{Frank}
Today will be glorious. A legate has been summoned to this place. Veteran Decanus Lentros seems slightly ill at ease he has sent his Veteran Legionary to personally oversee the drills. He is walking along the rows of Shield bearers occasionally beating anyone not in perfect formation. He approaches me.
"The cursed man. You will be blessed. This Legate is cruel and young. We will see if your string of luck saves you from him."
"Not luck."
"What did you say."
"It is not luck VETERAN LEGIONARY IT IS SKILL AND BRUTALITY."
He smirks and I slam my helmet into his face. He reels back his chain buff falling and his goggles ascue. Underneath is something rotten, decaying flash hangs loosely on the bone, it is a horrible rotten face the face of a ghoul.
He rises and slams his fist into my stomach. I bend slightly then bring my shield into his chin. His head snaps back then he glares at me before bursting into laughter. You will go far boy. Now I want you to plank in front of your brothers. I step forward and march out to the front of my brothers and place my shield on the ground then grip the rim and take a plank position. I hold it for a minute then he walks over and steps onto my back.
"BE HONORED BY THE PRESENCE OF VETERAN DECANUS LENTROS!"
He steps off my back then I feel Veteran Decanus Lentros step onto my back.
"You men hav trained for months to be something new something unique a new era of Legion warfare. You are not worthy of that honour. One week ago our glorious Kaiser struck an agreement with the leader of the Hand Warband. It was considered that we would do this politically but then it was decided that Texas is Legion territory and as Legion Territory the Legion can do what it likes so a Legate is going and YOU will be his best or I will travel there personally to crucify every one of you."
He steps off me then grabs me by the tunic and lifts me.
"Get back to line."
I run back to formation. Getting in line just as a flag appears the bull stares out as the Legate strides into the parade ground he is tall made taller by the flag mounted on his back, he glares out from within a bulls mouth at us, assessing us, judging us, disappointed in us.
"So you are the Shield Legionaries."
Smug filth.
"I am not impressed. You do not impress me."
You don't impress me.
"I have been told that it is your purpose to die, I will be testing that."
"INCORRECT."
Everyone's heads snap round to stare at me my brothers stare with fear the tutors and the legate stare at me with anger but Prime Decanus Lentros and his Veteran Legionary stare at me with amusement.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY SHIELD BEARER!?"
"YOU ARE INCORRECT!"
Rage fills his eyes and fury twists his mouth.
"IT IS NOT OUR PURPOSE TO DIE! IT IS OUT PURPOSE TO CARRY OUR BROTHERS TO THE FRONTLINES AND THEN BEAT OUR ENEMIES TO THE GROUND! TO GRIND THE PROFLIGATE TO DUST AGAINST OUR SHIELDS AS OUR BROTHERS FIGHT! WE ARE THE SHIELD BEARERS. AVE"
"AVE AVE AVE AVE AVE AVE AVE AVE AVE."
"BLESSED BE THE LEGION!"
"BLESSED BE!"
I step back as the Legate gazes at me there is something in his gaze, amusement.
"Beat him."
My brothers turn at the order and approach me.
"BRING IT ON."
My closest brother springs at me the corner of my shield meets his chin and his head snaps back. I grab another by the throat and drive my helmet into his face, blood from his nose coats my face. A fist slams into my back and I spin biting forward not paying attention to what exactly I spit out as a brother falls back. Fists fly and my shield slams into faces, throats. My teeth find flesh and my fist finds blood. Finally as I am born down by another fist another blow I grip my sword and pull it fingering the trigger causing it to burst into flame as I hold it up and scream.
"COME AT ME YOU UNWORTHY PROFLIGATES! FIGHT ME! BEAT ME! KILL ME! DO YOUR DUTY OR I WILL."
"ENOUGH!"
The rough voice of the Veteran Legionary cuts through the melee.
"BACK IN FORMATION."
The men who can still stand drag themselves back to formation. I collapse to one knee and deactivate my sword then blackness fills my vision as my head hits the dirt.
I drift in and out of consciousness.
"Two missing teeth, multiple concussions, fracture to the skull, broken ribs and cracked pelvis."
Everything fades again then it returns sat next to me is a man. I don't recognise his armour he has a red buff and goggles covering his face the only thing I can really see is a sharp Mohawk.
The next time I drift back to consciousness I have a drip in my arm attached to a large stimpack. I move to pull it out but my arm is stopped by a handcuff, a hand guides mine back to the cloth it's to bleary to see but the ring and middle are sat together as if fused.
"Veteran Legionary."
"Correct boy. I must say you nearly died. But Veteran Decanus Lentros has ordered that you be given a stimpack so you will be fit for Texas."
"No"
"What?"
"No. Texas not under him."
"Why?"
"Look at him."
"I have."
"Then you see he mocks it."
"What?"
"The bull."
I can feel him smiling.
"He doesn't want you either."
"Then I will go."
"We cannot overturn the orders of a Legate however your little display attracted attention."
"From who."
He gently turns my head. I'm not sure what I'm meant to see but soon an image swims into view a picture of a man with close shaven hair sharp features and a red tunic. I remember swearing aligance to that image. I remember how it glares at me in my dreams.
"Since we have orders superceeding Legate Varo's I will be the first to inform you that you have been promoted."
"What."
"On orders of Veteran Decanus Lentros Shield Bearer Frank has been promoted to Recruit Decanus Shield Bearer Frank."
He presses a mesh with Black and brown feathers.
"Congratulations. You now serve under a man who disapproves of your promotion and thinks you are not suited or worthy of being a Legionary."
I slip into unconsciousness.
It takes a 4 days for the Stimpack to finish healing me, in that time a Priestess starts giving me lessons on reading and writing. I learned basic reading and writing before I joined but she is intent on making me follow the lessons. A cultist came in and took measurements for my new armour. Apparently the Malpase Legate has ordered we be fully kitted with the newest sets so we make a good first impression. The Veteran Legionary left shortly after I regained normal contiousness he said that since we were leaving a new batch of Initiate Shield Legionaries had been brought in and he had to return. As it turns out, my hospital room was civilian, it did seem to nice for anything at the training ground. Lentros sent me to Pheonix to be treated and my new Shield Bearer Auxiliary Corp had been assigned to one of the camps that ring the city.
The day of my discharge has arrived before we can move out I must perform the ceremony of promotion sign for the supplies and perform a speech. The doctors are stood over me running some final checks each is wearing an arm band with the red X of subservience on it so at least I know they have sworn oath's like myself even if they are civilian. As they finish their checks a Veteran Legionary presents himself at the door.
"Who sent you."
"Recruit Decanus Shield Bearer Frank I have been assigned to you by Prime Decanus Rufellius."
"Who is your Legate?"
"Legate Varo."
"Get out of my sight."
He dismisses the Doctors then strides to my bed and places a bag on the bed then grabs me by the robe and slams me into the bed.
"Listen here you filthy ingrate. I know you I was forced to learn everything about you. I know you have not been one of us for even a year. I am a descendent of the Kaibabs you might not know or care what that means but that makes me the heir to a long and fruitful liniage of service to Kaiser."
Before he can continue a grab his chin and balls and squeeze. He releases me but doesn't whimper.
"I don't give a toss who your daddy is. We are legionaries and there is nothing more to it. If you don't want to find yourself left without a chance to feel blood on your blade keep provoking me because I welcome it. I am the Cursed Man cursed to rise through the ranks cursed to be noticed and gifted poisoned gifts. Death is my duty and my job don't make me deprive Kaiser of someone like you."
I release him then gesture to the bag.
"What is it."
"Your new uniform."
"Would you help me dress I'm not used to armour."
He smirks then hisses.
"Would be my honour."
I put on the tunic examining the gold stripe. He helps me pile on the leather then chainmail then finally steel chest plate.he shows me how to attach and detach the half mask from the helmet and attach my feathers. Finally I am kitted up. I grab my shield that has been sat at my bedside since I got here much to the annoyance of the doctors.
"Time for your ritual. I'm told you have no trophies so we improvised." He leads me out of the city and to a camp and into a tent. Knelt inside are 8 slaves. They are faintly familiar. They are my old neighbours.
"You must kill each of them before kaiser's picture to prove you are his and free from sin and attachment."
I struggle out of my chestplate my new Veteran Legionary stares at me but two of my brothers are watching the precedings and rush to help me strip out of my armour soon I am in my base equipment.
"Free them."
My brothers move between them releasing their shackles. They stare at me hope in their eyes until my brothers grinning and understanding my will toss training swords at their feet.
"Frank?"
"Fight me."
"Frank please."
"Die like a man."
Two of them are stood staring at the swords then grab them and launch themselves at me. I meat the first in the stomach with my fist he lets out a ghk noise as I bear him to the ground then grab his tunic lift him and slam him back down. The other smashes the sword across my back causing me to drop but my foot bends his knee back as he cries out I grab a sword and shove it down his throat. I slam the edge of my shield into the one lay on the floor. The others don't put up a fight just cower as I add their teeth to the chips on my shield. My Veteran Legionary helps me into the armour again. It goes slightly faster this time. The priestess who had been watching dips her hand in the blood pooling in the dirt and presses it against my shield leaving a blood handprint.
"By the will of Kaiser and Mars you are a Recruit Decanus."
We stride out of the tent and make our way to the parade ground. The shield legionaries are arrayed before me in their 10 Collumberia. The two who had joined me in the tent join theirs. 9 of the Columberia have the first in the row dressed as Prime legionnaires. I take the stand. I could say so much talk on so much. I remove my sword and finger the trigger as the flames lick across the blade I hold it in the air.
"BLESSED BE THE LEGION"