When Geo woke up Jaeger wasn’t in his bed. Since Biss wasn’t around either Geo assumed that they went for a walk. Something he realized, they rarely made unless it was safe to do so. When he went into the middle room of the three-room apartment he found both Diane and Conrad sitting there. Diane was studying some complicated papers and Conrad seemed to be in deep thought. Diane looked up from her notes and saw Geo entering.

  “Hello Geo. How are you? Made a decision yet?”

  Geo smiled and nodded:

  “Yes. I would like to join you on your mysterious quest. I don’t know how much of help I can be of. But if you want me with you, please take me with you on your journey.”

  Geo bowed respectfully, and Diane put her notes to the side and hugged him. Conrad sat up and declared professionally:

  “We can discuss everything later, when Jaeger returns. For now, why don’t we get something to eat and drink. I am starving.”

  Conrad left the room and left Geo and Diane alone. She offered him to sit down with her with a quick hand movement and a friendly smile.

  “So, I guess you aren’t just traveling priests, Aren’t you?”

  “Conrad is a priest. And he was on the road for a few years. Mostly as an emissary between the various churches of Reso, but it I am not really one. That is true. But don’t worry. We will explain once everyone is here.”

  “Oh, ok.”

  They both sat at the table in an unusual silence. Normally they had something to discuss. From magic to Geo’s home or even whatever the caravan had going on. But this time there wasn’t a topic of conversation open, aside for the one that they would discuss later. It became a bit weird for Geo once he realized that, this is the first time that he was alone with a girl ever since he left his homeland. Normally either Conrad or Jaeger was around, their absence was almost painfully clear. Diane didn’t have anything to talk about either as she just sat there in silence. Thankfully it didn’t last for too long as both Jaeger and Conrad came after a few minutes back from their errands. Conrad brought some unusual ring-shaped breads on a stick while Jaeger bought some smoked fish and soft cheese. A typical breakfast for the area apparently. It was a first in long time. that Geo paid much attention to the food that he ate. A shame he thought since he really enjoyed the slightly salty smoked fish and cheese combination. Although Geo enjoyed it Conrad made it very clear that he didn’t want the cheese anywhere near his plate. Something that made Geo chuckle a little. Jaeger seemed indifferent to the food here. Diane seemed to share this opinion of the food. At least Biss seemed happy as he happily chewed on some smaller fish that were pieces of bycatch that Jaeger got for cheap. After the meal was done it was time for the official business. Conrad, Diane and Jaeger made it obvious that this coming discussion was very important and to be taken seriously.

  “Geoffrey Marshal. Thank you for joining us on our quest. Despite not being clearly told what we are doing here. As our vagueness implies the topic is top secret and we ask you to not talk to anyone about it unless the person already knows about it. To explain what we are doing here we need to give you context on the situation for it to make any sense.

  So, let us begin. About 50 years ago Diane’s grandfather came up with a revolutionary idea. A way to move an object far away in a short amount of time. Although vague he started to work on this idea and made multiple sketches and theories on how to do near instant teleportation. Since it took a long time but about 34 years ago he got the funding to finish his prototype. Two teleportation fields that were able to transport a man over twenty kilometers far. Not enough to be practical so when 15 years ago the technic was improved to a practical level a plan was hatched. We want to make teleportation fields in allied countries. Although it isn’t ready for the general population access to it will be made to influential people who agreed to our terms. And this is where we come in. Right now, there are only three people who can draw and understand the teleportation circles.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  Two of them are journeying along the continent to connect the allied countries. They are Diane and her older brother Leo. Leo travels along the western lands and Diane along the eastern once to draw the circles in the respected areas.

  Got that Geo?”

  Although Conrad spoke clearly Geo was completely lost.

  “Wait a minute. Can you repeat that so that I understand it? I have no idea what you were talking about.”

  The trio looked at each other and then Diane said:

  “Ok, let me explain it.”

  She moved her chair a bit closer to Geo and started her explanation.

  “Have you understood what teleportation is?”

  “No.”

  “That is, it when an object gets instantly moved from point A”

  She holds up her left hand.

  “To point B. Now my grandfather discovered a way to do this teleportation. By drawing a complex magical circle. Now we are travelling from area to area to connect them via teleport circles. Can you follow?”

  “Yes. Question. Why all the secrecy then?”

  Now Jaeger answered.

  “It is a security thing. We don’t want nations that aren’t allied with us to get to much information about it.”

  “That is why Diane pretends to by my apprentice. No one cares to much about two travelling priests. And if someone asks, why we have bodyguards we say that Diane is the daughter of a wealthy man who doesn’t want his girl to travel unprotected.”

  “If our cover gets blown however. We are in danger that someone kidnaps Diane and steals the technology through her. And that is why we are always with her.”

  “This is a lot to take in. Can you give me a moment to process this all?”

  “Sure, take your time. It is a lot of information to process.”

  Geo sat deeper into his chair. It took him a while to come to terms with what his friends were doing, and what he is going to do. After a short moment of silence, he smiled and asked:

  “Ok, I got this. So, what are we going to do now?”

  “Like we told you. In a few days we will leave Sailport to a small fort further into the country. There we will meet General Swift. He will lead us to the place where we plan to draw the teleportation circle. Until then we will stay here. You can have some time of but at least someone must stay with Diane.”

  “Got it.”

  Jaeger stood up.

  “Now if everything is said. We can go. You staying here Diane?”

  “Yes, I have to go through some notes of mine. What are you going to do Conrad?”

  “I don’t really have anything going on right now, but since Geo is here I can go for a walk as well. See you then.”

  Geo was still sitting at the table when the two bodyguards left the room. Diane went to her room and got some papers and books. The same paper and books that Geo saw her read and study almost every evening during their travels so far, Geo realized. It was silent for a few minutes as Diane studied and Geo was just starring bored into the room.

  “Say Diane, what are those papers that you are always studying?”

  “Hmm”

  She looked up from her work.

  “What I am studying? Oh, this. These are various notes that either my dad, brother or I made while developing the teleport circles. Like see here!”

  She handed him a map of an area that he didn’t know. It was marked with circles and arrows that he didn’t understand.

  “On this map we have noted where the rivers in the target area are and where they float to. This is important since you can’t just put teleportation circles anywhere. The natural flow of magic must support it, or the magic will fail. I need to remember all of that when I am drawing the circle so that I can program it into the formula.”

  “Is it complicated to draw a magical circle?”

  “Yes, and don’t ask me why they call it a circle. Most magic formulas are a complicated mess for lines and symbols interconnected by more lines and symbols. In fact, the last seven years of development my dad and grandpa only tried to make the formula easier to draw. The version we worked with before contained almost five thousand Symbols that needed to be placed correctly for the magic to work. Now we only have to work with four thousand Symbols.”

  “So, those notes contain all for the formulas that you are going to draw?”

  She sighed and explained:

  “Yes and No, I had to memorize a big part of the basic parts of the formulas. And a lot of the formulas are encrypted.