Part 1

  Heavy panting and sweaty brows.

  Eyes dilated and light trembling.

  Common signs of an initial panic.

  It was only natural with the absurdly shocking sight before them.

  “Calm down, Oraki.”

  Aisha seemed incredibly stoic for someone who’d never faced such a threat before.

  “Calm…down? Are you seeing this?”

  Oraki carefully whispered these words in fear of being heard by the inhuman threats beyond the walls of their hollow, damp, hiding spot. The sounds of their heavy feet and dragging forms were a constant reminder of the danger beyond.

  “I can’t blame you but we need to keep our cool and come up with a plan. If we don’t, we’ll end up like the others.”

  “Yeah. You’re right.”

  His mind and body finally refocused at the truth of those words.

  As they looked on through the two peepholes that served as their only point of surveillance, they reaffirmed one truth.

  What lay beyond these walls was a fate they had to avoid at all costs.

  Thousands of cold, seemingly lifeless statues spread out before them.

  These were their friends, fellow students and teachers.

  All of them were beholden to a curse unlike any they had ever seen.

  “How in blazes did this even happen?”

  It was a question neither one of them could answer.

  Part 2

  “Oh? This is amazing!!! Look at this. They’ve rolled it on a wooden stick !!!”

  “What?”

  “Look, Rupert!!! They have paper for wiping themselves. Such an advanced culture!!”

  “Is this what’s made you so excited? Please just hurry and relieve yourself.”

  “Of course, I’m excited!! Hygiene is crucial!! This is way better than that horrendous communal sponge stick that your people use. All you do is pass diseases to each other in your communal toilets.”

  “We don’t pass diseases!! It’s perfectly cleaned before being given to the next person.”

  “If you say so. It’s not as comfy as this paper though.”

  “Just go and finish!!”

  Rupert was flabbergasted by how ridiculous his friend could be at times.

  Once again he had gone overboard with his dietary impulses and consumed as much culinary cuisines as the chef’s hospitality would allow.

  The youngsters tried to keep up with his ferocious appetite but even they had to concede to the elder’s bottomless gullet.

  It was merely half an hour later when his bowel movements started acting up again.

  They had to hurry and check into his room so he could relieve himself before the opening ceremony.

  “Honestly, I wish he’d learn his lesson by now.”

  Rupert took out some sheets of paper from his bags and placed them on the bed.

  “I’ve left out your speech on the bed. Make sure to go through it at least once before Lord Mekari comes to escort us.”

  “Okay. Oh? They even have coconut scented soaps. It’s a futuristic fantasy!!”

  “Take this more seriously, will you?”

  Part 3

  “Come on, you two. We’re going to be late to the assembly.”

  Prince Ranga roused his two friends to be more mobile as they made their way to the ceremony venue.

  They could already hear the music and cheer beginning in the distance.

  “We’re already late thanks to someone overdoing it with the sweets.”

  “How dare you bring up a lady’s shame, Oraki?”

  “Find me one and maybe I’ll tell-!?”

  He barely finished it before getting put in a chokehold.

  “You better respect your seniors you spoiled baby boy.”

  Aisha said with a mischievous smile.

  “You’re only a few months older than me.” Oraki thought as he tried tapping out to signal his surrender.

  “Hey. You two lovebirds. Move it.”

  Ranga’s declaration received an immediate reaction from the both of them.

  “We are not lovebirds.”

  “We are not lovebirds.”

  “Whatever. Just hurry up. I want to get a good seat with the rest of the class for the opening dances. Did you know they were only told about this yesterday morning? I want to know what kind of makeshift dance the troop came up with.”

  “Then it’s a good thing you’ll be coming upstairs with me.”

  The one to suddenly state this was Prince Vuma.

  “Hmm? Wait, why? It’s just a bunch of boring old men up there. I want to watch it with everyone else.”

  Prince Vuma gave an exhausted sigh with an understanding smile but…

  “Ranga. You’re old enough now that you need to start learning to take on the diplomatic duties of our family. You have to be there with me.”

  Whenever his brother took a stern tone like this, he knew there was little room for argument.

  “Don’t worry, Ranga. We’ll just come with you.”

  “Yeah. It’ll give us an excuse for skipping classes today.”

  “I’m afraid I can’t allow that.”

  “!?”

  The sound of this new voice sent a shiver down Aisha and Oraki’s spines.

  The one to speak was none other than the Headmaster of The National Academy.

  Headmaster Mwadzo, the High Priest of Mawazo the god of knowledge.

  The children turned around to see his stoic form, with glasses reflecting the hallway’s lights.

  Behind him were two of the guardsmen in charge of school security.

  Fully clad in white and violet fittings.

  “It seems you two played truants for some fun time at the beach. A very serious offence.”

  His stern, chilling presence was a clear testament to the disappointment he felt at the two young shamans in training.

  “We were just…”

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  “No need for excuses. Your punishments have already been decided. Take them.”

  “W-wait. We’re innocent!!!”

  “Innocent!!!”

  “Yeah. Yeah. Let’s go.”

  The guards hardly flinched at their fervent protests.

  And so, they were dragged off to ‘unknown horrors’ leaving Prince Ranga to his lonesome fate.

  “Now then. I believe we should all make our way to the ceremony. Mustn’t keep everyone waiting.”

  “Y-yes.”

  “Good luck, you two.”

  Prince Ranga gave his heartfelt goodbye as he watched his friends disappear into the hallways.

  Part 4

  The sound of drums sang a vibrant tune in the air.

  The angelic voices of the singers and dancers on stage made it even sweeter.

  It was quite the sight to behold. A once in a lifetime moment.

  The cheers and jubilation of the audience made for quite a vibrant spectacle.

  Observing this from the balcony of the second-floor lounge. San Nikolas could not help but marvel at the scale of the spectacle.

  Scattered below them were thousands of people. From teachers to students of all sorts of spiritual disciplines. Of course, it wasn’t just shamans in training but young soldiers as well.

  From a glance, he could see everything from small children even younger than Prince Ranga to teenagers on the verge of adulthood.

  “To think a single institution is home to all of these children. Truly remarkable.”

  Rupert was equally impressed but couldn’t help but notice.

  “Securing their safety must be a nightmare.”

  General Mekari gave reassurance on the matter.

  “Thankfully. We have entire divisions tasked with guarding the Academy at all times. See those crests that some of those guards are wearing? They belong to the Guild of the Ram. They’re a venerated group of soldiers tasked with keeping the internal peace of Vutenia’s cities. The Academy employs them as part of the regular guard division whenever a major event occurs.”

  “Oh? They must be well trusted to be regularly relied on.”

  Prince Vuma further confirmed this notion.

  “Yes. They’re some of Vutenia’s finest. I used to greatly admire them as a young child so rest assured that we’re in good hands. I think their leader will be joining us soon.”

  “Really? I’ve never seen him. Maybe this won’t be so boring.”

  “Oh? Are you a fan of this Guild of the Ram, Prince Ranga?”

  San Nikolas was surprised to learn both brothers were ardent fans.

  “Yeah. They’re powerful and amazing.”

  “Strange. They seem so famous, yet I’ve heard nothing of their exploits on other shores.”

  “They’re a surprisingly reserved group. They only ever show up at major events and hardly get talked about. But they’re always there in the background. Perhaps you never noticed.”

  “I suppose so.”

  “Hmm? What are those strange owl statues by the doorways? I noticed one when entering this lounge.”

  Next to each entry and exit to the venue hall was a table with a bronze statue of an owl’s head.

  “They belong to the owl god that they worship.”

  “Owl god?”

  “It’s a local deity from the village that the guild originated from. Apparently, it was a god of wisdom in battle. They usually place it nearby as a protective talisman.”

  “I see. How interesting.”

  “It seems the headmaster’s finally about to give the opening speech.”

  The buzzing crowd soon grew silent as Headmaster Mwadzo took the stage.

  “As the sun takes its journey to the western hills. I bid thee welcome to this auspicious occasion. I’m truly grateful to all of you…”

  He began his speech with an impressive cadence. The Holy Ambassadors could not help but take note.

  “He has such a powerful voice.”

  “Indeed. Pay attention, he’ll be calling you down there pretty soon.”

  “The reason for this event is the sharing of knowledge. As you know, our people believe the gods of Vutenia shaped all that exists by using the golden waters of primordial chaos.

  Those who have studied the deeper mysteries would understand that said gods are a unique kind of entity known as Primordial Spirits.

  The honored guest we have today serves a being of similar acclaim, but they rule over all domains.

  As he shares his truth with us, I encourage you all to use this as a chance to open your mind to the larger world.

  To gain greater knowledge and understanding beyond our borders.

  To see a new perspective on the grand mysteries of this spiritual world and our role in it.

  After all, for shamans of Vutenia, true mysticism lives in our connection to the divine.”

  The audience couldn’t help but hang on to every word he spoke. Their meanings were not lost on them.

  “A magnificent introduction. He’s tried to gently ease them into the notion. Get ready we’re up.”

  “And so, listen with your ears, judge with both mind and heart. Do not make yourselves rigid as stone. Remember this Academy exists for the pursuit of all that is true with an open mind. As you do so, I’d like to invite the Honored Bishop of Myra who will be imparting this new knowledge to stand and greet the audience.

  Please welcome, San Nikolas !!!”

  Nikolas stood up and waved at the cheering crowds. It was a brief yet meaningful moment of triumph.

  One made even more brief by the next turn of events.

  In a spur of a moment, a mysterious noise rang out across the area. It paralyzed all in a sharp pain.

  As they looked upon the source. It was the resonant cries of all the owl statues.

  However, what lay on those tables were figures far too monstrous to be called that.

  Menacing stone visages of the severed heads of women with serpents growing out of their skulls like strands of hair.

  As for the guardsmen next to them. The horrid truth became clear to all and sundry upon looking at them.

  It brought some of them to tears and others to confused rage but it was a resounding shock to all.

  Even Great Mekari was taken aback by how terrifying a realization he had come to.

  The Guild of The Ram. Throughout the entire history of Vutenia’s existence…there had never been a single instance where such a group had existed.

  The most impossible of events had happened. They had been caught in the enemy’s illusions.

  As green flames revealed the true form of their once-trusted guardsmen. The reality that they were under siege began to creep in.

  Monsters of horrendous form from one-eyed behemoths to bull-horned giants and crawling nightmares. They stood as overwhelming obstacles to each exit.

  The first to act was Great Mekari as he moved to get San Nikolas off the lounge’s balcony and further into the room.

  Headmaster Mwadzo was close behind as he tried to fashion a spell using his Spirit Arts.

  A whitish-blue aura formed in his fingertips.

  The regular guardsmen also braced themselves for battle.

  However, their invaders had already finished making their first move before anyone could mount a defense.

  The stone heads had been charging up with power this entire time.

  In a single burst, a green light flashed across the entire venue…

  Part 5

  “I can’t believe this!!! This is so unfair!!!”

  The irritated voice of a young Aisha echoed through the classroom air.

  They had been sweeping dust off the floors for the past 5 minutes. It was 5 minutes too long.

  “Right? Cleaning classrooms? Why do I have to do this? I’m an innocent victim?”

  Oraki said this as he picked up a banana peel hidden under the desks. Likely a mid-class snack.

  “Innocent victim?”

  “Yeah. This is your fault. You’re the one who dragged me off to the port this morning.”

  “Dragged you off!? You wanted to ditch class just like I did.”

  “No. I just went along 'cause I was worried about you.”

  “Worried!?”

  “You wanted to cross most of the city to get to the port for a reason that you didn’t even give me the time to ask about.”

  “Reason? You’re my best friend. You don’t need a reason to go somewhere with me.”

  “Exactly my point. You just ran off and expected me to chase you and I did. Why do I keep doing that? It’s totally not healthy.”

  Aisha couldn’t help but smile a little at Oraki’s lamentation.

  “Anyways, it’s not my fault. Mr Mwadzo’s just being too much. We barely had any real lessons this morning. Just recitations and meditation.”

  “I think it also has something to do with us disappearing from class yesterday.”

  “That was unavoidable. Also, exorcising a real evil spirit is great practice and wasn’t something we could just postpone.”

  “Don’t even remind me of that. Why did it go after me first?”

  Oraki’s face was filled with dread just thinking about it. A rare case of one of their classmates getting possessed by an evil spirit had led to quite a misadventure for him.

  “Ahahaha!!! You just have a lovable face, I guess.”

  Aisha’s teasing didn’t help matters.

  “Still. It’s a shame we’ll miss his opening speech but he’s going to be here for a few days so I guess it’s fine.”

  Aisha started grinning suspiciously after hearing Oraki’s words.

  “Who said we wouldn’t see it? Let’s sneak out.”

  “Are you crazy, the guards are right outside. They even placed some of them outside the windows just in case we’re dumb enough to jump.”

  “Who’d be dumb enough to do that?”

  “Right?”

  They could see one of the guards making patrol right outside. Evading one would be child’s play if they were indoors but they had nothing to hide themselves in an open field. They’d have to outrun them which would be pointless.

  Not to mention, sneaking out usually means not getting found.

  “We’ll use the old hidden passages from the war.”

  “This isn’t our classroom. We don’t know where the switches are and they probably have a new lock.”

  “You underestimate me, Oraki? Behold, the master key I got from Matuzo in exchange for a lifetime supply of peaches from my father’s farm.

  “Did you seriously bribe the headmaster’s son to steal a key in exchange for peaches?”

  “I also still have a copy of all the notes that they made on all the secret passages. I’m always one step ahead.”

  “Wait. You knew this would happen? When did you do this?”

  “The moment I realized there might be a slim chance we’d be caught and punished for going to the port, I made preparations.”

  “I see. Not bad.”

  “I’m way more than just an elegant beauty, Oraki. Better not fall for me.”

  She said with a mischievous wink and smile.

  “Wow. Do you really think you’re elegant? Crazy.”

  An elbow at light speed came crashing into Oraki’s gut.

  “You know I’m beginning to worry you just enjoy this.”

  “Then don’t…hit me...”

  An absurd suggestion if ever Aisha had heard one.

  Without further ado, she found a slot hidden in the blackboard frame and used it to open the hidden door to a narrow passage.

  The one she had selected lacked any loud mechanisms for passing through. It was a perfect hidden pathway but it was likely filled with all kinds of dust and vermin.

  “Are we crawling through that?”

  “Relax. It should open up to a bigger space in a few metres. Come on.”

  Seeing the self-proclaimed beauty jump into that dusty passageway without even flinching, Oraki couldn’t help but whisper to himself.

  “This is what I meant when I said you weren’t elegant...”

  “Hmm? Did you say something?”

  “Nothing.”

  Naturally, he jumped right in.

  The hidden passages were a fairly enclosed space but light still came in from strategically placed air inlets.

  The passages were used as evacuation routes to strategic shelters during the War of The Nine Tribes before Vutenia’s founding.

  Their existence was like a prelude to how many ancient secrets were housed in the Academy.

  They crawled, hopped and fought off all sorts of vermin and obstacles and eventually came near their destination.

  “I can hear people and music. We’re close Oraki.”

  There were any number of options for where they would exit but they needed to peek into the venue first to get their bearings.

  They were a few metres away from two peepholes, likely belonging to one of the many paintings in the venue when suddenly a scream rang out.

  It was mind-numbing and was accompanied by a sudden revelation to the two young children.

  A deception of one of their most trusted protectors was revealed to them.

  They ran up to the peepholes to get a better understanding of the matter.

  They noticed a brief green flash hit the wall before they reached there.

  When they finally arrived and looked through the peepholes, they saw a horrid sight.

  Their friends, schoolmates and teachers were encased in a stony prison.

  It wasn’t just them. Even Headmaster Mwadzo wasn’t spared.

  That was a truly terrifying sight to behold.