Magi Legend

by Andrew Dobell

  “Is that right?”

  “You can believe me, and I can get you out of here, or you can deal with them,” she said and pointed past them. Liz glanced up the street to see the two Nomads standing at the end of the road, looking down at them.

  “Shit,” Liz cursed and turned to face Nefertiti. She didn’t like accepting the help of someone else, but what other option did they have? They could Port away, run, but Yasmin was clearly actively hunting them, and would probably find them eventually. She was starting to feel a little desperate, wanting to have some time, any time, to just stop and rest and think things through. It had been one thing after another so far. They were on the run and Yasmin was two steps ahead each time. She hated to admit it, but they did need help. “Maria?”

  “Mandy did mention Nefertiti to me a few times, I say go for it.”

  “Okay, fine, let’s get out of here,” she said.

  Nefertiti smiled. “My pleasure.” Essentia surged out from the woman, wrapped around them, and the familiar feeling of Porting washed over Liz.

  Light flashed behind her eyelids, the air snapped, and the scene changed.

  Liz looked around. They were standing in a large, sandstone room, perhaps thirty by forty feet across and deep. Ornately decorated pillars surrounded the room, while a sunken area in the middle contained soft furnishings. There were several doors around the walls as well. Howie placed Amanda’s body on the nearby sofa with a grunt of effort.

  “I’m sorry I startled you, but we had to move fast,” Nefertiti said. “I’ve been watching the places that I knew Amanda might show up, and when you appeared in London, I came as fast as I could because I knew Yasmin’s forces were there.”

  Liz eyed the woman. She glowed brightly in her Aetheric Sight, marking her as a powerful Magus. Liz knew that Amanda had met Nefertiti before, but she couldn’t be sure this was Nefertiti, or that she was here to help.

  “I’m sorry, but I’m a little on guard at the moment,” Liz explained.

  “Understandable,” Nefertiti said. “But I mean you no harm. Amanda saved my life yesterday when Yasmin attacked me and I owe her a debt of gratitude that I intend on repaying.”

  “Yasmin attacked you?”

  Nefertiti nodded. “In one of my other, less well-hidden homes. She came for the information I had on Shaitan’s whereabouts. Needless to say, she got it. Luckily for me, though, Amanda arrived before Yasmin could finish the job.”

  Liz smiled inwardly to herself. That was the Amanda she remembered. She was always keen to help, always willing to put her life on the line to save others. Liz couldn’t help but feel a pang of emotion.

  “I see that I was not in time to save Amanda herself, though,” Nefertiti said, looking down at Amanda’s body.

  “Yasmin killed her,” Matt said from nearby after a couple of seconds’ pause when it became clear no one else was going to explain what had happened.

  “And yet, you carry her with you. Why is this?” Nefertiti asked.

  “We’re not sure she’s dead. Well, her body is, but her Anima as if she’s still alive.”

  “Hmmm,” Nefertiti said. “Curious.”

  “We’ve had several people look at her and try to bring her back, but with no luck.”

  “A soul does not linger without reason,” Nefertiti said. “You are wise to keep her with you. I suspect, Amanda might not be gone for good,” she said.

  “I hope so,” Liz said, feeling the tears well up in her eyes. She blinked them back, wiping one away that fell down her cheek.

  “Please, I have imposed too much. You are safe here. Yasmin has not found this place yet. You will find bedrooms through these doors, and feel free to wander the halls outside. You are safe here. Rest, get your energy back, I will see you shortly,” Nefertiti said with a smile and left the room through a pair of large double doors.

  Liz watched her go before she moved to a nearby sofa and collapsed onto it.

  “I’ll move Amanda into one of these rooms,” Howie said, picking her up and carrying her off.

  Liz nodded and let him go. She felt incredibly tired and drained. These last few hours had been so intense, and for the first time, she actually felt, at least to some degree, safe and her body started to relax.

  She’d done all kinds of crazy things during her time as a Magus. She remembered the early days in New York when Lucian had been trying to drive them out of town, like when he’d chased them up the highway on Amanda’s Motorcycle. Amanda had steered her Fireblade expertly through the traffic and despite being under assault by Lucian and his coven, they’d survived.

  She remembered the crazy fight on the atoll against Mr Black’s Scions and the nuclear blast that followed. That was insane, and yet, they hadn’t just survived, they’d won. And then there was their kidnapping by the Legion and the torture she’d endured at the hands of those misguided Magi.

  All of it paled in comparison to this. It seemed that Amanda’s luck had finally run out and destiny had come calling.

  She questioned her own actions. Had she done enough? If she’d gone to help Amanda earlier in the fight, would that have been enough to tip the scales in their favour? Would Amanda have been able to fend Yasmin off in time for them to escape, or maybe even beaten her?

  She had no way of knowing.

  “Penny for your thoughts,” Maria said, sitting down beside her.

  She looked up at Maria. She was a pretty woman with her chocolate hair and soft skin. She could see why Amanda liked her so much. She was enough to turn any woman gay.

  She laughed at her thoughts and felt the tears glide down her cheeks.

  “I’m sorry,” Liz said. “I don’t mean to cry.”

  “It’s okay, Liz. I’m feeling emotional too, but you’ve taken on a lot. You’ve stepped up and taken charge, and it can take a lot out of you.”

  “It’s not that,” Liz said. “I just... I wonder if I did enough, you know?”

  “Don’t. Stop that right now. You’ve been amazing. You’ve done everything you possibly could and more. Amanda would be so incredibly proud of you. You can’t live your life thinking ‘what if’. What’s done is done. We all could have acted differently, but we didn’t know what was coming. We didn’t see how things would turn out, but what’s important is how we deal with it. It’s how we react to the cards that have been dealt to us, and you have been amazing.”

  Liz smiled, and the tears fell freely as Maria leaned in and hugged her close.

  “Thank you,” Liz said.

  “No, thank you. You stepped up when no one else did. That’s Amanda’s influence.”

  ***

  Matt walked out of the room where he’d helped Howie place Amanda’s body on the bed and saw Maria holding Liz, who was visibly upset.

  Matt turned to Howie. “Fancy exploring the place?” he said in a whisper.

  Howie nodded. “Sounds good.”

  Matt led the way to the closed wooden double doors and walked through them into the corridor beyond, closing the doors behind them. The hallway was decorated in a similar ancient Egyptian style as the room they had just left, with sandstone pillars, drapes, and rugs on the floor. Matt picked a direction and walked.

  “She’s done well,” Matt said.

  “Who, Liz? Yeah, she has. She’s a tough one, that’s for sure.”

  “Scary when she gets her fight on, too.”

  “You’re telling me. Did you see what she did to that Demon at Crystal’s place?” Howie asked.

  “No.”

  “She stamped on the thing’s cock.”

  “Oooh, damn. Demon or not, no man deserves that.”

  Howie laughed. “Well, maybe the Demon did.”

  “Hah. I guess.”

  “Any idea where we are?”

  “No, none. Well, Egypt maybe? But I’m basing that on the choice of décor, so, who knows?” Matt shrugged. “We could be in Scotland for all I know.”

  “Sure could. What do you think of the babe who got us out of
London?”

  “Nefertiti? Well, you know who that is, don’t you?”

  “Not really, dude. Should I?”

  “You don’t know your Egyptian history?” Matt asked.

  “Not so much.”

  “She was a queen of Egypt, some three thousand years ago. If this is the real Nefertiti, that is.”

  “A queen? Cool.”

  “That’s what piqued your interest? Not the three thousand years old bit?”

  Howie shrugged. “Magi man, they’re into some crazy shit.”

  “Ain’t that the truth.”

  They walked on in silence for a little longer, moving slowly. They didn’t want to get back too soon.

  “So, how you holding up?” Matt asked.

  “Yeah, I’m okay. It’s tough at times, you know?”

  “I hear ya. Are you okay carrying her around?”

  “Amanda? Well, I guess. It’s a bit strange, though. It’s as if she’s just sleeping. I keep expecting her to wake up at any moment.”

  “That’s what Liz seems to think will happen.”

  “I guess. I don’t know. Maybe she will. They keep banging on about her annie… annay… You know, her soul still being a part of her. It’s like they can see it.”

  “I think they can see it, or sense it, anyway.”

  “Messed up, man. Messed up. What about you?”

  “Me?”

  “Yeah, you’ve only been a part of this for a few days. This must be pretty crazy for you.”

  “It is. I mean, I knew about the Magi, well, I knew bits. I was hunting for the truth. I knew that something was going on in the world. I could read between the lines of the news articles and see their hand in things. I could see the Magi working behind the scenes, you know? Some stuff just didn’t add up, so I knew something was going on. Having Amanda turn up and confirm it all, and show me that everything I suspected was true was amazing. I mean, it’s been scary as all hell, too, but at least, I know I’m not crazy.”

  “Whoa, check this out,” Howie said and motioned for him to look ahead. A woman was walking towards them, and as she saw them looking, she started swinging her hips a little more and smiling at them. She had her hair in a similar style to Nefertiti but shorter, and wore a simple thin, white shift-dress that had an ancient Egyptian look to it and hugged her generous curves.

  Matt tried to keep his eyes on her face, but couldn’t resist a glance down at her nipples that stood erect under the dress, showing clearly through the thin fabric.

  Matt also noticed that several cats were following her down the corridor.

  He guessed she was probably another Magi, but it was often difficult to know for sure.

  “Hi, boys,” she said, her voice sultry and filled with carnal promise.

  “Hi,” they both answered in unison. The girl giggled. Matt loved the sound of her laugh.

  They all stopped as they reached each other. The woman’s eyes flicked between him and Howie. “You two came with the others, then? Nefertiti never mentioned that two handsome young men were in the group.”

  “We did, yes,” Matt said, keeping his gaze fixed firmly on her eyes.

  “Maybe Nefertiti wanted to keep us to herself?” Howie teased her.

  Matt rose an eyebrow at the comment. It sounded cheesy as hell to him.

  “Well, I’ve found you now, so she’ll have to share,” she purred and ran her hand over Howie’s chest. “Oooh,” she gasped as she felt his pectorals. “Lovely.”

  “Should I leave you two to get a room?” Matt asked, rolling his eyes.

  The girl looked over at him. “Jealousy is never attractive, you know,” she said before she leaned a little closer. “Besides, there’s more than enough of me to go around,” she whispered under her breath.

  “Is that right?” Matt answered, nervousness making his palms sweat.

  “Well, I’d best be going. I’m Bast, by the way.”

  “Howie and this is Matty.”

  “Well, boys, lovely to meet you. Perhaps I’ll see you again sometime,” she said, winking at them over her shoulder as she swanned off down the hallway.

  Matt turned to Howie. “Matty?” he asked.

  “What? It sounded fine to me.”

  “Okay, whatever. But you mark my words, she’s trouble.”

  “A sexually confident woman is trouble?”

  “Very attractive trouble perhaps, but still trouble.”

  Howie laughed. “Jeez, and I thought you Brits were the chilled out liberal ones? Don’t be so uptight, man. What you call trouble, I call a damn good time.”

  “Shit, dude. You’re just imagining what she’d look like on the end of your dick, aren’t you?”

  Howie laughed. “So what if I am?”

  “Is everything about sex?”

  “No, but she was clearly coming on to us. And you know what they say, once you go black…”

  “You did not just go there.”

  Howie laughed. “Shit, man, you’re too easy. Too easy.”

  Matt rolled his eyes and started walking again.

  ***

  Anastasia looked up at the burning building, the orange flames billowing up out of the windows into the hot Cairo night as she smiled, enjoying her handiwork.

  This had been a moment of fun, like many other moments these past few weeks, but she had to admit, she was once more harbouring doubts about Yasmin and her goals.

  Taking on the Archons had been a lofty, but respectable,goal, but Yasmin had taken it on alone, and now it seemed that with only one of them dead, she’d abandoned the hunt.

  Instead, she was hunting for Nefertiti, who was protecting Amanda’s coven.

  As a darker, troubled mood settled over her, she turned and walked between two buildings and away from the conflagration that was engulfing the suspected entrance to Nefertiti’s Null Realm.

  There hadn’t been Portal there, however, and so it would be onto the next location as Anastasia considered her next move. She had plans ready, out there, away from Earth. She looked up at the twinkling stars, knowing that her ship, the Obsidian Fire, and her coven were waiting for her.

  But she couldn’t return to them empty-handed.

  As she rounded a corner, a shadowy figure stood in her way, surprising Anastasia who took a step back. How had she not known there was someone here?

  The figure stepped from the darkness, and light from the fire played across the face of an alien-looking Scion. Her dark black and grey ridged skin and inhuman eyes held Anastasia in their intense stare.

  Anastasia shunted Essentia into her Aegis on instinct as she noticed the Scion end the effect that hid her from Anastasia’s senses. She wasn’t just a Scion, she was a capable Magus as well.

  Anastasia didn’t say a word, waiting to see what this potential enemy might do.

  The creature, which looked feminine from its shape, raised her clawed hands and held them palms out. “I wish to talk.”

  “Who are you?”

  “My name is Lyka. I saw you fighting in New York where Yasmin killed that redhead. I wish to talk.”

  Anastasia frowned at the Scion. “Why?”

  “I believe we can help one another.”

  “Really?” Anastasia asked, noting the undulating tentacles that sprouted from the thing’s back. “How?”

  “I need to remain close to Yasmin—the holder of the Orb—and I think that maybe you have need of some…support, shall we say?”

  Anastasia narrowed her eyes and considered the Scion’s words.

  “Perhaps…”

  ***

  Liz sat up in bed and wiped the sleep from her eyes. She stretched, took a moment to wake herself up fully, and looked around the room. Like the other rooms she’d seen in Nefertiti’s Coven House, it was constructed from blocks of sandstone and intricately decorated with designs and imagery from ancient Egypt.

  She’d slept for over ten hours, and as she finally came around, she felt refreshed and not quite as low as she’d felt yest
erday.

  She got up and got herself dressed before venturing out into the central communal area to find Balor, Maria, and Matt sitting and talking as they relaxed.

  “Morning, sleepyhead,” Maria said with a smile.

  “Hiya,” Liz answered. “Did you guys get some sleep?”

  “Yeah,” Maria answered.

  “We did,” Matt added. “Not as much as you, though.”

  “I was exhausted,” Liz explained.

  “That’s not surprising,” Maria commented.

  “Any news?” Liz didn’t expect anything, but wondered anyway.

  “No,” Maria said. “Nothing yet.”

  Liz nodded, conjured herself some breakfast on a nearby table, and sat herself down. It felt good to get some food into her, and once she’d finished eating, she sat back feeling much better.

  The guys chatted quietly in the sunken seating area a short distance away as Liz sipped at her orange juice. For the first time in what seemed like —forever—even though it had been little more than a day—things felt a little more normal.

  As she took another sip of her juice, the door to their suite of rooms opened and Nefertiti walked in. Liz finished her drink and walked over to the others, and Nefertiti.

  “How are you all today?” Nefertiti asked, taking a seat in one of the chairs.

  “Much better, thank you,” Liz answered. “I can’t thank you enough for your hospitality. I was starting to think there might not be anywhere we could go.”

  “Glad I could help,” Nefertiti answered her. “But I’m afraid that the safety I can provide might not last.”

  “What happened?” Liz asked.

  “Yasmin must have heard that I took you in and has assaulted several of my homes over the last twenty-four hours. She’s clearly hunting for you, or Amanda, and I think it will only be a matter of time before she discovers this place. Very few people know about it and where it is, but there are those who do. She’ll find one eventually, and then she’ll come here.”

  “Okay, I understand. You’ve already done so much for us, so thank you.”

  “I wish I could do more. Amanda saved my life, and that’s a debt I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to repay.”