Addressing the men in the rear ranks of the wedge, I commanded, “When we get halfway across the intersection, I want you to launch your javelins at those cunni on the roof. Keep their heads down while we go in the door.” Raising my arm, I yelled as loudly as I could, “Follow me!”
With a roar, we pounded across the intersection, pointing directly for the wide doorway in which a number of Egyptian marines stood waiting, their eyes wide over the rim of their wicker shields. There was a blur of our javelins flying past overhead, followed by a number of sharp screams and cries of alarm. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a body hurtle to the ground, hitting the stone street with a splatting thud. Clemens was next to me and we smashed into the men in the doorway side by side, knocking three of them off their feet, and staggering a couple more backwards. The blade of my sword quickly became wet as I pushed into the first room, filled with Egyptian marines who were yelling at us and each other in their native tongue. I felt our men pushing in behind Clemens and me, and very quickly, we killed every man who elected to stand and fight us. Stepping over the bodies, I was about to enter the next room, but a hand yanked at my leathers, pulling me back just as an enemy javelin sliced through the air where I had been standing, landing with a wet thud into the body of one of the Egyptians a few feet away.
I looked back and saw Clemens grinning at me. “I want to get promoted, but not like that.”
I grinned back, then turned to snap an order to some of the men who still had their javelins. “Throw a few of those in there. We’ll see how they like it.”
About a half dozen men stepped forward to fling their javelins into the room, leaping into the doorway just long enough to throw before jumping out of the way. Even so, one of the men was not quite quick enough, an enemy javelin striking him in the bicep, the point going out the other side several inches. We pulled him out of the way as he cursed bitterly, trying not to jostle his arm. Immediately after the last man had thrown, Clemens and I burst through the door, him to the left and me to the right, and I ran directly into an Egyptian, my size once again serving me well by knocking him backwards, giving me enough space to gut him. Immediately, I parried a panicked thrust by another man, our blades striking sparks as they clashed, then lashed out with my fist, catching him on the side of the head and knocking him down. I gave him a thrust through the chest; the room was now filled with my men, again making short work of those brave or stupid enough to stand and fight. Within moments, we cleared the ground floor, whereupon I sent three sections to the roof, where they were finished moments later. Going back out the front of the building, I went to check the progress of the rest of the Cohort. Felix’s Century was finished clearing their house, so I walked down the block to the next street. Valens was not using the same tactics, preferring instead for his men to stand away, picking off as many men as they could with their javelins before assaulting the house. While it was not how I would have done it, his way seemed to be as effective, because he had cleared his house as well. Annius was another story altogether; his Century was still outside the building assigned to his Century by Valens, the men milling around, some of them scrounging around for more javelins, whether ours or theirs appeared to make no difference, while the others were flinging them whenever an Egyptian presented a target. Naturally, once the Egyptians determined that Annius had no intention of actually entering the building until he first picked off everyone inside from a distance, they scrupulously avoided presenting Annius’ men with a target. Every once in a while, a brave soul on the Egyptian side would leap to his feet, and hurl his own missile at Annius’ men. In fact, from what I could tell, Annius’ Century was getting the worst of it, if the small group of men who was huddled around the corner either nursing their wounds or lying prone on the street was any sign. Enraged, I ran up to Annius, who had positioned himself well to the rear of the front rank of his Century.
“What in the name of Pluto’s thorny cock are you doing just standing here?” I roared at him, gratified to see his chin quiver.
He licked his lips, his eyes shifting to his men, who were doing their best to watch without watching, and I saw some of them smile. “Primus Pilus, I'm clearing the building, as you ordered.”
“No,” I snapped, pointing back in the direction of Valens’ Century, whose men were now standing on the roof, flinging javelins across the street at the enemy on the roof across from them, “they’re clearing the building. In fact, they’ve already cleared it, and so have Felix and Clemens. You, on the other hand, are standing here looking very much like you have your head up your ass.”
“I’m just making sure that we’ve killed as many of the bastards as we can before we go in,” he protested.
“How about this?” I shot back. “How about actually going into the building, then killing whoever you find in there!” Without waiting for him to answer, I turned, once again shouting, “Follow me!”
To their credit, Annius’ men did not hesitate, following hot on my heels as we ran into the building, killing everyone we found. To be fair, there were quite a few Egyptians already dead when we entered, most of them on the roof, so it did not take long for us to clear it. When we were finished, I grabbed Annius by the arm and dragged him outside.
Leaning down, I made my tone as menacing as I could make it. “If I ever see you do something like that again, I'll have you busted back to Gregarius, but not before I flay the skin off your back. Do you understand?”