WEEK 3 - MORGAN McCLOUD
STAR WARS - INTERLUDE THREE
"Week 3 - Morgan McCloud," written by Steve Bowden...edited by Mark Stinson
Here I am sitting at a bar on Milos waiting for Ranar, nursing a drink and a suffering a massive headache for over
an hour. The bar is called the Gutter. The bartender Tiber, is not exactly the friendliest bartender I've ever
met. He has a lot of scar's on his face and hands. They aren't like my scars...etched on my face by freezing winds
and blowing ice crystals that cut like glass. No, Tiber's scars are fire scars...burned in some explosion... or
perhaps in the factories...he seems to avoid talking about them. Clearly his scars go a little deeper than what
can be seen on the surface.. But it seems like everyone I've meet since I came here has scar's of some kind or
another. I sit here wondering if when we finally are able to leave this planet, will I have the same kind of scar's.
Fire scars...deep scars...scars that run far deeper than what you can see. Only a little earlier I might have gotten
a new scar for myself...or gotten myself outright killed! It all started when the Fire Mages arrived and told Tiber
they needed to use a backroom for awhile. I should have left it at that, but these Mages seem to control energies
I fail to understand. That is exactly why I left Ando Prime...to find and experience things that my Monk's life
was not providing. There has to be something more to this life....
So I asked Jacob, clearly the youngest mage...perhaps only a decade older than myself...if I could watch while
they performed their ritual. Jacob said it would be a little dangerous. They had felt a surge of power a couple
of nights ago and would be doing a fire scrying, but if I was quiet and stayed out of the way he would talk to
the others. I promised I would be respectful and quiet. Jacob left for a while and came back with a frown on his
face. I didn't ask what the frown was about, but Jacob said it would be fine for me to come into the room...if
all I did was watch. I followed Jacob into the backroom, curious as to the wonders I might observe. The mages seemed
a little shaken. I looked at Jacob, and he sensed I did not understand what was to happen. He explained that the
mages were going to link themselves together and try to scry for the power surge they had felt the other day. By
linking themselves togetherthey could summon more power. Due to the size of the Twilight Sector, and the fact they
weren't sure what they were looking for, this process would require a great amount of power. This would be extremely
dangerous. In years past, other priest of the Church of Fire had tried this particular spell and had failed in
a most devastating way. The energies they gathered had raged out of control, and the participants were consumed
by the magic...burnt to death from the inside out! Jacob explained that this was the fate of any Fire Mage that
stretches beyond his or her limits. All present hoped that they were up to the task...the spell the Mages planned
to cast was only as powerful as their weakest member. If one of them failed the test of power...they may all pay
the price. Jacob gave me a concerned look...clearly he had seen the look of horror on my face. I was scared, and
I didn't quite understand what was about to happen, but there was no way on earth I was going to miss it. One thing
was for sure...I would say or do nothing that would cause any problems.
The Mages seemed done with their prepartations at about this time and set themselves up in circle. I moved over
to a corner to watch. Each mage looked at the other then closed their eyes and I could feel them summoning power.
A small fire was created in the middle of the human circle, and it floated about a foot off the ground. For a moment
I imagined the fire magic was pulling at me...calling me into the circle, welcoming me with its warmth. But that
just seemed crazy...so I just shook it off as excitement. The fire started to grow as I watched. One of the mages
seemed to be sweating a little more than the others. But this was an experienced Fire Mage...one of the Seven...and
I was confident that all was still safe. The fire grew into something that looked like a rounded mirror with flames
around the edges. At this time the Mages opened their eyes and chanted in a language I couldn't understand. The
flame mirror started to show a scene. Then all of a sudden the Mage had been sweating wavered...his knees began
to buckle...though he still desperately tried to keep chanting with the others. This was when I made my mistake.
I ran over to the Mage to see if he was hurt. I could see he was still focusing on the spell and was struggling
to maintain his portion of control. I probably should have had a little more faith in the Mages, and allowed the
spell to take it course. But instead I started to summon my healing magic.
The second I did this I felt a rush of the power in the room...and I felt a warmth spreading
within me. Perhaps it was my imagination, but I felt like I had somehow linked with the others...even if in a small
way, I had become part of the circle. I felt the fire rush into my body. Mung, take me quickly...I was going to
DIE burned from the inside out, I just knew it. I could see the fire mirror through the others' eyes as it came
into focus. I saw two children in the mirror. But I could also feel rage and fear from the children. Then the mirror
surged and became a ball of fire in the middle of the room the size of a grown man. The flame started to move towards
myself. Then I started to scream I could feel the heat in my body coursing through my veins with no escape. In
the back I my mind I heard Jacob yelling, "Fool, If you don't break the link you will die!" I screamed
back I that didn't know how to break the link. Jacob said to calm down and listen, or everyone in the room would
die. "Just focus and read my mind. I will guide you through it with the others help." I managed to calm
down...and reading Jacob's mind was easy compared with the effort it took to catch my breath.
Never-the-less I somehow managed to connect with Jacob, and he showed me through his mind that I needed to focus
on the fire in the middle of the room and use my mystical strength hold the fire in check. The fire must remain
in the center of the circle. He then instructed me to slow the movement... the energy and heat...of the air around
the ball, in order to lessen it's strength and size. I could feel the ball of fire growing smaller now, and the
heat in my body lessening. Then all of a sudden I realized I could feel the presence of the others in my mind and
body at the same time. Then suddenly one mind faded and was gone! The first thing I thought was that one had died
and it was all my fault. Then Jacob told me that they were breaking the link one at a time, easing out of the spell.
I began to panic a little now. "How I am I going to survive if they all leave?!?" Jacob started to laugh
in my mind, but I didn't see any humor in this at all. "Morgan, you are not going to die today, just continue
to let me guide you." Once everyone but me is withdrawn from the spell, the others will get you out...just
be patient and you will survive. You may have a headache in the morning but you will survive. Then I felt Jacob
taking control of the fire now. I could see the fire and it was the size of a burning match. Then all of a sudden
I felt a thud against the back of my head. As I hit the floor, I looked up and saw the leader of the Seven Fire
Mages standing over me with a chair in his hands. He had hit me in the head with the chair....
Let it be known that breaking a spell by getting the crap knocked out of you is not something that is desirable.
By the time I gathered my senses, everyone was gone except Jacob and the Mage that had hit me over the head. I
could hear them arguing and the leader of the Seven told Jacob that if he felt that I should be allowed to watch
them practice their art, then he should be willing to take responsibility for the consequences. Jacob was clearly
furious. It was only later that I found out that he had just been "given" the responsibility of tutoring
me in the ways of the Fire. I suspect that Jacob was not as furious at having to tutor me, as he was furious he
was being forced to take the responsibility.
The drinks half gone now and I look up to see Ranar coming my way. Those two kids from the image in the flames...what
do they have to do with the surge of power the Mages felt? Why did the children feel such rage and fear? This certainly
bears looking into...by the small gods, my head hurts....
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