I stood outside for a moment and took a deep breath of air. It couldn't exactly be considered fresh, but I grew up in an industrial area, and it was no different than what I was used to.

I wracked my brain for where Moebius could be hiding. Any human habitation would make sense from a practical standpoint. By the same token, the Sarafan stronghold was unlikely because it was mostly a soggy pile of rubble.

I suddenly became aware of someone standing behind me. I turned to see a blue dragon, my muse before Raziel took the job.

"What are you doing here?" I questioned.

"Raziel is too young. He cannot be your muse." He quipped.

"So instead of a child, I get a lazy and unhelpful dragon," I complained.

He whipped his head around so that he could stare me straight in the face. "I know where he is." His anger was palpable.

"Where?" I asked. There was little point actually voicing an apology to a creature that could sense my clenching indigestion from eating my own words.

"The Eternal Prison," he said, turning so I could wrap my arms around his neck. He leaned forward to pull me onto his back and sprang into the air.

Flying on the back of a dragon is not as comfortable as it sounds. Fortunately, we caught a tailwind and flew quickly. Still, my arms were stiff by the time we arrived.

As impossible as it sounds, the Eternal Prison had decayed even further since the time that Kain had come here to find the builder of the Device. Moebius was standing near the top of the main entrance hall, in the same place as the jailer that had told Kain to leave.

"So this really is your playground, you sick old fool," I called up to Moebius.

"Don't insult me, child, you haven't the skill," Moebius sneered in return. "Unlike the others, I did not create such a sanctuary to madness."

"I doubt that , since this place seems to fit the bill," I needled.

"I know what knowledge your status affords you, Author," Moebius growled. "You should know that I could not have possibly built this place."

"The Builder," I answered. "It just seems strange about the big ugly statue."

Moebius frowned. "It's true that this place is much older than I, but I am the only warden it has ever known."

I sensed that the situation was too complicated to easily explain, and that Moebius would be able to distract me with it for days if I let him.

"The vampires are children, Moebius," I stated.

"My spell has rendered them quite harmless," Moebius grinned. "Though exile if preferable to death, I find that it is not to my liking."

I followed Moebius' gaze upwards to the block suspended from the ceiling. A complicated brass mechanism was mounted onto it.

"What have you done?" I asked in horror.

"I needed a source of power for a spell of this magnitude," Moebius said. "However, these blocks contain more than enough."

"You idiot!" I shrieked. Already there were cracks in the block. I still did not know whether they were the source of my powers or a sink that absorbed them, but the blocks were dangerous.

Thanks to the crumbling of the building, I was able to scramble up a pile of debree to the ledge where Moebius was standing.

"Guard me, Malek," Moebius shouted, and a small boy leaped out of the shadows.

"You've got to be kidding," I said as I stared at the seven-year-old. He was dressed in Iron Man pj's.

"It is regrettable that he could no longer serve me as he was at his peak, but modifying the spell would be far too difficult," Moebius explained.

"I'm surprised he'd serve you at all after what you did to him," I spat back.

"The fool blamed himself for his failure," Moebius insisted. "However, the child's mind overwhelms what he would think if he were an adult."

"Pathetic," I sneered as I tried to walk around the child. I jumped back as Malek's lightweight spear came down at me. Though inexpertly swung, I was no better at fighting, and I stood a good chance of getting hurt unless I hurt him first.

"I doubt that you would bring yourself to harm a child," Moebius taunted.

He was right, my instincts were getting in the way, but Moebius also underestimated my powers. I drew on my ability to change reality. The block creaked ominously. With an inhuman lunge, I sailed past Malek and landed in front of Moebius. The old wizard gasped in alarm and was suddenly replaced by a boy in a 'Flash' costume. All three of us were knocked to the ground as the block exploded, taking the magical device with it.