The Broken Ones

Chapter 11:1 -The Academy City

The Academy wasn’t just a few buildings where they educated brokens as Soi had thought all this time. No it was a city. The Academy City where the Academy was the centre of it all. In the middle lay the Academy council with its tower overlooking all of the city and the surrounding plains. Around it in a circle were the Academy buildings, where the education was taught. This was the only area of the city Ana could locate herself without a map. The way to the middle was harder. The Academy City was a large and round city, in its outskirts lay the white terrace houses, there lived people who worked for the Academy but wasn’t broken.
-That’s where they keep the slaves, Nibbles said with a smirk and Soi stared perplexed at him.
Ana gave Nibble a dangerous glare and then turned to Soi.
-How can you still believe what comes out from his mouth? Ignore him, that’s what I do.
-Ana, it’s more fun believing in the outrageous, Nibbles explained and Ana gave him a long look. But Nibbles kept smiling.
Instead of getting astray among the many terraces there were three main entrances leading to the next layer of the circle. It was the mansions where the brokens lived, at least those who worked for the Academy. The houses were white, as the terraces, and looked identical to each other. Most of them appeared to be uninhabited. This was the area where Ana got lost. All streets looked the same and seemed to go around in circles and never lead anywhere. If the Academy buildings hadn’t been towering over them one would easily get lost, was Soi’s thought. Ana got lost anyway. She stopped a young woman that came out from a side door of one of the white mansions.
-Excuse me. Do you know where I live?
None of them could hold back the laughter and Ana gave them all an evil stare while she talked to the woman who looked terrified at them all. She nervously watched the sides and kept fumbling with her fingers, her eyes were wide with fear. She pointed in a direction and gave Ana some directions to follow before she set off with quick feet down the opposite direction, away from them.
They all smiled silly when Ana turned to them with a sour expression.
-Don’t you dare… she threatened and pointed her finger at Nibbles who smiled widest.
-You don’t know where you live? That’s hilarious!
They burst out laughing again and Ana gave up and started limping away. The others followed her footsteps. From time to time she pointed at one of the Academy building, all of them looking exactly the same but Ana could obvious separate them from each other as she pointed at them and named them.
-And this is the justice department, Ana pointed to another huge white building.
-The torture chambers, Nibbles whispered teasingly in Soi’s ear.
-It doesn’t seem to be a lot of people out in the streets. Is everybody home already? Ard asked.
-There aren’t many brokens living here, Ana explained.
-Why not? I mean, it seems ok. Food, education and a home.
-And you have to work for the Academy for the rest of your life, Nibbles added.
-To save people, right? Isn’t that great?
-Ana, can’t you tell him, Nibbles sighed.
-I can’t, oath of secrecy.
She held up the right hand she had pledged with.
Nibbles threw his hands in the air dramatically.
-Trade secret, right! I’ll tell you Ard, but not here, this close to the Academy, Nibbles lowered his voice to a whisper. -They’ll kill me.
-You don’t work for the Academy?
-No, thank the silver stars for that. I think Ana is the only one for the moment, now that Sam’s quit.
-Who’s Sam? Didn’t you say he’s a monster?
-Ard, Haz quieted his brother’s stream of question.
-Ana, how can you be the only one working for the Academy? Soi continued instead.
-I’m not, I’m the only one doing big missions. The others act diplomats and small stuff.
-Then what do you do?
Ana frowned and held up her right hand. Nibbles answered instead.
-She has the adventures, he said with a smile.
Ana stopped in front of a mansion, similar to all the rest in the street, it was huge and white. White was the only colour in the Academy City.
-Welcome to my house.
As if Ana had snapped her fingers people came out from side doors and took away the horses. Soi wasn’t really willing to let go of the black mare to a stranger, but finally let her go.
-Is this your home?
-It’s my house. I don’t have a home.
The outside with its many windows suggested the inside would be light but it couldn’t be more wrong.
-It feels dark, I can feel it smother me, Ard said with a shudder.
-It’s black, Haz stated.
-Dark as night, was Nibbles thought.
-As Soi’s horse, Jagger contributed with a smile.
A laughter broke out.
-No, wait, I know, it’s dark as Soi’s hair, Ard added smiling.
-Yes! And his eyes, Jagger agreed enthusiastically.
Ana snorted.
-Actually…
-It’s blue, Soi answered instead. –It’s dark blue. Can’t you see it?
The other silenced and watched around the hallway.
-I still think it looks like your eyes, Soi, Nibbles said after awhile and Jagger and Ard smiled agreeing.
-Whatever the colour of my hallway, you are welcome to enter and find yourself a room.
-How many rooms do you have?
-Around twenty, haven’t counted them yet.
-How long have you had this mansion?
-I don’t know, as I’ve said on several occasions I don’t keep track of the years.
-Let’s find out.
Jagger pulled Ard with her and they disappeared up the stairs. Ana sighed loudly.
-Aren’t you childish enough to find out how many rooms I have? She asked the remaining three people.
Nibbles smiled, tipped his hat and took the left corridor.
-I’ll take the other one, Haz said silently and disappeared to the right.
-And you? Ana raised an eyebrow expectantly.
-Do you have a stable?
-Why, Soi, would I have a stable when I detest horses? Stupid question!
-You don’t know, right? Soi smiled a little when Ana’s grey eyes widened in surprise.
She opened her mouth to contradict him but he raised his hand and waved her off.
-Doesn’t matter, I’ll find it myself.
He walked straight forward, to the door to the right of the stairs. The door led to a room equally dark as the hall and so were the following rooms he passed in his search for a way out. The rooms were all saloons and dining rooms of some sort, filled with armchair and sofas in dark blue velvet, bookshelf and tables made out of dark wood. In each room there was a fire sparkling in the grand fireplaces even though it was summer. Dark blue curtains hung in front of every window. Everything in the mansion was dark, mostly blue but also brown, grey and black.
At last Soi found a door out. When he opened it he was astonished by the sight that met him. It was a garden, full of colours and flowers and butterflies and birdsong.
-Amazing.
-It’s breathtaking, isn’t it?
Soi jumped out of fear. Ana stood right behind him.
-Did you follow me?
-Who knows what you’ll do if I don’t keep an eye on you, she said and passed him into the garden. –So, what do you think?
-Breathtaking, as you said. But it doesn’t feel like you, not like the house did. This is too much colours.
Ana looked around the garden, nodded vaguely.
-I wished for black roses, not that I care for flowers.
-You didn’t get to choose how you wanted your garden to look like?
-Oh, yes. But I didn’t care about it and so Sam said he could do it for me. He thought I needed more colours.
She waved her hand along the garden.
-I think I agree with him on that matter at least, Soi said quietly.
-Me too. We used to be in my garden those few evenings I stayed here before I went on another mission. This is the only place I feel at home.
Ana sat down on a bench and fiddled with her necklace.
-That was the necklace Sam left for you in Sofara?
Soi sat down beside her and reached for it. Ana stopped immediately and tucked it inside her clothes.
-Shall we see if we can find your stable, she said and walked away.
Soi followed.
-What did he say in that note he left you?
Ana furrowed her forehead.
-None of your business.
She tried to walk away from him and he let her, he wasn’t supposed to meddle anyway. It wasn’t his business.
They found the stable and discovered how the streets worked as well. Ana’s mansion together with nine other mansions formed a circle and inside the circle laid the stable with the horses from the surrounding mansions. The stable was empty except for Soi’s black mare, Nibbles roan stallion and Haz’s white horse.

To be continued...
By J.L.Frick