“Because of well... um...” Roland said, averting his gaze.
Terra raised an eyebrow. He had always been so smooth and confident before, she thought. What happened? Then she remembered that Roland hadn't sold them out during the Survival Test. Maybe she should give him another chance? She decided and approached Zaid. “Zaid. Roland has an idea.”
Zaid turned to Terra. “Should we trust him?”
Terra looked away. “Well no, but he kept his word during the Survival Test so that must be worth something. If he betrays us, better sooner than later right?”
Zaid thought for a moment. “Frankish knight. What is your plan?”
Roland smiled, his confidence returning. “To accomplish this mission, you need my my talents. Watch,” he said as he looked at his shieldwatch. He glanced several times from his shieldwatch to the crowd. Then he touched a holoface, causing a ring to transform his uniform into clothing that matched with the crowd's. He then walked into the salient.
Few noticed Roland. Those who did he placated when he returned their greetings. He made his way to the fountain. An older man from the crowd inspected the strange item when Roland approached him. “May I borrow that?”
The man shrugged. “Sure. It's not mine anyway.”
Roland thanked him before walking out of the salient. As the salient dissipated, Roland tossed the small item to Zaid.
Zaid inspected the object before handing it to Terra. “It's a cup, but the material is strange.”
Terra tossed the cup in her hand. “A plastic cup. It's a common cheap material in my time. It degrades slowly though.”
Zaid erased the cup before looking for Nikias who was still gone. After a moment he shrugged. “I guess Nikias has forgotten about us. We still have half an hour left in the schedule. I suppose we shouldn't waste it.” He touched a holoface near his shieldwatch, transforming the salient into a flat area with a large mat in its center. Torches burned nearby, providing light.
“Sparring?” Roland asked.
Zaid nodded, but frowned when Hikari moved to the center of the mat.
“I am going first,” Hikari said before pointing to Terra. “Against her.”
Zaid sighed. “Perhaps we shou–”
“No one else lasts against me,” Hikari interrupted. “Last time I sparred with you, I knocked you out for three hours. That was three wasted hours waiting for you to wake.”
Zaid turned to Terra, but Terra sighed while approaching Hikari. “It's fine, Zaid. I am used to being a punching bag.”
Hikari faced Terra before slipping into an attack stance.
Terra glanced to Hikari's sheathed aeon edge. “Not going to use that?”
“I don't need it,” Hikari said.
Terra assumed a defensive stance. “One day I will make you use that.”
Hikari charged, attacking Terra with a flurry of hand to hand strikes all with blinding speed. Terra blocked a few blows, but took the rest. What few strikes Terra managed in return missed their mark. The fight dragged on. Hikari landed blow after blow, yet Terra still remained standing. Both Sped their movements, but Hikari still held the advantage in skill while Terra had endurance. After several minutes, skill defeated endurance and Terra fell bruised, battered, and bleeding.
Hikari stood panting. Although Terra had not landed a blow, Hikari swayed from exhaustion.
Roland frowned. “Well that took forever even with a shieldwatch.”
Zaid nodded. “A standard match between those two. Terra is the only one Hikari has trouble with.”
“Ow,” Terra said while struggling to stand.
Zaid gestured to Roland. “Well, barbarian. It's your turn.”
Roland pointed to himself. “Me?”
Zaid nodded. “Yes. You. Now face Hikari. I want to see what you can do.”
Hikari, despite her apparent exhaustion, offered no protest.
Roland sauntered over to the mat and faced Hikari. “Not going to draw your aeon edge against me as well?”
“I don't need it against you either,” she said in a low tone.
Roland shrugged. “It's for the best. I would only make you look a fool.”
Hikari frowned. “I would still have a long way to go before I look as big a fool as you.”
Roland smirked. “Oh please. As if you could do anything that could make others loathe you more than they do now. Perhaps you could trade your points for a friend?”
Hikari snarled. “Perhaps you could trade your points for a working manhood?”
Roland smiled. “Oh how crass. And Zaid calls me the barbarian.”
Terra sat next to Zaid while Reversing time on her lighter wounds. “I guess the duel has started.”
Hikari clinched her fists. “Smooth tongued brute!”
Roland's smile widened. “Brute? I'm not the one who bullies others around after the training day is done, beating down weaklings for their points. Oh well. I suppose my insults are lost on someone as low as you.”
Hikari gritted her teeth.
Roland shrugged. “I mean here you are trying to insult me, to throw me off guard. I suppose if one takes away all the points you've collected, all the armor, and your aeon edge, all that's left is a frightened child who throws insults at others. Where did you learn that? Did your mother let you run wild as a child?”
Hikari snarled
Roland faced Hikari. “Or was it your worthless father who spoiled you?”
Hikari screamed and charged.
Roland grinned. “Got you.”
Terra and Zaid watched as two artists clashed. Hikari shot forward, Speeding her movements until she was a blur. Roland drew his aeon edge in a flash. The two met in a whirl of motion. The fight lasted seconds. Roland hit Hikari with his aeon edge while Hikari struck a blow against Roland's head. Both hit the ground at the same time.
Terra stared for a long moment. “Did they just draw?”
Zaid's rubbed his chin. “As I thought. The Frank has been hiding his skill. Still, if Hikari had faced him first she would have won.”
Roland groaned as he struggled to stand. “I thought that would be more effective.”
Terra grinned. “Well it was a good plan except for one detail, Hikari fights better when she's mad.”
A ring formed around Hikari, moving clockwise to Restore her. She stood.
Zaid sighed. “Let's see if we can improve.”
Before Zaid could continue another group entered the salient; a team of four tirones. Terra also noticed a third group watching from the edge of the salient.
The tirones approached. Their leader, a short tan skinned woman, stepped forward. “We are using this salient to practice.”
Zaid faced her. “We still have time left. Centurion Nikias gave us permission to use this salient.”
The women gestured around them. “The centurion is not present. Why don't you leave?”
Roland put on his best smile. “Now let us all be civil. The salient is large and our practice is almost at its end. Thereupon you may either wait or simply practice in the other half.”
The woman glared at Roland. “How about instead, we settle this by a Trial of Blades? Four matches between each of our teams. Winner of each match chooses the next opponent. We decide first. The team that wins gets the salient.”
Zaid nodded. “Fine. That's what we were going to do anyway. Choose your first opponent.”
A tall tiro from the other team stepped forward. He pointed to Terra. “I'll take the one without a blade. She'll be a good warmup.”
Terra scowled, still feeling pain from her fight with Hikari.
The tall tiro took the center of the salient while his team cheered him.
Terra approached him, still scowling.
He smirked. “You look like you're about to fall over. No need to waste stasis cells on someone like you.”
Terra assumed a defensive stance.
After a moment, her opponent moved forward at a slow pace and did not bother to use his shieldwatch
. Terra almost struck his throat when he got close. Instead he dodged, the blow grazing him. He frowned before Speeding his movements and slugging Terra in the stomach. Terra fell.
He turned to go while shaking out his hand. “Like punching a rock.”
Terra stood and coughed before resuming her stance. “Hikari hits harder than you do.”
“Hikari?” he said, his eyes growing wide when he saw her watching from the sides. “Not good.”
Terra used the distraction to attack again.
He drew his aeon edge before warding Terra back.
Terra gritted her teeth. She couldn't spar against an aeon edge without one of her own. Just then, an aeon edge hit the ground next to her, tip first. She glanced to the side where she saw the other group of observers. One nodded to her. She took the blade. She still lost when the other tiro out maneuvered her and sliced her through the chest.
Terra lay on the ground for a few moments before the pain faded. After groaning, she stood to see someone nearby. He was about her height and had long hair tied into a pony tail with several locks of silver in it. His face marked him of Asian descent. The man smiled, extending his hand.
Terra returned the aeon edge hilt first. “Thanks. Sorry it was wasted on me.”
He took the blade. “Do you not have an aeon edge?”
Terra shook her head. “No, but I almost have enough points saved up. I have only finished the safety and maintenance qualifiers. I have little aptitude for one though. My focus has been on the shieldwatch instead.”
“Smart. Too many fixate on the aeon edge and forget that a shieldwatch is more decisive in a fight.”
He wore a full legionnaire combat uniform with top grade equipment unlike the hodgepodge of most tirones. A patch on the man's shoulders showed the numeral VII, the number of the Seventh Cohort. Another emblem, a silver dot with two semi circles on either side and a crescent below, showed under the numeral; a captain's insignia. Terra saluted. “Sorry, Captain! I didn't see your rank insignia.”
He laughed. “It's all right, tiro. You may call me Chih. What's your name?”
“Tiro Terra Mason,” she said, relaxing her salute.
Chih nodded before presenting his aeon edge to Terra. “Show me your stance.”
“What?” Terra asked, trying not to fumble the blade in her hand as Chih handed it back to her.
Chih smiled. “Your fighting stance with the aeon edge. Show it to me.”
Terra felt awkward, but she did her best and raised her aeon edge as though to fence.
He shook his head. “Here,” he said as he drew an aeon edged dagger. He faced Terra, aeon edge at an angle with his stance wide and side pointed at her. “Like this.”
Terra did her best to mimic the stance.
“Good. You learn quickly. Solid foundations. More useful, in my opinion, than raw talent.”
“I am still horrible at offense though,” Terra said, handing back the blade.
Chih dismissed the thought with a wave. “Offense you can learn later. Foundations are more important. Let me show you the most important part about having an aeon edge.”
Standing straight with feet together, he lifted the blade in his right hand while placing his left behind his back. He then raised the edge of the blade a few inches from his face with the guard just below his chin. Chih held this pose for a few seconds before swinging his sword out at an angle to his side.
Terra nodded. “An aeon edge salute. You use it before a Trial of Blades, but the person who made me a squire uses it before she fights anyone.”
“She is wise to do so. Always salute your foes even if they don't salute you back. This is important.”
“Do you mind if ask you something, captain?”
“Go ahead.”
“Why are you here?”
Chih gestured to his group that still watched from the sides. “Centurion Geres is up for promotion to the rank of Serdar. The Academy also hosts the officer training program. I myself volunteered for a special program that mixes cohorts together for training. It was designed to reduce the amount of inter-service rivalry between cohorts.”
“Is it working?”
“No, but I use the opportunity to gauge new recruits and search for potential talent. Cohorts also compete for talented tirones after they graduate.”
“Oh... Wait. I thought that a legionnaire trained their squire after they graduated from the Academy?”
“Sometimes yes. It's an old tradition that few use now. Well I suppose Silverwind still does, but she is a special case.”
“Of course,” Terra said, trying not to seem awkward at the mention of Alya. “So why is the salute the most important part?”
“Because being honorable, being good, this is the true foundation of the Aeon Legion. We must be noble, we must shine. If the most powerful cannot bother themselves to be good, then what chance does anyone else have? Do you know which cohort I am from?”
“The Seventh Cohort called the Hunters, I think.”
“Our motto is 'We see the hidden'. We track down evasive temporal criminals, but our most fearsome quarry are legionnaires who have gone rogue.”
“I didn't know that was a problem?”
“It is rare, but sometimes a legionnaire goes rogue. Some use an aeon edge and shieldwatch to conquer. Others grow tired of protecting status quo and instead try to change history, but their attempts always make things worse. They ignore the lessons already paid for in the blood of heroes.”
There was a yell as Hikari defeated the tiro who had beaten Terra. Hikari then pointed to the three remaining tirones on the other team. “I choose all three.”
The other team leader stared, confused. “That won't be fair.”
Hikari shrugged. “True. You would need twice that number, but I do not wish to wait.”
The other team leader gestured for her two teammates to join her when another man approached. Terra turned to see one from Chih's group had made his way to the center of the salient. He had a centurion's emblem on his shoulder under the numeral IX.
Terra gestured to newcomer. “What cohort is he from?”
“Centurion Geres is from the Ninth Cohort. The Slayers. A unit that specializes in search and destroy missions for large targets like the larger varieties of Faceless or Manticores.”
“Manticore?” Terra asked. She hadn't gotten to them yet in her studies.
Chih's expression darkened. “Nasty monsters, like a scorpion that kept growing until it became as big as a palace. The Slayers killed most of them, but a few still remain. They poison the land with their toxins and progeny. It's well armored and smart. Not a good combination. They were an invasive species that infested the Edge several centuries ago. Their biology was so advanced that they could time travel and even their senses worked across time.”
“Oh,” Terra said after considering the implications of such a monster.
“Thankfully,” Chih said with a sigh, “Centurion Reivair stopped them.”
“Who?”
“One of Alya's squires.”
The newcomer, whom Chih had called Geres, faced Hikari and the other team. He had only a single lock of silver in his hair. “I have a new challenge. All of you against me.”
The others hesitated. Finally the other team leader spoke. “Who are you?”
“Centurion Geres and you will address me as such or have they not taught you insignias yet?”
Hikari stared at Geres's aeon edge. Unlike her own dull gray lead weighted blade, Geres's was polished silver in color. “I agree to your challenge only if you hand over your aeon edge if I win.”
Geres grinned and turned to Hikari. “I couldn't do that even if I wished, but I can hand over one of my daggers, Tiro Hikari.”
Hikari paused.
Geres took one of his daggers and tossed it in his hand. “Yes. Your name is known even outside the Academy. Other cohorts are already fighting over who gets you. However, if I win in a Trial of Blades against you, then you agree to
join my cohort as my squire.”
Chih approached Geres. “Centurion, I don't think this wise.”
Geres faced Chih. “So you won't override her refusal, Captain?”
Hikari stepped forward. “I accept.”
Zaid sighed. “Hikari, that's a full legionnaire. Trust me when I say you cannot best him.”
The other strike team leader pointed to Geres. “Hey! What about us?”
Geres shrugged, not taking his eyes off Hikari. “What about you?”
The other team leader fumed and gestured for her team to take up positions around Geres.
Zaid shook his head. “Hikari, this is your fight. I won't help you.”
Chih sighed, rejoining Terra. “Well, just watch. You may learn a few things about swordsmanship from Geres.”
“Is he good?” Terra asked.
Chih nodded. “He has won many recent Trial of Blades. Though his victories have made his boldness grow into foolhardiness.”
The battle ended in a flash. Geres cut down the other strike team in seconds. Terra found herself impressed with Geres's skill. His blows did not have the artistry of Roland's, but had a practiced precision. Hikari lasted longer, but was still defeated after Geres knocked her lead weighted aeon edge out of her hand. Now Hikari lay on the ground, disarmed, with Geres pointing an aeon edge at her throat.
Nikias then entered the salient and paused when he saw the scene. He saluted when he saw Chih. Two more Legionaries joined with Geres.
Chih returned the salute. “No need for that. I am only here to assist Centurion Geres.”
Nikias then glanced back to Geres and spoke in an even tone. “Are you with the officer training program?”
Geres nodded. “Yes. Is there a problem?”
Nikias narrowed his gaze. “I do not appreciate you using the tirones for your training exercises.”
Geres ignored Nikias as he sheathed his aeon edge. He turned to Hikari. “We will take her now.”
Nikias's jaw went slack. “What?”
Geres turned to Nikias. “I said we will take her.”
Nikias clinched his fists. “There is no chance Praetor Lycus will agree to this. Besides. She isn't ready.”
Geres gestured to Hikari. “Yes she is. So what she hasn't been through the Labyrinth? She shouldn't have to. She doesn't need the rest of her strike team. Besides, if we don't take her now some other cohort will poach her before we can get her. Orion and his Shadow Cohort will probably find her. They always get the talented ones.”
Aeon Legion: Labyrinth Page 29
