Crystals of Ink and Bleach - Chapter 1

 FOOL I

The young man, strapped in a dashing suit gawked wide-eyed and long-mouthed at Afeni Academy; a floating crystal city that ascended above a clean lake. He welcomed the early September breeze as sweat prickled his skin from tension. Despite his nervousness, he felt great anticipation for this new journey he was about to start. No battles, no war; peace from now on. This was his modus operandi. A new beginning, or rather an end of who he was and what he left behind.

            The clear lake glistened even in shadow with crystal flowers, poisonous yet beautiful, that bloomed along its perimeter. The scenery would have been breathtakingly stunning, but it was tainted by the crown of silver Doaves that stood like statues, guarding the fortress with cunning authority and relaxed animation. The man clicked his tongue in annoyance to cover up the uneasiness the Doaves made him feel.

            So far, Coros was nothing like St Rehyer’s, the man was finding this to be true in every possible aspect. He thought himself impressed by what he saw in town, yet Afeni Academy had surmounted each one of his expectations. It was the quintessential example of how different the Southlands were to Midworld in technology, architecture or even level of security. Floating cities, buildings made of the Saviour Stones everywhere he went and most importantly, the appearance of silver Doaves. He had only witnessed them a handful of times. Silver Doaves didn’t look as menacing as their bronze counterparts as they didn’t carry weapons. That was how they tricked you into a false sense of serenity. Their whole armour was the weapon. From their helmets down to their boots, the metallic skin could undo and form guns, knives, possibly bazookas.

            They weren’t scary. Not if the man had his gift at least. With it, he could kill them all before they could snap out of their lazed trance. However, this was not why he was here. He had chosen to leave his home to pursue peace and reach his goals through the means of academia.

            He felt homesick.

            He missed the brick buildings, the sandy ground, the intemperate climate… the pink sky. He squinted up at the blue sky that hung over the Earth like a blanket, peppered by white cloud, trying to analyse it through the coruscant gleam of the sun. What a strange colour it was.

            He took a few steps back to see the top of the academy that peaked from the centre of the city. The pointed roofs made from darkened Celestite stabbed the sky like the tongs of a fork. The flat bottom of the entire rock that the city was built upon shined in Pyrrhotite like Règne Hill which was famously known as the hovering Rock of the Empire. The man recalled from his AES Learning Centre days that this technology had been discovered by Roos Pyrrhotite who had learned of the magnetic principles of the gem and used it in an architectural fashion. The other buildings, save for a few features, were made from Labradorite, the man could tell. They were all black and white with an intricate design overtaking the structure in waves. Buildings made of the Saviour Stones were a rarity in South Fusainia, a commodity saved only for the most important of buildings like the Homes of the Creator or the Regime’s branches. Here in Midworld, even residential homes seemed to be constructed in this way.

            The man glanced at his wristwatch which displayed holographically the time and date; Monday 8th September 1856, 8:13. He had some time before the Welcoming Ceremony would begin.

            Enough lollygagging.

            It was time to make a move. Perhaps, he could do some exploring before the Ceremony began. He played with the bewur earring on his left earring, remembering what it meant to him, to his village. He was the one to get it, not his sisters, not Ictinéo but him.

            A thought just occurred to him. How was he to make it into the city. The large black gates and the wall surrounding the city were at least 50 metres above the lake. Dread filled his heart. He would have to speak to a Doave.

            Before he moved, a Doave started towards him up the hill he was standing on. The man kept a cool exterior but, on the inside, his mind was racing. Did he seem suspicious? Was he too early? Or even worse, did they recognise him? He was panicking. Back home, a Doave approaching you was never a good sign. Something very wrong always followed.

            You’ve done nothing wrong. You deserve to be here.

            Halfway up the hill, the soldier paused, turned and went back into position. The man left out the breath he didn’t know he was holding.

            “You’re here awfully early.”

            The man started, he flipped and came face to face with a Craie woman he hadn’t heard approach. A sickly sweet smile marked her face. Her aura was friendly, inviting even. Like they were acquaintances and not strangers from opposing races. She had no contempt in her voice when she spoke. That was a first. Craie were always hostile when interacting with a Mélange. He would have accepted the lady’s kindness if not for the distrustful feeling controlling his instincts.

            “I suppose you must find it demoralising too,” she continued as if she wasn’t expecting a response. “An academy that can aid you in achieving anything you want. Whether it be fame, power fortune. But it can also take away things more important; humanity, sanity. The most prestigious out of the five academies in Midworld and the most impressive.”

            Something was off about this woman. Not from what she said but rather how she was. Her mature, yet high-pitched voice, the way she spoke like no one was around her. Her features were very Craie-ish even for Craie standards. She had snow-white skin, silver eyelashes and piercing azure eyes that seemed as animated as a dead fish. She had coloured hair as well which signified her importance, pale blue, along with the blue gemstones that adorned her fresh suit. Why was someone of her statue conversing with a Mélange so freely.

            “Do you know what happens when a star dies, my friend?” She asked.

            The man shook his head tentatively.

            “Nor do I, though we have been told it is something beautiful. But what beauty could there be in death, one might ask.” She stared directly at the sun, her eyes wide. “Afterall, the star of our lives will one day die too and in that destruction, everything we have ever known will perish. A black hole forming in its wake, only existing from then on to destroy everything in its path. You must think I’m crazy for saying this, but I wish to see that destruction with my own eyes within this lifetime. Or at least, something that rivals it.”

            “Obviously, that’s impossible but dreams are there to be an escape from harsh reality. You must be wondering why I would long for such destruction. To be frank with you, I don’t. Not really. I’m just bored. Bored of structure, of harmony, of order. Wouldn’t it be nice if something or someone were to come along and destroy everything that we know like a dying star? Wouldn’t that be absolutely fascinating to witness…” Her words slipped from her blue lips like they were lost thoughts.

            ‘Through a fuse, everything comes to life. That same fuse must bring everything to an end. Let it be known that destruction and creation are two sides of the same penny’, a quote from the Journal of the Creator, the man recalled.

            A few minutes passed and not a word was spoken between the two. Th man shifted awkwardly on his feet while the woman appeared deep in thought.

            “Shall we go,” She said out of the blue.

            The lady strolled in her high heels down the hill and the man followed behind her, watching her cautiously as if she were an unstable bomb. Once they reached the ring of Doaves, the lady pulled out a clear box from her blazer pocket which unfolded into a small rectangular electronic pad that displayed her ID. The man did the same, though his ID took a bit more scrutiny before the officer nodded and let him pass through their formation.

            They were on the edge of the lake. There were no boats, not even organisms like tailwhips in its dark blue mass. How were they going to get into the city?

            Without warning, the lady placed her foot on the surface of the water. The man blinked twice but the sight was the same. The woman didn’t sink as the water rippled gently around her. The surface beneath highlighted in transparent blue like the light from a vehicle revealing a diaphanous platform beneath her feet. She continued on, not looking back along the path of blue that matched her hair and makeup. Her heels clicked with each step and the blue disappeared behind her as she advanced.  

            The man hesitated for a few seconds, looking back at the Doaves who took no notice of this technology. Finally, he stepped onto the lake fully anticipating his drowning but miraculously he stayed afloat. He walked carefully along the path lit up for him, as if stepping too hard would cause the entire thing to tumble into the water. He pondered as he walked.

            Maybe it’s a metallic covering over the lake that camouflages with the water or perhaps it’s the hardening of air to make it simple to walk on, or the hardening of water if that’s even possible.

            The woman ahead, stopped in the centre of the lake. She turned back, smiling smugly as if she created the amazing machinery beneath her. Eventually the man caught up with her. He looked at her expectantly.

            She pointed a finger in the middle of the air and a cuboid border of the same transparent blue surrounded the two. She pressed an invisible button on the side and the lake seemed to sink into the earth. They were moving up, slowly like a lift.

            He gazed in awe at what was happening. He reached for his cellular to capture this moment but the woman frowned. Perhaps not.

Above, the Pyrrhotite surface opened up leaving a square hole in its wake, just big enough for the border to squeeze through.

            The Craie smiled again and reached out her hands, blue fingernails reflecting the blue of the border. “Amie. Amie Apatite. I’m the deputy head of Afeni Academy.”

            The man sheepishly met her hand with both of his own. He grasped the cold skin with nervous hands and bowed slightly. “I’m Theodore, Miss Amie,” He said, “Theodore Amazonas.”