Time Guards - The Italian Quest

Chapter V

"We need to go back to Reyia," said Erika. Viola and Constance had joined them in the living room, Kristen had taken some pain killers and, like Viola, he had washed his feet. They had both run after Greta without shoes on. Kristen and his mother seemed to have got over the initial shock but both were ghostly pale and seemed far more alert than normal. Viola guessed that she wasn't feeling too much different than them, her heart beating fast and she was feeling a mixture of excitement and dread.

"I can travel," said Kristen, he nodded to his foot, "It's really not that bad."

Erika nodded and then turned to Viola, "You better change your clothes and pack some basics."

"I'm going to Reyia as well?" Viola asked.

Kristen gave a smile but his mother was more grave, "She might return here, you are safer over there."

Viola didn't need to ask who 'she' was. Once she was up in her room she changed into jeans and t-shirt, Constance said that Reyia was just of Spain so Viola figured it was going to be pretty hot. She then quickly packed a rucksack with toiletries, a spare change of clothes and a swimming costume. Viola loved swimming and hoped that their might be a nice, calm bay she could swim in. Once her bag was packed she slipped on trainers and raced back downstairs, her pocket watch now hanging around her neck.

Erika, Kristen and Constance all also had their watches out and were starting to change the time and place on them. Kristen showed Viola how to do it, it was much more complex than she thought, "We need to all go at the same time," said Kristen, "Press the dial once in when you want to go." Viola nodded, gripping on to the watch. It's face now read,

AD 800, May 6th, 16:00 PM

Followed by a string of longitude and latitude points which meant nothing to Viola.

"Wait, we are going back in time?" Viola asked.

"Yes, of course," said Constance.

"It will be fine, Viola," said Kristen, "This is completely safe. See how the little gem on your watch is blue, that is because it is recognising you as its owner. You are a true watch bearer. Just to be safe we will all hold hands." The four of them stood in a small circle, holding their watches in their right hand and holding each other's left hand in the centre. Constance seemed confident enough not to need to hold any one's hand and in any case that would probably cause some problems as her only hand was holding her watch.

"Ready?" said Erika, "Good, press your buttons in 3, 2 -"

"Wait," interrupted Viola, pulling her hand back, "What about school? I have to go to school, I've got an essay about gravity due on Monday."

"Time travel," sad Constance simply.

"It's her joke," explained Kristen, "With the use of time travel we could go now, be gone for a week and then come back only a minute later."

"And you could actually meet Sir Isaac Newton," said Constance.

Erika glared at her, "Interfering with major historical people is illegal."

"Only if you change history by knowing them," said Constance, "You can get away with it, I'm good friends with Joan of Arc."

"She loves telling people that," said Kristen as Constance kicked him in the shin, "Let's get going. Viola?"

Viola put her hand back in the centre, clinging on to Kristen and Erika. The latter then called out, "3, 2, 1!"

Viola immediately pushed down the largest dial on her watch and felt a tug behind her navel. She screwed her eyes shut as she felt air rushing around her as if she were shooting upwards at an inexplicable speed, her feet suddenly feeling that they weren't touching the ground. She kept an iron tight grip on her watch though which seemed to be the only unmoving thing.