Necessity always found a way to interrupt even the most simplest of plans.  So a simple a plan did the two travelers have as they tried to overcome the steep road towards the ludus, only to be stalled by wear and exhaustion not just for one (whom certainly earned such a grace) but both bodies.  Antonious, unlike his bodyguard thought the best rest would be to relax in the eye of the great sun.  Mercury’s ass, its hotter then Pluto’s gates. Aulus was smarter though finding a rock formation which blocked the abusive rays of the sun granting him a small degree of shade and a means to rest his back from the grueling weight of the huge satchel bag and table he had been carrying.  Despite such a luxury, Aulus’ eyes remained focused on the dry earth, watching small gusts of wind bringing the dust to life creating illusion of movement from unknown sources to cloud his mind.  More then that, it put him in a hypnosis recalling memories he had hope to put away.<em>The sand…….my….shield…..</em><br/><strong><br/>Tigranocerta, Kingdom of Armenia, Third Mithridatic War</strong><br/><br/><em>“My shield, I swear, my shield just so I can see what is in front of me.”  Aulus bellowed and complained along with his fellow men as they tried to keep rank amidst this sandstorm.  Aulus though still a hastati, had already experienced one if not nearly two years of combat.  He had helped with Consul Lucius Licinius Lucullus claim the Armenian capital only to give it back from the consul’s lack of controlling his men.  Confusion, rumors, desertion, even mutiny: all factors that only harmed the consul’s reputation which would receive the final insult by being replaced.  Fortunately, from Aulus point of view, this new consul: Pompey the Great, whom in fact enlisted him into the world's greatest military academy, would prove to be more capable.  With Pompey in command the army was able to restore its numbers, pride, and discipline.<br/><br/>Now with the army organized, Pompey moved to retake what was stolen during the transition of obtaining command of the army.  Aulus now would have the opportunity to fight in the same province he fought when Lucius had commanded the army.  Now he along with his Contubernium (8 manned tent unit) were now lost in sea of sand that danced in the air thanks due largely to the fierce winds.  The men were now totally blind and cut off from reaching their Centuria (80 man unit lead by a Centurion).  “You will hold your position! You will not give the enemy a single inch.”  Aulus turned his head to hear his Decanus (sergeant) order them to hold position.  Grabbing his shield he formed a single line formation the remaining 7 soldiers, the Decanus remaining behind the shield of walls and swords.  “Keep your eyes open men, were not out of the storm just yet.  Have your pilums ready.”  The sergeant’s words were steady and true like a man whom earned this rank.  Unfortunately, his demise would come the moment he lifted his head up to peak at what could be out there.  An arrow would land perfectly hitting the Decanus in the left eye.  The lifeless body dropped like a sack of potatoes landing behind Aulus.  So young he was at that time seeing a dead body so close to him that his body twitched in fear as he vomited behind his shield.<br/><br/>Strange thing with death, it has a way of accelerating the moment of attack leaving one almost motionless almost unprepared for the next attack.  The enemy came at them in superior numbers.  Their armor glimmered from the sun showing off splint mail armored soldiers carrying swords, spears, whatever they could use to kill Romans.  Aulus and his leaderless men had little choice but to fight back, using shield to knock attackers and deflect attacks, sword pierced armor and flesh leaving the deceased to wither in the sand.  Aulus though young and inexperienced still showed to be a promising fighter as he bashed and slashed at his enemies, giving more souls to the afterlife or wherever these heathens went to.  His eyes however showed the greatest sign of his fear and weakness, for his eyes were fully awake, stinging form the spray of blood.  It left him with a horrible vision of sand red as a sea of blood as he watched foe and ally drop to the ground robbed of all life.  For every enemy that one of men took down, two more would replace him only to capture and slay his comrade in arms.  Even Aulus could not keep count as moments later he would be knocked to ground lost of his shield, carrying only his gladius in hand.  <br/><br/>Lying on the ground he saw the horror of war as his men struggled to survive the onslaught but only to be met with a blade at their throats.  For better or worse, this aroused anger /hunger inside Aulus feeding him a profound storage of energy, as if Mars himself had aroused his emotions.  <br/>With no shield in hand Aulus could only grab another gladius from one of his fallen friends.  His mind became totally quite as he entered a frenzy of combat.  The remainder of the enemy could only respond in kind but with a much worse fate.  By the time the sandstorm have cleared the remainder forces belonging to the Armenian Empire had fled, unable to muster the courage once more, leaving the Roman field army able to prepare a seige campaign against the Armenian capital.  Pompey, surrounded by his Praetors was the first to find the young soldier.  “By Jupiter, what happened here?”  Pompey’s eyes stared at a bloodbath.  In a land surrounded by yellow sand, one will remember a single batch of sand that would forever be soaked in red.  Bodies covered the soaked ground, littered with mostly enemy then ally, but only one body remained standing.  His face, arms, armor, all about him remained soaked in the blood as he remained locked in a gaze with the bodies as he held the battle standard against his shoulder taken from the deceased Imaginifer (standard bearer).<br/><br/>Pompey had a reputation of men following his exact nature.  When he dismounted the rest of his officers would do the same.  When he slowly approached the young Histati they would do the same but would keep a respectable business.  A couple in fact had been foolish to crack their blades from their scabbards paranoid that the young Munifex (basic legion fighter) could be rebellious if not flushed with Mars' fury.  Pompey turned to his men with disgust in his facial expression at the mere presumption that Aulus was a lost soul.  The Praetors could only respond with releasing themselves from their weapons and bowing their heads low in shame. “Aulus Livius, surrender your blades.”  Pompey commanded. Aulus dropped his gaze to bring his eyes towards Pompey as if trying to remember who he was.  Already his blades were so fiercely gripped in his hands that even his flesh had broken causing a small trail of blood that started from the butt of his blades.</em>"Aulus?……"<em>His mind finding stability was able to comprehend his words forcing him to drop the blades to the blood soaked, body littered ground.</em>"Aulus?…… "<em> Pompey stripped himself of his battle robe to cover the young men as he helped him up from the ground slowly moving him away from where the battle was proceeding.</em><br/><br/>“Aulus”<br/><br/>Aulus finally woke up from his flashback, while from outside view it seemed he was gazing at the ground much like how he did back in Armenia.  “Come my boy, these goods won’t get there just by almost getting there.”  Antonious, despite his old age and wear, remained in bright spirits as he continued the straining path.  Perhaps this memory served as a reminder to Aulus that no matter what, he could not escape his past experiences and will not be able to escape the experiences that are to come, good or bad.  Aulus could only respond with a small grunt as he got up along with the extra weight he carried, proceeding all the more closer to the Ludus.<br/><br/><br/>