Chapter 4: Iris

Iris grabbed the red paint she had brought to their meeting. The three sixteen year-olds that had gathered around this intricate circle called each other ‘The Hell Divers.’ They called themselves that because they were trying to figure out why magic had suddenly come back. And doing this research was a silent hell.

Their first theory was Jiyoda’s curse on the Aternum, but one person couldn’t have caused magic to come surging back, could it?

Iris poured the paint into the circle, filling it.

“There. Now all we have to do is say the magic word,” said Iris, tilting the can so it wouldn’t spill anymore paint.

Yoru threw a silver and gold bracelet into the paint, “You forgot about the sacrifice,” said Yoru.

Josh tilted his head, “Who’s bracelet is that?” he asked.

“My moms. She hates jewelry, always complaining about that bracelet specifically. Don’t know why though,” Yoru answered.

Iris turned to Yoru, she didn’t care about the bracelet, “Let’s start Yoru.”

Yoru held his head up from talking with Josh and nodded.

“Tal Gran Nosh Ga Fra Ni Hon Zu Fan’shia Dan,” chanted Yoru and Iris in unison. Their words intertwined and caused the circle to glow.

The red paint started to turn blue, then green, then orange, then yellow, and finally gold. For a few minutes nothing else happened. Iris started running through everything they could have possibly done incorrectly. Did they add extra words, mispronounce something, perhaps they needed a different liquid, maybe the sacrifice needed to be organic?

Then Iris stumbled back as a transparent turquoise hand shot out of the circle and slithered up. Its bottom half was a long wispy trail ending in a shackle, binding it to the circle. Its top half was almost human, with long lanky arms and spindly fingers. But its face was that of a dragon’s.

“What are your questions?” it said, its voice low and gravely. Iris looked over to the other two Hell Divers and nodded.

“Oh great spirit of the circle, granter of knowledge, and sealer of secrets, please tell us why magic has so suddenly returned to earth?” asked Iris, her voice regal.

The spirit thought for a second before responding, “I cannot answer that question at this time. I am bound from answering questions about magic. Please ask me something else.”

The three of them huddled up, “What should we ask it?” said Josh.

“Maybe why it’s bound?” suggested Yoru.

Iris shook her head, “No, probably not, it may not be able to answer that either. I think we should ask it about the M.I.S.”

“The who?” asked Josh. Iris realized she hadn’t told him about the M.I.S. yet.

Before she could get to that, Yoru told him, “There is this group in America, they’re trying to figure out the same thing as us,” Yoru rubbed his arm, “but their methods are a bit more violent.”

“Oh,” said Josh, realizing what Yoru meant.

After discussing for a few more minutes they decided on a topic.

Iris turned to the spirit, “Great spirit of the circle, we wish to know why the M.I.S. are in Canada.”

“They are here to gain knowledge. Since Canada was first to regain magic, they want to know why. Be warned they will take the red end by force,” said the spirit in a monotone voice. With that it sank back into the circle and disappeared. Now there was nothing but some marks in the dirt.

Iris turned to the other two, “Well that answered nothing.”

Josh looked outraged, “I told you we should have asked who bound it!”

Yoru turned to Josh, “You know that was my idea, right?”

“Uh… right,” sheepishly replied Josh, “I guess I just forgot.”

Iris had a feeling Josh was hiding something from him. No… he couldn’t. Josh is too transparent, he can’t lie for his life.

“Well now what?” Yoru asked, unsure of what to do next.

Iris shrugged, “Let’s have a break for now. We’ll meet back here if anyone comes up with anything,” she suggested.

“Sounds good to me,” said Josh. “I’ll keep an eye for any notifications.”

Yoru stretched his arms high in the air and said the same.

“Cool,” said Iris, walking out of Sundance Park and into the trail near it. I wonder if that thing with Amari was a fluke. Hopefully.

“Of course it wasn’t, sweety,” said a voice from behind her, that Iris recognized as Amari’s.

“You again,” muttered Iris, turning around and meeting Amari’s eyes.

A noise that reminded Iris of a laugh came from Amari, “Yes, it’s me, again.”

Rage welled up inside Iris. It was just yesterday that Amari had reappeared and told her she was going to die. “What do you want?” she growled.

Amari smiled long and wide, “Nothing. Simply nothing.” Iris must have looked confused because Amari continued speaking, “I can see your confusion,” she paused, “so I’ll inform you of my reasons. You see, if you die, so does my spirit. So right now my objective is to keep you alive.”

Iris made a low grunt-like noise, “You sure that’s your only reason?” she said, emphasizing the ‘only’.

With a discontent look on her face Amari answered, “Yes,” Amari’s gaze sharpened, and her brow tilted slightly, “I expected better of you.”

Iris cocked an eyebrow, “What do you mean you expected better of me?” she asked, confused.

“Well, if you are to kill him, you’ll need to grow much stronger,” said Amari, as if she expected Iris to already know that.

Iris sighed and looked Amari in the eye, “Look,” she began, “I don’t want to kill that guy. I don’t want anything to do with him,” Iris held back her anger, “I just want to enjoy my summer for once.”

“If that is so, then be prepared for the worst,” said Amari, turning and walking away. Her soundless steps faded as she disappeared into a puff of smoke.

Words still rang in Iris’s head, “Don’t disappoint me.”

“Why did I have to get the worst ancestors ever?” grumbled Iris, holding her head.

***

Iris was sitting on her bed. It was around five fifty at night, and Iris was scrolling through social media. She said that she was trying to find stuff about magic, but she was really just bored. Eventually she put her phone down and laid down on her pillow.

It was warm, freshly washed, and smelt vaguely of roses. Mom must have used the ‘special’ detergent. Iris stepped out of bed and into the halls of his house. Her mom and older sister were in the kitchen, arguing about something Iris couldn’t quite hear. Her older brother and dad were on the couch, talking about football. And then there was Iris, plain old Iris.

She never had fit in, in her family. Everyone else had their own thing and Iris didn’t fit into their puzzles. Once she had tried to be like her sister, it didn’t work. Iris had ended up crying in the girl’s washroom for hours. She’d met Yoru after that. Last summer they’d planned to go to the International Game Expo, IGE, together. After the Jiyoda Incident they never ended up going. Hopefully this year would be different, but it didn’t seem that way. Amari had shown back up and the M.I.S. was hunting Yoru, it seemed like they’d never get time off.

Iris walked back into her room, there wasn’t anything to do in the living room. She plopped down back onto her bed and pulled out her phone. Iris opened messages and began typing.

Hey. I have something I need to tell you guys- no, no, no, that wouldn’t do. She deleted the message and wrote it again.

Guys, I think something- nope, too vague. She kept writing and deleting texts and eventually never sent anything.

Then, three little bubbles appeared on the left most side of the screen. ‘Magic Boy’ was written above it. Did Yoru find anything? She wondered.

So I’m not going to be able to talk for a little while. He texted.

I have to go to this sleep-away camp. I’ll still have my phone, but I can’t use it all the time. Hopefully they let me out soon. Appeared next.

My parents said I have to go there… useless deadbeats.

Josh replied, Cool, see you later.