Chapter seven:

Forward:

This story is fiction and the most of the characters are fictional. If I
forgot anything in the glossary please let me know via owl or comments. If you
miss an episode all of them are posted here in this book: http://www.hogwartsishere.com/library/book/3762/read/

Last week on Reunion in Legio I: Claudius and Lucius both go
missing in action after the raid on the ballista. The only trace is a document written
in a mysterious unknown rune script.

And now episode seven: “The runes”

“This message,” said Aeneas, “is in a rune script that Lucius and I devised during basic training to slip private messages past censoring officers. It uses a combination of runes from various rune scripts under the empire.” said Aeneas.

“Can you decipher it?” asked the Legate.

“I already have sir.” replied Aeneas.

“What does it say?” asked the Legate with concern in his voice.

“It says: He will pay,” answered Aeneas.

“Are you sure that is what the message says?” asked the Legate.

“Yes, sir, I’m sure.” said Aeneas grimly.

“What do you think it means?” asked the Legate.

“It was clearly written by Lucius as we were the only two who ever knew the code,” said Aeneas, “However the meaning of it is still extremely mysterious.”

“Are you sure that’s all that’s written there?” asked the Legate “There seems to be more runes than what you said.”

“I don’t know, sir, half of this is in a rune script I don’t recognize.” replied Aeneas

“I shall pass it through our translators and see what they can make of it,” said the Legate. “You are dismissed, Legionary.”

“Ave!” said Aeneas as he saluted and departed the Legate’s tent.

Aeneas swiftly made his way to the infirmary to talk to Markus. Aeneas always dreaded entering the infirmary. It was a horrible place. The tents were filled with the moaning of wounded soldiers. Inside it reeked of awful smelling healing herbs and blood. Markus was in the officer’s section near the end of the tent line. The tent was guarded by two Legionarys.

“I request permission to enter,” said Aeneas to the guards.

“I’ll have to check with the head healer,” said one of the guards, “Your name, please?”

“Aeneas Flavius,” replied Aeneas.

“Wait here,” said the guard as he entered the tent.

Aeneas waited for several minutes before the Legionary came back out.

“You may enter,” said the guard.

“Thank you,” said Aeneas gratefully as he entered the tent.

Aeneas made his way through the stench to where Markus lay in a cot towards the far corner of the tent.

“Have you heard the news?” asked Markus.

“About the disappearance of Lucius and Claudius?” replied Aeneas.

“Yes,” said Markus.

“Do you know about the mysterious document?” asked Markus.

“Yes, I decoded half of it already,” replied Aeneas.

“I didn’t know you knew rune scripts,” said Markus.

“I don’t,” said Aeneas “However half of it was in a rune script that Lucius and I devised while we were in basic training.”

“What did it say?” asked Markus with intrigue in his voice.

“It said: He will pay,” answered Aeneas.

“And what of the other half?” asked Markus.

“It was in a rune script that I didn’t recognize,” said Aeneas, “The Legate has passed it off to our translators.”

“I see,” said Markus.

Just as Aeneas was about to leave the tent a message running Auxiliary entered.

“Ave!” said the Auxiliary as he saluted.

Both Markus and Aeneas returned the salute.

“Sir, I bring word from the Legate!” said the Auxiliary. “He says that our translators have deciphered the remaining runes. They appear to be directions to an uncharted part of this forest one week’s ride away from here!”

“Is that all?” asked Markus.

“Yes sir,” replied the Auxiliary.

“Very good, you are dismissed,” said Markus.

“Ave!” said the Auxiliary as he saluted and quickly made his way out of the infirmary tent.

“Directions, how mysterious,” said Markus.

“We should send a small unit to this location,” said Aeneas.

“It’s most likely a trap,” said Markus.

“We have to get to the bottom of this,” Aeneas said, “We can’t have praetorian guardsman on the loose who is possibly traitorous.”

“You say one with great certainty” replied Markus.

“Lucius would never betray us” said Aeneas “I’m sure of that”.

“I will authorize the mission.” said Markus “Gather a team, you can only pick from the rank of Decanus or below, we need our best men here”.

“Understood.” said Aeneas.

Thank you very much for reading! I release a new episode every Friday during
normal schedule. If there is anything you can think of that I can do to make
the story better please let me know via owl or comments. That’s all for today
folks! Good bye and Ave.