Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Unconventional Travel

Chapter 5: Unconventional Travel

“Nara, It is time for a trip to a city!” Chelsea declared with more energy at breakfast than usual one day.

I looked up with a little surprise, “What is the occasion?” My magic-speak had progressed enough to the point that if I spoke deliberately, I would not sound disjointed.

“Occasion?” Chelsea looked at me with disbelief. You’ve arrived in another world and all you’ve done is the same things for the past three weeks! I’m surprised you haven’t demanded we take you to see the world!”

“We can also test that teleportation ability of yours.” Amara nodded in agreement, “I would like to verify the range.”

“Your body is also stable enough to travel without incident,” Redell added.

“And we can finally get you some new clothes!” Chelsea said with enthusiasm, “You’ve been wearing the smallest articles I could find but we are all much taller than you.”

I looked down at what I had been wearing. Certainly, none of it fit right. Ranking up apparently made you taller on top of increasing your density and beauty, making them all figures of unreal stature, power, and perfection. Amara, Redell, and Laius all surpassed six feet in height, and Chelsea was just below it. When I stood next to them, I looked a bit like a child on a field trip surrounded by fitness model chaperones or a mascot among a group of action stars, despite being five foot six inches in height myself.

“Do I need to prepare?” I asked her in response.

“Not at all.”

“I don’t have any currency.”

Chelsea snorted. “You haven’t been paying for anything so far, why start now? Besides, you are not a burden in particular.” She extended her arms and threw her head back, “We are rich! A compound like this in the middle of nowhere isn’t cheap!” She continued with more excitement, “How about this, you let me pick out some clothes for you?”

Chelsea was the resident fashion enthusiast. The group’s daily wear had also been chosen by her. They were happy to indulge her.

“It’s not like I understand the local or worldwide fashion.” I said shrugging.

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We made our way to the courtyard and into a tall octagonal pagoda. Amara and Chelsea would stay with me during the trip. Laius had errands to run, and Redell wanted to return to his Church while in the city.

“Cities and compounds often have portal building or plazas.” Amara started to explain, “to prevent uncontrolled portals throughout the city, portal use is restricted to locations such as this. We will first portal to the city’s outskirts, so that you do not draw attention with your unconventional travel method.”

As she spoke, a portal arch rose from the ground. The arch of the portal was constructed from woody vines hung with large, opulent flowers of white, gold, ruby, and aquamarine. The light within the portal shown as golden light did though a forest canopy, dappling the ground with shadows and soft light. Evidently, this was one of Chelsea’s abilities. Chelsea first crossed through. With an encouraging nod from Amara, I followed her through.

I stepped though at the edge of a forest overlooking a magnificent city. The city was nestled between steep rock spires and mountains speckled with forests. Waterfalls plummeted from sheer cliffs, causing a rainbow sheen at a distance. The city shimmered with reds, golds, and dark blues. Clear, crystalline pathways wove between tall buildings, forming sky walkways. I could barely make out similar buildings built onto sheer rocky cliffs.

Amara stepped out of the portal behind me. “This city is Sanshi. This city is the symbol of unity between three powerful families, who rule regions to the North, East, and West.”

Chelsea stood off to the side with her arms crossed, “Give your teleportation a shot so we can head in.”

I nodded and closed my eyes, gradually cutting my senses from the physical. I used my [Astral Traveler] ability to slowly form a region of the astral around me. The region only extended just past my body. With a nudge of my will, my body and soul crossed into the astral. Travel from the astral to the physical did not require as much intention. Without time or space, all I had to do was focus my will to be coterminous to the crafting compound, and step through the astral to the physical. I was back in the pagoda, with Laius and Redell looking at me with mild surprise.

“What city did she take you to?” Redell asked with curiosity.

“You didn’t know? Amara said it was Sanshi.”

“That’s over the range possible for even a silver ranker.” Redell confirmed, “and you’re not even iron rank.” He rubbed his chin, “I don’t know if replication of such an ability is possible, but the potential is limitless. I suspect you will keep Amara very busy. Will you take the portal back?” Redell gestured to the still open portal.

“No, I’ll practice some more.” I repeated the process and ended up next to the portal back together with Amara and Chelsea. Redell and Laius had already entered the portal and were waiting for me. I decided to dub the technique Astral Jump.

“So,” Amara asked the two for confirmation, “you saw her back at the complex?”

“We did.” Redell confirmed, and Laius nodded.

Amara started to cross her arms in contemplation, Chelsea tugged at her arm, “Enough of that! You’ll spend all day thinking. We have to go to the city before the light is gone.”

Amara chuckled at her impatience.

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A different, shadowy portal was conjured. The arch was made of smooth obsidian with carved designs filled with liquid silver. The portal within was an inky lake, reflecting an illusory night sky and silver moon. I followed the group in, and we arrived in a decorated courtyard.

Behind us was a tall pagoda made of grey stone and topped with vibrant red wood shingles. The pagoda was open air, with each tier decorated elaborately with vibrant murals, arranged flowers, and local vegetation. The center of the plaza had a large crystalline fountain. In the center of the fountain was the statue of three warriors. The first was a woman holding a spear aloft while riding a large wolf. The second was a man conjuring flames with a phoenix in flight above him. The third was another woman drawing back a bow as a shimmering snake coiled protectively around her. The plaza and pagoda bustled with people. Most people were dressed in clothing that looked like a cross between the top half of a yukata and knee-length kung fu robe. They all wore pants that cinched at their ankles. Their outer robes were translucent, drawing similarities to the crystalline paths I had seen before. Their inner clothing was dyed in deep, rich colors and embroidered with designs of local scenery or important animals. Others wore different styles, with I presumed were non-local styles.

“These are the three families,” explained Amara gesturing to the statue. “Arlang, the wolf. Nishei, the serpent. And Fenhu, the phoenix. Portal plazas are made unique so that the location can be recalled for travel as you cannot portal to a place you do not remember. They are also kept the same once constructed, since a location that changes or is destroyed can no longer be teleported too. I do not know if that applies to your ability, however, since the method is not the same.”

I thought that part of my inability to return to Earth was due to my frazzled memory; personal details such as where I lived were indeterminate. It was also possible that since I did not have my ability while on Earth, I had to revisit Earth to be able to travel to it. I would know which was the case when I recalled my personal memories.

 

Laius and Redell split off to accomplish their separate tasks and Chelsea jubilantly led me through the city, with Amara following behind. We passed through tiered outdoor arcades paved with stone tiles with crystalline footpaths above weaving between three-storied buildings of stone. Colors of grey, red, gold, and dark blue featured prominently. Hanging from the crystalline paths were unlit lanterns and hanging wreaths of plants and flowers. I was taken to see a variety of important landmarks such as grand government buildings, museums of art and historical artifacts, outdoor parks, competition venues, and education campuses. Below the city was a subway-like network. The subway compartments were instead suspended in the middle of the tube, and a large, glowing ring propelled the compartments through the tunnel. The subway had required no ticket to enter, and people came and went as they pleased.

“Before we head to Chelsea’s favorite tailor, Nara, is there anything you want?” Amara asked.

“I’d actually like some maps. Local maps, world maps. Do you have world maps here?”

“We do. Why would that be in question?” Amara looked at me quizzically.

“Uhh… I’m not sure how you make a map, without a satellite. In the past, there were methods. I am not sure, what you use here.”

“Satellite?”

“An expensive piece of technology, launched from the planet into space, to send and receive signals from the planet below.”

She narrowed her eyes at me quizzically, “A diamond ranker long ago jumped into space and used a recording crystal to capture the topography of the world. Why use a different method?”

“We do not have diamond rankers. Or any rankers. Or magic, I think.”

“It was done entirely without magic? That is interesting.”

“You know what they say, any sufficiently advanced technology, is indistinguishable from magic.”

“Wouldn’t you be able to sense magic and thus distinguish it?”

“I guess that saying no longer applies, when magic actually exists.”

“How would it be indistinguishable from magic if magic does not exist?”

“The same way you can, believe in a god in my world, with no proof.”

“Could you two stop competing in who can exasperate me the quickest?” Chelsea groaned while listening in on our conversation. “This doesn’t seem productive.”

 

Our conversation paused as we made our way to the front of a map shop. A stone sign carved with the words “Aileen’s Magical Maps” hung above a quaint but orderly storefront.

“Welcome, how many I help you?” An elegant woman with shoulder length black hair and dark brown eyes rose from her desk as we walked in, and I presumed she was the proprietor of the shop, Aileen. A black cat lounged on a padded stool nearby, and I resisted the urge to ask to pet it. The interior of the room was made with dark woods and grey stone, giving it a classy atmosphere. Scrolls, books, stone slabs, crystals, and other forms of records were displayed on walls and lined up on shelves. Plants similar to bamboo, bonsai, and some potted flowers balanced the smell of parchment in the air.  

“What is the difference between, a magical map and a normal map?” I asked her.

“A magical map has more functions that a normal map,” she said while opening a thick scroll to demonstrate, “for example, local maps have important locations and attractions listed. By utilizing the magic functions on the side of the map, you can place down pins to create paths, and press on locations for more information, among other functions.” She rolled up the scroll and pointed the core of the scroll towards me. “The core is made up of magic crystal, and powers the functions of the scroll. You’ll have to recharge the map with magic quintessence. Additionally, the map is updated regularly from the Church of Knowledge’s database. All you’ll ever need is the one-time purchase!”

I looked over to Chelsea and Amara since I was worried such an impressive map would be too expensive, but they were already selecting scrolls, books, and recording crystals off of shelves among themselves. My frugality was found dead in a ditch, unable to even voice a word of complaint.

“Is there anything else you’d like to know?”

“Could I pet your cat?”

 

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