April 4, 2005 – 01:15 (Winnipeg Time)
"Girl, I'm not questioning you, but General Tobly said that portal was destroyed last year," mind-linked Sonylla to Coralis.
"Not if you are well connected to King Nicolas," answered Coralis to Sonylla. "Please, don't tell that to General Tobly."
Sonylla struggled to keep a blank face and avoided looking at General Tobly.
"Blue knows her way around, don't you worry," said Sonylla to the elders as she followed them to the war room before turning her attention to Frank. "Was King Nicolas at your wedding?"
"He was, yes. Why?"
"Never mind. I should have known before asking."
An hour later, Jourmol connected again to the war room hologram.
"We made it to St. John's. Halifax is a very short flying distance so we'll be ready to pass through your fixed portal in about 15 minutes."
"I never knew you to be a flyer, that's good to know," said Emery.
"I'm not. I'm riding with Blue because I got shot off mine in Madrid. I have no excuses if she's flying in her physical condition as if it's an everyday walk in the park, and I'm her passenger."
"It is an everyday walk in the park for her," said Sebastian.
"That girl does not portal, be glad she agreed to use the fixed network," said Sonylla, which made Sebastian and Emery laugh.
"If her physical and elemental conditions are as bad as what I am hearing, I would not recommend her using any other type of portals than the fixed ones," said High Mage Finnas while getting up to leave the war room and return to the portals area.
Sebastian stopped laughing to stare at High Mage Finnas.
"The flyball fan transpires out of you, Finnas," said High Fay Ellya.
"No. That'd be the mage in me. For someone like her, flying is safer than portalling. It's about the control over the variables."
At 2:30 local time, the fixed portal lit up. Reading Jourmol's energy signature and recognizing it from its agent database, it let him through without needing anyone to approve it. Coralis's hand on his shoulder, she passed through without complications.
Coralis wasn't recognizable. Not only was her visible skin covered in bruises, burned spots and crusted blood, almost her entire self was covered in djinn blood. Regardless, Frank recognized her and hugged her tight as soon as she passed through, feeling his eyes getting moist.
"You should have portalled from South Africa to Morocco. What were you thinking?"
"TOBLY! ENOUGH!" said High Elf Yalor as Coralis parted from Frank.
"It was too risky and our destination was heavily warded against portals. Non-fixed portals can be intercepted. Travelling by air, we can tell when people are following or have eyes on us."
A nurse approached them to check on Coralis and Jourmol, but couldn't see much because of the blood on Coralis and dirt on Jourmol.
"No, you should have gotten out of there as quickly as possible. Portals are the way to go."
"TOBLY! That's enough!" said High Fay Ellya.
"Look, I'm exhausted and this is the last place I want to be right now. I came here because I was told my mate would be here. I will not argue with you about plan details. In all due respects, keep your thoughts to yourself, or I will leave."
"You had to come here. No fixed portals are going to Montreal, if it were where you wanted to go."
"I do not need fixed portals to travel. Keep it up, and I'm leaving. I'm dead serious. I do not work for you, I do not need to be here, and I do not even need to answer you. You want me here for a reason, but if it is to pass ignorant comments on why it is what it is, you'll talk with yourself because I'll be out of here. I have zero patience for hellshit tonight."
Sonylla and Emery couldn't help themselves and laughed, and even High Elf Frizzo chuckled.
"Tobly, one more word coming out of you, and I'm dismissing you for tonight," said High Mage Finnas as he started walking toward their meeting room.
"We did want you here for a reason, yes, but it is not to criticize tonight's events. Blue Thunder, we are not questioning your abilities to carry on a crucial mission. Please, for the love of the gods and goddesses, ignore what Tobly is telling you. His opinions do not reflect ours," said High Fay Ellya.
Sebastian stared at High Fay Ellya as he gave Coralis a vial of mighty monster juice. There was something he should warn his sister-in-law about, but he couldn't put his finger on. 'I can usually catch almost everything… but I'm missing something here,' he thought.