"I can't really get into it at this time. You don't want to know, believe me. There's really nothing you can do. It's beyond all of us." He raised his eyes to the sky, as if asking for a boon from some deity.
Then he looked back at me. "You should get going. I must take my leave as well. The meeting is about to start."
I nodded and said a quick goodbye to the Professor and continued my meandering way towards the other end of the Esplanade.
As I wandered through the crowded sidewalk, I began to take note of all the attendees.
Interspersed between the miscellaneous clothing choices of the Academy professors were the deep gold robes of the Montecetos, the garnet red ball gowns of the Bainsworths, the heliotrope capes of the Jaynamis, the green body sashes of the Osirises, and the white gowns of the Sylphytes.
Since I was not familiar with any Head of House or House Representative, I searched the crowd, looking for the only group I knew, my own family's House Imara.
After a quick scan, I spotted a group of cerulean-clad mages, in their easily-identifiable blue smock over the ubiquitous black mage bodysuit.
House Imara's color was cerulean blue, following the traditions of the Mage Healers and Physicians. The blue smock was a carryover from the days when the healers and physicians needed to protect their clothing from the blood and gore of their patients.
Although the smock was still in use on a daily basis, it was also a formal vestment that I had quite often seen Father don when he had to attend the meetings. I scanned the crowd looking for Father but could see no sign of him.
Since the group of cerulean House Imara was standing clear across the Esplanade, and I had to be on the other side of the Main Courtyard anyway, I made my way through the crowded Esplanade towards them. It was tough going because I had to pull on the cart with one hand while hustling through the throng and trying to keep people from bumping into me with the other.
"Excuse me!" I called out to a white-haired male mage wearing the cerulean blue smock, stamped with a darker blue of what must be the latest style. There was a random ancient Mage symbol of the few words that I could recognized.
He continued to walk past me, most likely because it was crowded and noisy, and I was not that noticeable.
"Hi! Excuse me!" I waved my hand at him and called out once more.
He turned, his pale blue eyes lighting on me. "Oh, my apologies. What can I help you with Miss?"
I blinked.
Up close, he was much younger than I thought he was. His white hair was not a sign of age or wisdom, it was merely decorative. It had been glamoured into existence, complete with a layer of shimmering glitter, so as to distinguish him from the rest of the mage community.
The magiked glamour made him drop-dead gorgeous, but I was not impressed with the coldness of his eyes, or the contemptuous nature of the tilt of his head.
Maybe he had more information than what Professor Jonesbarry was able to give me.
"Can you please tell me what the crowd is here for? Is it a festival or a concert maybe?"
"Oh no. An impromptu meeting has just been called by the head of the Council of Mages. We have no idea what the meeting is for, but we're about to find out!"
I nodded. He had no more information than Jonesbarry did, but it was still odd that he would be here as House Representative instead of Mother or Father.
"May I ask you another question?"
"Certainly."
"Why do you have the word 'cornmeal' stamped all over your vestment?"
The mage blinked and looked at me. "Why do you think it says cornmeal? It is an ancient power symbol for the corn flower, which is the represented blue color of the proud and ancient House Imara."
"Corn flower?" I regarded the symbol, searching my mind for the connection. "Oh, I get it!"
I laughed for a moment.
"You mean corn flour...as in the flour used to make corn bread."
At his quizzed look, I wiped my eyes of mirth tears. "The word that's stamped on your vestment is not 'corn flower'. It's 'corn flour', which roughly translates into cornmeal."
For an instant, a flash of confusion flared up in the depths of his eyes, but then the mage recovered. He gave a sneer. "It is forgivable for such a young mage as yourself to not be aware of the most ancient of mage words. This symbol means corn flower blue."
I shook my head. "But you must be mistaken. The blue for House Imara is the cerulean blue, not the corn flower blue."
The mage drew himself to his full height of six feet. "You obviously need to further your knowledge of the Ancient Houses which comprise the Council of Mages since you are unfamiliar with the House Imara and its color."
I opened my mouth, about to tell him that the Heads of the House Imara were my own parents when a huge commotion rippled our way from the far end where the main Amphitheater was located.
I turned to see what the big hubbub was all about and spotted the frizzy red-haired lady and her dog, standing at the podium.
"Everyone, your attention please." The frizzy red-haired lady said, boosting her voice with the Amplify Command.
The congregation of mages clustered around her and began lining up in an orderly fashion, with Max at the head of the line, maintaining the vanguard.
She waved her hand in the air. "Please follow Max this way, into the main Amphitheater. We will begin as soon as everyone has taken their seats."
She extended her arms outward in a silent Open Command and the double doors behind her opened, revealing a darkened interior.
Turning, she walked inside, leaving Max in charge of the line of mages.
He gave a single bark. 'Move!' Then, he romped about, herding the group into the Amphitheater as if they were sheep.
Within a matter of minutes, the Esplanade had emptied of people.
For a wild moment, I had the sudden urge to join the end of the line and sneak into the auditorium to find out what the meeting was all about.
But I had another job assignment that I had to get to. No time to fool around.
I turned to the northwest side of the Academy and made my resolute way to the bamboo grove, pulling the empty cart behind me as it squeaked and squealed in protest.
Away from the taller administrative buildings, the gentle rolling hills covered with short golden grass and scattered gnarled blue oaks rose up above the short squat stucco classrooms.
Above me, a single raven wheeled and hovered on outstretched wings. It screeched and then rolled a couple of somersaults in the air before circling back to rush at me.
WHOOSH!
The massive black bird came straight for me, swooping away at the last minute to avoid a head-on collision.
I gritted my teeth as I maintained my stance. So it wanted to play chicken, eh?
'Come again!' I taunted.
It gave a gurgling croak and once again charged at me.
I stood my ground, refusing to give way.
The raven spread its wings and aimed straight for my head. Our eyes locked in a dead heat.
Without taking my eyes off the raven, I mumbled a quick low-level spell that would quell the strength of the wind. I knew it would not be effective against such a powerful bird, but at least, I was doing something.
The raven felt the light stir of magik reaching out of my small frame and panicked. Turning at the last minute, it banked to the side to avoid slamming into me. It barreled helter skelter through the low-hanging branches of a sprawling blue oak.
A flapping of sparrows rose into the sky, disturbed by the crashing sound as the raven pummeled into the branches. They scattered and dispersed into the sky.
I doubled in half, guffawing at its unfortunate near-collision.
The only reason I had won was because the raven thought I was a high-level mage, ready to attack it with a powerful spell. Had I acted like a disabled freak, I might have actually been pecked to death.
Stupid birdbrain.
"Are you torturing my pet?" Magus Asada called out to me.
"Oh no, Magus Asada. We were just playing a game."
"Game?" She asked.
"Yes. The raven and I were playing Chicken. It looks as if your raven has turned into a chicken."
Magus Asada laughed a bright silvery sound.
She stood at the edge of the forest, as she always did every Monday afternoon, waiting for me.
Even before I reached the bamboo grove, I could see her long white hair and raven black vestment of the Blackstone House, fluttering in the summer breeze. As I got closer, I could see her calm and gentle countenance and her soulful amber eyes with their onyx slit pupils, gazing towards the distance, sightless.
"Inanna."
"Magus Asada."
We greeted with the traditional acknowledgement of the mage, our palms outstretched and touching.
"I am amazed that you always know when I approach."
"Yes, the birds do a good job of lending me their eyes."
I looked up at the farthest branches where the sparrows had returned to.
"Not those birds." Magus Asada smiled. "That one."
She pointed to the raven hovering above us. It was the same one that I had dueled with only minutes before.
I spared it a withering glance, willing for it to meet my eyes, but it was no longer interested in challenging me. I had won and that was the end of its attempt at exerting its dominance.
Magus Asada continued talking, unconcerned by the friction between me and the raven.
"The common blackbirds are a rather dull bunch and don't take well to suggestions. The raven, on the other hand, is of the cunning kind. She and her mate have been my constant and steady ally ever since she was a hatchling."
I compressed my lips to keep from gasping out loud. I did not know that obnoxious bird was the Magus' pet.
I preferred crows, myself. They were far friendlier and less snarky.
She turned to me. "Have you had a chance to talk to any of the crows near the Academy?"
"Yes!" I said with excitement. "Thank you for giving me that tip about the sunflower seeds. I find that they are more willing to come at my call if they know I have some bird food available."
Magus Asada nodded. "Very good. Keep practicing with the crows. They may turn out to be useful some day."
I left the dolly at the edge of the forest and hooked my arm through hers. Then we headed down the narrow dirt path through the grove towards the clearing at the center where she lived.
The towering green stalks of the tall hollow trunks wobbled and oscillated, twisting in the high winds above, their swaying stalks colliding and cracking against each other.
The rustling leaves and swaggering limbs creaked and groaned with an eerie unforgettable sound, like the whispering of lost souls. They murmured and sighed to each other about their long-lost days roaming free on this world.
The sun filtered through the thick grove, projecting thin slits of moving light and shadows onto the path that we were traversing. The cast shadows caused optical illusions that made the bamboo forest appear to be undulating and weaving. It was as if we existed on a different world altogether.
In truth, Magus Asada did not need my guidance. Although her eyes were no longer usable for vision, she knew every stick and stone in the bamboo grove and could make her way around it with ease.
In fact, she could see things which most people would never have the ability to see.
Magus Asada was the only blind Augurer that I had ever known.
"You are troubled." She said as she led me through the bamboo grove, towards the koi pond.
Trust her to see what most could not. I laughed, but only because she was not able to see my smile. "I'm not as much troubled as I am perturbed. I walked past an impromptu meeting called by Dean Blackstone just a few minutes ago."
"Ah, the Council of Mages meeting today." Magus Asada sounded unsurprised. "Were there many people?"
"Yes, Magus. All the House members and Academy Discipline Heads were there, along with their cronies and retainers, but that's not what's bothering me. There were these strange mages in black suits and dark sunglasses. They looked like they were infiltrating, or taking the Academy by storm. They were scary!"
"That is disturbing." She said, sounding not the least disturbed.
"Why aren't you at the meeting, Magus Asada?"
"I was waiting and keeping my eyes on some important things."
"You had major visions of things to come?" Finally! She was about to share with me her augury techniques.
"No." She said with a chuckle. "I was waiting for you, and while I waited, I was watching over my steamed rice, which I enjoyed for lunch, along with my braised eggplant in oyster sauce, and pickled daikon."
I said nothing, mulling over her words. Magus Asada rarely said anything that did not have some significance, although quite often, the magnitude of her words were only understood in hindsight.
"Your lunch was more important than the meeting?"
"No. The meeting was less important than your presence."
"My presence?" I glanced at her to see if she was teasing me---but no. Her countenance was serious. "We meet every Monday and talk about random interesting things. Why would our meeting be more important than an impromptu meeting called by the Dean?"
"The Dean's meetings are necessary evils, to be endured. Spending time with you is a pleasure, to be enjoyed." She fell silent for a moment, and then continued.
"Life is unpredictable, even for an Augurer. Enjoy time with people you care about. You never know when it will be the last chance you get to be with them."
She paused, her blind eyes staring into the distance.
"The end comes suddenly for everyone."