Chapter 14
Signs of Knowledge
Adams followed the group as they started to head away from the corrupted lands and back to the base he had left weeks ago. When he had left the base he had been a young soldier out to see the world. He was returning now as a fell creature. He felt no hate for his old life, he felt nothing at all.
All through the morning they moved back towards the base. Adams spent the morning discovering his new abilities. He knew he could influence others like him by concentrating. He found it difficult though, he could make a group turn or stop or start but he could not get them to do anything other than move. He had spent nearly an hour trying to get Quinn to speak.
It never occurred to him that others would have this power over him, but in the mid morning he had an urge to shift his path to the east. Without thought he did so. Then he felt the need to move to the west. Then to stop. When he felt the urge to start again he decided to resist. The urgency to start moving grew. He looked around him to see if he could see who it was giving him the commands. He could not tell. No one near him was looking at him. The longer he remained still the more he felt the need to move. He finally gave in and started moving when the need to move became overwhelming.
Adams suddenly remembered the feeling he had to leave his patrol with Quinn and hide himself from his unit. He wondered if that had also been a mental command.
As the march passed midmorning he stopped practicing his mental commands. He knew how uncomfortable he was when he discovered he was being manipulated and he did not want to force that on his comrades.
That thought struck him, were these still his comrades? This silent group of formerly living soldiers, farmers, and free holders? He was dead. Could he still have human relationships like friends and enemies? As he struggled with this he felt like he was being watched, like someone was searching his thoughts. He stopped moving and considered the situation. He wasn't sure what to do but he decided to act. He needed to find out what was going on.
“Who is in command?” He yelled.
All around him soldiers stopped and stared. Some slumped their shoulders and continued there trek. A small group, perhaps ten or twelve came and stood near him. Luuk was with them.
“I still command,” Luuk said, “although I feel like something else is watching me. Expecting something from me that I can not fathom.”
Adams quickly realized that this group was different from the rest. He looked at the group. There were eleven others. Seven were former soldiers. Three were farmers, which surprised him. The last was a free hold guard. He looked at each of them and asked a question, he suspected that he knew the answer already but he asked the question anyway.
“Can you control the actions of others in the group?” He asked them.
Some looked down ashamed. Other stared back at him defiantly. Only Luuk looked surprised.
So that is how it works! He thought, these were the leaders, the others who continued to move around them continuing the long march were the muscle and strength of this legion. This group was the mind.
He spoke directly to Luuk.
“If you concentrate you can compel others to alter their path, change direction or actions.”
Luuk's jaw dropped as he heard what Adams was saying.
Luuk looked off at a man who was passing the group and the man suddenly stopped and turned to the group. This was a old farmer back bent with age. As Luuk stared at him he snapped to attention and saluted Luuk.
Adams was amazed as the urge to follow suit rolled over him. He noticed that all around him were creatures saluting Luuk. Included most of the command group. Adams gave into the urge and saluted Luuk as well.
“I have felt the urge to do things today but I just ignored it.” Luuk told them as the group dropped their salute and continued marching. Luuk gestured for the command group to resume moving as well.
Adams was amazed that Luuk had resisted the commands. Adams had come to the conclusion that if you refused to obey a mental command the urge to do so just increased until you followed the command. How much will power did Luuk possess to rebuff the mental commands.
“No more than anyone else.” Luuk replied.
Adams was surprised, he did not think he had spoken aloud.
“I'm sorry sir, I did not mean to question you resolve.”
“Be at ease, “ Luuk replied, “life, or what ever it is we have, has changed us forever I fear. We need to discover what we are now and what we are to do about it.”
It was mid afternoon and they had a long walk back to the base camp. They all knew that was where they were headed. They just were not sure if they were there to attack the base or to continue on into the settled lands beyond. Adams was pretty sure that a battle was brewing.
As the afternoon turned to evening Luuk had the command group gather the men into units. Adams found himself commanding a group of twenty men, about half former soldier and half farmers and free holders.
The others on the command group had units that were larger or smaller. Luuk himself did not have a unit, he walked alone as often as not studying the men and organizing the group.
When evening had passed and darkness approached Luuk called for a halt and a camp to be set up. The men milled about going through the motions but the command group gathered around Luuk. Luuk looked at them and at the men.
Adams spoke what they were all thinking, “We need no food. No rest. Why are we making camp.”
Murmurs of agreement went through the group.
Luuk looked at Adams and Adams felt a wave of power flow out of Luuk.
“You are right of course. I need to learn that what it is we have no become. Form up for march we will continue.”
Adams walked off into the camp gathering his unit and getting ready to move off for the nights march. He heard others calling out to gather in the groups. This was a disorganized group and they would have to relearn discipline fast. This was a fighting force and as long as the group remained chaotic like this they would not be able to use all the strength the group possessed.
Adams started to get his group to go through some drills as they marched into the night. Simple things. Marching, turning, reacting as a group. As the night continued he heard other doing the same thing. Unfortunately they had learned that verbal commands were not required.
Adams looked at his unit and marveled at what they had become. A fighting force that did not need sleep or food. As far as he could tell they felt no pain and never fatigued. They were the perfect soldiers. All they need was some training.
Adams followed the group as they started to head away from the corrupted lands and back to the base he had left weeks ago. When he had left the base he had been a young soldier out to see the world. He was returning now as a fell creature. He felt no hate for his old life, he felt nothing at all.
All through the morning they moved back towards the base. Adams spent the morning discovering his new abilities. He knew he could influence others like him by concentrating. He found it difficult though, he could make a group turn or stop or start but he could not get them to do anything other than move. He had spent nearly an hour trying to get Quinn to speak.
It never occurred to him that others would have this power over him, but in the mid morning he had an urge to shift his path to the east. Without thought he did so. Then he felt the need to move to the west. Then to stop. When he felt the urge to start again he decided to resist. The urgency to start moving grew. He looked around him to see if he could see who it was giving him the commands. He could not tell. No one near him was looking at him. The longer he remained still the more he felt the need to move. He finally gave in and started moving when the need to move became overwhelming.
Adams suddenly remembered the feeling he had to leave his patrol with Quinn and hide himself from his unit. He wondered if that had also been a mental command.
As the march passed midmorning he stopped practicing his mental commands. He knew how uncomfortable he was when he discovered he was being manipulated and he did not want to force that on his comrades.
That thought struck him, were these still his comrades? This silent group of formerly living soldiers, farmers, and free holders? He was dead. Could he still have human relationships like friends and enemies? As he struggled with this he felt like he was being watched, like someone was searching his thoughts. He stopped moving and considered the situation. He wasn't sure what to do but he decided to act. He needed to find out what was going on.
“Who is in command?” He yelled.
All around him soldiers stopped and stared. Some slumped their shoulders and continued there trek. A small group, perhaps ten or twelve came and stood near him. Luuk was with them.
“I still command,” Luuk said, “although I feel like something else is watching me. Expecting something from me that I can not fathom.”
Adams quickly realized that this group was different from the rest. He looked at the group. There were eleven others. Seven were former soldiers. Three were farmers, which surprised him. The last was a free hold guard. He looked at each of them and asked a question, he suspected that he knew the answer already but he asked the question anyway.
“Can you control the actions of others in the group?” He asked them.
Some looked down ashamed. Other stared back at him defiantly. Only Luuk looked surprised.
So that is how it works! He thought, these were the leaders, the others who continued to move around them continuing the long march were the muscle and strength of this legion. This group was the mind.
He spoke directly to Luuk.
“If you concentrate you can compel others to alter their path, change direction or actions.”
Luuk's jaw dropped as he heard what Adams was saying.
Luuk looked off at a man who was passing the group and the man suddenly stopped and turned to the group. This was a old farmer back bent with age. As Luuk stared at him he snapped to attention and saluted Luuk.
Adams was amazed as the urge to follow suit rolled over him. He noticed that all around him were creatures saluting Luuk. Included most of the command group. Adams gave into the urge and saluted Luuk as well.
“I have felt the urge to do things today but I just ignored it.” Luuk told them as the group dropped their salute and continued marching. Luuk gestured for the command group to resume moving as well.
Adams was amazed that Luuk had resisted the commands. Adams had come to the conclusion that if you refused to obey a mental command the urge to do so just increased until you followed the command. How much will power did Luuk possess to rebuff the mental commands.
“No more than anyone else.” Luuk replied.
Adams was surprised, he did not think he had spoken aloud.
“I'm sorry sir, I did not mean to question you resolve.”
“Be at ease, “ Luuk replied, “life, or what ever it is we have, has changed us forever I fear. We need to discover what we are now and what we are to do about it.”
It was mid afternoon and they had a long walk back to the base camp. They all knew that was where they were headed. They just were not sure if they were there to attack the base or to continue on into the settled lands beyond. Adams was pretty sure that a battle was brewing.
As the afternoon turned to evening Luuk had the command group gather the men into units. Adams found himself commanding a group of twenty men, about half former soldier and half farmers and free holders.
The others on the command group had units that were larger or smaller. Luuk himself did not have a unit, he walked alone as often as not studying the men and organizing the group.
When evening had passed and darkness approached Luuk called for a halt and a camp to be set up. The men milled about going through the motions but the command group gathered around Luuk. Luuk looked at them and at the men.
Adams spoke what they were all thinking, “We need no food. No rest. Why are we making camp.”
Murmurs of agreement went through the group.
Luuk looked at Adams and Adams felt a wave of power flow out of Luuk.
“You are right of course. I need to learn that what it is we have no become. Form up for march we will continue.”
Adams walked off into the camp gathering his unit and getting ready to move off for the nights march. He heard others calling out to gather in the groups. This was a disorganized group and they would have to relearn discipline fast. This was a fighting force and as long as the group remained chaotic like this they would not be able to use all the strength the group possessed.
Adams started to get his group to go through some drills as they marched into the night. Simple things. Marching, turning, reacting as a group. As the night continued he heard other doing the same thing. Unfortunately they had learned that verbal commands were not required.
Adams looked at his unit and marveled at what they had become. A fighting force that did not need sleep or food. As far as he could tell they felt no pain and never fatigued. They were the perfect soldiers. All they need was some training.
posted by shaneknysh at 11:38
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