Here is the next part. Things are getting deeper. *****************
Bitt stared at the chain with undisguisedanger but he kept silent. One end was attached to the post with a metal ring.The other ran to a shackle on his right leg. “You must stand your ground. A legionnairestands his ground in combat. You do not move your paws in the slightest tillordered, You are like a rock. A mountain,” the trainer snarled. He pointed tothe chain. “That will be removed when you have learned to fight.” Bitt pulled his lips back in a snarl. “Ialready know how to fight.” With that he pulled out a seax and sliced throughthe metal chain easily. Bitt stepped back and sheathed his seax.“Are you always this rude people or are you doing this just for my benefit?” Heasked casually as he leaned on his scutum. Sardius snarled silently and then chargedstraight at the fox, sword raised and shield out. The two went at it with astounding ferocity.The fox didn’t back down despite the leopard being almost twice his weight anda foot taller. His training took hold and raised his shield and braced himselfas he had been taught. Sardius slammed into Bitt, throwing his fullweight into it and sending the vulpine tumbling backwards and to the ground. Hestaggered to his feet, a little dazed and in pain. He brought his shield up andlooked for his sword. He was surprised to find he was still holding it. “STOP!” Centurion Feriolius shouted as thewolf raced across the training ground. He deliberately stepped in front ofSardius who had his sword in hand and was advancing on the fox. The leopard came to an abrupt halt. Feriolius slowly stepped backward withouttaking his eyes off Sardius. Finally he walked over to Bitt. Centurion Ferioliuscarefully examined the wound in Bitt’s side. Thankfully it was just a shallowcut but it took a lot of effort to make any wound with wooden weapons. That wasthe reason for using them. “Sardius,” the wolf said in a cold tone.“Your task is to train them. Not kill them.” The leopard started to speak but Ferioliuscut him off. “You’re done for today. Dismissed.” *************** A fortress the size of Gamellae has manyplaces both public and private. This particular room was located in a buildingnear the Principia. It was not particularly hidden but its plainness insuredthat few gave it any notice. Which is what it’s current occupants wanted. Asidefrom a single servant (a calico marked feline in the service of Legio Legatus)there was all the centurions from the predator side of the legion. Indeed theonly prey species in the room was the tall stag seated at the head of the largetable. This was Tertius Nepius Tironacus, Legio Legatus (commander) of the 76thlegion. The prey species centurions had their own little room. On the oppositeside of the fortress of course. “The mongoose? What of him?” Tertius asked. “Rasil is a tough one with a bullyattitude,” Vidius answered. The cheetah was seated in the corner trying tocatch a breeze through the window. “Already been in three fights and beendisciplined for them. But he’s starting to fall in line. I’ll make alegionnaire out of him!” “How is the dog doing?” “Farid?” Antalas was centurion of the 5thcohort, 6th century, The lion had a longer and thicker mane that wasdistinctly lighter than that of Tossius. It spoke of him being a different subspecies.“A good solid person but he is young. It will be a few years before he reachesmaturity.” The senior centurion nodded as he sipped hiswine. “Keep that in mind duringtraining. Can’t push him too hard till he finishes growing.” “He is going to be a big one,” Anatalascommented. “A few years and he will be truly tall and muscular.” “What of the leopard?” “Nahash is a survivor,” Vidius answered.“The fifth son of farmers who were hit hard by the drought last year. He’salready sent his pay home.” “Was he as starved as he looked?” The seniorasked. He got a nod of the head in reply. “Oh yes.When he got his first meal he ate it all and licked the bowl and spoon. I’dlike to add more to his rations for the next few months. Till his muscle andflesh fill in.” The stag nodded in agreement. “Agreed. Andthe fox?” “That fox never wanted for food,” thecenturion commented bitterly. The others nodded. “But he is in great condition,” the oneadded. “No need to toughen him up.” “Where is he from?” The wolf shrugged. “Not sure. All he saidwas from the north.” “A real, northern barbarian?” “He speaks Latine decently,” the centurioncommented. “And passable Aramaic.” “He knows how to fight. The big problem ishe fights like a typical barbarian – for himself,” the leopard commented. “Heneeds to learn to fight as a legionnaire.” “A few weeks training will sort him out,”the one centurion commented. “We’ll see if he can be a legionnaire.” “I’ll toughen him,” Sardius commented. “Or kill him,” another quipped without anyhumor. “I have to be sure he is tough enough.” Theleopard countered. “You broke three of his fingers and two ofhis ribs yesterday,” the wolf responded. “And you actually gave him a puncturewound that took twenty stitches to close.” “A little blood never hurt,” the leopardcountered. “I need to be sure he fights like a legionnaire should.” “You were so busy ‘training’ him you didn’tnotice that he did fight like a legionnaire,” the wolf snarled. “When youcharged him he didn’t pull out those silly knives of his. He raised his scutumand gladius and went right at you.” “Your task is to train them,” the legatecommented. “Not kill cripple or kill them.” He turned to the wolf. “Feriolius.Take over the fox’s training.” The wolf nodded. “Yes sir. I’ll have himtrain with his contubernium. Working as part of a team will straighten himout.” ************* Tossius found Bitt in the barracks. Hisfriend was resting on his bunk. “How are you feeling?” The lion asked. “Everything hurts,” the fox answered slowly.“If it’s not broken, its bruised.” “Sardius hit you really hard,” The lioncommented. Bitt nodded his head slowly. “So I noticed.Was he trying to train me or kill me?” “He’s trying to train you,” Tossiusresponded. “But he does tend to be rough.” "Does he always actthat way?" Bitt asked. "No,” Tossiusresponded. “Sometimes he gets really rude and obnoxious." ************* Bitt spent most of the next dayrecuperating. That meant trying not to move in such a way as to really hurt. Itwas hard with two damaged ribs. The morning formation was the hardest as nomatter how he stood something hurt. Most of what Feriolius said was mundane.The sign and countersign for the sentries and things like the one latrine beingclosed for repair. One thing caught the fox’s attention. “And let it be known that the vile imposterTheodocius I has been deposed,” the centurion said out loud in a rather boredtone. Who cares?” A voice commented in a whisper.“He’ll be gone soon enough.” Bitt wasn’t sure who had spoken but he agreed. “Like the all the others,” A second added. “Keep quiet,” the decanus ordered softly.“Just salute and raise your arm and cheer three times when we all do.” “The valorous and honorable PetroniusMaximus has gained the throne,” the centurion intoned. “All hail EmperorPetronius.” And in the momentary silence beforeFeriolius could speak another did. A soft voice that carried over the wholeformation. “Whoever he is,” it said sarcastically. Vinius turned about and scowled at Bitt butthe fox shook his head in denial. The soldiers gave a forced cheer and wavedtheir arms overhead. They repeated this two more times with an equal lack ofenthusiasm. The centurion nodded his head. “Dismissed.” Bitt was quiet for a moment. “Nothing to say?” Vinius asked. “That’s all? The leader of the largestempire in existence has changed and that’s all the notice it gets?” The foxasked. Confused. “That’s right,” Kegan answered. “Does that happen every time the emperorchanges?” “Usually,” the badger answered. “If theybother to send us a message at all.” “Who cares?” Sabinus added. “He’ll probablybe gone soon enough.” “What happens in your homeland when theemperor changes?” The hound asked. Bitt thought for a moment. “Ah,” he managedto stutter. He tried to remember when WAS the last time he had heard of achange of emperor. But nothing came to him. The whole group broke out in laughter. “Who cares?” Sabinus repeated. “No one,” Bitt answered. ”But someoneshould.” *************
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