The Magi's Society

Mevi drifted in the familiar sea of unconsciousness. Floating aimlessly in the swirling colors and ever changing shapes that stalked the edges of her dreams. When without a nightmare, her dreams always seemed strange and empty. Her mind was lucid, but without any markable control of her surroundings. Yet she felt strangely comfortable in the eerie and familiar space, it comforted her that her dreaming held no malicious shadow stalking her unconscious thought. Even more strange was the dim glow she could feel around her, rather than see or perceive things as she would in the waking world she could instead feel and sense the sensation of light with its warm comfort. The vast expanse of her own mind held a soft and safe glow, a new addition to her growing list of intruders to breach into her subconscious.

Mevi felt that something was supposed to be wrong, she was doing something only moments before. Yet only peace and warmth coddled her within her mental realm. It felt almost as if the dread and pain she remembered was being sapped away from her, and she welcomed the thief of her woes. She couldn’t recall what had brought her so close to shattering, the pain that wracked her body, and the reason for the dissipating fury. Whatever had troubled her so greatly was leaving, and she had no reason to stop such terrible maladies’ departure.

The growing comfort stole the dark pit that Mevi felt within her stomach, it removed the red pain that infected her body, and wiped clean the emotions she felt so strongly only moments before. The warmth was taking away her troubles, and as it did so its power grew, then she could finally perceive it and it was blue and wonderful. The swirling blue unlocked some ancient repository of memory within her, a sprawling clear sky of blue and bright light. She bore witness, in her own mind’s eye, something she had never seen before in her short life. The glowing presence of such an alien sight gave her some strange feeling of old nostalgia. She didn’t recognize the sensation but somehow knew its origin must be good. The careful and slow method in which it worked was unlike her nightmares that forced their way in and only took using violence. The presence asked for an invitation, and she begged for its presence to take the place of whatever foulness had made its home within her soul.

Mevi could subtly sense the presence leaving, its work finishing. As it did her own dreams slowly began to return to their normal, vacant, state. She could feel her body stirring, and the dreamscape was crumbling around her as she began to enter again into the waking world. Her mind clutched tightly to the memory of the blue sky that sprawled into infinity. As her power to hold onto sleep wavered her eyes began to open.

She glimpsed the dim light of orange illuminating the hallway she was passing through. She was being carried by something, or someone. Their rhythm of movement was calm and barely noticeable, yet the speed with which she passed by the overhead lights showed the evidence of her transport’s mobility. Her eyes were blurred, and she suddenly felt again the pain within her leg and arm. Yet despite the presence of the aching pain, she could not recall how or why she was injured. Her mind was confused and jumbled. The last thought she recalled was the brightness of the city. She had gone somewhere. To the Education Forum? She recalled being with someone, Marcus, Nessia, and several others. Her mind was blurred beyond their names and the vague recollection of the quest she had for herself.

Mevi’s eyes cleared, and she was being carried by a person. Or at least she hoped it was a person of some kind. Looking up at her rescuer she saw elegant white robes with blue inscriptions of ancient runes trailing down their coattails. A mask bearing a galaxy swirling with blues, whites, and silver. As she basked in the strange entity, she wondered why it was her rescuer. What had it rescued her from? She felt it had somehow endeared itself unto her, and she was extremely grateful for something. But her mind could not recall what had been going on even moments before.

As Mevi weakly stared into the ethereal lights dwelling within the mask the entity turned its head down towards her, yet bore no expression in the ever-changing miasma within its mask. Its head cocked slightly, as if curious and looking into Mevi, it investigated her face’s details scrutinizingly. She felt strangely embarrassed to be investigated for such a long moment, its gaze could be cast on any part of her as its eyes were hidden behind the alien mask. The entity’s mask changed in color, the subtle hues of blue and silver shifted to a warmer and deep variant, and Mevi somehow thought it might be smiling at her. Or the creature’s equivalent of a smile. The masked entity spoke softly and almost off-puttingly slow, endowed with an ethereal and feminine voice, “Good… You have awoken? I, yes, I am glad. We reach the surface… soon. You are safe.”

Mevi somehow knew she was indebted to the entity, but not why, “Thank you… Where are we?”

The entity took many moments to analyze each syllable and word. The voice’s owner processed the brief question for a long time. While it did so they moved through an unremarkable hallway with great speed, and the entity’s legs didn’t seem to be moving under the long cloak that almost looked to hover above the ground. Its response eventually came, with the slow and methodical tone it carried before, “We are safe… We go to places yet safer, young subject.”

Mevi was barely surprised by its strange mannerisms, and its method of speaking was strangely comforting to her and entirely opposite to Lord Magi Falcier. Yet as her mind drew to that very conclusion she confused herself, why had she compared it to the Magi Falcier? The entity seemed entirely without the powerful aura that the Magi had exuded over its environment she recalled from her own encounter. The robes it wore were simple and the only mentionable features were the blue inscriptions; the star-filled mask was the only sign of its similarity. Yet other followers of the Magi could possibly hold such regalia and motifs, couldn’t they? The entity’s warm glow softened as its cocked head turned further as if investigating something very curious and strange, “Do you… Remember?”

Mevi was caught off-guard by the question, but found herself unhesitant in her response, “I… I do not. I recall entering the Forum, I think I witnessed a grand speech with my companions. But once we separated… My memory fails me.”

The glow within the mask almost shone a slight pink of gladness, “Good. I worried. You experienced much for such a young subject. I had to remove things. You are better.”

Mevi was confused, but still felt grateful towards this entity, “Thank you, I think. I don’t recall what happened, but you don’t seem mean. I am grateful, for something…”

The creature’s glad glow dissipated slightly, “You remember? You are grateful? You should not know me… Are you a stable subject?”

Mevi didn’t know how to respond, “My leg and arm hurt, and I don’t know why. But I somehow feel glad around you, and grateful for something you’ve done that I cannot fathom or recall.”

The entity slowed its movements slightly, yet still continued in an almost dizzying speed down the hallway, “Very strange… Yes. I must have erred. I can fix?”

Mevi wasn’t sure if she offended or upset the entity in some way and frantically searched her thoughts for the right words, “No, I am fine! Just confused. I don’t know you, I just feel glad to see you I think?”

The entity slowed to almost a normal, human, pace but soon resumed its full speed again, “Good. You are safe. I am glad.”

The strange entity talked in such a peculiar way, yet it somehow made Mevi feel at ease and even safe. Its presence wasn’t overwhelming, or attempting to overpower her emotions, it was simply calm and honest. With the entity’s presence, and the air blowing by with incredible speed, her mind drifted to a serene moment in nature. She had never been in nature, and had only known it as a word, yet she somehow felt this entity embodied a calm and serene place within a great golden jungle. An oasis within the odd customs and hostile attitudes.

The entity watched Mevi’s face while she processed the environment the two were within. The scenery eventually began to change, the unremarkable and short hallway with dim lights steadily grew in size and brightness. The walls started to occasionally bear the brands and marks Mevi recognized from the city and were telling signs of Magi rule. Eventually the hallway opened fully into a large corridor that wasn’t entirely unfamiliar, and somehow felt too well maintained to her memory. The walls held icons of varying symbols Mevi couldn’t understand, and branching side passages or intersections passed by barely noticed in the inhuman speed.

While they reentered, wherever Mevi had left before, many other figures in white robes were seen scattering the halls. When the two were noticed the other robed individuals seemed surprised and began to chase after the speeding duo, but were quickly lost in moments. Mevi wasn’t sure what was happening, or if she was in trouble, but their presence seemed to be causing a stir in the passersby. The corridor opened suddenly into a vast and grand hall, the ceiling stretching high enough a partial cloud was formed and passing through. Tall archways with carved buttresses bore gargoyles that would stare down with a scrutinizing gaze. Mevi recognized this place, the Education Forum, its decorum and grandness was unmistakable even in her hazy memory.

Many more white-robed individuals were patrolling the grand hallway, along with many other followers of the Magi wearing varying colored motifs. All noticed the two and kneeled to the ground suddenly. The entity that was carrying Mevi, so delicately despite its haste, looked up and down the hall for less than a moment before resuming their previous speed. Mevi barely got a chance to notice the other living beings who wandered the halls, but as they sped past she noticed their identical reactions of kneeling. Mevi was beginning to wonder, why had she compared this entity to Lord Magi Falcier? She began to gather her wits into an assumption, with the addition of the responses of those around them, and she began to feel suddenly small.

The two sped through the Education Forum with great speed, and before long they had connected to the tall outer hallway Mevi recognized from her scrambled memories. As the two continued gliding across the exalted halls and gilded tiles, Mevi was worrying about what she should say or do in the presence of this being. If it was a Magi, she had been entirely improper and was even being carried by it like it was her servant or courier. Mevi’s face was reddening and she was worrying about what she should say or do. She squirmed slightly from the thought of her own actions and words against something that might be a Magi. As she did so the entity noticed, and seemed suddenly alarmed, it stopped its movements entirely and investigated Mevi’s features, “Error? Injury? Malady? Does the subject hurt?”

Its tone and speech was slightly faster than before, and Mevi felt her face become more red with embarrassment, “No! My lord, I am sorry. Just confused.”

The entity seemed just as confused as Mevi was, tilting its head trying to comprehend what was afflicting the small girl, “Are you afflicted? Did I err?”

Mevi didn’t understand what it meant and realized she needed to be blunt while still being polite, “I apologize… I am embarrassed. My words and actions, being carried like this, it is unbefitting to make you do this.”

The entity seemed to come to understanding after several moments of contemplation, “Irrelevant. Subject is safe, subject is healthy?”

Mevi conceded to the peculiar personality, “Yes. I am fine, only my leg and arm still hurt. I apologize for the… alarm.”

The entity seemed content with the response and continued its travel. The two soon came to somewhat familiar territory. Mevi could see a large amphitheater past several sets of opened gateways, and felt the scene was somehow familiar. She recalled someone standing in the center and addressing a large crowd, then her own confusion and concern but not as to why. They passed the area quickly, and the entity’s pace seemed to slightly slow. The two stopped in front of a massive arched gateway, the etched doors bearing hundreds of faces of the Magi’s masks and varying motifs carved into elegant scripture. The entity stood in the gateway for a while, searching the distance for something. When it finally seemed to find what it looked for it looked down to Mevi and asked, “Can you stand? Is the subject's leg stable?”

Mevi reached a hand down and felt her right thigh and calf, it was incredibly sore but didn’t feel much worse than that, “Yes my lord. I think I can.”

The entity slowly set Mevi down at the top of the steps, holding her hand delicately as Mevi wobbled slightly and regained her footing. Her leg almost collapsed as she pressed weight on it, and the response of her leg alarmed the entity. Mevi collected herself and straightened, using her left leg to hold most of her weight. She found herself leaning slightly against the entity, and it diligently held her steady with the blank blue and silver swirling galaxy within its mask.

As Mevi was stable again, two groups approached from behind and below. A large group of maybe a dozen white robed individuals, most bearing unique swirls of a light blue, quickly approached from behind. Below them, to Mevi’s delight that almost brought forth tears, Kalesi scaled the tall steps with Nessia, Marcus, Maruval, and Jenu close behind her. When Kalesi and the pupils of Naazir noticed who Mevi leaned against each fell quickly to a knee, having only made progress halfway up the steps. The white robed individuals within the Education Forum caught their breath as they reached their leader, a imperious woman, approached and spoke “Master! You did not need to deliver this… thing, yourself. Any one of us could have done so, we wish to be of use and this thing is below you.”

The entity seemed to ignore her, and was investigating Mevi’s every move and called down to the group, “Socialite. I return your pupil. Care for them. Retrieve them now.”

Kalesi didn’t say anything, but rose and ascended the steps. She kept her eyes to the ground and approached slowly to Mevi’s side. When she reached her pupil Kalesi looked her up and down and clasped Mevi’s cheeks. She seemed worried and was investigating for the smallest blemish, when she noticed the slight limp in Mevi’s leg she grimaced at the unknown injury. After noticing the difficulty Mevi had when standing Kalesi scooped the girl into her arms and held her firmly. Backing away and down the steps, still staring at the ground and remaining quiet, Kalesi removed herself from the entity.

Mevi was sure, with the robed individuals and the reaction from Kalesi, this being had to be a Magi or someone of extremely high rank. She wasn’t sure if she should look in its direction, or what she should even think or how to act. Mevi stole a glance up towards the peculiar being, and she met its gaze as the Magi looked down at her. In the most odd behavior Mevi has observed yet, the entity lifted a hand and shook it back and forth as if trying to badly mimic a wave. Mevi wasn’t even sure how to respond, and before realizing it she returned the gesture. When the message seemed to be received, and returned, the Magi turned and walked into the grand halls of the Education Forum. The imperious woman who approached the Magi before scoffed at the Mevi and her gathered companions. With the rude gesture the woman turned and followed her Magi into the building, after the group of them passed Kalesi set Mevi to the ground.

Kalesi and Naazir’s pupils were aflame with questions and they all demanded different answers she couldn’t provide. Kalesi silenced the children’s curiosity with a glare and shout of demanding ‘silence!’ Kalesi turned to Mevi and calmed herself to ask, “Mevi, why were you being carried by the Lord Councilor Maphet? What happened?”

Mevi could not have an answer, so she was honest, “I… I don’t know.”

Mevi felt her emotions creeping up on her again. The pain in her leg and hand inflamed in pain suddenly, without any memory of the last few hour’s events Mevi was left confused and in pain. She felt so relieved to be with Kalesi again, to be away from the strange place she was rescued from. She could not recall what had happened, but somehow she felt as if her world was collapsing and all she could do was sit in confusion as the pain suddenly hit her. The strangeness of the situation had dulled her senses, and she seemed under some self-inflicted haze spell that kept her from panic, but with Kalesi returned she let her guard down and her exhaustion claimed her. Kalesi resigned her other questions, and carefully collected her pupil and began descending the steps to head towards the city roads. At some point Mevi fell asleep in her guardian’s arms.