Fields of Nasselle - Chapter Two - The Legion

The clarion call of Legion horns jolted Maximillion from his dream. He bolted from his bed when he realized that it was the call to arms for the general Cohorts. The rest of the centurions around his tent had already donned their armor and were strapping their Gladii to their sword belts. Max was always slow at donning his armor; he'd only been in the Legions since he had turned sixteen a little more than a month ago.
He'd been placed as a centurion on a whim of the captain, Tiberius Caius. Caius thought he had recognized something within Max and decided to test a theory by placing Max in a position of leadership. The Legionnaires directly under Max's command had originally dismayed at the thought of a fresh fish taking command of a century. Their feelings had quickly turned around when he led his century to victory in the few practice battles that had been held.
By the time Max had finished strapping his Gladius to his belt, the horns for the call to arms the Aquis, Ferran, and Navitian Legions had sounded. As he left his tent, he saw Caro jogging up to the tent.
"Hey, Max. Any idea why we're being called to arms?"
Max was still struggling from waking up half-way through his dream. "No clue. I was dreaming before the blasted horns started going off." Caro fell into step besides Max's left. They hadn't taken two steps before Caro took off and ran around a few tents in a burst of energy. As he fell back into place beside Max, his slightly curly dirt blond hair bobbed slightly from his energetic step, as well as from Lesh, his Energy Primal, who was buzzing around his head in the form of a hummingbird.
"Caro, you have entirely too much energy. Is it really all because of your bond with Lesh?"
"Oh. Yeah. Definitely. Before I bonded with Lesh, I was the slowest kid around. Now? Now I'm everywhere at the same time."
Max struggled to understand Caro's mile-a-minute speech, even though they had been friends since shortly after Caro formed a bond with Lesh over two years ago.
As the two of them walked towards the center of the camp to get their organization orders, Max caught the faint smell of vanilla nearby. Olivia walked up next to them on Max's free right side while she finished tying her hair into a ponytail. Max glanced up and down Olivia, taking in the richness of her Aquis Legion armor. It was trimmed with blue steel and had a water-droplet emblazoned on the left side of the breastplate and the helmet she carried under her arm.
For a split second, Max imagined removing the armor and becoming entangled with her. Heat quickly rose into his cheeks before he cut off that train of thought.
"Oh. Hey Olivia."
"Why, hello Max. Ready for action?"
"I guess so. Any clue why we're being called to arms?"
Even as the words left Max, a messenger called out, "All centurions. Gather your centuries into their Cohorts and move to the training field for orders."
"No. But I'm guessing it's a test of some sort. Maybe to see if we're battle ready?" murmured Olivia to no one in general.
"Possibly. You know, you're real good at this deduction stuff."
Olivia smiled at the comment, sending a new rush of heat into Max's cheeks. He smiled back, but the memory of his dream rushed back, and cold needles of fear ran throughout his body. The needles didn't last long, as Max was picked up from behind in a giant bear hug, crushing the air out of his body.
Max started to see stars just as he was released, nearly crumpling to the ground in the process. After a few rasping breaths, he looked up to see Eret with a wide smile and his hand held out to Max. Max took the big Ferran Legionnaire's rich chocolate colored hand.
Eret pulled Max to his feet so fast, Max thought he had vertigo.
"Gods Eret, you're a Legionnaire. Act like it," joked Max, barely holding back a grin.
Eret just grinned and slapped Max on the back, nearly knocking the air out of Max again.
As a group, they moved out of the gates of the camp to be welcomed with a shining mass of lorica armor and Gladii in the morning sun. The grass, still wet with the morning dew, softened Max's heavy footfalls, easing some of the pain in his legs of his first month in the Legion.
The friend's one-by-one split apart, moving off to their respective centuries or cohorts. Max joined the ongoing bellows of centurions moving their centuries into positions. In short time, the Legion was formed in front of a large, dark granite platform raised up whenever orders were issued.
Next to the First Cohort was the Primal Cohort, which was constantly buzzing with activity. The Primal Cohort was split into six centuries, one for each combat Primal. Within the Pyral Century, manifested Fire Primals caused the whole Century to flicker with a dull orange glow. The air between the Pyral Century and the Aquis Century was a mass of hot steam as the intense heat of the Fire Primals collided with the humidity of the Water Primals.
Even though there was a warm breeze, the hair of the Aivian Century's Legionnaire's didn't even sway thanks to their Air Primals. From the Gaian Century, low pulses flowed throughout the Legion, almost like the heartbeat of the earth itself. The Ferran and Navitian Centuries were both stoic and the less attention grabbing of the Primal Cohort. One could catch glimpses of metal animals standing within the ranks of the Ferran Century. For the most part, the Navitian Century was absent of manifested Energy Primals. Most Energy Primals chose no form, remaining an inward entity of its Legionnaire. Only a few Legionnaire's, including the Centurion, had Primals that chose to manifest themselves.
Behind the main body of the Legion, the Viten Healers had organized themselves like a reserve century. They weren't officially a part of the Legion, but they enhanced the its existing medicos and surgeons.
The Legion fell into a unified silence as three figures stepped up onto the platform. Max couldn't help but stare past them at the sprawling city of Euphis Maliv, nestled under the massive roots of the great tree, Euphora. Euphora's shadow fell across Euphis Maliv so that only a few gleaming white buildings were exposed to the sun's warmth. Euphora's size was only possible because it was the Great Primal of Life, the Primal that held the most power within the Life Primals.
Max brought his gaze back to the three figures standing on the platform. He could recognize Captain Caius with his immaculately polished gold-trimmed lorica. Caius was preparing to speak to the Legion, assisted by the Air Primals bound to the platform.
"First Malivan, we have our first orders."
A small chorus of cheers erupted from the Legion before the Centurions quieted them down. There was still the faint buzz of excitement within the Legion, tightly contained by the desire to hear their orders.
"The Linfar have been sighted amassing around the border of the edges of Maliva, near the fields of Nasselle. Our orders are to move in and reinforce Agrea's southern border at Nasselle. We move out two days from now."
As Caius stepped back, the taller of the three men stepped forward. Judging by the man's dull red robe, Max figured that this man was an advisor to the Emperor. Max was too far from the platform to make out any details, though he could make out the adviser's shock of curly brown hair.
"Good Morning, First Malivan. I am Levictus, advisor to Emperor Gethus. I stand before you today to bring some rather... surprising news. Centurion Maximillion Actea, if you would please come up to the platform."
Max's heart jumped in his chest. Why was he being called up to the platform? He started unsteadily walking towards the platform. His knees felt as if they would buckle under the weight of every Legionnaire's surprised stare. As he passed by the Primal Cohort on his way to the platform's stairs, he caught a glimpse of Olivia's concerned look as he walked past the front of the Cohort.
As Max climbed the stairs, he nearly let his fear take hold of him. He stumbled midway, but resolved to keep moving. When he reached the top, he turned to face Levictus. Levictus' features were now clearer to Max. His angular face was framed by a small stubble of a beard. The adviser's deep brown eyes glanced over Max as Max did the same. Although Levictus didn't have the build of a Legionnaire, he was still fit. Max guessed that Levictus still practiced at least once a day.
"You're smaller than I expected... But you do look like him," murmured Levictus after he looked over Max, "Emperor Gethus has an announcement to make, if you would please stand by me while he does so?" At this, Max suddenly realized that the final man on the platform was the Emperor himself. Max also realized, with a shock, that Gethus looked strikingly similar. Gethus shared the same angular and hard edged face as Max, as well as the same deep brown eyes. Gethus' hair was a shade brighter than Max's dirty blond hair.
Gethus' shoulder length hair fell gracefully over the Emperor's crown, a silver circlet with a central ruby flanked by two small diamonds. He strode gracefully forward to the front of the platform, his deep red robe with silver embroidery flowed elegantly behind him. As he spoke, his own Air Primal amplified his voice twice over, carrying it well past the edges of the Legion.
"I hereby claim Maximillion Actea as my legal son and descendant of my bloodline."