Magi Legend

by Andrew Dobell

  Maya smiled back. She was a beautiful young woman now, not much younger-looking than Amanda.

  Amanda knew that Jacob was a little suspicious of how she appeared untouched by time. He’d seen enough strange happenings around the house to suspect something, but he never commented, something for which she was eternally grateful. They had a good, quiet, and plentiful life here in the countryside. Amanda kept her Magic use to a minimum, but what she did use it for was to make their life as comfortable as possible. Jacob seemed to recognise this on some level, but never questioned it.

  They were never short of food or money or anything else they needed.

  Watching their daughter smiling at the chickens, Amanda recognised the Maya she remembered from her life in the modern-day, even though that was hundreds of years ago now. The only difference was that this Maya had an energy and a zest for life that the older Maya seemed to keep under wraps. Age and experience probably played a large part in that, as well as whatever events had yet to transpire, such as her transformation into a Vampire.

  But they were mother and daughter now, and very close. Amanda felt proud that she’d given Maya the best childhood she could, but it was clear that time was running out. One day soon, Maya would meet her fate, and there was nothing she could do about it.

  She sometimes wondered who it might be that would change her. Had she known this Scion before travelling back in time?

  But those were dark thoughts that could ruin the day for her, so she didn’t dwell on them.

  “Are you girls coming in for dinner?” Jacob called out from the doorway.

  Amanda looked up. “Yeah, we’re coming. We had to put the chickens away.”

  “We all know how useless you are at doing it, Dad,” Maya said with a smile.

  “I can do it,” Jacob said.

  “Sure you can.”

  “Okay, so it takes me a little longer, sure, but I can do it.”

  “Of course, you can, Dad. How about you show me tomorrow?”

  “Well, I have a lot to do tomorrow, so, maybe another time?”

  “You name the time and I’ll be there… Maybe.”

  Amanda smiled as she watched her daughter and husband tease each other. Even if this was short-lived, even if things changed in the future, at least, she’d have these memories and moments to think back on.

  As she watched, smiling, she noticed Jacob spot something behind her. Amanda turned and saw three men walking up the road towards the house. No one came up here unless it was to visit them. Taking a closer look, Amanda quickly recognised two of them. It was Israel and Aaron from the Legacy and another man who looked like he knew how to fight.

  Amanda turned back to her family. “I’ll be back soon, go inside with your father,” she said to Maya. Maya stopped and looked back at her. They were the same height now, and she spotted Amanda’s change in attitude. Maya looked past her and saw the men walking towards the house.

  “Who are they?” she asked.

  “Friends,” Amanda answered. “Don’t worry, they’re here to talk to me, you just go inside with your father, okay? I’ll be back soon, promise.”

  Maya’s suspicious eyes returned to her, and there was a pause as if Maya was thinking about something before she nodded once. “Okay, Mother, I’ll see you soon,” she said and gave Amanda a brief embrace before she retreated towards the house. Amanda removed her apron, walked to the front gate, and stepped outside, glancing back at Jacob and Maya as they watched her go.

  Amanda left her apron on the gate post and walked up the path towards the three men, studying them through her Aetheric Sight. She sensed no deception from the three Magi.

  Amanda sent a pulse through the Link she had with Israel, and it opened up. ~Wave at me once if it’s you,~ she said.

  Israel waved at her. ~It’s us,~ he said through the Link.

  ~You can never be too careful,~ Amanda answered.

  ~Agreed.~

  Moments later, Amanda stepped up to them. “What brings you out here? It’s been months since I last saw you.”

  “We know,” Aaron answered. “But we have some news. Can we go somewhere quiet and private to talk?”

  Amanda glanced back at the house to see Jacob still standing in the doorway, watching them. “Sure,” Amanda replied. “Let’s get out of sight first, though.”

  They walked up the path, away from the house, making their way to the bend up ahead where they would be hidden from view.

  “He still doesn’t know you’re a Magus?” Aaron asked.

  “He suspects something, but he’s never asked,” Amanda explained.

  “He’s a rare one,” Israel commented.

  “I know,” Amanda answered, feeling very grateful to have found him. “I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve met,” Amanda said to the third man.

  “This is Ulrich Pascal, he’s a member of the Legacy and a Templar Knight,” Israel explained.

  “A Templar? So, you’re not a part of the Disciples of the Cross?” Amanda asked.

  “I used to be,” Ulrich said. “However, I don’t feel that the Disciples see eye to eye with us on several things. Over time, I got to know Israel here, and he eventually asked me to join the Legacy.”

  “You’re part of the Legacy and the Disciples?” Amanda asked.

  “He’s a valuable informant,” Israel added. “And he’s proven himself many times. He has my complete trust.”

  Amanda nodded. Israel had foreseen her doubts and countered them before they’d been voiced. She trusted Israel, and if he said Ulrich was okay, then he almost certainly was.

  They were soon out of sight of the house, so Amanda worked her Magic and reached out to the three men. A fraction of a second later, they Ported to the crest of a small hill and stood close to a modest headstone that looked a little overgrown. Below them, the old house that Amanda had lived in with Eric stood empty and derelict.

  No one, it seemed, wanted to live in the former house of a Magus.

  Amanda crouched down before the grave, and with a wave of her hand, the top of the surrounding grass was cut away, revealing Eric’s name carved into its face.

  Before Eric, her life here in the past had been quite uneventful. She’d spent hundreds of years learning from masters of the fighting arts, until the day she’d gone on the mission with him into the woods and met Yasmin. Then her past and her future started to catch up with her.

  There was no escaping it, it seemed.

  “Is this quiet enough?” Amanda asked. It was the first place that had popped into her mind when they’d asked to talk somewhere quiet. They had a shared beginning here, the Legacy and her, so it just seemed right.

  “Yes,” Israel said. “Rather fitting, actually.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “We’ll get to that. First, how have you been? How’s the simple life?”

  Amanda smiled. She got the feeling that he didn’t really approve of the way she lived her life. Maybe they thought she was shirking her responsibilities. They probably thought she should be in Paris with them, leading the coven, and taking ownership of her destiny. It made her smile. Amanda stood up and turned to face the three Magi.

  “I’m fine. In fact, I’m very happy, actually. I have a good life and a family I love, and I’m not bothered by Nomads or Archons trying to kill me. It’s the life I wanted back in New York, but could never find.”

  “But you found it here?”

  “For the time being, so I’m enjoying it, don’t ye know.”

  Israel and Aaron shared a look. They probably didn’t understand, but she didn’t care. She’d be back in the game before too long, she was sure of that, but for now, raising her daughter and being a part of her family was much more important.

  “So, what news do you have to bring me?” Amanda asked.

  “We’ve done as you asked and kept an eye on Yasmin, followed her as best we can, and we thought you should know that she’s recently made contact with a name on the list you gave us.”
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  Amanda raised her eyebrows. It seemed that they really did have some news for her. She’d instructed the Legacy to monitor Yasmin’s movements, but not to engage or do anything to her, that she should be left alone. Amanda had been curious to know what Yasmin would do after their meeting thirty five years ago. She’d had a few updates from the Legacy since, but nothing of any great interest. Maybe that was about to change.

  If Yasmin had contacted someone on the persons of interest list she had given them, then that could be bad. She knew full well that some of the people on that list were not even born yet, but they were on there anyway as she wanted to know when they finally did appear.

  “Oh, so, who has she contacted?”

  “Yasmin recently travelled to Russia and met with the Scion-”

  “Horlack,” Amanda interjected.

  Israel looked a little surprised but then nodded and smiled. “That’s correct.”

  “Feck,” Amanda cursed. “When was this?”

  “Well, it’s difficult to follow her, so the information is often delayed, but we think it was a few days ago now. Do you know what she might be doing contacting Horlack?” Israel asked.

  “What do you know of Horlack?” Amanda asked.

  “Well, nothing good,” Israel said. “He’s a legendary Scion, a relic of the Archons themselves, and one of the original founders of the Were-creature bloodline. He’s a warlord from the Steppes who’s caused all kinds of trouble for us over the centuries.”

  “You know him well, then,” Amanda grumbled.

  “We’ve never met him, but his reputation precedes him,” Israel clarified.

  “As well it should. Is there anything else?”

  “Not right now, but are you worried? Should we be worried?”

  “I think everyone should be worried where Horlack’s concerned. Monitor the situation for me, please, and let me know of any developments.”

  “We will,” Israel said.

  “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll return to my family now,” Amanda said.

  “Of course.”

  Amanda nodded her farewell and worked her Magic once more, Porting herself back to the forest a short distance from her house as she contemplated the ramifications of what Israel had just told her. Yasmin and Horlack working together was not a welcome development, and she wondered how this played into the events of her life. What were they planning? She wandered through the woods for a short while, using the time to think things through, but she was at a loss as to what it might mean.

  Walking along the lane, she soon came back into view of her home. When she saw it though, she froze as a cold, stomach-turning fear set in.

  The warm, inviting family home was no more. The front door had been smashed in, the roof partially collapsed, and some of it was on fire.

  “Fuck,” Amanda cursed and Ported herself to her front garden, her Aegis snapping into place as she poured Essentia into it and pulled more into her body. Dropping her Sight into the Magical spectrum, Amanda stepped up to the entrance. The door was in bits on the floor, with just a few splinters still attached to the frame. She could hear voices inside, including an intense bass rumble that sounded all too familiar.

  Rushing forward, she stepped through the doorway and surveyed the damage inside. The place had been trashed with all the furniture reduced to splinters and scattered over the floor. Sure enough, Horlack himself stood hunched in the main room of the house, too tall to rise to his full height. A couple of Magi, a man and a woman, both of them controlling enough Essentia to give Amanda pause, stood close by. Jacob, her husband, lay dead on the floor, already forgotten by the invaders, but a third member of Horlack’s team crouched just in front him. Holding Maya in his arms, she bit down on his wrist, sucking his Vampiric blood for all she was worth. Maya’s eyes flicked up to Amanda. They were bloodshot red, and Maya stopped sucking the moment she saw her.

  Emotions ran riot inside Amanda as she looked over the scene. Grief welled up at the sight of her dead husband and the thought that Maya’s human life was over. But it was also tinged with acceptance. She’d known this was coming. She’d known that Maya would one day be changed, and it would indeed be violent. But above it all, her anger at Horlack and Yasmin boiled wildly, threatening to overflow. She held herself in check though, aware that the Vampire was still holding Maya and could kill her if he wanted to.

  “It’s been a while, Amanda,” Horlack boomed at her with his powerful voice.

  “I see Yasmin has been talking to you,” Amanda said, ready to act. Her mind was already split into a myriad of fragments, each one working Magic, building up her defences, storing Essentia within her, and readying for an attack.

  The Magi to Horlack’s side exchanged worried looks as the seconds passed. They’d be able to see the incredible amount of Essentia she was moving. She was a Master Magus now, and they’d know it.

  “Heh,” Horlack grunted. “You’ve been doing your own research, I see. Well, yes, she has filled me in on a few things, not least of which was your current location. Was it a nice life you had here?”

  Amanda took a step into the house, causing the two Magi to shuffle back a bit, their Essentia pulsing. “Get out of my house, right now,” Amanda ordered.

  “Or what?” Horlack asked.

  Amanda gave him a thin smile and unleashed hell. Several of her minds locked onto the Vampire holding Maya, blasted his weak Aegis apart and tore at the man’s material form, ripping him apart at a molecular level that sent blood flying. Another mind reached out and Ported Maya and Jacob’s body away and into Eric’s old place.

  Two more minds sent Essentia strikes at the two Magi that splashed against their Aegises, knocking them back, but not reaching the Magi inside. The final pair did the same to Horlack.

  The Scion’s powerful Aegis held up against Amanda’s Essentia strikes, but they knocked Horlack back against the wall behind him with a grunt.

  Amanda stepped in again as the trio of attackers reeled from her attack. The male Magi rushed forward, his dark cape flying as he lashed out with several Essentia strikes of his own that crashed into Amanda’s Aegis. They were strong, but she could withstand a few more of them without much trouble.

  The second Magus ran for Horlack as the hulking Scion scrambled to his feet with a roar of rage.

  Amanda sent a wave of Essentia strikes at the approaching Magus, mixing in a Kinetic strike at the same time and sent the man flying over the length of the house and into the wall to her left. His Aegis held, but he hit the wall hard.

  Turning to look at the others, the female Magus smiled at her as Horlack roared.

  “I’ll find you again,” Horlack sneered at her a nanosecond before all four of them disappeared.

  “Feck,” Amanda cursed. In an attempt to live a normal life, she’d never placed an Aegis over the house, and although Horlack and his lackeys would probably have gotten in anyway, it might have delayed them a bit and given her time to return.

  Amanda stood for a moment, letting her breathing slow as she surveyed the damage. The house was ruined. It was nothing she couldn’t fix with a little bit of Magic, of course, but it was more than that. Horlack and his men had desecrated it, tainted it. It would never be a home for them again.

  With a sigh, she called on her Magic once more and Ported over to Eric’s abandoned house, appearing next to the body of her dead husband. Maya wasn’t immediately visible, but Amanda’s Aetheric Sight soon picked her out. She was huddled in a nearby corner, her arms wrapped around her knees, looking terrified. Amanda went to her quickly and took her into her arms, hugging her tightly.

  Maya’s skin was cold. She’d been changed into a Scion and now she was technically dead. Undead. She was a Vampire and would need to drink the blood of the living to survive.

  Amanda’s tears came freely and fell down her cheeks over the loss of her daughter’s innocence.

  Maya cried, too, until she pulled away so she could look Amanda in the eye.

  “What
am I?” Maya asked.

  1181 AD – France

  Leaving the Material world behind, Amanda appeared in a small, wood-panelled room with no doors or windows. The room was clean, with a plush carpet, and a few comfy-looking seats. Amanda was standing to one side of the room on a welcome mat. She smiled. She thought that was a cute addition to this beginning part of her Null Realm. Moving to the middle of the room, she sat on the floor cross-legged and closed her eyes. Slowly, she formed a picture in her mind’s eye of what it was she wanted to create and then willed it to be so, flooding the working of Magic with Essentia and building it from nothing.

  It took a while for her to fully define the main features of what she wanted to create, and she felt sure she’d be adding details for centuries to come, but for a first pass, she felt she had everything she needed.

  Pulling her Magic back, she opened her eyes and looked up. In front of her, where there wasn’t one before, stood a door. Smiling, Amanda got to her feet and took the handle in her hand. Taking a breath on the threshold, she opened the door and stepped through.

  She found herself inside a cottage, appearing just as she had imagined it in her head. It wasn’t too dissimilar to the one she had in Ireland, except it was bigger and a little more luxurious with more rooms.

  Light flooded in from the windows. Walking over to the main door, Amanda opened it to reveal the Realm beyond.

  Stepping outside, she found herself in a vast landscape of rolling hills, lush green trees, and bushes. Wildflowers grew in the grass and exotic-looking birds swooped about.

  Amanda took a deep breath, sucking the fresh, fragrant air into her lungs and relishing the crisp, clean taste. From now on, wherever she went, this would be her ultimate home.

  Later, she thought she’d like some companionship in this place, so Amanda closed her eyes and exerted her will over her Realm. Visualising what her new friend should look like, she couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face. Satisfied with her vision, she opened her eyes and sure enough, sitting before her was a huge, honey-coloured Sabre Tooth Cat.