Episodes of Shade: The Mage from Cairo - 2. Elk Grove

Sacramento

     As the bus approached the terminal Saeed had already sent a text to Barry, an Apprentice of the local Mage Grove, as the called them here in the states. Saeed wondered how old Barry was, most mages held the title of Apprentice upon completion of their basic education around the age of sixteen and did not reach the title of Companion until their mid-twenties or later. But this was America, so perhaps things were different here. After Companion comes the rank of Adept, most mages that hold a regular day job never advance beyond this rank or grade, if they ever reach Adept to begin with. If a mage commits his or herself they can reach Adept in their thirties, most commonly forties. Particularly talented mages can reach the rank of Arch-Mage, Grand Arch-Mage is a title given to an Arch-Mage that is a head administer of a school or large order, typically democratically elected.
     Saeed waited by the curb with his two pieces of luggage and backpack. Some 15 minutes passed, Saeed was considering calling when a young masculine voice in an American accent from behind and left of him questioned, "You Sai-yeed?" The voice the inflections of a West Coast accent, not the beach-surfer-dude sort, rather the pattern of speech more often associated with inner-city urban teens.
Saeed turned to address the question, "Yeh, you Barry?"
The voice belonged to a late teen of African descent, tall and thin in stature, he wore strange garments, thick and padded, and very colorful. The helmet in Barry's left hand helped Saeed to recognize that these garments are the sort of protective gear worn by individuals that ride street motorcycles.
"Yeah." Responded Barry, "Not bad kid."
"What?" Saeed asked confused.
"That ward you got there, or had." Barry motioned with his helmet. "I got off my bike a bit further away, I was wondering if you might have done something like this so I didn't want to come up too fast."
Saeed frowned a bit, the ward had indeed dissipated but he had not noticed. When Barry saw this register on Saeed's face he continued, "Like I said, not bad, I would not really have expected anything from an initiate such as yourself, I countered it before I set it off. You didn't notice?"
Saeed shook his head feeling a bit defeated.
"Nah, you wouldn't have." Barry chuckled, "Don't worry about it kid, first try?"
"Second actually, experimented a bit on the bus." Saeed answered. Looking around he then asked, "So where's your motorcycle?" Wondering how he and his luggage were to be safely transported on such a vehicle.
"Down there." he pointed to a bright green street bike, "It's a Kawasaki Ninja." Barry turned to look himself, his proud smile melting as he noticed a young man in a hoodie standing next to it staring at it in a manner that made Saeed unsure of the person's intentions.
Barry called out, "See something you like?" The young man turned  his head to locate the source of the question, seeing Barry and Saeed he issued a series of expletives that equated effectively to an indignant "What's it to you?"
Skillfully responding in a similar vernacular also laced with expletives and expressions Saeed did not quite grasp the meaning of Barry effective told the individual to back off from Barry's property. As he said this Barry began to walk towards the bike as he did he seemed to grow a bit in stature, slowly. Was he casting a spell? Saeed wondered how he was accomplishing this while talking to the apparent adversary. He then noticed Barry making several small gestures with his right hand that seem to repeat. Somatics! Saeed recognized, casting spells without words was possible but difficult, gestures known as somatics was one method for doing so. Barry ceased the somatic pattern upon gaining 10cm in height and around 20kg in weight.
The other guy looking a bit confused but no less indignant flailed his hands in a defeated manner mumbling, "whatever..." as he turned and walked away.
Saeed looked at the motorcycle with uncertainty, "Just curious Barry, but where am I to stow my belongings?" Barry responded by pointing to a small cargo container on the back of the motorcycle that doubled as a back rest for a second rider. Saeed had doubts, but as he watched Barry opened it up and took Saeed's two luggage items and the container seemed to swallow up the much larger items.
"Ahh." Saeed muttered, "Of course it will fit." he said with a laugh. Remembering the exchange that Barry had just had with the stranger and the talent that he obviously had Saeed began to wonder a bit about his new associate, "Barry, why did you engage that guy in such a way? Could you not have been a bit more polite and perhaps less intimidating?"
Barry smiled at the question, "Yeah, but it would have prolly not ended there. You're in the states bro, especially here in California, people are seldom polite. And depending on the kind of person you might be dealing with you sometimes have to come off tough. Especially if you look a certain way. You my brotha would prolly do better with honey. If you tried to sell the 'tude I just gave that guy, I doubt things would go well for you. It's cultural."
Barry took his helmet in his left hand holding aloft in front of him he slapped it with his right in a clapping motion as he pulled his right hand away he appeared to pull a second helmet out of the helmet in his left hand. Again using no words, but Saeed realized that the required verbal components of this incantation would have been uttered when the two helmets were merged into one. Barry did not create two helmets out of one, he did something a bit more closer to storing one in the other. Saeed was impressed, it showed.
Barry laughed heartily, "Not fair of me, I'm showing off" he admitted. He helped Saeed with the helmet and started the motorcycle.
"Get on"
Saeed complied and off they went down the city streets of Sacramento, south to Elk Grove.

Elk Grove

After passing several housing developments, nice homes really but indistinguishable from one another, Saeed and Barry arrived at a older house on a plot of land that had to be a few acres in size. As Barry retrieved Saeed's belongings, Saeed inspected his new surroundings. The home was a two-story ranch house, like those he had seen in American movies, surrounded by Sycamores inside a split-rail fence. There was a barn nearby and Saeed thought he heard horses from within or beyond it.
Barry helped Saeed port his luggage to the house up a few steps to a wooden wrap-around porch, on it a white woman of approximately 70 years with long white hair, she wore a long green bohemian skirt, some sort of dark brown garment underneath a black crocheted shawl, around her neck hung a silver pentacle. She smiled warmly at Saeed, "Welcome to my house young man. Before entering I need to know if you have any wards or protections about you."
"No ma'am" Saeed replied meekly, glancing quickly to Barry which was not lost on the woman.
"Call me Gwenny," She said looking now to Barry, "Why don't you go look in on that infernal cousin of yours B, I think she's havein' a bit of trouble with the horses."
"Okay." Barry complied setting down the bag he had been carrying for Saeed on the porch. He then started making his way to the barn.
Looking again to Saeed Gwenny said, "Barry has been showing off a bit eh? Well he can't help himself sometimes, which means that you did have a ward on you earlier? Yes?"
"Yes."
"Barry is a gifted mage especially for his age. Who placed the ward on you?" She inquired.
"I did." he admitted. She raised an eyebrow, he continued, "I learned it on the trip down from Nevada, it was only the second time I tried it. Barry countered it without me knowing so it must have been mediocre to start with."
"Doubtful." She replied, Saeed's confusion was apparent, "Doubtful that it was mediocre, Barry is an Apprentice but is gifted well beyond his years, as I'm almost certain you are. Hold stil lfor a moment while I take a look at you." She produced a crystal on a chain and held it over Saeed.
"There is a blessing upon you, like a ward, but more permanent. The wards of my home may prevent you from entering." She paused for a moment wearing a considering expression. "Wait here."
She then disappeared through the door of the house emerging a few minutes later with something in her hand. It was a brass torc bracelet which she handed to him, "Here, wear this as long as you are in my house. It will allow you to bypass my wards."
He complied, placing it on his left wrist.
She smiled, patting him on the shoulder, "Come in son, I'll explain everything. We have a lot to discuss..."
With that they entered the home without incident.