Chat With A Mage

Kendra left and walked down the road just thinking. She wandered for a bit happy to be away from the others and their hostile emotions. Kendra was just very lost, trying to decide where she was even headed with her life. Was this really what she wanted to keep doing? Why had she been sent here, grown up with this now seemingly hostile group of humans?

She found herself walking down a street and looking at how sad most things seemed to look. Others were out moving about their day as normal, and she wondered what it would be like to just have to worry about working a normal day. About cleaning and maintaining a store like a normal person, but that wasn't her life and it never was going to be.

Kendra paused looking in a store window and noticed how old the glass was and it didn't seem to have been cleaned in a while. She glanced up looking at the name and couldn't figure out what the odd glyph meant. She blinked and realized what store she was standing in front of. Feeling like fate once more sent her here she moved, opening the door and going inside. This was the shop with the strange old unseeing old man.

The smell of old paper and herbs came to her, she moved inside and didn't see anyone right away. Kendra moved toward the counter and saw the crystal that was there still. She looked at it, extending her hand and feeling the hum of it. She could look this time and not feel rushed. The pull to that energy felt more this time. It felt like a need and understanding. As if part of her just could not help itself.

"Please don't touch." She turned her head and found the old man there. His gaze not seeing, but still seemed to know where she was.

"Just curious sorry."

"Yes, I see that. Your group of humans is stirring things best left alone. It's because of people like them that the other species feel threatened and the need to stand up." Clearly he knew what was going on. She wasn't surprised. Kendra deep down already knew that he was aware of Xerxes and also probably a friend. The things he said on the first day told her this.

"Is it just that or someone came to them with a voice and conviction, convincing them to stand up for themselves?" Kendra asked back with a bit of a sad smile.

"A little of both." He said with an answering smile and moved to sit behind the counter for a moment. "I'm glad that you are here without the others."

"I was tired of them." She admitted.

"I was too." She sighed and he picked up a cup, waved his hand over it and a brown liquid was in it. He took a drink and gave a pleased sound. "I love tea, would you like some?"

"No, thank you. How is it you manage to do that, just call something from nothing?" Mages fascinated her, how they could use magic. How they could create with a few words or gestures.

"But nothing doesn't really exist my dear. At least not here, in the air there is water that I need. I know the components that make up tea, natural or non. It's all just pulling it together to make what you want."

"Can you make living things appear?" She asked curiously.

"That is not the same. No one knows what components make up a soul or the life force. I will leave making the living for the creator. He seems to know what he is doing, or pretends too." She gave a smile and a slight laugh.

"I was curious if you could tell me about myself." Kendra said, because lately it was eating at her. Those she lived with used her, and had no answers. "I know what I am, I don't know who I guess."

"I can't tell you who, and it is most unfortunate that you have no memory. My guess is that your last death was rather traumatic or you willingly gave up your memories to make it easier the next time around. Homunculus are fascinating creatures." He waved his hand and a book came to him and he opened it.

"You are the first I have met." He admitted.

"Some races believe that your kind was descended from the original creation of all that walk this earth. A race as old as time, and now rare." He told her after a moment. She didn't know how he was looking at the pages, but he seemed to be. What an odd man.

"Wasn't that human?" She asked. He shook his head.

"Not according to other testaments, everyone has their own story. We are raised on religions on systems of belief but we must not believe blindly. But no, your kind was put forth to watch over the others. Even if you change from a homunculus to a full vampire, you would still be drawn to watch the others. A change to your body is not a change to your soul. Like I said, that is what the creator is best at."

"Well I only really get a few choices. Vampire, werewolf, shape shifter. I do hear that harpies can change humans. Though I don't know if that's true." Kendra didn't really see much option.

"Not sure about harpies, I don't think so. However, no. You can become ANYTHING you want that's the real gift and power. Every species has one, just one special gift that set them apart from the rest. A homunculus has the gift to become any species it truly wishes. Do not let another convince you otherwise, this is your choice and it can not be forced no matter a bite or infection." Truly? Was that why her DNA… Kendra suddenly felt a bit more special. Like things made more sense to her.

"What is yours?" she asked with a smile.

"Still trying to figure that out. Just because we have one doesn't mean we know, but we use it without knowing too. It is always more powerful than anyone knows." She thought he was fascinating and confusing at the same time. Very wise, but that's how the wise were. Give you enough information to figure it out in your own time, while making sure you were on the right track. Kind of annoying sometimes.

"What do you mean I could be anything?"

"You could be anything, from the tree outside there, to a dolphin, or harpy if that is where you are going with it." She gave a laugh.

"A tree? Seriously, and dolphin. I think not."

"Yes, while they are noble choices you don't get very long to live, you have a finite amount of time. Unlike a vampire or werewolf."

"I don't think I'd want to be them, but what if I wanted to be say… a phoenix?"

"That is an extremely noble choice, and you could. Though the phoenix is a dying breed, not many left. They can choose to not be reborn from their ashes and sometimes they aren't."

"It is sad." She said thinking about her phoenix and happy to know that there would be more to continue on. She thought about what he was saying, trying to decide how much she wanted to really believe or hope for. "Say I believe you that I could, how could I go about it?" He gave a shrug.

"I have no idea. Never studied a homunculus, just in books and what I have been told and learned through these pages." He said gesturing to the odd script in the book.

"So then how do you know that I can change?" She said skeptically and found deep inside that she really wanted to. That she would love to have that gift to choose to be whatever she wanted to be, but it sounded like a one time deal. Yet it was so much better than wandering forever not knowing who and what she was.

"It's the legend of your kind. I'm sure that you will keep going until the right offer comes up. It's how it works, like the one homunculus, he chose to become a vampire."

"Yes."

"Did you ask him?"

"No, he was bitten and exchanged blood and that's how it is always done." He just gave a nod. Kendra looked at him. Now she wondered if he'd asked for it to be done. So he'd made the choice either way hadn't he? He'd accepted the bite.

"I also wanted to ask you about your dragon friend." She said gesturing to the crystal. Kendra needed some questions answered for herself. Not the others, he was stuck on her mind.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." He said with a smile.

"Uh huh." She said and continued. "They are very intent on doing away with him you know. They see him as the greatest threat at the moment."

"He probably is. He's grown tired of watching the world go by. Both of them have and I think that one is losing more hope than the other." He said this last part lost in some thought.

"What does that mean?" Kendra asked feeling her heartbeat a bit harder. It hurt to think of.

"Nothing, just an opinion." Demetri said giving a smile.

"I'm at a loss as to what to do with this. I feel lost sitting there with humans talking about other races, when I feel that perhaps some deserve life more than others."

"I'd give you an answer if I had one. However I don't, that'll be your own choice." He said. "But that is what I get most of the time, people wander in here looking for answers and they don't even know it sometimes. Unfortunately for this dilemma I don't have an answer. Just that if you want to exist you have to fight for it." Demetri sighed to himself. There were days everyone asked if the struggle was truly worth it.

Kendra sighed and decided that she best head back. She felt better having come in here and talked with him. "You know, I don't even know your name." She said holding out her hand. "I'm Kendra by the way."

"Demetri. Pleasure to meet a beautiful woman such as yourself."

"How do you know I'm beautiful? I could be an ugly old hag." He smiled and laughed.

"Just because a man is blind doesn't mean he can't see. Perhaps it wasn't your physical beauty I was speaking of." She didn't see how that was possible but figured he knew something she didn't.

"You know Demetri, perhaps the true talent of the mage is providing solace. I see that you have much knowledge that you have gained. You said people come in looking for answers, I was just wandering today and found myself here, leaving I feel better in some way." He just kind of stared in her direction like he'd never really thought about that.

"I'm glad you feel better." He said and she moved toward the door. "Kendra,"

"Yes?" She said posed to open the door.

"Try to remember we never get what we want just what we need." she frowned looking at him as he moved from his counter toward the back.

"Why would you say that?" She asked. She believed that very much, something that she never forgot.

"I don't know, it just felt right to remind you. I will see you later I am assuming, I feel that our paths are to mingle a bit more before the end." With that he disappeared into the back and she stood for a second and then went out onto the street. Kendra looked up at the sky and wished for a moment to just fall into the peacefulness of it. Unfortunately she dropped her head and headed back to the only real place and life she knew.