“Can I see through your vision like I did the other construct?” I ask.

“Yes master,” it says in a clear male voice.

“I'm no master. Just call me Jode. What is your name?” I ask.

“I don't have a name,” it says.

“Well what would you like us to call you?” I ask.

“Why do you need to call me, I know when you are talking to me.” it says.

“Yeah, but my other friends don't. That way when they want to talk to you they have a name,” I say.

“I don't understand. I am your construct, not theirs.”

“I hope you can see yourself more of a friend or associate than a construct while you remain with us. And friends call each other by name. So I was hoping you had a name you like us to call you,” I say.

“I like Jelly from jellyfish,” it says.

“Okay Jelly can you use your camouflage and look around for us?” I ask.

“I do as I am told.”

“But you have a choice. If you don't want to I can send another construct. Or that may give Rock a reason to go,” I say and glance at Rock. I see a huge smile.

“I sense that Rock would like to go. Can we both go and I watch with him? That way we can help each other?” Jelly asks.

“Yes,” Rock says.

“Well I guess you got your answer,” I say.

Jelly vanishes and Rock jumps up into the air and changes to a dragon. I watch the spot Jelly was in, but never see even a wave in the air. I stop staring when I realize that Rock is heading off the side of the city.

I close my eyes and concentrate on seeing what Jelly sees. ‘Welcome Jode.’ I hear in my head. ‘I will focus on interesting areas for you to see. My range of vision is much broader than you can perceive.’

‘Sounds good to me, thanks.’ I say in my head.

“What are you thinking, Jode?” I hear Oaky in my ears. It almost breaks my concentration.

“What do you mean?” I ask. I begin to see a forest.

“Rock should have stayed here. He is going to get himself in trouble. That is why you summoned Jelly.”

“If I didn't let Rock go I would never hear the end of it. And just so you know Jelly can read my mind,” I say. The trees come more into focus and I notice a few with white budding flowers.

“Really, Jelly can read everything? Wait, don't change the subject. Jelly can hide Rock won't,” she says.

“But like Jelly said he can keep an eye on Rock. Between them both he should be okay. Besides, Jelly has many more sensors than any of us except Silver. Which reminds me I forgot to introduce you all,” I say. The forest looks to extend on forever.

‘I know them. I read it in your mind already.’ Jelly comments in my head.

“Oh nice,” I say.

“What?” Oaky asks.

“Oh sorry was responding to Jelly,” I say then add, “Why are you so worried? Rock can handle himself quite well. And with Jelly as a backup, he will be fine.”

“I worry about him,” Oaky says.

“Well you fell in love with a warrior dragon, it won't be the last time you worry,” I say.

“Jode,” Oaky blurts angrily.

“Sorry still a fact though,” I say. I begin to see what looks like a clearing with smoke.

“You don't have to be so rude,” She says.

“I guess I have been listening to Falls too much” I say. Jelly just enters the clearing and heads on to the smoke. I notice something strange about the smoke, but I can't put my finger on it.

“Do I do that?” Falls asks.

“Hold on everyone, Sorry. That smoke isn't moving,” I say.

“What?” Oaky asks.

“I see a town with smoke coming out of a house and the smoke is not moving,” I say.

Jelly is now close enough to see the town. There are about five cabins scattered along a dirt road. They all look to be the old log cabins. There is a stage coach sitting still on the dirt road. A man is frozen in mid step entering into a cabin.

“Come back guys we all have to check this out,” I say. I open my eyes and break the connection.

“The town is frozen,” I say.

“What do you mean frozen?” Oaky asks.

“Nothing is moving. One guy is in the process of a step into a building,” I say.

“That is not possible,” Falls says, “No one has the ability to put a town into stasis.”

“Well it is,” I say.

“Could it be Jelly's vision?” Oaky asks.

“I doubt it, but we will find out when they get here,” I say.

After a short time Rock drops down next to us, “The whole town is in stasis,” Rock says in excitement.

“How?” Falls asks.

“I don't know, but it is,” he responds.

“Rock is quick,” Jelly says and becomes visible. “I sense the lack of magic in the town. Time is harder to sense, but not one molecule is moving on the planet. I thought I was sensing incorrectly.”

“Could it be the whole planet?” I ask.

“It's possible. My sensing can not reach the whole planet, but as far as I can sense nothing is moving,” Jelly responds.

“Can you sense any magic?” Oaky asks.

“A faint trace in the opposite direction. It is similar to the magic Jode uses,” Jelly responds.

“Well we up for a stroll?” I ask.

“I don't recommend it,” Falls says. “What if the effect of the stasis stops us?”

“I will keep watch from here,” Sesney says. “I am not affected by time like everyone else here. I can inform Drake and Star if something goes wrong.”

“Sounds good. Jelly, can you keep a watch if anything changes with your sense?” I ask.

“Yes sir, any slight change and I will say something,” he says.

“Well that just leaves linking Jelly and heading out,” I say.

“I do not need a link. I have a permanent link to you Jode. I can port anywhere you are,” he says.

“Awesome. Shall we go?” I ask.

Everyone nods and Jelly replies by waving up and down. I have to laugh, “Jelly you can do the perfect wave,” I say.

“Thank you sir,” he returns.

We get in the lift and go down. “This is pretty,” Jelly says.

“Neat huh? I love it. It's Sinbad's treasure,” I say.

“I bet he was disappointed,” Jelly says.

Jelly and I laugh, “I bet,” I say.

The door opens as Silver asks, “Who is Sinbad?”

“It's a myth in my world,” I say and we all head out of the lift. “There is no magic in the world I grew up, but it seems that a lot of things from the alternate world became myths in the human world.”

“Interesting,” Silver says.

As we exit the lift the doors close and it vanishes into the sky. I glance around and see nothing unusual. It looks like any forest I have ever been in.

“Which way Jelly? You lead just don't go transparent, we will never find you,” I say.

Jelly shivers as he laughs, “This way,” he says and heads off. We follow.

“The whole planet is in stasis,” Falls says. “This is not possible. The earth can't be put in stasis.”

“Can you move anything?” I ask.

“I'm not sure,” she responds, “The earth will register that I did something, but it may not move due to the stasis,” She says.

“Let's find out,” I say and stop, “Hold on Jelly we are doing a test.”

“Okay,” he responds and returns to us.

“Try moving something Falls,” I say.

Falls looks at the spot on the ground then says, ”I told it to, but nothing. I even used all my knowledge, but nothing,” she says.

“Lead on Jelly,” I say and we head off, “I wonder why we can still move, but everything else is frozen in time?”

“Falls said that human magic drained life from my world,” Silver says, “Maybe it drained time from here.”

“That doesn't make sense though. Time can't be taken can it?” I ask.

“Theoretically no,” Falls answers, “But I never knew that life could be taken from a planet either. Theoretically even knomes should not have survived. We are a different life then plants but we are still a type of life.”

“Could they have blocked their life force from being taken?” I ask.

“I can not answer that. In theory life can not be taken any more than time, but it was. This is beyond my understanding.”

“How about you Silver?” I ask.

“I was created after the fact so I can't even theorize,” Silver responds.

“Jelly?” I ask.

“I only have your memories and a basic understanding of constructs. I can't help you here,” he says.

“Oaky?” I ask.

“I only know nature and mist magic,” she says.

“Please anything Rock?” I ask.

“Mom did discuss a little bit of the old days and its magic. I do remember something about each dimension has its unique laws.

It's possible that the laws we understand may not all apply in every dimension, or universe as Silver and Sesney say.

Could it be possible in each universe that some laws are tentative at best? If the dimensional magic plays on other universes discrepancies. That it would throw the week balance off and allow the use of the week bonds.” he says.

“And I thought you were just a dumb grunt,” I say and smile wryly at him. He returns with a smirk.

“I guess that is possible if I understand it right. That would mean that this worlds process of time either is flexible or completely unstable,” I says.

“Some magic is linked to time so that would explain the lack of magic Jelly sensed,” Oaky says.

“If that is what it is, I don't see what we can do to help. Or even if Balthazar meant for us to do something here,” I say.

“Balthazar told me that I should never expect to never be able to do nothing. I don't know if that helps, but it just seemed to fit,” Silver says.

“It just might, Sounds cryptic. I have realized that the more cryptic it sounds the higher the probability that it is the answer with him,” I say.

“I agree,” Rock says.

“May I ask a question?” Jelly asks.

“Anytime, shoot,” I say.

“I get from your memories that you are Balthazar, but you refer to him as a separate person, why?” Jelly asks.

“Because in all practicality he is. Balthazar lived thousands of years before me. I may be the soul who was Balthazar, but I am not him. I grew up differently. I just seem to have his magic ability,” I answer.

“What is a soul?” Jelly asks.

“Ooo, um,” I stammer.

“I can try to help,” Oaky says. “A soul is a concept of an individual's existence beyond the physical. It is believed by a lot of races that who we are eventually lives on after physical loss.

In some beliefs the soul can return in another physical body at birth of creation. In another belief the soul is just who we are, if we could remove the outer shell we call the physical. So in theory every living being and possibly even constructs can have a soul,” Oaky says.

“So I have a soul?” Jelly asks.

“I don't see why not,” Oaky says, “You think, you feel, and you ask what it is. Those are just a few signs a soul is present,” she says.

“Thank you,” Jelly says.

“Do you believe I have a soul? I am just metal and magic,” Silver says.

“If knomes can have souls so can you. You are simply a different species of a knome,” Oaky says.

“You have a soul like mine,” Falls says with compassion.

“Ooo watch out Falls, Silver is softening you,” I say.

“I hope so,” Falls returns.

“Great, am I the only one without a girlfriend?” I ask.

“Yes,” Says Rock , Oaky, Falls, and Silver. Then we all laugh.

“Anything Jelly?” I ask.

“Nothing new, but now that we are closer to the magic source I notice that it is spotted in the area. I just got the edge of the magic,” he says.

“Is there a pattern?” I ask.

“I can't place a pattern, but that may be because I cannot place it geographically in my sensing,” he replies

“Can you guess at a distance?” I ask.

“Only by strength. But I do not know what its full strength is so I have to guess. Using the new areas that entered my sensing range I would say a couple of miles. But that is assuming the other spots are not too far apart.”

“That is at least an idea. Better than no idea at all,” I say.

“Just how many ways can you sense your environment?” Oaky asks.

“Not counting similar types I have about five hundred. Some could be considered similar, but there is enough of a different sense to count separate,” Jelly responds.

“How do you keep them straight?” Oaky asks.

“How do you keep your vision straight despite your retina sees it differently? I would say about the same way. My jelly body interprets it and see what I need. Plus in all practicality I grew up with all of them. I may have just been created, but constructs come into your world as though they have always been the body they assume,” he responds.

“I never knew that,” Oaky says, “The hawk is the first construct I have ever seen.”

“Constructs are very inquisitive, that is why we allow ourselves to be summoned. This is the first time I have ever been summoned,” he says.

“Can't you just ask another one what they have been before?” Oaky asks.

“No, We interact with each other on a primal level. We have no language or way of communication. Our basic existence and what we can do is passed on genetics for lack of better comparison.

I know others have been summoned because they are larger. But as for what they were and what they have done I don't know,” he responds

“That sounds sad and scary,” Oaky says.

“I feel neither of these feelings. It is what I am. I will say it is boring till we get summoned,” he says.

“Do you know why you leave after being summoned?” I ask.

“No, I just know my existence in this form is limited. What the limit is I do not know. It could be boredom as you think, Jode but I can't say. That knowledge is only for those that were summoned and left,” he says.

“Well I hope you stay Jelly. I was disappointed when hawk left,” I say.

“I don't want to, but I cannot promise,” he says.

“I know. Just if you do leave just remember I don't want you to. I consider you a friend,” I say.

“I will never forget Jode,” he says.