The Magi's Society

Flying swiftly through glimmering lights and unmeasurable heights, the small transport carrying Mevi and her retinue, flew through the City of Light. Mevi saw the blinding lights and complex structures of the Barge’s inhabitants once again from a bird’s perspective. Yet even as the transport carried them many thousands of feet above the nearest ground, spires and structures still climbed to meet them so high up. Their transport flew just above a sort of cloud cover that occasionally hung above the heights of the City of Light, yet still the spires and vain monoliths speared through the clouds and even further beyond, like they raced to meet the Barge’s incomprehensibly tall ceiling.

Mevi was able to calmly watch the surroundings outside the transport this time; the last time she fully beheld the unfiltered glory of the towering heights of the City of Light she fainted. This time, with a developed tolerance to light, she could view the cityscape with only a mild headache. The overwhelming colors and lights still pierced the clouds to shine strange shapes and outlines within the clouds. The tallest structures jutting out like spikes and mountains were laden with complex symbols and illumination emitters, but while Mevi flew above the clouds it seemed more bearable than the dense and feverish styles far below her.

The small transport eventually began descending, after traveling for maybe thirty minutes at a high speed. Mevi and her retinue had arrived near to the edge of the Barge, where tall hallways and complicated systems intertwined within the golden hull. The transport circled several times as it descended, making Mevi dizzy for the brief moments it rapidly fell closer to the ground. Strangely, Mevi never felt the speed of the transport or the gravity of its fall, her mind got confused and dizzied when she beheld the incredible speed of the transport but she felt no momentum generated from their travel. Trying to understand how such speeds were even possible added to her growing sky-sickness.

Mevi’s transport landed close to the golden hull of the Barge, a platform high above what is considered the ‘ground’ was their target. The platform was partially covered, but Mevi could see many similar transports to hers already stopped and anchored to the metallic surface. Through the dizzying speed she could also see a white-metal rune etched large in the platform that Mevi thought she read as ‘Maphet’. Though the spinning descent of her transport made it difficult to view proper details of the wide dockyard.

When the transport landed Mevi could hear and feel loud clicks as if the platform locked her transport into place. Then the sliding doors on either side of her slid open with a hiss. Even before she tried to exit, Mevi could hear whipping winds and screaming gales produced by the high altitude. Hellion and Zelkan disembarked first, and helped the rest out as heavy wind buffeted against them. The five of them left the transport and hurried further into the dockyard platform. A tall roof hung over half of the platform, and as they approached the threshold under the protective ceiling a faintly shimmering blue aura was almost perceptible. Suddenly, as Mevi noticed they fully crossed the shimmering barrier and went under the tall ceiling, the wind and sounds of wind halted completely. A little surprised, but thankful for the strange abilities of the Magi’s constructs, Mevi followed her companions towards the wall of the platform.

As Mevi could finally focus, without the wind trying to knock her over, Mevi could see a great many people in the dockyard. Nearly every figure was masked, each wearing either Maphet’s whites, gold and blue or Odion’s white and silver, while some wore a combination of the colors with runes embroidered into their robes. The people hurried back and forth performing tasks here and there. Large circular entryways held shut against the Barge’s hull, Mevi assumed they each led to a yacht like the Magi Falcier’s when she first arrived. Yet some smaller connecting pathways breached the walls in between the larger; looking just barely tall enough to fit Mevi’s Sentinel. The people rushed to and fro, attending to idle figures standing near to the Slipaway Connectors that were attached to hidden ships beyond their walkway.

Mevi was surprised. So many people remained, not leaving for the surface despite how long it had been since they first entered the new system. She had assumed the moment the meeting with Alestair was over each of the attending officers had left for the surface while Mevi fumbled through her Magi-given quest. Yet the amount of people, especially those with intricate masks and inscribed robes, seemed to show that few had actually departed, if any at all.

As Mevi followed towards the various Slipaway docks, she noticed a cluster of elegantly decorated figures making their way straight towards her. Ouapi’s masked face snapped upwards suddenly, staring off into the distance in the way everyone did when they interacted with the Nerve Net. Mevi had now noticed, each of her companions had donned their masks. They must’ve put them on to shield from the winds or while they were walking. If not for their significantly different bulks, Mevi wouldn’t have been able to tell them apart as each wore fairly simple white robes with very little silver or golden scripture. Ouapi held the most rank of everyone, besides Mevi herself, and donned several significant scriptures in silver that Mevi translated as oaths of fealty to Odion and his apprentice. As the figures approached closer, Mevi’s retinue stopped completely.

The people approaching Mevi and her retinue were zealously decorated. Their leader donned an ornate mask that resembled a silver crown, spinning around their head erupting curved spikes like a miniature mountain range. Their mask glowed a mixture of white with wisps of green like falling leaves. The robes were emblazoned with hundreds of words of scripture, few of which Mevi could decipher, and each glowed with arcane aura even as it shone with polish on the silvery surface. The others behind their leader were far less decorated compared, but each had similar masks without crowns and their robes showed various levels of intense scripture, yet without the glowing aura. Mevi suddenly felt underdressed again, her simple robes had not a single letter of writing or any ornate symbolism, even the mask Oupai held at her side for Mevi was basic in comparison to the intimidating figure rapidly approaching. Then the figure spoke, “Mevare, you have arrived remarkably on time. I commend you.” Alestair’s voice was obvious, even under the slight muffle of the mask.

Bowing deeply, her companions followed suit, “Thank you Lord Alestair. I tried to make as much haste as I could, but I had feared I spent too long preoccupied and assumed everyone had left already.” Mevi replied.

“You needn’t call me, ‘Lord’. We are of the same rank. And it is never a waste of time to perform the Magi’s will.”

“Thank you… Alestair.” Mevi hesitated, his personality was entirely different than it had been when they first met.

“You are new to many things, Mevare. When we have time I will teach you as much as is needed. For now, know that we await the holy Grand Magi’s order to depart; only our most holy Magi knows when it is safe to exit. Space is torn by the departure and arrival of the Barge, and only the wisest know when it has calmed enough to traverse.”

“I see…” Mevi said, but in truth didn’t understand a word.

“Come, I have prepared your shuttle but you may await our departure with me.” He turned to leave, but waited as he stared at her.

Mevi looked back at her companions briefly, but made to follow, “Of course Alestair.”

Alestair waved a hand, and a few of his attendants intercepted Mevi’s retinue. It seemed they weren’t meant to follow her. As she walked behind Alestair, Mevi began to feel uncomfortable. They only walked a short distance away, Alestair waved a hand as they approached part of the wall near one of the large Slipaway Connectors. At the wave of his hand the Connector opened wide, revealing a bright passage into an unknown vessel. Mevi noticed as Alestair’s own retinue stopped short of the passage, staying in the dockyard as Mevi and Alestair continued into the ship alone.

The two of them walked forward, illuminated by the bright lights embedded into the Slipaway Connector. The path should’ve been short, but the silence and tense air stretched the walkway wide and long. Mevi felt an ominous presence looming around her, and a nervousness she hadn’t felt in a long while crept into her. She was alone for the first time in a long while, only Alestair, a stranger, to keep her silent company. She felt something lay ahead of her, but what it was she couldn’t guess. Suddenly Alestair spoke as they crossed halfway through the passage, “We received a strange request a little while ago, one approved by our Lords Magi so I did not question it.”

“Was it a new task for me?” Mevi asked, trying to ignore her growing-frantic nerves.

“In a way, yes.” Alestair was silent for a few moments as they passed the threshold into the vessel, “A formal request had been pending for a time, and our Lords Magi had to accept it due to the peculiar nature of it. Someone wished to meet you, specifically before you left. So he was allowed in for a brief conversation.”

As Alestair passed the threshold, Mevi hesitated. The masked figure looked back to her and held a hand out welcomingly, but she felt a dark presence beyond the safety of the tunnel. She only now noticed a remarkably dark interior of the ship, no lights illuminated the inside of the vessel, but she could faintly see outlines of structure and curving metallic surfaces. She hadn’t noticed the darkness until now because of how familiar to the dark she was, but now she feared it. She had always feared the dark despite her people’s living within it, but this was a real fear. She knew something lurked within, and if not for the social obligation of following Alestair’s directions, Mevi would have run far away from this looming darkness.

Mevi stepped forward, crossing into the dark. As she did, Alestair bowed towards the dark interior. Then he stepped back into the Slipaway Connector, retreating into the illuminated hallway without her. Panic raced as she was confused what was happening, without any warning of what to expect or what was truly going on. Alestair nodded a head towards Mevi and said, “I will be just outside. I'm told this will be a breif conversation, but still be sure to be respectful.” Then Alestair waved a hand and the door to the bright tunnel slid shut. All Mevi could eek out was, “Wait…!” before the door shut and she was left in the dark. Then she heard a voice, a creeping, echoing, ominous voice that whispered from the darkness, “Hello there, little Starlight.”