~Show off,~ she called to him through their link.
~Jealous, Red?~ he asked.
~Maybe. But I have a few tricks of my own,” she laughed.
Amanda lifted her arm and lightning arced from her hand to the biker in front of her in a flash. The Magic crashed over his Aegis, not reaching her intended target, although, the force of the attack nearly threw him from his bike.
In front of them, the rear doors of the van flew open. Several men stood inside, holding semi-automatic machine guns.
~Heads up,~ Amanda called. The Nomad biker swerved sideways towards the central reservation, moving out of the firing line. Amanda followed as the shooters in the van opened fire, peppering the road around her with bullets.
Up ahead, a connecting service road joined the two sides of the carriageway. Smashing through the free-standing barriers, the Nomad biker swerved into oncoming traffic and into a tunnel with Amanda close behind him.
Three metres separated her from her target as she followed his weaving path through the traffic. Gunfire sprayed wildly from his weapon as he tried to shoot her. Bullets slammed into the nearby cars and ricocheted off of her Magical Force Shield.
Laughing as he accelerated, the Nomad barrelled through traffic that swerved erratically out of his way. As he went, he opened fire on the innocent drivers he passed.
Amanda knew she had to stop him before more people were hurt. She opened up the throttle and closed the distance between them. Concentrating hard, she summoned a knockout punch of Essentia into herself to destroy the Nomad’s Aegis.
~How you doing, Red?~ Xain asked. ~Where are you?~
~I’m fine. I’m in the tunnel on the opposite side of the road. You’ll see me shortly,~ she replied.
Seconds passed as she closed the gap on her target. The Nomad glanced back as Amanda blasted Essentia at his Aegis. It may have been a well-made shield, but he wasn’t a powerful Magi, and the Aegis failed under the onslaught of Amanda’s Magic.
The Nomad somehow managed to stay on his bike, bouncing off the side of a passing bus as he fought to stay on two wheels. Regaining control, he moved into a gap in the traffic. Raising his weapon, he tried to get a bead on her.
Wanting to end it before any more bystanders got hurt, Amanda conjured a solid metal bar in the spokes of his front wheel.
The bike flipped violently and slammed into the tunnel’s ceiling, before crashing back down again. It came to rest a short distance ahead of Amanda, well away from other cars. Within seconds, she’d passed it on her way to the end of the tunnel.
As she emerged into the daylight, she crossed over another service ramp back onto the right side of the road just behind the convoy. Ahead of her, Xain approached the back of the van, standing on his bike’s seat, using his sword to deflect the bullets the Nomads were shooting at him.
“Show off,” she whispered to herself with a shake of her head.
Ahead of the van, the Nomads in the 4x4 were still in a firefight with Orion.
She glanced back into the tunnel they’d just come out of and saw a fire burning in the darkness on this side of the road, no doubt the other biker that had gone for Xain.
Looking ahead again, Amanda watched as Xain jumped from his bike to the van. He cut down one of the men with his sword as he landed. Instantly, he was up and fighting with the other two men in the back of the van as it weaved about.
~Balor inbound,~ Möller warned them, and Orion braked his 4x4, dropping back.
Balor dropped in from above like a rocket, hitting the Nomad’s 4x4 from the top. It was instantly crushed as it exploded in a fireball. Metal and concrete flew in all directions as the elevated highway beneath them cracked from the force of the attack.
Balor stood up amidst the burning debris, spreading his bat wings like a ten-foot-tall stone-skinned demon rising from Hell, as the Nomad’s van swerved violently to avoid the crash.
Its wheels caught. Xain jumped out, landing deftly on his feet as the van flipped sideways and then tumbled, rolling along the road. As it came to a rest, Xain moved around it to find the driver, the last man alive in the convoy.
Amanda braked hard and skidded sideways to a stop, breathing hard as she looked upon the wreckage.
Xain hauled the van driver out of the front of the vehicle and subdued him for later questioning with a burst of Magic. Just beyond them, Balor stepped out from the flames that had consumed the destroyed 4x4, his grey stone-like skin untouched by the raging fire. Orion stepped out of his 4x4, guns in both hands. He smiled and nodded. They’d won this one.
She registered a familiar Magical signature snap into existence a short distance away from her. Royston Kendrick, the current head of the Legacy Coven appeared nearby. He immediately started working his Magic to create a mirage around the scene that would hide its true nature from passing cars.
Amanda pulled her helmet off and shook her long, bright red hair free, letting it catch in the wind as she ran her fingers through it, rubbing her scalp. It always felt good to remove her lid after a bike ride. Kicking her bike-stand down and turning off the ignition, she dismounted the Fire Blade, her red custom leathers creaking as she moved. She hung her helmet on the handlebar of her bike and approached Royston, who had finished with his Magic and was looking over the spilt contents of the van. Kilos worth of cocaine and other drugs in tightly-wrapped clear plastic covered the ground.
These Nomads had been running drugs. Last week’s target had been a lone serial killer. Next week’s mission could be anything, but they were never very pleasant people.
“Congratulations. You did well today. You should be pleased,” Royston began.
“A few more Nomads out of the picture is always worth it. Do ye know who they were?” Amanda asked as her breathing slowed.
“Drug runners with connections to Haitian Nomads. They won’t be pleased about this.”
“Will they know who did it?”
“I’m sure they’ll take a wild guess. This is Legacy territory, and they should expect us to protect it.” Royston turned to Amanda. “So, is it back to Gentle Water and Elizabeth for you now?”
“To be sure, once this is all cleared up.”
“The clean-up crew will be here momentarily, head back with Xain and the others, we’ll deal with this.”
“Are ye sure? I don’t mind mucking in.”
“No, please, go ahead. You’ve got a lot on your plate right now. I’m surprised you joined in on this mission.”
Amanda smiled. “The boys asked, and I agreed. I couldn’t say no to them.”
“Well, we’re grateful.”
“Thanks, Roy.”
“Good luck with your move. Let us know if you need anything, won’t you?”
“I will, and thanks. I’ll see you around,” she answered.
***
Royston watched her walk away towards Xain, Orion, Balor, and the waiting Portal. She had come a long way these past few months. Her Magical ability was advancing at an alarming rate, and Amanda was now a very active member of the Legacy Coven. This was only the latest of a string of missions she had taken on with the boys.
She’d proven herself to be a very competent Magus.
The naïve young girl that Gentle Water had taken on in Ireland was now a much more confident young woman, and Royston felt somewhat proud of her. He’d never had children of his own. Instead, he considered these young Magi to be his children, and he wondered if this might be how fatherhood felt. He took a deep breath and turned back to the mess awaiting him. There was a lot to clean up, and he knew the authorities would be on their way. But they’d done this a thousand times before, and no one would be the wiser.
***
In a darkened room of a Haitian garrison, the dreadlocked Nomad sank to one knee before his master. She turned slightly to look upon him, the bones draped about her ebony skin rattled as she moved.
Lucian did not relish reporting the loss of such a big shipment of drugs, but it had to be done. He would suff
er the pain of her displeasure for it, but pain was fleeting and unimportant. What was important was that once it was over, he would find those responsible and flay the flesh from their bones.
“My Master, Baal Nymira, I have news for you…”
***
Amanda snapped into existence outside the gates to the Himalayan monastery that had been her home for the past several months. Gentle Water had brought her and Liz here to help with Liz’s recovery after the events on the train.
Liz was doing well and seemed much better these days. She’d been enjoying learning Magic and could now talk about the events that had changed her life. She cried when she thought about it too much, but then, who wouldn’t? That scar would be with her for the rest of her days.
The snow fell and the bitterly cold air pulled at Amanda’s hair as she walked up to the gates that were guarded by two deceptively still stone temple dogs that sat on either side of the entrance to this hidden place. She stepped up to the door, took hold of the enormous metal ring that hung in the centre of it, and slammed it home. The boom of it echoed off the valley behind her as she waited for the doors to open. Even though it felt cold out here, Amanda’s Magic kept her toasty and warm, immune to the effects of the biting wind.
Seconds later, the locks unbolted and the door swung wide to reveal a short, arched passageway and a square courtyard beyond where the snow fell lazily to the ground and blanketed the trees in the centre. On the opposite side of the courtyard, standing on the second-floor balcony, a monk looked down at Amanda as she entered. As Amanda stepped into the open, she felt the monk’s gaze and looked up.
“Good morning, Little Phoenix,” he said. “Welcome back.”
“To be sure, it’s good to be back,” she answered.
“Go on through,” he said gesturing to the door below, which also opened of its own accord like the main gates had.
She nodded and passed through the door he’d indicated and into another short passage, then on into the temple proper, where the scene changed dramatically.
The air here felt warmer and more comfortable, and no snow lay on the floor.
A coven of Magi-monks lived within the walls of this monastery and were supported by many mortals The residents lived a frugal life up here, away from the chaos of the modern world. In many ways, it was an idyllic life.
Gentle Water had been an apprentice here, and as she understood it, his master had been a Western woman called Graceful Phoenix. So, as Gentle Water’s new apprentice, the link as to why they called her Little Phoenix seemed clear.
The Red Temple sat high up on the slope of the mountain above the snow line, allowing the clouds to drift in below. Amanda often sat here and stared out at the view, taking in the vast awesomeness of the whole thing. But Amanda couldn’t spend too much time on it today. They had a lot to do to be ready for their trip in a few days. Along with the ongoing mentoring that Gentle Water gave to Amanda, and Amanda, in turn, gave to Liz, Amanda never felt bored.
After spending a few hours with Liz training her in the Magical arts, Amanda sat with her apprentice on the edge of the communal area, their legs dangling over the side of the sheer drop.
Amanda leant back on her hands and closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of the temple grounds, while Liz sat forward, her hands in her lap. They both wore casual clothing from their training session. Amanda’s red hair fell loosely about her shoulders, while Liz kept her blonde tresses tied up in a ponytail.
Liz had suffered more than her fair share at the hands of the Nomads and Inquisition already, having lost her family and friends to them. Amanda hadn’t known her before the events on the train over a year and a half ago, but these days, she seemed quiet and shy. Amanda had grown very fond of Liz. She thought of her like a little sister.
“So, the coven we’ll be visiting in the States, they’re called Liberty’s Children?” Liz asked.
“To be sure, they’re probably the most influential of the US covens.”
“Are they on the Magi Council?”
“Victoria, the current leader of the Liberty’s Children is, yes. Ye seem to be getting your head around the complexities of Magi society. Well done.”
Liz smiled and nodded. “Getting there, I think. So, we’re visiting the Liberty’s Children House in a few days, right?” Liz asked.
“That’s right. I’m looking forward to it. You?” Amanda smiled.
“Of course.”
- The Red Monastery, Tibet.
Chodak smiled but kept his eyes shut and waited as he listened to the footsteps that approached and then stopped a few feet away from him. He heard the rustle of her clothes as she sat down next to him.
Confident she was settled, he opened his eyes and looked over at Graceful Phoenix.
“Welcome, it’s been a long time.”
“Too long,” the woman answered.
“To what do I owe this visit?” he asked, although he thought he already knew the answer to that question.
“Amanda, she’s gone?”
“She has.”
“Then my memories were right. Tell me, how was she?”
The monk smiled. He’d expected Graceful Phoenix to visit now that Amanda had left the monastery.
“She’s on the next leg of her journey. She’s moving to New York.”
Arrival
Washington DC
Amanda, Gentle Water, and Liz popped into existence inside a well-appointed room with plush, red carpet, wood panelling on the walls, and potted plants sitting in the corner. Amanda’s immediate thought was that this room’s express purpose was for anyone Porting in from outside. Her Magical senses lit up with powerful and extensive weavings of Essentia all around her. The building was well protected.
The double doors opened and a woman walked in. She had short hair and wore a business suit. She smiled at Amanda and her friends.
“Welcome, you must be Amanda-Jane Page,” said the dark-haired lady.
“That I am, and this is Gentle Water and Elizabeth Fox.” She shook the hand of the woman as she spoke, noticing that she didn’t glow in her Aetheric Sight. So, she wasn’t a Magus, just an Initiated Riven.
They’d all dressed up for this visit, wanting to make a good impression on the Americans. Amanda wore a pantsuit with a jacket, white blouse, and slacks over strappy heels. Gentle Water sported chino’s and a white shirt, while Liz opted for a long dark skirt and grey jumper.
“Hi,” Liz greeted the woman, giving her a quick wave. Gentle Water nodded in his typically stoic way.
“You may call me Miss Evans. I am to take you straight through to Victoria. She’s expecting you”.
“Of course, lead the way.”
They walked briskly from the room, crossing through a powerful Aegis as they did so, and down a corridor, passing offices and meeting rooms as they went. All around them people were going about their business. It looked like a government building, but Amanda could feel the Magic here.
The Liberty’s Children Coven was one of the three biggest covens in America, and the only one that had a seat on the Magi Council. Their status was clearly on show within the confines of this building which sat in the heart of Washington DC.
After a short walk, they turned through another set of double doors into a waiting room. A secretary sat behind a desk, while comfortable-looking chairs waited on either side of the room. Their guide motioned for them to wait while she approached the secretary, allowing Amanda to get a look around.
The only other people in the room were three young women, all of them Magi, judging from their glow in her Aetheric Sight. Surprisingly, Amanda recognised one of them as a Hollywood celebrity named Melissa Gemelle-Rowe, who she’d seen in several films over the years. Amanda was shocked that someone with such a high profile could be a Magi and couldn’t help but stare for a moment.
Melissa sat with another blonde, both of them comforting a dark-haired girl who seemed upset over something. Melissa looked up, her face blank as she gazed at Amand
a and her companions before returning her attention to her friends.
“She’s ready to see you. Come with me,” Miss Evans said, returning from the secretary’s desk.
She led Amanda and her friends through the waiting room towards the large double doors at the far end of the room.
As they walked, Liz moved closer to Amanda and whispered, “Was that?”
“I think so,” Amanda whispered back.
“Wow, a movie star and a Magus?”
“I know, it seems like it could never work, but, maybe it does.”
“I’d love to get her autograph, but I don’t think now is a good time.”
“I’m sure you’ll get to meet her. Here we go…”
The group followed Miss Evans into a large, plush office where a confident-looking woman with long dark hair sat at an oak desk. She stood and smiled, straightening her tailored jacket and smoothing her skirt as she did so.
“Amanda, so nice to meet you finally. I’m Victoria.” She stepped out from behind her desk and shook Amanda’s hand warmly. “And this must be Elizabeth. Welcome to DC.”
“Call me, Liz.” She smiled.
“Of course, welcome. And Gentle Water, so nice to see you again. It’s been a while. How’s Legacy these days?”
“We are well, thank you. Royston sends his regards.”
“And I send him mine. Come in, come in, take a seat, please.” She guided them to the chairs in front of her desk before returning to hers on the other side. “I must say, although I admire what you’re doing, I do think it’s folly. New York is not a place for Arcadians like us. It’s dangerous. Lucian rules it with an iron fist.”
“That may be so,” Amanda answered, having expected this, “but it’s my home and I simply could not live with myself if I didn’t at least try to make a life there. Besides, I have a good feeling about it.”
Magi Legend Page 21