Chapter Six

I was trying to placate my Circoux, who was pacing in a tight circle and growling. She was unhappy enough that tendrils of smoke puffed from her flared nostrils, so people were starting to edge away nervously. I put my hands on my hips and blew out a breath as Ashe’s anxiety wound through me. If I was getting a hit of her emotions, they were strong.

“Today woulda been a good day to stay home, huh?” Ashe’s head whipped up and she narrowed her eyes and bared her teeth. I brought up my palms in a calming gesture. “Not the time for jokes, sorry. But it’s only a little water, you’ll be fine.” I paused. “Well, it’s more than a little water but you’ll still be fine.” I considered the wide expanse of river we were standing near. “I mean we’ve never done this before so it’s not like I can say for sure but…”

Ashe threw her head back and released a dismaying howl. It wasn’t very loud, but a few people had audible reactions, and a jogger who was coming in our direction did a quick turn and his jog became a run.

“Okay, that wasn’t helpful. But this will be fine, Ashe. Or you can head to Gideon’s shop and get in the way while he sets up for the auction?”

Ashe shook her head, stopped pacing, and stood up straight.

“Does this mean you’re gonna be a big girl now?” She tossed her head and strode away to empty her bladder under a nearby tree. Callan came over, holding a couple tickets. One of the sleeves of his yellow T-shirt was bunched up so I smoothed it down. The rest of his outfit consisted of jeans and hiking boots, and he had a flannel shirt tied around his waist in case his arms needed extra shielding as we hiked to the coordinates. A backpack with supplies was slung over his shoulder. I was once again wearing my armor and had freshened up my bun-hawk.

“Ashe gonna be okay?”

“She’ll survive. I don’t blame her for not liking water, she’s a creature of fire magic and the only time I’ve seen her tolerate water was when she used to splash in the tub with Kinari. She only behaves during grooming because she likes being clean.”

Callan smirked. “Well, let’s see what our first time on the Aqua Paths is like. The ticket attendant said creatures of Ashe’s size aren’t allowed on, but if she Morphs into something that can fit on your lap it’ll be fine.”

“You heard the man, time to turn itty bitty,” I said to Ashe, who had trotted back over. She shook her body, hunched down, gave herself a good stretch, then I felt her Morph magic rise as colorful bands of light swirled around her. People stared open-mouthed as Ashe seamlessly transitioned from a six-foot-tall Circoux to a fox cub with Ashe’s same sapphire eyes, long tufted ears, and fluffy double tails. She could have made herself look closer to an actual fox, but since she hadn’t Morphed for the purpose of hiding, she’d kept some of her Circoux features. The fox’s fur was whiter, but there was a hint of the blue hues her coat normally carried. She jumped into my arms just as a little girl squealed at how cute she was. Ashe released an adorable howl that made the girl squeal again.

Callan gave her an ear scratch, then we headed to the pier near the ticket booth. A woman dressed in a floral-pattered maxi dress who stood at the edge of the grounds raised her hands, and seconds later the sound of rushing water intensified as a huge column of water rose. She pushed her arms forward and the water followed the movement, the wind it kicked up blowing our hair and clothes. Under the Water Conjurer’s manipulation, the water coalesced into the form of a bridge about ten feet wide.

“Wow,” Callan and I both said. Aqua Paths hadn’t been around during my first lifetime. We’d mainly traveled seas and rivers using ships or wide, flat creatures called Omnara. Now, these water bridges provided a fast travel route across bodies of water.

We were directed to a sleek metal train that lay at the edge of the grounds. After we were loaded on, the Water Conjurer entered the driver’s cab in the first car, which was where we were. She stretched her arms out of one of the windows and used another stream of water to lift the train onto the bridge. And away we went. Manipulating the water bridge was what propelled the train, and she would keep building the bridge as we moved. There was a Water Conjurer in each carriage that helped.

I sat by the window with Callan on my left and Ashe curled in my lap. The Divine sword was between my knees, its thrum of magic gently vibrating against me. Ashe was still nervous so I gently stroked her fur, knowing eventually it would lull her into a nap. I took in the view as we traveled the wide river that cut through a portion of Nova Celes. It reminded me of the Hudson River where Manhattan lay on one side and Brooklyn on the other. The wind that blew past brought the fresh scent of saltwater.

“A Killipsion,” I said, as the huge creature reared its head from the water, throwing its long neck back and sending a spray behind it. Ashe raised her head to take a look.

“I’d forgotten how big those creatures were,” Callan said. The Killipsion’s orange and yellow scales were vibrant under the sunlight, as was the cluster of corals, shells, and plants on its wide back. It barrel-rolled across the water, flashing its ridged belly and slapping its flukes against the water.

“Mama, Killipsion are my favorite water creatures,” came the matter-of-fact voice of a girl sitting behind me. “They’re not as big as Omnara but they’re prettier and I like that they help keep garbage out of the water.”

My lips twitched. Very good reasons for liking Killipsion. This one was likely trained to use its powerful tail to sweep trash and debris across the riverbed to the shore, where it could be retrieved and disposed of properly.

Ashe enjoyed the Killipsion’s antics until it dove underwater, then she resettled, and I resumed petting her. After about twenty minutes the train began to increase in speed as we exited the river into the Atlantic Ocean. The windows slid closed, but there were vents in the ceiling to keep the carriage ventilated. The train picked up speed until the scenery became a blur.

Ashe dozed off, and thankfully her snores fit the size of the fox cub or no one on this ride would know peace. Callan had rested his head on my shoulder and at some point, his light snores joined hers. Guess I was gonna be a human pillow for the duration of this ride. I smiled as I popped in some earbuds and opened my favorite playlist.

…

We docked at a town called Merewynd, which was as picturesque as I was expecting it to be given that it was a harbor town. We stopped long enough for a bathroom break and to buy drinks and codfish fritters at a street vendor. The town square had a few food carts, and Ashe parked herself by one selling huge cuts of roasted Jagark: a boar-like creature with twice as many tusks and twice as bad a temper. They were one of Ashe’s favorite creatures to hunt. Personally, I think she liked besting a creature that was happy to fight back. Callan bought her two meaty leg cuts before I could pull out my wallet and she devoured them in record speed.

So much of the town reminded me of the magic-era; a lot of the homes and buildings were made of wood and sported an older style, the streets were cobblestone, and along with the food carts, the town square was bustling with apothecaries, rustic bakeries, a vintage clothes store, and a small library made of wood and covered in ivy.

But there was also a modern grocery store, an electronics shop advertising the latest phone model, and people zipping by on electric bikes. There were modern streetlights in some places and Firi Stone lanterns in others.

I thought I’d be repelled by the mix of magic and modern technology, but I wasn’t.

The present day was as it should have always been. Though it would take some time to get used to. Especially when my thoughts strayed to the fact that neither Callan nor I should even be around to experience this.

But today wasn’t the day to pull at that thread.

We left the town through the gate at the back and paused at the side of the pathway. We were close to a main road that split in different directions.

Callan pulled out a tablet from his bag, opened a digital map of the area, and typed in the coordinates.

A red dot appeared about eight miles from where we were.

The closest campsite was three miles from the coordinates. There were shuttles taking people to and from campsites in the area, so we checked the schedules and took one that would get us closest. Ashe Morphed into a fox again, spending the ride on my lap with her head out the window. Once we got off, we took another bathroom break then headed into the woods.

There were clear pathways through the forest to make navigation easy for hikers.

Ashe, back in her Circoux form, was in her element as she bounded ahead of us, exploring the brush and nipping at startled creatures. She was warned off hunting, though, as it wasn’t allowed in the immediate camp area. For which the squirrels and rabbits were grateful.

Melodious chirps drew my eyes up to tree branches. Not only did I see cardinals, sparrows, and blue birds, I also saw birds that had gone extinct after the Magical Collapse.

I felt more moved than I thought I would looking at some birds.

Callan, who noticed my bird-watching, squeezed the hand he was holding.

We walked for some time, amused by Ashe’s antics scaring the wildlife, and enjoying the quiet as we moved into the wilder parts of the forest.

Every now and then I would catch sight of a compact house nestled in a small clearing. A Tamer’s hub, where Tamers worked to keep the local Wild creatures under control.

“It’s peaceful here,” Callan commented. “Reminds me of woods I used to explore when I was a boy.”

“Reminds me of woods where I rounded up bounties who were very bad at picking hiding spots.”

Callan chuckled. “That warrior brain of yours is always on, isn’t it? There’s nothing else that comes to mind when you find yourself in a sun-dappled forest with a soft wind drifting through, birds singing, and a very handsome man at your side?”

“A lot of things come to mind.” I winked at him, and Ashe, who’d picked up on my suggestive tone, made a hard swipe with her tails that blew dead leaves back at us.

“But a romp in the woods isn’t nearly as romantic as you might think,” I continued. “It’s all well and good until you’ve got a stinging nettle brushing places you never want to catch a sting.”

Callan looked at me with his eyebrows raised.

“Not speaking from personal experience or anything.” I grinned and he laughed.

We continued walking at a steady pace for over an hour, taking breaks to rest and drink water. There was a slight burn in my thighs, but overall I was fine.

“What do you think we’ll find when we get there?” I asked. “Do you think it will be something bad?”

Callan frowned, wiping a sheen of sweat from his brow. “I don’t think my mother would direct me into wilderness to lead me somewhere dangerous. But what on earth could she have left for me to find way out here?” He suddenly stopped walking and put his hand on my arm. His frown deepened.

I stopped as well and was about to ask him what was going on when I felt it too.

The air felt slightly thicker and there was a feeling like a light thrum against my skin.

“Temporal magic.” Callan and I exchanged looks, our eyes widening.

Ashe left the fish she was swatting at to live another day and trotted over.

Callan indicated for us to wait and slowly walked forward, looking around. After a while he bent down and used a stick to move some dead leaves out of the way. My eyes widened further when I saw what was revealed.

“A time warp?” A shimmering knot of magic lay near the ground, looking like twists of vibrating air currents. If we touched it, we’d be reversed back down the path we’d come and lose the time we’d spent walking here.

In the past, trapping someone in a time warp was a form of punishment. Kind of like Sisyphus who was doomed to push a rock up a hill that would always roll back down for eternity.

One of the most common ways they were used involved allowing the prisoner to see the open door that would lead to their freedom only to be warped back once they tried to cross the threshold. Over and over again.

Time warps looked like a simple bit of magic, but they were powerful.

Callan stood up and continued to look around. “There are more,” he said, pointing to three other spots. I came up next to him and noted his tense expression. “Something about this feels…very familiar.”

“Linella couldn’t have left these time warps, though, they would have disappeared after she died, right?”

“Yeah, so someone else did.”

“Maybe there’s another Temporal community up ahead? Maybe we’ll find some of the people who scattered after Linella’s time pocket fell?”

“Maybe.” He paused. “I feel like I’ve been here before, Penn.”

“You did say you were starting to remember being in a forested area with Linella. I’ll follow your lead around the time warps. We’re almost at the coordinates. Let’s see what we find.”

As we continued on, we found a lot more time warps.

They were all strategically placed and hidden, so they weren’t noticeable even if you felt their magic.

Thanks to Callan’s guidance, we were able to avoid being warped.

I could have used the sword to purify them, which would have eliminated them, but since we didn’t yet know what we were walking into we decided it would be better not to engage with anything.

After checking the map, we realized that the turn we would soon be taking would put us at the coordinates.

Callan remained tense and didn’t seem to notice his hands had balled into fists until I took one in mine and gently coaxed his fingers open. His grip was tight.

Ashe padded behind us, on alert.

Callan and I exchanged a look.

We were finally here.

It was time to see what this trip into the wilderness past dozens of time warps led to. We turned the corner.

“What the hell?” Callan let go of my hand and took a step forward.

About twenty feet away, the shimmering, semi-opaque barrier of a huge time pocket stood. Beyond the time pocket I could see structures that looked like houses.

“So it is another Temporal community!” I stepped up beside Callan. “Has it been around since the Before Times? Maybe my theory was right, maybe we’re gonna find some of the others you left the community with. This is pretty cool.”

Callan didn’t say anything. He was holding himself so rigidly he was trembling slightly. “Callan?” I gently touched his forearm as I took in the look on his face.

Confusion and shock.

“I’ll admit I have a lot of questions about why there’s a time pocket town out here, but it’s not the worst thing we could have found.”

He still didn’t say anything.

Now a frown creased my brow. “Callan? What is it? What—”

“I remember now,” he said, voice soft. “Everything. I remember why this place was starting to feel familiar.”

“Why?” I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry.

Callan finally turned to me, his expression one I could hardly describe.

“Because it was me,” he said, gesturing to the time pocket. “I’m the one who made this time pocket. Then my mother made me forget.”