When I woke up in the m, as always, I checked the archive to see if Lyura had answered. There was still no answer, but there was something else. I looked at the Map and saw a new Gate in Austria.

  I went to the suite’s living room and said, “Guys, you o see this. Open the Archive and look at the seessage from the top.”

  Tr. AHM

  To all my esteemed fellow Travelers, I am in need of your assistance regarding an urgent matter. I guarantee a substantial repeo anyone present in the world named Gaia who is willing to e to my aid. My current whereabouts are in the vilge of Johnsbach, situated within the kingdom of Austria.

  “There is also a new Gate in Austria that wasn’t there before,” I said.

  Lis hummed, his brow furrowing slightly as he nodded. “Yeah, we should help. They might be in trouble if they were desperate enough to call for help.”

  “You don’t think it’s something dangerous?”

  Lis tilted his head, sidering the question for a moment before replying. “You tell me, you know this world better.”

  “I don’t think it’s physical danger,” I said, mulling over the possibilities.

  “Write them a message to stay put. Let’s add the Gate here to our t and go see what the pressing matter is,” Mahya suggested.

  Tr. AHM

  To all my esteemed fellow Travelers, I am in need of your assistance regarding an urgent matter. I guarantee a substantial repeo anyone present in the world named Gaia who is willing to e to my aid. My current whereabouts are in the vilge of Johnsbach, situated within the kingdom of Austria.

  Tr. JR

  Stay in Johnsbach. We will arrive to assist you in a day or two.

  We rented a car and drove to the Gate.

  Travelers Gate #482136295 Destination: Nahun Status: Ied Mana level: 33 Threat level: Moderate

  “This be another option for our world,” I told Mahya.

  “Another? I don’t remember a medium mana before,” she said, tilting her head.

  “I know of three Gates that lead to mana level 32. I don’t remember the name; let me check.”

  I took out the old notebook I used before leaving for Shimoor. After flipping through quite a few pages, I found it.

  “Here it is, Lumis. Have you ever heard of it?” I asked, looking up from the page.

  Mahya shook her head. “No.”

  “It’s mana 32, and the threat level to humans is moderate.” I read out the details.

  “That’s the usual threat level for this mana level,” Lis said.

  “Why?” I asked, frowning. “Isn’t it supposed to be low?”

  “Monsters in the wild or mas,” Mahya expined with a casual shrug.

  “Oh,” I murmured, processing the information.

  “Don’t worry; it’s less threatening than it sounds. You stomp them like bugs with your level, even without your new css,” she reassured me, smiling. “In this case, the threat level applies more to a baby Traveler. You aren’t a baby anymore.”

  “I’m not that experienced either. Shimoor only had those annoying, bitey level one monsters called Jurbers, and once I got burned by a level two fire-spitting toad with a sticky tongue,” I admitted, wing at the memory.

  “Yes, but in Tuone, you didn’t even twitch from level three and four cats,” Mahya pointed out.

  “True. I’ll trust you on this one,” I said, nodding as I closed the notebook, feeling a bit more fident.

  My red light was blinking.

  Css: Gate Traveler Level 4Gates to level (12/12)Level up+1 to all stats, +5 free points, +1 ability pointCss: Gate Traveler Level 5Stat points: 5Ability points: 199Gates to level (0/17)

  I added the free points tth, which was the lowest, together with Agility.

  We flew from Marseille to Graz, Austria, slept one night in Graz, and theed a car in the m. The drive through the winding roads was beautiful, and I admired the sery as roached Johnsbach. As we he vilge, I g Lis, who was also looking at the sery.

  “Any idea how to find them?” I asked, keeping my eyes on the road.

  “We’ll go to the ter; if we don’t feel them, we’ll write a message through the Archive to meet us there.”

  I was gd we were driving here in the summer. The pce looked like it would be under meters of snow in the winter. It was a very picturesque area, with high mountains ao a beautiful national park. At least we arrived at a fuo visit ahe beauty of nature.

  When we reached the ter of the vilge, we felt the Traveler. We parked the car and followed the feeling. As we got closer and saw his pointy ears, Mahya and I stopped.

  “It’s one of the monsters from Tír na nóg,” she said, sounding angry.

  “No, he’s not.” Lis said, “Use your senses; he is strohan Lyura but weaker than John. The denizens of Tír na nóg were strohan me on many levels.”

  He was tall and lean, with long blond hair and very light blue eyes, glowing like all the Travelers.

  roached him, aood up and said something in German. I shook my head and said, “English.”

  He sighed deeply and looked put upon, but I felt him spend the mana. We started saying random words in English. “House,” “chair,” “bird,” “sky,” “watermelon” ... after five minutes, we switched to plete sentences, “I’m reading a book,” “the boy wants to py outside,” “I saw a good show on TV” ...

  e on, buddy, what’s taking so long?

  “Let’s go for a walk,” “The coffee spilled on the floor” ...

  Finally, after twenty minutes, he said, “That will suffice. You have the honor of meeting Alfonsen Holerand Mirbit VII, heir to the throne of Mirbit, from the world of Leylos.”

  Lis seelepathically in a ical tone, “Oh, great, one of those.” And Mahya snickered. Rue walked up to him and sniffed his crotch.

  I’ve never seen him do that!

  Alfonsen screeched, “What are you doing?! You vile creature! Remove yourself from my prese once!”

  Rue scoffed at him, actually scoffed out loud.

  Oh, boy!

  I uood what Lis meant. Lis cast a Privacy Sphere. We introduced ourselves, and I asked, “What’s the urgent matter you need assistah?”

  “You are required to act as my guides in this perplexing enviro and guarahat I accumute a signifit number of ability points and fill my missing csses. When you arrive in the world of Leylos, my family will vish you with tremendous rewards.”

  “You sent an SOS because you wanted a tuide?” I asked.

  “I know not of the SOS you are speaking of. However, as I am the future monarirbit, you are obliged to help me achieve my goals.”

  I just stared at him, and Lis and Mahya were making choked sounds. I turo look at them with a giant question mark on my face, and they lost it. Both of them roared with ughter. After a sed, I started ughing too.

  Alfonsen looked offended and said, “This is an unsightly duct.”

  We ughed even harder.

  After I mao stop ughing, I said, “You’re right, sorry.”

  I telepathically asked the three of them, “What should we do with him? I’m not sure leaving him here is a good idea.”

  Mahya sent, sounding very pleased. “Let’s take him with us; he will be a great source of eai.”

  Lis sent, sounding annoyed, “I hate ravelers urs, it doesn’t matter, they are all shitheads.”

  Rue sent, “No! Friend!”

  “Yeah, buddy, you’re right. He’s not very friendly, but maybe he will learn.”

  I asked them again, “Take with us or leave?”

  Mahya nodded enthusiastically with a huge smile, looking like a bobblehead. Lis thought momentarily and nodded, but still didn’t look happy. Rue .

  I turo him and said, “Well, Alfonsen, you e with us and maybe collee points and csses on the way, but we won’t be serving as your desiguides and specifically helping you collect what you want.”

  He looked ed and said, “I will thank you to address me by my full name, and I shall not follow you as a mere vagrant. It is incumbent upon you to serve as my guides.”

  That pissed me off. “Listen, buddy, if you think that every time I address you, I will say that long and ridiculous name, you’re way off. Besides, we don’t owe you anything. You might be some heir to some try or other, but remember, the universe is huge, and your try is just a speck of dust in the big picture. So either get off yh horse and join us on our terms or stay here and find your own way. You got me?”

  He just stared at me like I eaking ese. Lis and Mahya lost it again.

  I shook my head; they were of no help.

  Finally, wheopped ughing, Lis said, “Let’s add this Gate to our t and go to Germany.”

  We checked the location, which was very close, so we walked there. We pretty much ignored Alfonsen; It to him now—I said my piece.

  Travelers Gate #568333259 Destination: MusrStatus: Ied Mana level: 22 Threat level: Low

  We returo the car, and Alfonsen followed us like a lost puppy. I felt sorry for him. I guessed he grew up with everybody catering to him, and suddenly, he faced a differey. We got in the car, and he followed suit. At least he knew what was good for him.

  “I traveled Musr a long time ago, but I don’t remember there being a Gate to a teological world,” Lis said, rubbing his . “But maybe it was so long ago, on top of the time skips, that the teology level progressed.”

  “The Gate I entered reviously designated for Leylos; however, it abruptly altered its destination,” Alfonsen said.

  Lis turned back to Alfonsen abruptly. “The Gate ged?” he asked, sounding worried.

  “Yes.”

  Lis cursed under his breath, running a hand through his hair. “Shit. I don’t think we’ll have time for Afrid a both. If Gates are switg, the speed of the mana rise will double and triple very soon.”

  Mahya and I exged ghrough the rearview mirror before speaking in unison, “a.” “a.”

  “Why?” Lis asked.

  I grinned, shrugging. “Cheap stuff to sell.”

  Lis gave a quiod. “Okay, let’s finish with Germany and fly to a.”

  When we parked at the airport, I switched my vision to look at Alfonsen. He looked the same, except for the pointy ears and glowing eyes. That was good enough.

  “Did you jure identifications?” I asked him.

  He nodded and showed me an Austrian passport.

  “Earth is unfamiliar with magic, so please don’t take things out of your Ste where somebody see,” I warned him.

  He nodded again.

  “Do you have local money?”

  “No.”

  “How did you pay for your stay in Johnsbach?”

  In a proud tone, he said, “I bestowed a gold upon them.”

  I took out a reloadable credit card with a thousand euros loaded onto it and ha to him. “Give me ten gold s and take this,” I said. “It has a thousand units of the local currency.”

  He frowned, holding the card with two fingers as if it were dirty. “It is unbeing for a prio assume responsibility for expenses when escorted by his subjects.”

  I let out an exasperated sigh, rolling my eyes. “Your princely ass get out of the car, as far as I’m ed, and go find some other subject to ‘assume responsibility for expenses,’” I shot back, my patience wearing thin. “I don’t owe you anything.”

  What did I get myself into?

  Lis and Mahya lost it again, and I wale them, especially Lis. Mahya was a troublemaker, but I expected him to help me at least. I shook my head in resignation. I had no words.

  Alfonsen looked offended and huffed, but he gave me the gold.

  We flew to Germany and visited both Gates by train. Alforailed behind us, looking even more like a lost puppy, but he stopped assuming we owed him anything, at least.

  I discovered ohat US and UK citizens need a visa to go to a. I initially sidered applying for a visa, but Lis suggested we jure new Europeaifications.

  We had three days in Frankfurt before our flight to Beijing, so I took the carrot approach for a ge aered the four of us for three workshops.

  High Heels Dang in LaCalidad Dance terPole DangHaering & Brushlettering WorkshopWe needed high heels for the first one. After a quick searline, I found a shop he Drag Queen Closet, and we went there to buy high heels for the three of us.

  When we walked into the shop, a salespersoed us. He/she—I wasn’t sure which pronoun they preferred—was in full drag but had a mustache.

  Alfoarted hyperventiting slightly, his breaths ing faster as his eyes darted nervously. Finally, he squeaked, his voice barely above a whisper, “I am uain about this endeavor.”

  I pced a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “You want an ability point?” I asked.

  He hesitated, then nodded, his voice still shaky. “Yes.”

  “Then be certain,” I said with a reassuring smile. “Trust me, workshops are a lot of fun.”

  The three of us had a bst in the workshop, especially Mahya, when she saw Lis arying to learn to walk in high heels before we even started the dance part. Alfonsen just looked mortified.

  Ha!

  He didn’t know yet what the workshop was. I felt evil, but those were the only workshops the three of us could farm. We did so many that we were severely limited.

  In the Pole Dang workshop, when the instructor expined about being sexy aive, he turned and walked out—his loss. He came back ten mier, looking resolute, and joihe css, but he was stiff and looked mortified during the ehree hours.

  The three of us had a bst in the workshop, trying to be as sexy as possible with plenty of ass wiggles, seductive hand movements over our bodies, and pyful tongue flicks.

  After the workshop, the instructor leaned in with a spiratorial smile and said, “I wish all my students were as aodating and easygoing as the three of you. But,” she added quietly, l her voice, “I suggest you lose the uptight prick.”

  We ughed and thanked her again for aertaining workshop.

  The lettering workshop was sedate, and Alfonsen managed without losing his cool.

  Progress!