Chapter 34
Title: The Chosen Few
"For many are called, but few are chosen" Mathew 22:14
He snapped to attention with discipline, his boots clicking together. His voice echoed through the base as if the empress herself gave the order. "FALLLLL INNNNN!" he yelled.
The great doors of the chow hall swung open, creaking against their hinges before slamming against the stone. In perfect symmetry, the soldiers marched out in pairs, ceremonial uniforms gleaming beneath the afternoon sun. Their boots struck the ground in flawless unison.
*thoom, thoom, thoom*
each step a thunderclap that rolled across the base grounds.
The earth seemed to tremble beneath their weight, the cadence so precise it was as though a giant strode across the field, its heartbeat echoing through the soil. Rows of polished steel and sharp eyes emerged, discipline and power written on their faces.
One line after another flowed out, until the formation stretched wide, a living wall of order and might, an army of demons with human flesh.
The nobles leaned forward in their seats, their jeweled fingers tightening on gilded canes, their luxurious fabrics shaking from every step. Even the most arrogant among them, men and women who had seen countless parades and attended ceremonies twice the size, sat as awe trickled down their face like tears. They could feel it in their chests, rattling their very bones from each thump like a war drum.
Whispers broke out along the front rows.
"Such precision..."
"This is the Black Legion?"
"Monsters… no, machines."
Their awe wasn't just admiration. It was fear, they knew I had grown close to Mirian, but now with an army like this at my back, even with all their influence and gold, how could they stop me?
Just as quickly as it began, it ended. The war drum that had thundered across the land, fell silent. What replaced it was a silence, a stillness so sharp that even the whisper of wind stirring the trees seemed deafening.
I let that silence stretch, let it settle into the hearts of every noble, soldier, and guest. Then, with a voice that carried across the base, steady and commanding, I broke it.
"Good morning, Your Majesty. Esteemed guests. I am honored to welcome you on this day." I stood tall, spine straight, eyes sweeping the crowd. "Today, we gather to recognize the men and women who, through relentless training and unyielding perseverance, have earned the rank of Captain within the Black Legion."
I drew in a breath, then let my voice boom like iron striking an anvil.
"Captains! Step forward! Join me on the stage and receive your rank!"
The front four rows broke formation and marched toward the stage in perfect order. One by one, they ascended, their boots striking the wood in a rhythm as steady as a heartbeat. Lace stood at my side, handing me each insignia, and with deliberate care I pinned the rank to their shoulder plate.
Every captain saluted sharply before stepping down to rejoin the formation. The process stretched nearly twenty minutes, but not a soul stirred restlessly. The silence, broken only by the sound of boots and salutes, carried its own gravity. When the last captain returned to the line, I faced the crowd.
"Ladies and gentlemen," I declared, voice slicing through the air, "I present to you… the new captains of the Black Legion."
A roar erupted from the troops, cheers, whistles, the pounding of fists on chests. Their pride shook the field. The nobles, on the other hand, remained seated, their applause polite and measured, their expressions betraying curiosity.
I raised my hand, and the crowd fell silent.
"This morning, when you woke up, you were each given an armband to wear with your uniform. Some of you may have noticed that the armbands are different colors. I will now announce the Sentinels for each battalion and the color of the armband that belongs to them."
I let my words hang for a moment "First, the Dawnbreaker Battalion, our front line, the ones who will lead the way for the rest of the legion. If you are wearing a red armband, this is the battalion you belong to. And as for your leader…" I pointed to the man standing at the very front. "Sentinel Thomas!"
I saluted him, and he returned the gesture sharply as the formation erupted into applause. Most had already guessed he would be the Dawnbreaker Sentinel, so the announcement came as little surprise.
"Next, the Sentinel for the Skyclever Battalion, our back line, the ones who rain destruction from a distance. If you are wearing a blue armband, then you will be led by…" I looked at Lace, who gave me a subtle nod. "Sentinel Gyra!"
Immediately, everyone wearing a blue armband began pumping their fists and shouting, while the rest of the formation clapped politely. Lace and I had made the decision the night before to appoint her as Sentinel, after consulting several elite members of the back line, or, as they were now officially called, the Skyclever Battalion. Each of them had nothing but praise for her and the way she had 'led' them during training.
Almost as if they were voicing their opinions out loud, they wore them on their faces. The ones in the blue armbands were excited because they knew just how capable she was, while the rest had either never heard of her or felt that she got the position because of her relationship with me and Lace.
Regardless, they'll all find out soon enough just how capable she is. I scanned the crowd to find her, which wasn't hard at all considering her blue hair made her stick out like a sore thumb. She was sitting next to Adian and Julie, crying tears of joy at the news.
A warm smile spread across my face.
'Good, I'm glad she's happy.'
I waited for the cheering to die down before continuing. "Next, if you are wearing a green armband, then you belong to the Mercyshield Battalion, they may be small in number but are mighty in heart. The healers and support of the legion. I'm happy knowing how capable each and every one of you are, and I can trust the fact that if I get injured or need support spells, you'll be the ones providing that. Since your battalion is a non-combat battalion, we decided to select your Sentinel a little differently by holding a vote amongst yourselfs, as you all already know. Now, without further ado and to no surprise to anyone given how capable she is, ninety-seven percent of the votes went to Aleis Moraine! Give it up for Sentinel Lisa!"
This time the nobles and the guests all stood up and began clapping intensely; a few were even cheering. Since Lisa belonged to a noble house, it must've felt nice seeing them represented. Lisa was bouncing up and down from pure joy, hugging everyone around her.
"Last but not least, the Hollow Battalion, a battalion that moves in the shadows. Though they may be weak in number, they are deadly at assassinations and gathering information. If you are wearing a black armband, then you now belong to…" The troops began murmuring among themselves, and the ones around Synn began patting him on the back and congratulating him early.
"Sentinel Nyx!"
The nobles were clapping back at their regular tempo, but the troops on the other hand were all confused. A few were yelling loudly and cheering, rubbing it in others' faces, saying, "I told you so, hahaha!" but they numbered less than ten. Nyx herself looked just as confused as everyone else. I could see it all over their faces.
Everyone believed that Synn was the most qualified to be the Sentinel of the Fourth Battalion, given how much he had been training with me and his performance the last three months, as well as the stories that had spread throughout the rest of the troops. And even if it wasn't him, then Varek or maybe even Ivy would have been the next pick. But Nyx? She was mundane during the Captain program and rarely stuck out. Yes, people had heard of her name, but all for different reasons.
I'm sure that's what most of them were thinking. And while they're probably correct, what they don't know is that I have a different plan for Synn. I'm not putting him through all this training just to make him a Sentinel. Plus, though most might not recognize it, Nyx is extremely capable. She's a little rough around the edges, and most people wouldn't trust a dark elf as far as they could throw them, but she's quite exceptional at stealth combat. Which is exactly what the Fourth Battalion is all about.
Hell, even Lace was against my decision, which is rare for him, but I think her capabilities will soon be told as legends around a campfire.
After a few seconds of talking amongst themselves, clapping began ripping through the formation, growing louder and louder.
Nyx caught my gaze and as our eyes met, she mouthed the words, Why me? I simply just gave her a hidden thumbs up and a smile.
When the clapping died down, I continued. "That concludes the end of the ceremony on my side. Ladies and gentlemen, if you will, give it up for the Empress, Mirian Althanis!" I clapped and backed away from the center of the stage, allowing Ria, who had walked on stage during the announcement of the last Sentinel, to take the spotlight.
Her speech was similar to the one I gave yesterday, basically how proud she was of the progression of the legion and that she was excited to see what we're capable of in the battles to come. She finished her speech off by thanking all the nobles who came out to show their support, and that if any of them wanted to make a donation to help support the new legion, they should talk to her financial advisor.
When she was done, Lace called the legion to attention and then dismissed them all for the day. He told me that he and Gyra were going to go celebrate her becoming a Sentinel and that I was more than welcome to come with them.
"As much as I would love to, I got a feeling that a certain someone is going to be keeping my plate full for a while," is what I told him.
He laughed and told me not to worry about it too much.
'Easy for him to say. He's got no idea what the TRUE Ria is like, all he sees is the front she puts up.' I thought to myself as I waved him goodbye.
I oversaw the team that led all the nobles and special guests back to their carriages to make sure everything went smoothly. Most of their attitudes were now completely different; a few tried to get chummy with me and others seemed scared of me, being overly respectful. Whether it was due to the demonstration of the legion or how close I was to the Empress, I was unsure. One thing was certain though: plenty of them had told me that they were going to be showing their "support" for the legion. Which brought a nasty grin to my face.
I watched as the last few carriages were carried away by the horizon, dipping beyond the treeline. Then told the event team they were dismissed for the day.
I noticed one carriage still parked underneath a tree in the shade, its door wide open and swinging about in the wind.
I sighed.
"So she wasn't kidding," I said as I realized who the carriage belonged to, noting the arrogance of it.
I noticed Adian unloading a rather large suitcase, his face red with exhaustion.
"What's that?" I asked as I walked up to him.
"Oh, Master Basileus, or rather I guess I should call you Commander now," he said. "This belongs to the Empress. It's got all her clothes for the next three months, I think."
"Hmm, I see," I responded.
'That suitcase is half his size. She must have a different outfit for every day of the month.'
"There appears to be one more. Would you like me to grab it?" I asked as I watched him struggle to hoist it off the carriage.
"That'd be a great help, sir!" he responded with a smile of relief.
I grabbed the second piece of luggage, which was surprisingly bigger than the one Adian was carrying, and followed him to the room the Empress was staying in. My room.
"Well, this is it," he said, putting down the luggage in front of the door. "Here, allow me to get the door for you!"
Adian opened the door and I set the suitcase down inside the room. I stood up to wipe the sweat from my brow and looked around.
'Damn, just how much luggage did she bring with her? There's at least six suitcases plus the one outside by the door.'
"You carried all of these up here by yourself, Adian?"
***
A/N
How are we liking the story so far? If your loving it be sure to drop me a power stone I could really use the support guys!!