Legion of Mars

The forest, as he would mention to himself for the hundredth time, could go fuck itself and be burnt alive by whatever gods inhabited this realm. From what he had heard, the Everfree Forest is the most dangerous place in Equestria full of dangerous beast of all sizes, including ones long thought of as mythology to his kind. He had learned a little bit of history from Tempest Shadow and company about the origins of the forest. In the past, the Princesses had a castle in this forest that allowed them to rule over the newly born nation formed by the original Three Tribes. Then, something called the "Nightmare Moon Incident" occurred, in which Princess Luna was possed by some unknown demon that turned her into a alter ego that wanted nothing but eternal night. She was defeated and imprisoned on the moon for a thousand years until about two years ago when six mares used these artifact called the "Elements of Harmony" to free Luna from her darker side. Before that, Celestia moved the capital to Canterlot, and ever since then, nature had reclaimed what was lost. Another thing that he knew from Steel Heart was that hunters from all races would come to gather here to hunt down any dangerous game there is. Before Equestria came to be, ponies of each of the Three Tribes consider themselves a "fully grown stallion or mare" if they entered and made it out alive with a beast in hand. It wasn't until much later that Celestia, the ruler of this land, soon passed laws that would prohibit any pony, or other sentient creature, form hunting in this land.

However, as he saw it now, he didn't care if this forest was burnt to a crisp. He couldn't care less of the consequences.

Whatever passes for light in this gods damned forest had already turned its lumination west. If he was correct in his assumption, then that means that it could be late afternoon. After agreeing to help the ponies deal with this "Higvar", he and the Sixteenth Cohort, along with a company of Cretan Archers, several Equities, Validus and Oriana were to intercept these caribou and prevent them from reaching his camp. He could take a whole army with him, but the scout reported that there were only five hundred or less caribou traveling. It was foolish to bring fewer men to hunt a small rebel group, but at the same time he understood why they need such numbers. He decided to take his own five hundred men and hope that the enemy is less than that. The two ponies decided to return to wherever the resistance is holding up and warn them. Tempest Shadow decided to stay behind and accompany Lucius and his legion.

The scout said that they were traveling on a large stone path that the missed earlier on. Tempest Shadow said that the caribou built a large stone path through the Everfree earlier on in the occupation. The purpose was to establish a supply line between the northern and southern reaches of Equestria, and to move the army a little quicker than normal. The path was never finished, due to the fact that Tempest's rebels killed any worker on the path, and that dangerous beasts prowl the forest. Lucius thanked the gods that none of the monsters Tempest have described where anywhere near his troops when they first arrived. The project was, in the end, abandoned. Now Dainn uses the incomplete road for his small armies to hunt down this resistance, but that didn't stop the king and his army from passing through.

It didn't take them long to find the path. They soon emerged into a large cleared out area that allowed space for his troops for the battle to come. This part of the road already had stones on its surface, which glistened in the sun. The stones themselves reminded him of the old aqueducts that stood to stand after Rome's founding.

While he ordered his legionaries to form up upon the path, Lucius looked up as he felt the warmth of the sun shoot through his skin. As he noted earlier, it was late afternoon, which meant that they were probably traveled for about an hour or so. He stood there with his eyes closed, letting the warmth of the sun take hold of his skin. It was a nice change for once. Being inside a dark and gloomy forest would take one's mind closer to insanity. By Jupiter, he would have gone insane if the ponies didn't show up to help him.

As he meditated, he heard Validus say "Oh fuck me." He opened his eyes and turned around to see Validus with his back against him, holding up his skirt as he pissed on a nearby tree. "By Jupiter's fucking cock, I was holding that in for hours."

He rolled his eyes as he turned away. "If you were holding a piss in, then Neptune or Minerva would have blessed you with such a bladder." He joked.

He heard Validus scoff. "More like Jupiter wants to fuck with me. I was almost ready to explode with that one." He finished his business by dropping his skirt back into position and turned around. "I wonder if these "caribou" would piss themselves seeing us."

"I wish that were the case." Tempest said as came up to Lucius's side. "The caribou are known to be fearless warriors that would fight to the very end. I don't think they would be scared that easily."

"Then they have not met an organized fight force like Rome." Lucius commented. "And besides, my legion has seen enough far share of barbarians. You could say we are experts in such things." His time in both Brittania and Syria, along with posts in Thracia, gave him and the legion such insight to this kind of work. He would think that these garrison posts would be boring at most. However, he was thankful that some fuck wit in a shit ridden hut decided to tell his tribe to steal from the "shining men", according to a Pictish raider he captured.

Tempest shook her head. "And what about ones with magic?" She questioned. "Have you dealt with ones that can cast magic at a whim." In her eyes, he could see that she was worried for him, a concept that was both familiar and foreign to him. It was surprising to say the least that Tempest would be worried for him and his men. They are not even of the same species as well.

"There is nothing to worry about." Lucius said as he looked into her eyes. "We have faced tougher foes before. Even if they have magic, we will find a way to defeat them." Of course, he had never seen magic in person, or even in his lifetime. From the tone of her voice, he could tell that she was worried about him and his legion. A touching sentiment, but one that was unnecessary. Plus, that is why he brought her along. Not only as insurance for in case the resistance betrays them, but also a local guide to this world.

He looked out to the vast road from which he stood. "It will be a while before they come down this road. We should prepare while there is still time." He looked back at her. "You should probably get some rest." He could tell just by the look in her eyes that she hadn't slept in days, or even weeks. He had that feeling before, both during his time serving in a legion and commanding the 15th in Britannia.

"I'm fine. I just-"

"I could tell from the bags under your eyes. You haven't rested in gods know how long. Get some shut-eye. That is an order." He talked in a way like he would at a subordinate. She may be a guest and an ally, but he would be damned if he found her fallen in battle early. As far as he was concerned, she is a valuable asset that he can not lose.

"Now hold on." Tempest turned around to face him with her own glare to match his. "You don't command me. I-"

"That is where you are wrong." He harshly answered, matching her glare with his own battle-hardened stared "As long as you are accompanying us, you are considered part of the legion. That means you follow my orders as if they were written by the gods themselves. Do I make myself clear?" He gave her a glare that would have burned a hole through her soul if need be. He had to admit, for a peace-loving species that have never seen a war in their entire lives, they were stubborn. It was times like these he wondered if the ponies are either bravely stupid or stupidly brave. Either way, he was impressed with her resilient.

She opened and closed her mouth as if to protest what he just said. After several minutes of glaring at each other and Tempest's mouth opening and closing to say something, she turned around with a huff and stomped away like a child that was sent to her room with no supper. While he was reluctant in ask Tempest to rest before a battle, knowing that the enemy was close to her home, he knew deep down that this was the best course of action there is for her.

With that out of the way, he started to shout several orders to the Sixteenth Cohort, prepping them for what is to come.

Some time has passed before the sound of galloping hooves reached his ears. His army instincts forced him to turn around and draw out his sword, but he soon saw the scout from earlier coming back. He and his fellow officers were gathered around the outside of the road, looking down on flat dirt where a plan was drawn. "Sir," He saluted his superior. "The army from earlier is coming this way soon."

"How many?" He asked.

"No least than eight hundred I counted, sir." The scout said. This meant that the army he had was slightly outnumbered two to one. However, his legion had face worst odds before in every campaign they went to so far, so they should be fine overall. Plus, he had managed to conduct a strategy should something like this happen. "I can also confirm that the leader is with the army as well."

"Good." Lucius said. He turned to the surrounding officers. "Remember the plan. We need to box them in so they won't escape. We also need their leader alive for the rebels. Dismiss." With a final salute, the officers and centurions scrambled to their units to give the order. "COMPANY, WITH ME!" He picked up his helmet off the ground and shouted for the Sixteenth Cohort to rally behind him. His centurion shouted "RALLY BEHIND THE COMMANDER, YOU SHIT-STAINED WHORES! YOU WANT TO FUCKING LIVE FOREVER!?!?!?" By the time he put on his helmet, the Sixteenth had already gotten into battle formation, ready to engage the enemy like it was another day out in the field. Validus and Oriana were waiting for him beside the infantry formation, nodding to him as he came along. He could tell that Valdius was excited to see some action for once as the big grin on his face was evidence of that. Validus was always the brass fellow when he first met him, and perhaps a little too aggressive when it came to following orders. In the end, he couldn't ask for a better officer.

"Finally, we are about to get some fucking action." Validus said as he made the final adjustments to his armor. "This whole trip was a fucking disaster from the beginning. It would be good to finally fight some fucking animals for once."

"Agree." He said. He admired his enthusiasm in the face of an unknown threat. At times, he wondered if he really had a brain in that big skull of his. "But we should be careful as well. From what Tempest said, the caribou are fearless warriors that would fight to the death if need be."

Validus blew a short raspberry. "They ain't nothing compared to the Germans or the Sassanids we face." Next to him, Oriana rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Still, we must make sure this plan goes accordingly." He said, ignoring the antics of his friend. "We must not let them know we are here." He heard footsteps in the grass and turned to see Tempest Shadow, Color Scheme, and Steel Heart walking towards him. "I thought I told you to stay away from this battle."

"Fat chance." Tempest said with a scowl on her face. "I'm not going to sit this one out because some upstart commander tells me to. You need the extra help if you ever want to defeat the caribou." He noticed that she had a number of glowing orbs on her hip.

"Hell to the Yeah!" Steel Heart said as she stood ready with a weapon in her hand. The weapon in question looked like if someone had simply put a spiked ball onto a stick. "I want to make those fuckers pay for what they did to Equestria. Ain't no one going to stop us now! Right, Color?" She turned to the pony in question next to her, but soon saw an empty space where Color Scheme used to be. Lucius was surprised as well, seeing as how Color Scheme had disappeared without him noticing. She looked at the bushes in annoyance. "Oh come on!" she yelled.

Lucius looked to where Color Scheme had fled. A rustle in the bushes confirmed his suspicions. His head popped out like a bear that has just emerged from his winter nap. "I'm just here for emotional support." He said meekly "So I'll just....."

"Oh no you don't!" Steel Heart stomped along to where Color Scheme was hiding. His eyes widened and he ducked back into the bushes. She grabbed Color Scheme by the collar of his armor. He let out a yelp as he was pulled from the bushes by an angry pegasus mare. "You're gonna start pulling your weight this time, and not hid like some scared chicken all the time."

"But the chickens know what they were doing." He whined as he was dragged by his collar. To Lucius it was considered a humorous sight to see, like something out of a comedy play he and his family used to go to when he was just a little boy. "Why do you think they stay in farms all the time?"

"How about this?" Validus started to say. "If you run and hide one more time during the battle, I will personally skin the fuck out of you alive, roast your balls over an open fire and leave the rest of your carcass to the fucking crows or whatever inhabits these gods forsaken forest." Lucius winced at the threat that Validus had made. He knew he would do exactly that if it came to it. This was mainly why his legion had almost zero desertion rates than any other legion. Validus, come hell and high water, will find any deserter no matter where they are and do things to them that the gods would turn a blind eye to.

His threat has gone through to Color Scheme as he looked at him fearfully, knowing full well what would happen should he make a mistake.

The distant sound of hooves pounding on the pavement cut any further conversation. At first, he thought the cavalry had gone a little too far from the ambush site. It was then realized that the sound wasn't coming from the calvary positioning themselves but from far away figures lurking in the distance. From very far away, they looked like little blobs of brown and grey flooding down the pavement like a river. He could tell from behind him that the men were nervous but fully ready for the task ahead. He didn't know how many were either new recruits or veterans of his previous campaigns. Whatever the reason he had full confidence that his cohort will prevail over the day, as long as they stick to the tactics his commanders had drilled into them during the long stay.

That was how Roman had conquered much of the known world during the spam of its existence. While relying on brute force was one way of achieving victory on the battlefield, most commanders would stop and think about what tactics to deploy and what terrain they are fighting in. These types of things are what helped the early Roman Republic, and later the Empire, defeat its most powerful enemies like Carthage and Macedonia, and even a Celtic kingdom that had arisen when Caeser campaigned in Gaul. His legion was no different from a thousand other legions in the Roman Empire, as they would drill everyday while on the march. However, what made his legion stand out the most was that he would personally see each company train their troops from sunrise to sundown. He would at times drill different cohorts a day to share what he had learned during his youth and other points he made. He was confident at least that the cohort will hold the line once the battle started, and the men would never waver even in the face of incredible odds.

After all, in the face of battle, you can either do two things. Run and be slaughtered, or stand your ground and be slaughtered, but take as many of the bastards with you as possible.

As the army has gotten closer, he had managed to get a visual of what he and his legion will soon be facing. To him, the look almost like the deers his legion would bring back on hunts. Some of them were wearing armor and some haven't, allowing him to view the species biology. They had brown fur that encompasses the whole face and their muzzle, which Lucius almost mistook it for a mask of sorts. The rest of the body, excluding the face, had around the same fur as that of a deer, but a little more brown. Their bodies were muscular at that, and they stood at least a little taller than the Roman standing before them. Their antlers were certainly much bigger than anything he has ever seen. Some of these soldiers were what looked like chainmail armor with a helmet on their heads, while others wearing a strange armor he had not seen before. It looked almost like the armor that the Romans are wearing, if not for the fact that it covered their forearms, legs and chest. The front of the helmet was covered in what looked like a glass-like faceplate. They were also wielding what looked like scutum made from glass like the helmet, and black sticks that emitted lightning every few seconds. This has surprised him the most. Have these caribou truly mastered the will of the gods?

The legionnaires readied themselves for combat. He too mentally prepared himself for combat.

The horde of caribou soldiers stopped at least several feet when they saw the shield wall of the legion. He could see from their faces that they were just as confused by the appearance of these strange soldiers with their large scutum and short swords. He saw a few even glaring at him. He himself glared back at them.

"OI, WHY DO YOU LOTS FUCKING STOPPED!?!?!?" A deep booming voice shouted. "WE AIN'T RESTING UNTIL THESE FUCKING REBEL WHORES ARE DEAD!" From where Lucius was at, he could see something moving across the army that had stopped. The soldiers in the front soon parted away from the new arrival that had come up. This caribou, as he had noted, was much larger than the average soldier. There were a number of scars across his chest, indicating that he had seen some battles like him. His left antler had gone missing, leaving a stump where it used to be. He was wearing no armor to speak of, other than a long skirt around his waist and a leather shoulder pad on his right shoulder. On his back is the largest hammer he has ever seen. He looked down at the collum blocking the way. "And just who the fuck are you?!?!?" He bellowed.

"I am Lucius Maximus Darius," He introduced himself by placing a hand on his chest. "Legate of the Fifteenth Legion, otherwise known as Legio XV Caledonia." He then sweeps his hand to his colleges. "This is Commander Validus, my second in command and Oriana, my bodyguard. And over is-"

"I know who she is." Hgvar said as he glared down at Tempest. He then pointed an accusing finger at her. "The bitch that took my antler when we last met and kicked me in the balls!"

Lucius looked to her for confirmation. She shrugged. He could also hear Valdius snickering.

"You rebels may have escaped father's justice, but there is nowhere for you to run now." He said with a smirk. "If you surrender now and beg for mercy, then I might not throw you to the warbeast to be used as a breeder."

"I think you are sorely mistaken for our purpose here." Lucius spoke as if he was addressing an enemy combatant before the battle. "We are not here to surrender to you. It is quite the opposite." Laying a hand on his sword, he said "You will turn your forces around and march out of this forest. If not, then we will show no mercy."

Hgvar's smiled disappeared and replaced with a confused expression. H blinked at the outrages indication that Lucius spewed out. Lucius, for his part, had to keep a straight face like any good general or Legate in the legion. If his plan worked, and if he survived this day, then the gods are surely with him.

After several minutes of intense silence, Hgvar broke into a laugh. As if a disease was spreading in a small town, the rest of his forces laughed as well.

"YOU?!?!" He bellowed as he points down at him, and then to his forces. "And your puny forces are going to stop us?!?!!?" He bent over as he continued laughing his ass off for several antagonizing minutes. Lucius was tempted to just stick a sword through his big head of a skull, when saw off his remaining horn as a trophy. It was tempting, but he needed him alive to give to the rebels as a show of good faith.

After another several minutes of him and his forces laughing, Hvgar wiped a tear from his eye and looked down at Lucius. He frowned when he saw his serious face. "You are serious about this?" Lucius nodded. "I don't know who or what you are, but if you think standing in my way of the King's justice, then you got another thing coming." He reached for the hammer on his back and grabbed it. The front end came crashing down on the ground, literally digging through the earth on its first impact. Lucius got a good look at the hammer that he wielded. It had fine exotic craftsmanship to it, with the handle having some kind of strange runes he had seen in some German villages on it. Both of the flat ends of the hammers had large spikes the size of daggers. He saw a strange blue glowing jewel on the side of his hammer, with even more of those strange runes circling around it. Lighting emitted from the hammer itself. He smirked at Lucius and his men. "I am Hvgar, one of the sons of Dainn himself. I care Thor's might with me, and with this might, I shall strike you down." The rest of the caribou in his army readied themselves for a confrontation with his legion.

For his part, he grinned as well, making sure to show his canines. After hours, if not a day of being in this fucking forest, he would finally get to kill something. He guessed that this is what Valdius feels like every time. "Well then, let me show you the might of Rome itself."