Nova Roma

Chapter 45 - The fate of the great cannibal tribe

Marco landed along with his Legion on the beach of Cozumel, the scene was something grotesque but very necessary, in this world is to kill or die.

Marco gave the order to prepare a common grave to bury the bodies of the Caribs and a fortified camp is prepared to withstand possible attacks at night, the conquest of Cozumel had begun.

The standardization of the Roman forts allowed to build safe places in hours, the palms on the coast were cut but Marco realized that some Palms had some hard and green fruits, he took a small book from the inside of his bag called "Americae Plantae" (Plants from America).

Flavio had delivered a book for any of his Generals or Admirals with some fruits and plants of strategic value for the empire. Among them is a description of a palm tree that gives green and hard fruits called coconut, Marco was happy because they found palm trees Cocos, immediately told his men not to cut the palm trees with coconuts and sent a messenger to bring a biologist from the mainland.

Biology for Nova Roma is very important because with the emergence of different species such as Elves or Semihumans it was necessary to know their physiognomy so that Doctors could prescribe effective medicine for them. They are also important because the arrival of the new world brought with it, different classes. of plants that need special care for their development giving priority to strategic plants for the empire, most of the biologists specialized in plants are elves.

At night the camp was built a small wooden palisade and a trench allowed the legionaries to sleep peacefully without worrying about an attack by the natives, there were also guards giving routines to avoid possible attacks.

Bacairi was the leader of the Caribs on the island of Cozumel could not believe that they had been defeated on the beach, but a good caribe does not surrender a defeat is something that usually happens to attack at night while the enemy sleeps, can not wait to taste the flesh of the white man.

Bacairi and his people prepared their spears and arrows to surprise their enemies in the middle of the night, they advanced through the jungle preparing their attack when they were near the wooden walls to climb the small palisade but when they were close to her the cries started to sound all over the place.

The skewers that are placed in the trenches are camouflaged to prevent the enemy from realizing that they are hidden, the Caribs thought that it was only a palisade with a trench around so they went without thinking.

The soldiers were awakened by the screams, as highly trained legionaries occupied their positions quickly, arrows with fire came out of the fort to illuminate the surroundings, once lit the battle began.

The Caribs threw arrows at the fort hoping to kill one of the enemies but the shields stopped any kind of attack, the legionaries counterattacked with their pilums that were fired in parabola on the wall following the indications of the lookouts.

Later the troops with Ballestas occupied high positions in the wall and fired on the Caribs, the bulk of the troops left the fort where they began the hand-to-hand combat with the natives, the swords claimed the life of enough Caribs their weapons even though they arrived at the body of the troops were broken with the metal armor used by the legionaries, little by little the Caribs were overcome in just 1 hour the 4000 Caribs who attacked died or were captured Bacairi was one of those captured.

The cleanliness of the bodies lasted all morning the legion casualties were only 3 soldiers wounded by some arrows nothing serious for his life, Marco next to the prisoners to see if any of these could speak Maya, after a prisoner search for prisoner they found a young man of about 15 who knew how to speak Maya.

After interrogation they found the Caribbean leader Bacairi, who tied him up, they took him to the Marco Legacy store for a Constructive "Talk"

"Very good tribal leader Bacairi, you have two options to surrender or condemn your people to slavery, what we have heard from other prisoners about their taste for eating human flesh is enough for them to die in a dark and damp mine" Marco said while looking at Bairi with superiority

"My people will never surrender white man" Bacairi said with hatred and security to Marco

"Well Bacairi try to help you but I will have to apply the Vitellii Poenas I hope you do not regret your decision"

Marco ordered to bring the camp doctors for the amputation of arms and legs of Bacairi, For his stupidity was doomed to see how his people were enslaved there were too many charges against his people the most important was to eat human flesh.

In the camp, the cries of Bacairi sounded all over the place, after 3 hours of hard work the body of Bacairi was without arms and legs, from now on he stopped being a person and became a tourist attraction, the first leader of a tribe that consumed human flesh in being subdued by the empire.

The cleaning of Cozumel began thanks to the fact that the men and young people of the tribe were captured or killed, only women and children remained in their small villages, Marco’s strong hand was in charge of submitting them. There was not much resistance in the place. They found meat and articles of human skin.

Even for the Vi Opus who had seen a lot of things the fact of seeing the human skin hanging made them want to vomit.

This was worse than what Marco thought he could not judge this population by himself, therefore, he asked that they bring a letter to Emperor Flavius ??along with proofs also the needs for babies and children like food or Keepers, he could not allow the little ones to continue living in an environment like this.

In Origin Civitatem a ship arrived with news of the Alpha Legion, Flavio was reviewing some data about the construction time of the aqueduct network to provide water to some fortress villages in the region, when he entered his office Lució his stepfather and leader of the garrison of the city with a bag.

"Flavio, you should see this," Lucio said, showing a dry human skin and a letter from the bag.

Flavio looked with disgust at the skin but this confirmed his assumption that the Caribs liked to eat human flesh, took the letter and began to read it while his face reflected different emotions as he read the letter.

When he finished, he ordered that construction materials and caregivers be sent to Cozumel for the children. As for the great canary tribe, adults and youths would be condemned to forced labor for life, with their blood they would build the fortress port of Cozumel. women will work for life as their husbands

Children under 10 years of age will be under the care of the empire and will receive special care to avoid possible traumas of adults children from 11 to 15 years will be sent to a children’s prison where they will be treated until they are fully eligible to be Roman citizens, in case If they do not reform themselves, they will be sent to work just like their parents until they die ...