Accidents Happen

Don't get involved with humans. That lesson had been drilled into Colin since he started learning magic, and so far, he had done his best to stick by it. Even now, if he closed his eyes, he could see his old mentor Richard puttering around his apothecary, flicking magic into potions and salves with nimble, wrinkled fingers.

"Humans bring nothing but trouble," his mentor wheezed to the gangly boy of ten perched on a stool. "They're unpredictable. They have no magic of their own, so they have developed crafty ways to survive the outside world. Which is why we stay in here." He gestured up to the glass dome that surrounded the fantastical world of witches and wizards. Far above their heads, like a second sun, the ring humans called 'Stonehenge,' floated, the only portal separating the humans and the magic-doers.

Now, seven years later, he had managed to go against this rule so thoroughly, he was slightly impressed with himself.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Elizabeth Shaw screamed looking up at the figure floating above her. Her family had gone on vacation in rural England, and the 16-year-old had wandered off to look at the famous Stonehenge. She'd traced the rocks idly with her fingers, wondering why ancients had placed the stones in such a particular formation, so many centuries ago, when- PSHHEWCK! The ground in the middle of the circle bubbled and stretched, and then someone rocketed through, robes billowing around them. Elizabeth had stumbled backwards, her red hair falling over her face and her glasses slipping down her nose.

The person- at least, she thought it was a person- lighted down across the circle from her, smoothing down their robes and hair. They turned at the sound of her scream and started visibly at the sight of her. Both of them froze, staring at each other, before the strange intruder started pulling random things out of his cloak. Even in her shock, Elizabeth couldn't help but admire its capacity. The intruder began to approach her, tossing unneeded items to the side in a trail of peculiarity. Metallic sculptures, feathers, bottles filled with strange, murky substances, even a live toad were thrown aside, accompanied by murmurs of "Not that- no, not that either- ugh, why do I even have that-" (for the last object, which let out a bemused belch in the muddy grass.)

When the figure got to five meters from her, it threw back the hood surrounding its face, and Elizabeth saw it was a teenage boy. He was tall, about 6 feet, and had messy black hair with slightly prominent ears. Slightly reassured by the fact he wasn't some alien or terrible monster, she pushed her glasses up and smoothed her hair back. "Who are you?" she queried, voice trembling. "Is this some kind of trick? H-how did you just pop out of the ground?"

He didn't reply, instead pulling out a yard-long stick which had a large blue orb attached to the end. "What's that?" She scooted away from him. "What are you planning to do to me? I know you can speak English-" her voice's pitch rose- "I heard you!"

The figure gave an exasperated sigh, rotating the stick in his fingers like a baton twirler in a parade. "I'm planning to wipe your memory, of course. Can't have anyone know you saw me, now can I?" His voice was slightly scratchy, like he'd just woken up. "Now hold still, human, it'll be less painful for you that way."

Elizabeth sprang to her feet. "Wait, 'human?' Are you saying you aren't one? And what do you mean wipe my memory, I don't want it to be wiped- that was the most amazing thing I've ever seen!" She backed away from him even as he stepped forwards, a frustrated expression flitting over his face.

Merlin's beard, this girl was irritating. "Well, I suppose I could take something else from you..." Colin mused, stopping his advance. "Got any unicorn horns? Diamonds? Powdered velociraptor belly?"