The Death of Magic

It came like a wave across the land, a noxious ripple of dread that flowed without mercy over everything.

The Unicorns reared and shook their heads, the sparkle of moonlight died in their eyes; their majestic horns shrivelled up and fell to the ground, leaving nothing but a smudge on their fur; their manes and tails became limp and dusty, as if invisible hands had brushed the stars from them. When finally they stood, they were just plain White Horses; they nuzzled each other with tears in their blank eyes, feeling the pain of their loss. With a flick of their tails they whinnied loudly and set out at a gallop across the dying world, a flurry of white drifting down the hillside, like a sudden blizzard, their hearts filled for the first time with fear and uncertainty of what tomorrow may bring.

Deep in the valley the Wood Sprites and the Fairies flocked together, trembling in their masses. When all were gathered, they embraced each other in a fond farewell, then they began to sing such a melancholy song, dancing and swaying in a hypnotic rhythm; the song carried out across the wood and birds in the trees stopped to listen, their heads on one side, their eyes shining with sorrow; the animals of the wood crept from their dens and burrows to watch. The air in the wood was thick with sadness, a fox gave a low mewl, it's ears flattening against its slender head, a magnificent stag threw back its head and let out a long roar that rose and mingled with the notes of the song. When the song had ended, the Fairies and the Wood Sprites all joined hands and as one they rose into the sky like startled birds. They raised their hands up to the blue sky and with a POP! They disappeared like the popping of a bubble; a few lonely leaves and petals drifting back to earth; the animals turned away and went back home, their heads lowered in grief, wondering who in the world would keep them safe now.

Out on the dusty peaks of the great mountains, the Griffins cried their last; mourning the sight of their world lost forever. Their tears rolled down the mountainsides like great glistening jewels, falling into the rivers and seas, making them shimmer and sparkle with the colours of a thousand rainbows. They gave a forlorn cry and took flight into the air on their Eagle wings, setting down on the tops of buildings, where they folded back their wings, sat up tall and proud and slowly turned to stone, though their eyes continued to weep for a long time after.

All at once the Genies disappeared from their lamps, the metal rusting and becoming dull; the Witches' cauldrons would not bubble and they suddenly had a strange desire to take up a job in the field of medicine; the Gnomes simply froze in place, too sad and weary to do anything more, their curious actions captured for the rest of time.

In the ocean the Mermaids were frantic, as their flowing locks drifted from their heads and sank into the sea, getting caught amongst the corals and the weeds. They struggled and splashed as their scales began to spread along their translucent skin; though try as they might they could not fight the change. Their startled expressions froze upon their new faces and they wept together in their new bodies. They all crowded together in comfort and swam away into the depths of the ocean, nothing more than another shoal of fish.

The Giants wandered far and wide in a daze, for they were so big that the change did not affect them immediately, though they could see what was happening in the world around them from their magnificent height. When they could fight it no longer, they bellowed and clawed apart the earth, shaking giant fists at the sky in anger. They lay down in the earth's dark depths, pulled the land back over their bulky forms and went to sleep for all eternity, the land now broken and dotted with many hills and valleys, formed by the sleeping giants.

The beautiful maidens sat in their towers with their hair flowing down to the ground, their brushes in hand as they gently groomed themselves in the light. Suddenly they felt their hair grow brittle and weak. All at once their glorious locks broke away and they watched as the long tresses fell away down the tower wall to the valley floor below; their only chance of love and rescue now gone forever. They rested their heads against their slender arms and sobbed, their tender hearts breaking, fingering the ends of their once magic hair.

Just then, a monstrous roar shook the eerie stillness of the valley, a jet of crimson flame burnt the tops of the tall trees to ashes, then a mighty crash sounded as the last Dragon fell. It lay on its side, breathing heavily, a Knight's sword stuck out from the great beast's chest, a sure sign that it had found its mark. The Dragon's bright eye flickered and dimmed, there was a final puff of smoke as the Dragon breathed its last.

The Wizard turned away from the sight and wiped the tears from his eyes with his long beard. He stood looking around at his tower room, feeling like he was observing his trinkets and treasures for the first time. He sighed and raised his magic wand, hoping this was not the end; though try as he might, the wand would not cast a single spell, it was now nothing more than an ordinary stick.

He was a Wizard no more.

Now he was just a man.