And just like that, Raven and Van were back in school.
It turns out Panka had once again vetoed the Masters’ collective decision to expel them, something that had never happened before. It was mass outrage for a few hours, but then word spread that Valentine had woken up at the medical ward.
She was better. More than better, in fact. By some unknown phenomenon, she had been cured of the Splits. Her personalities were unified, though there were some lingering effects that still seeped through. Even so, her psyche was restored to full health, and she was no longer unstable. At first, no one understood what was happening, and the doctors claimed it was a miracle. But while family, friends, and fellow students were overjoyed by her return and wanted to visit with her, Valentine immediately deduced the truth and requested to get out of bed and find Raven Whitesong.
She was initially denied. He was her attacker, after all. But she firmly demanded it, and her parents eventually relented, allowing her to leave the ward as long as she was accompanied by someone they trusted. Fanny volunteered, informing them she knew where to find him.
Raven watched as Valentine entered the courtyard the first morning of the next school week. A gathering of students were situated by the well, waiting for the start of a field trip into the city. Master Turngood had informed his Hydra-Pandora Epo students over the weekend that there would be an impromptu trek into the city for an “observation.” What that meant, nobody knew, but the class would be combined with Master Cooley’s Economics Suna class for a joint trip.
Raven stood alone. A sizable distance was maintained by the other students. Despite rumors and speculation that had been discussed ad nauseam over the weekend, no one really knew what had happened between him and Valentine, and so Raven was just as feared as before, perhaps more so. But as Valentine approached, she did not join the others, some of whom waved for her. Instead, she walked right up to Raven.
“Good morning,” she said cheerfully.
Raven nodded.
“Do you know what this field trip is about?” she asked.
“No idea.”
“If I had to guess, it could be we’re going to the museum. Or maybe the City Hall. I’ve heard Master Turngood has taken his students there before. Although…”
As Valentine speculated about the trip, Raven stared at her in confusion. What was happening here? Why was she talking to him so animatedly?
“Uh, Raven?” Rue spoke up.
“Yes?”
“I think she’s your friend now.”
“Oh…” His eyebrows rose in surprise. He hadn’t even considered that.
“What’s that?” Valentine asked, combing fingers through her hair.
He smirked. “Nothing. I can’t imagine two schoolmasters are banding together for a trip to a museum, especially when it’s so last minute. No, this is probably something sporadic. An event of some kind that can only be today or not at all.”
“Makes sense.” She looked around. “Where’s Van?”
“He isn’t taking Hydra-Pandora this season.”
“I’m surprised. You two seemed attached at the hip.”
“Yes, he is quite devoted to me, isn’t he?”
She smiled. It was warm and sincere. Raven smiled back.
“Hello, students!” a voice called out.
Everyone in the area gave Master Turngood their attention. He wore the white robes of a medic, and he was filled with enthusiasm. Beside him was Master Cooley, who folded his hands behind him.
“Today we have a special treat for you all,” Turngood said loudly. “We will be privileged to witness something rare this morning. Stick close together as we make our way into the city. I expect no lollygagging. Now let’s get to it. The sooner we leave, the sooner we’re out of the cold.”
He led the way out of the courtyard, followed by Cooley. Their students followed behind in a trailing line. Passing under the red arch of the school entrance, the familiar cobblestones of High Street led the way through the residential district of Roespeye. It was still early morning, so windows were shut up and pandora lamps remained lumined.
“Raven?” Valentine asked after several minutes of silent walking.
“Yes?”
“I want to thank you again for what you did for me. Whatever it was that you did. The last few days, I’ve slept peacefully for the first time in my life.”
“As I said before, it was Van’s idea.”
“I know that’s not true. Or rather, I can believe it was Van’s idea, but I know only you could have made it possible.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because you’re not ordinary. Forgive my candor, but I know you are different, and only someone like you could have found a way to save me from my demons. I could say you are ‘special’ but the truth is you’re an outright aberration.”
“And I see you have a talent with first impressions,” he drolled.
She blushed and suddenly looked downcast. “I’m sorry. I’m getting used to my own head right now. I can sense both Sword and Shield within me, even though the struggle has vanished. The doctors have told me they will harmonize in time, but I’m still fighting to maintain control.”
“Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t fight for control. Whatever your physicians told you is nonsense. You are who you are now. Learning about who you are is one thing, but ‘fighting for control’ of your own self is rubbish.”
He stopped and faced her, holding his arms out. “This is you. All of you. The one created by the Holy One. There is nothing more to be fixed or changed. Let it go, and be yourself.”
She blushed deeper. “I find it frightening how quickly I can accept what you are saying.”
“I can be quite convincing.”
They continued walking, quickening their step to catch up with the rest of the students. It wasn’t long before the distinct sounds of horns met their ears, growing louder. The residential district ended, and they found themselves walking along a frozen riverbank. Hundreds of fishing holes were cut into the ice, and heavily bundled men sat on chairs up and down the river, poles in hand and patiently waiting for the next catch. Many of the buckets were bursting with catches already, and jumping fish threatened to escape. One fisherman nearby had a bucket that had reached its fullest point. He held up a squeeze horn, blasting a shrill honk into the morning air.
Fisheries were situated on the bank, alive with the sound of hard work. At the cry of the horn, a man rushed out on ice skates, grasping a trolley also situated on skates. Racing across the river surface, he careened around the fishing hole, gathering up any full buckets in one go and replacing them with empty buckets in the next round. In just two rotations, he had gathered up all the fish at the hole and was racing back to the fishery to deliver the goods. Many other horns intermittently sounded off on the river. It seemed thousands of fish were just waiting for their turn to be caught.
As they walked, Raven found Valentine glancing at him many times, obviously bursting with a question she wanted to ask. He produced a bag of caramels from his robes and ate one, letting the sweetness remove the stench of cold fish from his senses.
He offered her the bag and said, “Ask away.”
She smiled and took one. “You can tell I have something on my mind. Well, the truth is, I do. It’s been on my mind since the moment I learned it was you that healed me.”
“Ah. You want to know how I did it.”
“Precisely. Your discovery would be a salvation to my people. So many lives have been lost to the Splits in centuries past, including my brother and sister. But you have found the way to stop it from ever happening again. It’s a big deal!”
“‘Salvation’ you say.”
She frowned. “Don’t you agree?”
He ate another caramel. “Yes.”
“So will you give your research to Lamgard?”
“I’m not sure yet.”
“How can you say that?” she nearly shouted in shock. “Do you understand the devastation our condition has caused? Reyk Lamgard suffers daily on account of the horrors of the Division. If we used your methods, we could end the suffering! Our people would never have to fear it, and parents could be at peace, knowing their children won’t die from it. How can you be so selfish?”
Raven’s eyes narrowed. “You’re blinded by personal sorrow. But you would understand my stance if you allowed yourself to.”
“Well, I don’t,” she retorted angrily.
“You are a Lamgardian. You know full well of the Holy Frame. Therefore, you should have already concluded that I found the way to restore yours.”
“Of course!”
“This means Van and I had complete access to your frame of mind.”
She opened her mouth to reply, but then stopped. Realization swept over her in an observable burst through her body, making her body shudder first then dropping her head in shame.
“Oh…”
“Exactly.” He tapped his head. “I was inside your mind, Valentine. I stood alone before your very life force. And with one hand, I snapped your last psychic cord like it was a twig. I could have killed you, and no one would have known how I did it. Now imagine that knowledge in the hands of a wicked man, or worse… the Titan.”
For a while they continued on in silence. The winding path along the river turned back into the city. The whirling cone of snow above Panka’s well had no reach this far into the city. As a result, snowfall sprinkled onto shivering students. But soon, they were in the market district, where barrels of fire stood in the streets to provide some measure of warmth.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
“I apologize,” Valentine finally said, sighing with burden. “You are right. I was blinded. Nothing I can do will bring my brother and sister back, but they are all I could think about lately.”
“Understandable. ‘If only’ right?”
She smiled half-heartedly, taking another caramel from his bag. “If only.”
“We’re here, students!” Turngood shouted above the din of loitering shoppers in the streets. “Everyone gather around! We’ve made perfect time. Our appointment should be in just a few moments.”
The rest of the students encircled one of the barrels of fire, crowding in to claim as much of the heat as possible. Raven and Valentine lagged further back, standing in the middle of the road and staring at the dreadful sight before them. Raven glared in anger. A bleak stone building was nestled on the corner of two streets, surrounded by wrought-iron fencing.
The Morborium.
“Raven… why?” Valentine whispered. Her eyes became glassy.
“An observation of something you can’t plan for,” he replied with a sneer of loathing. “I should have guessed it immediately.”
A man in black robes and a necktie opened the gray door to the Morborium, clipboard in hand, and strode businesslike down the stone pathway, past the gates and straight up to the teachers.
“Good morning, Master Cooley. Master Turngood.”
Cooley nodded. Turngood smiled wide. “Good morning, Mr. Cane,” he said, shaking the man’s hand.
Cane glanced at the clipboard. “All is proceeding as expected. Jep Glowe is fading rapidly and preparations have been made, so please follow me.”
He turned and made his way back. The teachers followed, and with a wave of Turngood’s hand, the students trailed close behind them. Some whispered eagerly while others shuddered and crowded together in apprehension. They were led into a spacious vestibule with black walls and a stone ceiling.
Nearby, three teller windows operated quietly. People in lines did business in hushed tones with the men behind the counters, as if they understood they were dealing with the devil and didn’t want anyone to know. Pandora, crowns, gold plates, and other commodities exchanged hands at a rapid pace, and the customers left the Morborium as quickly as they were able, usually unwilling to meet eyes with anyone along the way.
Raven’s glare never relented. “I hate this place.”
“Me too,” Valentine replied. Her eyes had a faraway look. “I’ve been here so many times, but it never gets easier.”
“Alright students,” Turngood announced, paying little attention to the somber atmosphere and drawing looks from the people in the lines. “As you see, we have come to the Morborium. And today, an elderly gentleman is about to pass on. He has sold his pandora rights, and the preparations have been made. As soon as Mr. Cane retrieves us, we will be privy to the entire process. Isn’t this exciting?”
The bald teacher’s smile angered Raven further, but he remained silent.
“Now,” Turngood continued, “the reason we have combined this trip today with Master Cooley’s should be obvious. Pandora are the true base of Fallowreyk’s economic system.”
Cooley cleared his throat. Despite the cold, a slight sheen of sweat coated his dark skin. “Yes, that’s right. Over the centuries, it has replaced crowns and gold as the standard for wealth. Banks and citizens alike would always prefer pandora for a number of reasons we will observe and even demonstrate to you today. While this will be discomforting for many of you, it is important that all of you pay close attention when we are inside. There is nothing happy about the occasion, but this is the world we live in, and students of Nine Star that intend to go out into the world and apply their learned skills must have an understanding of this unfortunate part of our society.”
Turngood frowned. “Am I the only one excited about this?”
“Yes,” Cooley replied.
Another door opened and Mr. Cane appeared again, motioning for the class to join him while signaling for them all to be quiet. Teachers and students shuffled in, following Mr. Cane down a long hallway that was solemn as a mortuary. He opened one of the last doors and led them all inside.
The room was very spacious with carpeted floors, wood paneling and several bookshelves. Tall windows were situated over a single bed, where an old man lay, pale and gaunt. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was labored. A group of people that must have been his family were beside him. Some were crying, which increased even more so as they entered. Behind the family was a cleric of Provote, dressed in white robes and holding a long staff topped by a snowflake crest. While the surroundings were assuredly meant to give comfort, Raven thought it all provided the opposite.
“Gather round students,” Turngood whispered loudly. They closed in on him. “As I said earlier, this morning we are going to witness firsthand the creation of a pandora. Poor Mr. Glowe here is moments from death, and he signed a contract with this Morborium months ago. Charlie Vaga, the owner, is a former student of Nine Star, and from time to time has granted us permission to observe the ritual. I want all of you to pay close attention. There will definitely be a quiz in my class next week.”
Despite his prattling, hardly a student was paying attention to Master Turngood anymore. Reduced to pitying silence, their gazes were on the mournful family that surrounded their loved one. The cleric approached the bedside, staff in hand.
Raven had witnessed the ritual too many times to count. Only a Provotian could create pandora, as it stemmed from their gift, but every year Reyk Provote sent new clerics by the thousands into the land to ensure their expensive services could be had by anyone. Raven couldn’t help but wonder how many Provotian clerics this Morborium alone employed. And there were many others in Roespeye.
The elderly Mr. Glowe’s breathing noticeably stopped, and his family was overcome with powerful new grief. But the cleric who had been waiting patiently immediately went to work, placing the staff and an outstretched hand over the body. A black thread of potent energy emerged from the dead man’s chest and was pulled from the body by the staff, drawn up with such force it convulsed the corpse.
Jep Glowe’s family muffled screams as they watched with terrible suffering. The black force of the man’s soul formed a cross-like apparition between the body and the staff. The cleric twisted his hand, fingers contorting powerfully. Thin filaments began to peel off the cross, swirling around his hand and forming a rectangular frame. More and more strings of black gleam broke apart from the soul, forming the body of that unholy card.
In moments, the emblem vanished, and the pandora was complete. Jep Glowe’s body fell back onto the bed, no different in appearance than it had been only moments ago yet still noticeably different, sucked dry of life’s essence. Two women immediately fell over his chest, weeping uncontrollably. The pandora fell into the cleric’s hand. A hissing smoke issued from the soul. The card was black as night, not yet grayed by time.
The cleric turned and handed the card to a man nearby. “I’m sorry,” he said. Immediately, he left the bedside, past the students and walked out the door.
Despite the intense morose in the room, Turngood was all smiles. “Ah it’s a Class Two!” he said, pointing. “Notice the two striations on the corners of the pandora. How wonderful for his family! That will increase the value at auction. Over ninety percent of all pandora are Class One. Make sure to remember that for the quiz, students.”
He approached the bedside just as the man holding his father’s soul mournfully handed it over to Mr. Cane, who was writing detailed notes on his ledger.
“May I?” Turngood asked.
Cane handed him the pandora. “Very well. But please be quick. There are many other appointments today.”
Turngood stood before the students, holding it up. Jep Glowe’s pandora featured a detailed impression of two lanterns glowing amidst a heavy rain storm.
“A man’s soul in tangible form,” Master Turngood stated. “These are the riches of Fallowreyk. For the standard term, Jep Glowe will serve people using whatever gift the Holy One granted him. The Morborium will do research this very day to discover just what that is. Now for some, the process of turning dead people into tools for human use is still barbarous, but I want you all to think hard on the facts. Mr. Glowe has led a full life, and now he has given his family something valuable. The money his pandora will bring to auction will bring them income and help sustain their happiness. And once his term is over, the card will evaporate, and his soul will be released to the Holy One.
“Yes, the process itself might be hard on some of you to watch, but this is the economics of our world. I ask you this question: why would you not want to become a pandora when you died? Would that not be a waste to your loved ones? I can see it in the eyes of many of you. You’ve witnessed grandparents and other family members become cards for your future comfort. And that’s because they loved you all and wanted the best for you, is it not? And some of you still have those pandora, unwilling to sell them. And that is, of course, perfectly acceptable! They still live on, giving you benefits that would otherwise have been lost. Mr. Glowe is a great man who made a decision to take care of his family, and all it will cost is a relatively short delay before he can join his ancestors.”
Most of the students looked at each other uneasily, still queasy over the spectacle they witnessed. Raven watched as many of them reached inside pockets or bags to finger their own pandora, no doubt consisting of their own family members’ souls. Even Valentine produced her two cards, looking at them with misty eyes.
Her brother and sister.
But Turngood was oblivious to all of it. “Now, while a pandora is thin and malleable, it is completely indestructible,” he continued. “There have been many attempts to try and destroy a pandora or even scratch it, in the name of science, of course. But they have all failed. The hottest fires and the sharpest blades can’t even blemish them. And yet…”
Turngood folded the pandora in half, to the horror of Glowe’s watching family. Then he crumpled it up into a ball. “See? It can be molded into nearly any form.”
“That’s ENOUGH!” Raven roared.
He stomped toward the stunned teacher and snatched the pandora from his hand.
“Whitesong, what are you doi–”
“You shut up!”
Turngood fell silent, dread creeping over his face. Raven uncrumpled the pandora and placed it between two of his fingers. Breathing deep, he slowly pulled the card through. When it came out the other side, the card was perfectly flat without a trace of bending lines. He approached the family, holding the pandora before him with immense respect, and presented it to one of Glowe’s sons.
“I am so very sorry,” Raven said. “Your father made a courageous sacrifice. He must have loved you all very much.”
The son took the card and nodded. The family left the room, and Master Cooley shut the door behind them.
Raven rejoined the students, but he was fuming.
“Listen to me, all of you!” he shouted. “Pandora aren’t blessings! They are a cowardly and vicious curse on Fallowreyk! They are utterly despicable! And all of you know it. Somewhere deep down inside every person in this room is the knowledge that this disgusting practice is against everything the Holy One teaches us, and indeed it is! This comes not from heaven but from the fires of hell! Just look at all this.” He spread his hands out. “This is a rancorous and profane act, a blight on our own souls. And I am sick of it! Believe me when I say the day is coming when I will END THIS BARBARIC RITUAL!”
Raven raised a fist. “I will destroy this world of pandora,” he rasped. “And kill anyone who tries to stop me.”
He stormed out of the room, leaving every other person in a state of wide-eyed bewilderment. Every person… except one. Finitum Cooley watched Raven go with a careful gaze. And when he was gone, the master of economics slowly smiled.
___
“Raven!” Valentine shouted.
He stopped, still incensed but very much in need of breath. He had stomped all the way back to the river before she could catch up to him. The fishermen were gone, most likely having met their quotient for the day, leaving them alone under the snowfall. He turned to look at her, but they said nothing as they both caught their breath.
“I want to join you,” she finally said. A hint of desperation laced her voice.
“Join me? You don’t know what you’re asking,” he replied.
“Yes, I do. I know why you’ve come, Raven. I know your real intentions.”
“Doubtful.”
“You want to lure the Titan to Roespeye!”
Raven’s eyes grew wide. “How did you…”
“That’s why you’re doing all this. That’s why you challenged the masters. To get his attention. I don’t know why, and I don’t care. I want to help you! Whatever you need, whatever the challenge. I can help.”
Her face was flushed red and her breathing quickened even more. But she didn’t break eye contact with him, so anxious was she for an acquiescent reply. Raven watched her in astonishment. He had had to speak openly to Van about the true nature of his presence at the school, but Valentine had figured it out right away.
“Why are you asking for this?”
“Because everything you said in the Morborium is what has been screaming inside my head and heart for years,” she replied, holding a hand to her chest. Tears sprang to her eyes. “This system of pandora is vile. We use them like toys, forgetting what they really are. My grandparents both contracted to become pandora when they died. But their souls were so powerful, they were sold to make my family richer. And when my brother and sister passed away, it didn’t even give my parents pause to consider whether or not to convert their souls into tools. We didn’t need the money, but Master Turngood said it all. This world is so dependent on pandora that turning loved ones into wretched cards is second nature. But I know how gross it is. And just thinking about how close I came to becoming a card myself is horrifying!
“Raven, my life was over,” she choked. “But you saved me, and now I can start again. And this is what I want.”
Raven frowned. The thought of having this brilliant mind in his corner was incredibly appealing to him, especially someone connected not only to Lamgard but to the powerful Chessex family. Even so, the more he shared the details of his scheme with others, the more likely it was to fail. While he took this risk with Van, it was only because he knew he couldn’t accomplish everything without a partner, but sharing it with yet another? If even a rumor of his true plans reached the Titan, it would be completely for naught, and years of planning could potentially be wasted.
“Raven,” Rue whispered in his head.
It was soft and soothing, and he paused in his whirlwind of thinking to listen.
“Feel Valentine’s soul. She is someone who can help us. You know the truth. Let’s save her one more time.”
Raven closed his eyes and exhaled mightily. “Well, it’s certainly too hard to deny such a rare request from you, my friend.” He opened his eyes again and smiled mischievously. “I guess I don’t have a choice.”