"I have cast this spell before! It did not do that!"

"I recommend not trying it again. If I hadn't been here, this crater would be a lot bigger."

She looks around.

"...I wasn't lying when I said my magic doesn't do accidental explosions, this is genuinely a first."

"I believe you. It's probably something like 'in this world, everything not being made of fire is a magical effect, sucks to be you'. Want me to fly you back to the castle? ...maybe not with lightning."

"Yeah, I think taking a rain check on the lightning is a good idea," she giggles.

He smiles wryly. He offers her his hand.

She takes it.

Whoosh.

The destruction of the landscape is even more obvious from this perspective. But it didn't get as far as the mountain, and there were no inhabited areas closer by than that.

They materialize in her guest room, her hand still in his. He lets go and steps back.

"The wardrobe'll give you clothes in your size, though I can't promise you'll find them fashionable."

"Thanks. I'm just glad I got paranoid about the disjunction and didn't bring any of my magic items, those'd be way harder to replace."

"I can imagine, yeah. Well - feel free to explore the castle. If you sit down at a table that looks like food belongs there, food will appear. There's magic bathrooms. You can call my name if you want my attention for some reason."

"So probably if I get lonely enough that hitting my head on a doorframe or what have you sounds more appealing than being alone. I'll see if I can decipher anything to the tune of plane shift, then."

"Have fun."

He whisks away on the breeze.

She retrieves clothes from the wardrobe and puts them on and sets to cryptography and magic study. She takes her meal breaks more based on when she gets bored than most strict definitions of mealtimes. She decrypts and studies magic some more.

It's almost a week later when she says "Serik," again.

He materializes.

"Yes?"

"I am so fucking bored."

...he laughs.

"Magic is, you know, cool, but I am slightly oversaturated on it right now."

"Well, what do you want to do instead? I could show you my library but that might be too much like more of the same..."

"Does your library contain books that are not about magic or cryptography?"

"Lots!"

"Might as well try it, then."

"It's this way."

To the library!

"Any luck so far?"

"Not yet."

"Mm."

"There's a lot of material to decipher, though. I'm kind of frustrated but I'm not discouraged."