Aeon Legion: Labyrinth

by Beaubien, J. P.

  A few hours later, Terra strolled by the stone pillar in the courtyard with a new found understanding of what exhausted really was. She glanced up one more time at the stone pillar with a sea of shieldwatches at its base. Terra grimaced. “I wont let you beat me,” she said in a low tone. She had made her choice. A hard choice that she had plenty of time to think about in the strategy study.

  Terra turned her back to the pillar.

  ∞

  The next day's exercise was just as brutal as was shieldwatch practice. Terra felt little confidence when walking into the classroom. Shani was there waiting, like a predator ready to pounce. “Name?”

  “Tiro Terra Mason, centurion!” Terra said in a loud voice, giving her best salute.

  Shani hesitated with a disappointed scowl. “Find a seat, tiro.”

  Terra did so. After the others arrived, class began.

  Shani turned to Terra. “Can you explain the properties of temporal mechanics that make it impossible to meet yourself using time travel?”

  Terra wavered only for a second. “It's called the Instance Effect. When a person time travels for the first time, they become an instance. That instance will override any copy from any other time. In effect, the instance becomes the original as it were. Should an instance travel to another time where they are present, then the instance will override that version in that time, one hundred percent of the time, should their causal fields overlap.”

  Shani nodded. “Can you name the historical event that formed the first nexus?”

  Terra responded faster this time. “Alexander the Great becomes the focal point of the first divide in history. In one continuum he survives long enough to consolidate his empire, leading to prolonged Hellenistic dominance of the Middle East. In another, he dies young and his empire fragments. The third continuum forms when he dies in India and his empire shatters completely.”

  Shani nodded again. “Almost. He is only known as the Great in one of three continua. Can you explain the primary principles of singularity technology.”

  Terra frowned. “I'm sorry, centurion. I don't know that.”

  “Congratulations, tiro. You are caught up to where you should have been yesterday. Am I to be impressed with your supposed academic talent?”

  “No, centurion. Academics is not my talent.”

  Shani raised an eyebrow.

  Terra looked Centurion Shani in the eyes. “My only talent is not knowing when to give up.”

  Chapter XII

  The Summit

  To all centurions. As the first week comes to a close, remain vigilant about point distribution. Naturally points will change hands rapidly, so we all need to keep a close eye on them.

  New optios should note that we look for two things at the end of the first week. First we make sure that the bottom feeders get dusted. Bottom feeders are those who haven't earned a point except by taking it from a weaker tiro. Make up a reason to dock them a point if you must, but get them out of my Academy.

  Second, we salvage anyone who looks like they might improve if given another week. Look for tirones who keep trying and are putting in maximum effort. If they are not giving one hundred percent of their effort, dust them without remorse.

  -Memorandum from Praetor Lycus to all training staff

  Nikias marched to the group that stood ready in the salient for morning exercise. “Attention!”

  The tirones hesitated before snapping to attention, unaccustomed to Nikias calling for discipline. Shani demanded discipline at all times, but she established that expectation at the door to class. Isra fell somewhere in the middle. Nikias's sudden change in demeanor caught Terra and the other tirones off guard.

  Then Praetor Lycus Cerberus entered the salient, baring a vicious wolf like grin. He eyed the tirones with a hungry predatory glare as he looked for weakness. Even Nikias shuffled nervously. Terra noted Nikias's scar was now on his forehead. She would have to ask him about that one day.

  Lycus turned to Nikias. “Status.”

  Nikias gestured to the group. “Praetor. This group is next to worthless. I'd bathe them in wine if I didn't think it would kill them.”

  Lycus walked down the line of tirones. He glared at the first tiro in line who stared at his shieldwatch face. Lycus's snarl returned as he grabbed the tiro's arm before breaking his fingers. “Did you think you are here to video games? Minus one point for getting distracted during inspection.”

  As the tiro cried out in pain, the others snapped to attention with more fervor.

  Lycus then looked to Roland who gave a lazy salute. He stalked over to Roland and slapped his stomach. “Tiro! Stand up straighter!”

  Roland's posture stiffened and his salute became sharp.

  Lycus grinned. “Better. That only cost you one point.”

  Roland shrugged. He had earned two points today and three before that.

  Terra felt her panic rise, but relaxed upon remembering she had no points to lose. She had struggled all week. In classes she had barely answered Shani's grueling questions about singularity science and temporal mechanics. The morning exercises seemed more brutal than usual, as though they were trying to get her to quit.

  Then came martial arts practice which involved getting beat up on a daily basis. Terra thought she must have lost all her teeth several times over. Nikias didn't like it when people held back during sparring. He encouraged tirones to beat one another senseless so long as it was not a one sided battle. She had yet to land a blow, but had become adept at taking them.

  Shieldwatch practice was not as horrid, but still miserable. Each day they would present an obstacle to overcome and each tiro had to attempt it even if they couldn't get their shieldwatches working. Terra was in the latter category. Those with shieldwatch difficulty always failed and suffered for it whether it was falling into ice cold water or stumbling into a literal hornet's nest. Terra still couldn’t figure out how fending off a swarm of hornets had anything to do with learning how to use a shieldwatch.

  Even those who used their shieldwatch often failed, but the few that succeeded earned a point and a reprieve from their misery. Right now Terra would take the reprieve over the point even though she really needed a point. Tomorrow would be her last day to earn one. Though even if she did, she didn't know how to stop someone else from winning it in a Trial of Blades.

  Lycus walked to the next tiro in line. “Sloppy uniform. Your emblems are not leveled correctly. Minus one point.”

  The tiro glared at Lycus, but said nothing.

  He approached the next one, a Celtic girl with bleached white hair who had a bad habit of starting fights with other tirones. Terra thought the girl's name was Gaela? No one bothered to learn anyone's name yet unless they were good like Hikari or sociable like Roland.

  “Harmless tirones should not start fights,” Lycus said in a condescending tone.

  The girl snarled. “Harmless?”

  Lycus's eyes narrowed. “Minus two points for failing to address a superior officer properly.”

  The girl glared at Lycus. “Two points!”

  Lycus's snarl widened.

  “I mean, praetor,” the girl corrected, her hands tightening around the knife at her belt. She spoke in a deliberate tone. “I worked hard for those two points. I think you should give them back.”

  Lycus chuckled. “Or what?”

  The girl held still for a moment before drawing her knife. Lycus moved quickly, his motions blurred. Within a moment the girl's head was in his hands and with a powerful motion, Lycus snapped the girl's neck. She fell down to the ground as a Restore ring ran around her. After a moment she stood dazed.

  “Dusted!” Lycus yelled to the others. “Never attack a superior officer without issuing a formal Trial of Blades challenge.”

  Terra's fear returned after a fresh reminder of how brutal Lycus could be.

  Lycus docked the next two tirones a point as well; one for having a dirty shieldwatch and the other for being too jumpy when Lycus inspected her
.

  Lycus reached Hikari next. “Tiro Hikari Urashima. Even I have heard of that name often enough to grow weary of hearing it. The other instructors may fawn over you, but I am different. I hate people like you; showoffs who get by on talent alone. You have no place here, dustrunner.”

  Hikari's face turned red as she glared at Lycus with hate filled amber eyes.

  Lycus smirked. “Useless piece of trash. You seem to think yourself above everyone else here just because you can beat down a bunch of weak rejects. Make no mistake, for here you walk amongst giants, little girl.”

  Hikari's fists clinched and Terra wondered if Hikari would attack Lycus as the Celtic girl had. Her gaze narrowed as Hikari spoke in a low tone. “I challenge you to a Tri–”

  Nikias stepped forward. “What she means to say, praetor, is that she could not defeat you in a Trial of Blades.”

  Lycus looked at Nikias. “You really think she has a chance?”

  Nikias glared at Hikari with a stern expression. “We are still working on her attitude.”

  Lycus crossed his arms. “She better manage it quickly. I will not tolerate a tiro who fights with their superiors.”

  Hikari tried to speak again, but Nikias shot her a pleading look. She relented, falling silent, her face still flushed with anger.

  Terra gulped as Lycus approached her last, but she did stand with confidence since she had no points to lose.

  Lycus's grin twisted into a wicked snarl. He turned to the other tirones, gesturing at Terra. “Why can't you all be more like her? She is an exemplary tiro. I am awarding her a point.”

  Terra's jaw went slack.

  “I challenge her to a Trial of Blades,” came a nearby voice.

  Terra turned to see who had challenged her. Roland stepped forward, still standing at attention, his blue eyed gaze on Terra. Everyone glared at Roland for challenging Terra first.

  Lycus faced Roland. “Your reason?”

  “She has a point I want,” Roland said.

  Lycus nodded. “Approved.”

  Terra then pieced it together. Lycus had set her up. “I refuse.”

  Lycus sneered. “A superior officer may override your refusal. The challenge will proceed.”

  “May I choose the battlefield, praetor?” Roland asked.

  “Sure. Why not?” Lycus said as he turned to the address the others. Instead his gaze darted to something in the distance. He stood, staring for a long moment.

  “Is something wrong, praetor?” Nikias asked.

  Lycus's eyes narrowed. “Minerva, who was that near classroom six just now?”

  “Reviewing temporal data,” came Minerva’s voice from Lycus's shieldwatch. “Negative results. No one was there.”

  “Maybe I am just seeing things,” Lycus said. He turned to the rest of the tirones. “Just remember that I am watching. Don't get complacent.”

  After Lycus departed, Roland stared at a line of holofaces in front of him, each depicting different scenes. He flipped through several holofaces until he touched one. A ring transformed the salient it into a small waterfall. The water crashed onto the rocks below into a creek filled with large moss covered stones.

  Terra turned to Nikias. “I'll just give him my point and be done with it. I didn't earn it anyway.”

  Nikias pointed to the central courtyard where the pillar was. “You may leave at anytime tiro. If you don't want to fight then go.”

  Terra clenched her fists. Maybe she should quit right now? She couldn't win this fight. Now they all stared at her with a smirk. “I'll fight.”

  Nikias smiled and gestured to the salient. Terra and Roland walked inside and met on opposite sides of a creek.

  The waterfall was noisy, but not deafening. The rocks were slick and difficult to walk on, but she found her balance. Roland marched right out into the water and assumed a defensive stance. Terra didn't hear Nikias say begin, but she had learned that the Academy treated rules more like suggestions.

  Terra assumed her own stance. “Why were you so quick to challenge me? Looking for an easy point? I would expect that from a vulture.”

  Roland's expression did not change as he stood knee deep in the water. He attacked. Roland moved fast, knocking aside Terra's unskilled blows. He grabbed Terra, dragging her waste deep into the cold creek, but he did not hurt her as he held her. Terra could feel his hard muscles when pressed so close. She thought it unfair that Roland possessed such a strong physique as she rarely saw him exercise.

  “What are you doing?” Terra asked, still struggling.

  Roland grinned. “Resting. If I am fighting you, then I am not suffering one of their trials. Besides, I want my point back and you will be dusted on the morrow.”

  Terra pushed against his strong hold. “You stupid lit–”

  Roland pressed his arm against Terra's neck tight enough to cut off her insult. “Ah. There it is. That bluntness.” He twisted her in his strong arms, turning her to face the tirones watching the distance. Roland spoke softly into Terra's ear while he held her. “You see those people over there? They wouldn't be so gentle in my place right now.”

  Terra gasped for breath as she struggled.

  Roland held her as surely as water flowed around the stones in the creek. “Perhaps if you attempt this training again, you would do well to consider smoothing out that bluntness. Hikari? She can get away with being rude to others. You cannot.”

  Terra ceased her struggling.

  Roland kept Terra locked in one arm and pointed to the flowing water. “You see the stream? That's what you need to be like. The stream flows around hard stone and softens it. Me? I'm like water. Nothing can hurt me and I always go the path of least resistance.”

  Roland then dropped her to the ground, but broke her fall. She rolled to the ground without so much as a bruise.

  Nikias walked to the bank of the stream.

  Roland faced Nikias. “She is beaten. Where is my point?”

  Nikias touched a holoface over his shieldwatch. Terra's own shieldwatch beeped and when she glanced down the face read Point Total 0.

  ∞

  It was the last day of the first week. Terra still hadn't earned a single point. A large number had quit this morning and more would be dusted this evening. Many fought in the courtyard today, challenging each other to a Trial of Blades in an attempt to steal one point. Instructors never allowed refusals. Most didn't bother to challenge rising stars like Hikari who they knew was no easy target. Instead they looked for easy prey who had one or two points.

  Terra discovered a score board in the central courtyard with points totals listed for all tirones including points gained, spent, and lost. Hikari ranked first with twenty five points. Terra ranked last with one point earned and one lost for a total of zero.

  Terra had hoped the instructors would be generous given that this was the last day to earn a point. That hope proved futile. Exercise seemed even more brutal today as they were forced to swim in freezing water followed by another four mile run on a glacier. Classes after that forced her to endure a grueling test on time travel machines. That left shieldwatch training this evening and Terra still hadn't figured out how to make the stupid device work.

  She was on break now. The instructors had allowed a break so tirones would have more time to fight over points. As Terra still hadn't landed a single punch in sparring, she didn't bother with duels. Instead she used the time to get away from the Academy for a little while.

  She made her way to a small forested hill and sat down at the base of a tree for some reading. A light breeze blew around her as she looked across to the Academy. When Terra relaxed, she heard soft footsteps nearby and turned to see Alya approaching.

  Alya grinned. “Ages, Terra. Making progress?”

  “Yeah. Thanks for the help, by the way,” Terra said in a sardonic tone as she stood, glaring at Alya.

  “Difficulties?” Alya said, moving closer. After looking Terra over, Alya nodded approvingly.

  “Difficulties? I'
ve failed every physical test and I've yet to even hit someone in sparring practice, which by the way, you didn't tell me involved actual pain. The teachers expect me to know everything before I even step into the classroom. I've only scored a single point that I lost to a Trial of Blades! The last day I have to score a point is today or I'll be dusted!”

  “Points? Is that what they're using now? When I joined the Legion we had no training program. Our teachers were winds of war and our lessons one of blood and loss. You are fortunate that you receive actual instruction.”

  “Fortunate? I'm about to fail! I suffered through all this because I thought you saw some kind of special talent in me or something!” Terra's rant ended in her panting as the wind gusted around her.

  Alya stared expressionless at Terra for a long moment before laughing. “Talent? You? Crash. The only talent you have is being a mildly spoiled, only child.”

  Terra's fists loosened while her gaze dropped to the ground. “You mean I have no talent? But you said that I had something in me that made you choose me as your squire?”

  “Yes. You have a quality I seek in my squires. However, that part of you is not yet fully developed. How do diamonds form?”

  “Heat and pressure.”

  “I am the craftsman and jeweler, not the miner. Counting seconds for you like a child holds no interest to me. Time travel mechanics, singularity science, continua history, these are all dull subjects that are equally dull to explain. Time is too wondrous a thing to waste on drab technical terms. I will allow others to do this.”

  “What if I just give up?” Terra said as her brow lowered. Maybe that would get a rise out of her? she thought.

  Alya shrugged. “If the diamond breaks, then it was no diamond and I misjudged. You won't quit though. You're too stubborn for that.”

  “So will you at least teach me something so I can get past the first week?”

  “Aion no. My lesson would be wasted. Your connection with time hasn't formed yet, though I suspect it will soon. I just came by to see your current state. I am quite satisfied with the results so far.”