Centurio De Iteris

Arceus' awoke with a groan, placing a hand to his head, "By Jupiter's balls, where am I?" He asked, looking around. "Is this the world Lucretia mentioned?" He asked himself. He turned and found a yellow Pegasus, reading some sort of scroll, though it was bound in leather of some kinda. "Excuse me, Mrs. are you the one who brought me to this cottage?" He asked, coughing.

Fluttershy's ear perked up, as she set her novel, A Tail of Two Fillies, down and looked up. Arceus had been dressed in a simple khaki tunic and pants, his armor and gladius lay on the table. "Oh, you're awake Mr. Arceus!" She smiled, "And, it was my friends who carried you in here, I only tended to your wounds. How are you feeling by the way?" She asked, her wings fluttering in relief as she trotted over.

"Like I've been trampled by Hannibal's war elephants." The Centurion chuckled dryly, running a hand through his short ebony hair, sitting up. "Are you one of the native...ponies of this world?" He asked, rubbing his eyes, "May I ask for your name?"

"I-its Fluttershy, and yes, I am a pony. But we aren't the only the inhabitants of Equis. There are the Changeling Kingdoms in the south, an area known as the Badlands, the Crystal Ponies and Windigoes to the far north, to the direct north of here is Griffonhala, home of, well, the Griffons, To the east are the Minotaurs, in Minotarus, as well as their other cities and provinces, like Mhina. This world if ripe with so many species. So, according to Christian, you're part of a an empire, the Romans. Funny, we had a similar society in the past, Ancient Roam, perhaps ours is a counterpart of yours."

Arceus' smiled, "Perhaps, so am I well enough? If I am to live in, what is the name of this country?" He asked, before noticing another book on a shelf, he squinted. "Ah, Equestria. If I am to live in Equestria, I must find work to earn denarii and to find someplace to live. Is there a town nearby?" He asked, scratching his chin, where a few wisps of hair had started growing.

"Denarii? Are they like bits?" Fluttershy asked, confused, "Here, let me show you." She pulled three bits from her purse, the gold coins clinking on the table. One side had a picture of Celestia's and Luna's heads, back to back,with the inscription In the Sisters we Trust, carved on the rim, on the back of the coin was an image of Canterlot. "And yes, Ponyville, I was just going there now."

The Centurion picked up one of the bits, turning it around in his fingers, "It is very similar to the denarii my people use, so," He placed the coin back onto the table, which Fluttershy scooped up. "Do any of your friends have a business I could apprentice at?" He asked, deftly putting on his lorica segmentata, caligi, manticae, and galea, his sword clipped to his belt.

"Hmm, Applejack needs help with her farm, chopping dead tress for wood and knocking down apples." Fluttershy rubbed her chin with a hoof, "Would that be fine with you? She pays well, fifty bits per tree." She said, smiling.

Arceus thought it over, weighing the pros and cons. On one hand, he could get exercise and currency, on the other, he had no idea if this Applejack would even accept him as a worker. "Very well Fluttershy, I shall look up work, would you know where she may be?" He asked, getting off the couch, his armor clanking with every movement.

Fluttershy nodded, opening the door, as the smell of morning dew wafted into the home, "She should be at her market stall, working with her older brother, Big Macintosh." She explained, as she trotted out, Arceus beside her.

The townsfolk nodded at the Roman, a number of human vendors and shoppers waved silently, pitching their wares, pots, soups, the works. "They seem quite lively, though I am surprised that humans are commonplace in Equestria." He noted, saluting a young woman, in her late teens, sweeping the front of a store, who nodded back, smiling slightly.

"Well, they weren't originally. Then portals from all across the multiverse started appearing, and races from all over immigrated, even alternate versions of many Equissians." Fluttershy replied, haggling for some steak with a a lanky minogriffon (Half Minotaur-Half Griffon), that was dressed in a green smock.

"Hmm, so, might I ask, who rules this land?" Arceus asked, stretching his arms, groaning as the joints popped back into their rightful places.

"Oh, silly me, I forgot. Equestria is ruled by a Diarchy. Celestia and Luna are both Alicorns, daughters of the great heroine Laurel Faustis, Champion of The Maker. They are demigoddesses who replaced the Alicorns that originally controlled the sun and moon, Solaris and Artemis, after they went rouge. They're quite nice." Fluttershy explained, humming as she went about the town, "How bout your society?"

Arceus absorbed this in, coughing into his hand to clear his throat. "I am a Centurion under the Emperor, or Caesar (Kai-Sahr) as the title is now called, Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, son of the great general Germanicus Julius Caesar, and nephew of the former Emperor Tiberius Caesar Divi Augusti filius Augustus. Each of our Emperors is descended in one way or another from the gods." He replied, smiling proudly, "Emperor Caligula, while a bit odd, is a hero to the people, and a genius." He reached into his knapsack, pulling out a scroll, "Ah, here, this scroll contains the history of the Empire from its beginning. Keep it, it is but a copy." He smiled, as Fluttershy put it in her saddlebag, thanking him with a nuzzle.

The two wove their way through passerby and stalls, stopping occasionaly to purchase something. "Oh, there's Applejack!" Fluttershy pointed to the orange mare at her booth, Big Mac being gone. "Hello Applejack, um, where's Big Mac, shouldn't he be helping you tend the stall?" She looked around, finding neither hide nor hair of the large red stallion.

Applejack smirked, "Oh, dontcha worry 'bout him. He left with Cherilee a while ago, he's, hehe, frolicking in her fields right now." She winked, using the old springtime innuendo, chuckiling, "So, what can ah do for you two?" She asked, polishing the stand with a cloth.and some wood polish.

"Well, Arceus here was looking for some work.Do you still need a hoof, or hand in this case, at the farm." Fluttershy asked, gesturing to the armored man standing next to her, smiling.

Applejack chuckled, "Sure, an extra pair o' limbs is always welcomed at Sweet Apple Acres." She grinned, before noticing Big Mac emerge out of a building, the sound of Cherilee giggiling coming from within. His mane and tail were messed up, and he had a dopey looking smirk on his face. "Huh, took them long enough. Hey Big Macintosh, can yah watch the stand while ah show Arceus around the farm?" She asked.

"Sure sis." Big Macintosh said, fixing his mane, "Don't work him too hard yah here?" He laughed, as Arcues, Fluttershy, and Applejack headed to Sweet Apple Acres. He pulled out a spare strand of wheat, and stuck it in his mouth.

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In the depths of the Everfree Forest....

"So, you have chosen another champion?" A dark humanoid figure asked to no one, gazing into a scrying pool, where green mist enshrouded the surrounding area, an image of Arceus flickering. "We shall see if this Centurion passes my trials...." A dark, almost-demonic laugh sounded from the clearing.