Aeon Legion: Labyrinth (20 page)

Lycus's smile twisted into a
toothy snarl as he grabbed Vand's head while placing his foot on
Vand's back. “I despise war criminals,” Lycus muttered before he
pulled. The sound of Vand's neck snapping echoed as Lycus pulled.
Vand then fell to the ground limp as a Restore ring passed over him.

To Terra's surprise, Vand did
not die. Once the ring passed over him, he shook his head and stood
as though uninjured. “Where am I? Who are you?”

Lycus gestured to Vand.
“Should your nervous system be damaged enough, then a Restore will
erase your memories. Naturally you will be dismissed from the
program.”

Two optios escorted Vand off
the stage.

Lycus walked to the front of
the stage. “You will find your schedules on the large holofaces
near the central courtyard. Failure to follow your schedule will
result in termination from the program. Dismissed.”

The other tirones turned to
leave.

Lycus grinned. “One last
thing. Let Vand be an example. I am the only bully allowed here.”

Attrition rates during the
first day are standard for this run. Many have questioned the wisdom
of such an early cull of tirones, however I have found it greatly
increases performance and saves lives. My data proves this. After
implementing the three trials of entry, survival rates in the
Labyrinth went up twenty percent. Those who are unwilling to get
dirty, endure pain, or fight tend to dust out and the rest usually
die in the Labyrinth. Others would also criticize my use of Vand as
an example. I do so hate war criminals. I need to be the villain of
this Academy, not Vand. Bullies have no place in my Legion.

-From the personal logs of
Praetor Lycus Cerberus

Once
again
, Terra had to make herself wake at an early hour. She had
received her schedule and found
Morning
Formation
first on the list. It was at 5:00 am. She dressed in her training
uniform and jogged to the courtyard as the sun dawned. Their
formation stood again at twenty five as the centurions had condensed
it with another small group.

Nikias joined their group.
“All right! Morning exercise!”

He led them in a jog. They
passed the stone pillar in the center of the courtyard where a large
collection of shieldwatches lay at the base.

Terra found morning exercise
extremely difficult by her standards. She had worked hard the past
few weeks, trying to get into shape. While stronger, she was nowhere
near ready. Nikias turned a large salient into a rocky, burning hot
desert. Terra sweated and puffed as they ran across the salient.

She arrived last after what
seemed like an eternity while those already there panted at the edge
of the salient. Terra almost collapsed and thanked God, Aion, or
whatever the deity of Saturn City was that it was finished.

Nikias grinned, not even
winded. Terra noticed that Nikias's scar was above his left eyebrow
now. Was she hallucinating? After a moment he changed the salient
into volcanic wasteland. Pools of lava collected on the surface while
metal bridges crossed them.

Terra went pale. “You have
got to be joking?”

“I know! They really need to
make this run more difficult,” Nikias said as he motioned for the
rest of the tirones to follow. After a moment, Terra jogged after
them, lagging behind.

They crossed the salient three
more times with each terrain worse than the last. Nikias explained
the salient's diameter was roughly a mile. A few of the more fit
tirones earned a point for making the entire run in under a time
limit. Terra barely finished, well over the time limit.

The optios offered them
drinks. Others hesitated after seeing it wasn't water. Terra
recognized the strange liquid. It helped heal the body after exercise
so she drank it down. Nausea followed, but it passed within seconds
as did the throbbing pain in her legs. She felt good at having at
least made it, if only barely. Her good feeling didn't last long.

Then came the other exercises.
Pushups, pullups, stretches, calisthenics, and a dozen other
exercises all in terrible burning heat. The optios would give water
to anyone who looked ready to pass out. Terra suspected they
monitored everyone's vitals.

“Excellent!” Nikias yelled
after the last repetition of situps. “Time for a break!”

Everyone breathed a long sigh
of relief and collapsed on the ground, panting.

Nikias rubbed his hands
together. “The break today is hand to hand combat, the best part of
the day.”

Terra felt too weary to groan
in protest.

Nikias transformed the
surrounding area into a heated iron works building. They stood on a
stone floor surrounded by red hot forges. Terra felt the heat wash
over her as the fires burned to the sides.

Nikias walked in the center of
the group, speaking loud so all could hear, “Exhausted?”

Everyone nodded.

“Good!” he said, laughing.
“If you can fight while exhausted, then you can fight while rested.
Now I will explain the rules of sparring practice. Don't kill your
opponent.”

A tiro raised an eyebrow.
“That's it?”

Nikias grinned. “Weapons,
groin attacks, gouging eyes, it's all fair so long as you do not
injure your opponent's head too much. A shieldwatch Restore can heal
injuries instantly.”

A tiro toward the back stepped
forward. He was tall with a muscular build, but was missing most of
his teeth and wore a dirty tunic. “So this machine makes me
immortal? What's to stop me? I could just take this machine and
conquer any time I pleased.”

Nikias's grin widened to show
teeth. “Interesting idea, tiro. Let's test it,” he said while
drawing his aeon edge. He then attacked in a blur of motion, slashing
at the tall tiro.

The tiro screamed and fell
bleeding from a slash on his chest.

Terra jumped upon seeing blood
splatter on the floor.

The tiro struggled to find his
shieldwatch's holoface menu that could Restore him. After a few
seconds he touched it and a ring ran around him, erasing the wound.

Nikias shook his head. “I
hope they learn mental commands soon. Regardless, a Restore can heal
almost any wound. However...”

The tall tiro stood only for
Nikias to plunge the aeon edge into the tiro's shoulder, pinning him
to the ground. The tiro screamed, but the optios stood by, passive,
as though this were business as usual.

The tiro squirmed while the
aeon edge still pierced his shoulder. “It hurts! Stop!”

Nikias rolled his eyes. “Stop
blubbering like an Athenian after an election. It's just a bit of
pain. Why don't you use a Restore again?”

The tiro struggled to touch
his shieldwatch again, but this time the ring didn't form.

After a moment Nikias withdrew
the blade and touched a holoface near his shieldwatch which Restored
the tiro. Nikias then turned to the other tirones. “Remember this
well. A shieldwatch cannot Restore you under three conditions; one if
you die from head injury or blood loss, two if the shieldwatch is out
of power or not attached to your body, or three, when a singularity
artifact or another complex living creature is within the Restore
ring's area of effect. An aeon edge is singularity technology. So
long as you are impaled by it or it is within range of your Restore
ring, then you cannot Restore.”

Terra ignored the entire
speech and instead stared wide eyed at the large pool of blood on the
ground.

Nikias gestured for the tiro
to return to the group. “Thank you for being a good example. I'll
give you a free Restore. Now let's begin sparring. I will have you
fight in your native style first so I can gauge each tiro's martial
skill. If you win a sparring match, then you get a point and the
option to fight the next opponent. Lose the next fight and you lose
two points. Using a Restore is allowed, but using a shieldwatch is
restricted until week three. Now, Hikari will show you how it's
done.”

Hikari moved to the center of
the room next to Nikias.

Nikias then stroked his beard
before pointing to another tiro, a man in camouflage fatigues. “You
first.”

The man approached, facing off
against Hikari and looked her over with a careful gaze. He stood
taller than her with short hair and a well muscled build. “She has
no weapon,” he said while gesturing to Hikari.

Nikias shrugged.

Hikari stood expressionless as
her eyes reflected the glow of the forge fires.

The tiro in camouflage nodded.
“Well if you are Japanese, then I guess I will be polite,” he
said as he bowed.

Hikari lashed out like a spark
from a flame. She was on him in a flash before he even finished his
bow, kneeing him in the face while he was low. As he moved to cover
his face, Hikari twisted his arm before throwing him to the ground.
Then using her leverage gained from standing over him, she dislocated
his shoulder. The tiro screamed in pain.

Nikias nodded, smiling.
“Excellent, Tiro Hikari. You gain a point.”

After Hikari received her
point she stepped away from the man.

The tiro in camouflage stood
and after considerable pain, relocated his shoulder. He then pointed
to Hikari. “Not fair! You didn't say go.”

Nikias chuckled, his tone
mocking. “I'm sorry. In your time's wars did they wait until
everyone was ready? In this training, if you see an opening, you
exploit it. Don't worry. There is no shame in losing.”

Everyone peered at Nikias
while he tried to keep a straight face.

After a moment, Nikias roared
with laughter. “That was great! No shame in losing! If only the
guys back home could have heard that one!” he said, still
chuckling, before turning to Hikari. “Tiro Hikari! Another?”

Hikari breathed out before
nodding.

The next tiro was a slender
Celtic girl with blue face paint. She drew two daggers and charged
Hikari.

Within a few blows the girl
was unconscious.

“Another.” Hikari said
louder this time.

Terra glared at Hikari who had
yet to begin sweating. The other tirones appeared short on breath in
contrast.

The next tiro was the Zulu who
held a hide shield and spear. He took her a little longer to defeat,
but she proved too quick and aggressive for him to handle.

Nikias beamed. “How about
two this time?”

Two tirones entered the center
and the same two were on the floor moments later. Hikari burned
through them like fire through tinder.

After a few more matches
Hikari panted.

Nikias then pointed to Terra.
“You.”

Terra raised her hands in
front of her. “Wait! I can't fight Hikari! I know nothing about
fighting!”

Nikias smiled. “Every bruise
is a teacher, every wound a lesson. Hope you outgrow these
instructors quickly.”

“But!” Terra said,
pleading.

Nikias looked Terra straight
in the eyes. “Do you wish to give up the training?”

“No.”

Nikias pointed to Hikari.
“Then fight.”

Terra grimaced, but moved to
face Hikari, raising her fists as though to box.

Nikias chuckled and gestured
to Terra while facing the others. “Who can tell what she's doing
wrong?”

“She came here,” Hikari
said with a frustrated expression. She still stood winded, but the
heat didn't appear to bother her as much as it did Terra.

Terra frowned at hearing the
rude comment.

“More specifically,”
Hikari said, assuming her own defensive stance with her knees bent
and feet spread apart while facing her side to Terra. “She has her
front facing her opponent, exposing her torso, groin, throat, and
other parts of her body to attack. If she turned sideways, she
reduces the available targets her opponent has. Her knees are also
straight and stiff making her easy to unbalance. She is also holding
her fists the wrong way. The thumb should be on the side, not behind
the other fingers and one arm should be lower. Finally, her breathing
isn't controlled, leaving her vulnerable to getting her breath
knocked out of her.”

“Oh come on!” Terra said,
scowling. “Even my breathing?”

Nikias nodded. “Very good,
tiro. Hikari represents one specific school of martial arts. The Aeon
Legion uses twelve different styles. We selected the best of each and
discarded the weaker parts. Should your weapons fail, you will still
have hand to hand.”

Nikias turned back to Terra.
“Let's see if we can fix your stance. Turn your side to me and
spread your footing out.”

Terra did so.

“Good,” Nikias said. “Get
a little lower and bend your knees. Lower one arm.”

Terra assumed the stance.

Nikias smiled. “Good. It's
seldom I see raw tiro take to a stance on the first try. Proceed!”

Terra's eyes went wide as she
turned towards Hikari and tried to remember the stance she had just
learned. Hikari assumed a similar stance and maneuvered towards
Terra.