Read The Crystals of Tlalli: Awakened Affinities Page 44
were piled with books and papers. There was a desk in the corner with a thin human man setting behind it. He was looking at them as they approached he stood and held his hands out to Moyo. Moyo followed suit. They didn’t shake hands just that weird little greeting Rica had learned in Jamara.
“A pleasure to see you again Shaleant de Curria to what do I owe this honor?” His voice was low and pleasant. It didn’t fit with his face or body.
“Magi Ports, no need for formalities, call me Moyo please. These are my friends. Nab, Zafira, and Rica. Rica is why we are here. What we have to say is confidential and of the utmost importance.”
“That will be all Matron thank you.” The thin man said to Maleak dismissing her. Maleak turned and left closing the door behind her.
“Everyone this is Magi Warren Ports a friend of mine.”
“A pleasure to meet all of you. I’m sorry for this mess the library was flooded and I had to save what I could. Lets go out onto the balcony and talk.” He stepped over a stack of books and opened the glass doors behind him. They walked out onto the balcony. The view was probably stunning in daylight but in the night it was all dark and shadow. There was a table and some chairs out there. They all took a seat while Magi Ports lit a candle in a holder on the table.
“Rica has apparently come through a portal from another world and would like to return home. This is why we have traveled here to seek your help my friend.” Moyo told the portal master what had occurred up to their coming here. He sat and listened intently. When Moyo finished he sat back and looked at the table, then back up to Moyo and then he looked at Rica.
“You are the girl mentioned in the letter from Magi Locke I assume. Lets get a better look at you shall we.” He stood and walked around to pull Rica’s chair out.
Rica stood. Magi Ports looked at her up and down and frowned.
“Hmmm.” He said. His index finger tapped his lips.
Rica stood. “I don’t understand. Is something wrong? Magi Locke said you would talk to me. I came all this way to see you.”
“Not wrong per say just odd. Please do follow me.” He led them toward a staircase off the balcony and down to a door below that led to a comfy living area. “Can’t feed the gossips can we.” He said and gestured for them to sit.
“Gossips?” Rica asked she was at a loss.
“The Matron of the Tower is an efficient competent woman and a horrible gossip. If the school didn’t rely on her expertise to run things so smoothly she would not be here. She cannot be trusted. So watch what you say around her. Would you like any refreshments? I have juice and well water it seems sorry.”
“No its ok, we are fine.” Moyo said. “Can you help Rica get home?”
“Well now that is a curious word home. It means so many different things.”
“Warren, just be straight with me.”
“To do that I will have to tell you all a story.”
“Ok, tell away.” Moyo sighed and sat on the couch arm.
“Oh here you are Moyo this will be more comfortable.” Warren said and brought out a stool for Moyo to set on.
When everyone was settled the Magi started his tale. It was a story of intrigue and desperation about two young lovers and their baby. Rica felt that if she was not setting on solid ground she would surely fall. Her whole world was turning upside down. He told of these three people going through the portal to Earth (he used that name) and returning a couple of days latter without the baby. This had happened twenty-five years ago.
“That was twenty-five years ago so it cant be me you are talking about. I’m only eighteen.”
“I have only this to say. A question I want you to answer honestly.”
“Ok.”
“How old do you think Nab is?”
“Eight-teen. Something like that why?”
“Nab how old are you?”
“Twenty-five. It’s why my mother thought she could put me on the throne. I’m old enough now.”
“The humans on this world live to be 500 years old. The humans of earth live for what 80 years at the most?”
“I, you, what are you saying? That I’m this baby from your story?”
“That is exactly what I’m saying because that is exactly who you are. Wait let me finish.”
Rica had stood unsure what to think of all he had said. Was he crazy? He seemed sane and sincere.
“I know this to be true because the people of earth had chosen to not use the portals. When that world was colonized they chose the life span they would have. They chose to not have affinities with any crystals. That world was colonized by a group of religious purists who did not want any thing to do with the movement to harness the crystals. Most of our history is lost about the war that preceded this last wave of colonization but the portal masters kept their own records about it. The humans of Earth were conditioned on the DNA level to not be able to use the portals once they were on the planet. So you are not of Earth. You are the child that went through for if you were truly from Earth you would not have been able to go through the portal!”
“Then why don’t I look older then? Explain that!”
“We live for five hundred years. We mature slowly. You look the age you are around twenty-five. The man and woman that went through with you were your real parents. He was a noble of the Southern Kingdoms and she was from the hierarchy of the Eastern Kingdoms. Three months ago I opened the portal again for your father. He went back to get you.”
“Then you only sent one through?” Moyo interrupted.
“Yes. He came back shortly after he went through. He was badly injured and was returned to his home.”
“Rica told us of two men fighting. They were both using magic. And since the people of Earth can’t use magic it stands to reason he was from here.”
“I didn’t send him through but its not impossible to piggy back a power surge to port. Or it used to be. A Magi of power could do at one of the defunct portal towers.” Rica felt as though the room was spinning. This just couldn’t be right. Rica sat down on a chair before she fell down. This was all so incredible!
Rica took a deep breath and tried to understand what had just happened. “Take it easy Rica.” Moyo said. Rica looked at his concerned expression and felt annoyed.
“I’m ok.” Rica said with more force then she had intended. Moyo backed off in surprise.
Rica sat up straighter and held her head in her hands. “I just don’t believe this. I want to go home. But now you are telling me I am home. Can I get a second opinion or are you it? Can you send me to Earth or not?”
“I have the transfer resonances of all who have traveled the portal from here. If you are that baby who went through twenty-five years ago your resonance will be on record. It’s a simple matter to check. As to your going home yes it is possible for you to return to Earth. Just not now, the window for that portal has closed. It is only open for five days at a time and only once every twenty-five years. You will have to come back in twenty-four years and eleven months.” Warren said.
“Wait. You said that was three months ago and now you are saying I can’t go back for twenty-four years and eleven months. The math doesn’t add up.”
“If you use Earths months it doesn’t. I was referring to Tlalli months.”
“Tlalli?”
“This world is called Tlalli. It has 560 days in a year, fourteen months to a year, forty days to a month, and twenty-eight hours to a day. You have probably noticed the days are longer and the seasons as well.”
“This still doesn’t seem right.”
“There are other time anomalies that are taken into account when figuring the portal time frames. Trust when I say you can’t go to Earth until the time is right for the portal or you would end up in space or inside a sun. The time you spent on Earth shifts as you traveled back you were there for twenty-five years Tlalli time. But if you go back in twenty-five years Tlalli time more time would have occurred on Earth. It can be confusing
.”
“Confusing? Yes. I did notice the days were longer here. Three months have gone by and it’s still fall here. That is weird. But - I can’t go back? All the talk about the time and shifts and what ever! The big thing is I’m stuck here. This just keeps getting better and better doesn’t it! Lets go check this resonance thing then. Now. Right now. I just need to know.” Rica said a slight degree of panic in her voice.
“Rica I think you should wait till morning.” Zafira cautioned.
“No Zafira! Every one is telling me what to do and where to go and how to be. I just need to know!” Rica shouted.
Zafira took a step back. “I was only concerned for your welfare Rica I’m sorry I caused you any distress.”
“Ahhhh. This is going all wrong. I didn’t mean to yell at you or Moyo. I just need to know now before another minute goes by. Please!”
“It would not take but a moment, it’s not a problem. Lets head up to the portal room and check. Then you will know for sure.” Warren’s voice was calm; it fell across the heated tension in the air like cold water on a hot sidewalk, cooling everyone off.
The reading Warren needed only took a moment like he said. Moyo double-checked it when Rica asked him to. It was real. She was from this world.
“You said some other people went through the portal awhile ago?”
“Your father went through. And returned shortly after leaving. He was injured badly and we had to summon healers to treat his wounds. When he was able he returned to his home.”