The Girl with an Owl

Chapter 5

The Magic of Mag

Passing through the portal was a unique experience that Ajana would never forget.

She thought it would be just like passing through any other doorway, but it was so much more.

The moment they stepped into it, she felt a strange sensation growing in the pit of her stomach. It reminded her of the feeling you get when you ride on a roller coaster just a lot more intense.

Also, there was a strange coolness she could feel on her skin. It wasn't uncomfortable, just different, unexpected. There were goosebumps all over her skin.

The whole experience made her gasp, and her eyes were wide open in pure wonder.

At first, she was confused, but after a few seconds, she could relax and enjoy the ride. Since she loved roller coasters, the feeling was thrilling for her.

Soon, she started laughing like crazy, lost in the joy of the new and exciting ride. It was happy although a bit nervous laughter that didn't cease until they reached firm ground.

Upon feeling the ground under her feet, Ajana couldn't lift her eyes to look around because everything was still a bit woozy. She had to take a few deep breaths to get her bearings.

When she managed to calm her breathing, and when her head stopped spinning in vicious circles, her eyes started searching for Wallace.

She was still shaking a bit, but she was anxious to see her dear owl friend, to know that she was not alone in a strange world.

Upon finally seeing him, she couldn't help but let out another gasp.

"Wallace! You are... You are so beautiful!" she stammered, a bit embarrassed that she said it out loud, not knowing how Wallace would react, but she couldn't help it.

Wallace's whole appearance changed in the new world they found themselves in, in Mag.

He was still the same owl she met, but he was much more magical and colorful. It seemed as if he was radiating magic. His feathers changed color, and they were in beautiful shades of red and purple.

There were also vivid waves of magic coming off his whole body, and it was the most spectacular sight she had ever seen.

Not only that, but she could also feel the change in Wallace. It was like he had been hiding all the power he possessed while in the human world, but now that Wallace was home, Ajana could feel how powerful he was.

It was evident not only in his appearance but also in every move he made. He was made of magic, or magic was made of him, Ajana wasn't sure which one was true.

One thing she was sure of was that her friend was much more than she thought him to be, and she was stunned.

Even his attitude was a bit more confident and comfortable when he bowed his head slightly and said: "Why thank you. I do appreciate the compliment. But I guess there are a few things I should explain."

Ajana thought that was the biggest understatement she had ever heard. However, she didn't say anything, she just stood there waiting for an explanation.

"You see, I didn't want to scare you by telling you the whole truth. We tried that, and it didn't go so well. Instead, we decided first to research the person's world and how familiar they were with magic and then use that knowledge or belief to try to explain what was happening.

"In your case, you expected that all witches had familiars, and that is what I told you, which is partially true. Well, it's mostly true, it's just a bit more than that. I am not only your familiar, I am your guardian.

"As you can see, we owls in this world are made entirely of magic. We are magic. That makes us uniquely qualified to protect and guide other magical beings.

"Some worlds are not very kind towards magical creatures, so we bring them here, to protect them and teach them how to live with their powers. After that, it's up to them to decide whether they want to stay or go back to their worlds.

"The thing is, in their worlds, they usually have to hide who they are. The same way you would have to hide if you decided to go back. But here you are free to be whomever you choose to be. We accept and protect everyone equally, and of course, everyone can use their powers, which is quite fun, I must say.

"In the origin worlds, the use of magic is usually risky, but here we, the owls, protect everyone, and they can use magic without any worries," he explained.

"Wow, this was too much to take in even before. Now I feel like my head may explode from the information overload. It's awesome, but it's also scary. I feel like I am in a Harry Potter book, and I have no idea what to do." Ajana said quietly.

"Well, maybe one day, you would be able to visit Harry Potter's world," Wallace said with confidence.

"You mean it's real!" Ajana started screaming.

"It's really real!?" she asked with emphasis.

"Yes, of course. Every possible world you have read or heard about or even the ones you have never heard about is real. There are so many more worlds than mere humans can even imagine, and most of them can be reached through different portals." Wallace said.

"Oh, my God! That is awesome! I can't wait to go there!" Ajana squealed with delight.

Wallace didn't say anything, amused as he was by her reaction. He waited for her to calm down and stop jumping up and down from joy. He waited for quite some time, but finally, she stopped, and they were ready to move on.