Chronicles of Espiria Season 3
Episode 7 – The Order of the Crow
Written by Stormrider
Peter Thorne stood at the main gates of a building with four thin towers at each corner. The wrought iron gates could have been considered beautiful, if Peter hadn't known what structure they defended.
This was the headquarters of the Order of the Crow.
Peter was accompanied by a priest of the Light named Brother Elliot. He thought that they were here to inspect the place, to confirm or deny that dark magic was being practiced here. Peter had no doubt in his mind, but was certain that their power would be of use against the Hypogeans. If he could convince them to help.
"I understand you were once a resident here." Elliot said to Peter.
Peter simply nodded in response. Elliot pressed no further. Peter took a small blue medallion from one of his pockets and muttered something unintelligible. A moment later, the gates were blown open by a jet of water from the medallion. Elliot could feel the darkness in the spell, but again, pressed no further.
The main doors were made of a rich, dark oak, seemingly stained purple by years of exposure to dark magic. They opened the doors together, Elliot's hands tingling with the mere touch of the stain. Once inside, they found themselves in a dark corridor, lit only with purple flames on the torches that lined the walls. As Peter walked down these corridors again, he began having flashbacks to his time here and at their front for recruitment, the Violet Orphanage.
One day in particular scarred him even to this day. The Violet Orphanage liked to test their students on a regular basis by pitting them against increasingly deadly monsters. This day, five of the students, known only by numbers given them early on, were set against a pair of basilisks, the monsters blindfolded to make the challenge more interesting. Back then, Peter was known only as Number 29.
Number 12 was already an accomplished killer; supposedly, the small girl had been possessed by a weak Hypogean, and had inhumanly pink eyes to prove it. Number 154 wielded psychometry and clairsentience, seemingly little combat value. He probably would not survive. Number 99 had no magical abilities, but was exceptionally skilled with her knives. She had slain many of these monsters nearly on her own, as Peter had witnessed first hand. The last member of the group was Peter's own roommate, 73, a thin boy whose real power was still a mystery even to the administrators.
Peter usually tried to stay out of the fights, as he was not much of a fighter and loathed killing. However, such moral objections meant little when faced with a creature that saw him as nothing more than its next meal.
The basilisks approached the small group of children, salivating at the prospect of fresh meat instead of the flavorless substitutions they were used to. 154 grabbed a torch off the wall to defend himself with. 99 noticed this and had an idea.
"Toss it here!" 99 shouted to 154.
154 tossed the torch nervously to 99, who caught it nimbly and started twirling it between her hands in anticipation. 12 rose to her feet as if she had no bones, and let out a guttural screech; whoever was in control of 12, it was not human. As the basilisks charged, 99 jumped over them and brought her torch down on one creature's backside. Its scales started to boil and its feathers caught fire as it whipped around to snap at whatever had injured it. 12 took this opportunity to unleash a volley of unholy magic on the wounded monster, laughing maniacally as she did so. The monster slowly melted before the eyes of the children, first scales and feathers, then the meat and organs underneath.
While 12 and 99 were focused on the one basilisk, however, the other rounded on the group and spewed a potent acid on 12. Immediately, she began to dissolve, screaming and writhing in agony. The beast then focused on 154, its mouth open in anticipation of fresh meat. As it lunged, Peter reached out and used his then-limited understanding of telekinesis to freeze the monster in place. As he struggled to hold it still, 73 focused his attention on the creature and snapped his fingers. Soon, a purple smoke began to rise from the monster's mouth and eyes as its insides burned within.
With the danger over for now, Peter slumped to the floor from exhaustion. 73 fell to his hands and knees and started coughing up blood, the price of performing that particular curse. 154 helped him to his feet once the coughing fit was over, just before 99 shoved 154 against the wall.
"Stand back and do nothing again and you'll wind up like 12!"
Everyone glanced at the red and green stain on the floor where 12 once was. Peter did not yet know what happened to a soul after the body died, but he could imagine no worse world than the one he lived in; wherever she was, it had to be a mercy.
Some time later, he managed to escape from the orphanage with a few others during the chaos caused by the infamous Number 63, known outside as Scarlet. Through years of trying to find himself in various magical pursuits, he was eventually taken in by Gretel Hawke, at whose side he felt the most at home.
"Peter, which way?"
Peter was called back to the present by Brother Elliot, informing him that they had reached a crossroads. Peter looked a moment and chose a path leading up some stairs. As they walked, they were passed by a number of people going the other way, some dressed as doctors, others wearing dark cloaks, all in an apparent hurry.
They eventually came to a halt outside the office of Governor Damaris. It was Brother Elliot's time. He drew himself up to his full height and rapped on the door, his knuckles tingling with the darkness that seeped from the room.
"Come in." could be heard faintly but calmly from within.
Elliot entered first, followed closely by Peter, who looked more pallid by the moment. The desk in the office had been placed before the window, so that the governor would have to turn in his high-backed chair to greet his visitors. Otherwise, the governor was rendered invisible by the chair until he was ready to reveal himself.
"Greetings, Governor Damaris." Elliot said. "I am here on behalf of the Church of the Light, to inspect your lands. We have received disturbing accusations concerning the goings on in your institution, and would very much like to prove those accusations false. I apologise for..."
Before either Elliot or Peter could respond, the governor's chair swiveled and two balls of purple magic flew toward them. Peter managed to dodge the attack, but Elliot took the full brunt, apparently not harming him, but rendering him completely immobile. Peter drew his talisman again as he glanced at Elliot; he recognized the curse, and knew that it would wear off in an hour or two with no harm done.
"You should not have encroached here, priest." the governor said.
Peter looked back at Governor Damaris as he rose from his chair. With shoulder-length white hair, pallid, graying skin, and glowing purple eyes, he looked more Graveborn than human. He supported himself with a gnarled staff with various symbols, including Graveborn and Hypogean runes, carved into it.
"We chose this location for a reason." he continued, his gazed fixed on Elliot. "The law is not as heavily enforced here. We have a...understanding with the locals. You would have no hope of punishing us, even if you were to escape. And I promise you, you will not escape."
Damaris then turned his attention on Peter. After a moment of examining him, a wicked grin appeared on his face. "Peter Thorne, I think. Sometimes known as Number 29. You spent a few years with us, did you not?"
"A simple telepathy spell will not impress me, sir." Peter said, trying to show more courage than he actually possessed. "I know what you are capable of."
"Then speak your business, boy." the pretense of civility had vanished from Damaris' voice. "Or you will face his fate."
"I need your help."
Damaris laughed out loud. "And why would I help you?"
"That is what the Order of the Crow was built to do, to protect the land when the military and the church fail. That is why I joined in the first place. I left because I was not ready for the sort of darkness you wanted me to learn."
"And you still are not." Damaris finished for him. "But you make an interesting proposal. I shall consider it. In the meantime..."
Damaris cast another purple orb at Peter, which he again dodged. Quickly muttering a spell, stumbling over the incantation in his fear, he slammed his fist into the ground, creating a shockwave that threw Damaris hard into his desk. Peter tried to grab Elliot and carry him to safety, but before he could escape, three more men burst into the office and immobilized him. One of the guards went to Damaris' side while the other two dragged Elliot and Peter off.
"Careful with those specimens!" Damaris warned. "We've not had a priest to work with for some time, and the other has unique real-world experiences. They should prove most interesting test subjects."