The Portals of Tartae- the Land With the Two Moons

by Marcia Soligo

  “I think you will like to meet Diana. Let’s go to her house and then we can go to mine, if you’re not in a hurry to get back.”

  “No hurry at all!”

  Olivia could barely think about what was bothering her before she got there. She barely remembered the library at Belenos’ house and the books she’d thought about reading today. It was interesting how a place so different from what she was used to, so far away from Leve, could make her feel so much at home. And that was how she felt at each place she went in Tartae. And sometimes, when she was being brutally honest with herself, she would admit that going back didn’t seem to be the right option. At least for her.

  Olivia and Emma walked a little more through the pathway between the trees, and Emma would point and explain some things to Olivia. But the truth was that Emma didn’t seem to have any idea of how this village was different from the places Olivia was used to.

  “There. That’s where I live. That window right above the red flowers, can you see it? I planted them there!” said Emma, sounding very proud of herself. She had a big smile on her face, and her eyes were glowing. “It wasn’t easy, I must tell you. I had to use techniques to rightfully manipulate water and earth that I never thought I would need. But everything worked out, and they bloom from spring until autumn. Now I have an easy way to spot my house from afar, at least during a portion of the year. And see that clearing over there? That’s where we like to throw our seasonal celebrations. I hope you can join us one day.” Emma pointed to a place a little further, over some blackthorn trees.

  “What is that like?”

  “We gather to celebrate the seasons and how nature changes and adapts. We also commemorate the phases of the moons. You have only one moon in your world, right?”

  “Yes. Two moons, twice the magic, I guess.”

  “Yes! I guess so. All the celebrations are beautiful. They have a lot of food, music, and dancing. Life around here is calm and peaceful. But lately, we’ve been feeling the energy changing. It’s because of the Portals, as you might have figured already.”

  Olivia’s heart sank as Emma finished her sentence. To think about those dark energies invading Lirianthis was hurtful, as was remembering what was waiting for her outside this safe place.

  “Have you ever seen a Portal?” asked Olivia, trying to shake those thoughts out of her head.

  “No. Never. We don’t use them as often anymore, you see. Even the Guardians are afraid.”

  “That’s reassuring, very good to know,” said Olivia sarcastically. This realization made her blood freeze.

  “That’s the truth, Olie.” Emma had a lost look on her face, as though this was painful for her to say but at the same time, she couldn’t bear to lie. “We’re here.”

  In front of them, there was a large cabin with a charming front porch decorated with wooden rocking chairs and warm throws made of yarn. Although the place was rather rustic, it also seemed fancy and sophisticated. Everything had a place, and every place seemed to have been thoughtfully considered.

  Emma knocked on the red wooden door, and soon after, a woman appeared. Her black curly hair fell down through her burgundy gown until it reached her waist. The woman gave a happy smile when she saw Olivia and Emma.

  “Finally! Welcome to Lirianthis, Olivia. Come on in! When I heard you were in the woods I got anxious to meet you and to see the day you would finally arrive in Lirianthis. Emma is always talking about you, but you know, we can’t bring anyone here without having the permission of the Laliamo Forest.”

  “Hmm … Actually, I don’t know. I don’t know much, sorry. Apparently, I forgot everything that could be useful to me.”

  “There’s no need to apologize. Would you like some tea? I have some cake too.” Diana got up before Olivia could say anything, and minutes later she was back with a tray full of small round cakes, which she put on the wooden coffee table in front of them. Her face was beautiful and happy as if she had no cares in the world.

  On the inside, her house was grand and artsy. A great number of paintings hung on the walls and also sat on the floor, leaning against the wooden walls. Her couch was bright blue and full of cushions, and the windows were extremely large, making all the light that was shining outside come into the living room.

  “Can you tell me more about Lirianthis, please? I’m completely fascinated. I’ve never seen a place so beautiful and different.” Olivia wanted to know more. She wanted to buy a house and live there forever. Everywhere she looked had a thousand things: through the windows, she could see ferns growing freely on the other trees and hundreds of colorful flowers growing anywhere they could.

  “Thank you! We are glad you like it. Lirianthis is so beautiful because it reflects the intentions and the energy of those who live here. And of course, because we are in the heart of the Laliamo Forest,” said Diana. “Here we live to celebrate the cycles of nature and learn about magic. Some may think that our routine is quite boring, but the truth is that a great part of what happens anywhere in Tartae is born here.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Olivia.

  “We dedicate our time and our lives to the study and practice of magic. It’s here where we find a cure for certain diseases. In case of any revolution, for example, a lot of the ‘weapons’ will come from here. We are always experimenting, and we also teach those who want to learn about the ways of nature. But of course, we only teach those who wish to learn and whom the Laliamo Forest allows in here,” explained Diana, who was subtly interrupted by Emma.

  “Cordella lived here, for example. Some moons ago (or a lot), to learn more about magic and energy,” she whispered, smiling. “But not everyone decides to live here forever. This is just a place to learn and grow for some.”

  “What about you two?”

  “I was born here,” answered Emma. “My parents lived in Lirianthis until they decided to move; they wanted to live by the ocean. Diana came when she was a child.”

  “Yes, I came here when I was four. I got lost in the forest and ended up here.”

  “You got lost? And your parents didn’t come to look for you?” asked Olivia.

  “Yes, they did. But they soon found out what happened. Don’t worry, Olivia. They’re well and happy with the path I took,” said the woman, smiling pleasantly. Olivia couldn’t help but find it odd that a four-year-old child would get lost in a forest and simply decide to live there forever. However, she preferred not to point out the weirdness of that story and decided to follow another track.

  “You said that you study and experiment with magic. Could you help me and Trevor get our memories back? Isn’t there a potion or a spell that we can use to recover our past experiences?” Olivia was hopeful as she said the words.

  “As we said before, magic is a force of nature. And we can only do what the forest allows. Lirianthis is the way you see it today because what we do here only generates good vibrations. This is not true for your actual condition. The black magic, full of hate and anger that brought you and Trevor to Tartae, doesn’t allow us to intercede more than we are already.” Diana explained it all calmly; she knew it wouldn’t be easy for Olivia to understand certain details. Olivia had lived most of her life in another world and then forgot all about the experiences with magic she had had in the past years.

  “Didn’t you say that you create weapons? Things made for battles or revolutions in Tartae? Doesn’t that involve some kind of dark magic? Bad intentions?” challenged Olivia.

  “Yes, you are right. But this negativity is nothing close to what Edmund Lars does. Magic always has two sides. And I’m sure that some of the people who live here with us feel tempted by dark magic and its possibilities, but we all made a choice and decided to follow the path of light. We are all building for the good. And our main goal is to achieve only good things.” Diana tried to explain clearly.

  “Nature is full of nuances and complexity, Olie. And we tried to help,” continued Emma under Diana’s vigilant gaze. “As soon as you and
Trevor arrived, Cordella sent us a message, and we started to look for alternatives. Nothing worked, and some ancient trees started to perish. If we lose our strength, Tartae will lose it too. If Lirianthis gets lost, maybe we won’t be able to win this battle.”

  Once again, the weight of the world fell heavy on Olivia’s shoulders. Every time she thought she had found a little hope, it was a disappointment. However, she was becoming quite used to that answer. She couldn’t help but think about how Lars was competent and lucky. How could everything work out so well for him?

  The silence reigned for a while in the room. Olivia had her gaze locked on the table in front of her, and her thoughts flew wildly all around.

  “Oh, for Ourivio! The sun is almost setting!” Emma broke the silence, jumping up at once. “I still want to show you my home, and we have a festival tonight. Why don’t you stay for the celebration? Oh, you will love it!”

  Olivia looked at Diana as if she were asking for permission. The woman nodded. Olivia thanked her for the round cakes, and they soon left Diana’s house. Emma pulled Olivia by the hand while they went up and down the wooden stairs that were everywhere in Lirianthis. Emma described all the food and drinks they had at these festivals, and she was talking so fast that Olivia barely had time to think or process anything that she was saying. Emma’s excitement reminded Olivia of a child, and it was good to see. It made Olivia think about a time that was simpler and lighter. A time when the smallest things used to excite her, and she would pull her dad and mom around their house, telling them her plans for the craziest adventures she could think of.

  They arrived at Emma’s house after climbing a lot of steps. If it wasn’t for all the training Olivia had been having with Kirk and Bran, she would probably be fainting by now, and she would have needed to stop multiple times to catch her breath.

  “Yes, I know. We’re all in very good shape here in Lirianthis. A lot of stairs … Some might say that this is the downside of Lirianthis. I think that the downside is that we don’t have elephants. Every description I read about the animals that you have in your world makes me want to see an elephant. They seem amazing! Are they amazing, Olie?”

  “Yes, I guess they are, Emma,” said Olie, smiling.

  “Oh, I want to see an elephant one day. We don’t have them in Tartae, you know?” sighed Emma, opening the door. They had finally arrived at her place.

  The inside of Emma’s house was just like herself. Unpretentious and joyful, full of books scattered all around and papers filled with notes. The walls were colorful, and there were vases with flowers and pictures of dried leaves hanging on the walls.

  “What’s the celebration for, Emma?” asked Olivia while she observed the pictures. The dried leaves were accompanied by their names. Some of them were pretty common in Olivia’s world, like grape leaf, basil leaf, and marjoram, but others were unique to Tartae, like allandrio leaf or belion leaf.

  “It’s the start of the summer. Here, we have the same seasons you have in your world. The two moons have no influence on that, only the sun. It’s interesting, don’t you think?”

  Olivia nodded.

  “Emma, don’t you think I’d better come back? What if they’re worried? I don’t want to start any wars before it’s completely necessary.”

  “Cordella knows you’re here, and Belenos too. You can relax.” Emma said this while going through a bunch of papers and books. Olivia wondered how Cordella and Belenos could know where she was, but before she could ask, she was interrupted by Emma, who apparently had found what she was looking for. “Here it is, Olie. I think you will like this. It’s a collection of poems inspired by Lirianthis. They were written by a number of wizards and witches who visited us or lived with us at some point.”

  Olivia grabbed the book, and on the dark green cover adorned with delicate leaves, she read:

  Poetry in Lirianthis

  Inspired by and to Lirianthis. May the magic always exist and bring enchantment.

  Compiled by Almei Grano and Jisofer Tret

  The night fell, and Olivia saw the fire being lit under the dark sky, which made Lirianthis look even more intriguing. Little by little, people gathered around the robust fire for the party. There were small points of lights everywhere, and later Olivia discovered that they were fireflies who would actively participate in these celebrations.

  All the healers Olivia had met at Belenos house were there for the celebration, and Belenos himself arrived at the forest clearing just after Olivia and Emma. He wore a blue cape that made his eyes even bluer, and he gave a subtle smile in their direction as he arrived.

  The mood was light and happy all around. As Emma had said, the food was great and bountiful. There were nuts, bread, honey cakes and berries cakes, fresh fruits, juice and a lot of wine. Olivia ate, drank and even danced a little bit with Emma, but she was exhausted. She felt as though she had walked a thousand miles today, and maybe she had, aside from also having climbed so many steps. As the night went on, Olivia’s eyes were getting heavier, and the sleepiness was almost impossible to avoid any longer.

  “Emma, I don’t wanna be rude. The party is amazing, but I have to go. I need to get some sleep.”

  “Of course! I will take you to Belenos’ home.” At this moment, Belenos got closer to them.

  “I’m going home as well. I can walk with her, Emma.”

  Olivia said goodbye to Emma with a hug, thanking her for the wonderful day. The tiredness was really getting the best of her, and Olivia wondered if there was a way to fly home. Maybe a broom. Like in the fairy tales she read in her world.

  “You can relax, Olivia. The walk home won’t be long,” said Belenos, putting an end to Olivia’s divagations. He seemed to be reading her thoughts, and that bothered Olivia for a moment. She didn’t know if that was a real possibility, but she really didn’t want anyone prowling inside her mind.

  “Thanks for walking with me. I really wouldn’t know how to walk back by myself. The Laliamo Forest seems to change; things look like they’re in movement.”

  “You’re welcome,” said Belenos kindly.

  “Have we met before? I mean, on my previous travels to Tartae?” asked Olivia. There was something about Belenos that she found familiar, but she wasn’t sure what it was.

  “We saw each other once, but we were never introduced. The times didn’t allow that.”

  “I see,” said Olivia, and before she could go on, Belenos asked:

  “How are you and Trevor doing? I can imagine that this might be hard. Getting used to so many peculiar things and not remembering what you have done before. What you have learned. Not even with what you committed yourselves …”

  “We’re getting by. We’re better than we were when we arrived. Maybe it would seem obvious, but I didn’t think it would get not even a little better so soon. One thing that makes me handle all of this better is knowing that we’ve decided to do the right thing. Of that much I’m sure. We’ll destroy the Portals, go back home, and everything will be back to normal. And maybe we won’t even remember any of this.” Olivia’s heart ache. She looked at Belenos and there it was; that same twitch in his eyes.

  “And you really think this is the right thing to do? Olivia, I don’t know if you’re familiar with my story. I grew up in the forest. I was raised by her. Here is my home, and she is my mother. And for me, nature is perfect. Everything that is made, is made for a reason. Every action has a consequence, and everything is changing constantly. And that’s why I don’t believe that we should destroy the Portals.”

  Olivia looked at Belenos, astounded. A million thoughts crossed her mind, and for a moment she was afraid of Belenos. If he didn’t want to destroy the Portals, and if she was there for that reason, this would be the perfect moment for a bloody murder in the middle of the forest. She kept studying his face in the hopes that she could discover his next step. Fear grew inside her.

  “I understand the Clan’s intentions, Olivia. And I won’t interfere. I have said what I th
ink to Cordella and, just like you, I want what’s best for all the worlds.” Belenos said it all in a very serene way. Olivia slowly calmed down. She started to understand his intentions and how he felt about interfering like that, so harshly, on something that nature had created. “I just don’t believe that we should destroy the Portals forever. That’s all.”

  “When you say that you won’t interfere … Will you still help us?”

  “I’m helping the way I can.”

  “But are you going after Edmund Lars with us?”

  “I haven’t decided yet. And it’s not only because we have different opinions about the Portals. I just don’t know if I can leave the Laliamo Forest alone in a time like this.”

  “Belenos, we need your help. We already have enough people leaving us behind, deciding to abstain from a crucial position. And we’re now in a position that not taking a stand means letting evil win. We’re at a disadvantage. And if you don’t mind me saying so, the Laliamo Forest will be well on her own. She was always well, she is powerful, and she has raised you. I don’t think you need to worry.”

  They were now at the gardens outside Belenos’ house. He seemed to be weighing what Olivia had just said, or at least he was pretending to do so. Olivia couldn’t imagine how she had the guts to say so much, considering how intimidated she was by Belenos’ presence.

  “Have a good night, Olivia. There’s no limit to the world that exists inside you. Be aware of that.” He disappeared in the shadows of his house.

  There was nobody around in Belenos’ house when Olivia walked inside. Everyone seemed to be sleeping, and silence reigned in all the rooms, creating the perfect setting for the conversation Olivia just had to repeat multiple times in her head. Olivia kept thinking that she should have pushed more, but she hoped it was enough and that her words would have the expected result on the wizard. Now she should just wait and see.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN