Talia inhaled sharply.
"Easy… easy…", Axel's voice came from the side. "I'm here. We are safe."
Talia blinked to see a starry sky above her and the moon bathing her in its light.
She craned her neck to see smooth tall rocks arranged in a U-shaped formation, surrounding them from three sides, and an opening to a sparse forest on the fourth side. She was lying on the unkempt grass, and the air was fresh with the night breeze.
Cassandra was standing with her hands connecting behind her back and staring into the open space, and Axel was squatting next to Talia and observing her with a small frown on his face.
"What happened?", Talia asked Axel.
"You opened the portal.", Axel said. "We passed through."
It took her a few seconds to react. "We are in the realm of witches? Why is it night? How long was I out?"
"Slow down.", Axel said while pressing Talia's shoulder gently to keep her down.
"We went through the portal because we were not sure how long it will stay open. We need to confirm where we are. You passed out from exhaustion, so we didn't go to investigate the surroundings. It was not wise for one of us to roam alone, and we didn't want to leave you behind either. As for how long you were out…" Axel pursed his lips while thinking. "A few hours. It was sunset when we arrived here."
Talia felt panic swelling inside her. "Time. Check the flow of time."
Axel pulled out his gadget and pushed the button to put all three dials in the same location.
Talia stared at the dials without blinking.
"Have some water.", Axel said while pushing the bottle into her hands. "Give it a minute so we are certain."
Talia took a few sips before asking, "Where is the portal?"
Axel gestured toward an opening between two flat tall rocks. "We came out from there."
Talia thought how it was unfortunate that twice she passed through a portal, yet she couldn't remember the experiences. But there were more important things. "We should get moving and find the witches."
"Take a minute to ensure you are fine.", Axel said. "It won't help us if you faint again. I could carry you, but what if we end up in some trouble? We need all of us in top shape. Witches might live out of sight or far away…"
"I understand.", Talia interrupted him. She was touched by his concern. "Show me the thingy for the time."
By now, it was distinct that the white and blue dials were moving together.
"What does this mean?", Talia asked.
"Time here passes in the same way as in our territory."
Talia understood that "our territory" was the realm of the Midnight Guardians pack. But there was one more possibility, "Or the portal didn't take us to another realm."
"Oh, we are in another realm, alright.", Cassandra said in a singing voice, and she moved to Talia with her hand extended to show her a flower. "We don't have these at home."
This was promising and Talia relaxed a bit. "OK. Let's go and find those witches."
"Or dragons. Or ogres.", Cassandra said.
Talia's face fell. She didn't really think about those options. Are those creatures real? "Let's stick to witches…"
"No need to rush, Talia.", Axel really wanted her to rest a bit more. He was super-anxious when she collapsed and stayed unresponsive for hours. Only when the moonlight touched her, she stirred.
"I don't have time to rest, Axel.", Talia said sternly.
"I know what you are thinking. But Damon will need at least one day to reach the Dark Howlers pack. That gives us a month here."
Talia grimaced. "You forgot that once I get out of the portal, I will need to reach the Dark Howlers pack also. Or will your father give me a lift? I know that the time difference gives me an advantage right now, but Damon is out there without me. Every second counts."
Axel knew that she was right, but... "If you are not well, we are not going anywhere. Straining yourself will only cause you to collapse again. How will that help?"
Talia's face fell and Axel gave her hand a squeeze.
"Give yourself a break, Talia. I know Damon from before you appeared. He was different and a bit scary, but... He prioritized his pack first. Trust in his Betas and other people that surround him. I am confident that Damon won't jeopardize his pack, and your friends won't allow him to jeopardize your relationship."
Talia hoped that he was right. She truly did.
After assuring Axel that she was fine, they started moving.
The moonlight illuminated their way through the low shrubbery and occasional tree.
Talia hear rustling low in the bushes that was probably a rabbit or some other small critter, but other than that, the whole area seemed deserted.
"Do you have an idea where we are going, or did you pick a direction randomly?", Talia asked Axel after some time.
As far as her sight could reach, other than bushes and sparse trees, there was nothing else.
"Not randomly. I used my senses to feel the surroundings before you woke up. In the direction we are going, the trees thicken and there is a river. I believe we will have better chances of finding someone there. In the back are just bare rocks and mountains."
"You can feel the surroundings? How does that work? Can you teach me?", Talia asked, genuinely curious. Until recently she was no more than a human, so all these abilities and powers were new to her.
Axel was pleased that he got a chance to teach Talia something. If they grew up together, he would teach her many things.
He stopped walking and turned to face Talia.
"Close your eyes and relax.", he said. "Allow your mind to travel down to your feet and let it spread in all directions. Feel the energies and shapes. Don't fight it…"
Talia didn't get it at first, but little by little, outlines started appearing in her mind. She could see Axel one step in front of her, and Cassandra a bit further on the right, and bushes, rocks, an anthill that was blurry from the movement of ants in it... trees, an owl…
It was like a mental map with Talia in the middle.
Her jaw fell slack as she could see the U-shaped formation where she woke up, and she clearly felt the opening that looked like it was made of water. The portal.
It was fantastic!
In the direction they were walking, the forest was getting denser and there was a river, and a small waterfall… Talia gasped.
"What?", Axel asked.
"I think there are people. That way.", she pointed into the darkness.
Axel was impressed. He was checking in that direction, but he didn't find anything. It seemed that Talia's abilities extend beyond his.
"Excellent. Let's go that way.", Axel said.
