Lies & Labyrinths

It was the first time Lilith had actually walked to the Headmaster’s office, and she hadn’t even thought of where it could possibly been before that moment. It turned out to be one of the spires that floated about inside the central ring, a choice she never would have guessed in all of the days she would attend.

Klymviner lifted a hand as they neared the edge of the lawn, an assortment of disks that floated about the area forming a walkway to a cylindrical floating spire that now drifted to a complete stop at the end of the path.

At the end of the path, on its own portion of land, Lilith finally stood in front of the Headmaster’s Quarters. It immediately reminded her of home; it looked like a windmill in wheatsburg just missing the fan. There were mufflings of arguing as they approached, a rather violent disagreement by the sound of it.

The doors opened into the Headmaster’s office, a room all too familiar that immediately also answered what had laid beyond the double doors from her first appearance in the place. The arguing ceased at once, a single “shh!” echoing in the room before the Headmaster’s chair turned around to reveal the man in a more reasonable, and less mood-dampening appearance.

“I heard the explosions. Where is the rest of the staff who witnessed the altercation?”

“Outside. Inam fainted. Useless in the fight.”

“And Arleigh?”

“Disarmed by our intruder. He seems to be fine.”

“And Ms. Lavoi here, you felt she was needed?”

“Yes, she attempted to stop them. In fact, she was the first on the scene.”

“Ah. Yes, I understand quite well why you’ve brought her here. Close the door. We can talk with the other staff when this is over.”

“Right away.” Klymviner said, moving to shut the door and stand near it.

“With you on the other side, Bella.”

Klymviner tried to not show her immense disappointment, slipping out and closing the door behind. Her walk reminded Lilith of a sad dog with a tail between its legs.

“Now… Lilith. Tell me what happened.”

Lilith turned to face the Vice-Headmaster again. “There was a figure at the side door. I let them in. They were a former student, I think.”

“Why do you say that?”

“They asked about Arleigh and his teaching, sir.”

“I see."

"Why did you let them in?"

"They asked me to." Lilith shrugged. It was the truth.

The Vice-Headmaster waved his hand to let her continue.

“They tried to steal the blade, and it kept making this noise, and-”

Her head hurt at the thought. “I tried to stop them. I don’t know why, but it felt like they were stealing it from me. Not from the school, but me.”

“You touched the object and it broke when both of you grabbed it?”

“Yes.”

“Let me see the object.”

Lilith hesitated, then reached into her bag regardless. “I tried to set it down but it came back, I swear.”

“I believe you.” The Headmaster said, gesturing to his desk. “Please, place it in front of me.”

Lilith did as instructed, dropping the item. The Headmaster adjusted his spectacles, leaning over and getting a closer look. “Do you know what this object is?”

“A hundred relic or somethin’ like that?”

“Yes. Well, Ninety-nine, actually. It’s in reference to an event known as the One Hundred Days of Night. At the end of the reign of an Emperor, they would bless an object with their energy, to prepare it to be used in the end times.” The Headmaster gestured at the blade before him, then scratched his chin. “This was one such object.”

“Was?”

“Well, Is, I suppose. But now it is broken. A most fascinating development.”

“It is?”

“Mmm.”

Lilith screamed internally. Why didn’t adults ever say what was on their minds?

The Vice-Headmaster stared at the dagger for some time, then turned. “Tell no one of it. Hide it on you at all times. Reveal it to no one, not even the other teachers. And most importantly, never use it on another student. Am I understood?”

“Yes Vice-Headmaster.” Lilith picked up the object, thinking to herself how much easier it would have been to hide it if it were a bracelet or something less inconspicuous. She sighed, slipping it against her palm under the sleeve of her left arm.

“This figure, what did it say?”

“They called themselves The Knave of Spades, and they said something about the end. Something about the Crimson Moon. They said The Darkness returns. Then Professor Inam fainted.”

“Mmm.”

“What did they mean, about the Crimson Moon?”

“A light effect caused by the placement of the moons and the sun. For a brief period every four years, there appears to be a red moon in the sky that doesn’t exist. The next one is in two weeks.”

“What does it mean?”

“It means that there is a lot of superstition and that some are more susceptible to it than others. You lot can come in now!” The Headmaster shouted towards the door. "I know you're all leaning your ears against wood."

The four heads of the school squeezed in after one another; first Klymviner of the Alphas, then Arleigh of the Betas, Inam, and Twixtfeather of the Deltas. All pretended to not have been caught red handed.

“We have an intruder on the ground, as I am to understand. Most of you have encountered them already. They have been accused of the theft of three very powerful enchanted artifacts, and the wholesale destruction of a fourth. The lockdown will have to proceed until they are apprehended.”

“That won’t be necessary, sir. We witnessed the Knave going over the side of the building. A fall like that, they’d never make it.” Arleigh said, beaming with pride.

“Mmm. And they were wearing the Cloak of the Scarlet Cardinal?”

“Yes?”

“The fabled rogue emperor who could survive from a jump of any height?”

“Ah, yes. I see your point there.” Arleigh smiled and nodded his head earnestly, stepping back.

“It seems the lockdown is not needed after tonight, though I would still feel rather safe with a full sweep of all recesses of the school, in the off-chance that they did not, in fact, act alone.”

“Right away.” Twixtfeather hooted, bristling. “I shall lead the inspection of Delta Quadrant myself, right after showing Miss Lavoi to her new sleeping quarters.”

“The rest of you can do the same. Afterwards, please meet me back here. Twixtfeather, while you’re there, see to it that the knights are to be posted on patrol. I want the students protected, and watched at all time.”

“Yes, right away.”

Lilith felt a sense of relief once she was outside the confines of the room.

“Does the Headmaster stay there all the time?” Lilith asked afterward.

“Yes.” Twixtfeather said. “There’s lots of deskwork to be done running a place like this.”

“Yeah, but it’s so stuffy in there. All those statues. I swear they’re watching, too.”

“Well, these things must happen. Tell me, what did you think of your first day Ms. Lavoi?”

“I think magic is confusing and wizards seem very gullible.”

“You might be the wisest of us all, Ms. Lavoi. Now, how about we get you to your own personal room? I think you'd do well with a bed of your own.”

The Delta wing was more cramped than expected, and yet somehow the entire group were able to fit into a singular tower located on the southeast quadrant off of the main hall. The first floor was composed of a small meeting area, with couches and tables. Lilith could imagine students laughing and chatting around the fireplace not too far off. This was where her fellow classmates probably spent their time when not being harangued by Arleigh and the others. Up a set of spiral stairs attached to the room they climbed up three flights to a hall full of heavy doors with name plates. Lilith caught sight the name Jurgenhad on one as she passed only three doors down, stopping in front of a freshly made plate that hung over her own door: Lavoi.

The professor opened the door with one wing. “Now, there is a curfew even without the heightened security. Do not wander to other rooms, and if you must go in the night, there’s a bedpan in there. Breakfast will be left in front of your door each morning, and another serving of dinner after class. This maximizes your study time here.”

“Yes, well, thank you.” Lilith said to Twixtfeather, walking into her own room and closing the door after the owl-person departed.

It was smaller than Klymviner’s guest room, and the bed was definitely a downgrade. The blankets were scratchier, and the goose down of the pillow replaced with straw. There was a fireplace, unlit, and a desk for studying.

It was perfect. It reminded Lilith of home. A tray sat on the bed; there was a meal of roasted vegetables and rice with some sauce that she had no idea of (It would end up being a spicy mayonaise; two different things Lilith first experienced, as her sauces consisted of porridge and oatmeal in Wheatsburg). She ate in her own private quarter, and studied for a little while before falling asleep surrounded by her books.

She dreamed of a place she had never been that night, of a castle atop a hill surrounded by a green storm with thunder and lightning that sounded like cries. She dreamed of a group, ten in number, moving into the depths of the castle.

She dreamed of two women, one human, one Stygian, holding hands before they entered, with a shadow trailing behind the pair that looked like the shape of a devil, cast on the stairs behind them. She thought she heard two names, but she couldn’t be sure.

She dreamed more, but dreams are funny things that never show us what we want them to show, and never willingly let us recall what we want to remember from them.