Lost Identity: Eloria Series Book 1 | ✓

48: Second Plateau from the Left

7/27/3028

Everyone else was already up when Ilta woke me.

"Morning, Ilta," I said, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. It looked like she had urgent news to share.

"Good morning, Ellis. I need to alert you to something important that has come to my attention," Ilta said.

I stood up. "What's up?"

Ilta held the Ora map attached to her wrist out in front of her and waved her other hand over it. A translucent screen hovered a few inches over the map.

"Detect Ora energies," she said. She closed her eyes, and with her arm outstretched she waved it slowly from left to right. Then a light flickered on the virtual screen and Ilta stopped. "Right there. It seems that an Ora will be appearing tomorrow in the area."

"Your Ora map can do that?" Martin asked from behind us.

"Of course, Martin," Ilta answered, turning her head toward Martin but kept her eyes shut.

Martin leaned his head between Ilta and me, and asked, "Force of habit to keep your eyes closed, Ilta?"

Ilta opened her eyes, looking annoyed. "It was an integral part of Ora training," she replied dully. "Our eyes must be closed in the Ora, but when outside, I find that it helps with concentration and manipulating corin."

"Cool, cool," Martin said, nodding. "How do you call up the holographic screen?"

"The map isn't only made of uni-elk hide. There are fragments of corin attached to it." Ilta answered.

"Uni-elk for the traveling and corin for the screen—got it," said Martin.

"May I borrow your locket, Ellis?" Ilta asked.

"Of course." I took my locket off then handed it to her.

She opened the lid. "It is just as I had suspected. The needle is pointing in the direction of where the Ora energy is. We should be prudent when meeting the Ras, since they are probably aware of this Ora appearance. This would explain why they were so adamant on meeting precisely on Day 28."

"But how would the Ora help them?" I asked.

"Perhaps they plan to take you to Nevv, or somewhere even further away from Ankin jurisdiction. We won't know why until we meet them. I just wanted you to be fully aware of this."

"Got it."

***

For most of the morning I walked in silence. Martin and Elossai were talking up a storm and I was fine with that. Later on, Keiran came to keep my company. I told him about my dream and how my own reflection appeared when I had no longer hoped to see someone else in the third mirror.

"It looks like you've resolved your dream," Keiran said, looking pleased.

"Have I?" I didn't feel sure of it.

"Your reflection appeared in the mirror when you realized that you no longer wanted to be anyone else."

"Then why do I see Sye-Liene and Lise-An in the other two mirrors? Am I supposed to help them in some way?"

"Only you will be able to answer that," he said, encouragingly.

We continued heading southwest, bringing us closer to our destination. In the morning, rays of sunlight penetrated the foliage on to the lush grass that sparkled with the morning dew, but by late afternoon the heat was overwhelming, even with constant shade.