The dungeon at Castle Erodonas was especially damp from the previous night’s 
storm leaving a thick pungent odor hanging in the air.  The large deep pit separating the 
cells from rest of the castle kept the guards from performing regular cleaning and the 
smell often carried into the castle on hot days.  In order to cross the pit and enter a cell, a 
retractable bridge was rolled into place and extended to the entrance.  The design was 
hailed as escape proof.  In over seven hundred years it had never failed.
      Inside the fourth cell a young girl named Lena sat timidly in the corner, hiding 
from the dim light pouring through the window in her door.  Sapphire eyes shone brightly 
through unfettered strands of golden hair which concealed an oval face caked in dirt.  Her 
naturally pursed lips were dry and cracked but a beauty radiated from her that no amount 
of dirt or grime could hinder.  Her slender form was huddled tightly, trying to keep warm 
when the sound of guards marching toward her caused a sudden chill to run down her 
spine.  The sound of the retractable bridge sliding along side them on its track with the 
familiar rumble-rumble-rumble-tick-rumble-rumble-rumble-tick, swept through her as it 
drew near.  She feared it would stop at her door and with each passing second grew more 
rigid.
      Rumble-rumble-rumble-tick.
      The girl leaned into the wall a little more firmly, closing her eyes and praying the 
guards would pass her by.  They had been there twice in the past week already and her 
wounds from the last encounter had not even started to heal.
      Rumble-rumble-rumble-tick.
      A trembling rose through her and she prayed to Budan that they would sweep past 
her door and punish someone else.  It made her wonder when she had become the kind of 
person to wish suffering on another to spare herself.  When had she broken?
      Rumble-rumble-rumble-tick.
      She couldn’t pick the moment out of the dozens of beatings she had endured since 
being incarcerated simply for being different.  The kingdom of Mylara had outlawed the 
use of magic and called for the arrest of all its known practitioners.
      Rumble-rumble-rumble…
      Lena froze, terrified as all went quiet for one painstakingly long moment.  All of 
the visits they had paid her over the past three weeks came rushing back to her.  Suddenly 
the bruises along her back and ribs came alive like the beating of a drum, sending pulses 
of pain through her.  The cuts on her arms and legs erupted, a volcano spewing its 
scorching liquid.  She writhed on the ground, anticipating the anguish they would cause 
her in just a few moments.
      …Tick.
      She gasped and the retractable bridge reached out toward her.  The metal plates 
that made up the portable walkway extended forward, scraped against one another as they 
inched toward the chamber’s door.  The tip of the metallic path slid into the stone slot just 
below the entrance to her cell, fastening the bridge and locking it into place.  The sound 
of leather boots striking metal echoed in her ears.
      The opening door flooded the room in light and the girl had to shield her eyes.  
She expected them to enter quickly and pull her to her feet as usual, but they only parted, 
taking stations at either side of the path.  Behind them stood a face she had not expected 
to see.  Maixion was at the end of the metal walkway staring at her.  His icy blue-grey 
eyes pierced her, leaving her frozen and vulnerable.
      The prince of Mylara stood outside her cell for what seemed like hours and Lena 
wondered what he could possibly want.  When she felt like she could take no more, he 
finally lowered his gaze and for the briefest moment she thought she could see the hint of 
a smirk.  Before she could even process the odd behavior his eyes shot back up at her and 
flashed a deep amethyst.  Her jaw dropped and the smirk that had threatened him earlier 
erupted into a broad grin.
      Without a word, he swept away leaving her alone with the guards.

##
	A sharp wind cut through the field Nathan was standing in.  He was waiting for 
the crackpot old man to show him whatever it was he had brought him here to see.  David 
Hudson had promised answers would await here but all Nathan could see were thin 
patches of dirt broken up by various weeds and trees surrounding the clearing from all 
sides.
	Something didn’t seem quite right about it.  A lush forest surrounded them, so 
thick in places it was impossible to walk through.  Yet here, in the middle of it, a small 
chunk of the forest seemed incapable of sustaining more than some thin, brittle weeds.  It 
didn’t make sense.
	David, on the other hand, was focused intently on the center of the field.  He 
stood in diffused sunlight that was passing through sporadic clouds overhead.  The old 
man cradled the tin case with the strange symbol cautiously and ran his tongue over 
parched lips before the faintest hint of a smile trembled through them.  “Here,” he said, 
not moving a muscle.
	Nathan wasn’t sure what to do.  He took a hesitant step forward, but paused after 
that, not even sure if the old man had been talking to him.  David turned around and 
shook his head.  “Come here!”  He waved Nathan forward with his free hand and 
furrowed his brow.  “This is it.”  Creeping forward, Nathan peered around the old man’s 
shoulder, expecting to see a clue of some kind.
	There was more dirt.
	“What’s it?  I don’t see anything.”
	David reached back and patted him on the shoulder, urging him forward.  “Look 
closer.”
	Nathan shook his head, but did as he was told.  The dirt looked just like every 
other patch in the field.  It was dry, a light brown and looked like it hadn’t been able to 
grow grass in ages… if ever.  It tumbled loosely in the wind and appeared as if it would 
blow away, should Mother Nature puff out her cheeks and actually blow.
      Just then, the sun peeked out from behind a cloud and Nathan saw it.  The dirt 
sparkled!
	“What?”  He leaned in close before he even thought about what he was doing.  
The shimmering specs of dirt tumbled under the breeze again and fell dull a moment later 
as the sun hid behind another cloud.  “What is it?”
	David tapped his little case.  “Someone came through here in the last day.  It 
might be your friend.”
	“And you can track where they went from here?”  Nathan allowed himself to 
swell with hope, but David’s eyes punctured him like a balloon just a second later.
      “No.  But we know they aren’t here anymore.” David said, a chuckle scratching at 
the back of his voice.
      Nathan frowned.  “So, what?  They could have walked off in any direction?  How 
does this help us?”
      David smiled brightly.  “Not here, my boy.  Not in this world.”
      Nathan froze.  He wasn’t sure he had actually heard what he thought he’d heard.  
“Not in this world?”
      The old man popped his container open, knelt down, slid the tiny pouch out and 
opened it as well.  He waited for the wind to calm and emptied the contents into a neat 
pile on the ground, shielding them from the light breeze still wafting through the field.  
Putting the metal container away, he pulled a wooden match out from the kit and struck it 
against the side of his heel.
      It flared to life and he dropped it onto the pile of dust.  What happened next was 
nothing short of remarkable.  The powder ignited and burned like incense, but all around 
them the world erupted into a cacophony of light.
      Greens and blues, purples, pinks, reds and the faintest hint of orange trembled 
around them, glittering as if a rainbow had been shattered into a million pieces and 
sprinkled down around them.
      It was the most beautiful thing Nathan had ever seen and yet at the same time, the 
most frightening.  His skin tingled at first, then itched and finally began to burn.  He 
looked to David in a panic but the old man seemed to be immune to the effects of terrible 
beauty all around them.
      Before he could even react he felt pressure build on him from somewhere far 
away.  It was closing on him slowly, paralyzing him.  The world darkened around him 
and suddenly he lurched forward as if someone was pulling him by the navel.  The 
darkness was suffocating and everything finally faded away.
      Nathan expected to lose consciousness at any moment.  He’d passed out before 
and this was quite similar… aside from the symphony of color and the burning skin.  It 
was just then that he realized he hadn’t passed out and that his skin wasn’t burning 
anymore.  Peering out through squinted eyes, Nathan was also relieved to see the colors 
in the sky had gone as well.
      The face of David Hudson slid in front of him then, his porous smile hanging 
there above him.  “First time is always the worst.”  He snickered and offered a hand to 
Nathan.  “You’ll get used to it in no time.”
      Nathan had no idea what it was, but he was certain that if it was anything like 
what he had just gone through, he never wanted to experience it again.  Nausea tugged at 
the corners of his stomach playfully, but he didn’t think he was on the verge of throwing 
up quiet yet.  One good jolt might change that, however.
      He grunted through the effort of sitting up and shot a look up at the old man that 
was half annoyed, half terrified.  “What happened?”
      David Hudson was still far too amused by the situation.  His smile refused to 
subside and he allowed a chuckle.  “We’ve just taken a little trip.”
      Nathan looked around and for the first time he noticed he wasn’t in the forest 
anymore.  He wasn’t even on earth.