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Raven and the others were walking down a rough path through the great trunks of ancient pine trees, thickly packed together in a dense tangle indicative of an untouched wilderness. The air smelled of pine and with each step, dozens of layers of needles gathered over the years were crushed underfoot, sending still more of the scent lofting up towards their noses. The entire area and all that surrounded them sent a peaceful aura whispering across their group. What little bird song that they could hear was quite far off. The sky was overcast, even though they couldn’t see it from under the canopy. It was dark as twilight, even though the sunset was still hours away. The path weaved through the branches seemingly at random, so they could not see where it ended, and the beginning of the path had long since been obscured. After about a mile traveling through the untouched wilderness, they started to pass large stones, roughly shaped and worn down by the weather. The rocks were large and would have passed as boulders except for the occasional sharp edge that belied any natural formation. Their destination was a small clearing littered with still more of the large stone blocks. In the center of the roughly circular clearing, there was a large stone circle, inscribed with ancient writings. LeShana and the others hung back as the gatekeeper approached the stone circle alone, so Raven was obliged to stay with them. The gatekeeper walked to the edge of the stone circle and closed his eyes, standing there for a long time, silently holding his arms out to his sides. Just beneath the surface of reality, Raven could feel power growing around the man.
LeShana explained telepathically, answering many of his unasked questions, and having no doubt sensed those questions through their growing bond.
Raven commented to her, as his long ago school lessons were remembered. Just then, the energy that the gatekeeper had been gathering reached a feverish pitch, so much so that it seemed to warp the very air around them. The gatekeeper then started to weave the energy that he gathered. It felt in many ways like a pass-through, the portals that had been created to get them to the treaty council, except that it was a thousand times more powerful. Like the notes of a song unheard by any ear, the energies started to weave a doorway over the stone circle. They could all sense the gatekeeper reaching far away for places unknown to Raven. He might not have been able to follow where that path led the gatekeeper, but he could feel the point when the gatekeeper found what and where he was seeking. More of the energy slipped away and the tunnel he had created snapped into place with a flash of very real and very bright light. A vortex filled the door shape hanging over the stone circle with a crackle of energy, like the momentary flash of lightning. It was a swirling tunnel of white and deep blue, and far off down the tunnel, they could see a stone room with a curved ceiling. He would not get a second chance to look, Destin clapped him on the back and ran for the tunnel, so Raven ran with them, crossing the distance in a few pounding heartbeats. LeShana was the first through and Sarath was barely a second behind her. Solair and Destin were the next to go through. Raven did not hesitate knowing that the gate consumed a lot of energy and that the gatekeeper could only hold it open for so long. He leapt into the vortex and was suddenly immersed in a separate world, not one of light and sound, but one of energy. He could hear his thoughts echo a thousand times, his eyes were dazzled, and direction failed to have meaning. Energy cascaded over him, making his skin tingle. It was over in a few heartbeats and he landed in the stone room he had glimpsed from billions of miles away, back on Earth. Raven felt his knees buckle as soon as his feet touched the stone floor, and he hit the floor hard, bruising his knees and hands, sending his bags scattering across the smooth stone. He took many deep breaths as he stared down at the polished stone floor below his hands, LeShana was at his side seconds later.
"It'll pass." LeShana reassured him firmly. "Created gates can be hell on the senses."
"Why aren't you on the floor?" Raven asked her.
"We are all trained mages and have done this hundreds of times." She explained with a little bit of soft laughter. Raven was soon able to rise with LeShana's help and support. He then noticed that Destin and Sarath had split his bags between them and were waiting for him to recover. Solair was explaining something to a spear bearing guard a few feet away. As Raven waited for the disorientation to pass, he looked around the room. The walls and ceiling formed a great semi circle over their heads, and in the center there was a curved sky light. The walls and ceiling were heavily carved with strange writings. There were four mechanical doors, each heading in different directions. In the exact center of the room there was a great glowing crystal that levitated three feet above the floor. It was the only source of light in the room. In rainbow hues it spread its' light through the large chamber, allowing a shifting cloud of color to be scattered across the floor and walls. Its' surface shimmered with indescribable patterns and tones of light, as whispers of color arced through the blinding glow of pure white.
"That is the center of the Salak'patan, it generates the hallways and connects to all the planets that can be reached through those passages. It is unbelievably ancient and powerful." LeShana explained after noticing the direction of his gaze. "Ready to go?" She asked him, and Raven nodded, though he was entirely sure if he was lying with that simple gesture. LeShana supported him as they walked towards one of the mechanical doors.
"We arranged for you two to get the bonded quarters next to ours before we left, that way there will not be a second incident." Destin told them, chuckling over some thought he did not share. Raven wisely did not ask what 'incident' Destin was talking about. He knew that he would not like the answer. "They are not far away." Destin added as they walked along. Sarath was the first to reach the door, she pushed the button and was rewarded instantly by their opening. The two metal doors parted to reveal a small carriage with padded seats lining the walls. LeShana helped him to reach one of the seats, where he could turn to look through the window and admire the view he saw before him.
The Center looked as if had been carved out a great volcanic crater. The crystal chamber sat suspended over the very center of the hollow depth by four great curved arches of stone that connected with the rim of the crater. Far off at the bottom Raven could make out a lake and a grove of trees. The walls of the crater were lined with large stone balconies, seemingly thousands of them, each with windows and doors leading inside to the rooms beyond. Some of the balconies were lit by the glow of the rooms that lay behind them. To the south there was another volcanic peak, that one sporting a huge window almost a hundred feet tall. It glowed with a thousand different colors, and he did not doubt that the whole peak had to have been hollowed out to create a window like that one. In the sky, there were three moons, one was silver, one was a cool blue, and another was dark green. Past the crater, there was vast forest for many miles extending nearly to the horizon, unbroken except for a few houses. Far off in the distance there was the faint glow of a city.
The carriage started to move slowly, sliding along the top of the stone column heading for the rim of the crater beyond as he watched the changing scenery with a sense of wonder. A pair of Dragons flew past the light of the moon, perfecting the scene, almost as if they were welcoming Raven home. The carriage stopped and the doors at the other end opened up. With LeShana's help, Raven walked through them. On the other side there was lobby and a bank of elevators that would take them down into the crater. They walked past the reception area towards the set of elevators, and Sarath pushed the button of the fourth doorway which was larger than the other three. Raven soon found out why, the doors opened and revealed a smaller version of the carriage. This one could only seat six people, eight if they were all good friends. Sarath punched in a destination code and the carriage set off at a pace that was shockingly fast. It shot forward through a tunnel just wide enough for the carriage and nothing else.
"The Center's crater is far too large to just walk through. Wit
hout transports, it could take two hours to walk from one side to the other." Destin told him. It was a short trip, and paused at the next station, where they got out. They stepped out into a plain carved stone hallway lined with doorways every fifty feet or so.
"These are the bonded partners rooms, easily the most heavily shielded rooms at the Center." Solair told him.
"Why so heavily shielded?" Raven asked her, not really sure what she was telling him.
"Bonded couples can experience far more intense emotions than a normal couple. After all, we are so closely connected that we are practically living in each others' heads. This intensifies our emotions, and without really heavy shields those emotions will be projected." Solair explained with a small smile. "Also, twice a year a bonded couple will need to spend at least a week together with no outside contact. It is necessary to help us keep clear headed and renew the bond. If it's delayed, it becomes harder to communicate, and can cause serious medical problems up to, and including, death." She added as her smile turned very grim.
"Is it too late to reconsider?" Raven asked with a quiet smile. LeShana smacked him on the arm. "Please say it's not." Raven added, and was rewarded with another smack.
"This one is yours." Destin told them, stopping in front of one of the many doors. LeShana slipped in next to him and pressed her palm against the small metal panel at the side of the door. Destin, Solair, and Sarath stepped inside first. Sarath and Destin deposited their burdens near the door. "Get some sleep, and when your ready, call us. We will go get the paperwork done and get assessments on what Raven actually does know." Destin suggested as he turned back towards the door. LeShana nodded and stepped inside, Raven following her. LeShana called an unfamiliar word and the lights came on, revealing a collection of furniture piled in the center of the room. They were standing to one side of a large room, and there was a large fire place along the right hand wall. It looked like it was shared with the bedroom since he could see a large bed through the small opening. The left hand wall was dominated by a large, flat screen and the door, and there was small kitchenette in the other wall. The far wall was all glass, comprising huge, floor to ceiling windows that gave a tremendous view out over the crater. There were a pair of glass door that led out onto a huge curved stone balcony that peered out over the abyss of the crater wall. There was a door just past the fireplace that led into the large bedroom, and from there, into the bathroom with a tub that was more than large enough for two and there was also a small shower stall. Raven smiled at the idea of sharing a bath with LeShana. Back in the bedroom there was a large bed with two closets, a wardrobe, and a dresser with a mirror mounted to the top.
"I see they were good enough to bring my things here." LeShana murmured disapprovingly as Raven returned from his exploration. She glared at the pile of furniture, rugs, and curtains. "And I was hoping to go straight to bed." She swore and grabbed the curtains. Raven sighed in return as he started to dig the chairs out of the pile. He moved the large table to one side of the balcony doorways and arranged several wooden chairs around it. LeShana hung the long whispery curtains across the windows and doors with a bit of magic. When she was done, she took care of a multitude of rugs to cover the cold stone floor, in the living room and the bedroom. Raven moved the couch, placed two lounge chairs near it, and the coffee table in the center. There were several smaller tables that Raven put near the walls. When LeShana was finished with the rugs, she mounted several pictures by drilling screws into the walls with magic. Afterwards, she went to put sheets on the bed and clean up the mess the movers had made of her clothes and possessions. Raven put a few stools near the counter of the kitchenette, and then went to help LeShana unpack the boxes in the bedroom. It took them about an hour to get everything arranged to LeShana's liking, and by then Raven could more than feel the day catching up with him.
"Would you like to share a bath with me?" LeShana asked him, and Raven nodded tiredly.
"Just no funny stuff, otherwise you'll be carrying me to bed." Raven warned her with a smile. LeShana went to draw a bath and Raven went to find some clothes he could change into for sleep.