The Book of the Magi
Billy Spencer
To my wife Angela.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Copyright© 2019 Billy Spencer
Cover designed by Les
Stock provided by depositphotos LLC
All rights reserved
This book or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher
except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Epilogue
Chapter 1
Often, he sits on his bed staring outside the window and thinking why he keeps himself inside all the time. Thinking of everyone else in his town of Celdar and enjoying themselves on a Friday night, but not him, not Lucuris Peterson. He would shy away from events with people, and instead study for anything because it kept him mind busy. He would even dive into video games or comic books because even though those worlds were imaginary, they were better than his normal, boring life.
“Such a beautiful night, and here I am just wasting it away. People are probably out on dates or with their friends. I wish I could be like them,” he said with a low sigh as the cold air brushed against his skin.
“Luc, my brother.my boy blue, where are you?” Said a loud voice coming from outside his room. The sounds of footsteps rushing towards the door grew louder. Then the door swung open “Hey Luc, I got out early from work, what are you up to?,” Said the young woman wearing a black t-shirt with the words Rock the 80’s written in the front of her chest while also wearing a black leather jacket, with blue jeans. Her hair was a crimson red, which beamed brightly with her smile, and her hazel eyes.
“Hey Abigail, wasn’t expecting you home so soon. I’m just here not really doing anything and just going to watch some horror flicks,” Lucuris said as he began to stand up from his desk and put on his dark black hoodie that had an album cover of his favorite band in the world. It was covered in an image of two angels next to a guillotine. The reason why this hoodie was so special to Lucuris was because it was a gift from Abigail. She always knew what he liked, and the hoodie was something that he always wore to help him feel safe. It was something simple and nice that he cherished it.
Abigail began looking at Lucuris with a smile, but that smile faded as she saw that her brother wasn’t smiling back at her, but frowning, almost crying, but trying to hide it. She knew her brother was the quiet suffering type. You know the kind of people that just keep everything inside and try to put on a mask. People who don’t want to be a burden to others and try to say everything’s fine. When they really are just sad and lonely inside. Abigail didn’t like when Lucuris kept his problems or worries to himself. She didn’t want him to explode one day and hated how he closed himself off from the world. “What’s wrong Luc? I know that something is bothering you, you can’t hide it from me,” She said placing her right hand on his shoulder looking him directly in his face.
He knew that it was no use trying to hide it, she would bug him, and nag him every moment until he opened up. Lucuris then broke his eye contact with his sister, turned around and looked outside the window. Lucuris just stared into the sky and was wondering if there were more people in the world like him. People that felt lost within the world, felt alone, or wondered what they were meant to do on this planet. “I just wish I knew the person I’m supposed to be. I wish my past was a part of me Abigail, what my real parents were like. I go to school every week, and I see these people my age who are enjoying life. They are happy, they have friends who care for them, and they don’t seem to worry. I have nothing like that, not even close.” Lucuris said trying to hold tears from swelling his face, and to hide his sadness from his sister.
Abigail looked at Lucuris, not with sadness, but with fury. “You have me Luc, we have each other. I never knew my parents. The only thing I knew was they were murdered, and I was put up for adoption. We were both lucky to have been adopted together by the Petersons, and if you think you are alone, you’re not”, Abigail said while grabbing Lucuris within her arms, holding tight to him. Burying her face into his chest.
Lucuris and Abigail both were orphans until the Petersons adopted them. Abigail always saw Lucuris as her big brother even though he is only 23, and she is 26 years old. Lucuris never had any parents who gave him up. He was left at the Orphanage’s doorstep, with only a letter with his name Written on the back. Every Night though Lucuris reads it before he goes to bed. Just thinking who could have written it, what were his mom and dad like, and if he was anyway like them.?
“I know the Petersons love us Abigail… just wish I got to see my real parents, just once,” Lucuris said walking towards his bed, reaching under his pillow and opening the letter that was left with him as a child. “I wish I got to see you grow up, take your first steps, and to be the person I know you can be. The place may be strange, and you may be different, but it is your home. You will grow and wonder things but always know we have always and will always love you, but you need a better life, and that life must be without us. We will never forget you my son and we will always love you, just like you would have loved us,” Lucuris said softly to himself, but loud enough for Abigail to hear. He held onto his real mothers’ words tightly throughout his life. He didn’t know what to do, he felt like a ship with no destination. Just coasting through life. He wanted more and he knew he should be more. It just felt hard to him, since he was so different from everybody else where he lived. He didn’t like the same things people of his age enjoyed. Lucuris was not someone who partied every Friday night, and to those around him, he was just a big dork or geek. Being an outcast was not easy in his city, especially how small it was, only having about five thousand people populate it. People seemed more willing to leave it, than stay just by how tiny it seemed.
Lucuris always thought himself to be king of the outcast’s, and never really fitted in growing up. He did love reading, and playing video games, but he knew people just made fun of him when he had different ideas that seemed impossible in the real world, but in the fantasy world they would crush titans, he thought in his own mind. Lucuris sat down on his bed, just gazed, and lost in his thoughts. Thinking about his life, and how small it was, and just wishing he could have more. But fear stopped him, it truly did. Whenever he was invited by his sister to go out to a party or gathering to eat just even, he would refuse to go and say he was busy or just tired. He was afraid to even step outside his comfort zone. To be stuck in an area with a lot of people, and the unknown and what could happen. It
was many random thoughts that went through his mind that would stop him.
Abigail went and sat next to him and saw he would not let go of that letter, and slowly grabbed his hand and held it in hers. “Your mom seems she would have been one kick ass chick,” She said chuckling a bit, looking at Lucuris’s face. She saw that Lucuris was beginning to smile and laughing a bit. “I know things aren’t the way you want them to be Luc, and I wish I could change them for you, oh god do I wish man. But you know what Luc?” Abigail asked Lucuris looking at him with a blissful look.
“Wh-what is that Abigail?” Lucuris replied still sounding down but trying to keep his smile going.
“I wouldn’t change it for anything bro. I love having you in my life, and the thing is out of everybody I know, you are my best friend. You are always there for me, to listen to me when I need an ear, and to just give me a hug when I need it. Plus, you are my swag axe bro in the hunter games. Hell, without you I wouldn’t of gotten in the high ranks. The thing is Luc, you are the nicest person in the world. You are one of the funniest people I know.Yeah you like to keep to yourself, and don’t go out a lot, and that’s okay, and if people have a problem with that then they can fuck off,” She said to Lucuris a little hostile, but more jokingly. She knew that Lucuris had worth to him, she just wished he could see it.
“Tell me what you do for fun nowadays, feels like since high school and now college, we haven't really talked as much as we have tonight. Might as well make a full night of it eh?” Abigail said Ecstatic, just by the thought of finally getting to really get to know her brother. Since she finally got him to lift down his barriers.
Lucuris face began to beam, with happiness as he never had anyone take an interest into other hobbies, he was in. This was the first time his sister seemed to be interested in what he did in his spare time, aside from video games. He knew that he better take the chance and show her some of his hobbies. He stood up from his bed and went to his closet on the other side of the room, and began to rummage thru, looking for a certain item to show her. “AH HA”, He said with delight, and brought out a small figurine. The figure was 12 inches tall, and was of a man who wore a cloak, that had his hood down, so not to cover the characters face. The cloak itself was black, with small parts being red, mostly the inside of the cloak itself. But most importantly its headpiece. The figure had a stern look, and his hair was short, and dark brown. The figure also wielded a black staff within one of his hands, with a white crystal being held by a claw on the top of the staff itself. “This is a figure I made a few weeks ago. He’s a Mage, wears a black cloak to resemble the order he represents. Which are the Black Mages, or Magi,” Lucuris said while holding the figurine in both hands.
“Mage? Not sure what that is, and what about the other stuff on him, like that weird looking staff, and that cloak he is wearing?” Abigail asked Lucuris looking more interested than ever in what her brother had made.
Lucuris gave her an excited look, as he saw how interested she looked while looking at the figure close up, holding one hand up under her chin while thinking. “Well you see the hat he is wearing. That’s the hat of the Magi’s. It is kind of like a wizard’s hat like in those books you love, but not pointy at the top. The tip is dented a bit, and the end slumped to one side just a tad. Think more of the hat that Gandalf wears but instead of being a wizard, he is a mage. The staff he is holding in his hand is dark, as black as his cloak but the crystal on top of it is held with a claw. Which they build the staff around the crystal itself. The reason why is because the crystal is useless without the staff, and vice versa, they need each other in order to be used as a weapon of Magic.” Lucuris said trying to catch his breath from going into detail on this one character he made.
Abigail looked blank when looking at Lucuris once he was done talking, then she shook her head. “Wow that is amazing! I never knew you had such an amazing imagination, with just that one character. I mean it seemed like you really believed all of this, by how you were talking about the items on this person. Who is he supposed to be anyways?” She asked grabbing the figure from Lucuris’s hands and holding it in hers and inspecting it more.
“I’m not sure who it is still. The thing is Abigail I didn’t make this up. I’ve been having these dreams, or visions for a few months now. I always see this figure in them, but never figure out who he is. He would be talking to me, but all I hear are muffles, and then lightning”, Lucuris said looking at the figure himself, trying to figure what kind of dreams he has been having. He felt like the figure was real somehow, but he knew it couldn’t be, not at all. I mean magic was only in books, games, and movies. None of it was real, but he still thought it was his reality. A life that he understood, and felt comfortable in.
Abigail looked at Lucuris with a big smile on her face, “Maybe that figure is you. “She said as she started to laugh at the thought of Lucuris wearing some silly costume.
Lucuris put the figure down on his nightstand by his bed, and stared Abigail in the eyes, the look on his face was terror. He was keeping something from his sister; there was more to his dream than what he was saying. He started to open his mouth as if to say something, but then closed it shut trying to gather his thoughts. Lucuris started to pace around his room and seemed to be in a trance while doing so. Abigail tried to ask him what was wrong, and what he was thinking, but she couldn’t break his motions. Then all of a sudden, he stopped dead in his tracks, and looked out of his window, staring into the night sky again. As he began to tell a story to his sister, one that only he knew from his dreams, but to him this story was a nightmare.
“Abigail...I need to tell you something, and please don’t think I am joking either,” Lucuris said with a stern look on his face.
All Abigail could do was sit down on his bed and listen to what he had to say. She looked worried, as if he was losing his life, or lost someone, it frightened her. She never saw her brother have this serious look on his face. He was easier going than others.
“Ok, Luc I’m listening”, She replied, just to make sure he knew that he had her whole attention.
Lucuris picked back up his figure, the one he showed Abigail, and stared into the figures face, grasping around its body with both his hands. “The dreams I have been having are not just of this person I shaped and made. Yea this person is in the majority of my dreams, without me knowing what he is saying to me, but I have been having other dreams. Dreams that keep me from getting much sleep, they feel so real, my body trembles in pain, and I start to sweat when I wake up from these dreams,” Lucuris said while trying to keep his arms from trembling at the thought of the dreams that wake him, and have him fear to go back to sleep again.
Abigail looked at her brother, eyes of sorrow; she did not know that he was in so much pain. “What makes these dreams so fearing Luc? I mean I never heard you talk about not being able to sleep. Then again you do stay up pretty late at night playing video games. So, I just assumed you being tired was just being exhausted from a night of gaming,” She said while placing her hands around her brothers trying to warm them with her body heat, and to reassure him that everything would be ok. But she saw the look in his eyes, it looked like he was going to cry, she could feel the pain, and hurt that he seemed to be holding back for so long. It felt like a sword was being pierced into her heart, and the pain just sucked inside her, and it wouldn’t come out.
Lucuris looked glad to have Abigail so close to him. He could feel the warmth of her body pulsing within his hands and soaring through his own body. He knew he wasn’t alone, and was glad to finally share this pain with his own sister, because he knew she wouldn’t judge him, or just pushed him aside like everybody in the world seems to do when it comes to certain matters of the heart, and mind. In that moment, in that time it just felt like his words were being heard.
“I’ve been having these dreams, for a very long time. I never told our parents, because I didn’t want to burden anyone with my troubles. When I had dreams of the figure, the shadow
man I talked about. Whatever he was saying was always muffled, I couldn’t make out what he wanted me to hear, but I felt like I could trust him. So, whenever I had dreams of that person it was always a good night. I slept well and wasn’t fearful of anything. Then I started having these other dreams about a few months ago, it was different, the feeling I was getting after I woken up from these dreams felt like someone was leeching energy from my body. I was so tired after waking up, I could barely function,” Lucuris said starting to shiver just thinking of how he felt those days he awoke from those bad dreams.
“What happened in these dreams Luc? What could be happening in them to make you feel so drained, like you are fighting a constant war with a ghost,” Abigail said looking at Lucuris with a puzzled look on her face.
“The dream itself starts out just me surrounded by this lush green forest. I then start walking around, trying to find a way thru. As it started to get darker, as the minutes passed, I find my way out, and right in front of my eyes I see this village. The buildings look different than the ones in our town. They are all this type of metallic texture and look like something from outer space, every single one of them. I wasn’t able to see anyone; it was all empty. I could feel the temperature drop as I continued to walk throughout the village, trying to look for some form of life. But all I saw was darkness in front of me, nothing was in the village, like the people abandon it, that wasn’t the case though. All of a sudden it began to thunder, and lightning started to fill the sky above me. I was afraid to be out in the open, because I did not want to be hit by the lightning. I took cover inside one of the buildings. Inside the home felt cozy, felt warm and alive. It didn’t make sense to me though, why would it be warm, when no one was around. So, I looked thru the house itself, in every room until I came upon this one room, which had the door shut. I went up to the door, thinking to myself what could be behind this door, the rest of them were wide open, and so why was this one close. I slowly opened it, and as I began to open it all I could hear was whimpering. There were people inside this room. One of them saw me and stop whimpering. I looked at them, and they started to smile, as if they knew me, but that couldn’t be I didn’t know who any of them were. They looked like average people but their clothes were quite different, some of them wore robes, while others a robe and a hat, just like my figure,” Lucuris said while trembling a bit less, and starting to feel more relieved by getting this off his chest.
The Book of the Magi Page 1
