Note: Much of this takes place between the Argos fight and “Escape to Windrow” part of the AO story.
Admittedly I had some trouble writing this one, so it may not be great. Again, pacing. This was going to be only one part, but I figured I’d split it as it was getting rather long.
Becoming a centurion of the bronze legion was probably my biggest goal in life. As an ordinary Rasnan citizen, I lived an average life. I didn’t have the wealthy life of a Rubican noble, nor that of an impoverished Tiberian, but I was grateful to have my life how it was. Rasna was a fairly normal town by Bronze Sea standards, located at the north of Ravenna. The main street was a marketplace district, and there was a large open area near the town fountain, a good gathering spot for when Prince Revon sometimes came to give us speeches about the statue of the country.
I joined the Bronze Legion a few years back, maybe five or six. Most Ravennan citizens are expected to serve one or two year of military service, but some, like me, decide to turn being part of the Bronze Legion into their life career. I was promoted to legionnaire a year or two after I initially joined, and that was when I was stationed at Talos for my commendable efforts to help my country.
Talos was where I spent much of my time as a soldier. Being the largest Ravennan fort of the Bronze Sea, it was a place to send out scouting ships and also served as a barracks for the army. While some were stationed at Ravenna, most stayed here, guarding the fort or getting sent out on missions. I was promoted to Centurion here, after around three or four years. It felt weird being able to command most of the legion, but I mostly kept a relaxed control over the fort, just like most of the other centurions did. It was really just a place to relax for some, and the only thing we really did was help shoot pirates that got too close, send out scouting ships, and generally maintain the security of Ravenna.
A few weeks ago, a few other centurions and I were ordered to return to Ravenna. We’d be reportedly getting a visitor soon, Mayor Tilly of Palo Town. It wasn’t the first time we’d had a guest in Ravenna, and almost certainly not the last. Numerous ensigns and legionnaires had been stationed throughout the cities too, just to make sure no trouble occurred. I was ordered to stay at Rubica, and so I spent my next couple of weeks there.
At some point, Calvus had to leave suddenly too, meaning even more security was needed for now. I wasn’t sure whether it was an emergency or not, but I was sure it was for good reason. It was the start of November, so that meant the planned visit was soon… I just hoped it would go well.
Apparently the mayor had gotten kidnapped, as we found out a couple of days after. Sir Gaius, the leading centurion, encountered a group of kidnappers in Tiberia with the mayor. At the same time, we were informed that General Argos was killed at Talos, something I’d never thought was even possible. The criminal was reportedly still at Ravenna somewhere, so the Legion set up a blockade and eventually captured the criminal after a couple of days, according to what I had heard, anyways. The kidnapping incident was resolved at some point later on as well, and peace returned to Ravenna. For now.
Calvus returned pretty soon as well, and life proceeded on. Of course, due to recent events, there were a lot more Legion soldiers stationed around Ravenna to provide security for the citizens but also for the country. I was sent out on a couple of ship patrols, but besides that, I spent most of my time standing around Ravenna, making sure all was right.
At some time in December, news broke out that some unknown people had stormed the Castello. By the time I had heard about it from my post in Rasna, these intruders had already taken out a large group of Legion soldiers and even Sir Gaius. One was in combat with General Julian, another taking on defending soldiers. Among these was the very same person who had killed Argos; somehow they had escaped. I ordered my group of soldiers to rush back to Rubica with me. Calvus’ life was in danger, I was sure of it. Revon, at Rasna at the time, stayed behind.
The armor was clunky and loud, but we ran as best we could to Rubica. It wasn’t far, but it still took an hour or so to get the army over. Legion soldiers were heading into the Castello, yet they could not get far, being blasted down by some strange magic. The ensigns were ordered to retreat, while the higher-ranked legionnaires and centurions tried to take down the threat using magic and weapons of their own. However, this too ended up failing, and we were ordered to fall back.
As we stood outside the Castello, I could hear the loud ringing noises of Calvus’ attacks. From what we could see outside, he was engaged in battle with another person, the very same criminal that killed Argos. Yet, we still couldn’t advance into the castle, no matter what we tried.
I was ordered to head back to Rasna with another group of soldiers to ensure Revon’s safety, while other Legion members were told to keep the citizens of the cities safe. There was no getting in, really, not when the opponents had such powerful magic; even the generals were called in, but they’d take some time to get here. In the meantime, we could only pray for Calvus’ safety in the fight.
As we left Rubica, the city was in quite the commotion. Panicked citizens were order to stay inside their homes, and the docks were barricaded by fleets of Legion ships to ensure no backup arrived for these criminals. I had never seen such chaos in Ravenna before. We headed back to Rasna as instructed, trying to keep order, though the town was much calmer. Still, once the news had spread, there was no containing it. And deep down, I knew that if these people somehow could hold back swarms of Legion soldiers, this wasn’t going to be easy for Calvus.