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“What Was Your First Spell” by Dirt Coyote (part 1 of 2)
Mateo, a magic gifted coyote, has one question on his mind for those who’ve entered his life.
Today’s story is the first of two parts of “What Was Your First Spell?” by Dirt Coyote, who, when he’s not causing all sorts of trouble on twitter, is writing a novel, a series, and short furry fiction. His story featured on The Voice of Dog, “I’m Just Your Stud” was nominated for Coyotl’s Best Short Story of 2021. Find him at DirtCoyote on Twitter for future updates.
Read for you by Khaki, your faithful fireside companion.
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https://thevoice.dog/episode/what-was-your-first-spell-by-dirt-coyote-part-1-of-2
Transcript
You’re listening to The Voice of Dog. I’m Khaki, your faithful fireside companion,
Speaker:and Today’s story is the first of two parts of
Speaker:“What Was Your First Spell?”
Speaker:by Dirt Coyote, who,
Speaker:when he’s not causing all sorts of trouble on twitter,
Speaker:is writing a novel,
Speaker:a series, and short furry fiction.
Speaker:His story featured on The Voice of Dog,
Speaker:“I’m Just Your Stud”
Speaker:was nominated for Coyotl’s Best Short Story of 2021.
Speaker:Find him at DirtCoyote on Twitter for future updates.
Speaker:Please enjoy “What Was Your First Spell? (Part 1 of 2)”
Speaker:By Dirt Coyote Ernesto’s eyes lit as the question danced around the gray in his large vulpine ears.
Speaker:A wry grin pulled his muzzle back
Speaker:and lifted his whiskers high. The coyote cub standing across his desk
Speaker:wrapped an arm around his chest.
Speaker:He rubbed at his elbow
Speaker:sheepishly, looking about ready to walk back out of the library.
Speaker:“You want to know what my first spell was?”
Speaker:the fox repeated back to the cub,
Speaker:standing from his seat
Speaker:and pointing towards a chair for the coyote boy to sit in.
Speaker:“Why, I haven’t been asked that in maybe half a century.”
Speaker:Keeping his muzzle downward,
Speaker:the cub’s eyes danced between the seat
Speaker:and his toes. Ernesto laughed
Speaker:and looped his way around the desk,
Speaker:his long purple robes swooshing over the carpet.
Speaker:With a squeak, the boy was ushered into the chair
Speaker:and planted firmly on top. “Alright, my precious Mateo, I’ll answer you anything you ask,
Speaker:but we have to make a deal on it,”
Speaker:Ernesto said, planting his rump on his own desk.
Speaker:“I want to see it.
Speaker:Turn out your pockets.”
Speaker:The coyote’s ears perked.
Speaker:A shade of pink flushed over his muzzle
Speaker:and inside of his ears.
Speaker:Rubbing his paws together stalled him a second,
Speaker:but a snap of the fox’s fingers got his attention.
Speaker:Mateo fiddled around his pockets for a second before holding out his paw.
Speaker:Inside sat a shiny oblong shaped pebble’s worth of metal.
Speaker:“My goodness,” the elderly fox gasped.
Speaker:His maw hung open as he leaned in for a closer look.
Speaker:“May I examine it?”
Speaker:Mateo pulled back,
Speaker:startling Ernesto with how quickly the cub retreated his arms into his chest.
Speaker:Not wanting to frighten the boy, Ernesto cautiously reached down to the young cub’s head
Speaker:and stroked him from the base of his ear down his nape.
Speaker:Trailing his fingers around his neck softly,
Speaker:he cupped underneath the boy’s chin
Speaker:and lifted his muzzle so their eyes could meet.
Speaker:As gentle as clouds
Speaker:and sweet as honey, Ernesto whispered,
Speaker:“You don’t have to be afraid.
Speaker:I promise, as your librarian,
Speaker:your mentor, and your friend,
Speaker:I will not keep it.”
Speaker:Small mumbles escaped the skittish canine,
Speaker:but he relaxed enough to let out a sigh.
Speaker:Pulling the pebble from his chest protectively,
Speaker:Mateo showed it to the fox again.
Speaker:Not making a move until he was sure that the boy was relaxed, Enersto carefully reached inside of the coyote’s palm
Speaker:and picked up the nugget.
Speaker:Instantly, he felt the familiar buzz of magical energy tingling at his fingertips.
Speaker:“It’s huge. No wonder you're the talk of the town,”
Speaker:he exclaimed, rolling it against his pads.
Speaker:The fox brought the metal to his nose and sniffed a couple times,
Speaker:examining it just inches from his spectacles before continuing,
Speaker:“It's so pure; almost entirely iron.
Speaker:I don’t think a fifth year student could accomplish this.
Speaker:Are you sure you did this? You didn’t just find it on the ground?”
Speaker:At the question, he turned his attention back to Mateo.
Speaker:He seemed nervous,
Speaker:clamming up once more.
Speaker:Ernesto dropped to a knee,
Speaker:almost immediately regretting the decision.
Speaker:His joints ached and a pinch in his back caused a groan to escape his lips.
Speaker:But he needed the truth.
Speaker:The boy turned his gaze away,
Speaker:not daring to meet the librarian’s stare.
Speaker:There were spells to take what he wanted from the coyote’s mind, but Ernesto didn’t need those.
Speaker:“Mijo, if you’re telling fibs, I want you to be honest,” Ernesto gently requested.
Speaker:He grabbed the coyote’s wrist,
Speaker:returning the nugget before clasping both his paws together.
Speaker:“It’s okay if you made this up for attention.
Speaker:No one will be mad,
Speaker:especially not me.
Speaker:There are no lies between us.”
Speaker:Mateo’s lips pursed tightly,
Speaker:his ears folding back against his head.
Speaker:Eyebrows furrowed,
Speaker:he turned to face Ernesto,
Speaker:nose almost touching nose.
Speaker:The coyote took a small gasp
Speaker:and just before a word could leave his mouth,
Speaker:the fox quickly placed a finger to the boy’s muzzle.
Speaker:“No, no, no. haha. Don’t say anything you don’t mean.
Speaker:That look tells me everything.
Speaker:I believe you.” Getting to his feet required him to hoist himself using both of the armrests,
Speaker:and a little assistance from the coyote in front of him. Ernesto brushed off his robes and rubbed a sore spot just above the base of his tail.
Speaker:He certainly couldn’t do that again today,
Speaker:if ever for the rest of his life.
Speaker:Not wanting to feel as old as he was,
Speaker:the fox put some life into his steps
Speaker:and moved about the room.
Speaker:“Metallurgy,” Ernesto said
Speaker:as he grabbed books from off the shelves
Speaker:and stacked them into his paws.
Speaker:“It’s a branch of augmentation and geomancy,
Speaker:combining both the manipulation of physical alteration
Speaker:and the elemental components of earth magic, allowing you to bend
Speaker:nature to your will. Very impressive stuff.”
Speaker:Speaking only fueled the fox more
Speaker:as he began tossing books into the air.
Speaker:The pages fluttered loudly, sailing towards Mateo,
Speaker:but none touched the floor.
Speaker:Instead, they flapped about,
Speaker:soaring through the air before stopping right in front of the coyote’s muzzle.
Speaker:Books flipped open to the different sections,
Speaker:light highlighting pictographs and keywords
Speaker:while the librarian rambled on.
Speaker:“We’re going to have to speed through some basic knowledge of metal types to pick-up where you started.
Speaker:If earth magic is where your strength is, then it probably wouldn’t hurt to familiarize you with other nature elements.
Speaker:Or maybe we should start off with augmentation.
Speaker:Have you ever noticed any changes of the spatial properties of objects you’ve held? Heck,
Speaker:if we’re going to do that, then we might as well—”
Speaker:Just as Ernesto was pulling out scales, beakers, and an abacus,
Speaker:he caught a gentle cough.
Speaker:His whole body swung around,
Speaker:unable to see the coyote surrounded
Speaker:underneath a half dozen floating texts.
Speaker:The fox waved his paws and they parted enough to reveal Mateo
Speaker:clearing his throat with his arms folded
Speaker:and a stern look in his eyes.
Speaker:“What? What’s that look for?” Ernesto questioned,
Speaker:pausing a second before slapping himself on the forehead.
Speaker:“Oh, right. My apologies.
Speaker:We had a bargain, didn’t we?”
Speaker:With the snap of his fingers, all the books loudly slapped
Speaker:shut and threw themselves neatly onto the desk.
Speaker:The measuring equipment in his paws flew soundlessly to join them at their side.
Speaker:Ernesto motioned to his chair,
Speaker:beckoning it forward until it phased right through the desk
Speaker:and sat directly in front of the coyote.
Speaker:“What was my first spell?
Speaker:That’s what you want to know?”
Speaker:he asked, plopping down in his seat.
Speaker:Ernesto scratched his chin in thoughtfulness over what he remembered
Speaker:and what he wanted to say.
Speaker:The coyote was silent as he waited,
Speaker:but was unable to contain his tail thwacking against the side of his chair impatiently.
Speaker:“Yes, yes. I just— It’s been a long time and I wanna make sure I’m telling it to you right.
Speaker:You see, unlike your family and most families in this village, I came from magic.
Speaker:My dad, my mom, their parents, their parent’s parents and so on had been born with magic coursing through their veins.
Speaker:That being so, me and my seven brothers and sisters were expected to show magical aptitude at an early age.
Speaker:Well, ha, expected,
Speaker:but it's always unpredictable it might be or when it might happen.
Speaker:happen." At that, Ernesto pulled back his left sleeve
Speaker:to reveal a bald spot just past his elbow. “Sister.
Speaker:Bolt of lightning erupted from her paws while we chased each other.
Speaker:Fur never grew back, but it was nowhere near as destructive as my first.
Speaker:You see, most cubs, it comes out in a little controllable fire, or a gust of wind, or a splash of water, or something mundane.
Speaker:My parents had wards enveloping all of the house to make sure we couldn’t cause too much damage with our firsts,” Ernesto paused with a small chuckle before adding,
Speaker:“Unfortunately, just like you,
Speaker:I was not like most cubs.”
Speaker:Ernesto raised his palms
Speaker:and cupped them at his lips,
Speaker:whispering inside before leaning forward with his fingers interlaced.
Speaker:“It was a hot sticky summer night.
Speaker:I was six, sitting on my roof.
Speaker:I’d thought to just shave off all my fur then stand the heat for another second.
Speaker:It was inescapable,
Speaker:even outside and I just wanted so hard, so very hard,
Speaker:to feel cool once again.
Speaker:I saw a shooting star and.
Speaker:and...” Ernesto slowly opened his paws
Speaker:and Mateo held his breath.
Speaker:Leaning in, the boy could make out
Speaker:a tiny blue worm
Speaker:resting in the fox’s paw.
Speaker:He cocked his head curiously as the larva wriggled back and forth
Speaker:before two wings
Speaker:and two legs ripped out of its body.
Speaker:A jagged edged beak formed at its mouth
Speaker:while a sharp piercing point erupted from its base.
Speaker:When it finished its transformation it turned,
Speaker:opened up its nasty maw,
Speaker:and lunged for him
Speaker:only to hit an invisible barrier.
Speaker:The thud was still enough to make Mateo jump,
Speaker:but Ernesto just laughed and shook his head.
Speaker:“She’s terrifying, no?
Speaker:Just a little upset I woke her up.
Speaker:They always are,” the fox said,
Speaker:reaching a paw inside the bubble
Speaker:and stroking the two inch long frost wyvern’s back soothingly.
Speaker:“As I was saying, I’d accidentally pulled magic from the meteor.
Speaker:Imagine summoning a dozen full grown of these things without knowing encapsulation or suspension spells.
Speaker:They descended on the house, taking everything but our lives.
Speaker:Thankfully, the wyverns couldn’t survive the heat for long and
Speaker:everything we lost could be replaced.”
Speaker:The wyvern inside of Ernesto’s paw
Speaker:leaned into the strokes,
Speaker:letting out coos of delight at the touch.
Speaker:Mateo was still in his chair,
Speaker:his eyes unable to leave the creature.
Speaker:In the cub’s fear,
Speaker:Ernesto saw something familiar
Speaker:and important. Not wanting him to be afraid of his own magic,
Speaker:he grabbed hold of the coyote’s paw
Speaker:and pulled it towards his cupped palm.
Speaker:He resisted at first
Speaker:and the wyvern sensed the fear.
Speaker:Both retreated but Ernesto was determined.
Speaker:“It’s alright. Like I said, she’s just a little grumpy
Speaker:and you’re just a little scared
Speaker:this is happening all at once.”
Speaker:With that, Ernesto twisted the coyote cub’s paw
Speaker:until his palm was facing upward.
Speaker:“Don’t be afraid, Mijo,”
Speaker:he said, bringing the boy’s gaze to his own.
Speaker:“Your magic is a beautiful gift.”
Speaker:With that, the fox carefully placed the little summon inside of the boy’s paw.
Speaker:He watched Mateo’s fur shiver in bristles
Speaker:at the wyvern’s radiating cold.
Speaker:She didn’t look too excited to be there either,
Speaker:equally nervous of the boy hundreds of times its size.
Speaker:Ernesto held his breath,
Speaker:pulling his paws back so that the wyvern and the coyote could become familiar with one another.
Speaker:Without either knowing,
Speaker:he held a banishment spell at his clawtip.
Speaker:He wasn’t quite as fast as he was in his youth though.
Speaker:If the wyvern wanted to hurt Mateo,
Speaker:there’d be little time to stop it.
Speaker:The fox readied himself for the worst,
Speaker:still pleading with his eyes.
Speaker:Thankfully, the coyote seemed to understand what Ernesto wanted him to do.
Speaker:Relaxing his shoulders, he reached his own paw forward
Speaker:and gave the wyvern
Speaker:one single stroke down the back of its spine.
Speaker:She eased and leaned into Mateo’s paw to accept the attention.
Speaker:The librarian let out a long sigh of relief,
Speaker:smiling with the cub
Speaker:as he gave his summon gentle pets. “Hmm,
Speaker:I think I’ve got a better idea,” Ernesto started,
Speaker:standing from the chair
Speaker:and pointing at the books and equipment on the table.
Speaker:In a flash, they all lept upward and zipped in the air right back to where the fox had pulled them.
Speaker:He walked to a shelf,
Speaker:pulling out a single book before returning to his seat.
Speaker:“Studies of the Metaphysical, the Ultra-planed, and the Natural and Unnatural Properties of Majestic Phenomena.
Speaker:I slept with this very volume every night before my first spell.” Ernesto said,
Speaker:trying to work up a laugh
Speaker:just as his throat seized up.
Speaker:He turned his attention to the copy for a long while,
Speaker:lost in his memories.
Speaker:Tears welled up along the sides of the fox’s eyes,
Speaker:but he didn’t let Mateo see them.
Speaker:Carefully, he looked to the cub
Speaker:and placed the book inside of Mateo’s lap before continuing,
Speaker:“It’s yours now. Read chapters one through three and then come back to see me.
Speaker:Take your time. Your family comes first,
Speaker:always.” The coyote nodded his head up and down,
Speaker:a new sense of vigor coming to life right before Ernesto.
Speaker:Before Mateo could protest,
Speaker:the librarian touched the wyvern with the tip of his claw
Speaker:and she burst into snowflakes.
Speaker:The coyote looked to fret,
Speaker:but he softened the boy with a pet on his head.
Speaker:“Don’t worry. I’ll teach you how to bring her back soon enough.
Speaker:She won’t even know you were gone.”
Speaker:The coyote nodded in understanding,
Speaker:and without any warning,
Speaker:he shot to his feet
Speaker:and dove his muzzle right between the opening of the fox’s robe.
Speaker:Ernesto felt himself turn hot,
Speaker:feeling embarrassed to receive
Speaker:the tightest hug he’d ever been given.
Speaker:Admittingly, even he couldn’t deny how excited he was himself
Speaker:and wrapped his arms around the boy's shoulders.
Speaker:Between Mateo's ears, Ernesto whispered,
Speaker:“This will be the start of a wonderful relationship.” *****
Speaker:Asif furrowed his brow at the coyote sniffling in front of him.
Speaker:The neck of the boy’s shirt was stretched to the point of ruin
Speaker:and there was a blood stain beneath his nostril.
Speaker:His lip was swollen
Speaker:and an ugly black ring was forming underneath the white fur around his eye.
Speaker:With the wave of his staff though,
Speaker:the jaguar dismissed the boy.
Speaker:“Get out of here and do not speak to me again,”
Speaker:Asif spat. The coyote shriveled at that, but otherwise stood his ground
Speaker:on the porch of the guard’s station. He’d seen him before, Mateo,
Speaker:always getting picked on to and from the library. A cacomistle seemed to be the leader of the group that harassed him.
Speaker:Despite the other boy being half a foot shorter than Mateo,
Speaker:the coyote allowed himself to be taunted and pushed around rather than stand up for himself.
Speaker:“I said go!” the jaguar almost yelled,
Speaker:waving his staff again to scare him off the porch.
Speaker:“Your problems are your own.
Speaker:It’s my job to stop wandering elementals,
Speaker:psychotic necromancers, and the occasional wild boar.
Speaker:Not little pups from little pups.”
Speaker:Asif made a growl
Speaker:and looked to lunge at the coyote,
Speaker:but he didn’t flinch the way he wanted.
Speaker:Instead, Mateo started a soft cry,
Speaker:wobbled backwards until his back hit a post,
Speaker:and shrunk down until his muzzle was tucked between his knees.
Speaker:It was enough to make the jaguar roll his eyes and make a gagging sound.
Speaker:Part of him wanted to just let little Mateo sob it out like a sissy.
Speaker:His shift was ending soon and he wouldn’t have to stick around to humor this much longer.
Speaker:But he was finding it harder and harder to ignore this suffering.
Speaker:It stirred something from his past,
Speaker:and itched at his insides.
Speaker:Stepping over to the cub,
Speaker:he grabbed hold of the boy’s arm and yanked him up to his feet.
Speaker:“Look at you. You’re pathetic.
Speaker:Crying here wondering why you’re always getting picked on.
Speaker:Then you come to me
Speaker:asking what my first spell was? Something easy to hurt those kids the way that they hurt you.
Speaker:You think I would allow that?
Speaker:You think that will save you?”
Speaker:Asif straddled the coyote several times
Speaker:until he stopped crying.
Speaker:“You spoiled brats have it so easy, you have to make problems for each other.
Speaker:When I was growing up, there was no town guard.
Speaker:All of them had been killed by slave traders.
Speaker:Kids didn’t pick on kids because they weren’t able to be young and stupid.
Speaker:That’s a luxury only you have.”
Speaker:Before the jaguar finished, he forced Mateo into his gaze.
Speaker:“You want to know what my first spell was?”
Speaker:Mateo tried averting his eyes,
Speaker:but Asif brought his muzzle towards his own.
Speaker:He wanted to be sure that this lesson stuck.
Speaker:With his claw raised just shy of the coyote’s nose,
Speaker:he ignited a small ball of fire.
Speaker:The heat was enough to be felt by both of them;
Speaker:hot but not quite seering.
Speaker:“I was your age when I was introduced to the flame.
Speaker:When the slavers came to my village,
Speaker:they simply kicked open doors and took what they wanted.
Speaker:They grabbed my mother and dragged her out by the tail.
Speaker:In her screams, I felt anger so hot
Speaker:that it shot out my paws and eviscerated my enemies.
Speaker:Their shrieks of agony
Speaker:are as fresh in my mind right now
Speaker:as they were that day,”
Speaker:as he finished, he snuffed out the spell.
Speaker:Asif pulled his entire head back,
Speaker:revealing the scars the metal collar left around his neck.
Speaker:“The flame couldn’t save me.
Speaker:No, it only assured my fate.
Speaker:They took me and they beat me
Speaker:and used my magic for their horrible deeds.”
Speaker:The jaguar closed his eyes
Speaker:and took a deep breath.
Speaker:Though Mateo was no longer sobbing,
Speaker:he could still hear it in his head.
Speaker:He could hear the sobs of a tiny jaguar boy who just wanted to go home
Speaker:and see his mama again.
Speaker:Asif opened his eyes
Speaker:and looked deep into the coyote’s
Speaker:for anything malicious.
Speaker:All he could see
Speaker:was the frightened cub
Speaker:he used to be. “Stand up straight,”
Speaker:Asif ordered as he did so himself.
Speaker:The boy looked confused and so the jaguar yanked him up hard and adjusted him until he was standing the way he wanted.
Speaker:“The flame couldn’t save me, because I had to save me.
Speaker:You’re going to have to save yourself
Speaker:and you’re going to do it
Speaker:without magic.” Holding his fists up,
Speaker:he showed the coyote a proper defensive stance.
Speaker:Asif watched him slowly try to position himself similarly.
Speaker:Annoyed, the jaguar slapped the boy hard on the chest and glared down at him.
Speaker:“You think they’re going to wait for you.
Speaker:Situate yourself quickly
Speaker:and hold your fist high,”
Speaker:he growled, and Mateo did so almost immediately. “Good,
Speaker:now I’m going to teach you how to defend yourself,
Speaker:but you must do something for me in return,”
Speaker:Asif said, swinging into the air.
Speaker:“That cacomistle, the boy that’s always picking on you.
Speaker:He’s got a loose fang on his right side that makes this irritating whistle whenever he speaks.
Speaker:speaks." The jaguar made a quick fast jab forward.
Speaker:When he saw Mateo replicate his motion flawlessly,
Speaker:Asif smiled wide
Speaker:and said, "You are going to knock it out of his fuzzy little head.
Speaker:head.” ***** Jax needed to put his paw on his muzzle to stifle his giggling. Even so, the cheetah couldn’t keep from rocking back and forth cross legged on his bed.
Speaker:Directly across from him was the coyote,
Speaker:his dormmate and best friend,
Speaker:sitting with his usual sly grin.
Speaker:With their other two roommates gone,
Speaker:one in the infirmary for the flu and the other sent back home to see family,
Speaker:the cheetah knew that tonight would be the night.
Speaker:“Mateo, you always ask such silly questions. You’re such a goof,
Speaker:I can’t help but laugh,”
Speaker:Jax chuckled, inching a little closer.
Speaker:Both had arrived at Goldpine’s Academy of Gifted Boys at the same time
Speaker:and had been almost inseparable for the past two years.
Speaker:Jax felt lucky they’d gotten along so well.
Speaker:Of course, everyone had gotten along with the coyote.
Speaker:Even the boys that he stood up to had some admiration for Mateo.
Speaker:However, Jax knew
Speaker:what he shared with him was different than
Speaker:anything anyone else had.
Speaker:Jax scooted closer,
Speaker:his paw sitting on the sheets next to the coyote’s knee.
Speaker:“You’ve seen it before, my first spell that is,”
Speaker:he whispered. His clawtips traced circles into the fabric,
Speaker:and he wanted badly to rest his paw against Mateo's.
Speaker:He couldn’t work up the courage yet.
Speaker:His heart beat hard like a drum in his chest.
Speaker:Sandy scents filled his nostrils as he took in Mateo.
Speaker:He loved the way that the coyote smelled.
Speaker:It was so foreign and exotic to him,
Speaker:like a spice that tickled all of his senses.
Speaker:As he leaned in towards him though,
Speaker:they both caught a creak from the hallway
Speaker:outside the room.
Speaker:They could make out the light from a lantern
Speaker:illuminating the wooden boards underneath the door gap.
Speaker:Jax gasped, knowing they might be caught by one of the hall supervisors.
Speaker:Before he could do a single thing though,
Speaker:the coyote was already on it.
Speaker:Lightening fast, Mateo flung both arms out in opposite directions.
Speaker:With his left paw, he dimmed the candles sitting near the window sill.
Speaker:With his right, he’d cast something at the base of the door.
Speaker:It took a second to fully actualize,
Speaker:but soon the sounds of two cubs snoring
Speaker:repeated into the air.
Speaker:Under a soft blue veil of moonlight,
Speaker:he could see the coyote gritting teeth
Speaker:maintaining both spells at once.
Speaker:Jax was no dunce by any means, but his maw hung open like a gutted fish
Speaker:watching him work his talents.
Speaker:No way in heaven or hell could the cheetah cast and maintain
Speaker:two spells from completely different schools of magic
Speaker:in a moment’s warning.
Speaker:It was no wonder Mateo was top of his class.
Speaker:Seconds stretched out long
Speaker:and Jax felt like he might pass out, both from the anxiety of it all
Speaker:and the fact he’d been holding his breath.
Speaker:Thankfully, the figure was fooled by the coyote’s illusions
Speaker:and continued down the hall.
Speaker:He released the two spells with a sigh of relief,
Speaker:the candle’s flames gradually brightened until both boy’s
Speaker:nervous smiles were illuminated once more by the light.
Speaker:Before Jax could say anything though,
Speaker:Mateo waved his paw in a circle for him to continue.
Speaker:“You really want to know, don’t you?”
Speaker:Jax asked curiously,
Speaker:an eyebrow arched.
Speaker:“Well, you remember when we first met?
Speaker:You were crying out front of the school’s gates.”
Speaker:At that, Mateo pulled backward,
Speaker:his muzzle scrunching up like a raisin.
Speaker:His ears folded back
Speaker:and he looked about to protest, but Jax shook his head quickly.
Speaker:“Shh, I’m not teasing you.
Speaker:I can understand why you were sad,”
Speaker:he said, reaching up to stroke the coyote’s muzzle.
Speaker:Mateo turned his gaze away,
Speaker:not looking at Jax.
Speaker:The cheetah took a breath in through his nose before releasing it slowly and continuing in a whisper,
Speaker:“Your maestro, the fox, Ernesto.
Speaker:You speak so kindly of him and I envy what you had.
Speaker:He seemed like a great man and a wonderful teacher.
Speaker:I really wish I could have met him.”
Speaker:Jax finished speaking
Speaker:with a hug. He could feel Mateo nodding his head up and down,
Speaker:trying his best to hold back the tears.
Speaker:Jax understood,
Speaker:knowing full well that if he lost his teacher
Speaker:and then was sent halfway across the world,
Speaker:he’d probably cry a little too.
Speaker:Releasing the hug, Jax smiled
Speaker:and held on to Mateo’s paw.
Speaker:"I don't remember my first spell very well, but I'd been told the story enough times to repeat it.
Speaker:I was just a toddler when my grandma passed.
Speaker:She was around the same age as your mentor.
Speaker:My family was in mourning,
Speaker:but none quite as devastated as my sister.
Speaker:She couldn't leave the bed and would just cry in her room alone.
Speaker:No one knew what to say or do to help her.
Speaker:"I could barely understand what was going on, but they said I couldn't see her.
Speaker:They said it would just make me upset,
Speaker:but I missed her too much to keep away.
Speaker:On the fifth day, I walked into her room to see her curled up in her sheets.
Speaker:She didn't say anything to me, barely even acknowledged my existence,
Speaker:but I remember walking up beside her
Speaker:and held out my paw.
Speaker:paw." With that, he let go of Mateo’s paw
Speaker:and held his own to his chest.
Speaker:The cheetah closed his eyes,
Speaker:breathing in as he recited an incantation from his heart.
Speaker:Green bulbs the size of marbles glittered around his fingers until a stem grew from his grasp.
Speaker:From nothing, an orange poppy blossomed into life.
Speaker:"I pulled a flower from inside myself and held it out for her.
Speaker:When she took it, she stopped crying
Speaker:and swore that it was our grandma's last gift.
Speaker:It was her way of saying goodbye through me,"
Speaker:he said as he brought the flower to his nose.
Speaker:Taking a soft breath to assure that the spell was perfect,
Speaker:Jax held the poppy out for the coyote to take. He twirled the flower between his fingertips,
Speaker:dancing the pedals to life.
Speaker:"That day, when you were sad on the ground,
Speaker:I gave you this same flower.
Speaker:You took it and I knew we would always be friends.
Speaker:friends." Jax held his breath,
Speaker:tail lashing behind him
Speaker:as he waited for the coyote to take it.
Speaker:Mateo didn’t. Instead,
Speaker:the coyote clasped paws with the other boy.
Speaker:With no more words to exchange,
Speaker:he leaned in and planted his lips right on the cheetah’s.
Speaker:Their muzzles locked together,
Speaker:and as they fell into the bed,
Speaker:Mateo raised his paw and used his magic to snuff out the candles
Speaker:one final time. This was the first of two parts of
Speaker:“What Was Your First Spell?”
Speaker:by Dirt Coyote, read for you by Khaki,
Speaker:your faithful fireside companion.
Speaker:Tune in next time to find out where Mateo ends up next
Speaker:and what other lessons he can learn from other people’s
Speaker:first spell. As always,
Speaker:you can find more stories on the web at thevoice.dog,
Speaker:or find the show wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker:Thank you for listening
Speaker:to The Voice of Dog.
