Chapter 7: The Kiss of the Chasm
Then eliminate you in a grand and ostentatious manner
Uncertain how much time had passed, the water was all gone, yet the lips of the two remained glued together, rubbing against each other repeatedly, producing soft sounds. Calabis could only feel the fragrant breath of Adiana wafting into his nostrils, akin to a secondary aphrodisiac.
"It is, after all, a despicable act of a slave, resorted to only under the permission of a noble woman and in dire circumstances. Although such measures are difficult to speak of in broad daylight, their value in saving a noble life can mitigate the inherent wickedness. In summary, I can adopt a forgiving attitude towards your actions themselves."
Adiana was tied next to Karabis, and the two "Karabis" shared a single wooden post, yet they could not reach the jar. Hearing Karabis drink heartily, she felt quite annoyed, "The double-eared clay jar, the country bumpkin, forgetting the troubles of the master while being a slave."
Misaro shook his head, "Perhaps my king's plan is such, but he cannot fulfill this wish. You Romans are likely to arrive here soon—if you do not mind, please move to that hillside and witness how a wronged loyal subject fights to the death."
"Save her? She is nothing but a prostitute. I had already planned to kill her in the palace before, that despicable and filthy prostitute!"
Finally, Haibulida slowly lowered the sword and said, "Tie these two Karabi together in the livestock pen until noon tomorrow when we march, and only then may they be released."
At the moment before the Seventh Legion was to set out, Karabis and Adiana were hiding behind the tent, while the soldiers and centurions were busy checking their equipment, paying no attention to the two of them. Porti brought barley cakes and fresh water, and the two of them, especially Adiana, disregarded their status entirely, tearing, biting, and swallowing the food with their dirty hands.
But if it is truly commanded by Utharis, where would the opportunity for Haibrida come from
No, Your Highness, only women of your esteemed status can indulge in such behavior to attain this sweetness. Calabis flattered her harshly in Greek
"Do as he says." Apis became interested and instructed the coachman—indeed, at that moment, on the opposite side of the Sophini Plain, clouds of dust were rising. "That is the four battalions stationed at Karabi, no, no, there are also many cavalry and light infantry, bearing the insignia and eagle standard of the Seventh Legion," another tribune beside Apis assessed.
"Hey, me!" Adiana said with a tone of dissatisfaction
Apis suddenly saw Misaro raise the great flag, speaking with great anger to a nearby retainer, who kept nodding. Then, the retainer suddenly spurred his horse and ran towards the back of the crowd
Damn it, who allowed you to use that vocabulary? How could such language be used between us
Before Boti could react, a petite figure darted into the tent. It was Adiana, who quickly emerged from the tent again, holding Haibrida's short sword, trembling with fear.
Then I will kick the jar in front of you
As the cavalry of the Scythian army swiftly passed by the marching column, Haibulida called out to the commander: "Do you want to seek a good omen first? Why not take our regiment along? We are quite skilled at dealing with the barbarians and the Greeks!"
At this moment, the soldiers of the Seventh Legion ceased their singing and collectively began to whistle loudly and mock the marching column nearby. Karabys and Adiana turned their gaze, noticing that the column was clearly dressed differently from the legionnaires; it was the auxiliary troops of the Samnites and Marsians from Italy, comprising a total of eight cohorts, also moving alongside Lucullus. The weapons and armor of these soldiers were evidently a tier below those of the regular Roman legions. Many wore simple Greek-style helmets adorned with goose feathers, had only bronze breastplates strapped to their bodies, and some wielded Greek swords while others held short spears. They were also moving alongside Lucullus, and the weapons and armor of these soldiers were evidently a tier below those of the regular Roman legions. Many wore simple Greek-style helmets adorned with goose feathers, had only bronze breastplates strapped to their bodies, and some wielded Greek swords while others held short spears.
The buglers in front of the column puffed out their cheeks and began to play their curved horns, shaped like a "C," producing a rhythmic sound. Soon, the soldiers of the 7th Corps from various regiments and hundred-man teams joined in unison, singing along in response
Apis sat on the mule cart and replied to *Tu* Shuli, saying: "If I am not mistaken, Your Excellency, your army intends to block the pass of Sophini, correct?"
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After listening to Adriana's complaints, Kalabis spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground, slowly raised his head, and his eyes were horrifically swollen. "Do you feel insulted? Don't you know that Porti is saving us?"
In less than a minute, Adiana said sternly: "Karabis, do not let your cowardice delay the noble master's request to continue drinking water, proceed, hurry up." Karabis nodded repeatedly, drew water again, and gently bit the other's red lips, delivering it into Adiana's throat
Subsequently, the cavalry and light infantry formed small teams of ten to sixteen individuals, passing through the gaps in the infantry ranks one by one, reaching the front and flanks of the infantry formation to patrol and stand guard. Utilizing this safe space, the infantry of Secundus began to strike their pickaxes into the ground, and once they were firmly planted, they swiftly removed their chainmail hoods and helmets from above, followed by taking down their rectangular shields and javelins, drawing out and inserting their short swords, and checking whether their equipment was functioning properly. The sounds of armor and weapons clashing were orderly, followed by a series of commands. In this safe space, the infantry of Secundus began to strike their pickaxes into the ground, and once they were firmly planted, they swiftly removed their chainmail hoods and helmets from above, followed by taking down their rectangular shields and javelins, drawing out and inserting their short swords, and checking whether their equipment was functioning properly. The sounds of armor and weapons clashing were orderly, followed by a series of commands, as the centurions in front of each hundred-man unit instructed their standard bearers to sequentially raise the camp flag (embroidered with the Bacchus emblem) and the unit flag (featuring the small triangular flag with the unit number), indicating that they were ready.
As Sekdilios brushed past, he patted his helmet to indicate that he could not hear Haibrida's shouts, and then he abruptly vanished into the dust stirred up by the hooves.
The camp slaves followed behind the soldiers' ranks. This time, Lucullus issued the order for a march with equipment—the soldiers of the Seventh Legion each bore a pickaxe on their shoulders, with a shield, a bundle of blankets, a cloak, two javelins, chainmail, and a helmet secured to the pickaxe. Their short swords were slung diagonally at their waists, and they wore undergarments stained with the emblem of the Seventh Legion.
The war is protracted and shows no signs of ending
At that moment, a sneaky shadow appeared outside the circle, quickly throwing a water-filled ceramic jar inside before running away, as if to say, "I can only help you up to this point." That was none other than the Jew Demetrius. The jar spilled quite a bit, but it still rolled to Karabis's feet—Karabis laughed heartily, using all his strength to clamp the jar with his feet, moving it towards his mouth, while straining his neck, like a crow, performing acrobatics to bury his mouth between his legs, and began to gulp it down. The jar spilled quite a bit, but it still rolled to Karabis's feet—Karabis laughed heartily, using all his strength to clamp the jar with his feet, moving it towards his mouth, while straining his neck, like a crow, performing acrobatics to bury his mouth between his legs, and began to gulp it down.
"Bastard, what on earth are you doing!" After finally coming to her senses, Adiana used her forehead as a weapon to knock Karabis back.
Do you still want to miss the opportunity for loot similar to that of Amisus?" At the same time, Portis shouted, "Even if we kill Calabis and Calabia, it will definitely cause an uproar. I believe Utheris will not let this opportunity slip by.
Under the grand banner of the army, Misaro appeared exceptionally valiant, yet his face was etched with melancholy and indignation. This was a battle he was most reluctant to fight, and he believed that neither his monarch nor his country should be embroiled in it. However, this tranquility was shattered by a beautiful yet aging woman and a foolish queen, both driven by their selfish motives, who were intent on plunging all of Armenia into an irretrievable abyss.
Shut up! Karabis shouted.
Only trust the Legion, only trust the Legion
As the soldiers marched along the earthen road towards the eastern horizon, the dust raised by their footsteps lingered in the air, while the city of Amisus, having survived the calamity, still emitted wisps of smoke.
Misarro's face turned red as he shouted loudly about something, yet the situation remained uncontrollable—over ten thousand foot soldiers followed behind, unable to form into ranks. In fact, they had never received such tactical training; most of these foot soldiers were forcibly conscripted, lacking both combat skills and the habit of obeying orders. Their equipment was a hodgepodge; the majority had neither armor nor helmets, wrapped in Persian headscarves, wearing patterned Persian garments, and holding crude wooden spears. Many of them could only mimic the actions of their companions in front of them to decide what they should do.
When the blazing sun rose again the next day, Karabis opened his bleary eyes. The wound continued to ache, and his bound hands had painfully lost all sensation. Inside the tent, the clamor of the camp slaves bustling about filled the air, but everyone was busy with preparations for the expedition. No one dared to visit the two Karabis, and even fewer dared to bring food and water.
Indeed. Adiana was quite satisfied with Karabis's response, and then she looked up and sighed, asking: "Karabis, if you say the legion will depart tomorrow, will that centurion continue to impose punishments on us"
"Wait a moment." Adiana extended her leg sideways; even in the darkness, her robust and fair calf stood out like a bright crescent moon. It was quite difficult to make a movement while extending her leg, and after some effort, she became discouraged and said, "I can't reach it. Stop kicking around, or you'll spill the water—like this, you take a sip of water, then turn your face, come—feed me..."
At this moment, Adiana had already discovered that Haibrida, Fasano, and Aminius had surrounded her in a semicircle—none of the Roman legionnaires would tolerate a female slave drawing a sword against them
A column of cavalry approached at an angle, leading the way was the seasoned centurion Utaeris. He shouted, "As of today, I am resuming command of this regiment. My order now is for the entire regiment to maintain marching formation, without exceeding the limits or making noise"
Sofini, located at the junction of the Taurus Mountains and Anatolia, is also situated in the southwestern key area of Armenia. Once this point is breached, one can enter the bag-shaped plain nestled between the mountains, where the new capital of Armenia, Tigranocerta, stands, serving as the focal point for population, culture, and economy.
I am very thirsty! The injured Karabis, too lazy to listen to her nagging, shouted with all his might
Am I wrong in what I say? Slaves are inherently filthy; they cannot engage in any noble pursuits and can only perform the most menial tasks, such as craftsmen, attendants, and servants. The needs of their masters are the very value of their existence; if the master no longer requires them, then the slaves themselves are as good as extinguished—nobility is virtue, while baseness is vice. Adriana spoke in a rapid-fire manner, leaving Calabis speechless. Finally, Calabis smiled and said, "Then, Princess Kalabia, who is tethered in the livestock pen—do you not feel parched?"
Do not trust the tutor; he deceives your son into going to school
Do not trust philosophers, for they deceive you into meditating in a wooden barrel
Our troops are well-trained, and victory in this battle is assured. Do you not believe it? Comrades, just look at those pitiful Armenians over there!" Apis smiled proudly and pointed in another direction, while his attendants held up a shade and looked over there.
Before Calabis could mount any defense, he was pressed into the muddy ground by a furious roar from Haibrida. "Quickly, my sword, quickly—ah, where is my sword? Aemilius, Phasano, quickly bring me your swords!"
"As you command, the four battalions of Karabi are probably now well-fed and idle!" Seckdilis responded cheerfully, then spurred his horse forward.
Karabis felt that his wounds were all clean and bright, and they no longer hurt as much. He took a few deep breaths and felt happy to have successfully transitioned from the identity of a senior magician.
Haibolida, feeling helpless, could only shout frantically, "Porty, Porty, bring my sword from the tent. I might consider being a bit more courteous to you in bed, allowing you to serve me while wearing only your underwear"
In the dead of night, the sounds of Hailbrida and others taking turns to passionately engage with Boti echoed through the tent, like the drums and gongs of a battlefield, carried by the wind and reaching the ears of the bound Adriana. The princess felt a profound sense of humiliation, yet she could not cover her ears. Instead, she turned her gaze to Karabis, who hung his head in silence. His blood had mingled with his hair, forming a horrific scab that emitted a faint, metallic scent.
Soon, the "water delivery channel" constructed by the lips of the two individuals on m.hetushu.com operated with great intensity, accompanied by a faint sound of clicking and tapping.
Do not trust the doctor, he deceives you into emptying the copper coins from your purse
The result has not yet reached Karabi, and there are still three hundred Stadia to go. Lucullus could no longer wait; during the march, he summoned Scepsius and pointed ahead with his riding whip: "Although I had previously instructed Apis to deceive Armenia by saying that I was still in Sinope, we cannot afford to dawdle. I have already mentioned that Sophene, located ahead of Karabi, is a crucial point for entering and exiting Taurus, and it must be secured. I am assigning you six hundred Gallic cavalry, along with one thousand light infantry from Sardis, to march at double speed. Upon passing through Karabi, bring along the four cohorts that were previously left there, and head to Sophene to cut off the route of the Armenian army. My main force will follow shortly to engage them in battle."
Why, why must I, as the princess of Bendu, witness with my own eyes and hear with my own ears these disgraceful sights and sounds? I cannot endure it any longer; I must leave this place as soon as possible. In the future, everything must be repaid tenfold, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth
"Doesn't that mean kissing?" Karabis shouted
The light cavalry of Armenia has completed what is referred to as the assembly, yet the warriors from the barbaric tribes of the Araks River completely disregard the signals and flags of the Misarov Guard. They are unable to communicate even among different tribes, each acting independently—some are running around chaotically, some are standing still in confusion, while others are gathering in front of the commander to personally listen to his teachings. The entire scene is chaotic and disordered. They are unable to communicate even among different tribes, each acting independently—some are running around chaotically, some are standing still in confusion, while others are gathering in front of the commander to personally listen to his teachings. The entire scene is chaotic and disordered
Calabis found it somewhat amusing. Before his transmigration, he was a standard magician in university, but unexpectedly, after the transmigration, he became a slave. Moreover, he has had quite a bit of luck with women, first with Portia's alluring hands, and now with Adriana's fragrant lips
but used ** to send it into your son's back door
With a "swish," the sword severed the ropes binding him and Adiana, causing both Karabis to fall to the ground. The man chuckled again, sheathed his sword, and then turned to leave, heading towards the tent where Haibrida was, leaving only a tall, thin silhouette behind for Karabis.
At this moment, Apis, accompanied by three or four attendants, was leisurely traveling through Sophini in a simple solid wooden mule cart, heading towards Karabi. At that time, the enormous clamor of a large number of cavalry and infantry advancing caught his attention—this was the vanguard led by the favored minister Misaro of Tegrenis, consisting of three thousand cavalry and ten thousand infantry, also making their way towards Sophini.
When Misaro saw Apis, he halted his horse and exclaimed: "I envy you for having a wise commander"
"Number 6, play the regimental anthem!" Haibulida exclaimed with great enthusiasm
"Try, just try it!" Adriana was somewhat anxious, but she was simply too thirsty. "Alright, let's get started... move quickly... just turn your head and it will be fine."
The Iliad
"The slave who drinks horse urine is truly amusing," that person spoke with a tone of cynical irreverence, and then the light of the sword suddenly flashed down—Calabis tightly shut his eyes
When it came to the words "feed me," Adriana's voice was almost too faint to hear. However, Calabis did not catch it; he still had a slight concussion and responded in a louder voice, "Feed who!?"
"Little girl, what do you want to do?" Haibulida, with drunken eyes reddened, then grabbed Karabis's hair and slammed it against the fence several times. Karabis collapsed to the ground, bloodied and dazed—Adiana screamed, adding another hand to grip the hilt of her short sword, yet she remained frozen in place, trembling, too afraid to charge forward. "Despicable... despicable, this princess has had enough of you, hurry, hurry and..." Karabis lay bloodied on the ground—Adiana screamed, adding another hand to grip the hilt of her short sword, yet she remained frozen in place, trembling, too afraid to charge forward. "Despicable... despicable, this princess has had enough of you, hurry, hurry and..."
The two fell silent immediately. Adiana was indeed very thirsty, but where could she find water at this moment? As she pondered, her resentment and hope surged together: "It is impossible to rely on a slave to change fate, Karabis. You can only rely on me. Today, I will tell you what the so-called task is. Do you remember in the palace of Karabis, Heibrida once stole my mother's small crown? You must find a way to locate it, for I am certain that Heibrida did not surrender it but has hidden it somewhere. As long as I wear this crown, no one will dare deny that I am the princess of Bendu. As long as I wear this crown, no one will dare deny that I am the princess of Bendu. Once I restore my identity, you, Karabis, will rise to greatness."
On the other side, Adiana's expression was unclear; I could only slightly hear her somewhat anxious breathing. After a long while, I asked a question that almost made Karabis spray water: "Karabis, tell me, do you think that among such lowly slaves as you, when they are feeding each other water, can they also attain such unparalleled pleasure?"
Adiana paused for a moment, then hesitantly said, "If you can reach it, bring me some water." Calabis complied, and after holding water in his mouth, Adiana obediently met him with her lips—then their mouths touched once again.
Calabis smirked, suppressing the pain, and turned his swollen head. Under the moonlight, the beauty of Adiana's face was striking; her chestnut hair was bathed in a hazy glow, yet her eyes were filled with disdain: "Injured as you are, Calabis, you are even more disgusting and ugly, like a clay pot..." Before she could finish, her lips were swiftly "pecked" by Calabis, and he disengaged in a single move.
Then go to bed with your wife
Aminius let out a faint sigh, quickly unsheathed his short sword with one hand, and swiftly tossed it to Heibrida, saying, "Your little slave girl, you handle this, preferably swiftly; she reminds me of my granddaughter"
Is this considered a military song? The head of Karabis was wrapped in layers, sitting in the mule cart, silently complaining in his heart
Until the moment the troops advanced, Haibulida did not come to trouble the two of them. It seemed that this centurion had almost forgotten about the matter—Porty had served him well last night, and after that young officer who cut the rope left, his mood improved even further
Then how should one say it
Fathers, give me a bushel of fine wine, and I can plunder three thousand talents of gold for you
Due to inexperience and panic, a lot of water spilled out, flowing onto Adiana's chin and neck. "Foolish Calabis, what are you doing? Can't you just cover my mouth with yours?"
The number of onlookers grew, yet they remained silent as if frozen in fear. Adiana was on the verge of tears; she glanced at Calabis on the ground, who was tilting his head, but his gaze was urging himself— "Put down the sword quickly"
A mule's braying sound, that is the "owl". It was secretly untied by several slaves and slowly walked up to Karabis. Karabis rolled his eyes and stared blankly at it, "Hey, buddy, do me a favor..."
Haibulida's eyes glinted with malice as he drew his short sword and swiftly approached, "I assure you, you wretched slave, your end is near, I guarantee it"
"As you command!" Karabis firmly said to himself, then for the second time, he slurped up water like an elephant's trunk, and slowly extended his tongue like a snail's antenna towards the soft little mouth of Adiana. With a sudden force, he tightly enveloped the princess's delicate lips in his mouth. "Wuwuwu..." Adiana felt a bit shy and annoyed, instinctively pressing her little tongue against his, engaging in a "tangle" with Karabis's tongue. He tightly enveloped the princess's delicate lips in his mouth. "Wuwuwu..." Adiana felt a bit shy and annoyed, instinctively pressing her little tongue against his, engaging in a "tangle" with Karabis's tongue.
The scouts of both parties had evidently completed contact, assessment, and feedback through eye signals. After listening for a while, the area of the Roman army was filled with a complex array of bugle calls and whistles, as the heavy infantry quickly maneuvered around the pivot from their marching column to form a horizontal line in preparation for battle.
As he continued to curse, Karabis gradually lost his strength, his gaze becoming dazed. This cannot go on; if it continues like this, before the legion sets out, I will starve or die of thirst. I want to live, I want to survive
The seventh point, which is the emblem of the Bacchus Legion, is quite distinctive, featuring the image of the god of wine: a simplified human figure with a goat's head and legs, surrounded by grapevines, with exaggeratedly large breasts towering high. This image is prominently printed on the banners of each battalion.
"Romans, back in the day when you two consuls ran bare-bottomed, casting aside your weapons, through the thorny gates formed by the wheels, you were just as imposing!" The Samoan people over there were equally unyielding, using their glorious achievement of annihilating the Roman forces to mock you, though that was more than two hundred years ago (Second Samoan War, 321 BC)
Standing on the hill, Apis nodded and said, "I have already seen the cavalry led by Secdilius; charging is indeed his forte, and they are also the vanguard of our army." This hill is precisely located at the center of the confrontation line between the forces of Misaro and Secdilius, and the battlefield situation is fully visible from above.
Then, let's try first to see if we can bring our lips together, so as to avoid wasting precious water
It is difficult to say; as for tomorrow's matters, we shall address them when tomorrow arrives
Brothers, we must listen to Utharis. Who knows, after defeating the Armenians, we might even seize a few pairs of underpants from their camp?" Heibrida whistled as he spoke, and the surrounding centurions burst into laughter—yet Karabis noticed a fierce glint in Heibrida's eyes, a glint that Karabis was now all too familiar with; it was either a desire to vent frustration by beating slaves or a lust for plundering spoils on the battlefield. Heibrida's words elicited laughter from the centurions around him—yet Karabis noticed a fierce glint in Heibrida's eyes, a glint that Karabis was now all too familiar with; it was either a desire to vent frustration by beating slaves or a lust for plundering spoils on the battlefield.
Suddenly, the urine reflected light, which was the gleam of a sword. Karabiss distinctly heard the sound of a short sword being drawn—was it over? Was Haibrida here to execute him? He slightly raised his head, and before him appeared a pair of long legs clad in greaves. As he moved his gaze upward, he was met with blinding sunlight, making it impossible to discern the person's features, but it was certainly not Haibrida.
Aminius and Fasano, aware that he had drunk too much again, stood silently in place, watching Haibrida struggle in the mud, panting heavily as he grappled with Karabis.
Noticing that the atmosphere had eased, Boti took the opportunity to step in front of the three individuals and said in a tone that was both condescending and provocative: "What you need before the great battle is relaxation; you are all too tense. I can help the three of you completely relieve your muscles."
Then, Misaro shouted loudly, wrapping the great banner around his body, leading the guard as they charged towards the Roman formation
Apis nodded, indicating his agreement, and then let out a slight sigh, "This young minister seems determined to use death to make his sovereign understand something."
The furious Karabis began to shout, while Adiana beside her remained silent, perhaps having already fainted from weakness
Only believe in Bacchus, only believe in Bacchus
The hissing sound echoed as the owl leisurely and intuitively relieved itself in front of Karabis. "Buddy, this is great, buddy, you have saved me," Karabis thought gratefully, then, enduring the stench, stretched out his neck and tongue, desperately licking the owl's urine.
As we exchanged words, the clamor rose steadily, seemingly making everyone forget the fatigue of marching—"Hey, Karabis, cunning double-eared earthenware, do not forget what I told you earlier, return to the Karabi palace immediately, and be sure to find the whereabouts of my mother's small crown." On the mule cart, Adiana remained preoccupied, "If this matter succeeds, I will make you my personal slave, and, well, we can also consider repeating last night's, that, that oh."
Fathers, give me three thousand talents of gold, I would rather exchange it for a bushel of fine wine
After separating, Adiana swallowed the water, her heart racing, while Karabis also felt a sudden thump in his heart, momentarily halting his actions, gasping for breath, waiting for Adiana's reaction
"This person is a madman! His reckless behavior will doom the entire army," commented one of the tribunes beside Apis.
I believe this woman is right, Fasanou added, and after saying this, he pulled Haibulida aside and whispered a few hurried words to her
We fight for our fathers (the elders), killing the enemy's men, forcibly taking advantage of their young women, and seizing all their wine; this is the sense of honor that our fathers have instilled in us
At present, this type of dispute does not seem to be a concern for Karabis