Magic Required

by Obert Skye

  “Clamp his beak,” Ray ordered.

  “With extreme pleasure.”

  Ty opened the cage and grabbed Clark. Holding the bird’s body and head, he pinched the beak closed and twisted a small piece of wire around it to create a muzzle of sorts. Clark tried to tweet, but no sound came out.

  “Cover the silver strip too,” Ray added. “I want him silent and still.”

  Ty took a strip of black tape and put it on top of the silver strip.

  “Now,” Ray said, “that’s better.”

  “Much better,” Ty agreed.

  “I didn’t ask for your opinion,” said Ray, harshly reminding his lead ogre where he stood.

  Ty apologized.

  “We should go,” Ray instructed. “I want to get a good look at the convention center before that wizard and his friends show up. Bring the bird.”

  Ty picked up the cage and followed Ray out of the house and to the large black SUV waiting in the drive.

  The Oregon Convention Center was teeming with fantastical life. Everywhere you looked, there were booths selling small figurines and costumes and posters. There was an entire floor for anime and another for gaming. The multinational media conglomerates were there too, all hoping to cash in on the geek culture they used to scorn. Those companies had massive booths filled with products like energy drinks, toys, and candy.

  Ozzy walked around in awe.

  He had never seen anything like what he was now seeing, and he had seen some amazing things in the last half year of his life. Everywhere he looked there were superheroes and aliens and movie characters walking around like they owned the place.

  “Who’s that?” he asked Sigi.

  “A truly fat Thor,” she answered.

  The best part about the Portland ComiCon was that Rin fit right in. He walked through the crowd of people like a magical Moses, parting the sea of geeks and nerds like a pro.

  “This seems like a strange place to meet up with Ray,” Sigi hollered as someone dressed as R2-C4, half-robot half-explosive, bumped into her.

  “It’s a public place,” Rin shouted back to her. “Ray’s a powerful person who hates crowds. This will throw him off his game and give us a sea of witnesses. Plus, Jeff Goldblum’s going to be here tomorrow. Now let’s hurry.”

  They reached a large ballroom that had a healthy stream of people heading into it. Near the ballroom door was a small screen, listing what events were happening in that room.

  Rin stopped to read the screen.

  Ozzy and Sigi looked past him to do the same.

  12:15 The Perennial Five: Cast and Crew

  “What’s The Perennial Five?” Ozzy asked.

  “You’ll see,” Rin said as he pushed into the stream of people still moving into the room.

  The large ballroom was packed. Lines and lines of folding chairs were filling up with people of all races, creeds, religions, sexes, colors, wings, horns, spandex, and makeup.

  “What are we doing?” Ozzy shouted. “Aren’t we here to get Clark?”

  The wizard nodded.

  Ozzy and Sigi followed close behind Rin as he shoved his way toward the front of the big room. Up ahead they could both see a long row of tables covered with black fabric on top of a platform and next to a podium. Sitting behind the tables were four remarkably interesting people: two women, one thin man, and one man so large he took up two seats.

  Rin kept walking closer to the front and Ozzy and Sigi kept following. The wizard led them to the front row, and then to their great surprise, he didn’t stop. Rin walked around a short barricade and jogged up three steps leading onto the platform.

  “What are you doing?” Ozzy hissed.

  “Taking our places.”

  Behind the long line of covered tables were nine chairs. In front of each chair there was a microphone and a bottle of water. Five of the chairs were occupied by the four interesting cosplayers. Rin took a seat at a spot that had his name on it. It was then that Ozzy noticed there was a place next to Rin that had Sigi’s name, and a place next to her that had his.

  “What is happening?” Sigi said as she looked out at the thousands of people filing into the ballroom and sitting to face the stage.

  Ozzy sat down in his chair without answering. He picked up the name card on the table and read the small print under his name.

  Ozzy Toffy

  Artifice Wump

  “Artifice Wump?”

  “Mine’s not any better,” Sigi said, showing him her card.

  Sigi Owens

  Merry Dangle

  Rin was talking with a heavy man named Bill who was taking up the two seats next to him. Sigi tugged on her father’s sleeve.

  “What is all of this?” she said with a smile, pretending to be calm so that the growing crowd in front of them wouldn’t realize how confused she was. “Merry Dangle?”

  “Congratulations,” Rin said as he turned to her. “She has the meatiest part in the movie.”

  “What movie?” Sigi hissed happily.

  “The one we’re pretending to be in.”

  Ozzy leaned in closer to Sigi and looked Rin in the eyes.

  “Can’t you do anything normal?” he asked, trying hard to not look frazzled.

  “Normal has no set definition.”

  “Who are those people?” Sigi pointed to the other five table guests.

  “They’re backup,” Rin said.

  “For what?” Sigi asked. “A sad prom?”

  Rin smiled. “Look around.”

  Ozzy and Sigi both took a moment to look out at the crowd. The room was loud and chaotic as more and more people continued to pour in.

  “Are we fighting all these people?” Ozzy questioned, wondering if he had the strength to take over the will of everyone there.

  “Look closer,” Rin suggested.

  A second sweeping glance helped the two teenagers to see what Rin was talking about. Standing against the back wall were at least twelve large ogres in blue suits.

  “Ten rows up,” Rin said. “On the left.”

  Trying to appear casual as they glanced, they saw Ray, sitting ten rows back and on their far left. In front of him was another ogre. Behind him was another. And sitting next to him another.

  “This feels like the mother of all bad ideas,” Ozzy said.

  “What?” Rin asked with genuine surprise. “You two are playing the cool teenagers in an important movie. You’ll be a part of the PFU.”

  “Really?” Sigi complained.

  “Perennial Five Universe,” Rin said proudly.

  “I thought perennials were flowers.”

  “Some are. Here.” Rin handed Sigi a printed program. It was flipped open to the current date and time. “This should explain things.”

  Ozzy and Sigi read the short paragraph Rin was pointing to.

  12:15 Ballroom B. The Perennial Five: Cast and Crew

  Come experience a rare opportunity. This is your chance to know more about the most anticipated movie of the year—Perennial Five: The Comeuppance. Meet the cast and crew of what is sure to be a movie for the ages. Find out about the PFU and all upcoming information. Bring your questions and enthusiasm. This panel promises to be one of the most popular and engaging ones. #wherewondertakescontrol #nottobemissed #PFU

  Ozzy and Sigi finished reading the paragraph and looked up at Rin.

  “I wrote that,” he bragged.

  “This movie doesn’t exist,” Sigi whispered intensely.

  Ozzy shook his head. “Are we going to have to answer questions?”

  “About a movie that doesn’t exist?” Sigi reiterated.

  “Yes,” Rin said excitedly. “But don’t worry—your answers can be anything.”

  The wizard’s reply was not comforting.

  “There’s so many peop
le,” Sigi said as she glanced out at the noisy crowd.

  The wizard’s daughter was right. The room was at capacity. People were standing in the aisles and edges. Beyond the open doors at the back of the room, more people were outside of the room looking in. Ray had his eyes on them and wasn’t blinking.

  “All this for a movie that’s not real?” Ozzy questioned.

  “If you think about it, no movies are,” Rin replied.

  A pudgy man with hair where it shouldn’t be and no hair where it should be walked up onto the stage and stood behind a podium at the end of the table. He gazed down the row of guests and nodded politely. Rin and the rest of the Five nodded back.

  “Here we go,” the wizard whispered excitedly.

  The vast crowd before them began to quiet down in anticipation of Wrong-Hair saying something. The man checked his watch.

  “I see it’s time,” he said into the microphone on the podium. “If you could all take your places and silence your cellphones?”

  Though the crowd was made up entirely of people who claimed to be rogues and independents, they all did exactly as they were told.

  “Thank you,” Wrong-Hair said. “My name is Martin Foote, and I will be the moderator for this session. I believe we are all in for a treat. In my opinion you have picked the right spot to sit. Because I feel we are at the cusp of something extraordinary. Sitting before you are the stars of the upcoming movie Perennial Five: The Comeuppance.”

  The crowd clapped and cheered as if they had any idea of what the movie was or who Rin and his cohorts were.

  “We’ll begin by hearing an introduction from each of our guests.” Martin looked down the row of people sitting behind the long table. “Would each of you please tell us who you are and who you play in the movie. We’ll start with you, Flora the Older.”

  Flora stood and adjusted her black beret. She started to talk and then realized that the mic was on the table. She sat back down and moved her mouth close to the mic. “I am a witch,” she announced. “Classically trained. And I play a very important and crucial part in the movie. But not wanting to spoil anything, I will say no more.”

  The crowd clapped as Martin thanked Flora and introduced Gemi.

  “I play Gemi the Younger and I too am a witch. Self-trained. I’m good with curses, and I play a role every bit as important as Flora’s.”

  More clapping and Jayson was introduced.

  “I am an alchemist,” he said in a deep voice.

  The crowd wasn’t impressed.

  “I’m really important as well,” Jayson insisted in a much higher voice.

  It was Bill’s turn.

  The big man shifted in his two seats and pulled both microphones up to his putty-like face. He winked with his one eye and swiveled his head so that everyone could clearly see his eye patch.

  “I be Bill,” he said. “A wizard and a scourge. My role is as big as my backside.”

  The audience loved that. So did Bill.

  When it was Rin’s turn, the wizard had surprisingly few things to say.

  “My name is Rin, and I am the ending.”

  The crowd loved the veiled and mysterious answer.

  Rin nodded in a way that he probably thought looked gracious.

  “And finally,” Martin said. “We have the young stars of the film, Sigi Owens and Ozzy Toffy, who play the roles of Artifice and Merry.”

  “Hello,” Sigi said into her mic.

  “Hello as well,” Ozzy added, hoping the attention would quickly move off them.

  Sigi saw the need to add something more.

  “The two of us loved being in this movie. It was sort of a dream role.” She reached under the table and took Ozzy’s hand. The gesture helped calm them both down. “I don’t think I’ve ever done anything that meant this much to me. And I’ve had the time of my life starring with these people.”

  Rin winked at his daughter, and Bill handed him a tissue.

  The audience clapped about what Sigi had said and cheered in celebration for the fake movie and all that was attached to it.

  “Wait,” Rin said into his microphone, “we’re missing something.”

  The crowd held their breath.

  “This movie would not have been possible without the world’s greatest producer,” the wizard said. “The man who believed in this when no one else did. The man who was willing to sacrifice everything so that the true vision of the PFU could make it to the screen. And that man is here today. Please welcome Ray Dench!”

  Rin pointed to Ray, who sat dumbfounded ten rows back and to their left.

  The audience in Ballroom B had no idea who Ray Dench was, but they clapped as if they’d like to.

  “Please,” Rin said with glee as he looked out at Ray, “it is my highest honor to have him here. Let’s give him the kind of hand you would give someone who granted all your wishes and made all your dreams come true. Come on up, Ray.”

  Ray Dench did not look like himself now. He looked like a lost dog being threatened by a cruel owner. His cold exterior blinked off for a second before he was able to gather his wits and regain his composure. He waved Rin’s request off, refusing to get up as the crowd went wild.

  “This is for you, Ray,” Rin shouted. “Get up here!”

  The nicely groomed man with the green shirt and red hair was livid. His face matched his hair and made it appear that his head was on fire.

  “Come up!”

  Ray was not used to other people besting him. His desire to be anywhere else was overtaken by his need to show Rin that he did not have the upper hand. His face cooled, and he stood like a statue that had grown tired of sitting. Then he walked up to the stage as the entire room cheered. He climbed the three steps and took the seat next to Ozzy.

  He smiled at the boy.

  The junior wizard could feel the hate coming off him. Ray leaned forward and talked into his microphone.

  “Thank you,” he said coolly. “I am not one for public appreciation.”

  Someone whistled and another person made some sort of beeping noise.

  Ray casually glanced out at his army of ogres stationed throughout the crowd.

  Ozzy saw what Ray was doing and wanted to run. He wanted to leave the stage, the room, the building, reality. He wanted to be anywhere Ray wasn’t.

  “Now that we have almost everyone,” Rin said. “Let the questions begin.”

  There were microphones on stands in the aisles so that people could ask questions. Behind the microphones were lines of people waiting to be heard. Martin gave a few rules of question etiquette and then motioned for them to begin.

  A woman dressed as some sort of evil Pippi Longstocking was the first.

  “I haven’t really seen anything about this movie,” she said excitedly, “but I would love to interview you for my blog.”

  “That’s not a question,” Gemi said.

  “If you want an interview, find me on Instagram,” Rin added. “I’m at well-managed-magic.”

  Martin took a moment to remind the audience once more what was and wasn’t a question.

  The next question came from a man/tree/pancake.

  “Hi, I’m Rooty-Grooty-Fresh-and-Fruity,” he said, describing his outfit.

  The crowd sort of liked it.

  “Anyway, I was wondering if Perennial Five is set in our reality, or if it takes place in an alternate one?”

  “I like the pancake part of your outfit,” Rin responded. “It shows signs of strong magic. As for your question, I’ll let Ray answer that.”

  Ray sniffed calmly. Then trying hard not to appear rattled, he leaned into his mic and said, “It takes place in a reality where all magic is dead.”

  The audience oohed and ahhed.

  “It’s dark,” Ray added, “but I guarantee that the ending will blow your minds.
”

  It was a strong line, delivered by a cruel man, and the crowd was into it. It took Martin a full minute to calm everyone down. With order restored, a man dressed as SpongeBob No-Pants stepped up to the mike.

  “Um, . . . I have a podcast,” he seemed to brag, clearly not knowing what kind of things people should brag about, “and I’m wondering what the plot of this movie is?”

  “It’s an exciting one,” Bill answered, bragging about something he didn’t know. “There’s all the elements you want, and none of the ones ye don’t want.”

  For some reason, people continued to clap and cheer.

  In the back of the room, Ozzy saw someone in a green uniform. He did a double take and saw that the man in the uniform was standing next to someone in a white blouse. Though they were far away, their expressions were easy to read—neither the sheriff or Patti looked happy. Sheriff Wills leaned over and whispered into the ear of a nearby Portland police officer. That officer waved at another officer a few feet away from him.

  Ozzy squeezed Sigi’s hand and she squeezed back to let him know that she’d seen them too.

  Ray was tired of only acting half-creepy, so he reached over and put his hand on Ozzy’s knee. Then leaning in a few inches, he whispered,

  “You should have accepted my offer when you had the chance.”

  Ozzy smiled nervously while a woman who said she was Marley Quinn stepped up to the mic to ask a question.

  Ray had more to say to Ozzy. “You and your friends will not make it out of this alive.” He smiled as he whispered into his ear.

  The boy tried to brush Ray’s hand off his knee, but it only made him squeeze tighter.

  Martin informed the half-dog, half–Harley Quinn that the story idea she was going on about sounded interesting, but it wasn’t a question. The woman sat down, and a man dressed as a Spiderman from a dingy and low-rent part of the Spiderverse took the mic and said,

  “This question is for Labyrinth.”

  Rin doffed his hat politely.

  The man at the mic was nervous. He took a deep breath and asked.

  “Are wizards real?”

  Ozzy looked at Sigi. There was something about the off-brand Spiderman’s voice that was familiar. With Ray’s hand on his left knee, and Sigi holding his right hand, Ozzy felt planted in his seat—unmovable and frozen. Sigi’s dark eyes made it clear that she too recognized the voice as belonging to Jon. Rin didn’t seem to recognize it. He answered Off-Brand Spiderman’s question as if it had been asked in earnest.