{Estra Wallow}
I freeze as my desk speaks again.
"1 2 Kaiser Speaking, Estra are your receiving."
I dive across my desk sending papers and pencils flying as I grab for the bottom drawer and wrench it open grabbing at and dropping the walkie talkie in my haste.
"Mighty Kaiser Estra receiving you loud and clear."
This can't be good in all the time I have been administrator for the legion in Two Sons I have never been contacted by Kaiser. We received the reform order but not much since.
"Prepare for my arrival."
The walkie talkie goes dead and I gently place it on the desk as I start shaking. He is coming. He, he is coming. He could just be visiting, no he would send a messenger if he was coming to visit he wouldn't use the emergency walkie talkie thing, he wouldn't sound so annoyed.
I rush round my desk and kick open the door making my Decanus Jump. I grab on by the lapels.
"Get me the high priests. I don't care what they are doing get them right now."
I start pacing behind my desk thinking, what could have brought the son of Mars this far south what could bring him here. Far to soon the door opens and a Decanus steps in.
"The high Priests my Centurion."
I look up as they sweep in.
"What possessed you to interrupt our devoted maintenance." "You have done it now my Lady."
I spit the title at her.
"How dare yo-" "He is coming." "Who?"
I glared at her and the colour drains from her face.
"What have you done?"
I hiss at her pale face.
"I, we, we needed the resources for ourselves first."
My head hits the desk. They sent sub standard tribute. Something so simple could get us killed or worse. I don't think I could stand the disappointment in his eyes. What if he sees fit to replace me, send me back to the Malpase Legate and install one of Augusta's Centurions in my place. No, I earned this position and I will not let them hoist the burden of fault upon my shoulders.
"You better hope this doesn't fall upon our shoulders High Priestess. We need to prepare. Get the roads swept the banners replaced. Get your people in line, we don't have time for arguments. Kaiser is coming and we need to hope he doesn't see fit to destroy us."
Two days later a motorbike roars into Two Sons. The praetorian climbs off and stands his helmet under his arm.
"THE MIGHTY KAISER APPROACHES KNEEL AND BE BLESSED BY HIS PRESENCE."
I throw a glare at the high priests and with my Centuria fall to one knee he'd bowed. Soon the sound of engines bellows from the edge of town and more motorbikes screech into the town square. Then a chariot approaches. At its reins is a Praetorian the bed of the chariot is covered by a cabin. Behind it 4 more chariots come to a stop. From them a mix of legionaries, slaves and a few men dressed in the robes of the cult Vulcan. The legionaries form up guarding the chariots, the slaves prostrate themselves before the central chariot and the cultists move to check the engines. The door to the chariot opens and Praetorian Lucius's glare locks on me. He steps down and walks over to me and the high priests.
"Your failure to control the compliance of two sons has disappointed the mighty kaiser. He will address you later for now you have to deal with me."
My eyes flit past him to the door of the chariot and I can just see a slave gently adjusting a cloth on something in her lap. Lucius shifts to block my view and a praetorian guard leans out of the chariot and slams the door shut.
Lucius glares around the square then nods. He strides towards the building I took as my offices. As soon as we are inside he slams me against the door.
"Be thankful I honour the Malpase legate enough to not give him the headache of replacing you. Your entire centuria is not in the new uniform and neither are you. I will send frumentari here in a month if over half your centiria are not in uniform when he assesses you you will be replaced understand?" "Yes Lucius."
He releases me then composes himself we move further into the lobby and the door surreptitiously opens as the high priests slip in.
"What was the issue with our tribute?"
Her imperious voice clearly annoys Lucius who throws her a disgusted look at her than starts up the staircase. We are soon crowded into my office. Lucius shares the Mighty Kaiser's ability to command a room with nothing but his presence. A slave pushes past us, her clean white rags silencing any protest as she places several papers on the desk and hurries round and whispers in his ear. Once she has pushed past us and vanished Lucius speaks.
"You wish to know the issue with your tribute? Well its simple. The grain is pitiful, we had it assessed by many people and they all agree that while it is not poor enough to sift through but would not process properly. The chariots were rusty and the welding was so weak that an untrained eye could see that it would fail at an inoportune moment." "I am sure there has been a mistake?" "Kaiser himself judged the work and his assessment was confirmed by the cult Vulcan."
The pause drags out. The high priests want to fight but know better than to try to deny kaisers own assessment. Lucius is waiting for them to challenge him. I can feel his want for challenge, he needs barely a word to rip them apart. Suddenly a praetorian rips the door open and barks.
"Make way for the Mighty Kaiser."
Lucius is on his feet in an instant and we all fall to our knees as a praetorian steps in then kaiser steps over the threshold. I sneak a glance up, I have not layed eyes on him in years and he is as glorious as ever. He turns to the high priestess.
"A-Alisha how have you been?"
She looks up her glare softening as her eyes fall on him.
"I have been well Mighty Kaiser."
He walks round my desk and sits he seems to be relieved as he sits down. He steeples his fingers and rests his chin on them. He simply it's there and observes us.
"W-Why did you do this?"
I can't explain it but Kaiser's calm disappointment is worse that Lucius's rage. I can feel it eating at my heart. Tears are streaming down my face. I can hear the choked click of the High Priestess trying to speak but unable under the overbearing disappointment.
"T-The tribute is increased 4 chariots and an extra box of grain per quarter. I also require your tithe to include 1 boy of between 10 - 15 from every 30 families. I will be sending a member of the cult Vulcan to oversee the tribute. If there has been no variation in the tribute provided and you have met my requirement for 5 quarters we can renegotiate the tribute to return it to its original value. Do you understand me?" "Yes mighty Kaiser." "G-Good. Do not disappoint me again. Begone I will attend a dinner tonight and at noon tomorrow we set to return to Flagstaff."
Everyone bows their head and rushes from the room however a praetorian has my arm locked in a vice like grip. Once everyone has left I am conducted to the seat across from kaiser. He locks me with his gaze.
"I entrusted you with this task Estra youngest of Joshua's Centurions. I believed you would do your duty by me however you have failed. You will walk to the camp of the Malpase Legate where he shall pass judgement. Do you say anything in your defence?" "No mighty Kaiser." "Begone."
{Caesar}
As Estra scurries from the room and my praetorians slam the doo I lean back one of my slaves begins massaging my temples. A seizure. I traveled all this way and a mere day before we arrived I had a seizure. Oh curse the failing body I have been reborn into.
"Lucius find me a neurosurgeon." "My kaiser I don't." "A doctor of the brain. Put out a call for an auto dock as well." "Yes my kaiser."
I gesture to my slave who kneels down. I lay down on the floor and rest my head on her lap and go to sleep.
Hours later I am gently shaken awake by my slave who has somehow maintained her knelt position for hours. As I rise I stroke her head. Another slave is laying out some fresh clothing. I change then place my hand on the still kneeling slaves head.
"Do you need assistance to rise?" "Yes mighty kaiser."
I gesture to the other slave who takes her arm I grasp the other and haul her to her feet. She slumps onto her fellows shoulder. I stride past them to the door and gesture. My praetorian opens the door. On the other side is Lucius who is holding a cloak, I fall into step with him and he places the cloak over my shoulders. I raise my eyebrow at him.
"You have a quiver my Kaiser I thought it may disguise it." "You think well Lucius. The Legion is not yet at the point where I can be seen to age or weaken. Find me that surgeon." "Yes my Kaiser."
As we exit the building I pause slightly. The street has been set up with long tables and chairs, food has been arrayed and important members of two sons are sat waiting for me. A child runs up to be and hands me a laurel made from gold. It is beautiful and reminds me of images of the golden laurels on images of the Roman Emperor's. I take it and place it on my head, I can hear everyone at the table collectively shiver involuntarily.
"Please tuck in."
The table is quickly consumed by the feast. The high priestess sits to my left and Lucius to my right. She keeps glancing at me as we eat.
"If you continue glancing at me so often you will get travel sick." "I don't remember you being so-so amiable." "I don't remember you holding so much power in the church but times change and we change them."
The meal is delicious and soon I retire to a proper bed for the night.