Gutter Rat Magic (warthog155 & Shadow Angel)

[warthog155]

"Stop! Stop you little shit!" The guards were yelling at the top of their lungs. The boy in the blue hood was running at full speed. He hadn't eaten in two days and was extremely tired. His muscles ached as the thought of the guards catching him and cutting off his hands came into his mind. He pushed harder and faster, he couldn't loose this race. On his right was a pub that some drunk bystander was walking out of. He needed a distraction too get away and opportunity knocked like a drunk man's head hitting the ground.
Bolting through the door he had about two seconds until he was going to be caught. Bar counter with hopes of another exit, start a fight hope the guards will stop them instead of him, try to blend with the "workers" upstairs. "Upstairs" He said to himself as he turned right and bolted up the landing and when he was about on the third step he saw the first guard coming through. He pushed himself like he never had as he saw the first door was open at the top of the stairs. Bursting through he jumped off the bed with one foot and then moved out the window with his legs tucked close to him. The guards ran to the window and looked around but didn't see anyone. "Dammit!! That's the fourth time the lil fucker got away from us!"
"Another day Joesph." said the guard to his right as they turned around and walked downstairs. Mean while the boy was right over there heads stradling the window seal hopping they didn't look up. He let out his breath and sighed as he pulled out the loaf of bread. It was stale, a little damp from his run with the guards, and smelled, but it was the first edible thing he saw in 2 whole days. He ripped it in half and munched on it like his life depended on it. He almost chocked himself as he started coughing and taking heavy breaths. He looked at the other half and stored it in his cloak as he threw the hood back up and slid down the side of the roof.

Cody was a orphan, he had been for almost seven years now. His parents died when he was nine. Some bandits attacked the town in a hope to get gold and leave. Things went to hell and they started taking people to hell with them. They just had to pick his house. Their throats were cut in their sleep and Cody was next until the guards came in after the bandit. He ran while they were wrestling never too look back again. Cody looked down at the pond and washed his face as he stared back at the reflection in the water. He was dirty as could be, his tanned skin covered in a layer of filth. His sharp green eyes were now dulled by the pains of life in the gutter. His short brown hair was ragged from him cutting it with the first blade he found, it was about as sharp as a rock. He stared back at himself for a long time, he was about to die. The days he was getting food was thining out more and more. Tuesday turned into Friday, Friday turned to two weeks, two weeks turned into please god let me find a crumb today. It was going to get him soon, he saw the toll it was taking on him and how his muscles couldn't keep up anymore. He knew he was going to die but it seemed ok now, anything was better than here so if death was the next location then so be it. He walked toward the abandoned entrance to the town. When the bandits came in all those years ago they destroyed that part of town so bad that it was left to crumble. He walked the quiet streets as he came upon the few rocks stacked on top of each other that he had grown to call home. He took the other piece of bread out of his cloak and was about to eat it until he heard a whimper. Across the street was a little girl that was looking at him with big brown eyes, she was dirty and unkept. ".....well come on then." He said as he knelt down with the bread, she lite up and ran over to him grabbing the bread. "There you are, now go into town, go find you a real home. You don't need to be out here, you'll find someone dear, go on now! get moving!" the little girl almost chocked as she started to run to town with a mouth full of bread.
Cody looked up to the sky as it started to rain, he laughed slightly. "Ha....fitting." He laid down under his rocks as the water turned the dirt street into mud. "Come on reaper, take me somewhere, I'm ready..." He said as he slowly started to close his eyes.

 

[Phoenix Rising]

Fiona stood in the shadows of the abandon entrance, when she heard the boy talk to the little girl she smiled then watched the little girl scamper off. She adjusted her hood then walked toward the pile of rocks, muttered a spell to make the run stop then stepped closer to the rocks. '' Take my hand. '' The raven haired woman said in a soft tone, she was very sincere about what she was doing. She was going to give a hot meal a better place to sleep, some place to really call home. Waiting patiently she lowered her hood so he could see what she looked like, hoped he wouldn't be afraid. She was a strange but at the same time she'd been keeping an eye on him for a really long time, to see him living like this broke her heart.

 

[warthog155]

Cody looked up through blurry eyes and saw a hand coming toward him, the dark hair behind on it's head looked...welcoming. Something about the dark figure let him know that where ever he was going next was going to be OK. He weakly reached his hand up and took it's hand. "Take...me....reaper." He begged as he felt the figure picking him up and wrapping his arm around it's shoulders to keep him upright. He rested his head on it's shoulder as he pushed his legs in where ever it was dragging him.
Soon enough he felt, warm. Like he was at somewhere, safe, the figure helped him somewhere but he shook off the figure, if this was the after life that he was in now he would crawl into on his own. He struggled as his limbs were so weak and he couldn't see at all. He felt something soft though as he climbed with all of his might on top of the soft thing. It felt like he must've gone to heaven, it was warm and whatever he was on was soft now. He was whimpering now as he pushed himself up to the top of the soft object. He was so weak that he never felt so much pain like right now. The majority of his body was now on top and he passed out as he heard steps coming up from behind him. He had no option at that point, but to pass out.

 

[Phoenix Rising]

'' Your okay now. There will be a hot bowl of soup, fresh bread waiting for you when you feel like eating. Sleep tight sweet boy.'' Fiona said as she kissed his forehead, walked back toward the room she slept in once she made sure he was covered with an extra blanket. She sat down in the chair in the corner of her room, opened up the book she had been reading that basically told her everything about his ancestors. All she wanted was to make sure he had a hot meal, teach him about his heritage. She just hoped that when he woke up he would feel well enough to eat, the soup was still sitting over the fire place she could easily fix him a bowl keep it warm then set a fresh loaf of bread on the table next to his bowl. The young witch had been in his situation until a kind old woman had taken her in the raised her as if she was her child, she learned about her own heritage. She learned that Merlin was her great great great uncle, was taught basic magic then after awhile developed her own magical powers.

 

[warthog155]

Slowly he came to consciousness as his blurry eyes adjusted too the light of the fire. He let out a groan and looked around the room. He couldn't remember much, someone took him somewhere and there was something, soft. His eyes started to work again and show shapes in the room. His eyes locked onto a item near the fireplace, was it, yes! Yes it was!! He jumped up with new found life and grabbed the bread starting to stuff it in his mouth. There was soup next to it as well, and it was warm!! He hadn't eat like this in almost a year, he grabbed both and went to the corner near the fire and started scruffing it down as fast as he could. He got about half of the bread gone and the soup bone dry when he saw someone in the corner across from him. He swallowed hard as he stared at her. "W-who are you? Am I in jail? Where is this?" He asked as he started to panic a little and was about to get up and bolt for the door. He set the bowl down but then he actually looked at the woman, she was so, beautiful, and she had some sort of, kindness to her, something that made him want to stay.

 

[Phoenix Rising]

'' My name is Fiona, your not in jail. I've been where you are. '' She said as she smiled a little, sat down by the fire with him. '' This is gonna sound strange but I've been keeping a close eye on you, I should have rescued you a long time ago.'' The brunette woman felt horrible for not rescuing him sooner, she smiled when the little girl he had helped ran through the door. '' You met my little sister Mira, I appreciate you helping her. She picked up the young girl, sat her down on her lap then smiled at the young man. There had come a time where she almost lost her little sister, ever since the old woman had taken them both in she often sent Mira out as her little spy. She felt bad for bating the boy but she didn't know how else she was going to get his attention, of course Mira had taken the bread but she didn't speak she'd been mute since her parents had passed.

 

[warthog155]

"I don't understand, why have you been watching me? What do you mean you should have rescued me?" Cody's eyes opened wider as he saw the little girl walk in. "What kind of sick game is this? You think you can just kidnap me off the street cause I'm a street rat?" Cody turned as he noticed that she could just kidnap him. He was expendable and no one cared for him. He was ready to die a few hours ago. Maybe whatever she wanted would be better than dying in the rain. He stared over at her sizing her up and down. "....So what do you want with me?"

 

[Phoenix Rising]

'' It's not like that at all. I'm a sorceress, Mira is well she's just your average every day little girl. Here maybe this book will explain more, I'm gonna give Mira ready for bed. There's an extra room to your right.'' Fiona said as she stood up holding onto her little sister, then carried the child into her room which was separated by a curtain then got her dressed for bed. She laid her sister down tucked her in handed her her favorite dolly then kissed her forehead, walked back out to the living room as she cleared away his dishes. It had taken her a long time to believe she was what she was, well she hoped he believed everything she said to him. Of course inside the book was a medallion that had belonged to his great great great uncle, it had an encryption on it meant for him only.

 

[warthog155]

Cody took the book as she walked out the room, he was extremely confused. None of this made since, she was a sorceress? Like a magic user, he had never heard of such a crazy idea. He sat in the chair and opened the book, he looked at the words and glanced up to make sure she had gone. He groaned as he couldn't read, being out on the streets the majority of his life had taken away many educational oppurtunitys from him, reading and writing was one. He flipped through the pages hopping to understand a picture or something when a medallion fell out. He looked at it weird as he had never seen those symbols before and leaned down to grab it. When he touched it he could see pictures, pictures flying through his mind like a chest had been unlocked and he was seeing it all now. It happened quick and it hurt but when it was over he felt the same, he was scared but whatever it was didn't seem to do anything. With that he thought he'd call it a day as he couldn't read the book and it was all a bit much to handle. Taking the book and medallion with him he passed out on his bed. When morning came he woke with a start, scarred that the medallion would have done something to him in the night but he seemed the same, talk the same, thought the same. He just shook it off and got dressed. Walking out he saw the woman who had rescued him last night he didn't know where to start so he just stared with a open mouth for a minute. finally he managed to get a sentence together. "So how do I know this is real and you aren't some psycho?"

 

[Phoenix Rising]

" You don't, I'm assuming you can't read. I can teach you how to read, write. As for the magic just watch.. See the fireplace is unlit? " Fiona said, with a slight flick of her wrist there was a nice fire in the fire place just as the porridge started to boil. She grabbed a fresh loaf of bread, some milk from the ice box then began set the table. Mira awoke to the smell of porridge, smiled as she climbed out of bed. She walked into the kitchen rubbing her eyes, waved to their guest then sat down at the table. " Sit, we'll have breakfast then your lessons will begin if you like." Fiona said as she took the porridge off the stove, sat it in the middle of the table then started to fill the three bowls on the table.

 

[warthog155]

He didn't know what too think, she just lite the fire with a flick of her wrist. Was this all true, actual...magic? He had no choice though. Like he had been telling himself it was this or death. He quietly came over to the table and took the bowl. He tried not to eat to eagerly but after one taste he started to eat faster and faster. He kept glancing up at the two, this was too strange. A lady tells him about magic, whose also been watching him, and wants to teach him. He wasn't sure about any of this but choices were limited, so he would keep his trap shut and do what he was told, for now.

He finished the bowl as he wiped his mouth on his arm, not really used to being clean. He looked over at Fiona with a unsure look, "OK....so....magic. You're going to, what, teach me how to use magic? That simple?" He asked as he stood and started to stretch.

 

[Phoenix Rising]

" Eventually.. First I'll teach you what I taught my little sister. I'll teach you how to read, how to write. Then I'll teach you magic if you wanna learn that is, it's pretty simple. The old lady that lived here taught me, well I also learned that my ancestor was a sorceress/witch just like me. But there is a huge differences in the two, I like to think I'm a little more powerful then your average witch." Fiona said as she ate her porridge, bread. She was glad she had a roof over her head, a way to raise her little sister who looked up at him once her porridge was gone. Of course Fiona wanted to apologize for spying on him, sending out her little sister to lure him in but she didn't know how else to go about it.

 

[warthog155]

"Fine, books and stuff then. I mean I don't get why it's needed but fine...." He said as he sat at the table. He wanted to learn how to read but he felt that she shouldn't get satisfaction off his feelings. He was still mad but the situation called for listening not expressing. When she started to teach him the symbols and how to pronounce them, his attention was there but he kept glancing up toward her. She was really pretty actually, it was unavoidable to see this. She was also kind enough to bring him off the street. Maybe this all wouldn't be that bad, as long as the magic didn't take a weird turn. He was un sure about that for sure.