Where Magic Goes to Retire: Another Short Story

By RM CRUZ

Magic. Shape-shifting. Portals. RM Cruz has written this one for the vacation reader. Ready to devour in a short story format, Where Magic Goes to Retire: Another Short Story, will satiate your fantasy fix. A BONUS short story awaits you as well! 

• Language: English
• Publisher: RM CRUZ
• Release date: Jan 23, 2019
• ISBN: 9781386171690

RM CRUZ

RM Cruz published "Static Mornings," and "Paper Towers." She lives on the island of Guam with her family.

Book preview

A Walk.

SHOW YOURSELF, ZELYRIA!

How’d he know? she thought. She came forth shifting from her bear form. She was naked. A fact that neither of them winced at. They were Druids. They dwelled no energy on prudish sentiment. They walked the fine line between beast and Druidity, feral and tame.

Your phasing is superb, commended Keltelaun. I see you’ve been practicing.

At his unspoken command, large black rocks danced before the both of them. He smiled, watching Zelyria’s dark eyes sparkle in wonder. He dropped them into the earth with a resounding thud, which Zelyria felt deep beneath her bare feet. He had formed a circle, encapsulating them both under the shadow of the towering structures. 

What do you think? he surveyed his creation; his blue eyes twinkling.

You look too pleased with yourself. You haven’t tested it out yet.

It will change this world.

That’s what you said last time, Keltelaun.

He was a genius, a visionary. A heretic. He challenged the outdated council and their stunted views. However, his failed experiments never did help his cause; they named him eccentric.

I’ll show you, winking at her. He exited the circle of stones, and entered it again between a neighboring pair. And once again, alternating and repeating a spiral pattern around each stone, some more than once. Like a combination.

He finally sat down in the middle of the circle and closed his eyes. Zelyria spoke up.

It won’t work.

Just give it a moment. Keltelaun really was brilliant. The Order was still very new -fragile, even. But Zelyria knew he was fearless, and charming. He had an intuition of the natural order that no one could match. No matter his experimental failures, he could still be seen out of respect. Even if they made no moves to change. 

Zelyria was the outcast. Even in her youth, she was powerful. She could harness energies from the earth that most could only imagine. She barely understood this herself. Druids were naturally optimistic. But she was different.

From the moment of birth, she heard the aeonic whispers and the ripples in its multiple realities. Even now, standing beside Keltelaun, in his circle, she knew what was missing.

Do it again. -Your walk.

Ah! he surmised. He trusted her input above anyone else’s. And if she said to walk, he’d walk. For her.

She sat where he was, and her astral-self -dark and sparkly- Shaded his walk, repeating his pattern one more time. As they neared completion, sparks emitted at her Shade’s heels. Her meditative self smiled.

Her Shade, sparkly-heeled, cut threw the grass until Keltelaun walked her back to her body. Joining with her Shade and standing beside him, they waited.

She opened her eyes, and they were gone.

IT WORKED? HE BLINKED. It worked! Oh! he pulled Zelyria into his arms and twirled with her. I knew it!

Zelyria smiled despite herself. She was always so reserved, serious. Keltelaun revelled in his companion’s composed delight.

Their celebration was cut short as the hairs on Zelyria’s arms stood up just before a cacophony of thunder rang out towards the east.

What was that? Keltelaun asked, whirling around. Zelyria, instantaneously, had taken to the darkening skies in the form of a large bird of prey to scope out the landscape.

From her lofty vantage point, she saw two opposing ground forces firing their