A Convenience Story

Roman suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. Something.... FELT wrong. It was like some primordial part in him suddenly awoke. In his confusion, Roman looked at the dragon as he began to smoke, before Roman staggered and fell back as he the attendant speak.

Looking at the blind lizard, Roman's mind couldn't register the words immediately, no, he couldn't comprehend what was about to occur. Not his aware mind that is....

His eyes closed the instant before white light enveloped the cave. While Roman had closed his eyes in time, he hadn't fully shielded them, as he realized the mistake he made. Somehow, with all the civility, and actual ability to talk in a reasonable manner, Roman had forgotten what King was. King was a dragon, a creature who's desires, power, and intellect could easily match up and surpass any human. A beast who could and had destroyed towns entirely on whims. Roman shrank back as he heard King get closer, no, he felt the heat from King's maw. It was worse than when you opened an oven and the heat radiated out. Roman began to sweat instantly as he fell back when pushed. Falling down, it was only then that he opened his eyes, terror filling his face.

Roman didn't say anything. He had no right to at this point as he watched the dragon go from anger to depressive sadness. After a few awkward minutes, Roman would say a single sentence. "It's my fault for joking about this when it's clearly not a joke for you, so I'm sorry.

Roman blinked as he stared at King.

What had he wanted? He thought back to what his father had asked, a tinge of regret in his face. His father was dead.... So if he could reverse time then...

"Do you remember what you told me when you were young?"

Roman's face went from regret to contemplation. What had he wanted when he was a kid? "I want to be so rich and powerful that I can buy a country.". Roman said, as he looked back towards the dragon. That had been his dream. He had always idolized kings, knights, and other such positions. Yes, they were rich, but they were rich because they had people who worked for them. They were the first to create capitalism in all honesty. "King.... If I help you do this... To go back in time, would you help me become a King? To own my own country? It might seem stupid.... But I don't want to force anyone to live like I did. Like my father did."

Roman explained his reasoning, as he wanted to rule for others rather than himself. "If you want my world to remain fiction, then that's fine. I won't say anything about that.... But I want to know your perspective on how this all happened, so that I can see something grander. Besides, None of it will matter if we do this ritual right? If anything, I at least want to achieve that goal of mine. So, if You're willing to help me, then I'm willing to help you. I want to make my fiction reality... So, if you agree, then tell me what I need to perform that ritual."

Roman regained his composure, standing back up, though shakily. He was still afraid. Hell, he was terrified. But.... What did he have to lose? A place that his father happened upon? His car? A cell phone? Did any of that actually matter? Maybe.... Or maybe Roman was blinded by trying to survive that he couldn't see that he didn't own anything regardless.

"King.... You said you liked questions. I'll ask this then. Can you teach me about this world. About you, and about your story?"

Roman felt anxious at the sudden change in the dragon's demeanor, until he recognized the tone of his laugh. Upon hearing King's concerns, Roman felt befuddled as well. Why were they at odds? When the Dragon revealed that he required riches, specifically gold itself, Roman realized why. "Gold is just one form of riches. There are other things that can replace it's value. Everyone still needs the basics of survival, food, water, and shelter.
I can't say if this applies to you, but I can find riches in other things than gold." . Roman stated, clarifying the fact that his goal was not money exactly. In fact....

Roman smiled as an honestly insane thought crossed his mind. "In fact, I find more value in a single one of your denizens, knowledge, and power than a single coin of gold!". Roman proclaimed. "After all, what's the use is a gold coin to a child who does not understand the concept of market value?". Roman stated. How much of his world had been diluted by the idea of the all mighty dollar? How much of his world relied upon the concept of "equal trade" when the trade was locked away behind gilded bars of false wealth and numbers that had no meaning other than to represent the ideals of those who have vs those who have not.

The world he came from still had monsters, only in the guise of human skin. They were wolves, plucking away at the flock of people who could barely eat by stealing more and more of the forest..... The world he came from needed to change.

It was time that a Dragon came along to remind the wolves of the fear they had forgotten. The fear that even Roman himself had never thought he could know. His heart raced in anticipation. Money means nothing in front of power. It's simply another tool. "With that said.... I agree. We shouldn't linger anymore than we need.... Teach me how YOU turn riches into magic King." Roman stated, his face dead set as he now had an opportunity that had more value than any amount of gold. "That is the first story I want you to tell me. How did you learn your magic, so I can use it to accomplish your goal."

"Oh.. right. Apologies. Got ahead of myself there.". Roman stated, as he began to understand that he was crossing into concepts of his world. Scratching behind his ear, Roman would take a seat on the ground cross legged, as he listened to what King had to day.

When Kong complimented Roman, there was a tinge of pride at his choice. That was until King stated he didn't learn to turn riches into magic. A human had, and seeing how King mentioned this person, Roman felt a bit deflated as well as concerned. Was there actual truth behind legends? If so, did that mean figures like Merlin.... He turned his contemplative furrow into a shake of his head. No, it was stupid to think that fables and myths were only that. Especially if this was real after all.

Hearing the next part, Roman further deflated and looked actually dejected at the idea. Did that mean that Roman was incapable of performing magic then? Upon hearing that most of these supernatural abilities were commonly shared, it stirred a thought in Roman. Did that mean that riches were what humans used to cast spells then? He dismissed the idea as his companion(?) explained that the denizen's of his kingdom actually had a wide array of abilities.

"Is that so? Then what is yours? Obviously it has to include fire.... Among other things.
And what was humans when you saw them? Unless turning riches to spells was actually their power."

Upon hearing this, Roman began to ponder again. It wasn't until King stated that the last person or human who had magic was a literal norse god. Which suddenly made Roman realize several things. The first was that the portal or whatever this was that connected his world to Kings either moved, eventually faded, or perhaps that it was a different rift.

The second was that Mythology was likely more true than what Roman anticipated. Lastly, and this was more a note of what King had mentioned more than said; Roman became wided eyed and a but stunned.

"What actually IS Magic?" he asked aloud, looking to King if he knew. Roman actually didn't know what magic was. Sure,he had seen examples of it in fiction. However Magic always varied in some major way or another, either being manifestations of will, or something else. "Is.... Is magic Desire?
I know it sounds stupid, but I'm not even sure what actual magic is."

Roman felt a bit skeptical on if the Dragon could teach him in terms that could be understood, though he made sure not to show it too much. Though when King spoke to his aide, Roman began to speculate that this was part of ut. The blind aide had seemed to understand speech to the same degree as King, if not close enough compared to the other Stonelings. Of course when King began to instruct and ask, Roman nodded. "Yeah, My father played it with me when I was a kid.", he commented, standing up, and feeling the pang again as he noticed the two Stonelings, each holding a baseball.

Blinking in confusion, Roman watched, not expecting for a fastball that not only flew fast, but straight! Getting smacked in the chest, despite trying to catch the ball initially he got a bit winded, but otherwise he was somewhat fine. He had to admit, he had only continued to underestimate these stonelings. Though a bit bruised, but he was no worse for wear. Then King explained the sciences, which somewhat startled Roman. Well, maybe not startled, but simply caught him off guard. Sure, he expected that some sciences were simply considered "just how reality works" but he hadn't expected King to include what was basically medieval chemistry and physics of all things. Especially not Gravity. Still, he only had a sparse knowledge on what old sciences there were.

Still, Roman watched with his eyes growing wide as sapphire blue motes began to glow on the Stonelings body, as instead of pitching the ball, it simply pet go.... And Roman began to realize something. Catching the ball, Roman felt something that absolutely boggled his perception of reality. The Ball in his hand was still acting like there was gravity forcing it to fall sideways. After a moment, it would suddenly begin to shift it's weight back down in his hand, following the rules of nature.

Staring at the ball in disbelief he absorbed everything that King said. Smiling like a kid who was learning that clouds are water vapors, and that was how clouds created rain, Roman couldn't help but feel his heart skip a few beats. "I... This is....." Roman paused as he looked up to the Stonelings, then back towards King giddy with excitement at the explaination, "This is amazing! So, Magic is the ability to modify reality to your Authority. So, Authority has to be the way you manipulate the rules of reality...... But.....". Roman paused for a moment, his face turning from one of excitement to one of confusion. Humans had studied the rules of nature extensively. Forces such as physics, chemistry, and mathematics were just that.... Yet why had magic simply vanished. If anything, wouldn't magic have flourished?

His face was a dark frown of concern, furrowed to the point that one might mistake it as disgruntled anger. Looking at the ball in his hand, Roman looked towards the Stoneling that had the sapphire motes, and held up the ball. He tried to imagine the ball, no, visualize that the Stoneling had the same mass as the ground below his feet, and that the ground had no mass at all, as he let released it.

Roman sighed, and rolled his eyes as King did what Roman was beginning to understand as the equivalent of a held back snort of laughter. "Right... I figured as much." the young man stated as he picked up the ball, and tossed it gently back over to the ones who threw them in an underhand method.

Listening to King, Roman felt a bit cheated, before realizing just how Potent human magic was in comparison. Potent probably wasn't the right word though. More like biblical. In fact, he considered some of the greatest feats in mythos and religion. The parting of the Red Sea, the Plagues of Egypt, Ragnarok, and likely many more. Hell, he even remembered some of Merlin's feats, such as his ability to see the future. If that wasn't grand magic on the scale of none other, Roman didn't know what was.

Of course, as King stated that he could teach Roman about magic. There had been no such promise that he could, since he lacked the "Key" that the other creatures seemed to possess. Then he thought about the sapphire glow on that Stonelings body. A thought struck Roman. "You can't teach me magic.... But what if i did something different? You said human magic and rituals worked on massive scales. What if that applies for other rules?
There are plenty of tales of...." . Roman bit his lip, realizing that he was about to disclose something about his world.

Looking to King, Roman tried to find new words. "What if.... I could somehow use a ritual to 'borrow' or share a key? Could that be a possibility?". Roman asked, as he thought about deals with devils, pacts that bound two parties, and warlocks who drew upon unknown and eldritch powers gifted to them from beyond the void. Of course, that could entirely be fiction.