RavenArts

The rest of the ride continued peacefully, with the warm sun and sound of Iona flipping pages lulling me into security. After about 40 minutes of bumpy roads, open fields, and farmlands, the scenery began to change, and wooden houses began popping up, growing bigger and more refined as we bumped along. The evil stepmom from earlier had said that there was a transport in the city, and while I didn't know what to expect from that, it seemed true that we were nearing an urban destination. I began to see increasing troves of people walking around on streets, some carrying baskets full of goods, others pulling young children away from stalls of warm sticky bread, and all bustling and busy with their daily lives. I was hit with a pang of loneliness. Now that I was out of the chaos of that house, it was becoming more and more clear that this was a big world full of unknowns, and I had no one to turn to, except for the strange woman in my mind.

Iona closed her book and slid it back into her bag with a soft pat before leaning to see the full view out the window.

"We should be nearing the transport in a few minutes, my lady." She mused, pulling off her glasses. "Once we arrive at RavenArts they will do some preliminary testing and Etheria measurements with you either today or tomorrow. At the very least you will check-in today." She reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out a white cloth to begin cleaning her lenses with. "I will go along with the other workers to your dorm room during this time to drop off your luggage."

With a gruff cough, she put her glasses back into her bag and the cloth away.

'Etheria? Dorm? So it is a boarding school?'

[That would appear to be the case.]

I cleared my throat and spoke to Iona.

"What do you mean by, Etheria? What does that stand for?" I inquired, with all the confidence I could muster. Iona paused, looking somewhat dumbfounded, before shaking her head.

"Young miss, if you have any actual questions, please ask them instead." She chided, with a small 'tsk.'

'What do you mean actual questions? I don't know anything!'

I let out a little sob in my mind, as that was the only place I could express my woes.

[Would you like me to explain Etheria?]

My eyes widened.

'You know things? Useful things?'

[Just like you, I seem to have lost the visual and personal connections of all my memories, but I do have a trove of knowledge regarding a variety of topics. I simply do not remember where I learned it all.]

'Well why didn't you say so? Do you know what Etheria is? I'm about to get a test and I don't even understand the name of the topic.'

[Your maid is very tolerant. You essentially just asked a question akin to 'what is air,' or 'what are my legs for.']

'In a moment my legs are going to be for kicking your a-'

There was a loud thump as the carriage crossed an obstacle, and into a large circular area that resembled a plaza. I leaned forward to see several carriages around us, with more still coming from other streets across the city. Some were far larger than ours with crests and jewels adorning the sides, while a few resembled traveling wagons. Regardless of appearance, they each stopped to sit in the circle. On the ground and adorning the circle was a variety of symbols and words that I could not understand.

[Etheria is a conscious substance that makes up everything in this world, from mountains to cells. It is both the constructor and the controller of not only all life but the space in between. Mortals can utilize Etheria in a variety of ways, each person slightly unique in their methods and with varying degrees of success.]

'Utilize Etheria?'

[Yes. Although Etheria cannot be directly changed, it can bend to the will of a person in the form of a system, allowing them to perform acts beyond the capabilities of a normal human. The technical term is Etherial manipulation, however-]

A blinding light forced me to squint my eyes, as I watched a growing pillar of blue begin to rise from the circle, searing through the symbols and words on the ground. The light shot up so high it practically reached the heavens, and one by one the carriages were enveloped by the ray, disappearing into a particle mist. My stomach dropped as a sense of weightlessness filled my body. I gripped onto the cushion seat of the carriage, which I could still feel beneath me. Amid the chaos, I heard Angel finish her explanation.

[-most people just call it magic.]

Another loud thud rang through the carriage and the blue light dissipated. I opened my eyes to find everything intact, except for Iona, who looked mildly disheveled, grumbling to herself.

"You think after all the money the esteemed Atans put into that city they would make the transport steadier." Her wrinkles furrowed in tandem with her discontent, and I wondered off-hand what could be hiding between those infinite folds of skin.

[Maybe the audacity.]

I laugh caught in my throat and I coughed, trying to shove the outburst back down. I put a hand near my mouth to hide my smile as I brushed what remained of breakfast off my dress. A warm feeling in the back of my mind stirred in response.

Luckily, Iona hadn't been paying attention to me and made no comment on my choking fit. Instead, she gripped her handbag and shoved open the carriage door, stomping out with a click of her heels onto the cobblestone walkway. I took the opportunity to peek out through the opening.

"For the sake of Olyntheo" I gasped, distantly recalling the words of that sweating boy from earlier.

Before me lay an enormous cobblestone field intermittent with grass and weeds. Across the expanse, a hundred carriages varying in colors and sizes arrived in streams of blue light before settling to the ground. Some carriages were pulled by horses with wings, others by large reptilian creatures and a few by nothing at all. One particular carriage that caught my eye was pulled by four large wolves. It was green and silver with the most intricate and elaborate designs of all the present vehicles. Another large carriage arrived pulled by two white horses and was an overpowering red and gold covered with expensive adornments. It had at least ten footmen or servants tending to it. Most of the other rides were well kept and clean, but average in appearance and pulled by regular steeds. The only other vehicles that left an impression were clusters of the cheap wagon carriages I had seen earlier. From these ones came an assortment of youths who all carried their own luggage, with only a worker or two to help.

The door to the red and gold carriage burst open, revealing a boy with fiery red hair, and furrowed brown eyes. His sleeves were rolled up, showing off his toned frame and olive skin. As he hit the ground his eyes shot around, daring anyone to meet his gaze. The servants around him bowed deeply and he flipped his hair back with one hand, gesturing with the other and shouting something I could not hear. In the distance, the wolf pulled carriage opened, and a stunning androgynous figure walked down its steps, followed by two female attendants. The person's expression was cold but fit well against their stern gray eyes and waist-length, straight blond hair. Over their uniform was a long fur-trimmed coat which was removed for them by their attendants.

A black flash from above caught several student's attention, illuminating a sky where at least 50 Ravens flew back and forth in an organized manner, each carrying either papers or bags for the new arrivals. Their destination was a castle-like structure in the distance, which was surrounded by fields, open dirt areas filled with crates and equipment, hedges, lakes, and greenhouses. From where I was standing, most of it was blocked by a long square building with two spiraling towers, which was a sight in and of itself.

[This place…and what exactly is Olyntheo? It is all so familiar.]

"Young miss Atan?" A voice called. Pulling my gaze from the castle, I turned to see a middle-aged gentleman with forest green hair and bushy eyebrows waiting by the side of the carriage door, his hand out, palm up. His uniform, which I then realized was a 'staff' uniform, was a slight variation of the student uniform. Instead of gray, the pants were black, and a pair of white gloves and dark shoes gave the fit the overall appearance of a butler. The overcoat, instead of a red trim was white instead. The only red on the outfit surrounded the school's crest, highlighting it. I reached out and took his hand as I walked down the carriage steps and out of the compartment.

"Your bags are being brought to your room. A raven should approach you soon with your room number and first-year watch. The opening speech will be at the Lily Plateau. Your raven will guide you there. If you do not have a raven, simply follow the students who do, or utilize the papers provided." After delivering his message he gave a curt bow before heading to another carriage.

[How are the best students at this school ranked?]

I sighed inwardly. 'How would I know? Are they even ranked? I don't know any more than you-"

[By pecking order.]

I paused. I could feel her hesitating.

[…]

[Do you get it? Because the mascot is a raven and a pecking order is-]

'Angel if you finish that sentence, I may just never speak to you again.'

A moment of silence passed between us.

[Suddenly I have forgotten what I was talking about.]

Just then, a black blur darted down from the sky-bound highway, shooting past my head and landing on the edge of the velvet bench inside the carriage. The bright-eyed raven turned to look at me before setting the papers in its beak down on the seat. It stared at me expectantly and began chirping and cooing. I assumed those were the papers the man had referred to.

"Thank you," I replied, reaching out to grab the pile. Flipping through them, I found three separate pages of information. One was a map of the school grounds, the second an orientation schedule, and the third…

"It's me!" I whispered, frantically scanning the page. The final paper had a small picture of me along with a variety of basic information regarding my history, Etheria use, family, etc. It seemed to be a ticket of sorts, identification papers that staff could use to verify who I was and why I was here and to distribute information more easily. What I focused on, however, was that using these facts I would be able to learn about what kind of person been before my memory loss.

Before I had a chance to look any closer, the raven began chirping at me again, tossing its head as if to try and get my attention. I pulled my eyes from the sheet just as the bird tossed forward a bracelet it had been holding in its claws. I stumbled forward and managed to catch it with my free hand. The bird began preening itself. Lifting one of its wings, I noticed something glimmering underneath. Peering closer, I saw a black ribbon wrapped around its neck with a nametag dangling off it.

"Charlie?" I asked, turning my attention to the bracelet. It was translucent, comprised of thin glass squares with one large square on the front. Charlie halted his preening and stared up at me, with a face that seemed to question 'how did you know?!' I wondered if he had become my personal errand bird now, as the man had said some people would have ravens. Or maybe closer to a supervisor. I was not sure how to feel about being supervised by a bird. I surveyed the courtyard and saw that most of the other students were outside of their carriages and looking over papers their birds had given them. Only the more wealthy appearing students had raven helpers, while the other kids from the wagon carriages had their papers dropped off without further interaction. "Did I have to pay extra for your services?" I questioned the bird, who was now hopping around on the velvet seat looking pleased with itself. Upon hearing my question, Charlie puffed up, lifting its head to the sky with a glint in its eyes.

[That seems to be a yes.]

Many of the students, bird or no bird, were now heading towards a grassy area in the distance. As they moved a number continuously checked or tapped at something on their wrist.

[I believe that watch you are holding is an interactive Etherial device or an IED bracelet. That is what they are looking at.]

'What's that?' I wondered, fiddling with the bracelet before beginning to slip it on.

[Just like the transport circle that brought you here, Etheria with intention can be stored in several things. Symbols and specific words, as you saw earlier, or within conductive materials such as this. This allows it to do and serve a variety of functions.]

As I secured the bracelet around my wrist, large square up, it glowed dimly before tightening to fit comfortably on my arm. I eyed it warily before tapping down on the center, which caused a transparent screen to pop up above it. On it was a short message.

Welcome, Lady Estelle Atan. This is your personal IED for the duration of your stay at RavenArts Etherial School. This device will act as a bank for your school funds, a key for individualized admittance to dorms and other facilities, and quick access to school rankings, announcements, and class schedule. If desired, papers and other sources of information can be scanned or recorded onto the device for further ease of access.

P.S: to ensure the safety of all students, this device does act as a locater.

'That's not something you put as a P.S! This thing is just a glorified tracker.'

[For someone who has no memories, you are unusually paranoid.]

'I feel like it's normal for amnesiacs to be paranoid.'

[I am not.]

'Well of course you wouldn't be, you have no body! Or responsibilities!'

I tapped the watch again and the screen changed.

Credits available: 10

Searching for available jobs…

No work available until rank has been established

[An allowance? Available jobs…legal child labor?]

'Am I a child?' I mused, realizing I did not know my actual age.

[Based on my analysis of your physical and mental development, I would estimate you to be around 16.]

I tapped the watch again.

School Ranking:

1. Sage

2. Lukas Northam

3. Meiying Go

4. Oliver Truce

5. K'aln Stogan.

Double-tap to fully expand list

P.S: These rankings are from last year's testing and tournament, and have not been updated to include the 78th class.

I didn't bother double-tapping. Even if I wanted to, the number of students in the courtyard started to dwindle, and Charlie was raising a fit about it. He squawked and stomped around before flying up out of the carriage. I thought he might follow from up above, like many of the other ravens had done, but instead, he swooped down and perched himself directly on top of my head. I felt him snuggle into my afro of curls with a soft 'coo.' A few students glanced over and gave me confused looks. Most other ravens were sizeable birds that could not fit on a head or shoulder, but Charlie's stature was more akin to a young crow, making him the perfect feathery hat. I paused, unsure of what to do before reaching up and gently wrapping my hand around his body, attempting to pull him off. He chirped at my touch and wiggled out of my grasp, shooting back up into the air. I thought the message got through, but the moment my hand was down by my side he landed right back on my head. I gave up.

Moving with the crowd towards the Lily Plateau gave me a chance to observe the entirety of the school grounds. The more I saw, the more impressed and excited I felt to explore and learn the purpose of each place. The outer grounds formed a large circle with a cobblestone rim and had served as a landing area for the multitude of carriages. This rim encircled expansive fields and outdoor facilities derived from a multitude of buildings and towers that when seen from afar bore a grandiose castle appearance. Ravens perched all along the towers, and I could see nests sticking out from the grooves. Hanging moss and vines had taken over certain hard to reach areas of the buildings.

Ahead I could see where the students were gathering, the Lily Plateau, a raised area of land surrounded by crumbling white marble columns and stone. Near the edge, dilapidated pillars had been stacked and worn to create a stage of sorts, where the students were all facing. On the stage was a podium and behind it eight chairs with adults in them. The adults were not in uniform, but on the left breast of their chosen outfits was a RavenArts pin. Some chatted amongst themselves whilst others gazed down from the stage, eyeing the new students. Two of them wore outfits mimicking the student uniforms, with jackets and undershirts, whilst one young woman wore a dazzling floral dress and sun hat. An older gentleman sitting all the way to the right was passed out in an ugly sweater, head dangling over the back of his chair.

[I suppose those are the professors.]

'Is this really a school?'

I started to think this might be a rich person getaway in disguise.

From the far left of the columns came a dark-skinned burly woman in a sleeveless, armor-plated top with a loose asymmetrical skirt that fell just above her knees. On her arms and legs were several bandages, each surrounded by smaller cuts and bruises. Her long straight nose and pointed chin drew attention and left no room for argument. She proceeded to the podium, tightening her long dark ponytail and straightening the sheathed sword attached to her hip.

Standing in front of the podium, she placed a single hand on it, causing it to glow with a yellow light that quickly dimmed.

"The Elite school of Raven Arts welcomes it's 78th entering class," Her voice boomed, amplified by what I could only assume was the podium, "I am your headmistresses, and you may refer to me as Madame Grey or Ms. Grey. May you give the same respect to the rest of your teachers. If you manage to beat me in a sparring match, however, you may simply call me N'taya."

At the headmistress's provocation, several students began to whisper amongst themselves, looking around to see if anyone seemed fit to take the challenge.

"Noble or commoner you have all met the qualifications to be here and gained the honor to train and serve not only your nation but planet. Because of this, I expect hard work, perseverance, and above all loyalty. Those who sufficiently strive to reach these heights will find power and rewards, whilst those who do not shall be corrected without fail." She stated, her warnings cold but not outwardly malicious. The students didn't appear phased by the subtle threat, and a few even nodded in agreement.

"With that said, I will now leave the stage to Dr. Blighten to go over basic policies and procedures," She gestured to a middle-aged man just to her left, who was carrying a stack of papers and consistently pushing his spectacles up, "May Olyntheo's light reach Utin." With a curt nod, she strode off the stage.

Dr. Blighten was one of the two professors dressed like students and smiled politely at her call. He crept up to the podium and whispered 'is this working?' which it clearly was since the phrase bounced across the open plain. He blushed and began his speech.

I could hear the chattering of Dr. Blighten in the distance but my thoughts were focused entirely on Madame Grey's words. Utin. Planet Utin, the same place in my dream. The worst rift break Utin had ever seen, right at the heart of their greatest hope...RavenArts. I'd been so busy taking everything in I hadn't even questioned why it all looked familiar. This was where the massacre had taken place. A place I now was going to be living in. My heart began to speed up. It was just a dream, so why didn't it feel like it?

'Angel, what is going on?'

There was no response. I didn't remember every aspect of the nightmare, but I remembered enough to become uneasy. If Angel knew something she wasn't keen on sharing it.

[I am not sure. Like I said earlier, I'm working through it. I'll let you know.]

I gazed up at Dr. Blighten, trying to focus on his words. Unfortunately, they went through one ear and out the other. The confusion and stress of the day distracted me and manifested in my stomach, where I was once again hungry. The Plateau was beginning to warm up, and the sun beat down, unforgiving. With a flinch, my head turned towards my shoulder, where a finger had poked me, trying to get my attention.

"Hey, you alright, Estelle? First day already getting to ya?"