The New Order

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Caesar smiled, and slowly drew back his sword, returning it to the sheath at his side. “Now that is what I like to hear.”

Leonidas refused to give Caesar the satisfaction of a response to the quip. That, at least, was still in his power. Instead he asked a question: “So what does Lord Tenebris want me to do?”

“He wants you to stay here at the base,” replied Caesar simply. “The army of Element City will be here soon enough, as soon as they’ve recovered from the offensive on Elementia Day. When they arrive, let them take the base. Put up a fight, take as many of them down as you can … but let them win.”

Leonidas looked up. This was far too ludicrous for him not to question. “So, what? Ya want us all to die for no reason? Ya just want to give them this base back? Why? What is the point of that?”

“Oh, so silly of me! I forgot to mention one thing.” Caesar’s upper-class accent was prominent in the statement, and he followed it up with an amused chuckle. “All who remain at the base must die … except for you, my friend. When the attack comes, lead your defences, but when you are beginning to fall behind, use Ender Pearls to escape from the base, and then make your way back to Nocturia as soon as possible.”

Leonidas opened his mouth, his face showing utter disbelief. But then he closed it again. There was no point in questioning this. If Lord Tenebris wanted something done, Leonidas would have to do it, or be killed. He had to keep reminding himself of that.

“OK,” he said slowly. “So wait for Elementia to attack us, and when they do, we let them win, but I escape and head back to the capital?”

Caesar smiled. “Now you’re catching on, my friend. All right, I’d best be off.” And with that, he walked over to a hole in the stone floor and descended the wooden ladder to the hillside. Leonidas watched out the window as Caesar and five men walked down the hill into the dense jungle, continuing on until the opaque foliage finally blocked them from sight.

Leonidas sighed. Not for the first time, he sat down on the floor, his back against the temple wall, and told himself to think. This was something that seemed to happen a lot these days, as he was sitting around the Jungle Base with nothing to do.

Why was he, Leonidas, part of the Noctem Alliance? Because he had agreed to join it alongside Caesar and Minotaurus. Why did he agree to join? Because he had just lost everything in the Battle for Elementia, including his partners, Geno and Becca, and his ruler, King Kev. Why did he lose those players? Because of Stan, a piece of lower-level scum who had driven the inferior lower-level players to rebel against their masters. Why did Stan do that? Because he believed that the lower-level players deserved all the rights that the upper-level players had. And why don’t they? Because they were inferior. And why were they inferior?

Leonidas faltered for a moment. He had always accepted, without question, from the moment that he had joined RAT1, that the lower-level players were inferior. But … why? Leonidas shook his head. He didn’t need justification for that, it was simply nature, it was the reason he was now going through all this trouble to take down Stan. It was just the way it should be. But then … why was it that whenever he went to kill a lower-level player, who he vastly outclassed in combat skills … why did killing those players never fail to make him uneasy? Even if, in the heat of combat, Leonidas had no inhibitions, they would inevitably come back to haunt him after the fact.

Leonidas looked up and realized that all his remaining five men were gathered in front of him. He had apparently been lost in his thoughts for a while. Leonidas shook the fog from his head. There was no time to be thinking about reason. An attack from Element City was inbound, and they had to be prepared for it when it came.

“Prepare for battle, men!” Leonidas yelled, pulling himself to his feet. “Man the defensive positions, and prepare yourselves! Stan and his guys are comin’ and we’re gonna make our last stand, right here, right now!” Leonidas whipped out his bow and brandished it above his head, flourishing it up and down as he led a round of cheers at the proclamation. He felt a knot in his gut as he realized that within the day, all five of these players would be dead and he would still be alive, fleeing the scene.

Leonidas shook his head again. Don’t think, Leonidas told himself. Just defend. Just defend the base until they make their way in, and then ya can run. Leonidas climbed the ladder to the top floor of the base, which stood open to the sky and offered a gorgeous view of the setting sun.

As Leonidas took his position atop the tower, arrow nocked into his bow, he did not allow himself to think, lest he convince himself to do something against his orders. No, instead he forced himself to repeat over and over in his head the creed that had become his entire life.

Viva la Noctem, Viva la Noctem, Viva la Noctem, Viva la Noctem …