by Nyssa Renay
I made it about halfway down the tunnel when my feet began to tremble. An unexpected rumbling shook the ground, sending shockwaves throughout my entire body. Large chunks of rock tumbled from the ceiling, and I had to brace myself against the wall to keep from falling in the darkness. A gust of hot air shot out of the darkness before me and spat a thick cloud of red-black dust into my face. I was disoriented and could barely see a thing.
Suddenly, everything around me was illuminated by the spiraling red emergency lights fixed to the roof of the tunnel. A siren screamed, immediately followed by the sound of Shepherd Graldo’s voice raging from a nearby loudspeaker. “Everybody out! Everybody out! Move yer asses now!”
Four Palpit potentials came streaming up the tunnel, panicked as they ran by. The walls and ceilings were slowly collapsing bit by bit onto the floor around me. I started to run away, but stopped when I heard an anguished scream from somewhere below. It was quickly muffled, and against my better judgment, I turned and headed back down the tunnel. I battled through twenty feet of dust and chaos, climbing over the growing piles of debris and dodging stones that rained from the ceiling.
“Hello?” I shouted as loudly as I could. “Where are you?”
I stopped to listen, straining to hear him again amid the blaring siren and crumbling rock crashing down.
“Help me!” the muffled voice cried out from my right, where a good part of the ceiling had collapsed. I ran over and began to claw through the mound in front of me. I dug feverishly, tossing rocks and clumps of dirt aside as quickly as I could, following the instinct to help.
Finally, I’d removed enough and the rocks that remained in the pile shifted on their own. “I got you!” I bellowed, reaching out and latching onto his emerging hand. I pulled with all my might, freeing the trapped potential from what could have easily become his tomb.
“Are you okay?” I shouted, helping him to his feet.
“Yeah,” he said, nodding and coughing harshly.
“Is there anyone else down here?”
“I…I don’t know,” he gasped.
“What happened?” I asked as we made our way back up through the rapidly collapsing tunnel.
“The excavator tipped over,” he panted. “Took out the main support column for the cave we were in. I saw the ledge underneath the front wheels crack just before it gave way. I tried to tell Biklish to back up, but it was too late.”
“Wait!” I pleaded, grabbing his arm and pulling him to a halt. “Did you say Biklish?”
“Yeah, but I’m sure he—”
“He’s still down there! I was near the top of the tunnel when it happened. I never saw him run by me. We need to go back!”
“Are you sure?” His eyes widened in fear.
“Yes!”
“But there’s no time! This whole section is about to collapse!”
“We’re not leaving him behind!” I screamed furiously, yanking his arm with all my strength as I pulled him down the tunnel with me.
It was well known that I had no love for Biklish, but if there was one thing the academy had taught me, it was that he and I were brothers in the eyes of Ein. If there was even the slightest chance he was still alive, I had to try and save him, even at the cost of my own life.
When we reached the cave, I saw that the front end of the excavator had been buried under tons of stone and dirt, and I immediately thought the worst: that we were too late and Biklish was already lost. A brief wave of panic and despair washed over me as I wondered if my rash decision to try to save Biklish’s life had not only failed, but was about to condemn me to being buried alive as well.
“There!” the Palpit potential shouted, pointing to a nearby pile of stone and dirt.
As we ran closer, we could see Biklish through the cracked window of the control booth in the excavator. He appeared to be unconscious; his forehead and face covered in blood. We each grabbed a rock and did our best to smash through the tempered glass to free Biklish. Finally, the window gave way.
“Biklish!” I yelled frantically as we tried to free him from the excavator, but he was unresponsive.
“Grab his legs!” the Palpit potential ordered as he shoved his arms under Biklish’s shoulders and dragged him out of the rapidly collapsing cave.
As we reached the smaller tunnel that led upward, the cave behind us fully caved in, sending a thick plume of dust in our direction that blocked out the glow of the safety lights above us. We struggled to make our way back up, but there was so much debris that the tunnel had become nearly impassable. We were running out of time, and I knew that getting back up the tunnel would be impossible if we could not clear a path before us.
“I’ll carry Biklish, and you make a path. It’s the only way!” I shouted as I hauled Biklish’s dead weight onto my back, pulling his arms over my shoulders and around my neck to gain as much balance and leverage as I could. Each step was torture. My knees shook and burned under the strain of his weight, but I continued to march forward while the Palpit potential scouted ahead, frantically clearing a path for me.
When we reached the top of the tunnel, several of the other potentials who had made it to safety noticed us and ran over to help.
When they hoisted him off my back, I immediately stumbled and collapsed onto the cave floor, trying to catch my breath and give my legs a break from the pain and torture I’d just inflicted upon myself. The crisis was finally over, and luckily, my gamble had paid off.
-43-
Later that night, while the others were being treated at the medical ward, I sat alone on a padded bench alone outside the Brio aides’ station. Shepherd Graldo approached me. After everything I’d been through that day, I was not in the mood to deal with another one of his stubborn rants. When he sat down beside me, the conversation between us was much different than I’d expected.
“Ya saved some lives tonight, Vigil.” Graldo’s wrinkled cheeks scrunched up in an awkward smile. “That ain’t something I take lightly. I want you to know that.”
“Yes, sir.” I didn’t know what else to say. I was still trying to understand what had come over me to make me want to stay and help Biklish in the first place, instead of just running away to save myself like all the other potentials had.
“I talked to yer shepherd. Told her what ya did. She’s pretty impressed. Not enough to take you off mining duty just yet…you still have a debt to pay, but she is impressed with ya. Just thought ya should know that.” He paused for a moment, his eyes and face knotted up in a troubled expression as he tried to find the words he wanted to say. “I’m impressed, too.”
“Thank you, sir.” I was slightly startled by Graldo’s humility. For the first time in a long while, I felt good about myself; almost as if I’d finally started to shed the horrible reputation I’d acquired on the night of the prince’s dinner.
Shepherd Graldo stood up and gave me a solid pat on the back. “See ya tomorrow,” he said calmly as he clutched his staff and hobbled away, leaving me alone.
Graldo took it much easier on me after that day, and so did the rest of the potentials at the academy. Gone were the judgmental stares and condescending attitudes. Even Shepherd Diabelle’s attitude toward me had changed for the better. She began to include me in more field exercises and I progressed in my Necra studies and was no longer falling behind compared with the other Tier II potentials. I experienced a newfound respect for what the academy was trying to instill in me, and after two more months of mining duty, I was finally rewarded for my efforts.
“Vigil, have a seat,” Diabelle ordered as I walked into her office.
“Yes, ma’am.” I did as she’d instructed.
“As of today, Shepherd Graldo has authorized me to remove you from mining duty.”
I couldn’t help but let out a small sigh of relief as a smile broke out across my face.
“Well, I wouldn’t get too excited,” she said coolly. “Even though your decisive actions during the acc
ident in the Sanctified Mines were highly commendable, with regards to your Tier II assignment, no one at the academy wants to take a chance on you quite yet. But, I’ve managed to pull some strings and get you back on kitchen duty.”
My heart sank. “For how long?” I asked, hoping for even a small amount of luck, although I already knew what she was going to say next.
“Indefinitely.”
I forced a smile. “I understand.”
She stared at me for a few uncomfortable moments before speaking again. “You’re getting much better at controlling your emotions, Vigil.” A hint of a smile cracked her lips. “It’s an extremely important skill to have, especially as a Necra shepherd. Keep it up.”
I nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
“I know this place can be hard at times, but trust me when I tell you it’s only going to get worse once you leave the academy and begin your first assignment.” Diabelle let out a somber sigh; I thought it was odd for her. It was strange. She’d always appeared confident and assertive with us. I’d never seen this side of her before. It was as if my saving Biklish’s life had earned me some form of unspoken respect from her. “Just keep focused on your studies and train as hard as you can, and I’ll do my best to make sure you’re ready by the time you graduate, understood?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Shepherd Scullery is waiting for you in Chow Hall Two. Dismissed.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” I said sincerely as I stood up. I walked over to the door and opened it, ready to leave her office.
“Vigil…”
I turned around, somewhat nervous. “Ma’am?”
“I just thought you’d want to know that your uncle has been…reassigned…far away from the Shepherd Academy. I doubt you’ll ever hear from Shepherd Voronto again,” Diabelle offered through a subtle smile. “I figured you’d want to know.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” I said firmly and walked out of her office, closing the door behind me.
When I walked into the kitchen of Chow Hall Two, Shepherd Scullery was racing around like a madman, barking orders at the Tier I potentials, insisting they pick up their pace. No matter how much I tried to fight it, I couldn’t help but feel nostalgic when I realized how familiar this place had become for me during my time at the academy. Even though I’d been away from my kitchen duties for a good part of the year, in some odd way, it felt like home to me.
When Shepherd Scullery noticed me, he walked over and pulled me out into the empty chow hall, motioning for me to have a seat.
“You know why you’re here, right?” Scullery asked coolly, obviously irritated that I was dumped on him.
“Yes, sir…and I’m grateful for the opportunity.”
“And what kind of opportunity do you think you’re getting?”
“A chance to avoid working in the mines for the rest of my time here at the academy, sir.”
“Remember that, Vigil. Because you can always go back. Am I making myself clear?”
“Yes, sir. I won’t let you down, sir,” I replied as humbly as I could. I knew he spoke the truth, and this was my last chance.
His stern expression relaxed. “Shepherd Diabelle stuck her neck out for you to be here. Don’t screw it up.”
“I won’t, sir. I promise.”
“Good.” Scullery let out a heavy sigh. “I take it you’ve heard about your uncle?”
I nodded.
“I’m sorry you had to bear the brunt for his reprehensible behavior, but I’m guessing you’ve realized a hard truth or two about the academy since then.”
“I think so.” I couldn’t quite figure out what he was getting at, but I knew he, much like Shepherd Diabelle, was more of an ally than I’d initially thought.
“From now on…if you have any problem at the academy, come to either me or Shepherd Diabelle first. Understand?”
“I will, sir.” I was relieved to know I wasn’t alone in my struggles, but at the same time, I was starting to get a feel for the inner workings and politics at the academy. I knew it was in my best interest to follow his advice from there on out.
“Now then, I’d like to try something new. I want you to be my assistant and help me run the chow halls. You’ll be watching over the newer potentials and make sure they are learning at the same level you did when you were in Tier I. I’ll start you off with some of the lighter responsibilities, and in time, we’ll increase them. There’s no official title or job description for this, and I’m sure you understand why. You’re still viewed as a troubled potential, and there’s nothing I can do about that. What I can do is give you the opportunity to make your own path within the flawed system, but only if you choose to.”
“It’s more than a generous offer,” I smiled. “I’ll do my best not to disappoint you, sir. Thank you for the opportunity.”
Shepherd Scullery slapped his hands down on the table, grinning. “All right, then. Let’s get to work.”
-44-
The next three and a half years at the academy went by much faster than I’d anticipated, and before I knew it, I was about to enter my final year as a Tier II potential. Although it was embarrassing to be almost seventeen years old and still on kitchen duty with kids who were much younger, I committed myself to work harder than everyone else to counter the stigma of being made to endure such an unorthodox humiliation. I pushed myself to be at the top of my class and tried to learn as much as possible about becoming a successful Necra shepherd.
Once Shepherd Scullery had taken me under his wing, I thrived as his unofficial assistant. He taught me the ins and outs of managing the chow halls and the Tier I potentials. He even taught me many of his own private recipes to expand my skills as a culinary artist. I’d become incredibly good at being a chef and a manager, and I was extremely grateful for the experience. In fact, Shepherd Scullery constantly joked about retiring early from the academy, now that he had someone there to take his place.
Although Shepherd Diabelle often agreed with Scullery that I’d be much better off to stay at the academy and take over for him should he seriously decide to retire, she still trained me as hard as every other Necra sect potential. During my reviews, she repeatedly praised me for the compassion and kindness I exhibited during our mock field exercises of helping souls pass on to the other side, but she always seemed slightly bothered by my constant eagerness to learn more. It was as if she’d didn’t want me to progress any further in my training, and I had no idea why.
Not to mention that no matter how many times I tried to ask, Shepherd Diabelle never went into detail about the possible dangers that could occur when dealing with human vessels as their souls transitioned into the afterlife. During our Tier II lessons, she taught us there were times when the soul we were to protect could be in jeopardy after it departed the vessel, and demonstrated the various ways to protect those passing souls, but she never quite explained who or what we were protecting them from. None of the textbooks went into great detail about the subject either, and Diabelle was quick to redirect any questions when the subject was brought up in class. I had a feeling there was something the shepherds were hiding from us, and I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.
It was the eve of the Festival of Ein, and the night we’d say our goodbyes to the academy graduates. The actual ceremony was marked with secrecy, and once a potential left the dorms for their graduation, they never returned. But before the ceremony, the dorm mates of the graduating potentials were allowed to throw them a small farewell celebration.
Besides Ownie, we had two other Necra potentials to bid farewell to that year. The night of his graduation was bittersweet for me. On one hand, I was happy for him to be getting out of the academy and moving on to better things; but on the other hand, I was sad to be losing the closest friend I had in Necra sect.
That night, I’d managed to smuggle a plate of wolf steaks out of the kitchens. It wasn’t much, but I wanted to send my friend off in style. By the time I’d
finished kitchen duty, the dorm was full of laughter and embarrassing stories about each of the Necra graduates, who, in return, bragged about getting to leave and start their careers as shepherds while the rest of us were stuck there. I was envious at hearing them boast about being fully trained, powerful, and ready to take on anything that got in their way.
Toward the end of the evening, Ownie left the party to start packing his things. I wove my way through the other potentials and joined him at his locker.
“Packing up?” I asked awkwardly.
“Boy, nothing gets by you.” He laughed.
“You excited?”
“Hell yeah, I am. I’m finally getting out there.” He was brimming with confidence, which made me even more envious.
“Well, congratulations,” I said. “It won’t be the same around here without you, but I know you’ll do great out there.” I extended my right hand in the sincerest gesture I could think of, but Ownie laughed and smacked my hand away as he wrapped his arms around me, slapping my back in a friendly hug.
“That means a lot, Vigil. Thanks.” He slapped my back again and let me go. “Hey, thanks for the food, too. That was really nice.”
“No problem.” I nodded.
“How’d you get Scullery to let you have those wolf steaks for the party?” he asked.
“I didn’t ask.” I smirked. “Just took ’em.”
He laughed. “Scullery’s gonna be pissed!”
“Probably, but it was worth it.” I shrugged. “So where do you think they’ll send you?”
“No idea. They haven’t told us yet, but I hope it’ll be somewhere really far away from this place. I’m just anxious to get out there and get started. I keep wondering what it’ll be like when I get my first Call to Death, you know?”