They exchanged glances with each other. After a moment of silence, they all laughed. All except the silver haired man in the back. His gaze narrowed on Terra.
Terra glared at them as they continued to laugh. The bearded man almost fell out of his chair as he shook with laughter. After a few moments, the laughter subsided.
“I haven't laughed that hard since I saw an Athenian try to use a sword,” the bearded man said. When he looked back to Terra, his brow lowered. “Oh. You're still here?”
Terra clinched her fists. “Yes I am. I said I want to join the Legion.”
Another woman leaned forward and glared at Terra, She had more silver hair than not. “We only accept recruits who are selected as squires. Now leave.”
They all turned back to their holofaces as though that ended the discussion.
“Someone did choose me as a squire,” Terra said in an even tone.
The first woman glared at Terra like a parent at a fibbing child before she typed something on a nearby holoface.
Minerva's voice sounded from her shieldwatch. “I am sorry, Centurion Shani. That information is restricted.”
“What!” Shani said standing. “Restricted! I am a centurion for Aion's sake!”
The silver haired man who sat obscured in the back spoke. “Calm down, Centurion Shani. Orion’s second cohort probably picked her up on some black ops mission. I'll access it.”
“Greetings, Praetor Lycus Cerberus,” Minerva said from the silver haired man's shieldwatch. “Authorization granted.”
“Give me a holoface Minerva,” Lycus said. “Also can you show me who locked this information?”
A series of holofaces appeared around Lycus's shieldwatch.
“Continue,” Lycus said before he began reading. “I'll read the restricted information while I send you her stats and psych exam.”
The group exchanged looks before arranging their holofaces. They read for several moments, occasionally shaking their heads.
Lycus read for a moment before grimacing. He regarded Terra with an intense stare.
“Is this the entire file?” Shani asked. She turned to the bearded man. “Centurion Nikias. Am I missing something?”
Nikias shook his head. “No combat experience. No service record. Zero high honors or significant academic achievements. I don't think she's even killed anyone yet.”
Shani's expression hardened as she glared at Terra. “Look at her. She's so... out of shape. Definitely a softtimer. She probably couldn't even kill a Manticore mite. What crashing fool made her a squire?”
The other woman spoke. “She's an American from the United States.”
Nikias turned to her. “Refresh my memory, Centurion Isra.”
Isra spoke in a calm voice. “Americans. Loud, rude, rebellious, and warlike. This one is from the height of their empire though, when they spent most of their time being entertained. Softtimer for sure.”
Terra's fists turned white. She felt tempted to tell them that Alya had chosen her, but remained silent, remembering her promise. She would endure this verbal beating.
Terra could just see Lycus's sneer through the shadows. “I know exactly why she is here, but it doesn't matter. Hurry. We have a long line of rejects today.”
Shani glowered. “Fine. On the record though, I've seen corpses more qualified than her.”
Nikias leaned forward. “Why do you want to be a soldier? I see no indication in your records that you want to fight?”
Terra considered her next words. “I don't want to fight, but I will defend myself if I have to. I was told that the Legion was not an army, but a group heroes and heroines. That's what I want to be.”
Shani narrowed her gaze. “That may be true, but that means we have even higher standards than most militaries. We normally look for hardtimers, those from eras of strife and conflict. You are from the wealthiest nation on Continuum Lambda during a time of relative peace. You are a softtimer. While the program accounts for those without formal military training, I see no other special talents in your record to compensate.”
Terra stared at Shani. “A bunch of records don't define me. Besides isn't courage and determination worth more?”
Shani glared as though Terra had just said something stupid. “No. No it's not.”
Nikias rolled his eyes at that as though he disagreed, but did not argue.
Isra eyes narrowed. “She also hasn’t taken a life yet. She is untested.”
Terra frowned. “Why is that so important?”
Isra leaned back, still focused on Terra. “The Sons of Oblivion will kill. The Forgotten Guns will kill. A Manticore would eat you whole. And the Faceless...” she shivered when she mentioned the Faceless. “Well let's just say that killing you would be the kindest thing a Faceless could do to you. A killing instinct is necessary and we cannot be sure you have it.”
“But I–”
Nikias shook his head. “Look, child. You are not ready for this. You need to get a few things in order first.”
“Like what?”
“First, you need to hone your athleticism. How many pushups can you do right now?”
“Um...”
“That's what I thought. That probably wouldn't take too long. Maybe a month and a half at most with the acceleration gyms. That could be done before the training even started. More is needed though. Right now you would be dusted in five seconds if we let you into the training program.”
Lycus sighed. “Just hurry and reject her so we can move on.”
Terra felt her heart sink. Rejected so out of hand? They hadn't even given her a chance.
Shani shook her head. “If only I could get another recruit like Kairos. She had talent! When will Silverwind find a new squire?”
Nikias closed the holoface. “Try again next year.”
Terra narrowed her gaze at the group while her fists clinched and teeth gritted. Alya said be determined and they would admit her. “No. I am not moving from this spot until you accept me into the program. You will have to throw me out kicking and screaming.”
Lycus jumped down in front of Terra.
Terra froze, her face paled as Lycus Cerberus glared down at her. Like Alya his skin was tanned and his short swept back silver hair stood like raised fur. He towered over Terra with a lean, but muscular physique and looked at Terra like a wolf might stare at a weak animal.
With strong arms, he grabbed her around the waist and lifted her as though she weighed no more than an empty trashcan. He carried her out into the hall in front of the rest of the waiting recruits while Terra tried to kick him from the awkward angle he held her.
“Put me down!” Terra screamed.
Lycus did just that and dumped her into the fountain. Terra landed with a splash on the hard marble of the fountain while Lycus dusted off his hands as though he had just taken out the garbage.
Lycus turned to the potential recruits. “Next!”
“Well that could have gone better,” Terra said after a moment as she sat drenched in the fountain. She rubbed her elbows. The cold water came up to her knees and was too shallow to absorb much of the fall.
A few of the waiting recruits laughed at her and some pointed. Most ignored the disturbance as though an instructor tossing out a potential recruit was a common sight.
Terra continued to sit in the fountain, her gaze downcast. They had laughed at, humiliated, confused, belittled, and ignored her. Most of all she wanted to return home where her nice little quarry that lay out in the warm sun. At least no one there would tell her she wasn't good enough. Perhaps she had made a huge mistake in coming here?
Terra stood and shook her arms dry. The dripping slowed when another splash of water drenched her again. She looked up to see Lycus dusting off his hands in dismissal again.
“Next!” he yelled before walking back into the exam room.
The person thrown next to Terra stood. He wore camouflaged fatigues with an insignia she didn't recognize. The man shook off the water and walked straight to the ba
ck of the line for his next attempt.
For the first time, Terra noted the other recruits. Now that she took the time to stare at them, she realized that they were a scary crowd. They possessed scarred faces, lean builds, athletic physiques, grim expressions, shields, scabbards for blades, and armor, lots of armor and uniforms; armor and uniforms from every time period. They all stared ahead with intense focus and discipline. The kind a soldier would have.
After climbing out of the water, Terra walked outside to collect herself. She saw more soldiers on her way out. Along the way Terra recognized a Roman legionnaire, a Mongolian warrior, a samurai, several soldiers in modern fatigues, and what she thought was an American Civil War cavalryman. A rare few wore training uniforms under their original clothes.
Terra wandered onto the Academy grounds. A large creek ran near a stone patio. Several potential recruits ate and chatted there. Smaller groups were scattered over the area. Legionaries watched with hands resting on their swords. Terra noticed that most recruits did not wear training uniforms yet as they wore their original period clothing.
“So how did you get in so fast?” someone asked not far away from Terra.
Terra stopped and searched for the source of the comment. She saw a crowd of potentials standing on a small stone bridge that crossed a creek. They all stood around a young man who wore a white tunic with a red cross over a chain mail shirt. A training uniform was slung over his shoulder. He sat barefooted, for his boots and an iron helmet lay next to a creek on top of a shield with a red cross on it. Terra recognized the tools of a knight. The young man appeared little older than her. He smiled at the others. “Ah. You see that is an interesting story I ought to share, but I am far more intrigued in your story my friend.”
Another man across from the knight spoke. He wore a Roman legionnaire's armor over his own training uniform. “There is not much to say,” he said in a gruff voice. “This is my third attempted at the training. The early parts are familiar to me. However, most of the newtimers seldom get in so easily the second day of admissions.”
Terra stepped in closer, joining the group at the back. She recognized the Roman Legionnaire as the voice she had heard earlier.
The knight smiled again, speaking in a smooth, disarming tone. “Now Tacitus, please share with me your knowledge, for you see this is my first time here. Why I arrived only a few days ago. Surely not myself alone, but the others present could find your experience useful. After all I am very interested in keeping my new found immortality.”
The other potential recruits nodded in agreement.
Tacitus frowned after being put on the spot. “I am forbidden to tell you. I mean no offense, sir. That is the proper address for you correct?
The knight nodded. “Yes. Sir Roland Delmare is my name with title, but I have many other titles that are rather unimportant. I am not as proper with rules and titles as others so fear not of offending me. Though I would be rather disappointed if you choose to forgo sharing information with me and the others that could be of use on the morrow.”
Tacitus pursed his lips. “I told you I can't te–”
The knight named Roland raised a finger. “How about a gamble then? If I lose, then I will tell you how I came to be here in this city of pearl knights. Should victory favor me though, you can tell me a little about the training. If the instructors find out, then you may blame me for forcing you to keep your honor.”
Tacitus narrowed his gaze at Roland. “Agreed, but I insist on using my dice.”
Roland smiled and nodded. Tacitus brought out a pair of dice and they each agreed on the rules. Each rolled three times in a game that Terra didn't recognize. However, during the third roll Roland moved one hand in a smooth motion that drew everyone's eye. However, Terra didn't flinch. She saw that during Roland's slight of hand he reached out his other shieldwatch hand. She caught the fainest hint of a shieldwatch field. The spherical grainy field flashed just for a moment before the dice rolled back once. When Tacitus looked back he frowned.
“God smiles upon me yet again,” Roland said in a cheery tone.
Tacitus nodded.
Terra watched the others who remained neutral in their expressions. No one else had caught it.
Tacitus sighed. “Indeed. But I won't reveal too much. They listen using our shieldwatch. All I can say is that most of the training and tests have hidden meanings. Little is as it appears. I can't really be too specific since they change each year. Most dust out during the survival test on the fourth week. I've never made it beyond that. People say the final test in the Labyrinth is even worse.”
Roland nodded and continued to smile, but did not press Tacitus.
Tacitus gathered his dice. “It takes most a few weeks just to get into the training unless they are attempting it again like me. I only know of one other this year who got in with one try.”
“Who's that?” asked one of other potentials.
Tacitus glanced to the recruit. “Some girl named Hikari. I think she is from an island warrior culture. She's on my list when I start building my strike team.”
Roland lounged on the side of the bridge. “Really? How did she get in?”
Tacitus shrugged. “She impressed an instructor. That's how most get in. She apparently fought a sparring match with Centurion Nikias. Almost defeated him I hear. He had to use a shieldwatch to win. Pretty rare when that happens. Especially since he's a Spartan.”
Terra's eyes widened. Nikias was a Spartan? No wonder he was so unimpressed with her.
One other hopeful nodded. “I tried Nikias already. You have to be bold and skilled in combat to impress him. He won't take anyone who hasn't seen combat already. A few people have had luck with Centurion Shani.”
“She only cares if you are talented,” another of the hopefuls scoffed. “I hear it takes forever and you don't even have a chance unless you already have a bunch of medals or achievements.”
“Centurion Isra takes people sometimes,” another said who stood towards the back of the group.
Tacitus shook his head. “She only likes survivors. I will say who you can't go to. Praetor Lycus Cerberus.”
“The silver haired man?” said another hopeful towards the front. “What's so bad about him? I hear he's a Legendary Blade.”
Tacitus shot the hopeful a dark glare. “Lycus Cerberus rarely lets people in and those he does... well let's just say that if he allows you in, then he has something nasty planned. I pity anyone chosen by him. While he is a Legendary Blade, that only means it's near impossible to best him in any contest.”
Everyone hushed for a moment.
Tacitus faced Roland. “I still wish to know how you got in.”
Others inched forward as all eyes turned to Roland.
Roland smiled and shrugged before standing up from his lazy lounge. “Very well. I hate to give away valuable secrets, but I am a generous soul.”
The others grew silent, waiting for Roland's story.
“You see,” Roland began. “I saved an instructor from an attack of a wrathful recruit who, in anger of rejection, had attacked him. Naturally this is a result of putting so many soldiers in one place. What do they expect to happen? Most soldiers here would never turn down a fight or a meal.”
Everyone laughed except Terra.
“It was a treacherous Saracen of course. He waited until the instructor’s back had turned before drawing a dagger. One of the strange oracles of the city had foreseen the attack, but the others found distraction from a different fight that occurred at the same time. I saw the Saracen raise the dagger to strike,” he said, building the suspense.
The others' breath seem to catch while Terra raised an eyebrow.
“Thinking quickly,” Roland said. “I took off my shieldwatch and flung it at the Saracen, striking him in the face. The instructor turned in time to see the attack. Grateful for his rescue, he accepted my petition to enter the training.”
Terra just rolled her eyes. What lies, she thought and wondered
how Roland really got into the training.
Roland finished his story. “That is how I was chosen for the training. Now if you excuse me. On the morrow, I plan to begin my own preparations.”
The crowd dispersed, seemingly inspired by Roland's fabricated story.
“I like him,” one hopeful said as they walked away.
Tacitus gave Roland a salute. “If you make it past the first day, I may try to get you for my strike team. Until then, good luck sir knight.”
Terra regarded Roland with narrowed eyes as Tacitus left. When he was alone, he walked down to the creek and dipped his feet into the water. There was something about him that Terra didn't like. He had hidden how he had really gotten into the training. She would find out just how he did it. Terra followed him to the stoney creek below the bridge.
“How did you really get in?” Terra asked, hands on hips as she stood on a large stone that bordered the creek.
Roland smiled and sat down on the grassy bank of the creek, his feet still in the water. “Ah. So you didn't like my story?”
Terra crossed her arms. “Or your little cheat with the dice. I saw you use your shieldwatch to alter the number.”
Terra got a closer look at Roland now. His oval face was handsome with smooth youthful features. However, messy dark hair gave a slight rough edge to his appearance along with his casual lounge. Roland's wry smile that put others at ease appeared arrogant to Terra.
Roland looked Terra over with his ocean blue eyes. “Is this what warriors look like in your time?”
Terra blushed and looked away. She then cliched her fist and turned her focus back to Roland. “That's not important. Are you a knight?”
Roland shrugged, still lounging. “Unless someone has wrested that title away while I slept. Why should that matter?”
Terra narrowed her gaze. “Knights are suppose to be chivalrous, not cheat and deceive others.”
Roland raised an eyebrow. “Chivalrous?”
“You know. Protect the weak? Give aid to those in trouble? Fight fairly and with honor? Don't lie or steal?”
Roland's eyes narrowed. “That sounds completely foolish. What naive child thought of that?”
Aeon Legion: Labyrinth Page 10
