The Licensed Mage

32 Shiya

        It was a peaceful pleasant day in the office. It was turning into late summer and cooling just enough for everyone to be comfortable. The office was quiet but for the sounds of tapping on their keyboards as everyone focused on their computers, whether typing up reports or researching a case. The only one missing from the office was Claire but she was currently making a surprise in the break room for everyone. Yes the sun was gently filtering through the windows, one was open and a small breeze slowly climbed through the room. It was a nice, peaceful, relaxing day.

        Suddenly a window shattered. A ball of glittering gold light came bounding into the room, bouncing off desks and walls and the ceiling, scattering papers and chaos everywhere it went. Everyone ducked under their desks at the sound and pulled out their guns, hollering and screaming asking what the intruder was. The ball disappeared in a corner and heads slowly peeked out from under their desks as it quieted down.

        Claire came running out of the room, “What?! What?! What is it?! What’s wrong?!”

        Raven stood as everyone started cleaning up the mess and turned to Claire. He stopped as he saw her outfit and sputtered a laugh, “What the hell are you wearing?”

        “What?” She looked down at her pink floral and lacy apron, “I was making cookies. What happened out here?”

        Glass crunched as Henry walked to the broken window, “Som’ bug’er broke ‘ur windo’.”

        “Uh, Claire? Can you come here a sec?”

        Claire looks over at the corner to see Lucy looking behind the file cabinet, pulling it from the wall. She walks over to her and tries to look over her shoulder, “What? What is it? You’d find something?”

        “I think something for you.”

        Before she could ask what Lucy moved aside to let light in behind the cabinet. There in the back corner cowering, trying to make herself even smaller than she already is, was a glittering gold fairy. She had light gold hair and wore a band of small flowers around her head. Her green leaf dress with a mini skirt matched the green of her eyes, dominating her face. She wore bracelets of vines around her ankles and wrist and was holding her right shoulder like she was in pain. Her  transparent glittering silver wings fluttered nervously as Claire looked down at her as she became terrified.

        Claire smiled and slowly held out a hand, keeping it a comfortable distance from the terrified fairy, “It’s alright. It’s ok. You can come out.”

        “What do you have there Dunsworth?”

        One of the twins came up behind Lucy and Claire, she was unsure which one as Lucy whipped around and shushed the man. Lucy waved her hands, mentioning everyone to move back and be quiet as Claire tried to coax the shy fairy out from behind the cabinet. The fairy nervously looked at Claire’s hand but her eyes showed her that Claire was indeed a mage. Looking up, keeping an eye on Claire’s face she took a tentative step to her hand and slowly crawled her way into Claire’s palm. Claire kept her voice calm and soothing as she brought the fairy out from her hiding place.

        Everyone tried to peek around shoulders to get a glance at whatever Claire was bringing out but she kept her hand cupped around the fairy so as the keep her from being startled. She motioned her head for Malvina and Lucy to follow her and quickly hid inside the break room. Lucy closed the door behind Malvina and all three women huddled around the coffee table. Claire mouthed to them to keep their voices low and calm then slowly opened her hands.