The Magi's Society

Mevi followed her grandfather. The long hallway all the more lonely in the tense silence despite the two souls walking alongside each other. Mevi does her best to avoid looking even at the feat of her revered grandfather.

Before the turn into her grandfather’s personal domicile within the great mansion, she hesitates. It might not be too late to run and hope she is once again forgotten, she thinks to herself. Looking up, for only a moment, she sees her grandfather’s gaze. But despite what she has become used to, it is a look of genuine patience and kindness. An almost pained look of contemplation coming and passing from her grandfather. With quickly darting her eyes away from his form Mevi shuffles into her grandfather’s entryway.

The interior of the most important man in the Bensari household’s personal living space was incomparable to any Mevi had glimpsed before, disregarding the thought of even trying to compare her own room to such a masterwork of a living space. The high walls didn’t reach as tall as the outside hallway, but were doubly more intimidating. The walls, in almost every available space, held either dense and fully stocked book shelves or extravagant drapery. While each member of the household shared a small space for themselves and their non-adult children, Mevi’s grandfather held what could easily house two or three families even with their various luxuries. Rather than the bright illumination and pristine white, most other nobles abided, her grandfather’s domain held a soft and warm aura. Despite the almost immeasurable amount of books, tomes, and documents the floor was left mostly bare. The panels making up the floor painted painstakingly to resemble the ancient wooden material of the Bensari’s great entryway. The rest of the room filled with a motley arrangement of comfortable furniture and old-styled electric appliances. The entire atmosphere giving off a feeling as if it was a shelter from a painfully cold outside, despite the controlled atmosphere.

Walking in the dimmed light, that almost flickered with a subtle orange tint, Mevi’s grandfather walked to the center and sat himself on a padded armchair. He gestured to the seat across from his, with a plastoid table between them. Mevi carefully walked inside, taking her comparably filthy shoes off and carrying them with care. Hesitating for a moment but resolving herself to take a seat, Mevi looked at her grandfather’s face for the second time. In his gaze the space of time felt as if an eternity passed. Again, to her surprise, he was patient and watching with care at her practiced movements. Before long her grandfather spoke, slowly as if trying to not scare off a frightened animal, “Mevare…” her grandfather opening his mouth as if to speak more, but stopping himself as his voice trailed off. He seemed to recollect the words that escaped him, and spoke again with confidence. “Mevare. Our family has never treated you as it might’ve should. Yet your diligence and dedication to us remains proven by your own best attempts. I thank you for this. But our family has our own… strange reasoning for what you have experienced. It was decided a long time ago how you might serve our family, and as per our family’s opinions it caused some degree of mistreatment…” Her grandfather spoke as if trying to reason his words to himself, but Mevi sat mostly confused while attempting to take in whatever was said. Her grandfather continued again, “We must ask you to perform one final duty to us, and frankly I have no understanding of what it will entail. I can’t imagine it will be worse than your treatment here. If you would do this task for us, our family will honor you.”

Mevi took in the confusing string of words that seemed to avoid what was at the core of her grandfather’s mind. She worked up her courage as he seemed not exactly how to proceed with the conversation, his hands clasped together in thought.

Mevi took the silence to ask, “What might I be tasked with, revered grandfather?”

Mevi’s grandfather sighed, and resolved himself to speak again, “You know little of the outside world. Our family is as strong as it has become because of our methods, as cruel as they are. Every few decades a great vessel arrives at our moon. They provide us with our people’s lifeblood, with mana. This mana is a material that allows our equipment to function, our synthesizers to produce sustenance, and any number of strange things. We haven’t the ability to produce this material on our own, and without it we would sooner die to the elements of toxin and vacuum before starvation.”

Mevi’s grandfather took a moment to recollect himself, waving a hand and a panel in the table before him opens and produced a filled glass of water. Instinctively drinking it, he almost comes to a realization and continues, “Even this just now, this water and ability to create it from such impressive instruments is created by this material called mana. This great vessel… It provides this in abundance, even to the lowest of laborers, and gives more than enough for all to meet their base needs. But in exchange they ask for tribute. This tribute is a single child from every noble house when they arrive. Due to our moon’s low resources stockpiling mana is vital for our survival and continued rule. Our family has governed and remained in control by our, less than honorable means, and one which way was to ignore the chosen tribute. When you were born, due to the alignment of the vessel’s arrival, you were chosen. Most in our family determined that since you wouldn’t be of use after you were given away, the need to give you anything was nonexistent. With your parents housing such little of their own mana, they had little say in the decision and could barely spare enough mana for themselves and other children. So you have been left into my care. To some, my providing even your own place to sleep was too much, but as the day of your departure comes closer I realize that… I am too old for this. I apologize for my treatment of you Mevare, I hope you will perform this one last duty for us.”

Mevi is taken aback by the immense amount of information given so openly to her. She must take several moments just to process what some of the words mean. But even once she realizes her grandfather is expecting a response, she can’t seem to find what words to say. She doesn’t know what this vessel is, or having ever heard of mana, even knowing her grandfather was her caretaker was something new to her knowledge. Mevi finally works up the courage to speak once again, “Grandfather, what will they do with me once I am given?”

Mevi’s grandfather was frank, “I do not know. Only that we have few records of seeing those we give come back or send some kind of notice. I believe, from what I have understood, you may be given as a servant of sorts. But even that I could not say for certain.”

Mevi mulls over the information, but doesn’t take long to come to a decision. “I will do this for you grandfather… And I do thank you for what you have done to take care of me. What little I do have is a treasure to me.”

Mevi’s grandfather, throughout the conversation, seems to age by the moment. Appearing less and less the stern, strong, and stalwart figure that led the Bensari and more like an old, tired, and sad man. Her grandfather only gives a nod in response, reaching his hand to cover his eyes. Leaning forward, as if his head is in pain, he speaks for the last time to Mevi, “Thank you… The Holy Barge will be here tomorrow. I will have the others prepare you, in whatever way they can.” As if wanting to speak more, but losing the will and words to do so, Mevi’s grandfather simply waves a hand to dismiss her. A weak gesture, but Mevi follows it regardless and silently leaves the room. Looking back just before exit one last time at the sad old man in his large and empty room.

The rest of the day was quickly filled with commotion. It did not take many minutes after Mevi’s conversation for her to return to her room, still confused and conflicted. It took even less time before her door was suddenly open and two women walked in. Mevi quickly reeled and recognized one, a tall, and hawkish person who Mevi immediately recognized as her great aunt. Following her was a meek and simply dressed woman who Mevi thought might’ve been only a few years older than herself.

Mevi’s aunt commanded the woman and Mevi, “Come. We have little time, and you must be removed from these filthy clothes at once.” Mevi soon found herself almost swept away from her room, as the girl who must’ve been a servant quickly gathered Mevi and carried her confused and out of her room. The three were transplanted into a large dressing area, walls filled with cupboards, drawers, and shelves housing materials and equipment. In a blur of motion the servant girl quickly began stripping Mevi’s dirty attire off and making measurements. Mevi’s aunt didn’t hesitate to immediately begin scrutinizing every detail. ‘Mevare, you must stand still’ ‘Mevare don’t bother covering up, you are blocking the light.’ ‘Mevare, why are you so filthy.’ ‘Mevare you must put this, that, and the other thing on…’ A whirlwind of motion spiraling around as Mevi attempted her best to follow direction while covering her modesty. Before she knew it she had been plunged into a bubbling bath and scrubbed head to toe by the servant girl while her hawk-mistress gave orders and directions all the while.

Soon Mevi had been cleaned, scrubbed, dried, cleaned again, and placed in a long white blouse. The servant and Mevi’s aunt dutifully and quickly measured every millimeter and began placing fabric, design, and material in every angle along Mevi’s body. Before long she was shooed from the middle of the room, her aunt apparently done with her and a new set of people hauled her to the next area of preparation. Mevi caught a glimpse of herself in a standing mirror, and for one of the few times she can remember, she saw herself and was clean.

Through the rest of the day she was drilled, measured, cleaned a few more times, and lectured. Most a blur of information and details on how to be and act a proper lady, few instructors waiting to ensure she understood and simply pawning her off to the next set of hands. More attention was given to Mevi in the long hours of the day than she had ever received in recalled memory. By the end of the day she was walking with books stacked high on her head, spinning with information without having actually remembered or understood any of it. Before long her handlers seemed done with her and turned her over into a new, different, small guest room with a single bed and a small table without a chair. Mevi’s head spun as the amount of things having taken place so suddenly flooded in waves. She steadied herself against the wall and seemed to fall into it. Confused and head still spinning she found herself in a bathroom on the tiled floor.

Mevi stood up and balanced herself against the sink, which sprayed a sand-soap solution used for scrubbing difficult dirt. The familiar scent summoned her to activate the sink and gather the puddy-like solution into her hands. Leaning against the wall behind her and sitting on the ground, soap slowly dissolving in her hands, Mevi rested for the first time in the entire day. She brushed away the remaining soap allowing it to dissolve against the floor tiles and looked into the bathroom. Built into the wall there was a large mirror, and in her reflection she could hardly recognize herself. Makeup, tied up hair, strange ornaments on her blouse, and so much powdered material covering her. A strange amalgamation of several people’s idea of what she should look like, she thought.

Mevi quickly got up, wiped away the makeup, untied her hair to allow it to hang freely, and discarded the strange items clipped and pinned to her. Her naturally wavy silver hair, fully cleaned pale skin, and vibrant orange eyes staring back at her in the reflection. She hadn’t had many chances to see herself in a real mirror, and even if she could her messiness disallowed for her to dream of being pretty. But in this mirror, she could finally see the girl that had hidden away for so many years.

After Mevi shed the assortment of “enhancements” forced onto her, she returned to the main room. The table was filled, despite being bare before. The table held an assortment of food she can’t recall ever seeing before, artificial meats, fragrant bread, flowering assortments and decadent selections of all kinds of food. She hesitated for a few moments, suddenly not sure if any of it was allowed to be hers. Looking through the bare room, she suddenly noticed on the bed laid some of her belongings. Walking over, she saw her woolen blanket, simple but decorated with pain-stakingly stitched flowers given to her by her mother when she was still very young. Placed neatly next to her blanket was a small mouse-like stuffed animal that she thought she kept hidden, except during asteroid storms. Finally her carved mop, now missing the strings and looking like a carved staff, the flower she engraved polished and the rest of the stick treated and softened. A single note laid among the items, and inside it read simply “Good luck.” without a signature or obvious origin.

Mevi was suddenly overcome by all that had happened and was revealed in such a short amount of time. The return of her few belongings being the last spark to light her emotions aflame. Mevi began to cry, silently, falling to the floor clutching her belongings close to her chest. She only now processing all that had been said and explained. Her being taken from her parents, ignored to save costs, kindness disallowed to prevent her becoming more attached, and suddenly expected to journey to some strange vessel? A “Barge” that apparently no people have returned and only a few had given any signal to home of what goes on. The all too much exposure to the outside overwhelmed her. Looking around in some way to calm herself, she remembered the table of food. Her house’s last and only kindness to her, she thought. Without much hesitation she began to pull and shift the table from its position to closer to her bed. Sitting at the edge of her bed she began eating at the table, slowly picking at the strange new food at first, but then quickly eating while small tears flowed from the corners of her eyes.

At some point she had fallen asleep, her blanket and stuffed creature in her arms. Forgetting, at least in her dreams, of what was to soon arrive.