Audentis Fortuna Iuvat

Catherine lead me back through the maze of streets and up a hill to where an ancient mausoleum lurked beneath greying clouds. Catherine babbled to me all about the legion, not that I didn't know about it already from Lupa, but it was nice to hear it from someone who wasn't constantly using cryptics.

"So we're going to meet Octavian, our current Augur. He's just started the job but so far he's doing an ok job. He'll ask the gods if your joining the legion will be in our favour, if so, you shall be selected into a cohort at evening muster after dinner." She explained as we climbed the steep gravel path. "Here we are. I'll meet you back down the hill when you're done."

I watched her as she began to start down the hill. "Thanks, Catherine!" I called after her.

She turned and smiled. "Call me Catie!" She yelled back before trotting back down the slope.

I took a deep breath before entering the large marble building and I was greeted by sounds of thunder, but it was empty, the thundering echoing through the vacant hall and off a large marble statue of a god. Suddenly chanting joined the thunder, coming from behind statue.

I rounded the corner amd caught sight of a lanky boy, silhouetted with the light streaming from between columns. A large knife was in his hand, poised over a limp figure lying on a flat table. My eyes widened and a shriek pulled from my lips as he stabbed viciously downwards.

He sighed and looked at me with a look of utter exasperation. "You're not from the CAHOSA are you? Because if you are then you can just leave the temple now, I don't exactly feel any need to hear your latest anti-Octavian slogan."

My eyebrows creased. "CAHOSA?"

He sighed again, putting down his knife next to the limp figure he had just butchered. "Campers Against Harming Of Stuffed Animals?"

I shook my head and my eyes widened further still as I recognised the limp figure as a pink teddy bear. "No, I- Catherine, I mean, Catie- That is..." The words struggled to form in my mouth as they often did when I felt pressured.

"New camper?" He asked, cutting me off.

I nodded and he threw the pink carcass into a pile in the corner, selecting a blue rabbit from a string on his belt. He set it down on the table that I had now dubbed as an alter, cutting downwards and ripping out fluffy entrails.

"The ruling is in your favour." He declared. "You may join the legion."

I bobbed my head. "Thank you, Octavian."

A small smile tugged at his lips, pulling away his mask of seriousness. "My pleasure, uh..."

"Kerri." I said. "Kerri Davis."

"My pleasure, Kerri." He said, turning back to his business as I headed back down the hill to where Catie was waiting to show me the rest of the camp.

Notes