Chapter 63
The captivates were still in their cargo hold on their way to no one known where.
"I don't know what the connection is there but I got an idea who took us. I've seen them a few times over the years at the Sunset Savanna Palace. Those guys were members of Charon they're Styx's muscle. Their job is to nab overblotted mages and ship em off to the Island of Woe." Leona explained.
Everyone gasped in shock.
"They ferry wayward souls to the island it's why people started calling em Ferrymen. Generally magic marshals or the Arcane Response Unit handle overblot cases, but some are too much for them to handle. That's where Styx comes in, they're blot specialists. Who show up no matter if a country asks them to or not. I imagine there was some kind of emergency when I saw em before." Leona explained.
"And what is Styx?" Riddle asked.
"It's an independent organization they don't answer to any country or government. People know they study magic and blot but how big they are? Who works there? What exactly their research entails? All confidential. It's a generally assumed their HQ is on the Island of Woe. And that island's location is so secret it's not on any maps." Leona answered.
"So it's forbidden territory." Jamil pointed out.
"Thing is I thought the Ferrymen only went after certain overblotters, in particular the ones past the point of no return." Leona said.
"Now hold on we've all been freed from that horrific state. We went to medical mages who gave us proper counseling and treatment. They monitored us over a period of time and found no issues. So why would these Ferrymen show up out of nowhere and take us by force?" Vil asked trying to make sense of it all.
"How should I know?" Leona remarked.
"Hmm, this just get more and more puzzling there is of course the matter of our abduction but what's the relationship between Idia and this clandestine organization." Azul muttered.
"From what Leona just described, it's apparent that people in high places. Would be bound to run into Styx at some point, and I believe Idia's family is just as wealthy as Kalim's." Vil informed them.
"Wait! What!?" Azul exclaimed.
"I know it's hard to believe given how he acts but I'm fairly certain that the Shroud are part of the family that runs the Jupiter Conglomerate which made its fortune in offshore oil and rare metals." Vil said.
"What?" Everyone else asked.
"The Jupiter Conglomerate?! That's the parent company of Olympos Inc! They develop the biggest operating system and search engine on the market." Azul reminded them.
"They say the Shrouds pull strings from behind the scenes and never take any front facing roles that involve media exposure. I never imagined Idia was one of them." Jamil muttered.
"Why would someone from a distinguished family attached to a huge conglomerate act like, well, like he does." Riddle asked.
"I feel dizzy. Oh if only I'd known sooner I would have tired harder to get him in my debt." Azul mumbled more to himself.
"Sigh, you really do have a one track mind." Riddle sighed.
"Still, it's odd that someone in his position would attend school without any aides Oh! Of course that explains why the school granted special permission for Ortho to be presented." Jamil figured out.
"It would hardly be surprising if that kind of family was connected to a top secret organization in some way." Vil remarked.
"Well this does provide some relief, who knows maybe Idia could put in a good word and get them to release us." Azul hoped.
"I wouldn't bet on it. We're subjects to them lab rats there's no telling what they might put us through. I read this history book awhile back at the palace. And it said that apparently no mages have ever come back once the Ferrymen take them to the Island of Woe." Leona said.
The cargo unit began to shake then suddenly stopped.
"I'd say that shaking means we've landed." Vil remarked.
"Cargo hold pressure adjusted releasing the airlock." A voice over said as the air lock began to hiss as it opened.
"So bright! Where are we?" Vil gasped as he brought a hand to his eyes.
Once they all adjusted to the sudden light the group realized they were in a dark and light blue futuristic looking hallway.
"Hey, everyone welcome to the dark and gloomy Island of Woe and Styx HQ." A voice said as it approached the group.
"It's you." Vil muttered as Idia stepped into the light with Ortho and a trooper. The trooper looked the same as the ones from school and Ortho looked the same as always but Idia was wearing a long dark blue tunic with the Styx logo over his left beast and a black sash.
"Yep Idia Shroud acting director of Styx heh heh." Idia smirked.
"Huh?" They all asked.
"Really? That's the best you've got? No 'say what?' or 'dude no way'?" Idia asked.
"I'm so shocked I'm actually calm." Azul confessed.
"Granted we already guessed there was some connection between the Shroud family and Styx on our way here. But you're the acting director? That's not some tangential link." Vil commented as he look Idia over.
"Hey Radish Sprout you can start by explaining just what's going on. You didn't even fly me economy class just jammed me into a cargo hold like a sardine in a tin can. You better have good reason or you're gonna need dentures when I'm finished with you." Leona growled.
"Yikes those are some scary fangs look I'm gonna go over everything so just cool your jets."
Idia informed them.
"You attack our school abduct us against our wills and you want us to 'cool our jets'." Jamil snapped looking annoyed.
"No one would cool said jets after hearing that! Do you want to lose your head?" Riddle snapped as he began to turn red.
"Detecting a build up of magic in subject A readying stun to render subject uncon…" Trooper began to say but Idia shut him down.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, pause that. I think out NRC visitors are forgetting something." Idia pointed out.
"Huh?" The group asked.
"Where are you again? And who am I again? I'm the BOSS." Idia sneered. "You don't hurt me I don't hurt you capiche?"
"As long as you follow my brother's recommendations your chance od sustaining an injury drops by 57%." Ortho piped up.
"Very well since there aren't any better options I'll comply and behave. Well? After forcibly detaining us, I trust you at least have the decency to serve us some tea?" Vil asked.
"The way you're acting doesn't remotely suggest compliance or good behavior but whatever. Come one everyone follow me." Idia sighed as he turned on his heel and started making his way to the conference room. "Ortho have some tea ready by the time we get to the conference room." He whispered.
"Roger." Ortho whispered back.
Back at NRC in the Headmage office everyone was still trying to process the information Malleus and Lilia had given them.
"Are you suggesting what I think you are? That Idia Shroud, Housewarden of Ignihyde, is the Watchman for the Island of Woe?" Rook asked.
Mal: "Yes, mind you, 'Watchman' doesn't refer to a single person it's a title given to a certain family. I believe the current head of their family is Aidne Shroud." Malleus confirmed.
"No she passed away. Now Aidne's son Idia's father is the Watchman." Lilia corrected him.
"I see human generations pass so quickly." Malleus muttered.
"Well, the Watchman role was actually converted into a formal organization. They go by Styx nowadays. It's a rather recent development of course. Why they only became Styx about a century ago as I recall." Lilia informed them.
"Wait slow down a minute I'm getting confused. Leona mentioned that Idia's family is part of some megacorp, but now you're saying that's just a cover? And they're secretly the bosses of Styx group that kidnapped the guys? And they're also called the Watchman of the Island of Woe?" Ruggie asked.
"Indeed while the Watchman has become something of an urban legend by now. Back in the old days when mages were called witches and wizards they were feared across the land. People believed the island of Woe would punish any wizard who abandoned their principles and went mad with power." Lilia explained.
"One of my family's history books claims that the group is so ancient, they fate back to the Age of the Gods. The relationship between magic and blot hadn't yet been established at that time. According to my history book, people believed overblots were disasters that occurred without warning. The Jupiter family forebear sealed those disasters away on the island of Woe and brought peace to the land. A watchman was tasked with keeping those disasters from plaguing the world again, That person was one of the Shroud family's ancestors." Malleus added.
"That sounds less like history and more like a myth. It's all on such a grand scale. I can barely keep up." Cater sighed shaking his head.
"Myths usual come out of truth, old history forgotten." Odette theorized.
"Mind you, humankind never stopped researching magic eager students that they were. Time marched on and at some point magic became safe to practice. The witches and wizards of yore became known as mages, nowadays mage licenses are international. Mages are globally recognized as contributing to the betterment to society, and as governments passed laws and formed agencies to discipline magic abusers who caused trouble for people. Over time the Watchman of the Island of Woe faded from the history books. But the group continued their research on the disasters or blot really as the organization Styx." Lilia said.
"We were aware of that Idia was the son of the Shroud family yes but this is the first time I've heard of a connection between them and Styx. I've read just about every notable work on magic history yet I've never seen any of this discussed." Trein clarified.
"Ah, but see you're limited to the texts that survive among humankind. Humans and fae stopped intermingling quiet a long time ago. Plus different ways not every truth is written down. There is no shortage of historical narratives that have been twisted to suit someone's agenda." Lilia reminded him.
'Twisted historical narratives huh?' Odette thought as she looked over at the Great Seven pictures. 'All this talk is giving me butterflies and making nervous.' She thought as she directed her eyes back to the group.
"This makes me wonder. Was Headmage Crowley aware of Idia's connection to Styx? And if he was does that mean he wasn't able to work with the Shroud family to avoid this scenario?" Trein wondered.
"Who can say really? Even if he had known he wouldn't have been able to stop them." Malleus stated.
"As for Styx why did they capture a group of overblotters? What's their plan?" Trey wondered.
"Based on what Lilia said I doubt they'll treat them hospitably. If they're lucky they'll only be examined, if they're unlucky they'll become test subjects and if they're really unlucky they may already be,..."Jade began but Kalim him off.
"Whoa hey! Don't even joke about that Jade."
'I don't think he's joking but he's probably right.' Odette thought as she furrowed her brow, she noticed others doing the same.
"Y'know there's one thing that's buggin me after hearin all this. Those goons rolled up and blasted half the campus there's tons of witness right? Someone must have got'em on video seems to me like they're not tryin to stay very secret. Maybe they don't care or maybe they have some REAL reliable way of cleaning up after themselves." Floyd spoke up.
'He has a good point too.' Odette thought.
"I don't like the sound of that one bit. I say we worry about our own skins instead of wastin time on the others." Ruggie said.
"While Buchhi's wording leaves something to be desired he does have a point. We don't know where the Island of Woe is which means we can't pursue our kidnapped students. I want all of you to return to your dorms and conduct a roll call. Check for injured students and report back to me." Trein ordered.
"Yes sir." They all answered and left the office.
Odette glanced over at Rook who looked even angrier than before.
Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for the favorites. Those are always appreciated.