Magic in the Blood

An RP by NekoLen and Tachigami

Raven stepped out of the theater and breathed in deeply, immediately sensing warm wood smoke on the air. It was evening, and many of the small businesses on New Gibbean relied on their fireplaces and ovens to reach that good, earthy scent to the various things they were making, or set the right mood for their shops. Smiling, he moved away and started down the sidewalk, feeling rather drained. He'd just come off a several hour show, presenting his various tricks, illusions, and death-cheating stunts similar to any mainland magician, only his power was true and real. Not that he would tell a soul, of course. His position and status relied on people being mystified and trying, and failing, to figure out how he did what he did. Raven paused outside a bakery, looking through the glass at the various sweet and savory breads and buns, and smiling. He didn't need any, but it was nice to pause, look, and smell. His fingers manipulated the necklaces around his neck as he stopped and looked across the street, spying a market being set up. It was near the end of the year, of course, and people would be looking for a little more magic than they were used to. Strange and unusual things, little trinkets for their kids, odd foods they otherwise wouldn't be able to find, or even make, and mixtures and herbs found in the deepest, quietest areas of the island.

He crossed the street after a vehicle hurried by, spying a fish stall. It wasn't often he would find fish from other areas of the world, and his loving cat, Salem, would be happy to receive a treat. He dug around his pockets, finding some change on his person and buying a bright fish with rainbow scales and a flowing tail. It was as if Salem knew how to appreciate showmanship, and no doubt this finned number would entertain him before he ate it.

Raven put the cold bag over his shoulder to keep it close, and started wandering a bit. His cat was the only living thing at home, and soon he would be missing Raven, but the young magician wanted to get a good feel of this once-a-year marketplace. Perhaps find some rare herbs to begin cultivating on his own. His tongue tapped its silver bolt piercing against his teeth as he wandered---he was only one of a few already loitering about, but that would soon change as people got off work.

The sun sunk slowly in the sky, painting the horizon with reds and golds. The few scattered clouds in the sky reflected the sunset, making the world look as though it was being tinted pink. Salem stretched and yawned, not worrying about such things. The life of a cat was terribly simplistic and relaxing. He had spent most of the day curled up in a nice smelling bush, sleeping lightly, only waking to reposition himself and to clean his glistening black coat. As the darkness of night time fell, he decided it was time to seek out the human who looked after him. He was hungry, and could possibly do with some company before his night time wanderings.

As the black cat slunk its way across the lawn and towards the front door of the home he lived in with his human, a strange light caught his large green eyes. It was glowing purple and moving erratically around a tree stump. He got low to the ground, watching the strange light hover over the stump and then land on a blade of grass. Whatever the creature was, Salem could hear it muttering to itself in a strange language. Sometimes the tiny creatures he caught spoke and made weird noises, but this one almost sounded like his human. He crept closer, keeping his eyes focused as well as his large ears.

The light took off again, this time flying towards a flower bush. It hovered there for long enough and Salem pounced, grabbing the creature in his mouth and trotting away from the bush with it. He placed it on the ground, patting it slightly. The light was dimmer now and whatever the thing was, it seemed Salem had crippled it. It struggled to fly away, but didn't seem to be able to lift off the ground. The cat mewed and hit the light again, until it went still on the grass before him. Even though he was hungry, he didn't like to eat insects. Instead, he picked it up in his mouth and took it to the doorstep, placing it lovingly on the welcome mat for his human to find. He often caught the human gifts, to show how much he appreciated the kindness and caring he showed his cat. He waited at the door, purring slightly and tail twitching. He kept watch for the human's car, and on the light which still didn't move.

Raven paused at another market stall, buying a small bundle of scarlet wing---a bright red leaf that, when in its fresh state, was very poisonous, but while dried had a pleasingly numbing sensation for the tongue and lips. He added it to the bag that now held brittian---the bark of small brittian trees, which resembled stunted oak trees---and silk angel, which were tiny, silky white leaves that grew in very limited areas. Their trees looked like furry creatures, and gave off a beautifully fresh scent.

Pleased with the day’s turnout, Raven decided to go home. He checked the clock near the corner and was surprised to see that it was a little later than he thought it was, and because of that Salem would probably be annoyed with him. He hurried away as the market continued its setup, ignoring calling vendors that advertised their mixtures, small animals, clothes, cloths, and handmade items, getting to his car and putting the fish and herbs in the passenger seat. Before he started the vehicle, he paused to look in the rearview mirror. He did look a bit tired, his black-and-purple hair rather messy. He brushed it back, settling back and starting the vehicle, tapping his tooth again with the piercing through his tongue in a habit he had established the day he got it. It wasn’t quite as bad as biting the silver loop around his bottom lip, though, which he had gotten out of a couple weeks afterward.

Pulling into the growing traffic, Raven started down the road. He lived some ways away, out of town and up some hills, through a grove of thick, green trees on either side of the single-lane road. It was almost a half an hour drive, but peaceful.

Salem must have dozed off a bit, because when he looked to the doormat, the glowing light had gone. Annoyed with himself, he sniffed about the doorstep, finding the scent of the creature's blood and following the trail. Tiny droplets of silver led him away from the doorstep and into the garden, where he found the glowing light dragging itself along the dirt ground. Salem sat and watched it for a bit, hearing its moans of pain and fear. There was something very strange about this particular insect and Salem almost regretted hurting it. Would his human be happy? Sometimes he was when Salem brought him rats and mice. Sometimes his human would get angry if he brought the prettier things, like birds and lizards to his doorstep. This insect was very pretty, even Salem could admit that.

The light continued its slow way around the house and into the backyard, which had several plants and trees which Salem's human used to eat and make liquids with. He followed its progress, almost interested in where it thought it was going to. The purple light it gave off was fading slightly, as if the silver blood that fell on the ground was slowly draining its light. Salem sniffed the blood, sneezing slightly and watching the small flowers growing from the pools. Magic. Just like Salem's human. He picked the dimly glowing creature back up, ignoring its faint screams and struggle, bringing it back to the doorstep and patting it until it went still again.

He spat slightly, the bitter taste stinging his mouth as he saw his human's car drive up the street. He rushed to the man, his tail erect in greeting and meowing a hello as well. He went back to the doorstep to wait for his human to see his gift.

Raven’s quiet drive let him think about the day. It had been a rather long one, but it seemed to be a long day when it was Friday. He didn’t have shows this weekend---the theater had been booked for various mainland events, but he would have another, big show come Monday. He did look forward to that, though. He looked forward to every show, because everyone was so amazed.

Along the curved, single-lane road, Raven let himself stare out the side window. It was beautiful, and he always thought that. Early in the mornings and late in the evenings, the sun always struggled to find its way through the thick leaves of the bordering trees. Another curve let him see his home, a gothic-styled manor with Victorian inspiration. There were four levels, and the topmost level Raven often used to stargaze with the powerful telescope he’d found a few years ago. Pulling up, he scanned the area for Salem before stopping outside the garage, and when he got out of his black vehicle, bringing the bags with him, Salem came to him with a bright, seemingly excited mewing. He probably caught something, Raven thought. His heavy boots followed along the cobblestone sidewalk, up the stairs and to the curiously glowing thing on the mat.

Crouching down, Raven studied it carefully. The glow it gave off under the porch light was very dull, but it had wings, no doubt about that. But it was too big to be an average insect, and too small to be anything else. He got close, keeping his hand at his forehead to let his hair rest against it, and gasped. “Salem! No... Oh my God...” He couldn’t give the creature a name. It was ridiculous. It was extinct. Or it had been. He shouldered the bags, scooping the creature up very carefully and hurrying inside, going through the den and dining room to his left and into the kitchen, and lying it on a drying towel. “Oh good God... Salem, you’re a bad boy. You don’t catch things like this...” He looked down to his black cat, who was staring at him. It couldn’t be right. It wasn’t an insect or animal, beyond a doubt. And it---he---was injured.

Salem watched his human pick up the creature and rush inside with it. It seemed the man was mad at him for catching it. Didn't the human realise how hard it had been for him to keep it on the mat for him to see it? He had caught it especially for the man. He glared and meowed deeply, demanding to be fed at once so he could slink out of the house and into the night.

-

The darkness faded and Zap blinked awake, wincing at the intense pain he felt all over his body. He blinked at his new surroundings, seeing a giant face nearby and crying out in shock. He tried to fly away, but his wings hurt. He looked behind him and saw that one was bloodied and in tatters. He sobbed, knowing that it would take days for it to heal properly before he could fly again. He moaned, lying back down on the strangely soft surface. He had a few open wounds on his arms and legs, which he tried to heal with his magic. He was able to close up a few, but the extensive injuries was too much for him to handle. He closed his eyes, coughing slightly.

That's when a terrifying thought crossed his mind. Where was he? He remembered his name, Zakiya Seedmane, known as Zap. He remembered that he was a Fae; a creature of magic. Anything else was blank. He opened his eyes again, watching the giant as it moved about the room, as if looking for something to help him with. He winced again, using the last of his magic to transform into a bigger version, one that looked like a human only with glowing wings on his back. "Nectar..." he moaned to the human, who looked stunned at his sudden transformation. "I need nectar..."

Raven ducked down to Salem, scooping him up and setting him on the bartop near the entrance to the dining room. “Salem, you’re a good boy...” Raven sighed, picking off the bags and setting them beside the sink. He didn’t want the cat to think that catching creatures was bad---though he hated to see the beautiful birds he often caught and didn’t even eat afterward. Still, he went to a knife block and produced a filet knife, and began cutting the fish for Salem.

He paused when something seemed to shift a bit behind him, and when he turned Raven gasped. His suspicion was right---a fae. A creature he, and just about everyone else, was sure had been extinct for the past several decades, if not a century or two. He approached carefully, nodding a bit. “I think... I have some...” He had honey, and small jars of nectar from his various flower collections. It served as a gentler sweetness rather than a heavy honey tone. Going around to a cabinet, he pulled it open and grabbed a jar of light gold, bringing a spoon in case the fae needed it. “Here...” Raven opened the twist-top and held it close. “You need help?” No doubt the injured wing and various cuts and scratches had come from Salem and his attacks.

With the small amount of strength Zap had left, he took the nectar and drunk a bit, feeling warmth coursing through his body. His wings' glow returned slightly and he was able to cast more healing magic, finally able to close up his wounds. He wondered how the human was able to understand him, and speak his language. He was speaking Fae, or at least, he thought he was. His body shuddered and he sighed, closing his eyes again and feeling extremely weak.

"Need... Re... Rest..." he managed to speak, struggling to keep his eyes open and focussed on the human. His body glowed and he lost his form, transforming back into his small, Fae form. He gave in to the slowly enveloping darkness, falling into a deep sleep.

He took the jar before it was released, setting it aside. How the Fae managed to grow to his human size was beyond him, especially in such a weak state, but when he fell unconscious again, shrinking down to take up barely a small piece of the countertop, Raven sighed and looked at Salem. The cat had run across the kitchen and was pressed against the back wall. “See? That’s why you don’t harm the beautiful creatures. They could be... this...” He covered the fae, intending to take it upstairs and to one of the bedrooms, but first he had to cut up the fish for Salem before he threw a fit.

Slicing the fish and scaling it took a little, and he quickly cut the bones out that Salem could possibly choke on, tossing them into the garbage disposal so he wouldn’t raid the trash can later. Setting the plate on the ground, he left Salem to his food and scooped up the little Fae carefully, carefully bringing it up the stairs and around the second floor, and through a door to one of the spare rooms. It had red walls and carpet, a large bed through a small archway to the left, which he approached, and set the Fae onto the soft blanket. Hopefully he would survive, and out of curiosity and caution, Raven went back to sit in the other area of the room. He pulled a book off the shelf beside him, intending to do a bit of reading while he waited. He had so many questions, but doubted the creature would be in his right mind when---if---he woke.

Zap struggled to remain alive over the course of the night. Even though he was no longer bleeding, his internal injuries were bad. He woke from his slumber several times, crying in pain and watching the giant human that sat in the room, reading a book. He was unsure if he could hear him while in his sprite form, so he couldn't ask for more nectar. The healing powers of flowers were known to his kind, and even though he couldn't remember much, he knew that he needed nectar to survive.

It was morning before too long. He had made it through the night, but didn't feel terribly strong. He managed to shift forms, becoming his human-like self so he could speak to the human who had fallen asleep on a chair, a book resting on his chest. "Nectar... Please..." he begged, his voice harsh and whispery. His glow had almost disappeared, his skin was tinged with blue. He could barely keep his eyes open. Zap knew he was dying. He didn't want to die just yet. No, he just had to struggle to keep breathing, he just needed some nectar.

He had read this story a dozen times, but it still interested him. Less today than otherwise, however, as his mind was elsewhere. The little creature on the bed sometimes seemed to glow a bit more than what seemed constant, and he kept looking up to it carefully, watchfully, hoping it would be okay. No, it was a he. Raven shook his head to remember that. It wasn't a bug or bird, but a fae, a winged creature so like a human, but so different. He sighed, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. Just a bit of a rest, just for a moment. His day's shows had drained him awfully.

He startled awake when some terrible feeling washed over him, and he squinted in the light his eyes had yet to adjust to. The tiny form had grown again, and he gasped, jumping up and tossing the book onto the dresser nearby. "Of course, just give me a minute!" He bounded out of the room, passing Salem as he rested on the end of the banister, and found more of his supply. It was a larger jar this time, and before hurrying back out of the kitchen Raven picked up a spoon. He felt he might have to help the being this time---the color he had, and the glow that was nearly gone was certainly not natural. Stepping back inside, Raven sat on the edge of the bed and unscrewed the top. "Here, careful..." He turned the being's head up so he was looking up a bit, helping the flower nectar into his mouth. "Slowly... careful..."

Zap let himself be spoon fed, glad the human was careful with him. As the nectar slid down his throat, he felt new energy surging throughout his body. He was soon strong enough to keep a steady gaze on the human before him. Such interesting yellow eyes. Zap blinked a few times, signalling that he had enough nectar for now. Too much would send him through the roof.

"Thank... you," he blinked a few more times, trying to keep his eyes open. He felt the energy dispersing and soon he would shrink down in size again. It took a lot of energy and power to stay in this form, and he was unsure if he could stay in it for too long. "My name is Za... Zap." His body shuddered and the glow that had returned to his wings dimmed as the power the nectar gave him slowly disappeared. "Need... Nectar... Every... hour." He nodded slowly, hoping the human would understand, before drifting off to sleep and shrinking back to his sprite form.

Zap was an odd name, but Raven simply nodded along with it. Perhaps his name was a nickname, or an assumed name. Like Raven's. His name wasn't, of course, Raven Avalon, but everyone knew him as such. No one would know his real name, though. He hated it. Nodding again at Zap's words, he set the jar on the bedside table and watched with interest as he shrank down again. Glancing up at the clock on the wall, he made note of the time. He would probably have to wake Zap every hour, but for how long? Raven was exhausted, and he'd been looking forward to sleeping. And if Zap were in his smaller form, Raven would have to keep close to him, and keep Salem out of the room. And Salem hated closed doors.

Sighing, Raven stood and crossed the room, flopping down in the chair again and grabbing another book. This one was an older alchemy book, one he hadn't studied in a while. At least it would be more interesting than something he'd read a dozen times already. Rubbing his eyes, Raven cracked it open, smiling a little at the way the spine crackled with its age.

It was a whole day before Zap was finally well enough to remain awake, even retaining his human form for longer than a few minutes. He managed to sit on the bed he had been placed on, finishing the jar of nectar the human had given him. He felt so thankful for all the help the man had given him, and a bit guilty for forcing him to stay awake all night and day. He looked exhausted, but happy to see Zap strong enough to stand on his feet.

Zap glanced over his shoulder at his still badly damaged wing and frowned. It was the hardest part of him to heal, and he knew it would take a lot longer until it was good enough to fly with. "Thank you so much, human," Zap bowed slightly to the man who's name he hadn't learnt yet.

He felt slower and more sleepy as the night wore on, turning to morning, and from the window beside the chair he watched the sun rise over the trees when not helping Zap. It felt awful, physically, but emotionally he was energized with each moment longer Zap could retain his larger form and speak more easily. Even as his supply of nectar---harder to accumulate than honey and a bit more expensive to buy because of it---depleted he didn't mind. It seemed like a form of magic in itself to watch the fae grow stronger and eventually be able to sit up, even stand on his own.

"It's no problem." Raven said, lifting Zap from his bow. "Call me Raven, it's what everyone does. I'm sorry about what happened... Salem---my cat, I mean---can be a bit... harsh. But he doesn't mean harm, he's just looking for approval." The way the cat seemed ecstatic when he caught something new to show off or grew sad or forlorn when Raven yelled at him seemed to tell that much, at least. "That wing doesn't look too good..." He grimaced, turning Zap a little to investigate the bend and tear. "You know... I know a bit of healing magic. I mean, it's not much, but it might at least straighten that fold..." Because of what Salem did, Raven felt he owed the fae that much, if not much more.

Zap tilted his head at Raven. Magic? He didn't know humans could perform magic. Then again, most of his knowledge about the world was blank. He struggled to recall anything and a flash of information came to mind. He saw his village, his home built into a tree near a waterfall. He shook his head, feeling shivers going up his spine. "You can do magic?" he smiled. "It's OK, really. My wings will heal in a few days. As long as I have a steady supply of nectar." How did he know these things? He looked about the room he had been placed in, seeing a calender hung on the wall. His heart lept in his chest. Was that really the date? The year was wrong.

"Is this calender right?" he asked the human, feeling light headed. He sat on the bed and rubbed his temples. "It can't be true... I... The last date I remember was 1705..."

Raven sat alongside the fae and nodded slowly, glancing at the calendar on the wall nearby. It was in mid April of 2130, But this fae didn't even recall what year it was. "The date's right, yes..." He said, an put a hand on Zap's shoulder. "Is it true...? You don't remember anything between 1705 and... today?" He'd heard of amnesia, but this was ridiculous. "That's shocking... How'd you find your way here, then? Salem must have caught you while you were moving about... and there hasn't been knowledge of a fae sighting in... a long time. Since 1922, I think." He'd read up on his history---in fact, he had many history books, some very specific to certain races and others considering world history as wars began and ended.

Zap looked shell shocked, and it did well to make Raven sympathize with him. "Hey... you okay?" He somewhat nervously tapped his tooth with the bolt through his tongue, a habit he figured he wouldn't be dropping.

Zap felt a bit dizzy, his head swimming as if trying to struggle out of quick sand. Trying to remember things hurt, and all he could see were nonsensical flashes. A waterfall, the full moon... His heart skipped a beat, as if he was thinking about a lover. The moon... Where was it? Zap needed to see it. Did he make it mad? Was it hiding because he did something wrong? He had to see the moon and bathe in its light... But why?

"I can't remember anything..." he said, looking over to Raven with despair, his mind feeling like it was trying to make him seasick. ''I don't even know where I am... Or how I got here... All I remember... Is the cat..." As if summoned by their conversations, Salem trotted into the room, tail held high and mewing. Zap flinched and cowered on his bed away from the animal. "Pl-Please no, get it out!"

Raven shook his head slowly. He didn't know what to do, really---he hadn't comforted someone in a long time, and didn't have any real words to offer him. Especially when he had nothing to say to help a being that had no idea what had transpired over the past several hundred years. He sighed, absently fingering his lip and the metal loop through it. What could he do, really?

When Salem came in, Zap's reaction wasn't surprising. He sat aside, pulling Zap upright a bit. "It's okay, Zap---he can't hurt you." Nonetheless, he scooped Salem up and petted him slowly, taking him to the door. "Sorry, bud. You have to stay out a while longer." Scratching Salem's chin, he set the cat on the floor outside the door and nudged him away, and with a small mew, Salem ran off. Raven closed the door and looked back to Zap. "It's okay." He promised. "He didn't mean to hurt you like he had---he's got a hunter's instinct and sometimes he doesn't know when to stop." He grimaced, approaching Zap again. "Are you okay...?"

Zap's heart was racing, but he nodded, his hands shaking slightly. He laid back down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling and trying to remember what he had been doing before the cat attacked him. Sighing and shaking his head, he turned to look over at Raven, his mismatched eyes going over the human's appearance. He was quite handsome, with many tattoos and piercings. His long black hair had shimmers of purple in it and his yellow eyes were startling and unique. Zap smiled as he noticed Raven had noticed he was staring at him. "I've never met a human before... Or at least... I don't think I have..."

He ran a hand through his spiky blue hair, feeling braids along the sides. Who had done them? Him? Did he have a family? Were they still alive? He kept remembering a tree in the middle of a forest, and a waterfall. Was that where he used to live? Raven said that no Fae had been seen alive or dead for over a century... Was he the last of his kind...? The thought made him sob suddenly, covering his face in grief.

Raven suddenly felt awful, as if he were the one in Zap's position. As if he were the one under the impression that every human in the world had perished and he couldn't remember a huge portion of his life. All Raven was dumb to was his childhood. Up until he was fifteen it was a dreadful blur of darkness and voices, because he was told he'd been ill. Ill to the point that he could rarely leave his bed, or even remember anyone specifically. He wasn't sure what had tried to kill him, but he felt, and looked, very healthy these days.

He sat on the edge of the bed and put a hand on Zap's chest. "I'm sorry... But I could be wrong, Zap... This island is huge---they could be hidden away somewhere secret. Don't you think so? He gave a small, hopefully smile. The hope was half for Zap, and half for himself. He wanted to meet those fae. He'd always been so interested in the creatures, and would hate to truly know they were all---except one---dead.

"Do you... Think so...?" he asked Raven, wiping his eyes and nose on the back of his hand. "Maybe you are right... I mean... I'm alive, aren't I? There has to be more of us." His emotions took a u-turn and he went back to feeling happy. He grasped Raven's hand in his own, surprised at how much he enjoyed the feeling of the human's skin on his own. He felt tingly and blushed, giggling slightly. "Does anyone else live here with you? I mean... Besides your monster cat."

Zap wasn't sure if he wanted to reveal his true self to other humans. He had a feeling that they weren't as trustworthy as Raven, though he couldn't remember why he thought this.

Raven smiled brightly when Zap seemed reassured by this knowledge. Despite his dark appearance he wasn't as dreadful and mysterious as everyone seemed to think---he was quiet, yes, held a bit of angst when considering his murky past, but otherwise he was a pretty happy man. He nodded, laughing a bit. "Yeah, I live in this big house all alone, with my monster cat. No other humans, satyrs, centaurs, fae, imps, elves, or dwarves. But I don't mind... Or, I didn't." Dd he? Raven couldn't tell now. He never thought about how empty all four levels of his home was because he always read, or worked on his mixtures, or had Salem mewing at his ankles. Salem couldn't speak to him, but he knew what the cat wanted from one time to another.

"Zap... you can stay here while you... recover..." Raven said after a moment of tapping his teeth again. "I don't mind... I've got a lot of room here... A big garden. I'll make sure Salem doesn't hurt you anymore, okay...? But you just have to remember he didn't mean to do what he did. He was following instinct." He nodded, hoping Zap didn't hold a grudge against his pet.

Zap sighed and sat up, hugging his knees and glancing outside. It was still in the middle of the day, and Zap could see some of the garden from his window. He knew he would love to explore it, fly around the flowers and collect pollen and nectar for himself. But then he remembered his damaged wing and frowned. "I'm not used to sleeping in such a huge room... Well at least, I'm sure I am not." He tilted his head. It was only natural that, because he could be tiny, he would want to live in a tiny room. "Maybe I could make a house? A proper little house for me to live in..." He'd like that a lot.

Raven nodded. "I suppose... I mean, I could make you a house... I have a workshop in my garage that I spend time at..." He paused to yawn---he'd forgotten how tired he was when Zap showed he would survive, and was apparently healthy. "Ah... I spend time at it a lot when I'm not doing anything that needs to be done... I could make you a nice little home... maybe put it on a little stand... then I could put it anywhere you like. Around my flower patch, maybe? That way you'll be around nature but be safe at the same time..." He yawned again, shaking his head. "Ugh, sorry..."

Now that the initial shock was gone, Raven could acknowledge his own body and well-being. And his body was telling him that it was absolutely exhausted. His eyelids were heavy but he kept them on Zap's odd eyes. Beautifully odd eyes. His curious hair. It looked like each strand had been chiseled from deep, dark blue ice. Such an unearthly color. Unearthly, perhaps, for a human, especially one that put purple streaks in his.