by Willan Ellis
The familiar musty smell filled her nostrils, and she opened her eyes slowly and saw nothing but darkness. Flicking her wrist she heard the veins in the walls come to life. She was in the below world. Instinctively feeling for the runes she pulled them out of her pocket as she moved toward the altar. She threw them down, and they moved to their positions. Teanne looked up at the doorways. Pressing the rune that represented Luia, she watched as it began glowing. She hesitated as she moved over the others, she could go anywhere, leave all this behind, not worry about her friends in the cottage or her so-called mission. Teanne shook her head, and gently pressed the rune of Aelia.
It responded moments later, and she crossed the room and stood in front of the doorway with the circle above it. Taking a deep breath she walked through.
‘You came back’
Teanne looked around the room. She had expected to be in the grand chamber again. This room however was tiny. The walls were all lined with books, and bottles. There were branches hanging from the ceiling, she liked this room. Teanne finally looked at the old man who was standing over a small table looking at her with pure elation.
‘Where am I’? Teannes heart skipped a beat. She knew that voice. It was hers not Keras. She lightly traced the features on her face. They were hers. She pulled at her hair, it was much longer than it was before – it had finally grown.
‘You are in my home, welcome’
Teanne fixed the old man with a stare, ‘And you are?’ The old man approached, Teanne took a step back,
‘I’m sorry, don’t be afraid. I am a friend, my name is Matthew’ Teanne watched as Matthew moved toward a chair and sat, he motioned her to another,
‘How is it you have a set of the message runes? We thought there were no more in existence.’
Matthew smiled up at Teanne and clasped his hands together on his lap, ‘I was under the same impression; it would seem we were both mistaken. Where are visiting from? No one has used the portals for well… well longer than my lifetime.’
‘Luia’ Teanne replied matter of fact.
‘There is no one left in Luia.’
Teanne ignored his statement, and moved through the room. She noticed a shimmer around her body as she moved and lifting her arm in front of her she looked at the glow. She moved to the table and looked down at the message runes.
‘Should these not be in a below world to be used?’
‘To be activated they need to be in a chamber but the receiving end does not matter.’ Teanne smiled as she heard the excitement in Matthews voice, ‘It just means you are not here in a physical form, merely a spiritual form if you will.’
Teanne turned and asked, ‘So if I wanted to come here… completely, these would need to be in a similar chamber to mine’? Matthew grinned widely and nodded, ‘Interesting.’
‘But I know of no such chamber here. I believe they were destroyed after the old war, well I guess yours is still in existence’ Matthew giggled to himself, ‘Please tell me how you came to activate the runes? How did you manage to unlock the portals?’
‘I went through a door.’ Teanne replied casually.
‘But how’?
Teanne moved back to the chair and sat down, it felt good to be in her body again.
‘Am I in Aelia’? She asked and Matthew nodded, ‘has there been anything odd happening, here in your time?’
‘My time? What time are you from’? Teanne shrugged her shoulders and continued to look intently at the scholar prompting and answer, ‘an alignment begun almost two months ago, just before the people from Luia arrived.’ Teanne shot Matthew a concerned look.
‘Two months?’
Teanne couldn’t believe it had been two months already. It had only been weeks for her, well technically a day now. So this was her time. She was overcome with joy that it had brought her here. She wondered if Jacob and Chev were still safe, but she needed to proceed carefully, ‘was there anything else?’
Matthew hesitated and lowered his eyes. Teanne thought he was searching for words.
‘We believe the Estrus has returned’ as if by rote Teanne protectively grabbed her wrist.
‘Do you know anything about elements or roots?’ Teanne asked ignoring the scholars’ comments,
‘Nothing about elements, but the roots are the four lands of this world.’ Teanne stood. This was getting her nowhere and she turned to move back to where she entered, ‘I can try and find out more, if you promise to visit again.’
Teanne looked back over her shoulder and smiled at the plea in Matthews face. She thought to ask Matthew about the possibility of returning to her time in Luia but pushed it aside as she looked softly at the scholar,
‘I will try and return Matthew, I will try. If you can find out anything more about the elements, it will give me cause to return.’ Matthews face was a glow with happiness. Teanne thought that he looked in need of company in his little home; she did feel quite safe here. She wondered if the rest of Aelia looked like this.
‘What is your name?’ Teanne felt the pull back to the below world. She could feel her form begin to disperse. Her voice was no more than a whisper ‘Teanne’