Magi Legend

by Andrew Dobell

  “You read that online?” Tabby asked.

  “Yeah, on the DWeb forums.”

  “Of course, the home of reliable news,” Tabby commented, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. She turned and handed her drink to Toni, “Here, hold this. I’m going to do a couple of laps.”

  Toni watched her walk away to the edge of the pool, enjoying the sight of her lover in a bikini. Damn it, if they were alone out here she’d be joining Tabby in the pool for a little alone time.

  BOOM!

  Toni’s head snapped up. She looked in horror at the explosion that blossomed out of the back of the house. Debris and fire rained across the garden. A charred-black dead body landed in the pool with a giant splash. Tabby screamed. Melissa and the boys cursed and jumped up.

  Shifting her vision into the Magical spectrum, she watched the Aegis on the house flicker and fail as bright lights and explosions sounded from within. Toni ran and met Tabby in an embrace as she moved away from the pool and the burnt body that floated in it. Melissa, Jonas, and Tybolt followed.

  “I think it’s Osmond,” Toni speculated, indicating the body in the pool. She recognised the clothing.

  “It is. What the fuck?” Tybolt cursed.

  “Nomads?” Jonas asked.

  Not again, thought Toni. She shivered as the memories of the attack on her coven played in her head. The images of those three Nomads slaughtering her friends would be with her forever. She’d never seen such carnage and bloodshed.

  She thought she was safe here. It had been six months since the massacre.

  More lights danced inside the house as smaller explosions echoed through the night. Essentia flared and a figure in black Ported onto the lawn. Toni felt her stomach drop as she recognised the woman. She wore latex fetish gear and had the same long black hair, pale face, and deep dark eyes that haunted Toni’s nightmares.

  It was the same group—the same Nomads—and they’d found her again. On instinct, Toni pumped Essentia into her Aegis.

  Jonas pushed Melissa towards Toni and Tabby. “Get out of here, we’ll deal with this.”

  “Hey, don’t be so…” Melissa began, turning to challenge their macho bullshit. But they’d already Ported across the garden to stand in front of the Nomad.

  Toni saw Melissa call on the surrounding Essentia and boost her Aegis. “Mel, please, stay here,” Toni said in a panic.

  Melissa looked back at Toni and Tabitha and hesitated. They all looked back at the three figures. Essentia flared from the Nomad, and suddenly the two guys disappeared. The Magic the Nomad used seemed odd, different to what Toni was used to, but she also thought she recognised it, maybe.

  “What the…” Toni said.

  “Holy shit!” Melissa exclaimed.

  The Nomad disappeared as well, using the same kind of effect she’d just used on the guys.

  “What was that?” Tabby asked.

  Melissa looked back at them. “I have no idea,” she muttered.

  More explosions rang out inside the mansion, making the girls pause in their conversation.

  “What do we do? What do we do?” Tabby asked, her voice warbling with panic.

  “We leave. We Port out of here now before we’re killed too,” Toni said.

  “It’s just one girl, how bad can it be?” Melissa said.

  Magic flared again, and the woman in black reappeared, this time holding two decapitated heads by the hair—one in each hand.

  Toni put her hand to her mouth. She felt sick to her stomach as she recognised the two heads as Jonas and Tybolt.

  “Holy fuck,” Melissa whispered.

  “We’re leaving,” Tabby said, “right now.”

  Toni felt a thought pass into her mind from Tabby, details of a location in L.A. as her girlfriend’s Essentia flared. Toni followed suit, Porting to the same location, and hoping that Melissa did too.

  A heartbeat later, Toni appeared next to Tabitha, followed immediately by Melissa. They stood under a bridge in the concrete channel known as the L.A. River. Apart from a small, thin stream of water that ran down the middle of the enormous artificial riverbed, it was bone-dry.

  She grabbed onto Tabby, holding her tight and not wanting to let go.

  “It was her, wasn’t it?” Tabby muttered.

  “What do you mean, it was who?” Melissa asked.

  Toni nodded as she blinked her tears away and tried to get her emotions under control.

  “What?” Melissa pressed, confused.

  “The Nomad we just saw, it was one of the trio who killed Toni’s coven six months ago. Am I right?” Tabitha asked.

  Toni sniffed and took a few deep breaths. “Yeah, it was her. I’m sure of it.”

  “Shit,” Tabby cursed.

  “Well, that’s just awesome,” Melissa added, sarcasm lacing her voice. “Fuck. And what the hell are we doing here?” Melissa asked, waving her hands around at the drab concrete environment.

  “What do you mean?” asked Tabby.

  “Here. Why are we here, when our coven is being massacred? We should be back at the house, helping them.”

  “Then we’d die too,” Toni whispered. She understood Melissa’s frustration, but she knew what these Nomads were capable of, but she knew this was the right choice.

  “That’s right,” Tabitha agreed. “You saw her. You saw what she did to Jonas and Ty. If she can do that to them, then we wouldn’t stand a chance. We’d be dead within seconds.”

  “Arrgh! God damn it! I just... I feel helpless,” Melissa snarled. She walked to the nearest support column for the bridge and slammed the bottom of her fist into it before turning and leaning against it.

  Toni followed Tabitha as she walked over to Melissa and did her best to comfort her. “Hey, we’ll be alright. We’ll get through this.”

  “So, what are we going to do? We can’t stay here, look at us?” Melissa said, gesturing to her bikini. Toni had to agree, they did look odd, standing under a bridge in their swimsuits.

  “I don’t know, maybe we should tell Victoria?” Tabitha offered.

  “What will she do?” Toni asked.

  “She can help. She can track down who did this.”

  “You mean like last time? She didn’t do anything,” Toni replied. “The Nomads are still out there, still killing.”

  “So, what do you suggest?” Melissa asked, sounding slightly accusatory.

  “We go to New York. We find this Amanda Tybolt mentioned. If the rumours are true, maybe she’ll help.”

  Tabitha raised her eyebrows and nodded. “That sounds like a bit of a long shot.”

  “Do you have a better idea?” Toni asked. “If she’s set up shop in New York, then either she was the one who took out Lucian, or she’ll know who did. Either way, she sounds like she’ll do more than Victoria has.”

  “Fuck it, why not?” Melissa said as she stood up.

  “Our best bet to find her will probably be at the party tomorrow night,” Toni said. Raising her arms, she added, “but I think we need some street clothes first.”

  Essentia flared up from around Melissa, and a pile of clean new clothes appeared in her hands.

  “What about the mansion?” Tabitha asked. “Maybe we should go back in the morning and see if anyone survived?”

  “Agreed. I need to know too,” Melissa said.

  “I don’t know,” Toni said hesitantly, her stomach flip-flopping at the prospect.

  “We’ll be quick, just in and out, no one will even know we were there,” Tabitha assured her.

  Toni sighed. She wanted to know as well. Going back to the house felt like an unnecessary risk and one which might get them killed. But she did want to know if anyone else had survived.

  She hated that they’d run out on their friends, leaving them to who knows what fate. But she’d seen these particular Nomads in action before. She’d seen how they operate and how they’d slaughtered her coven. There was no fighting them, not as they were. They needed someone who knew what they were doing.

>   Maybe this Amanda Magi might be the one to help them.

  Mansion first though, and then they could Port over to New York.

  “Okay, sure. In the morning, when the sun’s up. We’ll head back and take a look,” Toni said.

  Melissa threw her a set of clothes. “Awesome. Get dressed, let’s find somewhere we can wait out the night and get some breakfast.”

  - Lyonesse, UK.

  Trevelyan rose from his desk and walked over to the window. He gazed out through the glass and into the ocean beyond, looking across the gothic rooftops of the sunken city of Lyonesse. He felt troubled. Things were moving quicker than he had expected, but he also trusted his friend.

  “So, the time is nearly upon us. The truth of the prophecy will soon be revealed.” He saw his guest nodding to herself in the reflection of the window, agreeing with him. “This is a critical time, how will the Council react?”

  “There’ll be a period of adjustment. Some challenge it, but I’m sure you already knew that,” she said.

  “And young Amanda, how will she react?”

  The woman smiled. “She’ll cope.”

  Working Girl

  Manhattan, New York

  Amanda sat back in the reclining office chair, listening as Victoria addressed the group, talking about recent events. Sitting sideways to the boardroom table with her legs crossed, Amanda played with the frayed edge of one of the holes in her ripped jeans.

  “The Magi Legion is still unhappy with the situation. They’ve met with me a few times, and they’re still pushing for the Council to have you removed from the city,” Victoria recounted.

  Amanda sighed. “I’m not the new Queen of New York. I won’t be declaring this Legacy territory and defending my borders against anyone who wants to live here,” she protested.

  Victoria nodded. She wore her usual tailored business suit and looked as pristine as ever and the total opposite of Amanda’s scoop neck sweater, skinny jeans, and knee-high boots. She had her scarlet hair tied back in a ponytail today with just a couple of loose strands falling over her face.

  “We know that, but the Legion is playing politics again. They see you, a Legacy Magus setting up in New York, as a threat.”

  “I presume you are trying to calm their fears?” Amanda asked.

  “I believe this is all for show, but yes, I am talking to them,” Victoria said.

  “Do they want New York for themselves?” Trevelyan asked.

  “They may make a play for the territory, but I think it’s more likely they dislike a European coven claiming it, rather than wanting the city for themselves.”

  “Okay, thanks for the update,” Amanda said.

  “No problem. How about you, how are you coping with all this?”

  “It’s certainly different. I never wanted to be the custodian of the city, that wasn’t my intention at all. But these new covens come here, and they want to see me. Then they ask me if they can stay, and I’m not going to say no, am I?”

  “You know why they want to see you, don’t you?” Trevelyan asked.

  “Oh, to be sure. They think I killed Lucian. The rumours have spread despite our best efforts.”

  “It was going to come out eventually. Something like this is always going to spread.”

  “I know. I don’t confirm or deny it. They can think whatever they want. But apart from the rumours, it’s going well. We’ve turned The Jade Palace into our meeting spot when they arrive in the city. We’re trying to keep track of everyone who moves here, but it’s not easy. We’re certain that there are covens in the city we have no idea about. Maybe even some Nomads.”

  “The Inquisition?” asked Trevelyan.

  “Not yet, but I doubt they’ll be far behind, and no trouble from the Nomads yet, either.”

  “Good,” Victoria said.

  “Do you think Nymira will try to find me?” Amanda asked. “She must have heard the rumours by now.”

  “She will certainly have heard the rumours. But will she come here? I’m not so sure,” said Trevelyan.

  “How come?”

  “Well, there was our warning to them. But also, very few Magi want to upset someone like Yasmin. So if Nymira knows Yasmin was protecting you, and I think that’s possible, then she might think twice about coming for you,” Trevelyan said.

  Amanda nodded, taking it all in. She hadn’t thought about it like that. Nymira certainly seemed to be well connected, so it wasn’t unlikely that she knew about Yasmin and her involvement in the events that happened six months ago.

  Amanda’s life had become a lot busier now that the news of New York’s liberation had been made public. After Lucian’s death, the Council had decided to keep things quiet for a while and to downplay Amanda’s involvement in it all. But before long, the Haitian Nomads realised something was up, and a coven was sent to New York to ascertain the reason behind Lucian’s disappearance. The Magi Council were here to meet them and made it clear that New York was off-limits. Amanda had been there for that confrontation in the abandoned Pit Club. The meeting had been tense and aggressive, but the Nomad coven didn’t want to take on the might of the Magi Council, not with a couple of Arch Magi there to back the Council up.

  The Nomads had retreated to Central America, and they hadn’t been heard from since.

  The Council had kept things quiet for a few more months. But before long, the rumours started to spread, and it became clear that they had to go public with the liberation of New York. That had been a few weeks ago, and since then, countless covens had been coming to New York, mainly to visit, but a few stayed, choosing to make New York their new home.

  The last thing she needed was for Nymira and her covens to storm in here and make trouble.

  Amanda turned and addressed the other two people in the room.

  “Anything else to discuss?” Amanda asked. “What about the ball on the twenty-ninth?”

  Kai, a Japanese Magus in a prim business suit, said nothing. She hardly ever spoke, but was a regular at the meetings Amanda had with the Council. Amanda wondered if her presence had anything to do with Black Lotus and her assassination attempt on Yoh.

  Harry Fleming sat forward at her question and nodded

  “The observation deck at One World Trade Center has been booked for the ball and everything is progressing well, we should have quite the night up there. I’ll keep you informed, but everything is in hand and on schedule.”

  Harry, unlike the others in the room, was not a Magus. He was a normal Riven human and represented the Arcanum. The UK based organisation worked with the Magi Council and used their contacts around the globe to help keep the Magi hidden from the masses.

  Any time the Magi world and the Riven world crossed paths, the Arcanum were there to make sure things ran smoothly. But when they didn’t, they had their Black Ops division to clean things up.

  This time though, they’d been brought in to organise the New York Ball.

  “This is a little out of your usual area of influence, Harry,” Trevelyan said to him.

  “A little, sir. Kristal had other matters to attend to and sends her apologies. I came in her stead.”

  Trevelyan turned to Amanda. “Harry here, looks after some of the more tactical elements of the Arcanum.”

  “Um, sir…” Harry stammered.

  “Don’t worry; Amanda is no threat to you. I’ll vouch for her.”

  “If you say so, sir,” Harry replied.

  “I… I didn’t mean to cause…” Amanda said, feeling like she’d stumbled into a conversation that wasn't meant for her.

  “Don’t worry. Harry worries enough for all of us,” Trevelyan said to Amanda with a wink. “Anyway, I think that’s everything. I’m sure you have a busy day ahead of you. You know how to reach us if you need to. Otherwise, we’ll see you at the ball.”

  Everyone stood up. Trevelyan walked to Amanda and shook her hand warmly.

  “Lovely to see you again, my dear,” he said before turning to the others. “Ready?
”

  They all nodded, said their goodbyes, and moments later the Magi Ported from the room, leaving Amanda alone.

  These four Magi had become Amanda’s primary point of contact for the Magi Council, and the only ones from that body that she’d really spoken to.

  During the confrontation with Nymira’s Nomads a few months back, she had seen several more Councillors and two Arch Magi, but she’d not spoken to any of them.

  Trevelyan was her main point of contact. A British Magus who usually wore the kind of robes you might expect a modern wizard to wear, she always found him to be friendly and kind. Even when she’d first met him, he greeted her like an old friend, and she felt very much at ease around him.

  Happy with how the meeting went, she walked from the room and through The Jade Palace. She had a few people she wanted to speak to. She’d arrived just prior to the meeting with the Council and hadn’t had time to see her friends. Downstairs, she found Liz sitting in the Japanese rock garden going over a couple of things on a clipboard.

  “Look at ye, all organised. Ye have a busy day ahead?”

  Liz smiled up at Amanda as she joined her on the bench. She looked very business-like in a smart-looking suit, which suited her role as Stella’s new assistant.

  “Yeah, I have a few meetings today with some of the covens who’ve recently arrived. Just to make sure they’re up to speed on what’s what,” she said.

  “Well, I need to add to your list,” Amanda said. “Victoria just told me we have a new coven arriving here today from L.A. Not sure when, but they could be here any moment, I suppose.”

  “Okay, thanks. Who are they?”

  “They went by the name of The Coven of Angels.”

  “Okay, great,” Liz said.

  “Are you around later?” Amanda asked.

  “No, sorry. I’m on a mission with the boys tonight,” Liz said, referring to Orion and Xain. They’d been helping Amanda improve Liz’s combat training, and nothing beat actual missions to really hone those skills.

  “No bother. I get a night off from training then, excellent.”

  Liz smiled. “You can pay me back later. You could try hunting for Alicia some more,” she suggested.