Rune Magic

14: Inflammable Deeds

.^^ Raul and ~almost~ Zetre ^^

— James —

An echo of a feeling shook me from my sleep, and I immediately, (and carefully,) transferred the sleeping cat to the cushion, then opened a portal to as near as I could get to the feeling, stepping through.

I yelped, flapping my arms uselessly as I fell towards a sidewalk, and braced myself for an imminent impact.

The concrete cracked under my face, and my brain shook, disorienting me, but I found myself mostly alright. I groaned, rolling over slowly, and looked up at the fifth floor apartment I'd been outside of. A boy sat on the ledge, looking bewildered.

I groaned again, standing up. 'How did none of these humans see that portal-... oh, right, I made it invisible to mundane folk to avoid that nastiness. Perfect.' I sighed, and began climbing up the ledges easily.

I reached the fifth floor after a few moments, and sat on the ledge. The unfamiliar boy blinked at me, and frowned. "Who are you?" He asked in slightly accented English, a Spanish accent spicing up his language.

I grinned. "My name is James Parthenos... do I know you? Any siblings? Cousins? You have an interesting face, very familiar..." I hummed.

He shook his head. "No, not that I know of. Not that it matters, anyway. They wouldn't want a crazy guy like me around in the first place."

"Ahhh, crazy because you believe in Magic?" I took a chance, and made a little flame in my hand.

He flinched, and nearly fell off the ledge, but I simply grabbed his belt, and threw him bodily into the room, climbing after him. "Magic is real, man. If you're having visions or other weird shit, it's because you're not using your magic. It happens from time to time. What's your name?" I asked calmly.

He flinched, stumbling over his couch and pressing his back to the wall, staring at me speechlessly. I laughed at the dead fish look, the wide eyes and gaping mouth, but sobered when he fainted.

"Ah, bloody hell..." I grumbled, and picked him up, placing him on the couch.

After a few minutes of waiting, I poured a handful of water on his face, and stood back as he flailed. When he stopped, I sat on his coffee table. "So. You alright?" I asked casually

He rubbed his face tiredly, and I noted the bags under his eyes, along with the bloodshot capillaries. "Not sleeping well?" I asked, knowing the answer already.

He blinked, looking at me. "Wait, Whoa... Who are you?"

"Names James Parthenos, I already introduced myself, out on the ledge. You weren't planning on jumping, yeah? This height wouldn't have killed you, you know, just put you in the hospital in critical condition." I informed him.

He scoffed. "No, I wasn't really planning on jumping today... good to know, though, if the fancy ever strikes me again."

"I hope it doesn't." I shrugged, and sat on his love seat, across from the couch. "Now! Your Name?"

He blinked again. "Raul? Raul Perdido... it means The Lost. The State gives it to-"

I held up a hand. "I know, Raul. I also know that I only found you because your emotions hit me... which means you're related to someone I know personally."

"What does that even mean?!? Emotions? What, you read minds, or something? What kinda bullshit is that?" He snapped.

I shook my head. "No, no... it's really simple, actually. I didn't know about magic until I was 13, two and a half years ago. Most people are born to this, with proper training and teachers to tell you you're not fucking insane for having dreams about places you've never been to... so trust me, Raul, when I say that I understand what you're going through." I looked around the crummy apartment, and hummed. "This Place Yours?" I asked.