Soldier of Rome: Heir to Rebellion (The Artorian Chronicles) Read Online Free

position took its toll on him some days, and he was glad for the reprieve that being garrisoned in Lugdunum brought him. He had been so eager for promotion that he took advantage of the opportunity afforded him without thinking through the full consequences brought on by promotion. How the Centurions handled it he had no idea.
    “Morning ,” a voice behind him said through a loud yawn. Artorius turned to see his friend Magnus stretching his arms out to his sides while yawning still. “Aren’t you cold?” The Norseman had already donned his tunic, while Artorius was still naked to the waist.
    “Ah, the cool spring breeze feels good first thing in the morning,” the Decanus replied.
    “You keep standing out there like that and your nipples are going to get all perky like an aroused whore,” Magnus replied. Artorius ignored him.
    “You realize that we haven’t done a single road march since we’ve been here?” he asked aloud. Magnus nodded. “Well, we’ll just have to fix that. Can’t let the boys get all soft on us now.”
    “Too much wine and prostitutes do you think?” Magnus asked, scratching the back of his head.
    “Too much wine perhaps,” Artorius consented, “but I wouldn’t say too much fornication. Every physician I have ever met says that it is healthy for men to constantly relieve themselves of excess testicular man-load!” His friend laughed out loud at his assessment.
    “Yes, and I’m sure they put it as succinctly as you!”
    “But of course,” Artorius replied with a wink. He then let out a sigh and assessed his physique. “I’ll lay off the alcohol but don’t think for a second I’m going to stop trying to bury my cock in as many delicate young women as I can!”
    “Hmm, well you know it’s not just the young ones who have to worry,” the Norseman said with a grin. Artorius gave a shrug.
    “Well yes, I do in fact like the ones who are a bit older and are more in tune with their bodies. How’d you know?” Magnus gave a shrug of his own and grinned.
    “Oh, it’s just that some of the lads and I saw a couple of women bearing the mark of Artorius .” Magnus was referring to his Decanus’ tendency to leave visible bite marks on the necks of women he associated with.
    “Vitruvius made mention of a Gre ek gymnasium in the city the other day,” Magnus added, changing the subject. Artorius frowned in contemplation.
    “That’s not one of those places where Greeks get sweaty and naked together is it?” he asked.
    “Probably,” his friend replied with a laugh. “But hey, if they’ve got the equipment that will allow us to build enough muscle that we put the statues of the gods to shame, I’m all for it.” Artorius grinned. Though he may have been getting a little soft, he still possessed more muscle mass and power than any in the Third Cohort; probably the entire Legion. The thought of tightening up the areas that were growing soft and adding even more muscle to his frame greatly appealed to him.
    “Well let’s go and find it then, shall we?”
     
    They decided to take a walk through the city first. Lugdunum was a mixture of Gallic, Roman, and Greek architecture; a melting pot of cultures that Artorius found to be both fascinating as well as slightly perverse. He pointed this out to Magnus, who looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
    “Artorius, you seem to forget that I am a type of cultural melting pot,” he said as they walked past an old timber mead hall; a place where Gallic warriors and nobles would come to feast and celebrate martial victories in ages past. “I am a Norseman whose family, outside of my father and brothers, still lives in the Scandinavian regions outside of the Empire. And yet I am also a Roman.”
    “So how exactly do you go about fitting into both cultures?” Artorius asked. Magnus gave a slight chuckle at that.
    “To be honest, it isn’t easy some days,” he replied. “My grandfather, who won us our citizenship in the first place, still