Dear mother,

I am well and really want to see all of you again, so I'm preparing to head back home. There are a few issues to be dealt with, but by the time this letter arrives, they should be resolved favourably.

Tell my siblings that I miss my little troublemakers. Those rascals have grown so much without me. As have I as you will notice soon.

We will get a chance to have a proper exchange soon. Some things are better discussed in person.

As the legate of a legion, the legion Primum Multarum, I will also report the status in the east. I also officially request to put the legion under the control of Neapoli's military. With me as legate, and Alaric Dracula as co-legate.

We landed near Bari with around 3000 legionaries. Before landing, we won a decisive naval engagement, mostly achieved through mistakes from the enemy leadership.

The troops landed uncontested on the shores of Italia. We were able to set up camp and military contact was limited to skirmishers.

We managed to regain control of one of the surrounding towns through the use of a prisoner captured during the naval engagement. The other two remained in hostile hands.

The rebels moved after a few days to meet us on the battlefield.

The engagement ended in our victory, though our losses were heavy as well. The enemy retreated back into Bari. A combination of war fatigue in the common folk and nobles switching sides handed us control of the city without another fight.

I have executed the leaders of the uprising after organizing the trial. The punishments for the other rebels are included in the attached papers.

The legion has around half of its soldiers remaining, most of them will stay behind and continue to reinforce our hold over the east. My right hand and close friend Alaric will remain behind to oversee the procedures.

This concludes my letter. Greet the rest of the family for me and I am looking forward to our reunion.

Prince Lucius Vespasianus, Legate of legion Primum Multarum

Serenity put the letter in the drawer to the other she had received over the years. She looked exhaustedly at the ceiling of the room. Sighing in relief for the safety of her son and husband. Sleep had eluded her the last days. War knew no mercy and death always comes quickly and without warning.

A knock on the door interrupted her musing.

"Come in", Serenity replied. Marcena, looking equally exhausted, entered the room and sat down behind her own desk. Starting to go through documents in need of her attention.

Serenity stands up and headed to her friend's desk.

"I'm going to order a few refreshments. Anything particular you want?", she asked. The answer was short.

"No. No appetite", Marcena replied. Rings under her eyes while she failed to concentrate on the documents before her.

"You haven't gotten much sleep, have you?", Serenity asked with concern.

"No, I haven't!", the woman snapped, throwing the document in her hand back onto the desk.

The duchess winced shortly under the volume of the exclamation.

"Sorry. It is just a lot to take in and Romulus health has been declining again. I just don't know what to do. How to help my little one. I feel useless here", Marcena explained while recollected herself. Fidgeting with her hands.

"I thought the injury wasn't anything major?", Serenity inquired carefully. Grabbing the hands of Marcena with her own. Hoping to calm down the woman in the process.

"Yes it was, but it turns out the healers failed to see all of the damage. He continues to have strong fevers and can't even sit upright in his bed without help. I don't want to lose another child. I can't", Marcena said and tried to suppress the tears from coming. Failing to do so.

"Shh, he will recover in time. The best healers and mages of Italia are with them", Serenity reassured while stroking Marcena's hands. "Why don't we take a small pause and let others take care for a while?"

Marcena nods and both women head for a stroll through the garden. Regaining some calm and energy.

Half an hour later both again sat behind their desk trying to bring order into the post-war mess. Contacting important nobles and commoners to verify allegiance and pieces of information. Identifying the reluctant ones in the process.

"My lord I think that it might be some kind of poison", the healer carefully informed the general.

"You think! I need a little bit more than that!", Duran said while pulling the healer up by her clothes. The woman struggled to breathe, trying to find the ground with her feet again.

"It is poising. I will bet my life on it", she said hastily. Duran let her go. "Though I don't know how to deal with this poison."

Duran again lifted up the healer. Ready to shout her into the afterlife.

"Father enough is enough. You shouting will not help Romulus", Remus intervened. Sitting on a stool next to his brother's sickbed.

Duran let the healer go. The woman falling on her behind unceremoniously, suppressing any complaint to not anger the man before her.

"And what am I supposed to do? Doing nothing won't help either", Duran said and fixed his son with a strict gaze.

"We wait. Let the healers do their job. We can only order more healer and mages to come here to treat Romulus and hope one of them finds a solution", Remus answered with a conflicted expression.

"Great! Just wait! Let us pray as well! Might help as well!", Duran shouted, his anger quickly evaporating as a groan caught the rooms attention.

"Romulus how do you feel?", Remus asked and moved the stool closer to the bed. His brother slowly opened his eyes, while trying to sit up. Dropping back into the sheets in the process.

"Ow! Ow!", Romulus whined in pain.

"Don't try to get up just rest", Duran said while kneeling next to his son.

"Just help", Romulus said in a raspy voice. He was slowly sat up with the help of his brother and father. "Water."

"You there get some water", Remus ordered the healer, who was still sitting on her behind.

"My family served as healers in the imperial family. I am not some kind of nurse to ...", the healer began.

"Now", Duran spoke while fixing the healer with a bloodlust filled look.

The healer stumbled out of the room with great haste. Sighing in relief as she closed the door behind her.

"Five, four, three...", came from within and the healer started to run to the next clean water source. Swearing on her path.

"How ...", Romulus coughed, the pain came as he did. "does it look for me?"

"You will be fine. The healer or mages will find a way", Duran reassured.

Romulus turned to his brother who was still looking at him with a thoughtful expression. They had a small staring contest.

"You were poisoned. We do not know when, where or with what", Remus explained. Romulus expression fell.

"I see. That doesn't look good", he said with a dry voice.

"You will be fine, you come after me. I have survived worse", Duran reassured with a forced smile, a tear rolling down his cheek.

"Right", Romulus said with his own smile. The door opened and a dwarven man peeked into the room.

"Duran we need you at the council", Rulvir Oakenshield informed and the head disappeared again.

Duran looked with worry at Romulus.

"Go. I will keep watch over him", Remus said.

Duran left after giving his sons a last look.

He headed for the big building at the end of the main road. Many legionaries and residents greeted him as he passed them. All gave it their best to not stand in his path. The story of his son condition had spread and made the general even more feared.

The punishments for mistakes had gotten worse after his son condition deteriorated again. The general lashed out against nearly everybody. Ignoring all customs or ranks.

Duran entered the building, pushed an elderly man out of his way as he climbed the narrowed stairs, went left, kicked a plant pot in the hallway and then opened the door where the council was currently gathering.

He closed the door behind him with a bang and took the seat next to his brother.

"How is Romulus' condition developing?", Jagu asked with concern.

"Not good. We will talk later", Duran replied. Facing Jagu with a blank expression.

"Then let council begin", Jagu ordered and pointed to Quiricus Brutii. The man stood up and started rolling out a map of the Mediterranean Sea.

"Messana will need supplies for the next months. The siege has taken a toll. Titania it will be your task to transport supplies from Napule and Syracusa here", Quiricus said as he marked the suggested sea routes with a charcoal piece

"Can I split command with my lieutenant?", Titania asked as she corrected the routes with her own. Quiricus watching closely as she did.

"You may if her or she has enough experience. Your responsibility", Jagu answered.

"She will do fine. Brizo has shown her skills plenty of times", Titania said in a proud tone.

"House Salacia? It would be nice if they produced another great admiral. They have been stagnating for a while. Syracusa still their home port?", Aeravan Cadarn asked. The elf juggling with a charcoal piece.

"Yes and yes", Silvestra provided with a smile and caught the charcoal piece from the elf. The man sighed. "You will lead the expedition to retake Panormus."

She began to draw to routes. One starting from Messana going along the northern shoreline and one from Syracusa going along the southern shoreline. Both meeting at the end of the city of Panormus.

"Rulvir you will take the northern route, Aeravan the southern and Duran you will lead an expedition through the middle", Jagu added drawing the marching route from Messana into the heart of Sicillia and then to Panormus as well.

"But my son is still...", Duran began, wanting to stay close to his child.

"Your son will die or live regardless of your presence", Firnadena Nightbringer interjected. A smile forming as Duran went red. Standing up to draw his sword.

"Both of you calm down. Firnadena that was unnecessary", Jagu said while giving the dark-elf a conflicting look.

"Duran, the best healers and mages are currently here to treat Romulus and more are coming. I will oversee his recovery myself", Quiricus supplied to pacify the general.

Duran sat back down back onto his chair glaring at the dark-elf while ignoring his brother's gaze.

"Fine", he grumbled. "But after all of this is over I will challenge you to a duel."

"You are welcomed to try", Firnadena accepted still smiling.

"That is enough", Jagu said. "Both of you have your tasks, you may leave the meeting now."

Duran stood up and left the room. Closing the door with a bang behind him. Firnadena left through another one, still smiling.

"What is she going to do?", Rulvir asked with interest. "I hope you sent her to a foreign country."

"Please not you as well", Jagu exclaimed while the dwarf just shrugged.

"We are pulling most of our spies back to our country. We will sweep through our holdings and remove all unreliable vassals."

"I want to know if some of those vassals have connections with me. I might need their help and they are easy to control when we have information on them", Silvestra demanded.

"Yes, yes. For now, we will only collect evidence and information. We will decide in a few months what to do with them", Jagu said. "That brings us to the last three points of this meeting. Quiricus."

"Yes, Aeravan Cadarn we grant you lordship over Panormus. Raising you from a baron to count", Quiricus said. The elf looking a bit surprised, then a small laugh escaped him.

The count of Messana, Rulvir, and countess of Syracusa, Silvestra, shared a look before both fixed their gazes on the new count.

"Do you accept?", Jagu asked. The answer was clear, but procedures were there for a reason.

"It would be my house’s honour", the elf replied with a deep bow.

"Any objection?", Jagu asked eyeing the two other counts. They looked far from happy over the lost opportunity of gaining the city themselves but didn't press their own claims. "Splendid, we will hold the official ceremony after securing the island for good. Quiricus."

"Rastus Scipii has joined the Northern Conference. They are discussing the partition of the northern Italia", Quiricus continued. "He will try to stop the Eastern Confederacy from gaining anything while verifying our own border in middle Italia. The final result will be known to us in a few weeks."

The other participants nodded. Time would tell how their relationships with their new northern neighbours will develop.

"That leaves the last point. Jagu will leave with a small contingent of troops to Napule and verify the status of his son's campaign. They will secure southern Italia, while you secure the island", Quiricus finished.

"That would conclude the meeting", Jagu said and stood up.

"When do we discuss the autonomy promised to Sicillia?", Silvestra asked. The dwarf, elf and demi-human all looking at Jagu.

"The moment Sicillia and southern Italia are secured", Jagu answered quickly. "Would that be fine?" The three nodded. "Good."

"A what about the governor for Roma and middle Italia?" Quiricus asked. Jagu thought about it for a moment before shaking his head.

"Later. I have still not found a good candidate nor have the plans for the reconstruction of the city been finished", Jagu answered. "We will decide later who will oversee Roma."

Nobody brought up another point so the council dissolved. Everybody had his tasks and had his own interests to protect. The next meeting would have to answer any issues.

I studied my new official mount. A brown horse with some smaller white parts. He had been named Bukephalos by his last owner, one of the rebels. We had confiscated their horses and this one was quite impressive.

It was a bit bigger than the normal Italian breeds, but another thing separated it from the other horses. It showed no fear of Quintus. No fear in general. We had tested if it would stop before a pike-wall or a hole. The horse did act like a normal one in those cases and refused to move forwards.

"What do you think about the name Timere?", I asked the horse, holding its reins while servants placed the saddle on it. The horse neighed. Was that a no or a yes?

"A fitting name, but should you really rename it? It is bad luck to rename things", Alaric said. Moving to stand next to me.

"I didn't know. An eastern tradition?", I asked with interest.

"No, more like a superstition from the Balkans", he supplied. "The one hundred men are ready. Cycnus has replaced the dead of your personal bodyguards with capable men from the legion."

"It is a shame that they are no longer all minotaurs", I added.

"Why? Less fighting power?", Alaric asked.

"No, it's the armour. I will need to have sets in different sizes and forms", I explained. "You know what to do in my absence?"

"Lucius we have been talking about what I should do and not do for several days", Alaric answered. He sounded a bit annoyed. Just a bit.

"I am just making sure my friend. I am also nervous about seeing my family again", I said. "It has been a long time after all."

"How many years? Five?", Alaric asked.

"I was 13 when we left for Alexandria. 14 when Quintus teleported me and we build the company, 16 as we started the legion and 17 as we headed for Italia. So four years right?", I answered.

"Mh sounds about right haven't seen mine for at least six years", Alaric added. I couldn't tell through his tone or expression if he missed them. But after all the small things he had told me, probably not so much. I chose to refrain from asking.

"Then it is goodbye my friend. At least for while", I outstretched my hand and he shook it.

"May Selena protect you on your journey. Try not to die", Alaric said.

"It is hard to kill a Vespasianus", I said with a smile. "Managed to beat even you."

"That you did. Once. It will also be the last time.", Alaric said a small smile forming, but quickly vanishing.

I laughed and mounted the now readied horse. Raising my fist to the chest, Alaric did the same and then I rode.

The journey out of the city was quite uneventful. The residents looked on in interest as the noble passed through the street with his soldiers but quickly went back to business as usual.

The guards, now controlled by us, opened the gates without delay. We passed the gate and spurred the horses. Entering a gallop as we left the city behind us.

Four bodyguards were riding before me, Cycnus to my left and the rest behind us.

"Where is that giant lizard of yours Jackpot", the minotaur asked with a big grin on his face. The man loved galloping on horses. He loved riding into rows of enemies with a horse even more.

The answer arrived with a roar behind us. Cycnus looked behind us and watched as Quintus neared our position. Leaving the Adriatic Sea, flying over the city and catching up quickly with our horses.

"The lizard!", Cycnus exclaimed, still laughing. A protesting sounding roar was the answer.

Quintus began to fly lower. The wyvern flew with great speed over us. A single metre separated us from him.

Most horses neighed and the riders had to focus on controlling them. Slowing down and falling a bit behind us. My horse continued his gallop unimpressed.

A look to my right showed how Cycnus managed his scared mount. He had his hands around the neck of the horse and his legs strongly pressed against his mount. The man was forcing the animal to move exactly as his limbs allowed it. A big grin on his face.

I laughed at the absurdity.

Quintus turned around and flew over us in circles. Keeping more distance this time. A frustrated growl was heard as he noticed that Cycnus had kept up with me. The minotaur laughed even harder when he heard it.

We would reach home in a few days and I was eager to see my family and to introduce Quintus to them.