Embers of Magic

Okay, Perhaps She's Crazy.

We sprinted down the stairs of the subway as we wove through the constant flow of people from the train that just pulled up. Zarah ran seconds ahead, throwing herself into the doorway of the moving train as she yelled her hand out to us, at the same time holding the door from shutting. Josh followed her into the train and I continued to run after, quickly running out of platform.

I wasn’t use to this kind of thing. I was never active as a kid and I never tried to jump onto a moving train. Hell, I hadn’t had the nerve to jump on a trampoline because I always felt I’d fall over the edge. But, now wasn’t the time to back down; I shut my eyes as I leaped – my momentum carrying me.

I could feel myself suspended in the air for a few brief moments that felt like eternity. My heart sunk as the beating nearly stopped – they grabbed me, pulling me on. When I opened my eyes, I was on the train with the two staring at me. I inhaled deeply, trying to catch my breath, “Guess I’ll need to work out more.” I chuckled.

“Indeed. Magic drains your stamina so you’ll need to build it up.” Zarah stated. It could explain the tiredness I felt after the night we left the museum. I simply burnt through whatever stamina I had within an instant. My heart shuddered while thinking about that night. I thought about how I nearly killed her. I couldn’t do that again, no matter what. I could risk hurting her.

“How do I control it? The fire.”

Zarah sighed as she sat down in one of the seats. “I’m not exactly a witch but I know a few things that may be able to help you.” Josh raised his eyebrow. “Don’t you think that calling her a witch is a bit harsh?”

“She’s a witch.” Zarah continued. “There’s nothing harsh about it. The idea of witches drawing their power from signing a contract with the devil was just the image imposed onto them in order to prosecute them without trail. Truth is, witchcraft is no different then the popular religions these days – you place your faith in a god and draw your strength from it.”

“I guess, you have a point.” Josh nodded.

“Okay.” I joined the conversation. “About helping me control it?”

“Right. Think of your magic as an Old-fashioned radio. One of those with the tuning needles. Until the needle is on the exact station, you’ll hear nothing but static and that can be confusing.” She tried to explain, yet none of it made sense. Of course, I understood the analogy but I couldn’t see how to apply it to my magic.

“Ember, the night in the ally. What went through your mind when you summoned the fire?” I thought back to the night and recalled the thoughts I had – the night of the fire. I told them about what I saw that day.

“So your mom’s a witch?” Josh continued. “Man, that just doesn’t sound right… “

“She’s more then just a witch. She’s the patron god of witches. Her magic is more powerful then you can imagine, Josh.” I looked down as I heard the two talk. If her magic was that powerful, why couldn’t she stay? I shook off the thought. “You pray to a god and draw your strength from it, right?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“And that’s all you can tell me?”

“Unfortunately yes, my liege.” Zarah looked down, yet I could see the confusion on her face before she hid it. She was no older then myself and I couldn’t expect her to know more then either of us, even though she’s lived in this world longer then the both of us. She wasn’t a witch.

“Thank you.” I spoke with a smile. “There’s no need to thank me, my liege.” She responded.

“Tell me, Zarah. Is there anything I can do that will make it easy? Any magical talismans I should know about?” I couldn’t believe what I just asked. Two days ago, magic and talismans were things that hadn’t existed anywhere else besides the movies I watched. Now, I was dragged into a world filled with magic – where the moon rose my day, no longer the sun that sat in the sky like burnt charcoal.

Thinking about it, this was what I wished for. That night after I came back, I wondered what had been missing from my life. I wondered why it all felt so empty. And, I wondered about my mother. All those questions were answered at once after I opened the Pithos. Yet, at what cost? When Pandora opened it, she released evils into the world that we were still battling with today – hate, fear, anger.
I was angry that my father held this from me for all these years. I hated myself for opening the Pithos and bringing this evil onto us. Most of all, I was afraid. All of us were, even Zarah. She tried not to show it yet her finger nails were basically bitten into half moons as she sat on the edge of her seat, ready to spring up to defend, or run. Josh hadn’t known what he’d gotten himself and he didn’t seem to care. Yet, the worry in his eyes were piercing. He knew that his brother had been in trouble but wasn’t sure if he was the trouble, or not.

Zarah paused for a few moments before answering my question. “I don’t know. There’s this guy called the collector or might have something, but… “

“But what?” Josh questioned as he lowered his eyebrows. With his eyebrows scrunched downwards like that, he looked a bit more like his brother. A more muscular and… Ember, focus. I chided myself. Zarah continued, “He is known for having a price for everything he does.”

“The cost doesn’t matter.” I spoke determinedly as I stood up, using the handrailing as a support on the moving train. I needed a way to control it and fast. I couldn’t rely on Zarah to protect me. I needed to be able to do the same for her.

“I see. He is usually found at the beach a few stations from here. Things was up there a bunch of times. Most of it junk, however.”

“The beach?” Josh asked as his eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store, “Wait, who is this guy?”

The expression on Zarah’s face quickly shifted from neutral to being poisoned by annoyance – her lip curled and a grimace set into her eyes. “A washed-up old god.”