Robin waved a hand and the fireball rose. It's light warming up and illuminating everything. Robin began pointing at the floor, wherever water was. Under the effect of the drying spell, the loose water streamed away into vapors.

As soon as the floor was dry, he checked over the books again. He want to be sure they were ok. From past experiences, he knew drying spells could make them wrinkle up. He didn't want to risk losing them. He had stolen most of these from the magus circle private library. After his banishment, he threw caution the wind and took them. Most of them are about runes.

Robin extinguished the fireball and climbed the ladder. The attic was socked. He closes the ceiling hatch and begins to dry his socking bed and boxes. He paused halfway through the drying spell. His bed was a simple cotton bag full of feathers. It was a pathetic reminder that his life had come too. A bed for the poorest rich man.

Hell! Robin thought, angrily. As he finished his drying spell. I knew that the traitorous lord was acting strangely. I had weeks to realize. I should have noticed. He even tried to distance himself from me, near the end. Damn. I need a break and a nap.

As the drying spell finished on the boxes, Robin rolled down onto the bed. It felt less fluffy than before. The heat made the smells from the boxes stronger, but he did mind. He reached up and grabbed a frozen candle snuffer. That was hanging on a nearby hook. The light in the small room came from an enchanted ever-burning candle. He reached up and extinguished the burning candle by placing the candle snuffer on top of it. A passing thought crossed Robins's mind.

Mages hadn't a clue on where these candles got their power. They worked even on a winter's night or even underground. Robin speculated the candle fed the fire and the fire fed the candle. A closed loop. That explains why it needs to be relit every time.

As Robin closed his eyes and rolled over. Sleep came to him slowly. The stress and worry of the day fall away, just to be replaced by a new worry. A dream.

Robin stood in front of his Essene extractor, he was just about to place the rock he knew was uranium into the device. Then he caught himself. He did this alright.

Robin backed away from the device and dropped the rock. He was back in his study, replaying the events again. The only difference was that he had an audience this time. All around him stood robed figures. Beyond the figures, was blackness.

“The magus circle! ” Robin muttered, as realization hit him. So that's how they knew where he was. The lord didn't betray him. The circle was prying into his dreams. “How did... Oh, I see I'm still connected to that blasted dream machine. I didn't know it could do this. Force me to relive events? So how long have you been watching me?”

Silence answered him. One figure stepped forward and removed his hood. Robin recognized the man instantly. It was his old rival, Jacob.

“There are many things you don't know, heretic,” Jacob said, with a hint of venom. “ Stop running and face your fate. Your flashy escape today, might have taken a lot of power. Wherever you are, you're trapped for a while. Once we...”

“Please, that's never going to happen.” Robin cut in. He glanced around the room, at the figures. “Because for one I got more power than all of you combined and two I'm somewhere you'll never find me."

"More power than us? So you did found another devil stone."

"Yes I did and now that I know about this little dream trick of yours. You'll never find me.” The other figures started disappearing. Robin realized they were awaking up.

“Oh really? But you said something like that last time.” Jacob said, grinning like a madman. “For you see, we turned off your ability to remember any of this. We've been doing this to you for months now, and we can keep doing this for as long as it takes to find you.” Jacob turns and vanishes.

Robin awakens with a snort and on his belly. He groped for the candle snuffer and pulled down. It fell to the floor beside him. Robin's back cracked as he sit up.

Damn, That never did that before. I hate getting old. To bad runes can't do anything about that, Robin thought as he groped for the candle. He found the candle and grabbed it. Like an ice cube, it took his body heat and self-lit. It's light, once again filling up the room.

"Ow hot! Cheap candle, give me a sun orb or a light bulb any day."

He crawled over to the ladder and climbed down. His study bathed in candlelight and sunlight from the doorway. His barrier was still up, and everything was as he left it. It seems to be daytime outside.

The storm is over, that's good. Robin thought as he placed a book back in place. But if I'm really out in the middle of the ocean, then food going to be a problem. All I got in here, is magical herbs and ores. Sure I can eat the herbs, but I would rather eat real food. Maybe I can catch some fish.

Robin walked to the barrier and what he saw surprised him. Below the tower was a forest of green trees. Far off in the distance, he spotted the sea.

The tower must have flown here, while I was sleeping. Wait what's that? Robin thought as he spotted something along the seashore. He quickly clapped his hand together and cast a light-focusing spell and his view zoomed in. Showing Robin something he hadn't seen in years. Oh my is that's a concrete highway, with metal barriers and everything? So I did make it. I made it back to earth. This is incredible. After all these years of research and hope. I'm back.

The tower shook, causing Robin to wobble where he stood. The trees below grew closer, as the tower slowly fell. A bottle shattered behind him. Everything that wasn't already on the floor and the stuff he had put away, was now falling again.

Robin thought fast and took a deep breath. He clapped his hands and his rings clicked together. He hastily cast an air-thickening spell. In moments Robin felt the air around him grow thick in viscosity. He quickly lost the ability to move properly. His feet left the floor, as the tower entered free fall.

A thunderous crash filled the air as the tower's base hit the ground. A moment later it fell over on its side. Robin slowly floated to the ground, which was now the wall. He canceled his spell and the air returned to normal.

“Oh, what hurts,” Robin muttered, as he stood. he rubbed his sore butt. He looks around at the damage. “Oh dear, everything is broken. Oh damn!”

How did this happen? That small bit of uranium should have kept this tower flying for a month maybe more. Robin thought as he picked up one of his fallen books. Maybe the jump took more power than I thought it would? I should check that.

He picked up a book and placed it under his arm. He makes his way to the sideways doorway. The barrier from earlier was still up around the entryway. It took Robin a touch from one of his rings to turn it off. The wind rushed in. The piece of gold, in the barrier, fell to the floor.

The trees outside rustled in the wind and the afternoon sunlight, blinded Robin for a moment. It also got an emotional reaction out of him too. Robert gulped. This light was coming from the sun, which He hadn't seen in years.

Oh goodness me, I'm a grown man. Focus. Robin thought as tears rolled don't his cheeks. Must be the sunlight. It's far brighter than I remember it being.

After getting used to the light. Robin stepped out. The wind racked his body and the smells of the wood filled his nose. It was just like the woods in the other world. He walked around the tower, and check on the roof where the area effect generator was. Luckily he found the device still attached to the roof. On closer examination, Robin found the little hatch open and the device empty.

“Hum? Did they fall out?” Robin muttered as he placed his book into his coat pocket. “Is that how I lost my power? Surely not? I better go looking for it. Now, where are they?”

Robin pulled from his other pocket a small leather sack with a rope tie. It looked and felt empty. He undid the knot and suspiciously looked inside. he didn't know if this still worked here. He carefully placed his hand inside and groped around. finding nothing. He slides the bag up all the way to his elbow. It could easily take his whole arm.