Cut From A Tattered Cloth

Chapter 1

"Unless you're buying me a drink, the answer is no."

Commissioner Kelly raised an eyebrow. "I never said I was asking." He glanced at the empty tankards on the counter. "And don't you think you've had enough?"

Special Mage Eijiro Tokuda shrugged. "Your tax dollars at work."

He tipped his fifth pint upside down, gulping noisily as he drained it. He set it next to the others. Beer dribbled into the stubble of his chin, and he wiped it with his black Mage's cloak.

Kelly winced. "Toks, that's your uniform."

"Your uniform. Not mine," Tokuda corrected. Then--and Kelly knew he was doing this to spite him--he blew his nose into it. "Now order a beer or get out."

Kelly sighed and slipped into the stool next to his intoxicated friend. Tokuda eyed him warily, bloodshot gaze full of hostility. Rolling his eyes Kelly gave in. He flagged down the bartender.

"What can I get for you, sir?" the young man asked. His blonde hair was pulled into a stubby ponytail and his green eyes had flecks of silver in them. Kelly wondered if that meant he, too, was a steel mage. Of course, the flecks in his eyes didn't necessarily have to tie in with his magic—it could've been something he inherited from his parents, or a total coincidence. With the advances in the synthetic serum nowadays, it was always hard to tell.

"I'll have a club soda, and something light for my—"

Kelly was interrupted by a loud belch from Tokuda. He shot him an incredulous look, but Tokuda was busy staring off into space. His eyes were glazed over, and Kelly thought he saw tears welling in them. He leaned closer to the bartender.

"Make his a virgin if you can," he said, sliding a twenty rann bill across the table.

Tokuda snapped out of his stupor. "I heard that," he growled.

"Oh, good. So I can stop whispering." Kelly cleared his throat, "Here's a good tip for you, lad. I'll throw in extra if you cut off my friend here."

"What?! Now, wait here you--"

"I've been trying to do that all night, sir," the young bartender said with a grin. He snapped his fingers and Tokuda's empty tankards popped off the counter.

Kelly's eyebrows went up. So, not a steel mage, he thought, but glass.

With a wave of his hand, the blonde-haired bartender floated the dirty mugs back to the dish pit before summoning two clean ones from under the counter. He caught the first one and filled it with ice water. The second placed itself on the counter as a bottle of club soda popped off the shelf behind him. The bartender reached for a bottle opener, but Kelly held up a hand.

"Allow me."

He flicked his wrist and the metallic bottle cap twisted off.

"Much obliged, sir." Said the bartender.

Kelly watched the young man lift his right hand. The bottle of club soda mimicked his actions, tipping itself to pour Kelly's drink.

"That's a good way to use glass magic," Kelly remarked.

"It makes mixing a lot easier," the bartender said. He placed the drinks in front of Kelly, his green eyes appreciative. He passed back the rann bill Kelly had given him, "It's on the house."

Kelly wanted to protest, but on the opposite end of the counter a bearded man called for another round of shots. The young man snapped his fingers and a bottle of whisky popped off the shelf to make the refill.

"Duty calls," he said, his stub of a blonde ponytail whipping behind him as he left.

Kelly took a sip of his drink. "Mmm, the club soda is good. You should try it, Toks."