The Nightmare and the Magic

            Daniel stayed with her until his parents called him in about an hour later.  They exchanged names but didn’t speak other than that.  He turned on the light in the barn and left.  Cera stayed away from the stalls, not wanting to be trapped, but she laid in the middle of the floor, under the light to keep the shadows away.  Excited voices came from the house and she had a feeling he was being assaulted with questions.  He had explained his hate for the law but didn’t make any sign that he would say anything to his parents.  They silently agreed that his house was safer than most places.  To her surprise it didn’t take her long to fall asleep.  The lights in the house hadn’t even gone out before she’d closed her eyes.  The voices melted away as her mind splayed out a memory in the form of a nightmare.

            The door was flung open, hitting the wall with a bang that had her scrambling to stand.  One of the child mages stood in the doorway.  She couldn’t remember his name, only that the mages were servants and treated only slightly better than the real animals.  “He’s mad,” was all the boy said.  Almost immediately, her heart started racing.  Cera took notice of the gash on his cheek, having to fight back her natural instinct to heal him.

She’d only been with the owner for a month but it was clear no matter what she did, it was wrong in his eyes.  And there didn’t have to be a real reason behind his anger.  The beatings were almost daily and never silent.  He always yelled.  The few times it happened in the morning, he’d woken up the entire house and scared the children so much they refused to come out of their room for an hour, even with him pounding on the door, threatening them.

 At the sound of heavy footsteps the child ran.  She flinched at the sound of skin on skin and the unmistakable sound of someone falling down the stairs.  Her ears flattened against her skull and Cera waited for the man to show.  His staggering stance and scent gave him away as being drunk.  Late at night, when he wasn’t around, she could hear the children talk about how, with all that alcohol in his system, he’d be very easy to set on fire. 

            He spoke but she couldn’t make out his words.  They were too slurred and jumbled to make out.  The forty year old suddenly yelled at her, “I…never…you useless beast.  The…fool made you out to be some…amazing thing.” Cera didn’t  hear what he said next.  Something that felt like a belt came down on her head, making black spots dance in her vision.  Hot blood ran down her neck and her legs buckled.  She thought she heard a crack when one boot collided with her ribs.  A wave of nauseating pain backed her up on the idea that she’d broken something. It wouldn’t be the first time and she was all too familiar with the feeling.

            She closed her eyes, feeling her entire body shake.  Her natural healing abilities would take care of the worst of it and make small things go away faster but that never helped her in the midst of being hit.  As usual, Cera had no idea how much time had passed before he left, slamming the door.  The boy came back with wet rags and a new bruise on his temple.  She flinched away from him, blinking to get her vision back into focus.  When she couldn’t keep his image from being blurred, she didn’t move away from the cold cloth he placed on her head, using the others to wipe all the blood away and set on the injuries he could see.  “Wake up now,” he said.  She looked at him blankly before he slapped her with a rag.

            “Cera!” Daniel was shaking her shoulder.  Cera panicked and nearly kicked him in the thigh trying to get up.  Her leg still hurt when she put weight on it but not as significantly as before.  “You were yelling.”  She tilted her head, having not considered the fact that she would be making any noise mentally.  “You okay?” She nodded slowly, not wanting to look at him.

            ‘What time is it?’ Cera asked warily. 

            “About six in the morning.  I have to go to school soon, I told my parents to stay away from you.”  Something flashed in his eyes.  Fear?  Worry? She couldn’t tell.  Cera hesitantly went over to the hay basket in the stall they’d set up.  She snagged multiple pieces, chewing silently, unsure what there was to say.  “I suggest you try to sleep again.  You look like you could use it.”  Daniel smiled at her and left. 

 

 

 

            Daniel felt bad about leaving her alone but he knew if he missed another day of school, he was likely to fail at least one class.  His parents had bombarded him with questions about her, all about his plans.  He’d thought quickly, making up a story about parading some time around the city with her in tow.  He knew she would most likely kick him if he even mentioned the idea.  It wasn’t the worst idea possible, or the best, but he had to tell them something. 

            He got ready almost mechanically, packing his backpack and checking to make sure he had everything.  He’d completely forgotten about homework, figuring he could use Cera as an excuse.  Whenever people had come in late or saying they hadn’t studied, most teachers took getting something as a valid excuse.  Daniel hurried to catch the bus, not wanting to have to walk to school.  Missing it once was more than enough to teach him not to dawdle in the mornings.  He ignored his friends at the stop, all this thoughts occupied with the unicorn in his backyard.  It had terrified him to wake up to her shouting.  Flashes of the nightmare had made their way into his mind.  He couldn’t imagine what it was like to live through it. 

            “Dan.  Dan?  Daniel!” Someone kept snapping their fingers in front of his face.  He blinked, focusing in on Sam who was frowning at him.  “Damn, what’s wrong with you?” 

            “I stayed up late.  Parents decided to buy-”

            “What’d you get?” Sam’s green eyes lit up.  His friend, like Daniel’s parents, was all for catching creatures and selling them without a second thought.  “Anything good?  Quinn was talking about someone having a phoenix for five hundred bucks in that auction place right outside of town.”

            “Um…unicorn.”  He stared down the street, willing the bus to appear. 

            “State?  How much?  Do you like it?”  Sam went on, refusing to let the subject drop.  Daniel inwardly winced at Cera being called an it.  He wasn’t sure how to describe her state.  He knew if he said anything about her being broken or still wild in some way, Sam would tell him to hit her.  The adults at least said “discipline” but most kids were blunt about the fact. 

            “The usual.  I have no idea how much they paid and I guess.”  Daniel glanced to the other boy.  He seemed satisfied with the answer and they fell into a comfortable silence until the bus arrived.  “Can you keep it a secret?” He asked quietly before stepping on.  Sam nodded and followed him.  They took their seats in the middle of the bus.  Daniel stayed quiet for the rest of the day, working on autopilot, his thoughts turning to Cera again.  School went by uneventful until sixth period when Sam somehow managed to blurt out a question about Cera.  The teacher managed to keep anyone from going over and asking him something but questions were shouted from across the room.  When the bell rang he could barely get out of his desk so many people had surrounded him.  He couldn’t keep track of what was being asked but he tried to keep all answers vague.  Eventually, Mr. Wright got fed up with his classroom being crowded and he shooed them outside.  Daniel ran after that, not wanting to have to talk to anyone else.  He stayed absolutely silent on the ride home, despite Sam’s prodding. 

            When the bus stopped, he all but sprinted off, almost forgetting his backpack.  He darted down the street to his house and around the back.  Cera was dozing in the stable, laying down and looking slightly better than before.  She wasn’t thrashing or making any noise although the chain rattled slightly whenever she moved.  He made a mental note to see about getting it taken off, thinking that he could use the excuse of the bridle having better control if his parents got suspicious.  Suddenly, she blinked and turned to him.  ‘Have you ever heard of Grevin’s Gates?’ Daniel shook his head and sat down, dropping his backpack with a small thud.  Cera flinched at the noise and he immediately apologized.  ‘What about Rivian?’

            “You mean the place supposedly where everything fled too?  What about it?”

            ‘I need you to help me find a Gate.’

            It didn’t click immediately.  “Why?” He frowned at her, confused.

            ‘The magic in this world is dying as beings are treated this way.  If it faded completely and something is still here, it will die.  I need to get there to find someone who can restore it.  Earth can’t survive without magic, either.’