The Portals of Tartae- the Land With the Two Moons

by Marcia Soligo

  At first, the meditation was very hard. Olivia’s mind couldn’t stop thinking. Images of Lucent Bookshop, of the man who wanted books about Egypt kept appearing; a Portal opening between the books, her parents vanishing into the darkness. The meditation was not working, and her heart shrunk and hurt.

  Cordella got closer to Olivia, holding her hand.

  “Olivia, let go. Look inside and be still. There’s a world inside of you, and for you to think clearly, this world needs to be peaceful.”

  Olivia tried to make all her thoughts disappear as if they were being carried away like clouds in the wind. She concentrated on her breathing, slowing it down and paying attention to the sound it made, like ocean waves coming and going. She was slightly better. When Olivia was finally breathing calmly, Cordella said, “Let’s try a spell. Something simple. Let’s work with the fire element and build a fire right here.” Cordella pointed to a spot right across from Olivia, covered in fresh green grass, with no dry leaves or sticks. However, Olivia thought she shouldn’t point out the bad conditions for a fire, and she just went for it.

  One word now could spoil everything. This moment was like a prayer. It was silent and full of concentration. The smell of the grass had gotten stronger, and there was no wind blowing the trees anymore. All was quiet.

  Olivia looked at the ground and visualized the fire burning. She did it with all the strength she had, squinting and twitching her face, and nothing happened. She tried for a while, but time passed and her concentration faded. She began to think that Cordella was wrong and she would never be able to do this.

  “Our magic comes from inside, Olivia. Don’t think, do. You need to connect with the elements. Find them inside you. They are waiting for you,” interrupted Cordella.

  Olivia closed her eyes again and felt the earth beneath her, touching her feet and exhaling a strong scent of pure nature. She thought about the sun and its warmth, and then something burned inside her chest. A sensation completely new that scared and inspired her at the same time. She opened her eyes and a faint flame was floating just above the ground. It trembled a little and burned timidly, but it was undeniably there.

  “Bravissima!” complimented Cordella.

  It was a small accomplishment, but Olivia was about to start jumping around. It felt like something so extremely important. A couple hours ago she would never have imagined being able to do something even slightly like this.

  “It came from my heart,” Olivia said in amazement. “I felt the earth and then the sun, and then I just knew.”

  “Yes, my dear! I know the feeling. I’m very happy for you!” said Cordella with the most beautiful smile on her face. “This is a start. We will keep practicing, especially protection spells, because you might need it. The next one I’m teaching you is the shield spell. To achieve complete protection, you must--”

  “Cordella, what about my family? How is my grandma doing while I’m here?” Olivia interrupted Cordella. The meditation made her think, and this could be the proper moment to ask questions. She was alone with Cordella, and that was rare.

  “Our time here in Tartae runs differently from your time. That’s why you were always able to come while you were supposed to be sleeping in your world and it had no major effect on your routine. If you spend some days here in Tartae, it will only be one night in your world. You don’t have to worry about your grandma. She is safe.”

  “But what happens when we aren’t there? Can’t they tell?”

  “Yes. You won’t be there. However, I’ve woven an illusion spell, and since you two are only absent for a few hours, it has always worked. We hope to solve everything fast enough this time. You two will be back before anyone gets worried. Now, let’s carry on.”

  Cordella resumed the training quickly. She was able to concentrate and focus on the spells with no visible effort, probably due to years of training and to the fact that magic was a part of her life. She explained to Olivia how to protect herself from spells on the battlefield.

  “Stand up tall. Your posture must represent your strength and courage. You can make a circle with your hands or just focus on this image. Now, manipulate the air around you and build a circle of protection surrounding you. Olivia, throw a fireball at me.”

  Olivia struggled, but after a number of frustrated tries–in which she was able to throw a sparkle–a small fireball flew in Cordella’s direction, and Cordella protected herself. The fireball disintegrated, and Cordella was unharmed.

  “Now it’s your turn. Protect yourself,” said Cordella, looking at Olivia.

  Cordella barely gave Olivia time to prepare and threw a robust, flaming red fireball the size of cantaloupe in Olivia’s direction, which scared the soul out of her. The ball became red dust when it touched Olivia’s body.

  “Defend yourself!” yelled Cordella, who kept throwing even bigger fireballs. Olivia’s clothes were all stained with red tint by now. Finally, after multiple attempts, Olivia was able to defend herself. She managed to forget Cordella’s voice and the noise of the fireballs. She imagined a protection coming from her heart, and she saw the air and her body becoming one. The fireballs were not getting to her anymore. But it didn’t last. Her spells were clearly too weak and unstable.

  “It’s enough for today. You did a wonderful job, but you need to focus. You need to believe more and connect with what surrounds you. I advise you to keep on practicing and meditating … I know it might seem hard at first.” Cordella sat on the ground again. “Come on, let’s meditate a bit more. This way we calm our minds and strengthen our bodies.”

  Olivia sat next to Cordella and closed her eyes. The earth beneath her vibrated. Everything that surrounded her had awakened.

  ***

  It was already night, and the group was done with their training and was back to the campsite. Bran, Trevor, and Kirk were exhausted. In fact, it was only when Olivia saw Trevor’s face all flushed and his sweat messing up his hair that she noticed how tired she was. The only difference was that her tiredness was not so physical or so transparent.

  Alavro had made dinner, and as soon as they all cleaned up, they had some pumpkin soup with freshly harvested rosemary. Exhaustion had taken over the group, and there was no conversation or laughter today. It was all very quiet, and every single conversation started and died very quickly.

  “We will leave our camp early in the morning tomorrow. Be ready,” said Alavro calmly.

  Bran looked away from his bowl of soup and glanced at his father, who only nodded. The Strage Castle was closer.

  There wasn’t much discussion about anything. Everyone who had any sort of information about their destiny got away very quickly, leaving Olivia and Trevor with their soup bowls in their hands and questions jumping on their tongues. It didn’t matter that this lack of explanations happened quite frequently; they never got used to it.

  “How was your day today, Olie? Did you train with Cordella?”

  “It was interesting. She tried to make me remember some spells … but I must say that I wasn’t very successful. I managed to make some things happen, but it was clear that it wasn’t enough to defend myself or anything of that sort.”

  “What did you do?” asked Trevor, laughing from what was about to come.

  Olivia raised her hand a little and made a small flame appear on her right palm.

  “Something like this. However, I’ve no idea how a spark might help me with anything …”

  “A spark can start a fire, Olie! You need to be more positive. Look at what you just did! When could you possibly have imagined doing something like this? At least when we were in our world, I mean.”

  “I know. It’s just that I’m mentally exhausted. Cordella asked me to meditate, but that was the hardest part. And before I forget, she explained to me a little about how time works differently in our worlds. Apparently, one night in Leve is equivalent to some days here. But she never told me how many.”

  “So, it’s possible that my dad doesn’t know that
I’m not there. I was already imagining a thousand police cars in front of my house and my dad going completely bald.”

  “I don’t think we have a reason to worry yet.” Olivia understood her friend’s despair. Trevor and his dad were very close, and after Trevor’s mother passed away, Mr. Meris became considerably overprotective. Olivia couldn’t help but feel sad that her grandma would probably take days to notice her absence. Mrs. Halin was on a long cruise once more, and she rarely called to find out if her granddaughter was doing well.

  Cordella was already sleeping when Olivia got inside the tent. As she sat on her bed, Olivia saw the book about Tartae and thought about how reckless she was for not taking some time to dissect it. She blew the candle out and fell asleep instantly.

  CHAPTER NINE

  The Flowers’ Manor

  Alavro woke the others by singing loudly and banging pots and pans while getting ready to leave. It was very early in the morning, and a faint mist covered the surroundings. When Olivia left her tent, Cordella was already outside talking to Trevor. Everything was quickly set to leave. The group had breakfast and soon started their journey to Freya Fosterin’s house.

  “Easy, Skyscraper.” Trevor was trying to reason with his horse, who wanted to run beyond his grasp.

  “His name is not Skyscraper, Trevor. It’s Lito …” said Bran, clearly not approving of the way Trevor was talking to his horse. “That’s why he doesn’t listen to you.”

  “It used to be Lito. Now that my judgment is not impaired, I’m gonna call him Skyscraper. He’s just too tall! He’ll get used to it soon enough, won’t you, Skyscraper?” Trevor was already getting attached to the horse. He finished his sentence by petting Lito’s head, and the horse seemed to calm down for the first time since they left their camping site.

  Bran shook his head in disapproval.

  “And what about mine, Bran? What’s its name?” Olivia asked quickly, meaning to make the unnecessary tension go away.

  “Her name is Myrrh.”

  “Hi, Myrrh! What a beautiful name.” Olivia petted her mare’s head and looked back at Bran, who gave her a smile. He looked at her with so much contentment that it was hard to believe it was just because she didn’t want to change her horse’s name.

  “Freya Fosterim is a Guardian too, right?” Olivia took advantage of the slow pace they were galloping to try to ask some questions. Trevor quickly noticed what she was doing and focused on the conversation, instantly getting closer to Olivia’s mare.

  “Yes, she’s one of the Guardians of the Portals. But she is quite peculiar and tends to have an odd opinion about a lot of things,” answered Cordella.

  “What do you mean?” asked Trevor.

  “Freya wants to protect the world, but she also wants her own protection. Since the beginning, when she was considered to become part of the Clan, she was very honest about that and made sure to make her intentions clear. She would protect the Key with her life because she believes in the balance of nature over all things. Nevertheless, she would not take sides on wars or confrontations of any sorts. She would never compromise her kin.”

  “And … why are we going there?” asked Trevor.

  “Obviously, we’re going there because we don’t have another choice. Freya has a unique power and she’s extremely strong. A natural power. We must seek her help, especially for you two. Maybe she is the only one who can reverse what was made.” Cordella looked at Trevor and Olivia. They couldn’t figure out her expression. It wasn’t clear if it was hopeful or if she knew that it was already a lost battle. “Let’s go faster. I want to get to the fields before nightfall.”

  Everyone followed her lead. Olivia and Trevor were still a bit afraid of falling off their horses and had some trouble keeping the same pace as the others. They were always a little behind, and Bran would slow down to keep close, always protecting them.

  The road was still very similar to what they had seen before, and even though it was well delineated, it was clear that travelers didn’t use it very often. When the sun was setting, Cordella took a right turn, entering a forest, but she didn’t slow down, even when facing the completely different conditions.

  The forest was filled with tall trees and moss covering all things one’s eye could see. Even the thick trunks of the trees were enveloped in other plants and the roots were jumping out of the ground. Deep into the woods, the birds were chirping loudly, and the temperature was lower. It was possible to hear water running at a distance. They were surely close to a waterfall.

  After a while, Cordella led the group out of the woods, soon arriving in an open field covered in grass and dotted with trees here and there. It was already night. Their journey was only possible because of the bright light of the two moons that painted the whole forest blue. They galloped for a little bit more until Cordella finally signaled to stop.

  “We won’t be setting camp today. We will only stay here for a while, and we will leave as soon as the sun wakes,” said Cordella, interrupting Kirk, who was already taking one of the tents out of his bag.

  They slept under a large old oak tree and used their bags as pillows. The night went by fast, and before Olivia knew it, the faint rays of sunshine were waking them.

  They kept going until the sun was strong and the sky completely blue. It took them around six hours, stopping briefly only for water and food, to finally arrive at the Flowers’ Manor, home of Freya Fosterim.

  The Flowers’ Manor was grand, very noticeable even from afar. A long path led the visitors to its doors, surrounded by robust trees on both sides. The tree branches were covered in pink flowers, and immediately after the horses stepped onto the pathway made of small colored gemstones, all the flowers from all the trees, fell on the ground, leaving the trees’ brown branches completely naked. The vivid grass was now covered in pink petals, creating a carpet of flowers. As the group walked down the pathway, the petals went up and down slowly, creating what resembled the shapes of women’s bodies. These figures kept following the group along the way, observing each one of them, whispering incomprehensible words, studying every step they took.

  The whole group was silent. It was an undeniably beautiful image, but quite horrifying as well. Something about this whole situation was unsettling, and that meticulous observation was deeply disturbing. Olivia and Trevor held strongly to their horses while the petal women got extremely close to their faces, analyzing their eyes, reading their expressions. After each movement these petal creatures made, Olivia thought that this entire scene could have been very enchanting if there were any space for appreciation when it all was so strange.

  After some time, all the petal women started to walk side by side with them, not hovering anymore. They only lingered for a bit on Kirk, but he didn’t seem to mind it at all.

  “I think I already have a date for dinner!” he joked.

  Little by little, the intriguing creatures went away, going back to the trees. Only two of them stayed, leading the group to the house. When they got to the manor’s door, the petal creatures took a bow and disappeared. The trees were slowly being covered with flowers again.

  The horses stayed outside the mansion, resting under some trees and having food and fresh water. When the group got nearer to the door, it opened, and a short young man wearing a long green robe with golden embroidery welcomed them. His hair was shaved almost completely, with only a thin brown braid starting on the top of his head and going all the way down to his feet. The man had a discreet, welcoming smile as he opened the door and let everybody in.

  The entrance hall was all white. Almost blindingly white. Its floors were made of marble, and the decoration was very minimal. Adorning the room were only three crystal chandeliers hanging on the tall ceilings and walls that were also painted white. A little further, there was the main hall, which also had a very simple decoration. The ceiling was high and some chairs were placed in front of a big fireplace adorned with gray stones and located right in the middle of an all-glass wall, allo
wing the room to have a marvelous view of the garden.

  “Good morning,” said the short woman standing by the fireplace.

  “Good morning, Freya,” answered Cordella, using the same empty tone.

  Freya turned to the group and looked directly at Olivia and Trevor. The woman was very pale, with big, expressive hazel eyes that were even brighter due to her long, dark eyelashes and thick eyebrows. Her hair was short and pixie-like. She also wore a long robe, resembling a toga, with some layers in blush pink and others in red. She was barefoot.

  Olivia stared right back at her. Freya Fosterim resembled a fantastic being; her voice was deep and soft at the same time. And Olivia felt that she heard it before. There was nothing human about Freya’s appearance; the woman looked like a creature of some sort.

  “I hope you had a good trip. I’m Freya Fosterim. Welcome to the Flowers’ Manor.” She got closer to Olivia and Trevor, shaking their hands politely.

  “So, you understand what happened?” asked Alavro.

  “Yes, Alavro. I also know why you are here. However, I’m afraid I won’t be of any help …” Freya walked slowly back to the fireplace.

  Cordella interrupted. “You can’t help, or you don’t want to, Freya?”

  Freya kept staring at the fire. Cordella was firm and urgent, but she was using the same tone as Freya, without noticeable alterations. The energy was weird. Olivia couldn’t tell if it was tense or simply normal. Freya’s house had a peculiar effect on her, one that she wasn’t able to describe. It was something between amazement and an urgency to leave.

  Freya turned quickly to the group again and, still looking at Cordella, she said, “Maino, make sure that our guests have a good place to sleep and dinner. I believe you are in need of rest and good food.”

  The same young man who opened the manor’s door left the room, arriving minutes later and inviting the group to their rooms. Cordella didn’t move. While the rest of the group walked away, she stood there, staring at Freya.