The doors open and we all turn. Star is slowly walking toward us. We all stare while she walks to us unhurried. She stops a couple of steps from us and says, “You are correct Jode.”

“But how?” I ask.

“Sesney came to me and told me,” She says.

“But?” I ask, unsure what question I wanted to ask.

“I had hoped this would not come up, but I see Balthazar still loves irony. First let me say,” She begins then looks to my left, “Sesney I can see you. You are looking much better than I have seen you. Balthazar and Messa would be proud of you.”

“You embarrass me, your liege,” Sesney says.

“Thank you Sesney. I have not heard that since Balthazar died. You bring a grateful tear to my heart,” She then looks at me.

“I was the key. But I was too late. My pride and stubbornness closed the window of opportunity. I have lived with that regret ever since.

Balthazar finally convinced me to come here, his last day of life. But neither he or I had the strength to stop the curse. In desperation Balthazar had set a fail safe that would at least stalemate the curse.

He had hoped he would be able to enact the fail safe himself, but he had waited too late. It took me till the Salem witch trials to find a human with enough magic and reason, to cast the stalemate curse.

I had thought I was too late, but I see I was not. I could not bring myself to see if the city still lived. I had waited to see if Sesney would talk to me, but he always was around when others were present.”

“Sorry my liege I did not know,” Sesney says.

“It is not your fault Sesney. Fate had a reason. I told the stories as much for you as for me. I had hoped you would appreciate them as much as I appreciated your presence. You were my link to a past I could never have again,” She says with the sound of a tear in her voice.

“You honor me, my liege. My only regret is that I did not speak up earlier,” Sesney says.

“Do not regret dear soul. For life is not meant for regret, but for living,” she says. I hear someone crying to my left and then silence.

I turn to Star, “Then why did I see that, and the time where Desey made a mistake at the castle?” I ask.

“I believe that the dream of them talking of me is Balthazar's way of being comically callous. He was like that at times. What happened to the castle?” She asks.

“Desey got the dimension grid thingy backwards and caused a light show or something,” I say, starting to lose clarity of the dream.

“He mixed the stage and shift?” she asks.

“Yeah I think five and three. I think it should have been five stage and three shift, but I can't remember it clearly.

“Okay a protection into a light show. I see what you mean. I don't see the significance though. Continue your quest and it may become clear.”

“But I don't know what to do now.” I say.

“Continue to Salem and hope fate will show you the next step.”

“Wait, you said you searched for a female that could cast the second curse. That means you can go through the portals.”

“Mom!” Rock exclaims.

“Yes, I am immune to the curse like you are Jode. I know the old spells,” She says without any hesitation. She then looks at Rock, “I'm sorry my dearest son, but I feared for you. I could not risk your safety. Your father knew, but I swore him to secrecy. Please do not blame him.

I knew one day the council would find out, but I had hoped you would be in a position to skip my shame. I am sorry for your position,” she says with a single tear.

Rock starts crying, “You can never shame me. The council will never hear from me. Blood is thicker than race,” he says.

She opens her arms and Rock falls into her outstretched arms and they hug, “Your honor will never be in question.”

“I don't care about stupid honor, just want to please you,” he says slightly muffled.

“You simply being alive pleases me.”

“I am confused,” Falls says, “Why have your guardians not passed on this info to the knome underground.”

“Because they can't and neither can you dear Falls. All knowledge of me is sealed in ancient crystal. All knomes are bound by its growth,” She says.

“I apologize, my lady. I over step,” Falls says and bows.

“You did not know. That growth also binds with my son too,” She says calmly.

“Understood. I am honored to serve with the great crystal,” Falls says.

“I know dear, that is why I chose you to be his guardian. Honor will be both of yours,” Star says with pride.

“Is there anything else we should know?” I ask.

Rock pulls away from his mother. She looks at him then me. “Not that I think will be helpful,” She says.

“Did you know that the five were trying to be gods? The one was a decoy.” I say.

Her eyes increase slightly, “No I was always told the five were trying to stop all magic to prevent another radical,” She replies.

“Well in my dream Messa and Balthazar were talking outside the lift entrance. They placed it so they were alone.

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They talked about a fail safe to the curse that would stop it from taking all magic away. Then Messa says that it was not Balthazar's fault. She said the five tricked everyone. She said they wanted to be the only ones with magic. The one said, to be said wanting to be a god, was a decoy,” I say.

“Why would he not tell me,” Star asks, “I could have helped.”

“They said they asked for your help. They wanted you to come here, but you refused because you didn't trust Balthazar.”

“Oh Balthazar I trusted him implicitly I was just so depressed and worried about the others. I didn't want to leave,” she says in desperation.

“I thought you said that the dragons preferred oblivion to depression. But they said they done something about a circle to fight the curse, but the ones doing it were getting too weak to fight it off.”

“Circle? I don't remember any circle. I just remember all of my friends dying, even my relatives. All I wanted was to join them,” she says confused.

“Perhaps the dreams I had were not to be mean or comical, but to show you the truth. Have you the knowledge to use the dimensions in spells?”

“Some why?” she says.

“In some rooms in this building he showed me that Desey messed up a spell that was supposed to protect the castle, but instead he made it look yellow.

While he was trying to change it to the correct way he said there is residue on the connections. What does that mean? He told the others to wait for the pop but it sounded deafening.”

“Residue?” she asks in thought, “No I don't know what that means. I don't go into the deeper dimensions. I do recall that there is a way to leave an encrypted message in the dimensions, or by using the visual dimensions, but I lack knowledge on how to use them,” she says with a tinge of hope.

“Will you come with me to check out that room?” I ask.

“Port there and I will follow,” She says.

“Excuse us please,” I say and walk through the wall with a vision of the room. I appear in the small room that was in my dream. But I see nothing unusual.

After a few seconds Star appears in the room next to me. I see a flicker in the room. Star looks at me, “I don't see anything unusual. This is the city core. All spells that affect major functions of the city are cast here.”

“You didn't see the flicker when you got here?”

“No,” she replies.

“Well stay here, I will be right back,” I say and she nods. I walk to the wall and envision the foyer. I appear at the far wall. The others are talking in the center of the room.

They see me and Rock asks, “Well?”

“Still working on it, sorry,” I say and envision the small room again. I take a step back and appear in the room with Star, “Did it flicker?”

“Yes, I don't understand why. Unless the magic is fading.”

“Does the magic feel like it is fading?”

“No, the magic in the city is the strongest I have felt anywhere since that day,” She replies.

“Then there has to be a clue in here. We just have to figure out how to retrieve it. Sesney,” I say.

The room begins to swirl with multiple colors

“What is going on?” Sesney asks.

“Good question. It wasn't doing this till you got here,” I say.

“Okay do you have any clue what is happening Star?” I ask.

“No.”

“Okay you two stay, I will be right back,” I say.

“Okay,” Sesney says.

I port to my room then back, “Did the color stop while I was gone?” I ask.

Star nods and Sesney says, “Yes.”

“Can you use any of the dimensions used to construct this city Star?” I ask.

“No, humans used the dimensions more than dragons. Dragons considered them to much of a risk.”

“Well I am guessing Balthazar would know that. So that only leaves another person, or he expected to be able to use all of his magic when he came back.”

“I doubt he would think that Jode,” Star says, “He was very intelligent and intuitive. I am sure he wouldn't even rely on that when he could return. He would set it to activate based on easy possibilities.”

“That means he knew you were here, Sesney. Were you around when they had to fix Desey's error about the stage and shift?” I ask.

“Are you referring to the five and three transposition?” he asks.

“Yes,” I say.

“Yes I was, but none of them summoned me. How could he see me?”

“Star can see you and I can sense you sometimes. I see no reason Balthazar couldn't see you. He was a pioneer with dimensions from what I gather.”

“True,” Sesney says.

“Ooo what he did, has to have been recorded. Is the arbitrator summoned yet?”

“No,” Sesney says, “It will be the last to be summoned.”

“And it is the only one able to read the records right?”

“Yes.”

“Damn, well we do this the hard way then,” I look at Star. “Can you pop out then back in to be sure you are one that needs to be here?” I ask.

“Yes,” she says and leaves. The light show stops then starts again when she gets back.

“Okay Balthazar feels that we three are important. I can't see him being able to anticipate the other three in the foyer.” I say.

“Actually Jode he did” Star says, “He prophesied the three,” she says.

“True, I can't see him doing it while he lived, but why take the chance. Sesney, can I ask you to ask the others to come in one by one?”

“Of course, do you want me to come back with each?” Sesney asks.

“No, if any of them are the one or ones then we should get some reaction.”

“Okay I will send them. When one comes back I will send another.”

“Thank you,” I say then add, “Did Balthazar like puzzles?”

“Yes, he loved any challenge,” Star says.

“Figures, that is where we differ.”

Rock pops into the room but nothing happens, “Crap, thanks Rock, but you are not who Balthazar anticipated.”

“Okay, Foyer,” Rock says then walks through the wall.

A few seconds later Oaky appears but nothing happens, “Thanks Oaky, but it isn't you he anticipated.”

“Okay, foyer,” Oaky says and walks through the wall.

After several seconds Falls pops in and the color display appears, “What is the light show for?” Falls asks.

“We don't know, Sesney,” I say.

I wait a few seconds and hear, “Yes?” but the color display does not change.

“I don't get it, why a knome?” I ask.

“Because dragons have always had knomes as advisers. It would be an easy substitute if I was busy,” Star says.

“Oh, that's why Falls activated it even though she was not in the prophecy. He must have set it for any knome,” I say. Star nods.

“Thank you Falls, you can go back if you want,” I say.

“Foyer,” Falls says and walks through the wall.

“So who else would he expect? Could it be one of the staff?” I ask.

“Doubtful,” Sesney says, “He never included staff in major magic. Why he set me, I don't know.”

“Because you have the most knowledge of the past other than Star. Plus you would not be affected by the curse,” I say, then add, “I just can't figure out anyone else that would be important to this. Is there any other race that is or could be immune to the curse?”

“None that I am aware of,” Sesney says, “All are subject to magic. My race is the only one that are not affected by magic.” Sesney says.

“Are there any creatures that are dimensional?” I ask.

“Yes, but not safe to bring here.” Sesney says.

“Well I am at a loss.There were three of us in the little room. I figured that would work.”

“Actually there were four. You could not see me,” Sesney says.

“So there needs to be one more. I don't know of another ancient or how to find one,” I say.

“I can help there, be right back, “Sesney says and the color show stops.