Chapter 003:

The Lion’s Den

The air hangs thick with the smell of fish and I can almost taste the salt, that the ocean breeze carries, on my slightly chapped lips and tongue. Everything is tinted in this cool, slightly eerie, blue-purple hue caused by the fact that the city is located in one of the most northern regions in the world. In other words, during the winter months, the sun never fully rises which leaves the days frozen in this permanent state of twilight as she is held captive somewhere behind the horizon.

Every year the people of Nova Oriande eagerly await the day she returns.

Hyggsdag.

They usually begin celebrating a week, and some lunatics even a whole month, before and according to the Old Ways you are not supposed to stop until the rays of the first sunrise of the year have touched your face.

But it doesn’t look like those festivities nor those rays of the sun have reached this part of the city for the street I currently find myself in is dark, cold and as good as empty except for a few people who are all smoking in front of what seems like different sorts of rundown pubs.

One of them in particular frightens me the most for he is simply the biggest human I have ever seen.

Wait a second.

I take another look at the map and look up again at the sign behind the man’s head.

Of course, the place where I need to be is exactly where the most scary looking person of them all is standing too.

Taking a deep breath, I briskly walk past the other people in the street with what I hope is a expression on my face that screams ‘Yes, I know what I am doing’ and ‘No, please don’t talk to me.’

Thank the goddess I make it without being stopped by any of them.

But now what? Should I say something or just keep standing here hoping that he will notice me?

Yeah, let’s just go with that.

However, after what feels like more than a minute, the man still has not looked up once.

I clear my throat in the hopes of getting his attention, but his eyes stay firmly glued to his screen.

It’s impossible to not have noticed me by now which means he must be ignoring me on purpose.

I can feel myself getting irritated, but one look at his tattoos and his muscles that are visible beneath his t-shirt makes me swallow whatever words I want to say.

Instead, I force a smile on my face. “Excuse me sir, do-“

“Go home,” he interrupts in a gruff voice, still without looking up from his screen. “This is not a place for little girls.”

I ignore his words and continue talking, still keeping the polite smile on my face.

“This is The Crow’s Nest right? I am supposed to meet someone here.”

At this the man lets out a scoff and finally raises his head.

Whilst taking a drag from his cigarette, his gaze slowly trails over my body where it lingers on my face for a second until he eventually looks downs again at that blasted screen.

What comes next out of his mouth quickly wipes the smile of my face.

“Yeah, not gonna happen. You are definitely not his type,” he says through a cloud of smoke. “Come back in a few years with some more meat on ya bones and maybe then you will stand a chance. Wouldn’t count on it though if I were you.”

“I am not here for a booty call,” I say through gritted teeth.

I get the paper that the guy gave to me earlier out of my backpack.

“Look I’ve got this okay,” I say, waving it in his direction.

At this the expression on the man’s face changes.

He makes a vague gesture with his hand that I assume means something along the lines of ‘give it to me’ so I hand it over to him.

I take a step back and watch as he studies it with a frown on his face, cigarette resting between his lips.

I am not sure if I should be concerned or not with the way this is going.

He presses something on his screen and holds it to his ear. “Wait here,” he barks at me as he walks a couple of metres away.

Clearly he doesn’t want me to overhear whatever he is gonna say.

However, whatever his conversation was about it does not last very long for he is back fairly quickly.

He walks past me to the entrance door where he takes a last drag from his cigarette before he stomps it out on the floor with the heel of his boot.

He starts to open the door and walk through it, but pauses when I don’t seem to follow.

“What are you still standing there for,” he says with a scowl on his face. “Boss has been waiting for ya. Get your scrawny ass moving.”

The corners of my mouth twitch with the effort of holding back some really, really colorful words I am pretty sure my grandmother would not approve of, but something tells me that it would be best to keep my usual remarks to myself here in this place.

Still doesn’t keep me from imagining stabbing my Graphein in his eyeball.

Repeatedly.

As soon as I step through the door my nose is hit with the smell of stale beer and even more cigarette smoke.

I want to take a closer look at the inside of the place, but because the man is moving so damn fast it nearly takes all of my attention to not lose sight of him and keep up.

I do am able to catch a few glimpses here and then as we are moving across the room and… I am not liking at all what I am seeing.

To be honest, I am kind of starting to freak out.

There are three things I know for sure now.

1. Those guys that visited our place earlier definitely are some sort of gangsters.

2. There is a 99% chance that the guy that gave me that card earlier is their leader.

3. I am in so, so, so much shit.

“Hey!” the man calls out to me. “Try to keep up will ya?”

Ah, I was so lost in my thoughts for a minute there that I didn’t even notice that I stopped walking.

He leads us to the back of the pub to where the bar is.

Leaning over it, he says something to the woman that is working behind it, currently wiping some glasses.

I can’t quite hear what he says to her, but I do catch the strange look she gives me after he finishes talking.

What the?

I hold her gaze, trying to figure out what that all was about, until I am forced to break it to follow the man as he starts to walk up the staircase that is located next to the bar.

“A little bit of advice,” he says over his shoulder. “Try not to look people in the eye here that much.”

He pauses walking, and turns around to look at me. “Unless ya fancy getting killed that is.”

Great, just great. I never am gonna get out of here alive, aren’t I?

“This is it.”

We have stopped at the top of the staircase in front of another door, only this one is not made of the same old, rough wood as the one I stepped through earlier.

No, this one looks thicker. Stronger.

Perfect for holding things out.

Or holding things in.

The man knocks on the door with the back of his hand.

Tock.

Tock.

Tock.

Exactly three times.

After a few seconds a voice calls out, “Let her in.”

Here I go, deeper into the belly of the beast.

Deeper into the lion’s den.

To meet the one who holds my fate in his hands.

He places his hand on the surface of the door and pushes it open.

“Good luck girlie,” he says as I step underneath his arm, baring his teeth at me in a wolf’s smile.

“You are gonna need it.”

I don’t exactly know what I expected a mobster’s boss room to look like, or what I thought I would find beyond this door, but I certainly did not expect… this.

The concrete floor which I walked upon just moments before, has disappeared and has turned into a soft forest ground. Inhaling deeply, my lungs fill with the air of the damp earth, of crushed fallen leaves, of pine needles and things long forgotten.

The walls, too, have disappeared and are replaced by huge aspen, fir and pine trees, their branches coming together in an embrace that is so great, it has turned entire ceiling into an tapestry of unending dark foliage.

Through this canopy of evergreens, some small fragmented streaks of light have managed to find their way through, turning the ground beneath my feet into a labyrinth of scattered puzzle pieces.

And in front of me lies a path, with scattered around its sides, moss-covered boulders varying in all kind of sizes, leading to a small clearing.

Standing in the midst of this open space, preparing what looks to be like some sort of drink, is the man that gave me the card earlier, still wearing the same clothes as before. The only thing that is missing is his fedora feather hat.

From my current position the only thing that is visible is the back of his head.

Golden, curly hair tied back into a ponytail at the nape of his neck.

Or more an attempt at a ponytail I should say for his hair is so wild and unruly that most of it has escaped its hold.

A lion trying to tame his mane.

That is what it reminds me of.

“Welcome, welcome!” his voice booms, still with his back to me. “You are right on time. I’ve just finished preparing a pot of Khrysanea tea.”

He turns around with a glass pot in his hands filled with yellow colored flowers and takes a seat behind the wooden desk that is standing in the center of the clearing. “Come, come and sit down. ”

He begins pouring the tea in two small bluish-black colored bowls that already are laid out.

Like he already knew I was coming.

My hands involuntarily start to tremble and I have to force myself to stay still. I don’t want him noticing how much of an impact his presence has on me.

Allthough I have a feeling that he already is all too aware of it.

I walk down the path until I am standing only a couple of steps away from him, and it is then that for the first time I get to take a proper look at his face.

Long, with an angular jawline, high cheekbones, and straight nose, he is all hard angles everywhere and if it wasn’t for this one small detail I would have thought he could be carved from a marble statue for sure.

The left corner of his mouth is ever so slightly curled up, barely forming the smallest of smiles, and from the deep lines surrounding it I can tell that this is more of a permanent fixture rather than a rare occurrence.

As if there is something hidden it must hold unto, but never is permitted to let go of.

Also, I didn’t notice this in the shop before, but his eyes are so blue, so pale that they almost seem transparent.

This man, whoever he is, must be loaded as hell for those eyes can’t be natural.

Magical enhancements are not cheap and even saying that is a fucking understatement.

I don’t think that even those grav players are able to afford stuff like this.

He motions towards the chair in front of the desk. “Please have a seat, Miss Turner.”

Reluctantly I walk over and sit down in the chair.

He places one of the two tea bowls in front of me. “I thought it would be most appropriate considering the fact that today is Hyggsdag. After all, what better way to honor the return of our sun than by having some of this lovely golden tea?”

He leans back in his chair and takes a sip of his tea. “I have added some sugar to the tea as well. I hope you don’t mind. Life is bitter as it is so I like to keep my tea as sweet as possible.”

I don’t know what to think about this man. Is he being serious right now? Or is he just playing around with me?

And how did he know I was even going to come in the first place?

Pretending to take a sip of the tea I decide to just go for it and ask him.

What more do I even have to lose anyway?

“How did you know I was going to take your offer?”

“Very simple. From the look in your eyes.”

“What kind of look?”

“The exact same one as you are giving me right now.”

“I’m afraid I don’t quite understand.”

Chuckling, he puts his tea down.

“After having been in this kind of business for as long as I have you start to realize some things about people. The interesting ones aren’t those who have lost the most, or those who have more things to lose nor is it those who did not have anything to lose to begin with. No, it are those who are not sure which one of these they are. Those who are unable to tether. Those who are wandering around between life and death, between holding on and letting go, between lost and found. Their eyes neither in a state of searching nor in a state of sadness. You, my dear, have the look of such a being.”

He fixes his pale eyes on me. “You have the look of a Lost One.”

“What does that have to do with you knowing that I was going to come here?”

A glint appears in his eyes as he says, “Oh, it’s very simple really. Those who are lost are also the ones who are most hungry. Who are starved for life. Which makes them extremely susceptible to anything that wants to take that away from them. Very easy to manipulate honestly.”

I don’t say anything. I can’t say anything even if I wanted to.

I feel sick. Invaded. Violated.

All that is going through my mind is that somehow this man knows what dwells within the shadows of my being.

The question however, is how much does he know?

“So now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s get down to the real reason you have come here,” he says as he folds his hands on top of the desk. “Let’s talk business, shall we?”

The heavy feeling in my stomach that has been here ever since I set foot in this building, no ever since that loud noise woke me up from my sleep earlier this night, becomes even more intense as it spreads higher and higher until my entire upper body feels like it is being choked by a thousand hands.

I don’t want to know.

I want to know.

Please stop talking.

Let the axe fall.

Let me meet my chosen fate.

Then, without a warning, in a flash of bright orange light, two objects materialize in the center of the desk.

On first glance it looks like the same kind of needles that my grandmother uses for knitting, but my eyes get wider as the realization sinks in what those things really are.

“From the look in your eyes I presume that you know what these objects are used for?”

“To create a Tapestry Contract Book,” I breathe.

From what I remember those needles are a magical artifact used by starweavers to work with the very fabric of the universe itself, even working with the most difficult of threads like the destiny and fate ones, in order to form magical contracts.

And a tapestry contract is an highly advanced form of binding magic, usually used in situations where one makes a solemn pledge, dedicating their entire being to either a specific person, or cause.

The only time I have ever seen it used was years ago on television, at the inauguration of Queen Eloriah of the Kingdom of Leohtes where she vowed to devote herself to the wellbeing of her people.

There is a good reason why this spell is not used very often for the consequences of breaking any of the terms mentioned in the contract are quite severe.

Very simply said, it will result in death.

Well, fuck me sideways.

“You are a Starweaver?” I choke out.

“That is correct,” he says. “Very handy when it comes down to the kind of business I am in.”

“So what exactly is…,” I start to say, pausing mid-way to swallow the lump that has formed in my throat before continuing. “What exactly is this contract about?”

He makes a circular motion with his right hand, which now that I look closely, is wearing a so called Weaver Glove, as a piece of parchment paper appears in front me.

“This is not the official contract, but only a mere paper copy of its contents so reading it will not bind you. As you probably already are aware of magic only works if there is free choice involved. Thus without your consent, this contract is not valid.”

Yeah, that really doesn’t do shit to calm my nerves for it is true that everybody knows that supposedly you can’t use magic to take away one’s free will, but it is also common knowledge that the world isn’t as black and white as that so there are are a lot of grey areas you can find loopholes in if you know what to look for.

With a quick prayer to the stars above I lift my eyes to the text that is written on the paper, hoping that nothing crazy will happen.

Like my soul being offered in some crazy ass summoning ritual for example.

Name: Cassandra Jean Turner

Place of birth: Nova Oriande, Nunaat Region

Time of birth: 12:04 PM, Year 753

Magic Class: Stargazer

Terms

Failure to comply in anyway will result in immediate nullifying of contract causing all property of the Turner family to go to the creator of this contract,

Mr. Leonidas Morus Engelzimmer as originally agreed to.

Instructions

Okay, so that wasn’t that bad. I didn’t spontaneously combust and die thank the goddess.

But there is one thing I am confused about.

“Ehm… sir, I think you forgot to add something,” I say as I point to the bottom of the contract. “There aren’t actually any instructions written on here. It’s just empty space.”

“I never make mistakes, Miss Turner. The contract is supposed to look like this for it is based on the fullfillment of a classified flux job.”

“I’m sorry, a what?”

“Allow me to enlighten you, my dear. The classified part of it is very straightforward. If the creator of the contract, for some reason, thinks that if the other party would have knowledge of what exactly the job entails, it would compromise the fulfilling of it somehow.

Which means that the instructions will be disclosed one at the time, with the next being revealed one only after the one before it has been completed.”

I almost snort at that. Yeah, probably if they know they would not have agreed to it in the first place.

“The flux part is a tad more complicated. Simply put, it refers to the fact that the creator maintains the ability to change any of the contents of the contract, as long as it is in service of its original objective. Even if this means changing the objective itself.”

In other words, this is nothing but a mere slave contract. A trap hidden in plain sight.

Only a crazy person would agree to this.

My grandmother was right. I would be signing my soul away. This man, if he wanted to, could literally keep me binded to him until the day I die. He could make me do whatever he wants me to do and I would have absolutely no say in it for refusal would mean death.

Only a fool would agree to this.

“With having said all this, what will your answer be, Miss Turner?”

However, losing our home, losing the shop, would most certainly be the end for my grandparents.

No. I won’t let that happen.

I can’t.

“Where do I sign?”

“Marvelous!” he exclaims excitedly. “You have made the best choice considering your circumstances if you ask me. Now, all that is left to do is for you to sign the document.

I presume that, considering the fact that you are under the age of 21, you have not received your own signatus yet?”

“Ehh, that’s right sir.”

“Well, in that case, a little scribble on one of the corners with your Graphein will have to suffice.”

I reach down, into the only bag I have brought with me, and take out my most trusted companion.

I send a quick apology to it in my mind for it pains me that I have to use it for such a.. despicable act like this.

We were supposed to create things together, beautiful things.

It was supposed to help me release me from my chains.

However, now the same object that was supposed to set me free has become the one to sign it away.

I know this is a trap.

But hey, at least I walked in willingly this time.

As soon as I have finished signing the bottom of the paper, it disintegrates into ashes, as if burned away from a fire.

And then, the needles begin to move. Floating to the center of the table they begin to weave, seemingly pulling threads out of thin air, forming a tapestry of the most vivid colors I have ever seen.

For a second I watch, mesmerised by this beautiful spectacle of magic, but the longer I stare the more something starts to tug within me near my heart.

With a sickening realisation it dawns upon me that those threads are mine.

Right now, those needles are weaving with the threads of fate. They are weaving a new destiny for me.

They are binding my soul to this man.

Suddenly all of the beauty I saw earlier is sucked out of it.

Suddenly I can’t wait for this dance to be over.

Once the tapestry is finished, it also disappears into thin air, still leaving me with this strange tugging sensation in my chest.

“That what you are feeling in your heart area is part of the binding magic. It will fade after a couple of hours, but it will return if you ever would take think about going against the terms in the contract. As a little warning.”

How lovely.

“Now, are you ready to receive your first instruction?”

Without waiting for a response, he reaches into a drawer beneath the desk, pulling out a light brown envelope, and slides it across the table to me.

My eyes fall on what it is written on the front.

Aldor Academy of the Magical and Mundane Arts

Department of Mind

School of Imagination

First Year student

No. Freaking. Way.

“You want me to attend Aldor Academy?” I say, as my eyebrows almost disappear into my hairline. “One of the, hell if not the, most prestigious institution for higher magical education in the entire world?

No. No. No. I can’t go back to school.

“I am sorry to break this to you, but I did not finish high school. I never even got my Magic License for Temu’s sake. I am the last person you want to send to that place. Is there maybe another job I can do? Something that doesn’t involve school?”

I am not sure what it even is that I am pleading for.

In response he just leans back in his chair. “My, my. So little faith you have.”

He slides something small and square like across the table. “You really thought that I wasn’t aware of that already? That we didn’t come prepared?

That can’t be..

I grab the item and turn it over.

A Holocard.

Not just any. Mine.

On first glance there seems to be nothing out of ordinary, but then my eyes fall onto something.

There, beneath where a 360-degree rotating view of my head is displayed, a little blue sigil is added.

The same little blue sigil that every citizen gets once they graduate from high school and have earned their magic license.

I don’t even want to know how they got this.

I swallow thickly. “When exactly am I supposed to leave?”

He pulls out a round, golden object with a chain attached to it from the left pocket of his trousers.

A pocket watch.

I never would have expected to see a piece of the Old World in a place like this.

In the hands of someone like that.

How ironic though.

For there is this saying that says that he who holds the threads of time in the palm of his hands, holds within them the power to weave destiny itself as well.

“It is around a quarter to six which means that you have…a little bit over ten minutes to catch your train.”

He gives me a pointed look. “So I would suggest you leave now.”

My eyes almost bulge out of my head.

I have to leave now?! I did not think it would be so soon.

Most importantly..

“I won’t make it. It is at least fourty minutes from here by foot. Not to mention all the transportation services requiring magic are still closed. The only thing that is running right now are the Sleds, but we both know that if I would take one I won’t arrive until sundown.”

I pause. “At the quickest,” I add for good measure.

“Don’t worry about that.”

He presses something on his desk and in the distance I hear the sound of a door opening.

“That is why you will get a ride from Mr. Burke over here,” he says, waving his hand at the man standing at the beginning of the path. “I believe you two already got acquainted earlier.”

I turn around and meet eyes with the same man that brought me to this room.

Judging by the frown on his face he is not pleased to see me either.

“Wait, how am I supposed to contact you?”

“You will find all that you need in the envelope. Now chop-chop! As you are already are all too aware of Miss Turner, time waits for no one. So I suggest you two leave right this instant.”

I grab the card and envelope of the desk and stuff them into my bag.

I am not too sure one says after just making a deal with a mobster boss and basically selling their soul to the devil so I just end up muttering, “Thanks for the, eh, opportunity. I won’t let this go to waste. Eh, goodbye,” under my breath.

I get up and start making my way down the path intent to get out of here as fast as possible.

However, just as my feet have touched the doorway, the man behind me calls out to me causing me to stop.

“One last thing, Miss Turner.”

“Yes, sir?” I say whilst turning around to look at him with what I hope is a neutral expression on my face.

I am not sure what to expect from this man. Hell, after what has happened tonight, nothing surprises me anymore.

However, once again I am proven wrong.

“May the light of the dawn always be there to guide you through the darkest of nights and fill your days with warmth forevermore. Yolgnaraq.”

I am starting to see that, when it comes to this man, it would probably be better to throw any expectations out of the window for he again has managed to completely surprise me.

How dare he say those words to me after all that has happened tonight.

How dare he wish me a happy return of the sun.

But still, when I utter those ancient words back to him, my voice comes out a little bit softer than I intend to.

A little bit more holy.

“Yolgnaraq.”

“Please don’t tell me that is our ride.”

“What’s wrong with little Daisy over here? She flies just fine.”

Little Daisy? Okay, now I really don’t want to go there.

“I have seen Hoverbikes in better condition at the local junkyard in my district then..” I say, waving my hand in its direction “.. just whatever this thing is! I mean the stabilisators on the sides aren’t even properly secured!”

“Look girlie, will ya stop with ya bitchin’ and moaning and just get on the goddamn bike. Boss will have my head on a silver platter if I don’t get ya ass on that train.”

Fuck, he is right. There is no time to waste.

“Pass me the helmet,” I grumble as I get on the bike behind him.

With a few kicks the motor eventually sputters to life. Thank god.

“You ready?” He shouts at me over at over the sound of the engine.

I nod in reply.

Then, with a quick turn of his hands we lurch into the sky, as if shot from a slingshot.

Once in the air, it does not take me long to figure out why this man, Mr. Burke, was chosen to take me to the station.

Because he is a fucking madman, that’s why.

Not only is he ignoring the speed limit, he is also not following any of the routes of the Hoverboard Network.

We are totally flying completely blind. On a piece of scrap too.

Fucking hell. If this wasn’t such a weird ass situation I would almost be impressed.

Eventually, we do manage to arrive at the station with still a couple of minutes to spare before the departure.

“You know which train ya supposed to take?” Burke asks, or more like barks at me, as I hand the helmet over to him.

“Yeah, I have the ticket right here. Platform 08-Z.”

“Good. That isn’t too far. Might wanna start running though. Just in case.”

“Okay, ehm, thanks for the ride I guess.”

“Nothing to thank me for. Just doing my job.”

“Well, I still appreciate it!” I say, whilst walking backwards.

“Just don’t try to get ya ass killed out there. Boss wouldn’t like that.”

“Yeah, yeah I know! Wouldn’t be good for the business and all that.”

Even though my back is turned to him and I am too far away to even hear what he replied, somehow I have a feeling that beneath that helmet of his he is cracking a little smile for sure.

I mean the guy named his freaking bike Daisy for god’s sake. He can’t be all that bad.

Now, let’s focus on finding that blasted train.

According to the digital boards I passed at the entrance it is supposed to be in the right wing of this building.

Thankfully, it isn’t that crowded.

Looking around, I spot only a handful of tourists who are on their way home after spending their holidays here and some other people who are probably going to work somewhere on the Mainland.

Hyggsdag is the only day in the year were there are no trains going in or out the city.

It is the only day in the year were Nova Oriande Central Station gets to close her eyes and rest for a bit.

But now, since the festivities have passed, she is slowly stirring awake to begin her work once more.

I have only been here once before, with my grandfather a couple of years ago, when I accompanied him to one of his trips to the Lerian Mountains.

On that day we unknowingly walked into one of the biggest train delays of the year.

Due to a severe snowstorm we ended up being stuck in our train for over 30 hours.

In the end, what supposed to was a simply four hour trip took us almost two days to complete in total.

When we finally arrived back at the Nova Oriande Station it also took us over an hour to get to the exit due to the massive crowds that had formed as a result of the delays.

So with that as my only frame of reference the crowd today at the station quickly pales in comparison.

We actually later found out that the delays had nothing to do with a snowstorm at all.

Apparently, in one of the trains before us, an attempted hijacking had taken place.

Those responsible claimed to belong to a group of people that called themselves the ‘Veritum Flugelia’

The bringers of Truth.

They suddenly appeared on the world stage a couple of years ago when they assinated the Atlantian Prime Minister on live television. Ever since then they have been engaged in all kinds of terroristic acts around the world, succesfully keeping their identities a secret and keeping the people of Eorbe in a state of anticipated terror.

All in the name in the name of their supposed ‘Truth’.

A decent sized fan following has even formed online.

Personally I don’t care how right and just your message may be if it is carried on the wings of death.

The moment you decide to take other people’s lives in the name of whatever it is you are standing for, you are nothing but a mere terrorist, blinded by the light of your own fears.

No, if it is up to me, I hope that this group will be brought to its end soon.

After running through the station like a woman possessed I manage to find the correct platform and board the train with still a couple minutes to spare.

My legs feel as if they are on fire.

Fuck. I am so out of shape. How the hell am I going to survive at this Academy?

I will deal with that later. For now, let’s just focus on getting to my seat before this train takes off.

Thankfully, it does not take long for me to find it.

Sitting in the seat across from mine, is a woman in a cream colored suit who looks to be in her late twenties or early thirties at most, busy typing something on her Magitek Device.

Not long after I have taken my seat the train begins to move as a melodic tune fills the air.

Good morning to all passengers.

This is your captain speaking.

First I’d like to welcome everyone aboard on Vactrain 009.

The current local time is 6:20 AM and the estimated

duration of this ride is approximately 3 hours.

I would like to ask you now to fasten your seatbelts

and please remain seated until further notice

for we are about to go into Hyperspeed Mode.

I wish you all a pleasant and enjoyable ride.

Shit.

A Vactrain?!

This is so much worse than the Portal Train.

The familiar sensation of a panic attack begins to make its way through me so I quickly close my eyes and diligently try to focus on my breathing.

You are safe.

You are safe.

In and out.

In and out.

“Is this your first time on a Vactrain?”

Startled, I open my eyes to the find the lady in the seat across from mine looking at me with a concerned expression.

“Is it that obvious?” I say shakily.

“You have the exact same look on your face as I had when I was about to go on my first vactrain ride.”

“And what does that look like?”

“Like you are about to be fed to a hungry pack of ruvaan bears who haven’t eaten in weeks.”

I let out a laugh. “That is pretty freaking accurate.”

Then in a serious voice I ask her, “Please tell me. How bad was your first ride?”

“I threw up almost the whole way,” she says, looking at me with a deadpan expression on her face.

At seeing the horrified expression on mine she quickly adds,”As long as you don’t think about the fact that you are pretty much hundreds of kilometres below the surface, in a tunnel below the sea, you will be fine.”

Great. That doesn’t make me feel any better at all.

So I will probably end up puking for maybe half the ride then. Thank god I haven’t eaten anything yet.

“You are on your way to the Academy?”

“No, I am-,” I start to say, but then I remember what has transpired this night. What I have signed up for.

Who I am now and where I am going.

“Yeah, how did you know?”

“A girl of your age, travelling alone to the Mainland this time of the year, looking like she is about to pee her pants? Pretty sure that is a new student on her way to the Opening Ceremony of the Academy if you ask me.”

After a few seconds she adds, “Also, I saw the brochure that is sent to every first year student peeking out of your bag earlier.”

I look down to the bag at my feet to find it zipped open and the brown envelope and its contents partially sticking out.

Shit. I must have forgotten to close it after I had taken my train ticket out of it.

As I reach down to close it I make a mental note to take a look at the contents of the envelope later. Only not in front of this lady though. Lord knows what that man has put in there.

“Ah, this is all bringing me back to my own first days. Stars above, I still remember how nervous I was on the way there.”

Wait a second.

“You were a student at Aldor Academy?”

She gives a nod. “I was in the graduation class of 762. Eventually decided to continue studying so I could become a full blown Helomancer. Which is what I am currently still working as.”

So she is a Startoucher. Interesting. On the first glance I thought she was either a Starwalker or Starcalled for sure. I mean, she definitely looks the part with her fancy suit and all.

Well, this might be a good opportunity to learn something about this school so I don’t completely end up making a fool out of myself once I get there.

“Do you mind sharing something about what it was like at the Academy?”

“Hmm, to sum it up it was the best and worst time of my life. Schoolwork was absolutely awful. Awful I tell you! Not to mention there was this one girl on my team that I just could not stand. If I remember correctly, we even had a fight on our graduation day.”

“Your team?”

“Yes..?” she replies with a slightly puzzling look on her face. “The people you will spend almost every second of your time with? Haven’t you read the brochure?”

“Oh yes, yes of course!” I quickly say.

I literally have no clue what the fuck she is talking about.

“Sorry, don’t know what happened there,” I laugh sheepishly. “All the nerves must have temporarily fried my brain or something.”

“I guess that’s understandable. On my first day of classes I literally forgot how to spell my own name. My teammates teased me all the way up to third year with that. Still it wouldn’t hurt to go through the brochure once more. Just to make sure you won’t forget anything. ”

“I make sure to do that.”

The lady gets this wistful look on her face.

“You know what? I am going to let you in on a little secret of mine,” she suddenly says.

Leaning forward she whispers behind her hand, “I actually never really enjoyed school. I just went with it because I thought that was what you are supposed to be doing. Of course, wanting to please my parents also was a huge part of it.”

Leaning back again she continues, “But it’s kind of funny now that I think about it. Back then, all I wanted was to get out of that place as fast as possible. However, now that I am older, I can’t seem to stop thinking about wanting to go back to those days when I still was at the Academy.”

She smells like lemondrops, of citrus, and sunrise. Of regret and longing.

Will there come a day where I want to return to this moment in time too?

To those painful past days I so desperately want to escape from?

Suddenly we are interrupted by the same melodic sound as before.

.

This is your captain speaking.

We have just officially passed the border of the Nunaat Region

and have entered into the area below the Sunarian Sea.

It is now safe to unfasten your seatbelt and walk around.

Our on board restaurants and bars are now open as well.

If you have questions regarding

dietary requirements or any other matters

please don’t hesitate to ask one of our crew members.

They would be more than glad

to assist you in any of your needs.

That’s all for now.

I’ll speak to you again before we reach our destination.

Until then,

enjoy the rest of the ride.

“Well, I guess that is my cue. I am going to the bar,” the lady says as she stands up, stretching her arms above her head. “Care to join me?”

I stare at her incredulously for a moment before I answer her.

“You are going drinking?” I ask in disbelief.

She nods.

“At seven in the morning?”

She simply nods again.

“Isn’t that a bit, you know, early?”

She lets out a laugh. “Trust me, once you get older, you will understand what I am about to tell you. There is no such thing as a wrong time to drink. I take it you won’t join me then?”

“Ehh, no sorry.”

“Well, I’ll be off then,” she says, as she slides the door the from our compartment open. “It was nice talking to you.”

The second she is out of sight I let out a breath I did not even know I was holding.

Somehow a part of me always feels like it is drowning whenever I am in the company of other people.

It does not matter who, where, when, or even how long I have known the person, the result is always the same.

It reminds me of what the lady said earlier, about how she desired to return to that one thing she wanted to get away from.

I feel like that is the case for me as well when it comes to people.

But at least now that I am alone, and I can breathe better and think a bit clearer, I can finally take a look at what exactly is inside that envelope.

I open it and spread the contents out on the small coffee table beneath the window on my left.

Why trains like this even have windows is a completely mystery if you ask me. I mean, almost 90% of the entire ride is spend travelling through tunnels that run below the ocean floor anyways, so there isn’t really much of a view.

Just darkness, darkness and more darkness.

In front of me lie the Holocard, the brochure that the lady must have seen earlier, and a white colored envelope with some sort of golden seal on it.

Okay, let’s take a closer look at the envelope first.

In it I find some sort of letter, but before I begin reading it, I let my fingers glide over its surface for a second for never in my entire life have I have felt paper of this kind of quality.

After I am done I start reading the letter.

Dear Mrs. Turner,

I am delighted to inform you that your application to the Magic Program at our school

hereby has been accepted.

You will be joining our Department of Mind

as a Stargazer student for the next three years of your life.

The first semester of our academic year will start upcoming Fall.

Due to our privacy policy,

which strictly prohibits outsiders from freely entering

our campus grounds and the difficulty in reaching its location,

we do not permit unescorted or independent traveling for

newly admitted students who are coming here for the first time.

Instead,

you and your fellow students will be picked up

by one of our staff members from

one of the airports of the Kingdom of Leohtes that is nearest to you.

For you, this is the following:

Lichtwaaredale International Airport

Terminal 6

Docking Bay 2B

We are expecting your arrival here

on the last day of the 8th month of the year 772,

no earlier or later than 11 o’clock.

From here, you will be transported to the Academy

where you will attend our annual Opening Ceremony.

Further information will be provided there.

On behalf of our faculty, staff and students,

welcome to Aldor Academy.

Sincerely,

Cecilia Clairmonde

Head Moderatrix

This is an…acceptance letter? How in the world did he pull this off?

I mean.. this isn’t real right?

No, it can’t be. This must be a fake.

Yeah, that must be it.

Maybe I should take a look at that brochure now, because I still have no clue what any of this all means.

I put the letter back into the envelope and grab the brochure of the table, opening it to its index page.

General History

Admission and Graduation

Campus Grounds

Dormitories

Main Buildings

Cafetaria’s and Restaurants

Training Centers and Grounds

Stadiums and Arena’s

Libraries

General School Information

Courses, Classes, and Programs

Grading System

Extra-curricular activities

Departments

Uniform

First Year

Second Year

Third Year

Code of Conduct

Alumni

I don’t know where to begin for there is just so much information… but it would probably be best to read something about how the school system works so let’s just start there.

I flip to the General School Information chapter with the intention to begin reading it, but instead the text on the page on its left catches my eye first.

The Great Library of Lulediell

The largest and most mysterious of the seven Great Libraries, the Lulediell Library, is located deep in the northern mountains of the Kingdom of Leohtes.

For over more than 2000 years many have ventured into its depths, seeking its ancient knowledge or hoping to be the one to unravel its secrets and make great discoveries.

A few of such discoveries have been vital to the advancement of our world. The most prevalent one is the finding of the Edelweiss Crystal, named after explorer Oswald Ignatus Edelweiss. A completely new natural resource at the time that has completely changed the fabric of our society as it became the key in combining magic and technology.

But still, after all this time, not one single person has managed to reach its end. This has made many believe that, in fact, this place might be infinite after all.

That this place might possibly contain every book that has ever been and ever will be written.

In the Year of 91, almost hundred years after the beginning of the New Age, a group of young sorcerers decided to dedicate their lives to the exploration of this place and settled down near its edge, building a small house.

They called it Aldor’s Cottage, famously named after Aldor Mordecai, the first person to not have returned from the depths of the Library and thus becoming the official first ever Wanderer.

This was the basis for a long tradition of forming establishments around such places, as they quickly became meeting points to exchange and accumulate knowledge.

As the years went by these establishments eventually grew into schools, and later become known as the institutions we know today.

Aldor Academy of the Magic and Mundane Arts is one of such places

and we are very proud to continue this tradition as we work closely with the top scholars, sorcerers, and young students of this world in order to built a better future.

Ah, the Great Libraries! It totally slipped my mind that the higher level education institutions are built around these places. Man, I have always wanted to visit one. Complete ruins of ancient civilisations, unknown magical creatures, and not to mention all of the books… Access to these libraries is heavily restricted, but being a student however might open some doors for me. Maybe there do is some positive side to all of this after all.

I smile to myself as I continue reading.

Courses, Classes, and Programs

Here, at Aldor Academy, we offer two kinds of programs which are the Mundane Program and Magic Program respectively.

Mundane Program

The different kinds of Mundane Programs are meant for those who are satisfied with the basis they have built regarding their magic skills in their Primary and Secondary Education years. A few examples of our current Mundane Programs are: Politics and Law, Ancient Studies, World Ecocomics, and Astrophysica.

Magic Program

The Magic Program on the other hand is intended for those who are interested in developing their magical abilities further.

The Trias Magica

The five main categories of magic are organised into three main departments called the Department of Mind, Department of Matter, and the Department of Soul. Each of the Magic Types belong to one of these departments. Stargazers and Starthinkers belong to the Department of the Mind. Startouchers, Starcalled and Starwalkers belong to the Department of Matter and as last, Starweavers belong to the Department of Soul.

The Magic Program consists of three different types of courses all designed specifically in order to support you along your journey here.

General Courses

These courses are mandatory for everyone in your year no matter what department you belong to. As of the Year 745 these are the following for every first year student:

Magical Ethics

Magical Theory and History

Runes, Sigils and Language or RSL

Martial Arts I and II

Introduction to Military Strategy and Tactics

Team Building

Vehicle and Combat Training

Limited Courses

These are courses which you will take with only those of those of your Department and thus are specific for your Magic Type only.

Stargazer Courses:

Infusion Magic 101

Artificing for Beginners

Basics of Weapon Making

Art and Design

Startoucher Courses:

Healing and Warding Magic

Anatomy of the Human Body

Biology

Biochemistry

Starweaver Courses:

Sprites and Demonology

Zoology 101

A Guide to Magical and Non-Magical Creatures from Above and Below

Starthinker Courses:

An Introduction to Psi and Observation Magic

Starwalkers and Starcalled Courses:

Elemental Magic I

Combined Courses

These are courses that you will take starting from your second semester with at least one other member of your team. An example is the Stargazer-Starweaver First Year course: An Introduction to Spirit Weapons.

Free Space Courses

Only available from Second Year and up. Depending on your performance in your First Year and which Department you belong to you have the choice to choose some courses of your liking. A few popular examples of the last years are: Espionage: Intelligence and Interrogation, Medical Aid for Non-Healers, and Advanced Combat Strategy.

Grading System

In accordance to the way magic works in our universe we follow the principle of working in teams. This means that our students will live together in the dormitories on our campus grounds in teams of five, one of each of the known Magic Types.

The only way you will be able to advance to the next semester of your year is if the overral score of your team is high enough. This score is composed of Grades and Points. These can be earned or awarded through various means for it differs from class to class depending on the teachers. There do are ways to earn Points outside of the classroom such as participating in our Mage Duels for example.

However, if one of the members of a team does not manage to accumulate enough points or earn high enough grades this will result in the whole team failing.

Lastly, in order to motivate the students during the semesters there also is a so called Ranking System in place. For the highest ranking teams there are different kinds of benefits rewards such as private housing and later curfews. For the lowest ranking teams there are certain drawbacks such as cleaning and guard duty.

I put the brochure down on the table and lean forward to bury my head in my hands.

Living together?

Military tactics?

Combat training?!

What the fuck am I gonna do?

What the hell am I doing. What the hell am I thinking?

The second I will enter a classroom at this Academy they will figure out that I am a fraud for sure.

They will take one look at me and know that I don’t belong there.

What if I will be arrested and end up in prison?

I can’t.

I can’t do this.

I have to-

I have to get back!

Oh my god, I think I am gonna be sick.

Toilet.

I have to get to a toilet.

Wait. My stuff. I can’t leave it there out in the open for everyone to see.

Without even looking I stuff everything in my bag and slide the door open.

Which way is it?!

Left. Next compartment. End hallway. Okay, okay.

Walk. Keep walking. Almost there.

Door won’t open.

Why the fuck won’t it open?!

Red. Occupied.

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

I can’t lose control.

Not here. Not now I-

C’mon Cas. Keep breathing.

Next compartment.

Toilet.

All will be-

As soon as I have closed the door behind me I make a beeline to the toilet where I fall to my knees and promptly start throwing up.

Over and over and over gain.

I don’t know how long I stay like this.

But it is long enough for at least four other passengers to have passed by.

Luckily, they left as soon as they heard the sounds of me puking.

Probably thought I was suffering from a bad case of motion sickness.

It takes three attempts for me to be able to get up from my position on the floor and stumble over to the sink in the corner of the room for my legs have gone completely numb.

I turn on the faucet and cup the water to my mouth, rinsing out the sour taste of the puke.

After I am done I splash some of it on my face as well, wetting the front of my shirt in the process.

Letting the water drip down my face I raise my eyes to the mirror.

There I find a stranger staring back at me.

As I move beneath the flickering yellow bathroom lights, the colors of my hair shift as well, ranging between a mix of golden brown and burnt caramel.

For some reason the bottom half of my hair has always been lighter than the top half. My grandmother used to say that it looked like I had dipped my hair into a jar of pine honey and never washed it out.

In contrast to the warmer tones of my hair the color of my eyes is the same exact shade as the deep brown of the bare branches of the trees in the winter.

My eyes have no tales to tell.

They are as silent as the horizon of my hometown with its everlasting twilight.

A dusky brown with flecks of even darker shades of the same color towards the center.

A raven’s wing, trapped inside the bark of a tree that only knows the sight of snowfall and the smell of crisp cold air.

When was the last time I looked into a mirror?

Maybe it was on that day when everything fell apart.

How long has it been now?

Three years?

Four years?

Now that I think about it, I was also staring at a mirror in a toilet too.

Only then it was in the bathroom of a high school.

My fingers dig into the edge of the sink.

Have I already forgotten the promise that I made to myself?

How I decided that once I left that place I would never let the borders of my world be defined by anything ever again.

Never again would I be confined.

Bound.

Trapped.

Not by those mind doctors from that fucking facility, not by some diagnosis, and most certainly not by some stupid contract.

I may was powerless to stop it from happening in the past, but not this time.

No. I will find a way to set myself and my family free.

There must be a way to break that contract.

Some sort of loophole.

If something like that exist in this world it must lie somewhere within the walls of that Great Library at the Academy.

It is my best bet.

Again, I look at the girl in the mirror. With her warm hair and winter eyes.

With her two long braids.

Grabbing my Graphein from my pocket I let the rush of my Stargazer Magic flow through me as I begin creating.

Something cool and sharp materializes into my hand.

Then, in one swift motion, I cut both of the braids off.

Snip.

Slowly, the girl in the mirror becomes something more.

Snip.

Becoming more by becoming less.

This is more than just magic.

Snip.

This is a reclamation.

My swan song.

Snip. Snip.

There. Done.

Now that its purpose has been served, I break the connection to Artifact in my hand, causing it to dissolve in a familiar cloud of dark violet particles.

Its time here in this world has come to an end.

A short life. A fruitful life.

A fleeting visit with lasting impact.

What more could you ask for?

(I know.)

What more do you want?

(I want it all.)

I look at the girl in the mirror.

Her hair now hangs in short layers around her face with its jagged ends just barely kissing the edge of her jaw.

Gone is the warmth, the honey, and the sun that was trapped in those braids.

They now lie on the floor, unraveling, like two discarded nooses.

With her neck laid bare and her shoulders exposed the scrawniness of her body has become even more apparent. Lifting up her hand, she places one finger below her ear, where she begins to trace a path along the line of her jaw, to her chin, and then down to the sharp ridges of her collar bones where her hand eventually comes to a rest on her heart.

I still don’t recognise her.

But I’m starting to realise that I don’t have to.

I take one last glance in the mirror, and then slide the door of the toilet open, stepping into the hallway.

I am not too sure about how much time has passed, but seeing how most of the people have returned to their seats, I think it’s safe to say that it must have been a considerable amount.

As I step into my compartment I notice the lady has returned as well showing no signs at all that she might have been drinking.

Doesn’t mean anything though. Some people are just better at hiding it.

“It suits you,” she says as soon as I sit down.

“Thank you,” I reply, feeling better then before.

More in control.

A little bit more.. free.

After that, we spend the rest of our time in silence, both lost in our own thoughts.

I am staring outside the window, wondering how long it has taken to build these tunnels, when a now familiar sound fills the air, indicating that an announcement is about to be made.

Once again,

this is your captain speaking.

In just a few more minutes we will reach

the final destination of this train,

Lichtwaaredale International Station.

Now, before I sign off I do

have some short general announcements to make.

Firstly, I would like to remind everyone

to not leave any trash behind

as littering will be fined.

Secondly, for those travelling to any of the southern regions

please keep in mind that

due to the unfortunate events of last week

delays are still to be expected.

And lastly,

to end on a more positive note,

don’t forget to enjoy the view.

View? What is he talking about?

There is absolutely nothing here except..

In one moment, I am looking at nothing but darkness, and in the next, my vision is filled with the most vibrant looking colors I have ever seen. Matter of fact, the brightness is so sudden and intense, that I have to cover my eyes for a bit as to not get blinded.

Once they have adjusted, I slowly lower my arm and look outside the window.

I can’t help but gasp out loud for in all my nineteen years of living I have never seen a sight like this.

Before me, stretching as far as my eyes can see, are grassy hillsides filled with rows and rows of brightly coloured flowers ranging in various shades of red, pink and yellow. In the far background the faint outline of great mountains can be seen, so huge that more than half of their body disappear into the clouds. And above it all, our planet’s star is rising on the horizon, covering everything that it touches in ribbons of brilliant gold and liquid orange.

My first sunrise of the year.

As those warm rays touch the newly exposed skin on my neck and face I realize that Hyggsdag now officially has come to an end for me.

As the train continues to march on I am hit with a sudden, unexplainable certainty as it dawns upon me that I have truly crossed the boundaries of the place I called home and have entered into a complete new world.

One whose name I do not know yet.

Will this be a world of infinite possibilites?

Or will I find nothing but marble dreams, static sunrises, and bright illusions here?

I guess what lies beyond these seemingly never-ending flower fields is something only the winds of time can reveal.

For all, but one thing, is uncertain when one steps into the embrace of the fated unknown.

I can only pray that the Gods will be on my side this time.

For the dice have been thrown.

The bets have been cast.

And there is no turning back now.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Welcome to the Kingdom of Leohtes.