Chapter: And this is the dilemma

"Do you understand now why you're here?"

'My horoscope predicted a very important conversationis waiting for me. But I wasn't expecting that.' Luz thought with a stunned expression. "You've been under a lot of pressure 'cause this big secret and you wanted to share it with some random human to feel better?"

"Take another guess." Dion said, keeping his voice low and soft. "Hint, it involves the gytrashe."

Luz couldn't shake the sinking feeling in her stomach. She fiddled with her friendship bracelet for a moment, thinking over things in her head before she inhaled and nervously glanced at him. "You want to remove me because I saw too much."

"Also no." Dion told her sincerely. "And to be clear, I'm not going to hurt you."

Luz breathed out breath with she didn't even realize that she was holding. "Pat, I'll buy a vowel." She said with a little nervous giggled.

Dion was mildly entertained.

"Actually, I have a kind of dilemma. And want to make something clear." he said, looking into the eyes of the girl, "According to my informant, you, the human girl, can use magic."

"I only know a few tricks." Luz said, showing him the oldest magic trick humans have to date. The fake finger removal trick.

"I'm a shaman. One of my abilities is being able to tell when a lie's being told." said Dion as a shiver ran up Luz's spine.

"I learned the light spell, but it's a real stroke of luck that I discovered this." She forced herself to elaborate, "I don't even understand why I can do it."

"Can you show me exactly how you do it?" Dion kept his voice even, as not to scary more Luz.

"May I?" She pointed at quill and parchment on desk. The shaman just nodded.

Luz slowly drew the glyph double checking all the lines were right as she went. Soon, on the page was a perfect Light Glyph, Luz looked at Dion who nodded and gestured ahead. With a hesitant tap, the page was absorbed forming a bright, glowing ball of light that lifted up towards the ceiling.

The man's face lit up as he watched it. "Beautiful."

"That's all I can do." Luz said frankly.

"For a person from world where magic disappeared, that's very impressive." Dion nodded, folding his arms.

"Thank you." Luz leaned back on her chair, "So... what the dilemma is?"

"You."

"Me?" Luz repeated as her eyebrows knitted together in confusion

Dion hummed and sighed. "On one hand, you're human. For a variety of reasons, you can't know about magic and the Boiling Isles. Then on the other hand. You can use magic. And as a magic user, you have a right to know the secret of the Magic Realm. I'm trying to figure out what to do with you."

"I swear, I-I will never tell anyone about this." Luz stuttered nervously, fearful for her life again, "And even if I do, I've earned a solid reputation as a girl with incredibly vivid imagination. So, nobody would believe me."

For several seconds she and Dion stared at each other, neither one speaking.

Then shaman said, "I haven't a set of rules specific to this situation. So, I got an offer for you."

And there goes the momentary relief, Luz thinks. Okay, maybe this ends well. Yet, his words sound a bit dark. "What you mean by that?" She asked.

"Your friendship bracelet." Dion pointed out a colorful bracelet on her wrist, "It's made of magic strings. Color and style, indicate that it was created by at least two witches. I have no doubt that they've helped you get back to your world. You remember all these things that happened to you here, so they didn't give you the dose of Kraken Ink."

Luz stared at him. It just occurred to her that Jett and Katrina broke a few rules for her. Important rules, so they can stay friends. She's surprised and touched.

"Just tell me who it was." Dion said earnestly, "If you do this, I'll send you home. And I'll let you be the first human who knows the entire truth about magic."

That has Luz sitting up straight, surprise evident on her face. Silence from the shaman, for several long, tense moments.

"Why do you need to know who they are?" She asked, thinking about her friends.

"Because the Order of Keeper knows that laws have been broken, and the ones responsible must be punished."

"What punishment?" Luz asked, concern lacing its way into her voice.

"Well, given their crimes. They will be convicted and sent to the Tartarus." Dion responded simply.

The only sound that came after was Luz's cup hitting the floor as she just stared at Dion. He wasn't upset her reaction or stain on the carpet too badly. Luz actually thought she saw contentment in his eyes, like he have the satisfaction of her reaction.

"What?!" Luz can't believe it. Jett and Katrina could go to jail because they let her remember about their great adventure.

"Knowingly violate the most important rule of our world, whereas, like all rules comes to keep safety both worlds, this is a serious crime that shouldn't be taken lightly. Tartarus is punishment for those who commits these types of crime. This is a law of our world for the last 700 years." Dion explained without emotion.

"I can't tell you who send me back to my world." Dion see determination in the eyes of the human girl. Luz had no intention of telling him who did it.

"Then I will be forced to remove your memory of Magic Realm. And send you back to your world." Dion informed her, grabing his tambourine. "So, let me ask you one more time, Luz. Who helped you back home and let you remember about magic?"

"I'm not ratting my friends out."

"Are you sure?" Dion smiled in a way that sent chills down Luz's spine.

"Yes." Luz replied with no hesitation. Jett and Katrina showed there're her friends. True friends. She's going to do the same.

Dion stare at human girl for a long hard second. But she doesn't back down from his gaze.

"Very well." He said as he held up his tambourine while it glowed softy.

"I have only one request... let me keep it." Luz raised hand with the friendship bracel.

"You won't remember who gave it to you or why." The look in Dion's eyes bordered between condescension and pity.

"I know." Luz lowered her face to look at the friendship bracelet instead of the shaman. "But it was a gift from a friends, and I promised that I wouldn't take it off."

"I understand." Dion said, giving her an intense glare, eyes glowing reddish-purple. "It doesn't hurt. I promise. You'll fall asleep and wake up in your world. Are you ready?"

"Yes." Luz closed her eyes and waited for magic shot, thinking about her adventure with Jett and Katrina. "Adiós, amigos míos."

Dion softly shake his tambourine.

.

*Chicka, chicka, chicka*

.

*Chicka, chicka, chicka*

.

Luz has been waiting for few seconds. The only sign of Dion's magic was a tiniest cold sensation on her skin like the wind from a open window. She was aware that a shaman's spell soon make her slip into the arms of Morpheus.

She waited and waited and waited...And - nothing happened.

Cracking open her eyes just a little, Luz was able to confirm that she was still in Dion's office and remember everything. Then she noticed the window realy was open.

Without looking up from the scroll Dion was looking, the shaman said: "Congratulations."

"Um …" Luz's brain seemed to have jammed.

Dion glances up with a complicated expression, but it becomes a small smile. "You passed."


Notes:

Please let me know what you think, it greatly feeds the muse.