Nikias grinned. “What's the matter? Afraid of a little pain?”
Vand crossed his arms. “Hey! I already proved myself. I have over one hundred confirmed kills.”
Nikias rolled his eyes. “Civilians don't count, Vand. Now like I said. All you have to do is make it across to the other side.”
“So if we did the first one then we don't have to do the second?” Vand asked.
Nikias shrugged. “If you don't want to then don't. Technically, every part of the training is optional. We can't force you to do anything.”
The tirones exchanged uncertain glances.
Terra regarded the burning course while she pondered Nikias's words. Why would both of the these trials be optional? This wasn't teaching or training. These tests had another purpose. She wondered if the test was to see if one was stupid enough to even attempt it. Perhaps those who blindly rushed in would fail? One thing was certain; if she braved the course, she would be burned and endure pain.
A tiro stepped forward while the rest hesitated. She was the Asian girl without any weapons or armor that Terra had noticed earlier. She took off at a dead run, weaving around and between the burning poles with speed and agility. With skilled reflexes, she dodged the ever shifting flames with ease. Though the fire roared around her, the girl seemed to dance with it rather than merely avoid the blaze. Terra watched, awestruck at the girl who danced with fire. She jumped over the first wall before using her momentum to flip herself over the last, avoiding the wall in the center entirely.
When the girl approached the row of metal bars, they glowed orange from the intense heat. Instead of grabbing the heated bars, she ran and jumped onto the small wooden side beams. The beams were as narrow as her foot yet she balanced on them with one foot in front of the other as though on a tightrope.
She ran across with perfect balance before flipping off of the beam onto the ground with grace. The girl walked the rest of the way, making it to the ramp without so much as a burn while mud and dirt from the last trial flaked off. She walked out of the trial cleaner than when she had entered. The other tirones cheered when she returned.
Nikias grinned. “Well, I must admit to being impressed. It has been awhile since we had a tiro make it across without being burned. It's rare that they make it across at all. What is your name, tiro?”
“Tiro Hikari Urashima, centurion,” she said in a plain tone. “We met before when we sparred.”
Terra felt a twinge of jealously after seeing Hikari's display of raw skill. This girl had a rather scrawny appearance that seemed to hide her true strength. Standing there with the flames behind her made her appear radiant. Long smooth black hair partially covered a triangle shaped face yet did not obscure bright amber eyes that reflected the orange glow of the fires.
Nikias nodded. “Yes. I remember now. The Japanese girl. Well done. I will give you a point for that.”
The other tirones gathered around Hikari, congratulating her as if drawn to her. Terra wanted to join them as well, but held back, resisting the urge. Hikari, however, pulled away from the crowd.
“Anyone else who wants to attempt the course better do it now!” Nikias yelled before the crowd pursued Hikari any further.
Several attempted the course. The Zulu made it through after numerous burns. The Celtic girl got both of her arms burned after pushing through a large inferno, unwilling to wait for it to weaken. Roland kicked down the half burned row of bars and attempted to use it as a makeshift bridge, but fell through which got a chuckle from Terra. She suspected that Roland was all talk and this proved it to her.
It took Terra a while to gather the courage for an attempt. Heat washed over her the second she crossed the translucent field. She sweated the moment the heat hit her. Thankfully most of the obstacles had burned away. Terra walked past the burning debris before reaching the metal bars which still stood. She jumped, grabbing the bars, but they burned her hands. Terra screamed as she fell, but her fall slowed when she got caught in another energy field. One of the optios helped her return to outside the salient.
When Terra joined the others, she found Hikari was no longer alone. Hikari scowled while Vand and his gang gathered around her like insects to a light.
“And that's how I got this scar here,” Vand said while smirking.
Hikari regarded Vand with an irritated expression.
Poor girl, Terra thought even as she nursed her burns. Hikari is probably too polite to tell Vand to go away.
Vand smiled. “I can show you my other scars.”
Hikari stared at Vand, expressionless. Then she turned to leave.
Vand frowned. “Don't make enemies with me girl. I have learned ten styles of martial arts and close combat techniques.”
Hikari regarded Vand with a smoldering hateful gaze. “I know only one technique and if you don't leave me alone I will show it to you.”
Vand looked over Hikari's thin body with a critical expression before his posture relaxed.
Terra thought that Hikari didn't look like much while standing in front of Vand whose muscled build towered over her.
Vand shrugged. “Well I can't really say I feel all that intimated. After all, men have denser muscle mass, a larger heart, and more lung capacity. Little things like yourself are good for only one thing.”
Terra grew tense. Vand was about to start a fight. As fast as Hikari was, Terra didn't think Hikari stood a chance against Vand. He wouldn't fight fairly. Hikari would fight with honor and lose.
Hikari walked past Vand without response.
Vand scowled. “Hey! I was talking to you!” he said as he grabbed Hikari's shoulder.
It happened in a flash. Hikari made a quick movement and Vand was on the ground with a foot on his windpipe. But, Nikias had appeared in an instant next to Hikari and grabbed her hand before she dealt the final blow.
Nikias grinned. “You realize that you are forbidden to kill the other tirones?”
Hikari glared at Nikias for a long moment. Then she released Vand. “I was not aware of this rule.”
Nikias gestured for the other tirones to join him. “Fighting between tirones is not forbidden, but killing is. No breaking necks either.”
Vand dusted himself off before pointing at Hikari. “Are you going to let her get away with that?”
Nikias rolled his eyes. “You weren't complaining a moment ago when you were doing the same thing.”
Vand balled his fists and glared at Hikari with clinched teeth. “That wasn’t fair! I wasn't ready! I want a rematch! This time I'll kill her!”
Terra knew that look. That was the look of a humiliated bully. Bullies need to regain their lost reputation after a defeat. Hikari had escalated things.
Vand gestured to Hikari. “She didn't fight with honor.”
“Honor?” Hikari scoffed. “Only fools fight with honor.”
Terra stared wide eyed. Had Hikari just said that? She had thought the Japanese obsessed with honor, or at least their version of it.
Nikias smiled, rubbing his hands together. “Well then. What we have is a disagreement between tirones. There is a solution for that; a Trial of Blades. Normally, differences between legionnaires are settled by an aeon edge duel called a Trial of Blades. However, since neither of you have earned your aeon edges yet, you may fight with whatever weapons you brought with you. Whoever wins gets a point from the loser.”
Vand grinned. “Sounds good,” he said, drawing a steel blue baton from his belt. Its tip sparked as electricity flowed through it.
Hikari turned her side to Vand while raising her arms chest level and spreading her feet apart.
He attacked. Vand's reach proved too difficult for Hikari to overcome with nothing but her hands. But just when he was about to move in to land a blow with his baton, Hikari drew a small hidden knife. She slashed and Vand dodged, but dropped his baton. Defenseless, Vand's 'ten styles of martial arts ' did little to prevent Hikari from landing him on the ground a second time with the knife at his throat.
Wit
h the combatants holding still, Hikari's knife drew Terra's gaze. It wasn't a knife at all, but a sword that had most of the blade cut off. The steel of the sword also looked peculiar to her, but Hikari withdrew the blade as Nikias approached.
Vand groaned, wiping blood from his face. Terra wondered why there was no safety gear. Wouldn't a Trial of Blades leave the recruits so broken they couldn't continue training? What about all the burns? Those would leave scars.
“Well done. His point is yours now,” Nikias said. He turned to the other tirones. “This is the way of the Aeon Legion. You may challenge anyone and they may refuse if they wish, but a superior officer may override that objection.”
As Nikias turned, Hikari stared at Nikias's aeon edge. Nikias glanced back and noted the stare before motioning for the others to follow him. Once the others had turned away, Hikari kicked Vand while he was still down before walking away.
They followed Nikias to the edge of the salient again. He turned to the face the tirones. “Last chance to attempt this trial.”
When no one responded, Nikias transformed the salient into a small meadow with a fast flowing river in its center. Under the rushing water was an uneven hexagonal grid of flat topped metal pillars. They waited for Nikias to change the surroundings into something horrible, but he walked to the river bank instead. “This is the last trial. It's also optional and simple.”
A holoface appeared over Nikias's shieldwatch. He glanced to it before dismissing the holoface. “Looks like one group already finished their first test.”
Soon everyone's shieldwatch flooded with notifications of failures. Each read the same, Failed the first test.
After dismissing the last holoface, Nikias waded into the water as the hexes raised to meet him. Then the water flowed faster, turning into a torrent while washing over the lower hexes.
“This test,” he said with a wide grin, “requires you to fight me and knock me into the water.”
Terra noticed the hexes, each with a top as big as a table, rose and fell in a random pattern except for the cluster Nikias stood upon. Some would jut out of the rushing water when they were high enough while others would submerge. This made the battlefield an ever changing one.
Before anyone else moved, Roland walked forward, gripping the hilt of his sword.
Terra grinned. This is it, she thought. Roland will make himself look like a fool. He cheated to get in. He doesn't have any real skill.
The steel rang as he drew his blade and stepped onto the first hex. He waded into the water, sword in hand as the river washed away the mud from the first trial. Roland made no effort to walk on the dry hexes, instead he headed straight towards Nikias.
“I have been looking forward to this one,” Nikias said as he drew his aeon edge and smiled. The edge did not glow as Alya's had in the library.
Roland sauntered to the shallower hexes near Nikias while Nikias held still. Then Roland struck.
Water splashed as Roland lashed out in a blur. His lazy saunter vanished as his sword strikes flowed like waves. Each blow Nikias deflected Roland weaved into the next attack.
Terra could hear the gasps of the other tirones. Like her, they assumed Roland to be lazy like a still pond yet here he moved like a rushing river. He wielded his blade with a skill even an amateur like Terra could recognize.
Nikias smirked while he blocked the blows. The blades met and Terra wondered why Roland's medieval sword didn't get sliced through. She assumed that Nikias had turned off his aeon edge to make the fight fair. Terra also noticed that the hexes raised to meet Nikias when he drew near. They followed wherever he went and lowered when he passed. Roland struggled to step onto Nikias's platform.
When Roland set foot on Nikias's platform, Nikias kicked him into the water. Roland sank under the surface.
“Well that was fun,” Nikias said before turning back to the other recruits. “Who's next?”
A pillar broke the surface behind Nikias with Roland standing on it, water running off him.
When Nikias turned Roland lashed out with his blade though not at Nikias, but at the water. It splashed into Nikias's face. Roland attacked again jumping onto a nearby hex. He knocked Nikias's poorly aimed swing aside before tripping him. Nikias fell with a thump onto the dry hex before rolling off into the water.
Nikias laughed when the pillars lifted him again out of the river. “Well done knight. You get a point. It's been years since a recruit managed to knock me over.”
The Celtic girl crouched, narrowing her gaze.
“Next!” Nikias yelled.
The girl stared a long while at the water before running at Nikias. It was then Terra realized a line of shallow hexes now led towards Nikias. The girl had waited for them to line up.
She roared as she ran drawing a pair of small daggers. Nikias grinned, stepping aside as she struck. This threw her off balance before he shoved her behind him into the water.
“Next!” He yelled.
Hikari stared at Nikias for a long while. However, Terra noticed that Hikari stared not at Nikias, but his aeon edge. When no one else stepped forward Hikari approached, jumping on the shallow hexes. When she drew near to Nikias, Terra watched Hikari struggle with her footing in the fast moving water, but still kept her gaze on Nikias's aeon edge.
She struck at Nikias, attacking as she leaped the last hex. When she landed on the hex, she and Nikias became intertwined in a fearsome melee. Nikias kept his aeon edge sheathed. When it seemed Hikari had the upper hand Nikias drew his blade and flung it at Hikari. Hikari caught the blade, but became unbalanced. Nikias attacked before she recovered and shoved her into the river. The aeon edge flew from her hand and Nikias caught it before it touched the water.
“Keep your eyes on your foe,” Nikias said as Hikari crawled onto shore, drenched, “not his weapon, however much you may want it for yourself.”
Vand and his gang attacked next after working up the courage to strike as a team. Nikias threw them all into the water one at a time with minimal effort. Several others attacked with the same results.
“Anyone else?” Nikias asked.
Terra hesitated. Should she attempt this test? Unlike the others, she had no chance of even completing this one. She would be lucky even to reach Nikias much less be able to push him off into the water. Once again she wondered what the real point of this test was.
Terra tensed as she recalled Nikias's words from earlier, “If you are unwilling to fight then you shouldn't be here.” She knew she had to try. In the library the odds had been hopeless as well, but she had fought. She would face this test as she had the others.
Terra stepped forward.
Nikias grinned before sheathing his aeon edge. “Well I didn't expect this.”
Terra made her way towards Nikias though she battled against the flow of the river. After several minutes of struggling against the flow of water, she made it to the platform.
Nikias drew away from the edge, letting Terra climb on without a fight.
Terra raised her fists.
Nikias roared with laughter while shaking his head. “Your fighting stance is all wrong. We will have work on that.”
She stared confused. Did he pity her? No. He spoke as though he would teach her later. Terra's eyes went wide. Had she passed the first test? Then Nikias shoved her into the water.
Nikias looked to the remaining dry tirones. “Last chance.”
No one moved forward as Terra crawled onto shore, drenched.
Nikias shrugged and began typing on a holoface. Moments later, Terra's shieldwatch holoface was again flooded with notifications. She looked at the first one. It showed Vand's picture with flashing text reading Termination due to failure of the first test.
There was a notification for each one that had failed. Terra felt a surge of panic at each holoface, expecting to see her picture. It never appeared.
Nikias pointed to several tirones including Hikari, Roland, and Terra. “All of you! Over here. The rest of you are to turn in you
r shieldwatch at the pillar.”
“What is this?” Vand yelled as he stared at his own holoface.
Nikias's brow lowered. “What do you think it means? You dusted out.”
“Hey! I'm a soldier! A killer! I am better than most of this lot!” Vand said while gesturing to the others.
Nikias held up a finger. “You were unwilling to do all three trials therefore you failed the first test.”
Terra turned to the remaining tirones. They were all burned, dirty, and now drenched as well. All had attempted each trial even though most didn't earn a single point.
Vand pointed to Nikias. “This is unfair! You said they were optional!”
Nikias rolled his eyes. “All three trials were optional, but you had to do all three trials if you wanted to pass the first test.”
“Then why didn't you tell us!” Vand said, pointing at Nikias.
Nikias sighed. “To see if you could figure it out. We want those willing to do anything without being forced. Being a part of the Aeon Legion means you must go above mere orders. If you give anything less than your all, then you will fail.”
Vand clenched his fists. “It's not fair!”
Nikias shrugged. “It's Praetor Lycus's idea. I can't help you. Now go and leave your shieldwatch by the pillar.”
Vand and the others who failed left. After that, those who remained marched back to the central square and waited for the other groups to return. When the rest returned, Lycus walked onto the stage. He smiled when he saw how few remained.
Terra looked around to the other groups. Most suffered a similar amount of attrition. What had started as a several thousand now stood at half that number. Those who remained looked as singed and dirty as she was.
Lycus grinned. “Good. Now the easy part is out of the way and we can start the real training tomorrow.”
Terra's stomach twisted. Today was the easy day? One more day like today, and they wouldn't be able to stand from the injuries. Many turned pale at that remark as well.
Vand and several others pushed their way to the front and invaded the stage. None of the optios tried to stop them. In fact, they shied away from them.
Aeon Legion: Labyrinth Page 13
