Free The Lost Mage by Amy Difar

them all the time.”
     
    “Nora, I’ve accepted machines that shrink men, doors that open on their own … sometimes, machines that speed along your roads spewing smoke and steam, monsters that suck dirt from the floor and machines that summon fire for cooking, but I will never ride on that monster.”
     
    Nora sighed in frustration. “Fine, but the train would have saved us walking ten blocks or so.”
     
    “I have no aversion to walking.”
     
    “Let’s go.” Nora turned and stormed out of the station, leaving Darakin to maneuver the exit gate on his own.
     
    When he caught up with her on the street, he took her hand. “Nora, I’m sorry. It’s just that, well, I know you don’t really believe me, but this world is much different than mine and I’m doing the best I can.”
     
    “No. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t try to force you into doing anything you don’t want to. The walk will do me good and it’s a fine day out.”
     
    They walked more than ten blocks before arriving at the clothing store Nora wanted to visit. She watched in amusement as Darakin looked around the store. He let his fingers brush the various fabrics of the piles of neatly folded shirts. He banged into a rack and jumped away only to hit another one. His frenzied efforts to steady the displays made her laugh out loud.
     
    Nora went to the bins that contained the jeans. She wasn’t sure of Darakin’s size so she enlisted the sales associate’s help. Darakin started fidgeting self-consciously as the two women eyed his figure, trying to determine his size. They picked out a pair for him to try on and Nora brought them over to him.
     
    “Here, take these to the fitting room, that’s the little cubby hole over there, and try them on.” She handed him the jeans and gave him a push toward the door.
     
    Darakin took the jeans and let them unfold. Seeing his perplexed look at the zipper, she started to fear that he might have some sort of embarrassing accident, so she took them from him and demonstrated how to close the zipper, emphasizing that he should be careful when zipping up.
     
    He disappeared into the little room and she waited. After more than a few minutes with no sign of him, Nora knocked and asked, “Is something wrong?”
     
    “Yes.”
     
    “What is it?”
     
    “Well, they don’t seem to fit very well.”
     
    “Let me see, please.”
     
    Darakin pushed the door open and Nora entered. Her breath caught the moment she saw him. He was stunning. The jeans accentuated his firm butt and powerful legs.
     
    “They look great! What do you think?” She turned him toward the mirror so he could see.
     
    “Don’t you think they’re a little, um, snug?”
     
    “No, it looks to me that they fit just fine.” She pulled at the waist to check.
     
    “Er … not at the waist. It’s my … well, I feel kind of cramped …”
     
    Nora looked at the flushed face of the mage. “Oh! That’s just the way jeans fit.”
     
    “How do you work like this? I fear that I will be unable to bend over while wearing these. I’m afraid to move lest I rip them or injure my … self.”
     
    “Well, they tend to loosen up as you wear them but I suppose we could get a more relaxed fit, if you’d prefer.” She tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice.
     
    “I would, if you please.”
     
    “Okay. Take those off and I’ll bring you another pair.” Nora went off to find the relaxed fit jeans.
     
    Darakin struggled to pull off the tight denim pants and then stood there wearing only his undergarments in the little fitting cubicle, waiting for Nora to return.
     
    Nora came back with the much looser relaxed fit jeans. She looked at his underwear and smiled. They resembled baggy long johns. “We’ll be getting you some more of those, too.”
     
    “What’s wrong with mine?”
     
    “Only that nobody wears anything remotely similar to that here, love. Now, try this pair on.” She handed him the new jeans.
     
    “Much