‘He’s not all that serious. He cracked a joke this morning,’ she said.
‘No! Are you sure it wasn’t just wind?’
Amanda giggled.
‘I’m going to make a drink.’ Said Gentle Water rolling his eyes and he walked down the corridor next to the stairs towards the kitchen at the end.
‘This is a lovely place Raven. Is it yours?’
Amanda looked about herself, taking in the polished wooden floor, the mahogany banisters up the stairs, the gilded mirror in the hall and the exotic flowers in their pots.
‘It’s actually the Legacy’s, one of the houses they own. There are a fair number of them around the globe. I tend to stay in either the States or in the Paris house most of the time though.’ He smiled down at her, he stood a good bit taller than her, but she didn’t feel threatened by him at all. ‘So, you’ve been a Magus for how long now?’ He asked her.
‘It’s been a year now, or there abouts, it’s been a feckin' crazy year, I never knew I knew so little about the world.’
‘It’s like that for all of us, you’ll adjust. You’re looking very summery by the way.’
‘Thank you,’ she smiled back. He seemed really nice; she was taking a liking to Raven already.
Raven took her through to the kitchen where Gentle Water had poured three glasses of Orange Juice and she took hers from the table and sipped it.
The kitchen was just as lovely with what looked like new units and all the mod cons. It was clean and polished and looked almost un-lived in, which Amanda realised was probably the truth.
‘Did you Port over?’ Raven asked.
‘We did, to a back street a few minutes away. There were no problems.’
‘Good. Well, feel free to have a wander about Amanda, I’ll take your bags upstairs. You’ll be on the second floor.’ Raven placed his drained glass on the table and walked from the room, giving Amanda a smile on his way out. Amanda returned it and felt a rush of heat come to her face. She looked down for a moment, then looked up to see Gentle Water looking at her. He smiled to himself and focused his attention back to his drink, looking away from her.
Amanda turned to leave the room, ‘I’m going to have a look round,’ she said.
‘Go ahead,’ Gentle Water called back.
Amanda was back out in the hall and headed into the first of two other rooms down here, the first being a dining room that had a window out onto the back garden looking down the side of the kitchen and an open double door into the lounge at the front of the house. Both rooms were filled with old and expensive looking furnishings, leather chairs and oak bookshelves, a stone fire place and plush sofas. The décor was light and the ceilings high making the large rooms seem even bigger than they already were.
Outside, through the large bay window at the front, the pedestrians and cars passed by the house going about their business, but there was little noise from the street, either the sound proofing was first rate or there could be some magic at work here.
So far so good it seemed to Amanda. They had made it to London, Raven was not only a normal looking guy, he was really quite attractive, and the house was just lovely. She certainly enjoyed this trip so far; she just hoped it would continue to be so good.
She heard Raven come down the stairs and walk into the kitchen, Amanda followed and entered the kitchen just behind him.
‘Oh there you are, thought I’d lost you for a moment,’ he said when he realised she stood behind him.
‘I was just having a look around, it’s an awful gorgeous place this. Are all the Legacy’s properties this well-appointed?’
‘Depends on the property I suppose. Most are quite nice though. Now, I’ve put your cases in separate rooms on the second floor, there are only three rooms up there and ones a bathroom so it should be easy to work out which you’re in. I’ll be in the bedroom on the first floor. Now, is there anything I can get either of you?’
‘No,’ said Gentle Water.
‘No, thank you. I’m fine,’ said Amanda.
‘Okay, well, what’s the plan on heading to Paris? Do you want to leave it until tomorrow still?’
Gentle Water looked at Amanda, and gestured that she should make the choice.
‘I’d prefer that, if that’s okay with you?’ she said.
‘Of course, that’s fine by me. We’ll head on over there tomorrow morning as planned then.’
‘Will we all be Porting over there?’ Amanda asked.
‘Yeah,’ Raven replied.
‘Do you know what we’ll be doing in Paris?’
‘I think so, you’ll be meeting some other Magi, showing you around a little bit, I think you will have time to do some sightseeing, and then there’s a big Powow that we’ll be going to the day after tomorrow.’
'Powow?' Amanda asked.
'Ah, sorry, a Charity Ball.'
‘A Ball? As in a “I’ll need to wear a cocktail dress” Ball?’
Raven looked at Amanda’s slightly shocked expression, and glanced at Gentle Water who had raised his eye brows. ‘I guess you didn’t know then.’
‘No. I didn’t,’ Amanda frowned and looked at Gentle Water.
‘I had no idea about this either,’ he said, raising his hands as if to say, don't look at me.
‘Aaah, well now you know,’ Raven replied guiltily. ‘There’s a Charity Ball at the Musée d’Orsay, it’s a Celebrity bash that’s supporting some aid work, some of our Initiated have interests in the organisation. It’s expected to be quite a night. We thought you’d like it, so you’ll need a suitable dress Amanda. Have you brought something?’
‘I…I think so. I’ll have to check.’
‘Are you all right Mandy?’ Raven asked.
‘Oh it's no bother, I’m fine, it’s just a surprise, that’s all. I’m looking forward to it actually. I just need to think about what I’ll wear.’
‘Oh good, it’ll be a great night I’m sure.’
‘What’s the Musée d’Orsay by the way?’
‘It’s an Art Museum on the banks of the Seine, it’s an old converted Railway station and it’s quite spectacular. You’ll like it,’ Raven said.
‘Sounds grand,’ Amanda smiled.
‘Well, I’ll wash up these glasses and let you sort yourselves out and then we can do whatever you want for the rest of the day.’
‘Can we head into London and see some of the sights?’ Amanda asked.
‘Of course, no problem.’
‘Great.’
With that, Amanda headed out of the Kitchen followed by Gentle Water and headed upstairs to find her case. On the second floor she glanced into the first Bedroom and saw Gentle Waters bag, so she went to the next room at the front of the house and found her own case inside it. Gentle Water saw her find her case and went straight to his room.
‘Will you be long?’ he called out.
‘No, just a few minutes,’ Amanda replied from her room, which she was quite impressed with. It had a large Pine double bed with matching wardrobe and chest of drawers as well as a desk and a few decorations including a wall mirror and a full length one. Amanda quickly sorted out a few things in her case, reminding herself of the outfits she could wear at a Ball and was ready only moments later. She checked herself in the mirror and then headed downstairs.
Gentle Water soon joined her and along with Raven they left the house and headed into the street and set off walking.
The sun had risen a little higher now and the streets were warming up nicely as they went, the morning rush had finished and the roads were more manageable with a few less people about. A few blocks later and the three of them entered Hyde Park from the northern side with Kensington Palace off to their right, visible through the trees.
There were runners and roller skaters moving through the park mixed with people walking their dogs or just taking time to enjoy the sun a bit. The grass looked lush and bright green, the trees were full of life, and Amanda felt happy and excited about what the next few days would br
ing.
She manoeuvred herself to the side of Raven so she could talk to him easily. ‘So Raven, what is it you do exactly?’
He laughed. ‘Well, all sorts really. I don’t have a job if that’s what you mean, being a Magi and all. But, I’m a member of the Legacy Coven and I help to forward their Goals as much as I can.’
‘And how do you do that?’
‘Well, meeting you two and bringing you both in tomorrow, for example.’
‘Ah right, I see.’ She hadn’t thought of all the little things that would need attention, she’d thought it would be big dangerous missions the whole time. She wondered if that was a symptom of a modern upbringing with films like James Bond showing spying to be glamorous and exciting the whole time. She looked up at Raven, taking in his features, he really was quite handsome and didn’t look much older than say thirty, despite what Gentle Water had told her. ‘So are you really from the Wild West? I mean, you were born a few hundred years ago right?’
‘That’s right, Gentle Waters has no doubt been telling you about me. I was born in 1798, I think I look good for my age.’
‘You certainly do. What’s it like though, I mean, living for that long?’
‘That’s difficult to answer as it’s all I’ve really known, I don’t remember what I thought about life before I knew about being a Magi as it was a long time ago. But I do like the prospect of seeing the future first hand. It changes your point of view as well as you begin to think of things in the long term more. Does that answer your question?’
‘Yeah, I suppose.’
‘But you’re young, you’re still learning about being a Magi so you’re still going through that transition. How do you feel about the possibility that you’ll live for hundreds of years, if not thousands.’
‘Well, I’ve not really thought about it in any great depth. I suppose it’s pretty cool though. I’ll get to see how we turn out, the Human race I mean.’
They continued on across Hyde Park, walking over the lush summer growth of grass enjoying the day, far ahead, the cities buildings slowly approached them.
‘So erm, going back to what you do, sorta, what does the Legacy Coven do, day to day I mean?’
‘That’s a hell of a question Mandy. Well, each Member of the Legacy is their own boss to some extent; each Magi can go about their own lives, doing their own thing, pursuing their own goals as long as they help out the Coven when needed as the Coven will demand some sort of loyalty and service for you to remain a member.’
‘So it’s kind of like a job, in a way.’
‘In a way I suppose. There are many Magi with jobs by the way, just because they can use Magic doesn’t mean everyone stops working all of a sudden. If your job is your passion, then you’ll continue on with it won’t you.’
‘You would, you would. Like an Artist or movie star?’ Amanda replied.
‘Spot on. The Legacy also makes sure it courts the other Arcadian Houses and remains on good terms with as many as it can, and then we do our duty as an Arcadian Coven, fighting Nomad injustice when we find it and trying to protect the masses from the Dark Nomads sick ways. It’s a big job, even though we don’t deal with a huge area in that regard.’
‘It sounds it.’
‘Don’t worry, everything will become clear to you, you’ll learn as you go.’
‘Oh, I’m not worried, I’m just curious about it, that’s all,’ she said.
‘Well that’s good.’
‘So where are we headed first? I fancy a ride on the London Eye for a start.’
Raven laughed and Amanda and Gentle Water smiled at him. The day was going to be a warm one spent with friends who for the rest of the day had nothing else to do except enjoy each other’s company and the environment around them. Her first meeting with a Magi other than Gentle Water had gone swimmingly so far, and she had begun to feel more at ease with the prospect of meeting even more tomorrow.
The three of them continued out through the park and into the city at the other side, disappearing into the labyrinthine streets and the sights they held.
Poor Raven, he was beside himself today, knowing he was about to meet her. I think he finds it all a little too much, I know I find it confusing and I’m the one to blame!
- Her diary
The Legacy
London
The following day, August.
Yesterday had been fun and she had slept fairly well considering that she knew she would be going to Paris today. But then she had been on her feet for most the day, walking all over London to experience as much of the city as possible in a day. With their ability to Teleport between locations, they were able to do much more then they perhaps might have been if they had relied on the tube or walked everywhere.
The first thing they had done had been a ride on the London Eye, the huge Ferris wheel on the banks of the Thames that afforded you great views of the city in all directions. They had followed this up with walks through Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square and Oxford Street. Amanda desperately wanted to spend much longer in the shops on Oxford Street, but she knew the boys might not appreciate it, and she also wanted to see more of the city anyway.
So they had Ported over to Camden Market, before returning to view one of the galleries and amble through Covent Garden. Later on, they had all gone to a show to finish off the day, using tickets they had picked up earlier on. No trip to London was complete without seeing a Musical after all.
Returning to the house later that night, after darkness had fallen, Amanda’s legs had ached a little and she felt really quite tired and ready for bed. Despite this she had really enjoyed the day and it seemed like Gentle Water and Raven had enjoyed it as well. The nights rest had been very welcome indeed.
Knowing she would be meeting the Coven she was effectively a part of, she wanted to look quite smart and create something of a good impression with them, so she had chosen to go with a more formal look for today. She couldn’t shake the feeling that they were interviewing her as much as she might be meeting them. She laid out her black jacket and trousers on the bed and picked off any lint she could see on them. She found the white cotton blouse and the heels she would be wearing and made sure they looked their best too.
Satisfied that she would make a good impression, she then sat herself in front of the mirror and applied her make up for the day, before pulling on her nicest underwear set, blouse and trousers, checking herself for imperfections as she went. The suits trousers were quite snug about her hips and bum, but tapered down to a loose fit at her feet.
Wanting to put across a neat and clean image, she had decided to tie her hair back into a pony tail, before finishing off by putting her shoes on, but left the jacket on the hanger for the time being.
After a final check in the mirror, she gathered up her things and headed down stairs, cursing her heavy suitcase as she went and looking forward to being able to just Port downstairs at times like this.
She found Gentle Water and Raven in the Kitchen having breakfast, and greeted them both warmly with a kiss before setting about making some toast and pouring a glass of fresh orange juice for herself.
‘Wow, you look great Mandy,’ Raven said.
‘Very smart,’ agreed Gentle Water.
Amanda smiled, enjoying their compliments. ‘Thank you guys.’
‘Did you both sleep okay last night?’ Amanda asked?
‘Very well thank you,’ Gentle Water said.
‘Yeah, not too bad myself, it was a long day wasn’t it,’ Raven said.
‘It was, but it was great fun, thanks for putting up with me,’ Amanda smiled.
‘Ah it was no trouble,’ Raven replied. ‘Did you get a good night’s rest?'
‘Yeah, I did. I didn’t think I would, knowing what we were doing today, but after all that walking yesterday, I just fell right off to sleep,’ she answered.
‘Good. So, are you looking forward to Paris?’ Raven asked her.
‘I am. I’m a l
ittle nervous about meeting all these people I’ve heard about, but, I am looking forward to it. I can’t wait really.’
‘Well, once you’ve finished up your breakfast, we should be nearly ready to get going. I have a few things I need to sort out here first, but that shouldn’t take me much longer than half an hour, so take your time okay?’ he said, gesturing at her toast.
Amanda nodded and took another bite, smiling as she did so. She caught Gentle Waters eye as she returned her attention to her breakfast and noticed he was smiling at her in a knowing way. He looked away before she could say anything, but she knew what he was thinking, but could he blame her? Raven was tall and athletic with a rugged manly quality born from a life outdoors. He was attractive and sensitive, how could she not like him?
From the first moment she met him yesterday she found she really quite fancied Raven, and although she tried to rein it in, she couldn’t help flirting with him all day. She didn’t do anything outrageous, she just walked with her arm through his a bit or let any touch or contact between them linger for perhaps longer than it strictly should.
She didn’t know if Raven noticed, but Gentle Water clearly had, and had rolled his eyes melodramatically at her several times during the day.
He probably thought she was being a little obvious, but that was all right, she actually hoped that Raven noticed.
She finished her toast and juice before using the conveniences and checking herself out in a mirror once more, this time with the jacket on. She thought she looked very sharp.
Raven caught her looking in the mirror. ‘Very nice. You’ll create an impression looking that good I’m sure.’
Amanda smiled and flushed slightly. ‘Thanks, that was kind of the plan, as long as it’s a good impression.’
‘Oh, I’m sure of it. You look really good, I’m sure everyone will think so.’
Amanda felt really good about herself, she loved these compliments from Raven, she just couldn’t get enough of them.
Magi Saga 1: Epic Calling Page 33