A part of me knows I am dreaming, but that didn't make it feel any less real. The castle gave off a yellow glow instead of the white glow.

There is no sign of an animal. A woman with bright blond hair runs up to me as I walk out of the lift. Her stride looked so smooth that she appeared to float over the grass. She is wearing a dark blue dress made of silk.

As she gets closer I realize she is floating above the grass. A yellow glow similar to the castle is surrounding her.

“Balthazar, Balthazar, Thank the magic lace you are here. Desey doesn't know what happened. He followed your instructions exactly as you told him, but the field won't stabilize,” she says and stops in front of me.

I hear a stranger's voice come out of my mouth. It is softer than mine, but holds an authority I could never muster. “Messa calm down. It's okay. Which dimensional grid did he use?” I ask.

“I don't know, he just said it was so wrong,” she replies hysterically.

I feel myself smile. I feel I am portraying comfort and slight amusement. “It's not that bad. The main grid is still up. Lets talk to Desey and clear this up.”

I look at the castle and then I am there. I turn to look at Messa behind me, but she is out of sight. “Oh dear I keep forgetting. Messa here, I say and point to a spot next to me.

Messa appears next to me a bit wobbly, “Ah the fabled wobble people. Never stable.” I say teasingly.

“Balthazar that is unnerving. I wish you would quit that.”

“But why, you look so cute when your eyes roll,” I say with a huge smile.

“That's not nice”

“I know, but you love it,” I say and watch her blush. “Now let's get this straightened up.”

I walk into the foyer and straight into the wall. I find myself in a ten by ten room, with a man with gray hair who looks completely drained. I would say he normally would look in his forties, but now looks more fifty.

“Desey you need to sleep,” I say calmly.

“Oh thank the highest dimension you are here. I don't know what I did wrong. It's going to reveal us,” he says in desperation.

“Desey, relax. The layered veil is not in danger. Unless you strip all magic from the city nothing will reveal us,” I say sounding like a father comforting his son.

“Oh Balthazar I just don't know what happened,” he says and slumps to the floor.

Messa pops in the room, “Balthore you renegade watcher, you are a pain. How do you always pop where you need without a word.” She asks.

“Perfection,” I say mockingly.

“Balthazar,” she accuses.

“It's a thought technique. If you would just learn to calm down, you can do it.”

“Balthazar that's not fair, you are the only one able to master that.” she says.

I just shrug and look back to Desey, “Now which grid did you use?”

“The one you told me, the third stage of the fifth shift.” he says.

I laugh, “You did it again. It is the fifth stage of the third shift.”

“But that means...” he starts.

“Yes you merely gave it a phase shift with an offset dimension. Pretty to look at, but not useful,” I say humorously.

“Balthazar, I don't know.”

“Don't worry, I'll straighten it out. Just close your eyes. It can cause blindness, or double vision if watched,” I say.

I close my eyes and feel my hands moving in some strange pattern. Then I can feel something like jello. I give the substance in my right hand a yank and feel it deflate. I drop it and grab for the jello in my left hand. I pull it in two.

I drop the half in my right hand. I feel around till I find what feels like water. I put my hand in a 'C' and feel it turn to jello. I pull it up and place it next to the one in my left hand.

Nothing happens, “Hold on everyone it is being stubborn. Must have a weak link.”

I take the two jello's in my hands and start twisting them opposite each other vigorously, “Be prepared for the pop.” I say.

After a few seconds of grinding, I hear an explosion so loud it should have busted my ear drums. I drop the two jello parts that are now connected. I do a bit more movement of the hands and open my eyes.

Both Messa and Desey have their eyes closed and their hands over their ears. I snap my fingers and say boo at the same time. I feel a strong breeze leave me and knock both the others on the ground. I then say, “Done.”

Messa looks at me angrily, “Balthazar you are horrible.”

“I know, but you love me,” I say.

The scene changes and I am standing at the entrance to the lift. The cliff opens and Messa comes out looking to be In her seventies and barely able to walk.

“Balthazar, I don't know how long I am going to last, but I had to talk to you. I sent Sesney on a run so we can be alone.”

“Messa I don't know what to do, the capture crystals were useless. I have tried everything. I have killed us all. I can only hold off its effects on me for another lunar cycle at most,” I say with what sounds like remorse.

“Balthazar, stop. It was not your fault. You did not declare it, the council elders were selfish. They did it for their own selfish needs. They thought they would be the only ones to have magic.

You warned them over and over. It is not your fault they wanted to be gods. You did not know that the man was a decoy. They tricked us all. I just hope wherever we go that they are punished.

I have done the calculations. All traces of magic will be gone in just a little over twenty thousand solar cycles. Both worlds will be without magic. It has already taken most of the dragon's magic. They are only able to do half of the magic they used to.

Their elders have combined circles to counter it, but it is draining them. Your friend Elisa holds the key. You have to get her here fast.” she says.

“I can't, she will not leave. She feels it is her duty to help the elders,” I say deflated.

“You have to make her understand that she may be the cure,” She says and coughs.

“I can't, she still thinks of me as the enemy. She considers me a friend, but doesn't fully trust me,” I say angrily.

“Then life's grasp, save us all. In time all that was, will be gone. I cannot come to tell Sesney his race may be the only ones to survive in a barren world.”

“Poor Sesney. He has given so much, and we cannot reward him. We can only leave him misery,” I say and shake my head bowed.

“Did you do it?” she asks with fear.

“Yes it had to be done. It will at least give this world a chance. I just hope everyone can forgive me.”

“They have to, it was the only way.”

I jump up out of bed panting, “Sesney,” I yell.

“What? What is wrong?” he asks in shock.

“My god the curse was going to kill both worlds,” I say gasping.

“What?” he exclaims.

“The curse was going to destroy all magic in both worlds. Balthazar done a desperate measure to stop it. I didn't get what, but he hoped he could be forgiven.”

“But that means.”

“You would have been the only survivor. The curse was going to kill everything in twenty thousand years.”

“But it was stopped somehow. Magic is still here and no more magic has disappeared since...” Sesney goes silent for several seconds then says, “The second curse. Could you have set that curse in motion to save everyone?”

“I don't know, but it is strange an ancient curse was cast by someone with no knowledge of the ancient ways.”

“But is there a way to reverse the curse?”

“Star is the key, not me.”

“What? How can that be?”

“I don't know, but we have to get her here.”

“Why here?” he asks confused.

“I don't know. I just know they were trying to get her here when they all were dying.”

“Then I guess she has to come here.”

“If she will.”

“I will get everyone to the foyer.”

“I stand up in the center of the room, “Clean me,” I say. A fog fills the room then clears. I feel cleaner than I have ever felt. How I knew I could do that, I don't know. I have given up trying to figure it out.

I get dressed and start to say foyer, but change my mind. I picture the foyer and walk to the wall. Just as I am about to hit the wall I appear in the foyer on the back wall.

Oaky and Falls are waiting in the center of the room. I walk over to them. Oaky looks at me and asks, “What is going on? Sesney just said it was important.”

“Let's wait for Rock,” I say.

“He is on his way after yelling at me for scaring the piss out of him,” Sesney laughs and adds, “Literally.”

I catch my breath trying to keep from laughing. The doors open and I see Rock walking up to us. He gets to us with a sower face and says, ”I hate him. I really hate him.”

I can't hold it any more. I let loose with the laughter. He glares at me and says, ”Sure laugh at my embarrassment.”

“Sorry,” I say then add softly, “It is hilarious though.”

“I will get him back. He may be invisible and undetectable, but I will get him,” Rock says with a bit of humor.

“Bring it on dragon boy,” Sesney says.

“Please boys,” Oaky says, “What is so important?”

“Oh sorry,” I say. I look at Rock, “Your mother is the key, not me.”

“What? Did you fall out of your bed?” Rock asks.

“No really, I had a dream of my life as Balthazar and they said your mother was the key, but she would not come to this city.

Balthazar had to do something desperate because the curse was going to kill all magic in both worlds. In fact dragons I think only have a fraction of the magic they use to.”