Magi Saga 1: Epic Calling

by Andrew Dobell

  Amanda’s mouth hung open, she wanted to scream and shout for help or plead for mercy but the terror she felt gripped her in a vice that wouldn’t let her do anything. One thought went through her head over and over again, she mouthed the words silently, repeating it endlessly as this thing approached.

  I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die…

  The fear and tension in her body were nearly unbearable, it roiled around inside her like a storm. She felt filled to the brim, like she wanted to explode and kill this thing with her feelings. She realised she had been holding her breath for god only knew how long now and she desperately needed to breath. She wanted to scream at this thing, scream all her rage and anger out at this beast, this Grim Reaper before her that had taken another of her friends. If she killed it, maybe she would feel better, maybe she could stop the killing; stop her friends dying one by one. Her head swam and her arms shook violently, she had to do something, she needed to do something, but what could she do, how could she stop something like this. All her rage, her unspent tension filled her up; she needed to release it, to expel it from her body in a great wave.

  The thing spoke again, as it advanced upon her and roared its triumph, but it just wasn’t registering for Amanda. She hadn’t been listening before and she wasn’t listening now. Then it moved like black lightning, lunging for her like death itself, its great talon reaching for her with heart stopping speed.

  Amanda screamed.

  Her hands shot up and out to protect herself as she screamed. The wail ripped from her body, it seemed to come from her very soul and blasted from her lungs at the thing before her. Her whole body was tensed, her muscles so tight it hurt as she threw out her rage at this thing.

  The feeling of it taking hold of her and crushing the life from her never came; it was as if the whole world was paused all of a sudden, her life on hold for the moment at least. Instead, her world became instantly filled with an intense new noise and a blinding light. The noise sounded like a thunderclap, but endless, as if she were at the centre of an explosion that left her untouched. The wind gusted about, streaming past her and forward while the standing water on the ground splashed and splattered through the air. Her eyes were closed but she could definitely see light through them, a white and powerful light that penetrated her eyelids. It seemed to flash and flicker before her while the strange sensation of a faint electrical charge crackled up her arms.

  The realization of that final feeling seemed so odd that she just had to look. She opened her eyes on a scene from some Hollywood film. Her hands stretched out before her, tense and claw like, the beast stood a mere few feet away, and arcing from her hands and arms to the beast was what can only be described as an endless lightning bolt.

  Powerful electrical energy in white dancing bolts of light flew from her hands and arms, striking the agonised beast full in the chest. As the lightning flickered, bolts arced and hit the water sending it flying in misty bursts, paper and garbage flew into the air, thrown up by the wind before exploding and catching fire as the lightning struck them. The stench of ozone filled the air around her created by the surging electrical force.

  The thing roared its pain and defiance, bellowing at the heavens as it struggled against the power of the lightning, but Amanda wasn’t really looking at the beast for the moment, she stared in horror at the fact that she was throwing lightning out of her arms. As she looked, the force of the blast seemed to fade and lessen, the bolts becoming lighter and less forceful as Amanda edged from rage into confusion.

  When the beast also noticed the force was dying, it stopped roaring, got control of itself and looked back at Amanda, panting madly. It must have been painful for it, the beast still grimaced where it steadied itself against the wall, but it had clearly noticed the weakness.

  The light from the electricity lit up the things bat like face with its flattened snout and wide ridged ears. Its black eyes bore down upon Amanda while slaver dripped from its maw. Seeing its face clearly as it leered and moved closer to her, served to focus Amanda’s mind once more, the confusion and hesitancy that had filled her after opening her eyes disappeared.

  Whatever made this lightning stream out of her, clearly hurt this thing, and could possibly save her life. It was as simple as that, embrace it and live, or deny it and die.

  Amanda chose life. The lightning flew out of her, more intense than ever in a massive bolt that slammed home and blasted the demon.

  A burst of light filled the alley, the demons roar died away as the last of the energy flew from her and she noticed the beast had gone, destroyed by the lightning. Trace arcs of energy crackled about her as she stared at the huge black scorch mark on the wall opposite her where the beast had been.

  Seconds passed, and in the silence that surrounded her, she had only one thought, ‘what the feckin' hell had happened.’ The memories were like something from a dream, or a nightmare.

  Had she actually shot lightning from herself? There were the scorch marks and the burnt papers to prove it, right there in front of her, but she couldn’t take it in. Then she thought of the beast itself, the walking machine of destruction, which had been obliterated into a black stain on the wall. But the proof of its presence, Stuart’s mangled body, lay dead under that pile of rubble, not ten yards from her.

  She couldn’t quite believe it all. Everything that had just taken place, no matter how fantastical it seemed, had actually happened; there was no doubt about that.

  The sound of a siren cut through the air and into her world. Perhaps just a few blocks away but it would be here in moments. Amanda jumped to her feet and thought about staying there, but how could she explain all this? She couldn’t, it would be impossible. She could lie, maybe, but they would soon know she was an illegal alien and she would be put in prison or held for a while at least. She would likely be deported eventually, but with a dead body on the scene that might take months, and she didn’t have the luxury of time.

  She would run. It had taken barely a few seconds to make the choice, but she could think of no other option. She stepped up to the debris where Stuart lay buried, and saw only bricks, blood and the remains of what might have been a human body.

  The smell from this mess hit her fully in the face, mixing with the smell of ozone, and Amanda’s body convulsed. She retched and threw up onto the ground, coughing and spluttering as she brought up her lunch, but the heaving didn’t stop. Bile filled her throat and mouth, burning her insides.

  With a force of will she finally took control of her body and brought the heaving to a stop, panting deeply, and eventually feeling in control once more. She pushed herself onto her feet and looked back at the pile of bricks and mortar, noticing a hand sticking up from the mess.

  Tears welled up in her eyes as she saw it, she reached her hand out to Stuarts hand, but stopped short, thinking better of it. She sobbed and said her farewells to her friend.

  ‘I’m sorry Stu, but I know you’ll understand. I have to go. I’m so sorry; I wish it hadn’t ended this way.’ Amanda sobbed and stood up straight. With one last glance at the chaos and death that lay about her, she looked to her right in the direction of the street, and then left, deeper into the alleyway. She would go that way, further into the alley and through the block, it would be less conspicuous and there’d be less chance of meeting someone. She looked around her once more before leaving. Oddly, she had the feeling of being watched, but she stood alone in the alleyway. Dismissing it, Amanda disappeared into the shadows and out of the life she had known.

  On top of the building opposite the alleyway, a figure stood in the shadow of a water tank and looked on, watching Amanda walk away from this pivotal moment. When she finally disappeared from view, the figure continued to look at the scene Amanda had left.

  ‘Until next time Horlack, until next time.’ The figure said to no one.

  Amanda stood at the wooden fence and looked out over the cold undulating hills of Donegal in late May. The wind blustered about,
pulling at her boot cut jeans and jacket, her crimson hair whipping about wildly, it chilled you to the bone if you stayed outside too long. With the sky a bland grey and overcast, the land looked de-saturated, bleached of colour, and it all seemed to match her mood perfectly.

  Amanda had left New York in a hurry after the events in the alleyway. Returning to her apartment in something resembling a panic, she had gathered as much of her stuff as she could, crammed it into her suitcase and headed for the airport that night, with the intention of flying to Ireland as soon as possible.

  She had boarded the first available flight and made it to Ireland a few days before she had originally planned. She had then headed straight for the cottage and given Georgina a huge surprise by arriving early. Georgina had asked why she had come on an earlier flight, but Amanda just said she wanted to surprise her. Amanda had come to the decision on the plane not to tell Georgina about Stuart’s death. It might be too much for her and Amanda really didn’t want to upset her. The lies came easier then she had expected, and she kept her tears to herself.

  Amanda didn’t like thinking of the events in the alleyway, she found it to be just too much. She wondered what the hell was going on with her life, she didn’t understand anything anymore. Life just seemed like a cruel joke to her now with her best friend on the brink of death.

  During those times alone when she had time to think about it, she had just dissolved into tears and uncontrollable sobbing, so she chose to block it out, at least for the moment. She did her best to lock away her feelings and fears and ran on auto pilot. While Georgina lived she would ignore it all, and deal with it later. Her friend needed her and Amanda had to be on the ball. The carers had instructed Amanda in everything she needed to know and she was now looking after Georgina pretty much full time.

  The Doctors had spoken to her, they said it wouldn’t be long now, a month, maybe two. They were glad she had made it over, she was all Georgina had talked about for months, her friend from New York.

  Amanda had merely smiled, to talk would have meant tears at such times, but she had cried enough as it was. Donegal looked much as she remembered it from a little over two years ago. Was that all? Only two years? It seemed like an age away now, but then, lots had happened in the interim.

  She found herself wondering about the Orphanage and her friend Alicia, but she wouldn’t go to them now. In time maybe she would seek them out, but not yet, she had other things to deal with first. She had to care for her friend who needed her now more than ever, for whatever time she had left in this world. She’d found it a difficult thing to confront, that your best friend would be dead in 2 months’ time. She would be alone once more, and given the events of a few days ago in New York, god only knew what might be round the next corner.

  It seems my old enemy, my nemesis has disappeared. I tracked him and his forces to Constantinople, but it seems that he disappeared during the chaos of that glorious siege. I don’t believe that my old foe has been killed, I feel it in my bones that he’s still alive, somewhere.

  I shall not rest until he is found, by the honour of the Disciples of the Cross, I swear this with God as my witness.

  - Grand Inquisitor Marcus’s report on Horlack’s Disappearance. July, 1204 AD.

  Feeling Low

  Donegal, Ireland

  Six weeks later, 6th July.

  Today wasn’t going to be a fun day, she had been dreading its arrival for weeks now, but these last few days had been the worst. She’d been left with precious little to do other than to try and find new ways to pass the time, something she was finding harder and harder to do.

  Amanda sat at the table in the kitchen in the night shirt she had taken from the Orphanage, it might be a little small on her now, but she loved it, it had been her favourite thing to wear in bed ever since. That and the thick woollen socks she often wore, but it had started to get too warm for those now. The cares of the day had been momentarily forgotten as she munched on the slice of warm toast she held in her hand, the smells from the toaster filling the warm air of the cottage kitchen.

  A few more bites still to go she gazed out through the window closest to her and into the warm summer morning, it looked beautiful. The sun sat high in the sky, the birds were singing in the golden morning light, she couldn’t help it, the tears just welled up. She wiped them away and concentrated on her breakfast.

  She just wanted to be away from the cottage, or more accurately the memories the cottage held. Memories that had would be particularly painful today.

  Amanda only had to look after Georgina for one week, tending to her every need and making sure she had everything. Georgina had lied to her and Stuart, she had deteriorated faster than expected and had become very weak. The Doctors had come and gone throughout, Georgina wouldn’t hang on for much longer. They’d predicted maybe a month or so, but there were complications and soon enough her condition took a turn for the worse. Georgina finally passed away only 1 week after Amanda’s arrival. Amanda had been there when it had happened, she had been holding her hand when she finally came to the end.

  It had been for the best, the pain looked unbearable during those agonising last few days, so Amanda felt oddly glad when Georgina had died. That didn’t stop the tears from falling though, Amanda cried like she had never cried before. It seemed to go on for ever, but in time she had calmed down and known it was the best thing for Georgina, but Amanda’s life had been left in bits, shattered completely by a world that had seemed to turn against her.

  That had been a month ago.

  It wasn’t very long after Georgina had died that the funeral had taken place, some of Georgina’s doctors and carers had come along to pay their respects and Amanda felt grateful for their support. After that Amanda had been slowly sorting out the cottage itself and all of Georgina’s things, most of it got thrown away, but she kept a few things, things Amanda just couldn’t bring herself to throw out.

  During that time, she felt like she might be slowly going mad. She couldn’t help wondering how she had ended up in this situation. Everything she knew had been taken from her. She felt utterly alone, and almost didn’t know what to do with herself. She barely slept, waking up in the night in a cold sweat, or laying there awake, unable to sleep as her mind raced with horrors like that thing in the alleyway.

  She had almost permanent bags under her eyes, her hair looked a mess, in short, she looked shocking.

  Now though, everything had finished, the paper work had been signed and the cottage belonged to Amanda now. There wasn’t any need to get a job; there had been enough money to keep them both fed for months and Georgian in care. With Georgina dying so soon, the money would last for more than double that time now. At first Amanda didn’t know what to do with her free time, and she wasted hours doing nothing. The cottage looked a mess, she’d left rubbish everywhere, unwashed plates and glasses littered the surfaces, but she didn’t care.

  She nearly called Howie a few times, once, during one of her more desperate moments, she had even got through to his answering machine. She didn’t leave a message. She just sometimes felt so alone that she needed someone to talk to.

  A few weeks ago she travelled to the Orphanage, to see Alicia, but she just sat outside and cried. She didn’t want to go back there, it would be like admitting defeat, it would be the end of her dream, and in the end, she had just walked away, and wandered aimlessly for hours before returning to the cottage by bus.

  She started to go on runs and walks, it was an idea she had during one of her calmer moments. Get out the house, get some fresh air, it’ll make you feel better she thought. It did, but she struggled to make herself do it, even though she felt better afterwards. She even started to clean the house up a bit and take a little pride in her new home.

  The cottage had been built well away from civilisation and pretty much had a valley all to itself. The building was small and squat with only one floor. From the outside it had been made to look like a traditional Irish cottage with white
washed stone walls, small wooden framed windows, a wooden door and a heavily thatched roof. The cottage had been fully insulated however, and had many modern amenities including an electricity supply and a phone line. Larger than most cottages like this, the building itself had an L shaped footprint, and had been surrounded by a simple wooden fence with a gate. This fenced in a small vegetable patch and a decent sized garden along with a small paved area located in the crux of the L shape where the main door to the cottage had been placed.

  Outside the fence a rough track led away into the distance, off to the next house on the trail until it hit the nearest village a good twenty minutes’ walk away. Heading in the other direction the trail skirted the edge of a wild wooded area that extended up the valley.

  Amanda had taken to exploring these woods for the past week or so, wandering her way through them rather aimlessly and seeing where she ended up. She didn’t much care where she went, but she found these walks therapeutic and they gave her lots of time to think things through. She imagined herself wandering through the passages of her mind, trying to figure things out.

  A few days ago she had found a clearing in the middle of the woods, a little idyllic oasis in the warm green forest. The clearing had a magical quality to it, its floor covered with longish wild grass and flowers that seemed to glow in the summer sun with a golden green colour like you might expect a fairy grove to have. The sight of this clearing had taken her breath away; its untouched beauty looked stunning. The breeze made the trees surrounding the clearing rustle their leaves making them seem to talk to you while butterflies and bees went about their business amongst the flowers that dotted colour through the grass.

  That first day Amanda had found the stump of a long fallen tree and sat herself upon it, just watching natures beauty all around her, which had seemed to calm her somewhat and take the edge off her grief. It felt almost magical, like a warm wave of cleansing air that seemed to give her some perspective on her problems, and made her realise these mountains weren’t insurmountable at all, they would just take time.