Soldier of Rome: The Centurion (The Artorian Chronicles) by James Mace Read Free Book Online Page A

your Cohort Commander in the middle of the night?” He tried to give off an air of authority, but the façade was weak and Lincinius appeared to know it. He was smaller in stature, a good two inches shorter than Artorius, with a frame that looked to be sixty to seventy pounds lighter than either of the other two men in the room.
    “It’s Centurion Fulvius,” Artorius said, bringing a bored sigh from Lincinius, who walked over to a pitcher of water that always sat on the Signifier’s desk and poured himself a cup.
    “Spare me the details,” he responded. “Fulvius is a hard man to know, but you just need to get used to him is all.”
    “He’s an abusive prick!” Vitruvius snapped. “He’s been here but a week and already he’s brought down the morale and discipline within the Second Century!”
    “Your Century is the Third,” Lincinius observed. “The affairs of the Second are not your concern.”
    “With all due respect, yes, they are,” Vitruvius asserted. “I spent many years in the Second; I know all of the Principal Officers, Decanii, and most of the veteran legionaries. And as Commander of the Third Century of this cohort, the good order and discipline of all centuries is a concern to me. If one century fails on the line, our entire cohort collapses! We are all in this together, and I will not let one man bring us down!”
    “You forget yourself, Centurion,” Lincinius replied, still trying to maintain some semblance of authority over Vitruvius. He, at last, gave up and sighed while turning away from the men. “Look, I am not unsympathetic to you. I understand what you are talking about.”
    “Then why not do something about it?” Artorius pleaded. “You’re his superior! He answers directly to you.”
    “Only according to the army,” Lincinius replied, facing them once more. “You see, I have known Fulvius for some time. He was a bully since the time I met him as a child. I never thought we’d end up in the same legion together, let alone the same cohort. At the time we were eligible, my family held greater sway within Roman politics, and I was commissioned as a Centurion Pilus Prior. Fulvius had to settle with being a regular Centurion. Over the years my family has fallen out of favor, to the point that Fulvius now wields far greater power than I do. Every Cohort Commander he has fallen under has understood this, and so they keep shuffling him around the Empire, always keeping him away from the fighting and never leaving him in one place for very long.”
    “Typical,” Vitruvius scowled. “Meantime the men in the ranks pay the price for his abuse and incompetence, but they don’t really matter do they?” The Centurion was quickly stepping over the line in terms of insubordination, though if Lincinius was scared of Fulvius, he was certainly terrified of Vitruvius, whose bald head shone in the lamplight.
    “I wish I could help,” Lincinius said, wincing at the looks of disgust that Vitruvius and Artorius gave him. “All I can say is keep Fulvius pacified and he will be gone within a year; sooner if the Rhine Army should be mobilized for war. His protectors also make certain that he is never assigned to a Century that may see actual combat.”
    “At least they did one thing right,” Vitruvius growled. “Meantime, those left behind have to live with this mess before legionaries die needlessly!”
    “We will speak no more of this,” Lincinius said with finality, though he dared not look either of the men in the face. “Do not trouble me with this again.” Immediately he walked back into his quarters and closed the door.
    “I wonder if he’ll hide underneath the blankets and hope that we are gone,” Vitruvius spat.
    “Regardless,” Artorius replied, “now my men really are on their own.”
     
    Artorius brooded over the events from the night before as he led the Second Century on a march up the road, away from Cologne. The men marched in body armor, though they left helmets,