Chapter Thirteen - Chance Encounters

Rain opened up the gray afternoon sky, drumming a steady rhythm against the canvas umbrellas. I sat alone at a rusted iron corner table at the Veil and Thorn, my hood pulled low over my eyes. I slowly drank my cafe mocha and flipped through a thick black notebook filled with handwritten names and summaries of everyone I had met so far in Acadia. It was my personal ledger for keeping track of the crowded village.

An exhausted-looking wizard walked into the tavern and I watched him talk with the server behind the counter about having a late shift at the Medica. He ordered some banana bread as well as a large cup of coffee and then turned towards me and asked, “Hey… I’ve seen you around, haven’t I? At the Gallery and the Aquarius Coven, right? Hope you’re doing well?”

I looked up and smiled at him. “Hey there. Sounds like you had a long night. You can join me if you like… I have indeed seen you around, but I don’t believe I’ve heard your name… I’m Tyra, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you, Tyra. I’m Dorian,” he smiled, taking a seat across from me and setting his glass on the table. “I have been learning about Healing magic for a couple of years now, and I’m in the Taurus Coven - that’s the co-ed one.” He leaned forward and studied me carefully. “So… Aquarius, hmm? How’s life over there with Jezebel?”

I smirked a little and said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dorian. A healing student? A Healing apprentice? I haven’t really decided which area of the Arcane I want to focus on yet…I am still learning about all of this, to be honest. I just arrived within the past month or so… I’m taking my time.” I shrugged then at the question about Jezebel. “Jez… She’s interesting, for sure. She creates the kind of environment I was looking for in that I can finally just be myself and enjoy the moments that come.”

Dorian nodded as he listened and said, “Indeed. I’ve also been studying Empathetic arcana as it’s hopefully a good way to balance healing my patients both physically and emotionally. If I can understand why they’re hurting, hopefully I can help them overcome the pain they’ve gone through.”

I listened to him closely, drinking my coffee. “That’s really kind of inspiring, Dorian. I have been enjoying the lessons from the Archivists, and am looking forward to learning more about all sorts of magic. Gideon seems to have a really helpful way of explaining the Conclave that wants you to learn how to use your abilities while still making certain that you obey the Accords. But you’re right,” I took a deep breath. “Everyone is here for a different reason, and I’m sure that you have seen a lot of darkness in Acadia…”

“I have indeed,” he admitted. “In fact, my family has been in this village for generations… My great great grandparents ran this tavern, decades ago…” He looked around reverently and asked, “So where are you from, Tyra?”

I inhaled a little, wishing I was as proud of my own family legacy as much as he was. “I am from Chicago. This is all very different for me. What was your family like…?”

Dorian drank some of his tea and leaned forward on the table. “I was born in New Orleans and put up for adoption. My parents are from Bayou Lafourche, so I grew up in Thibodaux, the capital. My parents are of French Creole and Cajun ancestry… My father was a senior Healer at the Medica, and I suppose I just followed in his footsteps.” He looked down a bit and said softly, “Both of my parents were hit with a slow shadow-curse a few years back; the kind that eats away at your life force over time. I handle a lot of the family’s arcane affairs and check on them whenever I can. It’s why I’m studying Empathic Arcana and advanced healing. I know it’s probably too late to fully save them… but if I can help even one other person keep their parents from fading the same way, then every late night and sacrifice is worth it.”

I reached over and gripped his hand as he talked about his parents. “Oh hon, I’m so, so sorry to hear that… It must be awful to watch them and carry all that weight… Do you have any siblings at all or is it just you?” I stroked his hand with my thumb and said, “But hearing why you’re studying Empathetic Arcana and advanced healing… That’s really beautiful, Dorain. You’re going to make an incredible Healer some day.”

“I am an only child,” Dorian admitted, squeezing my hand back. “Once they discovered my magical abilities, my parents decided that I was enough to focus on,” he smirked. “So now it’s my turn to turn that attention back on them.” He looked up at me and said, “And on you… Tell me more about yourself, Tyra.”

I smiled at him. “That’s really beautiful, hon…” I then let out a sigh as he asked about my past and said, “Growing up there was… loud. Concrete, trains, freezing winters, and a lot of pizza. I grew up in a… very strict and conservative home in a wealthy suburb. My parents policed everything I did… When I was old enough I moved out of the house and started working at a strip club, mostly out of spite really. The man who ran the place wasn’t much better than my own father… He was a vampire and he started to treat me like a prize to be managed rather than an actual person, and it was a really… toxic environment. So I left… moved out here to be away from all of… that, and to find myself again.”

Dorian sat back and studied me for a bit before he said, “Well, I agree on one thing that I heard. You are quite a prize for whoever you end up choosing to be with…”

I bit my lip, genuinely smiling at him. “Well thank you,” I blushed at the complement and drank more of my coffee. “I guess I’m not used to being able to spend time with someone and actually having a conversation like this… It’s extremely refreshing…”

Dorian looked up at me and smiled. “I have to admit, I enjoy just hearing about you. The real you. Not some fake upfront image that people see. Hardships in life are what shape and mold us… You’ve been through some major battles, as have I with my parents… Hearing that you aren’t exactly as perfect as you appear to be… That’s what makes moments like this real.”

I felt my throat tighten as a rare wave of raw emotion caught me completely off guard at his words. Hearing him acknowledge my past battles so clearly… It made me feel seen. I set down my cup and looked across the table at him. “Dorian… You have no idea how much it means for me to hear you say that. It's... really easy in a place like this to just show people the polished version, the catalog image. But you're right. The messy stuff, the hard-fought wars… like what we’ve both gone through… that's what actually matters. It's what gives a person substance."

As we continued talking about our pasts and what we were looking forward to in studying from the Archivists in Acadia, I found myself relaxing and enjoying the company of a new friend.