Entering the Building, Pi’ve was greeted by Barna who was standing by the door leading up to with Kedri. Kedri had blood running down his forehead, and Pi’ve could not hide his shock.

  Kedri lifted his hand pointing at Pi’ve with mock anger. ’And here we have the reason for my injury!’ Pi’ve’s confusion grew. ’I am joking Pi’ve, though only partly. I have been assailed by a royal guard… I think the king has sent an order out to try to force us out of the city.’

  ’What? Why?’ Pi’ve said.

  ’He thinks that wizards have crossed a line meddling too far into the common people’s politics.’ Kedri said nonchalantly.

  ’You have been quite busy as of late, Pi’ve, but out on the streets the common folk have started gathering in secret, planning a take-down of the king.’ Barna said, and he looked at Kedri. ’They have done a good job too, because it eluded even us wizards, until it was exposed that is. Yesterday, over two hundred people had armed up and entered the courtyard of the king, shouting for him to come down from his castle and abdicate his position as king.’

  ’Well, now, they are all either dead or imprisoned, and today the king has sent his guards out to search the city for more secret gatherings and mobilisation— and taken an official stance against wizards.’ Kedri added.

  ’I am sorry…’ Pi’ve said mortified. He had toppled the wizarding world just by joining their society, and he felt tremendous guilt. Many more would hate him now.

  Kedri waved his hand dismissively ’It’s nothing. Ever since Oarios disappeared, wizards has had a less favourable relationship with the monarch. Us wizards just have to stay out of the limelight for some time, and not bother the guards. I was just at the and they are sending out a letter to every wizard about the situation. We have dealt with worse, haven’t we, Barna?’ Kedri said, and they nodded and laughed. Pi’ve laughed with them, without knowing what they actually laughed about. ’Right then, I will have to go upstairs. You have a good one.’ He said and disappeared through the door.

  ’Barna. I have some things to run with you.’ Pi’ve said, and Barna nodded. ’Please, let’s do it in your office.’ They walked into Barna’s office, and both took out their pipes and lit them. Pi’ve waited until they both had drawn three tokes before continuing. ’I followed Murgun’ and Barna said ’Indeed…’. ’I thought at first that he was walking with Teligion, but I found that he was instead with Redrig.’

  ’Well, as I said, they have been friends for a long time.’ Barna said.

  ’Right. And then I followed them into an alleyway not too far from here— it seemed to me like they were hiding, wanting to have a private conversation.’ Pi’ve said, hoping for the same reaction in Barna as he had.

  ’Indeed… Conversations are best held in private.’ Barna said causally.

  ’Yes. Well, to skip to the point of what I overheard, Redrig asked Murgun if he had come any closer to finding something. Or, maybe not finding, but he asked about something called a palomy crystal.’ Pi’ve said, and now, finally, Barna reacted the way he anticipated.

  ’.’ Barna corrected reactionary. ’What did they say about the crystal palomy?’

  ’Murgun had no information, but thought that maybe you knew where it was. Or maybe Kerlina.’ Pi’ve said.

  ’Hm… I do know where most of them are. Kerlina has one in her office. You have seen it.’

  ’— yes, he said… Wait, what do you mean?’

  ’That crystal ball you contacted Dandrian with is a crystal palomy.’ Barna said. ’There are seventeen such crystal orbs known and in use, and there are certainly more out there in Soilar, but we do not know where. Correction: we know where two of them are, but they are not in use. One of them is upstairs, with Kedri. It has been tampered with, you see, and so he tries to see what exactly has been done to it.’

  ’And why would they want one of those?’ Pi’ve said.

  ’Well, I see the accusatory look in your eyes, so I will indulge in your fantasy. The crystal orbs are open at every end, as long as someone is using the orb. As in: If I go over to Kerlina and request to use the orb, then every other wizard near any of the other orbs will be able to see me and hear me. It could be used to observe many things.’ Barna explained. ’But, only the one transmitting can be heard and seen. If you are not using the crystal palomy, then no one would know that you are listening in.’

  ’Seems like a powerful device for someone trying to spy on others, if you ask me.’

  ’It is.’ Barna said, and seemed to cringe. ’Damn… I didn’t think I would actually believe he’s doing nefarious things. I dislike him, yes, but I… damn.’

  ’Which brings me to the next thing I overheard: there is apparently a meeting in a pub called . Are you going to that meeting?’ Pi’ve asked, and Barna shook his head which was resting on his palm. He picked up his pipe from the pipe-stand on the table, and took another toke. He seemed to be in deep contemplation.

  ’The meeting is in Vesen City, and I didn’t think the meetings agenda was too interesting, so I sent a letter telling them I would not be attending.’

  ’Well, send another letter telling them you changed your mind. Or that I could go in your stead? I need to know if Murgun is attending that meeting.’ Pi’ve said, and Barna looked up at him.

  ’I can ask someone I know who is going if they saw Murgun at the meeting.’ Barna said. Pi’ve was shaking his head. ’What?’

  ’If he is listening in on the meeting, then he won’t be sitting at the same table as the rest.’ Pi’ve explained, shocked that he had to spell that out. ’Obviously, he is using some other way of listening in. There has to be some way he is doing this undetected, or else Terler wouldn’t have to asked us to investigate this.’

  Barna nodded slowly. ’Well, I cannot have you go in my stead, because the other’s trust in you is solely based on the fact that I trust you. You have not done anything to earn the trust of others yourself. But, it does not matter if trust you, the meeting is about something you have nothing to do with either way, so… You can go to Vesen City and figure out how Murgun does it, but then you’d have to learn how to work the portals.’ Barna said, and that was all Pi’ve wanted to hear. He did not need to be in that meeting, for Pi’ve was unsure if Murgun would be inside the meeting, or outside listening in. He just had to be there. And he was going to learn how to use the portals! It turned out to be quite an exciting job.

  ’Alright. I agree. Teach me how to use the portals.’ Pi’ve said, and Barna smiled and nodded.

  Pi’ve had to wait until Sunday before Barna took him to the portal outside Thergiam. In the meanwhile, Pi’ve had finally decided that he was going to use the Saturday emptying the loft in his flat. He had merely placed every article he could fit inside his inventory, and taken it outside, waited to nobody was around, and dumped it in the street behind his home. Then he had placed a large tarp over the items, and the things that did not fit under the tarp he kept in the inventory. Among the things he now carried were a couple of chairs, a large table and two vases.

  He was excited to understand the portals, but Barna seemed to be too preoccupied with other things to be sharing in Pi’ve’s excitement. Either way, portals were old news to him. Barna had borrowed a horse and a carriage, and Pi’ve sat beside his friend on their way to the portal closest to Thergiam. On foot it would have taken the whole day, as the portal was six leagues outside the Eastern port of Thergiam, and you had to walk through much of the city before you even exited the Eastern port.

  On the way over to the portal, Pi’ve could see permanent tracks on the ground, and Barna told him how this road is the most used out of all the roads to any portal, not only because of the many wizards living in Thergiam, but also because much of the wizard society was concentrated in Thergiam. Shops, clubs, factions and the most powerful wizards was here.

  Soon enough they came to what Barna said wizards called , and that was because there were two reasons for coming this far, this way; Ale. Unbelievably good ale, and the portal. They parked the wagon by the side of a rather large, two storied house, and Barna knocked on the wall. The front door opened around the corner, and soon enough, a short man came and greeted them.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  ’Must be wizards!’ The short man said, and Barna said ’What else!’. ’Indeed, what else!’ The short man said, and they laughed. Pi’ve laughed too. He did not understand if that was the greeting they had agreed upon, or if they were jesting around.

  ’Pi’ve, this is Machon, he owns and runs this establishment, for the convenience of us wizards. Machon, this is Pi’ve, a wizard who have just joined our ranks.’ Barna said, introducing them.

  ’It is an honour, Pi’ve, to meet you.’ Machon said.

  ’Likewise, Machon. What a nice place you have.’ Pi’ve said.

  ’Run by me, funded by you. I am blessed to have this occupation. Now, let me take your horse, and let’s go inside for some Shirlon-ale, shall we?’

  ’We shall.’ Barna said, and there was sudden glee in his face. ’I think perhaps, Pi’ve, that we shall have to stay until tomorrow. I have forgotten how nice it is outside of Thergiam. Oh, and Shirlon-ale, of course.’ Pi’ve could swear he could hear Barna say ’,’ as if advertising the ale to himself. It seemed to work.

  It was indeed a beautiful place, and Pi’ve had not been so far outside of the city himself. He had travelled far on the sea, and even been to some towns along the coast, but there was not much else than forest to be reached on foot outside Thergiam. This might be the only place immediately outside which one can reach in a day.

  Outside of the door, a sign hung and it read . ’That’s new.’ Barna said, pointing to the sign. Inside the inn, there was a vast room with lots of space, filled with tables and benches, and chairs along the walls. There was a furnace, which even now was aflame, heating the room with a pleasant warmth. The innkeeper came after awhile, and being that he had not seen any wizards for a few weeks, he offered the first ale for free, being happy that they had come.

  ’I heard that there is a meeting in Vesen City, is that why you have come this way?’ Machon asked the two.

  ’Who told you that?’ Barna asked. Machon pointed to the table at the end of the room, beside the stair going up. ’Ah. Hokki. Hello, Hokki!’ Barna shouted over the room, and Hokki waved. ’Another ale, Machon!’

  Barna shook his head, but smiled widely. ’Uhh, no, Pi’ve here has not yet been taught how to use the portals, so that’s our business, but I take it then that people have already begun to leave over to Vesen then?’ Barna said.

  ’Yes, they left their horses in my stable, and left through the portal. Didn’t even want ale…’

  ’Well, not everyone is as fond of ale as you, Machon. We like tea more.’ Barna said. ’I say we, but I mean wizards in general. like ale as much as you.’

  ’Yes. I know you lads like tea more. Tea is more expensive, though.’

  They sat down, and Machon came with the promised free ale. Pi’ve had a swig, and it was rather nice. It was somewhat sweet, with a fruity aftertaste that lingered. The liquid itself was a little thicker than water, and felt nice on the tongue. It was a light brown colour, and smelled like honey and bark.

  ’Pi’ve, would you like to go have a look at the portal, just to familiarise yourself with it, maybe try to see if you understand something about it, and then I will come over in an hour or so to see you through it.’ Barna said, and Machon rose from his seat to fetch two more Shirlon-ale.

  ’I guess I could give it a try.’ Pi’ve said, and rose from the bench. He had become rather intoxicated from that one ale, he had to confess. ’Oh, could I have something to eat on the way, Machon.’

  Leaving the inn with two slices of bread, butter and some cheese, Pi’ve followed the trodden path going into the forest and towards a large mountain that was far away in the distance. As the road sloped downwards, Pi’ve heard a horse neigh. He heard the voice of Machon greeting someone, barely audible. Pi’ve hoped that there would not come any wizards passing him while he was trying to figure out the portal, but then again, they all had to go through this one.

  The path was well trodden, and the growth beside the path was nicely trimmed, making the distance— if not for the length of it— pleasant to walk. It took Pi’ve two and a half hours to finally believe he had reached his destination. The feeling was peculiar.

  An undercurrent of incorporeal wind was gently rushing past him, and pulling him the right way. Even if the well-trodden path had not been here, he would have been able to find the portal, as if it wanted to be found. It seemed like the portal was pulling in something from the air, feeding it to itself, and if that was mana, Pi’ve did not know.

  Walking the now upward-sloping path going up a mountain, Pi’ve saw that something arched became visible over the ridge of a mound. This fit the description Barna had given him about the portals being doors, as the stone entity looked like a massive door.

  On the front, the portal looked like an ordinary stone that had been carved to look like a large tablet, or something of the like. It did not glow, or give off any magical hue, but the feeling of incorporeal wind being swept past him were more intense.

  The front of the portalstone was uninteresting on the surface, though Pi’ve had a feeling that the front was the side that one would have to enter the portal from. He thought that there must be more to the stone pillar than enchantments, but since there were none on the front, he moved to look at the back of the stone.

  Immediately he saw that the back of the stone had been carved with some sort of written language which he could not read, but that was only due to the angle he currently looked from. As he kept walking around the stone, something similar to what had happened when he had first picked up the book which had taken him to the tutorial happened; the runes changed. They did not change on the rock, but it was as if a layer of text hovered above the runes, in text which Pi’ve could understand.

  This was a wall of runes, and without being able to read it, Pi’ve would never have understood what was happening on the back of the portal. There were more runes, but that text only read as … and so forth. The whole back side of the portal stone was filled with text like this, and more that even though he could read it, did not understand. He could only think that all the other portals also were linked in the same way to all the other portals, or else they would not appear here.

  Even though Pi’ve had read and understood the back side of the portal, he had no luck yet on how to use the portal. He was standing in front of the portal, but nothing happened. He tried linking to the stone, but there was no indication that it worked, and so, Pi’ve decided that he could either wait, or return to the inn. Barna would probably be on his way here now, he remembered, so he decided to wait.

  The forest around him were filled with many berries, so Pi’ve put his mind to picking berries for the moment. While smoking some tobac, he ate berries and looked at the fine scenery while he waited. From the little flat spot where the portal stood, Pi’ve could look out over the thick, tall forest. The undulating land stretched as far as the eye could see. He could not see Thergiam from here, but he thought he could see where Two Reason inn stood. Smoke was billowing out from somewhere within the trees, and Pi’ve smiled, happy to be a part of such a wonderful world. It was peaceful out here, and he thought back to when he had last exited the gates of Thergiam. That was years ago now. He had missed it, he found.

  He was about to begin training some magic, when he heard in the distance feet moving fast. He turned around, and from around the mound came Barna. He was sweating. Nothing out of the ordinary for a man of his size running.

  ’There you are. I was just running over— because— oh my… Murgun came to the inn just as you left.’ Barna said, sitting down fast. ’Well, Murgun is on his way. We don’t want him knowing you are on your way to Vesen too, so I think you should be hiding. I told him I had overstayed at Two Reasons, and I needed to leave, and then I ran here.’ Barna said. Pi’ve watched Barna as he was inhaling and exhaling with vigour.

  ’Where should I— I will go over there, then.’ Pi’ve said, and started to move over to a large tree with roots sticking out of the ground. He did not want to meet Murgun right now. It would indeed be suspicious if Pi’ve went to Vesen City right now as Murgun did so.

  ’Yes, yes. I will enter the portal to Mondo, and I will be back in about fifteen minutes. He should be through by then. Go hide now.’ Barna said, and he straightened himself in front of the portal.

  The front of the portal started producing some kind of smoke, and after it had accumulated, it suddenly turned blue. Barna’s face and his clothes became blue as the portal lit up. Barna walked forward, and as he entered the portalstone, the smoke from the portal stopped glowing blue, and sank to the ground dispersing slowly.

  After a while, Pi’ve heard footsteps on gravel coming from behind the mound. He hid himself behind a rock and the protruding roots of a large tree. He looked over the roots, and saw Murgun watch the smoke disappear on the ground. He looked around, and Pi’ve hid in case he would look his way.

  Pi’ve looked over the root again, but Murgun was not there. Suddenly the portal started producing smoke again. Then the smoke turned blue. It lingered for a few seconds, and then the blue light vanished, and the smoke fell to the ground again.

  It was as if Murgun had entered the portal before it had activated. The portal had activated just like it had done when Barna had gone through it, but Murgun was already gone. It had even deactivated like it had when Barna had entered.

  A few minutes later the portal turned on again, and Barna exited. Smoke enveloped him, and as he stepped out of the portal, the smoke fell to the ground, the blue light deactivated.

  ’I saw him.’ Pi’ve said to Barna as he stepped out from his hiding spot and walked over. ’He did something weird, though. He was gone before the portal had fully activated, but the portal did exactly what it did when you entered. It was curious.’

  Barna looked at Pi’ve with an inquisitive look. ’I do not know what that could be. You must have missed him going through then. Well, I think you should learn how to use the portal now.’ Barna said. ’It should be quite easy, as long as you know what the other portals are named…’