ETTING 
OME 
O 
LFANDRA
Hespa's Story part 23 - Second Attempt
ETTING OME O LFANDRA
When the light disappears, the three find themselves flying high above...the ocean.
A small flurry of feather bits swirl about Pyros and Emma, a few bits probably sticking to them. Seconds later there is a far away splash as a cannon round drops into the sea. Cira's tail has been clipped but nothing worse.
Fortunately, Dragon University is highly recognizable rising up a few miles away. "Shouldn't we have returned to the exact point we left?" asks Pyros of Cira.
"I would think so. We should, at least according to the calculations."
The dragons fly over and land on the slopes of the mountain. With a sigh, Pyros produces the book and starts reviewing the equations they had used. "I'm *sure* we used the right equations--you even said we were in the right location. As for multidimensionality, that should have been accounted for by the vector we calculated....he sighs and turns the page. Suddenly his eyes open wide at a small footnote. "Regarding 'protected' reality-spaces and attempts to travel into them: There are some reality-spaces whose laws of physics dictate certain constant universal conditions. Should an attempt be made to travel into said reality-space that would violate said conditions, the reality-space becomes 'closed' to the traveler. However, the fold still exists in space, typically resulting in the traveler being deposited in a nearby reality-space that is 'open' to them. Occasionally, the fold undoes itself and the traveler is returned to his/her original location; occasionally the fold separates itself from /all/ known reality-spaces and forms a new one. However, these last two results are fairly uncommon since in the infinitude of shifting realities there is usually a nearby 'open' reality-space." Pyros looks up from the book. "If we tried to carry something into Emma's reality that her reality doesn't allow, we could have been 'deflected' to that alternate world. If so, then our coordinates would be slightly off, and that explains why we didn't quite return to the mountain!" He glances down, reads a bit, and then shakes his head. "The book doesn't give any examples of what could 'close' a reality-space...."
"Magic** Emma and Hespa speak in perfect unison.
"Of course! Hespa, try casting some minor spell and see if it works..."
**i'm afraid i don't have any magic, but then i don't need it - i know for a fact that this world is utterly non-magical, so anything involving magic is doomed from the start....i fear that includes magic based life-forms, too....i'm ok, because i'm completely non-magical in myself - every part of me works by logic, apart from thick air, which i've already proven doesn't work here....emma's fine in her human form, although the dragon form would *never* have made it....cira's probably ok, because he seems to be completely logic- and science-based - all his improbabilities are explained by the converter inside him, as mine are explained by a variety of physical adjustments such as hollow bones and huge wings....as for the folding trick, that too is based on the convertor, which should make it scientific enough...**
**...i hate to say it, pyros, but all evidence is pointing to you...**
"Well, I typically keep a few protective wards around myself--I didn't even think about it. That's probably why we went to that desert world--it was the closest reality (in a multidimensional sense) that could support my magic. Sorry about that!"
"Hey, that could explain why we would up on an Earth-like planet instead of where we wanted to go."
Pyros mutters a few words you don't catch; you notice no visible change when he is done. "All right, they're gone now...let's try this again!"
"Ok."
"Here we go again..." murmurs Emma, who's enthusiasm is noticeably flagging now that getting home looks like a likely prospect.
We fly out as before and make the jump. But just before the fold appears he yells out, "What do you mean multiplied by two!?"