“Any progress?” I was laying on my back, sprawled lazily across the floor behind the counter. I didn’t even bother to keep my wings folded in, letting them splay out beyond the edge of the illusion spell that let me appear as a common dog. Well, mostly a common dog, since it didn’t cover my eyes. Those still showed me to be a dragon, no matter what I did.
My Master sat on a stool at the counter, flipping once again through the leather-bound tome with the gemstone set into the cover. The Tome of Storms, penned by Roffil and the object of our search for weeks now, was finally in our possession after a dangerous encounter with Horace Augustine. It represented our best chance of finding a way back home to the world of Terra. Being so close and yet unable to do anything was like needles digging under my scales. With a weary sigh, he responded. “Just like the last seventeen times you’ve asked this hour alone, no progress.”
It had been three days since our battle. The madman had nearly killed all of us, but we managed to survive long enough for him to take himself out instead. Using this very tome, he had channeled raw Chaos essence into himself, the very same force that was behind the Storms that usually disintegrated anything in their path. The house where we had that showdown was reduced to a foundation and rubble, the miniature Unmaker Storm that tore it from reality had left little for authorities to investigate. It seemed we would be off the hook.
I let out a long groan and let my tail lash in irritation, thumping against the wall of the counter with a much heavier sound than the fluffy feather duster of a tail would appear to be able to make. Elsie Brown, the proprietor of the shop, jumped at the sound and shot me a look. She didn’t say anything, though. She hadn’t said much to us since that night. I doubt she was taking the whole “magic is real” thing very well, and my blasé attitude towards my disguise was probably not helping.
Minutes crawled by in the silent shop, and I was just about to ask if there was an update when Master made a noise. “Huh, fascinating…”
I quickly rolled to my feet, tucking my wings against my back and putting my forepaws up on his thigh. “Oh? Found something?”
“Well, not necessarily about getting us home, but something. The hardest part about this book is trying to figure out what that idiot kid is trying to say. He got a glimpse of something he didn’t have words for, and had to come up with everything on his own. But I’m starting to understand his thought process, I think. If I’m understanding this right, the Storms are… basically wild magic. Or proto-magic, maybe.”
Elsie looked up from her phone. “Gosh, really? …What’s that mean?”
Master looked up at the ceiling, the way he often did when he had to try to put a concept he understood intuitively into words for someone else. “They’re breaks in reality, opening up into a sort of void that exists outside of reality. Well, I say void, but it’s not really empty. I mean, it kind of is. Wait, sorry, I’m getting thrown off. What I’m trying to say is, that outside of reality is a… non-place, really, of raw chaotic energy. Like a swirling mass of potential. It’s that same energy that we channel when we do magic. We thought it came from the soul, but it seems more like the soul acts like a conduit for energy from this extra-reality void, perhaps. …If that makes sense?”
Rolling her eyes, Elsie went back to her phone. “Oh, sure, totally. It exists but doesn’t exist because it exists outside of existence.”
If Master noticed the sarcasm, he didn’t show it. “That’s actually… pretty much correct. The entire universe is basically a bubble of reality within this void. And Terra is a second bubble, and I think they’re somewhat overlapped. Well, maybe. It’s hard to apply concepts like ‘spatial positioning’ to something that literally is outside time and space.”
“You know,” I figured maybe I could keep things from building into an argument if I spoke up, “that kind of makes a bit of sense. Remember when we were searching for the tome, and we found the spot we arrived, and I mentioned how it felt like there was ‘a breeze of magic’ in the air? I felt a lot of that after the Storm that Augustine made, too. Like puncturing the barrier caused it to all rush in.”
Nodding, Master went back to the book, flipping back a few pages. “Still, if that’s the case, that makes some of these passages less nonsensical. …I might have to stop calling Roffil an idiot.”
I huffed. “I’m still gonna bite him when we get back.”
“Don’t, girl. We don’t know where he’s been, and I don’t want you getting sick.”
Elsie was smiling at the exchange, scrolling along on her phone. I dropped to all fours.
“What’cha looking at, Miss Brown?” I circled around, but I couldn’t really get a good look at her phone from down here.
“Oh, nothing big. Just news, mostly. Trying to reassure myself the whole world isn’t completely bonkers, just here. It’s so weird, seeing all this talk about stuff, and it’s all so… normal. But here I am with a mage and a dragon in my shop, talking about…” She waved her hand in a gesture meant to encompass everything, and put away her phone. Her voice started to waver. “Well, the nature of reality, and how it’s so unlike everything we ever knew. And you’re talking about leaving, and all I can think is… what then? Does everything go back to normal? Do I just pretend I never saw any of this? Will people think I lost my marbles? Maybe I already did?”
Tola was the first to speak up. “Hey, woah, woah there. Look… Yeah, it’s pretty wild. I’ve had to get used to it this last year, and I had the advantage of, well, being in Terra at the time. I can’t say I have answers for you, but… for what it’s worth, I promise you it’s real. Maybe I can… make you something you can hold on to, before I go, so you can at least have something to prove to yourself that you’re not crazy. We’re not leaving right now, we can figure something out.” He had taken her hand in his, so he could look her in the eyes as he talked.
“I’d offer, but the only thing I make is shed scales.” That got a weak chuckle out of her. “But hey, you never know, maybe this will lead to everyone knowing about magic before long. You’re not crazy, you’re just ahead of the curve!”
The two looked at me, Elsie with confusion and Master with worry. So I elaborated. “We’re talking about intentional travel between worlds. The Mage’s Guild already knows some things about Earth, between Roffil and our departure. Getting back means we’ll be telling them a lot more. Even if we don’t manage it, someone else is going to put the pieces together and start opening communication. The secret is going to come out, one way or the other. Earth and Terra are going to meet. It’s a matter of when, not if.”
Elsie’s eyes were wide, looking between the two of us. “There’s going to be… magic on Earth? As in, everyone’s going to know?”
Tola, on the other hand, blanched at the question. “It’s going to be a very difficult thing, to make sure this happens in a way that’s best for both worlds, but I think she’s right.”
Master opened the front door of the small house we rented with Cheryl. I rushed inside, tail wagging, while Master brought in a large, ornate mirror. Cheryl was sitting on the couch, with her laptop on the coffee table, and looked rather surprised to see us. “You guys are home early!”
I tilted my head. “No, we’re home late. We did some shopping after work. Look what we got! Isn’t it neat? It’s an actual silvered mirror! It’ll be great for magic.”
Master got the heavy frame inside and closed the door. “It’s also great for hernias. Solid wood frame means I can inscribe a lot of runework onto it, which is going to be important.”
“But I thought you closed the store tonight?” Cheryl looked really nervous for some reason. I padded over to her, curious, nosing at her hand lightly.
“Nah, that’s tomorrow night. What’s going on?” Spying the laptop, I giggled and leaned in to look. “Ooh, are you watching some kind of embarrassing video?” All I saw was a person sitting in some kind of office, the paused frame showing surprise.
“Is… that dog… talking?” Or it wasn’t paused, they were just so frozen I didn’t notice.
Cheryl had her face in her hands. “Ugh… No… That’s… that’s my therapist. I had to get one in Sioux City to find one that had an opening instead of a waitlist.”
Master grimaced. “Oh, crap, so that’s a video call, then?” I was already darting out of frame with a squeak, but the damage was done.
Cheryl nodded, sighing heavily. “Yeah. I thought you guys wouldn’t be home, so…”
“And we didn’t knock, because we had no idea you’d be on a video call. I’m sorry, Cheryl.” Master said with a sympathetic voice.
The voice from the laptop, however, was not so easily ignored. “Would someone please tell me what’s with the talking dog? If this is a prank, I don’t appreciate it.”
We exchanged looks of “What do we do now?”, but in the end, Cheryl was the one to throw herself onto the couch and groan. “And THIS is why I need therapy! Because my life doesn’t stop being completely crazy! My boyfriend pulls a shotgun on me, I make friends with a talking dragon, I have a magician for a roommate, and–Oh yeah–I watched a guy melt into thin air before a freaking Storm exploded in front of me and I nearly died!”
The therapist on the call seemed to switch to a calming voice. “Okay, hold on, let’s just take things one step at a time. Now, you told me about your breakup with Chad, but what’s all this other stuff? When you say ‘friends with a dragon’, what do you mean?” It was almost a patronizing voice, the kind you’d use with someone who you have lost all faith in their sanity.
Cheryl’s head was leaned back, and instead of looking at the screen, she just raised a hand and let it flop. “What do you think I mean? A dragon. Wings, scales, a fire-breathing dragon! Princess, show her I’m not crazy, please?”
This was my fault, at least most of it, so I stepped back into the camera’s view. “Um, hi, my name is Princess. Oh, right, one moment.” Seeing the slightly glitchy image of a dog in the preview reminded me I still had my disguise on, so I raised a paw to my collar and dismissed it. Giving myself a shake, I let my wings spread just a little. “So, yeah, a dragon.”
Now it was the therapist’s turn to doubt her own sanity. “Um, this is… impressive. Okay, you’ve clearly got some kind of… video editing software… going on, right?”
Master came over and sat on the couch next to Cheryl, addressing the camera. “I’m afraid not. What you’re seeing is the truth of the matter.”
It had taken a lengthy explanation of the Storms, of Terra, and the events of the last month, but in the end, the therapist seemed to finally accept what she was told. “I admit, this is… a bit outside my field of expertise, but… Yeah, wow. Normally I’d point out our time is up, but this is my last appointment for the day, so I can just… stay a bit late today.”
Cheryl leaned forward on the couch, with me sitting on the floor between her and Master. “You aren’t going to… I dunno, report all this, right? They just want to get home, they’re not a danger to anyone. I don’t want some kind of FBI raid on my house, I’m pretty sure my landlord will get upset, and we only just moved in.”
With a soft chuckle, the therapist shook her head. “No, no. Even if I wanted to, we don’t record sessions, so it’s not like I could prove anything. Who would believe me?”
“Hah. Yeah, that’s… that’s a thing I’ve asked myself a lot this last month.” Cheryl leaned back and sighed. “But hey, now I’ve got someone outside of this whole… mess? So thanks, Princess?”
I dipped my head. “I don’t really feel like I made things better…”
Master patted my head. “You never feel like you do. I guess you think I keep you around for your good looks, girl?”
“Eep!” I blushed at that, tail curled tightly around myself. “W-well, I mean… I don’t… You…!” I couldn’t get a coherent set of words strung together, so I settled for just letting out a pitiable mewl and burying my face under a wing.
His warm hand was still on my back, stroking gently. “I mean, you are a pretty girl, but you’re a Good Girl, Princess. You do help, all the time. You do make things better, even if it’s not in the ways you expect.”
Cheryl joined in, her hand on the base of my wing. “Yeah. This is my third session, and I’d barely gotten to cover anything, because of how many secrets I had to keep. But now we can actually talk openly! It really is a huge help, I’m serious!”
The voice from the laptop came in. “Princess, is it? How does it feel to hear that kind of support from them?”
I peeked out, pulling my wing back, surprised at being addressed. “Uh? M-me? I mean, it… it feels good, but I… I feel guilty for… making them feel bad and having to say that stuff?”
“I wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t true, girl.” Master scritched behind my horn, making me blush and give a soft purr.
“I admit, I never thought I’d be giving therapy to a dragon… It looks like there’s a lot going on, perhaps we should set up a group session? If you’re okay with that, Cheryl? With all you’ve been through together, it sounds like there’s a lot that needs to be talked about. But if you want to keep the sessions private, that’s your decision. Unfortunately, I can’t stay much longer tonight, but how about we set something up for Monday?”
With some back and forth, we worked out a time that was good for all of us, and the call ended. Master patted his lap, and I climbed up onto the couch to bury my head against his chest. “There there, girl. It’s all right, I’ve got you. You’re my Princess.”
Cheryl was fighting a laugh at the sight. “So, tell me more about this mirror?”
It had taken an entire week, but Master stepped back to admire his handiwork. “It’s going to be difficult, but if my theory is correct, I just might be able to establish communication across the worlds. Basically, I’ve created a small ‘tunnel’ through the void, and this should be able to connect to the communication orbs the Mage’s Guild is developing. Thankfully, my work with Artificer Botolf means I’m well aware of the enchantment that provides them with functionality.”
Cheryl looked at me, and I raised a paw in my version of a shrug. “You should’ve heard him the first time he enchanted an item.”
Master rolled his eyes, but grinned at the exchange. “Yeah, yeah. Okay, well, the only way to really know if this is going to work is to test it. I should look into replicating this crystal, but for now I can use the book as a focus for the ‘tunnel’.” Gripping the mirror’s frame in both hands, he took a deep breath and began focusing. The amount of energy I felt flowing was immense.
Cheryl, however, seemed unimpressed. “Yeah, your eyes look great. Wait, now you can’t even see them, the mirror just went… foggy?”
I gave a soft hiss, my voice barely above a whisper. “This is huge, don’t distract him. Can’t you feel it?” It didn’t seem like she could, but at least she stayed quiet.
Master, his breathing deliberate and steady, began to call out. “Professor Dweli? Dweli, can you hear me? Are you there? C’mon, please work, please… Professor Dweli?”
The silence hung in the air, the tension palpable. I didn’t even realize I was holding my breath until I heard a voice come from the mirror’s surface. “Mage Tola!? Is that you? You’ve returned?” It was faint, and there was a hiss like the sound of a rainstorm. Or like static, or white noise. Or Chaos.
Relief visibly washed over Master, and he let out a sigh as well. “Holy Hell, I can’t believe I did it! Dweli, yes, it’s me! I haven’t been able to return yet, I’m contacting you from Earth! …Are you still there?”
There was hesitation in the voice when it replied. “…Yeah, I’m here. This is… amazing!” The solid gray of the mirror’s surface started to clear like mist, and soon we were looking into a stone-walled room with shelves of books behind her. Professor Dweli’s face registered shock as she saw us as well. “What…? What kind of place are you in?”
Cheryl, meanwhile, had jumped at the sight, taking a step backwards. “Woah! You gotta warn me before you do that kind of thing! Man, that really does look like something straight out of a fantasy book. How cliche can you get?”
Master chuckled. “Hey, we walked in on your call, now you get to be in on ours. Cheryl, this is Dweli, Professor of Magical Animals at the Winselton Mage’s Guild on Terra. Professor Dweli, this is Cheryl, veterinary technician at Ida Grove Emergency Vet Clinic and studying to be a doctor of veterinary medicine, of Earth.”
Dweli smiled politely, giving a nod in lieu of a handshake. “Pleased to meet you. I admit, you don’t look like a demon.”
“I’m sorry, what?” Cheryl looked at Master for an explanation.
Raising an eyebrow, Master looked at the mirror. “I take it that demon hysteria is still going strong over there?”
“I wouldn’t say ‘strong’, but… Well, I’m afraid we’ve been short on answers, and with only speculation to fill the gaps. Speculation, and Initiate Roffil’s shoutings.”
Master pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. “I thought Princess explained things before she left? She says she talked to you a lot.”
Dweli gave a light grimace. “She explained some, but the word of a beast…? Not to mention that the only one I can relay that word to is Master Korrigan? He and I have done our best to keep you from being convicted in the court of opinion, but it’s an uphill battle, given… Well, the banishment spell DID work on you.” Seeing the reactions, she hastily added. “No, I mean, I know you’re not a demon! It’s just that… I worry some others are less convinced.”
“I see. Well, thank you for letting me know. What would you suggest, as a way to clear my name? I promise you, Earth is just a world, same as Terra. No demons, only humans.”
Uneasy, Dweli shook her head. “I just don’t know. Let me send for Master Korrigan, he’ll want to know about this immediately. I know he’s been wanting to ask you questions ever since this whole mess started.” With her leaving the view of the mirror, we could only listen as a heavy wooden door opened, and she called for a courier. Returning into view, she was still trying to take in the sights of the room behind us.
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I decided to speak up. “Dweli, how are the hatchlings? Are they doing okay?”
Her face lit up, and she started telling me with delight about how big they were getting, and how soon they’d be ready to fly. Cheryl listened with rapt attention, before she started asking questions about their development as well.
The two had been discussing anatomical details about all sorts of creatures when we heard a knock on Dweli’s door. She ducked over to open it, and soon the stern face of Master Korrigan, head mage of the Guild, was staring out from the mirror.
“What in the Kingdoms of Old is this…? Mage Tola, is that truly you? I’d heard… Oh, and Princess! You gave us all quite a fright, disappearing like that, you know! And, ah… Who is this lady?”
Tola cleared his throat. “It’s good to see you, Master Korrigan. This is Cheryl, of Earth. She’s been an invaluable ally for both myself and Princess. It was thanks to her that we were able to be reunited at all, let alone have a place I could use for this experiment.”
Korrigan nodded. “I see. Mage Tola, I assume you are already aware of the… rather grave accusations being made against you. I would like to hear your explanation of things, and I would like if, for once, you didn’t give me the feeling you’re only scratching the surface of the truth.”
“Yes, of course.” Tola took a deep breath and sighed. “I’m not sure how much Princess has already told you, but Roffil is partially correct. While it’s true I’m not originally from Terra, I swear to you that I am no demon. I’m human, just like every person on both Terra and on Earth. Nearly a year ago, while here on Earth, I was caught in a Chaos Storm. Miraculously, I survived, but found myself emerging from a similar Storm on Terra. That was shortly before I… had that whole unpleasant business with Elimaio, and before I met Princess. Trust me, I only hid the true secret of my homeland because I feared I would be unable to explain it with no way to prove any of my words.”
The Leader of Academics listened in silence, as if drinking each word and tasting them like a fine wine. “Princess had said this world of Earth is… devoid of magic. Can you explain what she meant by that?”
“It’s mostly true. To the vast majority of people here, magic simply doesn’t exist. Since my return, I’ve discovered it’s not as devoid as I previously thought. There seem to be scattered practitioners, but they are so rare that there’s no Guilds, no organization, no record of their existence. Ask a million people, and every last one will tell you magic isn’t real. Ten million, a hundred million, and maybe you’ll find one who can actually use it. Maybe. Then again, maybe there is a hidden network that’s larger than I thought… But the ‘master magician’ I faced here barely holds a candle to the newest Initiate of the Guild, in terms of knowledge.”
Cheryl spoke up. “Yeah, we’re a world of science, not magic. Technology.” She held up her phone for emphasis. “Uh, I mean, sir. Didn’t mean to interrupt.”
Korrigan had a skeptical look on his face. “An… obsidian hand mirror?”
Tola cleared his throat. “That’s actually a device called a ‘cell phone’. It’s similar to the communication orbs we’re using right now. Well, I’m using a mirror, but I’m using the same spell to contact you. Except it does it completely without magic.”
Obligingly, Cheryl unlocked it and demonstrated some of its uses, pulling up a website, then a YouTube video. “I can even call anyone else with one of these. They’re very popular, nearly everyone has one. I can even do video chats, just like this mirror… orb, thing.”
“That… is utterly fascinating. I’m definitely going to want a full report on this technology. Which brings me to the real question, Mage Tola. What is your intent?” The ice-cold edge in that last question caught us all by surprise.
“My…? All I want is to get Princess and I back home, to Terra. To Hammerfell. I was hoping I could contact you and the Guild for assistance on that.” Tola looked at me, and then back to Korrigan. “Earth is no place for a dragon, or a mage.”
The head mage’s expression didn’t change. “It will be something to consider. While I, personally, would like to assist, I’m afraid there are many more questions I will need to ask. I notice you have the Initiate’s book. Can you not send yourself here with it?”
Tola shook his head, looking down at the gem-decorated tome. “I’m afraid Roffil only developed a spell that sends a victim back to their world of origin. I can go from Terra to Earth, but I can’t go from Earth to Terra without having been born there.”
Korrigan’s eyes narrowed. “And you can’t use that to return Princess, for her safety?”
I grimaced as best as my reptilian face allowed, and Tola hesitated. Finally he exhaled. “No, I cannot. And I doubt she’d allow me to separate the two of us. Honestly, I don’t know if I’d have the heart either.”
“You… cannot. Is that related to how she was able to cross to Earth in the first place?”
I curled my tail around myself. “I-I had the book, the gemstone in it…”
Tola raised a hand, holding it palm-out towards me. “Princess was born on Earth.”
Dweli looked like her eyes were about to fall out of their sockets, while Korrigan hid his surprise much better. “And what are you not telling me, Mage Tola? You said Earth has no magic, no dragons. You said you made it to Terra by way of a Chaos Storm. So how was there an Earth dragon on Terra?”
I lowered my head with a whimper. “I was born a human. Dweli knows this. Elimaio’s experiments caused me to become a dragon in soul as well as body. I hadn’t told Dweli that like Master, I made it through by way of a Storm, though I was on Terra for nearly a month before our meeting. It was probably by chance that we met, but once we realized what we had in common… Well, I couldn’t very well leave the one person who knew of Earth, let alone the owner who rescued me, took care of me, was kind to me…”
Master’s hand reached down to pet along my neck, scritching the base of my horns. “It’s true. In fact, I wouldn’t have progressed nearly as far in my studies of magic if I hadn’t been working to try to restore Princess to her human form. Unfortunately, our attempts… didn’t work.”
My head lowered more. “They don’t work because… I don’t want them to. I… want to be Master’s Princess.”
Korrigan’s eyes finally showed their surprise. “Well, that’s… I knew there was something, but I had no idea what to expect anymore. Mage Tola, I hope you don’t mind, but there’s a lot of questions you’ll need to be answering before I can give any kind of approval for your return. Not just for my own peace of mind, but for the others’ as well.”
Tola nodded. “Of course, Master Korrigan. I promise, you have my full cooperation.”
“And mine, though I suppose only when it’s just us.”
Cheryl cleared her throat. “And I wouldn’t mind answering questions, if it helps.”
Our days were mostly split between the bookstore and the mirror. Master was trying to fill Korrigan and the others on what he’d figured out about the Storms and such. We pulled the mirror over to the table, where Cheryl’s laptop was set up. That allowed us to use it for reference, as well as to show off things. Currently, Master was showing Google Maps to Korrigan and Elwarn. “Look, here’s a map of Earth. I can even bring up a satellite view, so you can see pictures of it. Every single land is named, and Terra just isn’t on here.”
The stern Elwarn looked unconvinced. “And what makes you believe this map is accurate?”
Cheryl crossed her arms. Elwarn had been endlessly asking that of every piece of information we tried to present. “They’re photos! It’s not just someone drawing them, these are literally images! Look! I can zoom in right down to the streets and houses!” Taking the mouse, she showed off the resolution.
“And who painted these pictures? I grant whoever did so was highly skilled, and it must have taken an incredible amount of time…”
Taking over the keyboard, Tola brought up a search page, finding a diagram of a satellite in orbit. “This device, based on a telescope, is able to capture images and transmit them back to us. There is no imagination, no creativity, no lies in these images. Earth has a number of these satellites in the sky, orbiting the planet, performing a variety of functions. Some of those satellites take pictures, some receive signals and pass them along, some take other kinds of measurements to allow us to see the weather and track its patterns. There’s all kinds.”
Elwarn was silent for a bit. “Mmh. This really would be better suited to Botolf.”
Tola was steadfast. “I’m happy to go over this with him as well. But there’s something else I wanted to bring up. Earth and Terra are… linked, it seems. The fates of our worlds have been intertwined for longer than either knew.”
Korrigan was first to speak up. “You mean, in the past? You say this like it’s more than a theory. Care to explain?”
“Gladly. I’ve been doing research on this side, and I think the Chaos Storms have been a problem in the past. Descriptions are sparse, but around a thousand years ago, there are records of ‘not the seasonal storms’ that ‘viciously eradicated entire villages’. Some would attribute it to God’s wrath, some would say it was a freak of nature, some would even call it the work of demons… But I believe them to be the same Storms as we have found ourselves facing now.”
The head mage’s frown deepened. “And they struck this… ‘America’ place?”
Tola paused for a moment. “Well… Possibly, but that’s not where the records are from. This country was founded as a colony around three hundred years ago, and then we fought a war for independence. Sadly, on our arrival, we did untold damage to the native population, so very little records from this land survived. But the country that we broke off from kept meticulous records that did survive the millenia.”
Elwarn rolled his eyes. “How fortuitous. But I fail to see how that is supposed to convince us.”
Tola bit his lip, letting the silence hang in the air. “Cheryl, would you tell them what country we fought for independence?”
Sensing there was something important about it, but having no way to know exactly what, Cheryl took a moment. “Um, England?”
The response was immediate. Elwarn threw his arms up in anger. Dweli covered her mouth to stop from laughing. Korrigan’s face turned red. Cheryl, confused, looked to Tola for an explanation. But Tola just stood by, waiting for the mages to find their composure. Korrigan was the first to speak. “And just what is the meaning of this… fairy tale?”
With a smile, Tola brought the map up again. “The meaning is that England is, in fact, not a fairy tale at all. England is a country on Earth. Here.” Panning the map to the British Isles, he zoomed in enough that the name appeared. “This is where England has been this entire time.”
This time, Elwarn was the first to speak up, his refined countenance cracked completely in anger. “I have heard quite enough of this! I asked for proof that these maps were true, and you show me proof they are false!”
Cheryl’s confusion had grown to the point that she couldn’t keep quiet. “What’s the big deal about England? I’ve been there, I got to see Big Ben in London and everything! Why are they blowing a gasket?”
Tola sighed heavily. “On Terra, there are legends and stories about it, but since nobody there could find it, they eventually dismissed it as a legend. They see it the way we see Atlantis. Wait, is there an Atlantis on Terra? That would explain a lot.”
Korrigan was stroking his chin, and the dark hand-length beard there. “I’m not familiar with the name, but I’m hardly an expert on every land in the world. It’s possible, but I cannot say at this time.”
Tola shook his head. “No matter. The point is, people have crossed from Earth to Terra in the past. In fact, I’d wager that Terra is entirely populated by descendents of Earthlings.”
“Earthlings?” Dweli snickered at the term.
“Well, yes. People from Earth. Granted, usually we hear that term used in science fiction, when discussing other planets and aliens, but it still fits. Anyway, I remember reading that history on Terra claims people were ‘created by gods’. That humans appeared and got to work creating cities and settlements. Many claimed to have already lived in cities, but they were either destroyed or lost somehow, and many settlements had names like ‘New Westshire’ or ‘New Ebonglen’, is that right?”
Professor Elwarn had gotten his rigid composure back. “Well, when you go back far enough, history becomes unclear. Our earliest records are remarkably inconsistent, I’m afraid.”
With a clearing of his throat, Tola continued. “The English town of Ebonglen suffered a ‘storm the likes of which had never been seen before’ in 940 A.D. The entire town was razed to the ground, leaving behind only the outlines of buildings. In its place, massive trees towered over the nearby forest, when a year prior they had not been there. Not a single resident was ever found, not even a body. And the mayor of the town… was one Martin Winselton.”
“Winselton!?” Korrigan’s shock was clear. “You don’t mean to claim there’s a connection…?”
“I can’t say for sure, but in my research about rulers claiming to be from England, I came across early reports that Duke Winselton’s line originally claimed that, before ‘abandoning the pretense’. And that his family line can be traced to New Ebonglen. All I can say is that there is a VERY strong possibility that at least some of those rumors are more true than anyone could have known.”
The group was deathly silent for nearly a full minute. Korrigan, being the one in charge, spoke first. “This is… an incredible set of information. I’ll be honest, I don’t know what to do with it. Perhaps I will… send word to some scholars abroad.”
Tola nodded, giving another sigh. “It is my hope that we can… establish some sort of avenue of communication between the two worlds. However, such an endeavor is highly dangerous, to both sides.”
That got their attention. Elwarn arched his eyebrow. “Dangerous? I thought you were trying to explain how you weren’t a threat?”
With a thin grimace, Tola shook his head. “What I mean is, both worlds are going to want what the other has. Terra is going to want the technology and scientific advancements of Earth, and Earth is going to want the power of magic found on Terra. I worry that opening communication could lead to one trying to take what they want by force, leading to a violent and bitter war.”
Elwarn scoffed. “You said they don’t have magic. I don’t see how these… scrying glasses and ‘cell phones’ are going to be of much use in a war, we could send a group of Initiates and the soldiers wouldn’t be able to get within sword range.”
Tola nodded grimly, sighing heavily. “And if wars on Earth were still fought with swords, you’d be right. However, Earth has guns. And nukes.” Bringing up a video, he showed a demonstration of an automatic rifle perforating a row of targets. While the three mages watched in uncomfortable silence, Tola followed it with another video, stopping before he played it. “This… This is humanity’s most horrifying moment. Beneath these clouds, you can barely see the city of Hiroshima.” He hit play.
“I don’t get it. Those buildings are so tiny, why is this so far aw–” The mushroom cloud cut off the question and left Elwarn’s mouth agape. The three on the other side of the mirror watched, struggling to comprehend. “…What… was that?”
Tola lowered his head, his voice low and almost breaking. “That was the moment as many as a hundred and forty thousand people were incinerated in a nuclear explosion. Most of them civilians.” Clicking a couple more times, Tola brought up another video. “And this, is the city of Nagasaki, three days later. Between forty and eighty thousand people lose their lives here.” Again, the horror of nuclear war played out on the screen. “Countless more would die from these bombs poisoning the very ground and air.”
It was several minutes before anyone was able to speak. Korrigan’s voice was quaking, something I’d never heard from the man. “What… was… your goal, in showing us this, Mage Tola?”
Closing his eyes, Tola took a deep breath before speaking. “To convince you that this is a very delicate situation. I want what’s best for both worlds. If things aren’t done properly, I fear this might be repeated on Terran soil, and that terrifies me. There’s also a chance that a magical version of this could be unleashed on Earth soil, and I want to prevent that too.”
Korrigan nodded, his eyes still on the laptop screen, even though the video was over and replaced with a collection of recommended videos. “What would you suggest, then?”
Tola sighed. “I’m not smart enough to know the answer. Just that this is going to be incredibly delicate. If anything, I’d say hiding the possibility of travel is our best bet. If the two worlds see each other as ‘unreachable’, that might buy enough time for understanding and peace to be fostered.”
Elwarn swallowed hard, finally getting his voice back. “You’re not suggesting we simply cut all contact, and stop Earth from knowing about us at all?”
“I’m afraid not. It’s not a matter of ‘if’ Terra and Earth will discover each other, it’s a matter of ‘when’. Roffil was able to determine what he did about the Storms, and there are more brilliant minds than his on both worlds working on the same problem. I believe the best approach is to figure out a way to begin establishing talks, but carefully.”
The silence stayed in the air. Whatever this meeting had intended to be, it was certainly somber. Even Cheryl looked uneasy.
I nudged Master’s side with my head. I couldn’t speak with Elwarn present, but I hoped he’d remember. Thankfully, he did. “Oh, yes. Professor Dweli, for our next meeting, could you have Princess’s hatchlings in the room? It would be nice to be able to see them again.”
She nodded, clearing her throat. “Yeah. Yeah, I can agree.”
The next day, after our group session with Cheryl’s therapist, we invited Ro and Mandy over. We hadn’t gotten much chance to talk after Augustine, between the research and the trauma, so I was glad when they arrived and seemed to be in pretty high spirits.
“Like, how’s it going, guys? Ooh, what’s with the fancy mirror? Looks like it’s busted, though.” Ro had set her bag down on the table, while Mandy leaned against the wall. Her expression was less cheerful.
Master smiled, standing up from the couch and stretching. “Oh, it could be worse. We just got done with today’s therapy.” Cheryl tried to shush him, shaking her head, but Tola just shrugged. “What? There’s no shame in it. Honestly, I would kill for a therapist back on Terra. Even if not for me, there are so many who could use it. Captain Aesis, for instance.”
I padded over, nosing at Mandy’s side. Sure enough, that grumpiness couldn’t resist giving me a gentle pat. “How are you two holding up?”
Mandy gave a soft sigh. “Eh, it’s still pretty crazy to think about it. I almost died. All I did was get in the way.”
Ro tried to make some sort of comforting gesture, but I put a paw on Mandy’s thigh. “Hey, now. From one sidekick to another, trust me. Just being there can be more helpful than you know. I mean, can you imagine if Ro here had nobody to talk to about that night? Just the fact that you were willing to stand up and fight was incredible. You two have an incredible bond, I’m sure you both will do great things together.”
The dark-haired girl looked amused at my pep talk, breaking out into a smile as she looked up at Master.
Tola chuckled. “Oh, sure, she can say that to someone else, but she’ll still beat herself up every chance she gets. Gonna listen to your own words, Princess?”
When I bashfully tucked my head under a wing, the others started laughing. Finally, I showed my face again. “I’m still working on that part, okay? But… but I am working on it. I want to be able to do better.”
That got me a lot of attention, both Mandy and Master were petting me, while Cheryl and Ro were nearby waiting their turns. Purring, I surrendered to it and even rolled onto my back, offering my belly for rubs. I’d lost track of time, only for a voice to cut through and interrupt things. “Mage Tola, are you there?” Professor Dweli’s voice came from the mirror’s surface, the gray fog rippling slightly.
Ro jumped, looking around. “Holy crap, what was that?”
Master chuckled, heading over to the mirror. “Ah, yes, the other reason I asked you two to visit. Ready to meet the Mage’s Guild?” Gripping the mirror, he closed his eyes and concentrated. “I’m here, Dweli. Sorry for the delay.”
The sight that cleared up made me squeal as I got to all fours, rushing forward. Dweli was sitting, with little Relia in her arms. I could see others in the background, wandering back and forth, as Dweli had moved to the storeroom being used as a nursery for the hatchlings. “Hatchies!”
Master stepped away so I could get a better view, chuckling, and the rest of the girls crowded around the mirror. They had to keep clear of my swinging tail, wagging hard enough to knock out a leg. “Thank you, Professor. Princess has been missing them a lot, and I admit I’m glad to see them too.”
Ro’s eyes were wide, looking uncertain about this, but Mandy looked gleeful at the sight. “Holy moly, Ro! Oh man, I want one of those!”
Professor Dweli chuckled at the reaction. “Dragons aren’t an easy pet, I’m afraid. Even Princess’s babies are willful little tykes.”
The two girls looked at me in unison. “Wait, hers?”
I didn’t care, I was transfixed on the sight of the little scaly bundles. “Yeah, those are my offspring. They hatched only two months ago. They’re already so big! Relia! Relia, look, momma’s here!” The little green dragoness in Dweli’s arms didn’t seem to respond.
Tola cleared his throat. “Say, Professor… Have the hatchlings shown any signs of talking? Or inheriting Princess’s… intelligence?”
Relia started to squirm, so Dweli set her down on the table, bending down to pick up the blue female, Taya, and give her some attention. “I’m afraid not. Though, I admit I’m not sure whether it would be good or bad if they did… The whole situation is… unprecedented. But then, what about you two isn’t?” The mirror was filled with a closeup of green snout as Relia sniffed at the ball Dweli was using to talk to us, squeaking happily at the sight of me, before wandering off in search of food. Seeing them only strengthened my resolve to get home.
A knock from the mirror was our warning before Master Korrigan entered the view, raising an eyebrow at the new faces. “Mage Tola, who do we have here?”
“Ah, two more allies I made on Earth. This is Ro, and this is Mandy. Ro actually has quite the knack for magic and started picking it up by accident, so I’ve been teaching her what I can. If only to keep her from being a danger to herself and others.”
Ro looked like she was about to burst. Unable to restrain herself, she blurted out. “Tola, like, says you’re an entire magic guild thing, right? I… I wanna join! I want to go to Terra and learn! Please!”
That seemed to shock Master, who looked over to Mandy, but she only nodded. “I want to go too. I don’t know if I can actually learn magic, but I want to go with Ro and keep her safe. I can learn to be a knight or something, right?”
Tola shook his head. “Wait, you too? I was hoping you’d talk some sense into her.”
Mandy chuckled. “No way. We’ve been talking it over all week. We’re gonna go together. Maybe we’ll come back to Earth, maybe we won’t, we don’t know yet. But knowing there’s something like this and not going? Poor Ro would just explode if you told her no.”
Korrigan let out a deep belly laugh. “Oh my. Well, looks like we have a lot to talk about today, don’t we? Good thing I cleared my schedule for the day. Why don’t you start from the top, Tola, and tell me about this last month?”