Gerald was left beaming in relief as the man left. He'd been so afraid the moment the man came in.

Afraid of the consequences of his actions. He cast a baleful eye to Jenny.

"Why didn't you tell me there were magic police out there?

"Who else is there?"

"I didn't know, I've only just come here"

"From where?"

"________"

The string of syllables that rolled out of wherever Jenny was using to speak seemed a complete anathema to the world.

As if the world itself struggled to erase mention of that place from existence. In Gerald, there was a splitting headache the likes of which he'd never faced before. He almost passed out. But he was able to focus on Jenny softly nuzzling his legs as he swayed on the spot.

Such a great Dog.

Gerald knew he had to get to the meeting as he'd promised to do. He considered that it was possibly a trap, but a man with such obvious power didn't need to cajole him into going anywhere.

He'd even generously demonstrated how to use the magic voice to make agreements. He didn't know how he could do it, he just learnt once he felt the energy in his voice. He assumed Jenny had helped him do it.

Just considering that there was magic in the world had him giddy with excitement. And apparently he had some ability. He'd always fantasized about coming into his power and being whisked off to the hidden magical world a la Harry potter.

Something gave him pause though. The man's behaviour was a little suspect, obviously there was danger in this world as well. He could feel the distaste in the air as the man had assumed he'd been using a genie. Though, to be fair, Jenny had just shown up and given him the ability to acquire anything he wanted.

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"You're not a genie, are you?"

"I don't think so."

"And you're not going to eat my soul. Do I still even have a soul? Or have you already eaten it?"

"I'm your dog, your best friend and I'm here to help."

Gerald very carefully did not think about how that had not answered the question at all.

He needed to educate himself as to what was going on in the world.

A perk of whatever had happened to him meant that he could distinctly detect the presence of energy that wasn't his own in the house. Especially since that man had been so intentionally sloppy so Gerald could pick up on the voice thing.

So Gerald focused on it, he wasn't sure where it was going, but he hoped he might find a place with a gathering of similar energies.

It took a bit of effort and concentration, but he could finally sense it well enough to head in a direction.

He detested walking, but a bus might make him lose his trail, and he wasn't quite sure he wanted to steal another car and face the consequences. He was a magician though, apparently, he'd always been fascinated with a particular forest walk skill in an RPG he played.

The description said the caster pulled the energy of the forest onto him, and the forest, in communion, shrank the land under his feet and widened his stride. It bent the trees from his way and all under the forest's domain would be turned away from malice towards him.

He paused and tried the same thing. He inhaled, pulling as much of the ambient energy of the street into him. It was metallic and cold with only hints of dark earth. It seemed like air conditioned air, dry and artificial. Once in him, he pushed it to his limbs and took a step forward.

He slid as if on roller skates, right into the middle of the road. In his panic, he froze in the path of an incoming lorry, only for it to slink away from him like he was looking through the world through an extremely concave lens.

Back to his senses, he tried to make it to the opposite side of the street. He did, on his ass. He'd run out of street energy.

He took another big gulp of energy, now aware he needed to keep breathing it in and slowly, yet faster than by car started on his way.

He hoped to find more information and go on ahead to pick up his car. He still wondered about that, would he just get a car for free. Why?

The man had seemed genuine enough, but it could also be a ploy to get him somewhere where he could be incarcerated for theft. How many times had he seen items about how stupid criminals were caught by being mailed free coupons for redemption of an inane gift.

Then again, Gerald was sure that as weak and new as he was, any experienced wizard would find it easy to subdue him. So there had to be another reason.

He had a mind to just give up the car but was immediately siezed with a sense of crisis. Huh!

"You could give it up, but it'll be like cutting off your arm, are you prepared to do that?"

Jenny had interjected. He'd forgotten about her, but found she was keeping up with him effortlessly. He almost wondered how, but then he realised he wouldn't go anywhere without his Dog. He was sure he hadn't spoken aloud though, perhaps she could read his mind?

He was distracted by a tangle of magical energy that came from a stately building up ahead, a library.

"Come on, I think I can feel them going into this library over here. Seems a bit of a cliché, a magic library. Let's go see what we can find out."