Chapter 2 The Task

Magus wondered if he hadn't been too harsh with them. He knew very well that they had beaten him once when his power was at full. He had only recently relearned Dark Matter, yet all the while they had grown ever stronger.
He had bought passage on a ferry to Porre. He sat near the front of the boat just to feel the wind on his face it always helped him think.
'Somehow I would have to sweet talk them into letting me borrow it.' He figured it wouldn't be too hard seeing as how the young scientist had a slight soft spot for him that he could easily exploit.
The ferry had taken him halfway to Porre when suddenly he felt a great disturbance. Then he simply disappeared.

Magus found himself lying on the ground near the edge of a thick forest.
"Who's there?" he asked
He was answered by an annoyingly fiendish laughter that seemed to come from every direction.
"What do you want?" Magus yelled as he turned around hoping to see who ever had brought him there.
"On the contrary, dear Magus." answered a voice that sounded old but at the same time squeaked like a boy in puberty, "What do you want?"
"I don't understand." Magus hissed. If there was one thing he hated it was being toyed with.
"Tell me Magus," the voice replied, "What do you seek? For what have you spent your life searching for?"
"Schala." Magus whispered.
"Clever boy! It only took you two minutes to figure it out."
"Don't toy with me!" Magus fumed as he readied his scythe.
"Toy with you?" the voice surprised, "Why Janus, I'm hurt. I'm here to offer you the chance of a lifetime."
"What would this chance be?" Magus said as he tried to mask his anticipation.
"To get your sister back from the brink of the grave, my boy." The voice cackled.
The voice now came from behind Magus. He turned to see a short man in white robes with red trim. He carried a staff that seemed to glow in his hands. The man had a kind face which had a look to it that made it seem as though he were lost in a daydream. His hair was platinum white.
"I'll take it you're a Pisces." Magus said sarcastically.
"How did you guess?" the man asked
"I have my ways." Magus retorted.
"Really," the man replied sounding less than impressed.
"Who are you? Magus demanded," And how can you help me get Schala back?
"One thing at a time my boy. First of all my name is Tine. I am a master of all forms of magic except Shadow magic….
"Let me guess," Magus supposed, "You want me to teach you Shadow magic."
"Oh, perish the thought." Tine replied. "It would ruin my reputation as a being of light. I rule this land indirectly."
"Indirectly?" Magus asked unbelieving.
"There is no set government." Tine replied. "The people rule themselves; however, every once in a while some self proclaimed king, usually some wealthy nobleman, will raise an army and attempt to conquer the land. After a few villages are burnt and a couple of towns and cities are captured, I come in and….
"You save the day." Magus finished.
"Pretty much, yeah." Tine replied. "Whenever there is a dispute the people come to me for my guidance and infinite wisdom.
"Where did you get this 'infinite wisdom?" Magus asked.
"That's easy! I'm immortal." Tine beamed.
"Really." Magus said unbelieving.
"Three times over." Tine said still beaming.
"How?" Magus asked still not believing.
"Too long of a story." Tine replied

Magus shook his head. It was obvious that this was going nowhere and fast.
"I guess you want to know how to get your sister back." Tine said, finally getting back to the point.
"YES!" Magus bellowed in exasperation.
"It's a simple task" Tine assured, "All you have to do is transport a certain young woman to my palace."
"What does that have to do with Schala?" Magus fumed.
"When you bring the girl to my palace I will have Schala ready and waiting for you." Tine beamed.
"What does the girl have to do with it?" Magus growled.
"Absolutely nothing." Tine replied, "but if I'm going to bring you your sister I'd like you to do something for me."
"What does she look like?"
"Well she's pretty short, only about 5'4", she has pink hair that hangs around her face in tendrils, blue eyes, she wears an olive green tank top and shorts, and she has the most annoying voice you ever heard." Tine remarked with a smile.
"If I didn't know any better I'd say you liked her." Magus smirked.
"We had something a long time ago, but now her existence endangers my image. She knows a few things that one shouldn't so she will have to stay out of society if you get my meaning." Tine replied.
"You intend to kill her."
"If she warrants it." Tine remarked, "Does this bother you?"
"Not at all." Magus replied, "Are you sure that you can have Schala by the time I've teleported the girl to your palace?"
"Oops. Silly me I forgot to tell you…"
"What now." Magus fumed.
"You can't teleport her."
"Why not?" Magus growled.
"She's a master of the art. She'll figure out where you're taking her and she can change your course, which is why I haven't taken care of her yet. I just haven't had the time or patience to walk with her the full 200 miles from here to my palace, and everyone else I've hired for the job always backed out after the first day of travel."
"I thought that you were supposed to be a great and powerful sorcerer, yet your magic can be beaten by a mere girl…." Magus was cut short as he felt his lungs stop working.
"Silence!" Tine scowled, "It just so happens that the field of summoning isn't one of my strong points. She has mastered it." Tine released his grip.
Magus fell to the ground gasping.
"She is a powerful sorceress. So I think you had better be careful." Tine said as his scowl melted into his normal blank expression. "Her name is Meritircula." Tine almost seemed to sing it, "but she prefers to be called Meri."
"Where will I find her?" Magus asked as he gracefully removed himself from the ground.
"Walk that way," Tine pointed north, "through the forest. On the other side you will see the village of Arstes. You'll find her in the café."
"Is there anything else?" Magus asked as he dusted himself off.
"Yes. You'll have to tie her up with this." Tine tossed him a strange blue rope. "This rope will suspend her magic ability. It's made from indestructible fibers."
"Thanks." Magus remarked as he walked into the forest.
"One more thing!" Tine called out as he began to disappear, "Make sure she isn't harmed!"
"This is just great." Magus thought to himself. "I'm now an honorary lackey, but it's worth it to get Schala back."