Time to Reflect

Slowly shifting and awakening, Curia groaned in pain and pushed himself to his side and coughed as he tried to catch his breath, seeing his long-sleeved shirt and jeans were covered in a strange dust and his sneakers looked aged.

The room glowed an unusual color, different from how he was used to seeing his magic manifest, and even smelled different than magic should. Squinting, he saw a small form inside the light and crawled over to see what he was looking at.

“A tiny girl?” He questioned, staring at them for a little longer and looking around to see the rest of the room shrouded in darkness.

“I’m no tiny girl, now what does such a young mage want with this doorkeeper?”  

“Doorkeeper?”

Looking at Curia, they spoke, “You’re the first mage in a while I’ve seen but don’t tell me that your magister didn’t tell you of our kind or our agreements? Truthfully, you’re not supposed to be interacting with us at such a young age… what are you fifteen or sixteen years?”

Curia shrugged and sat up on the floor, focused on them before answering, “Sixteen is old enough to practice spells without my magister’s supervision.”

“But not without their approval, novice. So, what do you want to entertain me with?” They asked, looking Curia over with a barely perceptible smirk.

“Entertain you? Seems you’re not taking me very serious for someone who was just summoned by a novice mage.” Curia answered with a tilt of his head, waiting for them to answer.

“You’re entitled to your perception but remember, you walk a fine line when talking to a doorkeeper.” They started, and noticed the light slightly dimmer than before.

“Now, what do you want? Rebirth as something else, resurrection of a loved one, power, love, revenge?”

Curia thought for a moment and then answered, “Those all sound like very interesting favors from a doorkeeper. I don’t currently have need of that, but I’ll keep it in mind for the future. What I want is to know what lies beyond the door you came through?”

Sighing, the doorkeeper answered, “Everything you dream of and hope to defeat. The world of nightmares, dreams, wishes, and gods.”

Looking at the light and then back to the doorkeeper, Curia reached towards it before they crackled like ball lightning and made him snatch his hand back, burned by it.

“Don’t touch my door… you seem to enjoy breaking rules don’t you?”

Curia frowned at the burn that was slow to dissipate, even with his healing magic.

“I just wanted to see a little of what you were talking about, just a peek.”

You want to see what drove much more mages insane after they witnessed it? Real piece of work.

“I see, well… I’ve answered your question and you’ve more than overstepped your limits.”

“Curia! Are you alright? I heard a noise,” A woman’s voice- his magister called, following quick footsteps.

Looking at the stairs and back to the doorkeeper, Curia snatched them away from their door and quickly climbing to his feet, he whispered, “I still have more questions, sorry.”

Struggling and clawing at Curia’s grip, the doorkeeper roared angrily and unleashed a heavy torrent of lightning than before, with Curia pleading, “Just be quiet, I won’t hurt you. I just want to know more.”

With his master hitting the bottom step and questioning the new sounds he heard, Curia panicked at the punishment he could face for breaking the doorkeeper’s rules if she found out.

I’m really sorry, I promise I’ll spit you out when she’s gone.

Shoving the doorkeeper into his mouth and dusting himself off, he swallowed them and coughed when they fought the motion as a woman wearing a plum blouse and long skirt, with black dress boots rounded the corner.

“What happened Curia? I heard a loud noise, and-what magic is that? What were you doing down here?” She questioned as she sniffed the air.

Looking around him and spotting the last of the door’s light dissipating, she questioned, “Were you trying to call doorkeepers, Curia?”

Gritting his teeth at the pit he felt in his stomach, Curia nodded and answered, “Got a nasty headache and a burn, instead though. Won’t do that again.”

Looking at him for a moment, she squeezed Curia’s cheeks and forced him to open his mouth. Scratches could be seen on his tongue, quickly healing up.

“I see. Well, you know the rules about doorkeepers and our interactions, and wouldn't be foolish enough to break any of them, right?"

“Don’t touch their doors, don’t touch them, don't harm them, and politely only ask one question per summon?”

Wait, what counts as a question?

“What counts as a question, Magister Vale?”

Looking at him with a strange expression, M. Vale crossed her arms and took a deep breath before answering, “Anything spoken to a doorkeeper that they give an answer to. Now let’s go. You’ve got some explaining to do, to the Court Magus and to me.”

#

“Curia Finsley, here we are again. Magister Vale, what is your charge inflicting his presence on me for this time? Since you felt it was too important for him to show up in something more respectable than dusty clothing and old sneakers.”

Taking a deep breath and glancing at Curia, M. Vale chose her words carefully and started to explain. The Court Magus sat in a similar level of dresscode- a dress shirt and slacks. He loosened and adjusted his tie and sat back, listening to her explanation and looked at Curia with mock surprise.

“I see, Magister Vale. I think I’d like to hear more about this, from the source. Curia?” He spoke, after she finished.

Curia looked at him with a hint of fear in his eyes as he felt the magic of the Court Magus’ words surround him. “Yes sir?”

“It sounds like you’ve been causing magical mischief again from what Magister Vale explains… that you summoned a doorkeeper without her knowledge or approval.”

Curia nodded, as his stomach knotted and twisted with more discomfort than before and took a deep breath.

“I see, so what happened after they went back to their door?”

Shaking his head and speaking, Curia went cold with fear when he heard words he’d intended not to say flowing as freely as a river.

“They didn’t go back to their door, I hid them because Magister Vale was coming down the stairs.”

Throwing his head back and swearing under his breath, the Court Magus slumped in his seat and pinched the bridge of his nose while M. Vale stared at him speechless and in shock of his admission.

That’s not good.

“Where did you hide them, Curia? It’s imperative that I return them.”

“I’ve been trying to but I can’t… I don’t know what to do.” Curia whimpered, his stomach feeling like it was being shredded now.

“You can’t? You’ve been trying? What did you do with them? Show me."

The Court Magus’ words flowed into Curia and he felt a sudden rush of nausea overtake his control, and retched everything he’d eaten that day, onto their desk.

It smelled of the strange magic that M. Vale caught the scent of earlier and made her go pale when Curia retched again, and collapsed into his seat, trembling and crying.

“Curia, tell me you didn’t do what this suggests.” M. Vale pleaded, looking at the Court Magus and his darkening expression.

 “I was going to spit them out when you left, Magister Vale. I didn’t think this would happen.”

“That seems to be a pattern with you, Curia. Magister Vale, you understand what this means correct?” The Court Magus asked, looking at her as she bit her lip in trepidation before answering, “Yes, I understand.”

“Then you have two choices as Curia’s magister… pass an appropriate sentence for his actions or share in it. I will hand down his final judgment after other accommodations are made.”

Nodding, M. Vale turned to Curia and sighed with what he thought sounded like relief.

“What are you going to do to me?”

He questioned, looking around and noticed that the once empty court office was now a courtroom filled with their entire town.

Several mages looked injured, others looked like they’d been in battle, and several spaces were empty except for a whisp light that Curia assumed were spirits.

What happened? When did we get here and why does everyone look so angry? Wait, where are all the children?

#

“Curia Finsley, you’ve ignored your responsibilities as a mage and disavowed yourself of the expectations and agreements in place when interacting with the doorkeepers.

Attempting dishonesty with your magister and the Court Magus when questioned, you’ve attempted to hide your crimes from discovery. You’ve gone as far as to devour one and consume their magic… this action denounces your humanity.”

M. Vale charged and looked back to the Court Magus, before letting out a silent sigh and continuing,

“Do you deny any of these crimes?”

Staring at her in confusion and feeling the eyes of his town on him like barbed wire, Curia shook his head and answered, “I just wanted to know more about doorkeepers and what they were protecting.”

Looking at the Court Magus and hoping for some semblance of sympathy, Curia lowered his eyes and took a deep breath and prepared for everything he could think of, including death.

“Court Magus, there is no dispute from the accused. Your decision?”

The Court Magus looked at M. Vale and Curia for a moment, before looking down at the letter he’d received from the Doorkeeper’s Guardian, describing what the disappearance and destruction of the unkept door wrought on their realm.

It was clear what they wanted done with Curia, and it was agreed upon before the proceedings even began.

Nodding, he looked at M. Vale once more before speaking, “For your sentencing Curia Finsley, it’s decided that re-evaluation of your choices will be sought through the branding of the student.”

“Branding?” Curia questioned, before a low and consistent chant of finally came to his attention.

Looking around and discovering the source, Curia turned back to M. Vale and shook his head and tried to dissent but his voice cut off and his body froze as magic tore through her and into him, setting him on fire with agony as the brand scarred into his skin.

#

When he next opened his eyes, he was in his room and it was silent. Climbing out of bed with the brand aching at every movement, Curia vowed never to be disobedient again. After nearly an hour of effort and pain, he made out of his room and halfway down the stairs.

Where’s Magister Vale?

Slowly, he searched the house and leaned against the wall on his shoulder, tired and unable to find her after three hours.

“Where is she? Did they punish her? Is she still at the courthouse?”

Opening the door, Curia set foot outside and looked out to the town in confusion. They went about their day, barely stopping to glance at him, barely acknowledging he was there.

Reaching out in front of him, Curia felt a buzzing surface beneath his hand that disappeared and nearly knocked him off balance.

Then he saw it, the town stopped going about its day, and watched him as he painfully crawled back up the stairs from the canyon and abyss that separated him and M. Vale's home from the rest of the town.

“He’s getting off pretty easy, staying inside her house with no magic after what the trouble he caused.” Dozens of voices whispered discussing the proceedings and the unfairness of it all.

“At least he still has a life to repent on… more than we can say for Magister Vale and too much of the town overall.”

“ Just pretend he’s not there… it’s not like he can do anything but watch and listen anyway with that brand taking his magic.”

Hearing their words and the sting in them, Curia went inside and closed the door.

I’m sorry Magister Vale… I didn’t want you to pay for what I did.