=== March 117AD, Alexandria ===

The first shades of dappled light passed through the drapes and fell upon the bedchamber. Calidus Raeus Vitellius blinked himself awake in the morning brightness and raised himself from the bed. He stretched widely and grimaced slightly in discomfort.

It had been nearly a year since the illness had taken him, but he still felt its mark upon him. The cold winter had taken its toll and he had been taken with a delirious fever. For weeks he had lain, wracked in the Vitelli Palace, sweating and exhausted, muttering and shouting out orders in an invisible battle in his mind. His wife had kept a patient vigil at his bedside, and kept him company during his brief periods of lucidity. Her best efforts seemed in vain, and one evening, the physicians had said he was unlikely to survive through the night.

He was strong though and survived, and gradually the fever had abated. He regained his strength that summer, frustrated by his weakness but grateful to be alive – he remembered all too well the fever that had taken his brother Julius. His family had stayed by his side throughout, he had even had a second son, Commodus, shortly before the fever struck and he had some joy in being able to be around his son as he grew – he had not seen his first son Lucius ‘till well into the boys third year.

First he began to walk again, then to practice with arms, but he felt the burden of time upon him. Before his fever had struck, he was meant to undertake a tour of the Roman provinces of the North African coast, a tour that had now been delayed for several months. He decided to set out in late Julius and hope for the best – he was still frail, but he could at least hold a sword and move around freely. He looked particularly tired though; his skin was still sallow, and his once jet-black hair had now become tinged with silver and white.

His wife had begged him to stay for another season but he felt obliged to go, leaving his wife but promising to her that he would return. He held her tightly and hoped to the gods that they would allow him to keep his promise.

Raeus smiled slightly when he remembered his family – almost a year on, they felt like a distant memory. It was also a pained smile – he so rarely saw either his wife or child and it saddened him that he could not spend longer with them. The following year had passed in a whirling maelstrom, starting from that warm summers day when he rejoined his men.

=== Julius 116 AD, Ostia ===

The Legionary camp hummed with activity, soldiers incessantly drilling, supplies being hauled towards the docks while traders shouted loudly, hawking to anyone within earshot of the value of their wares. Raeus sat straight-backed in the saddle as he rode through the camp, followed by a Praetorian Cohort. It was the first time he’d been in the saddle that summer, and was not a wholly enjoyable experience.

Still, the reaction of the men was pleasing. The men all knew him – he had served with them for years as Tiberius Vitellius’ second, and to have one of their Emperor’s favoured commanders back in charge brought a favourable reaction from the men. His entry into the camp drew some attention, and the men gathered to cheer the Praetorian Prefect in – some shouted greetings to him. Raeus, always an austere man, would nod a greeting in return, wave and thank those within earshot.

He had never truly been comfortable in situations such as this – adulation was not something he received easily, and he had never truly been at ease with social situations of any kind. Still, over the past years he had made an effort to appear more sociable – he had even hired a tutor for himself to assist with speech making, but it still took a conscious effort to overcome his naturally introverted personality.

He made for the Villa at the centre of the camp for the five Legions under his command. The men were restless – they had been delayed for more than four months, and were eager to move again. Raeus was certain the rumour mill had already taken care of their potential destinations anyway.

The Praetorian Prefect eased himself gently and tenderly from the saddle, handing the reins to an aide and making for the atrium of the villa, where he could see the five Legates of his command waiting for him. As he approached, the men snapped into a formal salute.

Raeus smiled, “At ease gentlemen.” He looked around the gathered faces – he had served with each of these men, and knew them all well. A few looked shocked at his slightly weakened appearance, but most kept their thoughts hidden. He held the gaze of his friend, Decius Castus, longest of all. Decius had been Raeus’ chief of staff for many years, and was his oldest friend. He had originally served as senior centurion in Raeus’ first command, the old XXXVIII Legion – he was a tough, loyal fighting man.

“I thank you for the welcome,” he began. “It is good to see you all again.”

Ovinius Sosius, as the senior Legate present, spoke in reply. “It is good to see you again too sir. I trust you are well recovered from your illness?”

“Well enough, Legate Sosius, well enough. Besides, the business of Rome awaits. We have our orders – we are to undertake a tour of the African provinces beginning in Carthage and make our way to Aegypt.” He looked now closely at the men. “And then, all being well, we should be going to war in the East.”

A few of the younger men present, Castus included, smiled despite themselves; The older men nodded solemnly, the full gravity of it coming to them. Raeus continued, “Let the rumours spread through the army. This is not official yet, and don’t represent it as so.” The gathered men nodded. “So, I presume preparations to depart are by now well established?”

“Indeed sir. Most of the supplies we’ve been keeping provisioned in the town, and are ready to be loaded aboard ship at short notice. All in all, we could be at sea inside three days.” Sosius stated his report matter-of-factly.

“Excellent Ovinius, you have done well. I am sure you all know the preparations far better than I – begin the process of loading from first light tomorrow, I want to be at sea before the week is out. Apart from that, I shall summon you each individually for a quick status report over the next day or so, and we can have a more formal briefing shortly before departure. Very well, in that case men, dismissed – prepare your men for departure. Go with Mars, brothers.”

Raeus nodded a dismiss and the Legates took their leave, each in turn clasping the Praetorian Prefect by the hand and speaking with him personally. Decius Castus was last.

“You look well, Raeus.” He spoke stiffly.

Raeus snorted in derision. “You’re an awful liar Castus,” he replied. “I look like shit.”

Decius chuckled at his commanders’ mirth. “Well, alright then – you look like shit. But it is good to see you again.”

“And you old friend, and you. How are the men?” Raeus’s old legion and first command, XV Gemina Fulminata, had now fallen under the command of Castus following Maximus Dio’s appointment to Proconsular Legate for the Danube.

“Well why don’t you come and see for yourself? The men would love to see you again, and would give you a riotous welcome.”

“I can spare a few moments – come, take me to your camp.” And smiling, the two old friends had made their way to the encampment of the XV.

=== Alexandria, March 117 AD, Banks of the Nile Delta ===

Raeus shifted uneasily on his feet at the jetty by the river Nile. Though the weather was not hot, he was dressed in his full dress armour – a magnificent cuirass he had commissioned shortly before he left Rome, cast of iron but decorated in black and gold, depicting the legendary Phoenix. A few months ago he did not even fit into it, such had his illness sapped his strength, but it was not a comfortable item even now that he filled it.

Besides him, a few members of his staff were with him as they prepared to board the royal barge of Pharoah Diadotos. His chief of staff, Tribune Maximus Appus, was there – Raeus was still growing used to man, who though efficient, displayed an unpleasant commitment to pedantry. Also present was young Maximus Cornelius Agrippa, son of the Praefectus Urbanus – the young Adiuvator had been on Raeus’s staff for nearly three years now, and he hoped to be able to hand the boy a field command as a Tribune before too long.

The Pharoah’s barge was a magnificent construct virtually as big as a Trireme, and it sat low in the Nile’s waters. At one end, in a throne set on a raised plinth, sat the aged Pharoah. Raeus had met him once before, during the civil war when he had accompanied Tiberius Vitellius on several meetings with the Egyptian ruler, but he saw how the years now hung on the man. He supposed the Pharoah must have seen eighty summers or so now, and the Praetorian Prefect doubted he would see many more.
The barge docked with the jetty, and Raeus’ party were welcomed aboard by a royal attendant, who led them to the rear where Diadotos waited. Raeus bowed deeply as he greeted the Pharoah.

“Greetings, great Diadotos, on behalf of both myself, and my Emperor, Tiberius Vitellius.”

Diadotos motioned for Raeus to rise – the Vitellian noticed how slow each movement was; the Pharoahs’ skin was now like parchment, and his voice weak. “Tiberius…” he smiled slightly “I remember both you and he as young generals when you were last here – time seems to move so quickly when you reach my age.”

Unsure quite whether to compliment the Pharoah or not, Raeus decided to stay silent for now. Diadoto’s continued, “Tell me then, what news do you bring from Rome?”

Raeus nodded briskly, “We have crowned our new Emperor, Tiberius Vitellius, just over a year ago. Since then he has undertaken a tour of the North of the Empire, securing peace with the Germanic tribes who have troubled our borders and working to establish a greater unity amongst the Empire. I also have undertaken a tour of the provinces on the African coast over the past months.”

The tour of the North African provinces had been largely uneventful. He had held court in most major provincial centres so that local officials could come and meet with him to make their feelings known, and make suggestions for the improvement of the local economy and area. Fortunately, the famine and drought that had blighted the area over the past years had now receded, though some areas were still bitterly poor. The one overall consensus across the North African coast was that the desert was increasingly encroaching into the remaining productive arable land.

Raeus continued, “Our major concern however, is with Persia and the East, and it is this I principally wanted to discuss with you.”

“Ah yes...” Diadotos’ voice sounded virtually like the rustle of the reeds along the banks of the river. “This is something that has been a growing concern in my mind also.”

“Indeed. Tiberius intends to take direct intervening action on the side of the Seleukid Empire – they have been terribly pressed of late, and we should rather have them as a neighbour than a larger and aggressive Persian Empire. To this end, we have been preparing a field army to go and stand side by side with the Seleukids, in return for territorial concessions. Pharoah, would this be a course of action that would have your support?”

Diadotos did not hesitate to reply – his body was aged but his mind was still sharp. “I am an old man now, Raeus Vitellius, and I will not see too many more summers. Still, I have worried greatly for my people – the Persians have been as a gathering storm for some time now. They are not a neighbor that I would want for Egypt, and it strikes me that the easiest way to hold them back would be for the other two great powers of our world to stand shoulder to shoulder to repulse them.” He coughed slightly before continuing. “I cannot speak for my successor, but if I approve of the Emperors’ plan, for my part, will do what I can to assist you. I have already, many months ago, promised your now Emperor Tiberius Vitellius numerous archers and soldiers should I find his plans to neutralize the potential threat agreeable.”

Raeus was relieved, but hid his emotions behind an expressionless face. “Thank you, great Pharoah Diadotos. You are both honourable and wise.”

Diadotos dismissed the complement with a wave of his wizened hand. “Now, young Praefectus, will you sit and eat with me so we can discuss your needs for this coming great war?”

Raeus nodded acknowledgement, and spent a very uncomfortable few hours discussing politics with the aged Egyptian Pharoah.

=== Alexandria, Four days later, Command Tent of Raeus Vitellius ===

The staff meeting was just about drawing to a close. Raeus sat with his five Legates and their senior Tribunes, plus his own staff and the leading Tribune from the VI Praetorian Cohort, Septimes Victricus.

“So,” Raeus said, summing up, “we make ready for departure for three weeks time, giving us enough time to draw on the additional stores the Pharoah has granted us. Make sure the men are ready to embark at short notice – I want us to be able to be at sea within two days of my command. We make for Greece to meet up with the rest of the Empires’ field army.” The gathered men nodded in confirmation. “Any other questions?”

Quintus Silvanus, Legate of I Venera Triumphalis spoke “If there is any problem fitting all the supplies on board, what would you like to take precedence sir? Some of the boats are already nearly full with supplies as it is.”

“Wheat first, anything else I leave at your discretion Legate.” Legate Silvanus nodded in assent.

A hurried voice sounded from behind the Praetorian Prefect as Cornelius Agrippa burst into the tent. “Dispatch for you commander, it’s urgent!”

Raeus’ initial look of irritation was dispelled quickly, as he took the dispatch from the young Agrippas’ hands. The Legate’s looked on quizzically as their commander quickly scanned through the scroll – it was lengthy and it took Raeus a moment. Finishing, he folded the parchment and turned gravely to his officers.

“Grave news from the east men. The Seleukid Empire is in disarray and the Persians look set to deliver a catastrophic defeat upon them.” He paused for a moment to let the news sink in. “We must make all haste - scrap the plans for the late departure, we must go now. Legates, prepare the men for immediate departure. Load whatever supplies are immediately procurable, drive the men, work them hard, but I want a departure as is physically possible! Imperator Vitellius will be needing us for the main army, so get to it – dismissed!” He barked the last order which surprised a few of the men – most of the time the commander was quiet and reserved, this sudden change was quite uncharacteristic, and so they quickly hurried to their duties.
As the men left, Raeus closed his eyes and prayed to the Gods for a moment. It appeared his promise to his wife was in their hands more than ever now.”



Written By: Calidus Raeus Vitellius

Edited By: Ferus Juventas
117 AD