Leon Broks

Leon Broks is an apocolite serving in the Thane's Guard at Thane Zenzele Azikiwe's manor. He is a Child of Ice, and wields a cyan backsword as his wisp blade. His original Earthen home was Latvia. Leon is one of five POV Characters in Book One: Universe Eight.

## Appearance and Character:

Leon is stoic, forlorn, and tends to be a pessimist. He has shoulder length, straight black hair. His eyes and veins are cyan to match his sword. Leon's body is covered in scars, from his brutal training at the hand of Thane Zenzele. Leon has a deep desire to be wanted, loved, and admired, and wishes to prove himself in the eyes of his thane father. When in a fight, Leon is methodical, and does not shy away from the brutality he was taught, in order to survive another day.

Leon has unrequited romantic feelings for Desiree Forcier, another apocolite in his karass. His romantic feelings towards Desiree bring out a more tender and optimistic side of him. His other apocolite sister, Sophia Miller, brings out feelings of revulsion, and lends to Leon's sarcastic nature.

## History:

Leon was born in a remote mountain village of Latvia, though the year was unknown. It is implied that the village was so remote they didn't keep track of world events and dates. Leon enjoyed climbing the nearby mountains, to his mother's displeasure. Eventually, Leon slipped while climbing, and fell from a precipice, bringing him to the Afterlife.

Leon was gifted his wisp blade by the Conductor, and spiritually meditated with his apocolite brothers and sisters, to officially induct him into the order of Gregoros.

Leon was the last of Zenzele's finest to arrive, and was considered the weakest by Zenzele. The thane trained Leon daily, with blunted (and sometimes sharpened) swords, to improve Leon's combat ability and elevate his powers as a Child of Ice. Leon got better with the sword over time, but his powers remain dormant.

Leon is assigned a position on "Thane's Guard Honor Two," but due to his perceived weakness, is not given a position of command.

## Universe Eight:

Leon is assigned to greet the business mogul Jack Sharpe, and is surprised to see two of Jack's entourage armed with swords. He fails to recite the 'safety script' properly, and is scolded by Sharpe, who also makes fun of him for his perceived idiocy. Leon swallows the insults, and proceeds with the script. He uses a secret tunnel in the manor to reach Zenzele's office of sand and stone, and sits in on the business meeting. There, Leon watches Jack Sharpe goad Zenzele into a trial by battle regarding the ownership of the massive West-North railroad. Zenzele states the fight wouldn't be fair if Sophia Miller or Desiree fought Sharpe's son, so Leon is selected for the fight against Jared. Leon thinks to himself that he just witnessed democracy vanish with a simple handshake, and worries that Jack Sharpe (already a powerful bluesteel baron) will have too much power if he controls the largest railroad on Thane's Isle. Before Leon heads to the battle hall, Zenzele tells Leon that if he does not win the fight, he's going to the front lines, to which Leon feels a great deal of dismay.

Leon reminisces about his former mentor, Samuel Bradshaw, who trained Leon before defecting to the Republik. Leon heard a report that Bradshaw was missing in action, and assumed dead after the Battle of the Salt Marsh. Leon prepares for his fight, and speaks briefly with Battlemaster Jesse Matherson, and young Victor, an apprentice of Matherson's. The tournament begins, and Leon is unamused by the games and prize fights. He notes a man named Shaun Watson wins the melee that takes place before his fight, and that the Thane's Guard are betting on how many of the prize fighters are sent to the hospital with easily avoidable injuries. Leon finds amusement in this. He is approached by Zenzele, and is instructed to not use his wisp blade in the fight. He and Jared will be fighting with steel swords, which Leon finds slightly beneath him. There will be no shields used in this fight. Leon armors himself lightly, with a helm and simple armor, but Jared wears heavier plate, making him look like a "roast pig", with the red painted metal. Leon and Jared square off, and Leon is winning decisively, until suddenly a red hue appears around Jared's sword and body, and Jared gains unnatural fighting abilities. His sword crushes Leon's helm, and Leon worries he is about to die. The fight ends with a victory for Jared.

After Leon leaves the hospital, he is forced to wear glasses. The strike from Jared was so strong that his skull needed to be stapled back together, and his vision in one eye is reduced. Leon detests wearing the glasses as he walks through the manor gardens. He finds Desiree reading a book, and sits with her to talk. After a not-so-subtle romantic advance, Desiree rebukes him again, explaining they are soldiers and Thane's Guard, and cannot be romantically involved. Leon remarks on Sophia and Zenzele, but Desiree shows resentment for the two's relationship. Leon leaves, and enters the great hall, where the last of the food from the tournament is being eaten by the remaining guests. Leon talks with journalist and historian Stefan Florrey, who remarks to Leon about the Lumieri, and apocolite arcana that surprises Leon. He thinks the journalist knows too much for his own good, and tries to shake off the subtle anti-Gregaronianism the journalist proports.

Leon returns to Zenzele, and learns of the Sunnese attack on Fort Lightchild. Leon is thankful he is assigned to those front lines, as opposed to the warzone north of the central region. Jack Sharpe tells him the experimental youth army known as the Bluesteel Paragon, will test its mettle in the upcoming conflict. Zenzele reluctantly agrees after Jack Sharpe threatens a second trial by combat.

Leon goes to the Great Bridge train station, and witnesses the assembly of the troop train. The train is half military passenger coaches and freight cars, and half of the renown express called "The Silver Cloud." Leon boards the train, and enjoys the niceties, finding his quarters with no issue. He witnesses a chess game between Caitlin Baudin and Adam Farkas, and gets into an argument with Sophia. On the way to meet with Zenzele, he hears Sophia Miller and Jack Sharpe having sex, and is concerned what the affair will do to the nation. He shrugs it off, and instead focuses on the battle to come, worried if he is not prepared, Zenzele will be proven right.

Leon encounters Ben Reynolds, Peter Reynolds, Naia Lore, and Armando Latorre in the woods nearby to the army camp on their way south. At first, he assumes Ben is a Sunnese apocolite, but eventually realizes Ben knows nothing, and accepts the truth. Leon questions the presence of the others, though, and brings them to meet with Zenzele.

Leon participates in the Battle of Fort Lightchild, and travels across the Strait of Africa to the High Isle. He converses with Julia Nixon, and protects her honor when Sophia demands her to bow to her. Leon then talks to the Butcher, who puts Leon in command of Sophia's force, which enrages his sister of the wisp. Leon enters the tunnels with his squad, and fights through swaths of Sunnese soldiers. Eventually, he reaches an odd, out of place door deep in the bowels on the bunker. When he opens it, he finds his former mentor, Samuel Bradshaw, alive and well, colluding with the Sun Nation. It is revealed the Republik and the Sun Nation have allied, and this attack was part of the alliance agreement. Leon and Bradshaw duel, and Leon reluctantly kills him. He is then ambushed by Jack and Jacob Sharpe, and Jacob stabs Leon with a wisp blade. Leon is shocked, as he was unaware there could be more than ten apocolites per universe, despite the Sun Nation also having apocolites themselves. Sophia spares Leon, for a reason he cannot fathom, and he is knocked unconscious. His fate remains unknown.