MAGIC OF THE LOST god's

STRANGE WORLD

Ruby stood motionless and watched as cars drove past her and wondered what kind of magic was responsible for their movement. It seemed everyone had magic in this new world that she had found herself and the fact that her memory was somewhat vague was not helpful. “Excuse me?” a voice said around her, Ruby did not know that she had inconvenienced people who were using the slim sidewalk for such a long time. When she did not respond to the voice, the police officer gently tapped her shoulder and repeated “Excuse me young lady, you are obstructing movement. This is a very small sidewalk you’ve got to keep moving.”

She turned and looked at him surprised that she could hear and understand what he was saying for she was certain it was not the language spoken by elves. She took a good long look at the police officer and moved closer to him in a mixture of amazement and shock and reached for his ears with both her hands. “Oh no! What happened to your ears?” she asked him with great concern but the officer moved back and cautiously placed his hand on his sidearm. “You need to stop being dramatic and move on” he said pointing at the moving sea of human beings. But she was not listening to him “what happened to everyone?” she asked the officer, unaware of what the strange cloth he was wearing signified and the little object he now held in his hand and also there was still the confusion of how she was able to understand and speak this new language. “Are you sure you are alright miss?” the officer asked her but she did not even so much as look at him she was looking all around and trying to get a closer look at the ears of all who passed by.

“Of course she is.” A grey haired man said from behind them just as the police officer started to say something into his radio stationed at his shoulder. They both turned and looked towards his direction. There was something different about the grey haired man from the police officer but Ruby could not point out what it was as she looked intently from the old man to the police officer again and again.

“Do you know her?” The officer asked him. “Yes I do.” The man responded without looking at the officer, his eyes which were filled with amazement were intently fixed on Ruby then he said. “Sorry for all the troubles she has caused you officer.” He told him as he nodded to the pistol he held in his hand. “Oh not at all.” The officer said and quickly returned the sidearm back to its place. “Please do let her know she cannot stand in the middle of the side walk like that.” “Sure thing officer, thank you.”

Ruby kept looking at the grey haired man as he communicated with the police officer and now as he (the police officer) walked away, she saw the difference. His ears were similar to that of her own, he turned and looked at her when the officer was well away and said. “Now let’s get you out of here before you cause any more trouble.” He took her hand and led her away as they joined the moving human train.

“Where am I, who are you?” Ruby asked him. “All in due time young woman, but for now we need to get you off the streets.” “Am I dreaming?” she asked him as he pulled her gently into a small shop which doubled as a chocolate store and residence of the grey haired man. When they were inside, he turned and looked at her. “You tell me, what did you do? How did you get here?” he asked her. “I don’t know, that’s exactly what I was hoping you would tell me.” They were now speaking the language that only elves understood. “We are closed.” The grey haired man yelled at someone who constituted a nuisance at the door of the store, obviously in dire need of some hot chocolate drink.

When he was gone, Ruby asked him. “The people here, they are not elves. What are they?” “Human beings.” “What?” “Human beings, that’s what they are.” The old man replied having taken a seat and ushered Ruby to do the same. They were now in the residence part of the store. “But you are not one of them. You are an Elf, just like me.” She said as she took her seat next to the man. “No I am not.” he told her. “Yes you are and I can prove it.” “Great so you can prove that I am an Elf yet you don’t know how you got here. Now Isn’t that interesting young woman?” He told her with sarcasm and she picked it. “Could you please just tell me what I need to know, I know some really old Elves and they are not half as annoying as you are. No apologies.”

The Old man looked at her. “You know you could have gotten yourself into serious problem if I hadn’t stepped in when I did with that police officer right?” “What’s a police officer?” she asked him. “Well they could pass for what you refer to as soldiers or guardians back in the world where you came from wh...” “Still pretending are you?” she cut him but he continued “...which is why before I initiate you on anything serious about where you are and what you have gotten yourself into, you are going to have to take back what you said earlier.” The grey haired man said firmly. “What? about the annoying stuff? Oh come on, I didn’t mean it like...” she stopped when she saw that the old man did not blink or seem like he was kidding about the apology and she brought herself to say. “Fine, I am sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”  He sighed. “Ah. That’s better and it makes me feel really good.” He let out a laugh and smirked when he looked at Ruby’s face.

“Great, so out with it then.” She demanded. But the response did not please her. “I’ve had a rather long and unsatisfying day so I am going to bed now. We’ll talk tomorrow.” Ruby’s face flared up in anger and her voice erupted. “What! There’s no way I am letting you off without you having told me what I need to know.” “That’s always the problem with you young people, you are too fast, always wanting things to happen immediately, but I’ve got to tell you, the earlier you learn that things don’t work that way the better for you and everyone.” She calmed down a little. “But I just told you I was sorry about what I said earlier, If that’s what is making you refuse...” “My going to rest has nothing to do with that. I am an old man and I need rest, I can assure you all my mates are already sleeping and snoring in their respective homes and besides I have forgiven you even though you were not remorseful.”

Ruby made the kind of face that suggests ‘well, I am now.’ “There’s a small room by your right, do make yourself at home, but I must warn you in case you are thinking of wandering off while I am asleep. You do that at your own risk.” “I can’t sleep there.” She told him after taking a glance at the room. “Why? It’s not fit for a princess?” He asked her. “What?” she rushed back to where he was but he has gone into his own room, she followed him. “What did you call me?” “Good night young lady” and that was the last she heard from him. he slept gloriously and she could tell from the way he snored. What she did not know was that she brought back a memory the Old man dreaded and before he fell asleep, he wondered what fate was up to. Ruby on the other hand could hardly close her eyes because when she tried, terrifying images kept flashing in the darkness and he mind kept manipulating her thoughts all through the night and when she finally managed to drift away in sleep, the Old man came almost immediately and woke her up.

“You sleep quite intensely for a teenager like yourself.” Ruby sat up with her eyes straining to open from the lack of sleep she suffered last night but the Old man seemed all fired up for the day and she was glad at least for one thing – she was going to get answers. She watched as the Old man opened his store and began attending to customers who seemed to be unable to get enough of whatever it was he was giving to them through the window but that was not her concern at the moment, she needed answers and couldn’t wait for the grey haired man to finish and return to her. When the smell of the chocolate hit her nose, she wondered what it would taste like. “Are you going to help me out or you are just going to stand there all day and keep looking at me like a princess waiting to be served.” “What’s it with the ‘princess this’ ‘princess that’” She said as she lined up with the old man who gave her some disposable cups to sort out for him in order to make the serving easier. While she did that, he stole a glance at her and hoped that she had not lost her memory in the process like he did.