouting and running around. Suddenly > a tallwolf came charging at me wi > th a spear.??The fox shivered. ?I still remember how he looked. Down to > the smallestdetail.???? ?Did you kill him????? Bitt shrugged. ?I don?t > know. He stabbed meand I stabbed him. I stumbled backwards and lost him in > the confusion. I meantto kill him then with all my heart. But now I hope I > didn?t.???? ?Just remember one thing Bitt,? Vinius saidfirmly. ?This is not > a duel. The point is to simply kill the enemy. In battleyour opponent is > there to kill you. You have to kill him before he can killyou.???? ?And if > you don?t,? the hyena added. ?You?llget yourself and probably some of us > killed too.????? Bitt leaned forward, closer to the hyena.?I am aware,? he > growled. ?Of that fact. But it?s one thing to say you willkill someone and > another to do it for real for the first time.???? ?All that will come with > time and training,?the decanus said interrupting the two.??? ?During the > swearing in,? the fox said. ?Wewere standing in front of that statue. ?The > Legatus didn?t say the emp > eror?sname."??? "He couldn't remember the name of thedead emperor,? the > lion commented.??? ?So who is the emperor on the statue?? Thefox asked.??? > The lion and hound both shrugged. ?We don?tknow either.???? ?You don?t > know?? The fox askedincredulously. ?Isn?t it inscribed on the base????? > Shaking of the head was their answer. ?Itwas there once but someone > chiseled it off.???? Thefox gave a bark of laughter. ?I guess someone > didn?t like him.???? The hyena shrugged. ?Just some long deadrabbit.???? > ?Where are you from?? The jackal asked andpassed a jug to Bitt.??? Bitt > took a sip from the jug and found itcontained a white liquid that tasted > like a fruit drink. But this one had astrong kick to it.??? ?What is this?? > Bitt asked as he handed thejug back.??? ?Date Palm wine,? Grattius > explained as hetook the wine jug.??? ?Interesting taste,? the fox asked. > ?What?sit made from? Not grapes.???? ?It?s made from dates,? the > jackalexplained.??? ?Where are you from????? Bitt pointed off > to the north west. ?Theempire calls it Magdaburgum.???? Rolozius leaned > toward the fox. ?And what doyour people call it????? ?Tirontach. It?s > always been called that andno long dead, Imperial, Long ear is going to > change that,? Bitt said with moreanger than he had intended.??? The hound > laughed. ?Sounds like you are madat the empire.???? ?Notthe entire empire,? > the fox explained. ?Just one of its rulers.???? ?A long dead one I hope,? > the hyena asked.??? ?Of course. I?ve got no grudge with thecurrent one,? > Bitt answered and hesitated. ?Ah.???? ?You don?t know the current emperors > name doyou?? The hyena commented with a touch of humor in his voice.??? > Bitt leaned closer. ?Do you?? He asked in acold tone.??? A cold silence and > tension filled the room.??? ?Does it matter?? Philippus interjectedputting > himself between the two. ?They change emperors so fast why bother?Besides > we haven?t had an order from the capital in decades. We fight and dieto > protect the empire and it?s like w > e don?t exist.???? The fox laughed a humorless laugh. ?I knowthe feeling. > Last year we received a message from the Emperor for governorPlebinius.???? > ?And?? The fennec asked.??? ?Plebinius, May God rest his soul, diedfifty > years ago,? Bitt explained.??? The hyena just shook his head. ?I thought > wewere the only ones the empire forgot.???? ?No memory, no gratitude,? the > fox muttered.??? Kegan took a sip of wine. ?The locals hereare grateful for > all we do.???? ?We ARE the locals,? Tossius countered. ?Athird of us here > are the children of legionnaires. And the rest were all bornhere.???? Bitt > nodded. ?That?s the 10thback home too.???? The lion stood and held up his > cup. ?Here!Here! To governor Plebinius and all those who serve.???? Bitt > lifted his own cup. ?To all of us whohold back the chaos.???**************** > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: < > http://lists.integral.org/archives/mkguild/attachments/20200110/eecd09b5/attachment.html > > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > MKGuild mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.integral.org/listinfo/mkguild > > > End of MKGuild Digest, Vol 149, Issue 6 > *************************************** >
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