Chapter 3: Imperial Iniatives
It had been almost ten years. Ten long, grueling years. He was only eleven years old when they came - razing the city to the ground. Slaughtered his father in front of him, stole his kid sister away into the night. They had broken him, and it was all one cold calculated plan. A child's mind was easily manipulated, easily corrupted. Take everything away from them and they don't know what to do. The second you offer it all back, they'll latch on without a second thought. Pledging allegiance to whomever they paint as their savior. They were perfect candidates for the empire's new program.
Some resisted, and were cut down for their actions. Not all died from their wounds, and it only served to drive them even harder. One child had both his legs removed, and another had an arm severed from his body. Both were saved by Lalafellin engineers, and easily converted with the promise of revenge against the men who had destroyed everything they had. Outfitted with the empire's finest in magitek prosthesis, these children quickly rose to the top of their class. Whether it was their enhanced performance, of the seething rage that had been brewed inside of them, they conquered all that was set before them. Ten long years they were trained alongside their peers. They were bred for war. Brainwashed, and battle hardened. They had no personal lives, they were tools of the empire. Nothing more, nothing less.
A part of the empire's new officer program. A concentrated effort to weigh the effectiveness of children bred with the sole purpose of leading Garlemald's legions. Experimentation to see whether or not their fragile minds could handle the pressure. Were it successful, Garlemald would be blessed with a generation of strong, young leaders capable of seeing to the will of the empire over the course of long, successful careers. They would be the empire's elite. They would be unstoppable.
Endemerrin Rosethorne was the first, a Hyur. Known simply as Legatus XVIII; eventually codenamed "Wrath". His arm had been severed off for his defiance against the empire. He had been "saved" and recruited by Kototo Whimsywood, a Garlean engineer. Wrath would eventually be partnered with Popolith Whimsywood - son of the engineer that had saved him. Popolith served as Wrath's adviser, a Magister. Rain Sunderan was the second, also a Hyur. Legatus XIX; codenamed "Envy". He had lost both of his legs during his resistance, and was rescued by a lalafellin engineer by the name of Poro Moroto. Poro would eventually serve as Envy's adviser and Magister partner.
Though they were among twenty recruits, they graduated at the top of the program alongside five others. The rest were sent off to serve as centurions within various legions, some even under the command of their former classmates. Some were even killed. Though the top seven had more than proved themselves throughout their training, they were still too much of a liability to be pushed out to the Garlean fronts. Instead, they were each given command of a small, inexperienced legion. It was their duty to see to it the legion was quickly whipped into shape via the policing and enforcing of imperial will within conquered territory. It was their duty to quell any rebellions, and keep the peace.
Were they to succeed in their task and their legion grow to fit the expectations of the empire, they would be put on the offensive - claiming territory in the name of their mighty emperor. It was their one and only goal.
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