Aeon Legion: Labyrinth (25 page)

Terra strained to pull herself
up when someone grabbed her arm.

Terra stumbled as Alya pulled
Terra to the top and steadied her. They both stood at the top of the
cliff.

Alya nodded. “See. You made
it even after all that whining.”

Terra smiled. “Sorry. I
should have had more faith in you.”

“Me?” Alya said, gesturing
to the cliff. “It was not me that scaled the cliff. You did. No one
can have faith in you unless you have it in yourself first. No more
complaining?”

Terra wiped the sweat off of
her brow and nodded.

Alya smiled and walked away,
leaving Terra alone on the cliff top.

Isra, Nikias, and Shani walked
up to the top of the cliff just as Alya vanished.

“None should complete this
course today,” Shani said. “Perhaps a couple will make it during
the second attempt. Climbing seems to be one of the more difficult
courses.”

Nikias laughed. “Yeah. We
would be losing our edge if they all passed each course in one go.”

“Most will have a stronger
connection with time by then,” Isra added. “They will probably be
able to use their shieldwatch to Slow gravity on the next attempt.”

They all stopped when they saw
Terra.

“Um. Am I first?” asked
Terra as she looked to see if anyone else had made it.

All three stared in silence.

After a moment, Nikias smiled
and roared with laughter. He walked over to Terra. “And here I
thought you would be dusted today,” he said as he smacked her on
the back. “Now that I know you have potential I will push you twice
as hard!”

Terra laughed half heartily.
“Very funny. That's a joke right?”

Shani narrowed her gaze. “What
is your name, tiro?”

Terra stood straighter. “Tiro
Terra Mason, centurion.”

Shani nodded. “Well, Tiro
Mason. I think we may have underestimated you. First we will check to
make sure you didn't cheat. Then we will give you a point. You also
may rest for the remainder of the day so you needn't worry about
others taking your point.”

Terra turned. The view
overlooked much of the city as the sun blazed in the distance. She
stood as the wind swept by, cooling Terra from the hard climb. The
view was beautiful here on the summit and for the first time she
looked forward to the next challenge.

Culls should taper off as
we enter the second week. While we will continue to eliminate those
who are unworthy, attrition will decrease as we shift priorities. Now
that we have purified the pool, the hard task comes in shaping these
skilled individuals into something resembling a team. Those who stand
alone will fall and it's better if they fall here where we can catch
them than in the Labyrinth where they will die.

-From the personal logs of
Praetor Lycus Cerberus

T
erra
now
understood how trade goods must feel as she waited in the
courtyard to be exchanged again. She had changed teams twice today
and three times yesterday. Team organization became the focus of this
week rather than elimination. The tirones organized themselves into
groups of four to eight individuals called a strike team, the
smallest unit within the Aeon Legion. Her current team leader was
trading her and a suit of armor for two swords, a bow, and three
points. However, the buyer still haggled.

“She is hardly worth two
good swords. The armor is average, but I will need to inspect it
first,” the Trio said that was going to 'buy' Terra.

“It's good armor and a solid
tiro. What more can you want?” Terra's current team leader said.
“Fine. Two swords, a bow, and two points.”

Terra took offense at the
first time her team leader had traded her. After the third time she
grew used to it. She saw other tirones traded as well and learned
that this was a common practice, one of the new miseries of week two.

The schedule differed for week
two as well. Exercise, hand to hand, and shieldwatch training
continued daily, but academic classes now took only two days out of
five. This dedicated the other three open afternoons to simulated
team missions or competitive scenarios between teams. There was also
an hour each day dedicated to team training where a team leader
trained their tirones however they wished.

For Terra, 'however they
wished' meant trading her as fast as possible. The day before, her
team leader had decided that Terra was a liability and forced her to
sit out of the team mission, an opinion that other team leaders
shared.

“Two swords, one bow, and a
single point,” the first leader said. “Final offer.”

The other team leader nodded.
“Agreed!”

Terra sighed, but picked up
the armor and walked over to the other team. Her new team leader took
the armor and inspected it. He then turned to Terra. “Follow me. We
must hurry.”

They jogged over to another
corner of the courtyard where Terra's new leader met with another
team. He traded Terra again along with the armor for a musket. She
was then traded a third time for a tactical vest. Finally, another
team brought her to a different salient to be traded yet again.

“Three points for this one,”
Terra's most recent team leader said. She was a girl with short black
hair and a long tunic over her training uniform. Terra didn't bother
to learn her name nor did the girl introduce herself.

The other team leader stood
about her height with dark hair and eyes to match. Terra guessed his
age only a few years older than her. He carried an iron helmet with a
small spike on the top. Under his long chain mail shirt was a longer
tan tunic which he wore over his training uniform. Even with his
armor Terra could tell he possessed the lean and muscled body of a
soldier from his straight backed stance. His tan skin tone matched
the natives of Saturn City though his narrow face marked him apart
from the Saturnians.

He looked Terra over. His
neatly trimmed beard made him appear mature and there was a hard,
discerning look about his expression. “How many times have you
attempted the training?” he asked. His faint accent made Terra
guess he was of middle eastern in descent.

Terra hesitated. None had
asked her questions during the other trades. “This is my first
attempt,” Terra said, being honest. It must have been the wrong
response for her current leader cringed.

The man nodded.

“Zaid, she is still good
even though she is a newtimer. I swear,” Terra's current team
leader said while she fidgeted. Unlike other trades, she offered no
other equipment with Terra.

The man named Zaid stroked his
chin in thought, ignoring the other leader.

The woman frowned. “Two
points!”

Zaid looked thoughtful, but
remained silent while keeping his focus on Terra.

The woman cursed. “Fine! One
point, but I am not giving up any good gear.”

Zaid nodded. “That is
acceptable.”

The woman smiled as Zaid
touched a holoface over his shieldwatch, transferring the point. She
then left before Zaid changed his mind.

Terra sighed. No doubt this
Zaid would sell her to another strike team for a piece of equipment.
Terra learned that you could buy a lot of different gear with points;
from weapons and armor to a full aeon edge. Though Terra still didn't
have enough points to afford a single good weapon.

Zaid faced Terra. “What is
your name?”

“Terra Mason.”

“Terra, welcome to my team.
I am Zaid Karim. Or just Zaid, if it pleases you. What time are you
from?”

“I am from the United
States,” Terra said, doubting he would know where that was.

Zaid nodded before turning and
gestured for Terra to follow. “Ah. The Americans. I am familiar
with your culture. I worked with a Marine last time I attempted the
training and Navy SEALs are highly sought after by team leaders.”

Terra followed Zaid. “I'm
not either of those.”

“I know that most Americans
will fight. That is enough for me.”

Terra frowned. “What are you
going to trade me for?”

Zaid stopped and turned with a
raised eyebrow. “Trade you?”

“Well all the others did.”

“Most strike team leaders
squabble over experienced tirones. I prefer newtimers. In my
experience, they are easier to train.”

They made their way to another
meeting, this time between two different teams. They were trading
members as well. Terra sighed, thinking that she was about to be
traded again when she saw Hikari. Hikari now held an aeon edge.
Tacitus, who she had seen her first day at the Academy, spoke with
the team leader that currently held Hikari. A man in a US Civil War
cavalry officer's uniform stood alongside Tacitus.

The cavalry officer shook his
head before turning to Tacitus. “He's trying to sell us snake oil,
Tacitus.”

Tacitus looked at the officer,
raising an eyebrow. “Snake oil? John, you need to explain some of
these strange sayings of yours.”

John rubbed the back of his
neck. “It's an expression. It means he's trying to trick us into
buying something worthless.”

“Well I assumed that much,”
Tacitus said as he turned back to other team leader. “I don't care
if you consider Tiro Hikari worthless.”

“You can have her!” the
other team leader spat. “But you can't take the aeon edge.”

Hikari's
grip tightened on the hilt of her aeon edge. “It is
my
blade.”

Tacitus pointed. “She bought
the blade with her points. You can't take it, nor can I unless she
agrees first. It might as well be worthless to you. Do you wish to
trade Hikari or not?”

Terra raised an eyebrow. Trade
Hikari? She was the highest scoring tiro right now and the first one
to get an aeon edge. Why would anyone want to get rid of her?

The other strike team leader
growled while eying Hikari's aeon edge.

Tacitus turned to Hikari.
“Tiro Hikari. I know you are from an island warrior culture that
values honor above all else. I too am from a culture that prizes
honor. I would be honored to have you on my strike team. You need not
sully your hands with these lesser soldiers. On my strike team, we
treat our members with the respect due of their skill. You belong
with us. If you wish to join, I will challenge your leader to a Trial
of Blades over the right to keep you as a team member.”

Terra glanced to Hikari,
gauging her reaction.

Hikari stared at Tacitus while
keeping her face taciturn. “I hope your honor burns.”

Tacitus glared at Hikari.

Hikari remained stoic. “Honor
is an empty word. Brutes with noble titles proclaim honor to ease
their guilt while they slaughter peasants and sack their homes. I
don't need you and I don't need your honor.”

The other team leader groaned
as though his plan now lay in the ashes of Hikari's insult.

“I will remember those
words,” Tacitus said in a dark tone before turning to leave.

Zaid stepped forward. “I can
take Hikari.”

The man stared at the ground.
“Just take her.”

Zaid nodded before touching a
holoface over his shieldwatch.

The man glanced to his
shieldwatch in surprise. “You still gave me a point?”

Zaid motioned for Hikari to
follow him. “I will not steal.”

Hikari crossed her arms. “Why
should I follow you?”

Zaid stopped and grinned.
“Tiro Hikari, you will follow me because I can show you how to
repair that aeon edge.”

Hikari narrowed her gaze, but
remained silent.

Zaid turned to go.

Terra followed now, curious.
She looked back to see Hikari following and a bit uncomfortable with
the ugly glare Hikari leveled at her. Had she angered Hikari somehow?

After a moment Zaid spoke
again. “Have either of you had success with a shieldwatch yet?”

Terra shook her head. “No. I
can't get it to work.”

Hikari remained silent.

Zaid glanced at Hikari over
his shoulder. “That is not unexpected. It takes a little while for
it to work, usually at least a few weeks of practice for a connection
with time to form. I think I have a good idea of where to start.”

“Start what?” Terra asked.

“Both of your team training
schedules,” Zaid said as they stepped into a salient. Terra saw
three others there as well.

On the far left stood a lean
young man dressed in a jaguar pelt. At his side he carried a wooden
club edged with obsidian and he held a round shield in his hand.
Terra recognized the man as an Aztec warrior.

Next to the Aztec stood a
taller dark skinned man with a sizable gut. He wore metal armor over
one arm and shoulder. An enclosed metal helmet was over his head and
he carried two swords sheathed at his belt. Terra recognized the man
as a gladiator.

A short haired dark skinned
girl stood next to the gladiator. She wore a white tunic over her
training uniform. She carried a small shield in one hand and several
small throwing spears in the other. Terra did not recognize what army
she was from, but assumed her to be from the classical or ancient
eras. “Newtimers?” the woman asked.