It's Just Magic

Humans Aren't All Bad

Teeth breaking and bones snapping Edendir slid to the floor, falling over three storeys to the floor below.

"Oh my word!" a voice cried, footsteps running over. "Are you alright?"

Edendir rolled over onto his back, healing already. That was one bonus of being an elf, having the power to save himself from near death.

"I am fine, thank you," Edendir replied, struggling upright and wiping blood from his face with a silk handkerchief. "Perfectly alright."

"You're bleeding," the girl said in concern. She was taller than Edendir but he was a small elf. She had blonde hair that curled down to her shoulders and grey eyes full of worry.

"I am fine," Edendir repeated.

"No, please, let me help you." She untied a green and black tie, part of her school uniform, and looped it around Edendir's hand. He hadn't even noticed that his palm was bleeding and was grateful for the assistance.

"My name's Lilly," she continued. "Are you new? You appeared out of the sky, so I guess so. What's in your bags? Shall I take them for you?"

"No no, I am fine to carry them," Edendir said, tugging his bags closer to him. "Please continue on your way, my lady."

"You talk really posh," Lilly giggled. "And really formal! Lighten up a bit."

Edendir frowned and frantically scanned his brain. Lighten up? Ah, that meant be happier. He smiled and nodded his head.

"I have lightened up," he announced. Lilly laughed properly and punched Edendir gently on the arm.

"You're weird," she said. "Really weird. What's your name?"

"Edendir."

"What's that mean?"

"New young man."

"Cool! Lilly means flower, I guess. I never really bothered with names." She shrugged. "What can I call you for short, Edendir?"

"You may call me sir," Edendir said after a short amount of thought. Lilly squealed with laughter and punched him on the arm again, harder this time.

"You're so funny, Dir!" she shrieked. Another person arrived behind her and put a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Calm down, Lilly," he said. "Leave this kid alone." He had a different accent to Lilly and was tall and tanned. He had windswept blonde hair and sea-green eyes and just looking at him sparked something within Edendir. It was curiosity.

"Aw, but Dylan," Lilly whined. "I don't want to go! He's funny!"

"He's obviously lost," the boy continued. He had to be at least fourteen, like Edendir. "So go back to Aunt Katy. I'll look after the boy for a bit. If I'm not back by ten then I'm dead. Got it?" Lilly nodded. The boy smiled and ruffled her hair. "Good girl. Go back to Aunt Katy then."

Lilly ran off to a woman in the distance and started jabbering away. Edendir watched her go with a bemused look on his face.

"I am afraid of that small human," he said.

"She's in year seven," the boy said by way of explanation. "A right old chatterbox, too. I'm Dylan Jones. Pleased to meet you, kid." He held out his hand and Edendir shook it, remembering that it was polite human tradition when greeting a new person.

"Where are you from?" Edendir asked. "You and the girl have different accents."

"I'm from America," Dylan replied. "Across the ocean, over the sea. Lilly and Aunt Katy are from England. Like you, but you have a more musical voice. Kinda Welsh."

"Welsh?"

"Do you know nothing about geography?" Dylan asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I am a quick learner," Edendir said in his defence. "But I have been away from humans for most of my life."

"You're feral?"

"No. Another species." The second he said it Edendir knew he'd said something wrong. That should have been kept a secret! What happened if this Dylan went to someone and said what Edendir was?

"What's your name?" Dylan asked after a long silence.

"Edendir. Do not shorten it."

"Understood." Dylan smiled but his eyes were still thoughtful. He reached forwards and brushed aside Edendir's hair, uncovering his pointed ears.

"You're an elf," he realised. Edendir stepped backwards and lowered his head.

"Please do not sell me," he said in a soft voice. "I am new to this world and all I want is to be a magician. Not a prince, or a soldier. A simple performer. That is my dream."

"What tricks can you do?" Dylan asked, eyes brightening. "I love watching magic. I can never do them myself but it fascinates me."

Edendir smiled and slid his cards out of his pocket. He split and shuffled the deck before presenting it in a fan to Dylan, face down.

"Pick any card and don't show it me."

Dylan took a card from the middle, looked at it then clasped it to his chest. "Memorised it," he said firmly.

"Good. Now put it face down in my hand."

Dylan did as commanded and Edendir set fire to the card as soon as the boy's hand retreated. Dylan stifled a yell and stared at Edendir with wide eyes.

"How are you doing that?" he whispered. Edendir's mouth twitched into a bigger smile and he closed his fist.

"You saw the card vanish, yes?" he confirmed.

"I saw it burn!"

"Then what's in your left pocket?"

Dylan pulled out a plain card from his left pocket, one side white, the other side coloured. Edendir sighed and held out his hand. Dylan placed the card on his palm, watching him uncertainly.

The second the card touched his skin it rippled and became the four of diamonds. Dylan's eyes widened and he stared at Edendir for a very long time.

Then: "How the heck did you do that?"

"Was that your card?" Edendir asked, enjoying the look of stunned admiration.

"Yes, but."

"Good." Edendir slipped the cards away and tightened his bag.

"You're brilliant at magic," Dylan whispered, a smile spreading across his face. "That's awesome! What else can you do?"

"Pretty much anything I want," the elf shrugged. "I do not know much about humans so you will have to help."

"So I'm your magic assistant?" Dylan asked eagerly.

"Yes, but I need no help. Just make sure I do not get executed."

"People aren't killed anymore..."

"They are where I come from."

Dylan fell silent and then straightened his back and began rummaging in his bag. He pulled out a sleek silver device that made Edendir back away.

"Don't worry!" Dylan said. "It's a camcorder. It records moving pictures and stores them on a memory chip."

"Oh, we have memory processing spells for that," Edendir said, relaxing and brushing it off with a wave of his hand.

"You might do, but can you upload memories to YouTube and keep the original?" Dylan asked smugly. Edendir frowned.

"What is YouTube?"

"A social networking site to upload and view videos. Yeah, that about covers it. Now come on!" Dylan grabbed Edendir's sleeve impatiently and started tugging him towards the nearest shops. "You're getting new clothes instead of looking like Peter Pan and then you're going to show off."