Magic Lessons

There are a few things I know you must be wondering. They may not be important things, but since it’s amazing how a few details can add to or take away from one’s satisfaction, I will answer three questions that must be driving some of you crazy:  1) Do faery men have to shave? 2) Do faeries have pointy ears? and 3) Can humans do magic?

These are valid questions. I didn’t think to mention them before.

Yes, faery men do have to shave, or else they will grow very long beards, which are unfashionable for any man who isn’t considered old. While I was on the run with three faery men, I never saw a single one of them shave, but only Jinge was scruffy. Apparently shaving is not done in front of women, which could be why most bearded faeries are old, married men. That, and they’ve invented a razor that will keep their hair from growing for over two weeks. After much pleading and coaxing on my part, Ciaran allowed me to borrow one. Best invention ever.

About their ears: yes and no. It turns out they used to have rather long and pointy ears that stuck out from their heads! Back before human genes were mixed into the pool, they all had ears like that. But nowadays their ears are just slightly pointed -- just a little less than Elves’ ears in The Lord of the Rings, and a little closer to Vulcans’ from Star Trek (I’m allowed to mention those, aren’t I? I feel like I should be citing a source or something). Some, like Jinge’s ears, are more pointy than others.

I had never noticed before that afternoon, when Ciaran and I had started walking to the small town in Washington, and his disguise had been dropped for a minute.

“Your ears!” I’d started laughing.

“What about them?” he asked defensively.

“They’re delightful!” I exclaimed. And so cute, I thought, as I reached up a finger to touch one. Ciaran grabbed my hand to stop me.

“Tsh. They’re just ears.” Ciaran had said, moving on. Still, I don’t think he minded, since smiled and he held my hand afterwards.

As for the last question, yes! Humans can indeed learn magic. I’m sure you’ve heard of all the great wizards and magicians back in the day. Merlin, Gawain, Shmendrick .... other people... It is rare, but having even so little as a drop of faery blood apparently enhances this ability. Another reason faeries don’t want to be in contact with the whole of human race. Anyway! All humans have the innate ability to perform magic, just like we have the abilities to become circus performers and Olympic competitors. Some are more able than others, as Ciaran was about to show me while we bounced up and down on the bare back of a gray faery horse on the way to the gate.

“You have a natural gift to resist persuasive magic already.” Ciaran was saying to me.

“Really?” I was rather pleased.

“Oh, yes. You’re very stubborn.” he replied, smiling. Less pleased.

“Now,” Ciaran began. “When someone wants to control you, they will probably start with the simpler methods, such as suggestion, which is one form of manipulation.” He went on to give me a list, as follows:

1. Suggestion, a soft, subtle form of manipulation that will make you think what you are doing is your own decision, a push to make any idea more desirable. When the mind is at its weakest, suggestion can be the only tool needed to control another person. It is strengthened doubly through physical contact.
2. Manipulation, using your fears, passions, opinions, and interests as weaknesses against you. Methods of Manipulation include: Illusions, Traumatic Memory Selections, and Confrontations.
3. Hypnotism, a strong, temporary binding of the mind. It is a link established during eye contact and sometimes through certain transparent stones. Once made, a link will hold until the desired task is finished, unless broken through other means.
4. Physical Control: the most difficult form to keep up, this method is the means of manipulating your limbs without taking control over your mind.  It is the most difficult because it is possible to break the link at any time, according to the strength of your will. This method is mostly a show of power, but is also used in combat, when you are already in motion.

   

          “Are you going to recite the whole chapter to her?” Donal interrupted from his horse, a few feet away.

          “Stay out of this! Now,” Ciaran continued. “When I first met you, I only used suggestion and a little manipulation. While listening to you talk and finding out what you liked, I was able to appeal to your desire to drop everything and run away. But you were able to think clearly. Do you remember why?”

           I shook my head. I wasn’t thinking clearly at all that night.

           “You were properly grounded. Thoughts of other people and responsibilities chained you down.”

           “So you’re saying I worry too much?”

           “That can be a good thing -- not often, but it can -- thinking of other people is especially helpful. When you’re facing an illusion, or a disguise of someone you know, that’s when you have to think of that person very hard, until you notice something is off.”

            “Okay. I think I get it.”

            “Do you want to practice?”

            “Eh? How?”

            “I’ll suggest something, and you try not to do it.”

            Since there wasn’t much else I could do while sitting on the horse behind him and holding on to him for support, I agreed. Ciaran touched the back of my hand with one finger and asked me if my nose itched.

Oh, you devil. “No, it doesn’t.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I am.” I could definitely feel the itch starting to drive me insane. The human mind is so easily swayed! I clenched my hands together and said “No!” and it went away suddenly. I sighed in relief.

“Hooray!” Donal cheered. “You passed!” Ciaran was laughing, shoulders shaking.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t enjoy that quite so much.” he said.

“What’s next?” I asked. “Another form of manipulation?”

“Ooh! Ooh! Can I do it?” Donal asked.

“No.”

“But she asked me first!” the Faery King whined.

“Fine, go ahead.”

“I have an easy one.” Donal moved his horse closer to ours. “Look here, Ashlyn.” he pointed to his face, and I saw his eyes flash.

Immediately, the dimly lit brush around us vanished, and the night turned black. I fell forward, all at once alone on the horse. A shiver sneaked up my spine as I heard a noise behind me, like some sort of hungry predator's growl. I grabbed the horse’s mane and kicked my heels into her side. An animal -- a huge animal -- was chasing me. I glanced behind, and saw claws and teeth.

It took all I had not to scream. But wait, this was an illusion, right? Donal had -- it was just an illusion that I was seeing? What could I possibly do to make it go away?

“You’re not real, you’re not real.” I muttered. So this is how my sanity would die. “Stop!” I yelled. The panther-like creature caught up to the horse, passed it on one side, and leapt at me, teeth aimed for my throat. “You’re not real!” I shrieked.

That must have been enough. My eyes opened to see the two other horses and people, and my arms were tightly wrapped around my faery’s waist.  

“You did the panther illusion, didn’t you?” Ciaran was saying. “I think my ribs are broken now.”

            I reached out and grabbed the Faery King’s cloak. “WHAT THE HECK, DONAL? I THOUGHT YOU WERE MY FRIEND!”

           “Oy, keep it down, we’re still close to the human village.” Jinge called back.

          Reluctantly, I let go of him and hissed, “How was that easy?”

          “Well, it’s a really easy illusion to cast while on the move.” Donal explained, head bowed. “I’m sorry! It scared me when I was a student too, but learning how to cast it was really fun. I’d forgotten.”

          “We’ll do much less scary illusions from now on, okay?” Ciaran promised.

          I plopped my head against his back and groaned. “I’m taking a break!”