by Martha Carr
“I know, I’ve been worried about it all morning. I can’t believe that with this kind of showing the dark magic families, along with those soulless Humans First adherents, won’t at least attempt to crash the party. They don’t want us unified, they just want hate and war.”
“But we can change that.” Correk smiled. “I mean, seeing all these people coming together—doesn’t it make you think that there is hope for the future?”
“Of course,” Brittany replied. “But I guess maybe because I’ve seen a lot more of human nature than you have, I tend not to hold my breath on these things.”
Leira smiled, understanding exactly what her sister was saying. She wasn’t going to agree with her since she wanted to keep things positive, but she definitely knew what kind of people were out there. She watched Yumfuck, three feet tall, run to the neighbors. Marcy, Emmett, Lily, George, and Elijah had set up a tent. Magical orbs raced around, creating twinkling lights in the middle of the day. One of them had enchanted the ceiling of the tent to look like the Oriceran sky, which changed to match the time on Earth.
They looked at Yumfuck, then at Leira, waving happily to her. She waved back and smiled, turning to Correk and Brittany. Yumfuck was excited to see so many people. He hadn’t expected the rally to be so big. People stared at Yumfuck as they passed and a group of kids stood to the side, giggling at him as he danced to the music.
“It looks like you have admirers.” Marcy laughed. “They like your moves.”
“I learned everything I know from the King of Rock and Roll and the King of Pop.”
“Ahhh.” Marcy sighed. “Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson. You know, Elvis was a Light Elf. Everyone thought Michael Jackson was one of ours, but he wasn’t. Still brilliant, though.”
The kids inched closer while their parents tried to shoo them away from the troll. Yumfuck giggled and moved over to the kids, dancing harder as they surrounded him, clapping. He flipped over, landing in a one-handed handstand, then dropped and spun on the top of his head. He jumped back up, arms out to the sides, and took a bow as the kids clapped wildly. The parents stood behind them, nodding their heads to the music, not believing what they were seeing.
Marcy called the kids over to the tent for story time, mustering up some old fairytales from Oriceran. Yumfuck stayed with the parents, getting to know them better.
“I’m Yumfuck Tiberius Troll,” he said proudly, sticking out his paw. “Nice to meet you.”
The people looked at each other, shocked that the troll was actually talking, and speaking well at that. They took turns shaking his paw and introducing themselves.
“Nice to meet you too. I’m Ingrid, and this is my husband Frank. We are from Alexandria.”
“Not far at all. I have a friend that lives near there.”
Ingrid smiled. “Oh, very nice. And you are a troll?”
“Yep,” he said. “And a protector of the innocent. I head up a neighborhood watch, and take down the bad guys.”
“Wow,” she exclaimed, impressed. “That’s great. We need someone like you where we live. I am just sad that humans got trolls so wrong. You know, the whole troll-under-the-bridge thing.”
“Yeah, that’s more like an ogre.”
“Oh, like the ones in that Berserk game.”
“Exactly.” Yumfuck nodded.
He reached down and opened his backpack, pulling out his deck of Oriceran cards. He looked at the humans, eyeing them for a moment, then shrugged, figuring if he couldn’t do tricks there at the rally, where could he? He shuffled the deck and started flipping cards over, and the symbols on them shined and sparkled. When the deck slowed, four cards floated in the air in front of him.
“What’s that?” Ingrid asked.
“This is magic, sort of. These cards are like the Oriceran version of tarot reading. These four cards are yours.”
“You did this?”
“Well, the magic is in the cards. They picked you. I just interpret them for you.”
Yumfuck read the cards to the woman. They were much more specific than tarot, pointing out exact moments in her past, present, and future in full detail. The fourth card symbolized her lifespan, and what kind of warrior she had in her.
“This card says you are one of the strongest human warriors on Earth. One day you will make a huge difference in the fight against the dark.”
“Oooh,” the woman whispered, eyes bright.
“For now, though, you are a great mom and wife,” Yumfuck trilled, folding the four cards back into the deck.
“That was crazy. You knew everything,” she told him, shaking her head and looking at her husband.
Yumfuck dug through his bag and pulled out a couple of Starbursts. “You want one?”
He was even sharing his snacks.
Jackson strolled through the crowd with his hands in his pockets, scanning the faces as he went. He passed a tent and stopped, staring at Louie and Ava as they walked toward him. Louie had a big smile on his face, not having seen his friend and mentor in a long while.
“Jackson,” Louie cried, hugging him tightly. “It’s good to see you. You look fantastic. I didn’t know you were going to be here.”
“Figured it was probably good to have some back up here, just in case,” Jackson replied, glancing at Ava.
“Oh, sorry. This is my friend Ava. She is human but knows a lot about us. We train together. Ava, this is Leira’s father Jackson. He’s an elf. He is here doing the same thing we are, securing the field.”
“Nice to meet you. Louie has told me a lot about you.”
He laughed “I wish I could say none of it was true, but it probably all is.”
“Which is a good thing.” Ava chuckled.
Jackson looked to the side and nodded to Louie, who followed his eyes across the grassy field. Standing with a group of men behind him—all in human form—was Lucius, who gave a comforting nod to Jackson. They were there to show support, but mostly to keep an eye out for any kind of trouble. They might not want to show themselves in front of all those people, but the wolves were fiercely protective of the magical community and knew that if the Harriken were to show, they would pick a place like that.
“You don’t suppose they will put on a dog and pony show, do you?” Louie asked.
Jackson looked at him with narrowed eyes. “That’s rude, and no, the shifters are here to protect the others. They have some sort of bond with Leira, who has visited with Lucius on various occasions.”
“Didn’t mean to be rude. I got nothing against them. In my opinion, anyone willing to put their necks out there to stop the dark magic is definitely a friend of mine,” Louie replied, glancing down at Ava.
“What’s a shifter?” she asked.
“They are like your human version of werewolves, only not that vicious, and they can change pretty much whenever they want to. Some are descendants of Oriceran shifters, and others were violently changed by the dark families. Either way, they are a pack, and they stick together. Very misunderstood creatures.” Louie looked back at Lucius, who was murmuring to his men.
“This stuff gets more interesting by the day,” Ava whispered. “I knew there had to be something else out there. Something not like us, but very close to our bravery and heart.”
“Are you calling me brave?” Louie teased.
Ava chuckled and shook her head. “No, I was talking about that tiny fairy flying through the crowd.”
21
“We come together today to speak as one. We come together to learn each other’s worlds, to understand each other’s lives, and to break the cycle of fear that has been placed on our heads. We are here to show you that there is nothing to fear, that we only want a better future for Earth and for all those native to its lands.”
On the stage, speeches were given, explaining the importance of magic in Earth’s society. Humans and magical beings gathered around, listening closely to what the speakers had to say. Some had been to Oriceran, speakers who wanted to change t
he way magic was viewed, and others were human allies who spoke about the safety of the magical community. Cameras flashed and news crews kept their mics close, broadcasting the historic event for the world to see.
“For too long the magical community has lived in the shadows, fearing what the humans would do or say if they knew the truth. Now that we are stepping out from those shadows into the light, the fear is shifting to an organization that has no basis in their allegations. They twist and contort the truth, purposely creating fear in your hearts. That is what we have to overcome. That we must push past, and let you see with your own eyes the beauty of the people from Oriceran.”
The crowd cheered wildly, listening to a representative sent over from Oriceran itself. The Light Elven Queen still kept tabs on Correk and Leira, and she wanted to make sure that someone in attendance would represent the Light Elves in the best manner possible.
“Next up is a wonderful and magical Wood Elf who served with the Silver Griffins and is a descendant of the former Council of Oriceran, Maya Rolf.”
Everyone clapped, watching the small Wood Elf take the stage. Her skin shifted, flipping over like scales from her glamoured human form to almost blending in with the stage. When she took the mic, the scales flipped again to reveal a dark-skinned woman, her eyes as blue as the sky and her smile wide and welcoming. She wore a short brown skirt, the edges zigzagged as if she cut it out of cloth herself. On her upper half was a green tank top, tied around her back, the fabric made from the leaves of Oriceran trees. Locks of her long brown hair were twisted together and secured at the bottom, which swung low on her back. Vines twisted through her hair, and flowers opened and closed.
“Welcome!” she shouted, bringing cheers from the crowd. “I come to you today, not as part of one community or another, but as a person here on Earth looking for unity among all people. As one of Earth’s great writers, Helen Keller, said, ‘Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.’”
The words echoed through the crowd, creating an even stronger feeling amongst the new allies.
However, buried deep within the surging groups of humans and magicals was a gathering darkness. The Harriken had arrived, surrounded by their cronies, their chastised and cast-out wizards of dark magic. They wore street clothes that camouflaged them, but all tightly clutched their wands, disgusted by the amount of light magic flowing freely among the humans.
Senator Trumbull had heard about the rally from one of his assistants on the way home the night before. At first, he hadn’t been concerned, figuring it would be just another small group gathering, handing out pamphlets that no one cared to take. However, as the word spread, he understood that this rally was going to be more than what he had initially thought.
When he got to his office, he made a few calls to his informants within the magical community. It seemed that news of the rally had spread all over the world, and they expected a turnout that would rival even the largest demonstrations Humans First had put on. Angered by this turn of events and fearful as to what the collaboration would do, he transferred a large sum through Humans First to the Harriken.
He wanted a disruption; something that would put the fear back into the people. They wouldn’t be able to tell the good guys from the bad, but they would see firsthand the destruction the magical community could bring. The Harriken had no idea who the money had come from, just that it was in place for them to create massive unrest among the protestors. They didn’t care who the leader of the opposition was. All they cared about was their payday, and the opportunity to settle some scores that had been weighing on them.
The Harriken had no side and cared not for whether the people trusted the magical or not. They wanted power and control like they’d once had, and they would do everything to ensure they got that power back. If it took massive unrest that cost magical and non-magical lives, it didn’t bother them a bit. The ones they were after were sure to be there, and in the process of completing their mission, they would take their revenge on Leira and her followers.
They looked around the groups of people, keeping their faces firm so as not to alert anyone to their distaste. The magical whimsy of the event unsettled them, but soon enough screams would replace the music and the color would drain, not just from the Pool, but from the faces of those who were attempting to create a peaceful unity among the peoples.
The Harriken were the biggest threat there, but they weren’t the only ones. Also scattered through the crowd were members of the various dark families. They detested both the humans and the light magic. They hadn’t come to see the sights or impress the humans with silly displays of amateur magic. They’d come to start trouble and to make the humans realize that magic would always be stronger than their pathetic attempts at defensive warfare. They had come to show them who was boss.
“When should we move?” one of the dark witches asked the elder.
“When the time is right. Be patient. Do you see those men across the field? The ones awkwardly grouped together, watching everything going on?”
“Yes.”
“Those are the Harriken, and no doubt they are here for the same reasons as us. We may be one of the dark families, vying for one of the top spots when all things start to crumble, but for now, I consider them a tool for destruction. The wizards and witches working with them are outcasts, rogue magical beings without leashes or leaders. They were set free to do the Harriken’s bidding, and right now their bidding is falling on this crowd.”
“How do we know we can trust them?”
“We can’t, but that isn’t the point,” he replied. “They are notorious warriors. They train from the time they are young children. They are disciplined and focused, and they fight to the death. They are the perfect catalyst for our goals. We can stand back and let them initiate the confrontations, throwing out some of our own mischief and mayhem in the process. When the world is at a heightened sense of panic and the dark families are strong once again, then we can focus on becoming the largest power in communities all over the world. Until then, we let them fight the battle for us.”
“Why can’t we rule together?”
The elder looked at the girl, his eyes narrowing. “You are young and don’t understand the ways of the worlds. There can only be one supreme power. Everyone else is an afterthought. That was how the dark families rose in Oriceran, and here on Earth. Now, sit back and watch. There is an opportunity for both sides of this dark fence to turn this ‘celebration of unity’ into something they will look back on and mourn for decades to come. That is the beauty of masses of people like this. Even the hunters and the Fixer can’t see everything, and they definitely can’t protect all these people. They had to know it was inevitable.”
A dozen witches, wizards, and elves walked toward the field leading up to the Washington Monument. In their arms they carried stakes, rope, and a large chest full of goods for the demonstration. People watched as they pushed the crowds back and to the sides, carefully measuring out a perfectly-sized field for a demonstration game of Berserk. The crowds whispered excitedly as they watched the field develop. Once the ropes were tied and the stakes were in place, all but one magical being stood back.
A larger man wielding a long Cyprus wand stepped to the edge of the rope and waved his wand from side to side. Onlookers giggled and chatted as they watched a magical field rise over the lawn. They didn’t want the game to mess up the perfectly cultivated field of grass, so they created their own. Once the short-cut field was magically laid over the top, short walls sprouted up from the sides, cordoning off the field. Bleachers popped up on both sides of the field, one with the flag of Fairhaven, the other the flag of Trailmore, and another kemana from the shores of Hawaii.
“What is this?” a human woman asked her husband, glancing at her daughter, who was giggling at a fairy flying around her.
“It looks to me like the field from that game we saw online. Uh, ‘Berserk,’ that was what it was called. It seems we are going to get to watch
a game.”
“That’s exciting,” their son said, running up. “Can we sit on Fairhaven’s side? Please?”
“Sure,” his father chirped, leading them to the bleachers. “But we should probably sit up a ways. I saw helmets flying into the stands.”
“Aw, Dad! I want to feel the sweat flying off the ogres.”
His mother laughed. “That, my dear, is gross. Up you go, as high as you want.”
News of the Berserk game spread fast, drawing the crowds from the Reflecting Pool over to the game. As the fans filled the bleachers, more and more rows sprouted from the back until it had reached half as high as the Memorial. Once everyone was settled, the sounds of deep drums rolled across the lawn. The crowd cheered as the teams stepped out of portals on either side of the field. The elves came first, waving wildly at the crowd, obviously just as excited as the people there. The ogres followed them, their large arms swinging as their feet shook the earth beneath them.
They filed into the arena and stood in a line closest to their set of bleachers. A short, round-bellied referee ran into the center with a chest floating behind him. He stopped and cleared his throat, pulling his magic into his chest to create a loud and carrying voice.
“This demonstration game will be played between our home team, Fairhaven,” the crowd cheered loudly, “and the visiting team all the way from the shores of Hawaii, Trailmore!”
Boos echoed across the stadium and the large tanned ogres growled, spit flying from their mouths. Even from a distance, you could hear Yumfuck call, “Aloha!”
“Teams, when the whistle is blown, you will take your marks. When the latch opens, the game begins.” The referee looked at the packed bleachers, excited for the first game of Berserk to be played above the ground on Earth. He put the whistle to his mouth and blew, and the athletes took their marks. He backed up to the edge of the field and waved his hand at the trunk. The lid blew open and little green, black, and gold balls flew out, hitting the ground and scurrying in all directions. The chest disappeared as the first ogre raced toward the Fairhavens, plowing into an unsuspecting elf.