Orion let out a long tired sigh. “All the evidence we have points to her. We don't have conclusive evidence yet, but I don't think we can afford to hold on to hope for this one.”
“Is she right? About Time collapsing I mean.”
Orion shook his head. “Impossible. We researched the effects of a shieldwatch thoroughly. There is no way it could cause a disaster on the scale Kairos claims. She must have another goal or she is being manipulated.”
“Manipulated? By who?”
“Who knows. We never found out who or what made the Faceless. She also went to the Beginning of Time. No one has ever come back from that unchanged, though most of them usually don't try to kill everyone.”
“What are they like?”
Orion thought for a moment. “Most who return from the Beginning of Time only to approach one specific person, usually family or a loved one. They give them cryptic information or more often to say goodbye before disappearing back into the Beginning again. A few come back, raving about ascension or some such nonsense and start trying to hunt down singularities. Time King Ophion did that. That man came back mad.”
“What about if they come back from the End of Time?”
“She's lying. It's impossible. No one returns from the End of Time, save for Faceless.”
The door faded and Terra could hear the guard outside.
“I am sorry, Centurion Silverwind. You are not allowed inside,” the guard said as Alya brushed past him.
Alya marched into the room followed by the guard.
The guard turned to Orion. “I am sorry, sir. I tried to–”
“It's all right,” Orion said while dismissing the guard. “Actually, Alya, I'm glad you're here.”
The guard left before the door faded back.
Alya moved to Terra and inspected her. “Are you okay?”
Terra nodded. “Just exhausted. I'll be fine.”
Orion stood and faced Alya. His expression turned cold as though bracing himself for a storm. “Alya. I am putting you on leave until further notice.”
Alya turned to Orion. “What?”
Orion kept his cold gaze locked on Alya. “This is Kairos, you don't need to be the one chasing her. You are too emotionally involved in this case. Consul Prometheus will agree with me. I think it is best you focus on something else for a while.”
Alya grimaced. “I know her best. I'll hunt Kairos down and I will kill her myself if I have to. You can't stop me, Orion.”
Orion spoke in an even tone. “You are emotionally compromised, Alya.”
Alya's fists clinched. “At least I'm not soulless and can still feel emotions!”
Orion's expression softened.
Alya turned away. “Sorry, Orion. I didn't mean that.”
Orion shook his head. “It's okay. Look, Alya. You have enough burdens as it is. Let the other Legendary Blades handle this. Please?”
Alya faced Orion. “Terra.”
Terra looked at Alya.
“Let's go,” Alya said in a cold tone as she regarded Orion one last time before leaving the room.
Terra turned to follow Alya.
Terra followed Alya out of the timeport as she avoided onlookers as usual. Alya stopped on a long windswept metal bridge. She swayed for moment before grabbing the side and putting her hand over her mouth.
Terra took a step forward. “Are you okay?”
Alya stood for a long moment before composing herself. “My only squire to survive. The greatest of them. The one who saved us from the Faceless, who saved this city and now she is trying to kill us. I wanted so badly to see her again, but not like this.”
Chapter XXXIV
The Reforged Blade
And so a tiro comes to the end of a journey. However, this is merely the start of a career in the Aeon Legion. Some may squire under the legionnaire who found them. Others join a cohort for specialization. A few are even allowed a short leave back to their home time, provided it does not disrupt the flow of the continuum.
Consider though, that this new journey is far more perilous than any test the Academy could design. Comrades will be lost, personal sacrifices will be required, and life in the Aeon Legion can be brutally short. Defending history may require the ultimate sacrifice, but a legionnaire already knows this. What many are not prepared for is when one of our own strays from the path.
Battle calls to us. Every aeon edge can become starved for blood. Without realizing it, even the best of us can become monsters. When you choose a squire, are you prepared to run a blade through them when they become a villain? Ours is a journey through blood. Never forget this.
-Closing words of the Aeon Legion's Squire Recruitment Manual by Praetor Lycus Cerberus
Terra stood silent amongst the endless field of blades in Kairos's Garden as Alya added another aeon edge. It was the second today, with first being Zaid's. Alya plunged the tip of the aeon edge Cerberus into the soil.
Terra regarded the garden. Birds sang in the bright day as flowers swayed in the wind. Now the spring outside the garden matched the spring within it. “How could someone who made all this be so brutal?”
Alya stared at Cerberus for a long while. “It's a lesson.”
“A lesson?”
Alya nodded. “It's a reminder of how easy it is to fall into darkness. Sometimes, it's not our weaknesses that make us a villain, but our strengths.”
Terra raised an eyebrow as Alya walked through the garden. Alya stopped in front of Kairos's blade as Terra followed.
Alya glanced at Kairos's black rose covered blade. “Conviction, self sacrifice, and a willingness to do anything to save people. She still possesses all of these. Although her delusion is the source of her fall, without her strengths she wouldn't be able to harm others so effectively. There will be more bloodshed before this is done.”
Terra looked at the aeon edge and fell silent as she remembered the terrifying battle between Cerberus and Kairos. She wrapped her arms around herself and felt cold despite the heat of the sun.
Alya smiled. “Well I guess there is no reason to worry about it at the moment.” She then grabbed Kairos's aeon edge by the handle and lifted it out of the ground as the black roses fell away.
“What are you going to do with that?”
Alya lifted the aeon edge before resting the flat of the blade on her shoulder. “This is a garden for remembering those fallen in battle. Kairos is still alive so there is no need for her aeon edge here.”
Terra started to ask another question.
“Don't worry about Kairos,” Alya interrupted. “She is my responsibility. Have they told you if you have passed the Labyrinth yet?”
“Well I'm not sure. I didn't make it to the final trial. I walked back to the Academy after that night and tried convince them to let me take the final trial. They told me it was too late, but they would review my case.”
Alya grinned. “Well it doesn't matter. Even if they say you failed, I am still taking you as my squire. The crashing bureaucrats can cry if they wish. I consider you a full legionnaire.”
Terra looked down. “I didn't feel much like a legionnaire during the fight with Kairos. I thought I had come so far, but I was helpless.”
Alya put her hand on Terra's shoulder. “Listen Terra. You are stronger, wiser, and braver than you once were. It's a great improvement over the timid girl I found hiding in that quarry.”
∞
They all stood in formation for the last time. There was solemness about the day even though training was finished. A melancholy mood contrasted with the bright spring day and beaming sun. Lycus Cerberus was dead. They had just finishing honoring his memory before the centurions awarded aeon edges.
It was strange that his death seemed to hang over the entire ceremony. He had been everyone's enemy, yet that enemy had shaped them more than their allies in the training. Lycus had challenged each of them, tested every weakness and like a skilled blacksmith, had reforged them all into something stronger.
&
nbsp; Terra noted how few remained. Less than a hundred stood now of what had started in the thousands. There had been a handful of deaths in the Labyrinth, Zaid among them.
The thought of Zaid made Terra sigh. He should be here to receive his aeon edge, she thought. She wasn't even a full legionnaire and had already lost a friend.
Nikias stepped up to the platform. “Today you receive your aeon edge. When called, you will approach the platform to receive your blade. Those who do not were judged to have failed the Labyrinth. They will get another chance in a special remedial program should we feel they deserve it.”
Shani then stepped forward. “The Sybil shall give you your blade. It is not yet named. The name you give your blade will be your alias within the Aeon Legion.”
“Tiro Roland Delmare!” Nikias called.
Roland walked up on stage and saluted.
Shani faced him. “Tiro Roland Delmare! You are adaptable and cunning, able to surmount complex problems with simple solutions. When temptation came to abandon your comrades, you stayed behind and helped them. Such a person is more than worthy to carry the rank of legionnaire.”
Decima approached Roland, holding an aeon edge wrapped in fine white silk with the grip facing him. He grabbed grip gingerly and drew it in a slow motion.
Decima stepped back. “The tides of blue helped us design this blade. The flow of river water gave us its inspiration. It is a worthy blade made for a great knight baptized in a river. It is made for you and you alone.”
It was a longsword length blade with a standard tip. Small etched grooves, like waves, decorated the flat of the blade while a stripe of deep blue ran in its center. This was an aeon edge designed for cutting or stabbing, a versatile weapon for a versatile fighter. He held in his hands, feeling the weight and balance. After a quick flourish he smiled.
“Tiro Roland Delmare!” Nikias yelled.
Roland stood at attention.
Nikias saluted Roland. “You are hereby promoted to the rank of legionnaire! Welcome to the Aeon Legion, Legionnaire Roland Delmare!”
Roland walked off the stage moments later.
“Tiro Hikari Urashima!” called Nikias.
Hikari approached the stage and saluted.
Shani faced her. “Tiro Hikari Urashima. It has been some time since we have been graced with one who possesses so much raw talent. Your combat skills are unmatched and your dedication and passion are your best qualities. We are proud to award you your aeon edge.”
Decima approached Hikari while presenting the grip of the aeon edge to her. Like the others, it lay wrapped in silk. Hikari grabbed the grip and drew it fast. “It's still warm,” Hikari said, staring wide eyed at the weapon. The blade was thinner than Roland's with a curved tip; an aeon edge made for quick cutting blows.
Decima grinned. “This one was difficult to make. We spent much time in Caminus forging it. We had to use an intense fire to make the metal tame. That is its inspiration. The inferno, endless flames shown us this design. This blade is for a warrior forged in fire. It is made for you alone.”
Hikari gave a deep bow to the Sybil and to the instructors.
“Tiro Hikari Urashima!” Nikias yelled.
Hikari faced them and saluted.
Nikias saluted back. “You are hereby promoted to the rank of legionnaire! Welcome to the Aeon Legion, Legionnaire Hikari Urashima!”
Soon Hikari joined Roland and Terra.
Terra felt a surge of panic when the centurions didn't call her name next. One by one the tirones claimed their blades. Then no more were called.
Nikias turned to Decima. “Is that all?”
Decima nodded. “Yes. That is all the new aeon edges.”
Nikias turned to wrap up the ceremony when Terra heard a voice from her shieldwatch.
“Tiro Terra Mason?” a man asked.
Terra touched her shieldwatch's holoface and answered the call. “Yes.”
“Please report to the Academy Gardens immediately.”
∞
Terra walked through the forest and when she neared the garden she saw two legionnaires guarding it. Both had the emblem of the Third Cohort, the Guardians. The Guardians were bodyguards of important figures in the Legion.
“He is waiting for you,” one said before gesturing to Kairos's Garden that lay ahead.
Terra straightened her uniform and walked into the garden. She reached the field of blades before spotting a figure in white ahead that she recognized as Consul Prometheus. He stood in front of several blades, looking down at them with a solemn expression.
“Terra Mason,” he said in a friendly tone when he saw her approach. “I am sorry for interrupting the ceremony, but there are important matters to discuss first.”
Terra saluted after remembering protocol.
Prometheus smiled. “Oh don't worry about protocol. You have no idea how tiring that gets after a few hundred years.”
“Is this about the incident with Cerberus? I already told Orion everything I know.”
Prometheus nodded. “Yes, but there are things I would like to ask you directly.”
“Yes, consul.”
Prometheus's eyes narrowed as he placed his hand on the grip of his aeon edge. Terra felt a chill as she looked at the older man. She could sense an edge to him, much like with Lycus, a hidden strength masked by a paternal air.
“Who was it?” he asked, his tone cold.
Terra frowned as she looked to where Alya had taken Kairos's blade. “It was Kairos. I don't know why she is trying to kill people now,” Terra said before looking back at Prometheus. “She is though. I don't understand everything that's going on. I thought Kairos was a heroine. What could make someone turn into a monster like that?”
Prometheus studied her with a critical expression. Then he shifted his gaze to where Kairos's blade had rested. “I read the entire report on the incident. Not just the part with Kairos, but the part where you fought a man named Hanns. That was impressive. Do not allow anyone tell you otherwise. Jumping into his home time, facing him in his base. That was a bit of heroics I haven't seen since Kairos. Silverwind chose well.”
Terra blushed at the compliment.
He then faced her and smiled again. “I wanted to speak with you in order to take your measure for myself. Alya sees something in you as do I. I was worried at first, but now I am convinced you are what we need.”
Terra's brow furrowed. “Consul?”
Prometheus smiled before touching his shieldwatch's holoface. “Minerva, it seems we will need that blade after all. Let Sybil Nona know that I am waiting in Kairos's Garden. Also, see to those other small details. You know how irate Orion gets if I withhold information from him for too long.”
“Yes Founder,” came Minerva's voice from his shieldwatch.
He then looked back to Terra. “Yes. You are exactly what we need.”
“For what?”
Prometheus smiled again and looked at two approaching figures.
Terra's brow raised, but her questions had to wait when she recognized Alya walking with a Sybil.
The Sybil Nona held a sour expression while she carried something in a white silk cloth.
Alya smiled upon seeing Terra before turning to Prometheus. “Thank you for keeping this quiet.”
Prometheus nodded. “It is best we keep this secret for now.”
Nona nodded. “I am not sure why you had us reforge this, Founder, but it is done. We had to wipe away a lot of dirt and stone stuck in the old blackened steel. We purified it. The new metal is now virgin pearl Saturn City steel. I do wonder why we cannot see the fate of this reforged blade, especially considering its origin.”
“Thank you Nona,” Prometheus said as he took the silk covered item from the Sybil. He unwrapped it to reveal an aeon edge. “You cannot see the fate of this blade because fate will not deliver it to its new owner. This is a blade of choice, not one fit for a Qadar. Right now, we don't need a hero of fate. We need one of choice. You are dismissed.”
>
Nona bowed before retreating. Prometheus then approached and presented the blade, grip first, to Terra.
Terra's breath caught when she saw the aeon edge. It was pearl white and shimmered more than any aeon edge she had seen earned that day. This aeon edge's design was made of solid unmarked steel. Although shorter than Roland's by a span, it had the same pointed tip. The plain design made Terra think that it suited her, but what really held her awe was that the design itself was familiar to her. This was Kairos's old blade reforged.
Prometheus and Alya looked to Terra as she stood, hesitant. Terra reached slowly towards the aeon edge. It was in this moment that Terra faced her true test. The aeon edge in front of her was her greatest achievement, but taking it would be the first step on a path from which she could not return. For a moment she considered not taking it as her hand shied away from the grip. She knew that taking that sword was the first step towards Kairos. She may have to take a life with this weapon.
Terra closed her eyes before grabbing the aeon edge. Her hands wrapped around the pearl steel grip as the cold of the metal sank into her hand. As she lifted the blade, Terra opened her eyes. The blade felt like a feather between her fingers, not at all like the clunky training blades. It was perfect.
“Tiro Terra Mason!” Prometheus said in a deep, powerful voice.
Terra stood at attention while noting just how commanding Prometheus could be.
“You are hereby promoted to the rank of legionnaire!” He said before saluting Terra. “Welcome to the Aeon Legion, Legionnaire Terra Mason!”
∞
A reception soon followed the graduation ceremony. A lot of the officers from various cohorts were there, talking to the graduates. Hikari had a small mob around her. The mob cleared out when Legionaries from the Second Cohort appeared and talked to Hikari alone.
The officers ignored Terra since she assumed they looked at performance records during training. When someone approached, Terra found herself caught off guard. She relaxed when she saw Captain Chih.
Chih returned Terra's salute. “Legionnaire Terra Mason. I am pleased to see you made it.”
Aeon Legion: Labyrinth Page 43
