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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Edward Kann@StoryART" data-source="post: 1777257" data-attributes="member: 23128">The Dread Legion Advances...The broad cultivated green that filled the expansive courtyard of the Order of Sorcery was already buzzing with the activity of other Legion recruits.  Forty or fifty of us were clustered together at the far end of the green from where I stood watching, over at the foot of the broad and tall polished white marble steps leading upwards to the doors of the Order Library.Behind them a fountain spattered and sprayed throwing flecks of silver upwards into the air around a white column that rose upwards in a spire one hundred and fifty feet over the green.  The column was capped with a statue of Artovan, one arm grasping a scepter and the other reaching outwards and upwards as if seizing the entire world in his grip.Now the statue was a symbolic gesture of his absolute power, but for nine centuries it was a true gesture of his absolute rule over the four realms of the known world; before his unexplained vanishing act fifteen years ago.Three weeks ago the Eastern Garrison had raised the flag of the Spinward Guard, the only large cavalry unit within the Legions.  Father had once commented to me when I had gone on and on for a particularly long time about how much I loved the Daks and wanted to fly; "Well if you enlist", he said casually, "Then wait for the call about a week after they raise the flag of the Spinward Guard over the Eastern Garrison."  "It means they are getting prepared to organize the Spinward Guard for an important duty and the flag is a signal calling Officers back from around the city to the garrison to prepare."  "The Legions always recruit directly into their ranks a few weeks before they march."  "Don't be infantry like your old man, son.  Join the cavalry."It was advise I had not forgotten.  The sixteenth Legion was the only Legion with it's own large cavalry.  They used them for scouting, raiding and of course in battle.  Only the Officers rode the large and impressive Shard Dragons into battle, most cavalry rode on the backs of the smaller Daks.  Which suited me just fine.  I crossed over the green to join the rest of the recruits.  Calls went out for recruits into the city about once a month on the average and I could have joined a year earlier.  Father's advice stuck with me though and I still longed to go soaring out into the sky on the back of one of those quick winged, agile reptiles.I found a small empty spot on the grass surrounded by the rest of the recruits, a mixture of males and females.  Most were Human or Half-orc, and a few of the lesser races; Dwarves, a Halfling here and there, a few Maenad's, there was even a Dromite.  Aside from myself there were eight other Xeph.  By Imperial decree only a Human, Half-Orc or Xeph could hold Imperial Citizenship by right.  The only way to receive any benefit or protection under law for the lesser races was to pull a ten year in the Legion or in The Imperial Fleet.  Even then they were not full citizens but the protection of military law and their status in retirement provided them with the protection necessary to pursue a serious career, own a shop or do other sorts of activities within the Empire.The ranks of the Legions were almost never thin from lack of recruits.I noticed that two larger young men and a young woman, all probably three or four years our seniors stood nearby resplendent in their black and red uniforms.  Young petty Officers probably recently recruits into the Black Fleet, the Imperial Navy.  Outside of the Empire the Black Fleet and the Dread Legion relied on one another to achieve victory for the Dominion and for the Empress.  I wondered if this was truly possible, so notorious were the Officer Corp's of both entrenched in fighting over resources and in competition for Imperial favors.  The smallest of the three Humans put his fists to his hips and addressed us."Fall in you maggots!  You miserable slug bellys!"Most of the recruits jumped at the loud commands and began to file into ranks.  This was a mistake.  The Dread Legion did not take orders from The Fleet.I stood where I was.  I noticed that the Dromite ignored the command as well."You there!  Insect!  Fall in or I'll make an example out of you!"The trio began to stride over to the Dromite.  The Dromite was alone and an easier target for bullying than I was.  I stepped in the blond Petty Officer's way so he was forced to deal with me first.He pulled up short and then kept onward coming to a stop barely a foot in front of me so he could lean in and bawl commands into my face as though he were a ranking Officer.  I noticed that he kept his right hand back behind him under his cloak.  The Fleet Officers poisoned their blades.  I would have to be cautious."Get in line!  Fall in when your betters give you an order cretin!"I said nothing but prepared myself for the blow or thrust.  He was a Fleet Officer in uniform even though he was only a Petty Officer and had more rights than I did as the mere son of a dead Legionnaire.  He had no right to order me to do anything though.  Not in this context at any rate."Looks like we've found our example."  commented a dark haired, thin, soft spoken human male.  The companion of the shouting Fleet Officer.The female just gave a nod.  She did not look to be particularly happy to be dragged along into this demonstration. The Officer's baton snapped out lightning fast to try and catch me in the temple.  I'd been attacked.  Perhaps just to make a cruel point and not really to injure me seriously but attacked all the same.  Father had made it clear to me how things worked inside of the Brotherhood."There are only two things that they respect within the Legion.  Discipline and the ability to meet out death to a foe."My own dagger was already palmed when the blow came sailing in.  I ducked just enough to let it pass over head and in a blur buried my own blade up to the hilt."Urp."The young Officer, gray in the face and stricken collapsed backwards into the arms of his friends.  With a snarl the Officer's male companion pulled his rapier only to double over and collapse in a heap next to his companion.  The Dromite's own oddly curved throwing weapon buried in his belly.The female just stood there for a moment looking disgusted.  "Pathetic."Was her comment and she strode off."That will be quite enough for the morning."A calm and authoritative voice called out from the top of the stairs.  There stood Officer Sorrow, his golden armor gleaming.  Palm resting on the pommel of his sword and Officer's baton flipping in the other hand."The recruits shall assemble."  He pointed his silver shafted Officer's Baton first at me and then at the Dromite.  "You and you.  Come with me."</blockquote>

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