Chapter 17
Signs of Control
When Luuk came to he was being half dragged and half carried by a couple of his men. He looked about him to get his bearings. They were obviously much closer to the base. It was the middle of the night, he had been out cold for at least four hours. He called to the men to stop. They did.
All around him were the men. They all moved as a unit. Marching around him in unison. Whatever the force that commended them was it was well organized. Luuk was a bit surprised by this he would not have thought the commanding force he sometimes felt in his mind was that knowledgeable about military matters.
Luuk got to his feet and joined the march. He was disappointed that he attempt at finding out what the group was to accomplish. Luuk looked around. He almost lost his footing when he saw the number of men in this group. The group had increased in size. There was at least three men for everyone he had addressed before he had confronted the commanding force. He also noticed several of the men that had left when he had offered that anyone who wanted to could leave. He approached one and was about to speak to him when he noticed the mans eyes. They were empty. There was no sign of any cognitive thought behind those empty eyes.
If Luuk could still feel he would have felt a ball of fear deep in his gut but he was just disgusted.
Luuk tried to halt the group but they continued marching. Apparently he had been striped of some rank for questioning his command. He stopped himself just to test if he could. Rank after rank of man passed by him. So he could at least control his own activities. He started moving again passing across the ranks. Once he reached the end of the army he slowed and allowed the army to pass him by. At the end of the army was a mass of forest creatures. Huge bears, sleek deer, wolves, foxes, birds. All traveling behind the men. Keeping pace with the bulk of the force.
Luuk watched for a moment and then thought to himself that this was exactly the distribution of the forces he would have used if he had organized the army. The mysterious leader had somehow stolen his military training and knowledge and was using it to get the army ready to strike at the base that Luuk had left weeks ago.
He thought about the man with the dead eyes. He wondered if his own eyes looked like that. He spoke his name aloud just to see if he could still do it.
“Luuk”
Well at least that had not not been taken from him. Luuk realized that he was no longer the commander of this legion but a member. Obviously still a leader as he was not forced into the rank and file marching. Luuk moved forward through the group until he was right at the advanced edge of the men. There were rotating scout groups. Again just as he would have done it himself.
He again fell back to the extreme rear of the group looking for the commander that had humbled him so completely. He stopped a the back of the army and allowed them to march away form him. He was going to try forcing his hand again. Confront force commanding him again. Get the answered he needed to die trying.
The presence never returned.
Luuk marched back to the group. He was surprised how long it took him to catch up with the group. He was not able to move as fast as he wanted to. He finally came back to the group and fell into the march. After several hours the group slowed. As far as Luuk could tell they would be less than five thousand paces from the outer placements of the base. It was still much too light to start and attack. Again Luuk noticed that this was exactly as he would have done it.
With a shock he realized that he was still commanding the group. Whatever that force was that had defeated him had taken total control over his mind. Now that the legion had stopped he could command groups again. His control had greatly improved. He had needed to concentrate before, now the slightest of thoughts was enough to have the group react to his every need.
The amount of control he now had was a little scary. He could feel the animals as they moved around the camp.
Luuks closed his eyes and almost screamed. He was thinking about the birds when he closed his eyes. As soon as he closed his eyes he had a view of the legion from thirty feet in the air. His eyes snapped open and he actually took in a sharp deep breath. He slowly closed his eyes and saw the legion again. He could see him self. He opened his eyes and spotted the raven at the top of a tree. He closed his eyes a third time. He could see through the eyes of the raven. It was odd, the view was flatter than he was used to distances were hard do judge.
He thought about flying around the group and inspected the legion by looking at the layout of the group through the eyes of a dead raven flying through the treetops. He had a few of the other birds start flying off towards the target of the attacks. While they were flying he tried to see through some of the men.
It was disorienting to see from the perspective of different men but it was very effective. He quickly had an idea of the layout of the entire group. He was able to adjust the group very quickly. Add a unit here, move another unit off a ridge line. It was like he was thinking of his battle plan and it immediately was carried out.
He sent out a mental message for the unit leaders to check in.
Immediately he heard from the unit leaders as they reported the location and configuration of their units.
Luuk was surprised. He did not know that he could communicate like that. The attack by his new master had opened up abilities that Luuk had not known he possessed. In a very short time this had become a very effective fighting force. He was a little worried at the speed that the now dead men and animals traveled. They moved at less than half the speed they had moved at when still alive. That would be a real disadvantage once the fighting started. The humans wold not be able to hold off his force though. They were too well controlled. Only a mistake would allow this force to be defeated and with the ultimate control he had just demonstrated that just would not happen.
The birds he had sent out to scout contacted Luuk indicating they had reached the points he had sent them to.
Luuk closed his eyes and studied the human base through the eyes of the dead birds. The advanced positions were manned but by a minimal force. The main fortification was still open but there were a lot of men manning the walls. It didn't look like they were expecting a massive attack. Once Luuk got his men moving the advanced positions would be over run in minutes. The main fort though that would be different.
Luuk brought the birds back to the group and sent a scout group of ten to take a closer look. He started to think about how he could breach the walls with thefewest losses to his army.
It was fast approaching dusk and Luuk knew that the attack would start once the sun had set. He started to get the men moving again. Sending units off to positions ofr the upcoming battle.
His unit leaders started to report to him that they had arrived at the locations he had sent them to. He also placed the animals into location where they could be used as shock troops, distractions, or spies.
As the sun went down Luuk felt the presence of is new master for the first time since he had defied the force and been defeated and punished. He put the attack into motion with mental commands to the men and the unit leaders. Luuk wasn't sure but it felt as if the extra presence in his mind was laughing.
When Luuk came to he was being half dragged and half carried by a couple of his men. He looked about him to get his bearings. They were obviously much closer to the base. It was the middle of the night, he had been out cold for at least four hours. He called to the men to stop. They did.
All around him were the men. They all moved as a unit. Marching around him in unison. Whatever the force that commended them was it was well organized. Luuk was a bit surprised by this he would not have thought the commanding force he sometimes felt in his mind was that knowledgeable about military matters.
Luuk got to his feet and joined the march. He was disappointed that he attempt at finding out what the group was to accomplish. Luuk looked around. He almost lost his footing when he saw the number of men in this group. The group had increased in size. There was at least three men for everyone he had addressed before he had confronted the commanding force. He also noticed several of the men that had left when he had offered that anyone who wanted to could leave. He approached one and was about to speak to him when he noticed the mans eyes. They were empty. There was no sign of any cognitive thought behind those empty eyes.
If Luuk could still feel he would have felt a ball of fear deep in his gut but he was just disgusted.
Luuk tried to halt the group but they continued marching. Apparently he had been striped of some rank for questioning his command. He stopped himself just to test if he could. Rank after rank of man passed by him. So he could at least control his own activities. He started moving again passing across the ranks. Once he reached the end of the army he slowed and allowed the army to pass him by. At the end of the army was a mass of forest creatures. Huge bears, sleek deer, wolves, foxes, birds. All traveling behind the men. Keeping pace with the bulk of the force.
Luuk watched for a moment and then thought to himself that this was exactly the distribution of the forces he would have used if he had organized the army. The mysterious leader had somehow stolen his military training and knowledge and was using it to get the army ready to strike at the base that Luuk had left weeks ago.
He thought about the man with the dead eyes. He wondered if his own eyes looked like that. He spoke his name aloud just to see if he could still do it.
“Luuk”
Well at least that had not not been taken from him. Luuk realized that he was no longer the commander of this legion but a member. Obviously still a leader as he was not forced into the rank and file marching. Luuk moved forward through the group until he was right at the advanced edge of the men. There were rotating scout groups. Again just as he would have done it himself.
He again fell back to the extreme rear of the group looking for the commander that had humbled him so completely. He stopped a the back of the army and allowed them to march away form him. He was going to try forcing his hand again. Confront force commanding him again. Get the answered he needed to die trying.
The presence never returned.
Luuk marched back to the group. He was surprised how long it took him to catch up with the group. He was not able to move as fast as he wanted to. He finally came back to the group and fell into the march. After several hours the group slowed. As far as Luuk could tell they would be less than five thousand paces from the outer placements of the base. It was still much too light to start and attack. Again Luuk noticed that this was exactly as he would have done it.
With a shock he realized that he was still commanding the group. Whatever that force was that had defeated him had taken total control over his mind. Now that the legion had stopped he could command groups again. His control had greatly improved. He had needed to concentrate before, now the slightest of thoughts was enough to have the group react to his every need.
The amount of control he now had was a little scary. He could feel the animals as they moved around the camp.
Luuks closed his eyes and almost screamed. He was thinking about the birds when he closed his eyes. As soon as he closed his eyes he had a view of the legion from thirty feet in the air. His eyes snapped open and he actually took in a sharp deep breath. He slowly closed his eyes and saw the legion again. He could see him self. He opened his eyes and spotted the raven at the top of a tree. He closed his eyes a third time. He could see through the eyes of the raven. It was odd, the view was flatter than he was used to distances were hard do judge.
He thought about flying around the group and inspected the legion by looking at the layout of the group through the eyes of a dead raven flying through the treetops. He had a few of the other birds start flying off towards the target of the attacks. While they were flying he tried to see through some of the men.
It was disorienting to see from the perspective of different men but it was very effective. He quickly had an idea of the layout of the entire group. He was able to adjust the group very quickly. Add a unit here, move another unit off a ridge line. It was like he was thinking of his battle plan and it immediately was carried out.
He sent out a mental message for the unit leaders to check in.
Immediately he heard from the unit leaders as they reported the location and configuration of their units.
Luuk was surprised. He did not know that he could communicate like that. The attack by his new master had opened up abilities that Luuk had not known he possessed. In a very short time this had become a very effective fighting force. He was a little worried at the speed that the now dead men and animals traveled. They moved at less than half the speed they had moved at when still alive. That would be a real disadvantage once the fighting started. The humans wold not be able to hold off his force though. They were too well controlled. Only a mistake would allow this force to be defeated and with the ultimate control he had just demonstrated that just would not happen.
The birds he had sent out to scout contacted Luuk indicating they had reached the points he had sent them to.
Luuk closed his eyes and studied the human base through the eyes of the dead birds. The advanced positions were manned but by a minimal force. The main fortification was still open but there were a lot of men manning the walls. It didn't look like they were expecting a massive attack. Once Luuk got his men moving the advanced positions would be over run in minutes. The main fort though that would be different.
Luuk brought the birds back to the group and sent a scout group of ten to take a closer look. He started to think about how he could breach the walls with thefewest losses to his army.
It was fast approaching dusk and Luuk knew that the attack would start once the sun had set. He started to get the men moving again. Sending units off to positions ofr the upcoming battle.
His unit leaders started to report to him that they had arrived at the locations he had sent them to. He also placed the animals into location where they could be used as shock troops, distractions, or spies.
As the sun went down Luuk felt the presence of is new master for the first time since he had defied the force and been defeated and punished. He put the attack into motion with mental commands to the men and the unit leaders. Luuk wasn't sure but it felt as if the extra presence in his mind was laughing.
posted by shaneknysh at 01:21
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