The Magi (The Magi Series) (14 page)

Elijah looked around the tiny room as Arthur closed the door. There weren’t many things in the house, but it still seemed extremely cluttered. There were piles here and there of coats and clothes, books and papers. Nothing seemed to have a place. Next to the fire sat two old, worn-out chairs. Elijah sat down on one as Arthur went into the kitchen.

“I was just warming up some cider. Would you like some?” he called.

“That would be great,” said Elijah. “Thank you.”

Arthur came in moments later with two mugs that were steaming profusely. He walked with the slightest limp on his right side.

“Careful now, it’s hot,” Arthur warned. Elijah handled the mug carefully as Arthur sat down in the other chair and breathed out a heavy sigh as if he had just finished a long journey. He cradled his mug and brought it close to his whiskers, taking in the aromas and warming his hands on the outside of the cup.

“So—” Arthur uttered. “So, here we are.” He talked very methodically. “I remember when I was in your place. Not so very long ago.” He laughed. “At least not long ago to me.” Elijah grinned. He liked Arthur’s sense of humor. “So many questions, so many questions…” Arthur took a very slow sip of his cider. He looked at Elijah for a silent moment before he spoke. Elijah could almost see Arthur calculating where to begin in his head as he nodded and continued rubbing his beard while looking off to the side. “Tell me Elijah, do you know anything about our history?” he asked.

“No. I don’t think so,” Elijah answered.

“I see,” Arthur said thoughtfully. “I suppose that before anything else, you should know where the Magi came from. Without knowledge of our past, the present direction seems pretty reckless, don’t you think?”

Elijah dug into his chair. He had always enjoyed history, even despite some grumblings from his friends and classmates. His mother had a knack for telling history stories like bedtime stories.

“Our story began three thousand years ago. We’re not sure exactly where; we’re not sure exactly when, but we do know that during our first years, the world was a very scary place. People stole from each other without remorse; they cheated; they lied; they even killed each other for money or food, or for no reason at all. Evil people controlled the cities and terrorized others because no one would stand up to them. No one knew who to trust. Life seemed very hopeless.

“However,” Arthur continued, “there were some—a very small group then—who would later call themselves the Magi, that didn’t accept this life of fear. They started a new way of thinking—a new philosophy. Do you know what a philosophy is?”

“A belief?” Elijah said.

“Very good,” said Arthur. “What made the Magi different was not what they were able to
do
—because at first they didn’t have any power. It was what they
believed
that made them different. They made a decision—much like the decision you probably made to the council this morning—that they would look for the good in the world even when the world around them was evil. That was all. They only promised to
look
for good. Sounds simple doesn’t it?”

Elijah nodded, trying to imagine what it was like for the Magi back then.

“They soon discovered,” Arthur continued, “that the good was easier to find when they
understood
the world.”

“Understood the world?” Elijah repeated.

“Yes. The early Magi wanted to discover what made the world work. To escape the chaos in the cities, they began to observe nature, and it was there that they found safety. They found consistency. They began looking for patterns and truths. They became so aware of the world, in fact, that they learned how to move and control parts of it. The more they learned and understood the world, the more they were able to control.

“Before long, the Magi grew very powerful, both physically and mentally. Some learned to manipulate the waters. Some were able to alter the winds. There were some still that could move the earth, and still a few who could manipulate natural electricity and fire. We know these today as the four elements. There is a fifth group, the rarest and most dangerous, that found that they could manipulate the minds of man, but I’ll get to that later.

“With their powers, the Magi worked to create peace and harmony with the natural world and with the common people. They used their abilities to teach lessons to the people about the difference between good and evil. They showed the wonder of the world through the elements. Sometimes these lessons worked, and sometimes they were shoved aside as magic tricks or sorcery. However, the Magi continued their attempts at teaching their wisdom.

“For hundreds of years they grew in numbers and influence, and they were highly respected by the common people, but they made sure to keep their power a secret, only sharing it with the strongest minds—minds that would use the newly found power only for good.

“Remaining united during their first years, the Magi were eventually able to eliminate most of the evil men that had once corrupted the world. Evil never completely went away, but with the protection of the Magi, it was no match for their power, especially when the Magi worked together.”

“How did the Magi know what was good?” Elijah asked.

Arthur smiled. “I can see what John was talking about. You
do
have a remarkable mind! And your question is exactly the point. In order to protect the good, you have to know what it is. In order to keep away evil, you have to know what evil is. Sometimes it’s obvious. Sometimes, however, it’s much harder to identify. That’s precisely why the Magi still continue to spend so much time learning to understand the world. It’s necessary to understand what it is you’re protecting before you can protect it.” Arthur paused for a minute. “Have I lost you?”

“I don’t think so,” Elijah said. “But if they protected their kingdoms from evil, why are the Magi not around anymore? I mean, around in public. Wouldn’t people
want
to be protected?”

“I’m almost there. You see, most Magi were humble, but there were some that fell prey to the temptation of power and would abuse it—manipulating the elements for selfish reasons. They would destroy instead of protect. They worshiped the power that came with our knowledge, and instead of using it to protect the good, they used it to show off their power. These cases were very rare and were usually stopped quickly by the elders, but everything changed about a thousand years ago.

“There was a young boy during the 12
^th
century that was born into a Magi family. His name was Maliphist. He was one of the brightest Magi ever to walk the earth. It was said that he was a member of the fifth group of control, a mind mentalist—someone who could read and manipulate the minds of man. He was also able to manipulate the natural world like no other before him. While he was being educated, teachers would marvel at his powers. He understood the laws of the world better than anyone could even explain. At first, he used his powers for good and the people adored his abilities. Many praised Maliphist himself instead of the world that his powers and knowledge came from.

“Maliphist soon grew arrogant. He wanted to show the other Magi, especially those who criticized him, that he was more powerful. His actions started small like making rain constantly fall on one person or chasing the town’s soldiers with small bolts of lightning. However, it wasn’t long before his deeds escalated. He destroyed small towns and villages. He ferociously killed anyone who challenged his authority. Word of his might spread all over the world, and he began teaching his own philosophy to a loyal following. He taught that power was meant to be taken from the world by those who knew how. He believed that the common people who did not have the gift to manipulate the elements were not meant to be part of the world. So, said Maliphist, they should be destroyed, leaving the Magi to rule the world.

“He continued intimidating those who were against his teachings by using his power on greater and greater scales. It is legend that he once leveled an entire city just for show by using all four elemental powers at once. Nothing, not even a speck of brick, was left of it.

“In a desperate attempt to stop the terror, Magi from all over the world began pouring into the highlands and hills, away from the common people, to battle Maliphist and his followers. A decade of wars between the Magi and the Maliphists was the result. However, after years of spilled blood, news spread of Maliphist’s death. Some said he was killed off by the Magi. Others argued that he died of natural causes. Whatever the reason, the wars ended, but not without a grim realization. The Magi were almost all killed off. The ones that remained were divided. Many were loyal to the old Magi teachings of goodness, protection, and wisdom, but others were drawn to the teachings of Maliphist.

“Even though Maliphist was dead, the common people were understandably fearful of the Magi. Rulers began to purge the city of all who were ever associated with them, wiping the Magi from the course of history. To avoid annihilation, the remaining Magi grouped together and scattered all around the world, building their own cities and villages in secret, away from the common people. The Maliphists did the same. Many of these cities are still in existence today.” Arthur grinned at Elijah. “You look confused.”

Elijah had not even noticed that he was making a face. He was completely absorbed in the story, but it was true. He did have a question.

“If the Maliphists wanted to destroy the common people, why didn’t they do it?”

“If Maliphist, the man, was still alive,” Arthur answered, “they may have. Even though his followers were powerful too, they did not have nearly the power Maliphist had. They would not have been powerful enough to survive an attack by thousands of common people.”

“What about the Magi?” asked Elijah. “Couldn’t they have defended themselves from the common people?”

“It’s possible. But remember, we believe our powers are only to be used to protect. So those who were loyal to our teachings would most likely have chosen to flee instead of fight,” Arthur explained.

“So why are you still in hiding?” asked Elijah. “People aren’t still trying to hunt you guys—I mean us, are they?”

“There have been close calls here and there,” Arthur explained. “We have had to be careful because our power is not understood anymore. Can you imagine if we waltzed into a city and began to use our powers? It may be fun to see the look on everyone’s face, but I’m afraid the effects would be disastrous. Centuries ago, some Magi began to mingle with the common people again, but when the people discovered their abilities, those Magi were killed for practicing witchcraft. Since then, most Magi have been content to keep to ourselves, only practicing our power to prevent the Maliphists from destroying the world. We are protecting common people now, even though they don’t know it.”

Elijah thought about Master Roddick at Saint Phillip’s Academy. He pictured Magi all over the world who spent their lives keeping the common people safe, never getting any recognition, even though their life was constantly threatened. He suddenly felt a sense of debt to the Magi. Who knows how many times his life was saved from a Maliphist attack?

Arthur stood up. “I would like some more cider. How about you?”

Elijah was still deep in thought. “Sure. Thank you.” When they finished their second mug of cider and chatted some about Elijah’s life and what it was like to live in Savenridge, Elijah said goodbye and retraced Mr. Maybury’s steps back to their house, still thinking about what he had learned.

Mr. Maybury was already dressed in his dark green cloak when Elijah arrived, and soon they were heading toward the Roddick’s house at the southern entrance just as darkness covered Savenridge. Elijah didn’t notice anything at first, but Mr. Maybury seemed to be captivated by a commotion at the gates. Elijah looked up and could see many people, dressed in their cloaks and carrying torches, congregating at the tall wooden doors. Mr. Maybury picked up his pace, which made Elijah uncomfortable.

“What’s going on?” Elijah asked.

“I’m not sure, but it doesn’t look good,” said Mr. Maybury. They arrived near the gate and Elijah spotted Master Roddick in the crowd of people. He came over.

“Everything alright?” asked Roddick. Elijah wasn’t sure if he was talking to him or Mr. Maybury, so he didn’t answer. Mr. Maybury didn’t answer either, but Elijah saw him tense up as he peered toward the gate.

“What is it?” asked Maybury.

“Maliphists,” answered Roddick. “There’s just a few of them, and they warned their arrival, so they don’t mean immediate harm. At least, we don’t think they do.”

“Where are they?” Elijah asked.

“They’re on the other side of the gate. They’ll be coming through any minute.” Elijah stood watching the closed gate in horror. He wasn’t even sure what to expect. Just a couple of days ago if he had been told Maliphists were coming, it would have meant nothing to him. Now, just a short while later, it struck terror in his heart. He waited with his eyes glued to the gates, his heart racing.

“OPEN IN PEACE!” a thundering voice shouted outside the city walls. “WE’VE COME TO ASK A TRADE, NOTHING MORE!” The wooden door opened and four men on horseback rode into the city. The crowd of Magi made a semi-circle, barricading the riders, but they didn’t seem interested in going any further.

The riders were dressed much more eloquently than anyone in town. They had on armor, leather gloves, and boots, and they wore very nice-looking black and silver robes. The front rider slowly guided his horse toward the people. He scanned the audience for a moment almost as if he was looking for something.