Magi Legend

by Andrew Dobell

  She’d have to have a think about it, and if she did decide to do it, she would need to find the right person to be with.

  “Are we okay now?” Maria asked.

  “I think so, yes,” Amanda answered as they pulled apart so they could talk.

  “I mean it, you know. I am sorry that you felt bad. But you went into this relationship with me knowing what you were getting into.”

  Amanda nodded, avoiding Maria’s eyes.

  “Good, so why don’t you get out there, be adventurous, try a few new things, and have some fun?” Maria encouraged.

  Amanda smiled and looked back up at Maria. “You think?”

  “Hell yeah, go for it. You’re still young, with your whole life ahead of you. Just start to believe in yourself a little more, have some confidence, and live your life.”

  “I can try,” Amanda mumbled.

  “Do, or do not, there is no try.”

  Amanda burst out laughing at Maria’s Star Wars reference.

  “I mean it,” Maria said. “It makes even more sense as a Magus. We have so many people wanting to kill us that it seems stupid to me that so few of us really get out there and live our lives. There’s so much to sample, so much to see and do, so many people to meet, and when you could be killed by a vengeful Nomad tomorrow, today is so much more precious, right?”

  “Right,” Amanda agreed, feeling her confidence grow and a need to live her life. Maria was right, after all. Some psychotic Nomad could turn up tomorrow and kill her, so why wait? Why be so filled with self-doubt and miss out on all that life has to offer? If Maria can have other lovers, then so could she.

  To Assunta,

  Make haste and report back to me at the Vatican. We have a new assignment for you that needs your full attention. Thank you for all your efforts in New York, your hard work and dedication to the cause has been noted.

  May God go with you.

  High Inquisitor Damask

  Deal with the Devil

  Nowhere

  Alicia strode along the corridor after Yasmin, the heels she’d created clicking satisfactorily on the floor as they walked.

  After the hard lessons that Yasmin had taught her, the new sense of freedom she now had felt great. She was free to live her new life finally and to see what she could do with the powers that the lamprey had given her. She felt determined to make herself useful to her mistress and to prove her worth, not least because she knew what happened to those who failed, although that wasn’t her primary reason. Pleasing Yasmin was what made her happy, it gave her life meaning, and as she’d come to realise that her position as a new kind of Scion put her above the mortal masses of humanity, her whole perspective on life had changed.

  The best analogy she could think of was that she didn’t think twice about killing ants. During the summer months, they’d been a real problem around her former classroom. There’d always seemed to be an ant colony nearby and she’d hated to come to her classroom to find a swarm of ants there, with the flying ones being the worst.

  She’d always end up squishing some of them as she went inside then she’d boil a kettle of water and pour it over the mass of crawling insects. They’d surely died in agony, but she’d never thought twice about the mass murder of a lower creature. Instead, she got on with her day and thought nothing of it.

  Yasmin taught her that as a Magus or Scion, they were so far above the mass of humanity that humans might as well be ants. Ants could be annoying and get in the way, and while a few individual ones might bite you, they never really did any lasting harm. However, if you were swarmed by the deadly ones, they could potentially kill you, but that only happened if you went looking for trouble.

  Humanity was the same. They were annoyances that were of little consequence to the day-to-day lives of most Magi. They could hurt you, but as long as you didn’t go looking for trouble, they weren’t really a threat, and killing them should mean nothing to a Magus or Scion.

  There were times when she struggled with that viewpoint, but it was still early days, she reasoned, and these things took time.

  They walked through Yasmin’s Sepulchre and followed her into a large Giger-esque room that looked like the inside of some kind of alien stomach with its ribbed structure and pulsating, fleshy walls.

  Standing ahead of her in the centre of the room, Alicia could make out Kez, Yasmin’s most beloved, Nate, her apprentice, and Sybil, Yasmin’s oracle.

  They waited patiently as Yasmin approached them, and gave a respectful nod of their heads to her as she came to stand before them.

  “Any news?” Yasmin asked.

  “Nothing much. As predicted, Angel eventually returned to Milan and her businesses there. We’ll keep an eye on her,” Nate said.

  “That’s fine, she’s not important at the moment, she played her part. We don’t need her for what’s to come and I can deal with her later should she become a problem.”

  “We have no further information on the whereabouts of the Lazarus Scroll or the Libre Nox Noctis, I’m afraid,” Kez said.

  Yasmin nodded. “I believe the last person to have the Scroll was Amanda, I have plans to make inroads there so that hopefully I can find out more.”

  “Might we not just take what we want from her?” Nate asked.

  “Amanda is my concern, and mine alone. I will deal with her in my own way,” Yasmin barked, annoyance seeping through her answer.

  “Of course, my Baal,” Nate answered, lowering his gaze.

  Yasmin had some kind of special relationship with Amanda. Alicia couldn’t work it out, but since she had no information to go on, that wasn’t really surprising. It seemed like the others were as in the dark about Amanda and Yasmin as she was, even though they’d been a part of Yasmin’s coven for much longer.

  “Speaking of Amanda, Nymira seems to be on the move again. We don’t have much information, but she’s disappearing from Haiti for days at a time. Is it possible she’s seeking revenge on Amanda for killing Lucian?” Kez asked.

  Yasmin pressed her lips together in thought.

  “Perhaps. Keep an eye on that for me, will you?” Yasmin asked.

  Kez nodded.

  “I have an errand to run in Japan. You two will be joining Alicia and me,” she said, indicating Kez and Nate. They nodded their assent, and with a sudden and powerful flare of Magic, the scene shifted, accompanied with the now-familiar feeling of dislocation, before the flash of light in Alicia’s eyes faded and she felt solid ground beneath her feet again.

  They appeared in a large, lavishly-appointed room with a strong oriental style to it. Alicia looked about her in wonder at the deep mahogany furnishings and all the attractive ornaments placed with care around the room to guide and channel chi in line with the rules of Feng Shui.

  Movement caught her eye and she saw a man in a black suit walk past the open door to the room. He glanced inside and stopped in surprise upon seeing Alicia and her three companions.

  “Hoi!” he exclaimed and had been about to shout and make a fuss.

  With a thought, Alicia created black tendrils from the shadows that shot out of the darkness and wrapped around the security guard, including his face and mouth, keeping him from making further noise. The tentacles deftly lifted the man off his feet and brought him into the room, where she held him.

  “Thank you, Alicia,” Yasmin said. “No need to kill him, though.”

  As she nodded in acknowledgement, Alicia felt Magic flare up around Yasmin again, but in a much smaller and lighter form. Alicia couldn’t see Magic like Yasmin could, but she could feel it, sense it, and because of that, prepare for it.

  Yasmin had also told her that she possessed a natural Aegis, a Magical Shield that would help protect her from Magical attacks. She hadn’t used it yet, but it felt good to know it was there.

  Moments later, another man approached the doorway, and this one she could sense way before he reached the room. He was a Magus.

  “I will deal with this,” Yasmin warned.


  Alicia relaxed and waited to see who would appear at the door. She didn’t wait long as in walked an incredibly handsome man in a very expensive-looking suit and shirt. He wore no tie. Instead, the top few buttons on his shirt lay open to show off the top of his defined pectorals. The man had an unshaven look to him with strong cheekbones and chiselled features. The suit hugged his figure, giving him an enviable silhouette that many men would love to have.

  “Yasmin, my goodness, it’s such a pleasure to see you again. It’s been too long.”

  “Thank you, Marmaduke. You’ve been expecting us?”

  “I have, yes. Only a few of us knew about your visit, though, as you requested. Was there any trouble on your arrival?”

  “Not much, no,” Yasmin answered, nodding to the man Alicia held in the shadows.

  “I see, I think you can let him go now,” Marmaduke suggested. Alicia glanced at Yasmin, who nodded. With her approval, Alicia let the man go and he quickly left the room.

  “Are we interrupting anything?” Yasmin asked.

  “Oh, only the usual club night, nothing to concern yourself with. Follow me, I’ll show you to your meeting,” he said, and led them out of the room.

  As they walked through the maze of corridors, Alicia could make out strange sounds coming from inside the house. It sounded like some melodic kind of music as well as human moans and yelps. Alicia furrowed her brow in confusion and concentration as they walked, trying to make out more of the noise as it grew louder the further they went into the building.

  Marmaduke led them upstairs, and as they passed through a door with glass panes, Alicia found herself on a balcony above a large room filled with people. This was the noise she could hear, and it all suddenly made sense. Everyone in the room below wore masks, sometimes just around their eyes, others with their whole face covered, but no one was without one. Most of them were also naked and were indulging in various sex acts in pairs, or groups and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

  To one side played a band, who all wore similar masks, but without eye holes, rendering them blind. They also wore clothes and headphones as they played.

  What was this? What was she looking at? It was some kind of sex party, sure, but it looked like a very high-class, ritualistic one.

  Alicia slowed to look over the balcony at the writhing bodies as they moved hypnotically. Below her, a girl lay on her back on a table while two others, a man and a woman, were between her legs giving her oral pleasure. She looked up at Alicia and licked her lips, smiling up at Alicia as she used her hands to push the heads of her two partners into her. Alicia paused briefly, a feeling of arousal growing in her loins. As she did so, Kez came to her side and put her hand on the small of Alicia’s back, keeping her walking.

  “What… what am I seeing here?” Alicia asked.

  “This is the Hellfire Club, run by Marmaduke and his coven. It’s a secret society for the rich and famous, or infamous. Down there will be bankers, judges, business people, celebrities, politicians, royalty perhaps. You get the idea. Membership is anonymous and grants you certain privileges that only a Magus can provide, including completely anonymous nights of debauchery like this.”

  “But, what do we get out of it?”

  “Leverage, my dear, leverage,” said Kez, and walked on with a smile. “Come on, let’s not keep Yasmin waiting.”

  Alicia snapped out of it and hurried along the balcony to catch up with Yasmin, Nate, and Marmaduke as they went through another door and into another corridor.

  A couple more turns and they came to a door, which Marmaduke opened for them. In the room beyond, three people, two men and one woman knelt on the floor on the far side of a table that sat low to the ground.

  They all looked to be of Japanese origin and came to their feet as Yasmin entered. The eldest of the three stood in front of the other two younger individuals, who appeared to be his aides

  The trio bowed in greeting, Alicia copied Yasmin, Kez, and Nate and bowed in return. As Alicia concentrated, she felt sure she could sense Magic coming from these three people. It was difficult to gauge due to the powerful Magic that shone from Yasmin and her companions, as well as the effects that had been cast upon the house, but if she had to guess, she would say that these three were either Magi or Scions.

  “Yasmin-san, it is a pleasure to meet with you once again,” the older man said as he kneeled, his aides helping him sit before pouring the green tea that sat on the table for him and Yasmin.

  “Kenji, the pleasure is all mine. You and your business have been loyal partners for many years now. I thank you for this.”

  “We are grateful, Yasmin-san. We have much to discuss.”

  “Indeed.”

  “We trust the assistance we gave you during the recent turmoil in New York went as planned?”

  “It did, apart from the loss of your agent Mr Takahashi,” Yasmin said.

  Kenji lifted his head a little bit and looked away from Yasmin as if willing his emotions to remain under control. Alicia wondered what had happened here, what was she missing?

  “That, is one of the reasons for this meeting, Yasmin-san. I have a request.”

  “Name it,” Yasmin said.

  “I wish for you to resurrect my daughter Kimi, so that she might complete her mission against my son.”

  Yasmin ever-so-slightly cocked her head to one side and seemed to think about this for a moment. Alicia had no idea who this Kimi was or what her mission against her brother might be, but it sounded severe.

  Yasmin looked up at Kenji again and spoke in low tones. “I will agree to this, on one condition. The assassination will happen when and how I say it does. Between now and then, Kimi works for me, but on the completion of her mission, she will be free to go.”

  Kenji’s eyes narrowed as Yasmin finished. He appeared to think about her terms, before looking back up at her.

  “Provided this is completed within five years from today, I accept. After five years, Kimi is free to go.”

  “Excellent,” Yasmin said, happy with the result. “I will be in touch when Kimi is revived.”

  - The Pit nightclub, New York.

  Eudoxia moved slowly through the tunnels beneath her club, keeping as quiet as she could, hoping that Nymira had chosen to move on.

  So far, everything had been as quiet as a tomb, and only Elba’s body and the ransacked rooms showed any sign of Nymira having been here.

  She peeked around the next doorway into her office, to find it similarly wrecked, and sighed at the mess before her. She’d come here alone, much to the annoyance of her two remaining coven mates, but they knew it was the right thing to do. No point in them all getting killed by a marauding Nomad.

  Moving deeper into the office, she edged around her desk to see a file laying open on it. The file contained documents relating to the Darkside of the Moon nightclub, and as Eudoxia scanned the text, she noticed that it mentioned Amanda a couple of times.

  Checking in & Checking out

  New York, USA.

  Yoh’s arm clamped around Amanda’s neck, squeezing hard and making it difficult for her to breathe. As she gasped, she pulled at his arm with one hand while jabbing her free elbow into his kidneys as hard as she could.

  “Give up, Amanda-san?” Yoh said, the strain showing in his voice.

  Her kidney strikes weren’t working, so she chose another tactic and shifted her weight. Yoh saw what was coming but didn’t move quick enough. With a pivot, she lifted him off his feet and flung him over her shoulder. Keeping hold of his arm as he landed on his back, she twisted it into a painful lock.

  “Aaagh,” he yelped.

  “Me, give up? Never,” Amanda said as Yoh tapped out with his free hand.

  Amanda let go of him and stepped away, her white martial arts uniform looking somewhat dishevelled from the fight. She straightened herself out and walked to the nearby bench where she picked up her towel and dried her forehead and face.

  Yoh walked up next
to her and sat down on the bench, wiping the sweat away from his face.

  “Thank you for the sparring session,” Amanda said, as she sat down next to him, catching her breath.

  “Anytime, I enjoy the challenge.”

  “Hopefully, you’re not too tired to take on me,” said Liz’s voice from the stairwell as she stepped up into the gym from the floor below.

  “Looks like you have a new challenger, so it does,” Amanda smiled.

  “Of course, Liz, it would be an honour,” he said.

  Liz smiled and tied her blonde hair back as she walked over to the bench, dropping her own towel onto it.

  Amanda stood up and gathered her things.

  “You’re not staying to watch?” Liz asked.

  “Nah. I’m going to pop over to the Darkside and see Toni and Tabitha. It’s been a while since I heard from them, and with Melissa’s recent passing, I’m a little worried.”

  “Ah, of course. Wish them all the best from me, won’t you?” Liz said.

  “And from me, also,” Yoh added.

  “I will. I’m sure they’re fine,” Amanda said. “Give it some socks, won’t you!” Amanda said to Liz as she walked past.

  “Eh?” Liz asked, a little confused.

  “Give it your all, go for it,” she said, clarifying.

  “Ah, sure, will do, you Irish bint,” Liz joked back.

  Amanda laughed and walked down the steps to the floor below. Heading back to her room, she stripped and climbed into the shower. As she stood there, letting the water hammer away at her shoulders and back, washing away the fatigue and minor pains from the fight with Yoh, she couldn’t help but think back to her chat with Maria the day before about living her life and enjoying things a little more.

  Having a sparring session with Yoh had been fun, and it had been a while since she’d last fought him. Getting up close and personal with him, feeling his body pressed up against hers, even though he’d her in a chokehold, did feel good.

  But the time for doing anything with Yoh again had long since passed. Things had changed between, and he simply wasn’t interested in her. Fantasising about him was all well and good, and led to a very satisfying time in the shower. But it would never happen again between them. They were no longer in the same place as people and she felt sure that they would only ever be friends going forward. Still, a girl could fantasise. There was no harm in that.