Finding Magyk

“S-show me what? How could you prove to me that Magyk is real?” I asked him slightly surprised.
He smiled slightly “I just can, there’s a forest near my house meet me there in an hour and I’ll show you.” He took my phone from my hand and put the number into his, “I’ll text you the address later, but now, you’ve got to go.”

“Go? Wh-” I turned and saw Ben approaching, I looked back to Art but he was already gone. “Guess I’ll be in a forest later” I told myself before waving to Ben and turning down the road.

**********************
Around five o’ clock I got the message with his address, it surprised me how close it actually was. I biked it to save time, it would be dark soon.
10 minutes from home and I reached it, the house was two storeys with brick walls and blue gutters.

A note on the door led me to the back of the house, with had a small patch of grass before turning into a dense dark forest. “Wow that is one helluva forest.” I said to myself and looked around, “where the hell is he? Invites me over and just doesn’t even show at his own house. Why did I even come at all?” I quietly ranted to myself.
"You're quite a verbal person, aren't you?" he says from behind me. I whirl around to see him standing there, in different clothes to before, a small smile playing at his lips. I can see a bandage around his chest and shoulder, just visible in the space between his neck and his black hooded jacket.
“Yes, yes I am. Anyway,” I say waving him aside, “are we gonna go in or what? Looks fun” I grin at him and he raises an eyebrow before leading the way into the forest.

I was right; the forest was very dark and very very dense. Art lead me through the twisting trees and dead rotten wood and leaves that covered a large area of the forest floor. We soon arrived in a not very clear clearing, the trees were farther apart and it was lighter, the area looked like it had been used often. There was even a rope swing.

"I came here all the time when I was younger," he says, stopping and turning to look at me. He gestures at the rope swing. "Sit down if you like."
I sat, the swing creaked and swung slightly and then was still. “I thought you had only moved here a short time ago?”
He shook his head, his hair falling over his eyes. "I've lived here a while." Silence descended over us, a silence that wasn’t quite awkward. The wind howled, causing my hair to fall into my face and a shiver ran down my spine.

I went to speak, but so did he. We both chuckled nervously, before someone spoke, “Look what we have here,” His voice cruel and cold. Dante.
Art spins around, shooting dagger eyes at him. "What the hell are you doing here?" he snarls, the angriest I've ever seen him.

“Woah Art, calm down. Why are you angry? He’s your brother. But that is a good question, Dan care to enlighten us?” I turn to him using a nickname I had just thought of, maybe it’ll piss him off...One can hope.
He smirks. "He knows why. Don't you, Arty?"
"Stay the hell away, you twisted fiend." Art glances at me briefly, but it's just long enough to see the worried expression on his face.

Slightly worried now, I stand letting the breeze rattle the swing. “Oi! That’s enough Dan, now answer the bloody question before I have to take it out of you.” I half shout at him, kinda pissed, I like straight answers.
Dante laughs. "You amuse me, really. You really want me to tell you?" "Dante..." Art growls warningly, his hands balling into fists.
"I'm here to make sure he doesn't do what he wants to."

“And what’s that? Show me some Magyk tricks or whatever? How’s that your concern?” I raised my eyebrow at him, he was really getting on my nerves, and it didn’t help that he didn’t care that I called him Dan.
"Max..." Art says warningly, concerned. "You don't understand the seriousness of this situation." "And she never will," Dan says seriously, his cocky smirk gone.

I frown, “Fine whatever,” I shrug, “I’m going home. You guys can keep whatever the hell you’re talking about to yourself, ‘kay? I just don’t care anymore.” I turned and started walking off into whatever direction was behind me, I could get lost for all they seemed to care. "Max, wait," Art says quietly, taking a step towards me. Dante just gives a small chuckle. I stop but don’t turn, waiting for him to continue and resisting the urge to turn and swack Dante. “How you gonna get out of this one Art?”
"Always one for words," Dante growls cheerily.
"Shut it. What have you done to yourself?"
"Improved." He smirks. Art sighs and shakes his head.
"This isn't right..."
"Oi! You two better tell me what the hell is going on, or I'm outta here." I snapped finally turning around and glaring at both of them, if only looks could kill...I glanced at my watch almost six, “Alright,” I sigh, “you have 5 minutes, 10 if you need, to explain.”
They both look at me, Dante grinning and Art just looking apologetic. He opens his mouth to say something, when Dan interrupts. "Actually, this could prove to be fun. Bit of enjoyment in your dull world. I'll leave you to it. Have fun, bro." He waves, turning around. Art gapes at him.
He walks off, and I'm surprised that Art doesn't try to stop him. Why would he come here, taunt us, try and stop him and then leave? It didn't make any sense.
"Sorry about him. He wasn't always like that," Art says when he's gone. I shrug.
"Whatever. He was annoying me anyway. Now, we came in here for a reason?"
"Uhm, yeah." He hesitates, shifting uneasily on his feet. He turns and faces me, his deep green eyes meeting mine, then holds out his right hand.
"What-?" I begin, but I but off when his lips move silently.
And a tiny flame is born. It's no bigger than a marble, hovering just above the palm of his hand, but there it is.

“Neat trick, how are you doing that?” I ask taking his hand and turning it over, also checking the sleeves for a wire.
“Magyk,” he replied simply with a smile.
“W-wait, if Magyk does exist then does that mean all the creature do? And If you can do it then can I too?” I ask him uncertain at first but my excitement soon starts to grow, “If Magyk is real then we can cure all the disease that plagues the world! Make buildings rise out of stone!” I grin wickedly at him.
He sighs and lets the fire die, closing his hand into a loose fist. "It doesn't quite work like that. Magyk drains energy, depletes your body. Even if a large group were to gather and combine their Magyk -even if the whole of known Magyk users did- it wouldn't be enough to completely rid the world of disease, even in our own realm." He pauses, his sad scowl turning to a strained smile. "I've lived with creatures you couldn't even begin to imagine." His voice is a low murmur.

“A whole new world of the weird and wacky, eh? I smirk and pause for a moment before asking, “hey can you fly?”