Owen Changes His Mind

8. Magic Listening

Author's Note: Kudos to "the elf named pearl" on discord for finding the name Agarci

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Owen was in the middle of a set of pushups when Guts appeared. "You have a visitor," they said as Owen slowly stood.

It was Magic. She wrinkled her nose coming closer, and Owen felt self conscious. "Don't you let him bathe?" Magic asked Guts in what she thought was a quiet voice. Owen could hear everything, though. He'd been in a quiet cell for too long. Plus, his senses were honed. Guts shrugged, turned, and left. Magic turned towards Owen. "Um, hi. It's been a while."

Owen paused, then let a manic smile grow on his face. From Magic's expression, it was terrifying. Owen stopped smiling and sat on the bed, looking away. "Why are you here, Magic? To convince me that demons are actually kittens?"

Magic sighed and came closer, leaning on the bars. "Owen, I'm not here to try to convince you otherwise about demons. I don't believe the same thing as you, either. I just, I guess I'd like to understand. Could you tell me why?"

She waited quietly while he collected his thoughts. Surely she was lying. None of them were ready for the truth. "Demons are vile," he began.

When Owen didn't continue, Magic prompted him, "Sure, but why?"

"I don't kn-" Owen stopped. He was about to say he didn't know the mind of a demon, but was that true? Did it matter? "Demons-" Owen struggled, "are a plague on the land. They breed and- and- they steal, and they indulge in every violent impulse they have." Yeah, that made sense.

"So demons are bad because they steal and are violent?" Magic asked.

"Yes, and they're cowards," Owen growled, thinking about Guts. He almost thought about Apo, but the way Apo had tricked him, had beaten him- no- Rasbi was safe to think about, yeah. She was a coward. She'd come into the maze just to avenge her sister and it had taken her this long to even try anything, and A-

Owen stopped thinking and stared at a brick. "Owen?" Magic cajoled. Owen snapped out of it, finally looking up. He pinned Magic with his intense stare, the same one which had thrown Graecie completely off. It had no visible effect on Magic. "Are you okay?"

"I'm great," he snapped. "Just peachy. I love it down here. It's so..." he glanced around his cell for emphasis. "...cozy."

Magic sighed. "Okay, yeah, that was a dumb question. Of course you aren't okay. I can't get you out, Owen. But I do want to understand. Can you help me?"

"It depends," Owen said, turning his back on Magic. "Can you understand? Are you capable?"

There was a pause, and soft rustling. "I'd like to think I can understand. If you can explain it, that is. You're still human, after all." She sounded closer. Owen turned around and realized she was in the cell with him. She was inside. Owen could attack her and escape- wait no, she was human, he couldn't do that. To a human.

"Owen, you were a leader," Magic murmured, looking up at him. "You lead the clearing into the maze. You helped unite everyone, humans, demons, angels- everyone." She paused, but he didn't respond. Magic stepped back, giving Owen some personal space. "I'm a leader too. I just want to understand what happened, what you remembered."

Owen gulped. He wasn't sure he was ready. "I was a hunter before the maze, Magic. A general in the war. I had a purpose."

"And that purpose was hunting demons?" Magic asked.

"Yes. Demons who were pushing out nearby humans, demons who would grow to be a threat, especially the demons who threatened our borders and cities."

"Only the demons who were threats?"