The Heart of Magic

As the clouds in the air 
and the light of the sun
find their path through 
the sky and the peaks 
of old homes,
An inquisitive boar 
with his work is now done.
In his store, he does sit
with a pile of old tomes.

It’s this shop there within - 
with its pages of text,
Where he sells all these books, 
as he barters their price 
With the beasts who do come;
They do feel so perplexed
By the number of shelves
and his prudent advice.

As the day turns to eve,
and his shop is quite closed,
Tired Eugene finds a youth
who is barely a man.
He’s a boar just like him
but is slim where he’s posed -
With a nervous small grin and 
wide eyes which do scan.

As their gazes do meet on
the edge of the street,
It is clear to Eugene that 
this boy needs his help.
He can see in his fur -
which isn’t tidy or neat,
That his stress finds a home
in the soul of this whelp.

“Is there something amiss?” 
there Eugene does intone.
“I can see in your face that 
there’s much out of place.”
“I’m not sure you can help”
he replies with a moan.
“I was told by a friend 
you’re a magical ace.”

“This is true my young sir 
as my store does infer.
Won’t you join me out there
in the square for a snack?”
He replies with a wink as his
hunger does spur
Him to sit in a pub at 
a seat in the back.

With the youth there in tow
as his hunger does show
All the ways that Eugene 
is quite wild and obscene.
As the boy simply bites -
with infrequent delights,
His distressing is quelled
as refreshments do flow.

As the food and the drinks
come and go in the night,
It’s the youth that does
state all the things 
that he needs.
“All my magic will ruin 
my life with its blight.
It’s the reason my 
sorcery never succeeds.”

As he finishes all of 
the food on his plate,
The more skillful Eugene
gives some honest advice.
“I am certain your options 
are few” he does state.
“I’m in need of more help
and a page would be nice.”

In the days that would 
follow - determining all
Of the problems young Tyler
was facing with spells,
It was clear that his feelings,
no matter how small, 
Is the place where his 
magical turbulence dwells.

Many books from the shelves
would then glide to the ground
When a job was too pressing
and making him mad.
Although Tyler is eager, 
his teacher had found,
He’s a nervous, quite 
fearful, dispirited lad.

On a day quite unlike those 
that had been foregone,
It is then that Eugene 
sees a smile on his face.
To a boar that’s his peer
he does eagerly fawn;
It is clear that young
Tyler’s enjoying the chase.

Though bespectacled Tyler 
is shorter and slim,
The tall beast that he 
fancies is portly and strong.
Though in spite of the 
contrast it’s really not him
Who is running the show 
and is singing the song.

“I am certain the guard
is quite perfect. To you.
there are few that compare.”
says young Tyler with joy.
To Eugene this display 
is a humorous view.
As around his young finger 
has Tyler this boy.

It is then that he 
notices calm in the store.
All the books and their shelves
neither rumble nor shake.
Even Tyler himself holds
his books off the floor -
His mistakes are quite absent 
from all he might break.

As the hulking dark boar 
makes his way through the door
It’s the smile on the face 
of young Tyler which stays;
It is then that Eugene
has a future in store 
For the youngling who grins
like a beast in a haze.

In the days that do 
follow inside of the store
of lost magic, Eugene 
had decided to watch
his page Tyler as proof
of his theory – with more
of the magical discord 
increasing a notch.

It’s in knowing his age -
and his stubbornness too,
that Eugene thought it best
to observe and direct.
To resolve this dilemma
and see it all through,
it is nature’s true course
that’s the surest effect.

While Eugene runs his 
errands with Tyler in tow -
With their bags full of books
and the potions they’ve brewed,
It’s Eugene who directs them 
to Tyler’s new beau
With excuses about his 
great hunger for food. 

As the massive, imposing 
young boar, who’s named Mark,
Was enjoying a meal at 
a stand in the square,
It’s his presence before 
eager Tyler - so stark,
which emboldens the whelp
to approach him right there.

Before he can charm him
and flirt just a bit,
The alarm of a dragon 
approaching was heard.
In a moment a fearsome
red dragon does sit
In the square next to Mark 
without speaking a word.

As he takes up his weapon 
and shield with his strength,
The red dragon does press him
with teeth and its claws.
With a valiant effort 
and all of the length
of his sword, as a soldier
he bolsters his cause.

With a blast of inferno 
which keeps him quite pinned,
It was right in this moment
that Tyler does act.
It was then as the margin
of error had thinned
That he honored with power
the sorcerer’s pact.

With a swiftness of gestures
that Tyler had learned,
From his hands does emerge a
great blizzard of ice;
He does find all the purpose
for which he had yearned,
As the dragon with frost
is then crushed in a vice.

As he heals with his power 
the wounds of his beau,
It was then that the guard
looks at Tyler to say,
“You have saved me from death
with your magical glow.
Is there something that I 
with my deeds can repay?”

As he gazes upon him 
with fierceness and heat,
He does know that with Mark
is the love that he’s sought;
It was fast that the heart
of young Tyler does beat
As he leans in much closer – 
right there in this spot.

In the heat the moment 
he plants a soft kiss
On the lips of young Mark -
with a grin full and wide.
It’s the shyness of Mark
that’s a humorous bliss
As this guard surely buries
his masculine pride. 

“There is more to my magic
than blizzards and fire.”
With a whisper young Tyler 
so softly replies.
“So a dinner with you is
the gift I require
And the rest you can make
as a lovely surprise.”