This is something that I wrote up on a night that I couldn’t fall asleep, when suddenly the idea came to me to write something like this, in order to sort of flesh out some of the possible history of magiq and those that performed it. I figured it was too long to put in another topic, so I’ll just stick it here. Hope y’all enjoy, and feel free to offer critiques!
He’d done it. He’d finally seen his Maestro perform…he had no other word for it…but magiq.
Gio had always had his suspicions about his Maestro from the first day he started his work as one of his many apprentices. The way that he moved effortlessly from scroll to tome, as if he knew exactly which text he needed; the way that his inventions seemed to materialize almost overnight; the complexity of his research and craftsmanship. They all were miraculous, and Gio had known right away that his Master was special. When he’d gone home to his family, he’d tell stories of the things that he’d learned and seen under his teacher’s care, to which his mother would simply shake her head and say, “Now now, Giovanni, no need to stretch the truth into fairy tales.” But they weren’t fairy tales, at least not in the literary sense. They were real life moments of magiq!
However, no matter how amazed Gio was at each new discover, it seemed he was the only one. The other apprentices simply kept their noses in their tomes and sought to find some new way to rise in ranks, so that they may get into the Maestro’s good graces. But Gio was different; he felt so. Where the others simply saw a means to an end in the texts, he saw worlds hidden within the worn parchment; where they saw simply fancy woodworking and machinery, he beheld a landscape of a foreign world, where everything moved in sync and fit perfectly. But it seemed that he was the only one, which left him alone most often. While the others were searching for some new way to kiss up to the Master, Gio began searching for an answer to what was truly going on. He soon found himself lingering at the door to his Maestro’s workshop, hoping to catch a glimpse of that magiq.
And today his wish was finally granted. He hadn’t even meant to be watching today, but rather was simply passing by from his meal back to the apprentices’ library, when he’d glanced through the crack in the door and saw…he wasn’t quite sure what he saw, but it was amazing! It seemed as if the Master was speaking to his scrolls, and that the designs and words on the scrolls were coming to life, flitting across the parchment, creating two-dimensional replicas of machines and tools. At the same time, in the center of the room was a jumble of wood and metal, but as Gio watched, it soon began to become less and less unorganized as the pieces sought to find their place in what soon began to look like a large framework for…a set of wings? Gio leaned in a tad closer, unsure of what he was seeing, but soon realized his mistake when he stumbled across the threshold and fell through the door at his Maestro’s feet.
The older man looked up abruptly, cutting off his speech and sending the entire room back into lifelessness. The images on his pages became still once more, and the wings being built fell to the ground in a clutter of parts. Visibly surprised, the Maestro asked “Where did you come from, child?”
Gio realized that it was his first time actually speaking to the Maestro, and in embarrassment simply looked down and stammered, “I’m sorry, Maestro, I was only walking by…”
The man barked out a short laugh. “I think that was quite a bit more than walking by, don’t you think?” But then he paused, and began to inspect Gio closely. “Hmm, I haven’t seen you around my workshop often, like the other children that come to try and impress me. What’s your name boy?”
“Giovanni, sir.” The boy managed to get out, head tucked down in humiliation for his blunder.
“Now tell me, Giovanni,” continued the Master, “What did you see in here today?” Gio was confused; the Maestro had clearly seen him stumble in during the middle of…whatever was occuring.
“Well, I saw things happen that I didn’t think was possible.”
The Maestro leaned in, features hard on his face, peering at Gio from over his nose. “Are you sure that that was what you saw?” It seemed as if he were looking for a certain answer.
But Gio knew what he had seen, and knew that he could not forget it. It was something that changed the way he thought of the world immensely, something that created a vast world of new opportunities. He could not simply forget what had occurred, no matter what punishment he might face from his Teacher. “Yes sir, Maestro, I’m sure of what I saw. I cannot deny it.”
The man leaned back, seemingly mollified by the response. “That’s good, Giovanni. A seeker of truth must never back down from a new discovery, no matter the consequences.” He then glanced back at Gio, a new spark in his eye. Gio was confused as to what it might be, before coming to the startling conclusion that the old man had a mischievous look in his eyes. “Now tell me this, boy. How would you like to know how I did that?”
Gio was stunned. He’d always had a feeling that he was called for something more than a normal life, of simply staring at books all day, looking for an answer on the still page. He’d felt that he was called for something more, something beyond the normal life, but up until this moment, he hadn’t known what. But was he ready? If he accepted this offer, his life would never be the same, he realized that. If this kind of thing was so secret, he probably wouldn’t be able to tell anyone, even his own family; he’d be cursed with a secret that no one would be able to know until the time was right.
But still, his craving for knowledge pulled him forward, strong as the ebb of the sea. With as much confidence as he could muster, he looked at his Teacher in the eye and said, “Yes, Maestro, I would like to know.”
The man, looking very much pleased with the answer, gave a devilish grin and said, “Then follow me, Giovanni,” before turning and striding to what Gio realized was another room, hidden behind a fake bookcase.
Gio rushed after him, calling out, “Yes, Maestro Da Vinci!” before disappearing behind the bookcase, knowing that from that point, his life would be forever changed.
This is awesome, as a huge fan of Da Vinci myself I thought this story was amazing.