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Paper flipped, page after page, dry rustling filling the room. A few murmurs. A cough. It was quite the interesting dossier that had been placed before the committee.

There had been rumours spread in hushed corridors, whispers of a madness that had taken hold of their most senior Council member. The man had wielded full control of the faculty for many years now, a learned mage. A scholar. A lecturer. He'd managed his position with ease. Overseen many important projects. His office walls were wallpapered with certificates and commendations from important people in the world, those in parliament, Royalty even. The Council of Sorcerers had its grubby fingers in many administration departments across the globe.

Seeing him now, with wild eyes and straggly beard, spluttering about dragons on a far off galaxy, frothing about a wild Warlock with powers unimaginable, was a pitiful sight.

Old age came to everyone, and the senility that followed was such a shame. There had been offerings of magical aid from the polytechnic's student medics, but Rowan was adamant that he still had all of his marbles. And so, sadly, the committee had no choice but to give him his audience he so craved, to tell his madcap story one more time, but officially this time. He'd stabbed at his computer keyboard, clattering through the night, detailing an awful weapon stolen from beneath their noses in the security compound, and monstrous creatures he'd encountered called 'Nightmares', telling of his and his assistant's magical assault, and even cold-blooded murder in the case of Sebastian and Liedich.

Not much added up. But that was ok, this was unhinged enough to have him removed from his post, and put away somewhere safe, where he could receive the help he needed.

"Do you see?!"

The committee nodded. "Yes, we see, Rowan. Thank you for bringing all this to our attention."

"He's still out there! Chock full of wild dragon magic! He tried to bring the whole universe to a collapse..."

"Thank you, Rowan," the committee chair said with a firm finality to his voice. They'd heard enough.

"So, you're going to do something?" he begged.

"Yes. Yes, we are going to do something. We'll be in touch with you soon, Rowan. In the meantime, we're placing you on administrative leave..."

"What?!" he exploded, spittle flying into his new beard, "why? None of this was because of me! You can't prove anything!"

The chair gave him a quizzical frown, "what do you mean by that? You were never under investigation."

Rowan sat, agitated. He thought to say something, but stopped himself. "Of course. But, administration leave usually implies wrongdoing. I should know, I've placed enough mages under it in my time."

"Haha," though was no mirth behind it, "we feel you are fatigued by your ordeal..."

"Bullshit! You'll be saying I'm emotional next!"

"Quite."

"I've seen things! Things you wouldn't believe... you don't believe me, do you?"

The chair nodded to the secretary, "you can scratch all that from the meeting record."

There was a pink flash of magic. "Done."

"He'll come here! Lucinder Braithwaite has her home co-ordinates for the portal system. Our world will be contaminated with dragon magic!"

Another nod, and security swept forward, taking the Senior mage under his armpits and physically lifted him from the seat.

"I said, you have been placed under administrational leave, without the administrational duties I might add, for your rest and recuperation, while we consider the data in this dossier. We will be in touch."

As he deftly reached into his tunic neck for his amulet, the chair stood up with a squeak of chair on hardwood floor.

"Pull anything like that, Rowan Aldbury, and you'll be in the high security compound yourself!!"

They watched him as he shrugged off the armed escort, straightened up his purple robes, and shuffled out of the glass doorway.

The chair sagged, pinching his nose. What a clusterfuck! Magical items had gone missing. A Council mage in training had vanished without trace. As if that wasn't enough, two top level assistants had apparently died somewhere on a far-flung world full of myth and magic and monsters.

On the bright side, there was now a job vacancy open for a Senior mage position.

"Rowan's dossier, sir?" his secretary asked, as the other committee members left, also fully aware of the promotion opportunity that had opened up.

"Bin it. Shred it. No, actually, just to be safe, we've a bottle of dragonfire in the archives. That shit is permanent..."

Faint blue sky washed over green grassland, stretching on in a picturesque vista until the eyes were drawn to faint grey standing stones in the distance.

"That's Stonehenge," Luci explained. "One of the main gateways for the portal system that the Council use. Ancient interdimensional travel implemented by a dragon, like Skecher."

The Dragon sniffed at the use of his old disguise name.

"Well, we can't keep calling you dragon, can we? And RUAAAAAUAAGH is a mouthful."

Anar laughed. He was laughing a lot more now.

"Valentino," the winged creature said with a nod.

"What?" Luci asked.

"Valentino is a nice name. Sounds like a swarthy Italian man. Fits the leather jacket and shades." He gave them a tap for emphasis. His eyes glowed intensely for a moment, visible from the unseating of the eyewear from his snout.

"That sun's not very bright," Hemlock commented. "you sure this is a good world to stay on?"

Luci feigned offence, "this is MY world! Of course it's good. We're going to have a big house right here. A long gravel drive. Big fountain."

Hemlock groaned and rubbed the back of his green, scaly head. "Do we have to?"

Anar took her hand, "whatever you want, Luci. I just want you to be happy. I know I am."

"Oh Anar, you're going to love it here, you really are. We've got cars and computers, modern healthcare and shopping malls. I can't wait to show you the dinosaur skeletons in the museums, Hemlock! We had animals just like you here, too, millions of years ago."

He gave her some side eye, "used to? What happened to them?"

"There was a meteor. Didn't end well."

He fidgeted. "Is this a reoccurring thing?"

Luci shook his shoulder, "no! honestly, you're fine, haha. Millions of years ago. Hasn't happened since."

"So, what you're saying is, this world is overdue for another one?"

She ignored that.

Anar flexed his fingers, setting to work. Whatever Luci wanted, she would have. It would be big, beautiful, a home to raise children and live out his days in comfort. Changing reality was getting easier every time. This wasn't mirror world magic, no, their home didn't exist yet. This was conjuring in its purest form, picturing what you wanted and letting the magic flow. Believing with conviction that it had always existed. That this was his home. He knew every brick, every slab, every fence, every window. There were some things he couldn't imagine yet, like a gravel drive. No clue what that was. But this was a start. A grand house. A castle. A mansion.

Warlock Court.

It was in a prime position: with fertile fields, nearby forest, a main gateway in the form of the Stonehenge circle, a main road for easy access (or so Luci assured him). The Nightmares would love it here. So much space.

"What do you think?" he asked sincerely.

Luci grinned, "you can tell you're from an oldy-worldy planet sure enough. Looks like a mediaeval prison."

"Hey!"

"I'm joking! Half joking! It's brilliant, honest."

"Alright," Anar sulked, "I'll put a tower on it. There. Better?"

"Oh yes, made all the difference," she nodded, keeping her face straight. "I'll just sort out all the plumbing and electricity and Wi-Fi, shall I?" she asked, delighting in Anar's drooping, confused ears. "Put a conservatory on as well. They're very 'in' right now. I might have to leech some more magic off you, though," she winked. "Hope you've made us a nice big bedroom."

He coughed with a wheeze and averted his gaze.

With a few adjustments everyone was settled into their new accommodation. Hemlock took to tending to the gardens with enthusiasm. Plants didn't give you any trouble, and the only war to be waged was with greenfly. He had a whole annex all to himself by the potting sheds, and soon had a wonderful collection of plant encyclopaedias and horticulture journals to read through, though it was slow going as he was also learning to read. Going out in public was proving to be a little problematic, though. Here on this world, reptids were seen as dinosaurs, and they had been extinct as Luci had said, for an awfully long time; so he was greeted with fear and mistrust on his jolly excursions to the garden centre and seedling nurseries. Wearing clothes helped only a little. With the introduction of a computer into his life, that soon turned around, as he no longer had to leave the estate grounds to discuss the terrors of bindweed or order a million new plant pots! Amazon really did have everything from A to Z!

The Dragon, now known as Valentino and commonly found under disguise, was having a grand old time. Dragons are restless creatures, easily bored, also easily entertained luckily enough, and he was soon wandering around museums and art galleries, making rich, intellectual, influential friends. Politics was such a fascinating hobby, and where there was power, magic was never far behind. Getting his weapons back was a case of knowing the right people, human people.

This world was a healthy mix of both anthro animals and evolved ape, a rarity in his experience of wandering time and space. Going far back enough, a dragon had to be involved in this, one way or another. This planet Earth was most likely an old zoo collection that had been amassed by one, and either grown bored of and abandoned, or the owner had been sadly erased from existence.

He had a comfortable amount of his dragon magic back, and a little flash of his eyes here and there could do wonders in getting his way.

There was also something else he wanted. Valentino had exclusive run of the upper floor in the mansion castle building, and he'd made it lavish and beautiful as only a dragon could, with the exception of one room.

This room had a very specific purpose, and was built to unique specifications. Upon the metal-panelled wall he had a collection of star charts, galaxy maps, interstellar co-ordinates and even dimensional diagraphs. On the metal floor was a raised dais. Beside it, a control console with buttons and switches, made of metal again.

Using magic to open gates through the astral plane to travel was draining, but the portals that the Council used with their handy click boxes wasn't. From his crafty conversation, and little mind control grabs, he had built a permanent gate from gleaned knowledge. Surrounding it with metal meant it used less energy, which was vital for a rustic mock-up such as his. The crystal that ran it had been the most difficult thing to source. It came from a most bizarre dimension that gave him a headache to stay in very long.

Now he had no worry of exhausting himself to travel, he only needed to leave the connection open and be about his business swiftly.

His weapons were only a step through a portal away. All he had to do was learn the exact location of the high security lockup, store enough magic, and swoop in.

This would be easier if Anarchy was in his presence a little more often.

He stood tall at the edge of the magnificent lawn that hemlock had mown in that clever way, so it was intermittent light green and dark green stripes. His cape flowed out behind him on the spring breeze. The morning light caught the shine of both the fine silk material, and the immaculate sapphire gem at his throat which clasped it. He held out his hands, and spheres of rolling azure blue sprang within them.

The artist peered round his easel, "am I painting anything in your hands, sir?"

"It's magic," Anar explained. He flicked the droplet and the air shimmered in a flash of iridescent rainbow. "See?"

"Magic. Sure. So, stars and sparkles and that?"

"It's... can you not see?" he swirled it in the air this time, bright rain cascading. "You know what, never mind. I'll add it in later myself."

"Right you are, sir."

He stood for what seemed like hours, until his stomach rumbled. Luci would be whipping up a banquet as always, feeding an army though there were only the four of them. Technically five, but little Victus wasn't weaning yet.

Finally, the hare artist sat back on his field stool and stretched. "All done for the base sketch, sir. The rest will be finished up in the studio."

Anar had always wanted a big fancy portrait of himself. Back on his world, that was a sign of wealth and importance. Here, it was how many followers on Twitter you had, or how many Range Rovers were on the drive. Which was three now. Luci always wanted a new one, but didn't want to get rid of the old. She was becoming a little bit dragon herself, it seemed. But what did it matter? Money here was imaginary. Numbers on a screen. The Dragon - Valentino - had lots of zeros in his, and as much as Anar was convinced zeroes were nothing, if you had enough of them, apparently you had everything.

He waved off the artist, who he'd helped to carry his heavy canvas down to the waiting Mercedes van. It displayed the company name in a bright colourful montage spray-painted on the side. Commissioning them was Luci's doing. Google was good for finding local businesses, but he got too distracted after learning you could see pictures of pretty ladies on there.

He took off his cloak, which he hung on a wrought iron stand in the shape of a Tri-corn horn sceptre in the reception lounge, and pulled on his sweater. He could smell bread from the aga, honey roast ham from Waitrose, and the sweet tang of tomatoes from Hemmy's raised beds in the vegetable patch. Family life was all he'd hoped it could be. His long ears pricked up at a faint burbling as he entered the kitchen.

"Mamamamama frrrp."

"Indeed," Anar smiled, leaning down to kiss the small head at the side of the doorway. His son was sat in his high chair, grabbing at his teething ring, while Luci served up various cold cuts to bring into the dining room. The small dining room, not the big dining room. They had two. One for every-day, and one for best.

"How did it go?" she asked.

"Looks good. It's just what I wanted."

"Brilliant! Did you decide where you were going to hang it?"

He carried platters through with her, "I was thinking right at the far end of the big fancy dining table. So, when we have important visitors of Valentino's they can all see it and admire it."

She paused.

"Yes, I'm joking, I'm kidding. I'm not going to do that. It'll probably go in the drawing room, or the parlour. Somewhere like that. We've too many rooms, I can't keep up. I go in the kitchen, here, and the bedroom. Oh, and the bathroom, too. That's it."

"Something smells good!"

Hemlock swished in, tail missing various ornaments and trinkets by a whisker. He was caked in soil as usual. He'd taken his apron off this time at least. He'd sat down and stabbed himself with a trowel, once.

"Apthhhh dadada..."

The reptid turned for the kitchen, "uncle Hemmy's coming, Viccy! Lunchtime! Well, for us, anyway. Come sit on my lap. No accidents this time, ok?"

"Where's Valentino?" Anar asked.

Luci fussed with cutlery, "he's been rattling around up there all morning. You'll have to give him a shout. Or send him a text.

He left hemlock and Luci to plate up, and Victus to dribble on hemlock's arm, and made his way up the staircases. He wasn't going to shout up to the third floor. And he wasn't a texting kind of man. In the guards, if you wanted a message sent, you did it yourself on foot.

"Dragon?" he poked into various rooms. They were very fancy compared to theirs. Dragons knew how to furnish.

"Lunchtime! Time for tea?"

He stopped dead. A pale blue light was flowing out of a heavy wooden door that was ajar. He was using magic? What was he doing?

A room made entirely of metal was glowing in pale hues, with a portal open in the middle of it. It swirled, and whirled, and stayed open. Star charts covered the wall.

The Dragon was not present for lunch, it seemed. He looked around. He frowned. Was the portal supposed to stay open? Where did it go to? How long had it been here?

Where had Valentino gone?