MagiStream

A note:

Chapters one and two will get revised. Again. Also wanted to let people know I'm still writing. I'm not terribly busy at night, and have been doing a small bit of writing when I can.

Book 1
The Finding
Chapter 3
Wherein Lorelei is told a story.

There was fire everywhere. The sky was a dark red, and the air smelt of sulfur and smoke. In the distance a mountain was spewing ash and lava. She knew this place... she had been here before... Lorelei was sure of it. But when, and where? A hellhound seemed to appear at her side; it was growling at a small, scraggly bush. It was rare to find plants so near the volcanoes. Rustling came from behind the bush, and a soft sound, almost like a small yawn. Lorelei felt herself approach cautiously. She reached out an arm- she wore a dark cloak and black gloves she noted- and pulled aside the bush...

A blinding light filled her eyes, forcing her into the waking world. On instinct she slapped at the offending light; feeling her hand connect with something as the light went out. As she opened her eyes, the late afternoon sunshine coming from the window made her wince.

Without warning a blue and yellow blur started to buzz angrily in her face; she knew that it was Aten, her Sacred Scarab.

"Sorry... I didn't mean to hit you. You startled me." Her voice sounded sleepy, even to her.

The Scarab flashed once before settling down on her head. She had been around him long enough to know he was annoyed with her. Lorelei felt her actions were perfectly justified, but the proud insect wouldn't feel that way.

"I'm sorry, Aten. I know I asked you to wake me up; but you really startled me. Forgive me?" She held up her hand to the creature. After a second or two she felt the light tap of antenna on one of her fingers. The fact that he even acknowledged her was proof enough of an accepted apology.

Now that the matter was settled, it was time she moved her thoughts to heading home. She glanced through the window, trying to gauge the time. She scowled at the sun, which was only a hand span above the horizon; it meant she wouldn't be home in time for dinner.

She didn't dislike this town; she just liked her keep better. There she was freed from almost all responsibility; save taking care of her companions. Here... well, she was the only fire magi in a hundred mile radius. That alone meant that she was always asked to do fire related things: put wards against fire on people's houses, create Ever-Fire for various people, things like that. She didn't mind helping them, but three straight hours of that could really tire her out. Even the thought of it was making her tired, despite the nap she'd just had... if it could be called a nap. With weary resignation she stood up to head downstairs.

~~

It was an hour before she finally left the inn; the innkeeper had promised her a full meal if she repaired the fire ward there. As she made her way through the streets several people stopped to talk. They asked about some of her creatures, or asked after Aurora. Once she had managed to extricate herself from the latest conversation she headed as quickly as she could to the docks. SnuggleMuffins would be there; he wasn't much for the hustle and bustle of the town.

As she got closer to the docks themselves she could make out the distinct shape of her Nandi Bear. She shaded her eyes so she could see better; it was what she had hoped to see. Next to the bear was a young man with dark skin made darker by his many days on the open deck of a ship. Next to him stood a slender woman in blue; she had the same lightly-tanned skin as the inhabitants of the village. She spotted Lorelei first and waved.

Lorelei waved back and started running. When she reached the group she promptly hugged the young woman, who hugged her back.

"Amanra, I haven't seen you forever! How was the Keep?" Lorelei stepped back, beaming. Amanra lived in the village; like many she had developed a knack for water magics. Her power was great enough that she had been sent to the Keep for a few months.

"It was nice... a little intimidating at first. I'm glad to be home, though. Naftali was just about to tell me about his latest voyage."

Lorelei turned to the young man, smiling. He looked a little crestfallen at not getting a hug from the fire magi, but the look quickly passed.

"It was pretty scary." Naftali sat down on a nearby crate, motioning for the two women to sit as well. Once he had their attention, he began talking again.

"Well, it started of well. Mari came with us; he brought some of his Ebbenne sharks." Mari was one of the Water Magi who lived in the village; he was a veteran sailor, and when he was along it was almost always smooth sailing. "We didn't have much, mostly just letters and things. We stopped at the Callisto Islands right on schedule. We refueled on supplies and picked up our cargo. Some fruit and a few rare eggs. About after leaving things started to go sour. There was a huge storm; it blew up out of nowhere. That lasted for three days; three days of waves as tall as the ship, of pitching back and forth, the constant roaring of the wind, the crash of waves and booms of thunder; you could hardly hear yourself speak! The only reason we didn't capsize was because we had Mari. Once it had cleared we had no idea where we were. We were really lucky that the mast didn't break, and that the hull held. Even more lucky that we had gotten the sails down. To make matters worse we also lost most of our water supply." He grimaced.

Lorelei leaned forward, her eyes wide. "Then what?"

Naftali chuckled. "Well, we started heading north; even if we were way off course, going north meant we would hit land eventually. After another day, Mari's sharks found us again; they had gotten seperated from the ship. Not even their powers could help them against the fury of the ocean during a storm. Apparently we had gone off the course in a pretty west-ward manner, and we corrected our path, heading south-east. The water was running really low by then, and Mari was having trouble remembering the spell to remove salt from water. Just when we were down to the last cup full of water, a ship appeared on the horizon!" He held out his hand in a dramatic motion, fingers splayed. Lorelei gasped, then leaned forward more.

"We hailed them, asking for help... for some reason the sharks had left... I can't exactly remember why... possibly looking for help. But, anyway, once it got closer we noticed the ship wasn't flying any colors. Unusual, but not unheard of. Once it was really close, so close we could make out the people on the ship... it raised a flag. A pirate flag... a pirate flag belonging to Issac Rackem." This time, both girls gasped.

Lorelei stared at him in awe. "Are you okay?"



Changed a bit to better suit the next chapter.

*sits in a corner* The third chapter is far from done, but now I have no idea what to do with it. It may just end up being pointless filler that sets up for the next chapter.

I know. But this is a volcano in Voltar... I just got the impression they erupted constantly. If they don't, then this one does. Issa magic volcano. And the chapter still isn't done.

Extra: A Snowy Day

Lorelei glared out the window of The Keep. Big white fluffy flakes of snow were lazily drifting down from the grey sky. Many magi were enjoying the deep coating of snow from the near constant snowfall that had kept her inside the past two days. She glared at them, too, before turning away from the window. She despised snow; it was all cold and wet and... cold and wet. At the moment, she was really feeling the cold so she pulled her cloak tighter around herself. When she had still lived in The Keep she would often sleep the entire day away when it was cold and snowy like this. But she didn't live here anymore she had to stay in a small, drab guest room. Almost in challenge she glared outside at the snow. She was a fire magi, she wouldn't stay huddled up in some room like a meek little animal because of a foot of snow! She would go out there and...and go home! She'd like to see that stupid snow try to stop her!
Turning on her heel resolutely she made her way down to the courtyard. However, as she got closer to the mass of white she was walking slower and slower before stopping just short of entering the courtyard. Nervously she glanced around... good, nobody was there. Gingerly she stepped into the snow...and immediately withdrew her foot. That snow was really cold. Even through boots she could feel it.
Without warning a hand pushed her on the back to upset her balance; threatening to send her tumbling face first into the cold snow. She yelped in surprise and tried to regain her balance. However, her efforts were in vain, and she was soon face down in the snow. Lorelei turned and glared at the person who pushed her; she came face to face with a pair of laughing blue eyes, a familiar face mere inches from her own. The man they belonged to leaned back while snickering at her. She crossed her arms and pouted.
"Ha ha, very funny Ymiros." She summoned a small ball of fire and began holding it to her wet and snowy cloths; they began to steam almost immediately. The man looked down at her, a playful smirk coming over his face.
"I thought it was pretty funny. The look on your face was priceless. And when you put your foot down-ha! You looked like an alphyn being forced to take a bath!" He was mocking her, that was clear. If it had been anyone else she would have burned them to a crisp; friends were different. It was probably payback from all the pranks she had played on him.
Lorelei moved to get up and Ymiros, being the gentleman he is, quickly offered his hand. She stared at it for a moment before taking it. He saw a flash of a mischievous smile before he was pulled down into the snow beside the fire magi. She laughed and lay back in the snow beside him.
He smiled at her. "I guess I kinda deserved that, huh?"
She nodded. "Of course you did." It was odd, but suddenly, Lorelei didn't mind being in the snow that much.
Ymiros glanced over at her. "What brings you to The Keep, anyway? Certainly not any of your creatures."
"Well, Aurora asked me to deliver so herbs Master Belmos had asked for. I also came to see if I could get a koi from the pond... no luck, though."
"Master Belmos ordered herbs? Why didn't he just grow them here?"
"Well, it is very hard to grow; it requires almost constant attention. It's also very fussy about the soil it'll grow in, and the type of water... or so she says. Not to mention that it's too cold here, right now." She nodded her head sagely.
Ymiors raised an eyebrow before he shrugged. "Well, if you say so... And speaking of cold, why don't we head inside? I'll make you some cocoa." He stood up and began to brush the snow from his cloths as best he could.
Lorelei sat up eagerly. Now that she was reminded, she did feel pretty cold. This time, when he offered his hand, she took it happily. As they were heading back inside, she looked back at the snow. Maybe... the snow wasn't so bad after all.



I wrote this for a contest... I haven't started chapter 4 at all....

I don't actually know what to call this. It's sort of a background thing for the readers... if I had any.


Issac Rackem. The most feared pirate in the seven seas for the past eighty years. All sailors, no matter how brave, fear him. The creatures of the deep hide in their lairs when the fish whisper of his approach. Even the mighty krakens, the rulers of the sea, fear him.

He was not always a treasure hungry pirate. He was born in one of the many fishing villages that dot the coasts of the Callisto Islands. As so many of the children who live that close to water magics do, he developed powers enough for him to be a water magi. So he was carted off to The Keep; where he spent his days surrounded by knowledge and companionship.

But not all knowledge is good, and not all companions are trustworthy. As he grew older, he was lured, like so many others, into the 'welcoming' hands of the Dark Brotherhood. There, he was content for a while, and he gained many valubale allies... but soon, he began to grow frustrated. The Dark Brotherhood could do so much more then they did! They had the power and knowledge with wich they could control the entire world. They could summon horrors from the world beyond and cow weaklings into submission. They could enslave the very gods themselves! No... they were content to run the black markets that abounded in each city, and to kill the cowardly and corrupt politicains that were as common as rats.

Aboust seven months after he came to this realization, he lashed out at the leader of The Brotherhood, a man named Hod, hoping to seise control from him. He failed, but not before mortally wounding Hod. Because of this, he was expelled from the Brotherhood. The removal of the seal nearly killed him, and only the dark magics he had learned saved him from death. With the last of his strength he summoned Lady Death herself and formed a pact with her. The only beings who know the terms are Death and Issac. There are, of course, guesses. One is that he cannot kill a single living being. He cannot hunt for his food, or pluck a flower, or even squash an ant. If he does so, then all the years Death has kept from him will come back all at once, and he will crumble to dust. One might wonder why Death would not want to expand her kingdome, but the plans and schemes of the gods are beyong mortal comprehension.

The next time he appeared in history was his first major ship robbery: The Halcyon Raptor.

He had robbed a few minor sailing vessels, but The Halcyon Raptor was a rich sailing vessel that was almost constantly ferrying supplies and treasure between the Callisto Islands and the northern harbors. Furs, dragon scale armor, Crystalwing jewelry, gold, mhyr, star anise, saffron, cardamon, salt, other exotic spices, Tenera Dog eggs, the list went on and on. If you could think of something rare or even semi-rare, The Halcyon Raptor had transported it. At the time it was attacked, The Halcyon Raptor was returning from a trip to the Callisto Islands. It was loaded down with gold, and spices for the Synarian nobles, as well as tea and a mysterious crate the sailors refused to speak about. Night had fallen, and most of the sailors were abed.

At this time, Rackem was currently sailing in a small ship of unknown name or origin. He had been plotting to commandeer The Halcyon Raptor for several weeks, even going as far as to send one of his crew members aboard to map it out. His plan was perfect: They would drift towards The Halcyon Raptor with no lights on; looking for all the world like an abandoned ship. Once close enough, a selected sailor would signal fo help, looking half dead. Once several sailors had come aboard Rackem's ship, the other sailors would sneak aboard and slit the sailor's throats. Rackem himself would not kill, but his men certainly would.

There are no records that tell of how the attack went. One can only assume it was sucsseful as Rackem came into posession of The Halcyon Raptor. Said ship's powder monkeys, cabin boys and one sailor were found drifting in a lifeboat, all nearly dead. Many of the young boys wouldn't speak, but one did. However, all he said was "The crate is open... the emerald eyes... they're coming to get me!" before collapsing. The sailor spoke only of Rackem's plan, and added "He wanted me... to spread the word. No ship is safe from him." The news spread quickly once the rescue ship docked. Shortly after, the sailor and the young boys all died. However, when the mortitian came to prepair their bodies, they had mysterisoly dissapeared. The only thing that could be found were two sets of paw prints that seemed to belong to a cat...

After that incident, Rackem's name spread like wildfire. He was charged with everything from sinking ships to famine! People began to fear the open ocean, and sea trade slowed to a trickle. However, his attacks on ships became less frequent and less harmful- sometimes he would leave with all the gold he could carry, or even nothing at all. One can presume he sensed that his quarry would soon dry up and slowed his attacks.

It was around this time that the myths and legends surrounding him first sprang up. Whether Rackem himself started them, or his victims did, nobody knows.

One of the most prevalint tales is of his crew. All of his crew members are rumored to be dead. They all have greying skin, and take his orders without question, no matter how ludicris or dangerous. Their eyes have no pupil and the irises are a dull grey. They seem to stare constantly because they never blink. One of Rackem's victims say he saw the notorious pirate decapitate one of his own crew in rage... and there was no blood. The head came off cleanly; no gore.
A few add that there do seem to be a few crew memebrs with life. They mention a young woman with black hair and glowing green eyes. Those who've seen her swear she will point to a man and say something along the lines of 'You're mine.' The man dies shortly afterward, and his body vanishes.
Another lively crew member there's talk of is a tall and lanky young man. His hair is white, but with odd streaks of brown and orange. Any female who's seen him, when asked what he looks like, often giggles and blushes. Many claim he is very handsome, and incredably charming... nearly as handsome and charming as Rackem.

There is the beginning of the second most prevalint tale. According to many women (and stories), Rackem is a very charming gentlemen. He makes sure to never scare any woman on board, often forcing the captain of the captured vessel to give his bed to the lady. He never makes any advances on them, and, as some of them put it, 'He makes me feel like a princess.' Those women often say he is also devistatingly handsome; so handsome he makes the glitter and gleam of gems and gold seem dull and ugly in comaprison. Or so the young woman say.

That finally leaves tales of his treasures. The many stories vary. Some say his treasure lies at the bottom of the sea; guarded by creatures unheard of by the common man. Others say he sacrifices it to Lady Death in order to keep his youth. Aother story is that he has stored his treasure in many different locations; each guarded jealosly by a dragon or drake under the influnece of his dark magic. However, the most commonly held beleif is that is all stored together; a treasure room hidden deep in the exotic and impassable jungles of Raza, or in a hidden underwater cave of the coast of Roan.

The contents of said treasure are highly debated. Some say gold and jewels, others say he has a treasure trove of rare magical eggs. A few other beleifs include a harem of beautfiul women (and men) from all around the world, a passage into the realm of the gods, or an armory of magical armor and weapons with enough power to control the entire world.

But there is one thing that all the stories agree upon, no matter what his other treasure might be. The most precious artifact in his trove: a gem of unsurpased beauty and power. The Song of the Siren. This gem is said to be the deadly song from the sirens made soild. The same song that luers unsuspecting sailors to their death. Indeed, the glow of the gem has the same seductive property, drawing men near before they are torn apart by the gaurdiens of the jewel. It is said that any woman who has possesion of the gem will surpass even the god's themselves in beauty. Such a gem would fetch millions upon millions of gold. There are always treasure hunters after it, though they know not the location of the gem. Many give up, and a few dissapear without a trace- killed through the natural danger of being a treasure hunter perhaps... or did they find the gem and were killed before they could retreve it?




Questions... if you have them, ask them.