My first thought was Dona juanita had won the battle with dasa pog and returned to claim Wart. But when I turned to look I could see nothing but the eerie wavering grasses. Also, I sensed a disturbing deep quiet in Wart and saw the red glint in his eye. Whatever this menace was, he felt it too and it triggered his inherent and uncontrollable ability to transform himself. Harkin and emily and I watched wide-eyed as on the one side, Wart changed by degrees into a large ferocious looking reddish dragon and on the other side the tall grasses slithered apart to reveal what looked like a huge vibrating seaweed monster.

         The seaweed monster hesitated a second and then began to swim straight for us! Trying to protect Harkin, I lunged over Emily and gave him a terrible firm shove that sent him tumbling into the dark murk surrounding us. Alarmed and dismayed by my careless movement, Emily furiously undulated after him into the gloom. I grabbed for my magic wand which is usually perched in my hair and found to my horror it wasn't there! I had left it in Sir Max's habitat just so I could wear this fancy new bathing cap. Blast the pride, I had duped myself and now had no way to direct my power to help either Wart or Harkin.

         Wart, the red dragon leapt in front of me and let out a wet snarl as the leafy monster glided toward us. Unused to the nature of water, he also attempted to deliver a savage blow, but instead did a slow motion somersault, bobbed a couple of times and then landed on his ear. The green dragon, who I then expected to tromp Wart, just paused momentarily to look at him. Its whole body seemed in constant movement, flickering and oscillating like a plant in the current. He gave me a quizzical, almost human look and then disappeared into the mystical distance. I paused a moment after he disappeared. For some reason a curious image of him clung to me. Was he wearing a monocle?

         Caught by either his own frustrated anger or the enchantment that was thick around us, Wart's body began to change again. His dragon scales blurred and stretched, turning shades of green with flashes of hot pinks, vibrant reds and electric blues. His arms and legs began to shrivel, his eyes sunk in and popped out of the top of his head. Rows of armor like plates appeared on his back, two of his now ten legs, grew into huge razor sharp pincers. What had encouraged me as a possible change into his true self, was now scaring the devil out of me!

         Sir Max and the others had found us but did not approach, staying a safe distance away from Wart, or so I assumed.

         "Do you think that is Wart's true form?" I yelled out to Sir Max.

         "Sorry, I believe it is a slightly overdeveloped Mantis shrimp," he yelled back, "Quite dangerous".

         It took me just a second to realize from the expressions on Sir Max's and the other's faces that they were enjoying every minute of our drama. Obviously, they knew something we did not but were unwilling to ruin their fun. I should have been looking for a prank for all of us of the twilight worlds have more than a bit of the imp in us.

         As I approached Sir Max and our group of adventurers I noted a small colorful fish who looked very familiar. It smiled at me and turned to swim along side. Not knowing how to communicate with it, I smiled back and continued paddling toward the group. As we approached I noticed a very decided difference in our sizes. The fish and I got smaller and smaller and smaller. Sir Max and the group got bigger and bigger!

         It seemed an illusion, but when closer yet I had no doubt that the fish and I were not just somewhat smaller than the others, but tiny little beings that could have hidden in a shell if need be! Which meant Wart and Harkin and Emily must be smaller too and that green dragon who had scared us could be just a little fella. Well, I couldn't help but let out a giggle thinking how ridiculous it was. Everyone had been trying with great difficulty not to laugh, but when I giggled zeno burst out with a rousing belly bark and everyone joined in. We laughed even harder when I passed through a kind of water warp and began to morph back to my own size, passing through some amazing forms, some of which I would just as soon not have displayed so openly. To my surprise the colorful fish who seemed so familiar to me did not change sizes but did want to stay close to me, coming to hover in safety under my chin.

         No one seemed the least concerned about poor Wart and Harkin and I turned to see what I thought to be the dark forbidding gloom behind us only to find it was now as bright and mystically colorful as any faery land. Rays of sunlight had spilled into the scene completely changing the mood. Wart was sitting quietly on the sandy bottom, probably contemplating how he felt in his latest transformation as a Spiny Lobster with two furry cheeks.

Emily Rescues Harkin

         Emily appeared out of the hazy distance dragging Harkin with his head bowed to his chest. They too passed out of the enchantment and quickly changed to their own size. Emily worriedly lay Harkin at my feet and I gently patted his head, apologizing profusely for my clumsiness. His eyes were closed but he had a smile on his lips and he slowly lifted his arm and let the object he held tightly grasped in his hand drop from its chain. I could not help letting out a surprised gurgle. The lad has actually found what looked like an amulet at the bottom of the sea!

         This was just too mysterious. Was it just an amazing coincidence? Feeling guilty, I looked around for my co-conspirators, those two who had spent days back in the glen, behind the rock angel, pretending to speak in her voice. Telling Harkin that he had to go to the bottom of the sea and find this amulet to free her from a curse. Purdy and diafonys were just standing there, gaping at Harkin and shaking their heads in disbelief. I warned them with my eyes to stay silent until we got to the bottom the matter and turned my attention back to the problem of getting Wart out of the enchantment zone and transformed at least back into a cat.

         Sir Max and Zeno disappeared and then returned with Dasa Pog and Dona Juanita in tow. Sir Max apologized for having asked them for help with Wart's problem. It seems these two are quite the rivals and Wart was just another prize in their game of Sorcery. Dona Juanita insisted Wart needed warrior training with as many disagreeable experiences as possible to shock him out of his belief that he is a cat. Dasa Pog believed that many transformations would lead to finding his true being. If not, she was perfectly willing to accept him as a model for a new underwater species of catfish. Both had ambiguous answers to how Wart transformed into the timid little fish half buried in the sand.

         Outright lying is not the trait of a sorceress but they can be tricksters making it difficult to know what to believe. So I look to Sir Max for answers and he tells me the reason they brought Wart to this area was probably the mysterious enchantment. Great magic could sometimes be performed there but it had become increasingly difficult to control since Lord Hyacinth lost the amulet.

         Before he could say more, Hypheria came along with sea baskets full of food and drink and laid out an interesting luncheon of assorted seaweeds prepared in the most cunning ways and quite delectable. While we ate, we were all at once telling Hypheria of our adventure so far, not much of it having to do with viewing the creatures in the Aquarium. She asked to see the amulet and Harkin handed it to her grudgingly. Almost upon touching it she knew it was the lost treasure of an ancient sea dragon, Lord Hubert Hyacinth. I nodded, encouraging the story for it must have been Lord Hyacinth who came out of the sea grasses on his daily search for the amulet that scared Wart into becoming his dragon self. Everyone gathered round and formed a comforting circle while Hypheria told us a story.