[Basic Training] Death is only the beginning.. (Isil Telperion)

[Dr Genesis]

2nd Brightening of the First Cycle of Cryxatum in the season of Summer; Era II of the Celestine Mandate, Era XIV Post Fractum.

It was nearing 08:00 as light beamed down on training fieald C. As the ray of sun moved it's way across the land it soon took in the standing figure that seamed more a statue then a person.

Commander Dedrick Sturff waited patently for the men he was charged with training. The men who's orders were to arrive on the field at or before 08:00. His jaw clenched his hands tight into balled fists. The commander, quietly waited almost wished for one of the new recruits to test what he had told them the other day.

Dedrick had not lied the previous night when he had told the recruits, they would wish they where dead if they arrived late. Many bolder men, who where more soldier then these ork spits he would be training had hopes of being, had tried in the past. Yet they too had learned the same lesson these men would...Pain, does not always go away.

[Isil Telperion]

As usual I woke up before the sun came up. I went to see my horse friend Thorondor. I took him for a short walk and played him some music before I left. Returning to the barracks I washed my cloth and left it to hang.

I dressed the legions cloths and placed the armour over it. I felt it was heavy the day before and thought it might be uncomfortable, but it really wasn’t. I just needed to get used to its weight.

I took one of the pilaii, the training long sword and spear and of course my inseparable longbow and arrows. I didn’t know what I was going to learn but I thought I would probably only need my training weapons to begin.

As I walked through the training fields I saw the sun begin to rise and I quickened my pace. The man giving the orders in the barracks was extremely unpleasant, nothing like the first legionnaire I knew. But after the life threatening treatment and teachings of my last teacher, this man unpleasant words sounded like a sweet song.

Still, I didn’t want to make him made or seem disrespectful. After all, he would be spending some his own life time to teach me how to survive.
Maybe that’s why he was so unpleasant. Maybe when teaching things that are related to life and death, teachers feel the need to be tough to toughen the pupils’ bodies and spirits.

All I had to do was to endure patiently. At least, this time, I didn’t have to gain my teacher’s respect in order to stay alive. As I saw the man in the training field I wondered what would be his reaction to a seven feet abnormally tall and developed elf. Approaching the waiting man I complimented him:

Serale, sir. I am Isil.

[Dr Genesis]

Time contiued to tick on-words, Dedrick did not need a clock to tell that. No, he had something far worse. A medic Fae floating next to his ear. Due to the number of injures students had suffered in his classes over the years. The imperials had decided it was time he had a on sight medic. One who could treat injury's as they happened..rather then let Dedrick allow the injury's become wounds.

The Fae, who's name sounded something like Cornball or Cornhead...The Commander had not taken the time to care. Seamed to be as worried about the students being late, as Dedrick salivated at the possibility's if they where. Saddly it would be Cornhold who would win, the men showed as they were supposed to, each introducing themselves as they arrived.

On a clip board Dedrick placed a tick next to each name, just to be certain. As the last..a man named Isil arrived, the time for teaching had begun. "Good" began the commander, a sick smile on his face..."You Gutless Orks can at least follow orders...Now Drop down and give me 20"

"What for...we followed your orders?" Remarked a man, two soldiers down from where Isil stood. the man was young, just beginning to sprout hair on his face, yet his eye's showed a defiance well beyond his years. At first Dedrick looked like he would do nothing, then...in a blink of an eye he was on the imperial recruit a look of insanity evident in the commanders face.

"I told you drop and give me 20, in fact now I want 30!!" Yelled Dedrick even as the young recruit made no move to comply. "I see," contiued the commander as he realized the man would not follow his orders. With a quick deliberate slam and a perfectly placed kick, Dedrick toppled the young man before the Recruit knew he had been hit.

In the time it took to blink the situation was over, The recruit was on the ground face down with Dedrick siting on the mans back as though he was some type of chair. "Now Give me 30!!" contiued the Commander. At first it almost looked like the Youth was going to fight again, but with a strugle that was evident he began to push up with his arms, taking his wait and that of the commander up and down.

satisfied that he had won this battle Dedrick turned to the rest of the men..."Don't think that was an order just for him....I want 30 from each of you..and then I want you all to run around this fieald 5 times..Do you under stand me!!!"

[Isil Telperion]

None of the man’s orders seemed to make any sense. In the beginning I didn’t know what he meant by give me 30. Then, I saw no point on pushing up and down with my arms or to run around a camp. It was tiring and pointless. But still, the commander seemed very determined in making us obey him, so I did.

The weight of the armour made everything harder but, for someone used to fire a longbow, those push ups were kids play.
The running was much shorter than the ones I gave when pursuing preys with my backpack full with my belongings, so after the short exercise I felt I was ready for real training.

Never the less, I couldn’t help but wonder if those exercises were not suppose to make us stop thinking and start obeying to orders, or even to establish a chain of command. Although I didn’t know much about army life, it seemed to me that teem work had to be essential for an army’s survival. So, these basic principals and exercises were necessary.

Then it hit me, could it be possible that for some people these exercises were tiresome, and they actually need them to gain strength and stamina? If that was the case, what seemed punishment was really good for us.
Further more, all this activity would probably make us bond, for we begun to have something in common, the treatment the commander gave us.

[Dr Genesis]

As Dedrick watched the men fell to the ground fallowing his orders, each pushing themselves up and down. The commander himself remained siting on the youth who manged 26 push ups before collapsing. Truth be told Dedrick was impressed most peaple only managed 23, it was a good achievement.

Standing up, Dedrick soon found that most of the men had now switched over to there run, only a few men found themselves lagging behind too winded from the push ups to keep up with the pack. Running out to them, at a brisk pace many men would have found hard to match, Dedrick tried his hand at motivation. "What do we have here....don't tell me there sending me the lame these days....I've fought zombies faster then you, Let's get a move on." Passing the men Dedrick contiued to run until he was about half way to the end of the final lap before turning back..." Let's do it this way then..If I win, you will continue to run and do push ups until I say stop...if you win...you do no more running today."

Of course not one of them stood a chance and so when the commander finished they where forced back down to the ground for yet another set of 30 push ups and another 5 laps. The youth who challenged Dedrick among them. This of course cut the class size as well, making the starting 25 become a brisk 19, Isil among them.

All who finished, Isil would note where the fittest looking men of classes collection..men who looked the part of the imperials they would one day become. Standing there Dedrick took them all in then with a deliberate laugh began to speak. "So you are the best of this collection huh...well We will see...I am charged with making something out of you the Imperial army can use, for that reason, and that reason alone I now stand here...I will not lie to you, this will be the hardest training you have ever endured in your life...you think that run, those push ups where hard, wait till I get started...Many of you may know what your braking point is...maybe you don't..ether way I will help you find it and then you will surpass it....In return I ask only one thing...you will follow orders and you will do as I say...Failure is not an option..as it is on the battle field it is here as well...you fall, you pass out and you will run for me, from day brake to dawn, without stop..fail, there and you will be thrown out...we don't let mom's boys into the military." With that the commander waited to hear each man signal his acceptances before getting to the real training.

[Isil Telperion]

Only something as horrifying and stupid as war could make a grown man want to reach his breaking point, before even facing it, to have more chances of survival. I’ve seen my share of death. Having both my biological and my adoptive families been murdered I appalled the kind of senseless violence war seemed to be. And yet, if this was the way Eyvind took to become the brave and honoured man that helped me, this was the way I would take.

The men we killed together were murderers and thieves but it still bothered me to have conceded to vengeance in that fashion. In the beginning I felt satisfied with it but in time I begun to wander if that didn’t make me almost as bad as the men I killed. And here I was, getting prepared to kill more people…

I knew of what the commander was speaking. I had already reached my breaking point. Reached it, breached it, got lost in my own mind and came back. After the death of my biological parents I lived almost like a wild animal in the forest, hunting with my father’s bow and forgetting all civilization, until I was almost an adult; an overdeveloped adolescent, which was recovered to society by the love of a sterile human couple.

Only recently, after my adoptive family death and my exploration of the mysterious link I had with the bow, was I able to recover my part of my memory of those lost years.

I pursued men and animals for days in the forest, almost without eating or sleeping. It wasn’t with this kind of physical strain that I was going to be broken, to reach a point of self abandon and obedience.

I had been broken and returned stronger. If I was to obey it was because I was determined to do so, to become something better that I was; and I was determined to do so in an exemplar manner.
So when the commander finished his speech I yelled:

Sir, yes sir!

And waited for what was to come.

[Dr Genesis]

As each man signaled his response the commander nodded. At least they could follow simple orders he thought. "Very well...then let's begin." With that Dedrick signaled for the men, those not running around the field, to follow him. After a brisk job, the training group soon reached a location with several trials set up..holes with mud, ladders, rope bridges, high walls that needed to be scaled, Locations where push ups where required yet again and the list went on.

"This here is the Red Monster..I don't expect most of you will finish today..most never do...that of course is not because of the trials themselves so much as you must finish them in full armor...with these" The commander lifted several waits from the ground, each looked about 20 pounds each, "In your bags. So who wants to be first?"

[Isil Telperion]

This “Red Monster” had a scary name and it did seem hard to cross. So I decided that to do so, I had to take one obstacle at a time so not to be demoralized.

I looked at my training companions and thought they were probably too tired to go first. In fact, with the additional weight it would be harder to move through the mud and to climb the walls. But harder doesn’t mean impossible and I wasn’t afraid of getting dirty wile going through the mud, nor was I afraid to fall. So, I took some of the weights and volunteered:

Sir, I would like to go first, Sir!

[Dr Genesis]

Dedrick only smiled, who was he to stifle the spirit of a Mlitary man...The Monster was good for that on it's own. Standing aside, the commander made a motion with his hands that said plainly..be my guest.

Upon entering the course Isil would have noted that the first trial would appear easy if not child's play. A rope bridge made of wood. Though it swayed every once and again with the added wait Isil carried, the recruit would find traveling across a breeze. The next part however, started the real heavy work...Fist Isil needed to do 20 push ups..following that he need to transverse a mud hole...it's length just about half of what they had run at the begging of the days training. The mud itself would come to the man's waist, with sink holes here and there. Though hard Isil would find these too were only miner trouble. However, they helped to tire the man down for the next and for Isil ending trial...A rope swing across a mud mote. Not accustomed to jumping a swinging with heavy wait, Isil just missed the rope by a hairs breath and fell face first into the mud.

From behind a yells soon sounded out..."Oh by the way....I forgot to mention" Began Dedrick in a taunting tone of voice. " ..If you fall or fail at any of the trials..you need to start from the beginning again...So who's Next."

[Isil Telperion]

I steeped forward to face the first trial. Aldo for someone afraid of highs the rope bridge might seem scary, for me it was only too easy to cross.

Afterwards I was told to do another twenty push ups. Some might think they were being punished for being too slow. I was convinced that this was meant to strengthen my body and test my resolve. A test I wasn’t going to fail.

The push ups with the additional weight were tiring. My arms weren’t soared but I could feel the soft burning sensation on a good exercise; muscles building, becoming stronger.

Then came the walk through the mud. The wet cold dirt reached about my waist. It was hard to move, tiring, every step was an effort. Sometimes I would step into a hole and had to swim my way up. It wasn’t as hard as it might sound, but it was tiring and extremely uncomfortable.

The last one seemed to be the easiest. All I had to do was to jump, grab a rope and swing across a mud moat. So I jumped and half way across the air I knew I didn’t have enough balance to reach the rope. Time seemed to expand as I reached for the rope and missed it, as my body didn’t turn in the air fast enough for me to fall on my feet, and as my face dived into the mud following my arms.

As I arose from the mud I tried to determine what had happened. Why had I missed the rope? I concluded I didn’t take enough balance to make the jump. It would have been more than enough in normal condition, but my muscles were a bit tired after the former exercises, and with the additional weight and the slipery mud I miss calculated the strength necessary to make that jump.

I was considering this and preparing myself to make the jump again when I heard the commander speaking:

“...Oh by the way... I forgot to mention... If you fall or fail at any of the trials... you need to start from the beginning again... So who's next?”

I started laughing. I wasn’t happy to have to do it again. I was laughing from frustration and something else. I was laughing because I had an objective to achieve. Something immediate that would give me pleasure to achieve, like wining a game. I felt something of an obsessive will to do it again and hurried back with a smile on my face. In fact I was beginning to find this an enjoyable game. It was tiring but it was outdoors and physical, and although hard, it was something of a game. A game one couldn’t win but that, in a weird way, one could have fun playing. We get tired, hurt, and dirty, but at least we enjoy ourselves.

I felt the will to do better. I didn’t care if someone would do it faster than me or get it right on the first time. I just wanted to do it, and to do it better than before, just like when I practised with the bow. I didn’t compare myself to my master nor did I want to be like him. I wanted to be the best I could, taking him as an example, a proof that it was possible to be better. Someone from whom I could learn, discovering myself.

I didn’t offer to go again before everybody had their turn. I wanted to but I didn’t want to stand out too much. Something that was already hard for a seven feet elf.
Instead I waited, regaining my strength and learning from the other recruits mistakes and achievements, expecting my turn to go again. After all, this “Red Monster” was proving to be a pleasant one, a little rough, but very amusing.

As I do when shooting the bow, I focused. Suddenly, there was nothing but the goal, to get to the other side of the course. I ran the whole thing in my mind, one step at a time, so that, when my turn was up, I was ready.

[Dr Genesis]

As Isil returned to the group more of the men began to step forewords to take the challenge of the Monster. As each went it became something of a sport..men yelled for there fellows to succeed, sending gibes and compliments to those that failed for good tries. The men in a way began to form a type of bond, a bond made in misery. Though, in the end most did not fair much better then Isil had. As the day progressed the men took lunch on the field in the form of rations. When finally it became Isil's turn yet again, no person of the 19 men had Slayed the Monster. As things stood two men had made it to the finally trial and one man some how managed to fall on the first one, strait threw the wooden bridge.

Yet, as Isil prepared himself for the trip back onto the Monster, Dedrick stepped into his path. "I can see most of you Ork spits want to take a second crack at the Monster...it's in your eyes..the Hunger for glory...but there will be another day another time to wet your feet. Though, a person might see victory standing them square in the eye. We must never forget there is also a time to retreat, a time to start again...This concludes your fist day...Consider your lucky stars I don't make you run off your failures today."

With that Dedrick made his way over to where the men he had sent running where supposed to be. Of the men three sat under a tree, there faces flushed and where obviously in pain. One man was passed out clean on the track, face down in the dirt. Two where walking it's length casually talking about who knows what and only one still ran...or was trying too anyway. The youth who had so challenged Dedrick now was the only person able too keep up the unreasonable request the commander had given.

Though there was some distance Dedricks voice soon carried over even so. "You Ork bloods..." yelled the commander at the men under the tree. "Get your sorry peaces of filth up, and get out of my sight, you fail...out...and while your at it take those two Ork spines." Dedrick pointed to the two men on the track. "And that one face down in his own spit and get off my field." Shaking his head the commander began to fall in step with the youth. "Congratulation's Recruit I have a new job for you.....Have you ever used a Pealing Knife......"

******************************************

For the next five days the bond of misery the men shared only strengthened. no trips to the Monster ensued during these days, just more mindless lifting and running. The men where forced to carry there fellows the length of the track and then back again, taking turns. The men where forced to do push up after push up, marches that took all day and some nights. On one day it rained and Dedrick had the group in full armor along with several waits in there packs. Run out and begin jogging exercises in the middle of the mud, including situs and push ups. The push ups being the hardest to do..so much so in fact that they causing one man to almost drown in the bubbling mass of water that flowed up from the dirt.

As the time passed and the training contiued another 4 more men washed out. Dedrick seamed almost merciless in his training methods and it soon would become clear to all that he cared little who lived and who died while going threw his course.

Of the youth who had Challenged the Commander there was no sign. Some began to think the recriut had died pealing potatoes. Others that he simple failed in some way at that and was thrown out like so many others. Yet, all agreed the chances of the Youth still being in the training compound where quit slim to none.

**********************************
Day Seven

As was becoming the ritual Dedrick stood on the training field awaiting the men to arrive. He held them each and every day to the 08:00 that was there first arrival time. Today however was a special day for the commander. It was the day he so loved for today was the day the men would get there hand to hand training. The only day he would be able to attack the recruits and not get in trouble for it.

[Isil Telperion]

The first training days were extremely hard. As always I would get up two hours before eight to either clean my cloth or my corner in the barracks. After wards I always went to check out on my horse friend Thorondor and sometimes taking him for a quick ride. Then I went to the training fields were I had found a place to shoot my bow for a few minutes every day before presenting myself to the commander a little before eight. I tried my best to always be there before the hour so not to give him any pretext from which to turn on me.

The training was abusive. What I first thought to be a toughening and strengthening treatment seemed sometimes to be more for the commander’s amusement than for our sake. But, truth to be said, my opinion was influenced by my companions’ in pain; and it was pain what we felt every time we had a chance to stop and rest, which was not every evening. If it was hard for me, that was moderately accustomed to run and climb through the forest when hunting, to most of my colleagues it was overwhelming. And our bonds grew stronger.

When the men weren’t too tired to speak, they would talk about their families and loved ones, and the reasons that made them decide to leave all of it behind. Usually I kept silent, not because I had no strength to speak, but because I could really relate. I left nothing behind, my parents were dead, and I didn’t have a family and never had a loved one. In all that time that was something I missed. I missed something I never knew because I saw the strength they took from the memory of those they loved. Although my life is naturally longer I also long for a family and at that moment, surrounded by humans I felt something of their urgency in living. This feeling was also augmented by the fact that I was preparing for war and people tend to die when they combat. After all, those who wander in the rain get wet…

We begun to wander were the youth who had challenged the Commander was. We hadn’t seen him for a wile and close to the end of the week most of us believed that he had been caste out, as were so many others. My secret desire about this was that after being disciplined he would return to the group. After all his attitude show a strong spirit and a strong spirit is like a good blade, if controlled is able to do amazing things but if it’s broken it becomes useless. But the only winning army is a disciplined one and the commander is ruthless.

Pretty much all of the men hated him by now. I couldn’t help but to sympathise with the commander. His was an unpleasant and hard part. To train “ork spits” like us and turning us into killing machines. And although mindless killing was something I appalled trusted that the army leaders would only send us to kill if a superior reason was behind the orders.

By the end of the week my muscles were tired but burning with renewed strength. I could run with the weights better than the first times, with less effort, and the mindless push ups were becoming second nature. I had more cuts and bruises than I had for a long time but I felt good. This was fun. The brotherhood, the colony spirit, the union with these unknown men that were becoming like family, colours humans paint life with, so different form an elf’s and yet so understandable. I felt like home and wouldn’t have it any other way now. Of course most of my companions were too tired to feel this, or anything for that matter, and just hated their luck, wishing to be expelled and never quitting.

In the seventh day of practice I did as usual. I visited Thorondor, practiced with my bow and a little before eight stood in the training field next to Dedrick waiting for the others, wandering about what expected us.

[Dr Genesis]

Dedrick waited for the men to assemble, to his growing upset no person was late. No chance for a bit of fun before the main event. A pity to be certain but still there would be plenty of fun today. Walking up and down the line of men Dedrick began to eye each in turn then stopping on the last man of the line he began to speak.

"Well You Sacks of Cow hide have managed to make it Seven days. It is a accomplishment most peaple do not make, as you have seen. However, do not think you have seen the end of it...oh no...we are only getting started." With a outstretched hand the commander took in the hole of the training field. " Today I am going to teach you how to use your hands, Sword and Javelins as instruments of death. I am going to train you how to fight, how to survive and how to kill"

Walking over to a barrel the Commander gave it a swift kick and then turned back to the assembled recruits. "Within this barrel are training swords, each of you are to take one...And no they are not balanced, We don't baby Moma's boys here....As I call your name stand forward take a wooden weapon and then return to your spot." What soon followed was a tedious time where each man was called forewords for a training weapon as well as being given a number. Each number was randomly drown from a helmet the commander had picked up from besides the barrel. Isil obtained number 12.

When the all the men had there numbers and weapons Dedrick began to lay out the situation. " Now Then...Each of you are going to spar in pairs each odd number taking on the even number, that is one point higher then before. That means..for all your ork brains who could not follow. I want 1 to fight 2, 3 to fight 4 and so on......WELL WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR PAIR UP!!!!" Yelled the commander.

Under Dedricks cold eye's the men began to disperse. It soon became clear however that there was some type of underlying purpose to the numbers and the groupings. Isil who was fighting number 13, would find that his sparing partner was almost a head taller then he was, as well as containing much more muscle tone. The man gave Isil a toothy grin as he scratched his head with the simulated blade edge of his training sword.

With each of the recruits in position Dedrick mapped out the training the men would undertake. Standing in the center of the collected groups derrick pulled a training sword of his own and began to swipe it a few times in the air. "Ok each of you Ork Brains are to follow my lead... Stab..Swing....Parry....Doge." As the commander said each he also demonstrated the attack. Every movement the commander made, seamed almost effortless. Though, Isil would note that the commanders blade was no diffract from any of theres. Which was somewhat heavier then the recriut would have thought.. "Now I want you all to give it a try...?" Continued the commander, as he began the maneuvers again.

[Isil Telperion]

I could see the glitter in the commander’s eyes with the anticipation of the coming violence. He seemed to enjoy the idea of making us fight each other. Some of us seemed to share that state of mind, but for me the idea of hurting any of my companions seemed extremely unpleasant.

The commander began by giving us some wooden swords and attributing each of us a number. I got number twelve. My sparring partner was number eleven and he was huge. I wandered were could he be from to be so big, but if I was a seven feet elf suffering from gigantism he could very well have the same defect. Being a human he was much bigger than me. His expression, however, didn’t denote equivalent intelligence. But if indeed he lacked intelligence, he would have the strength to compensate.

I watched closely when the commander showed the movements he wanted us to learn. The second time he showed them I tried to execute them in the air. It wasn’t as easy as it seemed when he did it. The sword’s fake blade tended to drop and it was hard to keep it in the correct position. Furthermore, my legs didn’t seem to accompany the movement from my arms and torso and I was quickly of balance.

I wanted to understand exactly what was going wrong but I didn’t want the commander after me, so I turned to my partner and asked him – Do you wish to go first or shall I attack you?

I waited for his response trying to remember all the movements.

[Wanderer]

OOC: Sorry if I'm taking over. I'm a far kinder mod than Genesis here so do bear with me Isil. :P

The giant stretched his neck from side to side and popped his knuckles as he listened to Isil talk. Contrary to what the elf was thinking Grugg wasn't quite as stupid as his appearance seemed to imply. "You seem to lack experience so... I suppose I'll go first." he said, his deep bass voice calm and steady as he spoke.

The giant moved his blade towards the elf in a quick, but unsteady motion. Clearly he was having a difficult time handling a weapon that was more dagger than sword in his huge hands. "Sorry about that, I can't really wield this thing like I would a sword." his apology was sincere though it was lacking emotion.

Grugg attacked again, right foots stepping inside as he followed that motion with the dagger-sword in his hands. Unfortunately it would be too short to make contact and Grugg seemed very uncomfortable with what he was doing.

"A swing this time sir," he growled as he brought his weapon swooping towards the left, and then he followed this motion with another rough thrust. "Parry." he mouthed.

"And finally dodge." he told the elf again.

All his moves were slow, predictable and it seemed that he knew much more than what he was letting on. "Don't think I'm underestimating you friend, it's just that I don't see the purpose of beating the life out of someone who'll become my comrade in the future." Grugg grinned, his pearly whites showing.

"Now, its your turn, try everything I've done. Don't hold back, and make sure to step in with the opposite leg from where you're throwing your thrust from."