Chapter 4: Magus and Group Unite
"So, you're a mage?" Raushanna asked as the group continued their journey, following a dirt path surrounded by trees.
"That's so cool!" Tidus jumped in, "How did you learn magic?"
"I.just.learned it. Magic is not as common as it used to be. Only some have it." Magus replied.
"Why do only so few have magic?" Cid asked.
"Well, its quite simple to explain, actually." Magus started, "About three years ago, there was this war, called The War of the Magi. It was the magic-less verses the magicians. It only lasted about a month though. Anyway, though we had amazingly powerful magic, and could have easily destroyed the magic-less, they had set a poison trap one night. The trap had contained the deadliest poison, the Chezmoctec. Many, many magicians died that night. The remaining ones, who didn't die or had not been in the area where the poison was released, fled. I would have been in that war.but I was occupied in doing something else." Magus' voice trailed off.
"What were you so occupied with?" Maria asked, totally interested in what Magus had to say.
Magus let out a long sigh. "I really don't want to talk about it now.maybe later, okay?"
"Okay! Promise? Huh? Huh? Huh?" Maria exclaimed, jumping around the mage and munching on a candy bar.
"I think she had too much sugar!" Tidus whispered loudly to Magus, who started laughing along with Tidus. "She belongs in one of those loony- bins!"
"Hey! I heard that!" Maria yelled at Tidus.
"Yeah, everyone did!" Cid said, laughing as well. Everyone laughed as Maria let out an amusing pout.
Around mid-afternoon the group found an open grass field by a wide stream of water to eat. Cid and Magus set up the picnic area, while the rest of them changed into their bathing suits, which they had purchased from a town five miles back, and swam in the water. Cid and Magus didn't really feel like swimming along with the teenagers, so they just watched. Tidus was chasing the two girls in the water and playfully pulling them underwater. Cid and Magus now finished setting up the picnic area, and watched them in amusement. After a few minutes of watching their entertainment, Cid started a conversation with the new groupie.
"So, Magus, I never found out your age, how old are you?"
"I'm twenty-four." Magus stated bluntly.
"That's cool.how long have you been living in that cabin of yours?" Cid continued, trying to get Magus to open up.
"Three years."
"Wow, everything that happened with you so far started three years ago, huh?"
"Yeah, three years ago was quite a wild year, and an odd date too."
"What year is it now? Sorry if it seems I'm completely stupid and clueless."
"It's the year 669." Magus said in a slightly annoyed tone.
Cid stared in shock. 'So I was right, this is definitely not our time period. We're from the year 2005. How the hell did we get back so far in time?' he thought with great puzzlement. Cid could tell that Magus wasn't quite in the mood of chatting, so he kept quiet and started to set up the food. "Maria! Raushanna! Tidus! The food is going to be ready in a few minutes!"
"Alright! We're getting out!" Raushanna yelled back. The trio of teens stepped out of the water. Raushanna grabbed everyone's towels that they left hanging on a tree, and handed them out. Maria collected her blue pendant and placed it around her neck. They all dried off and joined Cid and Magus around the picnic blanket.
"What's the grub?" Tidus asked.
"Hot dogs.well actually cold dogs, we don't exactly have any source of heat around here." Cid concluded.
"Give them here." Magus said. He took the hot dogs and placed them all on their plates. Magus started a soft chant. Placing his hand over each of the hot dogs, he sent heat from his hand to the food. After about a minute the food was all hot. Then he cast a levitation spell to send the hot dogs to each person. The group stared in awe.
"I love having a mage in our group!" Maria exclaimed. After gobbling down her hot dog she wan up to Magus and have him a hug, toppling him over.
"Thanks.uh hey! You're getting my cape wet!" he complained. Everyone laughed as Maria hung on to Magus tightly.
"What? Is the almighty magician scared of a little wa-wa?" Maria teased.
"Ugh! Why you little.I'll show you who's afraid of water!" Magus shoved off Maria, stood up, and once again started chanting the levitation spell he had used on the hot dogs. Seconds later Maria was floating in the air, fidgeting and screaming. Maria yelled at Magus to stop, but he just continued chanting. She started going towards the water again. There was a big splash when she hit the water.
"Hey! I just dried myself off, you mister mysterious dude!" Maria screamed. Everyone was once again laughing. Magus walked over to the edge of the river.
"The only person you can blame is yourself. Plus, it was you who made me do it." Magus said, smiling. Maria swam over to where Magus was kneeling. She grabbed onto the edge of the river and stared into Magus' blue eyes playfully.
"I've got a secret to tell you." Maria said teasingly. "Come closer."
"Oh what is it now?" Magus asked, as he leaned towards her. Maria grabbed hold of his cape and dragged him in and underwater. "HEY! Why you little bit-" Maria had pushed his head underwater again, now laughing hysterically.
"Humph. This is what you get for using all your hocus-pocus on me!" she said when he resurfaced.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah!"
"Really?"
"Yeah!"
"You really think you can get away that easily?"
"Yeah!"
"Well then, this is what you get for dragging me in the water, and getting all my clothes wet!" he exclaimed as he grabbed hold of Maria's waist and yanked her underwater. Tidus, Raushanna, and Cid, who had been eating their hot dogs and watching the show, ran forward to get a better view, were laughing along the way. What they saw in the crystal clear water was Maria struggling to get free from Magus' grasp, and with Magus having a big grin on his face. Without letting go, he went up to the surface to let Maria breathe.
"What in the world are you trying to do to me?" Maria gasped out, trying to get the long awaited air back to her lungs.
"What? Is the almighty princess scared of a little wa-wa?" Magus mocked, staring at the drenched young lady he had locked in his arms.
Maria started laughing, not noticing Magus still had his firm grip on her. "What is it today? Everyone's picking on me!" Once again, the whole group laughed at the young wacky princess. Magus swam towards the edge to get out, and helped Maria out as well.
"Well, looks like we'll be camping out here tonight, its getting dark and its too late now to walk to the motel." Cid stated, handing out drinks to everyone. "Tidus, get some clothes on and help me set up the tents."
"Yes Mr. P!" Tidus said, throwing on his blue jeans and a white T- shirt over his green swimming trunks.
"Did you have fun with Magus over there?" Raushanna said, teasing her best friend.
".I got to tell you something in our tent in a few minutes okay?" Maria said, smiling. Raushanna smiled back and nodded in agreement.
"Look, there's Magus.aww.you got all his clothes wet and he's hanging them out to dry. Heh.I'm going to help the other guys with the tents.I can tell you want to talk to him." Raushanna stated in an exaggerated manner. Raushanna grabbed her blue towel to wrap around her green bikini. Noticing that Maria's eyes had not left Magus, she softly chuckled, shook her head, and walked off.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Magus unhooked his blue cloak, and hung it on a tree branch to dry off. His blue shirt, red pants, and brown gloves and boots still soaked. The young mage threw off his boots and socks, along with the gloves, under the tree. Next he removed his blue shirt, exposing his chest. Upon removing his shirt, what was revealed was a blue pendant encased with gold.exactly identical to Maria's pendant she received when she was at the castle! 'How did he get that pendant?' Maria thought to herself, with a blue towel now wrapped around her, still in her purple bikini. Maria clutched her pendant and thought hard about how he got that pendant. Many thoughts ran through her mind.
'Is he experiencing déjà vu? Magus said he was going out with a girl named Maria.three years ago. He had said she was higher class than him. Magus as well recognized the pendant I was wearing back at the cabin. Also, when Seymour's name was mentioned, his eyes grew wide. It was almost like there was fire burning in his eyes. Yes, those gorgeous eyes of his burned with hatred. But yet.I don't know why. He could have killed me at the cabin. Heck, he would have killed me if hadn't spotted my pendant. So practically, this pendant saved my life. Magus had become so kind to me, in an instant too. Oh.come on Maria think! Ugh. Hey I know! I can ask him! After all, he DID promise me he would tell me why he didn't participate in that War of the Magi or whatever. Hmm.did he escort the other Maria to Zanarkand three years ago? Plus, he said that he knew the route to Zanarkand pretty well. Okay, Maria, just go over there and ask him.I'm sure he won't mind telling me.I mean, come on, its just me, and not like, the whole group or anything. Oh my gosh he's so hot! Alright, stop drooling.and. walking over to Magus.ready.go!'
Maria strolled over to where Magus was standing in what looked like a shyly manner. The sky glowed a beautiful midnight blue, with the moon and stars shining brightly above. The temperature was cool and comforting, and the wind blew softly around the area. Maria stopped in front of Magus just as soon as he dropped his pants. "Ayah! Whoa!" Maria's face grew bright red and turned around quickly. Magus let out a gasp and re-buckled his pants.
"Maria! I didn't see you!" Oh I'm terribly sorry. What are you still doing out here?" Magus apologized.
"I.I.was out here the whole time.by that tree over there.thinking. I love this warm weather. The breeze too, its so cool and comforting. Don't you have any extra clothes you can change into? What are you doing out here anyway?" Maria said, trying to forget what she had seen just seconds earlier.
Magus chuckled. "Wow, I could have sworn you went to the tents with your friends. Anyway, no I don't have any extra clothes; I'm just going to wait for these to dry. I think that answers your second question as well. Any other questions while we're at it?"
'Yea.why are you so hot?' "Uh.yea.I have two, actually," her face finally relaxed, "um.how did you get that pendant? It looks exactly like mine," she pointed at the pendant hanging around Magus' neck, "and you still have to tell me why you didn't participate in the War of the Magi."
"Oh, yea um, actually, those two questions are kind of linked to the same answer. Awkward isn't it? Hey, why don't you change into some warmer clothes, I'll be out here for a while, and you'll probably be out here listening to my story I'm about to tell you." Magus suggested. Maria smiled at him.
"Sure, I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere!" Maria said as she headed for the tent, which was now completely set up.
"So, you're a mage?" Raushanna asked as the group continued their journey, following a dirt path surrounded by trees.
"That's so cool!" Tidus jumped in, "How did you learn magic?"
"I.just.learned it. Magic is not as common as it used to be. Only some have it." Magus replied.
"Why do only so few have magic?" Cid asked.
"Well, its quite simple to explain, actually." Magus started, "About three years ago, there was this war, called The War of the Magi. It was the magic-less verses the magicians. It only lasted about a month though. Anyway, though we had amazingly powerful magic, and could have easily destroyed the magic-less, they had set a poison trap one night. The trap had contained the deadliest poison, the Chezmoctec. Many, many magicians died that night. The remaining ones, who didn't die or had not been in the area where the poison was released, fled. I would have been in that war.but I was occupied in doing something else." Magus' voice trailed off.
"What were you so occupied with?" Maria asked, totally interested in what Magus had to say.
Magus let out a long sigh. "I really don't want to talk about it now.maybe later, okay?"
"Okay! Promise? Huh? Huh? Huh?" Maria exclaimed, jumping around the mage and munching on a candy bar.
"I think she had too much sugar!" Tidus whispered loudly to Magus, who started laughing along with Tidus. "She belongs in one of those loony- bins!"
"Hey! I heard that!" Maria yelled at Tidus.
"Yeah, everyone did!" Cid said, laughing as well. Everyone laughed as Maria let out an amusing pout.
Around mid-afternoon the group found an open grass field by a wide stream of water to eat. Cid and Magus set up the picnic area, while the rest of them changed into their bathing suits, which they had purchased from a town five miles back, and swam in the water. Cid and Magus didn't really feel like swimming along with the teenagers, so they just watched. Tidus was chasing the two girls in the water and playfully pulling them underwater. Cid and Magus now finished setting up the picnic area, and watched them in amusement. After a few minutes of watching their entertainment, Cid started a conversation with the new groupie.
"So, Magus, I never found out your age, how old are you?"
"I'm twenty-four." Magus stated bluntly.
"That's cool.how long have you been living in that cabin of yours?" Cid continued, trying to get Magus to open up.
"Three years."
"Wow, everything that happened with you so far started three years ago, huh?"
"Yeah, three years ago was quite a wild year, and an odd date too."
"What year is it now? Sorry if it seems I'm completely stupid and clueless."
"It's the year 669." Magus said in a slightly annoyed tone.
Cid stared in shock. 'So I was right, this is definitely not our time period. We're from the year 2005. How the hell did we get back so far in time?' he thought with great puzzlement. Cid could tell that Magus wasn't quite in the mood of chatting, so he kept quiet and started to set up the food. "Maria! Raushanna! Tidus! The food is going to be ready in a few minutes!"
"Alright! We're getting out!" Raushanna yelled back. The trio of teens stepped out of the water. Raushanna grabbed everyone's towels that they left hanging on a tree, and handed them out. Maria collected her blue pendant and placed it around her neck. They all dried off and joined Cid and Magus around the picnic blanket.
"What's the grub?" Tidus asked.
"Hot dogs.well actually cold dogs, we don't exactly have any source of heat around here." Cid concluded.
"Give them here." Magus said. He took the hot dogs and placed them all on their plates. Magus started a soft chant. Placing his hand over each of the hot dogs, he sent heat from his hand to the food. After about a minute the food was all hot. Then he cast a levitation spell to send the hot dogs to each person. The group stared in awe.
"I love having a mage in our group!" Maria exclaimed. After gobbling down her hot dog she wan up to Magus and have him a hug, toppling him over.
"Thanks.uh hey! You're getting my cape wet!" he complained. Everyone laughed as Maria hung on to Magus tightly.
"What? Is the almighty magician scared of a little wa-wa?" Maria teased.
"Ugh! Why you little.I'll show you who's afraid of water!" Magus shoved off Maria, stood up, and once again started chanting the levitation spell he had used on the hot dogs. Seconds later Maria was floating in the air, fidgeting and screaming. Maria yelled at Magus to stop, but he just continued chanting. She started going towards the water again. There was a big splash when she hit the water.
"Hey! I just dried myself off, you mister mysterious dude!" Maria screamed. Everyone was once again laughing. Magus walked over to the edge of the river.
"The only person you can blame is yourself. Plus, it was you who made me do it." Magus said, smiling. Maria swam over to where Magus was kneeling. She grabbed onto the edge of the river and stared into Magus' blue eyes playfully.
"I've got a secret to tell you." Maria said teasingly. "Come closer."
"Oh what is it now?" Magus asked, as he leaned towards her. Maria grabbed hold of his cape and dragged him in and underwater. "HEY! Why you little bit-" Maria had pushed his head underwater again, now laughing hysterically.
"Humph. This is what you get for using all your hocus-pocus on me!" she said when he resurfaced.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah!"
"Really?"
"Yeah!"
"You really think you can get away that easily?"
"Yeah!"
"Well then, this is what you get for dragging me in the water, and getting all my clothes wet!" he exclaimed as he grabbed hold of Maria's waist and yanked her underwater. Tidus, Raushanna, and Cid, who had been eating their hot dogs and watching the show, ran forward to get a better view, were laughing along the way. What they saw in the crystal clear water was Maria struggling to get free from Magus' grasp, and with Magus having a big grin on his face. Without letting go, he went up to the surface to let Maria breathe.
"What in the world are you trying to do to me?" Maria gasped out, trying to get the long awaited air back to her lungs.
"What? Is the almighty princess scared of a little wa-wa?" Magus mocked, staring at the drenched young lady he had locked in his arms.
Maria started laughing, not noticing Magus still had his firm grip on her. "What is it today? Everyone's picking on me!" Once again, the whole group laughed at the young wacky princess. Magus swam towards the edge to get out, and helped Maria out as well.
"Well, looks like we'll be camping out here tonight, its getting dark and its too late now to walk to the motel." Cid stated, handing out drinks to everyone. "Tidus, get some clothes on and help me set up the tents."
"Yes Mr. P!" Tidus said, throwing on his blue jeans and a white T- shirt over his green swimming trunks.
"Did you have fun with Magus over there?" Raushanna said, teasing her best friend.
".I got to tell you something in our tent in a few minutes okay?" Maria said, smiling. Raushanna smiled back and nodded in agreement.
"Look, there's Magus.aww.you got all his clothes wet and he's hanging them out to dry. Heh.I'm going to help the other guys with the tents.I can tell you want to talk to him." Raushanna stated in an exaggerated manner. Raushanna grabbed her blue towel to wrap around her green bikini. Noticing that Maria's eyes had not left Magus, she softly chuckled, shook her head, and walked off.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Magus unhooked his blue cloak, and hung it on a tree branch to dry off. His blue shirt, red pants, and brown gloves and boots still soaked. The young mage threw off his boots and socks, along with the gloves, under the tree. Next he removed his blue shirt, exposing his chest. Upon removing his shirt, what was revealed was a blue pendant encased with gold.exactly identical to Maria's pendant she received when she was at the castle! 'How did he get that pendant?' Maria thought to herself, with a blue towel now wrapped around her, still in her purple bikini. Maria clutched her pendant and thought hard about how he got that pendant. Many thoughts ran through her mind.
'Is he experiencing déjà vu? Magus said he was going out with a girl named Maria.three years ago. He had said she was higher class than him. Magus as well recognized the pendant I was wearing back at the cabin. Also, when Seymour's name was mentioned, his eyes grew wide. It was almost like there was fire burning in his eyes. Yes, those gorgeous eyes of his burned with hatred. But yet.I don't know why. He could have killed me at the cabin. Heck, he would have killed me if hadn't spotted my pendant. So practically, this pendant saved my life. Magus had become so kind to me, in an instant too. Oh.come on Maria think! Ugh. Hey I know! I can ask him! After all, he DID promise me he would tell me why he didn't participate in that War of the Magi or whatever. Hmm.did he escort the other Maria to Zanarkand three years ago? Plus, he said that he knew the route to Zanarkand pretty well. Okay, Maria, just go over there and ask him.I'm sure he won't mind telling me.I mean, come on, its just me, and not like, the whole group or anything. Oh my gosh he's so hot! Alright, stop drooling.and. walking over to Magus.ready.go!'
Maria strolled over to where Magus was standing in what looked like a shyly manner. The sky glowed a beautiful midnight blue, with the moon and stars shining brightly above. The temperature was cool and comforting, and the wind blew softly around the area. Maria stopped in front of Magus just as soon as he dropped his pants. "Ayah! Whoa!" Maria's face grew bright red and turned around quickly. Magus let out a gasp and re-buckled his pants.
"Maria! I didn't see you!" Oh I'm terribly sorry. What are you still doing out here?" Magus apologized.
"I.I.was out here the whole time.by that tree over there.thinking. I love this warm weather. The breeze too, its so cool and comforting. Don't you have any extra clothes you can change into? What are you doing out here anyway?" Maria said, trying to forget what she had seen just seconds earlier.
Magus chuckled. "Wow, I could have sworn you went to the tents with your friends. Anyway, no I don't have any extra clothes; I'm just going to wait for these to dry. I think that answers your second question as well. Any other questions while we're at it?"
'Yea.why are you so hot?' "Uh.yea.I have two, actually," her face finally relaxed, "um.how did you get that pendant? It looks exactly like mine," she pointed at the pendant hanging around Magus' neck, "and you still have to tell me why you didn't participate in the War of the Magi."
"Oh, yea um, actually, those two questions are kind of linked to the same answer. Awkward isn't it? Hey, why don't you change into some warmer clothes, I'll be out here for a while, and you'll probably be out here listening to my story I'm about to tell you." Magus suggested. Maria smiled at him.
"Sure, I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere!" Maria said as she headed for the tent, which was now completely set up.