Magus: Dark to Light Part 1
Looking for Answers
By The Game God
In the last thirty months, the Last Village, which had been named Raynia
by its inhabitants, had grown greatly. Nearly a thousand people, mostly
from the Earthbound Village, had help to build up their new home.
The snows of the great winter had long since melted and the fields to the
east of the village were abundant with crops and livestock. The lands
to the south were being mined for their precious minerals. Some of
the trees to the west were cut away to expand the town’s borders and
build new homes.
The people of Raynia were happy. The former Earthbound Ones were glad
to be out in the world and the former Enlightened Ones had begun losing their
powers from not using them. The people were beginning to explore their
new world, but none of them would ever ascend the mountain to the north of
the village… the home of the sorcerer.
Huaine, the elder of Raynia had ordered his people to stay away off the
mountain. He and the other elders didn’t know if the stories of
the sorcerer were true, but he didn’t want to take the chance at any
of the people being hurt. There was one person in the village who
couldn’t resist the temptation of the North Mountain.
Ledith was once one of the Earthbound Ones. Now that she was out on
the surface, she was restless, always wanting to explore the world around
her. At the young age of twenty, Ledith had explored all around Raynia,
the forests, the caves, the beaches, but only the northern mountains lay
foreign to her.
Ledith gathering her hiking supplies together as the sun set over the
horizon. She was going to slip out of the village after sunset so no
one would see her head toward to the mountain. Ledith was a pretty
young woman. She had silky brown hair and large green eyes. Her
soft, smooth skin was covered with tiny brown freckles. Ledith wasn’t
interested in the men in the village; all she craved was adventure.
Perhaps it was this adventure-lust which convinced her to disobey the elders.
Ledith had been watching the mountain for days now, looking to see any evidence
of someone living on the mountain. She wasn’t scared of the sorcerer,
of magic, of men or of beasts. Ledith was indeed courageous, which
often times got her into trouble.
The spunky young woman began to climb the craggy heights, not once looking
back at the dark town at the foot of the mountain. Suddenly, Ledith
saw a dark figure moving down the surface of the mountain. She quickly
hid behind some rocks and watched as the tall, lithe man dressed in dark
robes and armor walked past her, his eyes gleaming with an icy blankness.
‘The sorcerer…’ Ledith thought, ‘… he’s
real!’ She watched as he moved further away from her and toward
the town below. Ledith took a step back, snapping a twig beneath her
heel.
Magus turned around fast, drawing his scythe, “Who’s
there?!” Ledith held absolutely still, holding her breath, desperate
not to make a sound. She never thought she would be so scared about
anything so much, but she was wrong.
Magus glared at the rock formations around him. “I know you’re
there!” He lifted his hand, a dark glow coming to his fist.
At that, three of the rocks in front of him lifted off the ground.
One of the stones revealed a young woman, dressed in green.
Magus’ scythe faded back into his being and he drew the girl closer
with his tendrils of magic. “Don’t hurt me.” Ledith
cried.
Magus squinted at her, “I won’t hurt you.” He turned
and let the girl fall hard to the ground.
Ledith stood up and rubbed her bottom. “You’re the
sorcerer… aren’t you?”
Magus stopped, but didn’t turn around, “It doesn’t matter.”
he said.
Ledith slowly stared to walk behind the black-cloaked man, “I didn’t
mean to startle you.” Magus remained silent, his gaze never shifting
from the horizon. “Um… my name is Ledith… what’s
yours.” Magus said nothing. “Should I guess?”
Magus wished the girl would leave him alone, she was perky and energetic,
a lot like Nadia. He couldn’t stand that.
“Okay, I’ll guess…” Ledith said, “… is your
name Daxin?” She looked at Magus, hoping to see some kind of reaction,
“Goran? Rennoc? Cayne? Semaj? Scioss?
Leumas?” Magus was starting to get annoyed. “Hoek?
Samoht? Janus?” At that, Magus turned sharply and put his
hand over the girl’s mouth.
“Silence!” he hissed. “You test my patience, woman!”
“I’m sorry!” Ledith said.
“Don’t be sorry,” Magus said, turning back toward the town,
“be gone!”
“If you’re going to the village, the Twilight Sentries will try
and stop you.”
Magus stopped short and looked back at the girl, “Twilight Sentries?”
“A few of the Enlightened Ones still have magical powers. They
protect the village at night.”
“I can assure you, their powers are no match for mine. But I have
no business in your village…” he shook his head, “or anywhere
else.” he whispered.
“Maybe I can help you,” Ledith said, “if you come back to
town with me, the Sentries won’t be suspicious.”
Magus took a step away from the girl, “Perhaps you failed to notice
my clothing…” Ledith looked at his flowing black robes and
polished black armor. “Black tends to raise suspicions.”
Ledith opened her pack and pulled out a long green blanket. “You
could wear this as a cloak.” Magus took the sheet and wrapped
himself in it. It had been years since he had worn any color other
than black. “That’s great.” Ledith said. She held
out her hand. “Follow me.” Magus glared at the girl’s
hand, but refused to take it.
“Lead the way.” Magus growled.
- - - Magus: Dark to Light - - -
Ledith’s home was small, but adequate since she lived alone and was
rarely home. Ledith had prepared a small meal for herself and the
sorcerer. Magus rarely ate, so he didn’t touch the food and only
sipped at the wine. “Where are you from?” Ledith asked.
Magus didn’t answer her; he stared at the burning candles on the
table. “If you don’t want to tell me, it’s okay.”
“Zeal.”
Ledith looked up, “What?”
“I’m from Zeal.”
“If you’re from Zeal, you belong here in Raynia.” Ledith said.
“I don’t belong anywhere…” Magus said, his self-hatred
growing, “… except maybe in Hell.”
Ledith glazed at him, “Who are you?”
Magus lowered his head, an air of compassion coming to his eyes for a brief
moment, “I’m not who I once was.”
“Who did you used to be?” Ledith asked.
Magus lifted his hand, an image appearing in the candle’s firelight,
an image of young Janus. “I used to be a prince.” Ledith
was entranced as the sorcerer began to tell her his story…
- - - Magus: Dark to Light - - -
Young Prince Janus was running down the Hall of the Mammon Machine.
He could see his mother, his sister, the Prophet and the three Gurus all
standing before the machine. Guru Jasper stepped forward; “This
plan is too dangerous, your Majesty.”
“Schala!” Janus shouted.
She turned around, “Janus, leave here, it’s too dangerous!”
The Mammon Machine sparked and a dark portal opened beneath Guru Belthasar,
“This defies all logic!” he shouted as he vanished into the vortex.
Another portal opened beneath Guru Jasper, “A time-gate.” he mused
as he was drawn in. Melchior ran towards the young prince, but fell
into another time vortex.
Janus stood petrified as Schala ran towards him, “Janus, run!”
Before she could reach him, a fourth portal opened and drew Janus in.
The young prince was screaming through time, passing decades in mere
instants. Suddenly, a light appeared at the end of the tunnel, hurling
the young man into an open field. A fat, green creature wearing white
robes turned to the azure-haired boy.
“Seize him!” Five blue beasts rushed toward the young man.
Janus dropped to his knees, covering his head with his hands. When
the creatures attacked, the amulet on the youth’s shirt flashed, sending
his attackers reeling. The blue creatures rose back to their feet and
moved toward the boy again. The green one raised his hand, “Hold
it!”
The creatures stopped and turned back toward the verdant villain. The
large Mystic’s one eye was gazing at the boy. “He is not
human…” he said, circling the boy, “… or a
Mystic.” He helped the boy to his feet. “What is your
name?”
“Janus.” the boy whispered.
A twisted smiled spread across the creature’s face, “I am Ozzie.”
- - - Magus: Dark to Light - - -
Ozzie took young Janus to his castle… a dark, cold fortress. For
Janus, it was a great change compared to the bright and serene halls of Zeal
Palace. Ozzie’s servants brought the boy some food and some clean,
black clothes. Later, Ozzie came in with two other creatures.
“How are you feeling?” Janus said nothing. Ozzie turned
to the tall blue Mystic on his right, This is Slash, he is a master
swordsman.” He then turned to the Mystic on his left, a tall,
muscular beast, “This is Flea, he is a powerful magician.”
They both bowed to the boy, “Hut, Sir Magus!”
“Magus?” Janus asked.
Ozzie smiled, “We are Mystics, and ‘magus’ is our word for
champion.” In the years that followed, only Ozzie continued to
call him Janus. In time, even he stopped, the name Magus replacing
the boy’s given name.
Ozzie taught young Magus the history of the world, Slash taught the youth
his combat skills and Flea helped him to master his magical powers.
For ten years, Magus trained under the Mystic trio, and at age seventeen,
he was declared a full-fledged Mystic warrior and sorcerer. In the
next years of his life, he would engage in some of the greatest battles ever
known to the history of the world.
- - - Magus: Dark to Light - - -
Magus finished telling his tale to Ledith, telling of how he helped to destroy
Lavos and of how he saved his sister. He told her of how he looked
through time, to see the rise and fall of kingdoms. He told Ledith
everything he had learned and everything he desired to forget.
“That’s amazing.” Ledith said after he had finished.
“Amazing is hardly the word I would use.” Magus said.
“You are Prince Janus.”
“I was Prince Janus.”
Ledith moved her hand across the table toward Magus’, “I doubt
you would have gone through all of that if Janus weren’t somewhere deep
inside of you.”
Magus pulled away from Ledith, moving quickly across the room, “Schala
thinks the way you do. Janus is lost.”
Ledith moved across the room toward the dark sorcerer, “I don’t
believe that.”
“Stay away.” Magus said, bringing his cloak around him.
Ledith reached out toward him. Magus pulled back his hand, the back
facing toward the girl, as if to slap her. Ledith looked at his
hand. “Magus would hit me…” she looked into the
sorcerer’s trembling eyes, “but I don’t think Janus would.”
Magus slowly lowered his hand, “You assume to much.”
Suddenly, the door to the cottage burst open and the slender man ran in.
“We’re under attack!” he shouted.
Magus and Ledith ran out to see a dark shape moving across the sky.
“This can’t be!” Magus gasped. The machine of
dark blue metal soared across the sky, drawing ever closer toward Raynia.
“The Blackbird!”
Far from the village, on the bridge of the flying juggernaut, Dalton, the
once High General of the fallen Kingdom of Zeal, sat on a throne of steel.
“Now I end this once and for all… now I take back what is mine!
.