"TRIARII, HOLD!" Gnaeus bellowed out words of encouragement as the Germans crossed the ditch using thier own, smoldering dead and charged at the Romans. Unfortuantely, the fires hadn't caught. Uneasily, the line kept coherence as the barbarians slammed into the veteran legionnaires. It was silent save for the screams of the dead and injured and the slamming of shields and blades.

The front ranks of triarii crippled at the German charge but suddenly a vigourous shout went up coming from the legatus himself. "FOR ROMA!" The legion yelled in reply, boosting morale and allowed for the triarii to push the Germans back. "FOR ROMA!"

"KILL THE GERMAN INVADERS! FIGHT FOR ITALY! NEVER FALTER! PUSH, PUSH, PUSH, AND KILL THE GERMANIC SCOURGE!" Gnaeus yelled out and swung his blade, killing a young, long-hair German. The sound was deafening, and the stench blinding, however, the soldiers took no notice of this as they pushed forward.

Gnaeus lept out far ahead of the Roman lines on foot, slaughtering those in his path along with his friend and father. Quintus Calpurnius, the cavalryman who he had allowed to fight by him on ground and Gnaeus Lucilius Maximus senior. Both veterans also! The three skilled fighters chewed through the Germans. The sight of this inspired those triarii in the front ranks to do the same and soon the Roman lines moved forward! Victory seemed possible!

However, fatigue soon overcame the warriors and as the principes began to replace the depleted triarii, Gnaeus and his remaining bodyguards fell back just before the arrows came. They rained down like the bolts of Jupiter as the struck over one-thousand Romans dead. Luckily, Gnaeus had escaped with his life! The Gods truly favored Gnaeus Lucilius Maximus.

He mounted his horse and rode out to where the triarii were now station he rested while surveying the rest of the battle. Quintus was silent while the Camp Prefect, Gnaeus' father looked out at left with much worry much like his son was doing.

"The left won't hold much longer... and when they're gone, the Germans will come for us." Turning to his right, he saw Brutus seemed to be fairing much better. However, what to do now? His legions were the only ones that seemed intact nearly. Something decisive was needed to win this battle. It was thier only chance! Otherwise, no legions would come back from the battle, even if they did destroy the Germans.

Gnaeus let the battle drag on even longer, watching the other lines with great care and worry. Should they break, he intended to sound the retreat. It was some time after the hastati began to take the field that it became clear the Lepidus' and Corvus' legions were decimated or being decimated. He could clearly see them beginning to retreat and not wanting to fight hundreds of thousands of still fresh Germans, he ordered a retreat back to camp.

He charged forward, once again on foot, in order to fight with the hastati while they retreated. In the background, he could hear several horn blowers sounding the retreat, and they were not just his own. It was almost time for the hastati themselves to fall back like the principes and triarii where already doing.

Gnaeus, whose fighting style was quickly becoming like that of a German berserker was oblivious to the beginning retreat of the hastati. He had to be reminded by Quintus and the legatus' father that he too had to fall back. Gnaeus nodded quickly and swung out once more slicing at a German before falling back with the rest of the legion.

"DEMONS! I WILL BE BACK!"

=================

The Roman Legions: XX, X, IX
1717 KIA, 4720 WIA, 429 MIA
6010 heavy infantry and 2004 unarmored ready for action!

The Germanic Horde: 45,000 Cimbri
3192 KIA, 6645 WIA, 1864 MIA
Over 33,000 Germans still ready for action!