I hate missing out on jokes, but I have grown used to it here. As much as I try to understand this world, some things still elude me. In some ways it is just like the world I grew up in. But there are so many differences. Magic is the most elusive to me.

It is nothing like what I imagined as a kid. I imagined that you had to say some long phrase in a strange language. Or like on television where you had to have a wand.

But here it is like you see what you want and tell it what to do. In some ways it is simpler and others more complex. The complexity comes in how it interacts with others and your surroundings.

I have watched one person create a lighting bolt for festivals. They had to take the atmosphere and how many people were in a radius of it before they cast.

They had told me that a bolt just shot out could very easily strike back at the caster. I never tried a bolt after that. They said that a fireball actually caused a drought one year. No telling what catastrophes I instigated when I did the ones while fighting the Slitherant.

Falls and Oaky turn and come back to the three of us as the two stop laughing. Oaky looks around and says, “Let's all find some accommodations. I know Rock and Jode need to get some rest.”

“I'm fine,” Rocks says.

“Then go look around, I need to talk to Jode,” Oaky says sternly.

“Yes ma'am,” he says and heads out the double doors.

“Where are the knome quarters?” Falls asks.

“Just walk at the wall and say knome quarters. I will be there shortly to give you some help,” Sesney says.

“Thank you,” Falls says and walks to the wall while saying, “Knome's quarters.” As she gets to the wall she vanishes.

“I will leave you two alone. Just call my name if you need something,” Sesney says.

“Thank you Sesney,” Oaky says.

“Your welcome,” Sesney replies.

“Lets go to my room,” I say, “There is a bed to sit on.” I turn to the wall and say “Take me and Oaky to my room,” Then I walk into the wall. I step through and appear in my room. As I am walking to my bed Oaky appears.

I sit facing her, “What's wrong?” I ask.

“I'm worried about you.” She says concerned.

“Why, because I lost it. It is not the first time,” I say.

“No that I have learned, is you. I just see a tension in you I have not seen in the year I have known you.”

“Well I am in new territory with a burden I never asked for and a responsibility I don't want. What do you expect me to be like?”

“That is what worries me. No one deserves what you bear. Is there anything I can do to help?” she asks as she walks over and sits beside me.

“I doubt it. I am told I created this mess so I should fix it,” I say lowering my head.

“No you didn't. You are not Balthazar anymore. And even if you were, it was the five that caused it not you. You did not cast the curse they did.”

“But me as Balthazar, created the curse. If I or he hadn't, there would not be all this mess.”

“You truly don't know people do you? If the curse was not created, they would have done something else. Possibly even worse. At least with the curse it is counterable.”

“I don't know. Maybe this is all a wild goose chase. And for all I know maybe this curse is a blessing. At least humans aren't causing problems with magic,” I say disgusting.

“It is not your place to dictate what is good or bad for everyone. That makes you no better than the five. Everyone deserves the right to prove themselves.”

“True, it just scares me. I see what humans do to each other over fear and prejudice. I do not want to fuel it.”

“Jode the universe does not revolve around you,” she says putting her hands on her hips.

“That's not fair, using my own words against me.” I say, remembering saying that to Gushes many times.

“They’re not your words, I used universe not world,” She says, relaxing her hands and they fall to her side.

“Like one word changes the meaning,” I say and smile.

“No, but the meaning is important. We can only do what we can. The rest is left to fate. Constantly worrying about whether you are doing it right or wrong only hurts you.”

“I know, but I can't let it go.”

“You have no choice, if you want to find the answer.”

“Like that is going to help.”

“As Falls would say, 'It was not meant to help it was a fact.'”

“Ha, Ha, I will work at it.”

“Okay, Just remember I am always here if you want to talk.”

“Thank you.”

“Tree spirit quarters,” Oaky says as she walks into the wall and vanishes.

“I know you are there Sesney,” I say.

“How?” Sesney asks.

“When you are in the room I get the feeling someone is watching me. You forget humans now believe in spirits, but do not understand them.”

“Point taken, humans seem to sense us now.”

“What do you think?”

“I agree with her,” he says shyly.

“All of it?”

“Yes, she does know you. It was never your fault, but you refuse to see that. I think that was your undoing in the end.”

“How so?”

“You were so worried about what you did, you could not see things clearly. You did not cast it, but you based your research on if you had.

The five cast it so it was five times stronger than you figured. I may not know magic, but I can read figures. You never figured in the five times the strength.”

“I wonder with the other curse does it make it six or just five?”

“I don't think either. You said it multiplied exponentially. A curse of only six power, multiplied, could not have closed portals that not even all of humanity could close.”

“Why do you say that? Did ancient humans try to close the portals?”

“They did try to close a portal. Not because they wanted to be separated, but because the portal was dangerous.”

“Dangerous how?” I ask curiously.

“I don't know. I just heard about it. It was a popular story to tell children as a lesson. It basically goes:

A portal was found to be a danger for human and dragon kind. In council it was decided, closed it must be. With dragon and human unite to close it they did try. With all of human and dragon kind in magic they unite not a reaction did come. Upon the floating city they did ride, within a breath of it did they come, only to vanish or sink in a void. So to our day we do say never believe that all will prevail.”

“That sounds more like a bad rhyming tail.”

“Well I don't remember it exactly. It has been centuries since I heard it. It is no myth though. Back then they did not believe in telling myths or tails. If it wasn't fact or tentative fact it was not passed on.”

“So a whole city vanished into the void,” I ask then add, “Like Oaky's tree?”

“It was assumed yes. They never went to look for it, from what I recall. You can look in the library here. I think it was called Atlantis.”

“Your kidding me?”

“No why?”

“That has to be the fabled city of Atlantis. A story about a city that sank below the waves. It didn't happen to be round with concentric circles or something like that?”

“Well all ancient ocean cities were round. As for concentric circles I don't know. I do know all floating cities were constructed on a circular basis. Something to do with ease of moment in all directions. I know one old floating city was added on to, to make it look like a circle in a circle.

“Well scholars, that is why you can't find it. It is in limbo,” I say and laugh.

“I don't understand the humor,” he says confused.

“Are you able to touch things?”

“Yes why?”

“Get on the net in the human world some time and search for the lost city of Atlantis. You will understand my joke better then.”

“Okay I will do that. Sounds interesting.”

“Oh it is. Especially with that knowledge. You know I find it strange that so many things from ancient humans are now myths even though all traces of them were destroyed.”

“Actually not all traces were destroyed. There were some stone structures that were never affected by the curse. I don't know why. Maybe because they were not enchanted or maybe because they were too natural.”

“Did all natural materials survive?”

“No, there was a lot of stone just moved with magic that was destroyed.”

“Could there be a pattern of some type as to what was destroyed and what wasn't?”

“I don't know, but as soon as all the staff are summoned I can have a few watchers check it out,” he says with contained excitement.

“Sounds good,” I say with a yawn.

“I think you better get some sleep. You should sleep good here. You are completely safe.”

“Thanks Sesney,” I say, strip and get in bed.