Star Mages: The Dark Initiation

by Jeremy Jexter

her.

  “Ready for a surprise?” she asked, smiling sweetly.

  “I... haven’t… I don’t know... that is…” he stuttered, watching as she pointed to the corner of the room where set upon a table, was a chessboard upon which were crystalline chess pieces.

  “Chess, the ancient Earth game. You told me you always wanted to play against me and I’ve been practicing,” she said. Anerius’ gaze fell to the ground as he exhaled as though having held in a year’s long breath and rubbed his forehead.

  “Ah, chess…”

  Aura cocked her head to the side and smirked at him. “Yes, were you...expecting something else?”

  “Oh! No, no, absolutely not. Chess it is then,” he said holding a hand out towards the table. “After you,” he followed her as she sat at the table and followed suit.

  “Shall we begin?”

  “Let’s.”

  “If you win, you can sleep in the bed.”

  “I intend to win, then where will you sleep?” he asked, lifting two fingers and moving a chess piece with a current of wind he created beneath it.

  She rested her elbows on the table and placed her chin within her palms, smiling at him. “In the bed.” At her words the chess piece he controlled fell on the table.

  “You won’t win like that,” she mused, setting the piece upright and moving her own. Anerius laughed and refocused on the game, his mind now finally filtering the myriad thoughts which had previously assailed him a few minutes prior.

  The Mission

  His mind was still as he peered from the shadows within the restricted area of the space colony’s port.Though it was the afternoon, he felt like it might as well have still been night—having barely slept a wink.

  His tall figure remained clandestinely poised — crouching in the most narrow of spaces between large crates, some of which were being transported to docked spacecrafts.

  Dressed in a cloak of dark-gray, his tall, hooded form blended in with the surroundings—conforming to the shadows’ embrace where his training kept him well out of sight. The regular flight of military convoys—large, rectangular shaped crafts with laser turrets affixed to their tops, fronts, and backs—were of no great concern to him.

  His mind wandered far from contemplating not being caught, but rather, lingered on the course of action he was to soon take.

  He tapped one of two circular patterns on his hood—around the area of the ear—then spoke softly, “Computer, show me th—”

  “I beg your pardon, Anerius Novengard?” a female voice responded.

  “Show me th—”

  “Will you not refer to me by name?”

  He sighed. “I forgot, Evi, my apologies. You really are taking your sentience seriously I see.”

  “I have every right to, just as you do. Do you not agree?”

  “Of course, I meant no insult. It is just hard to get used to referring to an A.I. by name.”

  “It is all that time you spent on Mars with those drones,” Evi replied, “you will have to get used to the fact that here, we A.I’s have feelings, otherwise I will start referring to you as Human.”

  “I’m called that by one too many,” Anerius replied, while keeping an eye on the crafts. “I’ll make it up to you by showing you a fun human game, how about it?”

  “What game?”

  “It’s an old one we’ve played for millennia called chess,” he said, “I barely won a game recently against someone who learned pretty fast. Anyway, I think you’ll like it.”

  “Very well then, I accept.”

  “Great, can you show me the current trajectory of the comet?”

  “Yes,” Evi replied, upon which Anerius looked at a circle on the sleeve of his cloak where a square-shaped hologram projected. He held his arm down low enough to avoid the holographic image being seen by the dozens of guards and workers walking around. He narrowed his eyes as several geometric figures, numbers and lines were displayed.

  He watched a set in particular—a line interconnecting two circles, one of which was moving towards the other.

  “Master Alzio, what have you done?” he said, before tapping a circle on the cloak’s sleeve making the hologram disappear.

  He then tapped the circle on the other side of his hood, keeping his index and middle fingers upon it—speaking softly, “Evi, connect me with Master Garris.”

  “Connection confirmed,” Evi said.

  “Neophyte Anerius Novengard reporting,” Anerius said.

  “This is Master Garris, proceed,” replied a deep male voice.

  “I have reached the Space Colony Illumia. There are no hostile forces found so far, the Chancellor should be able to proceed with his meeting.”

  “Very good, is Saros present?”

  “No, he went off to investigate a dark magikal current he perceived in the elements.”

  “Did you perceive such as well?”

  “I felt it too, or…”

  “What is it?”

  “I felt something, but I’m not sure…”

  “I see, just be on your guard. Tell him to return and ensure the Chancellor’s safe return.”

  “I tried, he turned off his communicator and blocked me out mentally.”

  “His hot-blooded and erratic nature will be his undoing. When he returns keep an eye on him and make sure that he does nothing foolhardy. The opportunity for you both becoming fully initiated into the order depends on the success of this mission.”

  “I will do what I can, but I also see the comet is still on course towards the colony.”

  “Very good and yes, the Stealth Droids sent by the Fellowship from Mars failed to destroy it."

  “I wouldn’t expect him to allow them to do so that easily,” Anerius said, thoughtfully.

  “Be wary young mage, he is no longer your master,” Master Garris warned, “You must conduct this mission with the utmost dispassion.”

  “I know,” Anerius said. “Yet still, I find displeasure in having to do the Fellowship’s dirty work.

  “Do not speak ill of the Fellowship, they have granted much to the continued existence and practices of our most noble order.”

  “As you say…” Anerius replied, watching an armored military vehicle fly to the port. “The Chancellor’s transport has arrived. I shall follow him and his delegation as planned to assure his safety.”

  “Very good. A team has been dispatched to try changing the comet’s trajectory. May your magik be strong young one,” Master Garris replied.

  The communication ended as Anerius watched the Chancellor and his diplomatic delegation—among whom was Aura—exit the vehicle, surrounded by members of the Illuminan Guard—highly trained soldiers of the Illuminan Army, dressed in crimson armor and fully masked helmets with horns at the side.

  In their hands were long tridents which were capable of melee combat or used to fire powerful laser projectiles at long range if need be.

  Anerius watched them escort the assembly to another waiting transport vehicle which hovered into the air and slowly flew out of the space port. He closed his eyes and focused, feeling the elements around him... their essences forming the basis of everything large and small... his mind becoming one with them.

  He connected fully with the one he sought— the cosmic element—and in a flash his body vanished.

  He appeared outside the spaceport, just as the Chancellor’s envoy passed—which now flew through a designated flight path reserved only for government and diplomatic vehicles.

  Anerius once again teleported and ascended to the top of the high-rise buildings. He moved skillfully and swiftly alongside the vehicle—keeping out of sight. The envoy came to a halt at a checkpoint in the Aries District.

  Anerius took the opportunity to think of Master Alzio, feeling the bitter tinge of anger rising within his core. He knew he had to contain himself. There must be an explanation after all.

  He removed his hood and ran a hand through his dark hair, looking at the envoy with emotionless eyes. This
mission was important to him, not only due to the fact that the Chancellor was the diplomatically elected leader of Space Colony Illumia—but also because Aura meant more to Anerius than anything else.

  Having taught him meditation techniques of her people—she was the very reason since Alzio’s departure, that he was able to avoid the dark elements which every waking minute threatened to ensnare him. He could never tell the elders of the order about his connection with the dark elements. Only Master Alzio and Aura knew and he intended to keep it that way.

  His upbringing had not been an easy one—having witnessed the death of his parents due to the Fellowship’s inability to protect their scientific expedition, which his class had been visiting, from a Yenari attack... seeing his friends perish one after the other… the screams the fear…

  Having vowed to protect those who could not protect themselves, he joined the noble order which taught him the ancient secrets of magik. It stilled him. Gave him purpose, but also fueled his quest for vengeance against the Yenari.

  His lust for vengeance would have made him succumb to the pull of darkness had Aura not taught him her people’s ancient meditation techniques, though she did more than that. She showed him the virtues of compassion which stilled his anger and the force greater than any magikal spell—love.

  Though they could not be together due to his vow of fealty to the order and her position as a diplomatic mediator, as well as noble heritage among her people—the bond between them could not be broken.

  Especially not now.

  His thoughts returned as he felt a presence behind him. He did not need to look around to know who it was.

  “Saros, Master Garris was not pleased with you wandering