{Caesar}
It has been 6 months since I awoke in this world and I think I am doing well. The Firge of Vulcan is well underway, it would progress faster but I made them up the safety precautions since so many slaves were dieing just constructing the place. However the forges here in flagstaff have finished producing the new legate armour.
The 4 new armours are layed out before me. Joshua's is simply combat armour with the bull painted on the breast. He's going to add it to his armour pieces.
Next is Augusta's new armour, he prefers less protection as to show the tribals how little he thinks of them. I pick up his helmet. The mask is a sharp featured mask with the area below the nose replaced with strips of steel. Two plumes of red horse hairs burst from each side of his helmet, they have been treated to stand straight out from the helmet, his new armour is the most simple. He didn't want the arms so he has studded leather arm vambraces and elbow pads. The combat armour is covered in treated leather over metal rails.
Lanius's armour looks the same as before. The design is slightly changed what with the deathclaw horns and the new cape. It is a thing of beauty. The inside is treated leather died red and between that and the death claw skin is thousands of 5 centimetre steel hexagon plates carefully sewn in. The combat armour is buried under a steel cover modeled after his old armour and one arm has been replaced with that of power armour. Lanius said she put up one hell of a fight and I know my mods I think it is Vault tech power armour. It's been repainted and aesthetically remodelled to fit the rest of the design.
Finally Varo's new set. It looks the most like the new Legionary armour with segmented steel plates bonded to the combat armour, the helm is the funniest. A bull, oh how he wishes to impress me. I chuckle. Not many would be so bold as to wear our symbol as a helmet. It looks cool but also like a bill rested its head on his since the only way they could make it both practical and beautiful was to put the face mask under the bulls chin. And so he can't look up because of the nose. I'll give him that he has amused me. Let's hope is is as competent as he is amusing.
Several Prime legionaries enter and carefully collect up the armour. I wait a little. For the first time all 4 legates are in Flagstaff at the same time. The legion is at its weakest and no one knows.
The sun is beating down today yet flagstaff is still. Legionaries, slaves and decanus stand to attention waiting. I defend from my villar and walk down the road examining the legionaries. They are a patchwork of the old armour and the new, many wearing the new armour don't have the steel chest armour since the forge isn't able to produce enough. The legion has swelled so much since we stopped throwing manpower away that training is becoming more intensive just to slow the influx, Contubernia have been expanded to 10 men and the Centuriae have expanded to 200 men. I'll need another legate if we continue at this pace. I arrive at the square where my legates stand. I approach Joshua first.
"My Malpais Legate, I hear you have found a hobby in wearing away at my subjects." "Yes my Kaiser I have been refining the lessons learned at pheonix. They grow tired quickly but their city's are repaired quickly under my direction."
He is doing my work without knowing it. The legion will need civilians eventually if we are to stabilise and for civilians we need city's so his hobby is very beneficial. I nod and move to Augusta.
"My Legate Augusta. I hear you have finished conquering the ranches?" "Yes my kaiser, many of the ranchers accepted to become subjects of the legion in exchange for trade from our lands and of course their lives. Those who refused the deal are now serving us in a more direct manner." "Very good. I trust your blade has served you well. "Yes my kaiser."
Augusta has become even more loyal since his test. He is wearing a necklace of mummified fingers and pieces of bone hang along a string. I don't ming the bones but the fingers are a bit morbid. I move to Lanius.
"My Lanius Lanius you are doing well in the east?" "Your enemies cry from the slave pens and those who don't are dead or awaiting our arrival." "Very well."
From what I have heard he has begun playing with his food in the east. The hunt I had him perform seems to have awakened something that is manifesting as an almost sadistic glee when outsmarting his foes. He still manages to have the highest numbers of losses per battle but reports indicate that he has had a priestess teach him to read and now spends hours with his Centurions and Veteran Decanus planning the next battle. I hear he planned a battle so carefully that when every step of the insanely complex plan was completed the enemy folded in a day and he claimed 20 miles of land. Finally the upstart Varo.
"My Legate Varo, I hear you have been tormenting tribals." "Yes my Kaiser, I remembered what I learned in my test and have applied it to the battlefield."
I'm not sure what he learned but he has become very creative. He has squads of recruit legionaries or initiates move through enemy territory drawing their warriors out. While there warriors are hunting my his men he has veteran or prime legionaries sneak into the camp and grab someone dragging them back to the outpost. Eventually the tribe shatters or attack the outpost and he overruns them, it is the slowest method so far but he loses very few troops. I smile and walk over to the massive steel bull where a table is set up, on it lays the 4 armours. I turn and beckon Joshua over. He comes to a stop directly in front of me.
"As the first Legate, head of the Legatus and my right hand, you have served me faithfully for many long decades. In light of your service and commitment to my legion I grant unto you a new addition to your armour. A set of pre war combat armour enhanced by the Cult of Vulcan. May it serve you well."
He kneels and I carefully trace a cross on his forehead. He returns to the line and I beckon Augusta forward.
"As the second Legate, head of assimilation and training, you have served me faithfully for 10 long years. In light of your service and commitment to my legion I grant unto you a new set of armour forged by the Cult of Vulcan. May it serve you well in your duties."
He kneels and I place his new helmet on his head. He stares at me before returning to the line and I beckon Lanius forward.
"As the Third Legate, master of the eastern front and Beast of the Legion, you have served me faithfully for 5 years. In light of your service and commitment to my legion I grant unto you a new set of armour forged by the Cult of Vulcan. May it bring my enemies nothing but terror."
As he kneels my praetorians form a tight circle as I remove his spare helmet and let it clatter to the ground. His face is a mess deep scars carve across his face, his lips are pulled back in several places exposing his teeth which are chipped, his nose is mangled to the point of exposing his nasal passages. I carefully pick up his new helmet and hold it over his head he reaches up and guides it down onto his head. He stands and returns to the line. I pause a moment then beckon Varo forward.
"As the Fourth Legate, you have served me for only a year but in that year you have successfully conquered 3 tribes, trained under your brothers of the Legatus and created a new way of war. In light of your efforts and commitment to my legion I grant unto you a new set of armour forged by the cult Vulcan, I understand you wished to be the bull of the legion so I grant unto you the title, Bull of the Legion and the honorary status of Vexillarius may your banner never fall."
I place the bull helm on his head. Then I pick up the banner from the table and plant its base upon the floo infront of him. The high priestess steps forward, he presents his palms and she pulls her knife she carefully makes 6 cuts across his palms and he grasps the haft of the banner.
"Repeat after me. I Legate Varo." "I legate Varo." "Swear that upon my honour and life." "Swear that upon my honour and life." "This banner shall never touch the ground."
The only other sound is the blood dripping from his elbows.
"This banner shall never touch the ground." "I swear this to Mars and to Kaiser." "I swear this to Mars and to Kaiser."
He stands and lifts his banner high letting the light fall upon it as he returns to the line. I step forward and smile.
"ON THIS DAY MARS SMILES UPON US. WE WHO SERVE HIM ARE BLESSED IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WE ARE FAVOURED BY MARS LET US PROVE TO HIM THAT WE ARE WORTHY."