Ch. 5.5 The Way In

So much death…
Risa was trying to concentrate. For a while it was easy, the portal intrigued her – as they usually did, and this one, being made by someone else, was certainly something to look at – but that didn’t last forever.
Cold…
The air conditioning was turned all the way up, which meant ready to cope with temperatures in low and even high forties, which was certainly not a case in this time of the year. Cold was usually good; it made her thoughts sharper. But not that much today.
Her eyes turned to the bodies of their fallen comrades.
I can’t believe I talked to them just couple days ago, and now…
She was angry. Very, very angry and she felt the need to yell or even get into a fight.
That’s good.
She took that anger and locked it inside. It might come handy later.
Portal.
She could see portals for as long as she remembered. It was so normal for her she didn’t realise other people usually can’t; she just thought it’s not something to be talked about. And sometimes, when it was a loud one, you could almost see through. When she concentrated, she could just barely make up rugged edges glowing in red on the other side. Funny how it contrasted with the solid blue here. For sure going through there would trip some kind of alarm… and possibly also shred them to pieces.
Nice.
But where does the other end lead to?
That was much more difficult. This was not an established, natural portal; a portal that would basically hang there or exist potentially. It was artificially made. For that you would need an anchor. Or you would have to scout the place beforehand.
Elk would make an amazing maze of portals, if he was the one to make this escape route. Wolf would have quite unusual traps on most of them.
And who am I?
I am the one who can see. And who learned from others.
For the least amount of energy spent (Tiger never said how many attackers there were, but there had to be quite a number and then get Swan through there, and she would be resisting. And put a trap on the other end and at least a faint disguise…) anchor would be the way.
Anchor can leave an echo. Search for an echo.
But how far?
Risa grunted in frustration.
Portals could be complicated.
But what did Elk say the other day?
“Portal is not the enemy. Or a trap. The portalist is.”
To get the portalist? Easy for an empath to say.
But… to get the portalist now means to be able to follow them later.
The echo. She could feel it now. It slightly crept in. When you can see the portals, sometimes all it takes it’s the time.
There. She could not point the location on the map, but she could open another portal nearby.
To get the portalist?
Better to search for a natural portal that has an opening not so near the other end. She could do that.
This portalist is strong. They are also at least a bit devious…
I will need to examine the other end of this portal. And very, very carefully. If it was Wolf… even the fact of examination would trigger at least something.
She doesn’t need to get the portalist. Just to expect the worst from them. That way she would be able to follow them.
But not to get ahead.
I am not an empath. But Lioness is.
Maybe she could help. Maybe it could work after all.