Author's Note : Thanks heaps to absolutely everyone who's reviewed! I sympathise, zipis1, I hate school! It gets in the way of the more important things, like Magus, and writing, and writing about Magus! Yay! You guys all rock!
Lavis countdown – five chapters (I did tell you this was a long story…)
Chapter Fourteen – The Chamber of the Mages, Altrisiac
The other six Magesmade their ways into the Chamber. Kerrelei smiled at Schala, understanding what was happening, and took her seat; Jhyskar obviously knew the plot because he didn't even react. Schala doubted that Ciaruse even noticed her existence. Tarkyn returned to take his seat next to Tarreiz. Jandegar shot the Princess of Zeal a dirty look but said nothing.
"You are in my chair."
"Oh!" Schala abruptly realised that she was, in fact, in Kelke's chair. Getting up, she moved to the eighth chair, keeping an eye on the Shadow Mage. He was wearing white again and looked every bit as in control as he had the very first time she had met him. That had been some time ago, and was another story, besides.
"What," began Jandegar frostily, "is happening here?"
"I have located not only the Seventh, but also the Eighth Mage for you," Tarreiz informed him a little smugly, although it hadn't been her doing and everyone knew it except for Jandegar (and possibly Ciaruse). However, nobody minded giving her credit for it if it helped her score points over the Mage of the Sun.
"You are the Eighth Mage?" Jandegar demanded of Schala disbelievingly.
"I certainly am," she answered politely.
"Very well," he said a little grudgingly. "In that case, we will induct you into the Mages and then we can construct the barrier."
"If Tarreiz is feeling well enough," Kerrelei put in coldly.
"I would hope that Tarreiz would be well enough not to slow the process down," Jandegar shot back.
"Please, could we not argue too much in front of Schala just yet?" Ciaruse pleaded. "She will never want to join us."
"About that," Schala began firmly. "I'm not staying here. I don't belong in this universe."
"You don't belong anywhere, do you, Schala," Kelke said blandly, making it a comment, not a question.
She chose to ignore it. "I wouldn't want you to have to shift your territories, anyway. Not when you have them so nicely worked out."
"You may have mine," Tarreiz offered, for she hated Jeraska, her own territory.
"And where will you go, Tarreiz? Move in with Tarkyn, perhaps?" mocked the Shadow Mage.
"Which is why I do not usually allow him here," Jandegar muttered, purposefully loud enough for Kelke to overhear.
"At least I've never deliberately set out to harm another of the Mages," Kelke snapped. "Although you may soon persuade me to change this."
"Are you threatening me?" demanded Jandegar, his voice spilling over with injured righteousness.
"Would you all shut up?" Ciaruse demanded harshly. The others stared at her and she added a timid, "Please."
"Ciaruse is right," Jhyskar nodded, rising. "We should get Schala to join us as quickly as possible, before she finds out what we're really like and runs screaming in the other direction."
"What do I do during this?" Schala asked, suddenly nervous.
"Just agree," Tarreiz advised. "Go to Jandegar first, and then just move around until you have spoken to all of us. Preferably in order."
"All right."
The Mages had taken their places under their respective stained glass windows. Schala went to Jandegar, as Tarreiz had instructed.
He took her hands. "As the First Mage, Mage of the Sun, I welcome you into the Order of the Mages, Schala. Altrisiac is always open to you, provided you abide by our rules. May the sun always shine to light your way… no matter how far from the Mages you go. Schala, will you join, and therefore complete, the Eight Mages?"
"I guess so. Yes." She understood that he had given her his permission to go back to what she still considered her own universe, although it annoyed her that she should require his 'permission'. Jandegar's hands were cold and she was glad to release them. The man gave her the creeps.
Kerrelei smiled as Schala approached. Taking her hands, Schala sensed the Mage's outward strength and inner vulnerability, but she smiled back.
Kerrelei's speech was similar to Jandegar's. "As the Second Mage, the Mage of Water, I welcome you into the Order of the Mages. May the waters run calmly for you, and always enliven you. Schala, will you join the Eight Mages?"
"Yes." It seemed to be the only thing that was required to be said, and Schala moved on to Jhyskar.
The Mage of Fire mimed disgust at the formality, getting his message across perfectly, but took her hands and said the words anyway. "As the Third Mage, the Mage of Fire, I welcome you into the Order of the Mages. Fires will burn for you, and keep you warm… with any luck, a little more so than they do for me," he added with a wry grin. "Schala, will you join the Eight Mages?"
"Yes." Schala was getting just a bit bored. Or maybe more than a bit. Wanting to get it over with as quickly as possible, she held her hands out to Tarkyn.
He took them with a grin. "Unfortunately for you, you get all seven of us. Anyway, as the Forest Mage, I welcome you into the Order. I hope that you find as much peace in the Forest as I do." He hesitated, then added, "The Grove is yours to explore, provided you can find it. I won't lead you there. Schala, will you join the Eight Mages?"
"Yes," she said, trying to keep her irritation under check. "And I will find the Grove, you can be sure of that," she added rapidly.
"That's the only reason I offered, Schala. You're one of the few who can find it." Tarkyn smiled at her, then passed her on to Tarreiz.
"They all said it wrong," Tarreiz shrugged dismissively. "Now you can hear the greeting in the manner that it is meant to be said."
"I look forward to it," Schala said with a smile.
"I am the Fifth Mage and I welcome and accept you into our Order. Always see what is true, Schala, and nothing more nor less." The Mage of Vision paused slightly as if debating whether or not to add something more. She chose to do so. "If you have looked, then look again, for you may find surprising elements in the darkest of corners. Schala, do you agree to become the Eighth in the Order of the Eight?"
"Your way's prettier, and yes."
"It has been a long time since any of us have said those words, and even longer since they were said properly. Let's see how much Ciaruse remembers."
Ciaruse had obviously had these words drilled into her. Her eyes a little unfocused, she recited in a sing-song tone, "As the Sixth Mage, Mage of the Moon, I welcome you into the Order. May the moon light your way through the darkest of shadows. Will you join the Eight Mages?"
"Yes, for the sixth time!" Schala exclaimed.
"She didn't remember my name either," Kelke said drily. The light under which he stood was black, making him appear shrouded in shadow. His folded arms and cold expression didn't make him any more approachable, but Schala (who knew she could beat him like a circus monkey) approached him anyway. She couldn't help noticing that his hands, when he took hers in his, were warm. Not to mention smooth. The hands of a magician who had never done a day's work in his life. It gave her an implication of how powerful he had been even at an early age.
"I've never done this before," he told her easily. "I'm not quite sure what to say, but I'm sure I'll manage." A pause as he considered. "As well you know, I am the Seventh Mage, that of Shadow. I welcome you into the Order of the Eight Mages, and hope that…" Kelke hesitated, continued with, "that you come to understand not all shadows or evil are to be condemned. Schala, would you accept me?"
She hesitated, holding his eyes uncertainly. Extraordinarily blue eyes, they were, when they weren't black with his shadowed power. What he was asking was different, and she couldn't answer that. Not with a 'yes'. Not, if he kept looking at her like that, with a 'no'.
He smiled a little grudgingly and changed his request. "Then could you ever bring yourself, oh great and mighty Schala, to look upon this humble instrument of darkness with anything more than scorn, and agree to join an Order which contains this flawed and unworthy vessel?"
"Not if the flawed and unworthy vessel is going to be so sarcastic all of the time," Schala responded a bit sharply. "Otherwise, yes."
"Welcome, then, to the Order of the Eight Mages," Jandegar broke in as Kelke released Schala's hands. "If you are ready to do so, then we will construct the barrier that will keep Lavos away from our world."
"In theory," Kelke broke in.
Jandegar glared at him. "In practice."
"And you can cool it with the evil glares as well. I'm the Shadow Mage around here, not you. You're the Mage of the Sun. You're meant to be good and noble, not go around glaring at people."
"And trying to kill other Mages," Kerrelei added.
Jandegar glared at her instead. "Are you accusing me?"
"I really don't know, what do you think?"
"Whoa, whoa, we can argue after we've made this barrier," Jhyskar cautioned.
Kerrelei was glaring darkly at Jandegar. "I just don't think it's safe to do this if Jandegar is going to try to murder Tarreiz again."
"I am more than capable of looking after myself!" Tarreiz shot back angrily.
Tarkyn exclaimed almost triumphantly, "And it's that attitude that is going to get you killed some day soon!"
"What would you know?" she challenged, and then everything pretty much fell apart.
Tarkyn and Tarreiz were so involved in their argument that it was unlikely they noticed Kerrelei and Jandegar getting stuck into each other. Jhyskar was trying to get them to calm down, and all five were yelling over each other. Ciaruse had moved to one corner of the room. Eyes closed, hands over her ears, she was singing quietly to herself, almost under her breath. Schala could see her lips moving but could not hear the words or the melody. Kelke stood apart from all of them, arms crossed, watching dispassionately.
"Don't bother trying to stop them," he said calmly to Schala, seeing her expression. "It will end with Tarreiz storming off and Jandegar banishing Kerrelei from Altrisiac forever, and tomorrow they'll be all smiles." Kelke gave a smile of his own, but it was bitter and mocking. "Welcome to the Order of the Eight Mages."