The Call of Blood – Prologue
Reminiscence
by Mina
Standard disclaimers for Majutsushi Orphen and Majutsushi Orphen: Revenge apply. As a work of fan fiction, this is intended only for entertainment purposes—well, and to provide a distraction for the author from those dreaded things in reality that want her soul. ^_^
Warnings: Um…currently…blood and gore, a bit of foul language, potential slight OOC, but this takes place roughly three years after the end of the Revenge series, so a little OOC is to be expected, right?
A/N: As always, I dedicate my SSO writing to D-chan, who's something of a bright and bouncy light in my gloomy world right now. It's going to be a long story, and I'm going to be slow updating because of said gloomy world (and my HP monster fic), but I will finish it, I promise. *hugs*
A/NII: IF AT ANY POINT THIS GETS CONFUSING, go and read the oneshots posted on FF.net or my website for clarification. This does play heavily off the events in those stories.
In Darkness He Cries
Call Me, Call Me
Wise Beyond His Years
Family
Speaking Without Words
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"Majic-kun, these are the latest divinings that Lai was able to gather."
Majic smiled as Tish handed him the thin stack of paper, one hand cradling the back of his head. "Thanks. How is Hartia coming on finding those books?"
"The going's slow. It doesn't help that only half of the Elders are supporting us on this."
His smile turned wry. "Yeah, choices, choices: sit and do nothing, allowing the God's Followers to slaughter us like lambs, or go out and try to reconnect with the other sorceri schools. I can see how this decision is so hard."
Tish clucked her tongue, though she was smiling. "Now be fair, Majic; some of the Elders are nearly two centuries old. I can see why they'd be reluctant to believe the reports."
"I can as well, but when the evidence is in front of their own eyes? Erris is still recovering from her injuries when she went to Toferum for the annual testing of younglings. I honestly thought I wasn't going to be able to heal her, Tish."
"I know." Tish laid her hand atop his, squeezing lightly. "But you did heal her. The rest of her recovery is up to her and nature, but she's a strong-willed girl; she'll pull through."
"Thanks for these. I'll get to work on them and meet with you and the others after dinner."
"All right. Do you need anything else?"
He didn't look up, but she watched as his hand crept to the Tower of Fangs amulet around his neck: once it had belonged to Azalie, then to Krylancelo who became Orphen, and now…now it belonged to Majic Lyn, Rune and Voice Master, Second Level Clairvoyant of the Tower of Fangs. "No." His voice was hushed, the thick dark gold of his hair obscuring his face from view. "No, I don't need anything."
She left him, pausing in the door to look back; he hadn't raised his head, and she knew that, even after all this time, he was fighting tears. Perhaps I should have asked if you needed "anyone", Majic-kun. Shaking her head, she slipped through the door and headed towards the library to help Hartia.
* * * * *
Majic rubbed at his eyes, glancing over at the candle in the window. There was still about a half hour before he was due to meet with the others.
Lai's divinations weren't always as clear as either of them would have liked, but they'd never been as cryptic as they were now, either.
It was at times like this that he wished the different sorceri schools hadn't scattered to the four winds. Some had been established before the Tower of Fangs, some after…and there were even rumours of one or two schools that had branched from disaffected Masters leaving the Tower.
A map of the Kielshima continent sat in front of him, Lai's notes off to the side. Small dots of red wax on the parchment indicated where Lai had detected sorceri energies, blue wax indicated where there was heavy shielding, and green wax indicated high levels of Dragon energy. Sitting back, he noted there weren't anymore than two dozen total, but they couldn't even be certain that their readings were exact. Majic's own talent in clairvoyance was unreliable for this sort of work, which frustrated him to no end.
He looked up towards the northern part of the map, noting where three coloured dots coincided: green, blue, red formed a triangle in the bowels of the Dharakas Mountains. Reluctantly he reached into the central drawer of his desk, removing slim, weathered volume carefully bound in the toughest of leathers and protected with runes.
His fingers moved on memory, activating the key code, and with a barely audible click, the book opened.
I'm sorry I couldn't do more, Majic. Love—
Scratchy, faded runes, smeared with blood…it still made a lump rise in his throat, even after all this time. He forced back his tears and skimmed through the pages until he found the entry he was looking for…the last entry before the book had returned to him in the care of a dying Snow Hawk.
I wish you could see this! When the moon came out, light began to bounce of the ice sheets in colours that I can't even begin to describe. Purples, reds, oranges, yellows, blues, greens—they rival your eyes, but nothing could ever compare. It does remind me, though, how lonely it is up here in this freezing wasteland. I miss you.
I think I'm close, though. Something's been tickling my senses for the past day, and with this array of heavenly light dancing around me, I can see something in the distance of the valley…something that sparkles both physically and psychically. I hope it's what I'm looking for. If it is, I'll be back soon.
Love, Orphen
A tear slipped free anyway, splashing on the back of his hand in a warm eruption. The others had urged him to move on, but he couldn't. Orphen had risked his life for this…and he would do no less.
He closed the book, re-sealing it, placing it back in his desk. As for moving on…there was no one else for him. Tish understood that, though she didn't like it. Like the Dragons of old and the Tenjin, Majic had bound himself to one person for life.
He gathered up the notes and the map, rising to his feet. Closing his eyes, he sighed, willing the kinks in his neck and back to quiet. Barely twenty years old and he felt at least thrice that age.
There was a knock on his door, and he turned his head to call out, closing his mouth ruefully when he realised that Lai was already standing in the doorway. "I just wanted to make sure you hadn't gotten caught up."
"No, I remembered."
"Tish ordered dinner from the kitchens. She said you haven't been remembering to eat."
Majic shrugged, making his way over to the older man. "I hadn't really noticed."
Lai's smile was tight, blue eyes narrowed. "Majic, you're no good to anyone, let alone yourself, if you starve. He wouldn't have wanted that."
It was a struggle, but Majic mustered a smile. "It's not intentional, Lai, I assure you. I'm determined to fix things for him. It'd be a betrayal of all he did if I gave up."
Lai motioned for Majic to precede him. The Masters' corridor was hushed and dimly lit; many of the Tower of Fangs' Masters now held patrol positions with the Journeymen on the Tower's walls, and a few were stationed in nearby towns in an effort to keep the God's Followers' attacks under control.
"We all thought that you would follow him."
Majic closed his eyes. "Once we broke the barrier on my magic, he insisted that I return here to train. And he stayed, for awhile."
"That's not what I meant, Majic. When we heard about…up north…we all thought you would follow him into death."
"I will. But not yet." And Majic turned his head, gifting Lai with a brilliant smile. "I would disappoint him if I didn't do my best to fix things here, first."
He'd been so calm, so angelic when he said that. Lai shook his head, following the slim blonde as he led the way to the library. Like Orphen, he was one of the most powerful and one of the most intelligent sorcerers that the Tower of Fangs had ever seen…and like Orphen, he would one day leave them to die.
* * * * *
"So what's our next move?"
Majic smiled when Hartia's head listed slightly to the side, resting on Lai's shoulder. "Though the information Lai divined, and what Tish and you were able to gather, points that we should head up here"—he pointed at the northern triangle—"I want to head south first. Raindust, Totokanta, Alenhatan…I want to check out the ruins there first for further information. Plus, when we stop in Alenhatan, I can see if Stephanie was able to make out those runes that I couldn't."
"Why?" Tish's eyes were narrowed, lips taut. "I mean, I can kind of see your reasoning, Majic, but if everything does point to the north…"
"I also want to gather a few more allies." Majic smiled, tucking a lock of hair behind his ear. "Cleao and Leki would prove a great help, and if I can persuade Stephanie to come…she's been regaining some of her magic ability in the last two years, and she is the foremost authority on Tenjin and Dragon ruins and runic inscriptions."
He looked down at his hands. "And I haven't been to Totokanta in almost four years. I think it's time that I returned and settled my accounts there."
Lai's eyes widened and he jerked, making Hartia yelp at the sudden loss of a leaning post. "What the—?"
Majic didn't seem to notice Lai's movement or Hartia's outburst. "Something's been calling me home for years, I think. I've resisted for as long as I could, but after Orphen's… It's become hard."
With Majic's words, Hartia understood Lai's surprise. He clasped his friend's hand, giving him a tight smile.
"It's hard to resist the call of blood."
Majic nodded. "I plan to leave in the next few days. I wasn't sure if any of you would want to accompany me or not. With those three towns, we'll probably be gone about three weeks. After that, I plan to return to the Tower to regroup and plan the next move."
"I wish I could go, but there's no one I can delegate my classes to if you're leaving," said Tish with a wry smile.
"When you go north, I'll be going with you—and the Elders are going to fight me on that decision every step of the way. I think it would be best if I stayed here for now."
Majic nodded again at Lai's reasoning. "Fair enough. Hartia?"
Hartia's lips were pursed, his eyes narrowed with thought turned inward. "Like Tish, my only two potential replacements are yourself and Erris, and you have to go, while Erris is laid up in the hospital wing for at least another week. And I think…I think it would be best if you did this on your own." He looked up, giving Majic a quirky smile. "That probably made no sense at all."
"Actually, it made perfect sense." Majic gave them all a dazzling smile, chin propped on his fists. "I'll probably stop in Alenhatan first, then Raindust, then Totokanta. I'll keep you appraised of my situation as much as possible."
"You'd better." Tish's eyes were narrowed even further, and she gave him a fierce smile. "If I get a dying Snow Hawk in three weeks, I'll find your body and kill you again myself."
For the first time in a long time, Majic felt a thrill of fear. Her fierce expression, her low-voiced threat, the power he knew she had to back it up with—and knowing that the Elders called her the Scream of Death… He smiled shakily. "Understood."
"Good." Tish was all smiles and good cheer once again as she gestured to the table and heavy dishes before them. "Now that the decisions are out of the way, let's eat!"
Suddenly weary, Majic complied with her order and attempted to eat. But the food, delicious as it no doubt was, seemed dry and bland. Since Orphen's loss, nothing had been alive—like his heart.
* * * * *
"But you can't go!"
Majic smiled as Erris tried to struggle from her cocoon of blankets and bandages, holding up a hand to still her. "I have to, Erris. And as soon as you're well, you need to help the others as much as possible."
"But, but…"
"No more buts. It's time that we start putting things into action. After what happened at Toferum…"
"I let my guard down, that's all."
She was so stubborn. He sighed and shook his head. "Erris, they attacked a school of children because of the rumour of sorceri blood. They didn't care that you were there, that there were innocent human children there. It's got to stop."
"And we'll stop it. But Majic, you shouldn't go alone."
He understood her fears, even if he didn't share them. "I'm using the transportation platform to go directly to Alenhatan. After that, I'll have Stephanie when I go to Raindust, and we'll pick up Cleao and Leki in Totokanta. I'll be fine."
Erris frowned, wishing that she could see him clearly; the bandages around her head obscured half of her vision. "Majic, you haven't left the Tower in over two years. Why now? I know that this is a big deal and everything, but…but…"
His smile returned. "I thought I said no more buts, Erris. I have to do this. The Elders won't miss me, not really; I've never complied with Tower regulations, despite the fact that I'm the most powerful sorcerer here. And this is something…something that I have to do."
"Duty." She spat the word, frowning. "You owe the Tower nothing."
"I know. But I owe it to him."
And then she understood. Tears welled in her eyes as she bowed her head. "Blood, then."
"And love. Get better soon, Erris. I want to see you back on your feet when I return."
"You will return?"
Like Tish, her words promised violence should he fail to return. Turning away, he smiled sadly. "Count on it."
She watched him leave her room, still struggling to control her tears. He'd always belonged to another, a fact that she found unfair even now. But she couldn't hate him for it, nor could she hate the man who had willingly agreed to bind their souls together.
"Orphen…I only wish I could have known you as well as they did."
* * * * *
It took two days for him to gather everything he needed and to make sure that his farce of a story about "research" was going to work with the Elders. They seemed delighted that he was going to further the library with translated runic work, which made him laugh; he'd bring back translated runic work, but it would be the translations he'd been working on for two years and had be hoarding for just such a purpose.
Lai, Hartia, and Tish escorted him to the transportation platform, silent and sombre in a way that was disturbing. He knew they weren't happy with his decision, knew that they would have argued him down had there been any single flaw in his logic, but there wasn't: he was completely in the right.
His black robes swirled around his ankles and he stepped across the patterned tile, taking up position in the centre of the platform. He looked up at them, hefting his pack, and smiled. "I'll send a message as soon as Stephanie and I arrive in Raindust."
"And another when you reach Totokanta," added Tish. Her arms were crossed beneath her breasts, expression tight; of the three, she was the one angriest at his going alone.
"And another when we reach Totokanta."
"Good luck, Majic." Hartia's voice was soft, red head bowed.
"Trust your magics and your dreams." Lai smiled, clutching at Hartia's hand. None of them were happy, no; but they would support Majic in this endeavour. What else could they do?
"Thank you." Hand raised before him, Majic closed his eyes and smiled. "Kanatai!"
For a moment, the three Masters stared at the empty platform in silence.
"Did we do the right thing?" Tish asked at last.
Hartia raised his head; his expression was as tight as hers. "I think we did. We trained him well. He's more powerful than any of us, more powerful than Childman or Azalie…maybe more powerful than Orphen was. And it's a sound plan."
Tish continued to eye the glowing tiles broodingly. "I hope you're right. Losing Orphen hurt. Losing Majic…"
She left the rest unfinished. None of them wanted to contemplate that idea…even though it was inevitable.
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Next Chapter: Alenhatan and Raindust. 'Tis much longer than this, and should be posted within the week. ^_^ As for Orphen…hee.
