Chapter 14 - Punitive Army

The August emperor entered the temple of Diana (Artemis) wondered why his grandson wanted him to meet in this beautiful temple
When everyone entered, Agusto heard a beautiful melody that made him feel more in a sacred place, Flavio guided his grandfather and his mother to the courtyard of the temple where they sat at a table placed in the middle when they were about to speak Arabella entered with a tray that had 3 steaming drinks and some cookies placed them on the table and retired.
Arabella could only see Flavio talking to her grandfather while she touches her stomach to retire to the kitchen.
"Pretty interesting grandson, lavender tea and a cookie that smells like butter, not to mention that this tableware looks very beautiful is similar to the one you get from the east, I wonder how you got this strange instruments and the curious sounds that come from it "
The august emperor said as he took a biscuit and drank his lavender tea
Flavio was sitting on his mother's legs while eating a cookie with his small hand" Haha, as you would expect from my grandfather, does not even question why his grandson acts like someone else you that the age you have, I suppose you already knew that your grandson would be special right? "
August looked at his little grandson with a smile
"A few years ago during the campaign against Marco Antonio an Egyptian murderer almost took my life but out of nothing a person appeared and stopped with one hand the arrow that went towards me and returned it to the murderer, he told me that I had to allow vitelio to marry my daughter because her son would make great changes to Rome after that he disappeared
I wanted to refuse but that would not be fun I wanted to see my grandson and that was what I could do and you have not disappointed me, now tell me my son that is what you have gone through to see a sea of ​​impaled tribals "
After saying that Agust sees her daughter "I hope I don't make you angry at my words, daughter, but it was something I was willing to review, the idea that one of my descendants was bigger than I was glad my spirit."
Julia just smiles and hugs Flavio "You know father, I always hated that I was forced to marry a man I didn't love but I have to thank him and you for allowing me to be Flavio's mother.
I don't know what life will be without Vitelio, but you can be sure that I will take care of my little son until he becomes a responsible adult.
Anyway, I know that you and Flavio avenge Vitelio and end the Cantabrian threat, but I think the rest of the talk will be between you two.
Flavio doesn't eat too many cookies that you can't sleep after and you have to disturb poor Arabela."
Flavio smiled at his Mother and Julia said goodbye to her father and she leaves the place leaving only grandchild and grandfather in the place, Flavio starts to talk about his dreams about other life and how he received Apollo's task, Of course, he adds more information and remove some parts that your grandfather did not need to know.
August only listened to his grandson until it was over and asked
"So what Apollo showed you the future and gave you the mission to go to this new world right?"
"Yes Grandpa, that's why I can not stay long in Rome, my mission is not here, but to be able to go I have to develop technology which benefits us mutually and I can leave some ideas and reforms that can help to survive the empire, but before that I would like to accompany you in your campaign against the Cantabrian, they can not simply kill my father and besiege my city without consequences.
I want to kill all their people and eliminate from history his excistence"
Augusto placed his hand on his chin
" I can let you accompany me, you have the talent to be a commander, but there is something that I would like you to scold for impaling the tribal, the roman forms are more elegant, Flavio, it is better to cross them, leave a deeper impression in the hearts of the people and it does not look as tyrannical as impale "
Flavio scratched his head while he drank some lavender tea" I understand it, grandfather, but the Cantabrians simply do not deserve Roman crucifixion, we can make a parenthesis with them and impale them I think it will leave a very good message to those who want to reveal themselves in the future "
Augusto let out a laugh
"Of course son, not many have the eggs to kill the emperor's brother-in-law and besiege the city where his only grandson and daughter, the courage of his audacity will pay for it with his blood "
Flavio nodded" Good grandfather let me show you the wonders of technology we will take a walk through the city "
August and Flavio They toured different places, his grandson showed him weapons and things he had never seen, sometimes he stopped and asked about the operation and how to do them
Flavio took 5 days to show everything he had done to his grandfather and implemented small improvements to the army like the use of stirrups in horses, the use of alcohol for the disinfection of wounds and materials or the use of soap to prevent the development of lice, among others.
On the sixth day, Flavio left the city in charge of his mother and left with his grandfather to Salamanca the city that defended his father, on the way, there were some small skirmishes with troops who left the Corocotta army which adorned the path of the punitive army being impaled
After a few days of travel they arrived at what was left of the city of Salamanca, the buildings were burned by the streets, human remains could be observed, but the scene that made Flavio bring out the tears was to see the almost cadaverous corpse of His father hung in the form of a cross on the banner of Legion IX
Flavio fell on the floor on his knees watching the legionaries lower his rotten father's body "Corocotta will look for you if he is necessary to the end of the world but I will avenge my father's death with your people."
Augustus ordered his body to be brought to Emerita Augusta along with the standard, both Flavio and Augustus knew that it was time to make the Cantabrians pay.
The remains of the Roman citizens were buried in common graves and left with direction to the northern part of the province of Tarraconensis, while the skirmishes against the Cantabrians were greater until the army entered the territory of the Cantabrians.
The songbirds that were caught were crucified and impaled, depending on who in the order, if Flavio will be impaled alive, if it is Agusto they will be crucified and left alive to die of hunger and thirst or that animals eat them alive.
The great army was divided into 3 lines, Agrippa would go to the south, Augustus to the center and Flavio to the north where the coastal cities were located, the armies advanced on their respective roads and began their road to genocide, no matter if they were women or children all Cantabrian who will meet with any of the armies was impaled
There was no truce or mercy the advance was smooth until Flavio was found with the remains of the Cantabrian army led by Corocotta
The battle was a unilateral massacre the legionaries surrounded the enemy army, the confrontation took 2 hours to resolve and Flavio captured Corocotta alive.
When Corocotta was caught, he looked into the eyes of the boy who had defeated him. "Damn you, it is a crime to try to fight for our lands, we only try to survive after being hungry."
Flavio looked at him with a morbid smile "You could attack the capital of Terraconesis but you decided to go to the province of Lusitania.
You killed my father and your army violated and killed girls and boys, you justify yourself by saying that you were just trying to survive.
Do not worry, you will survive and you will see your people die by my own hands, your people cannot go hungry if they are impaled and have a piece of wood inside.
Nobody messes with my family and lives, Stupid king. "
Corocotta watched with fear as the boy in front of him laughed, he knew that his journey had ended with his defeat.
For 2 full months, the Roman armies search and kill the Cantabrians more than 800k tribal children and adults were impaled
Tito Livio described in his book "De Bello Hispaniensi" (The wars of Hispania):
"The grandson of the emperor Flavio a little genius child impaled more than 50k Cantabrians a few months ago, now the august emperor beating his grandson impale more than 800k extinguishing the Cantabrians of the earth
This is a very clear double message no one messes with the family of the emperor and no one rebels against Rome, meanwhile, Corocotta the so-called king of the Cantabrians was forced to see his people die weak, depressed and chained was taken to Emerita Augusta
Where he was tortured without killing him they cut off his limbs leaving him alive without the ability to move, he was taken to Rome where he would spend the rest of his life as an attraction, this punishment was proposed by Flavio and approved by the Emperor..."