The balance or the dominance of darkness and light , a short story of fiction

The train station had always been busy, the people were flooding the underground tunnels, trying to commute to their desired locations. So it was only natural that she set up her shop there. Amongst the cursed, the injured and generally lost. The darkness had taken enough from her and she was not going to let it take anymore. Not from her and most definitely not from others.

She was a mage, the highest of the order, the one with the powers that no one could match. But still, the times were grim and curses were of an often occurrence. And for some reason, either pride or fear, the people turned to the dark side for help. She understood it partly, the humans were too proud to be judged, they thought of the mages of light to be the symbol of pureness and could not face them. The dark side only asked for payment, though, they seemed to not care of who the people were in their hearts.

So humans sold their souls and their firstborns, their virgin daughters and their elder mothers. It was a dark time and she realized action needed to take place, changes had to be made. So her followers and her, they left the huge sanctuary, glistering in gold, they unfolded simple plastic tables and chairs in one of the dirtiest corners of the city, just because it provided exposure. Just because they wanted to show that they were willing to help.

A mages heart is fragile, it bleeds every time a soul is lost, every time a deal with the dark side is made, but she also knows that the fight is endless, there will never be just darkness or light, and she accepts it in her heart and works her life away, never to get discouraged.

Times were changing, the dark side was holding the reigns because humans had come to fear the judgment of the light-bringers. It was safer in their mind to go to the wolves and snakes than to face the all-knowing eyes of a witch.

They sat in their corner of the train station and it was with no luck at first, people were either too busy to notice or too scared to ask, her people all killed time by joking around and playing party games on the dirty old table. Her lover sat right next to her, eying the mage, trying to read if her feelings were hurt for the people who were lost. But he also knew her well and his assumption that she knew what she was doing was right.

Weeks of boredom and no success took place. They were not there to sell, so they did not start a conversation unless talked to. They got on good terms with the baker in a stall next to them and had piping hot buns for breakfast each morning. The rest of the day was usually not something to remember and soon the weeks flowed into a blur, and the team of the mage and her people started taking books to their posts just to pass the hours.

She felt the difference in the air on that fateful day, there was something unpleasing, like it was burning not far from them. But she also noticed that nobody else seemed to feel it. Her mage sense was tingling and so she made sure to be alert at all times.

Shortly after the midday it happened, they were hit with a strong smell of burning flesh, this was noticed by all, the people in the station started moving faster to just get away from it. They held their heads down and their mouth covered, it was not unusual to encounter a cursed so they all knew what it was. The mage got up and looked at the stairs that lead from the upper levels to their location. There was a man standing, his face melted, his leg missing. He was jumping awkwardly, holding on to the rail. His skin seemed to have been destroyed by fire recently, but he had no burn scars, it was magic for sure, that had caused the injuries.

-- Get the stretcher.- the mage gave an order, speaking the first time since they had been there, and for a good reason, every person around them heard a crisp voice they were drawn to, it was like a beautiful trap, a light at the end of a dark tunnel. Most could brush it off before they continued walking, others just stood there, watching, waiting to see what would happen.

The young woman moved flowingly, like her feet didn't touch the ground, she reached the man, who was clearly in pain, as he stepped on the last step of the stairs.

-- Traveler, do you need help?- she felt the eyes on her, but there was more, there was darkness somewhere close. The man answered in a tired tone, he clearly was exhausted.

-- No, I am just getting the money from the cashier, I have to pay to the guy upstairs for the deal I made, to get back my limbs.- the man pointed vaguely with this head, to the top, where the daylight was coming from and sure enough, there he was, a male dressed in a raincoat, with a scarf around his face and a hat on top of his head, the only things visible were his red eyes. For a second the mage's eyes locked with the dragon, but he could not bear the piercing gaze of the woman and looked away.

--Money?- the mage was surprised, the hellish creatures usually did not accept material payments.

-- Yes ma'lady, this is not the first time this happens, you see my mother... My mother... Let's say that she would have preferred that I was never born and she has made it clear more times than I can count, I already gave my soul and I have nobody else, all I have left is the coin in my bank and even that, I am going to part within the next moments.- it was painful for him to talk, but somehow he was glad there was someone to listen. On the other side, the mage saw what he had gone through, the pain of rejection, the struggle of a child out of wedlock. She smiled a slight smile, not of pity, and gestured next to her, where her people were holding the stretcher.

--Let me help you, for free. It can't hurt to try, and it would be hard to make it much worse.- the man looked at her for a second, he glanced at the black figure upstairs and realized that he would rather be in the hands of the light than the darkness, at least for a second there would be someone to care for him, his life would have a chance to have a glimpse of love, if just for a second.

So he let the people put him on the stretcher and he waited for the pain that usually accompanied such procedures. He closed his eyes and felt the hand of the mage close to his face, the shadow made the light from his eyelids disappear completely. He was ready for the pain, he was used to it, but it never came, the shadow from the palms was gone as it had come and with it the pain that had been taking over his body just moments before. He opened his eyes just at the right moment to see, how a golden light glistened over his body and repaired his limbs. Everywhere she glided over with her palms a problem was extinguished.

He was lost for words as so many others in the tunnel, the word of mouth would travel fast. The only thing was, that he realized he had given away his soul for nothing, he could have just asked for help from the mages instead of receiving an offer from the dark-ones.

-- I will tell you a secret, they can not take your soul without your consent, the only thing you have to say is ''no'' when the day of your eternal sleep comes. Most just make the deal and are ready to pass away their soul when the time comes, but you do have a choice, as help should be free.- the mage smiled once more and this time the man answered. For the first time in a long time, he felt relieved and like there was a hope.

That is the time when the word of those in the station spread like wildfire and up until years later the mage had hands full of work. Times change and slowly, after hundreds of years, magic started to be forgotten and only then the young woman stopped. Now both sides lurk from the dark corners and bright rays of the sun, they help or mislead those in need, but they have no human faces anymore.

And as for the man, he joined the group of the giving mages and spent his life amongst those who cared, it was not too late, not for him or anyone, and he retired to the land of the dead filled with love and compassion, with his heart on his sleeve and his soul in his chest.

---

I had a dream of this, but it all was happening very fast. It started with a lot of customers for the group and then it was less and less and people seemed to forget that magic existed. There was also a board behind them where they constantly put on different potion recipes but stopped when the people didn't need their help anymore. The fight for customers was very tough in the beginning, but the dark-siders were too afraid from the mage to attack straight on.

Have a great day, week and life,
Linda