Chapter 9 – One Goal For All

The Optio said nothing else and walked out of the barracks. Senior Cassius followed.

The thirteen legionaries herded the recruits out of the building and followed from a distance as they walked in the darkness. It was nearly pitch black with clouds that hid the stars and most of the moon’s light. The shadows were fought back by only the tall lantern poles and odd brazier of flame that dotted the camp grounds.

Max still found it difficult to see. The lanterns were to spread out and left large gaps between them.

The legionaries surrounding them had no such problem.

Arnie walked up to him and got close. “What do you think they meant with brass balls? Are we throwing brass balls or crushing them to show our strength?”

I hope not!

Max shrugged. He was not about to comment about himself.

Captain Samson had done all the story telling necessary for the next decade and a half.

“I heard that they’re going to make us fight something…”

Max blinked as he turned to look at Arnie. The boy had a talent for gathering information better than anyone else.

“How do you figure that?”

“Some of the legionaries said they wanted to come watch the fights against something when we were getting our Patron Inheritances. They got yelled at by one of the Captain’s I think… he had the helmet on with the red plumes–”

No wonder they were all so quiet by the time I got there. They already used up all their conversations before I could hear them except for the cook…

“–you think they’ll give us armor and a sword? Wouldn’t that be something.”

Max frowned and shook his head. “If we end up fighting, then I doubt they give us anything special or they would have told us to wear the clothing set. They expect us to go through the ones we have on, if I had to guess.”

Arnie stared at his face for a few seconds. He didn’t say anything else.

The group looped further into the forest, moving for nearly half an hour before they broke into a clearing surrounded by large boulders and thick copses of trees. This place was a single structure large enough to house multiple barracks and half the camp they had been in.

Max and Arnie stared in awe at the spiraling amphitheatre going downward and made of gray stone.

It could fit thousands in here…

The central battling grounds had a rusty red soil packed hard and tight.

Giant braziers dotted the highest level. Lantern poles covered the ground in between and along the stairs down from every side. Unlike the camp, this place blazed with light and nary a shadow.

“This place looks like it was carved from a crater,” Arnie said.

“A what?”

“A crater. Big rock falls from sky and causes a large… it’s not important. Cratere Urbem, the city I’m from was founded on a massive one that looked like this. There were hundreds more outside of the gates that covered the surrounding plains and hills.”

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Huh… You learn something new every day. Craters. Big rocks falling from the sky.

The recruits were guided down to the lowest seating area.

Senior Casius was sitting a few meters away from the group above them, two levels higher.

The thirteen legionaries spread out to form a wide circle around the amphitheater next to the braziers. Seven more stood at attention on the rust colored soil of the battle grounds next to the Optio, who had arrived before them. They looked small next to him.

Optio Ignacious waited until they were all seated with a thick bag in front of him.

Arnie sat next to Max.

While Max was busy keeping an eye over his shoulder. He had noticed Caleb getting closer with every step they took to get here since they left the barracks. Moving gradually enough that it would have been impossible to notice had Max not been intentionally working on keeping his wits about him at all times.

The eagle eyed boy was sitting only two seats away from him to the left.