by Martha Carr
“Shit,” Correk hissed, shaking the remaining energy from his palms. It felt like sparks; tiny balls of fire in his fingertips.
He waved his hands in the air to try to cool the burn. The wizard laughed, watching as Correk took a defensive stance, shaking his hands down hard at his sides, two swirling orbs appeared in his palms. Correk threw one, then the other, then dove to the side to dodge the ball of dark magic barreling toward his head. He rolled right back to his feet and shot a streak of white light into the wizard’s chest. He swirled his wand to cut off the light and stumbled back, but got his footing.
The hunter peered around the corner, but Correk shook his head slightly. He sprinted to the side, shooting fireballs at the wizard as he ran. He slid across the roof and ducked behind a metal electrical box, shielding his head as the wizard shot a round of dark arrows at him. They whizzed past him, blowing his long hair back. Correk gripped his fists together and whispered a spell to create a large bubble of protection. The white light glimmered over him, surrounding his body. He stood up, dark magic pinging against the shield, and looked at the hunter.
He nodded and the hunter began to throw fireballs at the wizard, grabbing his attention. Correk released the shield and threw his hands outward as the wizard swirled his wand. As he let the magic free from his wand Correk let his go as well, and it soared across the roof and nailed the wizard in the head. He fumbled backward, hit the ledge of the building, and fell over the side. Correk let out a deep breath and looked at the hunter.
The hunter clutched his stomach, his face down. Slowly he looked up at Correk, lifting his blood-covered hand. Correk raced to him, catching him as his knees collapsed. Correk opened a portal and hurried through, finding himself in the lobby of the government building. He held the hunter in his arms and looked down at the wound. It was too deep; there was nothing he could do for him.
“Don’t let them get away,” the hunter whispered.
Correk held the hunter as he took his last breath. The people in the building surrounded them, watching in horror as the hunter died. Correk laid him carefully on the ground and stood up, rubbing his face. The general had walked out to see what the noise was about and stared at the two elves.
“He was sent to bring back a wizard who worked for the Harriken. He didn’t survive.”
“Correk, I’m sorry. Thank you for bringing him back,” the general replied. “We’ll take it from here.”
“I’d like to stay and make sure his body is returned to his wife. I think it might be a good thing if you helped her as well. They were newly married.”
“We will take care of everything.”
Correk watched as they took the hunter’s body to the back, then sat down in the lobby and waited. It was an hour or so before they brought his distraught wife through. The general was with her, comforting her while they walked back to his body. She looked at Correk and nodded, tears streaming down her face. Correk nodded back, unsure what to say at a moment like that.
“They say you were there, trying to save him,” she said, walking up to Correk. “Thank you. He was so proud to be chosen, and we were so excited to work to better this world.”
“He was a hero, and I will remember him as one.”
She smiled and shook his hand, turning toward the general, who nodded at Correk and put his hand on her back to lead her toward the hall. She paused for a moment, pushing out a thankful ray of light that encircled Correk and settled into his chest before turning and walking with the general.
When she was out of sight, Correk sighed and the others went back to work. The world didn’t stop just because one hunter died, though it should for just a moment in Correk’s opinion. He shook his head, opening a portal and stepping through. His feet hit the grass behind Turner Underwood’s house and Correk looked out over Lake Anna, the sun setting, the colors of the sky changing to oranges and reds. People docked their boats after a day on the lake, still not fully comprehending what was going on in the shadows of the world around them.
“You did your best,” Turner said from behind him. “You won’t be able to save every life.”
“Did you?”
Turner leaned on his cane, looking at the lake. He wore a perfectly-pressed suit, vest, dress slacks, and a tie. He looked at Correk and shook his head.
“No. In fact, my first call as a Fixer was the first time I lost someone. She was too far gone.”
“And how did you get past it?”
“I never fully did, and probably won’t. I continued on with her face in my mind, reminding me to keep going, to save who I could and to never give up. I lost people after that, too. Faces I’ll never forget, but I know that I did everything I could to save them, just like you did for that hunter today. You’ve been lucky in a way. You’ve had successful missions to this point. But you already knew loss, so I was hoping it wouldn’t hit you as hard.”
“The loss of an innocent will always hit me hard.”
“That’s a good thing,” Turner replied. “The day it doesn’t is the day you need to take a big step back and really think about your priorities.”
“I guess you’re right. They call it ‘humanity’ here.”
Turner, moving a bit more slowly than before, made his way to the patio chairs using his cane. Correk followed, thinking of the things he could have done to save that hunter’s life. “He was saddened, but not even angry about how he had been used.”
“Listen, this will only get harder,” Turner told him. “The humans have one agenda: to keep their own kind safe. I’m not saying all of them are heartless toward our kind, but in general, they don’t care about the hunters. They are tools—tools to make the world a safe place from any magical creature that may be causing a problem. I’m afraid the bounty hunter will be seen as collateral damage, and that happens far too often.”
“That’s not okay,” Correk insisted. “They are putting their lives on the line to protect people, and they aren’t treated like heroes should be? On Oriceran they would be honored and fêted.”
“But we aren’t on Oriceran, and even when the rest move here, even though we will both be gone by the time the gates open wide, things will not be the same here as they are there.”
“Because of fear and control, not because they weighed the choices and it just works better,” Correk groused.
“Listen, Correk. You will do your best. You will use your skills and education to help anyone who calls on the Fixer. That’s part of the reason I chose you to take my place. But the new union the world is creating to hold back magic is willing to pay a price to feel safe. They will use money as bait. We both know that there are magical beings who will want to take them up on it. The problem is, as with the elf tonight, they won’t be prepared for what they find.”
“That’s magical lives. No, that’s lives in general that are being wasted for no reason. Those are calls I will walk into and have to wait for some widow to collect a body. Tonight was nothing; a powerful wizard by himself. A Harriken brought in to fight, but he was much stronger than the hunter who was sent to retrieve him.”
“That’s why you will go into every call prepared to fight for your life, because that’s going to happen more and more often. The government isn’t going to let this bounty hunter situation go, nor should they. You and Leira are strong and you have a strong group behind you, but you can’t fight off every single instance of dark magic, not with the Harriken out there. We can’t change what has been done. We can only prepare for what comes next.”
“I know.” Correk sighed. “And I will do that.”
“Come on, let’s go inside and have a cup of coffee, cool off. You need something to get your mind off things. I have some books that I think will help. There are spells that I haven’t given to you yet. I was hoping you would have more time as Fixer before delving into the deeper magic, but it seems we’ve run out. A new era has arrived. It’s one we knew would eventually come, just not as fast as it has.”
Correk nodded and
glanced back at the lake, feeling a sensation of calm flow through him. He wasn’t sure if Turner or his inner Fixer was responsible for it, but he needed it to get his focus back on track. The wizard he’d faced on that rooftop had been a Harriken. The group was behind so many things now, and Correk needed to get to the bottom of it.
They went into Turner’s large house and sat in the living room. Its floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the lake out front. He remembered when Leira had been given her bracelet right there on the lawn. Louie had provided the stone, and Turner trained her to be stronger and tougher. It had all led them forward—the move to DC, and Leira becoming the first of many bounty hunters. He was worried for her, but at the same time he knew she could hold her own. That sense of peace was still there, and it snapped him out of his self-pity. He had always been tough, positive, and strong-willed, and he needed to continue that way.
The Fixer’s role would become very important in the coming years, and Correk was determined to be there for hundreds of them. He knew the future would be filled with challenges, but he had the skills and the people beside him to push forward and find success in a rather dreary circumstance.
Turner handed him a cup of coffee, and he took a sip. “You feel any better?”
“Yes.” Correk smiled slightly. “I do. Casualties will happen—that is part of the world we are facing—but I know now that I have to continue to be strong to make the difference this world needs as we march into a new era of magicals and nons living in harmony.”
Turner chuckled. “That’s the spirit. Now, let’s get down to business.”
16
The world was abuzz with excitement over the video of magical sports. It was a moment of quiet amongst the protests and riots of weeks past. The magical community wanted to see that excitement continue—that curiosity about their world.
The apartment complex down the street from Leira, Correk, and Yumfuck was no different. They had watched the chaos ensue and felt the fear of the people, and had finally seen that fear start to diminish, or at least be put on hold. They weren’t going to sit back and let that go.
Lily waved her wand over the cups of coffee on the counter, milk lightening the dark brew. She carried them to the living room where George sat watching the news. He smiled at Lily as he took his cup, taking a long sip.
“I love the way you make my coffee.”
“You’ve said that for a long time.” She smiled.
“Not as many stories of rallies or anything like that today.”
“That’s good. The numbers are still going up on that video, too.”
“That video has done a lot for the cause. Whoever the reporter was, I applaud him,” George replied.
“We shouldn’t let the fire go out at this positive moment. It’s momentum, and a chance for us to really show the humans that we aren’t all bad. That we are actually pretty cool.”
“Uh-oh.” George smiled as he took another sip. “You look like you have ideas brewing in there. I know that twinkle in your eyes.”
“Why should we sit back and let the others handle it? We are part of this community, right?”
“You are absolutely right, my dear. What would you suggest?”
“I think we should stage our own rally. Spread out, talk to people, show them who we are. We can work with our magical and human contacts to bring everyone together. While that Humans First group spreads hate, we can stand up and spread love and education.”
“I think it’s a fantastic idea.” George smiled. “Where do we start?”
“Reach out to everyone you know and have them meet us at that local watering hole...uh, Martin’s Tavern. Magical beings already go there, and we can bring in our friends.”
“Well, let’s get on it then,” George said excitedly.
They both grabbed their cell phones and started going through the names and numbers. Almost everyone they spoke to was excited to be part of something. There were a couple who were still frightened, but it was to be expected since a lot had happened. Still, people wanted to be involved. They wanted to illuminate the positive side of magic so that one day they’d no longer live in the shadows. No one wanted to have to be glamoured just to go out and collect the mail.
When they were done, Lily went to their room and changed her clothes, deciding on a pair of jeans and a peace sign t-shirt. George chuckled at her, enjoying seeing her excited about something. She loved her gardening, her home, and her life, but she wanted to have something to really sink herself into. As a witch in a community of so many other magical creatures, she felt like she had a responsibility.
Lily didn’t know Oriceran like George did. She might not have been born there like he had been, but that didn’t make the future of her people any less important. She was already coexisting on Earth, or at least that was what she told herself. To be exact, she lived there, a human during the day and a magical being behind closed doors, but she knew there was so much she could do for the world with her magic—if they gave her a chance.
She walked back into the living room and put her hands on George’s shoulders. “Did you call everyone from the complex?”
“Sure did. Marcy, Elijah, and so on. They are all heading over there now.”
“Perfect. I’m going to throw together some flyers, and we can stop by that printer on the corner and have them done.”
“Will they do them for us?”
“Oh, yeah. The guy’s name is Charles, and he’s a Wood Elf. He’ll be all about it.”
George smiled and shook his head. “Leave it to you to find all the magical folk in the city.”
“Times are changing, George. We need to unite together under a common cause, and not react to the violence around us. After all, we are on their planet, and we need to show love, not hate, toward them. In the end, love always wins, even in the darkest times.”
“That’s why I love you, Lily. Always looking toward the stars.”
Lily smiled as she sat down at the computer and typed out a quick flyer, reading it aloud as she typed. “All Magicals and Non-Magicals, Gather Together to Show Love, Unity, and Cooperation.”
She printed it out and nodded. It was simple, but exactly what needed to be said. “I’ll stop by the printers if you want to meet me at Martin’s Tavern.”
“Sounds good.” George smiled. “Be careful out there.”
“I’ll just tell them I play Berserk.” She laughed.
“I could see that.” George winked as she left.
As Lily walked into the printers two blocks down, the bell on the door jingled. Charles stuck his head out of the back room with a big smile on his face. “Lily, what a pleasant surprise.”
“Charles, so glad you’re in. Would you make about fifty copies of something for me?”
“Of course, what do you have?” He took the flyer from her and read it, looking up in excitement. “Well, this is something I would love to get involved in.”
“Oh, good. We are meeting everyone at Martin’s Tavern after I leave here. You are more than welcome to join us if you can get away.”
“For this cause, it’s worth shutting down the shop for a few hours, don’t you think?”
“I couldn’t agree more with you. Why don’t you make a hundred of them? We can pass them out on the train on our way over to Martin’s.”
“Sounds good.”
When he finished he handed her the stack, grabbed his keys, and hung the closed sign on the front door. They headed to the closest Starbucks and down into the magical train station. All along the way Lily smiled and handed out flyers, careful who she was giving them to in case the dark families were around. People seemed genuinely excited about the idea, many of them joining her and Charles on the train.
“Do you think they will listen to us?” one lady asked.
“I think anyone who speaks with a clear, concise voice, with love in their hearts and excitement in their eyes, will be heard. It’s hard not to get angry at those who turn to violence out of fear,
but we must continue to march forward and not let those things get to us. It’s just how it has to be if we want our generation and the ones to come to thrive. But we can talk about all of that at the meeting.”
“I have to make a quick stop, but I’ll be there,” the woman replied with a smile.
Lily looked out the window as they passed through the tunnels toward their destination. People got on and off the train, taking the flyers with them. She hoped that even if they didn’t come to the meeting, they would show up at the rally. The more bright, happy magical faces and their human allies, the better.
When the train stopped, they headed out through the Starbucks and over to the Tavern on Wisconsin Avenue. They were just opening, so no one was there yet and the place was quiet. Lily walked in and looked around, remembering all the times she had been there. It was a magical hangout of sorts, a step up from some dusty old bar in the back alley. Standing at the back was Billy, the original owner’s grandson–an ally of the light and a pretty powerful wizard in his own right. Billy smiled widely, opening his arms and walking toward Lily.
“Well, look who the cat drug in.” He laughed. “It’s so good to see you, Lily.”
“You too, Billy.” She gave him a hug and looked around. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been here. She walked over to the “Proposal Booth” and ran her hand across it. “I remember when John Kennedy proposed. It was such a nice evening. So many memories here.”
“What brings you in today? I have a feeling from the twinkle in your eye it’s for more than lunch.” Billy smiled, knowing her better than that.
“You would be right. I was hoping you could glamour the restaurant for lunch. I’d like to talk to the magical community about a rally that George and I have decided is necessary—something to try to bring the communities together to fight back against all the hate and fear.”
“That sounds great, the rally part at least. You’ll be killing my lunch crowd, though.”
