Part Three: The Battle
The horizon was filled with an army of the dead. Even from several hundred feet away Larcius could spot some uniforms of the men he had lost yesterday. He had three hundred foot soldiers, fifty archers and probably about two hundred able-bodied men who could wield a sword and shield if they had to within the fort and able to fight.
The early morning sun was bright and strong and it penetrated into the desnse forest that surrounded the fort completely, save for the road to the east and the one leading west from the fort. If they were to stand and fight they would have to choose a gate to hold, the logical choice being the eastern road as it was the side the zombii's were approaching from. The twelve foot wall of the fort was made even high by the ditch dug in front of it. It would be an incredible feat for the most able bodied man to be able to avoid the sharp spikes of the ditch to scale the sheer wall with little to hold on while climbing. They could not hole up in the fort for long, they had only food for another few weeks then they would be forced to send a party into Aquincum to collect some food. It was fight or flight and the decision had to be made now.
Larcius didn't really have a choice, his orders told him to hold this fort against any aggressor. The empire was not so large and powerful because men at a station like his made the decisions. He would stand and he would fight and if necessary, he would die. He had been assigned to this post because he had once disobeyed an order, an order that would have gotten all the men under his command killed. He had put himself above the importance of the Empire. His life had only been spared because his sister was the lover of his commanding Legate. And so he had been sent to the distant province of Pannonian Inferior to die without glory or advancement. There was certainly neither of those to be had if he stayed or left but he was honour bound. He would not be considered a traitor again.
"Ruffus the call for battle if you please," he said, there was no turning back now.
"Yessir," Ruffus said quickly as he sounded the call. The assembled men before them readied themselves for combat, it would take them only minutes to be fully prepared to fight.
"Ruffus, Viktor we need to discuss the battleplan," he said as he stepped out of earshot from the legionnaires all busying themselves with their preparations. Once they were out of earshot from the rest of the men, not that they were likely to overhear but it was better that they not misinterpret what was about to be said Larcius thought.
"There is a plan Larcius?" Ruffus asked. Larcius could hear the skepticism in his voice and didn't like it but now wasn't the time for a tongue lashing.
"They are a massed force, slow moving, disorganized and without a plan of attack nor a purpose beyond a desire for living flesh...if we don't suffer casualties we can survive," Viktor said. He stroked his thick moustache as he looked Ruffus in the eye.
"You're right," Larcius said, "and my hands are tied. Our orders include defending this fort from any aggressor. This is no exception-"
"Commander!" Ruffus burst out. "You would have us die here! Risk our lives for what? Orders? Your honour? This is a fool errand Larcius, I have fought with you these last few years and I've never known you to be so insane. How are we going to fight those zombii? They are four maybe five thousand and we are three hundred and fifty-"
"Enough." Larcius said. His voice was deeper than usual and there was a razor sharp quality to the word he uttered. Ruffus starred at him frustrated, his face red from his exaggeration. "Ruffus my old friend...if you wish to leave then you may go. I will not hold you here. If you are found and an officer of the Legion learns that you have deserted up you will be arrested and executed for treason. We have three hundred trained legionnaire's, all veterans and most with combat experience. We have fifty archers, and although Roman's aren't know to be profficient archers they will be of use to us. We have at least three hundred able bodied men when you count the civilians and our own train os stable men, cooks and other aides. If we form a phalanx in the gate we can hold that line. We won't have to worry about being flanked or taken at speed so we can take our time and ensure everyone stays rested and watered and fed throughout the day. All things considered I've faced worse tactical situations on the field before. We will need every man to fight today or we will exhaust ourselves and surely die. Ruffus, I'm asking you as a friend, to stay and fight with me...will you stand with me brother?" Larcius asked, rising from his chair to hold out his hand for Ruffus. Ruffus thrust his hand into Larcius' grip and they shook heartily. Viktor in turn clasped his commanders hand and then Ruffus'.
"Come, I must address the men," Larcius said. They filed out of the room with Larcius but slowed up as he continued along the wall where he coud stand before the assembled legionnaires. "Men!" He called, his voice bellowing out and the small talk and hushed whispers were silenced and every eye was upon him.
"We face a terror unlike any I have ever witness. An army of creatures that does not breathe the air, drink water or feed on anything but living flesh. There is a host of zombii's approaching from the east and their number is in the thousands. We will defend this fort and ourselves, this terror cannot be unleashed upon the countryside and we cannot allow this legion of the dead to reach even the frontier border of the Empire. A bite from a zombii is fatal and it will kill you and you will rise again as one of them. Any man who suffers a bite will be quarantined and killed. There is no choice in the matter so do your best to stay in formation and defend yourself. We shall stand our ground just outside the gate, it should allow for thirty men to stand with their shields abreast and hold the line. Archers will take to the walls and fire on the mass below. Remember a kill shot must hit the brain or decapitate the zombii. We don't have much more time, if any man does not wish to stay then he can go in peace. If he is found at a later date he shall be put to death for treason," about forty of the civilians began to move to collect their belongings to leave and Larcius didn't pause to watch them leave.
"My squad will be the first in line, we shall spend thirty minutes on the front line then move back through the ranks for rest. Any man that falls, his place shall be filled immediatly we will hold them no matter how many they are. For your lives and your brothers-in-arms!" He raised his fist into the air and the men took up his cry.
Rushing down to the gate he and his squad marched forward and spread their line down the lengh of the gate. The oncoming horde was creeping ever nearer.
"When they come, be careful not to expose yourself. Don't take unneeded risks and stand firm," Larcius said loudly enough for a few rows of men to overhear. It seemed like an eternity waiting for their enemy to reach them. Larcius could hear his heart thundering in his ears, like the noise was somehow reverberating in his helmet and filtering back into his head completing the cycle. He noticed the sweat on his palms and on his brow and the nervous feeling in his stomach. The pre-battle stresses were taking their toll. Psychologically the horde before them although slow moving and unarmed were more damaging than a savage band of Germanic barbarians or even the blue-painted Scots of the Isle of Briton. There would be no mercy and their foe would be unrelenting they knew no better than to attack until they had all perished. Larcius grit his teeth and drove his fist into the back of his shield which resulted in a loud hollow drumming sound. He repeated in rhythm until the rest of his men followed suit.
Then there was a song, one voice, singing out with the beat. Larcius knew not the words that were sung as it was one of the native Slavic members of his cohort who sang the battle hymn in their tongue. It was beautiful, the most beautiful thing Larcius could ever remember hearing and he silently wept as the man continue to sing. His voice never wavering like the oncoming mass of flesh pressing ever closer in front of them. For the first time Larcius began to notice the individual faces of the zombii before him. They had once been people, some soldiers, some mothers and some children. Some had been sculptors and some had been laborers. Now they were all dead and yet somehow alive. They were now within twenty feet and he recognized a member of the light cavalry detachment. His armour intact and his fighting knife still in it's sheath. His helmet still sat upon his head but both his arms had been bitten so fiercely Larcius could see the bone. Another zombii was a small child, not past twelve years old. It's eye was hanging from it's sockets and half it's cheek was missing. All the faces before him were just as horrific and brutalized
. A few more shambling steps and the creatures were at the point of his sword. "Strike!" He cried and moved his shield aside to slash across a zombii's neck as itreached out to him. The slash of blades and the grunts of the men were all that could be heard. Sandles grit against the ground as legs strained behind shields that held back the massing undead horde. Muttered curses and prayers slipped from lips as the swords fell again and again. Larcius' back began to ache as the shield from the man behind him held him in place more than his own exhausted legs. They had been hacking and slashing for what seemed like an eternity but was more than likely only five minutes.
"Back!" He shouted and his men expertly stepped aside and the lines crushed forward to hold the line.When he reached the back of the line he walked over to grab a drink of water that was held out to him by a young man of fifteen. There was fear in the youth's eyes, but it wasn't the type of paralysing fear Larcius was used to seeing on death ground but it was the type of fear you see in the eyes of a cornered boar. The kind of fear you don't want to ignore.
"Thank you for the drink. What's your name son?" Larcius asked the boy. He had been staring out at the battle as it continued behind Larcius and he didn't break his gaze when he answered. "My name is Calvus, I am apprentice to the carpenter Gauis Maridius. Commander I have stayed to fight with you. I would not flee just so I could see my family again, I would be so shamed and without honour I could not abandon you in this great hour of need." Larcius pondered this for a moment and was truly taken aback both by the lads courage and how well spoken Jovinus was. He put his hand on his shoulder and squeezed. The boy looked away from the battle and into Larcius' eyes.
"You will make it home. We will not perish here today-" He was interrupted by the next call forward and rushed off to resume his place in the line. "Be strong today Calvus." He said before he was swallowed up by the mass of bronze and muscle.
The air reaked of sweat and blood and decay. He noticed that the zombii bodies had begun to pile up. By the time he and his line were at the front again the whole way across the gate was piled with zombii corpses. The men had been kicking them slowly to the sides and they were beginning to fill up the sides of the treaches and each side of the gate. Even with that the bodies were piled up to Larcius' waist. Most of the men were exhausted and weary. Only four men had been excuted, all had been inadvertantly bitten and could not be allowed to turn while behind the lines. Larcius thought several times that he was losing his mind, all he could hear was the sounds of blades ripping through flesh and the heavy breathing of exhausted men while the sun beat down on them. It had been nearly and hour since he had last been on the front line and his muscles were ready again for the savage work. He dug his shield into the dirt and slashed to his left and slashed to his right and slashed out in front of him and the ever pressing army pressed harder against the shield wall. The man to his left let lose a cry as his sword was stuck in the armour of what had been a Slavic warrior. The man did not have the sense to pull the sword lose with his battle weary mind and the zombii was ripping away at his wrist. Larcius struck, lightning quick, and the zombii had it's prize. The legionnaire screamed at the stump of his wrist and the men behind him pulled him back and a new man stepped forward while he slashed across the zombii's neck, not making the same mistake as the last man.
"Break!" Larcius barked and the men of his line pulled to the back again.
A scream went up and then another as two men were bitten. Their deaths sealed by their weary arms and dulled senses. The stairs creaked as Larcius moved up to the wall and looked over the massive body of the zombii's. The archers had expelled all their arrows and zombii's could be seen with twenty feet with their heads split and their brains spilt There was still an overwhelming number pressing against his men. Viktor approached from behind him and stood next to his Commander.
"Commander, we are suffering mmore casualties. At this rate we will not last long, we will certainly not destroy all of them. I know we are staying and I am with you but you need to consider sending away the youth. They can go on the remaining horses to Aquinicum to alert the Legate before the masses descend upon the city."
Larcius nodded and was silent for a spell.
"You're right Viktor. Go and tell Ruffus we are making our final stand, the youth and the civilians are to ride back to Aquinicum. I think I know how we can destory this horde...we will send every last one of them to hell." Viktor saluted and strode off to find Ruffus amoungst the pressing bodies of the legionnaires. Larcius removed his helmet and turned and strode down the stairs. The word was out and the preparations were being made for the departure. The stable master Dragan was leading horses out and men were riding in pairs to accomdate the number leaving. Larcius nodded as he saw the boy who had given him water earlier climbing onto the horses back behind his master carpenter.
The horses whinnied as they were kicked towards the open gate on the other side of the fort, as soon as the last horse exited the doors were pulled shut again. With his helmet perched on his head again Larcius strode toward his men. His fighting men, his dying men. They still faced at least a thousand zombii from his guess at their numbers and they had lost at least fifty men already. He took up his position at the head of the line.
"Men! It is time to end this. I know you are all tired and weary and bloodied. I have asked you to lay your lives down in service to the Empire. I must ask you to risk your lives even more," as he spoke his shield was pressed against. The weight against it was incredible! He repositioned his legs and pushed back against the wall of the dead. "We only have one course of action. Some of us will die but it is the only way that some of us will live."
