Forced Magic (11 page)

“This is a very special dagger, Jack. It is very rare. Not
many like them. This dagger is one of the few things that can kill a fey."

My heart went cold as Johnathen's words sank in. I had
realized that I was in danger. I knew that my battle in the parking lot could
have ended up with someone getting hurt, or worse, but what Johnathen seemed to
be suggesting was a little too much for me. I backed away from the box, not
wanting to touch the dagger. I shook my head to let Johnathen know I wouldn’t
take it. As I backed away from it, I continued to stare at it.  It was one
thing to defend myself against goblins and learn to protect myself from any
more fey attacks. But, I felt that taking the dagger meant that Johnathen
expected me to go after the fairy and kill her. Even knowing that she wanted to
kill me, even knowing that my life was erased because of her, the idea of killing
her was beyond me. I was not the same person I was just a short twenty-four
hours ago, but I just couldn’t see myself as a killer.

“Jack, this is just for your protection. Please take it. If
you are ever in a situation where you come across a fairy, just them seeing the
dagger will stop them from getting too close. Just touching it could kill them.
Use it as a last resort and only as a last resort. Having this kind of
protection will make me feel better when I’m not around.”

“Go ahead, Jack. Please take it," said Michelle,
"just in case. We just want to protect you. I would hate it if you got
hurt."

I looked over at Fetch. He was staring at me, his eyes
green. He didn’t move a muscle. I got the idea that he didn’t want to give me
any idea as to what to do. This had to be my decision and mine alone, whether
to take the dagger or not. I reached into the box and pulled it out. My heart
was pounding out of my chest as I slid the dagger into the sheath, and then
stuffed the thing into the pouch. I looked at Johnathen. At that a moment he
looked old. It was like seeing behind the young and carefree veil he had set up
in his life. I could see sadness and pain in his eyes. Only someone who has
been through a lot, who has lost a lot, can have that kind of look. In that
moment it struck me how old Johnathen must be. I couldn’t even guess at his
age, but I knew he was very old.

“I gave you the dagger, with the hope that you never have to
use it, Jack. I am hoping that if you are in a situation involving the fey, you
will show them that you have the dagger. Just seeing it will discourage them
from attacking you."

“I won’t kill anyone.” I said. “I don’t think it is in me.”

I felt as old and tired as Johnathen looked.  It was getting
harder for me to accept that any of this was real. I just didn’t want to accept
that I might even have to look like I was willing to kill anyone. A thought of
the destruction that I was a part of in the battle in the parking lot went
through my mind. For the first time I wondered if I had killed any of the
goblins. The thought made my skin crawl.

“Do you think I killed any of those goblins?”

“I don’t think so, Jack. They are a pretty tough race. I
think you hurt them pretty good. They have been used in many wars. They create
chaos, as you saw. But you have nothing to feel bad about, Jack. You were
trying to save yourself and all of those witnesses."

Johnathen's words made me feel a little better. But I
remembered how angry I had gotten, and I couldn’t get the idea out of my head
that I was just lucky no one got hurt. I made a promise not to let myself get
that angry again. With all I seemed to be able to do now, the last thing I
wanted was to lose control. Johnathen put his arm on my shoulder. He looked
young again.

”You and Fetch have been through a lot in just a day. I
would like to tell you that it will all be smooth sailing from now on, but I
would be lying. This is a time of change in the magic world, Jack, and you and
Fetch are a big part of that change. Some people say there is a war coming. One
that will shake the very foundation of the earth. I am trying to keep that from
happening."

“What do I do now?" I asked, my frustration starting to
show.

“For now, I think you and Fetch need to find time to get
used to your new life. Check into a room at the hotel. Michelle and I will keep
in touch. We need to go for now. At times I am watched and I don’t want them to
figure out that I have found you just yet. We will find time to go out and see
just what you can do with your forced magic. For now just try to enjoy yourself
a little. Take some time to observe the new magic world around you. The
teardrop will allow you to do this unseen. I promise you both that I will find
a way for you to become a part of the magic world, without people fearing you.
Don’t worry yourself over the unknown person that sent the goblins to attack
you. The teardrop will protect you from them as well. You have a very unique opportunity
to observe and learn without being seen Jack."

I felt a rush of gratitude for both Michelle and Johnathen.
They had already done so much for me. I was grateful. It seemed like they were
taking a big risk in doing all of this.

“Now that you have changed your clothes, Jack, you really
can’t tell you are the same person as the one in the video,” said Michelle,
"and with a little visit to a friend, it will be off the web and
considered a fake in no time.”

I smiled in gratitude. I was very tired and hungry, so it
was getting a little hard to concentrate on what she was saying. Fetch had
stayed quiet during all of this. His eyes had stayed green and he had watched
all of us in turn. He seemed to be studying us, trying to get his own grasp on
everything that was going on. I looked at him and realized that decisions were
made and plans discussed that involved him, without any of us asking his
opinion. For all I knew, Fetch might not want to hang around with me anymore.

“So, Fetch," I said, “you want to hang around with me?
At least until we get this mess cleaned up?”

Fetch looked at me for a second. He walked around me like he
was giving me the once over. I knew he was just showing off for Michelle. He
sat in front of me and with a much exaggerated sigh nodded his head 'yes'.

A feeling of relief washed over me. Even though it had only
been a day since I had known him, and all the mixed feelings I had about his
involvement, about how my life had been turned upside-down, at that moment I
couldn’t imagine going through any of this without him.

“Great,” said Johnathen. "Well, I guess we had better
get started now."

With a wave of his hand, the field around the ramada
dissolved. The sun was nice and bright and made me squint. I saw a small child
playing catch with his dad do a double take as Fetch went into camouflaged
mode. He didn’t time it right, and, judging how the boy was pointing and
jumping up and down, I had the idea that he had seen a glimpse of Fetch. I
nodded my head in the kid's direction.

“Should you pulse him?" I asked, hoping that was the
right terminology for erasing someone’s memory.

“No, it was just a glimpse. He will remember this day and,
who knows, he might write about it and become the next great fantasy novelist
of his generation. That is something that has happened throughout time, Jack.
Even the greatest of magic users, and the most powerful spells, can slip at
times. I think you might be surprised as to who have seen glimpses of the magic
world. As long as stories are perceived as fantasy or fairy tales then it is
usually allowed."

“But there have been times in history when man has believed
in magic. There has to be a time when both worlds were aware of each other.”

“Yes, but that time passed. A terrible spell was cast that
caused a lot of things to die. It was a long time ago and that was when the
magic world started to separate itself from the non-magic world. It’s a long
story. I will have to tell you about it sometime."

We had been walking up to the limo while we were talking. I
could hear birds from the zoo and smell the different animals as they began
their early morning stirring, waiting to be fed. As we approached the limo, the
sound of the animals died down. I wondered how those animals would react if
they could see or sense Fetch. I made a note to myself not to visit the zoo
with Fetch.

We walked the rest of the way to the limo in silence. This
was going to be goodbye for a while, and I wasn’t ready for that. It was a
little strange to me how, in just a short amount of time, I felt so close to
these people. I was closer to them than people I had known my entire life.
After all, now that  my life had been erased, these new friends were the only
friends I truly had now. This thought weighed heavy on my heart as we all stood
in front of the limo. People were looking at us. After all, you don’t see a
stretch limo at the park in Tucson a lot. I wondered where Johnathen got the
limo. With his gift to me of seven million dollars, it seemed obvious that he
was rich.  I had no idea what a wizard could do to gain such wealth, or why he
would even need it. I didn’t feel this was the time to ask.

“Well, Jack,” said Johnathen cheerfully. “I guess this is
goodbye for now. I know you still have a lot of questions, but they will have
to be answered over time, as my questions will have to be answered over time.
Fetch, take care of our friend."

Michelle wrapped her arms around me, kissing me on the
cheek.

“I'll text you with my number. Let me know what room you are
in. I'll stop by tonight and we will go out to dinner."

I smiled as a feeling of relief washed over me. I was not
expecting to see her so soon. Fetch's silver scales shimmered for a second and
a puff of purple smoke floated upward. Looking at me, Michelle spoke to Fetch.

"I would give you a hug, Fetch, but I am afraid that
would draw too much attention to you."

She let out a little gasp of surprise as Fetch, unseen,
moved over and nudged her hand gently with his snout. She reached over and
petted his invisible head. She had tears of joy in her eyes, and a smile that
could light up a room. I looked at her tattoo again and knew how much meeting a
dragon must mean to her. She turned around going to the front of the limo and
got in the driver’s seat. She started the car and waited for Johnathen to get
in.

Johnathen shook my hand while looking me in the eyes.
"You truly are unique, Jack. The both of you will change history in the
magic world.”

I let go of Johnathen's hand and dropped my eyes to the
ground. I didn’t want that kind of responsibility. Once again I found myself
thinking of how unfair this all was. I never asked for it.

Johnathen smiled. “Don’t get too down, Jack. I know I
painted a pretty dark picture. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”

“Yeah,” I said.  "A light and a laughing squirrel.”

Johnathen burst into laughter at this. He opened the door to
the limo.

"Michelle will see you tonight. I will have to wait
until I am sure someone is not watching me. If you need to talk, let Michelle
know and I will send out one of my bobcats. Keep thinking positive thoughts.
Good thoughts have a strength that most people are not aware of. They can help
you with your magic."

He got into the limo and Michelle pulled slowly away. She
had rolled her window down and was waving frantically at us. I stood there
watching the limo drive away and soon it was out of sight. I stood there
staring at the road it had gone down and felt alone. Fetch nudged my hand
letting me know that I wasn’t.

“Well, Fetch, first things first,” I said trying to sound
cheerful. “I’m hungry. Let’s get something to eat." 

A growl from Fetch, followed by a flash of scales, led me to
believe that he was hungry too.  We walked slowly out of the park.

Growing up in this area gave me a good idea as to what was
around here.  We had crossed a street to a fast-food place. I could smell the
sausage biscuits and fresh brewed coffee, making my mouth water. Fetch had
stayed on the ground, walking by my side, the whole time. I was grateful for
this. As long as he was around, I knew I wouldn’t feel completely alone.  I
whispered to him hoping that no one else would hear.

“You want some sausage biscuits?”

A gruff 'Huh' sound let me know he did.  Fetch stayed outside
as I walked in. I felt a little exposed at first, but, I noticed no lingering
looks in my direction as I walked up to the counter. I knew that my all black
look would draw a little attention to me. The head band and sunglasses had to
make me look like a guy who might try to rob the place. I thought about taking
them off, but I remembered my eyebrows and decided to leave them on. Ignoring
the looks I was getting I walked up to the counter.

The girl behind the register smiled at me. This helped me
relax a little. I smiled back.

“May I help you?” she asked.

I froze. I had no idea how much Fetch could eat. I realized
that this was going to be something I was going to have to think about from now
on, unless I depended on Fetch to get us food. I still hadn’t figured out how
he was doing that task without drawing too much attention to himself.

“Uh, this is going to be a big order, “ I said. “I'm getting
food for a lot of guys.”

As soon as I said it, I knew I was going overboard with my
explanation. This was still new to me. I really didn’t know how to handle
ordering food for a dragon. I figured ordering twenty sausage biscuits would be
a good start. If we were still hungry after that, then we could go down the
road a little way and get more food at another place. I ordered the twenty
biscuits and one cup of coffee. The girl gave me a surprised look. I just
glanced at her thinking what would happen if I tried to explain why only one
drink with such a big order.  I wondered to myself if Fetch would drink coffee.
Something else to discover.

It didn’t take as long as I thought it would for the order
to be ready. I had reached into my pocket, and into the pouch, keeping an image
of a hundred-dollar bill in my mind. I pulled it out pleased with myself at how
easy it was to do this. I paid and, not waiting for the change, walked out the
door. I tried to decide if we should go back to the park or sit at one of the
tables outside the restaurant. I didn’t want people seeing food just disappear
as Fetch ate in camouflage mode.

Fetch was growling. I saw the ripple of his silver scales
and I knew he was trying to warn me. I looked all around, expecting to see
Booger or another blue ball that would transport more nasty’s to attack me,
when I spotted it. It was the ugliest thing I had ever seen. It was grey all
over and fat. Large boils were covering its body, all of which seemed to have a
white pus-filled head. It sat on its enormous butt, its feet sticking out in
front of it. It didn’t have any clothes on. I dropped the bag of biscuits and
reached for the turquoise necklace. I hoped it hadn’t noticed me yet. Fighting
Booger was bad enough, but the thought of touching this pus-filled monster was
enough to make me sick. As I touched the stone, I felt a tingling sensation all
over my body. I prayed that this meant that it was working.

Blobby was sitting next to the dumpster. It was twice as big
as the dumpster and smelled twice as bad. It was reaching inside the dumpster
and absentmindedly pulling out handfuls of garbage, stuffing it into its mouth.
It reminded me of someone watching a movie and eating popcorn. It never
bothered looking to see what it was eating. It just kept stuffing its mouth
with whatever it pulled out. It stared off into space and every once in a while
its bloodshot eyes would roll back in its head giving me the distinct idea that
it was really enjoying its meal. If I wasn’t so shocked at the very sight of
this thing, I would have been sick.

Thinking that I couldn’t be surprised anymore, I got another
shock as a little creature with big pointy ears and a tail stepped out of the
bushes. It was wearing an oversized purple sweat shirt with a hood. Its tail
dragged along the ground and its face reminded me of 'Droopy Dog'. It shook its
head, obviously upset at the sight of the blob. It started to make a hissing
sound waving its arms from side to side. It couldn’t be more than two feet
tall. Blobby could have squashed it like a bug but instead it continued to move
toward Blobby hissing and waving its arms. Blobby started to eat faster still
staring off into space. As Tiny got close Blobby stopped eating. Looking at
Tiny waving its skinny arms in the air, Blobby let out a big sigh and slowly
got to its feet. Looking down one last time at Tiny, Blobby let out another sigh
and surprisingly, for its enormous size, quietly walked away.  Tiny watched
Blobby walk away and then turned and started to walk back to the bushes. It
stopped for a second looking in my direction. It blinked its enormous black
eyes and shook its head like it had seen me for a second, and then with a sigh
as big as Blobby’s turned and disappeared into the bushes.

I stood there for a second, not even daring to breathe.
Fetch nudged my hand, letting me know I could move again.

“That was the freakiest thing I have ever seen,” I whispered
to Fetch.

There was a little puff of purple smoke from Fetch's
nostrils as an answer that he agreed with me. Somehow, I had kept from spilling
my coffee. I picked up the bag of food and started walking down the side of the
road, choosing to go in the opposite direction from Blobby. I remembered that
Johnathen had told me I would be seeing things from the magical world now. I
realized once again how much my world had changed. I pulled out the phone that
Michelle had given me and texted a simple message.

"U wouldn’t believe what I just saw…I don’t even know
how to describe it."

She texted back, "try me
J
."

After I texted a brief description, she texted me,
"Troll, they like garbage, gnomes, they are like the janitors of the magic
world. Any damage caused by magic, they are the ones that clean it up."

“Well that explains why there was no damage at the store.”  

“Did you use the stone to hide?”

“Yes”

“Good. Get used to this Jack. You have been touched by
magic. You will start seeing all that was hidden before. Welcome to the magic
world hope you enjoy the ride.
J
"

We made our way over to the hotel near the park. It was a
strange experience standing there looking at the hotel. I had worked there a
few years ago, and, as I stood at the lobby doors, I had a pang of regret for
the loss of my old life. For the first time that day, Fetch took flight as I
walked into the lobby of the hotel to check in. I didn’t want to take the
chance of him bumping into someone or someone bumping into him in the lobby. He
grumbled and growled a little, not wanting to leave me alone, but he understood
why it was necessary. 

Once again, it struck me how young Fetch really was. He had
hatched only the day before and was already doing amazing things. In a way, he
seemed to be much older than I. It was a strange thought to grasp that we were
so close.  I guess in a way I owed him my life. I knew that it wasn’t his fault
that he hatched, using me as an energy source to come into this world. I didn’t
fully understand that whole thing. The thought that he was supposed to eat me
seemed ridiculous to me now. Fetch and I were connected. 

All these thoughts ran quickly through my mind as I walked
up to the counter. The man, checking people in, gave me a strange look. Walking
around dressed the way I was, all in black with a bandanna on my head, is one
thing, but, in a place like this hotel, I must have looked a little
intimidating. Once again I wondered if people thought I was going to rob the
place. I knew I was going to have to get new clothes to wear soon. I took a
chance whipping off the sunglasses. The man immediately noticed my lack of
eyebrows. He placed a hand under the counter. I figured his finger was on some
kind of silent alarm button. I couldn’t blame him, the way I looked.  Adding
the fact that I was about to ask for a room by the pool for a week, without
having any luggage, and the alarm bell might go off in my mind too.

I didn’t think he was going to get me a room until he asked
to see my driver’s license. I handed him the blank plastic card that Johnathen
had given me and watched as his eyes glazed over when he looked at it. His
whole face relaxed and he smiled pleasantly. He took back the clipboard with
the information card on it that I had yet to fill out.  He glanced down at it
as if I had.

“Welcome, Mr. DeWitte," he said pleasantly. "How
long will you be staying with us?”

I told him a week and paid cash for the room. He gave me the
hotel spiel and told me if I needed anything to let him know. He handed back
the card and for a second had a confused look on his face. His eyes glazed over
again and he smiled and asked if I needed any help with my bags. I told him no.
I looked at him for a second, not knowing if he was going to be ok or not. I
told myself I would come back later and check on him. There was more to that
plastic card than Johnathen had told me. That seemed to be the norm for him. I
felt uncomfortable manipulating anybody the way the guy behind the counter was.
It didn’t seem right. If this was what magic was all about I wasn’t sure I
wanted any part of it. I knew a thought like that was silly. I was now a part
of it whether I liked it or not.

I went outside and met Fetch. He flashed his silver scales
to let me know where he was. He seemed to be getting better at controlling when
his scales would flash. We walked around the hotel to our outside room by the
swimming pool.

I was glad that Fetch was only the size of a German
shepherd. Any bigger and I don’t think we could have maneuvered around to our
room, without knocking something or someone over. When we got into the room,
Fetch got out of camo mode and stretched. He looked tired. As far as I could
tell, he hadn’t slept at all since he hatched. I at least had passed out a few
times. Not necessarily a good night’s sleep, but it was something. I stretched
myself and felt a familiar twinge in my hip.

“Well what do you know?" I said. “I still have my hip
problems. Guess your fire couldn’t heal previous injuries.”

Fetch just gave me a tired look and yawned, showing rows and
rows of sharp teeth.  I lay down on the bed taking out the cell phone. I texted
my room number to Michelle. She responded with a smiley face and a promise to
see me tonight.

I was hungry again. This worried me a little. I seemed to
get hungry frequently. I had never been a big eater but now I couldn’t get
enough. Ordering room service, and a couple of large pizzas from a nearby pizza
delivery, barely seemed to fill me up. Fetch had drifted off to sleep and now,
with a little more food in my stomach, I decided to join him. Lying on top of
the bed, not even bothering taking my clothes off, I drifted into a much needed
dreamless slumber.