Humility Must Be Taught

Ballista HURT!

Quingia Bozkurtlar was performing an inspection of his cohort as they prepared for winter training and targeting maneuvers. He would walk up to every artillery piece and grilled the men assigned about every aspect of the equipment and their roll. Every once in a while he would challenge a soldier to a small contest of performance if he seemed to falter at the answer to his questions.

This day as he was checking the ballistae, his first love so to speak, a very young ballista crew was stumbling over themselves and fumbling for every answer for the Quingia’ s questions. He was getting frustrated. Finally he had enough. He challenged the crew, three of them, to a shooting race. He said that if they three could fire 5 bolts faster and more accurate then himself, working the ballista alone, then they could continue as a crew. If they failed, he would have them all transferred to a Mulia (labor) cohort.

The stage was set. The contest was on. Quingia Bozkurtlar was off to a quick start, firing 2 bolts just as the crew finished their first and was half way to firing their second. He was in the middle of setting his third bolt when he saw a huge flash of light in the sky, then it went dark. Then he was in a blank white room with a figure standing in front of him. The figure was a ram. It spoke to him, saying “This contest doesn’t seem very fair, you against those three. They are still children.” Bozkurtlar responds stammering “T-T-Then they shouldn’t have j-j-joined the Ballistia, and volunteered to b-b-be in my Cohort.”

The ram turns towards him, speaking very loudly “YOUR COHORT, YOUR COHORT. I BELIEVE THAT IT IS MY COHORT, SINCE I WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN YOUR PROCUREMENT OF SAID COHORT!”

The Quingia is taken aback ”M-M-Mighty Ra, can that be you?”

“In a sense, this is my avatar; the Ram. Regardless, I have come to give you a lesson in humility and I have a task for you, which will require you to have some. I will send you a message very soon, you will recognize it. It will explain what your quest will be and what I expect you to accomplish. Now for that lesson in humility; careful with that strung ballista, never know what might happen.” Blackness, then light again and Bozkurtlar was standing at his ballista having just dropped in the bolt when the cord starts to fray. He realizes what is happening and yells “COVER!” and hits the deck. Those around him do the same, just as the cord comes apart. The arms of the ballista wrench forward unabated and snap near in half. Shards and splinters spray out from the ballista in all directions. Several larger pieces strike Quingia Bozkurtlar squarely in the backside. No serious damage just superficial wounds (humility). The young crew is so intent on finishing they don’t notice the destruction at all and complete the task of firing 5 bolts faster than their commander.

Bozkurtlar spent about a day “recuperating” from his injuries. Then he got approval for leave to go home and visit his family; waiting for some message or orders of unknown origin or task.