Our excitement was palpable as we headed down the hallway to our offices, reading as we walked and flipping the stapled pages with nimble speed. To my great surprise, I realized that most of what was detailed in the sheet I’d recently learned from the books I’d been reading in the library.
Agartha was a rarely mentioned legend above ground, and records were almost equally limited in the mage world below. It was rumored to be one of the ten surviving colonies populated by the peoples from Mu when their continent disappeared beneath the waves of the Atlantic Ocean some 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. While most of the other ten colonies, such as Shambhala and Xibalba, moved underground around that time, Agartha supposedly survived above ground until they were attacked some 5,200 years ago. Afterward, they followed suit and disappeared below ground, taking all the written records with them and leaving us mortal mages with only word of mouth.
More recent records, recordings of rumors and ravings of madmen and attention seekers, claim that the peoples of Agartha were only humanoid in shape, with split tongues to speak two languages at once. Other rumors claim that Agartha is powered by nuclear energy, with trains and vehicles encompassing their great city. Yet more claim it’s guarded by the “Master of the Universe,” a mage of great age who is thought to be descended from a god, and took rulership over Agartha.
The reports in our hand confirmed a powerful did protect and rule over the city, though no association between him and the ‘Master of the Universe’ was mentioned in the report. This ruler was known as Z’us. Neither Cove nor I would meet him, but our envoys would give us a brief tour of the city in order to facilitate good relations between our peoples.
This would be my first trip, in my home world at any rate, out of the country.
Cove and I diligently studied the papers in our separate offices. My phone dinged as I flipped to the last page, notifying me of a message from Cove. It stated:
Meet me in TR 2A in 1hr. Need to teach u mental magic before Agartha trip
I sent him an acknowledgment text and continued researching.
Cove was already waiting in the training room when I arrived, excitement buoying his step and dropping nearly a decade off of his face.
“The easiest form of Mental magic,” he began, his voice higher than usual, “is similar to the uncategorized magic we used to sense and exchange magic. As such, it doesn’t require physical touch to work, though, like with exchanging, it is easier if you do so. The main difference between them is simple–you expand your magic out, reaching for the mind and not the magic.”
I paid rapt attention, both eager and uneasy to learn this form of magic. I’d read enough books to know the potential misuse of this power and was wary of falling into the same traps that led to people’s downfall. I’d allowed myself to use the mind-controlling green gem in Heirs a few times, after all.
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“I want you to try it on me without relying on touch.”
I reached out with my magic, letting it expand as I searched for Cove’s mind.
“Since you’re a spaciotemporal mage, the most difficult part will be sensing my mind. Be mindful of anything unusual buried in my magic.”
The deeper I searched through the fabric of the world, the more aware I felt of Cove’s deep wellspring of magic, tendrils left behind by him like strands of hair as he moved. The air was saturated with his magic, and finding his mind beneath it felt as daunting as finding the Titanic at the bottom of the ocean.
“Once you find it the first time, it will be easier the second.”
I continued searching, brushing my magic against him as I searched for his mind.
Minutes passed, then hours.
Frustration ignited the flames in my chest, spreading the sparks through the air.
Cove’s magic churned, spraying out like a child splashing playfully.
Suddenly, I could discern the intelligence and the playful mind from the watery presence, and the knowledge slid into my mind as it had always been there. In a similar fashion to our magic exchanges, I established a connection between us. When the connection was established, and the fire and water were linked, instead of pushing my magic down the connection, I pushed a simple thought, a question mark.
Applause broke out. “You got it!”
I opened my eyes, unsure of when I had close them, to bear witness to Cove’s exaggerated applause.
“Now try it on Ani!” he instructed, pointing at the cat stretched out on the floor by my feet.
I did so, finding his playful fire far easier to connect with. Ani sent a responding feeling of joy and excitement down the connection, and his tail was swishing joyfully when I glanced down at the ground.
Without prompting, I close my eyes again, stretching out to feel for additional presence in the building. I established no connections, simply observing the shapes of their mind and getting a feel for their presence.
I’d noticed it with Cove and Ani, but each person’s magic moved differently depending on their personality. Playful beings, such as Cove and Ani, would dance around, sending joyful jabs when they sensed your presence. More reserved individuals unconsciously shied away, their presence shifting further away or burying itself deeper the closer I approached.
My face felt like it would split in two with the force of my smile when I returned.
“You can tell a lot about a person by how their presence shifts and moves. You shouldn’t treat this like a cheat, though. More advanced mental mages are able to mask their presence, shaping it however they want to be interpreted. Some may even be able to change the presence and appearance of those around them as they twist their minds into gear. Even non-mages can come across as honest if they believe their lies.
“When we get to the mental magics portion of your training, we’ll go into how to detect and how to protect yourself from mental attacks. You have the earrings for now.” Cove said dismissively.