Robin pushed on through the setting sun and the twilight. Following the highway, the farmland and forests soon gave way to buildings and houses. He crested a small hill and spotted Portland city in the distance. It was a massive line of lights in the dark.

Oh hell, it's so far? I thought it would be closer. Robin thought as a sharp pain ran through his guts. Oh crap. I think I should slow a bit. I'm not getting into town tonight. Better find somewhere to sleep.

Robin started walking down to the farmland by the side of the road. A car drove by behind him. He turned to watch it go.

I guess the invention of the car allows for longer travel distances. Robin thought as he started walking again. People could just build cities and farms where the best resources are and nothing more. It kinda makes me wonder what the other world will do with my inventions? Combining earth tech and runes might have been a bad idea on my part. Well, I can't change that now. I'm never going back.

Once he reached the edge of the farmland. He coached down to investigate the little green plants there. In the dark, he could only feel them, but they smelled like parsley.

“Sorry, little guys. But I'm going to have to sleep under you tonight. Nothing personal.” Robin muttered to the plants. He glanced over at the highway steel street lights. “Well, this is going to be a little tricky, with that being the only strong source of light around. Hum, If I..?”

Robin walked back up in the lamplight and triggered his fireball ring. A fireball appeared out of thin air. He willed it to remain tiny and to float in the palm of his hand. At this size, he could keep it going for hours.

Temperature runes were funny in a way. Heat and fire runes can if given enough energy at the start. Self-sustain themselves forever. Cold and ice runes can literally power themselves, by taking the heat from their target. Both are the easiest of runes to use, so novices normally started with them.

Robin grinned to himself. He remembered how exciting it was when he first learned a heat rune. He could only start fires back then. But what was enough to make it cool.

Ok, first a little liquefaction. Robin thought, as he moved the fire over to the farmland and bent down. He tapped the ground with his stone-shaping ring. The ground softened like it was wet with water. Now add a little air.

He pushed his Slow fall ring into the mud next. The ground started to rise, like a balloon. Robin was carefully controlling the elastically of the mud. He didn't want to pop it.

The earth soon grew over his head. In seconds a dirt bubble tent was formed. Robin had learned this little trick from an older more adventuress mage. All you needed was an earth medium, a few elemental runes, and five years of practice. Robin passed the fire over the nearby dirt and reach down to draw a rune in it, but stopped himself.

I almost set up an alarm rune out of habit. I don't need those. Not out here at least. This is rural America. There aren't any large predators here that I remember. Robin thought as he punched a man-sized hole in the dirt bubble. The inside smelled like a garden and looked like an animal's den. If I know I would be camping out. I would have brought my sleep roll. Well, beggars can't be choosers. At least I don't have to worry about large predators caving this thing in anymore.

Robin climbed in and sit down. The little fireball lit up the bubble-like a candle. He couldn't sleep with it on. But before he snuffed it out. First, he wanted to form a healing rune where he's going to be sleeping.

I hope simple healing runes will work for radiation poisoning. Robin thought as he started drawing in the dirt. He draws a simple pain reduction rune and a simple self-mending rune. Both normally help with bleeding wounds. But he had no clue if they worked on internal damage. With that done Robin, laid down his bag as his pillow and tried to fall asleep. I should have spent more time learning healing runes. Especially before I was chased out.

In the other world. Patricia Small was glancing out the carriage window at the main street, watching the market area pass by. There weren't a lot of people there now. Strange?

Patricia wore a purple-colored mage robe and a pointed hat. Covering her fingers were a set of golden rings. Against her chest was a folder of papers and she was sitting inside a rune-powered horseless carriage. It was one of Robin the heretic's inventions.

Master Miller was far from a Heretic. She thought rebelliously as she adjusted the folder to her lap. I remember the recollection and fear in his eyes when they first found the devil stones. He must have known they were dangerous from the start. But how?

Patricia turned from her thinking and stared outside again. She was on her way to the local mage circle building to turn in her reports on the newly discovered devil stones mines. Turns out the rocks can be found anywhere deep enough. She spotted a young boy riding past on a bike. Another of Robin's inventions. One of his older inventions.

It was funny how everyone still used them, despite hating the man. In fact, I believe most of his inventions were still in use. Though some more extreme individuals abandoned the devices outright and argued with anyone who would still dare use them. The tools of a so-called devil worshiper.

The carriage turned onto an empty street, where it slowed to a crawl. The carriage stopped and the driver tapped on the roof.

“Hey, Miss I can't go any farther than this.” The old man said. “You're going to have to walk the rest of the way.”

“Why what's happening?” Patricia asked as she heard the man climb over the roof to the other steering wheel on the other side of the carriage. She slide over in her seat and popped her head out the window. As she did, she spotted a large crowd in the distance. They were outside the mage circle building and many were holding signs. “That all? Can't you go around the mob?”

“No can do Miss. My girl's created by that loon mage everyone hates. A crowd like that will rip my girl apart.” The old man said as he started up the runes in reverse. “I'm already too close for my liking. Take My advice and order a horse-drawn carriage while in the city. Now off you go.”

Annoyed at the sudden change of plain. Patricia stepped out of the carriage and watched it speed away in reverse. Well, technically it didn't have a reverse.

Oh well, I guess I needed a walk today. Patricia thought as she walked towards the crowd.

Momentarily she debated with herself if she should turn invisible or not. She would rather not get mobbed today. A flash of light enveloped the mage building. The crowd yelped and rushed back. A male voice roared over the mob.

“Disperse now!” said the voice. Patricia recollected the voice to be William. He was a local older mage forty years her senior. “Return to your homes! Before I call the city guards! ”

The mob got enraged at this and a few people started throwing rocks. The rocks bounced harmlessly off an invisible barrier and cluttered to the ground. Patricia moved a little closer. The barrier was set up at the base of the stairs. While William stood behind the barrier on the first bit of stairs.

“Enough of this! You're all acting like children! The rocks stay!” William shouted as he raised his staff high and it glowed with four embedded crystals. The air barrier became electrified. “Begone!”

“We can do this all day old man! ” Shouted a young man in factory clothes. He turned to the crowd. “Come on! His buffing! That's not real lightning!”

Maybe I should go through the ceiling entrance. Patricia thought as she walked into an alleyway between the city center and the mage building. With a flash of coldness, She triggered her air jump ring and flew straight into the air. She gave it enough power to get her to the roof but no more.

As she reached the roof's edge the spell ended and she started to fall. Skillfully Patricia shot her feet out and landed on the roof. She wobbled a bit before getting her balance.

Whoa, what could have been worse! But now I can see why some use the ceiling entrance. It's dangerously thrilling, sadly it's not me. Patricia thought as she brushed her robes with a free hand. She straightened up and headed for the hatch.

The hatch had a spiral staircase and was always open. It used an air barrier to keep the rain, stray birds, and bugs out. Patricia paused at the edge of the barrier and pulled out a necklace from her dress pocket and offered it to the barrier. The barrier lit up at the necklace's presence and allowed her through. The barrier tingled a bit as it made the sweat on Patricia's skin move.

She climbed down the stairs and entered the lobby. Where a large woman sits behind a desk. The woman looked up from something as Patricia came in.

“Patty is that you?” The woman asked. The women's name was Betty. Patricia paused at the base of the stairs and adjusted the folder under her arm. “Why are you coming in through the ceiling? Is the mob still there? Oh hell, William said he could deal with it.”

“Oh, I think he is. But the mob is not having any of it. I fear someone like gets hurt soon and it won't be William.” Patricia said as she walked towards the desk. “Anyway, Betty do you know where the local manager is? I have to turn in these reports.”

“Oh right your reports. He's up the hallway in the meeting room. you can't miss it.” Betty said as Patricia started walking away. “Oh wait, I just remembered. I had a messenger just in here. She was looking for you.”

“A messenger? Did they leave anything?” Patricia asked. “When was this?”

“Barely ten minutes ago. She left when I told her you were out. ” Betty said, pointing deeper into the building. “The lady said the main circle wanted your help with Robin the heretic. She said something about gathering people for a dream interpretation or something.”

“Betty, how did this messenger get here?” Patricia asked, quickly. “Through a portal gate?”

“Of course through a portal gate. The main university center portal. She left the same way.” Betty said as she reached out ahead. “You know that Patty. Maybe I should turn in those reports myself.”

“What? I wouldn't want to do that to you?” Patricia said as she hugged the folder closer. “Besides, they never wanted my help before. You know being old friends with their quarry. They said I might be sympathetic.”

“Well, they're asking now. Maybe they need someone who was close to the weirdo.” Betty said. “if you don't go now. You'll never know.”

“Ok, I'll go,” Patricia said as she pass the folder over to Betty. “The main portal gate right?”

Betty started flipping through the folder as Patricia jogged away. She hurried down the hallway passing empty rooms and a few idle adults. They must have a job to do here or they wouldn't be here at all.

Coming down a third hallway. She passes through an open bronzes archway and enters a large round room. It had twelve golden archways, each showing and leading to a different place. People moved around here. Entering and leaving through the different archways. In some of the archways, cargo lay waiting for people to move them.

Patricia spotted the mage university portal gate and approached. She paused at the threshold, she never like moving through portals. The sudden air pressure shifts and the jumping of the temperatures often made her sick. Patricia swallowed a breath and stepped into the portal. A barrier stopped her.

“Of course. How did I forget.” She muttered and pulled out the necklace. She walked through the archway and felt her ears faintly pop. She was in another round room, just like the one she left. But this one was more crowded. “Seriously, all this new security for one runaway master. We never needed it before.”

Patricia walked through this room's bronze archway and stepped out into a sunlit campus. Where a few mage apprentices were practicing out in the grass. The apprentices were of all ages, their only similarity was their clothing. Patricia dodged a splash of water and stepped over a burned patch of grass as she walked.

She was heading for the council building at the center of the campus. Where she believed the mage hunting task forced is based. She approached the building and got stopped by a pair of armored knights.

“Do you have an appointment inside, madam?” One asked as he held out an armored hand. “if not. Turned around.”

“I'm Patricia Small. Second class expert. Let me through.” Patricia said as he pulled out the necklace again. “I was called here for a meeting?”

“If that's a real rune key you can just go in.” The knight said as he made way for her. She passed them and entered the building.

The building was quiet as she stepped into the lobby. She spotted a man behind the desk. He was looking down at a book. She slowly approached, not wanting to break the silence.

“Hello,” Patricia said as the man looked up from his book. “I'm Patricia Small. I got a messenger earlier. I was told to come here for a dream interpretation.”

“Oh, you're with them. Well, head upstairs to the dream room.” the man said, looking back at his book. “Just be aware some of them will be asleep.”

“Ok. Lovely meeting you.” Patricia said as she walked away. The man didn't lookup. “The dream room is still in the same place right?”

“Yes.” the man said without looking up.

Normally the dream room is only used for recreation by experts and masters? What does the task force want with it? Did they find a way to use it against Robin? Patricia thought as she climbed the stairs in silence. Wow, it's so quiet.

Patricia followed the upper hallway wall and found a crowd of experts outside the dream room. They were waiting for something. A woman with orange hair from the crowd spotted Patricia and rushed over.

“Oh, so you did get my message. I'm Ana ” Ana said. “Good for you to be here. But sadly they are just finishing up in there. ”

“Is this really about Robin?” Patricia asked as she glanced around the woman. As the door to the dream room opened and another crowd walked out. “What are they doing?”

“It's over! We lost him again.” A male voice shouted. “Can anyone make head or tails of that we just saw? Anyone?”

The crowd broke out into hushed muttering. A man in the crowd spoke up.

“Maybe we should draw them before we forget.” the man said.

“I'm already working on it.” an older man said. He was standing by Patricia and Ana. He was drawing a weird-looking rune carriage. It had four wheels and a slender body.

“Hey, can I see that?” Patricia asked. As she glanced over at the drawing.

Strange? It looks like one of Robert's drawings. She thought as people crowd around her.

Robin awoke with back pain. Very itchy back pain. Many somethings were crawling over him.