The Magi's Society

The echo of the ominous golden-clad entity dissipated any semblance of whisper or gossip from the colony. It seemed the entire moon had heard their voice and responded with obedient silence. As the echo faded the shadow-faced entity seemed to scan his gaze across the pairs standing atop the platform. Judging silently as he inspected his supplicants.

The silence was interrupted as the entity spoke once more, voice still booming and demanding authority, “One of your offerings is missing. Deliver those of House Demetra.”

A collection of whispers and gossip was started anew in the crowd. Rustling and footsteps loud enough in the quiet that it sounded almost like the earth was shifting. All Mevi’s senses seemed to be heightened as adrenaline pumped through her veins. She began looking towards the other pairs, who were also looking about them. Few stood still at attention, Mevi’s father being one of the unflinching, his practiced stance and gaze glaring towards the entity.

Eventually a clamor could be heard down one of the roads. Frightened and desperate shouts fighting against something within the crowd and out of view. A child was thrust onto the stage, flanked by two large men each clasping a wrist. Following in a panic, a woman scrambled past the crowd after them. The woman was disheveled and bearing a black eye.

The woman grasped at the legs of one of the men and screamed, “Please! Not my boy! He is all I have left, please don’t take him from me. Take me instead, please!”

The man she begged to kicked at her to release her grip cursing, “Damn you woman! Get back and away from the holy emissary!”

The other man released his hold over the boy and grappled with the distraught woman, who was probably the boy’s mother. The boy was frightened but following the man who led him towards the center, whispering up towards the man. The man replied in an equally hushed tone, both inaudible over the shouts and incoherent yelling of the woman. She clawed at the man’s arm trying to break free, but another man came out from the crowd and hit her over the head with some kind of blunt object. She slumped to the ground unconscious. When she hit the platform’s floor the boy made a small yip-like sound, and small tears formed around his eyes. How he wasn’t already crying Mevi couldn’t understand, she was terrified, confused, and saddened by the horrid sight.

The boy, who looked no older than twelve or thirteen, held back his own tears admirably as he stood quietly next to the man. The two of them now held hands gently while the woman was dragged back up the road. The entity, titled ‘The Emissary’ stayed silent and vigilant. When all was settled again, and the crowd was silent, this Emissary spoke his command.

“Kornal, House Demetra. Age eleven. Arrive to me.” The boy bowed, as if practiced, and walked to the Emissary and was directed by the two golden guardians to stand directly behind the shadow-faced entity.

“Maze, House Klama. Age fourteen. Arrive to me.” A young girl stepped away from their teary-eyed father, and placed themselves behind the boy.

“Arnel, House Arnel. Age fourteen. Arrive to me.” A boy this time, proud and sure of himself, made his way behind the girl.

The names listed, but Mevi was only half paying attention. Her gaze still remained in the direction of the battered woman. She eventually returned to herself. Looking up towards her stalwart father, whose glare hadn’t subsided. She listened only enough to count the sacrifices. Seven, eight, nine, upwards to seventeen children listed in order of age. She realized she had her eyes shut in anticipation. But her name was still not being called. She opened her eyes and looked around her. No other sacrifices remained, only their guardians standing in a mixture of pride, fear, sadness, and even anger. She made the mistake of gazing towards the Emissary, and stared into its empty face. As if an abyss of darkness and dread, it looked directly at her, almost awaiting her. In the echoing silence of her own thoughts she heard an overwhelming voice say, “Mevare, House Bensari. Age eighteen. Arrive to me.”

Compelled by something that wasn’t her own will, her legs began to walk towards the Emissary. Her eyes fixated on the swirling inky blackness, her vision filled by the overwhelming presence of that darkness. There was nothing but this entity, this Emissary. Her thoughts were drowned by the echoing command, being summoned to this creature’s side. By the time she shook her senses back into being, she was already inside the still glowing blue and silvery aura that emitted from the ship above. Her eyes blurred and still saw the blackness that swelled from that mask.

With her senses partly returned, Mevi looked towards her father. Whose gaze was gone from his glare at the entity. His eyes squarely on her, and softened but stern. Mevi had a whirlwind of emotions suddenly flow back into her body, now controlled by her own desires again. She held strong, not wanting to admit any fear or pain to this man who claimed to be her father. Around her the other children seemed equally confused, some seemed entirely overpowered by the entity’s presence and their eyes were empty and dull. A few of the older children shook their heads over and over, as if there was something in their brain they needed to escape but wouldn’t release its grasp. Only Mevi and one other, a boy, seemed coherent enough to appraise their surroundings, but even Mevi couldn’t will her legs or arms to move. She was trapped in her own body, barely able to move her head and eyes.

The Emissary had been saying something since she stopped walking, she felt as if she had been standing for hours. Time was mixing in and out of understanding as her willpower fought to gain control of herself once more. She focused, and stared as high as she could force her neck to twist. Looking fitfully towards the planet above, past it’s round horizon, and longing for the blinding light. She mustered herself and bit her lip, still trying to grapple with this overpowering confusion. Then slowly remembered. Her desire for light and the bright to sweep away this dark haze. She focused herself on the memory of the glow, the almost magic glow of her gem, the gem that chased and fought against the shadows in her room. Then, in her battle that seemed to last forever, she broke out of the dark haze.

Mevi gasped, breaking the obedient silence that had enveloped the crowd. The dark and golden entity spun to face her. Looming tall and long, eclipsing the dim light of the colony, and the blue glow from its own ship. Her only source of respite and light being what little she could muster in her own mind. But even her thoughts weren’t safe, as this black mist waved over her and encompassed her entire being. She was left entirely blank and overcome. Suddenly able to open her eyes again, she found she hadn’t moved. The figure wasn’t standing over her. She still stood obediently in place. All the other children, even the other eldest who had fought like she did, were entirely silent and staring blankly forward.

Mevi looked to the crowd, they had no reactions or any evidence she had made noise or moved at all. She began to believe she had hallucinated the entire encounter and even her own breaking free. Her vision still foggy, but able to make out shapes and moving figures. The nobles seemed to be offering items, goods, and boxes to the Emissary. Mevi watched each noble house listlessly as they, or at least those who gave offerings of kin and blood, placed boxes into the hands of the golden clad guardians. The guardians then placed the boxes behind the enchanted children. Her own father finally came with his offerings. Mevi had watched in strained silence as her own family members, her house, had been quietly discussing and arranging an array of offerings. Her father walked towards the arrayed items and appraised them.

The other houses gathered many things, as many as could fit into the uniform cube containers they used. Her father however, only reached for one item. Not bothering to place it within the container for transport. He gripped a single thing, his clenched fingers covering the offering he dutifully chose. As he stopped in front of the golden guardians he splayed his fingers and offered the treasure in his hand to them. A single golden-shining gemstone, glowing with a white-orange light. The treasure didn’t look dissimilar to Mevi’s own precious gem, but her father’s seemed refined and well cut in comparison to hers. The few of the gathered people who could spot the item seemed to breath in deep and look on in surprise. But her father looked stalwart as ever, and offered it plainly.

The golden guardian began to reach for the gem. But the Emissary held a hand to stop him. Instead this dark figure approached slowly. Mevi’s father looked visibly disturbed and surprised but only her and the Emissary could view his face. His back to the crowd, he must have looked stoic and immobile, but even Mevi could tell he was frozen in sudden fear of his own actions. The Emissary reached a silver-taloned hand and grasped the gem. A low growl could be heard by only those closest to it. As it stepped back, holding the gem in both of its hands, and presenting it outward for the entire crowd to see. Mevi’s father gasped for air, only giving a moment to recover himself before he stood straight and began to walk back to his place. The Emissary omitted a loud proclamation, “You have given blood and vein. Offered Kin and body. The selection is over. Await our holy patronage, and the loyal be rewarded.”

The Emissary finished his proclamation with a flourish, turning around to face his sacrifices. Mevi could feel her feet no longer touching the ground. In a hushed tone, the Emissary’s whisper echoed in Mevi’s mind, “Sleep.” Mevi was encompassed in blackness once more, and lost consciousness in a dreamless sleep.