Nix [https://i.imgur.com/BSwHZAO.jpeg]Aryan. [https://i.imgur.com/S5XLiRZ.jpeg]

We sat around the table, waiting for the long narrative. We brought the sofa and the two armchairs from the workshop. There was enough space for everyone to sit and lie down. There was not enough room for my cup of coffee on the table because of the bottles and glasses with beer and juice packets.

“Noble Knights” were present in full. A group of young men of about the same age. The youngest - Alex - was seventeen years old. The oldest - Michael - was twenty. Some were studying, some were working, some were managing.

We had nothing to do with knighthood, of course. We just called ourselves that when we got older. Before that, we were childhood friends who lived on the same street and went to the same school.

Michael was the head of the group. Sometimes we called him boss. Michael liked that nickname. After all, we called him that without flattery in our voices. Nikos - our second leader - was a well-known sportsman in town. He attended the martial arts sports section and often won city competitions. We didn’t know if he had thought about turning professional. Nikos didn't tell us what his plans were. Neither did Basil. We called Basil Giant and on rare occasions Blondie. Our Giant was into boxing and dreamed of becoming a world champion. Theodore and Alex had more down-to-earth ambitions. I wanted to be a sculptor.

Through the open window of the workshop came the usual city noise, produced by cars, children’s voices, and birds flying past the window. And I was thinking about my travels, not knowing where to start.

Having lived in the city all my conscious life - birth, kindergarten, school - I did not know that there could be any supposed worlds. Well, yes, many films have been made about parallel worlds, many computer games have been created, and many books have been written. Neither reading nor watching do not give actual sensations, do not convey how the earth smells, how the sun shines, how to roar unseen animals and how people living in this country behave. But I feel like I'm getting distracted.

- It’s going to take a long time to tell. What will you tell your family about your absence? - I asked Michael, though the question concerned all the friends present.

- I took a week’s vacation at work. I have a substitute, — Michael reported. - I told my wife that the order is out of town, and my presence is required. I’ve sorted out the finances, no dissatisfied customers.

- My parents are away for two weeks with distant relatives, — Basil smiled smiling and opened a bottle of beer. - So I’m under Michael’s watchful eye. They can call, and Michael will confirm that I’m fine.

I have a similar situation,- Alex said. - My parents are on an archaeological expedition, and they won’t come back until six months later. Besides, I’m old enough that I don’t need special supervision.

- I told the coach that I went on vacation to a friend, out of town, — Nikos also smiled. - I have health problems and need rest.

- I said I was going with Nikas, they always let me go with him, — Theodore grinned.

- I said nothing, — Sash muttered. - My family doesn’t care what I am or what I’m not. Iris was the only one who cared about me, and you took her away from me.

There was silence in the room. Who could have guessed that our friend in a distant land had a sweetheart? That, thanks to her, he would change his outlook on life.

- You will come back to her, — I tried to comfort my friend. - Separation only strengthens feelings, believe me.

- Wouldn’t it be easier to send me there now, without waiting for Saturday?

- No, — I shook my head. - I’ll give you the Key, and if it comes to life in your hands before Saturday, you can go right away.

- It’s so bad, — Sash jumped up from his chair in impatience. His face clearly showed despair.

- Don’t fidget, — Michael reassured his comrade. - It’s bad for everyone, not just for you. But it will be worse if you come back unprepared. You remember why we ran away in such a hurry, don’t you?

- Actually, I didn’t even realize it. Ran in, started yelling about some dogs, grabbed me, and pulled me along. I didn't have time to say goodbye or warn Iris of trouble.

- All the villagers were warned, including your girlfriend. They barely found you, cowering in some barn. A horde of evil creatures had overrun the country. They stormed into Orkvalia, smashing several fortresses along the way.

- How do we get back?

The question was addressed primarily to me, the holder of the Key to the Portal, a man who had been to Orqualia seven times. I had to be honest:

- It’s not a problem to come back, the Key will open the Portal anyway. The question is what we’re going to do there.

- We're gonna fight! , — Basil blurted. - We’re no longer novices, and hopefully, our magical abilities will be restored when we return. Plus modern weapons.

- I don’t have any more assault rifles. I told you, I’ve lost everything.

- In this world, money can buy a tank.

I pictured us riding into Orkvalia in a tank. A sight worthy of a blockbuster like Lost in Time.

- Maybe you shouldn’t make stupid assumptions," Alex exclaimed. - First, let Arian tell us about Orqualia, and then we’ll discuss the plan of action together.

- All right, — agreed Mikhail. - Come on, tell us!

- But don’t interrupt me," I sighed. Memories are tantamount to returning to days and events long past. The faces of people and creatures who helped you on your journey and fought against you come to mind. - I want to warn you I am not a wonderful storyteller. I don’t give detailed descriptions, and sometimes I can leave things out. If you will not scold me, I will begin my story. My first journey started about a year ago...

- Like a year ago!? - Several indignant voices rang out.

- I understand nothing, — Nikos shook his head. - Either you’ve forgotten, or your chronology doesn’t fit into any frames.

- I didn't mix up anything! - I realized my friends were hard to believe, but I wasn’t trying to deceive them. - Time in our world differs from time spent in Orkvalia. Einstein’s theory of relativity. You’ve heard of it?

No one challenged my assumption. A theory is a theory.

- We've lived in another country for almost a year, and we've only been gone for forty-eight hours? - Michael calculated aloud so that he could be corrected if he made a mistake. - It turns out that between your first and second journeys, there were one hundred and eighty years. Is that right?

- Yes,- I remained unperturbed. My friends were about to hear a lot of things that would be hard to believe. Like how I’d been killed by the Dark Blade, who’d changed his name to Sei. Or how I stabbed myself with a sword in a cave while fighting Rocktopus.

- How old is your wizard Nix? Or did someone else give you the key?

- Nix gave me the Key. At the time of our meeting, the wizard was about a thousand years old.

- I don't believe you, - Nikos said, "people don't live that long.

- And who told you that Nix is human? His essence is indefinable. He is a mage of the highest order. Are we going to find out who Nix is, or are we going to listen to the story of my first journey?

- One doesn’t prevent the other, — Basil grinned. - I think it’s better to find out who’s who.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

- There won't be any secrets left anytime soon, - I took a sip of coffee from my cup, which tasted especially good. - I'll try to tell it in such a way that there are no questions left.

- Start, — Alex supported me. - They talk a lot and get in the way of the storytelling

- So here it is. The story began with the fact that a year ago, on one of the days I was invited to go hunting. I was just learning the basics of modeling, learning to sketch, and trying to work with different materials. I got a call from Jude Martin, an old friend of my father’s. He was going hunting and invited me to spend some time outdoors with his friends, getting out of town.

- That’s when I entered the town championship tournament. You promised you’d come, but you never showed up? - Nikos asked a predatory squinting black eyes. When he was still in school, he began to attend the sports club and after long training, he achieved significant success. I promised to be present in the gym, I wanted to see how the more agile opponent kicked my friend’s ass...

- We'll ride in the car with our company. You sit in your dusty workshop all day and night, breathing dust. Pale, skinny," Jude urged, dragging me along. I think he was doing it to agree to my mother's request.

- Jude, I’m not much of a hunter, — I resisted weakly. - I feel sorry for the birds and the animals.

- Don’t cry, — the stout man looked at me reproachfully. I barely reached his shoulder, and in his hands, the gun looked like a child’s toy. - Hunting was not invented by us, we only follow our instincts to survive.

- Instincts allowed primitive man to survive, and now they help poor birds. Do you associate yourself with the Pithecanthropus?

- I don’t like it when you get philosophical. You don’t have to shoot, no one’s forcing you. We’re not just here to rattle guns. Communication, humor, outdoor dining, you can have a little alcohol. You know how to shoot, don’t you?

- I’m too young to drink. I’m not a bad shot. It’s only been two years since I stopped going to the shooting club, but I still have some skills.

- That’s great, you can demonstrate your skills, teach someone, because the man has been traveling with us for two seasons in a row, and still no trophies. He had burned so many cartridges and changed several guns, all to no avail. We were telling him as much as we could how to pull, how to “guide the barrel”, and when to pull the trigger, and no result. Either we’re terrible teachers or he’s a worthless student. And we don’t want to lose him as a companion. He knows how to keep the mood light and cheer up any crowd, he’s a soulful guy. You’ll stick together. You’ll give him tips and help us out.

"And you have to bring a shotgun to do that?"

"Of course! - my question made Jude laugh out loud. - Hunting is a collective activity. All trophies are distributed so that no participant is left without a souvenir.

- You’re saying I have to shoot? - I realized Jude was mocking me. Made up a tale about some loser, of course.

- Not necessarily,- Mentor didn’t even blink an eye, not even embarrassed. - You’ll be walking around with an unloaded gun. Just when the hunt takes off, you will show how you raise the shotgun and control how your pupil will do it.

- Well, if that’s the way it is, — Jude’s idea seemed appealing to me for a moment, — why don’t we go?

I won’t tell you how we packed, how we drove. My ward, they called him Kurt...

"I know him," Basil interrupted me. -"He can move his ears funny and talk like Donald Duck. Did he ride with you?"

"He, he. We were holding our bellies the whole way, and Jude almost dropped the car in the ditch, laughing so hard. But in the field, Kurt changed, he got serious, and focused. He shifted his eyebrows, mimicked a chicken butt with his lips, and said in a duck voice:

"Stop laughing and let’s hunt, — I was rolling around in the grass for five minutes.

"He’s like that," Basil smiled.

"I didn’t make an excellent teacher. I couldn't keep the laughter down, and the quail, the little bird, hearing my "ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga," would take to the wing early. Kurt got mad and said he could do it without me.

I had no choice but to go back to the car. As I walked through the meadow, I was looking forward to a long rest, as walking through the mown fields had tired me out. The car, a gray-green SUV, stood on an elevated part of the field road. Somewhere I could hear gunshots, excited shouts. Whether Kurt had shot his first bird, or Jude had taken a decent trophy - I didn’t care about those details.

The landscape created by nature mesmerized me. Autumn, a talented fashion designer and artist, dressed the trees and painted the grass in more colorful colors, ranging from bright yellow to screaming red. Nature is a kind of relaxation for a person. Looking at the terrain painted with variegated and bright colors, you notice how it fascinates you, excites you, and turns into a different world where everyone is equal. Nature does the impossible. Feeling its essence makes us realize who we are. Admiring sunset or dawn, sunrise, or full moon - we immerse our subconscious into nature and enjoy the freedom of mental space.

Near to the hunting grounds, there was a farm, from which came the occasional crowing of cocks, the cackling of geese, and the neighing of horses. You don’t hear such things in the city.

I walked through the field, the dry earth springing softly under my feet, the fresh air intoxicating without any wine. To reach the car I had only a short way to go - to cross the old bed of a small stream overgrown with briar bushes and hawthorns. I did not pay much attention to the fact that at the bottom of the ravine, there was a translucent haze resembling fog.

"Obviously, there's a heat source somewhere, — I thought to myself. I didn't have time to think about why the water was steaming in the last days of summer. I suddenly slipped and almost rolled down the slope. Grasping a flexible hawthorn branch, I tried to get into a comfortable position, but my foot slipped once again, and as much as I didn’t want to, the fall was inevitable.

I felt as if I had fallen into a thorny thicket during the fall. Many thorns stuck in my face.

I ran my hand over my face, but there was no blood on my palm.

- Shit, — I cursed in a low voice, — only got my clothes dirty.

Having cleaned my pants and jacket from grass and stuck dry leaves, I began to climb out of the ravine, clinging to the ubiquitous hawthorn and rare trees that remotely resembled growing pines. The climb took a little longer than the fall.

I anticipated how I would talk about my unsuccessful crossing of the shallow gully, how my hunting friends would laugh at my embarrassment.

- “Shit!” - I blurted out when I saw the SUV was gone. It had been there when I went down to the gully, but now it was empty. The descent and ascent only took about three minutes, they couldn’t have beaten me. Jude wouldn’t have left without waiting for me. Unless this was some kind of evil joke.

I turned my head. The terrain had changed, as if the vanished car had taken with it the country loroga, the bushes growing on the roadside, the nearby village. The familiar sky was gone, and it seemed that instead of air there was some other mixture, less transparent and suffocating.

I turned a hundred and eighty degrees and rushed down into the gully to get to the other side. But from the other side the terrain looked just as gray and deserted; the а farm had not appeared. A few black birds circling in the sky didn’t count.