Lost Legion: Blood and Honor (The Infinite Black Series Book 2) by D.A. Roberts

Author:D.A. Roberts [Roberts, D.A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: J. Ellington Ashton Press
Published: 2019-02-23T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter XI

Aftermath

“Victory is reserved for those who

are willing to pay its price.”

- Sun Tzu

Aurelius awoke to a blinding light that hurt his eyes. His mind raced with the possibilities, even wondering if he was now dead and the light was Elysium. Then he heard something that he could focus on. It was faint, but steady. Lingering at the edge of his hearing, it was something that he knew as well as he knew his own voice. It was the thrumming of the engines of a ship as heard through the hull-plates. He was on the Agamemnon.

“He’s awake,” said a familiar voice.

Opening his eyes, he could see the smiling face of Cassia as she leaned over him. Her eyes were puffy and red, as if she had been crying. Worry shone on her face, as well as relief. She was laughing, but it was the stress-relief laughter that conveyed no real humor; only release of tension.

“I’m alright,” Aurelius managed to say through a mouth that was dry and thick with the effects of the anesthetic.

“You most certainly are not alright,” replied the doctor that was standing behind Cassia.

For the moment, his name escaped Aurelius, but he recognized him as the chief surgeon on board the Agamemnon.

“When you arrived on the ship,” explained the doctor, “you were nearly dead. You had suffered massive blood loss and numerous deep tissue wounds. More than one of which should have been fatal on its own. Your survival is nothing short of miraculous.”

“I refuse to die until I know my men are safe,” said Aurelius, attempting to sit up.

“I wouldn’t do that, if I were you,” cautioned the doctor, gently pushing him back down onto his pillows. “The surgery to put you back together needs time to heal.”

Nodding assent, Aurelius settled for reaching out to take Cassia’s hand. She clasped it to her and kissed his scarred fingers.

“I am alive,” said Aurelius, trying to return her smile. “There is no need to worry.”

“I am grateful for the skill of the doctors and nurses,” replied Cassia. “You were almost too far gone, even for their skill.”

“How fares the legion?” asked Aurelius, his voice cracking with the effort to speak.

One of the nurses took him gently by the back of the head and gave him a small sip of water. Aurelius nodded his gratitude as he swallowed. The cold chill of the water burned like fire all the way down his throat. Despite the burning, he felt the moisture returning to his parched throat and mouth.

“Thank you,” whispered Aurelius.

Despite the gravelly tone of his voice, it was still better than it had been before. The nurse only smiled sweetly and faded back to stay out of the conversation.

“The Legio Ferrata took heavy losses,” said Cassia, sadly. “Of the nearly thirty thousand men who dropped onto Hadrian, less than fifteen thousand will be returning to the Agamemnon.”

“And what of the Legio Felix?” asked Aurelius, shaking his head sadly.

“They fared little better,” replied Cassia. “Even though you had already destroyed

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