Mevi left quickly with the metal construct. It returned her through strange and hidden passages down to the lower level of the spire where she had watched the Magi’s servants discuss their plan. Ushered back into Zelkan and her Sentinel’s care, the three of them began the return to the facility; cautiously riding the hovering platform across empty air once again.

Zelkan had not attempted to pry into what had happened, yet was glad Mevi returned without any obvious issues. As they fully landed at the connecting path to the facility, which Mevi had begun to consider almost a new home, Mevi began her explanation of what had occurred. It had taken Mevi the entire time traveling back to the facility just to organize her thoughts of what had even been discussed in the tall spire, along with the immense terror of responsibility that was placed upon her with this new task. Mevi decided, as she began her explanation, to leave out the part pertaining to Modrak until their entire party could be gathered. While Mevi explained Zelkan listened eagerly, seeming almost excited about the task, but quickly became sullen when Mevi mentioned that they would need Saerin’s help. Almost on cue, as their party of three had been walking through the facility halls, Saerin appeared around the corner with their mischievous grin and air of positivity following her every movement. Yet another figure followed closely after the peppy technician.

An extremely tall, blue-skinned, and lanky figure followed Saerin closely as they listened to whatever Saerin was saying intently. They allowed their hood to sway gently around their shoulders and bore silvered insignia etched into their robes to create the arcane sigils that marked some acolytes of high importance. The tall figure was almost unsettlingly thin, as if the creature had never lived in anything beyond zero gravity environments, and two large violet eyes stared unblinking at Saerin with a curious intensity. As the pair rounded the corner Saerin’s grin widened, “Mevi! I was just looking for you and Zelkan. This kind woman said she was sent to speak with your ‘chief attendant’-” Saerin chuckled to herself at the pompous title “-I thought; ‘That could only be Zelkan, he would call himself something like that!’ So here we are!”

Zelkan’s sullen attitude was replaced by an embarrassed annoyance as he sputtered a response, “What? I would never claim…-” Zelkan sighed and attempted to ignore Saerin’s barely-hidden laughter, “Greetings. I presume you are Ouapi, who Lord Alestair sent word of?”

The blue figure politely bowed, “O-e-pi” she clarified, “Yes It is a pleasure to meet you. I was sent to assist you as an advisor and a knowledge base for when you leave for the planet. If you have questions about our departure or procedures, simply ask.”

Mevi returned Ouapi’s bow, to the thin woman’s surprise, and managed to give thanks. Ouapi’s eyes were large with a depth difficult to describe. Mevi almost felt they had a hypnotic gaze to them, but forced herself to not stare too long at the woman. With their new advisor, Mevi’s band of followers was almost complete.

Mevi had not asked about Modrak before now, thinking it would have taken longer to assemble their full party than it actually did. Yet with things progressing so smoothly she looked to Zelkan for his insight after introductions were finished. “Zelkan, do you know where to find someone named ‘Modrak’? The Lords Magi said I needed to find them.” A pause gripped the conversation suddenly. Both Saerin and Zelkan stared at Mevi with a look of some new emotion, could it have been sadness? Pity maybe? Some recalled knowledge came over the two of them, which told Mevi without words that they knew exactly who she was asking about. Ouapi and Mevi watched with a shared ignorance while the Sentinel stood behind Mevi silently. After a moment Saerin spoke when it seemed obvious that Zelkan would not.

“Mevi, I believe I can lead us to him… them. But are you certain the Lords wanted you to find them? I cannot think of what they could be useful for.”

Mevi, cautiously, affirmed Saerin with a nod.

Zelkan then spoke, “Modrak rests deep under the facility, far away from any prying eyes that might assume it has any relation to our Lord. We will need to gather some tools before we set out to find them.”

Then, without any more words, Zelkan began to walk away. Further intrigued by who this ‘Modrak’ was, Mevi followed Zelkan down the hallway the direction Saerin and Ouapi had just come. The group walked in silence, Zelkan leading them with their emotions hidden behind his perfect posture. Mevi was terrified she had somehow been the cause of his discomfort and looked to Saerin who watched Zelkan’s back with an air of sullen understanding. Mevi dared to want an explanation, but was conflicted that it might cause more pain to whatever wound festered within the name ‘Modrak’. Saerin seemed to notice Mevi’s looks back and forth between the two and slowly began to fall back behind the group gesturing for Mevi to follow. When Saerin, Mevi, and the Sentinel who always stood behind Mevi, dropped behind Ouapi and out of easy earshot of Zelkan, Searin began to talk quietly.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

“Mevi… You are aware of how rankings work within the Magi’s employ, correct?”

“I believe so. The Magi are at the top, with the Council above even them, with their mortal followers organizing themselves under them.”

“A simple enough explanation I suppose. The Magi’s Apprentices lead as a sort of representative of their respective lords. Following are Neophytes, the agents of the Magi who handle all types of tasks from reconnaissance, warriors, educators, as well as being the heads of various districts of the four callings; the callings being Legionaries, Custodians, Socialites, and Aedifex.”

“What about the Magicae? Are they not a ‘calling’?” Mevi asked, thinking herself clever to notice the error.

“The Magicae are in a league of their own; anyone who feels the calling of a Magicae is given directly to the Magi Vol, he and his Magicae perform arts incomprehensible to mortals but are in an indirect service to most of the Magi. But yes, I suppose that is one of the callings.” Saerin sighed as they looked back to Zelkan, who continued to walk solemnly ahead. “Then below Neophytes are Stewards, who mostly are in charge of organizing the orders of the Neophytes or given small plots of territory to manage. Finally Acolytes, which make up the bulk of the Magi’s followers. We Acolytes, like myself and Zelkan, perform any and all tasks within our respective callings. Within all levels of this system, besides the Magi and Magi Apprentices themselves, there are Senior or normal followers. Seniors might remain in their respective level their entire lives, never ascending the ladder, but even so to become a Senior Acolyte would hold a similar weight to a Neophyte. It is all quite needlessly complex, the interplay between levels and callings can become terribly muddy.”

Mevi listened intently, but most of this was already explained to her when she was initially taken by the Magi, “Why are you telling me this?” A nagging question got the better of her.

“Because Modrak used to be a Senior Acolyte. They were, in a way, like the leader of many Acolytes within this very facility. While to others they were like a parent and guardian. Modrak served for some several hundred years, so long that many were taken into service for the Magi then died in their service while Modrak was always there. Taking care of us.” Saerin stopped looking towards Zelkan, averting her gaze in a sad way. “To Zelkan, who was one of the last to be mentored by Modrak, they were like a parent.”

“What happened to them, if we can go to them aren’t they still alive?”

Zelkan’s voice echoed from ahead of them as barely a whisper, “That thing is Modrak in name alone.”

This statement seemed to end the conversation there and then. Without further explanation the group traveled in silence through the facility. As they did Zelkan stopped by various stations, rooms, and odd attachments to the facility Mevi had not explored before. Many appeared like labs, workshops, or even strange types of stores. Yet of course they used no obvious kind of currency. Zelkan gathered bundles of heavy clothes, strange devices that could emit long beams of light, and weapons. Zelkan ensured that each of their group held at least a defensive heat blaster. The Sentinel, at some point, had acquired their own golden halberd along with a large rifle that pulsed with a blue energy as if it were unstable.

Mevi was issued a small type of blaster, which she had initially refused to take after its similarity to the weapon that wounded Kalesi not so long ago. Yet Zelkan’s grim insistence, and the looming presence of her Sentinel’s gaze convinced her to at least hold it. The device appeared similar to any type of projectile gun, but had a large bulge in the barrel that emitted a dull orange glow like it was boiling with churning magma.

With their equipment acquired, Zelkan continued to lead them into the facility. Yet at some point Mevi realized they had begun slowly descending. The architecture slanted, the floor was a small decline rather than stairs or hovering platforms to ferry one up and down. Instead the facility began to slowly descend where every turn became jagged and straight, abandoning the smooth architecture that had become so familiar. As they followed the path laid out by Zelkan, Mevi began to feel uncertain of this task. Some feeling of familiar dread was creeping over her subconscious, as if she had a need to run as quickly to the surface as possible. Yet the presence of her companions calmed her, while the looming golden form of the Sentinel reassured her of safety.

After a long time, unknown exactly how long they had been walking, the lights had taken upon an almost monochrome hue. The smooth marble was replaced with creeping metal that almost seemed to eat away and convert the white stone to its own technological mess of pipes. The path they followed suddenly stopped, blocked by a single door barely taller than the Sentinel. Zelkan turned to Mevi to address her directly for the first time since she had first mentioned the name ‘Modrak’. “My lady, I must warn you. Modrak is kept deep within the facility, below even Lord Magi Maphet’s influence. Their cage is kept within what many call the ‘Undercity’. The infrastructure below the surface of the City of Light. There are many fiends and vagrants that inhabit this place, long since abandoning the light of the Magi. We must, all of us, stay close to each other and remain on the singular path.”

Mevi simply nodded in response, feeling the weight of the oncoming threat they were about to experience in her memories of the Pipes.

As her affirmation was confirmed, Mevi could see the hint of a terrible grief pass over Zelkan’s face. Yet it was soon replaced with a solemn dedication to their duty. As their task lay before them, given directly by the Magi themselves, Mevi and her companions pushed open the sealed door to enter the Undercity.