The Sphere (The Magi Series #2) (3 page)

Men typically dressed in dark gear, brown or gray in color,
with a top and a sash or belt at the waist, accompanied with pants and boots. 
And over it all, was the overcloak, which hung down to their thighs and was
tied with a string at their chest.  The women typically wore a long dress,
either dark like the men’s clothes or another shade of their color.  Their
dresses usually had an elegant trim of gold or ivory, and some of the wealthier
Magi women purchased overcloaks with trim as well.  Elijah wondered if the Magi
had changed their style at all in the last thousand years.  Watching them get
food and mingle with each other looked like a slightly out-of-touch Renaissance
Fair.

Mrs. Roddick had prepared a fantastic feast.  A roast, cut
in strips and covered with marinade, crackled and sizzled from the banquet
table.  Diced potatoes with dill and bites of cheese and caramelized jerky were
spread out and arranged neatly, just tempting Elijah, who was instructed not to
touch a thing until each guest had a plate.

Elijah recognized some of the elder council, who always came
to send off the Magi teachers and give their support to their cause.  Walter
Henderson, the clockmaker, and Priscilla Grimble, a family friend who also
owned Grimble’s Bakery at the marketplace, were there.  John and Alice Maybury
had also arrived, but Elijah didn’t see John, Jr. (Johnny) or Hannah, their two
kids.  Hannah was one of Elijah’s closest friends.  Johnny, her brother, was
going to be a third year Novice, the highest level of basic training before
continuing on as a philosopher.

Just as Elijah was looking around for a glimpse of Hannah,
an older woman with short, gray hair and blue eyes walked over.  Elijah smiled.

“Well hello, stranger!” said Olivia Rose.  “I see that
you’ve succeeded in staying away from me this summer.  How are you?  Are you
ready for your first year as a Novice?”

Elijah blushed with guilt and tousled his blond hair.  At
the end of last year, he promised to visit Olivia during the summer, and he
intended to do it, but for one reason or another, their paths never crossed. 
Either he was busy with his uncle and taking trips to the marketplace, or
Olivia wasn’t home when Elijah made the long trip north to her house.

“Ready as I’ll ever be, I guess,” answered Elijah.

“Have you been practicing?” Olivia asked.

“Of course,” said Elijah.  “Every chance I get.”

And that was the truth!  Had he been asked to work on solving
algebraic problems or to read the life of Genghis Khan during the summer
holiday, Elijah may have tried to put it off as long as possible.  As it was,
practicing the skill of controlling the waters from the nearby lakes and
shifting the earth from the ground was very exciting—even dangerous!

There were moments during the summer when the elements got
the best of him.  On one occasion, he tried to change the shape of the earth
beneath his feet, just enough to move him or throw him slightly off his
balance.  After trying this for an hour without success, Elijah became
frustrated and began to lose his focus.  His emotion changed from feeling
compassionate, which every Magi knows is the key to controlling the earth, to
feeling angry, which is coincidently the way to access another element:  Fire. 
He must have been much angrier than he thought because as soon as his emotion
changed, it caused a blast of fire to ignite in front of him.  A huge flame
spewed into the trees in front of him, and if it wasn’t for an elder passing by
to help put it out, he might have burned down the entire Eastern Savenridge Forest.

“Glad to hear it,” said Olivia, referring to his practicing. 
“Here, I have something for you.”  She pulled out a package in the shape of a
large book, wrapped in thick, brown paper.  “I know this is a bit late, but I
imagine you’ll forgive me.  Happy birthday, Elijah.  You should open this
later.  It’s always good to have something to look forward to.”  Olivia handed
the package to Elijah and winked at him.

She looked like she was about to speak again, but at that
moment, Master Kwan, another member of the elder council, approached her and
started up another conversation.  It was just as well.  Elijah had begun to
scheme a swift move to steal a piece of the tasty-looking roast when he turned
and caught the eyes of Hannah Maybury.  He walked over to her just as she
finished talking with Mrs. Roddick.

“Thank goodness you’re here!” Elijah said to Hannah.  “Now I
have someone my age to talk to.”

Hannah’s eyes lit up.  “Mrs. Roddick just told me that the
council plans to recite the covenant verse to Master Roddick tonight.  Can you
believe it!  That’s so exciting!”

“What’s a covenant verse?” Elijah asked.  Even though he had
been getting used to the Magi way of life, Elijah still had awkward moments
like this when he felt completely lost.

“It’s a reading,” Hannah answered.  “The elder council reads
it out loud.  I’ve only heard about it being read to soldiers before they go to
war or to foreign marshals before they are assigned a dangerous mission.”

“So why are they reading it for Master Roddick?” Elijah
asked, now feeling slightly concerned.

“I don’t know.  Maybe with all that’s been going on with the
Maliphists, they think he’ll need extra support.”

Elijah watched Master Roddick who looked every bit like the
main attraction.  A crowd of people hovered over him the entire night.  He
warmly shook hands and greeted each of the well-wishers, many of whom were
lined up to greet him.  Elijah couldn’t help but wonder if this night meant
something more than just a routine going-away-party.

“So are you all packed and ready to go to the barracks?”
Hannah asked excitedly.

“No.  Should I be?”

“I am,” she replied.  “We only have two weeks left before we
move in.  Plus, there’s so much going on this term.  We have new Novice
classes.  They’ll allow us to experiment more with elements.  We get to apply
for cottage housing for the first time.  And think of all the new kids that
will be coming in!  Won’t that be exciting?”

Elijah’s head began to spin.  He honestly hadn’t thought
about training at all except learning to use the elements more.  Ever since the
end of last year when Olivia talked to him about working with her to locate
some weapon the Maliphists were trying to find, training never even crossed his
mind.  But like it or not, he was returning to the barracks in two weeks.

Elijah sighed.  “I just hope I can remember everything.”

“You’ll be fine,” Hannah encouraged.  “I’m sure we’ll all
need a little refresher anyway.”  Elijah smiled at her.  One of the things he
loved about Hannah was how comforting she was.  She always had a kind face, and
had the ability to make him feel better even on his worst day.

The evening continued on and before long, everyone seemed to
sense that they were being corralled together.  A small table was placed in the
middle of the awning, and on top were several candles, each the same size. 
Twelve of the candles were white and arranged in a circle around a single red
candle, which was slightly taller than the rest.  All were unlit.

“I think this is it,” Hannah whispered to Elijah as everyone
continued to circle around the table.  She grabbed Elijah’s hand in her
excitement, which immediately made him wonder if he was sweating as much as he
thought.

A short, old man with black hair and glasses walked with
Master Roddick to the center of the crowd and stood next to the table with the
candles.  Elijah recognized him as the man who read him the oath to become a
Magi his first day in Savenridge. The man pulled out a small book that looked
like it had been used every day for fifty years.  He carefully turned the
pages, frequently licking his hand before each turn.  His hands trembled from
age, but he handled the book delicately.  Then, he looked up at everyone who by
this point had hushed considerably.  The only sound that could be heard was the
drumming of the raindrops on the awning overhead.

“I should hope by now,” the man started, “that everything we
do strives to have some significance.  Some meaning.  But there are some things
that are done that mean more than our day-to-day activities.  We save these
rituals for a time of need.  A time that is special.  Sacred.  Tonight, we will
read the covenant verse for young Roddick.  We will read these words written
centuries ago, not because we blindly follow old words just because they are
old; but because they unite us with all those who have entered into this
covenant for many years.  We are entering into something much bigger than the
present.  And it is because of this that we save these rituals for a special
time.”

Whether it was the intense focus from everyone under the
awning or something more, Elijah felt strange.  He felt as though there was a
solemn presence that had entered the area, much like a war memorial or the
quiet hush in a graveyard.  All around, it seemed as though someone had snuffed
out all the lights, leaving everyone in almost complete darkness.

The short man with the glasses whispered something to
Roddick, and Roddick walked over to the table, held his right hand out in front
of him, and from nowhere, lit the red candle placed in the center of the
table.  Then he stood back by the man.  Elijah felt Hannah’s grip tighten as
twelve others soon emerged from the crowd of people and walked toward the
table, laying a hand on Roddick as they passed him.  They each lit one of the
twelve white candles surrounding the red candle until all thirteen were lit. 
Then, in a quick act, the speaker waved his hands and all the flames from the
white candles shot inward and united with the red candle, making it look like
one very large flame.  The old man licked his finger and turned the page again.

Together in unity, we share the same cause

May you find strength

May you find clarity

May you find peace; and

Above all else, may you find purpose;

Though your path may find danger

Though your direction may be filled with trial

Know that you are not alone;

So go forth in your quest

Remain committed to your task

For your strength is our strength

Your clarity is our clarity

Your peace is our peace; and

Your purpose is our purpose

For together in unity, we share the same cause

Not a soul stirred in the silence for many moments.  It
would have been uncomfortable had it not been so moving.  Then, the old man
waved his hand over the candles, and they returned to burning as usual.  The
twelve who lit their candles walked over and blew them out.  And at last, when
all that was left was the red candle in the center, Master Roddick blew his
out.

No words were spoken for some time, and the guests did not
return to conversing or eating.  Some gave Roddick a pat on the back or a
handshake, but most pulled up the hoods on their cloaks and returned to their
houses for the evening without saying a word.  Not wanting to break the somber
atmosphere, Hannah gave Elijah a quick hug and left with her family.  Elijah
wasn’t sure what he witnessed or what it meant, but he knew he would not forget
it.

After all the dishes and food and furniture had been cleaned
up and taken back into the house, Master Roddick and Elijah began to take down
the awning.

“I suppose you have some questions about what you just saw,”
said Master Roddick as though he had read Elijah’s mind.

“Is that done every time you leave?” Elijah asked.

“No,” Roddick answered.  “I debated for a long time whether
or not to even bring this up, because I won’t be able to answer many questions. 
Did you pick up on the message of the verse?”

“I figured it means you’re on a mission.”

“Yes,” Roddick answered.

“And you can’t tell me what that is.”

“Correct.”

Elijah looked down.  “Is it dangerous?”

“I’m afraid it is, but I don’t want you thinking about
that.  And you’re especially not to
say
anything about it.  I told you
this much already because I know you’re no fool.  I only want you to understand
that whatever happens, you are to stay here and help my family. 
Your
family!  You may hear things you don’t want to hear about me.  You may not hear
from me at all, but just know that I’m doing what must be done.”

Elijah nodded and looked into Master Roddick’s droopy eyes. 
They were heavy-looking as though he carried a great burden.  He stood up and
wrapped his arms around his shaggy-haired friend.  He felt Master Roddick
breathe a deep sigh as he embraced Elijah.

Later that night, Elijah needed something to cheer him up. 
He wrote a letter to Paul and Isaac asking them to meet him at the marketplace
so he could lose himself in all the endless array of food and gadgets and
toys.  He could always count on his friends to cheer him up.

He also remembered his gift from Olivia that was waiting for
him by the fire.  When he was alone, he unwrapped it and saw a large book
entitled
The Chronicles of Gormandel:  Volume 1
.  He had only lived in
Savenridge for six months, but already, he knew of this book.  The Gormandel
writings were where the Magi got most of their history, although Elijah had
never read anything from it.  Mostly, the book was kept in the library for
historians like Arthur to finger through in order to find different writings to
discover and analyze the early days of the Magi.

Elijah thumbed through some of the pages and suddenly
noticed a bookmark barely sticking out of the front cover.  He pulled it out,
realizing it wasn’t a bookmark at all!  It was a note from Olivia:

Dear Elijah,

I trust you have had a pleasant birthday.  I
also trust you have remembered our plan for this year.  It is time.

Come to my house early this Saturday.  The
search begins now!