I put out his fire

When Rhodes returned to the tent, Virgil was already standing inside, smiling all over his face, dangling a small medicine bottle in his hand.

"Your antidote," he said.

He stroked his hair pretending to be tired, forced out a bruised look, and the fire was reflected in his eyes like two coins, "I bought all the herbs after traveling all over Latham, and I was so tired Horse races pulling carts in the theater..."

Rhodes understands.He raised his arm and threw the gold coin he just received, "The labor fee is for you." He said.

His shoulders were as straight as a steep cliff, and at this time they also tugged, and there was a pain of tearing flesh.Rhodes covered it subconsciously, his fingers trembling slightly.

The roots of his nails were faintly black, like soot that hadn't been wiped clean.

Like a well-trained military dog, Virgil accurately caught the swirling gold coins.He blew on the coins, rubbed them carefully, and wrinkled his nose when he laughed.

Rhode pinched the collar with two fingers, and took off his shirt at once.

There was a stab wound across his shoulder, dark red blood seeped from the open flesh, and smeared the entire chest, sticky, like a pool of parasites that drank blood and clinged to the skin.

Virgil stared at it and sighed, "Those barbarian bastards... are not stupid like pigs only when they do crooked ways!"

Rhodes pressed the wound, and thick blood gushed out. It was an unhealthy color, and he wiped off some hastily.

The knife wound was there when he was reborn, from the war in Syria not long ago.

—The Syrians smeared the poison on the blades and arrows, and the Roman soldiers suffered many additional injuries.

The poison Rhodes was poisoned was called "poisonous reed".A small amount of poisonous reed can turn one's nails black.

"The amount of poison is not large, and it can be completely cured." Rhodes said calmly.

He scribbled to clean up the blood, decisively held up the candlestick, and burned the wound with a bright flame.

The wound hurt like being burned by a branding iron.The severe pain made him short of breath, his lips instantly lost their color as if being caressed by a devil, and beads of sweat as fine as needles oozed from his forehead.

A mist of severe pain floated in front of his eyes, but he suppressed it forcefully.

Virgil showed a bit of sympathy, and sighed: "You don't have to wear that cold mask on your face all the time..."

Rhodes ignored it.He dug out the powder and applied it to the sterilized wound.

Virgil hissed knowingly.He raised his eyebrows and put on a mysterious expression: "Have you heard the news?"

Rhodes glanced at him, pulled out the long sword with a whoosh, shook off the sand on it with his hands, and wiped the dirty blade with a damp cloth.

"What news?" He asked casually.

His ice-white fingers moved on the blade, like a flash of sword light.

"The descendants of Augustus are going back to Rome, together with his mother..." Virgil said, "the whole legion is talking about it."

Rhodes' fingers stopped suddenly, as suddenly as a string snapped.

"Ah..." Virgil sighed softly, "He and his mother were exiled on a desert island in Greece for ten years! His father died of edema when he was two years old. Oh...he is such an unfortunate child !"

Rhodes lowered his head, his entire face was submerged in the shadows, so his words were also cast in shadows: "He is so unfortunate..."

Virgil scratched his cheeks with a gossipy expression, making him as vulgar as an old woman in the market.

"It is said...his father left a last word, saying that he can only become a monster in this life..." Virgil rubbed his chin and said.

Rhodes spun the sword edge in a circle, and the bright white sword light flashed across his face like a rainbow.

"When will he return to the city?" He asked in a low voice.

"Two days? Three days? Who knows... it will be soon!" Virgil shrugged. "The day he enters the city, rose petals and cheers will definitely flood the city of Rome."

He sniffed and sighed with regret: "...It's a pity that our military camp is not in Rome. Otherwise, I will sell roses and dried fruits, and I will definitely make a lot of money!"

Rhodes said nothing.

He put the long sword that hadn't been wiped clean into the scabbard, and drew it with a muffled sound.

……

The setting sun in midsummer seems to be bleeding, and the blood seeps through the layers of clouds, like some kind of blood-red living thing swimming in it.

Rhodes received the message from the slave, walked outside the tent, and saw a very thin figure in military uniform.

On the dry old yellow land, he grows here like a tragic, sun-dried withered grass.

The corners of Rhodes' tight lips loosened a bit.

"Mars." He revealed a faint surprise, "Long time no see."

Mars heard his call and turned around with a smile, still holding the paper bag in his hand.

He was only nearly forty years old, still very young, but he looked sickly.The serious illness had left him skinny, his temples had sprouted hair, and his lips and fingertips were slightly, pathologically bruised.But only his pair of light green eyes are still clear, always the brilliance of his youth.

Mars served as a centurion in the legion and belonged to the knight class among the nobles.

Rhodes had no mother and grew up in a military camp.After his father abandoned him, Mars took care of him so that he survived as a young boy.

"I was transferred to Rome. If I remember correctly, we haven't seen each other for half a year..."

Mars' voice was slow and hoarse, burdened by illness.As soon as he opened his mouth, the strong sickness could be transmitted from other people's ears to their brains, giving people a sad and sick temperament.

"You don't have to come here, Mars." Rhodes said, "Compared with military training and traveling, you should rest and rest."

Mars coughed twice, "The doctor said my heart can still beat for another year. Then let it be useful, don't linger on the sickbed..."

He handed over a heavy paper bag, "I brought you roasted peacock meat that can only be bought in Rome..."

Rhodes took the food, cupped the back of his hand and kissed it politely.

"Thank you, Myers," he said softly. "You have always been so kind to me."

His pitch-black eyes had a faint light, moving around flexibly.

Mars stared into his eyes, touched by something, with a dazed look of his soul leaving.His green eyes burst out with small sorrow, "You know, Thales once said this to me. You look so much like him, the moment just now almost brought me back to the past..."

The smile on Rhodes' face faded, and he said indifferently, "Don't mention him."

"Oh, come on, Rod." Myers said sadly, "He raised you until you were two years old. I remember he secretly traded salt for dried sturgeon for you to eat. When you were sick and sweated profusely, you would rather If you violate military regulations, you will have to break out of the barracks to take you to a doctor..."

Rhodes' eyes were gloomy, "Then in order to enter the Guards, he left me when I was three years old."

Mars was at a loss for words for a while, and wanted to say something, but he still swallowed it abruptly, "You have to believe that he has difficulties."

"I'm sorry, Mars. He is a good friend to you, but he is not a good father to me." Rhodes retorted, "He stabbed the emperor to death and was crucified, which also proved that he Not a good guard."

Mars covered his chest and coughed for a while, then raised his eyes to glance at him.Rhodes' stubborn figure was as hard and cold as the horizon of the sky.

"Oh..." Mars sighed softly, "Actually, I came here today to tell you something."

Rhodes had expected it, turned his face and asked, "What's the matter?"

"The descendants of Augustus are about to return to the palace. In order to protect this noble lord, the Guards are recruiting newcomers..."

Mars hesitated, looked at Rhodes' face and said, "I recommend you."

Rhodes couldn't help being surprised.In his previous life, Mars had never mentioned this to him.In the next life, the direction of fate has deviated.

The Imperial Guard is the private guard of the Roman royal family. It is the only army that can be stationed in Rome. Only elite soldiers with superb force can join. It is the highest palace of Roman soldiers.

Mars continued: "Please forgive my self-assertion, my child. You know, your strength is worthy of the title of Guards. If that adult trusts you enough, he will promote you to be his personal bodyguard!"

Rhodes' pupils are like a bottomless abyss, and at this moment, there is a focus of light, like a phosphorous fire illuminating the eternal darkness.

He nodded in agreement.