Magi Legend

by Andrew Dobell

“Lots more.”

  They moved across the room and into another even larger chamber at the end of this one. Again, Amanda paused, and looked back the way she’d come, and then out the windows, checking what she saw until she felt sure she was right. She looked over at Gentle Water.

  “It’s bigger on the inside, isn’t it?”

  Her mentor smiled. “Well done.”

  Amanda shook her head and kept walking, marvelling at the fantastic room around her. As they entered the next one, she spotted someone sitting on one of the seats. It was a woman, at least a few years older than Amanda, with long, wavy brown hair. She looked up and smiled. Amanda was about to smile back and walk over when a dark shape slipped past her feet.

  “Excuse me, young lady,” the cat said.

  “Oh, I’m sorry…” Amanda replied and moved out of the way, only to stop and think about what had just happened.

  She looked over to Gentle Water. “Did the cat just speak to me?”

  “Yes,” he answered.

  “Oh, good, as long as I’m not imagining things.”

  “Don’t worry, that was just Merlin,” said the lady in the room who was approaching them now. She wore a long, flowing, brightly-patterned dress and a charming smile. “I’m Maria,” she said and embraced Amanda gently, placing a kiss on her cheek. “You must be Amanda, Gentle Water’s new apprentice we’ve heard about.”

  Amanda smiled back. “That’s right.”

  “And how are you finding it? This house, I mean. It’s your first time here, right?”

  Amanda nodded. “It’s amazing, there’s so much to see.”

  “I’m glad you like it,” she said and then turned to Gentle Water. “The boys are in the kitchen, you might want to introduce her to them.”

  “Of course,” Gentle Water said. “Shall we?”

  Amanda nodded and said farewell to Maria as they walked over to a door on the right. Passing through a few more rooms, they soon reached a room at the back of the house. As they approached, Amanda could hear a group of men talking.

  “Unfortunately, I don’t think there will be any female gargoyles at the party,” said a deep male voice with an American accent. “Maybe I can find you a rock with a hole in it,” he continued, laughing.

  “Cute. I’ll be running security there, though, and have no desire to watch you try to seduce some poor unsuspecting girl,” replied the deepest and roughest voice Amanda had ever heard. It didn’t even sound human, more like two huge boulders grinding together.

  “Seduce? Hah! That’s a joke, Xain’s idea of a chat-up line is, ‘do you want to sit on my lap and see what pops up?’” said a man with a softer American accent.

  “Says ‘Mr Come-Look-At-My-Guns,’” said the first voice.

  “Jeez, I’m going to faint from all the testosterone in here,” said a fourth voice, this one was more nasally with a British accent.

  “Getting all light-headed around us real men, Loomis? Don’t worry, your balls will drop one day,” replied the first voice.

  Laughter broke out as Amanda followed Gentle Water into the room. She couldn’t get a clear view of the men at first, but as they spotted Gentle Water, a cheer went up.

  “Hey, it’s my main man.”

  “You’re back already?”

  “Welcome back.”

  Amanda stepped out from behind him and smiled at the three men ahead of her. Wondering where the fourth was, she turned and for a moment she thought she saw Horlack, the Scion who attacked her in the alleyway, standing there in the kitchen.

  Her reaction was immediate, as terror shot through her, and she stumbled back into the countertop, grabbing it to steady herself.

  The thing moved, looking surprised, and as she got a second look at it, she realised it wasn’t Horlack at all, but it was a Scion. A huge one that looked like it was carved from stone with a leonine face and two huge, bat-like wings sprouting from its back.

  “Holy Feck,” Amanda exclaimed as adrenaline shot through her body, making her heart rate skyrocket. Gentle Water and the others leapt to her aid.

  “Are you okay?” Gentle Water asked.

  “Whoa there. It’s only Balor, he won't hurt you,” said a broad-shouldered black man with tattoos up his neck and close-cropped hair. He was the one with the strong American accent.

  “Are you okay?” the other American asked, sporting a long black trench coat and short dark hair.

  “I’m sorry,” Amanda said. “I just wasn’t expecting…” she cut herself off and pointed up at the Scion. “Scared the bejaysus out of me, so yeh did.”

  “She attacked by Scion werewolf during Epiphany,” Gentle Water explained. “This first time she see Scion after that.”

  “I’m sorry,” the Scion said.

  “No,” Amanda said. “It’s not your fault, please, don’t apologise. I need to get used to these things,” she insisted, standing to her full height. Taking a breath, Amanda composed herself, stepped forward, and offered her hand to the hulking form before her. “Hi, I’m Amanda.”

  The Scion hesitated for a moment before it reached forward, gently took her hand in its massive claw, and tenderly shook it. “Call me Balor,” it rumbled.

  “Balor. Sorry for the reaction just then, I just wasn’t expecting to see something like you in the kitchen.”

  “Understandable,” Balor answered. “No need to apologise.”

  “May I break up this love in and say hi? I’m Xain,” said the large black man. He shook her hand with vigour.

  From the other side of the kitchen, the Caucasian man in the trench coat waved. “Orion,” he said, introducing himself.

  “Loomis,” said the final man in his British accent. He was the skinniest of the three and wore glasses, had wild hair, and sported a long, grey coat.

  “Don’t sound too happy about it,” Xain said to Loomis. “She’ll die of boredom just standing there.”

  “Lovely to meet you all,” Amanda said, smiling warmly at them as her thundering heart slowed.

  “Are you sure it’s lovely? I mean, come on, look at Loomis here, I’m not sure lovely is the right word,” Xain said.

  “Oh, my God, you’re so funny. Oh, shit, there goes a kidney,” Loomis said sarcastically.

  “Heh, well, you’re some of the first Magi I’ve met since Gentle Water found me.”

  “He told you to lower your expectations, right?” Orion said.

  “Well, honestly, I had no idea what to expect.” She liked these guys. Their smiles and easy banter endeared them to her right away. She felt like she could hang out with them and have some fun times.

  “She’s disappointed,” Xain said, winking at her and then turning to his friends. “I blame you,” he said to Loomis.

  “These men do many dangerous missions for Legacy,” Gentle Water explained.

  “We get to do the fun stuff,” Xain cut in excitedly.

  “Yeah, you’re a regular James Bond,” Loomis commented and then turned to Amanda. “He’s modest too, if you hadn’t noticed.”

  Amanda smiled back. “There’s nothing wrong with being confident.”

  “Oh, I like you already,” Xain stated, grinning from ear to ear as he stepped up next to her and put his arm around her shoulders.

  “Oh, bloody hell, now you’ve gone and done it,” Loomis said. “His head will never fit through the door after this.”

  “We’ll never hear the end of this,” Orion groaned.

  “Want to join the team?” Xain asked her, letting go of her shoulders. “I sense a vacancy is about to open up.”

  “Not today,” Gentle Water cut in. “We go see Royston now.”

  “Ah, well, you’d best not keep the boss man waiting,” Xain answered.

  Amanda walked through the kitchen behind her mentor towards the opposite door. “I’ll catch you all later, guys,” she said.

  “See ya.”

  “Laters.”

  “Goodbye, Amanda,” Balor said.

  “Call me,” Xain said, maki
ng a telephone gesture with his hand.

  Amanda smirked as she left the room. She’d be sure to find these guys again soon.

  Eventually, she followed her mentor into a library. It was a large two-story affair with racks of books lining the walls and some comfortable looking leather seats in the middle of the wood floor. Sitting in one of those chairs was another woman Amanda hadn’t seen before. She rose from her chair at seeing Gentle Water and Amanda walk in, and with a courteous smile, walked over.

  She was a slim beauty in a long, black dress that hugged her curvy frame. Her long, raven-black hair fell in perfectly controlled waves, surrounding a pale face with deep red lips. Her dusky eyes had a fierce quality to them that suggested a predator, but Amanda felt no threat from her.

  “Aaah, Maya, nice to see you,” Gentle Water said.

  “Bonjour, Gentle Water,” Maya said. Even though she used the French for hello, her accent was soft and cultured, suggesting that Maya had spent plenty of time abroad to mellow her underlying French accent. “And this must be Amanda,” she said, offering her hand. Amanda took it, and Maya air-kissed her beside each cheek. “We have heard so much about you, mademoiselle.”

  “It’s lovely to meet you, too. This is an impressive library you have here,” Amanda said, marvelling at the endless rows of books.

  “Thank you. The coven has been collecting them for centuries now. There’s not a lot of fiction, but there’s plenty of other volumes here to keep you occupied.”

  “I’ll look forward to having a look, so I will.”

  “Have you been showing Amanda around?” Maya asked.

  “Yes,” Gentle Water answered.

  “We met Xain, Orion, Loomis, and Balor in the kitchen,” Amanda said.

  “And you’re still here? Glad they didn’t scare you off,” Maya joked.

  Amanda smiled. It seemed like this woman, who projected an air of calm detachment, had a keen sense of humour, too. There was something about her, though, that felt somewhat familiar as if they knew each other, but Amanda was reasonably sure she’d never met Maya before.

  “We go see Royston next,” Gentle Water said.

  “Well, don’t let me hold you up. Royston is a busy man, I’m sure he’ll be waiting for you,” Maya said.

  “Lovely to meet you,” Amanda said, smiling, and they left the library behind, making their way back around to the front entrance and down through the middle of the building to a closed door. Gentle Water knocked, and a man invited them in.

  The office was well appointed with a large ornate oak desk that dominated the far side of the room, with several chairs in front of it and a seating area to Amanda’s left as she walked in. She recognised Raven standing to the left of the desk, while an older man with grey receding hair in a shirt and trousers stood behind it as they entered.

  “Amanda, finally, welcome to the Legacy, it’s such a pleasure to meet you. How are you finding it so far?” Royston asked as he walked around to greet her, offering his hand. Amanda grasped it, and he placed his other hand on the back of hers as he gently shook it with a smile.

  “It’s been great, everyone has been very friendly. I had a bit of shock when I first saw Balor, but everything was okay.”

  “I’m glad. Yes, Balor can be a scary sight, but he’s a gentle giant to us Arcadians. We have a room ready for you upstairs, which we’ll show you later. But tell me, how’s your training going?” he asked as he walked back around his desk.

  “It’s been grand to be sure, thank you,” Amanda answered. “Gentle Water has been a wonderful mentor. He says I’ve reached the rank of Knight,” she said with a smile.

  “Knight? Already?” Royston asked in surprise, looking at Gentle Water.

  “She fast learner,” Gentle Water said.

  “You’re not kidding. Well, you are doing great, then,” he said, indicating that Amanda should sit down.

  “Thank you,” Amanda replied, feeling a slight flush of embarrassment as she lowered herself into one of the seats opposite Royston.

  “So, correct me if I’m wrong, but you have already encountered a Scion, other than Balor, I mean?”

  “Yes, I was attacked in New York by one who Gentle Water called Horlack.”

  “Indeed. He’s been missing for hundreds of years, but his legend is well known amongst the Magi.”

  “And then in the airport, I had to fight off an Inquisitor,” she said.

  “I’ve heard reports of this. You’ve had a lucky escape, young lady. Not many Magi would survive an Inquisitor attack so soon after their Epiphany. You clearly know how to look after yourself.”

  “Heh, well, it’s no bother,” Amanda blushed, feeling embarrassed by the compliment. “I’ve had some self-defence training, so I have. You don’t survive the streets of New York if you can’t look after yourself.”

  “Well, I was about to send Raven here off on a routine mission to London. It seems that a Nomad we’re aware of has been sniffing around some of the Magic shops over there, and we thought we’d check it out. Would you like to join him? I’m sure Gentle Water can sort your room out for you while you’re away.”

  Amanda raised her eyebrows in slight surprise and smiled. A mission, so soon? she thought. And she got to spend time with Raven, who she really rather liked the look of. She looked over at Gentle Water. “May I?”

  “You not need my permission, Amanda. You capable Magus, make own choices.”

  Amanda looked back at Royston. “Then, yes, I would love to.” She grinned, feeling a rush of excitement in her chest. Finally, after all her time training, she was actually doing what she had silently promised to Georgina after realizing she could have healed her. She was acting. She was doing something.

  “Excellent, then it’s settled. Raven, you may leave at your leisure,” Royston said.

  “Um, can I ask, is the ball still happening tonight?” Amanda asked.

  “It is, indeed,” Royston said. “8pm at the Musée d'Orsay; we’ll be Porting over there from here.”

  Amanda turned to look at Gentle Water. “I haven’t had a chance to get a dress,” she said. “Will I have time?”

  “I suspect so,” Royston said.

  “Leave it with me,” Gentle Water said.

  Amanda smiled. “Oh, okay, sure.”

  “Amanda,” Raven cut in, looking at her. “Are you ready?”

  “I am,” she said, rising from her seat.

  “Then let’s not waste any time,” Raven suggested and offered her his hand.

  Stepping forward, Amanda took his hand in hers, feeling the sudden build-up of Essentia around him. The air snapped, and they were suddenly in another backstreet, but the feel of the city was different again.

  Following Raven out of the alleyway, Amanda guessed she was in the heart of London, England—her Magical insight mentally pinpointing her location and confirming her suspicion.

  Amanda felt the Magic flare around Raven, and a Link request from him blossomed in her mind. She accepted it.

  ~Thanks,~ Raven said through the Link.

  ~No bother,~ Amanda answered without speaking. ~So, what’s the plan?~

  ~We’re going to visit some magic shops and try to figure out what the Nomad is doing. They’ve been spotted in a few of them now. Mainly, the few reputable ones that also deal in real Magical Artifacts.~

  ~What, like Vorpal Swords plus one?~ Amanda asked grinning.

  ~Something like that,~ Raven answered. ~I didn’t peg you as a gamer.~

  ~When you’re raised in an orphanage where role-playing games are banned, you just know the kids are going to find a way to play them, right?~

  ~Heh, I suppose so. Well, there are many Magical items out there, some more powerful than others, and there’s a thriving black market that trades in them, mainly run by independent Riven and the small organisations they create. Some of the world’s magic shops pick these items up and sell them on. As a result, some of the shopkeepers know a thing or two about real Magic, which makes them a valua
ble and accessible resource for anyone wanting some advice.~

  ~So, is this Nomad after information, or are they hunting someone who is?~

  ~Maybe we’ll find that out today,~ Raven said.

  They walked along the streets of Soho, along small, single-vehicle-wide roads that crisscrossed this part of the city until Amanda spotted a shop in the corner of a bend that proclaimed itself to be The Magician’s Hat.

  “Follow me,” Raven said.

  “Is this a real Magic shop?” Amanda asked. “I mean, does a Magi run it?”

  “No, Mr Travers is not a Magus, but he is an Initiated Riven, so he knows what to look for. He’s a useful informant to have.”

  “Sure,” Amanda said, as she suddenly noticed a small flare of Magic from within the shop. “What the…”

  Raven froze in his tracks and put a hand out to stop Amanda too, as the door to the shop opened and four teenagers ran out of the building. Led by a blonde-haired youth, Amanda noticed right away that there was a strong concentration of Essentia coming from them, but it was proving difficult to pinpoint it. She could feel it, she knew it was there, but she couldn’t see it. They were on the opposite side of the street as Amanda watched them run by, only to notice another flare of Essentia from within the shop and then simultaneously another flash a little way in front of the gang coming from a side street.

  A woman with long blonde hair stepped out of that side street, right in front of the kids. Amanda’s Magical sight picked up the obvious glow of concentrated Essentia coming from her that marked her as a Magus. The kids came to a sudden stop, looking terrified while the blonde woman stared at them, her expression smug as a smile spread over her face.

  “Angel,” Raven muttered quietly and started to stride over to her. Amanda followed.

  Amanda noticed Essentia stir around Angel, and the lead boy suddenly grabbed his throat. He seemed to be struggling to breathe.

  “Hey,” Raven called out as Angel drew closer to the four kids. Angel looked up with a startled expression, clearly surprised to see Raven and Amanda. The four teenagers looked around, too, obviously scared half to death.

  As they crossed the street, Angel’s look of surprise vanished and changed back to the cruel smile she had worn moments earlier as her Magic faded and the blonde-haired boy caught his breath again.