Legion of the Eye

Painful Beginnings

ABOUT 3000 YEARS LATER...

Lightning cracked violently and the Fortress, Sollis's Watch, Home of the Eternal Legion of the Eye shook along with it.

Casten opened his young eyes and thought today is the day I'm going to die and meet the Creator, They've been trying to kill me, today they'll finally succeed.

He sat up, stretched and felt all the aches and bruises on his body, yawned and looked around his gloomy room that he shared with 13 other boys. The lamps having burned out sometime during the night, his eyes adjusted to the dark and settled on his neighbour to his left, Imola who was splayed ridiculously across his bed and partially on the floor.

Imola, the dark haired, large eyed skinny boy ,who always had something to say about everything. Calling him a fast talker doesn't do justice to Imola's rapid fire delivery style of talking. Whatever it was that the boys saw or expended during their current stay in the Legion, Imola knew someone, in his family or town who had seen it, done it or experienced it, nothing was a new experience for him.

A master with a half torn ear, Imola said it reminded him of his uncle Bast who got into fight with a mountain lion, barely survived and had half of his face torn off. A serving boy who was dumb and only spoke in nods and shakes of the head reminded him of Janus the village beggar who stopped speaking after his wife left him for a travelling merchant (Imola suggested none too subtly maybe the boy was Janus' bastard and offered a wager on the boy's ancestry but no one took him up on it). The thin master of the dining hall, was reminiscent of his town's chief, that didn't seem such a bad comparison until Imola told them about the rumours of chief's blood sacrifices of children to his pagan gods in the forest.

Casten personally thought that story was made up in spite, everyone knew the dining hall master didn't like Imola, he referred to Imola as "...an unrepentant glutton who would eat the Legion into the ground." which all things considered was probably true.

Imola ate like the Paragons were going to return the next moment and he was having his last meal.

Looking at his friend nicknamed firemouth, a name all the more poignant because Imola was a Fireshaper brought a smile to Casten's lips and reminded him of the dull ache that was always residing in his chest.

Casten, was born different, different from everybody else in the Sun Empire, he wasn't born blind or malformed or any of those large but ultimately irrelevant differences.He was different in a small and only way that mattered for a citizen of the Sun Empire. He was born without the ability to shape the elements.

In all the history of the Empire, no one has ever not had the ability to shape the fundamental elements of Wind, Water, Earth, Fire. It just didn't happen, A person born without a head was a more believable deformity, Elements shaping was like the air you breathe, it was everywhere, and essential to everyone. It was like a natural gift or talent, some had more than others-the noble families being the most powerful-but at least everyone had at least an affinity for an element.

Shaping decided your path in life. Strong watershapers were the best healers while fireshapers were the best Metalsmith etc.

'What would be my path in life since I don't have slightest talent for shaping' Casten thought bitterly, giving voice to the same old wound that had nagged him since he failed the Test of Shaping seven years ago at the age of seven.

This made him think of home and his father that he was forced to leave behind, when he was had to travel north and join the legion.

His father, Dati, was their hometown's chief carpenter and builder, a kind soft-spoken, gentle giant of a man.

He was quite powerful too, people said Dati's skills in Earthshaping was the equal to any Lord or lady in the Empire, but when his skills were complimented Dati only nodded his head and smiled in way that suggested he was being flattered and when people commented that he should try for the rank of Master, he said that his responsibilities to the town were too great and didn't see the point of trying it.

Casten believed it though,he knew his father was powerful. He remembered when he was 11 and and there was an earthquake which caused a rock slide that collapsed the entrance to the mine close to their town of Petra. The miners were trapped and running out of air and the closest Masters of Earth were in the the Great Lord's city of Terrinis. They were to far away to help.

Casten remembered walking with his father on the wide snaking road lined with trees that led out of Petra. He remembered the flowers were blooming so beautifully and would have stopped to play among them if he was not hurried along by his father.

The rescue party consisting of the Mine foreman who managed to escape, the Chief of Petra-One-eyed, Ter-and all the men who of the town who could come along, they stopped close to the entrance of the mine and stared at the great rocks blocking access to the mine.

Fren, the Blacksmith, sucked in a haggard breath and said "So that's that then, there's nothing we can do. It's hopeless."

Casten looked at the collapsed mine entrance, and he silently agreed with the Smith, the rocks were too large and too many to safely move, some were as big houses and all were packed tightly.

Dati rolled up his sleeves and started walking towards the mine's entrance.

"I wouldn't say it's hopeless. Difficult certainly but not hopeless"

"Dati look at that! Even a full Master of Earth will have trouble lifting those stones " Fren replied "What could anyone of us do?"

Dati looked back and smiled "All we can do is try."

Dati walked closer to the mine entrance, staring straight ahead, seemingly blocking out everything else, he stopped about 100 metres away from the entrance, stretched forth his hands and made a pulling motion. At first nothing happened and it seemed the entire company deflated from the evaporation of hope. Fren opened his mouth to speak, when suddenly they heard a sound.

It wasn't loud at first. It was the sound a door with poorly oiled hinges made in winter, then increased to a grating sound like as if giants were tearing at each other and then finally a great rumble that everyone felt in their bodies through their feet and shook the ground. A rumble that was like thunder from the earth.

The rocks, big as houses started tumbling on each other creating an opening that became wider and wider until it large enough for two people abreast to pass through.

Only then did Dati stop and sag to his knees, taking huge volumes of breaths like a man who has been running a great race with demons pursuing him.

Casten went to kneel beside his father and said that was "Amazing, Father. You were like an Earth Master, so powerful!!"

Dati smiled at his son's word obviously proud to here such words from his son, he replied "It was nothing" but it was clear he was pleased at his son's praise.

Casten looked at the opening in the mine entrance, the Townsfolk were helping out the trapped miners, some of who were in tears, crying and sending praises to The Creator and his Paragons, others were laughing, glad that will sleep in their beds that night and live to see another dawn.

All of them were thirsty guzzling the water greedily from the flasks that were brought from the town. Things would have taken a bad turn soon if they weren't rescued when they did.

Townsfolk passed them towards the mine and there was a reverent look in people's eyes towards Dati, he didn't seem to notice but Casten did, he saw it in their eyes and that reminded him of his own pain.

"I'll never be able to do something like this" Casten whispered bitterly.

"We don't know that" Dati looked sideways at his son "besides Shaping is not everything, the mind is your most important tool" tapping his son's head.

"I'll never Shape, Father. We've been to all the great healers in the Stati and all can't find what's wrong with me"

Dati turned to hold his son "There's nothing wrong with you. You are perfect"

Casten said he wasn't going to cry over this again but it was currently a battle "Then why am I so different?, Why is what is so natural for everyone else, strange to me?"

Dati looked at his son "Are the Tannen boys bullying you again?. Is this what this is about?. I should have serious words with..."

"Reporting them to their Father, only makes them tease and fight me more, but no that's not it this time, I just want be like everyone else"

Dati hugged his son tighter and whispered to him "Shaping isn't everything, Casten. That beautiful mind of yours is razor sharp. It is your greatest gift, hone it, sharpen it, use it wisely and it will take you places Shaping can't. You won't just master of an element, you'll be master the world."

Casten felt immense pride at his Father's words, he filled with it like a kettle boiling and the only thing that prevented it from bursting with was how tight he held his father, and the equal love and ferocity his father held him back.

"I'll try my best to make you proud father"

"My son, all we can do is try"

Casten opened his eyes that he didn't remember closing, sighed and swung his foot off his narrow bunk, went to splash his arms and face with water from the basin in the corner of the room back to his bunk then selected the grey tunic that every member of the Legion wore, from the Commander Watcher down to Novice Watchers like Casten. It was the reason members of the Legion were called "The Grey Brothers" with a healthy mixture of fear and respect. It was said that a grey brother was the equal of 5 standard soldiers and only the members of the Emperor's Shadow Guard could attempt to match them.

Casten wore his socks and then laced his boots, strapped the heavy wooden practice sword in it's scarbbard across his back and secured the smaller side sword to his waist.

Novices were made to wear these wooden swords to get used to the weight of the swords on their persons, and they were meant to wear them every waking hour. Novices caught without their wooden swords secured to their bodies were severely punished. It seemed the Masters took great joy in punishing defaulters in cruel, creative and unusual ways.

Casten looked out one of the rooms two windows and saw the ever present unnatural purple lightning that characterised this part of the empire, flash again with great venom and ruinous thunder. Casten never thought that lightning could be malevolent but for some reason he couldn't shake the feeling that this lightning strikes wanted nothing more than to hurt, to kill ,to destroy.

He remembered that the first day he and the other boys that were to serve as tributes to the legion crested that last hill and saw Sollis's Watch, nestled within the small mountains and outlined against the perpetually overcast sky with it's ever flashing purple lightning.

The Fortress was made from a Black stone whose origins had been lost to the unstoppable march of time. Sollis's Watch stood apart from everything else in the landscape, like a lone sentry forgotten by everyone but still standing guard against the horrors that fueled humanity's nightmare and tales of demons.

Sollis's Watch and the Legion that lived within it's walls was all that protected the outlying settlements that comprised Ashtown and the rest of the Empire from the rampages of the Arai and more importantly the Broken land and it's inhabitants. The Rippers, called so because they could somehow cause a man to be empty of his mind, turning him into an empty shell of mindless rage that killed everything and infecting those it didn't rip apart with the same malady.

Casten remembered that idiotic bully Nalfey, laughing loudly at that when it was told by a Legion member ten days ago as the the boys trooped towards the Fortress over the uneven ground.

Casten smiled inwardly, it was a popular story. Everyone had heard of the story in one form or another, usually a variation of the theme of supernatural controllers and their mindless minions but no one really believed in it.

All of a sudden the legion brother, a bald man with bushy eyebrows, who had told the story turned towards the group of boys and Nalfey in particular and everything went still. No whispers,no murmurs, not the smallest sound came from the boys.

"Listen hard and listen well. You might think that this is nothing but a story we tell to scare new recruits and outsiders but you'll be dead wrong, literally" he calmly looked the boys over with his grey eyes, every single young eye they came in contact with found compelling reason to look at their feet.

"The Rippers are as real as you and me, we might not have fought them for centuries, but they are still out there, you will feel their hate when you stand watch on the great wall, in the dead of night, far out from the reach of the great lamps, you will feel their eyes and malice upon you and it will be hardest thing for you not to run and abandon your post"

Casten thought to himself, 'The Rippers aren't real, they can't be'

He looked from his feet and looked around him at the various boys beside him, he saw the unfiltered fear on their faces that he was sure was an exact copy of the fear he was feeling.

He looked at the legionnaire who had the told story with a serious look on his face and noticed something, the bald brother eyes didn't match his face, they were twinkling.

"Oh, but don't worry. You won't stand on the wall or be sent on reconnaissance missions or fight a campaign against the Arai for a long while yet. All that will happen in your immediate future will a long period of training and suffering. Then you will serve, that's if the training doesn't leave you dead or maimed" he finished with a wide smile.

"Stop scaring the boys with your stories, brother" a different legion brother said, this one was short but stocky with brown hair and beard that was so full, it seemed to be a mane.

"I find that fear, in healthy doses is a critical requirement and great motivator that aids survival" the bald one shot back.

The shaggy haired brother and other legion brothers within earshot smiled at this and said nothing, they knew how the story had scared the boys.

Casten walked up to the bald brother and said " Pardon me sir..."

The brother was still smiling when he gently replied " You'll be training to be a brother of the Legion starting tomorrow, you should address me as brother"

Casten flushed, didn't watch his step and tripped but before he hit the ground, he was caught so smoothly by the brother he barely felt himself move.

"Easy there, young brother, it wouldn't do for you to break your head and die while in my charge" he said with a big grin.

Casten looked up at the brother and said "Pardon me brother but that story you told is it true?"

"Maybe"

Casten paused briefly and asked "Do you believe in it?"

The brother eyed Casten as if seeing him for the first time and said "Probably"

Casten continued to walk with the brother for a while and then said "You believe The Rippers are real, but no one has seen them in centuries, how do you know they are still out there?"

"How are you sure, they not?"

Casten snorted, this was easy "People now sneak over the small mountains, looking for precious minerals in the broken lands, they are probably even some settlers there"

"Correct and the large number of them that go missing?"

"Occupational and locational hazard" Casten replied with conviction.

"From what?, there are no wild animals in the broken lands" the brother asked with a slight smile

"Rival factions?" Casten asked uncertainly.

"There are no rivals or rival factions in the Broken land, all who go across those mountains need each other to survive that forsaken place."

The brother stopped smiling and said "There's a reason settlers don't go out at night, a reason why they sleep together in large numbers. On reconnaissance missions beyond the Fortress, we rangers have come across entire settlements, totally empty, no sign of life just signs of violence, splatter of blood and destroyed furniture. Whatever did it took all the bodies didn't leave any tracks, not a single sign"

The Legion Brother stopped and looked Casten straight in the eye, all signs of humour gone from his face and his voice "Beyond the Fortress, brother, something unnatural is killing people and taking their bodies for reasons unknown.

Casten looked foward, towards, the grey sky and it's constant flash of lightning, the small mountains and the Fortress that guarded it's pass and asked.

"But who would want to go over those mountains and live there?"

The brother glanced at him and said gently "people who have lost everything and have nowhere else to go"

Lightning flashed again, bringing Casten out of his thoughts, he looked at the sky again and saw there was a perceptible brightening along it's eastern edge.

Dawn was breaking and with it the foul tempered, foul mouthed House Master Rennic would be coming to wake the boys with foul a***e and his switch for those who were slow in getting up.

Casten listened calmly, it took the Master fifty steps to get to their room and everyone could hear the man coming as he never did anything gently. He was like a bull down the hallway, all he did was charge ahead and pulverize anyone who got in his way.

He sighed when he heard the master coming,

48, 47, 46, 45...

He stood up from his bunk and straightened his beddings.

37, 36, 35, 34...

He bent down looked for his helmet he usually kept under his bunk. He found it, dusted it, left on his bed.

23, 22, 21, 20...

He adjusted his wooden swords on his back and his hip.

14, 13, 12 ,11...

He picked his helmet, hefted it under his arm waited.

8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

The room's door fell open with a thunderous crash. Master Rennic, never used the latch, and the huge bull of a man charged in and bellowed.

"WAKE UP!, YOU USELESS SONS OF THE UNHOLY UNION OF DOGS AND VULTURES"

The master used his switch to s***h the air making whistling sound as it immediately roused the heavier sleepers. Nalfey tried to rise quickly, got caught in his sheets and hit his head against his bunk making me almost snicker at the sight of him.

"NALFEY YOU SICKEN ME!, YOU'RE ARE AN EMBARRASSMENT TO HUMANITY, GET UP YOU USELESS PIECE OF DOG s**t OR I'LL FLAY YOU DOWN TO YOUR BONES AND WITHIN AN INCH OF YOUR LIFE. GET UP!!!"

Casten smiled, enjoying the sight of Nalfey struggling with his sheets.

"SEE SOMETHING THAT AMUSES,YOU BOY?!"

Casten wiped the smile of his face, eyeing the switch in the Master's fist

"No, master."

"THEN WHAT ARE YOU GAWKING AT?! GET OUT!"

Casten took his helmet and bolted out of the room.