B4 Chapter 54: The Measure of an Orc

It took Quintus a bit of asking around to find the command post amidst the mountainous dragon corpses and sprawling harvest efforts. He left his Primus Pilus in charge of their own dragon, taking a handful of his men to pick through the streams of Legionnaires, orcs, and various materials plucked off the dragons. They found Gaius soon after, directing the work and reviewing a seemingly endless pile of reports detailing their newest spoils.

Someone muttered in Gaius's ear, prompting the younger Legatus to look up. Quintus stopped a dozen feet away and clicked his heels, offering a sharp and overly formal salute. "Legatus Gaius."

Gaius's weary face broke into a grin as Quintus held the salute. He laughed, returning it even as he swept forward to clasp forearms with Quintus. Quintus abruptly relaxed and pulled him into a half embrace as they bumped shoulders.

"It's good to see you again, uncle."

"You as well." Quintus smiled. "I see that you're neck-deep in your favorite pastime."

Gaius pulled away and followed his look toward the pile of paperwork growing behind him. Even during this brief exchange, they'd swelled to an almost comical degree. "Ah, yes. Well, someone has to be a responsible adult."

His eyes crinkled as he gave Quintus a sly smile. The older Legatus shook his head. "Indeed. And I find it eminently responsible to let those who specialize in such things take the lead. Far better than holding up the whole operation myself."

Gaius chuckled. "You know, uncle. You can simply admit that you'd rather be gallivanting across the countryside, fighting anything and everything."

"That's not true. Remember those locust creatures that attempted to destroy the farms up north? I hated fighting those." Quintus grinned, then turned serious. "Although those days seem to be over for the moment."

Gaius mirrored his change in tone. "Ah. Yes. I heard that the emperor wished to speak with you."

The fact that Gaius referred to Tiberius as "the emperor" struck him, especially during such a casual conversation. He wanted to ask about it, as well as the brief tension that flickered across Gaius's face. But this was not the place. There were too many eyes and ears.

"It went as well as could be expected. I suspect this will be the last I'll be seeing you for a while. In the morning, the Third Legion will head south."

Gaius nodded in understanding. "Then we must be sure to enjoy a fine dinner before you leave. I know of a couple of high-end restaurants in town. I'm certain they wouldn't object to our dining there, especially if we offered them the opportunity to cook some of this dragon meat."

Quintus read between the lines. "High-end" also meant "private" in most cases. They would speak more freely there.

"I suppose that means you're not banned from the capital, at least." Quintus joked.

Gaius's eyes widened. "Truly? That's what he decreed? For how long?"

"He did not give me a definite timeframe. However, it's not uncommon. You recall how Legions were kept at arm's length and required to signal their approach in old Rome. If anything, your Legion being able to move so freely is the stranger occurrence."

The younger man's look turned thoughtful. "I suppose you're right. It's a matter of necessity more than anything. The emperor needs true Romans for all sorts of functions in and around the capital, so adding restrictions on top of them would simply add tedium and bureaucracy needlessly. Not to mention the fact that the First Legion operates far more... piecemeal than the Third does. Perhaps that will change over time, if the Praetorian Guard divests itself more fully from the First Legion and takes over the emperor's local needs. Or if a new Legion is established under the senate's direct control. But I somehow doubt that."

There was a lot to unpack there. Quintus wanted to ask for details, but held his tongue. This was clearly something that should be kept for their later conversation.

"In the meantime," Gaius moved away from the topic. "Tell me about your mission south. Is he so eager to be rid of you that he's sending you across the sea?"

And so he did. Tiberius had given additional details about their assignment, including some disconnected settlements that Quintus was to visit and integrate into the larger empire. They were to forge routes, build infrastructure, and subjugate whatever bits of the local population had not yet been brought under the empire's sway.

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Fortunately, their duties did not extend past the ocean. Quintus had never been a particular fan of sea travel. Though given the strange sights and creatures found in this world, he would not completely object to the opportunity, should it come up in the future.

When he finished, Gaius nodded. "I suppose it's not unreasonable. Still, a campaign is a campaign. Perhaps you'd consider switching places with me for this one?"

Quintus eyed the now towering mound of paperwork with obvious distaste. "I'll pass. Unless you want two of your dragons to end up 'misplaced,' that is."

"How rude! My men are more than capable of handling such matters. Just because I prefer to have a more direct role in management doesn't mean that it's necessary."

Quintus shuddered. He couldn't imagine a worse fate. "Don't be too jealous. Tiberius has given me plenty of political reading to suffer through while I'm away."

Gaius laughed. "Ah, now there's the true punishment. I was wondering about that."

"Legatus Gaius."

A soft, low voice interrupted their conversation. Quintus looked over to see a relatively short, tawny orc standing nearby, his tusks smaller than average.

Gaius's expression turned serious. He nodded, prompting the orc to step forward. "The auxiliaries have successfully separated the last of the dragons' joints. Would you prefer that we prioritize removal of the ribs and spine next, or shall we assist with transport until more of the meat has been removed?"

"Good work, Grund," Gaius said. "Prioritize transport for now. I shall inform you when priorities change."

The orc nodded and turned to meet Quintus's gaze. Quintus's hand fell to the pommel of his sword.

It had taken some restraint to avoid treating the orcs swarming around them as a threat. The last time he'd encountered the creatures, it had been on the other end of a battlefield. Yet this one was different. This "Grund" was familiar to him. He'd only ever seen brief glimpses of him at a distance, never up close. But he knew him as the leader of the opposition, the tactical mind that had caused him so much trouble.

Quintus sized the orc up. Despite being smaller than most orcs, Grund was still slightly taller than Quintus, with arms the size of his own legs. Yet all of that muscle didn't make him slow. It was clear in the way he walked. He moved fluidly, like a dancer, if not quite a sword saint like Quintus himself. His eyes also held a clear spark of intelligence.

Grund bowed. "Legatus Quintus. I believe it is our first time meeting face to face. I understand that you were the one responsible for warding off my people's incursion into the empire."

Quintus tensed. "Do you hold some sort of grudge, orc?"

"No." Grund straightened. "If anything, I owe you a great debt. As I have mentioned to both the emperor and Legatus Gaius, the decisions made in the war we fought have only strengthened my people, allowing us to grow far beyond what we could have imagined previously. We are still few, but each one of us is leagues ahead of what we were before. And we have only begun our evolution."

Quintus looked at him with open suspicion. He wasn't certain how much he trusted the orc or his words. The fact that Tiberius had accepted them into the empire was one thing, and Gaius clearly trusted them enough to utilize as auxiliaries. But they'd had far more time than himself to come to terms with this strange arrangement.

He wasn't sure at all what to make of the orc. But Quintus did know one way to get the measure of a man.

He shifted his feet slightly. Grund's eyes caught the movement. He did not move, though Quintus noted how the casual air of the orc evaporated at once. He thought he saw a faint smile tug at his green lips. "If you bear any residual ill will toward me or my people, that is understandable. However, as I have already had an offer of my head declined by the emperor, I shall find myself unwilling to part with it on your behalf."

Interesting. The orc thought he could actually defend himself in a fight. Did he think he could win? Considering the lack of concern, that certainly seemed to be the case.

"Legatus Quintus." Gaius said. "What are you doing?"

"Simply wishing to get the measure of our new allies." Quintus straightened. His eyes didn't leave Grund's. "Care to indulge me?"

He heard Gaius suppress a long-suffering sigh. "Must you do this here and now?"

"My Legion leaves in the morning. When else will I get the chance?" Quintus retorted.

"I would not mind engaging in some light sparring," Grund chimed in. "Indeed, I believe we both could learn much from the experience."

The younger Legatus simply shook his head. He turned and called out an order. In moments, a century of Legionnaires formed a circle around them. Quintus raised an eyebrow.

"Without boundaries, I fear you two would wreak havoc on the entire worksite," Gaius clarified. "Any loss in efficiency here is offset by that."

Quintus looked at the orc. "It seems your facade of control is a thin one, if we need such measures."

"I'm not just talking about Grund."

Grund let out a guttural chuckle as Quintus whipped his head toward Gaius. "You act as though I'm a rampaging bull."

"I'm simply taking precautions." Gaius looked between the two. "First blood or first to leave the circle loses. On my mark."

Quintus drew his gladius. Grund remained where he stood, his hands at his sides. His tunic fluttered loosely around him, and Quintus scanned for any concealed weapons beneath its folds. Yet he found none.

"Fight."