by Devyn Jayse
"What's your name?"
"Vanessa Garcia."
She lifted the paper and scanned the roster, writing down my selection once she found my name. Dina smiled at me. "I'm sure you'll love the end product. Please excuse me, I need to go help the others." She left us to attend to Leire who stood with her arms crossed and her face set in a sulky expression. I watched for a few minutes as she argued with the designer. I wondered if Leire was having a bad day or if she was always like this.
"See? I told you it's okay. Let me go find mine." Beatriz beamed.
"Selected your item?" Guillen appeared by my side.
"Yes, this pendant." I pointed at it. The more I stared at it, the more I loved the piece. The shape and size reminded me of a coin from ancient Greece. It would be fitting to have a mythological creature stamped on it.
Guillen peered at the necklace. "This one with the dragon? Not subtle, are you? Go ahead and wait with the others that have finished choosing."
We waited as the remaining four participants continued to search for their talismans. I listened to the two boys in front of me discuss the merits of choosing a bracelet versus a ring and watched Beatriz move from display-case to display-case. Leire was now arguing with Guillen, her voice raised. It seemed that she wanted to buy the most expensive item in the store regardless of how practical it was. Guillen's expression was difficult to read. I wished briefly that she had been the one with the scheduling conflict.
The others had chosen earrings, pins, bracelets, anklets, and rings. Only three of us had selected necklaces.
"Why do you think they're making us get charmstone amulets?" one of the boys asked.
"They're probably going to use them to track us," Maribel replied. She tucked a strand of purple hair behind her ear. She had opted for stud earrings.
"Why would they track us?" a blonde girl frowned.
Maribel shrugged. "Why did he tell us we had to keep them on day and night? It's strange, isn't it?"
The others muttered in agreement. We had no idea what the charmstone amulets were for, but in the end, everyone was happy because we were getting something pretty.
Or we would be if Leire ever made up her mind.
Six
After everyone had selected their charmstone amulets, we left the store and followed Guillen as he gave us a tour of the area. He made sure to stop and point out specific businesses here and there.
"Do you know why we're doing this?" Maribel inquired of the boy next to her. He shrugged in response.
It seemed I wasn't the only one wondering what the point of the tour was. After an hour and a half, we found ourselves back in front of Karam Jewelry. We filed in and Dina called out our names as she handed us our personalized charmstone amulets.
Beatriz gasped when she saw hers. She had selected a silver ring which had originally displayed an opal surrounded by small diamonds. A brilliant red charmstone now rested where the opal once lay. The gem reminded me of a tiger-eye stone in the way it seemed to shift wherever the light touched it. It was uncanny how much the red and orange within the stone resembled flames, almost as if Beatriz was holding a tiny fire in her hands.
Dina continued to hand out our amulets. We thanked her as we received them and were all pleased with our designs. She had been right about replacing the star with a sun in my pendant. It looked stunning, and I loved it.
"Thank you, Dina, for your hard work," Guillen said once all of us had our various pieces.
"It was my pleasure. I hope you all love your new amulets. Wear them well." Dina beamed at us.
Guillen led us out of the store and we followed him like ducklings following their mother. To anyone who saw us, we simply looked like students on a field trip.
"Take off your items," Guillen said. He waited until all of us had complied with his request. He pulled out a small velvet bag from his pocket. "Give them to me."
We exchanged confused looks and moved forward to give them to him. He placed each amulet into the bag. "Alright, let's keep moving."
We followed him down the street until he came to a halt. The crowd was bustling around us as people made their way to work or ran their errands. A few tourists lingered to take pictures of the architecture, but the big groups hadn't emerged yet.
"Look across the street. What do you see?" he asked us.
My eyes took in the stores around us. We were in the same area where he had brought us earlier for our tour. He seemed obsessed with this place.
"A closed antique store," Quentin spoke up.
"A hobby store," Elena said.
"A pawn shop," Kevin added.
Guillen seemed pleased at the difference in responses he received. "Take back your charmstone amulets and put them on."
I waited my turn as the others ahead of me took theirs. Gasps emitted from the group as each of my peers put their respective amulets on. I quickly slipped my necklace back on and blinked. Around me the others continued to exclaim. Across the street from us was a store that hadn't been there a moment before. A large sign read Magic Runes.
When we quieted down, Guillen explained what had just happened. "Your tokens allow you to slip into a world previously hidden from you. Keep your tokens on and you'll see what we see. Look around you."
"We?" Beatriz repeated. We exchanged glances. I was still wondering what kind of trick Guillen had just pulled to make it seem as though a store appeared out of thin air.
Guillen didn't respond. Instead, he walked determinedly through the streets and we followed. A few people noted our group as they sat on their balconies, but nobody gave us a second glance. We walked down narrow streets and passed colorful buildings with peeling paint. There was some beautiful graffiti in this area. I always appreciated great art.
Suddenly I heard someone gasp. I turned to my right to see Beatriz with her eyes lit up. "Is that what I think it is?"
I followed her gaze and saw a tall creature walking toward us. I had been so distracted by the graffiti on the wall that I hadn't noticed it. I stared at it entranced. It almost looked like a tree. “What is it?” I hissed at Beatriz.
“I think it’s a dryad,” she replied. The rest of the group gaped as the creature moved past us.
As if the spell was broken once the creature walked past us, the group continued to move forward. Guillen had not paused for these reactions. We jogged to reach him. He turned down a side street. As we passed a bakery, I blinked. The bakers' ears were pointed. Other than that, they looked entirely normal. I knew that this was another image we wouldn't have seen without our amulets. Before I could give the bakery another look, we had already passed the sweet-smelling shop.
A little way on the street opened again at the mouth of an alley. There was a single piece of graffiti on the building's corner. Guillen stopped at the graffiti and turned to face us. "Okay, so you may have noticed the effects of the charmstone amulets already." He looked at Beatriz. "The charmstone amulets give you the power to see magical things that are otherwise invisible to non-magical humans like yourselves. A hidden world, if you will."
A storm of whispers and questions broke out among us.
"Magical things?"
"Hidden world?"
"Was that a walking tree I saw?"
Guillen continued talking over the questions. "If you take off your amulet, you won't be able to see the hidden world. Charmstones are regulated, so it's important for you to keep track of yours. If you lose it, you are to notify us immediately. Do you understand?"
A chorus of yeses met his question.
Guillen went on. "I know many of you are excited to have been admitted into the program, and many of you chose to blindly trust the Center with your care and well-being. We appreciate your confidence in us and we'll honor it. That's what we do as dragons."
"Dragons?" The word echoed among the group. My mind was racing. Suddenly the questions on the flyer made sense. I recalled my conversation with Christopher. He was young but in charge. He was a dragon.
&nbs
p; "Dragons," Guillen repeated, quieting the group. "The Dragon Research and Authority Center, DRAC for short, is the leading authority in Barcelona and the surrounding areas. We follow Diego, the leader of the dragon shifters and other shifters living within his jurisdiction. As Dragon Research Initiate Program participants, you're also under his authority and protection."
A lone hand raised into the air.
"Yes?" Guillen called on Kevin.
"Dragon shifters?" he asked.
"People that can shift into dragons and vice versa."
"Are you one of them?" Kevin swallowed hard.
"Yes," Guillen affirmed.
A hush fell over the group. We stared at our instructor who had just revealed he was a supernatural creature, and a dragon at that. "Any other questions? Or may I continue? Alright then, it is my duty to inform you that despite the fact that you fall under DRAC's protection, you still need to exercise caution. You will need to be aware of your surroundings." He pointed to the graffiti on the building. "Can anyone tell me what this means?"
I exchanged a puzzled look with Beatriz. She shrugged. Everyone else looked just as perplexed as we did.
Guillen explained. "We dragons control the city and the outer areas. However, we as supernaturals have different areas that we frequent. As participants in DRIP, you have a certain status within the community. This, however, means that many still look at you as merely humans. It is your job to be on your guard and aware of your surroundings at all times for your own safety." He pointed to the graffiti once more. "Pay attention to the streets you walk on. This mark here denotes that the cat shifters frequent this street."
"Does that mean we can't walk here?" Leire asked.
He shook his head. "No. However, if you walked here and caused them offense, it would be a different matter."
"So why do we need to know which supernaturals frequent this street?" a voice asked from the back.
Guillen replied, "Because these are markers. You know from human media that shifters and vampires do not have the best relationship. This is true and may indeed be an understatement in some cases. Tagging the walls indicates safety or danger. It's a way to avoid trouble."
"But if the dragons rule, then shouldn't there be dragon graffiti everywhere?" Leire asked.
His eyes bore into Leire. "Our mark is everywhere."
"The gargoyles," I whispered. All the dragon gargoyles I had seen across Barcelona suddenly made sense. When I had researched them on the internet, the explanation I had found was that local lore and culture heavily focused on Sant Jordi, the patron saint of Catalonia, and his famous victory over a tyrant dragon. The gargoyles were meant to honor his triumph. As a person who enjoyed mythology, I liked the legend, but this new explanation made more sense.
Guillen turned to me. This time his smile reached his eyes. "Indeed."
I turned to smile at Beatriz and saw Leire's angry scowl. Someone didn't like to have the spotlight taken away from her.
Guillen smiled at us. "You won't be able to understand the spell-work involved, but this is an example of how important your charmstone amulets are. They will allow you to see what we see, see the dangers we see. Use them well and remember to report at once if you lose them. Now follow me and I'll show you some more wonders."
We exited the alley and headed toward the store called Magic Runes.
Seven
I smelled cloves, cinnamon, and lavender as we entered the small shop. It wasn't a bad smell, but it was an interesting combination of scents.
The inside of the store was tidy and organized. It was more spacious than it appeared from the exterior. I wondered if that had to do with magic as well. We all waited for Guillen to speak. A young woman with dark hair stood behind a counter, giving us an amused smile. I wondered how often Guillen had shown up with a group with shell-shocked expressions on their faces after he turned their lives upside-down.
"Everyone, meet Carmen. She is the owner of this store. Can anyone guess what type of supernatural Carmen is?" Guillen finally said.
"A witch, obviously." Leire smirked. She clearly meant her tone to cause offense to the store owner.
"Yes," Carmen replied. "I am. I see you all got your charmstone amulets. Dina is a friend of mine. She makes the best jewelry. Be sure to take care of your piece and remember to report it at once if you lose it." She gave Guillen a half-smile. It seemed to be an inside joke between the two of them.
Guillen waved around the store. "Take a look around and familiarize yourself with what can be found in such a store." Before we could disperse, the bell over the door jingled behind us. I turned around but couldn't see anything except for an empty open door.
Suddenly the air shimmered and a gargoyle appeared in front of us.
I jumped.
The gargoyle made a grating sound which I realized was chuckling.
"Mateu, you shouldn't just appear like that. You scared them," Carmen reproached him.
The gargoyle shook like a dog shaking off water. I watched in fascination as his body moved, wondering what kind of magic could make stone move so fluidly. He sat on his haunches. His face and body were a strange combination of animals. It was as if the sculptor couldn't decide what exactly he was sculpting. I couldn't help but thinking that something about the gargoyle was familiar.
I frowned. "I know you. You sit over the bridge at the Barcelona Cathedral. You usually have your tongue sticking out."
The gargoyle laughed. "You've got an observant one in your clutch," Mateu told Guillen. "You need more people like that."
"Do all gargoyles move like you?" I asked him.
"Most gargoyles can move, but some have chosen to hibernate and remain frozen. You won't be able to tell which ones they are, so whenever you're around them you can be sure that there are always eyes watching you." Mateu winked at me.
Guillen said, "The gargoyles are our great allies. They provide a vital information network to the Dragon Research and Authority Center."
"They report to DRAC?" Leire asked.
"No," the gargoyle replied, his tone sharp. "We're not DRIPs."
"Mateu," Carmen reprimanded him from the back.
I wondered what a drip was. Kevin asked aloud. Guillen answered this time. "Dragon Research Initiate Program participant. DRIP." He waved around at the store again. "Okay, that's enough about gargoyles. Take a look around, but don't touch anything. You break it and you may just get cursed." Guillen walked over to a sitting area with two armchairs. Carmen disappeared into a backroom.
The group dispersed. Beatriz headed toward a large bookshelf. Leire started browsing the counter where there were jewelry pieces on display. The others wandered around the store taking stock of what was available.
The gargoyle made his way to a window seat and sat down. After a moment of hesitation, I followed him.
"Were you there when the stones nearly crushed me?" I asked. I had the nagging suspicion it hadn’t been an accident.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." He arched an eyebrow, a small smug smile on his face. "How is the program going so far?"
"It's amazing. I can't believe this has been around me this whole time. I wish I had learned of it sooner. I wish I had magic."
Mateu shook his head. "You don't want to wish for that. The second they find out you have magic you'd be kicked out of the program."
"Why?"
"No witches or supernaturals are allowed to be DRIPs. Only humans."
"Do you know why that is?" I asked.
"The whole point of the program is to build a network of humans. Gargoyles serve as information centers. You serve as human liaisons."
"For what purpose?"
Mateu sighed. "Supernaturals live really long lives. They need somebody on the inside to set them up with legitimate identification, bank accounts, and other legalities. They train you to be the best so that you can grow up to be a more useful asset to them. Take my advice and be successful. Be a successful lawyer, be a great politician and
change laws, do whatever. Just be successful."
I hadn't given a lot of thought to my purpose in the program. Clearly there had to be some motive behind what the dragons were doing with us. My hands clutched the pendant around neck.
Mateu's eyes followed my movement. "That around your neck cost a pretty penny. Why would they spend all that on you, several of you? They know it's a small investment compared to what you can grant them later."
"It seems like a fair exchange for what they're giving me."
"Is it fair of them to keep you all in debt forever?"
I chewed my bottom lip.
Mateu nodded. "Think on that. Remember, nothing in life is ever free."
Eight
After our visit to Carmen's store, Guillen took us back to the Center. We ate in the cafeteria which was empty except for us. During our meal, Guillen explained that we could get food at any hour. When we finished eating, the excitement set in again; everyone was eager to find out what else we would learn. When Guillen declared lunch to be over, we all rushed to follow him to our next lesson. He handed us over to another instructor, Isidora, the light-haired woman from my interview.
"Everyone, listen up," Guillen said. "From now onwards you will be taking specialized courses in addition to your standard classes. You'll be taking Enemy Combat and Self-Defense to learn how to efficiently repel attacking supernaturals. You'll also be taking Leadership Basics, Treasure Hunting, and Identifying Opportunities and Community Dynamics. Lastly, you will be taking Dragon Fundamentals. Your regular classes will be from nine in the morning to three in the afternoon, then we will break for lunch. You will recommence from five to eight in the evening. Your time after that is your own. You may remain in the Center or leave, however, note that anyone arriving after eleven at night will be locked out. No exceptions. Is that clear?" Guillen waited for our affirmations and then left the room.
Isidora studied us all. "I recommend that you continuously work at excelling yourself."
"I signed up for more schoolwork?" a boy behind me said.
