Forced Magic (24 page)

We went back to the hotel to get ready for the club. I sat
in the room absentmindedly scratching Fetch on the ridge between his eyes. I
was letting Smith's words sink in. It had been a few months since I had walked
out my brother's door and into this crazy world of fantasy. I had changed so
much since then. I was no longer the same Jack Dewitte that had walked that
street a hundred times before. I was still trying to figure out why that fairy
had appeared to me when she did.  I was no longer sure she was just playing a
cruel game that would have ended up with me being dead or some victim of cruel
magic. If I believed Smith, then she might not have been trying to kill me but
perhaps warning me about Fetch's egg in my pocket.

I looked at Fetch. I wondered if I was supposed to find his
egg after all. If it was just a random, thing then why did he choose to go
against his very nature and not destroy me? Would this affect him in some
unknown way in the future? Would the changes that have happened to me continue?
What was I becoming? The thought thrilled me and terrified me at the same time.
I thought of Michelle and how she was convinced that the fairies had killed her
family. She had never said that she saw them herself.

I had the feeling that if we could meet more magic folk then
we would be able to understand things better. How were we to be accepted if we
didn’t try to acclimate ourselves? It was like going to a different country and
expecting everyone to speak English. You had to learn to speak their language
or you wouldn’t be able to get around. This brought a new question to my mind.

“Michelle,” I said, “Are there other languages in the magic
realm? Everyone I have come across speaks English.”

Michelle looked up from the small notebook that she had been
writing in. It was full of spells and chants to help her work magic. I wished
she wouldn’t use magic the way she did.  We were not born into the magic world
and we really didn’t have a full understanding of what would happen if we went
too far. In a tired voice Michelle answered me.

“Yes there are many different languages, but Johnathen told
me that most creatures of the magic world have a natural ability to understand
any human language. It takes training to understand the languages of the magic
realm. For instance a fairy might not be able to understand what a gnome is
saying in its own language and vice versa. So if you wanted a fairy to not know
what you are saying you would learn how to speak gnome. Weird huh?”

“Yeah," I replied. “There is so much to learn. We
really need to understand who would be against us and who wouldn't be."

“With me it is easy," said Michelle. “Anybody who is
against someone using magic when they weren't born to it is someone I have to
watch out for. You, I’m not sure. So far everyone in the magic world that
interacted with you has been amazed that you even exist. You and Fetch are
enigmas, Jack, and that scares people, magic or not. The simple fact that you
can perform a spell the way you did, without even looking at an incantation or
the right wording, is unheard of in the magic world. Magic needs a command or a
request to be effective. You manipulate it without either one, and very well I
might add,” she said referring to her clothes that she was still wearing.
"You conjured these up in a way that would make even Johnathen jealous.”

Fetch and I sat there in stunned silence. I don’t think she
realized she had mentioned fairies. It was the first time we had ever heard her
say the word 'fairies' and not have a strong negative reaction. Usually she
would get that strange dark look on her face that seemed to indicate she was
thinking of her family and their tragic deaths. I looked at Fetch and tried to
remember a time when she didn’t act that way at the very mention of the fey or
fairies. Smith’s little talk seemed to have helped a lot.

I could tell that she was having doubts about some of the
things that Johnathen had told her. This was painful to her.  She owed him so
much, but didn’t like the idea that he was keeping her from so much of the
magical world. I remembered Smith and her talking about this Pek. He seemed to
be the only other one, from the world of magic that Michelle had ever
associated with. She was determined to find out some things on her own, even if
she wouldn’t like what she found out.

As Michelle continued to get ready, I let my mind wander.  I
looked at Fetch. Everything that we had heard about dragons pointed to the fact
that Fetch was unlike any of them. The simple fact that he had a name seemed
beyond the comprehension of anyone we had met so far. How everyone referred to
him as 'the dragon with a name' showed me how different he was. After the time
I had spent together with him I couldn’t picture him being any different.
Michelle was finally ready. She had me make another set of clothes. It took me
five tries before I finally got what she wanted. She looked amazing.

We decided to take a cab downtown. It took us both to
convince Fetch that this was the best way. He could fly above us as the cab
took us downtown. Once there we would conceal ourselves with magic and walk the
rest of the way into the club. Fetch would have to stay outside flying around
until we were sure it was safe for him to join us in the club. Michelle had
purchased a cell phone at a convenience store and tied it around his neck.
Another little odd magic box plugged into it and activated it. When we thought
it was safe, we were going to call it and let him know he could join us. I
hated the fact we were going in there without him, but it would be hard enough
just keeping people from bumping into us in the crowded club.

The plan was that we would mingle, undetected, and hopefully
learn about magic folk. With the teardrops we would be invisible to everyone.
We could hear conversations and see what people were saying about me and Fetch.
If it seemed that too many people were going against us, we would call the
whole thing off and think of something else. It seemed sneaky, but there was
still so much to learn about who would support us and who would destroy us.
Smith had told us the best way to learn about magic folk was to listen and
observe. Even Michelle, who had been learning from Johnathen about the realm of
magic, had limited knowledge. Only what Johnathen had told her. I thought about
Johnathen and wondered what he would think about what we were doing. Would he
think of it as a betrayal? It was something I had to put out of my mind for
now.

After a quick goodbye to Fetch as the cab pulled up, we
climbed in and went downtown.  After arriving we got out and started walking to
the club. I looked over at Michelle. She looked worried and I could tell she
was having second thoughts about the plan. I grabbed her hand.

"Look," I said. “We don’t have to do this if you
think it’s not a good idea. We can go back and forget the whole thing.”

She looked at me with a grim determination in her eyes.

“I love Johnathen, Jack, but I can’t help feeling that he is
keeping things hidden from me. There are questions I have about the night my
family died. Every time I ask him about it he skirts the issue and tries to
change the subject. All he has said is that the fairies did it, but there has
to be more to the story, Jack. I believe he is trying to protect me from
something. He is very powerful and sometimes that power scares me, but I really
do love him. I think he would accept that we are doing this. He wants the
chance for both magic users and non-magic users to know about each other. He
has been protecting us and now it’s time for us to protect him, even if it is
from himself."

We walked down the street for a while, both of us silent.

"We seem to be between both worlds, Jack. “ said
Michelle. “You even more than me. It is our responsibility to let them know
that we are not dangerous and we can learn from each other.”

It was very late when we arrived and the streetlights gave
off a thin light as we walked down the alleyway that led to the club. We made
sure our teardrops were working, then, walking with caution, we made our way to
the door. I looked up at the dark skyline, visible between the two buildings,
and saw the familiar flash of silver that let me know that Fetch was there. I
looked over at Michelle, gave her hand an encouraging squeeze, and together we
pushed on the double French doors that led into the club. As a blast of loud
music hit our ears, we were greeted by the most incredible vision I had ever
seen. It was like an explosion of all the fantasy books I had ever read.
Everything from unicorns to pointy eared elves were there. The loud music would
go up and down in volume and I realized it was a spell that allowed people to
talk without yelling. When you got close to someone, the music would get
quieter. When you began to talk to someone, the music around you would
automatically go down in volume, allowing you to have a conversation with that
person without having to shout. If you got too close to people as you walked
by, the volume would go down. It was a strange experience walking around with
the music getting louder and softer like someone playing an annoying joke. It
really threw off my equilibrium for a few minutes. After a while I began to get
used to it, and, after my eyes adjusted to the light, I looked around at this
new incredible environment.

Every place I looked created a new experience of amazement. 
From the unicorns and pegasi that roamed around having genial conversations
with each other, to the sprites colorful drinking games where the loser had to
dive into a mug of ale and drink their way out. It was a fantasy geek's dream
come true. To explain all I saw in that club that night would take years. I
looked at Michelle and the amazed expression on her face let me know how
fantastic this whole place was. There was a purple troll with a basket
collecting all electronic devices that the few non magic folks had. Anytime a
cell phone was brought out to take a photo or a video, he was there to take it
away. Looking closely at them, you could see a glazed, glassy eyed look on
their face. I watched one girl in particular who was staring at a blue unicorn.
After a few minutes she shook her head and whispered to a friend about the
place getting to her. She and her friend left a few minutes later. Another guy
was busy trying to pick up what I could only describe as a pixy in human size.
She turned to him with a ball of what looked like lightning in each hand. A
purple troll pulled him away just as she tossed the balls of energy in his
direction. They left a deep hole in the floor where he had been standing. The
troll escorted the guy out as he shook his head the same way the girl had just
moments ago. It was obvious to me that there was magic designed to manipulate
the human mind. Looking around I could see several magic creatures pleased at
the non-magic people's eventual, fuzzy headed exits. I overheard two pointy
eared elves in Armani suits making bets as to who would be next to leave.
Michelle had pulled her hood up. We had discussed how we needed a way to
disguise our appearance in case we got bumped. Touching someone or bumping them
could break the teardrops' spell and it was inevitable that we would be bumped
in here. We didn’t know if anyone would have an idea who we were, or if we
would be recognized, but we didn’t want to take any chances.

Pulling my hood up I signaled to Michelle that we should
split up. I headed toward a particularly loud group of dwarves as Michelle
headed toward a group of well-dressed elves. I know she was looking for
fairies. I had been looking around trying to spot some myself. They would
possibly have the answers we needed. I hoped I would see them first. I didn’t
know what Michelle would do if she saw one. I wanted to signal Fetch and find a
way to sneak him in, but I just didn’t know how. I looked around for Smith, but
I couldn’t spot him either. It didn’t go unnoticed by me that out of all the
fantastic creatures attending, there wasn’t one dragon to be seen.

The club was enormous and as I walked around I heard little
conversations. I thought I heard someone say something about 'the dragon
survivor', but when I got close to the group, of what I can only describe as
air mermaids, the conversation had changed to the color of their hair.

I walked up to one group that had gathered by a back wall of
the club. They were thick and strong looking. The tallest of them was no more
than five feet tall. The men had thick beards and the women had long thick
hair. The women were exceptionally beautiful and were just as loud and rowdy as
the men. As I got close to the group, I saw what they were all yelling about.
There was a young woman in a wheelchair. Her hair was blond and in a thick
braid down her back. She had piercing green eyes that could stare right through
you. She was concentrating very hard, lost in thought. She was very beautiful,
and, judging by all the looks she was getting from the dwarves gathered around
her, had many admirers. Standing facing her was a particularly fierce looking
dwarf. He was firmly planted a little to her right. His eyes were tightly shut,
as if he was bracing himself for something. The young woman had a little
crooked half smile on her face. She sat there patiently waiting for some kind
of signal from the dwarf. He took a few deep breaths, opened his eyes, and
nodded. The whole group of dwarves quieted and stared at them both. They just
stood there looking at each other, then, almost faster than I could see, the
girl pulled her fist back and swung at the stomach of the dwarf. She hit him so
hard that he was sent flying backwards, doubled over. He hit the wall that was
thirty feet away from the girl. It exploded into rubble with the dwarf
disappearing in a cloud of dust .There was a pause for a few seconds, as the
dust settled, and then slowly the dwarf emerged. He was covered in dirt. He
shook his head like a wet dog, stood there on shaky legs, and then, with a wave
of his hand, and a bow toward the girl, admitted his defeat.

“See! I told you!" said a gray-haired dwarf to another.
"She is truly strong. The dwarf blood is thick in her veins. She belongs
with us. The council has to listen.”

Another mention of the council, the all-powerful group that
decides the fate of so many.  I wanted to hear more of this story, but
something caught my eye from across the club. It was a group of fairies sitting
quietly at a table. There were five of them, two males and three females. The
one in the middle was my fairy. There was no doubt in my mind. My heart began
to thud loudly in my chest. In my mind I replayed that day. The scar on my leg
from Fetch's hatching burned and itched as I stood there looking at her. She
was as beautiful as she was that first day. Part of me wanted to just rush over
there and reveal myself. Just to show her I was there, and demand answers to
questions I have had from the beginning, but I knew this was not the best idea.
I had to get closer to them and try to listen to what they were saying. I stood
there for a while trying to decide whether or not I should go over there. From
my vantage point I could see most of the club. What I saw made me realize I
needed to get to the fey as fast as I could.

Michelle had spotted them too. All the years of frustration
and hate for the fairies seemed to be on her face. In her hands was a dagger
just like the one that Johnathen gave me in the park, the one he told me would
kill a fairy even if they just touched it. I hadn’t even thought about mine in
over a month. My stomach fell into my shoes as I realized I wouldn’t be able to
get to her before she got to the fairies. I didn’t want to believe it, but the
way she moved toward them with the dagger in her hands gave me the idea she was
going to kill one, and I couldn’t stop her.

It played out in front of me like a slow-motion film. I made
my way across the club as Michelle came up behind the fairies with her dagger
raised in her hands. She stood there panting heavily, and, even from the
distance I was from her, I could see her shaking in rage. She moved right in
front of them. Her teardrop kept her hidden as she stood there in front of my
fairy, ready to plunge the dagger into her heart. Her face was a mask of rage
and pain. Her eyes were wild and I knew that she was going to do this. I rushed
across the club, not caring if I would be revealed. I had to stop her from
doing this.

Then slowly I watched her face change. The rage melted away
and was replaced with a look of confusion.  She looked down at the blade in her
hands. She seemed surprised that she was holding it at all. She shook her head
like she was trying to clear her mind and stood there staring at the fairies.
They were having a very animated discussion. She heard something that they said
and looked over at me. I finally reached her. She was staring at me as if I
wasn’t real, like she was seeing me for the first time.

The dagger never made it to the floor. Smith had appeared at
our sides, seeming like he had just appeared out of nowhere. He caught the
dagger as it fell. Without looking at it, he quickly concealed it in the sleeve
of his purple sweatshirt. He looked at me with concern on his face, and gently
led Michelle away from the fairies and over to the bar. I started to follow
them when I overheard one of the fairies say the word 'dragon'.  I looked over
at Smith and Michelle. Her head was in her hands and I could tell she was
crying. I made a move to come toward them and Smith signaled for me to stay
where I was. He motioned to the fey and pointed to his ears. I got the message.
As much as I wanted to be there for Michelle, this was my chance to get the
most information I would probably get on the fey. Michelle looked up at me,
nodded her head and pointed at the fairies herself. She gave me a smile,
through her tears, to let me know she was ok and again pointed at the fey. She
would never forgive me or herself if I let this opportunity pass.

I looked over and realized I was right behind the fairy who
led me out into traffic. The one who stood over me staring after I broke my
hip. A strange phantom pain shot up my leg as I stood there looking at her. The
whole exchange went unnoticed by the group of fairies. Somehow we had both made
it across the club without being revealed. Our concealment had not been blown.
They would never know how close they came to being killed.

I stood there just a few feet behind them. I could smell
her. She smelled like the desert after the rain.  Then she spoke.

“We have to find them. They can’t be left alone. There are
too many things that could happen. There are already people talking about them,
and, if we don’t find them soon, no telling what could happen."

“It is not our responsibility to protect them,” said one of
the male fey.

They were all hovering above the ground, their wings
creating a cool breeze behind them. As perfect and fragile as they looked,
there was a power that radiated around them making it very clear to anyone near
them that they were not to be messed with.

“That’s not fair, William,” she said. “They never asked for
any of this. He has already been forgotten by his family and friends, and no
telling what the dragon is going through.”

I realized with a shock that they were talking about Fetch
and me. They had been looking for us. The other female fairy was bobbing up and
down with an excited look on her face. She spoke in a high voice so different
from the rich alto voice of my fairy. I found myself wanting to know her name,
hoping that someone would say it. The excited fairy was an ebony skinned
beauty, with a blue glow that radiated a few inches from her body. With every
word she spoke her blue glow would get brighter.

"It is obvious that someone is concealing them from
us,” she said. “Perhaps whoever has spread the dragon eggs around is the one
hiding them.”

“Please Molly, keep your voice down,” said another fairy.
"If word gets out that there are more dragon eggs out there, just
scattered around, it could cause a panic.”

It was one of the guys that spoke. Both the male fey were
dressed in what looked like very expensive suits. One had dark brown hair and
dark tanned skin. The other had hair that looked almost white with skin to
match.

“I don’t care," replied Molly. “There is someone who is
using the essence of hatching dragons to gain power, and I feel that it is up
to us to warn the public, magic and non-magic."

“Not until we find the 'dragon survivor' and the 'named
dragon',” said my fairy.

Those words used to describe me sounded too much like a
title. I wasn’t sure I liked that. When you had a title, there were always
people expecting certain things from you, and I had no idea what those things
were. Fetch and I deserved some freedom. We never asked for this life, but it
was still ours, and I didn’t want to lose it. It was time to get Fetch in here.
I realized I should have had him there from the very beginning. I felt trapped.
I wanted to stay and hear more, but I wanted to get Fetch in here to hear it
with me. It affected him too, and it was only fair that he heard what was being
said. I looked around for Michelle and Smith. I finally spotted Smith sitting
at a bar stool. He was looking right at me with a concerned look on his face.
Michelle was nowhere to be seen.

I left the fairies to go ask Smith where she was. When I
reached him, he had tears in his eyes. In his hand was the dagger that Michelle
almost used on the fairies.