Alex looked around the apartment. Kelvin was nearly bouncing with excitement and anticipation. “You get this whole downstairs, Alex,” he walked over to a large empty space. “And this is your bedroom and bathroom. Look, it’s got a closet!”
Alex followed Kelvin, and the landlord followed Alex, keeping a good distance away. She was silent, just staying back and letting the apartment sell itself. Alex did like the layout, the location, and the fact that it didn’t look like the apartment he was just leaving.
“It’s all right for me,” said Alex. The words were magic to Kelvin, who beamed at the landlord. “We’ll take it!” Kelvin produced a checkbook while the landlord went back to the kitchen. Kelvin wrote out the security and first month’s rent, of which half Alex would pay him back for.
“When can we start moving in?”
The landlord gave him the keys. “Right now.”
“I’ll be moved in by tomorrow,” said Alex. He had nothing but some clothes that Scott had gotten him.
“Okay,” said Kelvin. “It’ll take a bit for me.”
“Let me know if you want help,” Alex said, as the landlord left.
“I will, thank you.” Kelvin gave him a set of keys. “These are yours.”
He shook his head. “I can’t carry them.”
“How do you expect to get in?”
“What do you think the security deposit’s for? For the times I destroy the lock.”
Kelvin shook his head. “No. I’ll leave them somewhere for you. Maybe we can make a panel in the wall or move a brick or something.
“Magic. Ask Scott.” Speaking of Scott, he had some place to go. “I need to be somewhere. You staying here?”
“No, I’ll walk out with you.” Kelvin locked the door behind him and looked around the wall to see where he could secure the key. Alex waited a few minutes, and then Kelvin shook his head. “It’ll have to be magic.”
Alex’s world was full of magic now. He didn’t ask why it worked, he just knew it did. He had plans to buy certain things, get Scott or Mike to do what they did to make them last longer.
They rode down the elevator to the first floor, and went their separate ways – Kelvin south, to home to tell his parents, and Alex north to the moon base’s Atrium.
Scott had been pestering him to go see it, so he finally reluctantly decided to go. He hadn’t really walked in nature because he felt himself an abomination to it. The last time he walked in nature he was betrayed, by swimming in a lake of toxic goo and becoming this creature. They weren’t sure if it was a latent mutation that had come out, or if it was just the goo itself; regardless, here he was.
He walked into the moon base and found initially no one there, so he headed to the Atrium. He walked in, and what assaulted him at first was the smell of woods. The decay of woods. Of course, that’s what would greet him, he thought. He is the master of decay.
He continued through the thick grass that was like a rug at his feet. He saw crystals, stones, and roots, trees, flowers, all in a careful array of chaos. He supposed he should appreciate the care that Scott had put into it, but it looked like a mess to him. He walked further in, seeing the pool of water. He took off his glove and put his hand in the water, expecting it to sizzle and burn like water normally did when in contact with his sweat. It didn’t. It felt warm. He swished his hand around in the pool a little.
He looked up to see the standing stones, and something beyond them. He removed his hand from the pool, wiping his hand on the leather pants. He walked around the standing stones and saw the tree.
He looked up, and up to see its canopy of leaves hit the top of the dome, as if it was leaning over to embrace anyone who came close enough to it. Alex, although not a mage, a druid, or a magic user, could feel something in that tree, something powerful and thrumming. He placed his bare hand against the tree, and he jerked his hand back. It pulsed under his touch. He could have sworn it did.
“Nice job he did, huh?” asked Mike, coming down the path to see him. “He did a lot of it for you.”
“For me?” Alex turned to him. “Why?”
“This place is probably the only place you can run around naked and not have to worry about causing any damage.” He opened his arms. “It’s full of life, and even your destructive energies – and mine – can’t do anything to stop it.” He wiped away a fake tear. “Makes a man proud when his student surpasses him.”
“But why?”
Mike shrugged. “You remind him of himself. He wants to help you.”
Alex looked back at the tree. “It’s nice of him.”
Mike laughed. “So now you can bring someone up here and have sex.”
“That’s not what I would do here,” he said. “Though I’m sure Fallen and Kelvin have.”
“Probably,” said Mike. “There’s no cameras.”
Alex turned to Mike and put his glove on. “Can you help me?”
“If I can, sure.”
“I got an apartment.”
“Oh, good!”
“I need some of those wards so I can, you know, walk around naked.”
Mike laughed. “I think you made a joke, Alex. Of course I’ll make some wards for you.”
“And somehow hide the keys so I can’t carry them.”
“Easy peasy.” Mike put an arm around Alex. “Now you have no excuse.”
Alex shook he head, and let Mike guide him out.