The Magi

“Did you hear something?” asked Roddick as Elijah shot upright. Roddick had been keeping watch at the mouth of the cave.

“No,” said Elijah, out of breath. “I just feel . . . strange.”

“Can you explain it?” Roddick asked.

“I’m not sure,” Elijah began. “You remember how I told you about that night my parents were killed?” Roddick nodded quickly. “I feel the same. Like we’re in danger here.” Roddick took a brief look outside and then stood up quickly.

“Samuel! Get up!” Roddick kicked out the fire as Samuel scrambled about, still groggy and confused. “Now listen. Until I know what we’re dealing with, you’ll need to do what I say and ask no questions. It won’t be light for a few more hours, so stay close and keep up.”

Elijah wanted to ask why Roddick was taking his feeling so seriously, but before he could make a sound, Roddick scanned the area and took off.

At first, Elijah found it easy to keep up. The snow was not hard to travel through even though it soaked his shoes. He missed the fire from the cave, though. It was cold outside, and little gusts of frigid wind pierced his body like needles penetrating his skin.

Eventually, however, the trip became much more difficult. They crossed frozen streams and traveled through forests thick with trees. On more than one occasion, Elijah ran into a branch or tripped on a stump.

The sky began to slowly turn from a dark blue and gray to a brilliant orange. Half the sky was painted by the sun’s touch as though it was carefully smearing itself onto the night’s dark blue canvas. The sun inched its way closer to the horizon, and the clouds absorbed the color. The light bled through the edges at first, and then soaked each cloud with color. It was a magnificent view, and Elijah found it hard to resist looking at it while they hiked.

After traveling for hours, they reached a range of snow-covered hills that had no trees and very few hiding places. There were some rocks and ledges that could be used for partial cover, but nothing big enough to hide behind for any length of time. When they reached the base of the range, Roddick bent down, pulled out his pack and retrieved two pairs of thick-looking boots.

“Now I didn’t know we’d have a third along with us,” Roddick said, “so I only have boots for two. These are made in Savenridge. They’re warm, but they’re especially made for climbing. See the bottoms?”

Elijah picked up a boot and looked at the bottom. The tread was thick and had some kind of material that didn’t feel like anything Elijah had worn. It looked like thick rubber, but felt like steel. On the heel of the boot were many V shapes pointing back. On the ball of the boot, those same V shapes pointed forward. The sides of the boot funneled out like small slides.

“Now look here,” Master Roddick said. “These V shapes will grab on to anything you walk on. That’s why we haven’t worn them until now. They’re made for mountain traveling. It’s too hard to walk with them on flat ground. It’ll feel weird as you walk—like you’re going to fall, but you need to trust them. The heel will grip on the way up, the top half will grip on the way down, and the sides will push aside any snow or water you track. As long as you trust it, you won’t fall. If you don’t—” He didn’t finish his sentence, but Elijah understood.

Roddick looked at Samuel. “Seeing as you’re the smallest, you’ll be the easiest for me to carry if you need it, so you’ll have to go on without the boots. Keep ahead of me. I’ll help you where you need help.” Samuel looked as though he was just sentenced to death. Elijah was tempted to ask if he could be the one without the boots, but before he could protest, Roddick was up and leading Samuel out in front of him.

The instant Elijah took his first step onto the mountainside, he knew what Roddick meant by trusting the boots. They gripped the side of the mountain firmly, but the incline was so steep Elijah thought he was going to fall backwards. He was sure he would slip and fall off during the climb, but he forced himself to trust the boots with each terrifying step, even though his body told him not to.

Samuel, on the other hand, had a rough time without the boots. He slipped over and over, and if it hadn’t been for Master Roddick’s help and quick reflexes, he would have slid off the side a number of times.

After an hour of slow climbing, the ground leveled off slightly. Elijah’s legs burned with every step. His muscles quivered. The trio had been on the move without rest since the early morning, stopping only to drink. Elijah struggled to catch his breath the higher they went. For miles, he could see nothing but snow with a few green treetops peeking out from underneath the whitened world.

When they reached the summit, Master Roddick gathered Elijah and Samuel. “This is the most challenging part of the journey. We call it Air Walker’s Pass. Many die on this ridge because of carelessness. Keep close to the mountainside, and pay attention where you step. Samuel, stay between me and Elijah on the way down and take small steps.”

It didn’t take long for Elijah to see why this was called Air Walker’s Pass. The path was so narrow and close to the mountainside he couldn’t see anything in front of him. It gave him the illusion he was actually walking on air, which was quite scary since the bottom was hundreds of feet below.

Samuel, however, began to seriously panic. After walking for just a few minutes on the skinny pass, he hugged the mountainside to his right and refused to move. He closed his eyes and stiffened up.

“I CAN’T DO THIS!”

Master Roddick turned around.

“It’s okay, lad. I’ve got you. You just have to go slow and be careful!”

“NO! YOU’LL SLIP TOO! THIS ISN’T SAFE!”

As Samuel shouted, he began backpedaling up the narrow path toward Elijah. He didn’t look where his feet were going as they inched closer and closer to the edge of the ridge. His eyes were crazed and wild. His breathing was short and quick.

“Lad, stop and look at me!” Master Roddick warned. He sounded as scared as Elijah had ever heard.

Elijah flattened his back against the mountain and started to take off his boots. “Samuel, here! You can have these!” Elijah raised both boots to tempt Samuel. Samuel stopped, standing precariously between Elijah and Master Roddick. He stared at the boots for a long time, still looking wild. Slowly, his panicked state faded as he eyed the boot Elijah held out in front of him. How Samuel had not fallen off the edge, Elijah didn’t know. His back faced the sudden drop off, and it looked as though half of his foot hung over the edge. A half a step back and he would tumble over the side.

No words were spoken as Samuel stared blankly at the boot dangling from Elijah’s hand. All three were afraid to say or do anything. Samuel’s expression slackened, and his eyes came into focus again as he reached out for the boot. When he finally grabbed the boot from Elijah’s hand, his face was relieved. He held the boot in his left hand, and the instant he moved to put it on, his foot slipped, and Samuel plummeted down over the edge of the pass, out of sight. Elijah and Master Roddick gaped in horror.

Elijah didn’t think. He got down flat on his belly and army-crawled along the sliver of a path until he reached the spot Samuel fell. He was afraid to look. He peered over the side and then screamed for help.

“Master Roddick! Keep me up!” Elijah commanded, carefully moving his body over the edge. Roddick squeezed between Elijah and the mountainside and gripped his legs, digging the heel of his boots into the snow for traction. With Roddick holding on, Elijah scooted himself forward so his chest and half his belly hung over the edge.

Inches below Elijah’s hand hung a ghostly-looking Samuel, clinging to the boot which had caught in between two rocks. It saved his life.

“I—I—I can’t . . . feel my body,” Samuel said frantically. “I’m—I’m getting dizzy. I think I might let go!” Samuel’s panic returned quickly.

“Samuel—I can help you, but you have to hang on!” Elijah said. “Just hang on!” Elijah turned his head around. “Roddick, I need a little more.” Master Roddick lifted his boots, and his grip slipped. Elijah slid farther over the edge than he wanted. He lost his breath for a second. Below, he could hear Samuel start to plead with him.

“Please Elijah—I don’t want to—I—I can’t hold on, I’m—” Elijah was afraid he wouldn’t even get a chance to help Samuel. If he didn’t hold on, what Elijah did wouldn’t matter. But Samuel was still there, hanging on for his life.

Elijah gripped Samuel’s hands. They were ice cold. He turned to Roddick and shouted, “Pull me up!”

As Roddick pulled, Samuel hit his head on a protruding rock. With his body already weakened from panic, the force knocked Samuel unconscious just as Elijah pulled him safely onto the path. Both Elijah and Roddick sat with their backs against the mountain breathing heavily. They looked at each other in a silent congratulation, but didn’t speak a word.

After a while, Roddick said, “Go ahead and put the boots back on. I’ll carry him the rest of the way until he comes to. Hopefully, we’ll be down by then. You okay?”

“Yeah,” Elijah said. His heart was beating so fast, he wondered if he would need Roddick to carry him too.

“Okay. Let’s get going before he wakes up.” Roddick said. He flung Samuel over his broad shoulder like a big bag of grain and carried him with one hand while he used the other to keep his balance. Elijah felt weak and unsteady the rest of the way down the pass, but he didn’t slip once.

As soon as they reached the bottom of the mountain, the weather instantly changed. What used to be frigid and thick snow turned patchy and soggy. The temperature increased slightly, which Elijah welcomed.

Roddick looked around. “We may have to make camp around here since it’s getting dark again.”

“We’re not going to make it to the Magi city tonight?” Elijah asked.

“Not the way we came today.” Master Roddick answered. “There’s two routes to Savenridge. I’m much more familiar with the other route. I’ve traveled to Savenridge through the pass before, but carrying Samuel took us a little more time.” Roddick massaged and rotated his shoulder. “When you had your sense this morning, I decided to take us through the pass. It’s just as well. If we were being followed by Maliphists, they would have expected us to go the other way. Plus, they wouldn’t risk going through the pass themselves.”

“Do you think my feeling was right?” asked Elijah. It surprised him how seriously Master Roddick had taken it. Roddick didn’t answer right away. He concentrated on making a fire. He reached out his hands and directly between his two palms, from out of nowhere, a flame appeared. In a matter of seconds, the floating flame ignited the wood and created a roaring fire. Roddick sat down breathing heavily and looking slightly angry.

“Sorry,” Roddick gasped, his face returning to his normally kind expression. “Fire’s not an easy element for me. I can get by, but water’s by far my best. You’ll learn that a fire controller could have done that without blinking. I’m afraid it’s much harder for me.” Elijah stared at the blazing fire, amazed Roddick could start it by just raising his hands.

When Roddick finally caught his breath, he turned toward Elijah.

“To answer your previous question, I don’t know if your feeling was right or not. If you felt it, you felt it. It’s a waste of time, if you ask me, to question things like that. There are things we just can’t explain. We just know. You knew we were in danger this morning. Who am I to question that?” Master Roddick let out a huge sigh and laid down flat. “Let’s get some rest, huh?”

The fire made Elijah feel much better. He lifted his feet up to the edge of the flames to dry them out. The steam rose from his socks as the water evaporated. For a few minutes longer they silently rested and warmed themselves. They were tired and drained from the excitement of the day, and in moments, they all were sound asleep.

Samuel was the first to wake up the following morning. He didn’t speak a word about his near fall which made Elijah grateful. He didn’t want to relive it either.

Elijah was absolutely starving! He hadn’t eaten at all the day before, and his stomach ached for something to fill it. A pizza sounded amazing, but something told him Roddick didn’t have that stashed away anywhere nearby.

Samuel looked confused. In a very groggy voice, he asked, “Are we there? The Magi city?”

“Not yet,” Roddick answered. “We should be there soon.” Elijah’s stomach gave a growl so intense it echoed loud enough for the others to hear. Roddick chuckled. “Here.” He reached into his pack and pulled out a few pieces of meat that looked like jerky. “Sorry about yesterday. With all the hustle and bustle, I forgot all about eating.”

Elijah wolfed it down. The meat was dry but tender, and it settled nicely in his empty stomach.

His body was stiff and sore from the long journey, and it took a while to loosen up. Master Roddick, Elijah, and Samuel headed out, eating the dried meat scraps along the way.

Roddick was apparently not as worried about being followed this time because he hiked with less urgency. The journey was also much less difficult. They walked through thick trees and soggy brush, but the snow was not as intimidating here on this side of the mountain range.

After two hours passed, Roddick slowed down. In front of them was of an ambush of thousands of trees. They were weaved and tangled and connected to one another in such a way, it looked impossible to cross. Elijah looked to the left. Then to the right. The trees seemed to be melted together with the branches and trunks in a madness of green and brown. Roddick stood very still and quiet—concentrating.

“This way,” he said after a minute. They walked just slightly to the right, stepping on ferns and hopping over dead logs. Roddick marched straight into the mesh of trees to a spot with just the tiniest of openings, invisible from farther away. It appeared to be only a few feet tall. Elijah thought there was no way any of them could fit into that opening. To his surprise, he was wrong. Roddick stepped forward and his lower half suddenly disappeared. It looked like he sunk three feet into the ground.

“C’mon now,” Roddick said, turning around and waving Elijah and Samuel over.

They both walked to the opening and dropped in. Even if Elijah had been looking for it, he wouldn’t have seen it. Now that they were inside the trees, they could see a very narrow passageway, angling to the right. They had to walk sideways to fit through. Soon, the web of trees loosened, and they stepped right up to two towering wooden doors. Just to the left of the massive doors was a smaller, regular-sized wooden door.

Master Roddick approached the door and stated his name very loudly and clearly.

“Glen Roddick!” The door opened from the inside and the three of them stepped through. Elijah had a tingling sensation in his arms and legs as he walked toward the city beyond the door.

“Welcome to Savenridge!” Master Roddick exclaimed.

Elijah didn’t really know what to expect, but this was nothing like he pictured. Master Roddick may have called it a city, but Elijah thought it looked more like a tiny—albeit beautiful—village. All of the buildings were very simple, built with stones or brick and some out of logs. It reminded Elijah of the quaint Christmas villages he saw in stores and magazines.

A stone path, scattered with patches of snow, carved its way down the middle of the city and continued on further, even as the buildings became scarce.

The people traveled by foot. There were lots of small carts and shops and venders on both sides of the road. Many of the carts poured into the street, making a kind of crowded marketplace. The pulse was incredible. There was hot bread for sale. Wooden toys and puppets. Chocolate. Steaming cider. Fruit. Vegetables. Fish. Beef. Christmas wreaths. Elijah even spotted a cart selling antlers. The whole town was busy running their errands and preparing for Christmas.[K1]

“This is the city center,” Master Roddick explained. “Savenridge is spread out as far as you can see, but most everything happens here. This is where the council meets. It’s where we have our city celebrations and gatherings. And as you can see, you can get most anything here.” He started pointing to the different places around the center. “Over there on the left is the Savenridge Lodge. When visiting Magi from other parts of the world visit, they stay there. And just farther down toward the river is the Savenridge Library. You see that clock tower over there?” He pointed to the right side of the road. “We just dedicated that a few years ago for our tercentennial. We have a fantastic clockmaker in town. There’s the butcher, and there’s the best fruit cart, and just beyond these shops there’s a lot of houses. I live just to the right, here.” They continued walking up the road, passing more shops and carts.

Elijah was captivated by the land. The view was breathtaking! He looked out as far as he could see. A river jutted out of the forests, winding through the middle of the open land, its reflection glinting from the sun now starting to set on the horizon.

Right in the middle of the trading market, Elijah spotted a modest stone tower. It was divided into four parts, and each part had a stone carving.

“What’s that?” Elijah asked.

“The tower? It represents the Magi unification. See here?” Roddick pulled out his necklace. These symbols on my necklace are the same on the tower. Except they’re all mixed together in one symbol. Each of the symbols represents one of the four elements. That tower is a reminder that we may all have different strengths, but we’re all united in one cause. The tower isn’t complete without the other elements.”

Elijah’s eyes continued to scan the area. Far off and to the left of the river, tucked away on a small hill was something that caught his eye. It was a building much different than the rest. It was oval and looked much taller and longer than the other buildings, even from this distance. It looked majestic. Important.

“What’s that building?” Elijah asked.

“You’ll get to know that building real well. That’s the training barracks. All the youth of Savenridge train there,” Roddick said.

“Is that where we’ll live?” asked Samuel.

“Most of the time. You’ll spend a great deal of time there, but during the holidays, you’ll be taken in by one of our townspeople.”

“Who will take us in?” asked Elijah.

“Let’s get to that when we get to that,” answered Roddick. “Right now, I’ll take you to my home. We’ll get some rest, eat a good meal, and get everything straightened out in the morning.”

As the three walked through town, they were greeted by families and people passing by. They were dressed in cloaks, each of a different color. Some wore green, some blue, some red, and some white. The colored cloaks the men wore were simple—draped around their shoulders and tied with a thin leather rope around their chest. Underneath, they wore plain, earthy clothes. Tied at the waist was a cloth belt the same color as the cloak. The women, instead of wearing a smaller, hooded cloak, wore long, elegant robes with cloth trimming about an inch wide.

Roddick led the boys up the steps of a small house. The chimney puffed black smoke, and the smell of food coming from the inside was intoxicating. Elijah’s mouth began to water. It had been a long time since he had had a good meal. Roddick opened the door and was immediately mauled by two small children, both girls. One looked to be about three and the other about six.

“Hey there Tirzah—Lizzy! Have you been helping Mommy?” Roddick asked enthusiastically. He wrapped them both up in his arms and gave them each a kiss on the cheek.

“YES!” said the little one, Lizzy, very loudly. Roddick looked at Tirzah, the elder sister. She shook her head and pointed to her sister as if to say “She’s been a stinker.”

A very tall and pretty woman appeared from another room holding a wooden spoon and wearing an apron. She walked over to Roddick and kissed him.

“Everything go okay?” she asked. Roddick nodded. “No problems?” He shook his head. “Good.” She took off her apron and handed it to him along with the wooden spoon. “The stew needs to be stirred and if you want bread, you’ll have to get it and cut it up.”

Roddick did as he was told.

Elijah and Samuel stood in the room, feeling very awkward as they hadn’t yet been introduced. The woman came over and stuck out her hand.

“Hello gentlemen. My name’s Miranda. I’m Glen’s wife. Which one of you is Elijah?”

“I am,” Elijah said. They shook hands.

“I’ve heard you have quite the mind,” said Mrs. Roddick. Elijah blushed. Mrs. Roddick looked at Samuel. “I don’t think I’ve heard about you.”

“I’m Samuel,” he said, lowering his head. “I’m sorry to be a bother.”

“Nonsense! You boys eat yet?” she asked.

“No, ma’am,” said Elijah.

“I figured as much since you were supposed to be in yesterday. Why the delay?”

“I think one of Cain’s minions tracked us!” Roddick voiced from the kitchen. “Didn’t find out for sure!”

“Well, I’m glad you all made it here safely.” She looked back at Elijah and Samuel. “I’ll go get your room in order. I’m sorry to say we don’t have a room for each of you, but you boys can make yourselves comfortable wherever.”

Miranda disappeared into the back. Elijah quickly glanced around the room. The Roddicks had a small stone fireplace with knitted stockings, all very different from one another, hanging above. A small bookshelf hung to the side of the fireplace and was filled with many old-looking books. Large tree branches served as the support beams. It felt very homey and earthy, especially with the girls’ bedroom upstairs [K2] in a small, wooden loft.

Across from the fireplace, Elijah spotted something interesting. On the corner of the wall, across from the fireplace, hung an ancient-looking sword and shield. He figured they were hung for display only, but it was still fascinating.

When they felt comfortable enough to move, Elijah and Samuel headed for the kitchen where they found Master Roddick pouring stew into six bowls.

“Who’s Cain?” asked Elijah.

“Not tonight,” answered Roddick. “Let’s put aside all questions until tomorrow. It will be a very busy day, starting first thing in the morning when we see the elder council. But tonight, we rest. That means questions too,” he said, pointing the wooden spoon at Elijah.

If Elijah had ever tasted a more delicious meal, he couldn’t remember when. The stew hit the right spot. He helped himself to two more servings and could have had another, but he decided to stop. He didn’t want to be rude his first night.

The Roddicks and the boys spent rest of the evening visiting. The Roddicks shared how they met and told stories about their two girls. Elijah even had the chance to share about his family. They warmed themselves by the fire and ate candied chestnuts while they talked. Elijah hadn’t had this much fun since he could remember.

That night, Elijah thought it would be hard to fall asleep with all the anticipation for the following day’s events, but as soon as his head hit the pillow, he was out. He didn’t stir until he was awakened by the smell of Miranda Roddick’s delicious bread cooking in the kitchen.