Of Magic and Technology [ IC Reboot ]

Night had fallen over the world long ago. Stars twinkled in the sky above as a pair of eyes watched them intently. The timing was all off. This was not supposed to be happening yet. A scowl crossed the face of the person watching the night sky. Turning slightly, the figure could hear footsteps followed by the heavy pounding of a fist against solid wood. Someone was at the door and whatever information they had was important. "Come in." The voice identified the figure as male. His voice was deep and sultry, the kind of voice any woman would want whispering in her ear. The door creaked open to reveal one of the few women who could resist such a voice. Her long, ebony hair was in a braid and the silver laurels that rested on her head shined in the light that flooded from the hallway. She stepped in, with an unnatural elegance, and shut the wooden door behind her. Slowly, she took her eyes from the floor and soon his gaze met her own. She was his most prized possession, the leader of his Techs. The woman smiled softly as she walked to the one who saved her and gave her a new purpose in life.

"Ah Zeke. What is wrong my child?"

"Rumors are spreading Sire. A few scouts say there are those in the Wilds using and learning magic."

She watched his face turn into a scowl before it became red with rage. He turned suddenly, his back now facing her. This wasn't good. Her dark brown eyes bore witness to the destruction the Sire made as he took his anger out on a nearby statue. She knew of his hatred for magic but never understood it herself. He looked back at her, his eyes glowing red in the darkness of the room, and spoke through gritted teeth. "Get Thorn and Nemesis. Find these mages and take them out!" She winced as he hissed the word 'mages'. Without speaking, she bowed and left The Sire to continue in his rage alone...

Zeke found herself heading for the building that housed the Techs. Sire had built it while the three were still in recovery. It had everything the three could need. She entered the house and let out a loud whistle to let the others know she had arrived. Each of them had their own way of entering and letting the others know of their presence.

"Thorn! Nemesis! We need to talk!"

Zeke sat on the couch and rubbed her hand over the chest plate she wore, just above her artificial heart. Sometimes she missed her own heartbeat. It was odd falling asleep without it. Of course, she required little sleep. All of the Techs has been modified to go without sleep for weeks if need be. Still, Zeke was more human than the others and liked her human traditions.

Once the two men had joined her in the common room, she would sit up from where she slouched on the couch. "Okay boys. Sire wants us to head to the Wilds and see if these rumors are true." She touched her right temple and suddenly both men would have all the information send to them via the skintenna they shared.

"It'll take us three days to reach the Wilds. Sire wants us to take the long way and keep out of sight. We can't have anyone knowing what we are doing." Zeke looked at the two and smiled. "It's about time we got to have some fun huh?" It had been six months since The Sire had sent them on a mission. Zeke was about to go insane. "So gather up what you need and let's head out." The trip would be easy up until they reached the Wilds. Most of their long-range tech would cease to work out there but their skintenna would keep working, meaning they would be able to keep track of one another while out there.

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Meanwhile, a bird hovered just near the Techs house. The little bird flitted around before it shot off towards the Wilds. The enchanted bird arrived back to its master in no time at all. They conversed and the elderly man frowned. This was not good. It seemed The Sire had learned of his students. This was not good at all. The old man hobbled out of his small cottage. A young woman waited outside for him. "Call them here Cassie. We need them all." The young lady nodded and whistled, calling a horse to her side. She mounted the creature and began her ride to the other small villages to gather the mages.

The old man was Jareth and he was the one who had kept the magic alive in the Wilds. He kept civilization away from this place and he hated everything the Sire had become. At one time, they had been friends. They had been closer than brothers. What most didn't know is that the Sire was born in the Wilds. He wasn't born in the cities of the world. Jareth stood out on the porch of his cottage as a breeze blew through the valley he lived in. He breathed in deep through his crooked nose. The old man looked tired. Dark bags hung under his eyes but there was also such a tired look to those white-blue eyes. It was obvious he was blind. His magic let him see others though. He wore dark brown robes like the mages of old did. A staff helped him walk. Atop the staff was a perfectly clear crystal that reflected any light that it was exposed to.

Jareth sat on an old chair and watched as the people of his village walked by. They had no idea what was coming for them. If the Techs were heading this way, they would bring death with them. He could only hope that the three chosen ones arrived soon. They lived all over the Wilds. He looked up to the sky, breathed in deep again, and exhaled a whisper onto the winds. Birds answered his call. They were going to be his eyes and ears for as long as he needed them. This way he could track both the mages and the techs as they made their way to the valley.

A young man saw Jareth sitting on his porch. He approached the elder. "Jareth, something feels off." The young man was Harris. He was an Earth Mage and he could feel the disturbance in the forest that surrounded the valley. Jareth looked at Harris and nodded. "You are right my son. Something is off. Sire has discovered us. He is sending his assassins to kill us all." The old man could see the fear in Harris' dark eyes. "Do not worry. I have sent for the Chosen. They will arrive soon enough and we will show the world that magic still exists." Jareth knew that they were going against their ways by fighting for peace but there was no other way for this to happen. No one listened to reason anymore these days.

“Mari! Where have you been!”

Marisela flushed, her cheeks still rosy from rushing home. “What is it, Ma?” She collapsed on the chair, drained from a long day of watching the children of the clan, only to have her mother drop her knapsack in her lap. “Ma?”

Her mother leaned against the table, brushing Marisela’s unruly hair out of her eyes. “Oh, my sweet little girl…I have some news. Jareth set a woman with a message. She stopped by while you were out. You’ve been summoned to a great meeting of all the mages here in the Wilds.”

“But Ma,” Marisela interjected, “What about the kids? Who’ll watch after them?”

“Don’t worry, dear. We’ll find someone.”

“Fine,” she muttered with an overdramatic pout, “but can you at least tell me what’s happening?”

Her mother paled, gnawing her lip as she looked away from her. “I don’t really know, but she said that you might be in danger. You should hurry. You can take my horse.”

Marisela’s head was reeling. She had always feared that something like this would happen, rumors of the people in the City and their views on magic had reached even the farthest corners of the Wilds. “Aye,” she muttered, breathing deeply to calm her racing heart, “I…I guess I should head out.”

Leaning forward, she placed a soft kiss on her daughter’s head. “Be careful dear. I’ve packed your things.”

Marisela stood up, taking the knapsack and note in hand. As she headed out, she turned and looked back at her mother. “I’ll be fine, and back soon,” she lied. “Take care of yourself.” Without waiting for a response, she dashed out into the evening light.

***

She rode hard into the night, finally coming to Jareth's cottage. Sliding from her mother’s horse, she slowly approached the door. Steeling her herself, she knocked on the door. “Hello?” she called. “It's Marisela…and I’ve been summoned, I guess.”

Thorn was in the living room, eating his 13th meal for the day While staring at a bird outside the window when Zeke walked in and called himself and nemesis. He looked at all the food he had yet to eat and gave a reluctant sigh. He had enough to give him a good amount of energy, but not enough for his day's plans. Though something told him his plans where to be cancelled. He got up and moved towards the front room and silently waved to Zeke as she explained. He sighed again at the mission, what a bother. Oh well, better than his plans he guessed. "I'll be right back." He walked off and grabbed a bag of green apples. They where specifically modified for him to carry high amounts of energy, though they where nothing compared to a full meal he often enjoyed. As he walked back he looked out of the window. The bird was gone.

Damnit, why did this have to happen now. Really? Raven grumbled as he packed his small carrying bag, adding the trinkets and charms he thought would help. "Poe! Poe, damn you! You're never around when I need you!" The raven gave a lazy squack from his nest in the corner. "Don't back talk me! You know how important this is!" Raven ran over to the neon sign in the window and clicked it to closed. His year round Halloween shop did fairly well, but he never took on co-workers to hold the shop open when he wasn't there. The Goths and eccentrics could do without him for a night. He quickly got all the stuff into the bag and slung the straps over his boney shoulders. "Fine. Don't want to help, you can stay here." The raven cawwed angrelly and tried to clammer out of his nest, but Raven turned and lifted his arms, darkness swirling up around him and then faded, leaving him absent.

The darkness swelled in the forest near the outside of town. Raven stepped out of that darkness and moved instantly away, taking out a small cumpas. The needle of the cumpas wavering to point to the nearest sourse of magic.

The sun was high and the wind gentle on the day Faelan was called by Cassie. He put on his lucky coat and ate his breakfast quickly.

“Today’s a big day, Faelan,” said his mother, Colleen. Her face glowed with pride as she cooked. “My little boy is being called for a Mage’s gathering. I always knew you’d be big and important. Now eat up!”

“I don’t know how you can be so bleedin’ ‘appy about our youngest going out and doing gods-know-what,” injected his father, Liam. “Don’t you understand how incredibly dangerous this is, woman!?”

“Of course I do but… I just want Faelan to use his gift and make the world a better place. Don’t you want the Sire gone?”

“Of course I bloody do! But-“

“Will you both shut up!?” Faelan interrupted. “I’m going for my own reasons and that’s the end of it, dad!”

“Well excuse me for caring whether or not you live or die!” With that Liam stormed out of the room.

“I’m sorry, mum. I shouldn’t have shouted like that.” He got up and hugged his mother.

“It’s alright, Fae. Now go say goodbye to your brother before you forget.”

He left the room to go pack his things. He had just finished putting his bag on his shoulder when he noticed a tall, broad figure blocking the doorway. “Hey Aidan.”

“Well Fae, it looks like you’re not coming back for a while now then. Jealous that I’m going to have my pick of the girls in the village?”

“You prat. Maybe the girl who got kicked by the horse,” Faelan said cheekily.

“You watch it then little brother. Just ‘cause you can cast some little fireballs doesn’t mean I can’t kick your arse.” The three minutes of wrestling that followed was inevitable after that. Aidan, being the older and more physically-gifted of them, got the upper hand and won the match for the sixth time in a row. “Now if you’re done being a shitehead, I got somethin’ for ya.”

“What’s that? Another wet-willie?”

“I’m being serious here!” he shouted. Aidan then pulled out a large dagger from the back of his belt. It was of good-quality, or least as good as a village blacksmith could make. What was more important was the handle of the blade which was hand-carved wood. A small Celtic Knot was engraved at the bottom of the handle. “I’m only gonna say this once Faelan, so pay attention. This knife cost me a month’s pay, so come home with it or not at all. Understand?”

“Yeah,” Faelan said meekly. He couldn’t muster up any other words to express his surprise and gratitude.

“I love ya, brother,” Aidan said as he helped Faelan up.

“I love ya too,” Faelan replied as he hugged his brother.

“Alright! That’s enough of that there. Get outta here already!”

Faelan laughed as he left the room. After saying goodbye to his mother one last time, he left his house and left on his great journey.