Chapter 16
Signs of Influence
Luuk was pleased with the men he lead now. Although he thought he might have to come up with a new name to describe them. They were not really men anymore. They were once men but being dead must have changed them from being men.
He watched them as they moved through the woods. They moved in groups as commanded by they leader that had taken control of that group. Some of the leaders just herded the men south, allowing them to move in whatever formation they happened to be in. Other placed them into formations had them march as a unit.
He thought back to the conversation he had with Adams. He had realized that they were an army on the march. They were moving towards a target with the intent to attack it, to either control the place or to destroy it. Telling it to Adams made it seem more sinister, more real somehow.
He thought about what his role was. How it had changed from before. Why had he been chosen to lead this new group of men. He thought about turning the men around and moving them into the corrupted lands. He felt physical pain at the thought the urge against it was so strong. Luuk started to explore these feelings.
Something was guiding them. Leading them towards goals that had not been revealed. Luuk realized that he was leading these men but he did not know who was leading him. He had told Adams that they were not creatures of the corrupted lands. He believed it. Why would they not travel to the corrupted lands and gather reinforcements when they had the chance? Obviously the corrupted lands was not the source of the power that controlled them was not native to the corrupted lands. They were apart from the lands of men, and not from the corrupted lands either. Was this something new?
Luuk walked in silent thought as dawn approached. He was not able to conceive of the source of his own power. He also realized whenever he thought about changing paths he would be compelled to continue his original course. He was bothered but no surprised that just as he could influence the men around him something was influencing him.
He had discovered that he had much more control over the men than they reported they had over others. Anyone he had asked reported they could compel someone to do something. They had more difficulty getting them to do something different to what they were currently doing. They reported that changing directions was easy and changing tasks was more difficult. Getting someone to do something destructive was the hardest of all. When he had heard this Luuk was a bit surprised. He could get someone to do something without much effort at all.
He had found that if he just thought of something it happened. He had to be careful because if he were to concentrate the effect was remarkable. He had seen a group of twenty men all suddenly try to grab the same tree branch as Luuk concentrated on it.
He thought about speaking with Adams and within a few minutes Adams was there with a list of questions for him. Luuk wondered if Adams would have had those questions if he had not thought of speaking to him.
Luuk realized that he had wondered from his original thought. He noticed his mind wandered whenever he tried to discover the source of this guiding force. It was an odd feeling knowing that something was guiding your thoughts. The fact that he had discovered something guiding his thoughts, was that planted in his mind by whatever was guiding him? Or had he discovered it independently of this ruling force?
The odd quiet of the group as they traveled through the forest struck Luuk. The men were noisier than Luuk would have expected but they were also quieter. They made more noise moving about, stomping through the bushes when they should be hiding the sounds of their passage. But without the banter Luuk had never really noticed until it was gone. Luuk would not have said that the talk of the men was all that loud but now that it was gone it was like the men had been shouting their way through the woods before.
Shortly after dawn Luuk felt the return of the presence he had felt in his dreams the days before he was transformed. He kept looking around to see if he could catch a glimpse of whoever was observing his thoughts. It was strange to have someone sharing your mind. Luuk thought back over his plans and looked for a reaction from his mental companion.
He started to think over his future plans, that seemed to get the response Luuk was expecting. As he got to different aspects of his plans he felt the presence get stringer or weaker, as if the person was reading his thoughts like you would a letter. Spending more time on the more interesting parts and skimming over the parts you felt were, well, boring.
As Luuk finished his plans for the attack on the base camp and he felt the presence in his mind pushing him to move faster. Luuk suddenly came to the conclusion that this presence was really leading this group. This thing was what was guiding him in his attack on the human base camp.
Luuk spent the rest of the morning testing the control he had over the army. He noted that the more he did to organize the men the less likely he would feel the presence of his overseer. If he let the men scatter though, within moments a presence in his mind would be there. Urging him to gather the men. Move them on towards the target. Luuk split his force and sent a third away from the attack site. Nothing. He returned that third and had a third of the group stop and wait. Still nothing. After a couple of hours of experimentation he found that as long as a quarter to a third of his command was moving towards the base he was left alone. As soon as he had any combination of men not moving towards the base the presence returned. It did not matter if the other men were stopped or moving away from attack site just as long a minimum number of creatures were advancing on the target he could do as he pleased with the rest of his commands.
Luuk waited until nearly dusk and then he decided to see if he could find out who was really in command. He gathered all his men. He brought in his leaders and addressed them. He needed them to understand what he was doing so that he could count on them to follow through no matter what happened.
“I want to find out what we are doing and who is commanding us.” He told the assembled men. “I know it is difficult, but we must accept who we are and what we fight for. Anyone who can't accept that, anyone who won't accept that, leave now.”
Luuk was shocked at the number that left. Almost a quarter of his command shuffled off into the woods. He knew he would lose a lot but he didn't imagine it would be that many. But it was better that they leave now rather than when they had started their attack.
“I want you to remain here, right here. I want to know more about this mission so I am going to question our commanders. You may start to be compelled to move. If you do stop as soon as you can. I have stationed half the leaders immediately to the south of this location. I hope they will be able to turn anyone back should they try to move in that direction.”
Luuk felt the return of the commanding presence in his mind. He was ready for it though. He immediately started to force his mind to expel the unwelcome visitor. He tried to question the force, asking what his command was to accomplish, when time line was expected.
He felt the presence shift slightly. It was the first time Luuk had managed to get the presence to react to him. It spoke to him inside its mind.
“I do not answer the questions of a slave!” the presence boomed through his skull. A massive pressure was then exerted on Luuk. It was painful, physically painful to resist the force.
Luuk again thought questions at the other mind.
“I need to know our goals if I am to accomplish them. You must acknowledge the value of a well led fighting force or you would not have gathered this group.”
Again the voice boomed in his skull.
“You will earn obedience.”
The pain again exploded. More and more pain rolled over Luuk in wave after wave. Luuk saw his men all stand and move to the south. He had no control over what they would do. The pain was unbearable. His vision started to blur and his nose started to ooze clotted blood. It did not take long for the pain to overcome him. His last thought was if he would survive the onslaught from his new master.
Luuk was pleased with the men he lead now. Although he thought he might have to come up with a new name to describe them. They were not really men anymore. They were once men but being dead must have changed them from being men.
He watched them as they moved through the woods. They moved in groups as commanded by they leader that had taken control of that group. Some of the leaders just herded the men south, allowing them to move in whatever formation they happened to be in. Other placed them into formations had them march as a unit.
He thought back to the conversation he had with Adams. He had realized that they were an army on the march. They were moving towards a target with the intent to attack it, to either control the place or to destroy it. Telling it to Adams made it seem more sinister, more real somehow.
He thought about what his role was. How it had changed from before. Why had he been chosen to lead this new group of men. He thought about turning the men around and moving them into the corrupted lands. He felt physical pain at the thought the urge against it was so strong. Luuk started to explore these feelings.
Something was guiding them. Leading them towards goals that had not been revealed. Luuk realized that he was leading these men but he did not know who was leading him. He had told Adams that they were not creatures of the corrupted lands. He believed it. Why would they not travel to the corrupted lands and gather reinforcements when they had the chance? Obviously the corrupted lands was not the source of the power that controlled them was not native to the corrupted lands. They were apart from the lands of men, and not from the corrupted lands either. Was this something new?
Luuk walked in silent thought as dawn approached. He was not able to conceive of the source of his own power. He also realized whenever he thought about changing paths he would be compelled to continue his original course. He was bothered but no surprised that just as he could influence the men around him something was influencing him.
He had discovered that he had much more control over the men than they reported they had over others. Anyone he had asked reported they could compel someone to do something. They had more difficulty getting them to do something different to what they were currently doing. They reported that changing directions was easy and changing tasks was more difficult. Getting someone to do something destructive was the hardest of all. When he had heard this Luuk was a bit surprised. He could get someone to do something without much effort at all.
He had found that if he just thought of something it happened. He had to be careful because if he were to concentrate the effect was remarkable. He had seen a group of twenty men all suddenly try to grab the same tree branch as Luuk concentrated on it.
He thought about speaking with Adams and within a few minutes Adams was there with a list of questions for him. Luuk wondered if Adams would have had those questions if he had not thought of speaking to him.
Luuk realized that he had wondered from his original thought. He noticed his mind wandered whenever he tried to discover the source of this guiding force. It was an odd feeling knowing that something was guiding your thoughts. The fact that he had discovered something guiding his thoughts, was that planted in his mind by whatever was guiding him? Or had he discovered it independently of this ruling force?
The odd quiet of the group as they traveled through the forest struck Luuk. The men were noisier than Luuk would have expected but they were also quieter. They made more noise moving about, stomping through the bushes when they should be hiding the sounds of their passage. But without the banter Luuk had never really noticed until it was gone. Luuk would not have said that the talk of the men was all that loud but now that it was gone it was like the men had been shouting their way through the woods before.
Shortly after dawn Luuk felt the return of the presence he had felt in his dreams the days before he was transformed. He kept looking around to see if he could catch a glimpse of whoever was observing his thoughts. It was strange to have someone sharing your mind. Luuk thought back over his plans and looked for a reaction from his mental companion.
He started to think over his future plans, that seemed to get the response Luuk was expecting. As he got to different aspects of his plans he felt the presence get stringer or weaker, as if the person was reading his thoughts like you would a letter. Spending more time on the more interesting parts and skimming over the parts you felt were, well, boring.
As Luuk finished his plans for the attack on the base camp and he felt the presence in his mind pushing him to move faster. Luuk suddenly came to the conclusion that this presence was really leading this group. This thing was what was guiding him in his attack on the human base camp.
Luuk spent the rest of the morning testing the control he had over the army. He noted that the more he did to organize the men the less likely he would feel the presence of his overseer. If he let the men scatter though, within moments a presence in his mind would be there. Urging him to gather the men. Move them on towards the target. Luuk split his force and sent a third away from the attack site. Nothing. He returned that third and had a third of the group stop and wait. Still nothing. After a couple of hours of experimentation he found that as long as a quarter to a third of his command was moving towards the base he was left alone. As soon as he had any combination of men not moving towards the base the presence returned. It did not matter if the other men were stopped or moving away from attack site just as long a minimum number of creatures were advancing on the target he could do as he pleased with the rest of his commands.
Luuk waited until nearly dusk and then he decided to see if he could find out who was really in command. He gathered all his men. He brought in his leaders and addressed them. He needed them to understand what he was doing so that he could count on them to follow through no matter what happened.
“I want to find out what we are doing and who is commanding us.” He told the assembled men. “I know it is difficult, but we must accept who we are and what we fight for. Anyone who can't accept that, anyone who won't accept that, leave now.”
Luuk was shocked at the number that left. Almost a quarter of his command shuffled off into the woods. He knew he would lose a lot but he didn't imagine it would be that many. But it was better that they leave now rather than when they had started their attack.
“I want you to remain here, right here. I want to know more about this mission so I am going to question our commanders. You may start to be compelled to move. If you do stop as soon as you can. I have stationed half the leaders immediately to the south of this location. I hope they will be able to turn anyone back should they try to move in that direction.”
Luuk felt the return of the commanding presence in his mind. He was ready for it though. He immediately started to force his mind to expel the unwelcome visitor. He tried to question the force, asking what his command was to accomplish, when time line was expected.
He felt the presence shift slightly. It was the first time Luuk had managed to get the presence to react to him. It spoke to him inside its mind.
“I do not answer the questions of a slave!” the presence boomed through his skull. A massive pressure was then exerted on Luuk. It was painful, physically painful to resist the force.
Luuk again thought questions at the other mind.
“I need to know our goals if I am to accomplish them. You must acknowledge the value of a well led fighting force or you would not have gathered this group.”
Again the voice boomed in his skull.
“You will earn obedience.”
The pain again exploded. More and more pain rolled over Luuk in wave after wave. Luuk saw his men all stand and move to the south. He had no control over what they would do. The pain was unbearable. His vision started to blur and his nose started to ooze clotted blood. It did not take long for the pain to overcome him. His last thought was if he would survive the onslaught from his new master.
posted by shaneknysh at 01:21
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