Post by Victoria on Dec 11, 2006 17:55:00 GMT
Chapter 1: Victoria - The Magician
"The Magician is a person with many talents. As an alchemist and transformer, he epitomizes the ability to translate ideas into action. It represents possession of power and influence, cunning and diplomacy. It can also represent trickery or a sly person waiting to play others.
Reversed, it represents too much communication, someone too intellectual, manipulative and insecure. It can represent too the use of one’s skills for destructive ends, as well as deception or power used for evil causes."
- The Big Book of Tarot
- "Stephen Strange & Mr. Norrel", by Susan Clarke[/right]
"Knowledge is power. Power corrupts. Study hard -- be evil."
- Camila Montenegro, Order of Hermes Apprentice[/b]
Victoria twirled the rectangular piece of card in her hands, thoughtfully. She flipped the card up and studied the old bright colours and the scene it depicted: a man holding a wand, while pointing at the ground. The Magician. Touching both heaven and earth at the same time -- which was a pretty accurate definition of her status as a mage.
That card had been the first gift her mentor had given her upon their first meeting, before she even knew she would study under him. It was supposed to represent her and the journey in front of her... whatever that meant. With a sigh, she put it back in the small box that contained all the things that were important to her. She was a firm believer in owning as little property as possible:
"Own too many things and soon they start owning you."
She smiled to herself as she remembered the words of her mentor and looked around. There were happy shouts from down the hall, sounds of rushing feet, and cries of joy as the other girls of the Private School of Santa Clara greeted their last day at boarding school and welcomed family, relatives and friends that came to pick them up. A soft smile came to Victoria's lips: she had nobody to come and pick her up, but she didn't mind -- she enjoyed the tranquility and also it was a good reminder of what she was. That she was different.
From what she knew, there were many magic users or magic-empowered beings in Paragon where she was being sent to. None was like her. And even if the whole Order of Hermes traveled to the city with her, she would still be as alone and different. Each Mage walks a path that they must walk alone.
Always alone.
She was sitting on the small traveling case that contained a few of her clothings, her many notebooks, and with a soft sigh, she shut the lid of the box. Only a few outfits would leave with her, the rest of her clothings had been given to charity, as well as all books she had purchased during that year. She would only keep her grimmoires. Her grimmoires and the two first books she had owned: the adventures of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. She opened opened one of the books at random and read:
`"But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.
`Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: `we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.'
`How do you know I'm mad?' said Alice.
`You must be,' said the Cat, `or you wouldn't have come here.'"
She shut the book and chuckled. How very appropriate. She shoved the book into her laptop bag and stood up. Time for her to go. This step of her life was over and it was time for her to give the next step. Her plane would leave in less than a week, Paragon bond, college at Croatoa U would start in Salamanca in less than a month, and a lot of new adventures awaited her.
The Magician. The card came to her mind once again, and she remembered another meaning associated to it: fortuitous encounters. Maybe she'd find friends in that city of heroes -- and friends did make all the difference. Yes, she might need to walk alone the path she was walking... but that didn't mean that she couldn't have good company walking with her along the sides of the bitter road.
"The Magician is a person with many talents. As an alchemist and transformer, he epitomizes the ability to translate ideas into action. It represents possession of power and influence, cunning and diplomacy. It can also represent trickery or a sly person waiting to play others.
Reversed, it represents too much communication, someone too intellectual, manipulative and insecure. It can represent too the use of one’s skills for destructive ends, as well as deception or power used for evil causes."
- The Big Book of Tarot
“Can a magician kill a man by magic?” Lord Wellington asked Strange.
Strange frowned. He seemed to dislike the question. “I suppose a magician might,” he admitted, “but a gentleman never could.”’
Strange frowned. He seemed to dislike the question. “I suppose a magician might,” he admitted, “but a gentleman never could.”’
- "Stephen Strange & Mr. Norrel", by Susan Clarke[/right]
"Knowledge is power. Power corrupts. Study hard -- be evil."
- Camila Montenegro, Order of Hermes Apprentice[/b]
Victoria twirled the rectangular piece of card in her hands, thoughtfully. She flipped the card up and studied the old bright colours and the scene it depicted: a man holding a wand, while pointing at the ground. The Magician. Touching both heaven and earth at the same time -- which was a pretty accurate definition of her status as a mage.
That card had been the first gift her mentor had given her upon their first meeting, before she even knew she would study under him. It was supposed to represent her and the journey in front of her... whatever that meant. With a sigh, she put it back in the small box that contained all the things that were important to her. She was a firm believer in owning as little property as possible:
"Own too many things and soon they start owning you."
She smiled to herself as she remembered the words of her mentor and looked around. There were happy shouts from down the hall, sounds of rushing feet, and cries of joy as the other girls of the Private School of Santa Clara greeted their last day at boarding school and welcomed family, relatives and friends that came to pick them up. A soft smile came to Victoria's lips: she had nobody to come and pick her up, but she didn't mind -- she enjoyed the tranquility and also it was a good reminder of what she was. That she was different.
From what she knew, there were many magic users or magic-empowered beings in Paragon where she was being sent to. None was like her. And even if the whole Order of Hermes traveled to the city with her, she would still be as alone and different. Each Mage walks a path that they must walk alone.
Always alone.
She was sitting on the small traveling case that contained a few of her clothings, her many notebooks, and with a soft sigh, she shut the lid of the box. Only a few outfits would leave with her, the rest of her clothings had been given to charity, as well as all books she had purchased during that year. She would only keep her grimmoires. Her grimmoires and the two first books she had owned: the adventures of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. She opened opened one of the books at random and read:
`"But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.
`Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: `we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.'
`How do you know I'm mad?' said Alice.
`You must be,' said the Cat, `or you wouldn't have come here.'"
She shut the book and chuckled. How very appropriate. She shoved the book into her laptop bag and stood up. Time for her to go. This step of her life was over and it was time for her to give the next step. Her plane would leave in less than a week, Paragon bond, college at Croatoa U would start in Salamanca in less than a month, and a lot of new adventures awaited her.
The Magician. The card came to her mind once again, and she remembered another meaning associated to it: fortuitous encounters. Maybe she'd find friends in that city of heroes -- and friends did make all the difference. Yes, she might need to walk alone the path she was walking... but that didn't mean that she couldn't have good company walking with her along the sides of the bitter road.
