A Mage’s Revelation: A Shadow Cities Story
28 Oct 2011 1 Comment
Sam looked out over the empty map that had been her realm. Though the collected Animator’s had been able to see off the last of the Architects it wasn’t before Sam’s dominators and beacon had been destroyed. Setting up her infrastructure would take nothing but a thought, but would leave her drained of energy and itching for retribution for sometime to come.
In the physical plane, where Sam’s body lay, it was night. It was the best time for mages as it was quiet and most like the dim shadow world that re-entry was not a jarring experience. Evenings also saw a number of mages from overseas try their luck at friendly local gates and gossip was often shared. But as the subconscious mind grew more powerful just before sleep, a mage had to be careful. The evening mind was also more open, more venerable. The Shadow lands were seductive. A powerful mage could feel more real there than in their physical lives. As a result night was a dangerous time for mages.
“Back in business Samkara, ” Said Spiritbreaker conversationally has his ball-like aura dropped down Sam’s newly reinstated beacon. “What happened to you, one minute you were marshalling the troops for battle, the next you were gone.”
“IRL distractions.” Sam sighed so the ether quakes gently.
“IRL?”
“In Real Life. Breaker, do ever feel appreciated as a Mage. Does anyone take what you do here seriously?”
“When my boss catches me mediating instead of working, he does.” Spiritbreaker joked.
“Seriously. Anyone?”
Spiritbreaker was silent for a moment. And Sam took the time to harvest her beacons of excess energy.
“You mean other than High Command or other mages, right?” He tentatively replied.
“Yeah.”
“I was thanked by a neighbour a while ago for lowering their house insurance premium. It made me worry if I didn’t do a good job he’d blame me if the insurance went up.”
“Exactly.” Sam’s aura crackled with frustration, “When things are going well they wonder why you bother or that you’re lazy, but if you didn’t keep the spirits away…?”
“I don’t want to think about it.” Spiritbreaker shuddered and a wave of green energy rippled away through the ether. “As long as we know, right?”
“Yeah. Right.” Sam replied half-heartedly and checked her missions.
As usual there was a never-ending supply of requests to: get this spirit, collect this much energy, supply this element. Amongst them was one for a unique spirit that was rarely seen, an air. Air spirits were powerful and able to perform magic such as healing. Scarily intelligent they were the some of the toughest enemies out in the Shadow lands. But Sam needed a challenge, something to blow the bad vibes out of her head. With a thought she sent a request out to the general ether asking for sightings of air spirits. Calls started coming and Sam chose one at a beacon she knew well. It’s location near several gateways was ideally suited for big spirit hunting as a quick mage could jump to a gateway for refuge when the spirits attack became too intense.
The House Dannan air spirit was floating around seemingly aimless just past a neutral gateway. Unlike the other lesser spirits, airs glowed white like neutral gateways and Sam found it hard to focus on. She leapt out to the limit of Animator territory and finally got a got fix on it, a big brute and would take some taking down. Focusing her thoughts she drew, with what she thought of as her spirit hand, a z shaped rune. At the same time she saw a faint orange glow from an Architect mage near a dominator stuck out in the middle of no-mans land.
Sam released her spell, hitting the air spirit and knocking it out of its revelry. Seconds later an orange blast of energy also hit the spirit accompanied by a blast of foul language spewing out over the ether.
“What the – I had dibs on that air!” Said the Architect as he and Sam both gathered themselves for the next attack.
“Didn’t hear one, sorry. Next time shout louder.” Sam retorted as the air launched its first attack on her. Again Sam’s attack hit the air spirit, but the Architect had a new target and Sam received a double attack, one from the angered air and another from the mage.
“Hey! One enemy at a time, Mister!” She yelled casting a healing spell. If she kept losing energy like that she’d be banished from the Shadow lands like a no-nothing apprentice. There was more at stake here than the mission, her personal honour was on the line.
“I figure the enemy of my enemy…right?” The mage replied accompanied with another bolt of energy.
Stepping back a gateway, Sam dodged the attack and took a moment to heal. She carefully watched the Architect as it took on the air spirit solo. Now there was only one attacker the air spirit was having an easier time of it. It had healed itself and was now pouring its entire wrath onto the orange mage. At just the right moment, when the other mage was starting to tire and the air spirit had slowed its attacks and was content to dive bomb the mage like an angry bird, Sam came back refreshed. Her first attack was for the spirit as the two mages joint attacks finally knocked it out. Its essence blasted into the ether so both mages collected energy, but the kill was Sam’s; mission complete. Straight away she focused an attack on the Architect.
With the spirit snatched from his grasp and facing an embarrassing banishment the Architect mage leaped back to a friendly gateway on their side of the no man’s land.
“Pretty good slime. Taking on a mage and an air spirit together, but don’t think you can steal a catch from me everyday.” Came the voice of the Architect mage from across the blackness.
“I know who my enemy is, maybe you should too.” Sam replied exultant and returned to the relative safety of Animator held territory.
As the battle was broadcast across the general ether it took no time at all before everyone knew what had occurred. Taking on a tough air is one thing but also finishing off an enemy mage at the same time was something new.
“So, feel loved now?” Asked Spiritbreaker sometime later that night.
“Terrified actually, breaker.”
“Terrified?” This was not the answer that Spiritbreaker was expecting, “You just did in an air and a mage in one confrontation, what have you got to be scared of?”
“Complacency. That battle made me realise that we’re not at war with the Architects no matter how much we bicker. That spirit could have banished us because we let the bad blood between us get in the way of doing the real job. We zap spirits like flies but still they keep coming while Mages give up the cause everyday due to the complacency and the ignorance of those around them.” Sam stopped abruptly, surprise and the passion of her own speech. “Sorry, I think I’ve had enough for one night.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for. I’ve seen lots of mages come and go, you don’t stick at this job without being passionate.” Spiritbreaker replied, “Look I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”
“Yeah, “ Sam sighed, “I’ll be here.”
Concludes in A Mage’s Awakening
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