[Mkguild] Roman story part 10

[cokane8116 at aol.com]

 Here is the next part. We see Bitt explore the regions history. This was inspired by a story of our own world's Levant. Which seems to have been invaded by just about everyone! Also it explores a serious problem of the empire - fragmentation, Parts of the empire just sort of drifting away.
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    “Being sent to the 76th was areal experience in how the empire worked and didn’t work. I came as a recruitfrom a far distance province and that raised immediate questions. In the past arecruit raised in one province was routinely sent to a far distant one. Butthat habit is long gone. Just as most of those serving in the 10thcame from Tirontach, Atrebatias or Valentia. Thosein the 76th are also locals. Sabinus was born less than a day’s ridefrom the castrum he now serves in. A full third are the children oflegionnaires and are following in the family tradition. Some are third orfourth generation! I am the first such transfer from outside the prefecture inover seventy-five years.”   “More ominous is the segregation. For all their good training andleadership this legion is divided. Predator and prey species do not servetogether. Long Ears serve in certain centuries and we Short Ears in others. Offduty we go to separate taverns and even use different bathhouses! What’s worseis no one seems to think it wrong! I’d heard it happening from veterans in the10th who had served elsewhere but I was still shocked. This doesn’tbode well for the future.  It dividespeople in an artificial way. In these times of trouble when we need unity, thiscreates more divisions.”   “And language. The most widely used language is Aramaic not Latine.Latine is used to give orders and is the language used while on duty but mostspoke Aramaic at other times. Even the officers and centurions. One hundredyears ago this legion spoke only Latine and it was not a second language. Butthat has changed. It shows in the Centurion who in the passion of battle gaveorders in Aramaic and the 75 Legionnaires under his care who followed thoseorders without hesitation or need for translation. It shows in the legate whohas a slave who task is to write all his documents into Latine in the beautifulhandwriting she was famous for. When she gave birth to their first childeveryone joked that he wasn’t having a child. He was hiring another translator.And I don’t doubt that when old enough he will join the legion. Like hisfather.    “Makesme wonder if this is still an empire legion or just a local army in empireuniforms. Whatever they are. These are good people doing a good job.”    Scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch.    The room was quiet. The rest of thecontubernium was asleep. Only Bitt was awake. Seated on his bed he was writingon a small scroll of parchment. The only noise was the scratching of his penupon the parchment. The sole light came from a candle that rested next to thefox.    “Bitt,” Came a sleepy voice. “Go to sleep.”    The fox looked up at Tossius. The lion wasseemingly asleep in bed with his back to him. “Just doing a little writing.”    “You are always writing,” the lioncountered.    He went back to writing. “It helps me torelax.”    “Now who are you writing to? Your Mom?”   “No,” Bitt answered. “The Barone has asked mesome questions. What the people here are like. What the political anddiplomatic situation is.”    “Your Barone?” The lion asked. “He’s a fulltwo months journey from here. Why would he care about here?”    “He says what happens here happens there,”was Bitt’s explanation.    “He sounds ambitious,” the lion responded.“Too ambitious. Maybe he wants to wear the purple.”    “Him?” Bitt said and laughed. “Be emperor?Never. He’s ambitious but not a fool. His base of power is too far from thecapital.”    “Then why is he interested in us here?” thefeline asked.    “He’s worried about other people who want towear the purple.”    Scratch, scratch, scratch.    “They always cause trouble. Even for as farnorth as where I come from.”    “That’s all too true,” came the sleepyreply. “And our Prefect is ambitious.”    “Too ambitious,” the fox added. “Our Baronethinks he might take the legions here and head to the capital.”    “I can see him trying that,” the felineanswered.    “If he tried it,” the fox asked slowly.“Would you follow?”    That earned Bitt several seconds of silence.    “Would your people?” Tossius countered.    Bitt gave a yip of laughter. “Of course not.No one at home cares who rules in the capital.”    “They don’t care about us in the capital,”the fox said with more bitterness than he had intended to reveal. “Why shouldwe care about them?”    “The legions task is to defend the empire andit’s people. Not make some ambitious idiot emperor,” was the lion’s slowcomment.    There was several seconds of silence.    “What happens if it fails?” Bitt asked.“What if the empire collapses?”    “Something else will come along,” the sleepylion responded. “It always does.”    “What?” Bitt asked. Confused.    “My people have lived here forever,” thelion explained. “We were here when the foreigners who spoke Akkadian invadedand said they ruled here.” The lion paused. “We couldn’t stop them so theyruled. For a while.”    “The foreigners whospoke Aegyptian came and drove out the ones who spoke Akkadian,” the lioncontinued. “We rule here now – they said. And they did rule. For a while.” “Theforeigners who spoke Median came and drove out the ones who spoke Aegyptian,”the lion continued. “We rule here now – they said. And they did rule. For awhile.” “Theforeigners who spoke Hurrian came and drove out the ones who spoke Medean,” thelion continued. “We rule here now – they said. And they did rule. For a while.”    “The foreigners who spoke Latine came anddrove out the ones who spoke Hurrian,” the lion continued. “We rule here now –they said. And they did rule. They still do. For now.”    “And who will replace them?” Bitt asked.“The Parthians?”    “No,” The lion answered. “They have beentrying for over three centuries. They have problems all their own.”    “If not them than who? What?”    Tossius turned and looked at the fox. Heshrugged. “Regardless. Life goes on. As it always has.” And with that he wentback to sleep.     Barone. You asked me if this region is stable now. Well It’s never beentruly stable nor fully at peace. But it is as close to those as it ever willbe. When it’s gone people will look back on this as a golden age and talk abouthow good things were.   Will it last?     He turned at looked at the lion who hadgone back to sleep and pondered what he had said.   No. It never does but regardless. Life goes on. It always does.    He paused for a moment before finishing. And Tossius people will be here all thesame.  ********************End part 10

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