Aeon Legion: Labyrinth (16 page)

The holographic image
disappeared before the plate lowered to the floor going dark. “I am
sorry, Terra Mason. I am not authorized to show you that
information.”

Terra sighed. “The one time
I want spoilers,” she said as she thought. This was all interesting
enough, but it didn't help her current predicament. “Minerva, I
don't suppose you could show me something that could help me get into
the training?”

“That is a broad context. If
you could narrow your inquiry, I may be able to help you.”

Terra thought for a moment.
“What about something relevant to recruit quality?”

The graphic changed again,
revealing an Academy classroom filled with military officers, though
they wore different uniforms than the Legion. A commanding woman
stood in the center of the class. She wore a silver crown that
complemented her beautifully designed and ornate dress appearing as a
cross between royal attire and a sharp military uniform. She stood
tall with a regal bearing.

“That is a good question,”
she said to one officer. “If I had to choose a single most
important quality in a soldier, it would be courage. Superior
training and equipment are certainly not disadvantages, but a well
trained, equipped, and experienced soldier is still worthless when
fleeing battle. Every force takes the most casualties when
retreating. This is as true of the battlefields of Time as it is in
the battles of history.”

“Who is this?” Terra
asked.

“This was Time Queen
Ananke,” Minerva said. “During the reign of the Kings and Queens
of Time, she administered this Academy and used it for her officer
training program. She is considered the foremost expert on post time
warfare.”

“How do you identify courage
then?” asked an officer.

The holo projection of Ananke
paced the room. “I would accept a recruit who hesitated in front of
the wolf's den, knowing the danger over the recruit who charges
without hesitation. One denotes acknowledgment of their fear and the
other overconfidence in their talent. Only those who acknowledge fear
have any chance of overcoming it. Cultivating budding courage is far
easier than overcoming narcissism and hubris.”

Terra's eyes went wide when
she realized. Courage. It was so simple. She had no other qualities.
One girl had got in by fighting with a Spartan. Roland had got in
with his silver tongue which, while unfair, was still a skill. Both
were talents Terra did not have. All she had to show for was her one
brave act in the library. She had to showcase that quality and there
was only one way she could think of to do that. To move forward, she
had to face Praetor Lycus Cerberus.

The second are the
vultures. These are brutes who take from those weaker than
themselves. Vultures never make it through the training. They are
only useful as examples of what not to do.

-Excerpt
from Chapter Three of the Aeon Legion's
Squire Recruitment Manual
by Praetor Lycus Cerberus

T
erra
gathered
her courage as she stared ahead at the office of Praetor
Lycus Cerberus. Before she could knock, the door faded and a tall
dark haired man walked out with a self satisfied smirk on his face.
The man didn't so much walk as saunter out of Lycus's office. She
wondered if his dark blue futuristic armor gave him his confidence.

“Yes. Vand, you will be an
excellent example to the other recruits,” came Lycus's voice from
the office.

Terra peeked in to see Lycus
half obscured in shadows. A wolfish grin drew across his face as
though he was about to jump the man walking out of his office and
tear his throat out. That grin made Terra shiver while the man named
Vand seemed oblivious.

Terra struggled to rebuild the
courage that Lycus had undone with one terrible grin. After a moment
to gather her nerves, she entered.

It was dark with seamed black
and gray metal walls, more like a den or dungeon than an office.
There was no exterior window and a blue glow from a nearby holoface
cast an eerie, otherworldly light in the office. It was as though
Terra stood before the gates of the underworld.

To her right was a shelf with
a collection of odd objects, memorabilia, and what she guessed were
war trophies. A black smooth oval mask lay on the top shelf with a
red wing emblem painted on it. It lay next to an old stained photo of
a man in a strange uniform with his family. Nearby, a stationary
holoface displayed a full color group picture of twelve individuals.
They stood in two rows, each dressed in full legion armor and holding
aeon edges. Terra recognized Alya, Orion, and Lycus in the holoface
display though none had silver hair.

Lycus sat at his desk, the
blue light illuminating his sharp featured face. Terra was thankful
he no longer grinned, but now he instead stared intently as though
seeing right through her. It was as if he had a different face now.
Not the predatory, grinning monster, but a cold emotionless face.

Terra stood straighter as she
approached. She planned for this encounter the best she could. He
likely wouldn't recognize her. “Sir. I am Terr–”

“I know who you are, Terra
Mason,” he said, his cold gaze unwavering. “Some of the
instructors complained of your persistence.”

Terra hesitated. “Well then
I–”

“I know who made you a
squire so don't bother with that tactic. Silverwind may have chosen
you, but that means little to me. If anything, it puts you at a
disadvantage. You certainly don't measure up to Kairos who got in on
her own merit.”

Terra glared at Lycus.

“I am not letting you in,”
he said plainly.

Terra clinched her fists. “Let
me guess. It's because I'm not a soldier, or maybe I just have no
talent. More than one said it was because I hadn't killed in combat
yet. The rest just said I wouldn't make it. So what's your excuse?”

Lycus expression remained
cold. “You talk a lot about wanting to join, but you ignore the
warnings others are giving you. We are doing you a favor. You will
not endure this training even after your little bit of exercise at
the acceleration gyms.”

“Alya believes in me.”

Lycus sneered. “What do you
think this training is? Do you think you are some kind of superhero
who gains and masters her powers in an instant?”

Terra raised an eyebrow.

Lycus grinned, a hint of the
snarl he showed Vand flashed in that grin. “I am familiar with
American culture from your time.” His tone turned cold. “It is a
culture steeped in entertainment and luxury. You see yourself as the
protagonist of a story who follows a mythic arc. You are not. You are
a spoiled child from a middle class home. Now you come here to my
Academy without knowing what truly awaits you here. This training
isn't a montage. Mastering a shieldwatch takes months in addition to
all of the other skills you must learn. Nothing will be given.
Everything must be earned. Now you dare to come into this office and
ask to be admitted to the training. What ignorance. What audacity. No
wonder you hesitate at the door after seeing your first real
obstacle. Such a fearful heart has no place here.”

Terra paused. She had heard of
Lycus's brutality, but she hadn't expected him to be so
knowledgeable. Terra studied Lycus. His hostile tone did not match
his cold expression. He searched for something, testing her. She
wondered what he was looking for. Then she answered. “Only those
who acknowledge fear have any chance of overcoming it.”

Lycus paused. “Time Queen
Ananke. Lectures on Post Time Warfare.” He looked to the shelf full
of memorabilia, his expression became distant.

Terra observed Lycus's
demeanor again. He had changed. She watched as his gaze locked on one
of the objects on the shelf, his face betraying a hint of remorse.

“Still, more is needed than
a sharp mind,” he said before looking back to Terra. “Why are you
so unyielding in your pursuit of this?”

Terra thought for a moment. “I
became a squire when I st–”

“Yes. I read the report.
Impressive,” Lycus said, his tone mocking. “You stopped a time
traveler from stealing a library book. Dumb luck does not make you a
soldier.”

“I don't want to be a
soldier! I want to be a heroine! Although I'm no soldier, I still
faced one head-on without any crazy time powers.” Terra looked away
while speaking in a low tone. “My whole life I've done nothing but
hide.” She then looked straight into Lycus's eyes. “Then someone
told me I was a heroine and I could be a better one. If someone told
you that, then wouldn't you make the most of that opportunity? I
don't want to hide anymore.”

Lycus's wolfish grin returned.
The grin became more terrible as the shadows crept over him when he
leaned back. “Oh that was almost good.”

A cold chill shot through
Terra's spine as her instincts told her to run. Lycus looked like a
different person. His face, his terrible snarl, looked so different
from the remorseful man she had just spoken to or the cold one before
that. She held firm, refusing to move even after seeing this third
face of his.

Lycus snarled as his hand went
to the hilt of his aeon edge. “Those are bold words, Terra Mason.
Will you stand by them?”

Terra stared at the terrifying
man, his teeth bared in a horrible smile. Jaw clenched, she stood
straight and met his predatory glare. “I won't hide or run. Once I
decide to do something, I don't back down!”

It happened in a flash.

Lycus drew his aeon edge and
slashed downward. The blade descended towards her with incredible
force, the edge aimed right between her eyes. Panic shot through her,
but there was a part of her that told herself to hold. Her panic
fought with her wisdom that knew this was a test of resolve. She
wouldn't back down even if Lycus smashed her head in with his blade.
She wouldn't let him win. Terra didn't flinch.

The aeon edge stopped inches
above her head as the wind from the swing flowed over her. Terra's
breath and heart beat caught up with her seconds later.

Lycus's grin faded and after a
moment he withdrew the blade before sheathing it. His expression
became blank before he sat and touched a nearby holoface.

Terra blinked. The panic bled
away as the color returned to her face. She scowled, clenching her
fists. “Hey! That was rea–”

“You're in,” Lycus
interrupted without even glancing at Terra as he finished typing on a
holoface.

“What?”

“I have registered you in
the program. Training starts tomorrow at 0:600 hours. Be sure to pick
up your uniform at the armory then find your assigned dormitory
room,” Lycus said as he turned to Terra. His expression and voice
remained cold. “Tiro Terra Mason, you have proven you have more
than words. Now I want to see the steel in you.”

∞

Terra
arrived for the first day of training wearing her Academy uniform.
Form fitting, but comfortable, the design was similar to a wetsuit.
Like everything else in the city it was a matte white with blue
edges. Blue hex patterned patches on the sides of the torso extended
all the way down to the legs. A thin blue strip outlined the slightly
thicker shoulders. The upper arms displayed an embossed golden
infinity symbol above the words
Novus
.
While the uniform lacked pockets, it came with a belt that had
several pouches. Thick white combat boots didn't match the sleek
suit, but fit well.

Terra stopped at the gate,
looking out into the courtyard. Other recruits gathered there. Terra
passed through the gate into the main training courtyard. She found
it surprising that no one had yelled at her in the morning like boot
camp. Instead she woke early and got herself ready.

A stage stood towards the back
while a metal wall encircled the courtyard with several buildings
built into it. At the center of the courtyard was a tall, carved
stone pillar. The optios herded recruits in a line for inspection.
When the recruits reached the end of the line, an optio assigned them
to one of several groups who stood in formation. Each formation
consisted of twenty five recruits arranged in five rows of five.