The Magi's Society

The remainder of the time spent on the strange ship, ‘Unending Spirit’, descended into familiar menial tasks. Kalesi and Mevi chatted away about various nothings, and seemed to get along as if Mevi had known the woman her whole life. The two received tasks, delegated by Kalesi, who finally explained why she and her fellow Neophytes interacted with the air so strangely. According to Kalesi, most servants under a Magi were given some kind of equipment that allowed them to see things before their eyes and no one else. A device that, as best explained by Kalesi, ‘Is like reading a book and being able to do things by turning its pages.’, a strange concept especially with how little Mevi has interacted with data texts and only ever caught glimpses of ‘books’. Regardless, this strange piece of equipment displayed tasks and requests for Kalesi and Mevi. Kalesi explained that certain peoples are ‘above’ her in rank besides the Lord Magi, and anyone of higher rank could delegate her tasks. So the next several hours were spent cleaning, moving boxes of tribute, and doing requests that were all too familiar with Mevi. While neither of them complained about the jobs they performed, Mevi wondered if someone was having them complete meaningless tasks just for fun or some kind of punishment.

Mevi and Kalesi passed through a large portion of the ship, what felt like leagues of space covered in their endless walking back and forth. A few times sight was caught of the other children, always with their new mentor Neophyte. In most cases where Mevi saw the other children, they seemed to be relaxing or otherwise taking in the glory of their Lord Magi’s ship and his great power. Mevi, however, never saw the Lord Magi Falcier despite the great swath of area she investigated during her new duties. She didn’t dare to ask where the creature was, or what they were doing, trying her best to forget the events involving the Magi entirely. What felt like many hours was spent in menial tasks, and with Kalesi’s guidance, powerful form, and Mevi’s skills with polish and cleaning, the two were pleasantly surprised to receive their first notification they had no tasks left.

The two finished their last task, of counting, organizing, and labeling the tribute to the Lord Magi, in what Kalesi called a ‘Cargo Hold’. Once they were finished, Kalesi took Mevi to a truly glorious creation. A strange sort of pillar, that Mevi soon noticed was spaced out throughout the ship to make them quite common, and by interacting with it you could summon a sort of hovering console. While Mevi couldn’t read the strange scripture, Kalesi could, “This device allows people, without certain controllability, to summon forth items of necessity. Including sustenance. While most can only create a small portion of what might be considered a meal, it can still materialize just about anything you could imagine.”

Mevi was in awe of the technology, “On Baes we have something similar, a Divine Provider, is what I called them. It creates water as if by magic.”

Kalesi, still sweating from the labors they were tasked with, grinned, “Exactly the same, with some differences. It can create food and other liquids besides water. It takes a small amount of energy to activate, so not everyone can use the terminals in the hallways or standing stagnant in a common room. Most people must use the devices within designated areas that have separate batteries.”

Mevi is a little confused by Kalesi’s use of the words ‘terminal’, and ‘battery’, but is eager to investigate the almost magical curiosity, “How may we activate it? Can we use it without permission?”

Kalesi began typing at the console, “Since it uses a person’s own energy, not the ship’s, anyone with the appropriate amount of power can sustain it and use it. Permission is not needed unless you attempt to make complex items, or items that may be considered dangerous. I will create some drinks for us for now, and then I want to show you something.”

Kalesi finished admitting her commands to the device, and soon, a small silvery-steel plate generated out of the pillar. On top of it, almost by magic, grew two white-porcelain cups. The containers were filled with a strange red liquid that was partially clear. It smelled fruity, a scent Mevi had only experienced the day before she left her home. Looking up to Kalesi, and seeing her gesture eagerly, Mevi took one of the cups in her hands and drank carefully. A wonderfully smooth liquid passed into her mouth and danced past her taste buds. It tasted similarly of a combination of apple, cherry, and possibly grape. The fruity drink was ice cold, a luxury Mevi didn’t know existed. After carefully testing the flavor, she gulped down the rest and was thoroughly satisfied. Kalesi watched as a mother might her child who found something entirely new and wonderful to experience. Kalesi then gulped her own drink down in a single movement, the cup obviously small in her hands, and she created additional drink in their strange white cups.

Kalesi and Mevi wandered out of the cargo hold, up a small ramp that led them again to a long tube hallway. Mevi carefully sipping away at the new luxury she has grown so fond of. As they walked, Kalesi led Mevi through the twisting labyrinth and spoke to fill the silence of their travel, “The drink is called Mappa juice. It is a fruit from my home planet. I hoped you would like it.”

Mevi, becoming more and more fascinated by this other-worldly place Kalesi called home, eagerly asked, “Does your planet house many strange wonders? In no short time you’ve told me of people aging several hundred years, large beasts, magical technology, and incredible fruits!”

Kalesi seemed entertained by Mevi’s innocent curiosity, “Oh it was wonderful. I hope to return on assignment one day, but that likely won’t happen. Most other planets are equally, if not more, wonderful than my own.”

Mevi didn’t quite believe her, despite growing to trust the woman’s word like it was law, and whispered, “I doubt they have magical fruit that turns into water on other planets…”

Kalesi only laughed. They soon stopped in a small, forward-facing, angular room that ramped slightly downward. The room being mostly bare all but a set of rails separating the flat entry to the ramped promenade. Two archways on either of the side walls were open and leading to other unknown adventures through the ship. But Kalesi activated something along the wall behind them, where the door once opened. As Mevi turned around, sensing a sudden light and warmth, she saw the ceiling opening above her.

The ceiling seemed to stretch open along a vertical split, a seam cutting it in half and allowing it to retract into walls. The light of Baes, the blue-purple star with pulsing rings of light, burned in all its glorious fury. The light somehow not blinding Mevi, who moved to cover her face but realized she could watch the elegant dance of the star’s surface without threat. As she gazed at the brilliant display of light and power, she scanned the horizon directly in front of her. The ship was heading in the direction of the void of space. Resting calmly and quietly was the Barge. The brilliant shining golden-orange aura framing it against the endless black, making the massive ship out to be almost like a second star in Mevi’s small system. It has taken a fully solid form, even compared to its finished transformation when she was on the colony watching in horror. The ship is angular at the front, with two smooth blades stretching out like an avian beak partially open. Its body was mostly curved, with indents where large round devices nestled themselves, and the end tapered off into two caudal fins angled downward. It resembled a strange type of fish in a way, one that might’ve been the aquatic life inside the data libraries Mevi has spent hours browsing the pictures of. The top side of the ship was entirely in view, and what once looked like a completely barren, dark, flat platform that stretched as far as the ship was long was now also transformed. Spikes along the edges of the ship angled in jagged growths, the towers that were there before now resemble a scaled hide protecting an angry tendril. Several stretching tendrils grasped the void, sprouting from many different areas in seemingly random places, swaying as if being brushed by wind. The once-flat surface was now additionally rocky, without any clear flat area, resembling cracking earth that cannot settle in place.

The massive ship stood still and silent, the only evidence of any kind of life were the many thousands of tiny windows breaching the golden hull of the supermassive vessel. The ship Mevi was being transported on was heading directly for this alien construct of massive proportions. Its size from the angle of her moon made it look small in comparison to its overwhelming shape so close to her. The distance from the ship was unfathomable to Mevi, but she regarded it in growing fear regardless. Looking to Kalesi for comfort of some kind, she saw Kalesi watching them approach the behemoth with a look of content neutrality. Mevi couldn’t see the vessel the same way as her companion it seemed, its strange and alien form was frightening to her and the concept that Magi like the one she encountered populated such a construct was additionally terrifying. Mevi noticed then that she had unconsciously grabbed for the sleeve of Kalesi’s robes, Kalesi didn’t seem to care and allowed the grip. The two sat there, basking in the awe of the ship in their own ways, as their own vessel approached it closer and closer.

After their view grew to the point of not being able to see the dark charred deck of the Barge, Mevi calmed. The ceiling slowly began to close in this moment as well, as if sensing the proximity to their mothership. Kalesi seemed to have broken from her own viewing of the Barge and was receiving more directives from her strange invisible device. After a few moments Kalesi gestured for Mevi to follow her and the two finished their drinks with Kalesi placed them against one of the pillars that was pointed out earlier. Growing impatient to have her hands moving again, Mevi asked, “What is our task now, Ma’am?”

Grinning at the smart comment, Kalesi responded, “We have no task. We are to await the City of Light in the Slipaway Connector.”

Mevi thinks she shouldn't be surprised at how often she is confused or doesn’t know what something is but asks regardless, “What is the ‘Slipaway Connector’?”

Kalesi, slowly regaining what Mevi dubbed the ‘professional’ look, responds, “The Slipaway is a sort of… Ship dock. Small vessels like a Magi’s Yacht, what we are on, attach to the Barge on a Slipaway. It docks and holds a vessel when it isn’t being used, and propels it at high speeds into space when it needs to be activated. The connector is just a walkway that allows crew and passengers to enter the Barge.”

Mevi understands a little better. But the concept and visualization of the ideas was next to impossible for her. She followed her mentor regardless as they made their way through the hallways. Mevi noticed, as they walked, a few other individuals she didn’t recognize walked alongside them. Most had silver hoods with darkened faces, as if in the style of their master, Lord Magi Falcier. Few had uncovered faces. But soon, as the two exited the twisting hallway into the large rounded pink room, Mevi saw the children from her colony. Yet their mentors wore the silvered hoods, without face masks for the most part, and their mentors were handing out and fitting small bronze cloaks with hoods to their pupils. Just as Mevi was becoming curious, Kalesi went over to a nearby wall, under the overhead raised hallway and away from the main group. She removed a backpack that Mevi hadn’t noticed was on her person the entire time, its presence entirely shrouded by the natural features of her robes and curly hair. From inside she produced a blue hood, with a mask hanging attached to the side, and a smaller blue hood with no mask but a small cloak attached. She handed the maskless hood to Mevi, and put on the other. Mevi wasn’t sure exactly what to do but figured she should wear the hooded cloak. Mevi fitted the piece to herself easily enough, but felt silly having it drape over her shoulders and hump over her own bag of personal treasures. After some nitpicking from Kalesi about position and cleanliness, the two wore matched fashion and stood slightly apart from the main group. Mevi quickly noticing that most of the figures assembled wore either silver, bronze, or a mix of colors. Only Kalesi and Mevi stood with their unique blue.

The party of individuals stood in the dim pink light for a while. When suddenly the light began to drain from the room entirely. Replaced by an eerie monochrome dimness. The light not being entirely sucked out of the room, but instead being replaced by a lack of color filling the space. Only silvers, golds, bronze, and the blues showing any real sign of their own vibrance. From above them, just out of sight, one of the doors on the upper hallway platform opened. As it opened, a ramp formed out of the floor to meet the upper hallway. At the top stood two golden guardians, Mevi assumed to be the ‘Sentinel’ Kalesi talked about. The two descended the platform and flanked the bottom edge. After they stopped at the bottom all the figures in the room descended to a single knee, looking down. It took a few moments of confusion for Mevi to follow suit, as well as some of the other new children. Soon the figure of Mevi’s dreaded terror appeared at the top of the ramp. Slowly shedding his brilliant golden eminence across the entire room. Filling it with color and light. Many of the new children needing to block their eyes from the light due to its power. Mevi and Kalesi were far from the main group, near the outside edge of the room, but even where she stood the light was almost overpowering her. She took solace in staring at the ground, its partially reflective surface not bright enough to shine the light of the Lord Magi into its full terrible brilliance.

The Magi descended the ramp, his brilliant light slowly dissipating to just enough to fill the room. At the bottom he gazed across the area, appraising his newest acolytes. The Magi proclaimed, “My children! We are soon to arrive at the City of Light! Our holy place, and wondrous salvation! I personally welcome you into our fold, and can only foresee your success amongst our kin. Your kin. We are one.” After his speech ended, everyone in the room repeated ‘We are one.’ in a disturbing monotone. Not even Kalesi spared herself the statement. As the reverb of so many voices chanting as one echoed across the room, a loud clank and click could be heard pounding across the vessel’s hull. As if something was locked into place. Directly in front of where the Magi stood, past the many heads and bodies, on the other side of the room a circular seam appeared. A hole was bored into the wall, as the surface retracted into itself, and on the other side was a long tunnel lit by a golden-orange light. Without hesitation the Magi began walking through the crowd, everyone standing and making way to not be in his path.

As the Magi entered the tunnel, followed by his two Sentinel, the other figures in the room slowly regained their composure and some made their way to the tunnel and began their own walk through. Several stalked and meandered back into hallways deeper into the ship, and the children spoke with their mentors before the four groups made their own way into the tunnel. Mevi looked to Kalesi, who had stood up when the Magi began moving, and stood up to match her mentor. Kalesi let out a sigh, and looked down to Mevi, “So my new sister. Would you like to go home?”