"Well, this is a fine mess.  I disobey my father and end up in a mountain
area with variants of Shivan dragons.  What a day.  I could have been a
planeswalker, but noo.  I had to do my own thing!"  Violet muttered under her
breath as she stalked fown the corridor behind a girl who called herself
Inagua.  She had a faint aura around her, and the whole place smelled of a
foriegn magic, almost sickly sweet.  Inagua finaaly stopped at a door and
opened it.  After she had exchanged words with someone inside, she brought
Violet forward


Inagua gave a guilty start at that. "Oh! I was kind of waiting for the 
opportunity to introduce someone. Warrenlady Phaedra, this is Violet, 
from Dominara."

"I've never heard of a Dominara."

"That's because it's not around here. It's beyond a dimensional rift-"

"What?!" Phaedra rubbed her temples.

"It's true! I leaped beyond to this place, and ended up on a cliff. I fell,
and Bazie caught me."

"Bazie? Who's Bazie?"

"You remember her," Inagua said. "She's the dragon that showed up after 
the other wilder, Sazarnth."

"Oh, yes," Phaedra replied. "You mean you felt some kind of link with this
dragon? Why did it save you?"

"She didn't say."

"You...can talk to it?"

"I'm telepathic, I can talk to them."

<* Well then, that's good. It would be helpful to have another person to 
communicate with all the dragons in case I'm otherwise occupied. *>

**Ah, you're telepathic, too! That's great!**

"So, why did you come here? And how do you get back? Can you bring others?"

Violet's face fell. "No, I can't," she moaned. "I tried several times, I 
can't seem to open the gateway again. None of my magic seems to work." She
clutched her silver satchel closer to her

Phaedra said sympathetically,"Don't worry, if you got  here, there must be a
way to get back. In the meantime, you are welcome to stay with us at Geode."
The Warrenlady (was that what they called her?) looked over at Inagua. "No, I
haven't  forgotten you. I need to know what you said to Lord Uboe, and what
kind of  deal you made. I have no desire to be eating rocks by the end of the
tithing period."

The two women started talking, leaving her out.  It did give her some time to
think.  She absentmindedly opened her satchel and took out a Black Lotus.  To
her absolute horror, it was crumbling!  They never lost a leaf or wilted, and
to crumble was a very bad omen.  Her five necklaces had lost their brilliant
sheen, too.  Her Mana Batteries no longer pulsed with their pent up power.
 She really was getting worried.  Then she came back to what was now her
"reality."

"I don't know if she would share your opinion, but I'll let it slide. Kirin
doesn't always like the administrative side of things here." Phaedra looked
at the two. "Inagua, why don't you help Violet around and see she gets 
fed and sheltered. I need to clean up here."

"Of course, Phaedra. I'll see you later." Inagua seemed so much happier.  She
closed the door and motioned for her to follow.  As they roamed the halls,
Violet started to notice that her feet were picked by the uneven floor which
glittered darkly in the pale light.

"Amethysts!"  Her delight broke through her growing depression.  Amethysts
were know throughout the planes for their mana.  It was weird and untamed,
but it was mana.  She could channel it into her Batteries, and convert it to
the right mana needed to get her home.  She eagerly started shoveling the
stones into her satchel.

"Come on!  Don't play with those!  You can gather trash another time."
 Inagua had turned and was glaring at her.  "You need to get some rest."

"Do you have an open room? Or at least one with a window?"

"Yes.  I guess you could use it for a while."

So she started climbing stairs.  Higher and higher until it seemed that it
was and endless climb until . . .

"Here we are.  It's a bit drafty, but there are extra blankets on the bed.
 See you. I have some things to do."

So she was alone.  She satchel was getting heavy, for the lightening spell
had no mana to sustain it.  She upturned it, emptying the contents onto the
cot.  She necklaces spilled out, the amethyst, some black dust (the last of
the Black Lotuses, most likely), and a black star studded form . . .

"Rashida!  Why did you hide in there?  That was foolish of you!  You might
turn into a clockwork gnome again!"

Her ranting made no difference to the little kookus.  She started preening
her wings, getting out all that bothersome dust.   She shook her tail, and
the dry rattle satisfied her.  Her glittering eyes stared dumbly at the
diminutive girl who was still raving.

" . . . and you are NOT ever to do that again!  Do you understand?"  Violet
glared at the weird creature, staring at the head that looked so much like
that purple dragon's.

Rashida just flew up and hung from the ceiling like a bat and promptly fell
asleep.

"What an animal.  She had a good idea though."

Violet jumped onto the bed and snuggled under the covers and fell asleep
before she hit the pillow.