The Key to Frasnati

Chapter Four

Chapter 4

Kayla sat cross legged beside Terry’s cot, staring into flames leaping from the fireplace. They were sitting inside the cottage, and had been told it was the only shelter for miles. This place appeared to be an ordinary farm, but Kayla was not convinced. If it was, what were three knights doing here? Certainly, they weren’t dressed as knights, the way their opponents had been, however she could not picture them being anything else, not with the way they had fought. Thomas sat in a chair at the table, his eyes kept darting around.

“Kayla what was that about a story you had to tell me?” he pressed her.

Terry tried to sit up, and Kayla shoved him back down. “Come over closer.” She answered. For now, they were alone inside, one of the men having gone hunting, the other having left saying he had chores to do, and the one who appeared to be in charge, who had spoken to them most, said he was guarding the house. Thomas joined them, and Kayla gave Terry a nervous look, wondering how much to tell their friend. “Well Thomas…first you must be wondering how we got here.” He nodded enthusiastically, and she continued. “Jason opened a portal.”

“He did what?”

“Opened a portal. Be quiet and let me explain. You see, we aren’t actually human. We’re what you call Elcaros, and so are the men here. We’re in a land called Frasnati, which is where my parents are originally from, and the people here are Elcaros. When you read fantasy, you’d be shocked by how much of it is true, have you ever read stories with portals and dimensions before?”

“Of course, but what does that-“

“This is a different dimension, and we came through when Jason accidentally opened a portal.”

“That’s impossible,” he sputtered, “It’s nonsense!”

Kayla gestured to the room around them. “This is real isn’t it? The men outside are real, this cottage is real, Terry’s wound is real, and Jason being missing is real. How can you say it’s impossible when you’re living it?” Thomas stared at her and didn’t answer at first.

“Then how did he open the portal?”

“With my necklace. That particular type of gem messes with a portal’s magnetic field I guess, and causes it to open. He didn’t know there was a portal, and before I could stop him it was open.”

Terry joined in now, “Woah, hold it Kay, you knew there was a portal there?”

Kayla sighed, and explained about having found it so many years ago during their game.

Thomas didn’t answer her, and sat staring into the fire for a long time. He lifted his head, and looked about to ask a question when the door opened, and three people stepped in. One, who had saved Terry and Thomas, and introduced himself as Franor, approached the fire, and began cooking a huge slab of meat. Clearly his hunting had been successful. The man who had caught Kayla back, and introduced himself as Shane, plopped into a chair, and looked ready to fall asleep. The third, Trayson, walked over to join their group.

“Perhaps,” he said, “You would explain to us your presence here?”

“We’re from another dimension.” Kayla said simply, “And my little brother accidentally opened the portal on the hill and brought us through.”

“I see. You’ve mentioned the portal before, and I saw you come through. How did you do it?”

“A gem. I don’t know what the type of stone is called, but it was my necklace, and I know it opens portals.” Kayla flinched, realizing that it was now gone, having disappeared in the fight. “What about you? Would you mind explaining to us what is going on?”