The Time Stone Crystal

Chapter 6 - The First of the Seven Portals

"Get dressed!" Kairo said to her.

"Huh? What for?" she was confused. After they had taken their breakfast with the young man and she was able to rest, he suddenly told her to get dressed. She had no idea where they were going and what kind of dress she was going to wear. She was already disgusted with what she was wearing now.

"My caretaker Margareth will take care of you," he said thoughtfully.

"The woman suddenly entered the room where I was staying? She doesn't know how to speak English," she feels upset.

"Yeah. It's Margareth."

She sighs. She did nothing but follow the young man's order rather than make an argument again. She turned his back on him and then went upstairs. When she entered the room, Kairo's caretaker Margareth was already there. It was only then that she found out her name because she did not ask the woman before. How can she ask her if they do not understand each other?

On the other hand, the woman was kind to her and give her what's her different needs. She always smiles every time they meet each other. Margareth was also the lovely woman she ever met.

"Questo è il tuo vestito. (This is your dress,)" she pointed to the dress on the top of the bed.

She smiled slightly at her and then approached the woman. She already knew that was the dress that Kairo wanted her to wear. She slowly picked up the clothes on the bed then Margareth moved behind her to remove her clothes. She just let it do what the woman's doing while she was helping to take off her clothes. She does also not feel ashamed because they are just the same woman.

A few minutes later, she was wearing the clothes of a warrior woman. She looked at herself in the mirror as Margareth adjusted the part of her dress at the back. She was wearing knee-length boots, trousers, strapless, which was quite thick and with a strap at the end. She feels like a warrior from the sss. In the battle with Greek warriors in amazonomachies in classical art, they often depicted. From the early modern period, their name has become a term for female warriors in general. After adjusting her back, the woman put a thick, long white cloak around her body.

"Ne hai bisogno per il tuo viaggio con il Maestro Kairo (You need it for your journey with Master Cairo,)" said the woman.

She nodded again, even though she did not understand anything, and then replied. "Where are we going with Kairo? Do you have an idea?"

"A una distanza molto lontana, (In a faraway distance,)" she pointed outside at the same time.

"Still, I do not understand what you have said. You did understand what I am asking, but you replied with your language." She whispered to herself. "Lord, you can finally take me to your side. No wonder if I am out of breath again and run out of blood," she is kidding aside to herself.

"Let's go!" Margareth said again.

The woman also grabbed her arm and hasty walk downstairs. They also did that posthaste when the last time she helped her to dress up. She feels that every edge of a minute is very significant to them. Well, she is in the other era, and time would be different than the usual cycle. 

SHE SAW Kairo outside with two white horses while staring at her glance as they are approaching.

"Maestro, è pronto, (Master, she is ready,)" she said in her language.

"Gracias! (Thank you!)" Kairo replied.

The woman turned around and return to the mansion. 

"Mount in," Kairo told her. 

"On horseback?" at the same time, she pointed to the white horse.

"Yeah. We will take a long journey, and we cannot use only one horse."

"Alright."

"You know how to ride a horse, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Do you need help?"

"I can handle it by myself. I am quite good when riding a horse. Watch and learn," Weng said with blow one's own trumpet to the young man.

Kairo just shook his head, but his face remained emotionless. 

She moves to ride the horse unwary. She is confident in herself. She was in college back then when her friends decided to go to Batangas. One of her classmates has their ranch, and they spent their whole vacation learning about the horses. Please be nice to me, horsey. She prayed.

At first, she slowly mounted up. But she holds the rein in the wrong way, and Kairo could see what she did. She pulled it tightly unnoticed, so the horse suddenly moved and raised two feet forward.

"W-what⸻aaahhh!" she screamed. She lost her balance when suddenly the horse she was riding unbalanced too. She did not find her way of holding in and fell on the horse. 

But, Kairo moves fast than the speed of light to catch her in an instant. 

"Oh, my God!" she quickly clasps to Kairo.

"What the⸻" 

"I'm dying! I'm dying! I don't want to ride it again!" she complained, and then she took a deep sighed. Her heart was pounding because she was so nervous about what had happened. She did not expect it, but she seems to remember how the right process to mount in was. I might have hurt the horse!

"You pulled the rein tightly and made the horse terrible strangled!" Kairo was annoyed. "You might hurt the horse in that tempestuous act of yours. I thought you knew?"

Kairo helps her to stand again.

"I thought so. I apologize!" 

Kairo shook his head again and then turned his attention to the wild horse. He first touches the head of the horse and then holds the rein. "Mount in. I will help you," he said in his serious look at her. 

She let out a faint sigh. "Okay." She walks in his direction.

"Hold my hand," he ordered.

She doubted to hold the hand he showed, but she obeyed the young man's command after. There was something she felt strange when she touches his palms. 

It was a feeling she had only felt in her whole life. She could not help but stare into his eyes, but he already laid his glimpse to her. His golden eyes are bright as the morning sun comes from the east and as peaceful as the blue sky above. Then noticed that he was wearing an all-blue long coat with a golden design, knee-length blue shorts, long white socks, and a pair of blue shoes. He is also wearing a gold leaf headpiece on his head. He was just like a prince in his outfit. She wondered why is it that the young man changes his clothes from time to time. 

"Will you ride, or will you keep staring into my eyes?" he seriously said to her while his forehead is wrinkled.

"Ah..mounting in!" she averted her gaze from him. She got on the horse again, but at that moment, she was cautious. She did not want to embarrass the young man anymore.

"You just calm down in the whole process of riding. I know you know, but you just forgot and being restive. You are just too carried away by your emotions. Let your emotions flow in harmony and centralize. Humans are head-headed," he shook his head again and then turned towards his horse.

She did not retort him and stared at the leash. I thought he was okay the other day we almost had an accident! He is unpredictable! She glanced at him again, which had already mounted on his horse. He became even more attractive in her eyes, especially his sitting like a real prince. Control yourself, Weng! When have you ever been attracted to a man? You have just reached the age of forty, but no one has taken your attention. Just only for him. My God! Keep me away from temptation! Even her mind was in arguing momentum.

"We are going to an era where there is a possibility that Hyperion is hiding. Are you ready?"

She only realizes then that they were leaving. They will look for the young man's rival and bring back the half stone from the beast.

"You just told me now that we will look for him. As I said before, I will go with you to find him, and I will be able to get back."

"Just prepare yourself," he did not even look at her.

She turned her attention in front of them. I will prepare myself. As you ever wish, young man!

Kairo slowly raised his right hand, and then vast golden light energy came out from his eyes. It shines gold towards her raised hand. Moments later, the gold energy accumulated there, and then it exploded towards them. Another portal opened again. She feels astounded while just watching what the young man was doing a magical thing. She also admires his ability to open doorways to connect with the past or the future. He is determined to find and rebuild the half stone from Hyperion, his ultimate rival beast.

She also felt some nervousness when she feels the force pulling them into the portal, but she just calmed herself down. She also needs to get serious at that point.

"Let's go!" he said to her. He maneuvered the horse running towards the portal where they would pass. 

She just turns her glimpse to the young man who later entered inside. This is it! I will stand by this. She even made her sign of the cross before she maneuvered her horse. As she approached the portal, her time seemed to slow-motion same as the moment when they were in the midst of chaos and almost doomed. That light was also dazzling so, and she slightly looks away on the other side. 

She passes through to the other dimension with the light has vanished, and then she glanced forward. She feels freezing temperatures around her. She rolled her eyes surround and notice the winter season day. The cold breeze wrapped the whole place, and every footstep of the horse drowned in the dense snow terrain, but her horse just kept running until it slowed down. She saw the horse of Kairo, and then she stopped next to it.

"Kairo!" She called him. "Y-you didn't say we were going to a frozen place! God! I will be like a frozen fish in a fridge!" she complained.

"Follow me if you don't want to be salted fish here."

She feels infuriated and just followed him after.

THEY CAME to a big European house surrounded by thick ice. An older man and a young man met them at the entrance. They both got off the horse, and the person took them inside. When they entered the house, a lady was there who immediately took care of them. She could no longer feel the cold around compared to when they were outside. She did not yet know where they were and what era they had been.

"This is the Adamson Family. Mrs. Melves, Mr. Malcolm, and Francis, their grandchild." Kairo introduces her to the family. "She's my companion from now on. She's Weng."

They already sit on an old-fashioned sofa.

"We are glad to meet you," Mrs. Melves bowed slightly.

"Ah.." She was astounded again when finally someone spoke her language. "I'm glad to meet you too." She did not know if she would bow the same or not, but she preferred the first one as it showed her respect. She slightly turned in response.

"I will fix the landau you will use, Master Kairo. Do you need anything else?" Mr. Malcolm asked him.

Nothing else. Thank you," the young man replied.

Malcolm got up and took Francis to prepare the landau they were going to use. The lady also turned around to prepare them something to eat.

"Where are we, Kairo?" she could not restrain herself in this time to ask him.

Kairo glance at her. "I'll explain to you later as we travel." He stood up. "I will just follow Mr. Malcolm outside.

"You would not tell it to me today?"

"No," he replied directly.

He also stood up. "B-but Kairo⸻"

"Weng! Could you please stop asking? I said it once⸻"

"You said it once?" She cut him off. "Of course, I will ask you where we are supposed to be because you are the only one who knows about this place. Can't you tell me now? What's the difference between now and later?" she put both hands on her waist. She can't even control her emotions burst and out of her temper.

Kairo looked at him deeply. "Look! You own half of the Stone Crystal, and when Hyperion finds out where we are, he can easily get it from you. I keep the possibility that he will be ahead of us because I do not trust those around us. Now, if you want to speed up our search for that monster, can you keep quiet first and stop asking questions? Just wait for the time when I need to explain this to you. Understood?" Indeed the last word it said to her.

She is stunned. She couldn't believe that the young man would just talk to her like that. She did not know what would be the possible things she does to him, and even in a simple question, he might be indignant. She simply restrained herself so that their argument would not prolong. The young man walks out as she sat down in the living room again. She took off her white cloak and remained silent.