“Panka?” Van nearly shouted. “Thee Panka?”

The snake-like persona wriggled, and Panka cackled in glee, pointing at Van. “I got you! I got you so good!”

Van’s jaw fell in disgust, water still trickling from his chin. “That was supposed to be a prank? I could have died!”

Raven smirked, looking up at the guardian in amusement. “A truly sneaky victory, Lord Panka.”

Panka frowned. “You saw through it. I don’t know if I like you. You don’t seem like much fun.”

The pandora still encircling Raven in a protective halo slowed their pace. The fire extinguished, and the cards drifted into his hand. He was about to stow them away in his sleeves, when the water guardian shouted.

“Wait!”

He slithered down, his strange water snake body sloshing as he did so. He closely examined the three pandora in Raven’s hands.

“Oh! Oh, my dear friends.” He frowned in deep sadness and reached out his hand. Raven thought maybe he saw a tear come to the guardian’s eye. He betrayed his instincts and handed the cards over. Panka took them and cradled them close to his body, like a mother to her child.

In the distraction, Van sidled up to Raven, sitting on the broad arm rest. “This is the strangest thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” he said, wiping his face. “Is that really Panka? Am I dreaming?”

Raven bowed his head, smiling. “I said your partnership with me would be a true adventure. Do you believe it now?”

“It’s still hard. This is just so unreal.”

“What is unreal about it? You have accepted the reality of the magic of Panka’s pool, but you did not believe in Panka himself? Of course he is real, just as the Holy One is real and blesses those who serve Him. Panka is one of the seven guardians, and it was imperative I found him tonight.”

“Nine guardians,” Panka corrected sadly, drifting back to Raven.

“Nine?” he repeated, tilting his head. “There are seven wells, are there not?”

“Now there are seven. Two of the pools were lost long ago.” Panka handed him back the three pandora. “Do you know what you have there, young new student of mine?”

Raven held up the three cards. “Charles Avante, Soro deSoto, and Allentine Flores.”

Panka’s cheer returned a bit. “You know their human names?”

“I do. And it took me great pains to bring them together again. They were separated for so long.” Raven raised his hand, and the three cards floated out to hover before them. They rotated in place, glowing. “Glass Blower, Ice Token, and Wind Ruby. These are the names the world assigned to them when their souls were converted into barbaric tools, but I see the men they used to be. Class Fives, each of them, and truly unique, fascinating souls. But together, they are even more. Something I’ve never seen duplicated.”

Panka chuckled, scratching his beard. The baubles on his trident rattled with a childlike charm. “They were students of my school. Real troublemakers. Ah, how I miss hearing them talk about their schemes. I was so proud.”

Sadness conquered the guardian again, and he sighed deeply. “When I heard they died by the Titan’s hand… it hit me hard.” Panka slammed a massive hand on the stairwell, and water burst from the impact, spraying in a wide arc. “But when I learned their pandora were separated from each other… well I just didn’t know what to do with myself. No justice anymore! That damned Titan!”

Raven smiled devilishly, crossing his legs. “Well then, how about we get to business.”

Panka harrumphed, and an adult expression came over him for the first time before he roared in laughter. The cave shook with clout. “You are an imp, but what could you offer me, pale one? I have interest only in my students and playing games with them.”

“And that’s precisely why I’ve come. You see, I would like to play a prank… on the Titan.”

Before that moment, the picture of a mischievous sparkle in an ancient immortal’s eye could only have been imagined, and Raven knew he would never be able to describe it, despite his best effort. Glee rose up in the guardian’s face, alighting it with a scorch that rivaled the sun. His mouth widened into a devil’s crescent, and he lowered himself to look at Raven.

“What did you have in mind?” he asked, twirling his trident.

“You know who I am. Your ear never leaves the school, so you know of my challenge to the masters of Nine Star.”

Panka grunted his approval. “Watched the whole thing once my Vark was called. The look on Czeslaw’s face was priceless.”

“The Titan will hear of this in a matter of days, if he hasn’t already.”

“He has better ears than even me.”

“Indeed.” Raven leaned forward. “Which is why he will also know about your treasure. The prize for solving your great puzzle.”

Panka propped his elbow on the steps, placing his head in his hand. He smiled with amusement. “He might think he knows.”

“Wait, there’s really a treasure if you solve the riddle?” Van said, getting up. “No one really knew for sure what would happen if anyone solved Panka’s… er, I mean… your puzzle. Obviously, no one’s ever done it before.”

Raven leaned back again. “The Titan doesn’t know the true prize… but I do. And that is how I’m going to trick him.”

“I see it now,” Panka said with a disappointed and condescending tone. “You came here to make a deal. I assume you want me to help you solve my riddle. Well you can forget it.”

“I won’t need help there. But you are right. I did come here to negotiate.”

The water guardian scratched his beard. “I do want to play a trick on the Titan. But if you don’t need help with my riddle, what is it you want?”

“Two things. The first is access to your tower. I need a place to work while I attend school, away from the prying eyes of the masters.”

Panka held up his hand. “Before you move on to your second request, I assume you have something to offer me in return?”

Raven cocked his head. “Isn’t playing a prank on the Titan good enough?”

“Not nearly, pale one.” He extended his open hand. “You need me to pull this off, which is why you are here. And if that’s the case, then we are partners in this little game. So, if you want my tower, what will you give me?”

Raven’s smile washed away, and his eyes narrowed. “How about the Titan’s death?”

“Ahhh, and there it is. I knew I sensed something dark about you.”

Panka rose up again, taking his trident and moving back. He wandered to and fro, deep in thought. In the conversation’s pause, the sound of the waterfall seemed to thunder anew. Raven tapped his fingers on the icy arm of his chair impatiently. He needed Panka’s cooperation for his plan to succeed.

“Tell him about your other proposal,” Rue whispered. “It will sway him.”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Raven hummed. An excellent idea.

“Lord Panka, before you say anything more, allow me to tell you about the other token I can offer,” he said quickly. “It will entice you more than the Titan’s death.”

“Another game?” he replied.

“No. A much more serious offer. One I know you have sought for a long time.”

“And what is that?”

“I can rescue Sheeharu.”

The moment the words left his lips, a vast and haunting silence filled the space. Raven and Van watched as the waterfall ceased, reduced to a mere trickle in moments. And Panka was left alone to float before them, trident limp at his side, and a grave expression filling the void that joviality left behind when it abandoned his face. And then, something even more shocking happened. The guardian’s bottom lip began to tremble. His bearded chin twitched, and a sparkling trickle fell from his eye.

“Sheeharu…” he whispered.

Raven nodded, trying not to seem uncertain about whether or not he made the right decision. He certainly never expected to see the guardian reduced to tears. Then, Panka pointed his trident at them. Van ducked behind the ice throne, and Raven gripped the arm rests. A massive roar shook the hall as the waterfall returned twice as powerful as before. And the water soared toward them in a furious drive. Before they could act, the torrent reached them, but instead of crushing their bodies, Panka blocked the flow.

Raven exhaled, watching as the bedless river swirled around the guardian, flowing up his arm and sinking into his trident. The water was absorbed completely into the staff. Then, a concentrated stream burst from the three prongs, glowing fantastically. Calmer liquid pooled into an oval plate that floated between them like a mirror. And from the mirror, an image formed.

A young girl strode happily down a cobbled lane, carrying a basket of bread.

“Hey, that’s the Sleeping Devil,” Van exclaimed, coming back out. “Is this the same magic as the painting?” He reached his hand out, touching the surface of the mirror. The water stirred, sending ripples through the moving image.

“A sleeping devil she is not,” Raven replied. “Sheeharu was nothing but an innocent child… until the day she wasn’t.”

The guardian frowned deeply, face hardened to stone. “She was precious to me. Something happened to little Sheeharu that has troubled me greatly since that day.” He looked down at Raven. “Can you truly save her?”

Raven’s eyes narrowed. “Tell me everything you know. If you agree to my terms, then you have my word Sheeharu will smile again.”

“You have asked me for my tower. What is the second request?”

“Hydra… at the right time. I don’t bear this scar on my head for nothing. I may not require it in the end, but… I’m simply making preparations.”

Panka smiled back, but it lacked all levity. “Then we have an agreement. Heaven help you if you fail to keep your promise.” He swung his trident wide, baubles bouncing. The mirror remained floating between them. “There is only one thing I am certain of. And it haunts me, even now. The way Sheeharu turned on the city was something I had never seen before, and something I never want to see again.”

“Start from the beginning.”

“Sheeharu Rendan was special. Born on the road from Reyk Lamgard to the Gray Light Citadel, she couldn’t have come from more humble origins. Her parents were bakers and former students of my school. They lived in poverty, always struggling to make ends meet, but they were a happy family, and Sheeharu smiled even on the worst of days.” Panka rubbed his face heavily. “She was a light in a dark world. I couldn’t wait until she enrolled for school.”

“Why was she special?” Van asked, sitting back down on the arm of Raven’s ice throne.

“While she herself possessed a soul deep with Hydra, this little girl was unaffected by other Hydra. It wasn’t just that she was a Drymouth. Rather, the waters of worldly magic possessed no place in her life and had no effect on her body, mind or soul. Curses were useless, and blessings faded before her presence. No matter the strength of pandora, seal or artifact, Hydra could never touch her.”

Van scratched his face. “But, wasn’t Hydra what cursed her in the end?”

Panka frowned and jabbed his trident again. The image of the strolling girl changed, and the new picture shocked them. A ruined city appeared now, buildings reduced to rubble, and dead bodies strewn everywhere. And in the middle of an immense crater, a halo of wicked light shone. The image moved in closer, and at the center of the light, Sheeharu glowed. Her skin was whiter than the falling snow, yet her body was covered in shadows, and her eyes glowed vivid red and green. Pulses of destructive Hydra crashed out from her body in waves, ripping through the remaining structures of old Reyk Roespeye as if they were constructed from straw. She slowly walked through the city, crushing everything.

“This is your Sleeping Devil,” Panka replied. “This is what became of her, the day the city was nearly reduced to ruin on account of this little girl. One ordinary day, on a fine winter afternoon, she disappeared from my wide view. Snatched in a moment. A week later, she reappeared in Roespeye like this, and obliterated all in her path. A monster. There was no sign… no warning. She just became the devil incarnate during an otherwise forgettable stretch of time.”

“Then it’s all true.” Van dragged both hands down his face, shaking his head in disbelief. “I think I need to be the one to ask the pertinent question here. Regardless of what she was like before this happened, why on earth would we want to release her and chance this happening again?”

“Something did this to her!” Panka roared, making Van flinch. “This didn’t just happen on its own!”

“And what was that?”

“Her soul was ripped from her body!” Panka roared all the more. Waters hurled out from his body in waves of force, and he slammed his trident on the staircase. “WHILE SHE WAS ALIVE! This is what happens when a human being loses her soul while still alive. When the image of the Holy One is stripped of its spiritual nature. The body’s Hydra is released without control. And Sheeharu’s was so potent, it wrecked my city. To this day, it makes me FURIOUS!”

“You need to calm down,” Raven chided.

Van’s eyes bugged out in disbelief, and he quickly looked up at the guardian. Panka gritted his teeth, eyeing Raven like a petulant child.

“I know these things,” Raven continued. “I did not come here to speculate about the Sleeping Devil’s origins and circumstances. I came to free that young child trapped in the golden egg, and restore her to health and happiness. I came here to solve the greatest puzzle of all. But to do that, I need your help. So, please calm yourself and tell me what I need to know.”

Panka stared daggers at him for a moment before sighing exhaustedly.

“Yes, you are right.” He laughed. “It’s been an eternity since a human has spoken to me this way.” He lowered himself to Raven’s level. “But I guess it turns out I needed it. Only Sheeharu is important. What do you need to know?”

Raven’s eyes narrowed. “Tell me about Valius Shrale.”

“The hero who saved the city, eh?” Panka crossed his arms, grumbling. “Well, the first thing I’ll tell you is that I didn’t like him much.”

“Why?”

“He was too clever. He knew how to hide things from me. Did you see the extra door in my halls? He did that. And I can’t even get in!”

“But he did save the city from Sheeharu, right?” Van asked.

“I suppose,” he mumbled. “When Sheeharu came close to the school after her attack on the city, Shrale appeared suddenly and confronted her before she could reach it. And he did indeed use a unique magic to seal her up in the cocoon. He died a short time later after suffering immense wounds. So, I concede he was a true hero. But I stand by my opinion of the man while he was alive.”

“But Shrale had a connection to Sheeharu before the attack, didn’t he?” Raven asked.

Panka’s eyebrows rose. “How could you possibly know that?”

“I spoke to Master Hintilius Forge, the economics teacher here at Nine Star while Shrale was alive. He revealed this to me.”

“Forge died long before you were born.”

Raven stared Panka in the eyes. “Indeed.”

Van and Panka glanced at each other, before turning their attention back to Raven. Mumbling under his breath again, Panka floated back and continued. “Shrale was the one who discovered Sheeharu and her strange soul. He persuaded her parents to become her personal tutor.”

“Her tutor?” Raven repeated. He folded his arms. “This I did not know. And it troubles me.”

“Why?” Van asked. “She was obviously special. And Lord Panka just said she was to be enrolled at Nine Star.”

“Why would Shrale concern himself with a little girl who could never use Hydra? What did he have to gain? From my conversation with Master Forge, I learned that Shrale never doted on Sheeharu or treated her special. He was simply seen talking with her from time to time. In the courtyard or market. Forge never thought anything of it. But if Shrale was her tutor, that meant they must have spent a considerable amount of time together.”

“What are you thinking?” Panka asked.

“Nothing at the moment,” he deferred, unwilling to say anything more. “I need time to think on this new information. Sheeharu’s transformation into a monster wasn’t a random occurrence. Something specific happened to her. Something stole her soul away. I am sure of it. And if I can learn what really happened, I can save her. Lord Panka, you have my word – Sheeharu’s eyes will see the snow of Roespeye once more.”

Panka’s body rose above them, dominant in stature. Panka the troublemaker was replaced by Panka the divine, and all folly was abandoned.

“You are intelligent, and full of understanding beyond your years, Raven Whitesong.” He cast his trident aside in a sweeping arc. “Though I am troubled by your sudden presence here, I will cling to your declaration of devotion to the Holy One. For I serve Him as well. We have an accord.”

His trident pointed to a light that suddenly appeared a distance away from their position on the staircase. It was another passage, previously hidden.

“You are granted possession of my tower, to use as long as you like. You and Vanyard and anyone else you deem worthy of the secret. But know this…” He stared down at them gravely. “The task of killing the Titan has been taken by many. And none have survived it. I wish to see the Titan dead, though I fear for the one who takes up the mantle to see it done, especially one of my dear students. You have a long road ahead of you, and I wonder whether or not you truly understand the task with which you burden your own neck.”

Raven and Van stood, and the throne of ice crumbled at their feet.

“My vengeance against the Thief of Life cannot be compared, for I have destined myself for this single cause.” Raven raised a fist at the guardian of Roespeye. “I will crush the Titan with my own hands, and make him wish he had never taken up the title to which he so desperately cleaves. The blood of many will cry out, aiding me in this pursuit… and I shall answer all of them.”