Due to Oaths I swore I am not at liberty to speak freely on the subject, suffice to say yes they exist and no they are not a threat…
The only mention of black mages in Alister Crowley’s Book "On Planet Life"
The bulky Sardenopilis floated next to the make shift jetty lashed together by the Free-lancers awaiting her load of timber.
The winter storms had left Flotsam damaged and boats in need of repairs so Kam had suggested that the first call should be for lumber at so isolated forest near the coast of the outer continent. With the permission of the dwarfs of Conde Piet the Cutty Sark had guided the Sardenopilous to the coast near a huge dying forest. Here the trees seasoned by arid air were prime for harvesting.
Crowley looked up from the records he was keeping to see the crewmen of the Freighter hauling another trunk to the jetty he had joined up for this tedious mission hoping that the forests would hold some interesting wild life or even some action, the only healing he had had to perform recently were to men over zealous with their axes. He caught sight of Hal did the man ever smile.
The first mate on the Cutty Sark Hal stood a head over most of the crew wearing a heavy red great coat with a large metal collar he was every inch the warrior.
To reinforce the image he grew his black hair in long thick strands his face might have one been considered handsome in some places but was now heavily scarred.
He always carried a huge two-handed crescent axe the blade had obviously once heavily decorated but then someone had defaced the weapon.
As long as Crowley had been part of the Cutty Sark’s crew he had suffered indignities from Hal’s sharp tongue and a few times from his fists.
Not even the captain’s father had known about Hal’s past but from time to time Hal would enter vicious mood swings of undirected rage. Most just stayed away from even when not in one of his black moods, the first mate was respected but out of fear more than anything else. Crowley especially found the man had a vendetta against him.
"Ahoy! Any sign of the Captain?" He hollered the man ignored him.
The Captain was enjoying the forest with the afternoon heat the men often returned to the ship but Kam was more frequently entering the shade of the forest to avoid the sun. Deeper in the trees seemed to really be struggling with no sea winds to dampen the air the plants were withered and grey. Trunks lay crisscrossed over one another. Kam sniffed the air this part of the forest was filled with a strangely familiar sensation.
"Magic." He whispered now to go back and get everyone worked up over what was probably just some old relic or suss things out himself. Kam ventured deeper into the forest.
He guessed later that it was carelessness that he remained unable to detect the barrier until he walked into it. The air was so thick with the texture of Magic that he stumbled right into it.
The backlash picked him up and hurled him against a tree trunk knocking him out cold.
He awoke to find the stars had come down to look at him they glowed just a few feet from his face
"Is he all right?"
"I knew I set those w-wards too strong please let him be okay."
"Where’s his tail?"
"What can we do we can’t leave him out here."
B-but what will the other say if we bring something like him back…?"
Kam faded back to unconsciousness.
He came to again laying on a bed in a small room the afternoon sunlight gleaming though the windows.
"You okay? That was quiet a nasty shook you had?" Asked a broad figure sitting in a chair in the corner.
"Ehh? Oh me nah I’ve had worse just wasn’t expecting it that’s all."
Kam tried to focus on the figure sitting opposite, he was wearing a pointed hat that concealed his face in shadows all that was visible were two glowing eyes, his big hands were busy preparing some vegetables. At the man’s feet was a child who had been so quiet that Kam hadn’t even noticed him. Blond haired he starred up at Kam with an inquiring look holding a piece of paper and a chunk of charcoal. Only then did Kam notice the boy sitting on the ground had a tail.
"I’m sorry but I am not familiar with your tribe. Who are you people? " He asked the man.
The man paused looking at the bowl instead of Kam’s face. "I don’t know if I should tell you anything. Wait I can tell you my name how about that?"
"That would be great I’m Kam Sirius." Kam held out his hand.
"Well my name is Mr 111." The man stood up and took the proffered hand but instead of shaking it he turned Kam’s hand back and forth looking at it curiously.
The boy came over to look at the hand. "I have chosen the name Still" He told Kam seriously. "Is something wrong with your hand?"
Kam laughed. "It’s a sign of friendship. You shake it." Mr 111 shook the hand carefully.
"Some sort of custom?" Still asked showing interest. "Can I try?" He shook Kam’s hand.
"Still that’s an odd name!"
"Its short for Still Waters Run Deep." The boy grinned obviously proud of his name.
"What were your parents thinking?!" Joked Kam.
"Oh I don’t have any parents, no one in this village has." Still shrugged.
"No parents? What happened here?" Kam turned to Mr111, the big man remained silent.
"He’s awake!" Kam turned and saw a group of individuals resembling either Mr111 or Still staring through the windows of the house.
"I’m sooo sorry." A stocky pointy hat told Kam walking to the room wringing his hands. "I was given the job to keep the seals of the village intact while the others are gone, I fear I was a bit over enthusiastic."
"Please don’t blame Mr 44." Pleaded a female version of Still. "We have been having bad images come to us as we rest lately, a few of us asked him to give the wards an extra boost."
"They’re called dreams." Said an older boy tail twitching in excitement he held Kam's quarterstaff. "Is this a weapon or a support?"
"I have been practicing healing spells not quite black mages expertise but maybe…" Mr 44 began.
Mr 111 held his hand up in warning.
"Black mages!" Exclaimed Kam "as in the Black mage army?"
"Well that’s torn it!" Said Mr 111 frowning at the new comers. "I suppose we must tell you."
***
Across the ocean someone else was becoming accustomed to his or her surroundings.
Garnet had arranged for Fade to move into an old guest room in the castle although it had survived the blast it was now a storeroom for any thing of value that remained intact.
So he shared his lodgings with old books and tattered tapestries.
A set back in deciphering the journals had been his complete ignorance of Gaian written language. So the amount of conferring between them increased.
"He speaks again of Terran life forms that remain since the last catastrophe; this one point out that Terra may have eidolons of its own."
"In that page! But next to it is a list of names of guests for a reception he was invited to! Is there any order here?"
Fade rubbed his temples. "Erratic behaviour. one thing I can deduce is his use of language he used what was most compatible with the subject he was dealing not for secrecy’s sake."
"Was he so arrogant that he thought that he could just leave these lying around?"
"He probably never intended them to be found if the castle had not been attacked…"
"Yes I see but still…"
Fade stared at her across the table looking puzzled
"Perhaps he didn’t care I have a theory but we’ll need to go back to the quarters to find the rest of his records to be certain."
***
Wreno had joined the Free Lancers after the attack on Lindblum five months ago when he had escaped the city in panic, days later he had stumbled on a Free Lancer ship waiting for a contact that was never to come. They had taken him and others in until ship was low in the water and taken them back to their town across the sea.
Flotsam was a place where he could forget the horrors of that night. At the break he had taken a breather under a tree his exhaustion had caused him to fall asleep. Awaking he was horrified to see demons from his past, he watched them pass him by not noticing him. When they were gone he ran full hilt back to the ships.
***
"That’s pretty deep, thanks for trusting me." Kam was sitting up now the story the black mages and genomes had told him had been captivating he was lost for words. "Really thank you."
Mr 111’s small house was now packed with every in habitant of the town.
"Okay I’ll take it that Vivi, Mikoto and Mr 288 are sort of leaders in your village and today they’re trading at Conde Piete?" Kam asked.
"Yes they took some others with them. Vivi said that travelling broadens the mind and Mr 288 agreed."
"I hope they’ve been practising their Rally Ho-s." Kam grinned.
"You’ve been there! Mikoto said we could take it in turns alphabetically I whish I hadn’t picked Zero to Infinity as my name then I could have gone sooner." Said a small genome.
"I’ve been to many places, I am the captain of a ship that crosses the seas and brings things to other people all over Gaia."
"Tell us about them." "Tell us" "Please" Chorused every around him.
***
"Black mages?" Hal raised an eyebrow he sniffed Wreno’s breath.
"Yes first mate! Must have been ten at least! Bold as can be walking in the day light!" Gasped the Sailor.
Several men began to murmur restlessly. Black mages had cost many of them their homes.
To Hal’s distaste the Crowley appeared from the woods. The white mage walked up to him ignoring Hal frown Wreno quickly stood out of his way.
What’s up Doc?" Drawled Hal at Crowley.
"Lay off Hal!" Snapped Crowley. "I can’t find the captain." This roused more murmurings from the crew of the Cutty Sark.
"Alright calm down!" Snapped Hal. "It won’t do us any good all of us loosing the head I’ll take Hrssk and scout out the area the captain would fall foul of a bunch of pansy Mages."
Crowley looked up he hadn’t missed that last remark I’m coming two." He half snarled at the first mate.
Hal shrugged. "Just don’t get in my way he said.
Crowley watched Hrssk sniffing the ground for a trace of the captain’s scent, Hal watched impatiently. Well it might not be a good idea but time to force a confrontation.
"You don’t like me much do you Hal?" Less of a question and more of a statement.
"Huh what? Just be quite." Snapped Hal.
"No I’m a part of the crew but ever since Forsyth died you done nothing but tried to undermine my reputation and oppose my every suggestion. But it’s you get in to a foul mood and blind drunk and even insult the captain and question his authority. What is your problem?" Walking up to the First mate and staring him in the eye Crowley realised that they were almost the same height. Hal look startled at the outburst bunched his fist. Then punched Crowley as hard as he could knocking the mage too the ground.
Crowley Staggered to his feet drawing on his healing powers to close the wound that had opened on his left cheek.
"Feel better?" He managed spiting out a gobbet of blood.
"Much." Hal paused he was on the verge of walking off.
"There’s something about you that scares me something fatal, when someone is injured I see the concerned doctor, on the other hand I see the battle between your rational mind and the priest they beat into you back in Esto Gaza. And I also see the sophisticated womaniser whenever we dock at a harbour…"
Crowley made a small bow.
"…But I also sense something in you that is lethal to the captain and to yourself. And I promise you if you try to hurt him I swear you’ll live to regret it!"
"I see I can see you are a very observant person Hal." Crowley looked away his breathing more ragged than when Hal had knocked him down.
At that moment Hrssk made an excited hiss.
The two men ran down to where she was sniffing her purple forked tongue darting over the ground.
"A trail but not the captains?" Hal asked
"Was Wreno right about the black mages? What have you written down about black mage in that book of yours?"
"As far as I know black magic is aggressive magic similar to the type often used by monsters, a black mage of renown can have a vast repertoire of spells…before the incident last year there hadn’t been reports of black mages for generations."
"So we are dealing with an unknown element?"
"Yep I advise caution."
Hrssk made a noise like an angry cat Crowley nodded.
"But then again nothing we can’t handle."
***
Garnet had waited until Beatrix had returned from patrol till she took Fade to the secret chamber.
Two female soldiers saluted smartly and ushered the esteemed general into Garnet’s presence, it took little time for the princess to fill her in on the situation.
"Its not that I don’t trust him its just that he’s still a random element."
Beatrix nodded. "I to respect him for what he has gone through but I feel that a little caution may be what is required."
"Besides he might come under a bad influence, that room has a lot of history in it." Garnet added.
Fade was waiting out side the door the dim light made him look so like Zidane that she felt her heart lift.
He looked up at them and bowed slightly.
"Are we ready to investigate the infamous Kuja’s history?"
"The princess has decided that your assistance will be welcome." Beatrix replied.
With the general leading fade in the middle, Garnet trailed behind she just made out the conversation between the soldiers.
"We will have made him more presentable if we are to continue having him around those rags he is wearing deserve changing."
"Hee hee. I bet he cleans up a treat though."
" I don’t believe you what about mister reliable you had your eye? Suddenly looking at something exotic."
Garnet increased her pace a smile playing on her lips.
***
They found the Mages a few minutes later. Hal and Crowley caught up with Hrssk at the side of a trail that looked frequently used. They slid into the brush that the lizard man was hiding in. In a few moments a strange procession passed.
"They don’t look like demons to me." Hal said sceptically
"Are those children? They seem to have tails. Hrssk can you smell what’s in the cart?" Whispered Crowley.
"Ssisssed Riss Frssh narssh."
"Food and seed! Not exactly mysterious dark magics!"
"We’re not going to learn much more from just watching them. Tactics?"
"You and me jump out in front of them Hrssh behind us make sure no one escapes. I want you to use the reflect technique if you have it black magic can’t hurt you otherwise make sure your gear is going to help against elements."
Hal murmured assent and Hrssk vanished back into the forest.
Crowley followed Hal making their way stealthily through the under growth on the right side of the track. They were now twenty feet behind… fifteen…ten…
Then to his astonishment the lead mage raised his hands and the air seemed to distort twisting an opening appeared, a portal!
"Go! Go!" Hal shouted leaping out of hiding thirty feet behind them Hrssk leapt out of cover and tore down the track.
With a muffled curse about best laid plans Crowley launched himself after them.
Loaded with goods the mages and child like creatures were unable to prepare for a fight and merely rushed though the portal swiftly followed by the three Free Lancers.
The shimmering haze descended around them Hal stumbled muttering Hrssk turned in confusion.
"Its and illusion keep moving!" Shouted Crowley desperately, half dragging half pushing he steered the others through the illusion.
Right into a welcoming party of a bout twenty Mages and a handful of those child like creatures looking distinctly more threatening now they were armed.
Surrounded by enemies his companions incapacitated and having nothing better to do Crowley swore long and loudly
"Hey Crowley those do not seem like very holy words for a priest to use." A familiar voice chided him.
The crowd parted and Kam leaning on a crutch limped into view.
"Their friend of yours?" Asked one of the Black mages.
"Yes they’re all part of my crew." Kam continued to make his way to the shell shocked Crowley escorted by a couple of mages.
"Well then welcome to the Black mage Village." Boomed one of the Mages hauling the dazed Hal to his feet.