Underbelly (35 page)

Some of the men were alarmed by what had happened, believing that Octavius would be angry, but he saluted Roue, appreciating that the battle of wills was a mildly diverting contest instead of the quick annihilation he had expected. I was pleased that it wasn’t over swiftly, experiencing as big a rush of blood as Roue. He was trying to leave for England when we caught him, the surviving troops encircling him and Octavius, who gave him a sporting chance, allowing him a sword and shield for their one on one battle. Now that was swift. When we returned to Rome half of us were told to return to our former units, including several I believed that Octavius liked. I agreed with him about every dismissal, the men leaden or squeamish in combat, unworthy of being under his command.

Octavius went on a similar mission to England a fortnight later, taking the men who he had left behind last time while I and the survivors had to remain guarding Octavius’ home under Publius’ command with some new soldiers replacing those that had died or were dismissed. Did I want to be fighting? Yes, but I looked to protecting Octavius’ property and household as best I could and I actively trained the newcomers to help them make the standard, telling them in no uncertain terms what was expected of them. It was my idea to test the standard of the guard duty by splitting us into two groups, one with the task of breaching the mansion while the other protected it, which proved a good way of exposing our strengths and shortcomings. Octavius returned praising Gracchus to the hilt, a fellow legionary who, were I capable of jealousy, I would have viewed as a rival.

Octavius took 50 of us to Africa, further south then we would have dreamed of travelling. We were starting to understand that there were things beyond mortal understanding, things that defied logic. Octavius sensed another of these disturbances of nature and warned us that we faced great danger, but that would make our victory all the greater. We had to fight just to reach our destination, with the savages provoking us, making us kill them just to gain passage. Clement Roue had taken over a town – Shanu had taken over land the size of a country. He was no supernatural, just a strong man who had taken over his tribe by force, forceful enough to make others follow him as he robbed another of his birthright. He was in his prime when we collided, 30ish, a fine physical specimen and good to watch in battle – I would not say I respected him, but any leader who will not fight with his men is lower than a worm and I cannot say that about him. I saw him strike two of our men down dead and then watched them rise up and fight against us. I decapitated one and he kept fighting, his body only falling still when I chopped both of his arms off. That was what we had to do, cut them to pieces as any that fell dead on the battlefield rose again quickly and charged at us. We lost many men to these dead combatants, their shock affecting their ability to fight, especially against their comrades.

We were holding our own when Shanu’s secret came into view. Shanu had risen to power, and intended to take over the whole continent, thanks to a combination of savagery and sorcery, H’rath providing the sorcery. Octavius called his sorcery style unique, as he called on obscure deities with remarkable success, for the benefit of his tribe, H’rath following Shanu loyally even though he was so much superior to him. Most of the troop stopped in their tracks upon sight of him bar myself, Gracchus and, obviously, Octavius. A bald savage with horns grafted on his skull akin to a goat (though the horns looked more bovine) was not a routine sight in my life but insufficient grounds for hesitation as I have always known that fear is more dangerous than any monster. The monsters of our folklore never captivated me, I was always more impressed by the men who beat them, ordinary men with courage and brains, more than a match for two incongruous horns. I knew that I would have to be held down by several men before those horns would impale me as I knew that if he tried to position himself to charge that I could pierce his bowed head with my sword. A fresh army appeared behind him, and this army of the dead was not so recently deceased…

You did well to take all of this in your stride
, Grey commented.

Life teaches one to be strong and resilient, and that risks are paramount for success. Octavius could have demanded twenty men from each century and gone to battle with cohorts instead of a century, and he would not have been refused, but he didn’t want that, he wanted a challenge. We were overrun, not so much by our living foes but by our dead ones, and Octavius shouted at us to attack the goat, as he put it. That was the key, and I cut a swathe to him only for dozens of skeletons to lunge at me, raking my skin and halting my progress. Octavius charged through the dead, pushing them over as he grabbed the horns and ripped them both off before spearing H’rath through his side, felling him with ease. He was a mystic, not a warrior. All of the dead rested instantly, having never truly been brought back to life, H’rath a puppeteer. Octavius retained the horns as impressive trophies, and we killed every man bar one. 20 slaves were taken, 19 female and one male, Shanu. He was no threat and Octavius enjoyed humbling his foes, especially one who had cost so many of his men’s lives. Others wanted him dead, but I sided with Octavius – killing him was merciful, but enslaving him was the sadistic option. The women worked and had a measure of freedom at the mansion, while Shanu was kept shackled and punished because he kept resisting, refusing to accept his position as Octavius’ slave. That aggression shouldn’t have been there, we removed that from him.

Cassius spoke coldly, but Grey felt that he relished what had been done to Shanu, confirmed when he said,
There were many women in Octavius’ household so obviously his male slaves were made eunuchs.

I’d pretty much worked that out
, Grey said, expressing a little displeasure, which he masked by saying,
I’m not criticising, it’s just not a nice thought.

We felt differently. After losing our comrades there was no shortage of volunteers. After two years he seemed to be more docile and he was unshackled and set to work – he throttled three of the slaves, killed one of Octavius’ lovers and tried to stab Octavius all in the same morning. Octavius ripped his head off instantly. By that time I was his optio and stayed in the house.

Your loyalty would have made you the obvious choice.

Publius got married and couldn’t commit to Octavius’ mission as much as he demanded, whereas I could swear that it would always come first.

What happened to Publius?

He got married and went to live in the country. Octavius didn’t kill him in rage if that’s what you’re thinking; he accepted his decision and paid him well. The picture I’m building up of him obviously isn’t detailed enough. I think it’s about time you told me why you want to know all of this.

I’m just curious. I hear people talk of him as the dominant force on the planet for a millennium and I’d like to know who he was. He’s not featured in the history books so this seems a good way of finding out – a better way actually, talking to someone who knew him is better.

I have a good sense of truth. You are not being entirely honest. I know that he is dead now and that is why I am prepared to talk of him – if he lived I would tell you nothing. Do you really seek a history lesson?

I do, but I admit that, while his campaigns interest me, so do his rites, the source of his power. Such knowledge could prove very useful.

To whom?

Me, others – I don’t know yet until I know more about him.

You’re hiding something. I know that because I recognise you. You’re a man like myself, apparently unexceptional but very, very dangerous.

I don’t see where you’re getting that impression…

Even before I became a spirit I was always introspective, dangerously so
, he said ominously.
I see things that others don’t.

A useful gift
, Grey said civilly, wanting Cassius to tell him more of his past, the conversation turning very strange.
So how did you become an optio?

Cassius laughed dryly, knowingly, and he said,
You want access to Octavius’ secrets. I can understand that curiosity. It took me a long time before I was granted regular access to the mansion. There were two large underground basements, one for the slaves and another for the practices. No man save Octavius went in that room, it was strictly private. That room and the goings on inside, that is the knowledge that you covet.

It does interest me, yes
, Grey admitted.

I would never have intruded where I was not wanted, but I have an idea of the materials that went in there and what came out. Should I share this information with you?
he teased.

If you’re comfortable with doing so.
Grey was eager for the information; he would not act desperate.

I’m not uncomfortable with it
, Cassius said queerly and reamed off a convoluted list, which Grey jotted down, many items meaning nothing to Grey. Cassius could only provide a page of practical information about his master’s rites, which Grey found disappointing from someone who considered himself Octavius’ trusted lieutenant, but he was grateful for the information he had received and thanked him and asked him how his life changed when he became his optio.

Octavius opened up to every soldier under his command during the feasts and when we travelled and fought together, but at other times he was unavailable to the legionaries. Becoming his optio meant that I missed out on travelling with him and fighting many enemies – that was the only bad part of my new position. The positive side of it was that, while I never cared for luxury, I received a commodious room in the mansion, prestige, and I spent much more time with Octavius and got to know him better. I took great pride in protecting his land and people when he was away. A thief tried to enter when I was in charge – I only let him live to act as a deterrent to others, who would not dare try the same after the condition we left him in.

There was a cold sadism in Cassius that disturbed Grey, who asked,
Was he left the same as Shanu?

He was neither decapitated or castrated – he was six years old so I didn’t see much point in that, he wouldn’t know what he was missing.

Six? Do I want to know what happened to him?
Grey said, repulsed by him.

That question is for you to answer.

I don’t want to know. What did your friends and family think of your situation?
Grey said, changing the subject.

Octavius and the century were my friends. As for family, there was only my brother, Marc, and his wife, Threna. I saw them occasionally. He entered politics after he left the military early and tried to persuade me to join him in what he called ‘reputable’ employment. Marc had heard tales of Octavius and it disturbed him, which amused me, and he seemed to view me as some sort of fly unwillingly caught in Octavius’ web, unable to grasp that I viewed my life as perfect. His wife converted to Christianity in secret and my brother was weak so it didn’t take her long to turn him too. They attempted to do the same with me, in vain, if you couldn’t guess.

They were wrong. Everyone has to make their own choices about what they believe without pressure.

They weren’t bad people. They tried to make a positive difference in their community, and on the rare occasions that I saw them they always made me welcome, but their house was not home. I missed Octavius and Siena. I only got to know Siena when I became an optio. Siena was the lady of the house, and by no means the most attractive of Octavius’ household, but she shined in a way the others couldn’t compete with. She was well fleshed with a heavy drooping bosom and a pointed chin and flushed complexion and was a naturally hirsute woman and plucked regularly, her eyebrows especially thick. She tried to look beautiful for Octavius and it was a struggle for her, and he wasn’t easy on her – if he thought she looked too large or poorly groomed he was quick to tell her privately. She was his woman and represented him, and Octavius made it clear when he left me in charge that protecting her was the priority. He had failed to do so centuries ago before he gained his power, when he was mortal. He told me how beautiful she had been then, and how each subsequent incarnation that he had reborn never compared to her original beauty, no matter how hard he tried to style her identically, but that as soon as she looked merely adequate he would grant her immortal life in that form.