Magi Legend

by Andrew Dobell

  She’d miss him, that was for sure. Yoh had been a good friend and had been vital to her survival in those early days in this city. But life went on, and she had plenty of things to occupy her, not least of which was Yasmin and the Lazarus Scroll.

  She wondered where it had disappeared to during the attack. Had it simply chosen to be elsewhere or had someone picked it up and taken it? She’d need to talk to everyone who had been at that fight and find out for herself. But tomorrow, maybe. She had enough on her mind right now following the funeral.

  As she shuffled forward on the bench, ready to stand up, a muffled explosion sounded from what was probably a few blocks away. Amanda looked up and could see nothing through the trees, but she had a sinking feeling about it.

  A pulse of Essentia registered in her mind as someone reached out to talk to her. She opened the Link after recognising the signature. If she wasn’t mistaken, it was Mercy from the Tyranny Effect Coven.

  ~Mercy?~ Amanda asked.

  ~Amanda, we’re under attack,~ she blurted out into Amanda’s mind.

  ~Under attack? By who?~

  ~Don’t know, they caught us by surprise, I think… Oh, God, they killed Fractal and Digit? Fuck, I’ve got to move, come quickly,~ she said and cut the Link.

  Looking around, there weren’t many people, but she wanted to try and be a little circumspect about how she Ported over to the arcade the Tyranny Effect used as their home.

  With a working of Magic, she conjured a set of senses just outside the building the coven used as their base. It had once been an arcade and still had several classic gaming cabinets on the ground floor, although it was no longer open to the public. These days it looked like a disused shop with apartments above, but it was owned and lived in by the Tyranny Effect Coven, who had moved here from following Lucian’s death.

  The front of the building was a mess and debris covered the street outside. Smoke poured from the shop front, and people in the street had stopped to look. Black vans were parked outside the building, and official-looking people were urging onlookers to move back.

  Amanda shifted her senses to the alleyway behind the building. That seemed to be clear, so she walked over to a small collection of trees and bushes, stepped up close to them to conceal herself from casual view, and pulled on the local Essentia.

  The air snapped as she Ported to the alleyway.

  A second later, her Aegis was suddenly peppered by rapid-fire bullet hits that cracked and whined as they hit and bounced off her Aegis. But the bullets were laced with Essentia, and the hits were damaging her defences.

  “Feck,” she cursed, looking up, trying to see where the gunfire was coming from. She spotted one of the gunmen on the next roof along, with a high-powered rifle tucked into his shoulder, aiming right at her.

  Light flashed from the barrel of the firearm as the man went full-auto and unloaded on her. Her Aegis hissed and flared from the hits as she pumped more Essentia into it, healing the damage to her shield the man was inflicting.

  With a thought, she pulled in the strands of Essentia and launched herself up through the air. She shot up to him, four floors up, in less than a second and smashed her knee into his face. The man flew back over ten feet and landed with a crunch on the roof of the building.

  With her Aetheric Sight, she could clearly see that he wasn’t a Magus, but he was carrying Magically-enhanced gear, including body armour and weapons that glowed with Essentia. The large sword on the man’s back gave away his allegiance, though. He was with the Inquisition. The light crack of suppressed gunfire split the air. Amanda looked up to see another two figures, on the same roof but who’d been hidden by the pipes, vents, and other features, step into view and shoot.

  Amanda lashed out with her Magic, her Multitasking mind allowing her to cast several effects at the same time. Invisible Kinetic energy rams slammed into both figures, knocking them flat and breaking bones.

  She frowned and grunted at what had just happened. Couldn’t she ever have a night off?

  There was a roar from behind her. Turning, Amanda looked up to see a man leap from the next building over, his sword held high as he landed in a crouch on the rooftop nearby. He glowed with Essentia, marking him as a Magus.

  He looked up at her and smiled.

  Amanda raised her eyebrows at him, as he stood tall, brandishing his sword which pulsed with Magical energy that would be invisible to Riven humans.

  “You know,” Amanda said, “I’m really not dressed for this.”

  “Pity, I was looking forward to crossing swords with you,” he said, taking a few steps forward and twirling his sword casually in one hand.

  “Neat trick,” Amanda commented.

  “You should see what else I can do.” Lunging, he swung his sword in wide, but Amanda lifted her arm and blocked it. Her Aegis flared as the Magical blade bit into it, but didn’t pass through. Whipping her arm out, she pushed the sword away and punched the man once, solidly in his face.

  He stumbled and staggered as blood gushed from his nose.

  “As I was saying, I’m not dressed for this, but I’ll still kick your arse if ye want a clatter.”

  The man looked up at her over his hand. His eyes were watering, and he just stared at her for a moment. He then took his sword in both hands before bowing his head.

  Magic surged around him before it lashed out in an Essentia Strike that smacked into her Aegis. He clearly wasn’t a powerful Magus, and Amanda didn’t want to spend too much time on him.

  She realised it could well be that they were a distraction. She glanced over her shoulder, and then back at the Inquisitor.

  Anger bloomed inside her while Essentia moved to her will. She lashed out, hammering into the man’s Aegis with strike after strike, wearing it down over the next few seconds as he attempted to repair and mend the damage. But Amanda was stronger than he was by several orders of magnitude, and within seconds, his Aegis had been torn away, opening him to attack.

  She hit him with a powerful Kinetic punch right in the face and sent him sprawling.

  With a thought, she Ported off the rooftop, back down to the alleyway and moved to the backdoor, which was already wide open. Her Aetheric Sight cut through the darkness and smoke as she stepped inside. From out of the shadows in the back room, a figure lunged for her, but Amanda saw it coming and recognised the Magical signature.

  Amanda caught the hand by the wrist as the figure stepped closer. It was one of the Tyranny Effect. Her name was Lyia. She was a blonde and wore a jacket and leggings that had seen better days. For a moment, she struggled against Amanda, fighting until she got a good look at who was stood before her.

  “Lyia, it’s me,” Amanda said.

  “Uh oh. Sorry, Amanda, I just saw the movement in the shadows. I’m a little jumpy.”

  “That’s fine, no harm done,” Amanda answered calmly, letting her go. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. What are you doing here?”

  “Mercy called me,” Amanda answered.

  Lyia looked back, twisting on the spot, and behind her, Amanda could see Mercy sitting on the floor, her back up against a cupboard and her magenta hair spilling over her shoulders, looking a little worse for wear. “You called Amanda?”

  Mercy looked up. “Yeah, I did,” she said, weaving Essentia about herself and healing her wounds.

  “Why? We can handle this,” Lyia said.

  “Tell that to Fractal and Digit,” Mercy hissed with pain.

  “They just rushed in damn it, fuckin’ idiots. What did they think was going to happen?” Lyia yelled, her tone defensive.

  “Hey, calm down,” Amanda said, growing a little concerned over their raised voices. “Where are Fractal and Digit?” Amanda asked.

  “Dead. They’re in the front room,” Mercy said.

  Amanda stepped sideways and looked through the open doorway into the smoky main room. She could make out the feet of one corpse not too far away, and the dark shapes of others in the smoke. Prob
ably more than two dead bodies by the looks of things. “What about Domino?” Amanda asked.

  “Upstairs, I think, Checking to see if any are left,” Mercy explained

  “She’s hunting them down. She can handle it,” Lyia said, her tone short.

  “I’m sure she can,” Amanda agreed, sensing a little hostility from Lyia.

  There was a thump, and then a crash followed by grunts of effort when the ceiling of the front room suddenly collapsed. Domino fell through from the floor above, dragging two men with her. One fell limply at her side, while the other attempted to pull away from the dark-haired woman he was on top of.

  Domino slammed her hand into the man’s chest and sent him flying across the room into the far wall where he fell still. Domino was just about to stand when another dark shadow dropped through the hole in the ceiling, brandishing a sword. He brought it slicing down on Domino and hit her Aegis, which flared once and failed.

  The man swung again, but Domino caught the blade in her hands with a grunt of effort.

  On instinct, Amanda called on her Magic. Lashing out, she knocked the man sideways and flung him into the wall. He hit it with a sickening crunch and dropped lifelessly to the ground.

  Domino looked sideways at Amanda with a frown. “I had him,” she protested.

  “I’m sure you did…” Amanda agreed, feeling a little offended by her rude tone. “Sorry, I was just trying to help,” she added, attempting to diffuse the tension.

  “Next time, don’t,” Domino replied as she got herself to her feet and looked around her. “Well, this seals it.” Domino walked into the back room.

  “My thoughts exactly,” Lyia agreed.

  “We’re staying,” Mercy added, her voice laden with meaning. She stood up and tested the movement she had in her arm.

  “Not anymore. You’re outvoted now, two to one. I’m not staying here any longer. You coming or not?” Domino asked.

  Amanda glanced over at Mercy, who did not look happy. Mercy looked at Lyia and Domino, and then at Amanda.

  “She won’t come,” Lyia said.

  Amanda opened a Mental Link to Mercy, sending a pulse along it. The Link opened, and Amanda could feel Mercy’s presence close to her mind.

  ~What’s up? What’s going on?~

  ~They’re leaving New York,~ Mercy said.

  ~Leaving?~

  ~They’re from LA, and they want to go back there. They left partly because of the Nomad that was killing people.~

  ~Shaitan,~ Amanda answered.

  ~That’s the one. But he’s gone now, and I’m not sure they really like it here.~

  ~They seem a little hostile towards me,~ Amanda said, glancing at the two women. Domino wore a gloss-black, form-fitting catsuit under a long white coat. Her hair was dark, and she had a severe look to her. Lyia, by comparison, had long blonde hair, combed back from her face. The expressions of both women were hard and uncompromising.

  The Tyranny Effect had been one of the more militant covens in New York, taking the fight to the Nomads and the Inquisition several times in the year that they’d been in the city. She hadn’t had too much to do with them during their time here, though. As Amanda and Mercy swapped thoughts, she could see the looks on the two girls faces change as they realised that she and Mercy were talking telepathically.

  ~I know,~ Mercy answered. ~They’ve heard some stories about you. I never believed them, and honestly, I’m not sure they fully believe them either, but…~

  ~It’s enough to cast doubt on me,~ Amanda finished for her.

  ~Right.~

  ~Sure, I understand. So, what do you want to do?~

  ~I’m staying. Well, not here, not with it like this, but I don’t want to leave New York.~

  ~Stay with me, then. At least, until you’re back on your feet,~ Amanda suggested.

  ~Are you sure? I mean, thanks, but I don’t want to impose,~ she said.

  ~You’re not,~ Amanda answered simply.

  “Having a private chat?” Domino asked, accusation in her voice.

  Amanda didn’t like her tone. “And if we were? What of it?” she said, putting some attitude of her own into her words.

  Domino said nothing and just looked at her.

  “I was just offering her a place to stay, given this place is ruined. I’m guessing you’ll refuse, but the offer’s open to you, too,” Amanda said, her voice losing some of its harshness.

  “No thanks,” Domino said, as sirens cut through the night air. “We’ll be going.”

  “You’re not going to help me clean up?” Amanda asked, feeling a little annoyed with them, but knowing they’d say no.

  Domino shrugged. “It’s your town…”

  Amanda scowled as they both walked out of the backdoor and disappeared from view. She looked back at Mercy. “They were a little rude.”

  “They’ve been increasingly unreasonable of late. They heard some rumours about you a few weeks ago, something about Nomads. I wasn’t really interested as I was sure it was a mistake or hoax.”

  Amanda laughed to herself. “Well, it was certainly a mistake on my part. I was deceived, and I’ve paid the price for that.”

  “Ah,” Mercy said.

  “Look, let me Port you to my place. I have to clean up here before the cops show up.”

  “What are you going to do with Digit and Fractal?”

  “I’ll put them on ice at mine, then you can make that choice yourself,” Amanda said, her expression and tone sympathetic.

  “Okay, sounds good,” Mercy replied.

  Amanda nodded and worked her Magic, Porting Mercy into her foyer back home. As the sirens grew closer, Amanda went to work, Porting Fractal and Digit back to hers as well. They’d had some facilities put in place recently to deal with this kind of thing after Yoh’s death, and it was a simple matter to Port them into two of the freezers they had in the basement.

  Next, she sent her senses through the building and Ported the bodies of the Inquisitors to her Null Realm, making sure she checked and double-checked adjacent buildings and anywhere she could think of to make sure she hadn’t missed anyone, before she disappeared into the Null Realm herself. With a few more workings of Magic, she dropped the whole Crusader squad off on the same secluded beach where she’d dumped Mary Damask last time.

  Let the Vatican deal with them, she thought, as she worked her Magic once more and stepped into her home in New York.

  She found Mercy in her front room, sitting in one of the soft chairs, looking troubled.

  “You okay? What’s the craic?” she asked.

  “Sorry,” Mercy said. “I’m just annoyed at those two. They’ve been really difficult these last few weeks. They were desperate to move out of the city and kept asking for a vote. Fractal and I were happy here, and Digit always abstained, meaning the vote was tied. But shit, I don’t know,” she sighed. “Looks like the Tyranny Effect Coven has finally disbanded.”

  “Look, you’ve been through a lot. Stay here with us. We have plenty of space and you can think about your future. You can stay as long as you want, okay?”

  Mercy smiled. “Thanks, I appreciate it.”

  “No problem,” Amanda said.

  - The Vatican, Rome

  “Damn it,” Mary cursed and slammed the base of her fist onto her desk.

  “We killed two of them,” the Crusader said to her from where he stood on the other side of the table beside Assunta and Augusto, his tone was almost pleading.

  “Not good enough,” Mary said. “And once again, Amanda shows up and humiliates you. It was a simple job, you had more than enough resources. I wasn’t asking for much, you know? Go on, get out,” she said and watched the Crusader nod once and leave her office, closing the door behind him.

  Mary sat back in her seat and massaged her forehead with her fingers as she tried to soothe the headache that was brewing.

  “So, what’s our next move?” Assunta asked.

  “Don’t know,” Mary said, her tone short. “We need a way to
get at Amanda, something personal, something that would give us leverage…”

  Consequences

  Manhattan, New York.

  Amanda pulled on a pair of red leather trousers, shimmying her butt into them before zipping them up, and checked herself out in the mirror. She wore a white camisole with the trousers and decided to keep her hair loose. She pulled on a pair of pumps with a high blocky-heel and wandered out of her room. As she walked towards the staircase, another door opened and Mercy stepped out, wearing just a long t-shirt with her hair still messy. Mercy yawned and then spotted Amanda and paused.

  “Oh, hi,” she said, looking slightly embarrassed, pulling the bottom of her shirt down.

  “Hey, you sleep well?”

  “Ah, you know, it could have been better,” she answered.

  “To be sure,” Amanda said. She guessed that Mercy probably had a lot on her mind having lost two coven mates to the Inquisition and the other two choosing to go off on their own. She’d lost a lot yesterday, and it would probably take her some time to process it all. “Take your time. You can stay here as long as you need to.”

  Mercy leant against her doorframe and gave a half-smile. “Thanks.”

  “One of us will be around the house somewhere if you need anything. I’ll catch you later, okay?”

  Mercy smiled. “Sure, see ya in a bit.”

  Amanda smiled back at her and walked off down the hallway to the stairs, glancing back at Mercy, who was walking into one of the bathrooms. She paused at the top of the stairs.

  Mercy had been through a lot yesterday, but she seemed to be handling it okay. Amanda liked her. She seemed—current circumstances notwithstanding—something of a determined woman, driven to fight against the hate and injustice within the Magi world, and Amanda could respect that. She was a bright, no-nonsense woman, someone who Amanda thought might be a good fit for her coven.

  She smiled to herself as she descended the stairs.

  My coven…

  It was one of those things she’d never really put much thought into. She’d always considered herself, before the time travel incident, to be a part of the Legacy Coven. Her little band of Magi were some kind of offshoot or group within the group. Kind of like how Orion, Xain, Stephen, and Balor had come together to be a small militant group within the Legacy. But things had changed for her since time travelling, and she had a different view on the Legacy now.