We’d been talking almost daily with people back home on Terra. Master had to make his case repeatedly that he was not a demon, against a revolving cast of professors and other figures. More and more were coming to his side, at least. Finally, we were given the good news, as Master Korrigan’s smiling face stared out from the mirror. “Mage Tola, you are hereby cleared of these accusations of being a demon. In fact, in light of your accomplishments and the information you’ve brought us, I am raising your rank to Silver. Once we figure out how to get you back, we’ll have a new badge waiting for you.”

Relief washed over both Master and me, and he knelt down to give me a big hug, his arms wrapped around my neck. I gave his cheek a lick, my tail wagging. “Oh, that is great news. Thank you so much, sir!”

“Of course, once we do have a way to travel, I think I would quite like to visit this world, and see things for myself. If that’s all right?” The older gentleman was looking quite jovial. “I do believe I’m owed a vacation by now. I’ll have to make sure Magister Yenturan can cover for me, though.”

Tola laughed softly, nodding. “Yes, I’d be happy to show you around some. Maybe we’ll even take a trip out to one of the larger cities.”

With the day’s conversations concluded, the connection was severed, and Master sank heavily onto the couch. “I can’t believe it, we’re actually going home, Princess.”

Wagging my tail more, I climbed up and laid across his lap, pushing my head into his hand for pets. “It’ll be good to be back. No more having to worry about keeping world-shattering secrets safe. Well, mostly.”

“Ha ha, yeah. Ohhh, it would be so lovely to see the people of Hammerfell again, just back to peace and quiet.” His hand stroked along my neck, and my tail thumped against the couch. “Mmh. This means having to tell the others we’re leaving, though…”

I lifted my head, moving in to lick his cheek again and push my nose under his chin. “Yeah, but like, not for good. We can still visit, maybe. If Korrigan is talking about vacationing here, it sounds like he’s planning on something more than a one-time deal.”

His hand moved to scritch under my chin and jawline, and I started purring deeply as he did. “True. But we won’t actually know the details until we figure something out. I mean, I have some ideas that might help, but teleportation magic wasn’t something I studied. We’re mostly dependent on the experts back on Terra.”

I nodded, resting my head on his chest. It was good to just relax. A peaceful moment, and I could just listen to his breathing and heartbeat, feel his warmth. What more could a pet dragon want?

We were up early, right around the time Cheryl was getting home from the night shift at work. Master had been scheduled to open the bookstore today, after all. Having expected her home, Master was cooking breakfast for the three of us when she came in the door.

“Hey, you two. Smells good in here.” She set her bag down on the table and sat down.

Master placed a plate down in front of her. “Well, we feel good, too. We’re approved to return to Terra, finally. Sounds like the plan is to set up some sort of two-way passage, so we can still visit. The head of the Guild wants to visit Earth, after all, and I’m sure he won’t be the only one.”

Cheryl was already digging in while Master talked. Taking the time to swallow, she looked up. “Wow, really? Like, no kidding? Huh… I mean, I guess I knew it was likely to happen, I just… hadn’t really thought about it, you know? I’m glad for you two, I really am, it’s just that I’m gonna miss you guys.”

I set my chin on her knee, sitting beside her. “Hey now, it’s not like we’re gonna be gone forever! I’m sure we’ll work out a way to keep in touch.”

“She’s right. This is far from the end.” Tola smiled as he sat down with his own plate, putting a third on the floor for me. “Besides, we still have to work on a way to actually open a passageway, and there’s no telling how long that’s going to take.”

Cheryl took another bite of breakfast, nodding. “Hey, maybe I’ll get to visit you guys, too. I wonder if school would let me get some kind of extra credit for studying dragons.”

Master laughed, nodding. “I know Dweli would love to do some kind of collaboration. Being able to see x-rays and such would probably blow her mind.”

That got more laughter, and breakfast went quickly. After cleaning up, though, it was time for Cheryl to rest, and for us to get to work.

Even though we’d just gotten the good news last night, the boredom of work was palpable. Master read a book, but he propped up his phone so I could watch videos on YouTube while we waited. It was kind of surreal, listening to the older gentleman discuss technology nearly as old as I was, knowing I’d soon be back on a world that didn’t have any of this.

We finally had a customer come in, which meant it was time to pay attention. “Welcome to ‘Reading is Magic’, what can I help you find?”

I didn’t think I’d ever seen this woman before, and the way she was looking around like she was unfamiliar with the store meant she was likely a new customer. “Oh, um, I saw this flier for a book auction? That’s still going on, right?”

Tola blinked. “Oh! Oh, yes, I suppose it is, isn’t it? Were you interested in placing a bid?” I didn’t blame him for forgetting, the entire thing had been a ploy to get Augustine to reveal himself and force a confrontation, which… had definitely happened.

“Um, maybe. I do collect rare books, but what’s the current bid at?” She cautiously looked Tola over, but ignored me. There wasn’t much to see, Master was wearing normal clothing for Earth, and didn’t even have his Guild badge on.

Master paused for a moment, thinking. “Huh. That’s actually a good question. I think the only two bidders might be… well, unavailable or disqualified. It was at seven-fifty, but I’m not really sure of the status right now. If you want to put in a lower bid, you can, and I’ll try to get an official ruling from the store owner when she’s in.”

“Did you mean seven dollars and fifty cents, or…?” The woman was skeptical, but didn’t seem sure which answer would be more believable.

“No, seven hundred and fifty dollars. It’s quite a rare piece of work, after all.” Master pulled out a bid form and placed it on the counter, with a pen on top. “But, like I said, the bid status is up in the air.”

She looked over the form in silence, pondering. Finally, she started to fill it out. “Crazy what happened with Mr. Augustine, isn’t it? The authorities are saying it was one of those Unmaker Storms. Bad luck, hitting the house he’d been using as an office for his side projects.”

The small talk was met with a soft sigh and a grim nod. “These storms are pretty wild. I hear nobody knows how they work, or where they come from. Doesn’t stop everyone from coming up with theories. Got any favorites?”

“Oh, not a lot. Though, if you believe the Mayans, the world was supposed to end in 2012. Some say the storms began then, and were just so infrequent at first that we didn’t notice until just a couple years ago. Feels like it’ll get worse before it gets better, but hopefully that’s just me. I’d be glad if I never saw another one.” She slid the completed form back across the counter with a faint smile.

“Honestly, the same. Once was en–” The word was cut off by a cough, Master clearing his throat and taking a moment before restarting. “I’m sorry, did you… intend to write five thousand dollars down? I can get you a new form if you wish.”

The woman brushed her hair back over her shoulder, looking firmly into Tola’s eyes. “No need, the form is correct. That is my bid.” Her voice had an aristocratic air to it.

Master took a moment to reply, looking down at the form and looking back up. “I take it you see something in particular in that book?” The voice was cold and low, cautious but with a hard edge.

It wasn’t lost on this woman. “Since my brush with a Storm, I’ve come to find a new appreciation for my brother’s collection, yes. And books like it. He changed his name to Horace Augustine because of his ridiculous notion that he could ride our grandfather’s legacy for his own benefit. However, he failed to bear in mind that such legacy was that of devoting himself to helping this town, not exploiting it.”

That was a lot to take in. “And may I ask what your intentions with his collection would be?

She nodded, as if she had expected a question like that. “My brother was a selfish, arrogant man. If I had been paying attention to what he was doing, I would have come earlier to stop him. I want to keep our grandfather’s legacy alive, I want to keep this town alive and have it be a place where people can take joy in living. I was thinking of perhaps grants for creative works, writing and movies perhaps.”

“That certainly sounds nice, Miss…” Master trailed off, clearly prompting her for her name.

“Janice Hearthbloom.” She extended a hand. “And you?”

Master shook the offered hand. “James Smith, though friends call me Tola. And this is Princess. I’m afraid I’m leaving town fairly soon myself, though I plan to visit. I’ve made some friends here, I’d like to see that they’re safe.”

A smirk crossed Janice’s face, and she nodded. “You wouldn’t happen to have run into my brother, would you? My apologies, if you had.”

“We… had crossed paths, once or twice. He was not a fan of me, and the feeling was mutual. I still did not wish him such an end, mind you. But there was nothing I could do to prevent it.”

“Is that when you were touched by the Storms?” Her gaze was intense.

“The Storms? You mentioned a brush, didn’t you? From what I hear, those are usually, well, fatal. I was lucky to escape the building when Horace… met his end.”

Janice took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Six months ago, while I was travelling, I had the misfortune of being where a Storm erupted. I was caught in it, though I think just the edge of it. Still, having survived was something of a miracle. Ever since then, however… It feels like something changed inside of me. I don’t know how to explain it, but it felt like something burned a hole through me. But the books and things Horace had collected, suddenly they didn’t seem so silly and nonsensical. The first time I looked at one after that, it just… clicked. It reminded me of my time in the Storm, brief as it was. I thought I was the only one to have been caught in one and emerged alive, but somehow, I feel… something from you.” She made a motion like she was catching herself from saying something she didn’t mean to, shaking her head. “I’m sorry if that sounds strange.”

Master, however, was nodding as she told her story. “Not at all. I’ve… been through a Storm myself, in fact. It’s interesting, though, that you describe magic as suddenly making sense when it didn’t before, though.”

Her eyes were wide. “I didn’t say magic.”

With a warm smile, Master raised a hand in a calming gesture. “My turn to apologize. But I’m well aware of exactly what sort of ‘collection’ your brother had. His desire to add to it is why our paths crossed, and why we found ourselves at odds. I’m a mage myself, and when he found that out, he demanded obedience that I refused to give.”

A shudder went across her shoulders, and it looked like a wave of relief nearly stole the stiffness of her spine. “You…? Is it all right to speak freely? I was beginning to think I’d gone insane, nobody else was able to see things the way I could, and I thought if I said it out loud, I’d get locked in a padded cell.”

Master chuckled. “I hate to say it, but this town seems to be something of a weirdness magnet. Or maybe it’s just that whenever it gathers, it attracts more. But you’ll find a number of people here in town are in the know. Myself, Ms. Brown who owns the shop, and some friends I’ve made. They aren’t mages, though, but they know the secret.”

I circled around the counter and pushed a stool closer to Janice with my head, my tail wagging lightly. She gave me an odd look, but took the offered seat. “I’m glad to hear that, actually. I haven’t been able to talk to anyone since this whole mess started. What about you, though? Where were you when you had your brush with a Storm?”

Master smiled, putting the form away for now to free the counter of clutter. “Why don’t you tell me more about yourself, and how you’ve fared? I bet there’s a lot I can tell you.”

The two talked for a while, getting to know each other, though it was mostly Janice telling us about herself rather than Master letting on to the full depths of his knowledge. It was probably half an hour before the bell rang, making the two freeze, but it was just Elsie coming in.

“Oh, hi! Don’t mind me. Everything going okay, James?”

Master smiled, nodding. “Just fine. Elsie, this is Janice Hearthbloom. Janice, this is Elsie Brown, owner of the store.”

Janice was on her feet, offering a hand to shake. Elsie gave it a vigorous pumping and a wide, motherly grin. “Oh hey, Hearthbloom huh? Say, isn’t that the name of Mr. Augustine– Senior, I mean– his daughter’s family?”

Janice smiled in return. “It is indeed. You know your town’s history well, Ms. Brown.”

“Well, recent events inspired me to brush up on it, don’tcha know?” She let out a light chuckle. “What brings someone as fancy as you into my little store?”

Janice looked over at Master, but he simply nodded, letting her choose what she wanted to say. “Well, I came in to put a bid on your book. I must say, what I found was more than I was hoping for. James says you… are aware of magic?”

Elsie grimaced, but looked over at Master. “Well, that’s really more his thing than mine, but… Crazy, isn’t it? I take it you know too? Like Horace Junior?”

Janice nodded, but did so with a reassuring smile. “I’m not like my brother, I have no desire to take ownership of the town. I love Ida Grove, like my mother and grandfather. All I want is to see it be a haven for those who live here. I was hoping to use the collection I inherited to be able to keep this place safe, especially after I saw the news about some kind of ogre? They said it was fake, but it looked real to me.”

This time, Master finally spoke up. “Ah, Hamfist. That was real, yes, but it was also your brother’s doing. Apparently, he had planned to swoop in and ‘save’ everyone, becoming the ‘protector’ that people would follow. Fame and fortune for the ‘hero’, I suppose.”

“I have more than enough fame, I’m hoping for peace and quiet. If people can be protected from threats without even knowing anything happened, so much the better. I just worry about being able to do so alone. I don’t suppose I could talk you into staying, Mr. Smith? As a consultant, perhaps?”

Elsie’s eyes went wide. “Staying? What? James, you’re not… You’re not leaving, are you?”

Tola gave a sad smile. “Sorry I didn’t get a chance to tell you before, Elsie. I just found out last night, I’m going to be allowed to return home. We’ve been away for far too long. Don’t worry, there’s still going to be quite some time before we can figure out exactly how to do it. But if all goes well, I’d say you’ll have no shortage of consultants, Ms. Hearthbloom. I’m hoping to be able to visit regularly myself, as well.”

Janice placed her hand over her mouth, resting her fingertips on her lips. “Oh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to… reveal that before you had a chance. What did you mean, ‘allowed to return home’, though? Family troubles?”

Master gestured for the two to sit down. “No, I’m afraid it’s a bit more involved than that. Janice, you asked about my encounter with an Unmaker Storm? I’m afraid where I started isn’t as interesting as where I ended up. I was in Nebraska when I was enveloped in a Storm, but when I managed to get free of it, I found myself in another world, a parallel world on the other side of the Storms that the people living there call Terra.” He paused to let that sink in. “This world is related to Earth, though we don’t know the full extent of it yet. We’re hoping to be able to establish travel between the two, so we can learn about each other, but we’d have to take things incredibly slow and carefully. If all goes well, you’ll be able to meet with the head of the Mage’s Guild on Terra, and we can establish regular visits. You might be the first mage on Earth to get proper instruction in magic from real professionals.”

Janice’s eyes were wide, her hand covering her open mouth, muscle memory ensuring she remained polite despite her incredible shock. “That’s…! Are you… telling the truth?”

Master chuckled. “Princess, tell her I’m being serious.”

My tail wagged a little as I obliged. “Master wouldn’t lie, ma’am. The town will be in good hands with you, so we’ll be happy to help out.”

Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

Her eyes were wide, looking from me to Master and back to me. “You… have a talking dog?”

“You’re half right.” Tola chuckled. “Princess isn’t a dog. Go ahead, show her.”

I dismissed my illusion, tail swaying heavily behind me. “I’m a talking dragon. Pleased to meet you.” Janice nearly fell off her stool, swaying in place and gripping the counter to steady herself. I did my best not to giggle, but I did bring my illusion back up, just in case anyone saw it. “Terra is a world of magic, with creatures like me, and where magic is commonly known to be real. We’re hoping if we can ease into the meeting, we can prevent trouble. With the Storms, it’s only going to be a matter of time before the two worlds manage to discover each other. We’d like it if you could help us, as well. Letting people from Terra learn about Earth is one thing, but if you could help us let trustworthy people of Earth learn about Terra, that would be huge.”

We spent quite a bit more time discussing plans, for Janice’s education, for the town’s benefit, and for visits by Master Korrigan and perhaps others. We were so engrossed that we didn’t even notice when it was time for Master’s shift to end, but finally we exchanged numbers and took our leave.

We were cutting it pretty close on time, getting home only a little bit before the “call” with the guild. With Master and I sorted out, there was still the problem of Ro and Mandy. It was one thing to allow an established Guild Mage back on Terra, but it was another to take on two Earth natives as prospective students. The girls stood by while we waited to be contacted.

“You two are really, really sure about this? I mean, we don’t even know yet what sort of… transportation will be possible, if any. There’s also the chance that all of us are stuck here, myself and Princess included.” I lowered my head at Master’s words, not liking the idea of being forced to live on Earth.

Mandy and Ro held hands without even looking at each other, a subtle gesture that might’ve been less obvious if it wasn’t practically at eye level for me. “Yeah, we’re ready. We can tell our parents that we’re studying abroad, which is technically true. I mean, can’t get much more ‘abroad’ than this, right?”

“Yeah, like, this is even more than a ‘once in a lifetime’ chance, y’know? It’s like, once a millennium! How can I possibly NOT do this?” Ro was nearly bouncing in place, nervous but excited to make her case.

Tola shook his head. “Just trying to manage expectations, you know? We still don’t know how anything is going to work out.”

The clouded mirror’s surface rippled, as Korrigan’s voice called out. “Mage Tola, are you there?”

Resting a hand on the mirror’s frame, Tola closed his eyes to concentrate. “Yes sir.” Soon, the surface cleared, revealing the face of the Leader of Academics. “Ah, good.”

“I see we have company this time? You are the two who wish to join the guild, isn’t that right?” Korrigan gave a polite smile.

Ro did her best to keep calm and be courageous. “Yes, sir. Like, I get that I need to like, apply, and there’s probably some, like, entrance exam? But I’m willing to do what it takes. Ever since I started learning magic, it’s like… I don’t even know how to explain it, I just HAVE to keep learning!”

The head of the Guild chuckled, nodding. “I doubt you’d be surprised to learn how common a sentiment that is. But, if you’ve only had a month or less to study, how much magic can you really know?”

Master stepped in to answer that one. “She has some form of photographic memory. This has allowed her to learn at a breakneck speed. She’s even copied spells I chose not to teach her, just from seeing them cast a couple of times.” That last part had a slight glare directed at Ro, but not a serious one.

Ro rubbed the back of her neck, smiling. “Like, it came in handy, though… And so did that lightning wand thing Cheryl had, I copied that. Well, I mean, Horace did, like, a weird thing with it, but it was pretty cool I managed it, right?”

Master Korrigan’s eyes were wide at that. “I-I’m sorry, are you saying she’s an honest-to-goodness Mirror Magus?” Seeing the blank stares, he explained. “A Mirror Magus is a rare type of mage, one who can copy spells having only seen them once or twice. I don’t think the Winselton Guild has seen one in, oh, two hundred years? This is absolutely incredible! I’d have to evaluate you myself, but if that’s the case, you’ll have nothing to worry about entrance exams. I dare say you might even be on the path for my position, Miss!”

Mandy and Ro hugged each other tight at the news, but soon their smiles faded. It was Mandy that spoke up. “Yeah, but, I still don’t know how I’d get in. But maybe I could get, you know, some kind of job somewhere? I mean, you guys train people other than mages, or still need stuff like guards?”

Korrigan eyed the two appraisingly, a smile spreading across his face. “Miss, if your friend is as gifted as it sounds, I see no reason I couldn’t offer both of you full scholarships. You’d be free to join her, and study anything you wish. And yes, we do have some offerings for those without magic talent, though I’m afraid you might have to seek some training on your own. Depends on what you end up going for. But I’d hardly wish to break up such a close bond.”

The two resumed hugging, and after the talk with the Guild was done for the night, the two started planning their celebration.

The days after that were mostly spent working on theories to be able to enable some form of travel. Artificer Botolf was actually the one to suggest using mirrors on both ends, saying that linking them would be a way to bridge the gap between the two. Once that was settled on, both Master and Botolf were constantly exchanging ideas. While Master didn’t have the experience with teleportation magic, he did have more experience than most with the Void that separated the two worlds. Other mages were frequently present, but I noticed I hadn’t seen Roffil once this entire time. That was probably for the best.

“So you see, the problem isn’t that there’s a ‘gap’ between the worlds, it’s that the ‘gap’ isn’t necessarily fixed. Even the worlds aren’t fixed in relation to each other. If there had been more of a delay on Princess’s journey here, there’s a chance she would’ve wound up somewhere else entirely. Because I had recently appeared, there was a sort of ‘trail’ and ‘weak spot’ the magic could send her through more easily.” Master was doing his best to explain across the mirror.

Botolf nodded, making an almost “harumph” noise. “Right. Need an anchor. Good thinking, using the communication orb spell. We should use something similar. Gonna need another one of those Chaos Gems, though.”

Master looked down at Roffil’s book, frowning a little. “I see. We’ll likely have to incorporate gems like this into the design of the mirror’s spell itself. I’ve been using it as a focus for this spell, but it’s going to need to be much more direct when it comes to actually opening a passageway.”

“S’what I said, yeah.” Botolf continued to be a man of few words. His hands were busy, though, sketching out designs using a shorthand for runes that reminded me of a mix of flowcharts and block diagrams. Every so often, he’d hold it up for Master to look at. “Like this?”

Master stroked his chin thoughtfully, eyes tracing along the page. “I think it’s definitely a start. Pretty soon, we’re going to need to start experimenting, though.”

“Gonna be tough. I’ll let you know when we’re ready to start.”

It was finally the big day. Things had been promising so far, and today was the day it would all come together. Master carefully extracted the gem Roffil had embedded into the book’s cover, holding it up to look into it. Unlike most items that barely registered on my senses unless they were actively being used, this one was like a constant white noise generator. Inside, it contained a piece of the essence of a Storm, an opening into the Chaos Void itself, bound by the perfect order of the crystalline structure. Cheryl said she couldn’t see the swirling maelstrom inside, but Master and I seemed to be able to. Finally, he placed it into the fitting he had added to the mirror’s frame, bending the prongs to keep it held in place.

From there, crystals were arranged to begin the imbuing process. The spell was a two-layer affair, one of which was a variation of the Communication Orb spell that would allow it to connect to both orbs and mirrors, bearing a compatible enchantment. The other, in theory, would be able to bring the two mirrors into alignment in regards to the multiverse, until the surfaces became one. Once that happened, reaching for the glass of one would lead to passing through that passageway and out in front of the other’s glass. It made more sense when Master was talking, anyway.

The process was intense. Enchanting the mirror was drawing such an immense amount of power that it felt like my scales were standing on end. Every muscle was tense as I watched, and I found myself holding my breath, only realizing it when my lungs started to burn. Cheryl was impressed by the glowing runes, but she didn’t have my senses, so the majority of this was lost on her.

The process was finally complete, and we brought the mirror back in from the garage. Cheryl did the lifting, Master was so worn out at the moment that he could barely stand, but he’d recover soon. Sitting with a glass of water, he was already starting to look better. I kept him company, resting my chin on his knee.

We didn’t have much time to rest, the gruff voice of Artificer Botolf coming from the mirror spurring us to respond. I moved so Master could get up, following close as he went to the mirror and rested his hand on the frame. The image soon cleared, revealing Botolf, Korrigan, Dweli, and Elwarn all gathered around the frame.

“Professor Botolf, everyone, glad to see you. I take it the creation of your mirror was successful?”

Botolf gave an affirmative grunt. He didn’t look nearly as drained as Master, but then he was extremely experienced in the creation of items, so he probably had better equipment handy. Or maybe it was just all practice. I’d have to ask Master to ask some time. “So far, so good, anyway. Ready for the test?” On her cue, Dweli held up a cage with a pair of rats inside.

Master nodded, stretching for a moment. “A momentous day. I feel like I should say something important, for the history books. But I can’t think of anything suitable.” He placed his hand on the frame, waiting for Botolf to do the same, and the two started to concentrate.

I held my breath as the glass shimmered. Vast energies flowed through the mirror, mostly coming from the Chaos Gem mounted at the top. After what seemed like a much longer moment than it was, everything seemed to be done. It no longer looked like a window, it looked like a doorway. Taking a step back, Master examined the portal and nodded.

Botolf did the same, setting the cage on the floor, and taking a wooden pole to slide it through. I sensed a ripple in the magic as it passed, but other than that, there was no sign of resistance. The rats in the cage sniffed at the air of Earth but otherwise seemed unimpressed. “Well, how’s that?”

Gingerly picking up the cage, Master peered inside. “Well, everything seems good, but just to be sure, what do you think, Cheryl?” He handed off the cage, and Cheryl set it on the table to get a closer look.

Cheryl frowned, not taking her eyes off the small animals. “Breathing seems fine, but I don’t exactly have the equipment to check pulse or blood pressure. Nor did I get readings beforehand. They don’t seem to be suffering from stress, though.” I caught a look of relief on Dweli’s face and posture, but she didn’t say anything.

Master nodded, turning back to the mages. “Well, I guess that’s as good as we’re going to get. Who wants to be the first?”

Elwarn actually surprised me by raising a hand. “I know Master Korrigan is looking forward to this visit, but before we risk our Head of Academics, I’ll volunteer as a test subject.” There was some murmuring, but I got the impression most of this had been decided beforehand. Taking a breath to steel himself, the Runemaster stepped through, into our living room.

Master gave a polite bow. “Professor Elwarn, welcome to Earth.”

Cheryl guided him to the table, sitting him down in a chair. “Here, let’s try to get some vitals on you, make sure everything is all right.”

“Is this really necessary? I feel fine.” Elwarn was looking around at all the technology in the room, clearly eager to ask about it.

Crossing her arms, she fixed him with an authoritative glare. “The more information we can get, the better. Now, let’s get some readings.” Wrapping a cuff around his upper arm, she began inflating it, a stethoscope held against the inside of his elbow.

The mage stared at the contraption in wonder. “Kingdoms of Old… Why is it tightening? What is all this?”

“Just try to relax. This lets me measure blood pressure and pulse rate. It’ll tighten a bit, but it shouldn’t be enough to hurt.” After a bit, she stopped pumping the little bulb, and then twisted a valve to release the air. “166 over 91, pulse of 76. A bit on the high side. Do you have a history of headaches, shortness of breath?”

The others watched through the portal with some amusement, even if they weren’t fully sure what was happening. Elwarn grumbled as he was freed from the cuff. “Some headaches, especially when dealing with the many stresses of my position.” He rubbed at his arm. “What is this ‘blood pressure’?”

Cheryl went into Lecture Mode, reciting from her vet school studies. “A measure of the pressure your blood is exerting on the walls of your arteries. High blood pressure, caused by many things, causes them to wear out and can lead to heart problems. You should probably watch your diet better and manage your stress. Normal blood pressure is 120 over 80, or in that area, depending on the person. Pulse, or heartbeats per minute, is fine, and is normally around 60 to 100. Anyway, from what I can tell, there doesn’t seem to be any ill effects from passing through that… mirror portal thing.”

Elwarn listened, looking over to Tola at the end, but Tola was acting as if all of this was perfectly normal. “Well, I do hope you aren’t planning to do this for every person that goes through. For expediency’s sake, if nothing else.”

That got him a smirk from Cheryl, who crossed her arms. “Do you always complain this much?”

A round of assent from the mirror made the rigid Elwarn grumble. “Only when I have things to complain about, like inattentive students, or being accosted and subjected to… whatever that was.”

Master clapped his hands together to ensure he had attention. “Regardless! Congratulations, everyone! We did it! Travel between Earth and Terra has now been achieved! Master Korrigan, when you’re ready, I have someone who would be thrilled to meet you. And I’d be happy to show you around.”

The week after that day flew by fast. Korrigan and the others got a crash course in technology, while Janice Hearthbloom got a meeting with the head of the Mage’s Guild. Elwarn was impressed by the quality of machine-produced books in Elsie’s store, and we purchased a few for him to take home and read. Maybe it was my imagination, but I thought Korrigan might’ve been flirting with Ms. Brown. Artificer Botolf simply couldn’t get enough of seeing modern technology in action, like cars and anything mechanical. Professor Dweli made fast friends with Cheryl, but since we couldn’t really come up with a good way for her to see the inner workings of the vet clinic, she had to settle for getting to look over anatomy textbooks.

Before we knew it, it was time for the farewell party. Even though we made sure people knew it wasn’t permanent, that we’d still visit, Cheryl and Elsie insisted on throwing one. Ro and Mandy were present, since they were coming with us, and Korrigan, Dweli, and Elwarn were attending. Botolf said he wasn’t one for parties, so he volunteered to stay on Terra.

It was a small affair, mostly just cake and punch. Lots of hugging, lots of talking, and finally there were some gifts to exchange. Master had worked with Korrigan and the others, and gotten a copy of “Introduction to Magical Theory”, the first book an Initiate studies, signed by Korrigan and the other professors. At Elsie’s insistence, Master added his signature to it as well, blushing as he did. Cheryl was given a copy of “A Treatise on Magical Beasts”, Dweli’s previous book that covered an overview of various creatures, also signed. Elsie and Cheryl got together and got Master a solar-powered device charger, allowing Master to use some items while at home.

As Korrigan placed his hands on the mirror’s frame to contact Botolf, Cheryl knelt down and gave me a hug. “I’m sorry I didn’t know what to get you, Princess.”

I curled my neck over her shoulder, returning the hug in my own way. “It’s all right. I got to meet you, and I’ve got a friend. Besides, maybe we’ll think of something for me next time I visit.” I finished my little joke with a lick to her cheek, making her giggle.

Master patted my head and scritched behind my horns gently. “Such a humble girl. Maybe I’ll look into some kind of dragon-friendly controller for games, I’m sure we could set something up on a tablet or something.”

I leaned in and purred, my tail wagging. From behind me, I heard the sound of a throat being cleared, and turned to see Elwarn staring at everyone with wide eyes. “I’m sorry, was nobody going to tell me the dragon can TALK?”

We all exchanged awkward glances, before Master broke out in laughter. “Terribly sorry, Professor. I honestly forgot you didn’t know yet. I’ll catch you up to speed once we’re back on Terra, okay?”

With our final goodbyes being said, we went through the mirror, breathing a sigh of relief.

Back on Terra, we stayed in one of the guest rooms like before while waiting on transportation home. I rested my chin on Master’s knee, swaying my tail. “We’ll have to get one of those mirrors for the Tower, won’t we? Otherwise we’ll have to schedule visits months in advance, and it’ll be such a hassle.”

Master nodded. Though he stroked along my head and neck, I could tell he was thinking of something else, his gaze distant and a frown on his face. “Yes, I suppose we will.”

“What’s the matter? Mind you, I know you too well for you to claim it’s nothing.”

He let out a soft chuckle, looking down at me and smiling. “Yes, you do, don’t you? It’s nothing serious, I just have a lot to think about, is all. Learned a lot of things, got several new questions I need to figure out the answers to.”

I climbed up onto the bed next to him, leaning against his shoulder. “Like, how are we going to get one of those gems needed to make a mirror?”

In response, he pulled a large stone from his bag, holding it in his hands. “No, that won’t be a problem.” Looking into its depths, I watched as he did something. I could feel magic, but without any visible signs, I could only wait and see. I wasn’t prepared for the inside of the gem to begin to swirl with raw Chaos, and I gasped at the sight, the gem now radiating that same magic energy as the others. His scowl only deepened, as he beheld his creation. “It worked all right…”

I shifted uneasily next to him, but didn’t want to pull away and not give him my support. “How…? What did you do?”

Tucking the gem into his bag, he sighed. “Something Janice said basically confirmed something I’ve been struggling with. Passing through the Storm, my arrival on Terra. It… changed me, in a way I don’t fully understand yet. ‘Stormtouched’ might be quite a bit more significant than we previously thought. I’d had suspicions all along, but the fight with Augustine brought them to the front of my mind. Something about being exposed to the Storm, to the Chaos Void, it… It’s like it rebuilt my soul, opened it up to magic. No wonder I’ve been such a natural this whole time, I’ve basically been cheating.”

I listened intently, letting his words sink in as he stared at his hands. After a bit of silence, I nosed his shoulder. “I don’t know if it counts as ‘cheating’. Everyone’s got a different amount of natural talent, right? You just got your talent in a different way, instead of being born with it. But if what you say is true, then that raises a lot of questions about how magic even works, doesn’t it?”

“Not too many. It’s already been known that it’s largely hereditary. Talented mages tend to have more talented children, though there’s some variation. We already know it’s tied to the soul, and a new soul is born of sparks from the parents. We know that practice ‘widens’ the conduit of the soul to channel magic power. I basically had mine ripped apart when I Crossed, the same way Augustine tried to forcefully rip his open by channeling the Void itself during our fight.” He leaned back, letting out a sigh as he stared at the ceiling. “I just hope I don’t get to the point where I dissolve into a Storm myself. But with my connection, I think I have far more potential than anyone here realizes. If they knew… I’m not sure how they’d react. Would they shun me? Hate me? Seek to control me? Seek to destroy me, before I can become a threat?”

I licked his cheek and nosed under his chin. “Hey now. They know who you are, the kind of man you are. I’m sure they’ll be fine. But… if you want to keep it quiet, I can understand that. I ask pretty similar questions myself, whenever I think about telling someone about my past.” My purring stopped as a thought came to mind. “Wait, but I Crossed via a Storm as well. How come I don’t have a ton of magic power?”

Master scritched under my chin, smiling warmly. “I think you do. More than dragons already do, even. Besides, perhaps having your soul bathed in Chaos is what allowed you to change it, to become a dragon permanently. The amount of sheer power needed to accomplish something like that…”

Huffing, I flicked my tail and thumped it against the bed. “You say it like it’s something to be proud of.”

He leaned in and kissed the end of my nose softly. “Maybe it is. You make a wonderful dragon, Princess. And if you’re happy like that, why not be proud of it?”

I blushed so hard I’m sure my scales turned purple, hiding my face with a forepaw. “M-Master! I…!” Bringing my paw down, I looked at his smiling face, and couldn’t help but sway my tail and purr. “Okay, well… I mean, I am happy. I have you, and I guess I do like being a dragon, it’s just… It feels wrong to admit it, like a little guilty. But you’re right, I am happy.”

“Atta girl!” He laughed warmly, petting me again and pulling me in for a hug.

I happily returned the gesture as best I could, pressing against him and resting my forelegs on his shoulders. “I love you, Master.”

With his chin on my shoulder, he replied, “I love you too, Princess. Let’s get some rest.”