The Portals of Tartae- the Land With the Two Moons

by Marcia Soligo

  Olivia was deepening in her thoughts and about to drown in them. All of the questions and the pressure she was inflicting on herself, all the things that were said the day before were starting to choke her. She needed to come out for air. So, she decided to break the reigning silence.

  “Hey, Bran. Tell me something about us. Something that you think I can remember. A good memory or a bad one. You pick.” She tried to smile and make the question sound light and breezy. More than it truly was. She figured this could be a good way to remember something. Maybe a good enough or bad enough memory would unlock what was inside her mind, and all of their problems–or at least a part of them–would be solved.

  But Bran was completely startled by her question. His eyes were wide and about to pop out as he looked from her to the others. Kirk made a weird sound with his throat and finally broke the awkward silence:

  “Let me help my friend here! If you don’t mind, I have a tale for you.”

  “I don’t mind at all. Amuse me!” challenged Olivia, looking away from Bran and doing her best to keep a lighter tone. Trevor was now closer to the rest of the group, and everyone was galloping quite slowly, allowing the conversation to happen.

  “We were in a fight when you hurt your wrist. We were looking for the lost Key, and you were hit by a troll; you fell off your horse and broke your wrist. It was a harsh fall, and you had an exposed fracture. That’s why you’re still in so much pain. The wound was so bad that Cordella wasn’t sure if you would be able to get through the Portal, back to your world. When it happened, your scream was so loud that the world seemed to stop for a while, and then you fainted.”

  “I was truly expecting something good, but okay. Thank you! I’ll keep trying to remember this delightful moment!” Olivia said sarcastically while Kirk laughed.

  “I heard you asking about your wrist multiple times. Don’t act like you didn’t want to know!” laughed Kirk. “And the stories about good and nice things are boring. They don’t have battles and blood.”

  “And you are a huge fan of blood, aren’t ya?” Bran spoke for the first time since Olivia’s question.

  “Yes, I am. I’ve always been a great fan of BLOOOOOOD!” yelled Kirk, almost singing, as if he were in an opera.

  “What about me? Any bad tales to tell?” Trevor asked, smiling.

  “Hmm … Let me see ... Oh! I have a good one. The first time you encountered a mermaid, you fell so madly in love that Olivia had to cast a spell on you so that you could go back to your senses! And she was as ugly as a mutant rat who woke up on the wrong side of the moon. But then again, love is blind!” Kirk laughed out loud with Bran.

  “I’d really like to remember that …” laughed Olivia.

  “You’re so lucky that I don’t remember anything about you …” Trevor had a mischievous look and seemed slightly annoyed.

  It was clear that they were all friends and that they had been through a lot together. It was a pity that Olivia and Trevor could not remember any of it. At least now they could grasp onto those memories, and try to recreate them and then, who knew … maybe spark the real memory that they hoped was deep inside. It was a good plan for now.

  Cordella and Alavro traveled side by side most of the time, not exchanging a single word. They looked worried and lost in their thoughts. Olivia could only wonder about what they might be thinking. And since that last day at Freya’s house, the two Guardians were much more serious.

  The scenery didn’t change much along the way. There were green fields, trees, and flowers followed by more green fields, more trees, and more flowers. From time to time, one could feel raindrops falling here and there. Only enough to justify the clouded skies. To Olivia, the weather seemed to reflect the way things were: constantly gray with occasional tears.

  It was easy to get lost in thought while galloping, especially when she wasn’t talking to anyone and had an uncertain future lying ahead of her. That combination was marvelous to make one’s mind wonder. And Olivia would find herself just like that pretty much the whole time: wondering. Thinking about things she didn’t know, things she could see, things she should remember.

  They stopped for some food and made a small fire under a tree, just enough to keep them warm and prepare something to eat. They couldn’t lose a lot of time, so everything was very simple today. They ate and slept without setting up the tents.

  As soon as the day was born, they woke to birds singing loudly. The mood was still odd and quite alarming. They got ready very fast and left the campsite in no time. Strage Castle was getting nearer, and Olivia had goosebumps just thinking about that. She didn’t know what to expect, and deep down in her heart, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know. Maybe being surprised was better than arriving there filled with fear.

  After around three hours galloping, the scenery started to change. They took a turn on a road that seemed abandoned, much denser than the path they had been following until now. There were trees surrounding them and a putrid odor all around, impregnating the air and making everyone a bit nauseous.

  “Let’s go faster!” Cordella yelled, looking back and then leading the group.

  As they kept going, a big rocky construction appeared between the trees and the mist that was now rising before their eyes. And alone, on the top of a slight hill, was Strage Castle.

  The energy was strong in this place. They got closer to the house, and Olivia shivered. She felt some voices talking inside her head. She felt the voices, she didn’t hear them. It was as though a spell that was cast to the wind ages ago was now inside her, stretching, howling, looking for a way out. A sharp pain rose between her eyebrows. Nothing of this was pleasant, nothing seemed right.

  They were now very close to the main door of Strage, but still at a certain distance. Cordella stopped the group and got down from her horse, looking at the castle. She analyzed the place for a moment, took a deep breath, and put her hands in the air, closing her eyes in prayer. The energy lifted. Cordella removed the protection spell that was enveloping the place and got back on her horse.

  After a short while galloping, they were at Strage’s majestic wooden doors.

  “Olivia, Trevor, you come with us. Bran and Kirk, you stay outside. We shouldn’t be long.” Cordella said the words while studying the whole group. Bran and Kirk only nodded and took their weapons. The rest of them entered Strage.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  The Book of the Portals

  Olivia and Trevor slowly entered Strage Castle, walking carefully and studying everything they set their eyes on. But there wasn’t much to see. The place was abandoned, and there were not a lot of furniture or decorations to tell the story they so eagerly wanted to hear. It was a series of empty room after empty room, spiderwebs and dust covering all that was left.

  Olivia couldn’t help but keep touching her head. Cordella looked at the girl and said kindly, “You’re trying to fight the magic in this place. And there is a lot of magic around here. We have put up multiple protection spells to guard the castle, and the Book bears a great deal of energy too, good and bad. The Book carries the intentions people had with the Portals. You are feeling your third eye; it’s trying to block all this magic. You will soon get used to it. But for now, try to let it go.”

  “Thank you. I can definitely feel something in here. I think I can feel the magic,” Olivia said calmly.

  “The Book is hidden in the basement. We will be there in an instant, and then we will leave this place quickly.”

  They walked a little further through those empty halls until they got to a wall covered in a sophisticated yet dated wallpaper. Its flowers and colors were now fading due to time and bad conditions. Cordella whispered some words that Olivia couldn’t understand, and a doorknob appeared. She opened the door and went downstairs, followed by Alavro, Olivia and Trevor. The basement was even creepier, colder and darker than the rest of the house. There was no warmth in this Book, Olivia thought.

  Cordella and Alavro walked to a bronze chest.
They opened it at once, and there it was, the Book of the Portals.

  Olivia thought that something amazing would happen when they finally saw the Book. Something like fireworks or angels singing. But she didn’t hear or feel anything. There was nothing. Just this big thick book with brown leather covers lying there, inanimate.

  “I figured something would happen now.” Her expression was full of disappointment, and she didn’t take her eyes off the Book.

  “My thoughts exactly, Olie. I’m afraid to say that I was expecting more,” added Trevor.

  Cordella and Alavro were still standing next to the chest. The witch took a white cloth from her bag and got ready to wrap the Book of the Portals in it. The two Guardians exchanged words, more like whispers, nearly inaudible sounds to Olivia and Trevor, but they seemed deeply focused on what they were doing.

  “May I see the Book?” asked Olivia, reaching for it. She wanted to touch the Book, and the words jumped out of her mouth like she wasn’t able to stop them.

  “Yes, my dear. This could be a good sign; the Book wants to speak to you!” Alavro had hope in his eyes and handed the Book to her.

  Olivia took it carefully while Trevor got closer to take a better look at the Book of the Portals himself. Something felt weird. Olivia couldn’t remember all that had happened in Tartae, but she had this feeling that she would remember this sensation somehow, some way. She was almost sure that she would recognize the sensation of touching so much history, so much magic. She would feel this. This proximity to the Portals. But there was just this emptiness.

  Suddenly, Olivia’s hands started to burn like she was holding a very hot pan with her bare hands. And then there was no doubt.

  “This isn’t the Book,” she whispered. There was no color left in her face. Her eyes were wide and filled with horror.

  “What are you saying, Olivia?” asked Alavro, getting closer to her, his voice shaking. Cordella looked from the book to Olivia, from Olivia to the book, trying to understand what was happening.

  “THIS IS NOT THE BOOK! THIS IS NOT THE BOOK!” Trevor screamed desperately, and when he tried to touch the book, he couldn’t. His face was pure despair. “OLIE, LET GO! IT’S BURNING US! IT’S BURNING YOU! LET GO NOW!”

  “I CAN’T!” screamed Olivia, trying to get rid of the book, which seemed to be glued to her hands.

  Trevor kept trying to help, but it was impossible for him to touch the thing. It was as though the book was in flames. He felt its warmth even without touching it. Cordella and Alavro were confused and paralyzed. It took them some time to fully comprehend what was happening and finally help Olivia. The girl screamed in pain while Cordella tried some spells to free her from the book. But nothing seemed to change, and nothing seemed to work.

  They were all desperate, and none of them knew exactly what to do. Olivia’s screams echoed in the almost empty room, only making the feeling of desperation grow and cloud their minds even more.

  After a while, the book disintegrated, and fell away from Olivia’s hands slowly. Its pages transformed into ashes and fell onto the floor. Olivia finally stopped screaming, but her expression was still completely panicked. Her hands were red and covered in blisters. Cordella drew nearer and studied the mess the book had made on Olivia. The witch placed her right hand over Olivia’s hands and started to move them slowly, drawing circles in the air, and after a while she said:

  “This won’t heal you completely, but you will feel better. This mess was made by magic, so magic ought to cure it. Follow my lead and hear my thoughts. Think about cure.” Cordella looked deeply into Olivia’s eyes.

  “Okay.” Tears ran down Olivia’s face. She made a strong effort not to think about the pain or about Lars.

  Cordella kept going for a few minutes until they heard noises coming from outside the house. The witch abruptly stopped and exchanged an enigmatic look with Alavro, who quickly said that they should leave at once. Cordella wrapped Olivia’s hand with the same cloth she was going to wrap the book with, and Olivia felt a bit better. The blisters on her hands were completely gone, but her hands were still red and inflamed, and the veins in her arms were now bright red. They were visible through her skin, gleaming.

  The group headed back upstairs, and Trevor threw his arm around Olivia to help her. As they got nearer to the hallway, the noises grew louder and clearer. Something was happening outside. They all ran toward the front door.

  “Stay here, Olie. We’ll see what’s happening,” said Trevor, who had an expression on his face that Olivia had never seen before. His voice was comforting and confident. He seemed to have everything under control.

  Olivia just nodded, as she figured there was not much to discuss. There wasn’t enough time for weighing options or much to say on her behalf. She was wounded, and it didn’t seem that what was happening outside was something good. As they opened the door, it became clear. The sounds of the battle became louder, there was people screaming and weapons clanging.

  Olivia waited inside. For how long, she had no idea. The time seemed to go on slowly, and the sensation of being confined while her friends were going through hell was like torture. Her friends were there, fighting a fight that was also hers, and this realization kept growing inside her until she couldn’t bear it anymore. She kept pacing from side to side in the dusty, dark room. She walked faster and faster as if she were running from something inside herself. Finally, she got her sword and felt a piercing pain in her hand, but that didn’t stop her. Olivia proceeded to the door and opened it without any trace of hesitation.

  “Not so fast, Olivia,” said the man standing just outside the door.

  Olivia stepped back and searched the man’s face. He wore a dark purple suit; his hair was carefully groomed. She recognized him instantly.

  “So … You remember me. I’m flattered! Let me introduce myself properly. I am Baltazar Fletce, and it’s a delight to officially meet you. I have been watching you, and I feel that we already have this history … A boring history, I must say. Does everybody in that place you live lead such a boring life? Or was that just you and your little friend? You could have had more action. It would have made it more entertaining for me.” The man paused, waiting for Olivia’s reaction. But she just stared at him with a serious look. “I hope you have enjoyed the surprise we prepared! I can see you are actually on fire!” Baltazar laughed while looking at Olivia’s arms, which were still completely red and burned. Once again, the smile looked foreign on his face. As if he were stretching muscles that were stunted long ago.

  “What do you want?” Olivia finally spoke. Her voice was firm and dry. “It seems that you’ve got what you wanted. Let us leave. Or at least let them leave.”

  “You are right, Olivia. They don’t need you … However, I don’t either, and I don’t care. And, talking about our surprises, I hope you liked your trip to Tartae, because, my darling … it was the last one.”

  Baltazar waved his hand and threw one of the small wooden side tables in the room in Olivia’s direction. The impact pushed Olivia back, and she fell on the other side of the room. Her sword dropped to the floor. She had not the slightest idea how to use magic in a real fight. Baltazar was getting ready to attack again, walking toward Olivia. She quickly stood and did the only thing she was capable of remembering: a small fireball with her hands.

  The man chuckled softly and looked extremely happy with how well all of this was going. He would be able to kill Olivia, and he would be exalted by Edmund Lars. Before Olivia managed to finish her flame, Baltazar moved his hands in the air, and the spiderwebs that were spread all over the room started to crawl in his direction, climbing up to his hands and forming what seemed to be a miniature shield. He then gave a light push with his hand, throwing the tangled spider webs at Olivia, who was able to dodge. Another flame formed on Olivia’s right palm, but this time she put all her strength into that spell, which made the fire grow, and grow, and grow, until she finally threw the fireball at Baltazar.

  So
me parts of his purple suit were on fire, which gave Olivia enough time to reach for her sword and strike him in the stomach.

  “Stupid girl. This isn’t enough.” He seemed annoyed by it, and his eyes were now all red.

  “It should be!” said Olivia, blowing one more fireball into Baltazar’s wound. It was the first thing that really seemed to hurt him. He felt pain and was left completely stunned. Not sure how long Baltazar would take to recover his focus, Olivia took the chance to run and flew from the room, finally joining the others in battle.

  Bran, Trevor, Alavro, Cordella, and Kirk were fighting with creatures Olivia had never seen before. They were tall and dark green, and their necks were slightly bent forward. They looked like bears without the fur, with broad noses, big black eyes and mouths full of gigantic teeth. They used axes and swords as weapons, and they had no mercy during the fight. The group was clearly at a disadvantage. There were about fifteen creatures against the five of them and Olivia knew that Baltazar would be coming for her soon.

  One of the creatures walked toward Olivia, and they started to fight. For some reason that she didn’t know, her hands were not paining her as much as she thought they would. Their swords clashed loudly and violently against each other until Olivia saw a blade coming through the creature’s chest that fell down with wide empty eyes. Behind the creature, a tall centaur was standing and said with a low voice, “Don’t put your guard down.”

  A group of centaurs came out of the woods, and joined the battle, making the situation easier on the Guardians. The centaurs were tall and fearless.