Tiro the Proeliator Pt. 01

Just as the Causidicus was expected to consult with the Majores Natu, a proeliator was expected to seek the council of his uxor. This was seen as important for several reasons, not the least of which, the proeliator got the effeminatus view and grounding, considered important in its own right, and this type of open dialogue between a man and his wife prevented any barriers to intimacy forming.

The effeminatus was considered of such importance, an Uxor Natu, was convened when weighty matters were being considered. The Effero, or Uxor of the Praesagium convened the council and presided over it at the behest of her maritus. Then the weighty matters would be considered and the Relatus of the Uxor Natu would deliver the result of their deliberations to the Causidicus who received the report in the presence of the Majore Natu, convened for that purpose. This way the effeminatus was given the proper weight it was due and there was no chance of the report being altered or ignored if the Causidicus didn't agree with the findings.

These two precepts spoke to the importance the Optimates gave the effeminatus and the checks and balances built into their leadership structure.

With both the Majores Natu and the Causidicus receiving the report of the Relatus of the Uxor Natu, simultaneously, neither could discount its import completely.

The fact the conclusions of the Uxor Natu were presented to the Causidicus before the Majores Natu wasn’t because of some concern of deliberate deception on the part of the Causidicus, for absolute honesty was expected in the Ordinatius.

To be caught in a deceptive practice was as grievous a sin as concupisco. With the Optimates ability at reasoning, and the animadverto of the Praesagium and others in the tribe, to get away with being deceptive was next to impossible. So total honesty was usually practiced.

Though the women of the Optimates really had no 'direct' say in the functions of their society, they weren't 'second-class citizens' as the Bardus, or stupidity, of the humans relegated the position of their women to. This was exhibited in the importance the Optimates placed on the effeminatus.

The actual decisions were the sole prerogative of the men, for the Optimate society felt a man was better prepared to understand the strengths and weaknesses of his abilities and those of his comrades, but every decision and matter was thoroughly discussed with the Uxors of the tribe and all decisions were 'tempered' with the effeminatus or, female perspective. Many were the fabulo that spoke of great women within their society, as well. The Effero and the uxor of the Causidicus, the Ma Dame, were women who were especially held in high regard, as it was strongly felt within the society, their maritus would not have risen to greatness if the power of their effeminatus hadn't aided in propelling them to greatness.

Young novitiates like Tiro were allowed proeliator privilege as soon as they were cleared for their first triburo, and all privileges of the proeliator except marriage. They were considered posthabeo to full fledged proeliator, but it was assumed all would go through monstro and get their Medius of the Legio, so they were started to be accorded privilege that position would gain for them. This also served as a motivation of the posthabeo proeliator-candidate.

Allowed to pursue liberalis it was felt would motivate the young posthabeo and provide him with at least a taste of the effeminatus and help ground him and get him over the hurdle of the proeliator training and achieve his monstro.

Tiro had no reservation asking for input in front of his Genetrix, since she was privy to the detail Casus had encountered in his past triburo.

It was his mother who first spoke in response to the excitement-generated question Tiro had just asked.

"Tiro, you mustn't look to this as adventure. You must see it as duty imposed by the Scitus, and the obligation that carries, should serve to sober your mind to the tasks before you. Remember your mendum as a cautor was born of excitement you failed to control."

Cuius, the uxor of Casus and Genetrix to Tiro, could be rather critical of the boy. This was primarily done out of love and a desire to see her progagus succeed just as Casus did. The fact she was of the Regius Legio, or the Royal order of Optimates, gave Tiro certain opportunities other young proeliators didn't have. Casus was third from the top in the ascendancy among the Proeliators and that added leverage to Tiro's chances to rise to position in the Optimates.

Yet, the pusio still had to prove his worthiness in service to the tribe and Scitus.

In the beginning, the order had had a monarchy style of leadership, but over time that had evolved into a democracy, of sorts. The significant difference was to be eligible to be the Causidicus, or Praesagium you had to have come from one of several family lines in the Optimates, that formed a kind of caste system.

That too was gradually phasing out, and it appeared future generations would have absolute equality in the selection process that was employed when a new leader or council member was needed.

CHAPTER EIGHT

At least his mother had used the mild form to reference his stumble as a cautor. She could have called it a nefas or even a peccamen identifying it on the order of a grievous error or even a sin. Yet, she called it a mendum, which was more like a blemish or slip up.

"Let the boy get excited my uxor. This is his first triburo." Casus mildly scolded.

"Soon enough he will see the sobering reality of the extrinsecus and the Bardus of the human people. That should sober him to the tasks we are given by the Scitus."

"Sator, surely the Bardus of the human people can't be as bad as it appears in the fabulo, if they are able to succeed as the fabulo says they have." Tiro had his doubts the humans could actually display such stupidity or Bardus as they called it, when their inventions and the devices they conceive are so magnificent. Or at the very least seemed magnificent when told through the fabulo and those few advancements the Causidicus and the Majores Natu allowed to come into their society.

"Tiro, my young pusio, as the events of the triburo will show you, the humans are an intelligent iubeo, but the way they choose to use this intelligence is opprobrium as they pursue their voro and Quemad modum."

Tiro was astounded to hear his Sator speak of the humans in such vile terms. The fabulo spoke of these things but stopped short of referring to the human endeavors as 'disgraceful pursuits motivated by greed and lust', as his father had just characterized them.

Such language, though not forbidden by Scitus or in Optimate society, was discouraged, and Tiro was shocked to hear his Sator speak in this manner, especially in the presence of his Genetrix.

Cuius though had heard Casus speak in this manner before. She took no offense to the language he used. It was a part of the close relationship she shared with her maritus. The love between the two was deep and steeped in intimacy, so there was nothing Casus kept from her.

When he returned from Triburo, he would sit and discuss his observations with her in great detail. He had often referred to the humans in these vile terms. Cuius felt the same way toward them, but she, of course, would never use these terms, even just to repeat them to her maritus.

Such language was not appropriate for a Domna, even with her husband.

Tiro wisely changed the subject and went back to the task of filling out his ornamentum.

In just a short while the ornamentum was complete, and Casus and Tiro set out on the triburo. It was all Tiro could do to contain his excitement.

As the two left, the usual exchange of affection from Casus to his uxor occurred, with her beseeching him to be cautious. Cuius knew the dangers that lay ahead from the many lengthy discussions the two had had after previous triburo. And though the proeliators were going out to fight the evil recondo on behalf of the humans, it was the humans that posed the greatest dangers to the diminutive elves. Though small in size they were fierce warriors against the evil entities of the world. Yet, they were all but helpless with humans. The skills the proeliators used against evil were not physical strength or the like. And these were the tactics employed by the humans when they came in contact with Optimate elves.

After the exchange occurred between Cuius and her maritus, she turned to her progagus to exchange similar gestures.

Tiro was so excited his exchange with his Genetrix was perfunctory and almost rude. Cuius worried her young son was going to get himself in trouble from his over-stimulation by the event.

She quietly hoped something significant would happen to sober the boy without it being so significant as to put him in harms way. She ignored the lack of decorum in his response to her and merely cautioned both of them to be careful with the traditional phrase the Optimates used when the proeliators were going out to perform the triburo.

"The protection of the Deus be upon you and return safely from your service to the Scitus." A tear had formed in the eyes of Cuius, but not from fear. It was the reality and the experience all mothers feel when their children begin to come of age and begin to leave the 'nest'.

CHAPTER NINE

That triburo went without event and Tiro learned of the extrinsecus. He started to quickly see the Bardus of the human first hand and it had a sobering effect upon him, but just being in the presence of his father was sobering enough. A posthabeo proeliator always took his first triburo with his Sator.

Tiro kept feeling a presence, through his animadverto, and tried to get his Sator to head in a certain direction. Casus advised Tiro though, that the territory they were supposed to explore on this triburo didn't include the area he wanted to deviate to.

They returned from the triburo with nothing to report. Nothing noteworthy had been discovered by any of the proeliators on this triburo.

Tiro began the studies a posthabeo must go through to receive his monstro and gain the medius of legio proeliatorum. He also started his liberalis with Vegrandus.

This established his priority with the puella.

Another posthabeo couldn't approach her now, though a full-fledged proeliator could compete for her hand. Usually though this didn't happen.

Although they weren't officially betrothed, they had indicated intent in that regard. For another at this late point in the course of events to try to insinuate themselves into the scenario almost constituted a covetousness, or concupisco, a serious offence in Optimate society.

In Optimate society if Vegrandus hadn't had her attentions sought by another proeliator before now, it was seeing her in a different light now that she was receiving the attentions of the posthabeo or proeliator she was in liberalis with, and therefore the new suitor coveted the personality her current suitor brought out in her. So that was all but considered coveting another's puella, or concupisco.

Of course, if Vegrandus or another puella in this position were to discover she was mistaken in her feelings for the suitor, or the suitor decided he was mistaken in his feelings of the puella he was courting, a braking off of the liberalis could be declared. This was done publicly in the center of camp so all could see a future suitor wasn't coveting another's puella, as the puella in liberalis was free from the implied commitment that liberalis carried with it, just as the declaring of the liberalis was public so a young couple wasn’t seen as being risqué as they sought moments alone together. It also declared the puella ‘off-limits’ to other proeliators and posthabeo would-be suitors.

So Tiro was relieved when he was finally able to declare his and Vegrandus liberalis. For now nothing could stop their cubile except one or the other of them ending the liberalis or Tiro failing to achieve and go through monstro.

He went through his studies like a man possessed. His second triburo was again unremarkable. Tiro went on the second triburo alone, which was customary. He exercised uncommon restraint by not leaving his assigned 'patrol territory' to go to the area he had tried to get Casus to go on his first triburo. For he still felt the draw of his animadverto to the area he had unsuccessfully persuaded his father to go with him to.

Perhaps the setback of his nefas as a cautor was still fresh enough in his mind to restrain him, or just perhaps he realized the loss of prestige would not be his alone if he were to violate a Sanctum dictum as before. Or just perhaps he was bent on monstro so he and Vegrandus could be cubile. This strongly characterized the grounding effect of the effeminatus the Optimates encouraged, for it was likely his liberalis to Vegrandus more than any other retraining factor that kept Tiro in his patrol territory. He certainly wasn’t opposed to going against certain mandates in his pursuit of those with evil intent. He would demonstrate this freely in the days and weeks ahead.

Whatever the reason, when his animadverto started calling for him to go to the place it was telling him about he ignored it and concentrated on the skills this triburo was designed to instill.

The power of patient observation, the ability to observe for hours undetected at the comings and goings and to identify any thing that might lead to the discovery of an evil plot in progress.

After this triburo, the aula came and he went through monstro. Now as a full-fledged proeliator, he had some say in what area he was assigned in the triburo. Posthabeo rarely were assigned an area where their judgment might come into play. Even under the direction of their Sator, a full-fledged proeliator, on the first triburo the area they patrolled was usually benign and an area where young proeliators in training can observe human interactions in great detail. For if their Sator got heavily involved in a situation they couldn't preclude the posthabeo getting in over his head.

Areas where humans were busily going about their routine were not usually likely to produce significant contact, if any at all, with the evil recondo, they sought. Except during 'Tempus Temporis Seditio', the recondo was usually operating quietly in the background, and mostly during the hours of darkness.

This also gave young posthabeo Optimates the chance to learn to separate the ‘wheat from the chafe’ so to speak, and learn how to discern significant activity from the Bardus displays by the humans.

Two days after the Aula, Tiro and Vegrandus went to matrimonium. Casus and Cuius gave them a wagon and promised a permanent dwelling when they returned to their ancestral home, while Vegrandus Sator and Genetrix, gave them furnishings and a team of equus. They were set and within a few days you would have thought they had been cubile for years.

Tiro and Vegrandus both liked doing the things that made a house, or wagon in their case, a home. Then the time for the next triburo came, and though as a newlywed, Tiro could ask for an exemption for the first thirty lumen of their cubile, he discussed it with Vegrandus and they both felt he needed to try to get assigned the area his animadverto was indicating he should explore and investigate. He got the area he wanted and taking his ornamentum set out on the third triburo of his young life as a proeliator.

CHAPTER TEN

Tiro the full-fledged Optimate Proeliator, sat hunkered in the brush thicket watching the comings and goings of the group of caves in the craggy hillside to his front. He had been watching these caves for over a week now and his bag of ornamentum was running low.

He would soon need to head for home to at least replenish his stock of cuppedia and alo. The Optimates were small creatures, being elfin, and as science has revealed the smaller the creature the higher the metabolic rate. Optimates therefore couldn't go long without Alo, without risking death.

Not to mention he was a newlywed and would like to get back home to his beloved uxor, Vegrandus, if for only a brief stay, but the duties outlined in the Scitus of Numen, directed that he stay as long as he could endure the extrinsecus. Besides he was certain he was about to make a great discovery in this one cave in particular.

He had come across this cave complex on this third triburo, since promotion to posthabeo from cautor. His animadverto or 'psychic instinct' had directed him to this place. So once he gained position as full-fledged proeliator he had requested this 'patrol' area, an option he didn't have as posthabeo.

His first triburo had of course been under the supervision of his Sator. Then after returning to camp, he began the rather intensive training a posthabeo must complete before being considered for their monstro where they become full-fledged medius of the legio Proeliators.

The proeliators were warriors, though their duties rarely ever required they do physical battle. Theirs was a battle of deception, observing and gaining knowledge. Then once all was known, the Majores Natu and Causidicus, the tribal council of elders and the tribal leader, respectively, would have to decide what course of action to take.

The Praesagium, or holy man, would likely be involved in case the leaders needed to difuro with the Deus.

Once a course of action had been decided, the Proeliator Council would put together a plan of attack. One of the council was like a field General called the Imperator. He alone was responsible for putting together an instrueo praejudico, or plan of battle, for any actual fighting that were to occur. After creating the instrueo praejudico, the proeliator council would review it and decide on its workability and assign proeliators to an iugum procinctu, or battle team, that would carry out the plan of the instrueo praejudico.

Tiro hadn't seen anything during his observations, but he knew something was going on here. He could feel it. His animadverto was not yet fully developed, but the feelings he got were usually intense.

Tiro considered that perhaps his animadverto was fully developed, and he just wasn't used to it enough yet to discern the feelings he received regularly now. He had been aware of his Animadverto all his life, but largely ignored it as confusing, but at pubesco it had gotten to the point it couldn't be ignored.

Whether he was getting false impressions, or just didn't understand what the impressions he was getting were, as his wanderings during the previous triburo took him through the countryside he seemed drawn to this location.

The only things he had seen so far were the comings and goings of a young human girl, and an occasional animal scurrying about in the relative protection between the two outcroppings of crags where the cave's entrance was located and well hidden.

From what he had learned in his studies of the Scitus, this was dangerous, for if the young girl were virgin, and at the age Tiro estimated her to be, this was likely, all manner of problems could occur.

The animals of course were of no consequence, or in any danger from the Optimate proeliator. He wouldn't harm them, for that was outside the realm of acceptability among the Optimates.

To harm any of God's creatures was consecro to the Optimates. Certainly, they were meat eaters, but their meat was raised by them for that purpose and butchered under specific and controlled conditions.

To kill a rabbit, deer, or squirrel, like these Tiro was seeing, would never happen, though a proeliator could accomplish it with ease.

The humans did it, but no Optimate would ever even consider it. It was just another example of the human's Bardus, which Optimates were at a loss to understand. Each animal had a purpose in the overall scheme of the Conditor, if you decimated one variety another was allowed to get out of hand. Maintaining the balance of creation was the purpose of the Optimates existence. This was made clear in the Scitus of Numen, and the first thing a proeliator in training learned. These lessons started even before a young man became a cautor, the first step to adulthood and the first rung on the ladder of ascension to proeliator.