It was midnight already. The sky was dotted with glowing stars, and the wind was blowing gently. Right in the tall, splendid castle laid Odysseus, the king of Water Island.

Odysseus was dreaming. He saw a poor, thin man in rags stumble into a dark forest, holding a fist-sized emerald in both hands. After walking for a long time, he stopped at the edge of a large pit. He carefully placed the emerald inside and fell back to catch his breath. When he stood up, he waved his hand and mumbled a few words. Golden sparks flew from his hand into the pit. The man gave the emerald one last look, and turned around to leave.

The trees suddenly blackened, and melted into the ground. Suddenly, Odysseus was walking alone in the forest. He found the pathway beneath him stretching into a dark hole. He ran down the narrow path and gasped.

A round pit in the earth sat in front of him, the shape of a stairway unrolling from his feet. Torches illuminated a dark, gloomy archway in the center. He took a deep breath, and glanced at the pit. Then, he heard a deep roar, and sensed the ground burning white-hot. He whipped his head around, and found at least twenty dragons staring at him. The dragons stomped towards him, the ground rumbling. Odysseus backed up step by step, his teeth chattering. A dragon opened its bloody mouth, dagger-like teeth gleaming in the fire light, and…

“No!” Odysseus sprang up, the sheets flying off his bed, and he stared out the window, sweat rolling down his forehead.

“What happened?” someone yelled. Odysseus heard rapid footsteps stomping up the stairs. The hair on his neck stood up, and he ducked under his pillow, shivering. “Please don’t eat me! I will give you two barrels of cake!” he prayed.

The bedroom door burst open, and standing in its place was Poseidon, a commander in the Water Island army, and a member of the House of Advanced Learning and Lecturing, otherwise known as the “hall”. His hair was trimmed flat in a military fashion, and he ducked his head to avoid bumping his head on the doorframe.

Poseidon asked, “Is there a problem, Your Majesty?”

Odysseus told Poseidon what happened in his dream, dark shapes floating in front of his eyes as he shivered, and asked, “Do you think it is true?”

“To answer the question, Your Majesty, when I was young, I heard rumors about a mysterious stone, hidden deep in the forest, guarded by dragons. The stone can fulfill the owner’s three greatest wishes.” Poseidon answered slowly.

       “Where is it?” Odysseus was interested.

       “No one knows exactly where, Your Majesty. All I know is that it is way up North, as far North as one can go.” Poseidon opened his palms, and closed his eyes. He mumbled slowly, as Odysseus stared at him incomprehensibly.

       “Poseidon, do you know the name for the stone?”

       “It is the Magician’s Stone, Your Majesty. The name has been recorded in several historical records.”

       “Well, if there is such thing, then I shall own it.” Odysseus looked up at the bright moon, picturing the mysterious green light he saw in his dream.