Legio VII: Invictus

by Silbern

Fulminata

Lucius' world was one of darkness and cramped conditions. He had found refuge in a cargo train car among common goods in large wooden crates. It had already been close to a week since he had fled from the castle and most of it was evading Pegasus aerial patrols, various checkpoints and most dangerous of all, common folk. He had attached his helm to his belt for most of his travel and made sure that his cape covered his armour the best he could. The shield was tricky however he had a lucky moment where he traded the last few of his bits for a larger sack which he cut and fastened to his shield. The Centurion came close to rubbing a large amount of dirt on his cape but every time the thought floated to the surface the images of Celestia's dear face when she gave it to him would beat it back down.

He tried not to think about her but she was attached to him like tar. The very thought gave Lucius a chuckle knowing full well that it wasn't the most flattering analogy but never the less, appropriate. He rolled his head back to rest against the car wall in the hopes to gain another sliver of sleep before he was to arrive. The very idea of sleep was disturbed as the loud whistle echoed out to signal that the next stop must be nearby. While the Centurion was still not familiar with these machines, he knew how to understand patterns. In a few quick motions he was at the door and reefing it open to reveal his beloved landscape. The lush trees, rolling hills of wheat or grass, and the large buildings with busy markets and crowding people.

In a whiff of a cloud of smoke it was gone.

His mental images were disturbed by reality. Industrialization had taken it's toll on the landscape as the inky skies from large chimney stacks. Large factories and other assorted buildings were grouped together in the distance. Lucius was stunned as his images of his homeland tried to merge with what he was currently seeing. In all honesty he was having trouble recognizing this at all. As he jumped from the slowing train he shouldered his shield and made his way towards what he used to remember was his home.

It took him an hour by foot to reach the outskirts of the town but by then he was already mystified. A large whistle blast would fill the air and he watched as large groups of men would leave a fenced in area. Laughing and shouting could be heard as Lucius just watched them in curiosity. They didn't wear shackles or any other attire deserving of slaves which he internally gave a sigh of relief for. They had worn much of the same clothes, although dirty, that the Human he had witnessed in Canterlot during the repairs.

“Oi, buddy,”

Lucius was caught off guard as he noticed a few of the men had stopped to look back at him. The three of them had short cropped hair and as they gave Lucius a once over they began to snicker. To them it was simply a bum in sandals with a red blanket and burlap sack.

“The Mine isn't hiring anymore guys so you might as well keep walking,” the lead man said with a smile.

“Wait!” Lucius cried out which caused the group to stall as the Centurion jogged to catch up. As the Roman got closer he could defiantly see some Roman in these men. Most of them were of shorter stature than their Germaneigh counterparts but were well built. “I'm from the Vor residency, can you direct me to their Estate?”

“Vor?” the man said before snorting. “If you are from the Vor residence, I'm Princess Celestia! Here, jump on my back and I'll fly you to Canterlot!” he jested before bending over with laughter.

“I don't understand,” Lucius decided to ignore the obvious quip. “I just need to visit the Villa,”

“Villa? There is no Villa here. The Vor Mansion is further into town near the old vineyard plantation but I don't know what you are expecting,”

Lucius nodded his head to the information as he began to undo his cape to reveal his Segmantata that reflected the meagre sunlight that came through the smoggy skies. He donned his helmet and removed his shield from the now discarded sack.

“Are you insane!” The lead man said as he took a step back away from the man as his eyes went wide with panic. “Cover yourself back up!” he ordered as he went to grab the sack from the dirt path but was stopped when a sandal foot stomped on the sack.

“Why?” Lucius asked now seeming much more intimidating than his earlier appearance.

“Have you been living under a rock! Dressing in any Roman clothing or armour is forbidden!”

Lucius could only snort at such a law. He honestly thought they were just jesting with him but as the moment dragged on it was apparent that this was no joke. “Who made such a law?”

The three men gave him a questioning glare. “The ruling Baron and his family did a decade after the great war,”

“And which family is this?” Lucius chased.

“The Vor family,”

Lucius was in a rage.

After the three men had taken eager haste away from the Centurion, the Soldier made his way down the road. His feet collided with the ground with a purpose now as he began to see more and more resident buildings. He quickly began to see similarities between these buildings and ones in Ponyville. Most of the more outskirt buildings were simple two story houses and he noticed that the few children that were playing immediately stopped to gaze at what they must assume was a mad stranger. A brilliant cape licked the air behind him as he didn't let any of the citizens distract him from his true goal.

His eyes could see the Mansion and instantly he knew he was home or at least what used to be home. Whatever the Villa used to be after he was turned to stone was demolished and replaced with a rather large white washed Mansion. His anger grew in leaps and bounds as he reached the outer gate just as some shouting caught his attention.

“Stop!” a man cried out which caused the Centurion to turn. Two men in dark blue uniforms with swords strapped to their belt and large silver badges on their chest were running up to him.

“Ok stranger, you had your fun,” The older man reasoned as he tapped the silver badge. “Time to come with us to the station but first drop your toys,” he ordered while pointing to both Lucius shield and sheathed Gladius.

“Toys?” the Centurion said as he raised his shield. “You think these are toys?”

“Don't try and act tough with me, Son,”

The younger one made a move for the shield but found that it moved slightly out of his reach and that his face made a very intimate relationship with the metal ball on the centre face. A loud painful yelp was heard as the Officer reeled back holding his mouth.

“That's it!” the older one reached for his own sword only to get the edge of the shield to come crushing down on his exposed wrist.

Another loud yell escaped and Lucius pressed his advantage as he pressed his weight into kicking the younger officer in the chest and then jabbing the older one in the face. In quick succession, he left the two men in writhing pain on the ground.

Without wasting another moment he pushed the front gate open only to have another man dressed much like the other two come running from the main building. Lucius didn't even register what he said before kicking out towards the mans genitals which elicited a small cry of pain before a shield bash took him off his feet. With his momentum he continued to move towards the front door until he heard a bowstring and with quick work he raised his shield and lowered his stance. A sudden sharp sound and a new barbed arrow now decorated his shield. Lucius hurried as he witnessed the woman in one of the second story windows was already knocking another arrow which Lucius prepared for once again.

The front door swung open only to be met with a red charging bull.

Lucius bowled through the poor smaller man and wasted no time as what he assumed were maids and the sort screamed out in surprise and terror. Lucius ignored them as he made his way to the stairs leading to the second story until he heard the footsteps above him through the floor. Quickly he ascended only to find the woman was ready and with bow and arrow.

A third arrow joined it's mates as Lucius pressed the attack. He didn't give the woman a chance to knock another arrow as his long strides brought him almost face to face before a bow was whipped where his face was a second ago.

The woman used the moment that Lucius was on defence to pull a dagger from her boot and jabbed forth to the only exposed part. Her lunge however was met with a open grasp around her wrist and with a sudden yank she was off set as a knee came up to her stomach which caused the woman to lose most of what Lucius was assuming was her lunch.

“Stop this at once!” a female voice echoed with authority through the house which caused the Centurion to turn. Before him was an elderly lady who wore a modest black dress and which interested Lucius even more was the beaten men behind her, each with his own glare if his injuries could afford it.

“Who are you to barge into my home and assault not only uniformed police officers but paid security of my own,” the woman of the house asked a moment before leaning over slightly to see the gasping young woman on the floor. “and my daughter,”

“The real owner of this estate, Lucius Vor,” the Centurion announced.

“Preposterous,” the woman scoffed before looking at the woman that was slowly standing. “Regain your posture, dear,” Lucius eyed the woman beside as she slowly reached for the dagger which only rewarded her with the shields edge driving down hard enough to bruise. The elderly lady only rolled her eyes.

“I am Lucius Vor, Centurion of Legio VII Invictus. You are all trespassing on my beloved family's estate,”

“I am Patricia Vor, mayor of Neapolis, and the eldest of the Vor family,” She declared as her scrutinizing eye observed the man top to bottom. “I don't know where you got such accurate armour or weapons from but I applaud you for this act. Now, drop your weapons and let the police escort you off my premise,”

Lucius watched as the two officers had their hands on their sword hilt in eagerness.

“Tempting offer but I refuse. Instead I will give you all ten seconds to leave my property,” Lucius spoke which only made Patricia smirk. “I haven't even used my sword yet, lads, and I beat all of you. If I were you, I wouldn't push my luck,”

The Mansion was quiet until the Mayor moved aside so the two police officers could move forward. At first it was only a couple steps as they drew their sword but they quickly turned it into a charge. Lucius watched over the brim of his shield as he drew his own Gladius. The two officers had long swords and within these hall ways it was evident that they didn't really have too much training. The younger man pressed forward, probably propelled by injury infused anger, before taking a sloppy downward swing of his sword. Lucius blocked and jabbed to cut the inner thigh which caused the younger officer to twist in pain which forced the older man to only a slim portion of the hallway. The long sword jabbed forward as it pinned against the shield. Lucius used the moment to push back and then kick the younger officer that was kneeling in the face to ensure his attacker would stay down. The older officer repeated his attack until a quick jab caught him in the pits of his raised arms.

A scream of pain echoed once more in the Mansion which was only followed by a frustrated groan by Patricia.

“Send for medical help, please,” she ordered as one of the guards nodded and raced off.

“You send sheep to fight a wolf,” Lucius spat as he kicked the long swords away from the officers. “Now evacua-”

“Centurion!” a voice cut him short as he recognized the caller.

Corporal Nacht was below waving up from the ground floor with a Sergeant Hook looking around with a nonchalant expression. The two ponies with their shiny royal guard armour moved past the poor unconscious man on the floor and up towards the main spectacle. Corporal Nacht had her usual grin as she whistled at Lucius handy work.

“It's a good thing we came when we did,” Nacht spoke out as she sat down a few feet away from the body of Humans. “It would be really hard to explain to the Princesses that you went and murdered a few officials!”

Sergeant Hook cleared his throat in the hopes that the Corporal would mind her tongue with the present company. “Sir, we have come to collect you,”

“I am not leaving till I recover my lost property from these thieves,” Lucius spoke without dropping his defence.

“Excuse me, Guards, but this man is a criminal,” Patricia spoke as she gestured towards the Centurion. “Perhaps instead of talking to him, you should be arresting him,”

Nacht and Hook exchanged looks before grinning. “Ma'am, do you know who this man is?” Hook asked as he pointed his hoof towards the Soldier in question.

“Enlighten me,”

“That is Lucius Vor, Centurion of the old Roman Legions. He is also Princess Celestia's betrothed,” Hook explained which caught more than a few pale faces among the Humans, including Lucius.

Lucius never agreed nor even heard of such a thing. Marriage? Last time he checked, that was never even on the to-do list.

“You have to be kidding me, Gentleponies. There is no way this man is over 200 hundred years old. That would make him my great, great, great ,great uncle at least,” Patricia argued.

“If you wish to pursue this case than make an official inquiry with the Royal court,” Hook responded with as he motioned for Lucius to follow them.

“I'm not leaving until I find what I'm looking for. This is my property after all,” Lucius spoke as he lowered his shield and moved to sheath his sword.

“If it gets you out of my house, I will hurry this along. What are you looking for, criminal?” Patricia asked.

Lucius ignored the comment as he stepped over the wounded officers to come face to face wit the woman.

“I'm looking for something old that would belong to a soldier,” Lucius spoke as he watched a gleam in the old woman's eyes.

“I have an old set of armour on a stand in my study,” she answered and with purpose and grace, turned to walk down the hallway. Lucius followed along with his two guards as they came to a spacious room lined with book shelves and other collectibles of varying historical value. The only thing that really caught his attention was the suit of armour that had gilded bronze and iron workings. He ran his finger over them and instantly he felt the mark left on him by Mars to glow dimly.

Follow your Father.

Lucius understood now. He quickly made haste to remove it from the wooden armour stand much to a protesting Patricia. Her protests however fell on deaf ears as the Centurion carried both the helmet and chest piece within his arms as he made his way to the door.

“This is robbery! The Crown will hear about this absurd behaviour!” Patricia screamed as she followed the group out and down the main stairs. “I'll make sure the Princesses flog you for these heinous aggression! Just wait till they hear from me!”

“That won't be necessary,” came Celestia's rather regal appearance but Lucius paused to see moe then just her regalia and instead locked in on her expression. Her mask that she used for others was lost to him as he could see the hurt and betrayal. “I will ensure you are properly compensated, Miss Vor. Although this man by all accounts, is the ruling head of the Vor family, he still is not accustomed to his environment. I apologize on his behalf as I am assuming he was less than charming,”

Patricia Vor was properly taken by surprise but she was quick to regain her own composure as she bent low to in a bow before approaching the Alicorn. “He was a bit of a trouble maker, Your Highness, but it was nothing the Police and I couldn't handle,”

“We are still in very much pain up here,” came a moan from above.

“Yes, dears, and medics are on their way! Now, Princess, I must say that the damage that this man has done both physically and mentally is immense! Now he is taking a valued family heirloom with him!”

“This is my Father's armour. You, you pitiful excuse for a Vor, have no clue about our family heritage. If I ever have the power to denounce you-” Lucius began but was quickly cut short as white pristine wings found their way to cover his mouth.

“What my fiancé says is due to some scars he has suffered due to past battles. It would be in his best interest to remain quiet,” Celestia reasoned as her large violet eyes bored through the man. “I will personally ensure that costs are paid in full when I return to Canterlot, Mayor Patricia,”

“Thank you, your Highness! You surely are a gifted Mare and I wish you all the luck in your Husband taming, Lords know I had a hard time!” the woman laughed which caused Lucius and his two guards to roll their eyes.

The event quickly passed as Lucius was practically pushed past the medics who were arriving through the front door. He tried to turn back to talk to Celestia but every time he tried a wing would out stretch and slap him back into step. The Mare refused to look at him and he knew why.

He had left in the middle of the night after they laid as lovers for the first time. He was not exactly laudable in the category of relationships or romance but what he did was still low. He half expected her to gut him on the stairs but as they marched off from the Mansion towards a rather large airship, he knew that he was going to be hearing it full blast in mere moments.

“So we are getting married?” Lucius decided to break the tension in the hopes he wouldn't get to feel an Alicorn horn through his heart.

“My Sister found out about our late night embrace and decided that a Royal announcement was to be made. All of this without even a word to me,” Celestia finally spoke. “Now I am betrothed to an ass who bails in the middle of the night,”

“Cele-” Lucius tried.

“No,” She instantly stomped her hoof down. “I needed you, Lucius. My nation may very well be going to war with Gods of old and you decide to disappear for almost an entire week just for some old armour,”

Lucius was quiet for a moment as they started to board the airship. Celestia didn't hesitate to order the crew to launch as she magically dragged the Centurion to her personal chambers.

“I'm sorry, Celestia,” Lucius spoke as he set the armour down near the bed stand. “but I think the armour is another key in helping us stop the forces that beckon to attack,”

“I don't doubt your purpose, Lucius,” The Princess spoke as her form seemed to deflate slightly after entering her private room. “I just wanted to be included in it. I want you to trust me. You should have told me of this secret mission tasked to you,”

Lucius discarded the old helmet quickly atop the bed and closed the distance between the Princess and himself. His arms outreached to touch her snow white fur and to hold her close until he hit a shield. He tried to push forward but was stopped by an invisible magical shield. He pounded his fist on the shield to see it shimmer.

“Promise me, Lucius. I can't look after you and Equestria all at once. I can't risk turning my back, unsure if you are behind me or not when I turn back around,” Celestia spoke through a sob as she lowered her rump down to sit in a ungraceful slump. Lucius halfheartedly pounded on the shield as he observed tears running down Celestia's cheeks. “I need you to trust me as much as I trust and love you,”

Lucius could feel the very pain that he inflicted and it stung deeper than any dagger in the back. He failed to keep his own composure as he slid to his knees. Another sob came from Celestia as the shield came down to cause the Soldier to fall on all fours. He had failed her as a Man and as a Soldier. His shield was not where it should have been and the Century crumbled. The Century was his beloved Celestia now and he had failed her.

“I promise that I will never keep you in the dark again. I failed you, Celestia,”

With those words he could feel Celestia's magic pull him into her open arms as she squeezed him with all her might.

“I'm you holding you to those words,”

A man exited the last passenger train car with a hoodie to cover most of his face. His rough cough echoed even among the busy Manehatten crowd as more then a few citizens gave the man some more room with covered mouths. If the man noticed he didn't let it show as he moved forward through the crowd and up the stairs to the main streets. From there he simply made his way along the street before eventually getting to the dock.

The waning Sun in the distance was showing that the day's end was soon to be upon him which made him pick up his pace slightly. He dodged through most of the crowd before a loud whistle blast signalled another long day of work for most of the dock staff. As a large crowd began their escape they were met with a man who produced pamphlets from underneath his hoodie.

“Come get your free coupons here!”

The man sniffed and coughed which caused more than a few ponies to ignore him but others were far less caring. The young man smiled as he gave away almost all of his pamphlets except one.

Free coupon of health by Morbus!

Comments

[forrest yuchnitz]

i feel like im supposed to understand the last part but i dont

[Armorer]

8793376
probably some Papa Nurgle pretender)

[FleetlordAvatar]

8793376

Looking up the definition of Morbus, the best I can find is that it's a term for disease or disorder. Perhaps a plague entity?