by S L Gassick
For Edie
THE LEGACY OF GAEA
VOLUME I:
THE UNDERWORLD
By
S L GASSICK
CHAPTER ONE
“Hello everyone. My name is Rose.”
Rose stood at the front of the class in her favourite white dress with the pink ribbons that her mother had bought for her fourteenth birthday a few weeks ago, and a big grin covering her face. She had long blonde hair with a pink bow tied in the middle and deep blue eyes that sparkled like two oval diamonds. She remembered how her mother told her before she left that no matter how scared she was, to always keep smiling.
“And where are you from Rose?” asked her teacher, a thin, bright and cheery woman called Cyrene. She found it unusual that teachers could be called by their first names here, but she had heard that this was no ordinary village school. This was a Valhalla.
Her father had told her how a Valhalla was the centre of each region, a testament to the word of the Almighty One they call Gaea. Each student, and there were many, would be taught not only the classic subjects, but in addition they were trained in harnessing their kyu, an inner power that Gaea had come down from the heavens and awoken within them many moons ago. Some, it would seem, were more in tune with this power than others. Rose had proven herself worthy to study here after a variety of tests designed to make use of her strong healing power that had been passed down her bloodline. But today was the day she had been excited for, and dreading, for so long. Her first day at the most prestigious Valhalla in the world.
“Rose?” her teacher repeated. She had been lost in thought, overwhelmed by the grandeur of where she stood. The classroom was bright and tidy with rich wooden beams and large glass windows. It was impeccable and had a very minimalistic feel, yet she could not help but be calmed by the affinity with the plants and general greenery that surrounded her. Long vines with beautiful blossoming flowers adorned the walls, the sweet smell floating on the air. Everything looked new and pristine and she was surprised that it had not been worn down or marked in any way, it was clearly a well maintained classroom. She could sense there was a general pride in her fellow pupils here, not only in themselves but also in where they were, how they presented themselves and in their work. They were dedicated to becoming the best they could be and make their families proud. She looked at their blank faces, each set of eyes upon her like the crest of a tumbling wave and she began to feel a slight tremble deep within her bones.
“Rose are you ok?”
She looked up at Cyrene’s calm, friendly face next to her and all of a sudden she felt as though she was not talking to a class of fifty people, but just to her teacher. She had a soothing tone to her voice and something that reminded Rose of her mother. Cyrene had her blonde locks tied back with a black band, wore little make-up under her glasses and was wearing a long blue dress with frills that Rose thought looked delightful.
The word ‘delightful’ always made her feel like a fancy lady like her Grandmother. She would use it all the time to describe the world around her; ‘These cakes are delightful’, ‘This weather is delightful’ and Rose’s favourite ‘Don’t you look delightful dear?’ She wished her Grandmother were here now; she would definitely enjoy the attention. The women of Delaniford, including her own Grandmother, are infamous for being strong, independent women that fortunately happen to be incredibly beautiful as well.
Their beauty does also mean that they have another reputation the world over for being the elite of the ladies of night-pleasure. They are often viewed as harlots stealing husbands, inciting indecent behaviour and living out a kind of freedom that is frowned upon. It’s something that Rose has only become acutely aware of since leaving her hometown to come here to Norheath. What began as a new adventure slowly became her worst nightmare. She had always been looked at for being pretty, but these looks were different and she didn’t like them. Here of course, in front of this class and a room full of people her own age, she was slightly more comfortable. But only slightly.
“My name is Rose and I am a daughter of Delaniford.” There was a brief pause before a burst of laughter erupted from one side of the room and continued to the other.
“Quiet please,” Cyrene hushed, “if it wasn’t for the country of Delaniford we wouldn’t be sitting here in this Valhalla right now.”
Cyrene could sense the doubt in their faces. She stared at her class from above her glasses and spoke in a hushed tone. “Their assassins are unparalleled. Do you know what it takes to be an assassin of Delaniford?” Cyrene thrust her finger towards the class, emphasising the point further. “Do you have any comprehension of the amount of hardship their women go through? Rose comes from a line that goes back to Triana the Floating Leaf and if any of you know your history, you’ll realise that’s nothing to be sniffed at. You should feel privileged to have her in your class. And who knows, maybe one of you is a target she’s been sent here to kill.”
The room suddenly fell silent. Cyrene turned and gave Rose a secret wink. She returned it with a smile and rocked back and forth on her feet as if it were a little celebratory dance.
As she did so, and with a newfound confidence, she decided there and then that she was the prettiest girl in the class. Although this might sound vain, Rose was taught by her older sister to do this when she was feeling at her ugliest. If you look around and tell yourself you’re the prettiest person in the room, you might just begin to believe it.
Her parents, being traditional Delanifords, had taught her how to look beautiful yet modest from a very early age and even now, at fourteen years old, she is still getting lessons from her mother. Not that Rose minds, she never feels closer to her mother than when she is having her hair brushed or how to walk, talk and eat properly. She could see the pride glowing from her mother day by day like a bright star.
She wondered what her mother was doing this very moment. She looked out of the large glass windows, out onto the huge stone courtyard that surrounded the building and her gaze stopped at the two wooden doors of the front entrance that were higher than a hundred men. Beyond those doors was the village, one of the busiest and most developed in the world, she knew somewhere there her father was working hard, developing the village further with lots of plans and pictures. Beyond that, far into the green fields and flowering hills, she thought of her mother watering the plants, tidying after her baby brother or having a cup of tea in the sun.
To her left she could see the corridors she walked down to get to the classroom. They were bright and clean, with pictures of old classes covering the walls and awards celebrating certain defeats over other Valhalla’s at various competitions. There were statues and flags and all sorts of things she’d never seen before that filled the hallways with the ancestry of their country. Yet there was an incredible simplicity about how it was all laid out – there was a sense of majesty.
Before today she had never entered a Valhalla before. There were many scattered across the globe, but this Valhalla of Norheath was said to be the most beautiful. She couldn’t imagine anything that could beat the view once you were higher than the wall. There were luscious fields and a vast mountain range that would flow into the distance like waves on a raging sea. It could only be described as a place that feels ‘alive’. But being in the first year, they were placed on the ground floor meaning all they could see was the courtyard and gigantic walls separating them from the world outside.
She knew all the Valhallas around the globe were placed as far up as possible within the mountains or hills, but it still surprised her how high they were. Her father said this was a defence strategy more than anything, that when war would bre
ak out the Valhalla would be in the best position to keep their people safe. They were magnificent structures, huge glass prisms that allowed you to stand in the centre and look into the sky, it gave you a wondrous floating sensation, as if she was looking at Gaea himself.
Each building was apparently based on the idea that each base supports a single point that can penetrate the sky and lead us to infinity. Gaea had said ‘A single man might change the world, but he must be brought there to do so.’ Rose didn’t know why it would have to be a man that can change the world and not a woman, but you don’t really ask questions about Gaea, you are just told that it is what it is.
She never really knew that much about this Almighty One before she reached Norheath, apart from some ridiculous stories to do with him saving the world from huge monsters, but they take him very seriously around here. Luckily, she did not have to prove a belief in Gaea to be part of the Valhalla like they used to have to do, they would now take all beliefs here – even ex-members of the Dark Clans, which no other Valhalla had ever done. Her Father had said that it would cause wars with other countries by accepting them in and that it was too dangerous for Rose to come here, but her mother had said he was just being silly and a ‘worry wart’.
For all the strange systems and rules of it all, she could see herself enjoying being here. No matter what her father said, she certainly felt safe. She could see that at each corner of the surrounding wall was a huge pillar that served as a lookout point. Her father said that these pillars contained entrances to all sorts of labyrinths that lie underneath the ground; a vast number of tunnels and passages that no-one but a select few can enter. All these mysteries and secrets in one place filled her with curiosity.
This particular Valhalla was the oldest and most grandiose so it must hold many a secret within its walls. It was the envy of every other country and had the best reputation for producing pupils who went on to be leaders in their field. Its inherent freedom and openness to all [DG1]meant that it was at the cutting edge for all advances in kyu power and technology. It was, by far and away, the place where everyone wanted to be and she knew she was lucky to be here. This was to be her new home away from home, she would be here for years and if she became a teacher like she wanted to, she might even be here indefinitely. But for the moment, she just had to get through today.
“Rose, welcome to Class 3B. Who here wants to help Rose settle in today?”
A sea of hands shot into the air including one young boy with long wavy black hair that covered half his face and underneath she could just make out a screwed up mouth and eyes. He was straining so hard that it looked as though if he was able to raise his hand any higher, it might shoot off. Rose hated herself for being so judgemental, but she immediately thought his clothes looked cheap and his black boots were dirty and clearly falling apart. She knew she shouldn’t be so harsh but she liked those who took pride in their appearance. But with this boy, it was like he had dressed in the dark, and in a rubbish tip.
He was wearing a stained black top tucked into black trousers with pieces of armour attached to his left shoulder and forearms that he’d clearly constructed by himself. There were all kinds of leather straps tied around him that looked like it was keeping it all together, but on closer inspection she realised they were engraved with words she couldn’t recognise and were clearly weathered over years of use. As she peered at his pale face, she could see that even though his eyes were all squinted up, they still looked rather strange.
“Hemero? Would you like to accompany Rose today?”
The boy jumped out of his seat and saluted his teacher.
“I, Hemero, swear on the word of Gaea that I will protect Rose of Delaniford with my life.” Some members of the class groaned but Rose couldn’t hear them, because she had noticed something that had left her quite speechless.
It was his eyes.
Hemero looked up to see Rose staring back at him in shock and she quickly averted her gaze. Cyrene pulled close into Rose’s ear and whispered “Don’t let his eyes fool you. He is a sweet kind boy who I trust will take good care of you. Otherwise I wouldn’t choose him, would I?”
Rose couldn’t help her reaction. No-one, not even the Titans who had gone through generations of strange genetic mutations, had eyes like his. They were bright and glowed many different colours depending on what angle you were looking at them. They reminded Rose more of a cat beast, perhaps a panther or a lion, and they were not ugly at all – instead they fascinated her. She could see how people might find them scary but she saw warmth behind them and felt that Cyrene was correct to trust in him.
She smiled and Hemero smiled back, rather more awkwardly than she, and she sat at the empty table next to him to carry on the class.
Hemero had been slightly worried that she would be afraid of him from the very moment she had entered the room. He had hidden himself out of her eyeline behind the kid in front and had brushed his hair forward as much as possible, but as soon as he had caught a glimpse of her, he immediately got a dull, numb sensation deep in his stomach and wasn’t quite sure what it was.
He wondered if it was that same shameful feeling he got when people noticed his deformity. Her reaction was nothing new at all but no matter how many times it happened, it was still another reminder that he did not fit in, that to the people around him he was just a freak. But like spotting a butterfly on a miserable day, as soon as she sat down next to him, he forgot everything and was lost in her smile. He was grinning back, looking like an idiot he was sure, but he was giddy with happiness that she was sitting so close. Without even thinking about it, he started doodling trees and flowers and all the other things that make him happy. He was certain that this might be the best day of his life.
Cyrene stood behind her glass desk and addressed the pupils. Finally, she could get the class started.
“Right, I hope everyone has been revising for tomorrow’s test because it’s going to count to your end of year graduation mark. The only person who has an excuse not to do the test here is Rose.” Rose heard Hemero sigh and saw him hang his head. “Right, who can give me a quick demonstration on how to change objects? Did anyone practise from last week? Nayakax?”
From the back of the class Rose could hear someone stand up and slowly walk to the front of the class. As she turned to look at him, Rose was struck instantly with fear and not in the same way she was initially scared of Hemero. For the fear of Hemero was a fear of the unknown because she did not understand his eyes, but this boy she understood very well. Nayakax looked like he had walked among the Dark Clans.
His hair was similar to Hemero’s but was much longer and thicker with a shine that Rose wished she had in her hair. His eyes were a dark brown with a face of fine, sharp features that made him look statuesque; a surreal plainness yet beautiful. His clothes looked expensive, probably hand-crafted, with a thin white undergarment that was covered by a small light blue jacket that ended just below his chest rather than his waist. His figure was rather thin, almost too thin, which made Rose feel somewhat uncomfortable and his trousers were made of a dark, shiny material Rose had never seen before. On his hip hung a short sword in a sheath made of fine leather and it all seemed to match perfectly.
Nayakax strutted up to the front of the class and turned to face his classmates. He swept his hair away from his face revealing a small scar on his right cheek and pushed the palms of his hands together revealing a faint blue glow starting to emanate between them.
“Good Nayakax, now concentrate your kyu and change my plant into an apple and back.” Cyrene asked.
“Is that all?” Nayakax casually raised his right palm that continued to glow and the plant suddenly changed to an apple and just as fast, turned it back again.
He made it look like it was as easy as breathing, but Rose had never seen anything like it. She started clapping enthusiastically and immediately stopped and blushed once she realised she was the only one doing so. Apparently this was the norm here. Cyrene nodd
ed at Nayakax and he went to sit back in his seat, staring at Rose with a smile and making her blush even further.
“Hemero? Why don’t you show your new friend what you can do?” The rest of the class laughed, apart from Rose who thought it was very rude and common to laugh at people. She clearly wasn’t fitting in like she thought she would do.
Hemero shot up from his chair and marched to the front of the class. He was staring straight at Nayakax who was looking at something outside the window. As if feeling his gaze, Nayakax turned his head slowly to face Hemero and a small sarcastic smile appeared on his face.
Hemero forced out his hands, swept his hair out of his eyes and breathed in. “Right. Concentrating my kyu.” His face was starting to strain so hard that for a moment Rose thought his head might explode. A red glow started to emit from his hands and the plant was bulging and bubbling as if water were trying to burst from its leaves, until it suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke. Everyone got up from their seats and moved to try and get a closer look at what had happened and all that was left was a tiny black object. Cyrene picked it up.
“It’s a seed.”
There was an eruption of laughter. Hemero didn’t know how something so small could make him feel like such a huge failure.
All of a sudden a loud alarm went off like thunder attacking the walls. It was the large bell in one of the watchtowers and its sound was beyond deafening. Cyrene wondered if it was the fire bell, but this was different. This was the sound of when there’s an attack, an attack on the Valhalla itself. Was this a test? Surely they would have seen an attack coming from miles away?
As she gathered her thoughts, Cyrene tried to get the classroom under control. None of the children would know what this certain ringing meant so she had to make sure she kept everyone safe. Hemero had run back to Rose while others grabbed their bags to make a hasty exit, expecting it to be another fire alarm. Just then they could hear one boy shout above the noise, “Look! It’s Naya!”
