Empyreal

by Helsel, Spencer

  “Well, maybe I should stay.” Nathaniel suggested. “She’ll need someone here. There’s plenty of space.”

  Surprisingly, Dani was the one to disagree. “No. Nathaniel.”

  “But—”

  “No,” she told him, “I’m not taking someone’s pity.”

  She knew she couldn’t rely on Nathaniel, or anyone for that matter. The place was a ghost town, but if the Elders were any indication, she may not be welcome anywhere else. Past the rubble of one building stood the cliff’s edge and a pedestal jutting from it, as if daring someone to jump.

  “I’ll stay here. I’m not worried.” She told them.

  “I can check on her.” Shea promised. “At least, as much as the Elder Council allows me.”

  Ethan rubbed his hands together slowly. “A Guardian will be assigned to you eventually. Someone will train you.”

  “Train me?”

  “To use your powers.” He told her. “To use elixirs, charms and other weapons, and to fight hand-tohand; you’ll need to learn to survive against the demonic.”

  “Based on what I’ve seen, I need to learn to survive this place.”

  “That too.” He acknowledged. “I won’t lie: the world is dangerous for us right now. For gifted and Numen. It’s just rumors, but there’s talk of something really bad prowling the Earth. It’s been spotted near here. It’s killed a lot of us.”

  His voice was bitter. She remembered someone named Titus died; someone close to him.

  He saw their looks. “Don’t worry. You’re safe here. You, the gifted; nothing has breached Empyrean’s borders for a long time.”

  Dani doubted safe was the right word, but then again she was a cynical kind of person. “You mentioned someone being assigned to train me. Any idea which lucky guy gets that job?”

  Ethan did, at least according to his secret smile. “I think I might. You’d be lucky to have him. He’s a keen trainer, but he’s,” he seemed unsure how to say it, “well, we’ll call him rough around the edges.”

  “Sounds like fun.” She was not enthusiastic.

  “You’ll need these, as well.” Ethan handed over one last bag. Inside were folded brown clothes; a tunic. “Raiments. It’s our uniform. All Numen ranks are assigned a color to represents your status. Novices are brown.”

  “Great. Like dirt.” Dani ran her hands over the material. It was firm under the touch, but light.

  “The tunics are special. They’re fashioned from a fiber called Arachne-weave. They’re like armor; it’ll stop a knife or a sword slash, but don’t try to take a direct stab.”

  “I’ll try not to.”

  “They’ll keep your warm when you’re cold, cool when you’re hot, and they’re enchanted to be hidden from mundani by the veil. They’ll appear as normal clothes to anyone not supernatural.”

  “Where do I get them? Does Empyrean have some sort of laundry delivery service?”

  He smirked. “I’ll make sure they’re waiting for you. For now, we should head uphill to Novice village.”

  “For what?”

  “For dinner. It’s tradition: meet your comrades in arms.” “Oh. Goodie.”

  ______________________

  Novice Village stood about a mile from the marketplace. As the sun set, homefires burned across Sanctuary Hills and across the Vale in Empyrean’s Citadel.

  Twelve whitestone barracks comprised Novice Village. A large bonfire blazed in the square. It was alive with activity. Boys in street clothes—Novices—mingled amongst one another. A party spilled from the square into a large pavilion like the one she would sleep in. Despite the strange circumstances the one hundred and forty-four boys found themselves in, the assembled crowd was happy. Chattering, laughing, they hung around as if this were just another party.

  Dani very quickly noticed that not only had the gifted community heard about her, but the other Novices as well. All eyes turned her direction when she arrived with Ethan and Nathaniel. She felt like Carrie at prom.

  “So,” she murmured as the music skipped a little, the gifted entertainers losing their place, “I take it they’ve heard of me, too.”

  “You’ll be fine.” Ethan assured her.

  The party continued, if but a little put off by Dani’s presence. Black- clad Numen—Guardians, she assumed—stood with their charges. They regarded her less hostilely than the Novices, but with equal curiosity.

  Nathaniel split off with Ethan while Dani went to eat from a lavishly prepared table. She spotted Airlea amongst the gifted working the party. She gave her an ugly glare before flirtatiously handing off a drink to a Guardian.

  “Don’t worry about the looks,” said a boy, “I’m sure it’s nothing.”

  The owner of the voice was a Novice. Dani almost didn’t see him, on account he was short. He had beautiful dark skin the color of mocha, short frizzy hair and a wide grin. He looked maybe sixteen at most; short, holding out his hand. “I’m Dink.”

  “Dink?” she shook his hand.

  “Yeah. My real name is Ailbe Dinklage, but people call me Dink.”

  “Ailbe? That’s a really…” she didn’t want to say.

  “A weird, super-Irish name? Yeah.” His cheeks turned a burnish red hue. “My dad’s from the old country, as he likes to say. Or did, really.” He shrugged. “He died last year.”

  “I’m sorry.” She smiled tightly. “I’m Dani.”

  “Cool name. That’s better than Ailbe.”

  “I like Dink; straight and to the point.”

  “Yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Except for the fact that it means ‘stupid’ in some parts of the world.”

  “Well, I doubt you’re stupid. Where are you from? You don’t look or sound Irish.”

  “Colorado. That’s where my stepmom and I lived before, you know, all of this. You?”

  “Cali born and raised.”

  Dink nodded. “Cool. Cool. Are you an orphan like the rest of us?”

  “Orphan?”

  He waved to everyone around them. “Most Numen are orphans when we’re chosen. Some of us are runaways. For some of us, our parents died.”

  “Everyone is like that?”

  He shrugged. “It seems to be a thing for Numen; like we’re destined to or something. Maybe it’s just bad luck. Maybe it’s destiny.” That’s a crappy destiny, she thought. Dink kept going, “At least, like I said, most of us. Some are just jerks that got kicked out of the house. Which are you?”

  She didn’t like the last choice. “Orphan.” She lied.

  “So what aerie are you?”

  “Aerie?”

  “You know: your flock. I’m Aether. Your friends with Nathaniel, right? The guy over there?” He tipped his chin towards Nathaniel and another boy talking. “He’s in Aether, I hear. So what aerie?”

  Dani didn’t know whether to lie or whether to tell the truth. Either way, she didn’t have to. Just out of earshot she heard it. It was the laughter she knew all too well; sneering, snide, and rude. She chanced a look over. A group of Novices stood off to one side, one in the middle looking right at her. The moment they locked eyes, he ducked his head and laughed.

  They were talking about her.

  “Seriously, you’d hit it?” The one asked his friend. “I mean, she’s cute and all, if you’re into that whole Latina vibe.”

  Another, a stocky guy with a goatee, chuckled. “Yeah, well, it’s not like there’s a lot to pick from up here.”

  “Back home, we had her kind coming out of the wood work.” The first smirked. “You couldn’t throw a rock without hitting something brown.”

  Dani felt her blood boil.

  “I heard they almost killed her.” The first said. “The Elder Council or whoever nearly had her executed. Instead, they keep her downhill somewhere.”

  “With the other trash.” The second agreed.

  She finally had enough and wheeled on them, getting into their faces. At first, she did nothing but glare, but after a minute she finally stalked ove
r.

  “You got something to say?” she asked.

  The two exchanged looks.

  “What? Don’t like it when someone confronts you?”

  “We were just talking.”

  “About me.” She pointed out. “You don’t even know me.”

  “Hey, we don’t need you eavesdropping.” The second stood up in front of her.

  “And you are?”

  “Andreas. That’s Lester. And before you get on your high horse,” he took a step forward, making her instinctively take a step back. She hated that, “you’d better realize: this isn’t high school. This is a whole different world. You don’t like it? Tough.”

  A few others started to notice. A small ring formed around them.

  “I’ll show you tough.” She seethed.

  “That right?” his hand clenched into a fist. “You want to bet?”

  Before she could answer, a voice rang out through the crowd. “Aye! Novices!”

  The knot of Novices and Guardians split apart. Striding into the open was another Guardian with a thick black beard and long black hair, tied into a short ponytail from his tinted-tan skin.

  He stopped, glaring from Dani to the boys. “What is the meaning of this?”

  “The girl is getting out of place.” Andreas answered.

  “Is that so?” he asked, looking at his friend. “You are…?”

  “Lester, sir.” He answered with a southern drawl. “And yeah, we weren’t doin’ nothin’.”

  “Interesting.” The Guardian eyed Dani before continuing. “Let me ask you two then: what is a wraith?”

  Lester stuttered over his next words. The question threw him off. Andreas spoke up. “It’s a demon.”

  “Really?” Kleos turned on him. “How do you kill one?”

  The bigger guy didn’t answer. He clearly thought a Guardian, another man, would back him up. Now it appeared he wasn’t.

  “That’s right. You don’t know.” The Guardian told him. “You don’t know that cutting off the head or destroying the heart of a wraith is what destroys it. And if you don’t do that, you’re demonic lunchmeat.” He glanced around.

  “Not fair!” Andreas protested. “This doesn’t have anything to do with that.”

  “It doesn’t?”

  Kleos extended his hand toward the fire. The flames suddenly burst outward in a loud explosion. Gifted and Novices screamed and ducked for cover.

  From the flames, a figure emerged; forged out of the embers of the wood. Giant wings fanned outward, the creature glared with a dark semihuman face and fiery eyes, screeching at them.

  “You think fair matters?” the Guardian demanded. “You think lives aren’t on the line? You sit here, drinking,” he smacked the cup out of Andrea’s hand, “and believe this is some summer camp? Some school of magic where you learn spells and live in safety? It’s isn’t!”

  Silence spread over the Novices. The Guardian waved his hand and the terrifying creature disappeared. The others now stood around them, arms folded, listening.

  “Can any of you tell me anything about demons?” He demanded. “Any of you?”

  Every Novice, including Dani, didn’t meet his eyes. Then, as he was about to speak again, Nathaniel raised his hand. “They’re demonic, so…Hell?”

  He smirked wryly. “Good. But were they born there? Did they die as something else and go to Hell to become a wraith? Does anyone know?”

  No one did.

  “That’s because no one knows. What we do know,” he wheeled on Andreas and Lester, “is that they kill the living. Wraiths are responsible for many deaths in the natural world. They’ll eat anything: jinn, gifted, human, cattle. But they love to eat Numen most. And do you know the only defense against them?” He specifically glared at the two boys next to Dani.

  They shook their head.

  “Strength in numbers. You can be skilled with swords and elixirs and charms, but at the end of the day no one can fight an army on their own. You come up against three or four, you might win. You come up against a whole pack alone and you are dog food. So the next time you want to cause animosity with your brethren—er, fellow Novices,” realizing Dani wasn’t a brethren of any kind, he switched, “remember that someday you might have to rely on them. Is that clear?”

  Both Andreas and Lester nodded.

  “The celebration is over!” Ethan announced. “Gifted, please return to your homes with our thanks. Novices! To bed! Assemble at the bridge at Morning Lauds! Training begins!”

  The party broke up. Dani stood by with Dink at her shoulder. Nathaniel and the other boy wandered over.

  Nathaniel whistled. “What bee is in his bonnet?”

  “Apparently, a Guardian died.” The boy with Nathaniel said. “He got one of us here before the wraiths overran him. Guardians are pretty tight with one another. They took it hard.” He waved at Dani. “Hi, I’m Bouden.”

  “Bo-den?” What’s with the names here? “I’m Dani. Nice to meet you.”

  The Guardian interrupted them. “Time to go Novices!”

  Ethan appeared at her side. “Thank you Kleos. I didn’t think you’d be here.”

  The Guardian, Kleos, frowned. “I almost wasn’t.”

  The gifted filtered by. Airlea peeled off, stopping by Ethan. “Ethan, are you coming to vespertide?”

  Ethan’s face twitched when she mentioned the word vespertide. “Not this evening, but soon Airlea.”

  “I look forward to it.” She smiled lustfully in his direction, then gave Dani the stink eye before departing.

  “You should go as well.” Ethan told her. “Remember, tomorrow, Morning Lauds.”

  “What is that?”

  “You’ll hear six trumpet blasts. All Novices report to the Vale Bridge. You’re the farthest so that means you have the farthest to go.”

  “Of course I do.” She expected nothing less.

  “The Novices will take a tour of Empyrean tomorrow, so be prepared. The person giving the tour is Elder Asaph, Head Gatekeeper.”

  “Awesome.” Which it wasn’t.

  Waving to Nathaniel and two new boys, she headed downhill. Soon, she was away from the lights of Novice Village. She glanced back, feeling miles away in the gloom. With only a lantern to light her away, she immediately felt it:

  Alone. She was well and truly alone. And if her encounter at the party was any indication, it wasn’t going to get better.

  The sun dipped low. Night was coming. “I hope this doesn’t get any worse.”

  She was immediately answered by the distant rumble of thunder. ______________________

  Dani took shelter in the pavilion. The roof kept off the massive downpour so she wasn’t soaked to the bone, but with no walls, the wind gave her repeated little sprays of freezing water. She tucked herself under the pillow and warm blankets from Shea. They offered some shelter.

  Empyrean was supposed to be a heavenly paradise. So far, it was hell. Darkness rolled in. With the one lantern, the rain lit up the trees and allowed her to see the forest dance menacingly around her.

  That’ll put me right to sleep , she said, lying flat on her back. Like a Freddy Krueger lullaby.

  The rain continued. She could see the Citadel across the Vale. Lanterns shone brilliantly through the storm from the Keep and Numen homes. More fires burned in the Vale.

  She finally settled back on her bed. She curled up to keep warm. Hopefully, sleep would come to her soon.

  Then she heard it: Rustle, rustle, rustle; just above the pavilion.

  She sat up. “Who’s there?”

  No answer, but more rustling.

  “I said who’s there!”

  She got up from her bed, keeping the blanket close out of some strange hope it’d shield her. She crept forward. More rustling.

  She walked to the edge of the pavilion and looked up.

  No one. The courtyard was empty save for drizzled puddles. Beyond, the trees shifted in the rain, but there were no lurking visitors.

  She
let out a breath she didn’t know she held and sagged against one of the supports. “What the hell is this? Ding-dong ditch?”

  Something shot out of the trees. Dani screamed and flung herself to the floor. A flap of wings and a screech slashed past her ear as she fell on her shoulder. Scrambling up, she pressed herself against the nearest pillar and confronted her intruder:

  A snow-white bird with a crown of feathers; the same freaking bird she’d seen in Los Angeles!

  The bird landed on the floor at the base of her makeshift bed, folding back its wings. It cooed softly, turning with a click of its talons on the wood to stare at her. Dani took a few breaths to slow her heartbeat from heart-attack pace.

  Then she shot to her feet. “What the hell? You scared me!” It did nothing but stare.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked, as if it would actually answer. “How did you get here?”

  The bird clucked, or sort of did. Its hawk-like eyes never moved off her.

  “Get out.” She told it. The bird didn’t move. “I said get out!”

  She shooed at the bird, which did little to move it. After several tries, she gave up. She wasn’t going to scare it off.

  “This is where I sleep, bird-brain. Not you. So if you don’t move, I am going to move you myself. Last warning.”

  The bird didn’t move, but instead cocked its head to the side.

  “Fine.” She held up her hands, stepping cautiously towards it. “But if you nip me I will roast you into a turkey dinner.”

  She went to grab it, wrapping her hands around the wide, folded wings. The bird didn’t bite or screech. When Dani tried to lift it, it didn’t budge. She attempted to hoist the animal up, but it didn’t come. Then she pulled with her back. Same result, except she heard a soft crack! The animal’s talons dug into the wood to the point that they seared the floorboards apart as it held on.

  She stared back up into its eyes. “What the—?”

  The bird threw out its wings. Dani’s hands shot off and something like a burst of wind exploded outward, sweeping her backward clean off her feet into one of the supports. She hit and stars exploded through her vision. Then she landed butt-first onto the floor. The pavilion shook with the force of the wind.

  Dani groaned in pain, grabbing the back of her head, vision swimming. Her hair came loose from her tie, so when she looked up she could see the bird through her black locks.