Magi Legend

by Andrew Dobell

  However, an unexpected benefit of the price he’d paid was that he’d never existed in this new timeline. He was a ghost with no official record, and with the resources the Weaver had left him, he’d set up the Syndicate and formulated his crazy plan to kill the Archons.

  After thinking about things over the past few weeks, one question kept coming back to her, and from it, she knew there must be more to this story than even Mr Black knew.

  In his description of events, he’d been living in an alternate timeline where his family remained alive, but under the control of Horlack. When the Weaver’s time device sent him back, his actions split the timeline, creating a new separate timeline where his family died out during the Black Death Plague and Mr Black had never existed. But if that was true, and this was the alternate timeline, how did Sofia, her mother, cross from that other timeline to this one? He’d slept with her before he’d travelled back in time, splitting the timeline hundreds of years ago. So, how had her mother jumped from the timeline where his family was under Horlack’s control, to this timeline and still have Amanda, who she’d conceived before he meddled with the timeline?

  Thinking about it made her head hurt, and no matter what explanation she’d come up with, she always had more questions than answers.

  She shook her head and banished those thoughts. She’d not come here to think about the time device or the Weavers. She’d come here to try and find her father, Mr Black, who’d disappeared when the nuclear missile exploded over the island, obliterating the old atoll and creating this new one.

  The island Amanda stood on sat in the centre of a ring of islands that marked the edge of the crater the blast had created. This small patch of sand and rock only survived because of the protective shield that she and her friends had conjured to protect everyone from the bomb. But somehow, Mr Black had found himself outside the shield. His chances of survival were slim, to say the least, and it might be that she would never get the answers she needed. She doubted that Mr Black had those answers anyway. At this point, she believed that he knew as much as she did, but even so, he was her father and she needed to try to find him, or some hint about his fate.

  She’d been around this atoll several times and hadn’t found anything. Looking back in time with her Magic just didn’t work here, the whole area seemed to be infused with temporal energy that threw off any kind of attempt to do so.

  The sun sat low in the western horizon, a glowing orange disc that cast vibrant oranges and yellows across the heavens and the few clouds that floated above her.

  She sat on the beach for a while, watching the sun sink towards, and then slowly below the sea, enjoying the display of colour and light as it went.

  Looking at her arms, she ran her fingers over her skin, tracing the lines of the strange tattoo that had been branded on her back and upper arms. She had no idea where the strange energy that had done this to her had come from, or what the tattoo actually meant. There were clearly words written in it, or runes and symbols at least, but all her research had come to nothing. She had no idea what this thing was or what it said or meant for her.

  Gentle Water had been fascinated by it and desperately wanted to spend some time with her. He wanted to test her new abilities. Amanda had needed time, though. She’d only just found out about the Prophecy, which was crazy enough without it being about her. Since the Island, he, Maria and even Raven had admitted that they all thought the Prophecy of Helene referred to her.

  She had to admit, reluctantly, that parts of it did fit.

  For instance, it said, “You will know these times by the mark of the Creator, placed upon the body of one of your own.” It also said, “See the body marked by the power of the Creator.” This all seemed to refer to her tattoo, maybe.

  That part was vague, but there was more. Her aura seemed to fit the description, matching the part that read, “Mark her soul, with colours of life and death.” Two colours that were only present in your aura when you were first born and just before your own natural death, gold and deep violet, were now ever-present in her aura.

  The Prophecy also spoke of her ability to cross into the Abyss, but she’d refused to try it so far. She’d wanted to take some time to herself, to forget about being a Magi, and get her head around what it all might mean.

  She laid back on the sand, her vibrant long red hair spilling out around her as she took a breath and tried to relax.

  She’d had an enjoyable few weeks, and even spent some lovely quality time with Maria. Their trip to Monte Carlo, where she’d worn that daring red dress again for her lover had been a little more action-packed than she had hoped, but fun all the same.

  A couple of months ago, things seemed kind of settled after having dealt with Lucian. She’d even gotten together with Maria, something that she’d never expected. Life had been good until Mr Black had shown up and thrown a spanner in the works.

  She doubted she would find Mr Black now, though. She’d searched the island several times and found nothing. She supposed he was dead. Obliterated by the nuclear blast and scattered to the winds. She didn’t mourn him, though. She didn’t really know him. She’d only really spent a few minutes with him, after all.

  Instead, she focused on the tattoo and the Prophecy. She felt like she’d started to get her head around the idea of this tattoo and what it might mean, and while she could take a few days to herself to figure things out, she knew all too well that the world wouldn’t wait for her and she’d need to start really dealing with all this soon.

  Amanda resolved to go see Gentle Water tomorrow morning and to see if she could pass into the Abyss with her Magic now. She’d feel a little more confident about trying it if her mentor was with her. She also wanted to follow up on the one lead that Mr Black had given her, about someone who went by the online name of Edge and apparently knew her mother or had met her. She’d get Shaun to look into that.

  And then there was Yasmin. Once again, this mysterious woman had saved her life and the lives of her friends with no apparent gain for herself. The rumours about her made for compelling, if scary, reading, but her own experience with Yasmin had been quite different.

  The gossip proclaimed Yasmin to be a Nomad, and a cruel, ruthless, and very intelligent one at that. They said she was the most dangerous Nomad on the planet, someone to fear and avoid.

  But this had been far from Amanda’s experience with her. Yasmin had a fairly cold manner and always came across a bit aloof, but Yasmin had spoken with Amanda a few times and saved her life or helped her on multiple occasions.

  After Lucian’s death, Amanda had been the subject of a few rumours herself, some of which were so far from the truth that they barely resembled her or the events they spoke of.

  Had Yasmin been the subject of the same kind of gossip for so long that the tales were now so far from the truth as to be unrecognisable?

  Amanda needed to know, and when they’d last met, Yasmin had agreed to grant Amanda the ability to contact her via a Mental Link.

  Creating a Mental Link was a bit like swapping phone numbers. It didn’t grant either person access to the other’s mind, it didn’t allow you to find them at any time you chose, or weaken your defences against them. All it meant was that you could contact them, you could send a request to speak with them, and if the other Magus accepted, a Link was created between you that allowed you to send messages, thoughts, images, and more to the other person.

  Even with an open Link, you couldn’t automatically read the other person’s thoughts and you could only Port to them if they didn’t actively hide their location. So, even if Yasmin did turn out to be as bad as the legends said, the Link didn’t endanger her any more than she could handle.

  After the events on the island, with Yasmin stepping in to help Amanda once again, she found that she needed to know. She really wanted to know what the deal was with Yasmin, and that would mean she’d need to actually meet her properly, to sit down and talk. Not today, but in the next few days.


  Amanda sat up again. She needed to get back home to get some rest. Sure, she could use her Magic to refresh herself, but nothing really beat getting a good night’s sleep.

  Concentrating and pulling the local threads of Essentia to her, she Ported back into her bedroom.

  ***

  Feeling refreshed the following morning, Amanda practically bounced into the basement ops room that Shaun used as his personal office with his Initiated assistant, Vanessa.

  Amanda wore her usual distressed bootcut skinny jeans, trainers, and a fitted top that exposed her midriff. She kept her bright red hair loose and let it cascade over her shoulders.

  “Top of the mornin’ to ye, what’s the craic?” she said in her Irish lilt.

  “Good morning, Amanda. I hope you’re well?”

  “Very well, thank you.”

  “Good. Well, we’ve found one thing this morning that I think will be of interest to you.”

  “Go on,” Amanda interjected.

  “We’re picking up some rumours that are being spread about you online. We’ve not found the source yet, but they’re beginning to snowball.”

  “Oh, really? Are you about to put a dampener on my day?”

  “That depends on you. They’re actually just telling the truth, so it depends on if you want that truth out there or not,” Shaun replied.

  “And what truth is that?”

  “They say that you’re the Chosen One. The one talked about in the Prophecy of Helene. They also say you have been marked by a mysterious energy after a fight on an island,” he said, indicating her tattoo.

  Amanda glanced at her arm. “Hmm. Okay, keep monitoring them. Hopefully, this will die away.”

  “Anything else I can do for you?” Shaun asked.

  “Actually, there is. I need you to find someone. Someone who uses the Dark Web and goes by the name of Edge, if that’s possible?” she asked, referring to the secret section of the internet created and maintained by the Magi community and sometimes referred to as the DWeb.

  “Can you give me anything else to go on?”

  “Something about the Island of Tārūt and the disaster that happened there about twenty years ago; I think he might have been there.”

  “And it’s a ‘he’, is it?” Shaun said.

  “Sorry, I’m not one hundred percent sure on that. Maybe.”

  “Okay, sure. I can give it a try.”

  Amanda smiled. “Thank you,” she said and scooted around his desk to give him a kiss on the cheek as thanks. Shaun cringed at her touch, screwing his face up and wiping his cheek, much to Amanda and Vanessa’s amusement.

  ***

  The winter sun beat down on the roof terrace where she sat with Gentle Water. Outside the magical boundaries of her home, the air would feel very chilly, but here her Magic kept them warm and comfortable as they sat on the outside seats. She already felt much better today. Refreshed and awake after a great night’s sleep. She’d woken up late, but didn’t really care. She didn’t have anywhere she needed to be, only that she wanted to put Gentle Water out of his misery finally, and see if she really could pass into the Abyss, through the barrier of Acheron. She doubted it would work, but Gentle Water was keen for her to try, so she saw little reason to resist any longer.

  The rooftop terrace happened to be one of her favourite areas of the house. She loved the views and the fresh air, so it made sense to try this here, where she felt comfortable.

  Looking around, it also occurred to her that this might very well be the perfect place for her to meet with Yasmin. The Nomad already knew where her house was anyway, so it would be pointless to try and hide it. Also, she would be on home ground, which might give her some much-needed confidence to ask Yasmin the hard questions.

  That’s settled then, she thought. She’d invite Yasmin to meet with her here on her rooftop.

  Amanda sat forward in the chair, letting Gentle Water, who stood behind her, examine her tattoo. He’d been looking at it and taking notes for maybe ten minutes.

  “We need to find some time to do this properly. Maybe I take photos of it so I not bother you all the time? It is fascinating,” he said in his Chinese-accented English.

  “Well, I’m glad you find it interesting. I’m not sure what to make of it really,” Amanda replied.

  “You not like it?”

  “I don’t know. It’s all still very new to me.”

  “I understand,” he said and moved round to sit before her. “So, are you ready to try crossing into the Abyss?”

  Fixing her top, Amanda took a breath, closed her eyes for a moment, and then looked back at her mentor. “To be sure, I’ll give it a go. Don't be disappointed when it doesn’t work though, okay?”

  “Of course. So, you try?” he asked.

  She was about to attempt it when a flicker of doubt passed over her mind, causing a jolt of fear to flutter her heart. “Do you have any idea what I’ll find there? What it will be like?”

  “Good question. Very few have crossed into Abyss, and no true report has been made. But many have had visions. Seen what they think was the Abyss. They say it always dark, filled with strange creatures, and very dangerous. You do not need to stay there. We only testing to see if this works.”

  “Sure, sure. Very dangerous. Okay, well, I’m sure I’ll be grand. I might even have a wander, don’t you know,” she quipped with a smile. Would this work? Would she actually be able to cross into the Aetheric Realm? Magi had been hunting the ability to do this for centuries, and somehow, she’d been handed the ability randomly? It was all a bit strange, and it was this strangeness that was worrying her.

  “Just be careful,” her mentor said, concern shading his eyes.

  Amanda nodded and sucked in a steadying breath. She needed to try this, she needed to know as much as Gentle Water did. She understood that now.

  “It’s no bother, I’ll see you after,” she said, trying to seem more confident than she really was. Amanda felt Gentle Water work some Magic upon himself, probably to watch and study the effect she was about to enact.

  “Good luck, I will be waiting.”

  “Thanks,” she said and concentrated on working her Magic. Drawing Essentia to her, in a split second, she shaped it, directed it, and fused it with her desire to cross through Acheron into the Abyss.

  Around her, the scene shifted and rippled, changing colour from the bright and vibrant New York day to a dull blue, almost night time scene.

  “Shite, I did it,” she gasped under her breath. She’d almost convinced herself that she wouldn’t be able to do it, and yet, here she was, in the Aetheric Realm, having passed through the barrier that kept nearly all other Magi out.

  The landscape around her looked desolate, empty, and very quiet. The ever-present sounds of the busy city, the hum of traffic and the movement of commuters had gone, replaced by a stillness that unnerved her more than she cared to think about. She stood in a faded and disused reflection of New York. A dead city. Around her, the buildings looked like they had been through a war with their crumbling walls and unfinished facades. Mist clung to the ground below her, obscuring her view of the street from her vantage point atop a ruined and blasted-out building that must have been the Abyssal reflection of her home.

  The intersection in front of her house seemed quiet and still, so she started to make her way down through the half-destroyed building, scrambling over rubble that gave way beneath her feet, making noise that sounded very loud in the stillness of this apparently deserted city. A minute or so later, she reached a doorway at street level and moved towards it. The mist from the street spilt in through the opening. It had a similar blue tinge to it as did the rest of the environment and appeared thickest at her feet. Reaching the doorway, moving quietly and cautiously, she looked in both directions along the street. There appeared to be a few twisted remains of cars, like burnt-out husks on the sides of the roads that were basically unrecognisable, and apart from a few places where the buildings had collapsed into the
street, the streets were eerily quiet and empty.

  She stepped out of the building, keeping to the wall, she slowly walked towards the crossroads on her left, getting glimpses of the cracked and ruined ground beneath her feet.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she caught movement. She turned to see an eddy in the mist, but nothing else. Had there been something there, watching her?

  Her heart hammered away in her chest. She’d never felt so on edge.

  Taking a deep breath, she continued on and reached the corner of the building, leaning out to look left and right. Again, the roads appeared deserted, with only mist and detritus in the streets with her. After a moment of thought, she chose to go right, crossing the road next to her and heading in what she assumed to be the direction of downtown—if this Abyssal reflection of the real world in any way matched the Material Realm New York.

  Taking another look around and keeping low, she jogged over the road to the opposite building and started to walk down the street, keeping to the walls of the building on her right. Partway along that block, a shadow passed over the street and the buildings around her, causing Amanda to look up. A huge creature flew or maybe swam through the air above her. It looked black and slick, almost Manta Ray-like apart from the mass of tentacles that trailed behind it and the other strange and curious appendages that it had.

  On reflex, Amanda backed up into a large open hole in the building next to her, while keeping an eye on the thing gliding above the buildings. It banked left and soon disappeared from view.

  Relaxing for a moment, she suddenly heard movement from deeper inside the building she was taking refuge in. Ever so slowly, she turned to look into the darkness behind her. Something moved, she could see half-shapes and shadows shifting and the sound of a deep rumbling groan that came from something unknown. Even with her enhanced vision, she couldn’t be sure what it was.

  Backing up towards the hole and the street beyond, she kept close to the wall and slipped outside, keeping her eyes on the thing in the darkness. She could have sworn she saw several pairs of gleaming eyes open in the dark a half-second before she rounded the corner onto the street.