Lesson in Unity

Lesson in Unity

by Uthanatos

This is an old story, retold at bardic by Uthanatos. The written copy lacks the flair of the telling, but still carries the message intended:

Some time ago, there was a brilliant Centurion, and his commander tasked him with an impossible task. The commander told him that he would be given a troop of veterans wounded and tired from different campaigns, and he could not tell them, but when they all agreed to sacrifice themselves for no gain, no purpose, no glory, they could all go home to their families. The Centurian balked, but his commander was firm and so he set off to come up with a plan.

The next day, the Centurian met his men, ten in all, veterans from various campaigns, immediately they set upon each other, deriding one another for the ease of weather or travel, or the weakness of the foes they faced. The Centurion didn't bother to call them to order, he walked up and calmly asked for a volunteer. One of the men, pushed another forward, the Centurian looked over the forced volunteer and handed him a whip, then told him to lash the other nine.

He did this every day for a month, asking for a volunteer, the first few days, the men asked what they were volunteering for, but then, they stopped and every man volunteered instantly. After a month, every man had had three hands at lashing the others, every man had been lashed 27 days and be brought the commander to his men.

The men were bloodied and weak, but when the commander asked for volunteers, they stepped forward without hesitation. When the commander commented they didn't know what they were volunteering for, the Centurian gestured at the men, their backs scarred and gashed, and said, "ask them." The commander looked to the men and asked, "Which of you would volunteer to be run through by my sword, here and now?" Each man looked to the others and each man volunteered.

The men were dismissed to return to their families and the commander held his ring over the Centurians discharge, looking up at him and asked him, "How?"

The Centurian replied that if a man cannot be made to trust another, he can be made to distrust them all equally.

Reference

https://forums.underlight.com/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=4574&p=16842&hilit=bardic#p16842