Callidus Chronicles: 1

Dear Raven,
We have received your papers and are honored to offer you admission into Callidus Academy. New student orientation will take place on the eight day of the ninth month. We look forward to having such a gifted student among our ranks.
Sincerely,
Johnathan Grimm,
Head of Admissions

A boy sat atop the black covers of a large bed. His dark curls fell into his silver eyes as they read over the acceptance letter. Lips spoke the words aloud as he flopped over to lay on his back. He allowed his head to hang from the foot of the bed and he reread the letter several times, holding it above his face. The letter’s envelope lay forgotten somewhere on the clothing cluttered floor of the room.  

“Will you put that down?” a girl emerged from the room’s walk-in closet. She, like the boy had inky curls and eyes so silver they were almost white. Both she and he also shared the same ghostly pale skin. Skin so pale it became semi-translucent beneath light rays. Like porcelain dolls, their flesh was flawless. No scar, no blemish, marred its surface. They were as flawless on the outside as Michelangelo’s David.

The boy turned his head to look at her and the light from the room’s crystal chandelier caught his eyes, making them flash like a pair of mirrors.  He shook his head and gave the girl a pearly grin. “I don’t know what’s more humorous, that they are honored to have you attending or that dad’s making you go.”

“Haha,” the girl spoke dryly before delving back into the closet.

“Seriously, though, what is dad thinking?! You’ll either destroy the school or the school will destroy you.”

“And either way you’ll clean up the mess.”

A frown pulled at the boys lips. “If you get me expelled, I’ll be pissed.”

“I don’t get why you like it there so much,” the girl walked out of the closet carrying a pile of clothes, which she dropped unceremoniously next to a half full duffle bag beside her bed. As she kneeled to start folding the clothes and putting them into the bag, her twin sat up on her bed. She didn’t need to look up from her task to know that there was disbelief in his eyes.

“That’s like asking what an ocean has that a fish bowl doesn’t.”

“This is my ocean.”

“And my bowl.”

She rolled her eyes and sat cross-legged on the white carpet of her room. Her black cargo pants and black tank top made her look like an ink stain on the carpet…as did the piles of her clothes that lay scattered about her room.

“It’s only a bowl because you make it to be one,” she stated.

“It’s only an ocean because you haven’t seen the real one,” he shot back, moving to sit on his knees.

She shrugged, a perfectly shaped brow raising. “Like I said, what’s out there that isn’t here? I’ve seen all I care of the world. Whatever has you entranced at the school can keep you snared, but it shan’t have me.”  

“You and dad don’t know the beauty of life. You’ve spent too much time conversing with spirits.”

“Be careful how you speak,” both teens jumped at the sound of their father’s voice.

The tall, suit clad figure of their father stood in the entrance to the girl’s room. His dark hair was slicked back and he was leaning on the cane that never once did his children see him without. It was a black wood cane with a silver skull attached to the top. The skull’s eyes were made from two cursed rubies. When his children were toddlers, they would often play with the cane. They’d use it as a sword, as a horse, as a magic wand…or they’d use it to pretend they were their father. As all children do, though, they grew up. And they stopped playing with the cane.

Raven, the girl, would still sometimes pick it up. She’d turn it around in her hands and stare into its ruby eyes. To her that cane represented what she wanted her life to be. It represented the path she wished to walk. Yet, to her brother, it was an object he dare no longer touch. Death’s power raced through the cane’s veins. The very wood it was made from came from a twisted tree that grew from the ash along the river of souls that ran through their father’s realm.

“This realm is as apart of you as your mothers,” Mortem spoke directly to his son. “You belong here. And don’t you ever say that I don’t know the beauty of life. I’ve gazed upon her and she gifted me with you two.”

The boy gave a frustrated growl.

“Perhaps,” the father pondered, “I should keep you here while your sister experiences the land you so dearly love.”

“Dad,” Raven spoke up, “don’t do that.” She could feel her brother’s panic. When they were born they were born with separate bodies, separate thoughts, and separate desires, but part of their minds never detached from each other. There was a bond between them that could not be severed. They could feel the other’s emotions and read each other’s thoughts. They would often have silent conversations with each other. Yet, they were also able to shield their thoughts and emotions from the other.

“Scythe needs to learn that there is beauty in death,” their father remarked.

“I’ve seen the beauty you have to offer,” Scythe stated meekly. “I don’t deny its existence, but you know I am not like you. Like Raven.”

“Sometimes I wish you hadn’t been born with your mother’s gift,” Mortem informed.  “As you were, I cannot keep you caged within my realm. Doing so would harm you and I could not allow that to happen.”

“So you won’t make me stay?”

“I would never pull you from the place that allows you to live.”

“Yet you send me there to die,” Raven chimed in.

“I send you there to learn,” Mortem corrected. “You two are my greatest accomplishments. You are the best things that have ever happened to me. But you were born of two worlds. You must learn to use your abilities.”

“I already know how to.”

“My daughter, you harness a power so much greater than you fathom it to be.  As we have seen demonstrated from the epidemic you and your friends caused in India.”

“That,” she stated pointedly, “was an accident.”

“Which I had to clean up,” Scythe added.

“You didn’t have to,” their father reminded his son, “you demanded to. Those souls should have gone straight here, whether their deaths weren’t scheduled for that time or not. Because of your intervention, there are dozens of people walking around India declaring they were saved by the angel of light.”

Scythe shrugged. “I couldn’t just let them die because my twin did something stupid.”

“Regardless, you disobeyed my order to not get involved, and therefore must be punished just as your sister is. I’ve spoken to your advisor at the academy and you will be taking a couple death courses.”

“What?! No!” the boy’s eyes grew wide. “They make you kill people!”

Mortem nodded. “I know.”  

“I can’t…”Scythe began to protest further but was silenced by his father’s steely gaze.

“This is not the mater I came to speak to you of,” Mortem stated.

“And that mater is?” Raven asked.

“Dinner’s ready,” and with that Mortem turned and left the room.

“I can’t kill people,” Scythe’s thoughts rang through Raven’s mind.

“You’ll learn to,” she smirked. “Now come on. It’s our last night here and I so hope that Betsy’s prepared our favorite.”

“I don’t think I could eat I bit of it while the thought of being a Death Bringer is on my mind.”

“Rest your thoughts, brother, for you shall never be a Death Bringer.”

~*~*~*~

The next day, Raven and Scythe were woken up by their servant Betsy, who rushed them to breakfast. After their morning meal, Mortem saw his children to the edge of his realm, where the Ferry Man stood within a bone gondola. From there they were taken to a chariot.

“You ready?” Scythe asked as he and his twin approached the white chariot and its Pegasus lead.

“Less than you are,” Raven admitted.

“There are others of your element there. The children of reapers. You may actually enjoy it.”

“I doubt.”

“Listen, when we get there, I’ll have to leave your side. Returning students report to a separate area.”

“I’ll see you later though.”

He nodded.

The Pegasus stomped at the ground impatiently, drawing the twins’ attention to it. They wasted no more time in boarding its chariot and then they were off.

Callidus Academy was in a realm outside all other realms. It was located on no map and unable to be found by any who were not invited to it. The chariot took the twins straight to its edge. Grass as green as emeralds grew all around and the sky above was the clearest blue.

“You must wait here,” Scythe informed his sister as they stepped from the chariot. A sea of students stood before them, none of whom had crossed over onto to actual academy campus. They stood chattering just outside its boarder. “There’s a hex wall around the academy. The Head Master will show you how to get past it. It’s the first thing all new comers must learn.”

Raven nodded. Her nervousness filtered into her brother, who gave her hand a squeeze before walking pass the mob of students and through the hex wall. Raven knew the exact moment he crossed the wall for the air around him shimmered.

“Okay,” she spoke aloud to herself. With a nod, she joined her soon to be fellow classmates.

Everyone was rushing about, pushing each other aside and chatting loudly. There were a few near the front of the group who were daring each other to try and pass the wall. Raven was jostled as she tried to make her way through the group.  

“Hey! Watch it!” I burly boy called out when she accidentally ran into him.

“You watch it,” she snapped back.”

“Wanna say that again doll face?” the boy threatened. He was a large guy with huge muscles and a shaved head.

“Leave the first year alone,” Raven stepped back from the burly boy as another boy cut in. This new boy had her doing a double take. She had never seen anything like him before. He was medium in height with dark black hair that had a silky look to it. His eyes lacked irises and his pupils looked beady amongst their whites. A set of black leather armor covered his body and the hilt of a dagger stuck up from his belt. What shocked Raven the most, though, was that growing out of the boy’s arms were black feathers. Even the nails on his hands were odd. They were sharp, black, and had a slight curve to the end of them.

Everything about the boy reminded Raven of a bird. His sharp jaw and majestic neck. His pointed nose and beady gaze. She wondered where he came from; who he was.

“I was just having a little fun,” the burly boy backed off.

“Go torment someone else Bruce,” the bird like boy demanded.

The burly boy turned and left without protest. Whoever the other boy was, he seemed to be respected.

“Sorry about that,” bird boy apologized. “Bruce is a jerk. He likes to pick on the new comers. He’s afraid of water though, so if he ever crosses a line just toss a glass of it at him and he’ll run away shrieking like a banshee.”

“Thanks for the advice. I’m Raven, by the way,” Raven introduced herself.

“Crow.”

“Crow?” she raised a brow. “Is that your real name?”

“I could ask you the same,” he smirked.

She gave a small smile. “So are you a returning student then?”

“Yep. Second year.”

“My brother’s a second year.”

“Really? Who’s your brother? Maybe I know him.”

“Scythe.”

“Scythe?” Crow was slow to ask. “You mean the freak who has a zombie squirrel as a pet?”

“Uh, yeah…him…”Raven rubbed at the back of her neck nervously. She knew that her brother had a bit of a freak reputation at the academy, but she hadn’t thought the first person she’d meet would know him because of the freaky looking rodent he kept.

“I’ve had some classes with him,” Crow stated. “Don’t know him too well though.”

“I get that,” Raven said. “I was kind of hoping the first person I met though wouldn’t know my brother.”

“If you’re worried about me judging you by him, you’ve got nothing to fear,” he paused. “I’m the first person you met?”

“Outside of Bruce, yeah.”

“Oh that won’t do,” Crow tsked. “We got to get you mingling, girl. Who you meet on your first day is critical.  Come, let me introduce you to a couple other first years. They’re friends of mine.”

“Why are you hanging out here if you’re a second year?”

“Mentoring. I get to be in charge of a group of you first years today.”

“Wow, that’s nice of you wanting to help us.”

“Not really. I’m on probation.”

Raven snickered. “A prankster then.”

“You have no idea.”

“I like pranks.”

“Good, then you’ll fit right in,” Crow began to lead Raven through the crowd of students. “You and your brother actually look a lot alike. You two twins?”

“Yeah, fraternal, obviously. I’m older though, so don’t let him tell you any different.”

“Sometimes I wish I had a twin, or a sibling that was even slightly like me.”

“Do you have any siblings?”

“A few. You’ve probably heard of them. Vali, Narvi, Hela, Fenris, and Sleipner.”

“Wait…” she stopped walking. “Sleipner?”

“You’ve heard of him.”

“Sleipner? Your dad’s Loki?”

“The one and only. The king of tricksters,” Crow bowed. “Prince of pranks at your service.”

Raven grinned. “If you’re half as good at tricks as your dad then I think you’re right, we’re going to be great friends.”

Crow beamed. “Great! I can’t wait to get started!”