Time Maze

In the Mists of Time

"Is that what I think it is?" Tyson asked in awe.

"Yes, it's that device-thing that opens the portal. I managed to knock it out of Loralei's hand but not before she opened the portal. Basically, she escaped through it, but at least I got us this thing," Beor said.

He clearly felt guilty for what he had done, but Tyson thought he did what had to be done, given their situation. Many people would have gone further than that, and Tyson worried that he could have been one of the people.

"Cool, let's go," Marcus said enthusiastically.

The important thing to him was to avoid getting killed in a battle he didn't truly understand, nor did he wish to be a part of. It mattered little to him if it was just or not. All he wanted to do was escape it.

"There is just one more thing. I think Loralei ended up convincing Santa Anna to attack today," Beor said.

"How did she do that?" Tyson asked certain that generals didn't listen to strange women.

"She might have said something along the lines that Alamo soldiers were about to surrender. That Santa Anna shouldn't allow them to do so, that he should make an example out of them," Beor said.

"Hey, at least it wasn't our fault this time," Marcus told Tyson.

Then Marcus raised his hand up for a high five, which Tyson ignored as he really didn't think it was a cause for celebration.

The presence of Mazers seemed to have been messing with history or creating it in the first place. He couldn't figure out which one was true.

If they hadn't been there, would the history have taken the same course, or would it have been something completely different, unrecognizable even?

"Still, I don't see why all that matters for us now. I mean, shouldn't we just skedaddle?" Marcus asked.

Tyson couldn't help but agree with his friends this one time. It wasn't the time or the place to figure things out. They needed to leave as fast as possible.

"What I was getting at is that although Santa Anna saw the wisdom in her ways, he didn't take kindly to her speaking up. In the scuffle that preceded her escape, I think this portal thingy was a bit banged up. The fact that I nicked it when I threw the knife at her didn't help matters either. Although it did aid my reputation with Santa Anna and my ultimate escape back," Beor said.

"Beor, we are running out of time. What exactly are you saying?" Tyson asked, anxious to leave behind the Alamo and all that was about to happen.

"I am trying to say that this thing doesn't look the same as it did when we first got it. The lights are different, and parts of it have moved down this circle," Beor said, pointing at a loop that reminded Tyson of the old landlines with the rotary dial. "I am not sure what that means and how much safer it is to go in there in comparison to staying here."

"Well, every man here ends up dying, so I vote that we take our chances with the portal," Tyson said, still hoping that the big one, the one that usually came for them, would appear.

"I am with Tyson," Marcus said, although everyone could feel the uncertainty in his voice.

"Alright then," Beor said, pointing the device in the empty space before them. "Here goes nothing."

The moment he pressed the button on the top, a shimmering veil appeared, to Tyson's relief as he wasn't even sure if the device would work. He didn't share his concerns with Marcus as he didn't want to worry him, but their chances of survival were debatable, and Tyson braced for the worst.