There was a heavy thump, as if a fist had smacked into a wall.
“You think you’re the only person with family up there, Alberton? You think I don’t want to rip the head off that croc and protect our people? Is that what you think?” the commander demanded quietly.
There was a long pause, and Mirryn began to wonder what was going on when she barely heard the Loremaster sigh and reply.
“I’m just worried.”
“We all are, but we have a duty to get here to HQ and support the bulwark. As much damage as Garralosh can do, would you want the second strata monsters to rise to the surface? Do you know what that would mean? This wave isn’t ordinary, Alberton, and you should stop pretending that it is. The entire world could go up in flames if we aren’t careful.”
Another sigh and a quiet, “I know,” before the door opened and the two top officers of the Liria branch Legionem Abyssi strode into the room.
“Ah, good to see you’re finally awake, trainee,” Titus nodded.
Mirryn nodded in return, though a little confused, this greeting didn’t feel as positive as it should. Something about her commander’s tone and posture was off. Even Alberton looked somewhat downcast, almost not meeting her eye.
“Is this the HQ?” she asked.
“Yes, you’re in the medical wing,” Titus affirmed. “The Mana saturation was much higher than expected on this journey, we had to perform emergency treatment to lower the Mana levels in your body. All of the trainees received the same treatment. You’re the last to wake.”
Mirryn’s head spun for a moment. So, all of them had been in this place? Where were they now?
Alberton could see the questions in her expression. “The others are waiting for you. We have to move quickly.”
“Can you walk, trainee?” Titus asked.
Mirryn tested her legs. “I think so, sir.”
She rolled out of her bed and stood shakily on her feet. She was still weak from the blues. Titus didn’t wait for her to ask and stepped up to support her, carefully removing the pipe from her arm.
In silence, the two old officers walked with her out of the room and down a long corridor. The place was strangely empty and quiet. Mirryn didn’t see or hear another person as they travelled. They came to a heavy wooden door with a carved, enchanted lock. Titus waved his palm in front of the elaborate carving and it glowed with bright light before swinging open to reveal a winding staircase carved in rock.
Not another one, Mirryn thought.
The three descended, Titus keeping a steady grip on her shoulder to help her navigate the steps without falling. At the bottom of the stairs was a small chamber with another door. Gathered there were all of the trainees.
Mirryn was relieved when she finally saw other people. The feeling quickly faded when she realised the air was tense in the room. The trainees were nervous, the officers solemn.
With the trainees tightly packed together in the small space, Titus took position on the lower steps, placing him higher than his audience so they could see him, and began to speak.
“Congratulations, trainees. You have successfully braved the dangers and hardships of this delve and made it here to the headquarters of the Liria branch of the Abyssal Legion. I’m proud of you.”
And he really was. Looking down on these young Legionaries filled him with pride. They were good people, strong people. They had sacrificed, fought, upheld the tenets of the Legion and proven their mettle. They gave him hope for the future.
The trainees themselves allowed small smiles at the rare words of praise from the commander, but his serious expression dampened the mood.
“You represent half of the trainees inducted in your year. The others have been weeded out. Not dedicated enough. Not loyal enough. Not willing to sacrifice. Only those that we trust to keep the secrets of the Legion and do their duty make it this far. You have earned the right to become full Legionaries.”
Excitement, smiles and joy lit the expressions of the trainees. This was what they had been hoping for ever since they enrolled. They’d worked so hard for this!
Titus saw their looks and acknowledged it with a nod even as his heart sank in his chest. This was always the hardest part…
89. The World Below, Part 2
Titus was a renowned Legionary above and below the ground. He was known for his strength, his iron will, his leadership and his willingness to put himself in harm’s way to protect his fellows. He was a leader who never spared himself.
Most of all, he was known for his unyielding sense of duty. He’d sacrificed over and over again in order to perform the role he filled, and he would damn well do it again. He never hesitated, did not regret, but often, he grieved.
Looking down at the eager trainees, sorrow gripped his heart.
But it didn’t stop him.
“You are about to undergo the final trial on the path to becoming full members of the Deep Legion,” he announced.
Serious expressions overtook the trainees at the word trial. What would they need to do?
“You have experienced severe Mana saturation sickness on the way here and we have done what we can to alleviate the symptoms, but we have not cured you. Behind that door lies the greatest secret of the Legion. We will cure you of saturation sickness permanently. The process will also make you stronger, faster, smarter, more powerful than you currently are. When it is done, you will be reborn.”
A few gasps and disbelieving murmurs erupted from the youths. Was any of this even possible?
Titus pointed to the door behind them. “What lies beyond enabled the first Legionaries to perform the heroic feats deep in the Dungeon that helped end the Cataclysm thousands of years ago and it fuels us today. Every full Legionary you have ever met has undergone this process. Including me.”
The commander took a deep breath. No avoiding it.
“Let’s go in and I’ll explain further.”
Titus gestured to Alberton who squeezed through the cramped chamber before unlocking the enchanted seal on the door and striding through. Titus waited on the stairs until everyone had entered the next room before stepping forward, closing the door behind him.
Of all the trainees, Mirryn was the only one to note his actions closely and a sudden fear gripped her heart. The way they moved, it was almost as if they had been blocking the exit, making sure it was impossible for someone to get past them…
Suddenly anxious, she cast her eyes around the room they now found themselves in. The room itself was unremarkable. Light was provided by glowstones embedded in the ceiling which illuminated a simple and unadorned stone chamber. The chamber itself was long, but narrow, with regular offcuts down the right side. Pushing past her fellow trainees, Mirryn saw that in each offcut, a narrow basin had been chiselled into the floor, almost like a bath carved into the stone. Counting under her breath, there were thirty such ‘pods,’ each with the same narrow basin that appeared designed to have a person lie down in it.
Closely inspecting the pod, she realised the ceiling directly above each basin was not as simple as she first assumed. Incredibly fine, intricate runic patterns were carved into the surface, the lines so thin she almost hadn’t noticed them. In the centre of the pattern a thin hole could be seen, perhaps for something to flow through and fill the basin? Even the basin itself was covered in intricate runic inscriptions. Just what were these for?
Her anxious musing was interrupted by a sudden clap from the commander. All of the trainees turned back to their officer, paying close attention.