It had been a while since Retvik was… of sane mind, at least sane enough to begin to piece together what had happened. None of it was good. His arm plating was basically gone. His tail was ruined. Pieces of his armour were burnt and singed and flaking off. And standing at the end of his bed were the faces of two Rethans he had hoped to never see.
There were other Rethans present as well. Rethais, Retvik’s older sibling, had been hanging around like a bad smell for the last hour or so. Or was Retvik the bad smell? He couldn’t tell, the scent of burnt flesh was still lingering in his nostrils. Rethais had looked worried the whole time and they both knew why.
The Rethans at the end of the bed though, they were a whole different story. One of them, the smaller one, plated in blue, silver and gold armour, was General Vaksavar. This old, knowledgable soul was the leader of the 100th Legion. It was his responsibility to make sure that all other Rethan generals were suitable for their jobs. Vaksavar was not the most terrifying-looking Rethan. In fact, he was weirdly tall and skinny, but he was revered by most normal Rethans, as they trusted Vaksavar to make sure that their leaders were strong and that they treated their soldiers well.
Despite how tall Vaksavar was, he looked almost insignificant next to the other Rethan. Few beings had heard of Litvir Kaldynik, and that was for good reason. Litvir was a hulking brute of a Rethan but despite his appearances, he seemed to lack any real presence. This was intentional, as Litvir was in charge of the 11th Legion, a mysterious Legion that few joined and fewer left in one piece.
All these years, Retvik had known about the 11th Legion and what it did. A small militia of Rethavok with powers beyond normal explanations. Retvik always had some unexplainable traits, but they had always been hand-waved away due to his Rethianos heritage. The ability to… spontaneously combust was not something Retvik could hide. Not since he had very recently blown up part of a hospital due to his lack of control.
“You understand that you are not fit to lead the 270th Legion, yes?”
“You understand that you have abilities beyond your control and our understanding, and must be transferred, yes?”
Both sentences were spoken at once. Words Retvik had only heard in his worst nightmares. That was why Rethais was there. He understood the situation as well. He had been trying (and failing) to convince Retvik that there was nothing to be ashamed of, that maybe one day he could be a general again, that this was all for his own good. He was also there to tell Retvik, in more gentle words, that he had no choice in the matter. It was this or imprisonment until Retvik died.
“I…” Retvik was hesitating. He knew he needed to get this out of the way. The sooner it all happened, the sooner Retvik could… work towards being a general again. “I understand.”
“Good,” Vaksavar nodded, pleased that this Rethan was cooperating. “Would you like to induct Retvik Rethianos into your Legion, General Litvir?”
“I would.”
“Please may I say something… General?” Retvik asked. There was… a twang of shame and horror in his voice.
Litvir glanced at Vaksavar and Rethais. “You may.”
“I understand that I am not fit to lead, but may I choose my replacement and inform them of their new duties… in person?”
Again, Litvir glanced at his fellow Generals. The look on the High General’s face suggested that Litvir comply. After all, they were stripping the title of a known Rethan hero, the least they could do was give him one rather innocent reprieve.
With a grunt, Litvir handed Retvik a piece of paper and a pen. “Write down your replacement’s name. We shall bring them here tomorrow. Once your replacement has been declared, you will be immediately inducted into my Legion. Understand?”
“I understand…” Retvik sighed. After a few moments of thought, Retvik scribbled a name down in broken, pained letters, his singed fingers barely cooperating.
As he handed the paper back to Litvir, a smile grew on the general’s face. Retvik knew he had sealed his own fate…