The Magi

Elijah looked at Isaac in disbelief. The others standing nearby seemed to have the same feeling. They looked around at each other, stealing quick glances at Elijah, and looking sick to their stomachs. Mr. Button waved his arms in the air signaling attention to all the students that had gathered.

“Please go back to your rooms everyone! And lock your doors!”

Mr. Button shooed the students along, especially the crowd continuing to linger around Elijah’s door.

“When did this happen?” Elijah asked.

“Not too long ago,” said Mr. Button. “I’ve alerted the elders, and the soldiers should be here soon.”

“Soldiers?” Elijah asked as he looked again at the note stabbed to his door.

“Protectors of our city,” Paul said when Mr. Button didn’t answer, obviously distracted by the continued commotion in the halls. “They’re stationed around the city to keep out Maliphists. Kind of like a lookout. They’re trained and skilled in using the elements for warfare if they need to.”

“Well, they’re going to need to now,” said Mr. Button, returning to the conversation, a hint of panic in his voice. He looked around anxiously, making sure things were still okay.

“How could they just walk in and take Samuel?” Elijah asked. “Wasn’t anyone here? Did anyone see it?”

“I did,” said a small, timid voice behind them. They turned around and saw the big, round eyes of Adam Flemming looking like a frightened puppy.

“Did anyone else see?” Mr. Button asked Adam, who Elijah thought might keel over from the pressure of being questioned.

“There was a girl walking up the stairs who saw too,” Adam muttered.

“Who?” interrogated Mr. Button.

“I don’t know her name, but I’ve seen her in trainings. I think she’s in her preliminary year too.”

“Okay,” said Mr. Button. “I have some things to take care of, but I need to talk with you four still. Go directly downstairs into my quarters and wait for me. Do NOT wander off, understand? I’ll be in there as soon as I find this girl.”

Elijah, Paul, Isaac, and Adam walked down the stairs into the main room with the oval fire pit, witnessing a scene at the front doors as the trainers and teachers were fielding questions from concerned parents.

“We’ve searched the entire facility and have taken all precautions necessary to keep the students safe,” Elijah heard a trainer say. “Soldiers will be here shortly.”

Elijah sensed the panic rising from the adults outside. Things could get ugly fast.

The four boys walked down the stairs into the training arena and approached Mr. Button’s quarters, which was tucked away at the far end of the arena. As soon as they made it to the bottom, Elijah shuddered. During training, when lots of students were using the equipment and doing their exercises, the massive room wasn’t at all scary. With just the four of them, however, in the wake of the Maliphist kidnapping, the arena was a big, dark place where potential danger lurked. The flickering shadows caused by the torches made Elijah jump now and then. Each step they took echoed loudly throughout the entire building. There would be no sneaking around here.

The closer the boys got to Mr. Button’s quarters, the quicker they walked, hustling to get there and finally closing the door behind them. At first, after finding a comfortable place to sit, they just looked around, avoiding eye contact. Surprisingly, it was Adam that spoke first.

“I’m sorry about your friend,” he said to Elijah. Elijah nodded, looking at the ground. He hadn’t had time to digest what had happened. It was scary to think just how easily the Maliphists could break in and take a child in such a closely watched place with only a couple people seeing.

After a short wait, Mr. Button walked in followed by a very thin girl with long brown hair and large brown eyes. Elijah recognized her from his mental training classes and remembered thinking she was very pretty, except she frequently carried a smirk on her face that made her seem less attractive.

“Gentlemen, this is Becca Uribe. I believe you know her seeing as you are all in your preliminaries,” Button said. “Have a seat, sweetheart.” She found a chair and glided over to it, sitting down delicately, immediately crossing her legs and folding her hands on her lap. “So let’s run through what happened. You start Adam.”

Adam looked quickly around the room before he began. “Almost everyone was gone. I went into the washroom and I heard a noise, so I peaked out and saw two of them.”

“The Maliphists?” asked Button.

“Yes,” Adam replied. “One had Samuel already, and the other shot that piece of wood through Elijah’s door.”

“Did they see you?” Mr. Button asked.

“No. I don’t think so.”

“And you didn’t try to help?” Paul asked in a judgmental tone.

Adam looked hurt.

“It’s good that you didn’t,” said Mr. Button shooting a look at Paul, who at this point was getting restless with the talking. “If you had, you might have been taken too, or worse. How about you?” he asked Becca.

“You mean did they see me, or what’s my story?” she asked in a very matter-of- fact tone.

“Both.”

“I was just walking up the stairs to my room. I happened to see them taking that boy into Elijah’s room.”

“Why were they taking Samuel into Elijah’s room?” Mr. Button asked.

Becca shrugged.

“Did they see you?” he continued.

“I don’t know. Possibly,” she stated without a hint of fear or worry.

“Did you catch up on old times?” Paul asked jerkily. Becca pursed her lips and glared at him.

“That’s enough, Paul,” Mr. Button scolded. Paul snorted and huffed and went back to fidgeting. “Did anything happen after that?” Mr. Button continued, talking to both Becca and Adam. Becca shook her head. Adam, however, nodded.

“I think they went out Elijah’s window,” Adam answered. “I heard them in there, and they never came back out after they took Samuel in.”

“Did you see them come out?” Mr. Button asked Becca.

“No,” she responded. “I only saw them for a second.” Mr. Button scratched his bald head and bit his lower lip.

“And that’s when you came looking for me,” Mr. Button said to Adam piecing the story together. Adam nodded. Mr. Button turned in Elijah’s direction but was looking at the long list of names and destinations on the dismissal log. “According to the dismissal logs, you went to visit the Roddick family?”

“I was there all day,” Elijah said, feeling defensive.

“You’re not in trouble Elijah; I just need to get everything straight. As you can imagine this is a delicate situation.”

“Can I go now?” asked Becca in a tone part polite, part annoyed.

“Keeping you from something?” Paul interjected sarcastically. “Bet you’re just itching to get back to your own kind, aren’t you?” Becca closed her eyes and took a deep breath, fighting to maintain her composure.

“If you have nothing else to add,” Mr. Button said, “you may go. Isaac, will you make sure she gets upstairs safely?”

“Sure,” Isaac replied, his usual smile erased from his face. Becca rolled her eyes and walked out the door while Isaac followed quite a ways behind her. As Mr. Button poked his head outside to make sure they both were okay, Elijah leaned over to Paul.

“What’s with her?” he asked.

Paul snorted. “She’s one of them. Her family came to Savenridge from Malpetra about a year ago.”

“Malpetra?” Elijah asked.

“The Maliphist city. It’s where they’re keeping your uncle and Phinneas. And now Samuel,” explained Paul.

“And Becca’s a Maliphist?” Elijah asked, shocked she would be here living with the Magi.

“Well, apparently not anymore,” Paul said. “When the Uribe family arrived at Savenridge, they had defected from Malpetra. They talked with the elder council and everything and swore their allegiance to the Magi, but I don’t trust them. Especially her! You saw her! She acted like this was no big deal. Like Maliphists just show up every weekend to kidnap someone. Plus, she thinks she’s better than everyone else.” Elijah had a slight temptation to say ‘Look who’s talking’ but wisely decided against it.

Mr. Button left his quarters for just a second and came back into the room carrying lots of blankets and pillows. Behind him was a man in a black cloak. Elijah hadn’t seen anyone in Savenridge wearing black before. The man stayed outside the door even when Mr. Button walked into the room and threw the bedding into a pile on the floor. Isaac soon returned to the room after walking Becca upstairs.

“I think it’s best you four stay here for tonight,” Mr. Button said, shuffling paperwork. “The soldiers are here now, and they’ll be surrounding the training quarters during the night. We’ll also have a soldier right outside this door for your protection.” He pointed at the black-cloaked man. “We’ll try to get this whole thing straightened out by morning.”

Mr. Button walked out the door and closed it. There were no windows in the room, just a desk and lots of papers scattered everywhere. It was very untidy. After a long silence, when all four boys had picked out their bedding and a spot on the floor to sleep, Adam’s bottom lip began to quiver.

“You’re right,” he said. “I should have done something.” Elijah knew he was talking about helping Samuel, and he felt awful for Adam just then. Clearly, he hadn’t gotten over Paul’s earlier comment. Paul noticed too, and his eyebrows slowly lifted in sympathy as he realized what his words had done to Adam.

“I’m sorry Adam,” Paul said, his voice suddenly gentle. “I didn’t mean it. I was just…look, Button was right. Anyone willing to break in right in front of everyone and take someone wouldn’t think twice about killing a kid. You did the right thing.”

Isaac leaned over and patted Adam on the shoulder. Adam conjured up a forced smile while he wiped away the water from his eyes before they turned to tears and ran down his cheeks.

“I just keep thinking about Samuel,” Adam continued. “I know how he feels. At least, I knew how he felt here.”

“What do you mean?” Elijah asked, thinking about how little he actually knew Samuel. Elijah was the one person Samuel knew in Savenridge, and he realized he never took the time to really talk with him.

“I came from Saint Phillip’s Academy too,” Adam said, not making eye contact with any of the boys. “It was a little over a year ago. I was an orphan for nine years before I came to Savenridge. My parents decided to just leave me with some random family when I was three, and I went from one boarding school to the next until I ended up at the academy, and then finally here.” He shook his head and wiped his eyes again. “I love living here and everything, but no matter how great your life is or how nice your adopted family is, it never takes the sting away from not being wanted by your real parents. It feels like a big hole—like a puzzle missing one piece. It’s not right without it.” Paul stared at the ground now, his restlessness returning. Isaac looked directly at Adam, who now held his legs and rested his chin on his knees as he talked. “I know how alone Samuel felt, but I can’t even imagine how scared and more alone he feels now. I’m sure it wouldn’t have done any good, but at least if I had done something to help, he would have known he wasn’t alone. That someone cared enough to try.”

Adam Flemming may have been a shy, quiet boy who didn’t like to talk much, but when he did, it was hard not to listen. The three other boys kept quiet for a while, letting Adam’s words sink in. They thought about Samuel. They thought about what he might be feeling now and hoped he was okay. Elijah felt guilty. It was his fault Samuel was taken. It would be his fault if more students were taken. Right then, he decided in the morning he would request to be taken to Malpetra in exchange for as many prisoners as they would give up. He was not worth all of this.

To take his mind off of everything, Elijah decided to keep the conversation going. He looked at Adam.

“I didn’t know you came from Saint Phillip’s Academy.” Adam nodded his head. “Are either of you from there?” Elijah asked Paul and Isaac.

“No,” said Paul. “I live with my mom here. My worthless father decided to join the Maliphists three years ago and left my mom here alone to raise me and my two sisters. I tell ya, it’s hard to not want to use the Magi power to go over to Malpetra and crush him within an inch of his life for that. But I’d still knock him out if I ever get the chance. I don’t need a single element. Just a good right hook.” He took a swing at the air.

“What about you?” Elijah asked Isaac.

“I live with my grandparents, Monty and Isabelle Rogers. Or, Mammy and Pappy to me.” He smiled and Elijah saw the old, happy Isaac return as he talked about his family. “My mom and dad and older brother, Caleb, are all marshals. They work outside the city, so I don’t see them much. But they’re around for holidays and I’ll get to see them lots during the summer break.”

Elijah perked up hearing this. “Marshals? You mean, the Magi who work to stop Maliphists?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Would they know my uncle?”

Isaac shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe.”

“When do they come back to the city?”

“Not for a long time,” Isaac said disappointed. Elijah’s shoulders sank and he sighed in defeat.

“I can ask my grandparents,” said Isaac trying to give Elijah a little hope. “They might know something.”

“Thanks,” said Elijah.

The four boys only stayed up a while longer. When the conversation waned, Paul got up and doused the torch, signaling it was time for bed. Even so, it took a long time for each of them to finally fall asleep. When he finally began to drift off, Elijah wondered if Samuel was having a hard time falling asleep too, wherever he was.

The next morning, Mr. Button woke the boys up early. It was obvious he had been up all night. Dark circles surrounded his eyes. His face and body were droopy, and he walked a little slower than normal. The atmosphere of the entire training facility was much different than it had been before. Instead of the energy and pulse of students going to their training exercises, the barracks looked deserted. When someone did venture out, a soldier followed close by.

Mr. Button took the boys upstairs and told them their rooms had been thoroughly inspected and cleared to live in again. He released Adam, Paul, and Isaac to go to their own rooms, reminding them to return to training as soon as they could get ready. He then escorted Elijah to his room, a soldier following closely behind.

“You’re room is safe, but we’ve got a soldier directly under your window just in case,” Mr. Button said. “And we’ll have one outside your door, too. I know that may be a nuisance, but it’s best to be cautious, eh? We need to keep you safe.”

“Actually, I kind of want to talk to someone about that,” Elijah said. “I don’t see why other students are being put in danger just to keep me safe. I don’t want to be responsible for anything else.”

“Oh, don’t you worry about that,” Mr. Button said. “We’ve got this place completely surrounded and under constant watch. I don’t think Maliphist himself could get through.” Mr. Button’s reassurance didn’t make Elijah feel any better, but he figured Button wouldn’t be the person to talk to anyway. “We left the room exactly as it was,” Mr. Button continued. “Take some time to fix it back, but don’t forget you have training today. You missed your early session, and that’s understandable, but you should get down there as soon as you can.”

Elijah looked at the mess in his room. His discussion class books were scattered everywhere. It appeared like a few were even looked through as some lay open on the floor and on his bed. The Maliphists wouldn’t have had much time to do it, but then again, Elijah remembered the attack at his parents’ house and how quickly the figure with the yellow eyes had moved. The Maliphists definitely knew how to do things quickly!

His clothes had been scattered all over the floor, so Elijah began to sort them and put them neatly back into the wooden chest by the window. As he continued to fold and clean, his mind began to wander again and he thought about Samuel. He thought about what Adam said the night before, and he wished more than anything he could go back in time and spend more time with Samuel.

When Elijah finished putting away his books and clothes all strung about, his room looked much better, but he soon noticed something that caught the light of the torch burning on his wall. It gleamed under the leg of the chest, so Elijah bent down to see what it was. He got down on all fours and peered under the wooden chest, reaching around until his hand clasped around something familiar. It was his mother’s locket. Elijah picked it up and used his shirt to make it shine again. He delicately handled the cheap metal, inspecting it to make sure it wasn’t damaged, and then returned it to the wooden chest.

Elijah reached into his pocket and felt his father’s pocket watch, which he still kept with him always as his father had done. Since he found two of the three items he kept from his family, he went searching the room for Kyria’s two diaries. To his horror, he couldn’t find them anywhere.

He thought maybe he had accidentally piled them with the other books, but after a second look through his pile, he knew otherwise. His heart raced as he frantically searched high and low for the two priceless diaries. He tore everything out of the chest and scattered everything on the floor again, shaking his clothes and feeling around for the books. He tore his bed apart thinking maybe they had gotten lodged in the sheets. He searched under the bed, under the chest, on his desk, under his desk. No diaries.

Elijah looked at the window remembering the Maliphists most likely entered and exited through it. He opened it, searching everywhere for any clues of the diaries’ whereabouts. He looked down below at the snow-covered ground for a sign of a book. He didn’t see anything, but sure enough, just as Mr. Button said, a soldier in a black cloak guarded the space under his window.

Elijah ran out of his room, leaving a worse mess than the Maliphists left, passing the soldier guarding his door. The soldier caught him and stopped him.

“Please!” Elijah begged, pulling himself from the hold of the soldier. “I’m missing something. I have to look outside. Please!” Elijah felt himself on the verge of tears, but he kept his composure. The soldier let go.

“You need to follow me,” the soldier finally said, and he led Elijah toward the front of the quarters. They walked outside and Elijah pointed to where he wanted to look. He ran under his window, got on his hands and knees and began shoveling snow, feeling the ground all over with his hands. The two soldiers continued to hover over him. He looked up.

“Help me!” he screamed at them. “I’m looking for two dark brown books. One has a gold lock on it.” Elijah never looked back to see if they were helping, but he thought he could hear them pushing the snow around with their feet.

It wasn’t long before he gave up, knowing the fate of his sister’s only lasting memories. He caught his breath and leaned his back against the side of the wall as he sat in agony. The Maliphists now had possession of Kyria’s diaries.