The Portals of Tartae- the Land With the Two Moons

by Marcia Soligo

  “And how did that go?” questioned Olivia.

  “You took your time, that’s for sure. You should have gotten a better price for the horses and got three of them ...” exclaimed Trevor.

  “Nothing out of the ordinary. The farm belongs to Mr. Ribaldo Fesster. He and his family have been living here since forever. I negotiated a fair price for the horses, and I also got us some pieces of cake and fresh water.”

  Olivia’s eyes sparkled when she saw the banana and the honey cakes. Trevor took a piece and continued with his mouth full, “That was good that you had money with you. I have nothing.”

  “I don’t have any money either. But you know, I can always make some magic tricks and get us some money!” joked Olivia. “If it comes down to that … I make a mean small fireball.”

  “Actually, my pockets were empty too,” said Bran. “I exchanged the horses for a silver compass I had with me.” He said it quickly. He seemed quite upset about it.

  “What is it, Bran?” asked Olivia. “Was it valuable?”

  “We are not supposed to get attached to stuff. It was for a greater cause,” declared Bran, who evidently wanted to leave this subject behind. “Are you ready? We need to keep going and take advantage of the few hours with sunlight we have left. We will find shelter for the night in the deep of the forest again, where we will be safer.”

  Before getting back on their horses, Olivia touched Bran’s hand lightly and whispered, “I’m sorry.”

  The boy smiled at her and squeezed her hand in a silent thank you. Olivia and Trevor climbed onto one of the horses. The journey would be less comfortable this way, but that was their only choice, and surely this was better than walking for who knew how many more days until the Tria Plains.

  “I miss Skyscraper ...” sighed Trevor, who was finally showing his affection for his horse.

  They headed to the heart of the Ancient Forest, and little by little they saw the scenery change once again. The surroundings were getting wilder, the trees bigger and older. And they were finally getting closer to Edmund Lars.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  The Earth Element

  Olivia was awakened by the hooting of an owl. She got up slowly, her back aching, and saw the animal perching on a tree right in front of her. It seemed to be the same owl as before, with deep red eyes staring at Olivia relentlessly. She stared back for a while, and for that brief moment, her mind was empty. It was just filled with the calm gaze of that owl.

  It was time to wake the others. If they wanted to make up for the time they lost, they would have to go on extremely fast. They were now only three, and that would already make the journey easier.

  Bran and Trevor had no problem waking up. If there was anything that Olivia had learned from sleeping in such poor conditions, it was that waking up was not that bad. When you are sleeping on the bare ground after hours riding a horse or walking, five more minutes sleeping doesn’t sound as inviting. It only sounds like the prelude to more back pain.

  The three of them got back on their horses as quickly as they could, but the incredibly dense forest wasn’t allowing them to ride fast enough. There were too many roots jumping out of the ground, too many rocks in their way.

  “Olie, you need to do something about this. If we keep going at this pace, with this many obstacles, we won’t be able to ride into the woods at all at some point,” said Bran. A shiver came down Olivia’s spine instantly and she started to shake.

  “Olie, can you do it?” asked Trevor. His tone was nice and reflected how much he understood the pressure Olivia was feeling. Using magic wasn’t easy for her, and Trevor knew that better than anybody else.

  Olivia didn’t answer right away. She didn’t even know what to say exactly. She kept thinking about how many times she wanted to ask Cordella and Belenos about the spell they used. How could they make their path clearer? She thought about how many times that question came all the way to her lips, but due to their crazy pace, it never really jumped out. This experience in Tartae was teaching her a lot. And it made Olivia understand the urgency of all things. Life and odd circumstances don’t wait for you to have time or courage.

  Olivia closed her eyes, trying to remember everything she had learned about trees and the earth element. She was aware that the trees had strong personalities, and they could be quite resistant to the efforts of the witch or wizard, requiring a great amount of stamina from them. She figured that a place like the Ancient Forest would be just like that.

  “I’m gonna try,” she declared finally, and no one said a word. Olivia looked into the forest for a while and took a deep, calm breath, smelling each plant and noticing all the life that was blooming in that place. She closed her eyes again and, for a moment, there was no doubt in her heart anymore. There was just the forest. She was feeling the Ancient Forest, and it was as though everything that surrounded her was a part of her, and that connection guided her senses. To her surprise, it wasn’t that hard. It felt as if the forest wished to help her, and Olivia didn’t find any resistance from it. Inside, she heard words that she didn’t know, and she felt larger than life. She opened her eyes and the path in front of them was open, cleared from all the obstacles. She smiled and spoke solemnly: “Let’s go!”

  From that moment on the trip completely shifted for Olivia. She wasn’t running through the forest anymore, she wasn’t only seeing the blurry scenery passing by. She also saw herself passing by. The wind touched her face, the smell of the horses was stronger than ever. She was the ground trembling under the weight of the horses and what was ahead of them was already inside of her. Instinctively, she started to guide the group, and they were able to advance considerably on that day.

  At night, Olivia slept much better. However, her dreams felt quite different from what she was used to, so much that she couldn’t even explain them to anyone. There was no nightmare, no darkness, only plenitude.

  She woke up the next day feeling rested and not at all tired.

  “We are one day from leaving the Ancient Forest and getting to the Tria Forest border. We will be at the Plains soon enough,” said Bran, tying up his black boots and looking ahead, like he could see their destination right in front of him. “We must take turns with the horses, so they don’t get too tired.”

  “Now it’s my turn to go alone! That’s for sure,” said Trevor, already approaching one of the horses.

  “Let’s go then, Bran. But I think it’s better if I guide us,” said Olivia, climbing up on her horse.

  “Trevor, you will need to go fast to keep up with us,” warned Bran, mounting the horse and wrapping his arms around Olivia’s waist.

  “I know!” laughed Trevor, already following the other two.

  Quickly, Olivia got back to the rhythm she’d had on the previous day. Trevor was having a hard time keeping up, she could tell, but he wasn’t complaining. Although he would whine a bit sometimes, Trevor wouldn’t shy away from challenges. And he jumped with his whole heart into this one. He wanted to save Tartae; he wanted to get back to his world.

  The ninth day of the journey went by in the blink of an eye. Nothing special happened, except the way Olivia was now experiencing the forest. This was quite new and exciting for her; she felt as though her senses had evolved somehow.

  The group was now back to their non-conversational mode. The galloping of the horses didn’t allow anything other than that to happen, and to Olivia, not speaking was good. Immersed in the silence, she could enjoy things around her through a new light. She could let it all sink in.

  If everything had gone according to what Cordella had planned, they would have been in Leve by now. This whole reality would probably be behind Olivia and Trevor, and maybe things in Tartae would be different, much better.

  At the end of the day, they chose a tree to sleep under. They were now getting used to this routine, and things were not quite as foreign for them anymore. They would know what places to avoid, what kind of trees the snakes and spiders liked the most. At th
e first light of the dawn, they were back again on their horses.

  The sun was still fresh when they arrived in the Tria Forest. It was brutally different from the Ancient Forest. The trees were younger, and the connection Olivia felt with the place was also very distinct. The smells were different, and the species that lived there were too. Olivia could have sworn that the Ancient Forest said good-bye to her, and she made sure to also say her farewells and thank the Ancient Forest for making their journey so secure.

  They stopped briefly to eat and rest. The Tria Forest was definitely lighter and less intense than the Ancient Forest. The birds were singing a different song, and nothing was as tempestuous. They sat down by some big rocks that had plants climbing on them, and for some reason, the fruits were making Olivia feel fuller than before; she wasn’t as hungry.

  “Olie, did you see this?” asked Bran, sitting by her side and showing Olivia a lock of her hair, a simple movement that made butterflies dance in her stomach. At the end of the lock of hair, now quite tangled, there was a pink flower, which was slowly blooming as they observed. Olivia looked at her own hair with her mouth open in amazement, until she finally realized that her arms had a slightly greenish tone now.

  “Is this normal?” Olivia’s eyes were wide, and she looked for confirmation from Bran, who was just as surprised as her.

  “I ... I have no idea.” Bran was fascinated. Trevor got closer to them and let the apple in his hand fall onto the ground.

  “OLIE!” exclaimed the boy. “You’re becoming a tree!”

  Bran gave Trevor a nudge in the ribs as if he’d said something forbidden. But Olivia didn’t seem to care or worry about becoming a tree.

  “I guess so! I just hope I don’t grow roots yet. That would be potentially problematic.” She said, bursting into a laughter that made them all keep laughing for a while. Olivia didn’t even remember the last time she had laughed this hard, so genuinely and spontaneously.

  They resumed their journey between giggles. From time to time, Olivia would look to her arms and still see a greenish color. For a moment, she thought that maybe this was something that she should worry about. But since she was so deep into the forest and so connected to it, she had a hard time listening to her own thoughts. It was as if the whole forest lived inside her, and that was a strange feeling that didn’t allow much space for her own wonderings or obsessions. It was as though she had become too big to fit inside herself.

  Bran had just announced that they were getting nearer to the Tria Plains. They would have to spend one more night in the forest, and if everything went according to what they had planned, they would soon find Cordella and the others waiting for them. That thought alone gave them strength.

  Once more, Olivia’s sleep was calm and uneventful. She dreamed that she had roots that grew into the earth, and then she lived there, in the forest. Forever in the soil as a tree. She woke up and checked her arms and hair. Everything was still the same, but there was no sign of roots as of yet.

  Finally, it was the last day traveling. Olivia, Bran, and Trevor couldn’t believe that they would see the others shortly and were indescribably eager for that. During that time, when it was just the three of them in the forest, they felt quite alone and lost sometimes. So, the idea of being reunited with the others was beyond comforting.

  They got ready and soon left to the trail that would lead them to the Tria Plains. Olivia now guided the group while riding alone, and Bran and Trevor shared the other horse.

  Everything was as usual, but Olivia’s heart shrank in a way she couldn’t stand. Her eyes were darkening, her hands got cold, and her head started spinning. Everything happened much faster than she was expecting. Her body collapsed, and everything that surrounded her immediately disappeared.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  The Shadows Over the Plain

  Trevor and Bran looked at Olivia with despair in their eyes. Olivia woke up on the ground, and Trevor was splashing some water carefully on her face. She took some time to completely grasp what was happening, but as soon as she regained consciousness, her chest began hurting again, a piercing pain that left her almost out of breath.

  “Are you okay, Olie?” asked Trevor, helping Olivia to sit.

  “No.” Olivia spoke in a low tone, almost a whisper, bringing her hand to her chest. “There’s something wrong. My… chest… hurts.” Bran looked from side to side and then back to Olivia, who looked as pale as the winter sun.

  “It’s Lars. His influence is here already. You are connected to the forest, Olivia.” Bran looked up, the trees were leafless, dry and weak. “Look, Trevor.” He pointed to the branches.

  “Trev, Bran, we need to hide,” warned Olivia with shortness of breath.

  “What?” asked Trevor.

  “Hide ... NOW! There’s someone in the forest.” Olivia was trying to get up.

  Trevor and Bran helped her, and Bran took the horses quickly and quietly with them. They climbed on a slight elevation that led to a denser part of the forest, where they found a hiding spot behind the large trunk of a tree. They hoped that the horses wouldn’t make any noises while they were there, and then they waited.

  Shortly after, they could see the creatures approaching. They were tall and curved, covered in very dark fur that shone when touched by light. It was hard to tell if they looked more like wild cats, rabbits or giant flies. Their faces were catlike, with big eyes. Their ears were tall and pointy, alert and scanning for noises in the forest. Their bodies were slender with a protruding belly and short legs. On their back, two small wings that looked under-developed and a long tail, which was spreading across the ground. The creatures had a putrescent smell, and their looks were horrifying. As they walked by, they jumped from side to side, leaving a trail of shadows on the ground. They laughed frenetically, making an annoying sound that was almost deafening. Happily, they didn’t see Olivia, Trevor, and Bran, who were doing their best to stay silent. They were static, still as statues. When the creatures finally disappeared into the forest, they started to move bit by bit, carefully.

  “They are Phookas. They sided with Lars for sure,” said Bran.

  “They’re sadistic shapeshifters. Emma told us about them. They always side with evil, for all that history can tell us,” continued Trevor, still observing the path they took. The Phookas’ shadows were still dancing on the forest floor.

  “It’s comforting to know that you are familiar with something in Tartae!” joked Bran. “Olie, how are you feeling?”

  “Not very well,” said Olivia, who had almost no color on her lips anymore.

  “You need to break the connection with the forest now,” said Trevor.

  “But how are we going to keep going?”

  “We will go slower. There’s no problem. We’re closer now, almost leaving the forest. Isn’t that right, Bran?” said Trevor, and Bran nodded.

  “All right. I need a minute. I’m not sure how to do this.” Olivia took a deep breath and focused, which was extremely hard with all the pain in her chest. She had this weird sensation as though she were abandoning someone she loved in a moment of need. She was filled with deep sadness and soon after, relief. Olivia’s face recovered its color quickly, and her arms were no longer green. However, with normality came also a feeling of guilt.

  “How are you feeling?” asked Trevor.

  “Better ... I’ll be better.”

  Bran and Trevor helped her get up. She saw that the flower that bloomed in her hair was now on the forest floor, and the tips of the petals were drying out. Olivia took it from the ground and put it inside the linen bag she was still carrying on her belt. Trevor observed her without saying a word, and they went back to their horses. The day was passing, and they were still hoping to meet the rest of the group.

  It was strange to walk through nature without feeling a part of it. However, Olivia now was more capable of understanding certain things, of understanding the Portals and Tartae. She remembered something her father used to sa
y when she was little: “We grow when we find adversities. It’s in the solution to our problems that we find ourselves.” And this would fit perfectly with what she was living now.

  There were fewer and fewer trees surrounding them at this point, and they could already see a huge green field dotted with some rocks and trees here and there. Finally, they were arriving at the Tria Plains.

  When seeing the Tria Plains, one would have the illusion that the green fields stretched out of sight. Surrounding it were tall mountains so close together that they seemed to become only one. The plains were peaceful and almost symmetric, and the greens were only broken by bluish, yellowish, and reddish flowers that grew in the ground, dotting the field with some color. Miles and miles of the same scenery. It was almost tiring, especially for those who don’t find amazement in nature.

  At first glance, the Tria Plains appeared to be anything but threatening. However, during times like these, they weren’t the best path to take. In an open field with no trees or shadows to offer cover, everyone was an easy target.

  Those who dared to venture through the roads of the Tria Plains were surprised by a sudden change of scenery if they insisted on carrying on. And that surprise would soon be followed by their last breath. The terrain was burned from a certain point on, as if a fire had destroyed all life there. The green was suddenly gone, and there weren’t any flowers. Only ashes covering the ground and a putrid smell all around. Even on better days, only a few people would choose that route; it wasn’t an important one for trading, and a lot of people were afraid of the hawks that flew over that region.

  Bran stopped and made a sign to Trevor.

  “How do we know where the others are?” asked Trevor, mapping the whole place with his eyes. The temperature was dropping drastically.