Another Berytus Incident

The morning after our second forced march we looked from our hilltop camp at the shimmering glow of Berytus. She seemed to dance a slow oriental shimmy in the haze, as the sea, Our Sea, lay at a slight distance before her like a jewelled carpet at her feet. Apart from this natural beauty, and an excellent site for organizing trade or war, there was little else to hold our interest for long. Well, except a visit to the obvious fleshpots that all these cities could boast.

‘Look,’ I said to Rudio, ‘there’s the temple of their Astarte.’
‘Freja,’ Rudio replied, as he peered down at the gold bedecked site.
‘Who?’ I asked, not quite awake from the snooze I snatched as we lay down in the lush warmth of this mount Lebanon slope. ‘Oh!’ It suddenly dawned on me what he had said. ‘I know, you mean Friga is your Venus.’ 

‘Love is a fickle power,’ he mused, switching his penetrating attention back to me.
‘The Greeks call her Aphrodite,’ I tried to deflect his scathing blue eyes. ‘It seems to suit her here. Skitish, determined, sure of her strength. The power to drive men mad.’ I leant forward to try and kiss Rudio but he pulled away.
‘See!’ He pointed to the track above us. ‘Someone is coming.’
‘Centurion!’ At first one faint voice called out, then a few rather more distinctly.

I stood up and waved my arms. ‘Here, boys!’ I called to three of my junior ranks. ‘What is it?’ I quizzed them as they made their way down to us at a sliding gallop. ‘Well?’
‘On the North road,’ the youngest one said, a little out of breath.
‘Yes, Tertius,' I asked, 'what about the North road?’
‘We were sent to fetch you,’ a second private butted in.
‘The Tesserianus said to find you and bring you,’ the third completed the tale.
‘Before we get too excited, and start to chase all over the mountain,’ I said, ‘tell me as far as you can what this is about.’ Before they could restart their comic stage act, I added, ‘and I don’t want all three of you speaking at once, or taking turns.’ I pointed at the senior of the three, ‘You, Vindex, tell me what you can.’

‘Sir!’ Young Vindex knew how to make a report, ‘our Tesserarius called us from foraging. He and the Optio had apprehended a group of men travelling south along the Coast road from Byblus and Tripolis.’
‘Apprehended?’ I quizzed him. He nodded. ‘What sort of men, travellers, buisnessmen?’
‘Jews, sir’ He said.

Even before I reached what had become a roadblock I realized why I had been called in such haste. Felix, the Tesserarius, was observing the search of what looked like a tentmakers holiday, but must have been some sort of trading caravan. My Optio, Agelastus, meanwhile was in the thick of things, caught up in deaing with a young man and some of his argumentative companions. 
‘What is going on here?’ I called for an explanantion. Before Agelastus could turn and salute, the young man left off badgering him and came to remonstrate with me. I squared up and put out my hand to stop him in his tracks. Around him the flash of swords made him think twice. ‘Now, sir, before you get carried away with the rhetoric,’ I said to him in my finest common Greek, ‘shut up, stand back over by your packs, and try to remain calm in this trying situation.’

‘Sir!’ Agelastus snapped to attention and began the tale. ‘Stones were thrown at the guard for the foragers.’ 
‘Stones,’ I said.
‘Yes sir, that’s how it started,’ Agelastus began to look sheepish as the picture unfolded.
‘And for that the whole Coast road is brought to a standstill here?’
‘Well, no. There was more to it. One of them,’ he pointed at the youths, ‘threw a knife. It hit the Signifer in the face.’ Again he pointed this time in the direction of a makeshift medic’s bench.
‘Then came the abuse,’ I said trying to reassure him I understood, ‘and after that some more stones, and a nasty situation arises.’ I nodded as he added a few details.

We went over to the pack animals and what looked like the senior members of the party. I told Agelastus to detail the men to help repack the goods, and, while looking at the eldest of the group, I told him to make sure the Tesserarius saw to it that everything was returned. ‘Everything, mind,’ I called as my Optio hopped off glad to be following orders, even those.
‘Sir,’ the elder in charge of the caravan drew his hands together and inclined his head, ‘you are kind us. May God bless you.’ 
‘Sir!’ I saluted, ‘you are a Roman citizen, as I see by your ring, you have free passage.’ 

‘Jaminus, tent provisioner to rulers,’ he smiled, ‘and,’ he opened his hands, ‘to the masses.’
‘Lancianus, Centurion, second cohort in his august majesty’s legion, Third Gallica.’
‘On the move south, Centurion?’ The mouthy youth appeared beside us. ‘And already all this mayhem. Not a good start if you wish to impress the Imperial Prefect Vallerianus Gratus.’
‘Saul!’ Jaminus scolded, ‘show respect. This man has saved us.’ The youth gave him and me a surly glance then shuffled off to join in getting the show back on the road.

Agelastus and I picked our way along the tiny packed streets of Berytus later in the day, with Rudio and Agelastus’ boy, Bibi, an even pudgier Nubian version of his master, in tow. I looked back at the lads in our wake, our two servants and the squaddies from the camp. ‘Zeus, Greatest and best!’ I cried, ‘the gods only help these poor people.’
Agelastus looked back too, and said, ‘Venus will help them, but who will look after ours?’

I threw my arm around his shoulder and he tightened an arm around my waist as we laughed at how defenseless our little crew would be before these man-eaters. I wanted him to keep going with his hug, though I suspected he wouldn’t. Still I felt the press of his firm grip, it kneeded into my love-handles. He turned his face up toward mine so that he could see my reaction. I winked at him and I pulled his head into my chest with my arm. He released his hold and evaded mine as Felix called out that we were approaching the eating place he said he knew. We were looking for somewhere quiet with not too many fleas, and there it was, dim and dingy.

‘Bacon,’ Rudio sniffed in the menu of aromas, ‘raddish soup and honey glazed onions.’
‘Nice,’ said our Signifer, Livius, ‘I’ll use the raddish soup as a poultice if this face doesn’t heal.’ He patted at the bandage tied across his head and left ear.
‘The girls’ll not spot the difference, Livy,’ Felix teased his fellow sergeant.

‘I will!’ Livius laughed, making his broken nose and scarred mouth into a mask of horror.
‘Wine!’ I called to the owner when he came forward, issuing us into the dark recesses of the shop. ‘Your best, and something edible from your foodstuffs.’
‘Always the best for our brave soldiers of Rome.’ He almost licked my boots his bow was so low. ‘Tuna, succulent, dough-baked with purest olive oil and seasoned with our own special mix of herbs.’ He showed us passed the banks of rough-hewn tables and benches in the main body of the shop, and through to a brighter private patio shaded by a canvass awning. ‘Smoked pig-back,’ he went on, ‘sliced and fried, served with honeyed pine-kernels and onions.’
‘The wine first,’ I told him, cutting off his sales pitch.

The drink was good, or perhaps we were all merry and ready to enjoy it. But Felix was right about the place, the food that followed was excellent. Sitting in this open alcove in the afternoon sun, looking out at the sea and sky darkening with the growth evening was magical. A blessing.

Agelastus and I sat on rickety stools beside an even more rickety folddown table. Rudio and Bibi sat on low stools at our sides near the entrance to the patio, while Livius and Felix perched a little uneasily on the edges of some narrow benches tucked against a substantial old chest used as a dinning table. The chat flowed like the wine, free and heady. Laughter frequently putting an end to some rough tale of bravery or sexual prowess, or the lack of either in our leaders and our brother soldiers. All the while the heat of Agelastus’ legs eased closer, but never too close to mine. When the main course arrived he turned slightly, so one of his legs stretched out under my thighs the top of his knee pressed in against the bottom of mine. An occasional sway of his leg played gently across the back of my thigh and nestled as near to my butt as he could manage.

With fresh jugs of wine in came my centurion colleagues and their lieutenants. Felix and Livius rose, saluted, and moved aside to let the junior officers have their place.
I got up from my table, hailed all my colleagues, offering all a draught of wine. I also made a point of pouring wine for Livius and Felix.
‘We’d best be getting after our boys, sir,’ Livius covered his discomfort.
‘Don’t what them being chewed up like this fellow,’ Felix nudged Livius.
‘Of course,’ I said. ‘To Love!’ I toasted them.

While I was up I headed to the men’s for a piss. It was a bog-in-a-closet if ever I saw one, served by what must have been a very intermittent flow of water. Perched against the side of the shop it had a crumbling wooden door that was more for show than comfort or security, so at one of two rough holes I just hitched up and eased out of my loin cloth.
‘Hi!’ A voice called from behind me, and staggering in a body lurched at the other hole unsure if it was going to piss or be sick. ‘Hi!’ One of the younger lieutenants smiled over at me.
‘Have you been having fun?’ I asked.

‘Nah!’ he said, ‘Just drink.’ He looked down at my cock, and said, ‘now that’s more like the fun I was looking for. Fuck, it's big and sweet.’
‘Your ass is cute too,’ I said and gave him a teasing pat.

Before I could do or say anything else the youth was on his knees. He held on to my legs and gave my rapidly engorging knob great head. I turned toward him so that he could get better access and give up his throat to the full length of my shaft. He was enjoying it, taking it for all he was worth, and he was good at it too. My legs trembled, as more than once I felt that I’d explode cum down the lad’s throat or in his eager mouth. He was determined that this little pleasure wouldn’t end so soon, for when he sensed I was close he pulled away and gnawed at my bollocks. Just as he pulled away again I tugged hold of his curly black hair, and looked at him looking up at me. I pushed him aside and walked to the door. I took good hold of the decaying wood and drew the door closed, then eased an empty amphora against it. 

‘Fuck me.’ The Optio demanded, giving me an aggressive stare as he knelt on one knee, ready to move.
‘Get my cock wet some more,’ I said. ‘Keep going,’ I told him when he crawled on all fours and grabbed my ankles to lever himself up on my bone. ‘That’s it, lick it,’ I pushed his head along my shaft. He reached bewteen my legs to play with my arsehole and my balls, but I pulled on his shoulders to make him get up and turn. 
‘Yes! Fuck my ass, that’s what I really need.’

Giving him my hand, I said, ‘Spit!’ I helped him loosen his loin cloth and hike up his tunic. ‘Now bend,’ I commanded. As he obeyed, I smeared his spit in his crack and up his hole. I spat some more on to my hand and rubbed it across my rigid cock. 

The lad gasped when I eased in and started rocking into him. I gasped too, for he tightened then released his arse’s grip on my ramming shaft with a professional’s skill. 
‘Yes, hard,’ he pleaded. The lad jerked on his dick as I pounded him, then he threw out one arm against the nearest wall for balance and cried out through chewing on his tunic sleeve. ‘Cum in me, now, do it, cum!’ 
I did.

Back in company I felt Rudio’s eyes sear a hole through my skull and into my soul, I laughed and patted Agelastus’s back. ‘More wine!’ I called. ‘More wine for the servants too,’ I whispered to the shop owner, ‘good stuff! We don’t want yet another Berytus incident!’