Chapter Text
A green moon.
Below the night sky, coffins stood scattered across an empty city. A mass grave on a dead world where not even the wind would blow.
A lone figure regarded the sight with tempered curiosity. His eyes as green as the moon and night sky as he walked along a concrete dock. Marsh green water lapped at the dockside, the only sound to be heard in the strange city beyond the steady click of the lone figure’s heels. With careful footing, he climbed algae-slick steps with a gloved hand steady on the metal railing and emerged onto a paved street that ran parallel with the dark sea.
Unsure of where to go, Malleus followed the street west as it toed the border of the city’s odd architecture. He had not seen many buildings like these, he thought to himself with all the calmness of a dreaming man. Most were squared and made of brick, with a certain few that towered in the skyline armored in grey. Each structure held glass windows in their face, all of which swallowed his reflection in their blackened surfaces like thin sheets of obsidian. If there was anyone inside the buildings he passed, he would have no way of knowing. Save for the keen edge of his fae senses.
It was those senses that pulled for Malleus’ attention as he passed another scattering of coffins. The sight of a coffin, or several, alone was not enough to perturb him. He was, after all, rather used to being made witness to their uses at school. However, there was a deep emptiness in the air around the ones here within this viridescent city. As though they were hewn from a non-material substance.
Curious, Malleus paused amid a faded crosswalk and stretched a hand out, palm flat, towards the notably plain face of a coffin that stood only slightly shorter than he was tall. He sensed no magic in the object, which only served to crease his brow with intrigue. He found it rather fascinating that anyone could have made so many identical coffins without the assistance of magic. And why? He pondered with his arm outstretched. What purpose was there in filling a city with them; when there was not even the barest hint of a soul, living or dead, around?
As though it sought to whisper a hint to him, a sudden breeze swept in from across the waking water towards him. The chilled air lifted the ends of his ebony hair and robes with a low whistle. He paused, his fingers curled halfway towards the coffin’s face, as a sudden clink of silver chimes echoed off the nearby buildings and pavement.
With sharp caution, he twirled away from the coffin before him and narrowed his gaze down the street ahead of him. Against the pitch darkness of the horizon, there was now a red glow. It emanated from behind a subtle curve in the road, its origin blocked by another brick storefront.
The twinkle of the chimes died down with the wind as Malleus started towards the lights, and the presence of an electric buzz in the air left him assured with the knowledge that he was no longer alone. Sure enough, as he followed the bend in the road and came upon the light’s origin, he found himself greeted with the back of a stranger.
The stranger sat slightly hunched at the open bar of what appeared to be some sort of portable concession stand. The frame of the stand appeared to be wood, with a red canopy illuminated by strings of many small hanging lanterns. Written along the canopy, in a slashing language Malleus had never seen before, was what he presumed to be some sort of advertisement for what the stand proposed to sell. Complete with a small doodle of a smiling milk carton.
The stranger at the stand’s serving bar appeared to not take notice of Malleus as he approached. Although he could not see their face, the stranger appeared to be young and clad in a school uniform. Malleus did not recognize the colors of the uniform, they were not of Night Raven nor its many rival schools, in fact they were remarkably plain. Some small, local, school for this foreign land then. How exciting. Malleus rarely had the fortune of meeting peers of non-competing academy’s.
“Pardon me,” He called out as he approached, all too aware of his propensity to startle others with his silent approach, “Could you tell me what goods are sold here? I’m afraid I am not familiar with this script.”
Malleus had stepped fully under the red glow of the lanterns before the stranger made any motion that they had heard him. In the warm tone of the light, he was able to identify the stranger’s hair as a deep blue almost black in its dull luster. Cut short and rounded to the stranger’s face, a swept parting of bangs served to hide half of the boy’s face as he turned to face Malleus.
Blues eyes, or should he say, a blue eye considered him with level disinterest. For a moment, Malleus worried that he might have offended the boy as his gaze swept up to take in his black horns and then dropped back down to meet his green eyes once more.Then, the boy removed one arm from the serving bar before him and reached up under his unkempt hair. His hand dropped back down into his lap with a rudimentary earbud clutched in hand, and he parted his pale lips with a slow inhale.
“Sorry?” The boy tilted his head and casually popped a spoon into his mouth with his other hand.
Ah, so he had simply not been heard the first time. Malleus smiled, glad to have not offended and to have cleared up the matter. He gestured up to the foreign writing on the canopy, and repeated his question.
“I was wondering, what do they sell here? I’m afraid this language is unknown to me.” He explained.
“Kakigori.”
“Fascinating,” Malleus nodded, this word was not familiar to him either, “What is that?”
The boy just frowned at him and pointedly gestured with his spoon at the bowl before him on the serving bar, “Kakigori.” He repeated in a bored tone.
A closer inspection of the boy’s bowl revealed a delicacy of shaved ice dyed with an unknown substance he predicted to be flavoring of some kind. Intrigued, Malleus brought a hand to his chin and considered the stand more closely. Behind the serving counter and almost tucked into the corner, stood another coffin.
“Where is the shopkeep? I think I would like to try this kakigori.” He asked the boy, who only took another bite of shaved ice.
The electric buzz of the stranger’s earphones pulsed with a faint melody in the quiet of the night, and Malleus’ question went unanswered long enough that he concluded that the boy was uninterested in continuing their conversation. Disappointed, but resigned to the likelihood that he would get no answer to the mystery of the coffins here, Malleus turned from the stand and resolved himself to continue his investigation elsewhere.
“Wait.”
The boy’s tone shifted from bored to a cool command, and Malleus stopped politely just outside the ring of the stand’s light.
“Really, I do not mean to inconvenience you.” He assured the boy as he turned to face him again, “I am merely hoping for an answer as to why-”
A silver gleam caught in the green and red lights of the night. The boy clutched the object tight in his right hand, having taken the opportunity to stand when Malleus’ back had been turned, and pointed the barrel straight between his eyes. If he hoped to startle him, he was sure to be disappointed. As Malleus only eyed the strange object as though it were a puzzle toy he had not yet discovered the trick to.
The boy continued to level the silver, obviously man-made, weapon at his face as they both remained planted to the earth. When Malleus did not so much as blink, the blue-haired boy lowered it to hover hip-high.
“What are you?” The kakigori boy asked, rather rudely Malleus thought.
“My name is Malleus Draconia, and I am what you humans might call a Fae.” He answered honestly with a polite hand lifted up to his chest. “Might I know your name? If there are to be introductions.”
“You’re not a-?” The boy cut himself off with a shake of his head, his bangs never moving from the right-half of his face. “No, wrong question.”
“What is the right question? If I may ask?”
The boy holstered his silver weapon beneath a simple belt as he paused in shaking his head to lift a palm to his temple. As though the dim light of the concession stand had brought about a sudden migraine.
“I… who are you?” The boy asked again with a hand still pushed tense against his head.
Malleus let himself frown, if only slightly. It was not uncommon for him to meet odd characters in his dreams, but this boy seemed wholly unwell. Perhaps he ought to-
Just as he considered in which ways he might be of assistance, the boy collapsed on the hard street. His knees elicited a sharp sound of impact that echoed through the hollow setting that surrounded them. Malleus watched, wide-eyed and tense, as he felt a shift in the air. A change that told him he and the now unconscious boy were no longer as unobserved as they had been previously.
He approached quickly, aimed to seize the boy by his sleeve and rouse him, but his movement was slow and sluggish. The road melted into a sludge thicker and blacker than the foulest marshlands of Briar Valley. As the buildings and moon above dripped away like over-watered ink. His connection slipped just as he reached the stranger, and his final glimpse was that of a face contorted into fear or pain. Eyes clamped shut by thick, dark, lashes. Lips parted for a single utterance.
“... D-dangerous shadows… you mustn't-”
☾~~✧~☾*☽~✧~~☽
When Malleus woke, the first thing he noticed was the hand on his arm.
“Now, now, Mal. You mustn’t sleep in.” Lilia’s crawling smile greeted him as he lingered overhead, his hair the only thing affected by gravity as he hung upside down from the ornate canopy above. “It won’t do well for you to be late on the first day.”
With a smile, Malleus sat up and lightly batted aside Lilia’s hand as he reached to shake him again. “Very well, now enough. Lest you risk a fracture.”
“Hah!” Lilia barked, but relented as he floated down and righted himself to draw back the curtains. “I am not so frail yet! Now rise, before I remind you of what these old bones are capable of.”
With the curtains pulled, Malleus could see that the sun had already risen well into the dawn. Chilled sunlight streamed into his bed chamber, revealing the luggage he had packed the day before as it sat awaiting him by the door. Lilia left him with a final chirping tease about the sleep-addled state of his hair and clicked the door shut behind him.
Left alone to prepare himself, Malleus wasted no time in dressing for the day. Thinking of the short summer months that had passed since he had last pulled on his school uniform, he felt a genuine smile brush his lips as he fixed the corded sigil of Diasomnia onto his bicep. As Lilia had said, it would not do well for the other students to see their Housewarden be tardy on the first day.
Dressed and with his hair smoothed from the assault his pillows had waged upon it, Malleus flicked his magi-pen to levitate his luggage after him as he descended the grand staircase of the royal palace and emerged into the courtyard.
The weather was fair in the Briar Valley this time of year. With cool sunlight and little wind, it could almost be called warm. Though the warmest part of the year had passed for the region, Malleus still allowed himself to bask in the early rays as he descended onto the cobbled grounds where Lilia awaited with familiar company.
“Master! How impeccable and imposing you look this morning!” Sebek offered no restraint in his volume as he saluted, his luggage clenched tight in his off-hand. “Truly, your gracefulness exceeds all others no matter the day but even more-so for such an occasion!”
“Good morning, your highness.” Silver uttered only once Malleus was before them, having been roused from sleep where he stood by Lilia.
“Yes, a fine morning to you all.” He responded with a nod and dropped his own luggage to the ground with another flick of his pen.
On the ramparts above, armored soldiers patrolled. Braced with spears, bows, and ebony horns to alert for incoming guests or the rare intruder. There would be no guests today, they had been informed well enough not to announce any arrivals, for the Queen was certain it was no business of any watchful eyes when her grandson left for school.
Another safety measure for Malleus’ own sake, much like the company at his side.
Lilia had not only insisted Malleus attend Night Raven College, but had himself joined him since his first year. Silver, one of his skillful retainers, had postponed his attendance by a year due to the age restrictions of Night Raven College. And now Sebek, his second retainer, was of age. In a sense, Malleus felt as though this year would be less… lonesome than the ones that came before. Yet also more restrained.
He hoped he would still be able to indulge in his nightly strolls. Silver had eventually relented in attempting to restrain his wandering habits last year, but Sebek was more austere in his duties.
Perhaps Silver’s presence could help to soften him, he thought as he glanced sidelong at his companions. Lilia must have known what he was thinking, for he chuckled with a faint shake of his head at nothing in particular.
In the far end of the courtyard, the iron gate screeched to life. Its teeth rising from the soil to grant entrance to a distant rumble. The soldiers on the ramparts tensed, paused in their patrols to observe. Malleus did not acknowledge their attentive nature, as he otherwise might have felt compelled to, instead he simply waited and watched.
Like shadows from the darkest night, black horses galloped into the courtyard. Harnessed to identical black carriages carved with ornate detail. Lanterns lit with emerald flame swung with each bounce of the wheels across the cobbles as the horses cantered into a half circle before the palace steps. Four in total, one more from the year prior and twice more from the year before that.
He pretended to not notice how Sebek stiffened at his side.
“Master Malleus, please allow me to gather your luggage!” He proclaimed, a hand clenched before his chest.
“Thank you, but there is no need,” With a wave of his hand, his luggage floated into the black carriage directly before him, “Focus on your own luggage, Sebek, you mustn’t leave anything behind you might miss.”
“Of course! I would never be so careless!”
“Loud…” Silver muttered as he hoisted his own bags into the carriage behind Malleus’.
“Silver! How dare you be so insolent as to mutter before our young master!” Sebek chided, “Have your human senses dulled you to the immense perception of such skilled and noble fae? Apologize to Masters Lilia and Malleus this instant!”
“Hmmm, this’ll be a fun year.” Lilia chuckled as he floated back over to prop an elbow on his shoulder, his own bags nowhere in sight.
“Indeed.” Malleus offered his own amused hum.
“But alas, we shall be late at this rate.” Lilia sighed, before cupping a hand to his mouth, “That is enough! Sebek, you’ve forgotten your duffle bag!”
An exclamation, louder than before, and profuse apologies for Sebek’s ‘carelessness’ and ‘woeful failure’ followed Lilia’s chiding. Malleus could not acknowledge the following speech in its entirety. Instead it was all he could due to grant forgiveness, although he did not feel the weight of the situation as Sebek seemed to, and appease his young retainer until at last he had calmed enough to clamber into his own carriage. After he ensured that Malleus and Lilia had both securely climbed into their own, of course.
As Malleus laid himself down in the velvet lined interior of the coffin centered in his carriage, he could not help but think of his dream. Of that strange, hollow, city and of that boy. That human. And his warning of dangerous shadows…