Magi Legend

by Andrew Dobell

  The door she walked up to had a simple figure of a man on it, right above where it had “Changing Room” written on it. She didn’t wait, she didn’t knock, she just walked straight through the first and then the second door, and scanned up the first aisle in the room.

  Three men stood down the aisle, each in some state of undress. They talked like men do, in that macho way that Mary disliked. One of the men saw Mary and did a double-take before snapping to attention. None of them were Marco though, so she walked on.

  As she moved along the end of the aisles, the realisation that someone of rank had walked in spread quickly and they all came to attention, no matter their current level of undress.

  Three rows in, Mary spotted Marco with his back to her, chatting with one of his team.

  “It was a massacre. Those Magi crippled us. The redhead, Amanda, she’s a nightmare, man…”

  Mary walked right up to him and saw when the man he spoke to noticed her. He went silent and saluted her.

  His sharp movements surprised Marco, but he’d been surprised by officers before, and he wasted no time in turning and coming to attention himself.

  “Miss Damask, I apologise, I didn’t see you…”

  Mary didn’t have time for this, so she punched him in the gut with a fist filled with Divine energy and doubled him over. “Grand Inquisitor Damask, to you. That’s for coming here and relaxing before coming to see me and being debriefed.”

  “Ma’am,” Marco said, his voice struggling through the pain of the punch.

  “Get your clothes on and get yourself up to my office,” Mary ordered him. He pulled himself up to his full height and did his best to salute, given the circumstances. Marco was a big man, well built, powerfully-muscled, with a military-style haircut and a powerful chin. He stood before Mary buck-naked, holding his towel in his hand. But Mary didn’t care, she hated his lazy attitude, and he needed to be taught a lesson.

  “Now!” Mary shouted at him, and he quickly started to dress.

  Mary turned around and stalked from the room, fury radiating from her in waves. He’d only been working for her for a little while, but he should have known better.

  She marched back up to her office—a few floors up in the same, huge building—ignoring everyone she passed. People she knew looked up, saw her, and parted before her like the Red Sea parting before Moses–Grand Inquisitor Demask was in a mood.

  She’d sent Marco over to New York to stir up some trouble. But within just a few days, he’d returned. She’d spotted the bruises and grazes that covered his torso during the confrontation in the changing room. He’d no doubt been in a fight. Maybe he had confronted Amanda directly. She wanted to know; she needed to know. That flame-haired Witch had killed her most promising apprentice, and she wanted nothing more than to cause her some pain in return.

  Within five minutes of reaching her office, Marco walked in. He wore a utilitarian outfit, combat trousers, fitted top, and military boots all in black, but all of it hastily put on. Even his hair still looked wet.

  He stood before Mary’s desk in an at-ease position. Mary finished what she was doing and looked up at the man.

  “If you ever return from a mission again while I’m available in my office and don’t bother to come see me immediately, being embarrassed in the locker room will be the least of your problems. Now, give me your report.”

  “We arrived in New York as planned and followed the Intel we already had from our agents within the city. The first coven we cleansed fell easily, although one of their number escaped.”

  “Excuse me?” Mary interrupted.

  Marco gulped. “One of them escaped my men. She fled the scene and we believe she reported back to the primary target.”

  “You mean Amanda.” Mary sighed. “Go on.”

  “During our interrogation of the other three Witches, we discovered that a place of business called The Jade Palace was being used by Amanda to meet with new Magi as they arrived in the city. So, we made our plans to assault the target.”

  “Let me guess, judging by the number of men in that changing room, you lost some of them during the operation?”

  “That is correct.”

  “What happened?” Mary asked as she sat back in her seat. She had already guessed what had happened, of course—a full-on assault by Marco’s team, who were not amongst the blessed and could not call on the power of the Divine, didn’t go well. She wasn’t surprised, just disappointed.

  “We used our highest calibre weapons and used the element of surprise to carry out the operation. But we underestimated them and lost several good men. Amanda herself confronted me and asked me to deliver a message.”

  “Please, do enlighten me,” Mary said, feeling deflated by the apparent failure of Marco’s squad.

  “She said you should go to New York yourself, rather than send us.

  “I’m sure she did. Anything else?”

  “No, ma’am. We returned here after that.”

  “Tail between your legs,” she said.

  “Pardon me?”

  She wasn’t sure if he either didn’t hear her or didn’t understand her. Whatever, she didn’t care.

  “So, you let one Magi escape and then screwed up your second mission. Correct?”

  He went to say something, but didn’t and nodded his head instead, letting his eyes fall to the floor.

  “Get out, and I want your full report on my desk in an hour.”

  Marco turned and walked from the office, leaving Mary alone. She slammed her fist down onto the table in frustration. She’d been reliably informed that Marco and his team were some of the best, but they’d just been made fools of by Americans. What was the world coming to?

  His report ended up on her desk in less than forty-five minutes, during which time she went back through her records and pulled out Marco’s file. He was a capable agent on paper, but he lacked experience in the field against actual Magi. She concluded that he’d benefit from some further, and more intense, training. She made a note to inform the relevant people.

  Right now, though, she had another worry—a Conclave meeting this afternoon, during which she would undoubtedly be asked about the mission in New York. She wasn’t looking forward to that.

  ***

  Mary strode along the corridor, her secretary at her heels, carrying her bag that was bursting at the seams with files and reports. The statues, paintings, and murals that had been inspired by God, and which lined this main corridor, were breathtaking. She marvelled at the imagery and wondered how the Spirit of God Most Holy must have filled the artists and inspired them to create these beautiful works of art.

  The meeting room was located on one of the lower levels and had been where the Conclave of Grand Inquisitors had met for decades now. They were occasionally graced with the presence of the true leader of the Catholic Church, Simeon Cephas, who the Witch Finder General reported to directly. Better known as Simon Peter, he was one of the original Disciples of Jesus, who, through the Grace of God, still lived within the walls of the Vatican. Mary had met Simeon a couple of times; he’d even attended one of the meetings while Mary had been a member.

  He was an old man, infirm and weak, but his mind remained active and sharp, and his Divine power radiated from him, setting him apart from all the other blessed.

  Simeon was one of the most closely guarded secrets of the Holy Curia, only the Conclave, the Pope, and a handful of the most senior Cardinals knew he existed. These days, he didn’t take a hand in the day-to-day running of the Disciples. Instead, he acted as an advisor and a guide to the Witch Finder General and the Pope.

  However, the mere thought that he might attend, made everyone dress to impress. Mary approached the room and saw a few of the other Grand Inquisitors standing around outside. There were twelve Grand Inquisitors in total, and although officially they each took responsibility for a part of the globe, in reality, they never really stuck to operating within their designated areas. Mary’s assigned area of in
fluence was the East Coast of America, but she operated globally, going wherever her work took her.

  She saw Francesco Acardi walk in, the man who had been Vito’s original mentor before he’d graduated to the level of Inquisitor and been assigned to Mary, at which point she had taken over his training. He hadn’t really spoken to her since Vito’s death and she suspected he felt the loss as keenly as she did.

  Marcus was there as well, the oldest Inquisitor she knew, apart from Simeon, at nearly two thousand years old. He’d turned down the role of Witch Finder General many times, preferring to be out there fighting the good fight.

  She always marvelled at how the Grace of God granted such miracles as long life to those most devout.

  She walked in, nodding to some of the men she passed, and settled into her seat while her secretary prepared her notes before leaving the room.

  Only the Grand Inquisitors were allowed in these meetings. Aids and secretaries had to wait outside.

  Valerio Rossi, the current leader of the Disciples of the Cross, the Witch Finder General of the Inquisition, sat down at the head of the long table. Each time she saw Valerio, he looked more and more infirm. He moved slowly, with a walking stick these days. Picking up the gavel, he banged it on the table and brought the meeting to order.

  Mary sat listening to the reports from the other Grand Inquisitors. Each talked about their own efforts against the Witches and Warlocks of the world, the missions they had won or lost, and their strategies for future operations were discussed in detail. Mary enjoyed listening to these reports and always felt she got a clearer understanding of the world at large and where the current battles in the war were being fought.

  Soon, Valerio reached Mary and rested his gaze upon her. “Mary, please update us on your current work.”

  Mary looked up at Valerio. He’d always supported her in her bid to join the Conclave amidst a lot of objection from the other members who disliked the idea of a female Grand Inquisitor. The Inquisition had remained a mainly male domain, with very few women advancing to the level of Inquisitor. And to date, only Mary had reached the level of Grand Inquisitor, although there had been other women in the past who were more than qualified for the role.

  It didn’t help that Simeon was a bit of a misogynist and didn’t seem to approve of Mary being here.

  But the support of Valerio had been enough to sway the vote. Since then, Mary had been careful to become useful and valuable to the majority of the Grand Inquisitors since she’d need to have the support of as many as possible should the role of Witch Finder General become available.

  Mary had always had lofty goals, and being a Grand Inquisitor was never going to be enough for her. She’d always wanted more and had her sights set firmly on the role of High Inquisitor and Witch Finder General.

  Valerio might have taken her under his wing and supported her—she suspected he even liked her—but he’d never shown real affection for her and had been a tough taskmaster. Mary had no real love for him either. Valerio was just another step on the ladder, another obstacle that she needed to surpass.

  “Of course, General. As you know, New York had been under the control of the Warlock known as Lucian for many years and had resisted any attempt to be liberated from him. Recently, however, it came to light that a Witch called Amanda had moved to the city, and around the same time, it was made public that Lucian had been killed. This Witch had then opened the city to other Satanists, and there has been something of an influx of Witches since then. It was decided that we should send in a squad to test her defences.”

  At least, that was the official line. For many, the attack on New York, and specifically Amanda, had a more personal angle.

  “The mission in New York has been a partial success, as we have discovered the location of the main meeting point for new Witches entering the city,” she said.

  “You mean it’s been a partial failure, as well?”

  “Unfortunately, yes. Marco’s team, under their own initiative, chose to strike at the Witch Amanda and her coven. They underestimated the Magi and suffered several losses before retreating with a message from her.”

  “What message?” Valerio asked.

  “According to Marco’s report, she told him that I should go to New York rather than send another squad in.”

  “Well, she can say what she likes, our choices are our own.”

  “Of course, General,” Mary replied.

  “Suggestions, please?” Valerio asked, opening the issue to the table.

  “If she’s willing, Mary should take the Witch up on her offer and go to New York with a show of force,” Francesco said without looking at her. This made Mary both smile and feel suspicious of Francesco. She agreed with his suggestion as she wanted to go to New York and show Amanda the true might of the Inquisition, but at the same time, she wondered what his motives were. Did Francesco hold a grudge against her for the death of Vito and want her dead, after all? Was he gambling on Amanda killing her? She had no way of knowing, but resolved to watch Francesco a little closer from now on.

  “I volunteer to go to New York. This Witch needs to understand that we won’t take such threats lying down,” said Nico Orsini, a large man and the youngest of the Conclave. He had a hot-headed attitude and always volunteered for any operation that looked like it might end in a fight.

  Mary rolled her eyes at his comment; she should have expected such a thing from him. “I would like to make the chair aware that I would like to go to New York, just as the Witch has asked and finish this mission myself,” Mary said.

  “Duly noted, Inquisitor Damask,” Valerio said, “but I think I have made a choice regarding this. We will send a new task force to Manhattan to fight the Witch incursion there, and I will lead it myself. I will bring this Witch to justice.”

  “Um, sir, do you think that’s wise?” Mary asked as a few gasps sounded around the table, along with a low muttering. She knew that Valerio supervised missions personally from time to time, but those seemed to be less and less common. She wondered what his angle on this was. Was he trying to protect her? Or did he see her as an incompetent female who needs to be shown how to do it?

  “I know I don’t go into the field much, but I’m more than capable of dealing with this little Witch, and I have more experience with this than most of you,” he explained, his eyes resting on Mary for a couple of seconds.

  “Of course, sir, my apologies, I did not mean to suggest…” Mary began.

  “Duly noted,” he said, dismissing her comment with a wave of his hand.

  Mary sat back in her seat, confused about what had just happened. Why had he volunteered for this mission? Surely, she would have been the logical choice, this was her mission, and she was the one with a personal stake in it. Maybe that was why. Perhaps he feared she would make this personal and get too emotionally involved. She had to admit, it would have been a possibility. She wasn’t the only one, either. Francesco also had a personal stake in it too, if her suspicions about Amanda having killed Vito were correct.

  On the other hand, maybe Valerio had been trying to protect her. Her last big mission on the train in Paris had not gone terribly well. Was he trying to keep her from failing again? Or maybe it was plain old misogyny? He didn’t want the frail little girl to head into battle.

  The thought of men like that boiled her blood. She knew she sat in a room filled with men who held that opinion and who didn’t think women were capable of the same things men were. The fact that she had swayed most of them when it came to her was something of an achievement. But they still held their outdated opinions when it came to the rest of her sex, and that rankled a bit. She should be grateful for small victories, she guessed. Views steadfastly held for generations would take time to sway.

  The meeting came to an end and Mary made her way around the table and waited patiently for Valerio to finish speaking with those around him before she approached.

  “General,” she said after they were finally left alo
ne.

  “Valerio will do.”

  “Of course, Valerio. Please, you don’t have to do this. I’m quite capable of handling the Witch in New York. I want to do it,” she said, keen to take the glory for herself.

  “I know, and you may yet have your wish, but I have made my choice. I’m not having any more Inquisitors killed by that Witch.”

  “Under my leadership,” Mary protested, “I am confident we would prevail.”

  “Perhaps so. You are a skilled leader, Mary. But I have not forgotten the train.”

  Mary frowned. So, that was it. He was holding that mission against her.

  Mary sighed in frustration. “I understand, sir.”

  “Have your secretary send over the details I will need,” he ordered.

  “Yes, sir,” she answered and watched as he walked off, biting her lip in annoyance and thinking through what this meant, and how she could best take advantage of it. As she watched him hobble out of the meeting room, an idea formed in her mind.

  She wouldn’t make any more attempts to turn Valerio from this course. In fact, she would support him wholeheartedly, and make a fresh round of appeals to the Conclave members who mattered. There was an opportunity here that she did not want to miss. She rushed back to her office, her secretary struggling to keep up with her. She had a few phone calls to make.

  - Nowhere

  Alicia lay on the floor on her side, naked and in pain. This woman, who called herself Yasmin, had visited her every few hours, she guessed, and each time she either launched into a violent attack or comforted her and held her lovingly. She never knew which it was going to be, but sometimes, it was as if she were being rewarded for good behaviour.

  The spirit inside her healed her slowly after each beating, but she frequently found herself in pain and discomfort.

  She felt sick and helpless. She wanted to cry, but she’d shed so many tears these last few days she didn’t know if she had more to give.

  Why was Yasmin doing this to her? Why was she torturing her like this?