Eli hit the ground on his back hard as Zee locked her legs around his arm and started to pull. He realized that from this position he couldn’t reach around and get her off, and as she applied more pressure he started to feel pain lance up and down his side. Relenting, he tapped the ground twice to signal his surrendering this round.

Zee let go before hopping to her feet and helping him up. He stretched his arm tentatively, searching for any signs of damage which required magical healing. When he found none he looked up at Zee just in time to catch the water bottle she tossed to him from across the room.

“Thanks.” He said gratefully, squirting the cool water into his mouth.

“You’re welcome. You nearly had me with that opening kick.” She said, moving close to him as she downed her own water.

Eli watched her for a moment. She was wearing a pair of black yoga pants that were stretched sinfully over her strong legs and toned ass. Her midriff was bare, and her breasts were contained behind a matching black sports bra. Sweat slowly trickled down her lithe body – evidence of the fact that they’d been sparring for over an hour already.

I’ll never understand that. Eli thought to himself. Desert elves don’t feel heat the same way other races do. They don’t sweat from the temperature, but they sweat from exercise.

“What?” Zee said, grinning as she caught him staring.

“Just admiring the way you look.” He replied, matching her grin and moving closer.

The two of them shared a tender kiss for a long moment, their hands travelling up and down each other’s bodies. She broke it before they went too far though, pushing him away and rolling her back and shoulders. “Later, lover boy. You were the one who insisted you wanted to use these few weeks off to train before the dragon’s ball.”

Eli groaned, then nodded. “Yeah, I know. But between the mana-drain headaches I get from the magic lessons with Talaedra and the new and interesting bruises that you and Naz keep giving me, I’m starting to regret that decision. I feel like I spend more time in this room than I do outside of it now.” He finished, gesturing around him to Talaedra’s dungeon.

Zee launched an unexpected right hook towards Eli’s temple, giving him barely enough time to block. He countered with an open-handed strike to her chest, more designed to create some distance between the two of them than cause any pain. She danced around it nimbly and kicked out with one leg, intent on knocking Eli to the ground again with a low sweep.

Fortunately for him, he saw the move coming this time and hopped backwards to avoid it. She grinned at him in response. “Good counter. How are those magic lessons going?”

“We can’t definitively figure out why the protection spell triggers sometimes but not other times – it’s inconsistent. I still can’t take my phoenix form. I’m trying to learn the portal spell as well, but it’s not going well either.”

Zee cocked her head to the side. “How so?”

“It’s…not like other spells.” Eli said. “The movements and the words are easy enough to master, but you need to…sync your intent with the right portal. With vibrations or something. For lack of better term.”

“I don’t think I get it.” Zee said.

“Neither do I.” Eli said with a chuckle. “And I’m not letting anyone step foot into a portal I’ve created unless I’m absolutely sure that I do get it.”

She nodded, then attacked again – this time leading with a kick to his midsection. Eli saw the telegraphed move and caught her leg mid-strike. What he didn’t see until it was too late was the follow-up punch to his solar plexus that knocked the wind out of him. He staggered backwards, blocking her punches as he wheezed for breath. He was quickly being beaten down, and in desperation he launched himself at her in a flying tackle, landing on top of her several feet away.

The move caught her off guard and gave Eli enough time to recover. Realizing his advantage he shifted into his orcish form and used his superior muscle to ward off her strikes. He pinned her to the ground and gave her a wide toothy grin until she tapped out in surrender.

He let go of her, transforming back into his human form and leaning in for another kiss. She pulled him deeper into it, allowing the soft sand of the arena beneath them to stick to her body as they rolled around together. When they finally broke apart she was on top again.

“I think that counts as cheating. You used your magic.”

“I used my orcish form.” Eli countered. “That’s not really magic.”

“Yes it is!” She protested. “It’s instinctual magic. The dark elves are supplying spell disrupters specifically for the Dragon’s Ball, so if you get into trouble you’ll have to rely on your wits and skills alone.”

“Hang on.” Eli said, furrowing his brow. “You went to that security briefing the lizardkin representative put on for all the staff, right?”

“That’s right.” Zee said.

“If they’re putting in spell disrupters, how are we going to portal in?”

“The portal is in a separate area, only accessible during certain times of day. Each party guest and their entourage has an allotted time, so we’re not actually going to see any other guests until after we get settled.”

“Ah.” Eli nodded, understanding. “Did you have any luck with the list that Zalara gave us, by the way? Is there anyone who could create those disguises and is also part of this dragon cult?”

She made a face at his insistence at calling it a ‘dragon cult’, then shook her head. “Nothing. We’re going to have to do some investigation the old fashioned way – going there and getting our hands dirty.”

Seeing the grin on her face he changed the subject. “Are you excited?”

“For the investigation? Sure. For the party? Absolutely.” She replied. “They showed us the hotel they’re putting us up in. Every party gets their own wing. It’s complete extravagance, they’re just showing off at this point. They even gave us a peek into the multi-floor ballroom, and well… based on the decorations they’re putting up, it’s going to be a hell of a party.”

“What do you mean?” Eli asked.

“I’m pretty sure the bottom floor has literal sex rooms.” She responded before wiggling her hips on top of him. “Maybe if we get some down time in between all the sneaking around we can try them out?”

He grinned and nodded. “Oh, we’re definitely doing that.”

“Good.” She said, rolling off him and to her feet. “Now come on. We’ve got time for me to kick your ass at least a few more times before Talaedra comes back.”
___

By the time Talaedra returned, both Eli and Zee were sore and hurting all over. They’d sparred with each other to a stalemate, each of them winning an equal number of rounds. As they drank the healing potions Talaedra gave them they gently ribbed each other, each one teasingly claiming victory. Finally, Zee admitted that she had to return to her duties as one of Aria’s bodyguards. She left Eli with a lingering kiss that promised more before she darted up the stairs and out the door of the dungeon.

Eli was still smiling when his focus returned to Talaedra’s magic lesson. She chuckled when she saw the look on his face, shaking her head. “You care for Zee.”

“Of course I do.” Eli confirmed. “She’s…amazing. Smart and strong. Competitive and driven – even more so than I am. Did you know she used to be shy about her magic before? She works on it everyday now – just last night we were using the kiln I bought her for Christmas, creating sand structures. I’m not very good with my control over the sand, but she’s so good that she created this tiny glass hydra. It looks so lifelike! She even took the time to get the teeth just right. It sits on my desk now, I love it.”

“You’re gushing about her.” Talaedra observed.

“There’s lots to gush about.” Eli shrugged as they sat together at her desk.

“You love her.”

Eli stopped, furrowing his brow. A slow realization creeped across his face. It was true – he did love her, even if he hadn’t admitted it to her yet. Ever the observant one, Talaedra immediately picked up the clues written clearly across his face. “Ahh, you haven’t told her yet.”

“I… no.” He said.

“You should. Even for us long-lived beings, life is too short to withhold love.”

Eli nodded in response, knowing she was right. Slowly, he cocked his head to the side and looked at Talaedra, a new thought occurring to him. “How about you Talaedra? Is there a…someone in your life?”

“There used to be.” She said, smiling sadly. “She passed away years ago though.”

“I’m sorry.” Eli said. “I didn’t mean to bring up painful memories.”

“Don’t be. You didn’t know. Her death was neither painful nor unexpected. She passed of old age surrounded by the kind of friends and family which can only be accumulated through a life well lived.”

“She…died of old age?” Eli asked.

“Yes. Mana gives us elves exceptionally long lives, but we are not immortal. Eventually no amount of healing spells will help, and nature takes its course.” She paused for a moment, took a deep breath, then locked eyes with him. “And if you do not wish for your time to come prematurely, I advise you to take your studies seriously – especially as they relate to this portal spell.”

“I’ve been trying.” He protested. “But it’s all theory right now. We haven’t practiced using the enchanted ring yet, so I feel like I’m just waving my arms and saying the words.”

“We haven’t gone to the enchanted ring because it would be dangerous.” She admonished him. “Unless you are able to clearly visualize the vibrational frequencies in your mind while casting the portal spell, who knows what will happen to the portal? It might connect to a random portal – or maybe inside a star, or somewhere even worse!”

“Alright, alright, I get it.” Eli said. “I just don’t know how to…visualize the vibrational frequencies, as you put it. I barely understand what it means.”

She pulled out a book of spells from the shelf behind her on her desk and placed it between them. Eli was familiar with the passage she was about to read but didn’t stop her, hoping that hearing it from the source again would spark some sort of inspiration. She flipped to the right page and began to trace her finger along the page until she reached where the correct passage started.

“The spell for travelling between magical realms and Earth requires 3 things. The first among these is the incantation ‘Elithril na vedui’. The second is the circular motion of the hands, as shown in figure 33.1.2. The final piece is the visualization of the user’s mind of the universal vibrational frequency of the entrance and exit enchanted rings. These vibrational frequencies are typically listed on the side of the portal, and are visualized as a series duodecimal letters and numbers up to 40 characters long.”

Eli rubbed his temples. “And duodecimal is base-12, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“So I need to memorize and visualize a random string of up to 40 characters while also saying the words and doing the hand motions. I can’t look down and read it off or else I’ll break my concentration. You see why this is difficult, right?”

“Yes, but that has never stopped you in the past.” Talaedra said with a smirk.

“What comes after that?” Eli asked.

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“In the book. You always cut off the passage there. What does it say after that? Does it give any hints about how people do this?”

She traced her finger down the page, shaking her head. “No. It just talks about the theory behind harmonic vibrational frequencies, and how they represent a specific location in space. The theory states that it’s some sort of universal constant, and that any potential space in the universe can be represented by these frequencies. Research is consistently conducted into finding these spaces, and-”

“Stop. Wait. Go back.” Eli said, waving his hands in front of him.

“What?”

“You said harmonic frequencies.” Eli repeated, his brow furrowing as he worked through the idea.

“Yes.”

“You never mentioned that before.”

“I didn’t think it was relevant. You said you wanted to avoid the deepest parts of the theory in favor of learning to cast the spell. Most people don’t understand this part, even those who can create portals. It’s quite academic and dry.”

A grin started to grow across his face. “I’m not saying I have to either. But you gave me an idea. Do you have a pen and some paper? And maybe one of the portal addresses?”

“Yes.” She said, passing him a pen and a sheet of paper. “What are you doing?”

“Sometimes with really complex topics it helps to use a mental model. Something to help structure your thoughts. I like to use analogies, relating magical ideas to more familiar mundane ones for me.”

“I’ve noticed.” Talaedra said dryly as she flipped the textbook to the appendix which contained a listing of common portal addresses.

She watched him draw 5 lines across the page followed by a stylized ‘G’. Then, he pulled the textbook towards himself and began muttering while drawing symbols across the page. “It looks like 8 is the most common number…no, 7 is…wait, no I should just index everything to 6, because that’s the middle of the scale…”

“What…are you doing?” She said, furrowing her brow. “What is all…this?”

His eyes began to widen as he continued to write unabated. “Ho-ly shit!” He shouted, standing and knocking his chair over as he did.

“What?” She demanded, standing as well. “Eli, what you’re doing makes no sense to me!”

He grabbed the sheet he’d been working on and turned around. “Come with me! It’ll all make sense in a second.”

Without another word he raced out the door while Talaedra hobbled after him, cursing the whole time. He moved up the stairs, ignoring the bewildered looks of the guards as he ran through the hall and common area. When he finally reached his wing of the castle he burst through the door with a wide grin on his face.

“What’s wrong?” Naz said, standing from the couch. “Are we under attack?

“Is it demons? Angels? Dragons? Skeletons?” Freya shouted as he waved them off.

“No! We’re not! Just…hang on!” He said, sprinting up the stairs and across the second-floor balcony to his office.

He crossed the length of the room in 3 long, loping steps. Grabbing his guitar from its stand by the neck he turned and ran out of the room, accidentally bumping it on the banister as he carried it down the stairs. By the time he reached the bottom Minerva and Talaedra had both joined them, looking as befuddled as Naz and Freya. He vaguely remembered Lilly was accompanying Aria to court, otherwise he was sure that they’d be there giving him the same look of confusion.

“Are you going to explain what this is about?” Talaedra asked, huffing as she sat at the kitchen table.

“I’d like to know too.” Freya added. “When even Talaedra thinks you’ve gone off the deep end… well, you’ve really gone off the deep end.”

Eli sat on one of the bar stools before laying out the sheet of paper in front of him. “Yes. Sorry. I got excited there.”

“Slow down and tell us what this is about.” Minerva said calmingly.

“The portal addresses.” Eli said. “I realized that I’ve been looking at memorizing the portal frequencies all wrong. They’re 12 characters – just like music.”

“What?” Freya said, furrowing her brow.

“Western music uses a set of 12 tones that are repeated at different frequencies.” Eli explained, strumming a single note on his guitar. “This is a ‘C’. This is also a ‘C’.” He added, playing the same note one octave up.

“I still don’t get where you’re going with this.” Talaedra said.

“I transposed the portal address into music. 5 is ‘C’.” He said, playing a note. “6 is ‘C sharp’, 4 is ‘C flat’, and so on.”

“So you wrote a song?” Freya asked.

“At first that’s what I thought.” Eli said, nodding. “It’s a lot easier to memorize and hear a song in your mind than it is to memorize a series of letters and numbers. But as I transposed them I started to realize that I didn’t write this song. Someone else did.”

With a wide grin, he started to play the notes on the page. A stylized version of the first few bars of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata began to ring out. There were some minor differences given that he’d transposed it into only one octave, but the resemblance was too close to deny – it was the same song. By the time he was finished Talaedra wore the same look he had when he originally realized it.

“There should be no way…how even would it…but the implications of that are just…”

“I know.” Eli said, placing his guitar down. “Was Beethoven secretly an elf? Or a Royal Blood?”

“Not that I know of.” She replied.

“Then somehow this random human wrote a piece of music that matches perfectly with a portal address. Which has some relation to the… what did you call it? Universal constant or something?”

“Yes, exactly.” Talaedra said. “The implications of this could be enormous.”

“Does it work though?” Naz asked.

“What do you mean?” Eli questioned.

“If you…hear the song in your head while you cast, does it create a portal?”

Eli shrugged in reply. Standing, he glanced over at an open space in the kitchen. The first few notes of the Moonlight Sonata played in his mind as he moved his arms in a circle and began to cast.
“Elithril na vedui”

At first, nothing happened. As the song continued to play in Eli’s head though, a rough glowing blue circle began to form in front of him. Eli began to feel the mana draining from his body, but not before the circle started to solidify into an azure portal. Just beyond he could see the grey concrete of a Hightower family waystation, as well as several confused-looking guards staring at him.
Then suddenly everything went black.

He woke up on the floor almost a full minute later with his women surrounding him. Naz was holding his torso up from behind while Freya splashed cold water on his face. He blinked several times and shook his head, feeling a massive headache coming on.

“And that is why we normally cast using the enchanted rings.” Talaedra said from somewhere behind him before thrusting a mana potion into his hand. “And we fortify our mana beforehand. The spell is quite mana-intensive.”

Eli knocked back the foul-tasting liquid without complaint. As he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand he shook his head. “In fairness, that’s never happened before. But I’d call that a success!”

“That’s an understatement. This is a massive leap in magical research – one that we’ll be talking about for years!” Talaedra replied, unable to keep the grin from spreading across her face.

“I think we should keep it to ourselves to be honest.” Naz countered from behind Eli.

“What? Why?” Talaedra questioned.

“Think about it: you just made portal spells accessible to everyone – not just advanced magic users. How many unauthorized portals are we going to end up with? How many people are going to get into trouble? How many borders will shift because suddenly magic armies can appear where there was none before?”

Eli saw the logic. “I see your point. Maybe we just keep it to ourselves and the royal family for now? At the very least we need to tell Faelor and the Queens. And maybe someone should tell those poor guards what happened.”

Talaedra scowled, but nodded. “I wouldn’t worry about the guards. As you well know, the view through a portal can sometimes be hazy. Sounds can be more easily heard, but they likely didn’t recognize you – they’d just think it’s some new mage trying out the portal spell for the first time. As for the rest of it…Fine. But I want you to transpose more of these portal-songs for me in the mean time. Someday, this will get published in a research journal.”