Test Subject

Another day, dry and hot. A large Roman army is settled into a valley with another day or so march to battle. Two Roman guards stand post six feet apart outside a large tent draped with silver and gold inlays. It looks mid day with the sun at its peak and the camp is rumbling with movement setting up for march ahead. One of the guards stand ready and alert, gripping onto his spear. There was a battle afoot, and he was waiting for the bloodshed. Eagerness in his eyes he looks to his right at the other Roman guardsmen expecting a proud and diligent view. Instead, he twists his face in confusion as he watches the other. Sitting with his back to the tent. He sits picks at a scab from a wound he appears to not remember receiving. His skin is baked from the sun and his mouth is dry and cracked. His disheveled look of lost and woe seeping. He looks up to the proudly standing guard with eyes that show confusion and uncertainty. He looks back down to the peels of burnt skin and digs intently into his scabs and wounds. His feet with blisters from miles of walking, his tanned skin cracked and blistered from the sun. The least he could do was take care of himself for a day or so thought the proud guardsman. He to fall quicker each passing moment. Quicker into insanity. "Have you not had enough?" The guardsman looks down at his comrade with hopeful eyes. His dark brown eyes glaring with a bit of concern, with a small cut right above his left eye.

"No. ." his reply his low, drifting. "I have.... a ." He trails as if trying to remember what was to be next or if anything was to be at all. The standing solider responds looking into the sky" Well 2 more days"

He looks back to the sitting solider who sinks even more. Letting out a long groan of disappointment. His breathing starts to increase, grow louder, a tad uncontrolled. "A..." he speaks once more he starts to shiver slightly his eyes darting about as he places his face in his palm. The standing solider looks down with some concern, real, sincere. He goes to speak but is drowned out by an abrupt sound of hoof beats coming to a halt10 feet in front of the large tent they have been stationed. Four men glare down at the two guards jostling their horses to be still. The man in the middle wears a large helm. The golden trim with red furs sprouting as if they were flames sends a glare into the face of the sitting man as he looks up . Looks like you won't have to wait after all the standing solider thinks to himself, wants to say to the sitting, but he stands and watches the scene. The sitting guardsmen looks back to his scabs and wounds and continues to pick. As the men trot a tad closer the charge speaks out in disgust as the guardsmen ignores him and also is slacking on his post.

"You there! On your feet, take these horses, call up the post for command!" He barks his orders to no response from the sitting solider.

"I said on your feet, before I have them taken!" he leans in as he speaks 3 three legionaries around him dismounting from their horses. Two of the legionaries begin walking towards the sitting man who is still with his head down as if unconcerned. He starts to rock back and forth slightly. unnoticeable with all the hostility and tension. The commander on the horse pulls the reins as the horse rears back taking off past the men stomping onward coming a foot away before sweeping left spinning back to face the sitting man. The dust and dirt cover him as the three men weave past the mounted horsemen to surround the sitting guardsmen.

mounted commander onto the ground, "How dare you defy me dog. I'll have you executed for treason and drug about the back of our battalion."

The sitting solider looks up as the surrounding legionaries place their hands on the hilts of their swords. His smile creeps onto his face with a sinister twist as he stops his slow and slight rocking and shoots upward throwing a small knife straight for the mounted commander. The knife slices with through the air before its point penetrates the throat of the mounted leader. His eyes go wide as he grabs for the blade blood spewing from his neck. The men jump back with horror as their commander gurgles and gasp, falling from his mount hitting the around with a crack onto his side with lifeless eyes.

The 2 legionnaires remove their swords and advance with purpose onto the now kneeling guardsmen. Sweeping around in a full circle, on the knee, he removes his sword as well before charging directly at the man in the middle of the attack. He runs him through, his quick attack brings him joy as he feels the blood running down his palms. The warmth the smell, his eyes tint red and darken. The man to his left comes down hard with a slash and removes a bit of flesh from this shoulder as the rest of the wound opens. guardsman cries out, with pain, but also joy removing his sword and stabbing into the middle solider again. impaled solider blood onto the chest of the blood crazed guardsmen who then grabs the face of his foe and pushes him to the ground removing his blade from the dead mans sternum. He turns eyes wide to lock in charging his recent attacker. Swinging he clashes again and again with the legionnaire who is now back with his wits and more engaged in the fight. The unknown guardsmen with purpose and determination but his skill seems unpolished and reckless. Glancing blows left to right the veteran dips low and shoulders the crazed man sending him crashing to the ground. The other legionnaire looks up from checking on his falling commander but seeing his opportunity rushes to help his short sword arcing to strike the face of their downed enemy. The guardsmen from the ground as the blunt bronze blade comes down tearing into his check cracking bone. There was plenty of time to evade but it would almost seem like he watched the blade come down. the blade rips down throw the bridge of his nose he spins upwards slicing at the leg of the rushing legionnaire who's footing made him unable to evade in time. The meat comes off with a spatter of blood across the sand as the momentum takes the large legionnaire crashing down. He screams from his knees and grabs at his wound, his calf lay open, another strike rips open the back of his head.

The other guardsmen still stands all this time at his post, neither helping nor hindering. His face shows great interest as the men battle for their lives, screams and grunts, music of war being . He pulls an unusual small black book and seems to write into it. His eyes stare up intently, captured by the violence, the blood. the larger legionnaire crawls aside a swift cut of flesh is . The first guardsman stops writing and darts his eyes following the arm from the crazed guardsman as it falls to the ground. Standing behind him is the veteran legionnaire. Taking his opportunity proper and delivering a devastating blow. The crazed guardsman with bloodshot eyes goes into a rage meat hanging from his missing arms as he swings and slashing with his sword trying to find his foe. His eye contained in its broken socket the guardsmen stabs at the legionnaire with unothordoxed attacks, half blind, spittle and blood hitting the ground. The veteran glances a blow then slides in close cutting into the torso splitting it open before coming back with a kick sending the guardsmen to the dirt. Moaning, but with rage and pain, he turns onto his side trying to regain himself getting onto all fours. pushes out from a long blade entering through deranged guardsman back almost hitting the dirt on the other side.

"Die scum!" the legionnaire screams out as he twists and rips, tearing out the weapon with a kick to the face for good measure. Blood seeps from the guardsman mouth as he lay surveying his gruesome scene. A smile creeps onto his blood covered face his open cheek with the bloodshot eyes begins to dim as the men scramble to access the fallen. As he watches them crowd around the commander and tend to the dead and wounded his sees the other guardsmen still standing his post watching him, smiling at him, proud of him. He has not moved from his spot to now look up into the sky. As the defeated guardsmen eyes fade the wind picks up , then sweeping heavily, stronger whipping the tents and soldiers about. They continue to move round rushing to aid others. As the tents, horse, and men begin to lift up into the darkness the lone guardsmen stands still motionless. He looks around at the scene being consumed calmed and ready. He stares up into the darkening sky, sand whipping around his face, as his body begins to join the rest. A look of sadness and despair on his face, defeated once again, but with hope. Dark smoke and sand swirl into a void tornado around him, disintegrating and consuming everything until all that is is darkness then the scene is no more.

The beeping of the machines make themselves present as his eyes open. Laying in a hospital bed inside a sterile room the young man takes in his surroundings. A nurse sits in a chair with her back to him typing at a computer. Monitors and screens exchange information around him with sounds and diagrams. PA system announcing the need for labs and technicians. But saying that didn't sound like a hospital. A door slides open and inside the room steps a man in a long white lab coat. Noticing that the young man is now awake he approaches him motioning the nurse to leave the room. He pulls a glass like square tablet from his pocket and the screen displays the young mans bio. He examines for a moment before he begins to speak giving the young man time to notice the familiar brown eyes with a small cut above the left.

"To be honest Mr. , your results are phenomenal. How do you feel? How much do you remember?" he leans in sliding onto the chair the nurse was perched in.

"I. I remember everything. That was . Incredible. Yes, yeah Mr. right? I'm a little fuzzy but. How did you, how long, how long was I in there." the young man replies, sitting up and scooting back to give himself support.

"3 days" the man responds.

"3 days?!" Mr. exclaims eyes wide. "It felt like weeks. Marching and fighting and marching and fighting. so real. I don't understand how you can make it so real. That was insatiable."

"Yes incredible. Then you remember?" the man continues. "Then you will do it, you will help?"

". I. I want to go again. It's not much but I'm willing to give you the inheritance money. I hope your right, it is all I have left. " Mr. responds.

"Trust me. $20,000 is an great investment. This prototype is going to revolutionize the market." Mr. smiles as he stands placing the tablet back into his lab coat. Placing his hand on Mr. shoulder, "This is going to make you millions believe me."

"But why wouldn't you get some other investors. I don't understand." Mr. ask.

"Its complicated Mr. . rest assured, your $20,000 is going to make you a wealth man. Sleep, you'll remember everything else . I thank you, Mr. " he takes out a small black notebook and turns to view a pages before jotting something. He looks again at Mr. before turning to walk out the room.