Prologue

          The single clock in the center of the room softly ticked with each passing second. The ticking was synchronized with the tapping of the enigmatic man’s shoe as he walked to the back center of the dimly lit Victorian-style room. His face was covered by an elegant mechanical crow mask and on his head sat a top hat. “Live by the wing…” The man said. He raised his hand to his followers. “Die by the talon.” They answered in eerie unison. His followers as well wore mechanical crow masks, although theirs were slightly less impressive.

          “I bring to order this meeting of the Corvi Machinæ.” The leader announced. His voice boomed throughout the room. “We only have one order of business, but it is by far the most important we’ve ever had. We must decide the fate of Ookami.” As he said this, hushed whispers were heard around the room. “He is a dangerous threat that must be eliminated.” The leader said promptly.

          “Pardon my intrusion, master, but would it not be more advantageous to use him in the experiments?” One of the members said. The master stared at him through his crow mask. “An interesting thought you propose, Adrian.” Although their faces were covered, the master knew each and every one of them through their voice. “It is unlikely that the tests would reject him, given his nature and bodily composition. He could be useful to us, you’re right...” He gave it some thought and replied, “I concur with the previous inquisition. He must be used in our trials. Any ideas on how to go about this?”

          “A simple inducing of amnesia. We lock away his memories and use him in our trials.” Another piped up. The master began to pace around the area. “A thought occurred to me, my brethren. He might just be the final subject we need to perfect the experiment. With his explosiveness and his powers, he may have just what we need… Yes…” He smirked from underneath his mask. “Benedict. When this meeting is adjourned, prepare the Universitas Permetior Machinæ for use.” He gestured to a member near the bottom left. “Yes, sir.” He simply replied.

          “I myself will work on containing his powers and preparing the catalyst.” The master told the rest of the murder, “Since everything is in order, I will close the meeting preemptively… Live by the wing,” The murder answered in unison, “Die by the talon.”

“Meeting adjourned.” He said to them. He walked off of the stage towards the laboratory.

          Benedict met him there. “I will prepare the machine immediately.” He said, his face now unmasked.

“Excellent. I will meet you there in approximately five minutes. There’s something I need to…check on.” The master replied enigmatically. They both rushed off: Benedict to prepare the machine, and the master elsewhere.

          The master rushed into his secret laboratory, where he almost ran to the back of the room. Protected by a glass dome, a colossal automaton stood, partly finished. “Soon… soon you will be complete… my masterpiece.” The master said in a hushed tone. The automaton was magnificent. Gears and clockwork were intricately laced in the optimal pattern. Steam came off in small bursts where excess heat had to be released. The ticks of the clockwork came off in beautiful melodic tones- at least to its creator. It was a beauty of modern mechanics. He grabbed a couple of… necessary items off of the cluttered work area and rushed back to the primary laboratory where Benedict waited.

          “Everything is ready.” Benedict said without looking at him. The master nodded and approached the machine. “Thank you Benedict. For this mission I will be going alone. No sense in bringing anyone else along.” The master’s voice was hurried and informal. He had changed his manner of speaking since the meeting. “If I do not return within two hours, expect the worst and inform the others.” He said, nearing the device. “Yes, sir.” Benedict answered, “The machine has been set for Ookami’s approximate location. All you have to do is reactivate the device once you’ve found him.”

          “Understood. Thank you, Benedict.” The master sat down in the chair and placed the helmet over his head. Gears began to turn and the whirring of the machine became louder and steam shot out of the release pipes. There was a blinding flash; when Benedict looked back, the master was gone. The whirring of the gears slowly came to a stop.

          The master reappeared in what seemed to be the middle of a forest. Light shone through the dark green leaves of the trees and not a sound could be heard. “He’s somewhere around here…” The master said to himself. He began to search around the area for some sign of the boy. He soon reached a clearing where off in the distance, he could see the figure of a human, silhouetted against the light of the sun.

          The master began to walk towards the figure. He found it odd that the figure appeared to just be standing still, however. As he approached closer, he could make out the figure’s appearance. It was a boy with long black hair down past his shoulders. He wore a simple black shirt with jeans. Clothes such as the ones the boy was wearing were very uncommon- almost nonexistent in the master’s world.

          The boy seemed to be meditating. The master was within fifty feet of him now. When he was within twenty feet, he suddenly vanished in a burst of shadow. Before the master had even known what had happened, he was on the ground with a sword to his neck. “Who are you?” The teen asked, “Why have you come here?” The master knew one wrong move would mean death, so he had to try and seem friendly.

          “Calm down! I’m just a passing traveler. I didn’t expect to find anyone else in these woods!” The master tried.

“With clothes like yours? Don’t try to lie to me. If you do, I’ll kill you right now.” The teen answered.

“You’re Ookami, aren’t you?”

“How… how do you know my name…?” Ookami faltered a bit, enough to give the master enough time to escape the sword and stand up in front of him. “I’ll get straight to the point then, enough with the friendly talk.” The master’s voice turned slightly sinister, “My name is Regulus Arcanum, leader of Corvi Machinæ. We have need for you in our experiments. You’re coming with me whether you like it or not!”

          “Stay away from me.” Ookami warned. Flames of shadow appeared in his hands. “I can kill you in an instant.”

“You’ll not be killing anybody today. You’re coming with me.” Regulus repeated.

“Like hell I will!” Ookami yelled. He rushed towards Regulus and blew him backwards with a shadow pulse. He materialized right next to him and held the sword to his neck, drawing a little blood. Using lightning reflexes, Regulus slipped out of the hold once again and knocked the sword out of Ookami’s hand.

          Regulus pulled out a syringe that held the amnesia serum. “Don’t worry. In a few seconds you won’t be able to resist anymore.” He held Ookami down and activated the device that allowed him to return. “Enjoy your amnesia!” Regulus yelled as he brought the syringe down. As the serum entered Ookami’s bloodstream, he let out one last yell and released a tremendous burst of shadow energy that engulfed them both.

          The energy caused both of them to fall into unconsciousness. The machine would activate automatically, so Regulus had nothing to worry about. However, unbeknownst to Regulus, the energy had messed with the inner workings of the machine and caused a sudden change in coordinates, causing Ookami to be transported far away from the laboratory. Regulus however, returned to the precise location where he had left.

          When Regulus returned, a surprised Benedict quickly laid him on a bed to rest. When Regulus awoke, he was furious. “How could he have escaped?! You said that the machine was flawless!” He slammed his fist down onto the table and Benedict jumped back. “I’m sorry! I triple-checked it and everything worked perfectly!”

          “I could have you KILLED this very instant!!”

“Please sir, it was an honest mistake!”

“Find him! Take whatever measures necessary but find him!!”

“Yes, sir!!” Benedict rushed out of the room to escape the rest of Regulus’ wrath. Regulus slammed his fist down again. This was getting aggravating. They needed to find Ookami. “He can only do so much damage with amnesia.” Regulus said to himself. Unbeknownst to him however, their troubles with Ookami were only just beginning…

Translation key: Corvi Machinæ- Crows of the Machine

Universitas Permetior Machinæ- World Traversing Machine

I’m sorry if the translations are inaccurate… I don’t exactly know Latin yet, so I have to rely on online translators.

2: Chapter I

So the next chapter is up! Be sure to leave reviews and follow/favourite this story!

Chapter I

          The room was completely silent except for the ticking of a clock off in the distance. As the hour changed, a gonging was heard in the distance. It struck eleven times for the eleventh hour. The gonging caused a certain confused teen to wake up with a start. He sat up in the bed breathing heavily. He stared wide-eyed around the room. Sun shone through the small window above the bed.     

          He suddenly felt an immense pain in his head and he held his head in his hands. His head throbbed with pain, as if his mind had just been tampered with. He threw off the covers and got out of the bed. He stumbled a bit, still woozy from the pain. Where was he? He couldn’t remember anything. Except… for one word… Ookami. All he knew was that Ookami was his name.

          Exploring the small room he found only a couple things of interest. A worn dagger, covered in silver with a leather hilt, and a pair of aviator goggles. Looking down in his clothes, he found himself dressed in a mostly black airship suit. It looked to be made of leather as well and allowed for easy movement. Seeing nothing else of interest, he opens the door and leaves the room.

          Outside the room he found a magnificent sight. A massive clock stood in front of him. The hands were black and the frame was gold-plated. The outside was clear and allowed Ookami to be able to see the clockwork, all flowing rhythmically. The sight of everything was almost overwhelming, but nonetheless he continued to explore.

          He opened the door at the base of the clock which led outside. Outside was even more magnificent. Steam filled the air, which was inhabited by enormous airships, also emitting steam. The metallic buildings were bronze-brown and soared high into the sky. The sight was beautiful.

          He slowly walked on the sidewalk, which was bustling with people. A tall man in a top hat and a mechanical crow mask bumped into him almost deliberately and kept walking. Getting a bad feeling about the man, he continued walking. The city had a Victorian feel to it, although he had no idea where that information came from. Ladies were dressed in pleated dresses and the men were dressed in sharp suits and sometimes top hats.

          He happened to notice a man whispering to a police officer next to him. He was pointing at Ookami. The police officer approached Ookami and asked him for his airship license. “I’m sorry, I must’ve lost it.” He lied. The police officer grabbed him. “You’re under arrest for impersonating an airship pilot!” He yelled at Ookami. The other man walked up and said, “I know every single pilot and trainee by face! And you aren’t one of them!”

          “Stop! You don’t need to do this!” Ookami insisted.

“Quiet!” The officer commanded. They reach the nearby police station but are greeted by a “Wait!”. Turning around, they see a girl dressed in the same uniform as Ookami. “Please leave him be! I can vouch for him!”

“Lyra? You know this boy?”

“Yes, he’s a new trainee at the academy. Please release him!”

          “…Fine.” The officer released Ookami and walked away.

“Thanks. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.” Ookami said, approaching Lyra.

“You owe me one.” She said.

“Why did you save me?” Ookami asked, curious.

“Well why not? You look like someone worth saving.” She replied.

“Lyra was it?” Ookami asked. “My name is Ookami.”

“Interesting name… sounds foreign.”

“Well I wouldn’t know. I have amnesia.”

“Really now?” She asked, surprised, “That’s interesting.”

“All I could remember was my name… I woke up recently in this uniform.” Ookami said.

“Well why don’t you become a trainee? I just became one myself.” Lyra suggested.

“I don’t see how flying airships would help me regain my memories.”

“You never know, you may remember something.”

“I… I’d rather not right now. I just don’t think it’s the right way to go.” He answered. Lyra looked disappointed and said, “Oh… That’s disappointing. Just think about it, please.”

          Ookami looked surprised at her concern. “Is there any way to become an airship pilot without going to the academy?” Lyra thought about it for a moment. “There is one way… I heard the headmaster talking about it. You have to complete an ordeal to prove yourself worthy of flying. It’s the final test for aspiring airship pilots.”

          “ I’ll pass that ordeal.” He said firmly.

“But why do you want to fly airships so badly?”

“The thrill. I’m not going to get my memories back any time soon, so I may as well have fun. More to the point though, how do I take the ordeal?” He asked.

“I’ll notify the headmaster, you should be able to begin pretty soon.” Lyra answered. “Just wait for me at the entrance!” She grinned and ran off to find the headmaster. When she reached his office, she knocked on the door and waited for him to open the door.

          The doorknob moved and the door opened. A gray haired man looked down at Lyra. “What is it?” He asked her.

“I have a friend who wishes to take the ordeal, sir.” Lyra answered.

“Really now? He must be pretty confident in himself.” The headmaster laughed, “Bring him to me.”

“Yes, sir.” She walked back down the hallway and back outside to Ookami. “The headmaster wishes to see you.” She grinned. He followed her back to the headmaster. “Here he is, sir.” She said to him.

          “You wish to take the ordeal then?” The headmaster asked inquisitively.

“Yes, sir.”

“Why is that then? Are you too lazy to go to the academy?” He laughed, “I’m just messin’ with ya! Come with me, it’s already set up.” He beckoned for them to follow. After passing a few doorways, the headmaster opened a door that led to a small arena.

          “This is the ordeal arena. Here you will be tested on physical, mental, and airship skills. I assume you know enough about airships even without going to the academy.” He laughed again, “We will begin with the physical portion of the ordeal. In this stage, you must go through a series of battles using different weapons in order to test reflexes, agility, and strength. These are necessary qualities when flying an airship, believe it or not.” He said to Ookami. Ookami nodded and jumped down into the arena. “Begin fight one!” The headmaster called out.

An airship lieutenant walked out from the other side of the arena, holding a sword. He walked up to about twenty-five feet from Ookami and tossed him a sword. The lieutenant ran towards Ookami. He sent out a few strikes that Ookami parried with ease. He swung back, sending out a flurry of blows. The fight continued on, strike after parry, for another few minutes. Ookami finally disarmed the lieutenant and held the sword to his neck. Even with amnesia, some skills were retained.

“Was that it?” He yelled up at the headmaster.

“No, it’s only just beginning!” The headmaster laughed. Another person came out, this one bare handed. “Hand-to-hand combat is next!”  He says. Ookami grabbed him and threw him using the judo move, osotogari. His opponent threw him off and punched him a couple times. Ookami jabbed him in the solar plexus and he hunched over in pain. Ookami tripped him and pinned him down.

          “Next!” Ookami yelled to the headmaster. The fights continued for a while, each with a different form of fighting. Ookami won against the last opponent, and the headmaster said, “Impressive! Now on to the mental portion of the trial.” The headmaster applauded him. “Come back inside.”

They go back inside and go into another room. The room was plain and there was one desk with two chairs. The room was lit by two dim bulbs on the ceiling. “You will now be tested under different situations. Give your answer to each one truthfully.” Ookami nods. The headmaster opens the yellowed booklet and begins to read, “You have been swindled and find that the automaton you have purchased is purposely defective. What do you do?”

Ookami thinks for a moment and says, “I would take the automaton back and threaten the seller until my money is returned to me.” The headmaster frowns slightly and writes something down. “Your airship is attacked by pirates. What do you do?”

“I’d kill a few of their crewmembers until they surrendered.”

“A logical response.” He writes something else down. This continued on for another half an hour or so, and another half an hour to take a test on airships. “You scored a bit low on the mental test, especially the airship quiz...” The headmaster said. Ookami and Lyra both frowned. “Don’t give me that look; I’m not calling you stupid! Your knowledge of airships is just low! But you scored perfectly on the physical test, so you still have a chance. It all depends on the final test. The airship test.”

          “This will test you on your knowledge of airships.” They walked back outside and he gestured to a small airship that was landing in the middle of the arena. “Take the wheel, uh... what was your name?” The headmaster asked.

“Ookami. My name is Ookami.” Ookami replied, walking towards the airship. The headmaster’s eyes widened a bit as he heard Ookami’s name, but he showed no surprise. Ookami reached the bridge of the airship and took the place of the pilot. He gulped as he looked at the complicated controls. There was no way he’d be able to pilot this thing.

          The headmaster walked in behind him. “Ready when you are, Ookami.” He said, as if still breaking in the name. “Begin by starting up the airship. We have crew members posted at their stations, awaiting orders.” Ookami nodded and announced into the radio, “Release the hydrium, all crew members to positions.” He said dumbly. He pulled a lever and the propellers began to move. The airship began its wobbly ascent, the propellers blowing dust around it. “Good, good.” The headmaster said, writing something down. “Carry on.”

          Ookami continued to give orders as the airship rose upwards. “There will now be a mock encounter with pirates. Associates of mine will act as pirates and threaten the lives of you and your crew members. It is your job to stop them. Ah- here they come now.” The headmaster seemed to be a bit on edge, but Ookami was too busy to notice. The pirates docked and Ookami rushed off the bridge. He found a few of his crew members with guns to their heads. “Give us everything in your stores, or we shoot.” The actors threatened.

          “Okay. Just don’t harm them.” He began to walk towards the stores, but as he passed the fake pirates, he quickly kicked their feet out from under them. They all fell to the ground. Ookami grabbed two of their handguns and kicked the rest to the crew members. They grabbed them and pointed them at the fallen pirates. They put their hands up and one said, “Excellent work.” He grinned, “You pass this part of the test.”

          They got up and Ookami and the crew members handed the guns back to the people. They quickly got back on their airship and departed. “Back to your positions.” Ookami told them as he walked back to the bridge. He returned and the headmaster said to him, “Your skills are impressive. You know how to fly such an airship despite having never been in one before, correct?”

“Yes. Maybe part of my memories have slipped through despite the amnesia.”

          The headmaster grabbed his shoulders. “Did you say amnesia?!” He demanded.

“Yes… Is there a problem?” Ookami asked.

“No…nothing at all. Forgive me for that.” The headmaster looked away. “The next part of your test will be maneuvering skills. There are obstacles placed around this area. You must maneuver the airship around the obstacles. Understood?”

“Yes, understood.” Ookami took the wheel and accelerated the airship. A few obstacles stood in front of him, floating in the air on propellers. He maneuvered the airship around the first obstacle, but in doing so, he ran right into the second one. It bounced off and revealed a third obstacle. He made a sharp turn, barely missing the obstacle. He maneuvered the airship through a few more obstacles, although he ran into another couple.

          Finally, the sky was clear of obstacles. “You’ve finished the second part of the test. The final test is simply… to land the airship. A lot harder than it might seem, however. Land her down in the arena gently.” The headmaster told him. Ookami pulled another lever and the airship spat out some steam as it began its descent. The airship was getting closer and closer to the arena. Ookami then realized he was coming in too quickly and that the airship was too tilted! He was going to crash! He tried slowing down the airship and pulling upwards to level it out. Even so, the airship came down for a rocky landing. The entire airship shook a little as he turned off the propellers. “Deactivate the hydrium tanks.” He sighed in relief into the radio.

          “That was… quite an experience. And with that you have completed the ordeal. I’ll go tally up your points.” He walked off the bridge, with Ookami following behind. He closed the door to his office and Ookami and Lyra waited outside. “Wow. There was no way I could’ve pulled that off. And I’m an actual cadet.” Lyra said to him.

“I honestly have no idea how I did that myself…”

“Maybe you have flown airships before. Maybe you kept that skill when you lost your memories.”

“…Maybe, but I scored low on the airship quiz, remember? And I hit quite a few obstacles up there. Not to mention the landing…”

          “Don’t be so hard on yourself! You don’t even know the results yet!” As she said this, the door opened and the headmaster walked out. “Your results, Ookami… You scored a perfect 100/100 on the physical test, you scored a quite low 27/100 on the airship knowledge test, and… you scored a 78/100 on the final airship test. Your final score is… 207/300, which is enough to net you an airship pilot’s license! Congratulations!”

          Ookami looked stunned and stood there speechless. “No way! That’s great news!” Lyra answered for him, “Right Ookami?”

“Yeah. That’s awesome!” He replied, still stunned.

“I’ll have a badge and license for you by tomorrow.” The headmaster said. He put his hand on Ookami’s shoulder. “Congratulations, son.” He walked back into his office and closed the door. Ookami and Lyra walked out of the academy, both still amazed. “Have I told you what I plan to do with the airship?”

          “What do you mean?” Lyra asked, now curious.

“I’m not gonna stay holed up in this city. I’m going to fly to new places and see new things.” He answered.

“What? Are you sure you’re allowed to take your airship wherever you please?”

“I’m sure of nothing!” He laughed, “You know, you could come with me.”

“What?? I have my own training to worry about!”

“That’s true, you do… but don’t you want to see the world?” He grinned, “I’m not going to let amnesia stop me from enjoying my life. I’m here now, and I have to make the best of it.”

“I don’t know… I do want to see the world. But I also want to become an airship pilot myself.” Lyra answered. Ookami frowned in disappointment. “I’m not going to force you. But if you ever want to, I’m willing to take you.”

          “Thanks, Ookami.” She said to him.

“Not a problem. It’d be lonely to see the world on my own. Sure I have my crew, but I’d want a real friend there with me. I don’t care if we just met today. You saved me, and that’s something only a friend would do.” He said to her, “I’ve been rambling on though. You have classes to go to! I’ll see you later, Lyra!” He waved to her and walked away as she sat there in thought.

          Meanwhile, back in his office, the headmaster was talking to a man by the name of Regulus Arcanum over the phone. “This is Sebastian Faustus. I believe I’ve found him. He just passed the airship trial. His name was Ookami and he commented on having amnesia.”

“What?! Why did you not bring him to us?!” Regulus yelled from the phone.

“It was an inopportune moment, sir. There were too many witnesses. It would have caused quite the uproar.”

“Well capture him and bring him to me! He must not be allowed to escape!”

“Yes, sir. I told him I would grant him an airship and a license tomorrow. I’ll make sure that he is brought to you before he can escape on the airship.”  Sebastian replied.

“Good. And if you fail me… consider your life forfeit.” Regulus hung up the phone. Ookami would be brought to him… and his plan could finally be completely put into action. The automaton was nearing completion… as was Ookami’s life.

 

I’ll end it there! Quite a bit longer than the prologue, eh? The next chapter will probably be up by the end of next week, if I can find sufficient time to work on it. What a plot twist though! The headmaster is working for Corvi Machinæ! I also placed a small easter egg in this chapter. Hint: Look at the headmaster’s name. If you can figure out what it’s from then you can have an imaginary cookie. His name is actually from two names, though. One is from the first name, and the other is from the last name. Okay, enough hints. See you when the new chapter is released!

3: Chapter II

Sorry this chapter is up a bit late. I was pretty busy the last couple of weeks.

Chapter II

          It was the day that Ookami received his pilot license. A small ceremony had been planned at the docks. A few of the students and teachers attended, as well as Lyra, the headmaster, and Ookami’s future crew. They stood before a medium sized airship, about to be christened by its new captain.

          “We are here today to honour a new airship captain. He is one of the youngest we’ve ever had, and he even passed the ordeal without a single term at the academy. Pretty impressive if I do say so myself. Ookami, would you please step forward?” The headmaster said. Ookami walked to the front and stood next to the headmaster. “We will now honour your achievement with your pilot’s license, along with an airship and crew. Do you accept these gifts wholeheartedly?”

          “Yes. I accept.” Ookami replied. He stood in front of the headmaster and allowed the badge to be placed on his airship suit. Looking around the small audience, he saw smiling teachers and a delighted Lyra. Some of the students that had attended looked at Ookami with jealousy and disgust, although a couple gave him a praiseful look. Ookami took the license, which had been imprinted with his name and a sepia coloured picture.

          The headmaster handed a bottle of champagne to Ookami. “Now it is time to christen your new ship.” Ookami walked up to the front of the ship and declared, “For years, we have travelled the sky. We have crafted vessels to carry us and we have called them by name. These ships will nurture and care for us through perilous skies, and so we affectionately call them "she." To them we toast, and ask to celebrate the Maelstrom. TO THE SAILORS OF OLD! TO THE MAELSTROM!" Everyone took a sip of their champagne. Ookami continued, “Today we come to name this lady The Maelstrom, and send her to the skies to be cared for, and to care for us. We ask the sailors of old and the mood of God that is the sky to accept The Maelstrom as her name, to help her through her passages, and allow her to return with her crew safely.” Everybody raised their glasses as Ookami finished, “TO THE SEA...TO THE SAILORS BEFORE US...TO THE MAELSTROM!” He took the champagne bottle and poured it over the bow of the newly christened Maelstrom. Everyone in the audience took one last long sip of their champagne.

They cheered and set their glasses down. “Try taking her for a test ride!” The headmaster yelled to him. Ookami grinned and beckoned for his crew to come aboard. He sent them off to their stations as he headed to the bridge. He turned on the propellers and made the necessary preparations. As the hydrium filled the gas-containing envelope, the Maelstrom elevated slightly and moved in reverse away from the docks. The airship rose higher into the air, the wind rushing out from the propellers. He sped up now, flying over the buildings of the city. In the distance he could see a great building that towered over the others. It was built of tons and tons of metal. “Must’ve taken forever to build.” He commented. He flew closer to the tower, passing another airship on the way. He circled the tower and began flying back towards the docks.

The airship slowly descended and Ookami turned the propellers off as he and his crew exited the airship. “How’d she handle?” Lyra asked him.

“Smooth as silk, light as air.” He replied, “By the way, what’s that great tower in the center of the city called?”

“That’s the Eiffel Tower, of course! Even with amnesia I expected you to know of that monument!” The headmaster replied.

“It’s quite magnificent.” Ookami commented, looking up at the tower.

          The headmaster cleared his throat, “Yes, well we have very important matters to attend to, Ookami. If you would please come to my office.” Ookami followed Sebastian back to his office. “Please sit.” The headmaster told Ookami, sitting down himself. Ookami sat in the chair opposite Sebastian. “Are we here to discuss the details of my recent appointment as captain? Am I allowed to fly wherever I please? Or do I have to follow certain orders? What about expenses?”

          The lamp on the worn desk flickered a bit. “The thing about that is…” He cleared his throat, “You won’t be piloting any airship. Not ever.” Ookami slammed his fists down on the desk. “WHAT?!” He exclaimed, “EXPLAIN YOURSELF!”

“What I mean is that you will never even be in an airship ever again. Have you ever heard of an organization known as Corvi Machinæ?” Sebastian Faustus asked him. The name caused a small spark in the depths of his mind, as if he’d heard the name before. “No. Who are they and what do they have to do with your trick?!”

          “Let me explain. Originally, you were to fly an airship upon completing the trial. But that was before I knew who you really were. We have been pursuing a man named Ookami, who we recently caused amnesia to. This man just so happens to be you.”

“That… was you all?!” He stood up and kicked the chair away.

“I am taking you to see our leader. We have need for you in our experiments. We have reason to believe that you are the final component in our trials.”

“Why the hell would I go with you?!” He slammed his fist down again.

“I’m afraid you don’t have a choice.” He held up a vial containing an almost colourless liquid. “This vial contains a sedative which will render you unconscious almost instantly. It’s much more powerful than regular sedatives, I can guarantee you that. It’s one of our… side experiments.”

“Stay away from me. I will not hesitate to hurt you.” Ookami threatened. The headmaster ignored him and continued, “I’m honestly not sure how long the sedative will last. If it’s more than a few hours, you may never wake up again. His expression was neutral as he walked around the desk towards Ookami. “I’m afraid you won’t be able to stop us. You’ll be dead in a few hours anyway.” He grabbed Ookami and held him down long enough to administer the sedative. Ookami let out one last “Stop!” before he fell unconscious.

Sebastian’s next problem would be transporting him. He called Regulus, the leader of Corvi Machinæ and spoke into the receiver. “Ookami has been secured successfully. I now require assistance in transporting him.”

“I will send a couple men over to help you at once. Good work.” The enigmatic voice spoke back. Regulus put the phone down, as did the headmaster. It wouldn’t take long for the men to get here. Ten minutes at the most. Part of the headquarters was underneath the academy, so it would take no time at all.

          The men arrived exactly when the headmaster had predicted. The bookcase in the back of the headmaster’s office slid open and two members walked out carrying a body bag. They both wore their mechanical crow masks, typical of Corvi Machinæ members. They picked up Ookami and placed him into the body bag. They then carried the body back through the secret entrance with the headmaster following close behind.

          They carried Ookami to the laboratory where Regulus waited. His eyes burned with victory. “Remove him from the bag.” He commanded. The men immediately opened the bag, sending Ookami sprawling onto the floor, still unconscious. A laugh crawled up from Regulus’ throat. It was a maniacal laugh of victory. “Brilliant. Just brilliant.” He exclaimed, “The stratagem can finally advance. Place him on the table and strap him down. I must prepare the colossus.

          Regulus rushed to his masterpiece. He threw a couple switches. The pipes hissed as steam rushed out. A compartment in the colossus’ chest slowly opened up. It was prepared for a human to be strapped in and be used as a power source. “It’s ready.” He breathed. The scientists wheeled a still unconscious Ookami over to the colossus. He was rolled onto the lift and raised to the platform where he would be placed inside the automaton.

          He unstrapped Ookami and raised him towards the mechanism. As this happened, Ookami subconsciously heard a voice in his mind. “What are you doing, you fool?! You have to wake now! If you fail to do so, you will die! Don’t let this be your fate! Change it! Change your fate and awaken!!” The voice yelled at him. As if like magic, or an extreme exhibition of willpower, Ookami could feel the sedative wearing off and him beginning to wake up. His vision was blurry for a moment, but slowly focused. His eyes widened as he saw where he was. He had been placed in some sort of compartment, his arms and legs meshed with the machinery.

          He tried to break away, but the machinery held him in place with astonishing strength. “It seems he’s awoken.” He heard one of the engineers say.

“No matter,” The tall man with dark brown hair and an enigmatic voice replied, “It matters not if he is alive or dead. All that matters is that he is contained inside the automaton. In fact…” He laughed, “It might be better for him to go through the excruciating pain, rather than die before it begins.” He turned away, his long black trench coat billowing behind him. “Close the compartment. It begins now.” A grin crept onto his face as he realized his victory fully.

          However, a powerful mental tremor had formed in Ookami’s mind. His incarcerated memories desperately tried to break free and return to him. The sight of the leader had triggered a powerful recoil of his memories. The recoil in turn allowed Ookami’s powers to return to him for one moment. This moment allowed a humongous surge of energy to be released from Ookami’s body. The following wave of shadow caused the mechanical restraints to explode, as well as blowing the engineers and Regulus backwards. Sparks and steam leapt from the ruined machinery as Ookami jumped out of the compartment.

          Using the remaining energy he leapt off of the platform onto the ground softly. Regulus let out a yell of rage. “GRAB HIM! FOR GOD’S SAKE, GRAB HIM! I WILL NOT LET HIM RUIN OUR STRATAGEM!” The engineers rushed at Ookami, sedatives at the ready, only to be blown backwards once again by the rampant energy. Ookami lost control of the energy and it whirled around the lab, knocking serums, weapons, and tools over. The last of the energy struck Regulus in the arm. The energy was so powerful; it caused his arm to disintegrate instantly. Regulus let out a terrible yell of agony. Blood poured from the major wound and he quickly grabbed supplies to stop the blood flow.

          Meanwhile, Ookami was escaping, the last of his energy leaving him. He became unnaturally weak, but continued anyway, desperate to escape the organization. He still could remember nothing, but he had almost regained his memories. He reached the top and rushed out of the office and towards the docks. Almost everyone had departed, except for the crew and Lyra. He rushed over to them out of breath. “What happened?!” Lyra exclaimed.

          “The headmaster… He’s working for them… they wished to kill me… I barely escaped… as well as barely avoided regaining my past.” Ookami panted.

“Wh… what? What are you talking about??” Lyra asked him.

“There’s no time to explain! We have to escape on the Maelstrom right now! They’re coming for me! And if they’re coming for me, then they’ll be coming for you all as well. We have to get out of here!” Ookami told them. He ran towards his airship with his crew and Lyra following close behind. “Get to your positions and begin normal procedures!” He and Lyra ran to the bridge and Ookami turned on the propellers. The propellers spun as fast as they could go and the Maelstrom lifted off. She gained speed quickly and rose higher, leaving the academy far behind. “Where are we supposed to go? We can’t hide in the city. They would find us there.” Lyra said to him.

          “I know. We need to leave this city behind. Paris, right? We need to travel far away from Paris. Where’s the closest major city?” Ookami asked her.

“We could try London; it’s in another country close to France. The English Parliament have been awfully strict about foreign ships entering their cities lately, but that may help with our protection. We aren’t suspicious, so they may let us through.” Lyra suggested, “But first, explain to me exactly what the hell is going on here.”

          “There’s an organization. They’re after me. I don’t know why, but these documents may help. I swiped them on the way out.” He said, pulling out a few yellowed papers from his inside pocket. He handed them to Lyra and continued flying. Lyra read the papers out loud: “Corvi Machinæ- Arcanum Colossus.” She read. The next halves of the documents were filled with complicated blueprints and sums. “Corvi Machinæ… I suppose that’s their name.” said Ookami.

          She continued reading where the equations and blueprints ended, “Ookami: Gender: M, Eye: Red, Height: 178 cm, Weight: 64 kg, Hair: Black. Prime candidate for final experiment. Excess energy in the form of shadows. Must be apprehended at once.” She frowned and continued reading, “Properties of colossus: Made of titanium and iron, runs on clockwork powered by the life force of subject…” The list continued on and ended abruptly, as if the writer hadn’t finished writing.

“They planned to use your life force to power their colossal automaton. According to the blueprints, the restraints drain your life force in a way that means you can subconsciously control the automaton through your energy. The clockwork is perfectly placed in the automaton for maximum usage. It’s quite intricate. The person who thought this up must be a genius.” Lyra explained.

“A mad genius.” Ookami muttered, the airship passing over the English Channel. “We’ve reached England. London should be near.” He looked back at her. “I’ve started to regain trivial knowledge. I can name countries, cities, and landmarks once again.” He threw an apple to her. “You must be hungry. You should eat.” Ookami was acting with a one-track mind. He didn’t stray from flying the airship in the slightest. The entire way, his hands stayed on the controls. Tall bronze-yellow buildings appeared through the clouds. He dropped the Maelstrom lower below the clouds and more buildings and cities became visible. “We’re approaching London.” Ookami said after another twenty minutes.

A great city loomed in front of them. Tall buildings stretched above the airship. Ookami raised the airship above the buildings. It was almost more magnificent than Paris. He could see the docks off in the distance and increased speed. The Maelstrom reached the docks and began to lower. They were hailed by guards who asked to search their ship. The guards entered the ship and searched around. Finding nothing suspicious, they allowed the Maelstrom to dock.

Ookami shut off the systems and ordered his crew to the entrance of the airship. “London will be used as a place of safe haven. No doubt we are being followed by Corvi Machinæ. We must hide in the city for the time being. Understood?” Ookami told them when they had reached the entrance.

“Understood, sir.” They replied. Ookami, Lyra, and the Maelstrom’s crew exited the ship into the vast new city.

Leaving the docks, they found that London was bustling with people. People from all over had come to the city. London was the melting pot of Western Europe. Not to mention that the British Empire was expanding quite quickly, recently gaining Austria and part of Germany. France however, seemed to be separate and independent, merely trading partners with the rapidly growing empire. They had managed to keep their independence and establish a secure alliance with the empire, which prevented them from being swallowed whole by the British, although most of France spoke English as well as French.

Buildings rose higher than the buildings of Paris, stretching into the twilight sky. Steam rose as well, sprouting from what seemed to be almost everything. The buildings were bronze-yellow and mostly made of a sturdy metal. London seemed to lack a towering monument, unlike Paris, but made up for it through its magnificence and cultural diversity. These were the surroundings that Ookami and his comrades passed through.

“Anyone up for some food?” Ookami asked the group. “I don’t think I’ve eaten since breakfast. I haven’t really had a chance, what with all the near-death experiences and all.” He pulled out his Airship Captain standard pocket watch. It was just past six o’clock. “I wouldn’t mind grabbing a bite.” A crew member named Arthur agreed. The others agreed, so they went to look for a restaurant.

They found a small sandwich shop a couple blocks away. The place seemed to be empty except for a couple people enjoying a small dinner. Each person paid for their own sandwich, Ookami using the small amount of money found in his pocket upon waking up in the small room back in Paris. Along with francs and American dollars, the money included pounds totaling to around 100. They all sat down at a large table and began to eat. “We’ll be on their radar now. They won’t stop until they’ve found us. Those measly guards won’t be enough to stop them for long. We need to be careful. Anybody in this city could be working for them.” Ookami said suddenly.

          “I agree. London should keep us safe for a while, but eventually that will no longer be the case.” Lyra replied. A crew member cleared his throat. “Maybe we should talk about happier topics… This is all we’ve been talking about.”

“I agree. Let’s put these troubling thoughts aside for now.” Arthur replied. The thoughts of Corvi Machinæ were put to rest for a while as Ookami, Lyra, and the crew talked, joked, and laughed for the rest of their meal.

          After their meal, they exited the restaurant. “Now all that remains is finding a place to stay. Much better than sleeping in that cramped airship, eh?” Ookami suggested.

“Leave that to me.” One crew member said, “I have a friend in London who will gladly let us stay the night. He runs an inn not far from here.”

“Well there we go then! Lead the way!” Ookami replied as they followed him to the inn.

          Upon entering, the man at the desk got up and came over to them. “Bart? Is that you??” He said, astounded.

“It’s me, Dylan!” They laugh and shake hands. “I haven’t seen you in five years! You’re an airship crewmember now? Congratulations!”

“Thanks! Still running the same old inn, eh? Mind letting us stay the night?” Bart, the crewmember asked.

“Not a problem! It’s on the house for you and your crew! Come this way!” He told them. They followed him to a few rooms. “Two people can sleep in each one. Help yourself! Tell me if you need anything.” He waved to them and walked back downstairs. They all went into the rooms that were split between them, with Lyra getting her own room. As Ookami settled into the bed, he knew that his dreams would be filled of snippets of his memories as well as the close encounter he’d had with death at the hands of an enigmatic man and his colossal clockwork automaton. Sleep would not come easy to him tonight.

Sorry if the ending was rushed some… Was it? I have a surprising amount of free time in school to write. I guess it’ll help me get these chapters online faster. Be sure to leave reviews and follow/favourite.

4: Chapter III

This is about the time I hit a writer’s block. So enjoy a slow chapter. Don’t worry, I won’t pull a Naruto and throw dozens of filler chapters (well, filler episodes in their case.) at you. I’m determined to make this story stay on track. It’ll take a while to write though…

Chapter III

          Ookami woke with a start. He sat up in his bed, out of breath. It was the middle of the night and another nightmare had woken him up. They happened nightly now and he had only a couple hours of real sleep every night. He looked up and stared around the dark room. The clock ticked above his bed: 3:07. The room was empty except for him. Along with Lyra, he had gotten his own room as a request.

          It was the same thing every night. Snippets of his tortured past. And now he dreamt of Corvi Machinæ as well. It seemed that he would never be free from those nightmares. He now had to deal with them daily and nightly. Corvi Machinæ chased him now not only while awake, but while asleep as well.

          He pulled himself out of bed and lumbered over to the window. He was awfully tired. No matter how much rest he’d gotten, he still would feel like he hadn’t slept a wink in the morning. It was quite a taxing cycle. He opened the window and felt the brisk London air on his skin. Even now, threats were received from Prussia over the loss of German land. Now how did I know that? He asked himself. It was very unlikely that such political squabbles would’ve been held in his memories.

          He pushed the thought away and stared out over the dark city. Only a few streetlamps were lit and nothing else. He shivered a bit. He had taken off his shirt for the night and had slept in his pants, not having anything else to wear. This also happened to be his only set of clothes. Hopefully not for long as they would begin to stink and he didn’t have the time for any manner of cleaning. Walking over to his uniform, he took the airship goggles and the mysterious dagger out of his jacket pocket.

          He had awoken with these, as well as dressed in the uniform. But the question remained, who had given him these items? Certainly not the organization. That meant there was someone else helping him, hidden in the shadows. Whoever he was, Ookami was glad to have another ally. The dagger seemed pretty normal overall. The faded leather hilt was partially damaged from use, and the silver was stained with the blood of many. However, it was still quite sharp, probably sharpened before being given to him. He had never used this dagger, although it may prove to be useful in the future.

          Ookami turned on an electric lamp to get a closer look at the dagger. Engraved on the side were initials: CV. They had to be the initials of the person who gave him the dagger! But why hide in the shadows? Why not show his face? If he was an ally, then there was no reason for him to hide. As he thought about this, something occurred to him. Did he follow me all the way from Paris? Was he following me from the moment I awoke?? He could’ve snuck in the airship… he could be in London. Hell, he could even be at this same inn! He stuck the dagger into the table.

          As he did this, he could hear a noise from inside the dagger, as if something was moving. He found that if he twisted the pommel, it popped off, revealing a secret compartment. Inside there was a note. He unrolled it, and it read in scrawled messy handwriting:  

Hello. My name is Cassius Veneziano. If you are reading this then you must be well on your journey. I left this dagger for you, along with the uniform and goggles. Do not worry, for I am your ally. I came to Paris from Italy to stop Corvi Machinæ. I had heard news that they were trying to find someone with your description. I found you in an alley near where you awoke. Knowing you could well be the one to finish them off, I hid you in my Paris home. I cannot reveal myself to you yet, but the time will come when we can finally meet.

Godspeed,

                   -Cassius V.

          Ookami finished reading the note. “Cassius.” He said to himself. The name was not familiar to him, but he knew that this man must be an ally. He screwed the pommel back onto the hilt, but placed the note and the dagger separately in his pocket. This Cassius fellow had better reveal himself soon. He could be valuable. And his secrecy is getting on my nerves. Ookami thought. He sighed and lumbered back over to his bed. Maybe he could at least get an hour of proper sleep. He got under the covers and fell into a dreamless sleep, much to his fortune.

          The sun shone through the still-open window. Ookami stirred in his bed. Opening his eyes, he found the sheets on the floor, and the room relatively colder. He rolled out of bed and quickly closed the window, not wanting to get any colder. He then went over to where he had left his uniform and put it on. They probably wouldn’t be able to stay in London much longer. The organization had most likely seen when they’d taken off and most likely had followed them.

But for now he was going to enjoy himself.

          He opened the door to his room and was greeted by Lyra, her red hair freshly brushed.  “Mornin’ Ookami.” She greeted him sleepily.

“Good morning. Did you just wake up?”

“Yeah. Around ten minutes ago. The others are probably still asleep.” She answered, glancing at the other rooms.

“Let them sleep.” Ookami said, “You hungry? We could go get breakfast.”

“We’d have to go search around, but I’m up for it.” They walked downstairs together. After greeting the innkeeper, they left the inn and began to search for a suitable restaurant to eat.

          Eventually they found one not far from the inn. “Webster’s. Seems like an okay place to grab a bit of breakfast.” Ookami said. Lyra nodded and they entered. The restaurant was a fairly average sized and was adequate in terms of décor. They seated themselves as the sign instructed them to. The waiter soon came to them. “Welcome to Webster’s, the finest moderately-priced restaurant in London. That’s what they all say. Ookami thought to himself. As they looked over the menus, he noticed two men seated at another table staring at them. One of them whispered something to the other and he repeated it to the waiter that came by.

          Ookami’s eyes narrowed. Something wasn’t right… “We’d better eat fast.” He whispered to Lyra, “Those men were staring at us. And I don’t think it was because of the uniforms. Look there.” He pointed at the belt of one of the men. Partially but sloppily hidden, there was a crow mask hooked to it. “Even here?! They must’ve followed us!” She answered in a loud and hurried whisper.

“Either that, or…” He paused.

“Or what?”

“Or maybe the organization is more expansive than we had originally thought. From Paris to London, and who knows how much farther? They could easily be stretched all the way to Russia!” Ookami said angrily.

          “Best not eat the food.” Lyra commented. “Either of us. It could be drugged, or worse, poisoned. We’ll just have to pretend like we are. It’d raise suspicion if we were to get up and leave.” Ookami nodded as the waiter returned and they ordered their food. The waiter then left. Ookami looked back at the men. They had looked away now and were acting nonchalant. “By the way, I’ve been meaning to tell you, I found a note in my dagger.”

          “What do you mean?” Lyra asked.

“In my dagger there was a note from someone named Cassius. I’m sure I’ve never met him before, yet he helped me.” He took out the note and handed it to her from under the table to avoid the suspicions of the men. She read the note silently and handed it back. “Interesting. Do you reckon he could be watching us now?”

“Most likely. Although there’s no way to know for sure.” The waiter returned with their food. “Enjoy. I’ll return with your bill.” The waiter glanced back at them as he left. He made a hidden gesture to the men, unseen by Ookami and Lyra.

          Ookami stared at the plate of traditional English breakfast in front of him. It did look delicious, and he was quite hungry. It took all of his strength to not indulge himself in what was sure to be a scrumptious meal. If it wasn’t for the chance of poison or drugs…  Ookami thought. His hunger would have to last a bit longer before being extinguished.

          The waiter returned with the bill at that moment and widened his eyes in mock surprise. “Why have you not eaten? Is the food to your likening?” He narrowed his eyes and gestured to the men sitting near them. “Yes, the food is absolutely delicious, but turns out I have an allergy to um… English food!” Ookami tried, his notoriously bad lying skills now rearing their ugly heads.

          “We reach farther than you imagine, Ookami. Vel lupus est venator.” The men got out of their seats and quickly grabbed Ookami and Lyra.

“I think not, you sons of bitches.” Ookami and Lyra escaped from the men’s grasp and began to run towards the door. The men ran after them, but Ookami grabbed chairs and tables and blocked their way. The men jumped over the fallen furniture as Ookami and Lyra slammed open the doors. They rushed out onto the street making no haste to escape. They passed by another man, who grabbed Ookami and held him in place. “There is no escape. Not ever. There is nowhere that we are not.”

          “That is just about the stupidest-” Ookami lashed out at the man, breaking free, “-thing I have ever-” He threw a punch at the man, which hit him squarely in the face. The man staggered backwards, clutching his bloody nose. “-heard!” He gave the man a swift but hard kick in the chest, which sent him to the ground. The other men had by this time caught up, and Lyra was attempting to fight them off with a sort of martial art. Lyra had gotten one on the ground, with only a few bruises on her face. Ookami put one foot on the man and began to press down on his chest. He heard a rib snap, followed by the yell of the victim.

          Ookami continued to stomp down on him, with murder in his eyes. With both the other men unconscious, Lyra ran over to Ookami and held him back. “Stop it! You’re going to kill him!”

“I don’t care! I’m tired of these idiots following us!” Ookami practically shouted. Their commotion had attracted a crowd, a couple of which had gone to find an officer. Lyra had successfully prevented Ookami from being charged with murder as she pulled him away. The crowd quickly cleared a path, nobody wanting to be the maniac’s next victim. Where the battle had taken place, the ground where three bodies lay, was stained with blood.

          Ookami and Lyra quickly ran around the corner, hoping to elude any policemen that might come to investigate. They ran back towards the inn, hoping to find their friends there. They reached the inn and opened the door, only to be greeted by their crew. “Where the hell have you guys been??” One asked.

“Breakfast.” Ookami said simply. He sat down and wiped the blood off his hands unnoticed. “You do realize they serve breakfast here at the inn, right?” Another told him. Ookami whipped around. “You’re joking.”

“No. There’s literally a sign right there that says “Breakfast served from 6:00 to 11:00.” He pointed to the sign. Ookami’s eye twitched slightly as he gave an unbelievably annoyed look. He put his head in his hands and slammed his fist down on the table. He yelled muffled incomprehensible curse words under his breath, something that sounded like “Sonova bridge!”

          “Enough with that though.” He said, raising his head from the table. He glanced over at the sleeping innkeeper. He got up and walked towards the stairs, beckoning for them to follow. They followed behind him. When they reached his room, he ushered them inside and closed the door. He took out the note from Cassius, along with another piece of paper. What looked like a location had been scrawled on it. He took out his dagger and stuck it into the table with a resounding thunk. “There’s an important matter we need to discuss.”

 

Holy TARDIS of Gallifrey, it’s been almost two months since I updated. What is wrong with me? Well, I suppose schoolwork is a big obstacle. Oh yeah, and the fact that I had an emotional block after my writing was nonverbally trashed. But that’s done and over with, so I have begun writing again. School lets out in about two weeks, so HOPEFULLY I’ll have enough time for writing.

So that’s about it. Remember to leave feedback (to my three viewers.) and hopefully the next chapter will be up in a couple of weeks.