by Lee Magnus
“Really? You sure don’t seem down about it.
“They really had it out for me. I thought a few times they would hurt me so badly that I’d be out for the season.”
“But you seem fine. Not even a limp.”
Trey became evasive, “Yeah. I soaked and did some other stuff. I bounce back pretty well.”
Marcus replied jokingly with wide eyes and a mocking voice, “Maybe it wasn’t as hard as you thought it was?”
Relieved Marcus was letting it go he said, “Maybe so, but dude, it was one of the hardest things I’ve done.” He looked distantly after the comment as he mentally compared the previous day to all the days related to the relics. He then felt better about soccer and longed for it to be the most difficult challenge he would face from now on. However, he knew that dream wouldn’t become fulfilled for some time to come and that the greatest challenge of his life was closer than he realized.
“Hey Trey,” Leslie said yanking him from the contemplation. He said hey in return as she walked by.
Marcus looked at Leslie then at Trey questioningly. “You sure do seem to be hitting it with the girls lately.”
“What’d ya mean?”
“What I mean, Kid, is that it can’t be coincidence that Sarah, forget she’s seeing that high school dork, is now talking to you after all these years of not knowing you existed and now you have random girls saying hey to you in the hallway. What’s your secret?”
“I don’t have a secret. I guess I just fall into these weird situations and then we become friends.” He smiled as he briefly relived the disastrous soccer lesson with Leslie.
“Friends? Is that it?”
“Evidently. Sarah is seeing someone else and I barely know Leslie.”
“Well, whatever you’re doing you should keep doing. It seems to be working. Maybe I’ll accidently trip into Jenny Jacobson today in third period,” he said dramatically.
“Ha! Yeah. Let me know how that works out!”
“Sure. Oh yeah! Did you hear?” Marcus asked.
“Hear what?”
“So, you don’t know about Davis?”
“No. I haven’t spoken to any of the others since Saturday. What happened?”
“He quit the team.”
Trey nearly dropped his books as his face paled. “Please tell me you’re kidding.”
“No. I heard from Conner that Phillipe was asking Coach Rafiq who would be playing striker if you got on the varsity team.”
Trey’s heart doubled. His stomach churned. “Oh no! That’s terrible! It’s because of the game last weekend. Dang! I’m such an idiot! Why couldn’t I just play nice? He’s really good at soccer, not a good striker but he makes for a great winger and mid-fielder. I have to talk to him. I have to try to make it better.”
Marcus just looked at his friend reeling from the ramifications of his actions at the game.
“Do you know what class he has after home room?” Trey asked.
“I think Science with Mr. Hampton.”
“That’s great! I can make it there before History.”
“See ya.” Marcus said as Trey ran down the hallway.
Trey met Davis just before he entered the science lab.
With a worried look Trey grabbed Davis’ arm and said, “Davis. I need to talk to you.”
The scowling boy quickly snatched away from Trey’s grasp. Trey slipped to the side to avoid Davis’ attempted shove. Davis caught his footing, turned and nearly screamed with serious emotion, “What do you want!”
Several curious students turned toward the commotion.
“I just want to talk,” Trey said calmly with considerate concern on his face.
“I already told you! Don’t ever talk to me again.”
“I know,” Trey looked down then back up to the blustering teenager. “I want to talk about the team. You are – “.
“I’m done with soccer! It’s a stupid game.”
“No. It’s not, and you’re very good at it. The team needs you. No one is as good at floating from winger to mid-fielder as you.”
“He’s right,” Phillipe said joining the conversation. “You’re very fast and are an excellent passer.”
“But you have what most players don’t have,” Trey added. “You’re tough. No one else can handle those big defenders like you. They can’t push you around like they do me and Robbie.”
Davis regarded them both individually. His red face showed a hot temper. “I’m finished with soccer. You two will have to figure it out on your own.” He then stormed into science class.
Trey and Phillipe looked at each other sullenly.
Phillipe looked worried when he said, “What will we do without you and Davis on the team?”
“You’ll be fine. Plus, it’s not going well with the high schoolers. I’ll be back next week.”
Phillipe smiled and said, “That’s the best news I’ve heard all day!” His smile instantly faded, “I mean, I’m sorry about varsity and all but I’m glad to know you’ll be with us for at least the rest of the season.”
“Me too, Phillipe,” he said hitting him lightly on the shoulder.
“What was all that about?” Mr. Hampton said entering the hallway from the lab.
“Nothing,” Trey replied without looking Nick in the eyes.
Phillipe walked away waiving bye to Trey.
“You and Davis still at it?”
“No,” he said looking away from his teacher friend. “Davis quit the soccer team because of what I did last weekend.”
Nick’s face softened, “You can’t blame yourself for that.”
Trey quickly replied blasting Nick with troubled hazel eyes, “Of course I can! I embarrassed him and now he quit a sport he loves. It’s my fault.”
The bell rang.
“I have to get to class,” Trey said then sulked away.
Nick watched the boy until he exited the hallway.
~~
“Hey Leslie,” Trey said unenthusiastically as she skipped over to take a place across from him at lunch. Her ponytail bopped to the side as she sat.
“Hey Trey,” she said in her usual chipper demeanor. “Alone for lunch today? Where’s Marcus?”
“He had a band thing. Is this going to be a normal thing?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
“A normal what?” she replied with a curious smile.
“Us sitting together at lunch.”
Her eyes brightened as she turned her head slightly and gave him a smug smile, “I don’t know.” She then added with raised eyebrows, “Do you want it to be?”
“I haven’t decided yet,” he said with an equally smug smile.
“Fine. I’ll go sit with Tracy,” she made a motion to grab her lunchbox.
“No! No. Sit,” He smiled. “I like your company.”
She smiled and settled into the seat. “That’s what I thought,” she said raising the intonation of the I to make her point.
“Ohhhh,” Trey said. “Is that right? Maybe you should go sit with Tracy.”
She gave him a sour look then smiled, “So. Tell me. How’d it go with Davis yesterday?”
Trey’s smile became a deep frown. His eyes leered sideways and down.
“It was bad, huh?” she added.
He looked up into gentle light green eyes, unlike the deep green of when they first met. He wondered if her eye color shifted based on her mood. He then dismissed the thought and said, “He quit the team.”
“What? He quit the team?” She replied, clearly caught off guard with the revelation.
“Yeah. I just found out today. I tried to talk to him about it this morning. Even Phillipe was encouraging, and he can’t stand the guy. But Davis was adamant. I don’t think he’s coming back.”
“Oh my. I can’t believe he quit.”
“Me either. I feel terrible.”
“I’m sure you do,” she said in a comforting sort of way.
Trey reeled like she caught him with a left hook then said, “
Dang. Ok. Thanks for the encouragement. I’ll try to talk to him again soon.”
“Today?”
“No. I’ll give it a rest today.”
“That’s probably best.”
Small talk dominated the remainder of their conversation as Trey continued to struggle with what to do about Davis and Lenny’s video.
Later that beautiful Tuesday afternoon at soccer practice, Trey continued to have a difficult time. The scrimmage was just as brutal as the previous day. Trey seriously questioned his commitment to prove himself worthy to Coach Wood as well as his commitment to preserve himself from severe harm – regardless of how well or quickly the fairy magic healed him.
After practice, Trey sat next to Lenny who was changing out of his soccer shoes.
“Lenny, man,” Trey pleaded. “You have to take down the video. Davis, the kid I hit with the ball,” Lenny snickered as Trey continued, “he’s having a hard time.”
“He should, the little sh…”
“I know he’s not a nice kid, but he doesn’t deserve to be ridiculed. It’s been long enough. Take it down please.”
Lenny looked at Trey. Trey noticed a whitehead poking out from the boy’s cheek. He thought it might blow at any moment. He lurched his eyes away from the bulging pimple and back to Lenny which seemed to genuinely consider Trey’s appeal.
“No.”
“But why?” Trey asked infuriated at the boy’s consistent stance.
“It’s the best video I’ve ever had but it’s not getting the views I think it should. I’ll promote it and see if I can reach a wider audience.”
“No! You can’t!” Trey exclaimed and stood to face the taller boy who remained sitting on the bench. “You must take it down. That kid that you don’t care about just quit the soccer team because of what I did, and he was good. So many of the kids at school have seen the video. It needs to go away so they can have a chance to forget about it and I can convince him to rejoin the team. Think about Davis and how he feels. What if it were you?”
“You’re right. I don’t care about the dumb kid. I won’t take it down.”
“But you have to!”
Lenny stood and looked angrily down at Trey. He bowed his bird chest to where it nearly touched Trey. “I don’t have to do anything – especially nothing a stupid middle school kid says.” He then pushed Trey with both hands. Trey nearly fell down but caught himself with a few quick steps backward. “Now stop bothering me about the video!” Lenny said harshly. “I’m leaving it up.” Lenny then left him standing at the edge of the soccer field unconcerned about the crushing guilt building in Trey’s core.
After the unsuccessful attempt at getting Lenny to remove the video. Trey sat on the bench alone while everyone else filed out of the soccer complex. Coach Wood regarded him with a hat brim salute then shuffled on his way leaving Trey completely alone inside the complex.
Trey rubbed his calf where Tucker kicked on an errant play for the ball. A large bruise had already appeared. He could barely flex it.
Just as tears of pain welled, a charming metallic voice with a hint of a British accent resonated over his shoulder. “Hello,” his eyes widened, and he stopped rubbing his leg, “Fire Tamer.”
A shrewd chill coursed through his body. He quickly turned to find an elegant slender woman standing several feet away.
“Tanny! How did you…? I didn’t even hear you. What are you doing here? How did you get past my guard?”
“It’s nice to see you too,” she smiled as she gracefully drifted toward him. Her draping green dress glittered in the fading sunlight. Her hair, the color of autumn leaves, flowed effortlessly behind like a stream of dandelion puff caught in the gale from a soft breath.
Trey felt he should be frightened at the sudden appearance of the humanized dragon but was pleasantly surprised after the initial shock of her instantaneous presence quickly wore off. “I’m sorry. It’s good to see you. I guess I’m not….”
“It is quite alright, Fire Tamer. First impressions are persistent. Your watch is asleep. I will wake him upon my leave.”
“I suppose if you wanted to eat me, one guy with a gun couldn’t stop you. Why are you here?”
She smiled softly at his comment then said, “I came to talk.”
“But can’t you just do that anytime? You know, mind to mind?”
“Sure. But I thought it would be pleasant to see you again.”
“Ok.” Trey said leery of her reason for the visit. “Let’s talk. So um, how’s your newfound freedom from prisoner guarding going?”
While she was striking as a woman, her reptilic yellow eyes served as a constant reminder of what she was hiding.
She smiled at his choice of topics relating to her four-year watch over Don Smith in the Highlands. “Very calmly, until a few days ago.”
“Oh yeah? You decide you want to give Don another shot?”
“No. Silly.” She smiled.
“Well? What then? Clearly it has something to do with me or you wouldn’t be here. So out with it.”
She responded to his bluntness with a probing statement. “You found something recently. Something that has been hidden for many years.”
Trey looked at her curiously.
She continued, “A powerful demon knows. He will come for it.”
“Another demon?”
She returned a serious tone, “Nafarl is no Ragnistant. He is wicked and cruel. There will be no bargaining with him.”
“I haven’t found anything. I’ve been here the whole time getting my butt kicked on this pitch.”
“Of course, you found it, Fire Tamer. Its radiance is on you.” She waived the backside of her hand from Trey’s head to just below his knees in a snake-like movement. “Do you see?”
Trey observed his hands and lower body. A yellowish orange sheen emanated several inches from his skin then quickly faded.
“How’d you do that?”
“Dragons descend from wizards. Several of us who chose to maintain our human form retain magical powers. Others have become wholly dragon – wild, unmagical and uncontrollable.”
“Why would you choose to lose your powers? I think it’s awesome how you change, and magic, that’s an added benefit.”
“Being a dragon is exhilarating,” she said looking far away. “It’s like riding a rollercoaster, eating cake and falling in love all at the same time. It takes a tremendous effort to retain this dull human form.”
“I do like cake,” he said sarcastically. “What’s he after?”
“A golden crown. He’ll stop at nothing to get it back.”
“Mom! He’s coming for mom! I have to go!” He darted toward the gate. She easily cut him off. “But how?” he said confused at how she moved so fast.
“Your mum. What does she have to do with it?” she said. Trey thought she was genuinely concerned.
“She found it in Utah. She hid it at the museum where she works.”
“If that’s true, how did you get the radiance?”
“I was with her last Saturday.”
“And you touched it?” Trey felt her become more agitated as the conversation drew on.
“Yes.”
“Didn’t you see the warning?” she nearly yelled.
“Yeah. But we didn’t know it was really a warning.”
“Uggg! Do you go around touching everything you see?” Now she sounded more like an elementary school teacher.
“No. But it looked –“
“What? What did it look like?” she said looking down upon him with blazing yellow eyes.
“Shiny.” Trey thought instantly but was too slow to keep it from exiting his mouth. “It looked shiny and I wanted to touch it,” he finished in a voice as if he were a five-year-old admitting to hiding his sister’s favorite doll.
She rolled her giant eyes and looked toward the sky. “Humans. Why didn’t we just eat them all before there were so many.” She then said in a high-pitched sing song voice as Trey’s eyes grew to t
he size of teacups, “Kidding! I’m just kidding. But seriously, when you touched the crown, it sent out a pulse that awoke Nafarl. We have to get it out of the museum before he finds it. We must go now. I can remove the radiance and quell the crown’s call once it’s secure. I will then take it to where he cannot reach it.”
“That won’t work. We can’t get into the museum.”
“Fire Tamer,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone. “There’s very little I can’t get into.”
“I’m sure you’re right, but we can’t just go busting up the museum. There has to be a better way. How much time do you think we have?”
“It could be any day.”
“Do you think you can find out? I think I know a way to get the crown, but it’ll be tricky, take a day or so and I’ll have to lie to my mom which I hate doing.”
“I’ll see what I can do. I’ll be in touch.” She then lept into the air and twisted into a dragon. She hovered with a few beats of her gigantic forest swathed wings. She regarded him another moment then disappeared.
“Whoa,” Trey said out loud as he felt the torrent of wind from her launch higher. “She cloaks like a Klingon ship.” He watched another few seconds then said to himself, “I think I can get back into the museum, but I have no idea how I’ll get the crown out without anyone noticing. I wonder if she’s there now?”
Trey sent a text to his mom, “Hey Mom. Are you at the house?”
He waited a minute or so before the phone pinged her response, “At the museum for another hour. You need me?”
Tanny, Trey thought. Are you still near?
“I’m right here,” Tanny the woman said behind him.
“Oh my god!” Trey yelled. “How are you so quiet? I mean, you’re so loud leaving but eerily silent arriving.”
She smiled then said, “It’s a special trick I developed just for you, Fire Tamer. Your mum is at the museum. Will she help us?”
“Not intentionally, but I have an idea. Can you get us there?”
“Sure,”
“Ok. Hold on. Let me send this text so she’ll expect me.”
I’ll be there in a few. I want to take another look at the crown.
He looked up from his phone and pleaded to Tanny, “Please don’t throw me this time.”
She smiled and as she twisted into a majestic green and grey dragon, she lifted Trey up with a steady root-shaped clawed foot and gently placed him onto the trough of her neck ahead of her wings. She then cloaked their short journey to the National Mall where on average sixty-five thousand people visit each day.
