Walking about on a beach with friends, one of them has his dog with him. We are wandering around on the dunes, it is hot and the sand is dry and burns our feet. One of my friends starts arguing with two people that we pass as we walk along the dunes. They get really into it and gesticulate wildly, walking around on the dune. The negotiator convinces fir companion to activate some magic amulet that will let the purest of hearts ascend to become a sorcerer.
My friend stands with us, the two strangers a little apart. We watch as the sand before us moves and a blue bright light shimmers through from underneath. My friend's dog is sniffing the ground and bounds over to the magic glimmer.
The negotiator shouts but then pauses as the light and sand lifts the dog. As the dig is lifted above us by some invisible force, the negotiator tries to wiggle in underneath the dog so that he will too have access to the magic. The magic, however, pushes him out and he rolls down the dune. Clouds of sand rise and swallow up the dog, we try to keep watching but the light gets so bright everyone looks away. When the light dies down a sorcerer stands before us. He is handsome and has shaggy long dark hair and a kind face. He is tall and walks down to us, sliding in the sand. My friend calls out the dogs name and the mage nods. He has been transformed into a human by the magic. He claps over the negotiators head and he disappears back to the main city many miles away.
My friend and the mage can’t seem to stop staring at each other. The mage explains that the magic will need to be returned to the earth. Before he turns to climb the dune my friend grabs his hand and they stare into each other's eyes for a long time. But then they turn away and my friend slides down onto the sand. Nothing happens as the mage goes back onto the spot where all the magic appeared, strangely the dog doesn’t reappear so everyone assumes the transformation is permanent. The mage shrugs and walks off down the other side of the dune away from us. We rush up, calling the dogs name but he has slipped between the dunes and we cannot see him anymore.
Some days later the mage shows up at my friend's house and he is really happy to see him.
My friend remembers that the mage and his friend had major chemistry and she would be super happy that he had returned. She used to go running with the dog and that is where the mage finds her. He joins her on the track and she grins at him.
The mage is a little confused by the fact he now has to live as a human… and can’t just live with my friend and his parents (but he is part of the family he argues). He also doesn’t understand money or how a job works. As they sit down to discuss his options he says that the magic (that is somehow still inside him) limits what he can do. They get him to try doing some things. The magic is very reluctant to create money or gold. The mage/dog downright refuses to try teleportation or wishing a mansion out of thin air. So the girl who is holding the mages hand suggests he become a counsellor for cancer patients and then he and the magic can try to cure their illnesses. The magic seems to like this idea very much and that is what he ends up doing.