A Twist of the Tale

by P R Glazier

  Chapter 11. Amentura’s Secrets

  Once open the edge of the door could be seen. The door appeared to be made from a single solid piece of wood; it looked to be at least twenty centimeters thick. The wood was not discoloured, neither did it appear aged, it strongly reminded Nar’Allia once more of the wood from which the black bow that had belonged to Serinae was fashioned. Meanwhile Solvienne had entered the room beyond the now open door, it was the gasp that she made that turned Nar’Allia’s thoughts away from the carpentry. Nar’Allia followed, entering the room slowly as if she were expecting to walk into the presence of something great.

  There revealed beyond the door was a room around five metres square. Set within were many shelves and cupboards. Whilst Nar’Allia stood taking it all in from the entrance, Solvienne had already walked around the room once. She returned to a particular shelf and she now held in her hand a long cylindrical shape. It appeared to be made of crystal with metal caps at either end. Each was ornately worked with heavenly depictions. Many stars, the moon and the sun could be seen in relief upon each surface. The crystal itself between the two end caps seemed featureless upon the outside, being smooth and translucent, but within some kind of gently swirling vapour could be seen, almost as if the intention was to obscure whatever lay within the cylinder. As Nar’Allia got closer she could make out the vapours movement, it seemed to be of its own making for it did not seem to be affected in any way by the tilting or shaking of the crystal cylinder. It looked almost like the swirling vapour inside was alive, just waiting for someone to release it from its imprisonment within the cylinder. It was then that Nar'Allia recognised the cylinder for what it was. She had not actually seen the item before but she recognised Minervar’s description of the device given whilst accounting the story of her travels with Serinae. It must be the cylinder that gave the message from the ancient fathers from the one called, she had to think for a while, but then she remembered the lady Venetra, yes that was her name, at least that was the name she used to introduce herself. Venetra told a story, a tale of the past, how the T’Iea and other elder races had been brought to this world, rescued from their own fated or dying worlds and brought here by the ancient fathers. When Nar’Allia voiced of her suspicions Solvienne shrugged and replaced the cylinder back where she had got it from, onto a shelf next to some old ancient looking parchments. She toyed with the parchments for a little whilst Nar’Allia walked further around the room stopping to inspect certain things before moving on.

  Most of the other items dotted around on shelves Nar’Allia did not recognise. Some were very strange in deed. Perhaps the oddest thing to find in the place was a woman’s gown. A very fine gown it was to, the expertise and craftsmanship of the dressmaker was truly phenomenal. Across the bodice was set a deep blue silken sash that hung from across one shoulder, the sash was adorned with a large broach or badge of office, the emblem was the same Wolf’s head and gemstone motif that seemed to be a regular occurrence within Solin’s House.

  Nar’Allia’s eyes wandered around the room. They stopped on a large bulbous looking glass amphora in one corner. The amphora was cradled within a rusting cast iron frame. The metal work was crafted into weird shapes, it looked like a large clawed hand gripped the amphora and held it aloft.  Each finger of the hand had two knobbly joints and a long scythe-like claw extended from each fingertip. The tips of each claw stabbed at the outside of the glass amphora, Nar’Allia thought they may shatter the glass at the merest increase in pressure. But it was the skin covering the fingers was what made Nar’Allia’s hair curl for it was covered in diamond shaped scales. Nar’Allia tore her gaze from the fingers and studied the amphora itself. It was about a metre tall and was filled with a rather horrid looking brown liquid that reminded Nar’Allia of cold weak and rather watery tea. She bent down to look inside, she tried to shake the vessel, but the combined weight of the thick glass and the fluid within was too great to even move the thing a millimetre. Nar’Allia stared into the fluid, she tapped the outside it made a soft bell like noise. She watched as some horrid flaky sediment fell from the inside of the glass and slowly drifted downwards along the inside surface of the thick glass. Nar’Allia could see that the liquid within was actually clearer than first seen, for it was the sediment stuck to the inside of the glass itself that gave most of the brown colour. Then suddenly she jumped back with a scream, her hand covered her mouth. What she had seen briefly within the brown liquid was a face, a reptilian face, slightly distorted, magnified strangely by the thickness of the glass. A long snout, a mouth slightly open revealing long sharp teeth, a forked tongue similar to a serpents lolled out across the dark lips to one side. All the way up the centre of the snout was a ridge of bony spikes, these continued over the centre of the head and presumably down the neck and back of the creature, although this portion of the beast remained obscured by the brown fluid that supported it. The eyes were large, they were clear like polished gemstones, intelligent looking, they had an iris like a cats, a vertical slit, but they had a deadness about them for no spirit of life could be seen in their clear, crystalline depths. The other predominant features of the face were two large nostrils set high and forward on the snout, a flap like a door or hatch covered one. The other nostrils flap was missing, a section of ragged flesh the only clue to where it had once been attached to the body. But then as quickly as it appeared the creature had floated back into the depths of the liquid and disappeared from view. The last thing Nar’Allia saw was a brief glimpse of what looked like a section of leathery skin stretched across a bony structure, it reminded her of a bats wing. Nar’Allia got the impression the creature may have been swimming around in there, but she knew it did not live. The large wired cork stopper on the vessel had been sealed with a heavily waxed cloth plug and judging by the condition of the wax had been thus for many, many hundreds of years. A leather label was tied upon the outside of the vessel with an old leather cord, Nar’Allia turned the label over so that she could see if anything was written upon it. There were some markings, burnt into the leather but faded from the passing of much time.

  She mouthed the words, “Weuk nue fordog. Dreniu forn a debbed Drak Nuonis.”

  Nar’Allia did not understand, she had no clue what the language was, or from where it originated. Solvienne had come to her side when she had screamed her alarm. She was now looking over Nar’Allia’s shoulder at the glass amphora.

  Aware of her sister’s presence Nar’Allia asked, “di,….. did you see that?”

  Solvienne nodded a deep look of concern upon her features. She grasped the label from Nar’Allia’s hand and read the words out loud. “this is written in the language of the Ognod’s, I recognise it from other documents in this house, but alas I cannot translate it for I am not versed in that tongue.”

  Solvienne stood and returned to what she was doing before Nar’Allia uttered her alarm. She was staring at a long rod etched with runes and gemstones. The rod seemed to be made from some strange material, in fact it was several thin rods all bound together to form the one thicker rod. The whole thing was held together with metal bands wound around it. It hung horizontally upon the wall of the small room on two brass hooks. Solvienne reached up slowly, she was intending to take the rod from its hooks to get a closer look. But as she touched the rod she realised that it hung there in mid-air for the hooks that she thought held it to the wall were in fact part of the rod itself. She could see the very air immediately surrounding the rod seemed to waiver and bend as it passed through. She could feel warmth, a vibration from within the material from which the rod was made. As Solvienne took down the rod it passed quite close to the glass cylinder that Nar’Allia suspected of being the same one that the lady Venetra had appeared from. Immediately the cylinder started to vibrate alarmingly, it shook increasingly more violently on the shelf where it lay. Solvienne gasped as a ghostly image seemed to flow out from the cylinder and snake its way towards the rod she held. The image was of a woman. The woman’s image came
to rest against the rod she held, the head against one of the brass ends and her feet against the other, her eyes suddenly shone forth with a bright light. Nar’Allia grabbed Solvienne’s wrist and pushed the rod away from the cylinder, the woman’s image left the rod and flew back into the cylinder once more. Nar’Allia looked at the rod in Solvienne’s hand, “Just be careful where you point that thing Solvi, there are many secrets and tricks within this house, let’s just be careful what we disturb or tamper with eh?” Nar’Allia looked with some concern at her sister.

  Solvienne though smiled and as Nar’Allia turned to look somewhere else, she again drew the rod close to the cylinder. Nar’Allia cried out a warning, but Solvienne just said that it was ok and she thought she knew what this was.

  Nar’Allia stood back aghast. The image again left the cylinder and stood once more between the two curved ends of the rod. Once more the eyes shone forth. Solvienne regarded the image and then said, “what is your name?”

  Strangely the image of the woman spoke back and repeated the words in a melodious voice, “what is your name.” That was all she said.

  Nar’Allia thought Solvienne had taken leave of her senses when she started to sing an old T’Iea tune. Then to her surprise once Solvienne had finished the image sang the tune back, the woman sang in perfect pitch and said every word in T’Iea the same as Solvienne had sang it.

  By this time Nar’Allia’s curiosity was aroused and she went to stand next to her sister regarding the rod and the image that it held. “What is it?”

  Solvienne took her eyes away from the image and looked at Nar’Allia, “don’t you see Narny? Whatever I say the figure repeats.”

  Nar’Allia looked perplexed. “Is it a child’s toy then? What possible use could it have?”

  Solvienne looked back at the figure. “I guess you can have fun with it Narny yes. But I think I recognise its description from one of Solin’s journals. I suspect that its real use is to place messages within, people who know how to retrieve those messages, well they can listen to them.”

  Something was dawning within Solvienne’s mind. “But, it did hold a message, our mother told us that. But how, why? …..” She let her voice trail into silence.

  Nar’Allia’s old suspicions of Solin rose once more in her mind. “Yes, Solvi you have it. The message that the Lady Venetra gave all those years ago. It may not have been from the ancient fathers at all. Someone in this very house may have recited the message. Why else would they have the rod. Mother spoke of how Solin had told of the cylinder being retrieved from the Ognod temple, she did not mention the rod though.”

  Solvienne stood back, many thoughts went through her mind. “The Ognodsthen? It must have been the Ognods. But why? Why would they seek to deceive our mother and Serinae and the others?”

  Nar’Allia looked slyly at Solvienne and said, “No, Solvi. Not the Ognods.”

  Solvienne was taken aback. “You mean Solin herself? But why?”

  “Because she needed something doing Solvi. She needed them to go and recover the machine and she wanted them to do it as quickly as possible, perhaps without thinking anything of their safety. Possibly she had other tasks as well that she thought would come about as a result.”

  “But she could just have asked?”

  Nar’Allia nodded, “yes, perhaps. But this trick, this manipulation, made a much more compelling reason to go don’t you think? I know if it was me all those years ago I may have delayed, wanting more information regarding the trip I was about to make. I may have even doubted the authenticity of the task. But the message that this Venetra gave was a much more interesting reason to go, don’t you think?” But now she was thinking wilder thoughts about Solin and everything to do with her. Everything that had happened, everything that possibly was going to happen, all seemed to have roots in Solin. Either through a suggestion or thought, even her giving cryptic messages and secrets. She was never directly involved, but she was always on the periphery, exerting some kind of subtle control over events. Nar’Allia was suddenly fearful; they had sent Thor away with her! She suddenly wanted to know where they were, what they were doing.

  Solvienne however had replaced everything back as it was and turned her attention to other things set around the room. She saw Nar’Allia deep in thought. She could only believe that although it looked suspicious, Solin did not mean any malice in what she may have done. Solvienne had spent far too many hours in the old mage’s company to believe that she was capable of evil deeds, so she grasped Nar’Allia’s hand gently and pulled her along with her. Nar’Allia turned and allowed herself to be towed along. They strode slowly around the room once more.

  Along one wall was set a carved golden table upon which were laid various items including an ornate long feather quill pen, a bottle of blue ink capped with a silver hinged lid and a large book with a blank cover. The largest item on the table was a very ceremonial looking mace in gold leaf on the top of which was carved the same wolf’s head devouring the same gemstone. Nar’Allia had opened the book, it was a listing of names, page after page of T’Iea names, each name was prefixed by the word ‘Guro’ meaning pupil or student in the common tongue. Alongside each was a date. As she flicked through the pages she also noticed that certain of the names, sometimes just one or two and sometimes many on one page had a red cross marked in ink alongside them. She also noticed that in the beginning of the book the dates listed where those of some nine hundred years of man in the past. Curiously the dates in the last pages of the book where for some five hundred years ago. The book or register appeared to be filled to this point, this made Nar’Allia think that another register must have taken over from the point where this one left off. But then she realised that the number of names for any individual date reduced the nearer to the end of the register she read. For in the beginning, there were pages and pages for any date or year. Yet the last and final entry in the book for the year 9817 had but one name against it, the name of a T’Iea male named Guro’Teathe’De’Turon. She also noticed that this name had one of the red crosses beside it.

  Suddenly Solvienne saw something that took her interest. She replaced the staff she was looking at back where it hung upon the wall and walked over to a bookstand. She said, “Wow, look at this Narny.”

  Nar’Allia replaced the register back upon the table and walked over to see what it was that Solvienne held. She had in her hands what looked like an ancient leather bound tome. The leather was badly worn and flaking in places. It was cracked where the tome had been continually opened and closed many times, over many, many years. The leather almost appeared although it had turned to stone, it looked like the black slate that some humans used on the roofs of some of their houses. The tomes cover appeared to be featureless however, Nar’Allia assumed any title or reference to the contents had been erased, worn from the cover many years ago by numerous scholarly hands that had grasped the tome. Solvienne took the heavy tome out of the room and placed it upon the large circular table without. She opened the cover gingerly; half expecting the thing to either crumble in her hands or perhaps snap off. But no such thing happened. The cover opened and revealed the first five pages to have been blank perhaps at one time, for no printed text appeared on them, just copious amounts of hand written notes in a T’Iea hand. The printed text in the book proved to be written in some language that neither the two T’Iea women could understand. So Solvienne after turning over a dozen or so pages returned to the first few pages of hand written notes. The hand was unmistakably Solin’s careful and precise T’Iea script. Although some of the ink had faded badly over the years, Nar’Allia could read some parts of it. She translated it as best she could into the common tongue so that Jonas would also be able to understand. She began:

  I believe that this volume is one of, if not the only written account of the ‘Book of Truths’. It may even be, (I admit, I secretly hope is the case), one of the original works, brought here and left by the ancient fathers. Given to the Keepers, or the Ognod’s m
illennia ago when they (the ancient fathers) knew they would not be leaving here. Those who professed the text written herein have long held the belief that no written account of the subject matter existed. I have always thought otherwise. I now strongly believe that this volume is proof of my suspicions on the matter.

  We came across this volume whilst pursuing answers for other things in the human monasteries high in the Tolle’Fornosse’Veetri. How such a work could end up there is a mystery. But one ministerial building within the priory compound proved to have an extensive library, we both found great irony that this volume was buried beneath a pile of books and manuscripts destined for the furnace that provided heat for the living quarters of the monks. To this day I cannot believe the willingness of the administration in control of that library to give such a precious and historically important document so freely, for I only had to ask and it was given! But then why shouldn’t they, for this volume probably has little relevance to the race of men, pertaining as it does to the combined races. I thank the powers that be for our being there at the right time, for if not, this priceless tome would have been destroyed forever. It is with some discomfort, and further with real dread in my heart, that I can’t help but wonder what other treasures may have kept those monks from freezing in the long winters of the past!

  Solvienne looked at Nar’Allia, the look on both faces of shock and disbelief was apparent to both. No words could have been said between them that would have extended the feeling of astonishment that they both felt. Solvienne turned the page and Nar’Allia continued reading out loud

  Tezrin returned the tome home; I remained behind in the monasteries to complete my work. On her return Serinae took a deep interest in the tome, I suppose it appealed to her spiritual nature. She has now almost completely mastered the written language of the tome. She tells me that it appears to be very simplistic in a way, probably a written language only, for the way the structure of words and sentences are formed suggest that it was never intended to be spoken. More like a picture gram language designed to be commonly understood by readers of many different cultures. I sometimes wonder who the real academic is here in Amentura!!! But in my defence, the contents of this book seem more akin to Serinae’s spiritual winding lane than the straight and narrow street of my own learning and understanding. She tells me that she is teaching Tezrin the language also for he too has taken a keen interest in the contents; they spend their free time together reading and debating on the contents. I will leave them to it.

  She turned the page once more, this time the ink seemed far fresher, newer as if it had been written more recently. 

  Serinae has been telling me some of the content of the volume. I will make notes, but I can’t seem to raise any curiosity for it, on the other hand Tezrin seems to be making much headway into the translation he seems to be obsessed with it, he insists Serinae work with him, they spend hours pawing over the pages, but they are doing well.

  Their keen interest begins to make me wonder why it does not seem to appeal to me. Am I so struck by the tangible things of my understanding? Is my mind so limiting that I overlook that which I cannot prove or hold within my grasp, do I seek too often for the evidence of proven fact and miss the wonder of coincidence? For it seems wondrous to me, things which seem to be constructed of random events and unproven facts. Those notions and romantic stories and the whisperings of the uneducated. All these things lost perhaps to the comforts of modern living, all that has been discarded as irrelevant. But this does not mean they didn’t happen, just because none now live who witnessed such events. Perhaps my mind is closed, yet I am supposed to be the academic. I resolve that I really must think with more openness upon these things, for not to do so may mean I miss so much that could prove useful. But never the less the contents of this volume may form the most important discovery of our time, for if true our very existence is not at all as it seems.

  Several interesting points have come to light from their study of this volume. Serinae tells me that the contents are a rather subjective, if not lengthy accounting of the historical and spiritual accounting of the ancient fathers, a record based mainly (in my opinion) on a religious understanding rather than pure fact. But there I go again. She must be winning me round, for what she has told me does bare a remarkable resemblance to the factual history I have discovered via other means. It seems then that these are not to be simply discarded as the writings of religious zealots, but are in fact the recording of a long lost history. A history that deals with this world long ago.

  Tezrin spends longer periods of time traveling. Where he goes I don’t know, Serinae will not tell me yet I feel that she is somehow disturbed by this. I know they love each other, but it seems to me to be more one sided. Tezrin does not seem to suffer the same anxiety at their periods of separation as does Serinae. I keep telling her that he obviously has some important task to do and not to take it to heart. When he does return he is full of excitement, he keeps saying that she should give him time, for what he is doing will greatly aid all three of us.

  Again Solvienne turned the page. But she looked perplexed, she turned the pages back and forth but to her great disappointment several pages seemed to have been torn out, there was nothing else until the first chapter of the book itself. “So where are these notes then?”

  Solvienne and Nar’Allia just stared at each other. “What does all this mean?” Asked Solvienne.

  Nar’Allia thought for a while and said, “well. I’m no expert, and I may be reading something of nothing into all of this. But you remember the stories Minervar told you about her journeys? Well Serinae seemed to have detailed knowledge of this Book of Truths?”

  Solvienne nodded.

  Nar’Allia pointed at the crystal cylinder standing there back upon the shelf in the secret room. “Perhaps back then Solin needed to persuade Serinae into action, perhaps the message in the cylinder was her way of doing that. That device holds a message explaining some catastrophic disaster that was described as a ‘Twist of Eternity’?” Nar’Allia thought for a moment her eyes narrowed, “if Solin did make that recording telling of the impending disasters, maybe she knew first hand somehow. Maybe she knew all along what was happening and just pretended to be ignorant?” Then Nar’Allia frowned, “maybe she was in some way and to some degree responsible for it all. You know something else? What really worries me is that Tezrin is mentioned there, not as an enemy or someone to be mistrusted, but as a friend a colleague, fully in league with both Serinae and Solin.”

  “That is all pure speculation Narny. There is no proof of any of what you speak about. I agree it is a good guess, but it is still a fanciful explanation unless we can find some other texts that back this up. I can’t believe it is in either Solin’s or Serinae’s nature, to be deceitful to the degree you are suggesting.”

  “Yes, I have always thought the same, but they were all here. What if the three of them were in league, what if they are all T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran? By the Maker Solvi, what are they up to?”

  “Narny, calm yourself. I think you are allowing the suspicious disappearance of our mother take over your thoughts. Yes, both Serinae and Tezrin did live here with Solin, I also know for sure that Tezrin was in league with the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran. But surely you can’t believe that Serinae was also in league with them? Surely you trust her? She killed Tezrin, he was once her betrothed, she could not have done that if she was in league with him, her character, her conscience would not allow her.”

  Nar’Allia thought for a while “maybe she sort revenge, or she wanted the spoils of their conspiracy all to herself!”

  Solvienne began to laugh. “Narny! Listen to yourself! How can you say that? You know the stories, you have even communicated with Serinae. You were there when she battled with the Rift. Come on, can you seriously consider for one moment she is in league with dark elements?” 

  Nar’Allia sighed, she nodded in agreement with what Solvienne had just said. No, from what she knew of Serina
e she could not believe that she would be in league with the T’Iea’Neat’Thegoran and from the relationship she knew that Serinae and Solin had, then she also could not believe that Solin was also on the side of evil. It must just be coincidence. Solvienne was probably right, she was allowing the circumstances of her mother’s disappearance and all of the mysteries surrounding this house to cloud her judgement. She did not have all the facts either; she could not possibly understand what relationship existed between the three of them whilst in this house. She decided to give Solin and Serinae the benefit of the doubt, at least for the time being. Nar’Allia’s face brightened up and she said, “well perhas we will find proof if we can discover where those pages are, the ones that have been torn out.”

  Solvienne was quiet for a minute or two thinking before her face suddenly brightened and she said, “of course, why didn’t I think of it before.” She smiled broadly at Nar’Allia who looked questioningly at her younger sister.  “I may have found them already. In the library I came across several hand written volumes. I glanced at them when I discovered them, they were obviously written notes on various subjects, but did not take much notice at the time.”

  Jonas coughed politely by the door. “Well my ladies, I am due to prepare this evenings meal. I will go and do that with your permission? Would you like to go to the library now? Or will you change and prepare for dinner?”

  Nar’Allia couldn’t help but smile at Jonas after he said these words. She found it all still a bit overwhelming, the formalities of this house, yet she also enjoyed it somewhat, the attention, the effortless workings of the household. She smiled at Solvienne. “Of course Jonas, yes you go attend to your duties. I think we will prepare to eat. I am quite tired of all this excitement. Perhaps we can continue this later, or even tomorrow.”

  Jonas bowed, “with your permission?” he closed the tome that lay on the table, and after placing the it reverently back upon its shelf in the hidden room he walked back out and closed the door and when the click of the lock sounded he removed the Dolan and handed it dutifully back to Solvienne. “I will summon the house maids with hot water.” He then bowed and turning on his heal left the suite of rooms. Nar’Allia and Solvienne quickly followed.

  After the meal, the women decided to go and at least take a look at the written documents that Solvienne had alluded to earlier. They walked into the library as they had done so many times before. Solvienne went across to a bookshelf where many files of parchment lay flat upon a shelf. She gathered up an armful and walked back to the table where Nar’Allia was seated. She dropped the papers onto the table and sighed. “Well, here is a beginning, we have to start somewhere I guess.” She looked back across the room to where she had retrieved the manuscripts and sighed again as she perceived the amount of paper that remained on the shelf. “Let’s hope we get lucky quickly eh?”

  Solvienne sat on the opposite side of the table from Nar’Allia and taking up a file read the title on the first cover. Then she untied the cord holding the file closed and started to thumb through the hundreds of pieces of paper within. After an hour or so, there was a pile of files upon the floor beside each of them and a much reduced pile left upon the table. Nar’Allia yawned and stood to walk around the room in an effort to exercise muscles that had been idle for too long.

  “This is interesting.” Exclaimed Solvienne. She read aloud from the paper in front of her.

  “Tezrin remains thoughtful, but he is trying to re-make the bridge between us. I’m afraid I remain somewhat frosty to his efforts. The suspicions I have I find are now increasing, he has started to ask about the Western Continent across the Trad Ocean. He asks about the Pnook and their city in the Rust Desert, why they live in that inhospitable place. I am not sure yet how to approach Seri, I need to find out what it is that they have come across within the Book of Truths. The trinkets I gave them did not alone cause this sudden interest, of that I am sure, yet Tezrin seems determined to find out more. I hope my suspicions are unfounded, but I have sent Jonas to remove all the books with a reference to the Rust Desert from the library. I was shocked to learn from his report that some are missing from the list I gave to him. I must speak with Seri, even risk her anger once again.”

  Here the writing ended.

  Nar’Allia looked at Solvienne. Without a word Solvienne rose and walking once more across to the book shelf to retrieve another pile of loose papers and carry them back to where they sat. Nar’Allia waited eagerly to search through in the hope of finding out more. As Solvienne carried this pile across the floor of the library towards the table at which they were sitting, something fell from amongst the parchments and landed heavily upon the wooden floor at her feet. She stopped and looked down, there lay a small muslin bag, she looked curiously at it, whatever was inside must be very heavy for its size for it landed with a distinct thump, it did not bounce on the springy wooden floor. She continued to walk across the floor and dropped the parchments onto the table then returned to where the small cloth bag lay. She bent down and picked it up and brought it over to the table where Nar’Allia was watching her every move with keen interest.

  “Whatever do you think this is?”

  “I have no idea until we open it,” came Nar’Allia’s reply.

  Solvienne started to pull upon the draw string of the bag which had been tied in a knot.”

  Nar’Allia suddenly felt a great fear overcome her, she reached out and stayed Solvienne’s hand. “be careful Solvi, things in this house have a nasty habit of exhibiting the unexpected, not all of them pleasant, please be careful.”

  Solvienne looked into Nar’Allia’s eyes and saw a deep concern there, initially she felt that she may scoff at Nar’Allia’s suspicions, but the look on her sister’s face made her want to obey what Nar’Allia had suggested. So after loosening the cord, Solvienne turned the bag upside down and shook it. With a loud thud far greater than you would think for its size, a small jet-black shiny stone fell out onto the wooden table. Both women stared at it as if they expected something to happen.

  “It’s a portal stone, some call them key stones,” said Nar’Allia. 

  Solvienne went to reach for it, but Nar’Allia knocked her hand away, “NO. No my sister, do not touch it. There are many ways of using these key stones, some will port anyone or anything immediately they are grasped.” They both bent closer to inspect the stone more closely. Then Solvienne said, “I wonder where the portal is that it is attuned to?”

  “It may not need a portal Narny, some stones are not directly linked to portals, but they also carry the energy to create one as well as transport the holder through it.”

  Nar’Allia remembered a conversation that she had with Amndo long ago. He had explained as they walked that the Grûndén mined these stones for the Keepers. But the mines they came from could not be found in this world. They existed naturally perhaps outside of this time and space. For the mineral from which these stones comprised could only be found beyond in the voids. The Grûndén coveted many minerals and ores from the voids. So an arrangement was made. The Keepers would allow the Grûndén access to the voids by opening portals thus aiding them in their travel to those places and giving them the ability to mine whatever they wanted on one condition. That condition was that the Grûndén would also mine this black mineral wherever they found it and give all they found to the Keepers. The Grûndén of course were more than happy to comply with this request, for this particular mineral held no attraction to the them, for it was neither attractive, easily worked, or functional in any practical way. The Keepers however used the black mineral in many different ways. The mineral exhibited a unique characteristic; it could be imbued with a memory of a place or places. Thus held, the memory could be retrieved and along with a skill that the Keepers possessed could also hold instructions on how to transport people, things, anything to that place held in memory. The Keepers could also empower the mineral to transport them or anyone else, to many different places, a kind of address book, this
was why the keepers could use the stone to open a portal and then step through to the destination they desired, especially if multiple destination information was held within a particular stone. It was all done with the attraction properties exerted by gravitational forces that was present in the universe and linked everything together. Amndo likened it to pathways across the universe, flowing and bending this way and that without any restraint due to perceived reality, time or distance. These key stones allowed access to certain pathways, even linked pathways. He likened them to cross roads, or landings upon a staircase, even hallways with many doors. He explained gravity was the force that linked everything together, the larger the mass of the body (without any direct link to the actual perceived physical size) the greater the force. It is possible according to Amndo for something as physically proportioned as the sun with low mass to have less of an attractive force naturally within it than something as small as a child’s ball with infinite mass and therefore a far greater pull on anything that got close to it. Thus the relationship between mass and size had what he called a threshold, where regardless of size the mass had such an attraction that nothing could resist its gravitational pull, not even light. Thus anything getting close would be pulled into the mass and pass right through and beyond, out of the other side. This is where Nar’Allia found she lost understanding of what Amndo was saying, for much was beyond her. But she did remember that the stones could be imbued to be single, or bi-directional. They could even allow access to and from somewhere for a finite number of times. Not only that but also allow access for single items or people or multiple. Nar’Allia did not know what kind of information this portal stone contained but she was deeply suspicious.

  Nar’Allia looked at the thing an expression of deep suspicion on her features. “Amndo is the only Keeper that I know of that visited Solin, this key stone must be something to do with him. But why would he place it there amongst those notes? Did you see which papers it dropped out of?”

  Solvienne pursed her lips and shook her head.

  Nar’Allia scrutinized the pebble closely. “Well at least this one appears to be two-way, notice it is shiny in appearance on all sides, at least that I can see, so in theory, if we touch it and get transported, we should be able to return as well.”

  “As long as we are allowed to return, what if someone or something is waiting for us the other side and captures us as we appear?” Solvienne pushed the portal stone back into the bag with a rolled length of parchment. “Tell you what, let’s ask Jonas if he knows what this is all about.”  

  Nar’Allia rose and rung the bell rope that would summon Jonas. After a few minutes he appeared round the door of the library and asked, “Tea? My ladies?”

  “Yes, that would be good Jonas, thank you. Perhaps when you have made the tea you could return here to the library and serve it?”

  “Of course, as you wish milady.”

  Soon the three of them were gathered in the library; Jonas had poured the tea, including a cup for himself at Nar’Allia’s insistence. “Jonas we have something we would ask of you?”

  Jonas nodded his agreement.

  Solvienne opened the small bag and upturned it upon the library table, out rolled the portal stone. 

  Solvienne spoke, “we found this portal stone amongst the papers on that shelf over there. Jonas do you know anything about it?”

  Jones strode to the table and went to pick it up, Nar’Allia leant forward and stayed his hand. So instead he said, “A Portal stone milady? I have never seen its like before.” He shrugged. “I wouldn’t know my lady, I am sorry.”

  “That’s alright Jonas, I just thought I’d ask, before we did anything foolish like try and use it or something.”

  “But what is it then milady?”

  Nar’Allia explained what the stone was and how it may be used.

  I will gladly test it for you milady if you so wish. I can take it up and test it and return once I find out where it leads?”

  That’s very gracious of you Jonas, but no, I don’t think we would ask that of you, at least not just yet.”

  “If my lady forgives my asking, what do you intend then?”

  Both women looked at Jonas, Solvienne shrugged and then looking at Nar’Allia said, “well actually I don’t think we know.”

  Jonas added, I suppose the lady Solin or Lady Serinae may have left it there in amongst the papers.” He seemed to think for a while before he said. “One other was interested in those parchments though, the papers I mean, a few weeks ago now. The Keeper, Master Amndo who I believe you know, he spent many days here going through those papers. I suppose he could have left the portal stone there, you did say that the Keepers had mastery over these things, although it seems a strange, perhaps a careless thing to do, even a dangerous thing?” 

  “Amndo? He was here a few weeks ago?” Exclaimed Solvienne.

  “Why yes m’lady. He turned up the same day you left with Master Thorandill, in fact just an hour or so later. He comes and goes you understand, but he has been a regular visitor at times over the years. He likes to look through the books here in the library. He err, forgive me for saying so, but well he always seems to prefer to time his visits when the house is quiet. At least that is the way it seems to me, not that it’s my position to say you understand.”

  Nar’Allia was stunned, she looked towards Solvienne who just looked as stunned as she. “That has a suspicious ring to it Jones. Why would he not want to meet with Solvienne I wonder.”

  Jonas did not answer. He just shrugged and said it was not his position to question the guests to the house.

  Nar’Allia could not believe that there was a sinister intent in Amndo’s visits. She had travelled with him for months and had never in the least had cause to suspect him of any suspicious behaviour. “Perhaps he will turn up again, perhaps we should wait for his return and ask him about this portal stone.”

  Solvienne then spoke, “but Tezrin also lived here at some time, what if he left it here?” 

  Jonas then said, “I doubt that milady, the mistress, that is the lady Solin, she had the house searched from top to bottom following the lady Serinae’s …err departure. All the shelves in the library were cleared, the books cleaned and replaced. Anything untoward would have been shown to the lady Solin for her to decide upon its disposal or replacement. I know this because my predecessors kept meticulous records about the activities at that time on the lady Solin’s insistence you understand.”

  Nar’Allia then said, “so we must suspect then that this portal stone was placed there upon the shelf quite recently.”

  “Just so,” said Jonas.

  Solvienne said, “well we are not going to find out just staring at the thing are we?” They all looked at her as if expecting some amazing master plan to be suggested.

  In the end Nar’Allia in response said, “I suggest we all make careful preparations for any eventuality, get weapons and armour and anything else we may need and then perhaps we should try the stone and see where it may lead. We will be ready when we exit the other end.”

  After agreeing this was a good plan, Nar’Allia scooped the stone up onto a piece of paper and while Solvienne held the bag open she slid the key stone back into the bag and safe keeping once more.