Two opposites

[redblood]

It was a cruel world for those born without magic. In a society ruled by those with mysterious powers, weak humans had no place. But usually they weren't in any danger because of it. As long as they didn't mind taking awful jobs no one else wanted, and stayed out of the higher ranks sight, then they were perfectly safe except for the possibility of starvation.

That was not the case for Jonathan Carter. For years he had been forced to hide because he was different. In difference from other non-magical humans, he could not be affected by magic. That's why they hated him, feared him and needed him. They needed to know the secrets hidden inside his body, because they feared more humans like him would appear and eventually try to take over. At least that was what Jonathan believed.

He weren't going to give up. He was forever going to run, hopefully never being caught. But now that hope seemed dull.

They threw magic after him. He weren't sure what kind of spell it was, it didn't affect him either way. But they were so used to their magic, they forgot that he couldn't be touched by it. Now they were reminded though, and they tried harder to catch him with their human abilities instead.

The young man ran through the empty alleyways, and eventually he took a sudden turn out on the street, right into the masses. He was used to run inside the crowd in the opposite direction of where they were going, but the guards weren't. Jonathan knew how people reacted, how people would act and how he must act to as swiftly as possible get through.

He eventually sneaked out of the crowd and into a building. He guessed it was a shop of some sort as it did not look like a normal home. Good, a shop was just what he needed to hide in.

Out of breath, he closed the door behind himself. Act normal. Act normal. He started to look around, trying to seem natural. In fifteen minutes he could just pretend that he didn't find what he was searching for.

(One x one between Elflady & Redblood)

 

[Elflady]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Leilani who stood bent over a dropping plant lifted her head when the door opened, the shop wasn't the most visited one around here so when a customer came you noticed it. The store was a mix of a florist and a medicine shop you could say, they sold a lot of common plants and flowers but also edible herbs as well as plants used in medicine, some were even infused with magic to give it that extra healing touch. Leilani with her affinity for water and earth magic was quite skilled in caring for the plants and raise them although the owner was the one who infused them with magic or mixed the dried ones together to powders.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The witch in question who owned the 'Natural Cure' shop didn't come in every day but instead let Leilani and one other girl take care of the store mostly, the two girls didn't always work at the same time but divided up the work hours between them since there was not enough to do in the shop for two people during one day. So this morning Leilani had spent caring for all the live plants before putting some out to dry for later use and go over the finished medicines that always were available in case some were about to run out.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Now though she was busying herself with a stubborn plant who was bored of life apparently, it's dark leaves speckled with pale green hung limply and some were threatening to turn yellow. She had tried both with and without magic but this plant was stubborn, it probably knew the owner, Mrs. Stanley, would freak over the loss, it may be a quite common plant but it held some worth in its roots for pain relief, and Mrs. Stanley hated losing a plant no matter its worth.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]It was at that moment the young man came rushing in and interrupted her so far futile tries at revival, Leilani pushed back her black hair as she straightened up. "Can I help you with anything?" She asked, a smooth and serious voice she used for customers, a polite smile in place. "Are you looking for anything in particular?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]

[/BCOLOR]

 

[redblood]

Now he had to think fast. He didn't have more than a few seconds to answer her question before she would think him suspicious. An excuse, an excuse, an excuse. Oh shit... Why couldn't he come up with something when he needed to?

"No.. I'm just.. Looking around.... You never know when you might need a ... plant." Oh, very smooth Jonathan. Now you don't seem the least suspicious. Plan B then. Jonathan thought to himself after his skillful failure on being convincing.

"Look, I'm going to be completely honest with you." He told her, going from being awkward to slightly more serious with a touch of worry in his expression. "Some guys have been chasing me around all morning. They've done it a ton of times before without reason. I just... need somewhere to hide for a few minutes." She did not need to know that those people were guards serving the country.

"Please. I can help you out with something if you want me to. Just don't force me back out there." Jonathan begged with as big puppy eyes he could get.

While he often loathed the fact that his face looked so young, and some people though he were a younger teen, and even going as far as to call him kid, sometimes it could be to his advantage. It had saved him a few times because people couldn't say no to what they thought was a crying child. If they knew about his weird power though, they would probably throw him to the guards immediately. He was forced to lie to survive.

 

[Elflady]

Leilani stared at him, an eyebrow arched slightly, a faint look of disbelief in her dark eyes that pierced through her polite expression used for customers, no matter how weird they were. "True," she agreed, the word came out slow like she wasn't quite sure what to say to that, all the while wondering why all the weird people came to this shop, it's not like this was a small shop run by an eccentric old witch where only other old, eccentric people came. Or well to be honest Mrs. Stanley could be quite eccentric actually, but that was beside the point really.

Snapped from her rambling thoughts when he continued Leilani listened on as he explained he was being chased, his young face and small stature caused her to imagine him a victim of bullying, not aware that her guess was not terribly far off. However her protective instincts kicked in as she met his eyes, something in them just brought that part of her out and she couldn't bear to kick him out of the store, not when he looked like that at her. Despite coming of as calm and collected with a down to earth view Leilani could be quite easily manipulated when it came to certain things, like puppy eyes for instance, had she known he was not as young as he looked however his little trick might not have worked as well.

"Well, I suppose there is no harm in that," she said after awhile, with a faint sigh, Mrs. Stanley would never need to now someone else had helped for awhile, as mentioned the shop owner had an eccentric side to her. "It's not like you have to do anything to stay here and if you want to keep away from the front room in case someone comes in there is a room in the back you can hide in." She said, motioning with a hand over her shoulder. "But if you really want to help you could check to see if any flowers need watering or more light, I haven't had the time to go through them all because of this little troublemaker." She sent a dark glare in the dying plants' direction as if she hoped she could scare it back to life, which was not very likely. and as it seemed right now she would just have to give up and harvest the roots.

 

[redblood]

Jonathan sighed in relief. Thank God she bought his victim card. Though, most people did if they didn't know him from before. It wasn't like he felt proud for tricking people like that, but he had to do what he had to do to survive. Anyone in his situation would do the same. It wasn't like he were a criminal. He hadn't done anything wrong and was chased anyway. Still.. He always felt a little bit guilty.

"Thank you kind lady." He said with the most innocent smile he could accomplish. He looked towards the dying plant she had glared at and rose a curious eyebrow. "Have you tried to replant it? Sometimes changing the earth makes them better." Jonathan mentioned. He had seen his mother do that when he was younger, but that was as far as his flower skills went. But a florist probably knew that. Most likely it had been her first or second attempt, so maybe he was just being a nuisance with his suggestion.

The young man was already checking on the first few plants, it was too hard to stand still while in the company of a stranger. Plus, it eased his consciousness when he at least could pay back the people helping him, especially when they helped him because of a lie.

"My name is Jonathan by the way." He then introduced himself a bit hastily. Maybe it was a bit naive to give out his name like that, but he guessed he would simply hide there once and then leave to never come back. Even if people asked for him, all they would get to know was that she had seen a small teen named Jonathan hide in there because of what she presumed was bullying. By that time he would be long gone. Since they had found his hideout already, he would have to move on within the next few days. Staying was far too risky.

But at the very least it was just the guards that had found him this time. They wanted him alive. Those other people that were after him weren't as kind. There were people whom wanted him dead. If he had to choose between the groups, he would rather go with the guards, even though he weren't certain why they were after him.

 

[Elflady]

"Of course I ha..." She replied quickly but trailed off without finishing as her brain caught up with her mouth and she looked at him with a mix of annoyance and sheepish realisation. "Well isn't this embarrassing." Not just a little either, in front of a customer as well, not a customer really but someone who got to see her look like a fool. Leilani pulled a hand through her hair and gnawed a bit on her lower lip, her nervous habit. "I promise I'm qualified for this job but I have only used magic and tried nourishing it so far." She said with a sheepish laugh.

Leilani was so used to practice her magic whenever needed that the simple trick of changing the soil could have made a difference, maybe there was a warning to be noticed when magic became so common it was hard to think of more traditional means. "I'm usually not this obsessive over a single plant, but my boss is... shall we say a bit odd and leave it at that." She continued, not that she had a reason to talk to him or explain herself but it was nice to talk with someone, it was not often she and Jona worked the same time so her only interaction was with the occasional customer and the times Mrs. Stanley came in, and sometimes she tried talking with the plants but they never answered of course so it wasn't as stimulating as a living being. "She hates when a plant is wasted, especially one that can be used for medicine."

Taking the potted plant with her to a table further in Leilani prepared a larger pot, more nutritious soil and some scissors to remove dead leaves. From here she could clearly see through the front window of the store although some of it was obscured by various flowers and leafy plants and as she started filling the empty pot with soil she noticed some city guards moving about, it was not the most common thing that was why she noticed it among all the other people milling about. One of the men cast a searching eye into the 'Natural Cure' before moving on, looking like someone called him over, at the time the boy had reached the pots in the back of the store, those that needed shade to survive, and she turned sideways to look at him when he introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you Jonathan, although I sure wish it had been under less embarrassing circumstances. My name's Leilani." Satisfied with the pot Leilani proceeded to move the plant the its new place, patting the earth securely over it's roots before wiping her hands on her apron and started trimming the leaves. "By the way did you notice anything odd today? The city guards rarely run around like this."

 

[redblood]

A magic user, as would be expected. Maybe it was a good thing he mentioned his own magic trick then. He couldn't help but feel a bit happy every time he could embarrass a wizard or a witch by simply doing something without magic which they hadn't been able to do with it. Of course he couldn't feel smug about it for long as he were too paranoid at the moment. His eyes kept going towards the door and windows as he worked his way through the plants.

As the girl Leilani mentioned the city guards, Jonathan suddenly started to choke on the air. Nervousness definitely got the best of him. He coughed for some moments and hit his chest a few times before his breathing went back to normal. "Sorry, I got something in my throat." He apologized before coughing a couple of more times before it stopped completely.

"Anything odd you say? Hmm.. Nothing I can recall no." He said, seemingly trying to actually think about if he had seen something or not. In reality he simply tried to come up with a lie of having seen something so that she would believe they were chasing someone else instead of him. But in the end he decided to stick as closely to the truth as possible.

"The guys that chased me found me just minutes after I got out of my home, and I didn't really pay much attention to things around me while hiding and running." Jonathan told her with a shrug of his shoulders. It wasn't a lie. Most people didn't notice their surrounding when they were being chased. Though to say home was to bend the truth a bit. It was a temporary place to sleep in. Not a house, not even a room, just a stable. The owner didn't even knew he slept there.

"Five plants needs water as far as I can tell." He commented as he reached the last one. The last one he checked, two in the beginning, and two among the middle plants. He had them mapped in his mind. He glanced towards the closest window just to make sure that the wrong people didn't look inside. Maybe he should have taken up her offer of going into the back.

 

[Elflady]

When the boy started coughing like he was choking Leilani got a worried look in her eyes, she didn't connect the timing of the boy's attack with her own words however, she wasn't a suspicious person and besides this innocent boy would have to do an awful lot to attract any ill thoughts from her. "Are you alright," she asked, wondering what kind of first aid that she knew could help here. But it passed quickly and she nodded as he spoke. "There's who knows what in the air in here sometimes." Dirt and dust of course, and pollen from the blooming plants when it was the season for it, not to mention leftovers from dried plants that had been pressed into powder, all of it combined into an environement that could tease a cough or sneeze from even the most resilient person.

"In that case could you grab a can and water those for me? There should be one by the door in the back room." She'd rather ask about his situation instead but didn't want to pry since it after all wasn't her business and after he felt secure enough to leave they would not meet again. Stepping over the the sink she washed off her hands before putting back the plant in the window where it would get lots of sun during the day, hoping the new soil and larger pot would make it healthier.

The door was pushed open once more as Leilani was about to start cleaning up the work table, it was an older woman maybe around 50 or so with short, curly steel grey hair and a bit of a scatterbrain, she was a regular in here and Leilani knew her quite well. "Hello Mrs. Oakley, what can I do for you today, are you out of medicine or just after a new flower?" The woman smiled as she made her way through the small store like she had been there a hundred times before, which she easily had been only in the time Leilani had worked there.

"No new flower for now unfortunately, my husband complains we have too many already," she answered with a sigh an annoyed wave with her arm. "I need some of the pain relief powder and that lovely aloe cream." Leilani laughed politely as the woman spoke. "That's men for you, in my opinion you can never have too many plants." As she talked she bent down by the shelf beside the counter and searched through it eventually picking out a small jar and a bag tied with a leather strap. "If that is everything then it's twelve coins." It was an unnecessary answer for sure, as the woman had been shopping here for so long that she probably knew the prices as well as Leilani did. "Did you hear the commotion today?" Mrs. Oakley said eagerly while counting up the coins from her pocket. "They say the guard is on the hunt for one of the poor souls not capable of magic again, I wonder what they are after, I mean what can they want from them?" Leilani shrugged in response. "I have no idea, it's not like they have skills the guard could need." Humans immune against magic were very rare and few people knew about them and even those who did had only read or heard about it, and like the majority of people the thought of an immune didn't even cross her mind.

"No, now I have to get going if I want something done, I have so much to do today," Mrs. Oakley scurried off, her medicine in a small bag. Putting away the coins Leilani felt quite lucky, Mrs. Oakley could be quite overbearing when she was in a talkative mood and not in a hurry but now she knew why the guards were running about at least. Returning to her task of cleaning the table she looked around to see where Jonathan was, not used to have another in the store she had almost forgotten about him while serving the customer.

 

[redblood]

Lucky him, the girl wasn't very good at picking up suspicious activity, otherwise he would have given himself away already. He nodded and headed towards the back room. Even though it only would last a minute, it would still be relaxing to get out of view for a moment.

It didn't take long to find the can as it stood exactly where Lailani had said it would. But on his way out, he stopped. A second voice were in the other room. Afraid that it might be a guard, he hid behind the door. Soon though, he realized that it was an older lady. Sighing in relief he got ready to walk outside, but was once again stopped. She was talking about the guards. Of course the gossip would spread fast. At least Lailani didn't know that he wasn't a non-magic user yet, so she probably wouldn't make the connection. But there was still that small fear. What if she did... Would she leave him over?

At the very least they hadn't gotten out the message of how the person they were looking for looked. They probably figured they could still find him on their own and didn't need the peoples help. And why wouldn't they think like that? They had magic, and with it they could search up anyone as long as they had clothes or hair or something like that from that person. But that wouldn't work with Jonathan. It always took them a while to realize that when he had come to a new town, except for in the few instances when someone that had chased after him before had taken up the task again.

There were a few people among the guards that seemed almost obsessed with catching him after he escaped them. Three of them to be exact. He only knew the name on one of them. The man that led a troop to take him away from his parents all those years ago. If it hadn't been for Jonathan's father, he would never have gotten away.

The woman left the shop and Jonathan stepped out and started to water the flowers, still keeping a close eye towards the windows, just in case any guards decided to run by. "Do you think those rumors are true?" He asked Lailani, not even trying to hide that he overheard their conversation. "About them chasing down people unable to use magic I mean." He clarified. He was mainly curious what she thought about it in general. All magic users seemed to have a different stance on the topic. Some thought non-magic users had no part in this world, while others thought it was inhumane. But few of them could even suspect the real reason behind it.

"I mean... Most people that can't use magic are fairly safe. At least from the law enforcement. So why would they go after a chosen few? Usually when it happens, it doesn't seem like there is any crime connected to them. And they're pretty weak, so why all the trouble?" Everyone had different theories and opinions. He had his own, but he probably couldn't tell them to her without telling her about his lack of magic.

 

[Elflady]

Leilani didn't answer at once but her movements became slower as she mulled over what to say, it was not something she really thought about often and thanks to being born with magic it was not something she had ever experienced either but it also made it a bit more difficult to identify with the no magical humans. "Hmm, I think they are true although I have no idea why the guard even feel the need to hunt some of them down. Like you say they don't exactly pose a threat," her dark eyes thoughtful as she put the last things away before leaning against the work table. "I know a few people with little magic, and a friend of mine in school was unable to use magic but none of them have ever experienced any sort of trouble from the guard, they have largely been ignored so far."

It was weird when you really thought about it, generally people with no magic were left alone, even looked down upon or seen with pity, but they were never in danger of being hunted down unless they committed a crime. Why a few of the humans were deemed dangerous enough to hunt down without having broken the law seemed illogical, if the guard had time for that they could search for real criminals instead. Not only that but the government never released much information about these seemingly random hits, they didn't seek the publics' help as with other crimes that merited a wanted poster or anonymous tips so the population was ultimately free to speculate.

"I couldn't even begin to guess their reason though, since they never let it slip what they are after it only looks like they hunt down innocent civilians. I'd be lying if I said I don't feel sorry for them though, as magic can be so fun and helpful." The thought that magic might be too helpful didn't occur to her, magic were used for both big and small tasks and sometimes used just for fun without there even being a real need for it and for every year that went on people became worse at using traditional methods of solving problems or executing simple tasks. If people without magic grew rarer maybe the last people with the traditional view, however forced it was, would one day disappear leaving the magical world to grow ever more dependant on magic and the government.

"But I don't think they should be condemned for something they are born with or rather without, it's not like they chose to be born without powers or that their parents decided to get a child unable to use magic. I think it's healthier to judge a person on their personality rather than their skills." Although that was what she believed she had never been forced to test her beliefs in reality seeing as there was a difference between not using magic and being completely unaffected by magic.

 

[redblood]

So she was a sympathizer, but not against it enough to care to do anything about it. Most people were like that. Even if they felt that it was wrong, or at the very least wanted more information about the matter, they would just stay out of it because it didn't involve them either way. If only everyone could live such easy and ignorant lives. Of course it wasn't her fault. She had grown up in a culture where that was normal. He couldn't blame the girl. But there was something he wanted to test.

"Wh.. What if the people they are chasing were born without magic, but with a twist to add for the thing they're missing." Jonathan started as his back was turned to her while he watered the third flower. "What if they were born with the ability to not get affected by magic." It shouldn't be too suspicious to bring it up. There had been rumors about cases like him, even though most people didn't believe it.

"Would that make them a big enough threat to be taken off the street?" He asked as he turned his head to look at her. Of course he wouldn't be able to trust her answer completely. Most people said one thing without thinking and then when realizing that the example became reality, they did something else. No one could be sure how they would react before they got into the situation, they could only speculate.

"Sorry, it's a stupid rumor I've heard. Don't take it too seriously. It would defy logic if someone couldn't use magic but still had some kind of magical shield to protect themselves from magic. But still, if it were true, I doubt they would be treated like everybody else." He laughed it off. He couldn't seem too serious with his question, otherwise she might suspect something. Sure, she hadn't seemed like the brightest person so far. He didn't believe she was stupid by any means, she was just too innocent and trusting. Obviously not someone used to the darker side of the world.

 

[Elflady]

His question took her a bit by surprise, sure she had heard those rumors before like most people had, in periods it was a more popular subject, but Leilani had always attributed the rumors to just that, a rumor. That a person could be born without magic was not too uncommon but to be born immune to magic was not just a concept it was hard to imagine but also a cause for worry, in a society where magic was everything a person who could not be affected by magic was an unpredictable variable, someone who didn't have to fear being struck down by magic.

"I think that would be very much possible," Leilani said after awhile. "A person like that would probably be a thorn in the governments side, it's someone they can't predict or control." Leilani didn't pay much heed to politics and neither did she particularly care for the government, as longs as she could live her life in peace she was satisfied but she was also aware of the corruption that was almost always present in any large organization, no matter its purpose or pretty words to the public. "At least they would be if those rumors were true." She added with a shrug and a faint smile, but her mind wouldn't stop pondering on the matter, now that the boy had brought it up she had been fored to really think about it and she was intrigued to say the least.

"Maybe it isn't so illogical," she added, too deep in thought to notice his laugh. "Maybe what would make them immune isn't magic but a mutation, you know like how humans and animals have evolved throughout time and many times due to just mutations that spread until something changed permanently. Well, it's just an idea, and a useless one at that since it's just a rumor."

Straightening up she walked over to a table full of herbs and started checking to see which were ready to harvest and which need some more time, manipulating the earth slightly in a small one to give it a boost to catch up to the other plants. "I just can't let things go if they are interesting." She added as an explanation to her musings.

 

[redblood]

The girl never told him if she thought it was a correct thing to do, instead she just pointed out the obvious that he was a thorn in the government eyes. Though she did give him something to go on at least. A mutation in the DNA could explain it. If a specie was being threatened by something, then eventually changes would occur to save their life. Something similar could have happened this time. Though instead of saving them, it made everything worse. But evolution didn't have the knowledge to know that, it just went its own way without caring much if it would make it worse or better. Eventually it would get better with enough generation, or the specie would die out. No biggie.

"When you say it like that, it sounds completely rational. I guess I never thought about it that way." He smiled, not minding her over thinking it. Actually it was more than appreciated. Of course he hadn't thought about it before. He had extremely little education, and last time he had heard of DNA mutation was when he was nine. That was almost ten years ago. His father had been his teacher, and after he died, Jonathan was left on his own. Education hadn't really been his first problem after that.

Suddenly he noticed something from the corner of his eye. A guard was coming closer to the shop, and he was looking around a lot. Clearly searching. So they had split up now to find him more swiftly. Jonathan ducked beneath the window. Don't come in, don't come in, don't come in He thought to himself, horrified. But on the outside he just made a small motion with his hand, showing that someone whom was chasing him was passing by. As long as the guard didn't come in, she would keep believing it was the bullies.

Then the door opened. DAMN IT!


Jonathan fast crawled behind some plants, now hoping she had heart enough not to give him away if it was them.


A guard walked into the shop and cast a fast eye around. "Excuse me miss, but we're on a search after a young man." The guard gave a quick description of the young man, telling her how he looked more like a child and was known to deceive people with his appearance. A non magician with light brown hair, almost going into a white greyish tone. "Have you seen him by any chance?" He asked the girl in front of him. Meanwhile Jonathan were begging her with his eyes not to say anything. If he had to he would explain everything to her, just as long as she didn't tell him. Now she knew that he weren't a little boy, but on the other hand, he had never said he was either.

"We would wish to search through your shop too miss. Even if you haven't seen him, he might have been able to sneak in through a window to hide." The guard continued. Damn, so they had learned that trick of his too? Well, after that old granny found him hiding in her attic, he guessed she told the guards about it. Now they didn't have a choice when they couldn't find him on the street.

 

[Elflady]

Leilani turned around from her table when Jonathan ducked down to hide, at first wondering what on earth he was doing until it hit her he must have seen who was chasing him outside, she looked out the window but couldn't see anything instantly suspicious, just a guard and some seemingly normal people. When the door was pushed open and the guard came in, quickly explaining they were searching for a young man, Leilani didn't make the connection right away but then it clicked, that pale brown hair and young features couldn't match too many people. Realisation that the boy was actually around her age and that he was wanted by the guard and not bullies mingled with the conversation they just had and his odd choice of topic that now perhaps made a bit more sense, all of those facts tried to gain her attention all at once. When the guard cast a suspicious look around the front room Leilani risked a glance towards Jonathan, with his pleading eyes and young face he certainly didn't appear very criminal, of course the guard had said he used just that to trick people, but even though Leilani was both trusting and sheltered from the darker parts of life she usually could tell when a person she met was a creep or not, and he did not fall into that category.

"I'm sorry sir, but I have been in this room all day and only a handful of customers have been here but I have not seen the man you describe." Despite feeling quite nervous about lying to the guard Leilani couldn't just throw Jonathan to the wolves so to speak, she could of course be wrong but he had sounded very sincere and if what he said was true in some way then she didn't feel it was right to capture people without a reason, and ever since she was little Leilani had always had a habit of acting before thinking, following instinct before logic. "There's only two other entrances that he could have used if he sneaked in though," Leilani continued, her voice calm as she looked straight at the guard, hoping her nervousness couldn't be seen in her eyes. "There's a backdoor in the storage room but it is always locked and pretty much never used and the only window that can be opened is in the owner's office beyond the counter, she is not in today but I have no doubt that she won't mind if I let you in." Leilani said with a polite smile as she gestured with a hand towards each room, trying to divert the guards attention.

"Thank you for your cooperation miss," the man said courtly but he gave off the feeling of having done this a great number of times already and just as she wanted he followed her as she grabbed a key from the counter and unlocked a door stepping back to allow him entrance. As she guessed the search was over quickly as there really wasn't much in the office except a desk, some bookcases and thick curtains by the window. As soon as the man continued into the storage however Leilani hurried over to where Jonathan was hiding, a small part of her brain that was pushed back by her impulsive side asking if she was really doing the right thing. "If you hurry you can hide in the office before he comes back," her voice urgent and just above a whisper. "You have something to explain later." She added before she hurried back over to the counter to see hoe the guard was doing with the searching. The storage room wasn't that big but as the name implied it held a lot of things, offering a multitude of hiding places, she just hoped it would distract him long enough since it was just starting to dawn on her what could happen to her if Jonathan was found now.

 

[redblood]

For a moment Jonathan was almost certain that she would tell the guards about him, mainly because she didn't seem like the kind of person that would dare to lie to the law. He prepared himself to run out of hiding as fast as he noticed that the guard knew of his hiding place. Ready for the worst he couldn't believe what he suddenly heard coming out of Leilani's mouth.

She lied to a guard. That was a crime. If that guard found him he would know that she had lied. In worst case scenario she could be charged with treason for having hidden a criminal, even though he hadn't done anything, and for lying to the law enforcement. Great, now he was feeling even worse for having used her kindness. Oh well, he just had to make sure he wasn't caught, which could be hard since the guard only had to take a few steps to his right and look in the right direction to see him hidden among the plants. They couldn't cover every inch of him.

Luckily Leilani seemed to be keeping him busy in other rooms. She was a clever girl. And once she told him to try and change room, he didn't hesitate. Of course he couldn't run, that would have given off too much noise. The best thing would have been to just walk out. The guard wouldn't have been able to prove that he had ever been there just because the bell rang and no one stepped inside. But he felt obliged to tell her the whole story now when he had made her lie for him. He wouldn't be a douche and just leave when she wanted an explanation, and her plan could work. There were a lot of guards outside searching for him, so this was probably the best alternative.

Jonathan sneaked as fast as he could without making a sound towards the other room. The guard was searching every corned and luckily did not notice that anything was wrong. Once he and the girl walked out of the room, the boy was already in his new hiding spot. After some more searching the guard could find nothing wrong, and he was sure that the boy had never been there.

"Everything seems to be in order here. Thank you for your cooperation miss. If you ever happen to see someone that fits the description, don't hesitate to report it." The guard told her before leaving. He had many more places to search through, and very little time before the target might disappear again.

"I didn't lie... Completely... There were some guys chasing me... And I'm not fully aware of why." Jonathan defended himself as he peeked out of the room. He was slightly scared that she might be angry, disappointed, or some weird mix. He figured she might want to vent out her anger or frustration before letting him speak, so he did wait for her reaction. It probably were a bit to take in.

 

[Elflady]

When the guard didn't notice anything out of place Leilani had to resist a strong urge to sigh in relief, instead she put on her best smile. "Of course sir, I do hope you find who you are searching for." Her smile faltered as the door fell close behind the man, she hoped she hadn't made a mistake doing this but she also didn't like the thought of giving someone innocent up without reason, and she found it strange that there were no posters or information at all to gain n the people being hunted by the guards, not like with real criminals where the public recieved information.

"You may not have lied but it sure would have been nice to know it was the government chasing you and not some random thugs." She snapped, fixing her dark eyes on Jonathan wishing he didn't look so damn innocent. It would take a lot more to really lit her fuse though, Leilani alway had a cool temper, some had compared it to emotionless but that was hardly the case, she just didn't see the need to get all worked up for nothing, it certainly wouldn't help in any way but wasting both time and energy. "Is there anything else than your age and the fact that you are a wanted man you have forgotten to mention while we are at it?" She asked with an icy undertone, of course she had no right to ask his life story but if he was hiding anything more that could be a threat to them both it would be nice to know. "Is Jonathan your real name even?" It hadn't really hit her before that he could have given a false name to avoid leaving unnecessary clues behind.

Looking over at him once more, curiosity sneaking into her voice and face as she just had to know. "Does this have anything to do with what you said earlier, that there may be people immune to magic?" Not only was it a bit hard to swallow, pretty much everyone believed that to be just a rumor and not possible, it was a concept that was hard to grasp for someone born with magic. To not be affected by it would be quite neat actually but to live all your life without ever knowing magic was something Leilani didn't want to ever experience. "Is that why they are after you?"

 

[redblood]

The girl snapped at first, angry over not having known anything. It was understandable, but considering he was a wanted man it was also understandable that he couldn't tell any random stranger about his situation. That would definitely lead him into prison in no time. But after a little while she eased up and became more curious. It was just to start explaining what was going on. She deserved that much after saving him from the government. That was far too risky for most people to even consider, even if they pitied him.

"Yeah, that's the only reason I can think of at least. I might have pissed some of their guys off during the years, but that wouldn't lead into a ten years man hunt." Jonathan chuckled. Laughing at his situation had become so much easier throughout the years. Considering he mainly lived and traveled alone, talking to himself and throwing out bad jokes were the only thing he could do to keep his mood up. "Maybe I should take this from the beginning to end. It's quite the long story, but I'll try to keep it short."

"Both my parents were able to use magic, so they became quite surprised when I not only couldn't use it, but also were immune to it. Luckily they were the first people to use magic on me when they tried to heal a wound I got when I was two, so no one else got to know about it for some years. But when I was eight, a kid slightly older than me started to bully me for not even having started to practice magic spells. He showed off his skills and even tried to hit me with it at one point, but the spell just disappeared. Of course everyone believed that was due to his inexperience with magic. But then we got into a physical fight and some adults had to force us off one another. They decided to take care of our wounds then and there before sending us both home... And that's when everyone saw that magic didn't work on me." Jonathan leaned towards the wall and looked down into the ground. It had been quite some time since he had thought back on those times. Everything had gone so well before then.

"It didn't take long before the authorities had been called. My parents never got to know who had told them, but they made sure that everyone believed that it had been a hoax created by my parents. I believe they simply didn't want panic and more rumors about my kind to spread. The guards told my parents that I had to come with them, and that they couldn't see me again. Mom snapped and screamed at them to disappear. That's when the fight broke out. Mom got killed while dad escaped with me." He shivered. Even though he didn't tell her about the details, they were very clear in his own mind.

"My dad and I were on the run together for two years, but then they found our hideout. I think they were able to track my dad since he hadn't the same shield against their magic as me. We were able to get to a secret underwater cave, but while I were able to swim the whole way without trouble, my dad never showed up in the cave. I think he might have gotten stuck somewhere along the way and drowned, then gotten pulled out by the stream." Somehow he wanted to believe that his father was still alive. He had never seen the body, so it could be possible. Maybe the guards came after him and he decided to take another way in the last minute. Maybe they even caught him. Jonathan held onto that hope. He just couldn't believe that his whole family was truly dead.

"So to answer your questions. My name is Jonathan Carter, I am turning nineteen years old in a few weeks, I've been on the run from the government since I was eight ever since the killed my mom, and magic does not affect me. Though I do think curses does, considering I still look like a fourteen year old kid." Somehow he could almost believe his joke to be true. There was something going on with him not growing like a proper teenager should.

 

[Elflady]

Leilani didn't expect him to reveal that much, since he had said he would tell her what was going on she had expected to hear the minimum of the reasons of course but not that he would actually tell her everything. Not that she could imagine how he must feel but maybe it was a relief in a way to be able to speak about it with someone who wouldn't turn him in because of it, he probably didn't get the chance to do that very often.

"Maybe you should drink more milk so you'll grow faster then," she answered with an askew smile. At least he could handle everything he had been through with humor, it was a lot better than to wallow in self pity and depression, sure, jokes couldn't fix reality but it could certanly make it more endurable. "But it is a bit hard to believe you are only a year younger than me." Sure when he turned serious and lost the jokes he looked older but not close to nineteen, but when he turned on his puppy eyes she doubted even the most coldhearted person could say no, as long as they believed he was so called normal.

"So you have been on the run alone for that long?" She couldn't imagine the life he had led, at that age she had played with her friends and gone to school, practised her magic whenever she could, granted her life had been very sheltered even for one proficient in magic so it was not until she was older she had even learned of the problems those without magic faced. Leilani didn't know him well enough to really know how to express her sympathy but it could be seen in her eyes, like most of her feelings could be seen, she wasn't all that good at hiding her feelings and wasrelatively easy to read unless she did her impulsive thing.

But it was still a strange occurance, why some humans weren't capable of learning magic and the even more oddity of immunity, could it be a mutation like she herself had suggested as a theory, but in that case why had that mutation appeared or had it always been there only grown rarer? Had magic once been rare and Jonathan would have been counted as normal back then or had magic always existed and this immunity was just a freak coincidence that occured only rarely. She wished it existed more information on the matter because now her curiosity had been awakened and she really wanted to figure this out, Leilani was far from a scientist of any sort but she never gave up when she had set her sights on something.

A small part of her that usually tried to be logical and realistic, although that side of her didn't always win against her impulsive trait, was sceptic about this whole thing, could it all be true or was it just a joke or a lie to cover something else up. Lifting an arm she summoned forth water, it was an easy element for her even when it was summoned from nothing, and with a motion of her hand she directed it towards Jonathan but before it could hit him it shimmered in the air like an illusion before simply vanishing. Leilani's eyes widened, her arm still frozen in its place outstretched towards Jonathan, it was one thing to hear about it but to see her own magic just vanish was a feeling not easily described. Magic was something she could always rely on but here it failed, it could almost be compared to loosing the use of a limb, a part of you that suddenly doesn't obey anymore.

"I'm sorry for not warning you first," she eventually said, lowering her arm. "I just wanted to see for myself."

 

[redblood]

"Can't, the curse has made me lactose-intolerant." He joked and shook his head. Maybe that was the reason he hadn't grown much. But most guys grew taller in their early or middle teens even if they couldn't stomach milk. But his father had been quite short too, and he had loved milk both as a child and an adult. So it was probably just stupid genetics.

"It can't be helped. For as long as me and my kin are wanted for simply being born, we'll have to run. And I wouldn't wish for an outsider to get thrown into it simply because I don't wish to be alone any longer. If I found other people like me, then it would be another thing. But most of us are taken at an early age. I'm one of the lucky few that has been able to escape on numerous occasions. The chances of me finding other people like me..." Jonathan didn't have to continue that sentence. Anyone would understand how slim those chances were. He wouldn't wish for an outsider like Leilani to pay the same price his father and mother had, so after this he just hoped she would forget and pretend she had never met him. He couldn't get her into trouble.

Something was suddenly going on in the corner of his eye. He rose his head just to see water coming towards him. He took a step backwards without thinking, but then the water reached him and disappear in the air before it could touch his skin. He had seen it countless of times with different magic spells, though most of them had been much more dangerous than a little bit of water. He raised one eyebrow, looking curious at the girl with the outstretched hand. Maybe that should have been expected, considering most people saw him as an impossibility.

"Kind of amazing, right?" He said with a smirk. "Though it has its problems too. Like I said, magic can't heal me. If I were to get severely injured or sick, then magic or magic influenced herbs would do nothing for me. But I guess it might be worth it. After all, no one can find me using magical spells, give me death curses or hurt me if they don't use other means. But I think everyone knows that the government and their guards has since long forgotten how to do anything without magic. I'm pretty safe as long as they don't get within an arm length distance." He might be slightly cocky when it came to his success with escaping them.

"Though they have created a secret special force that has been trained in taking criminals without the use of magic. I've only encountered them once though. I think they're called in as fast as the guards have found an immune non-magic user. But I always get out of town as fast as they've found me, so the special force rarely gets there in time. If they were a bit smarter and just didn't let me know that they're after me, then maybe they would be a bit more successful." Jonathan explained. The special force hadn't been installed until after Jonathan and his father had escaped them, at least not as far as he knew. They had probably not been needed before that. Of course they acted in secrecy so that normal people wouldn't know of their existence. The biggest problem for them was probably that the normal guards didn't want to work with them. They thought they could handle it themselves because they used magic, thus they were able to help Jonathan escape. Eventually though, he might actually have to face them again. He wouldn't be able to keep them at bay forever.

 

[Elflady]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Her laugh that had been brought out by the jovial atmosphere quickly faded and she turned serious. "It's not always easier to bear a heavy burden on your own though." Not that she had much experience and especially not with the kind of burden Jonathan must carry but it was not that hard to figure out nonetheless "Sometimes being alone makes people more vulnerable, the saying that there is strength in numbers is actually not that far off." Surely it must be both easier and more endurable to not be alone all the time, of course not many would want to help someone without magic, let alone someone immune to it. But there must be something to be learned about the secrets of magic that explained who was magical and who was not, if only there was a way to find out.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"That's putting it mildly," Leilani said, still processing that her magic had just vanished before her eyes. "That must help a lot when chased by people only capable of using magic." It was not something many people reflected over but the guards as well as normal people used magic for a lot of things, some even used it for mundane everyday things that could easily be done without magic so it was not too much of a surprise if the people hunting Jonathan had some trouble without magic. "Well, if you ever get hurt I know of several herbs and plants that work without magic, not as quickly or efficiently but they do their job." Working with plants all day and having a boss who knew practically every plant and its uses did provide Leilani with a lot of knowledge that not too many people knew since it involved magic free healing.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"They have?" A look of surprise flittered across her face at his words. That was something the government didn't bother telling the general populace, if people knew there existed a special force trained in more traditional, magic free methods there might be some unease all around. After all it would be a part of the law enforcement that worked under different rules than normal, pretty much everyone knew magic and that somehow made it more comfortable around the guards since they didn't have any special powers that at least a few among the civilians had. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised really, I suppose there is a lot the government wants to keep under wrap." She did not fully trust people who spent all day battling with politics and although she followed the law, except for today, Leilani was not overly shocked to find something shady about them. "Still, be careful to not underestimate them, if they are trained to hunt people without using magic then they probably know some tricks to catch you with, and someday the normal guards may swallow their pride and call them in first thing."[/BCOLOR]