Page 3 of In Between Darkness
She runs to the bed on the left side of the room, plonking her bag on it. I guess she’s claimed that bed. I don’t mind though. The bed on the right side is by the window and people-watching is one of my many enjoyments. In the middle of the room is a large circular red and white rattan rug. It is scripted with Enchantra from the scribes. A lot of people struggle to decipher this ancient language used by the Gods. Not me. My father gave me a book on Enchantra for my fifth birthday. He was surprised at how quickly I picked it up. He said I’m a natural, just like mymother, but in truth, it’s taken years to get where I am. I don’t sleep much. Doctors say it’s insomnia. Reading is the only thing that helps me relax my mind. I suppose it will come in handy for exam week. The scribes were originally written in Enchantra but were soon translated into English.
Every room is the same. Two beds on either side, a rug in the centre and two desks at the end of each bed. Both are equipped with pens and stacks of books we will need for each lesson.
We both empty our suitcases and hang our clothes in the large wooden wardrobe, split into two sides, positioned against the middle wall. My hands trace over the cylindrical shape of the telescope at the bottom of my bag. It was my mother’s; she loved to gaze up at the stars. Somehow, I feel closer to her when I stargaze. I run my hand over the windowsill to banish the dust before placing it carefully on the ledge. The beds have hollow bottoms for storage. I slide my mother’s suitcase underneath. Opposite Nala’s bed is a bathroom. It is nothing special, just a toilet, sink and bath/shower.
I sit on my bed. Nala already has her nose in a book on ‘taming’. I glance out the window. The castle campus stretches as far as I can see. My window looks over the courtyard. At the back of Campus A, I can see students doing combat training. These must be second-years. Combat is savage. I can see the faint blood spatter from here. I suppose if you are going to be protecting Palidonia you have to be ruthless. Looking carefully, I can just see where the stone wall cuts the land in half and a second castle and courtyard reside. This castle is surrounded by forest. I knew that Moon enchanters shared our campus, but I didn’t think I would be this close to them. A chill runs down my spine.
Some of the most treacherous enchanters were of the Moonkind. Their Gods are more unforgiving. Shadoro is the God of Darkness and Shadows. He is characterised by his black veilthat covers his face; he can conjure shadow hawks to feast on the traitorous. Mourna, the God of Death, wears a hooded black robe and has a crow that sits proudly on her shoulder; those who possess Mourna’s Gift can move between planes and speak with the deceased. Xoro is the God of War. Xoro holds the ultimate weapon, an orb of darkness containing the strength of the fallen ones. He who possesses Xoro’s Gift will be a master of pain, weaponry and skill. Silo, God of Deception, is the one to worry about. He has two faces situated on the front and back of his head. One good and one evil. Those who possess the Gift of Silo are very trusting and are often not who you think they are. They can warp your mind into seeing things that aren’t there and read your deepest and darkest secrets with a simple touch of your hand.
Sunkind and Moonkind are forbidden to have relations as their bloodlines do not mix. I heard stories about people who tried and were exiled by their Gods and stripped of their Gifts. It is written in the scribes that those who have inter-daecial relations (when Sun enchanters and Moon enchanters mix) will lose everything. Good thing they only come out at night.
I hear Nala’s feet shuffle towards me as her black hair falls next to mine.
“That must be the taming quadrant.” Excitement bubbles from her as she points towards a large stable-like building positioned on the crest of Sovereign’s steepest valley.
Her eyes dart across the windowpane and settle upon Moon castle. “You’ve got a good view of the Moonkind from here. I’ve never actually met one in real life. The curfew in my town was eight p.m., so our paths never crossed. Wonder what they’re like.” She turns and locks eyes with me.
“Hmm, I’m not planning to find out,” I mutter.
The legends of the Moonkind instil fear in us all.
Chapter Two
Nala and I head back to the first quarter, where Miss Worthington is waiting to start the tour.
“I hope you are all settled into your rooms. Now, without further ado, let’s get on with this tour, shall we?” Miss Worthington dictates and pushes her ginger curls behind her ear.
The tour starts as Miss Worthington leads us through the large wooden doors at the end of the first quarter. We are met with another long corridor. Miss Worthington flicks her wrists in one swift movement and the first door on the left-hand side springs open. I will never get bored with watching the power of Influence firsthand. She brings us through to a large echoing room filled with ten long tables, each big enough to seat one hundred students. The tables are made of aged oak and perfectly preserved. The room smells sweet and smoky. It must be radiating from the oak. Three huge orbs of light float over each table, pulsating gently with a soft orange glow—one orb at each end and the brightest one in the middle. The walls are over twenty feet tall, painted with a glossy white finish. The orbs of light reflect off the paint, making the walls emit a friendly glow. There are a few parts where the paint looks chipped at the cracks between the bricks, but it suits the room so well that it could have been done deliberately. There are two pillars at the far end of the room. The pillars are carved with etchings of elions and tamers in battle. The etchings look like they have been chiselledout by the hands of Gods. I suppose they were. The carvings glisten with a golden shimmer and Enchantra fills up the once empty space that surrounds the pillars. The level of detail is breathtaking. No wonder it took a thousand enchanters to build.
“This is the dining hall, where you will meet at seven a.m. sharp for first meals, twelve p.m. for the second and six p.m. for your third and final meal of the day.” She pauses for a second before saying. “I should hope that you are always on time for meals. The dining bell shall only ring twice, and if you are not here by the time the second bell tolls, I’m afraid you will have to wait until the next meal.”
Nala gives me a concerned look. “We HAVE to be on time every day. No way am I missing any meals. I need my strength if I want to be a tamer!”
I smile at her and agree. “Don’t worry, I’m an early riser. I’ll make sure to wake you up well in time for first meals.”
Nala takes a relieved breath before saying, “I was hoping you would be. I always seem to sleep through my alarm!”
“I won’t let that happen, plus I need my food too. You do not want to see me when I’m hangry,” I joke reassuringly, clinking my teeth together in a chomping motion.
Nala laughs and gently squeezes my arm.
“I’m really glad you’re my roomie.”
“Ditto,” I reply.
I look around at the other students filling the hall. I notice a tall blonde boy wearing a long green and yellow scarf. He isn’t wearing it for warmth, as the scarf drapes around the nape of his neck and rests just above his knobbly knees. He looks like an odd boy, like he is used to getting picked on by the other kids. His big, thick glasses, too heavy for the bridge of his small button nose, keep rolling down his face, so every few seconds, he uses his index finger to push them back up again. He is standing directly in front of the orb and reaching his long armsout towards it. The ball of light dances away from his touch. He tries again, this time on his tiptoes, his outstretched arm only a centimetre away from the orb. He leans forward once more, making contact before yanking his arm back quickly.
“OUCHHH!” He consoles his finger with his other hand.
A silly mistake. Everyone knows not to touch an orb; they are balls of pure light channeled from the sun itself. When made by a powerful enchanter, the slightest contact could burn your flesh right down to the bone and looking directly at the centre of one could blind you. People often forget just how lethal they can be because of their beauty, but they’re a reminder that beautiful things can also be deadly.
“William Watson!” Miss Worthington bellows. “Let this be a lesson for all students not to touch the orbs. William, make your way to the healing quarters. Miss Aloe will escort you.” Miss Worthington gestures at a small lady in a long white dress with matching white gloves that rest at the top of her forearms. She wears a gold belt cinched tightly around her waist. She looks gentle and friendly, and she reassures William with a smile and leads him out of the room. Miss Aloe must be a healer.
We follow Miss Worthington back into the long corridor. Her wrists make the familiar circular motion we saw her do earlier and the double doors on the right-hand side bounce open. We walk in with anticipation.
“And this… Sovereign students, is the library.” Miss Worthington has a proud smile on her face.
I am first taken aback by the thousands of books all Influenced to hover in rows above the ground. At first glance you would think that they were all placed on shelves, but there are no shelves, no bookcases; all the books are levitating in perfect rows, one above the other, all alphabetically ordered. My gaze travels upwards. This room must be at least three stories high, and books cover every inch of every wall. I have never seen somany books in my life. My eyes follow the rows up, seeing that they are numbered from one to one hundred and twenty-five. A smile appears on my face. I can see myself spending a lot of time here. The dark wooden floorboards are softened by four long red sofas surrounding a large rectangular rug. This rug has images of all four Sun Gods with something written in Enchantra above it.
