The Shadow of the Magi

by Billy Spencer

  Lucuris stood there, no movement whatsoever and just held a finger up to stop the blade and the attack from hitting him. “King of the dead. All you are is a pretender that preys upon others to do their bidding. Real power comes from gaining trust, knowledge of who people are. These skeletons and rotting corpse were people. One name Jeb, another Chris, and the one close to us is named Alex. Many names and many lives that they had. Some died of suicide, some old age. But you know what they all have in common, what makes them all connected. When they died, they had someone there no matter if they had family or loved ones, even the most lonesome of person had someone there. They had me Knight, not you but me.They don’t see you as a commander no, that would be me.I only have one thing to say….daddy’s home,” Lucuris said out loud as he turned around and started to walk away from The Death Knight.

  “Face me you coward, face and fight me now,” The Death Knight said out loud as he held with sword with both hands taunting Lucuris.

  “Gods do not face those that are not worthy,” Lucuris said out loud and then snapped his fingers.

  At that moment the undead and skeletons that were attacking Lucuris’s friends came rushing towards The Death Knight. They pounced on him like rabid animals ripping his armor, bones and skin off his body. Leaving nothing but a skull with a mouth gaping open as the eyes stared into the darkness.

  “Lucuris what happened,” Sonya said out loud as she rushed towards him catching him in her arms before he could collapse on the floor.

  “Overwhelmed emotions, feelings and darkness. I felt the need to protect but I felt someone there with me,” Lucuris said out loud slowing getting up standing next to Sonya looking at the remains of The Death Knight.

  “You felt like someone is inside of you, like you are possessed?” Alexander said out loud as he kneeled down looking at skeletons that laid before them.

  Lucuris got up and started walking past the skeletons. He could feel his heart beating faster, his crystal was starting to light up brighter and then he suddenly stopped. “Right here, it has to be,” Lucuris said out loud as he got on his hands and knees and started to dig.

  He dug and dug for minutes and eventually saw a yellow crystal. He could feel the power of the crystal beaming and pulsing in his hands. It was immense power that he had only felt whenever he transformed into a chaos mage.

  “So that is the power of RA. It is so bright and beautiful,” Bailey said out loud as she walked closer to Lucuris and Sonya.

  “That is true. The power is immense and should not be held by someone of darkness,” Mazikeen said out loud looking at Lucuris.

  “You think we should keep this away from Hast.You all don’t trust him, do you?” Lucuris said out loud as he started to get up and faced his friends.

  “He’s an old god Lucuris.One that have messed with our kind for thousands of years. People would sacrifice for the old gods. People would go crazy and be drunk with despair just to hear their voice. They have power that we cannot even imagine and to give one of them more power would put us in even more danger,” Sonya said out loud placing her hands against her hips looking at Lucuris.

  “You’re right. We can’t trust them, not yet but one of us has to carry the crystal, to be responsible for it. They will be a target,” Lucuris said out loud holding the crystal between his fingers.

  “I’ll hold on to it, and I will make sure no one gets a hold of it at all. I promise Lucuris,” Bailey said out loud as she took the crystal from Lucuris’s hand and looked at Alexander.

  “Are you sure around this Bailey,” Alexander said out loud looking at her fearing for her safety.

  “If you can go out every night and risk your life for others, then I can do this one thing and keep the crystal of RA safe,” Bailey said out loud looking at her friends and smiling at them.

  “Well that settles it. We will tell Hast we just could not find it and were attacked before anything could happen. What we have to do now honestly is make sure that the town is safe. I know we defeated the masters lackies this time, but I feel that someone or something will be after us again,” Lucuris said out loud as he began walking out of the undead forest with his friends.

  He could feel the chill of someone watching them, someone waiting in the shadows. It was a familiar feeling, but it was also dread inside of him that grew and filled his body. Lucuris wanted to know what was going on within himself. He was afraid that he was turning evil or part of him was. The Death Knight was dead because of him, because part of him wanted to kill and that is the part that took over him. Was he really possessed or was it just a part of him that he kept hidden and buried within his body for a long time and his abilities was letting him see the true feelings and thoughts that he had. He tried not to think about it after the events in his city. He tried to block it all away, but he could not help but wonder was the crystal his father helps him obtain corrupted and if it was why would his own family let him obtain the power.

  Chapter 15

  Lucuris left his friends at Alexanders house for a few hours. He felt that he needed some time to think and to figure out what they should do next with the crystal. Honestly though he just wanted to get away from it all and to try to feel normal for a second again. “Times like this I wish I did not have the abilities I have. Seeing just people live their normal lives and not worry about demons ,vampires or doom heading their way,” Lucuris said to himself in a small whisper as he looked around at the many people walking in and out of stores or just sitting down to eat having a fun time with friends and family.

  “You don’t want to go back to how things were Lucuris,” a loud voice said coming from behind him.

  Lucuris turned and saw a man wearing jeans, a black leather jacket wearing sunglasses. His hair was short and blonde, and he looked to be in his thirties or forties. “Who are you, and how did you know my name,” Lucuris said out loud sitting on the bench keeping his eye on the man as he made their way to him.

  “Ah don’t get up, don’t worry it’s me Lucidian, your father's brother,” Lucidian said out loud as he sat next to Lucuris leaning back on the bench staring into the sky.

  “You work with the master Lucidian what are you doing here,” Lucuris said out loud holding on to his crystal in his pocket.

  “Working with the master undercover. You probably forgot or your dad forgot to tell you. You can relax though I just came to talk to you,” Lucidian said out loud as he started to chuckle

  “What do you want to talk about. I don’t know you, you don’t know me,” Lucuris said out loud as he sighed and placed his palm on his face just dreading sitting down and speaking to someone who was practically a stranger to him. He knew that Lucidian was his uncle and knew his father all their life, but he also knew that the person next to him was also working with the master and the blood mage that killed smiley to try and help.

  “No thank you for helping you get rid of your twin, that’s okay no biggie you can thank me later. I know you are having issues controlling your chaos form Lucuris,” Lucidian said out loud as he sat up straight turned to his brother’s son looking at him with a stone face.

  “It’s not that big of a deal Lucidian. I can control the power eventually just have to control my temper or whatever sets it off,” Lucuris said out loud in a small whisper turning away from Lucidian. He felt ashamed that he was not able to fully control his powers. He felt like it was something he needed to keep to himself because he did not want to worry his friends and he did not want them to treat him any differently. He was afraid, scared to death even of feeling like an outcast again and felt that he would keep it a secret for now and tell them all later.

  “I’m not saying that you need to tell people or to be careful, you know that. I am saying that it will be a long and hard journey Lucuris it was for me,” Lucidian said out loud placing one of his hands on Lucuris’s shoulders.

  “What do you mean it was for you?” Lucuris said out loud looking at his uncle and wondering what he went through.


  Lucidian smiled and looked at the sky for a minute and then back to Lucuris. “When I obtained the power of the blood and became what many would consider a monster and damned me, I didn’t have control. I remember the evening of the event that was thinking place at that time I went into the quarters of the elders since it was the only time they were not there, and I went into the basement and saw the blood crystal. It took over me Lucuris, the rage and anger was all I felt. I wanted to destroy everyone, including family. I knew the elders hid horrible magic under our noses, but the blood magic was worse than what I could imagine. I fought your father, and I tried to kill him but all he tried to do was reason with me. Eventually he broke through to me, but we were already in a different dimension when our battle ended. He knew I was stuck with the power, but he wanted me to control it. At first, I really tried to, especially when I started to work with the master. But I found out something, something no book told me, something no mage with many years of experience told me,” Lucidian said out loud smiling at Lucuris.

  “What did you find out,” Lucuris said out loud to Lucidian wondering what he was getting at.

  “That these crystals Lucuris are you, and you are them. That I had to accept what I was. That no matter what good I do, what bad I do in my life, I will always have blood lust. I see how people were treated on our world, how they would get hurt and it send me into a rage. It is who I am, and I know that by accepting I have this in me I can be understand myself. We never have control of anything my boy, not all the time. Just like you will never control the chaos all the way. So, it is best you accept it now Lucuris and understand that yes you still have darkness in you, but you also have light inside of you. They are one and the same in my mind, but it is you to make sure you use either or for good. So, try not to be hard on yourself because you are learning just like I am continuing to learn each and every day,” Lucidian said out loud as he started to get up from the bench.

  Lucuris got up from the bench and hugged Lucidian from behind as tears started to drip down his face. “You don’t have to go uncle; you can help us stop the master. I know it is what you want, why must you have to try and do it by yourself,” Lucuris said out loud holding his grip on Lucidians body.

  “I have always been alone Lucuris.I do this my way because it is what I know is best. You have to keep your friends safe and I will do what I can to aid you from a distant. But listen to what I have to say right now. The master is up to something and I do not know what it is, not at this moment. Keep close and protect each other. Remember what I said about everything because a long time ago I was like you. I was a loner in our world, and the only friends I had were your mother and father. I never knew loved but I remember a woman I would pass by every day before class. I loved her from afar, and she was one of the many reasons I am doing what I am doing now. I will do whatever it takes you protect our people Lucuris and we will stop the master,” Lucidian said out loud to Lucuris as he began to walk through the crowd of people until he disappeared completely out of Lucuris’s site.

  Lucuris said on the bench and held his crystal in his hand examining every side of it for a few seconds. “I don’t understand what power I hold. I don’t understand what causes me to lose control of everything. But I want you to know that whoever is inside my crystal that I will try to understand because you are a part of me,” Lucuris said in a small whisper,

  He was glad that he was able to speak to someone who understood what he was going through because it made him understand that he wasn’t just crazy or becoming corrupted. Lucuris still did not want to tell his friends but focus on what was happening with the master and replayed what Lucidian said in his head over and over again. That the master was up to something and even his uncle did not know what was going on. He knew that he had to tell his friends and they had to be careful because whatever was heading towards them, he was afraid that it would hit them like a hurricane.

  Chapter 16

  “The master wants, the master gets. The master cuts, the master makes bleed,” a demonic voice chuckles poking and stabbing at their captured prisoner.

  “What do you want, who are you, where am I ...please...please...let me go,” The person says out loud wailing in pain trying to move their legs and arms but only shaking the chains as their blood drips on to the blood.

  “Oh, he speaks he speaks. We want we want you; the master wants you. Oh, but you will not do this is old you, we need new you. You are in the in between yes, yes, the in-between of it all. Oh, the master will be happy, we hope the master is happy, maybe he feed us you when he is done with, that would be delicious. We are Azabel, yes Azabel is our name, maybe, we not sure,” Azabel said out loud to the prisoner as they continued to poke at their chest making cuts and leaving small wounds on them.

  “No not anymore. I feel like I have been here for a lifetime make it stop. Just kill me, just kill me please,” The prisoner said out loud crying in pain as they shook their body uncontrollably.

  “No, no shake we need you alive. You must be new here, here drink this, yes this will help, we help yes?” Azabel said out loud as they took some green liquid in a rusted can and held it both with their boney sharp fingers pouring it in the prisoner’s mouth smiling a big smile with their white sharp fangs showing and their yellow eyes gleaming with excitement.

  “What is this, this taste like oil, what did you give me,” The prisoner said out loud as they started to foam from their mouth and started to shake their body violently.

  “No, no please don’t break the master will be mad, here drink this, drink some more it will make you feel better,” Azabel said out loud trying to pour more of the liquid down the prisoner’s mouth.

  The prisoner knocked the can out of their hand and began shaking more and harder until they were able to break free. The prisoner charged Azabel and pinned him to the wall with one forearm as foam continued to come out of his mouth. “What did you do to me?” The prisoner said out loud feeling the urge to snap the demon’s body in half

  The demon smiled and started laughing as loud as they could. “You live yes, wonderful. Master will be so happy; master will be so happy. We gave you power, removed old. You come alone though, no one miss you. Master call you Nick, names Nick, right?” The demon said out loud as they started to sing in excitement.

  “Nick, yes my name is Nick, but where is our master,” Nick said out loud as he lowered Azabel.

  “Oh yes transformation complete. welcome, welcome, this is home now. So happy to have Nick, master we take Nick to, have much to do, much to destroy. Friends no miss you, no, friends don’t even know Nick is gone,” Azabel said out loud to Nick grabbing his hand and leading him out of the room and towards the master.

  Nick was now under the master’s control, to do the bidding of an old god. He was trapped in a realm he did not belong to and the master had a plan for Lucuris.The master wanted to break the young mage whether it is hid bones or spirit. To show them all that darkness will always overshadow them and to fear what was to come for it would swallow them whole.

  Chapter 17

  Lucuris ,Alexander and Sonya went into the city and went to a small grocery store to get ingredients for a dinner that Bailey wanted to put together for everyone after having a rough time she wanted to bring them all together and the best way in her mind of doing that was food.

  “Do you think this is enough meat?” Lucuris said out loud as he dropped different variations of meat in the basket that Alexander was pushing.

  “How would I know. I don’t cook any of my meals,” Alexander said out loud looking around watching other people shop and a few kids running through the aisles.

  “Hey you okay Alex?” Lucuris said out loud looking at Alexander focus his attention to different parts of the store.

  “Just everything man. It’s a lot to take it and it scares the living piss out of me,” Alexander said out loud looking at Lucuris and letting out a small chuckle.

  He felt it the first time he met Lucuris, and An
ne. He was so used to the normal that he built his life around he did not expect anything but that. But seeing the abilities Lucuris and everyone had made him feel a bit jealous. Not because he felt he deserved those abilities but because he couldn’t do as much as they could in protecting others. He felt helpless when it came to the old gods and the demons coming through to their dimension and just other darkness that they encountered. The worse that he went up against was Smiley but even they didn’t survive. Alexander feared that the world would not have room for him, that his city would not need him at all. He thought what the point is in trying to protect others when they have people who can do it ten times better than them.

  Lucuris could see the despair on Alexanders face and knew what he was going through, maybe not fully but he knew the look of feeling lost, and not knowing how to crawl your way back up from the mountain of darkness.

  “I didn’t always have this power. Before I was just a normal guy, who was alone in his room and my best friend was my sister Abigail,” Lucuris said out loud placing one of his hands-on top of Alexanders.

  “But you still had power Lucuris, eventually you were chosen with the power you wield. I look at you, Mazikeen, and Sonya fight and at times I am at awe. You can take on what feels like an army and me I can take on just a few enemies at once. How can I protect the ones around me if I don’t have that power?” Alexander said out loud looking around and focusing on a child standing in front of their parents speaking to them and smiling.

  “I would read stories about super beings, and some would just be normal people. I always wondered what the point of the person without powers is. But I also think about our world Alex and the police officers we have, the fire fighters, the people in the navy, the army and those who go in space or underwater and explore. But mainly I think of the ones who put their lives on the line the most and would think they do not have superpowers but then I think again no they do. They are able to make the hard decisions that I know is no easy task, but they also have bravery and do not second guess the actions they do. It could be a person shielding another from harm with their body or another going into a burning building to save a pet.Those are the ones I think about because they are just normal people but to me they are more than heroic, they are legendary,” Lucuris said out loud as he began to smile at Alexander.