The Temporis Portam Ritual
“I can smell you nearby. Don’t think you can hide from me forever.” Amich crept through the forest, his keen senses on high alert as he searched for his prey. Although the moon had slinked behind the clouds, no longer casting a pale glow over the trees and underbrush, Amich’s eyesight was still pretty good.
Despite the collar around his neck that restricted his ability to transform into a werewolf, Amich was still able to make use of his heightened senses and agility.
As he continued to move silently through the trees, he caught the faint scent of a critter. His eyes narrowed as he followed the trail, his muscles coiled like a spring as he prepared to pounce. Suddenly, he heard a rustling in the underbrush and his prey came into view.
It was a small rabbit, its fluffy tail twitching as it hopped through the grass. Amich bared his silver teeth as he prepared to strike. "I've got you now," He growled as he lunged forward at his prey.
***
Back at the stream, Silvia found herself lost in thought, her mind swirling with questions and concerns. They were in grave danger of being chased by the CRC agents and they had no way to return to their own timeline.
Desperate for a solution, Silvia's focus turned to the Cronus Monolith, the ancient and mysterious rock that had brought them to this time in the first place.
She remembered the tales of its magical properties, of its ability to create portals through time and space. If only they could find a way to activate the monolith once more, perhaps they could return home and escape the dangers that plagued them in this strange world.
With this thought in mind, Silvia reached for her grimoires, the ancient tomes filled with the knowledge and secrets of her craft.
“There has to be some ancient inscription inside that can help me with what I need right now.” She flipped through the pages, searching for any mention of the monolith and its powers. As she read, she became more and more convinced that the solution to their problem lay within its ancient, cryptic inscriptions.
But how to decipher them? Silvia knew that the task would not be easy, but she was resolute to find a way. She vowed to do whatever it took to protect her brother and find a way home, no matter the cost.
"Maybe if I can find the right scripture, I might be able to activate the powers of the Cronus Monolith and send us back home," she muttered to herself as she spread out three grimoires on the short grass before her.
One was titled "The Magickal Arts of the Ancients," another "The Mysteries of the Multiverse," and the third "The Lost Lore of Time Travel."
Silvia set the Cronus Monolith to lie on the grass beside her, its dark surface glinting in the moonlight. She continued to scan the intricate symbols on the pages. The key to unlocking the monolith's power lay within these ancient texts and she would surely find it.
“Come on. I’m starting to decipher it now. These lines aren’t as complex as they once seemed.” A sense of excitement began to build within her as she read through the pages.
Silvia had always been a skilled researcher. She was sure she was getting closer to the answer she sought. And then, finally…
"I've found something," she exclaimed, a look of triumph on her face. “This ritualistic spell might work,” She discovered a way to activate the powers of the Cronus Monolith that could possibly send her and her brother home.
“Yes, if I can pull this spell off successfully then Amich and I can be homebound by the time of the next solar revolution.”
Silvia prepared to do the ritualistic spell that she found in the grimoire. In its raw untranslated format, it was known as, "Temporis Portam," a spell that could open a portal to her desired timeline using the Cronus Monolith as the base ingredient. She wasn't sure if she could pull it off, but she was going to try it anyways.
"I can do this," Silvia reassured herself as she positioned the Cronus Monolith upright and picked up the main grimoire in her hand.
Silvia commenced the ritual by taking care to follow the instructions in the grimoire to the letter. She lit the candles that she had arranged around the monolith, casting the area in a warm, flickering light. She cut her hand and spewed drops of her blood on the Cronus Monolith. Next, Silvia began the incantation itself. She repeated the ancient words, spoken in a language long forgotten, with all the focus and concentration she could muster.
Her chant when translated went like this-
"By the power of time and the magic within,
I call upon the ancient ones to open this portal again.
Temporis Portam, I invoke your name,
Take me to my desired timeline and make it the same.
As I speak these words, let the power of the monolith rise,
Open the doorway to my past and let my journey suffice.
Temporis Portam, I call upon you now,
Take me home, let my feet touch the ground.
So mote it be, by the power of three,
Temporis Portam, let the magic be free."
As she spoke, the air around the monolith began to swirl and swirl, as if caught in a whirlwind. The ground beneath her feet began to tremble and the water in the stream seemed to bubble and boil as if caught in a maelstrom. Silvia could feel the energy building within her, a powerful force that she could not contain.
"By the power of time and the magic within,
I call upon the ancient ones to open this portal again.
Temporis Portam, I invoke your name,
Take me to my desired timeline and make it the same.
As I speak these words, let the power of the monolith rise,
Open the doorway to my past and let my journey suffice.
Temporis Portam, I call upon you now,
Take me home, let my feet touch the ground.
So mote it be, by the power of three,
Temporis Portam, let the magic be free."
She continued to chant, her voice growing louder and more forceful with each repetition. Finally, the moment of truth arrived. Silvia reached the last few lines of the incantation.
"Temporis Portam, let the magic be free!
Take me home, let my feet touch the ground.
By the power of time and the magic within,
I invoke the ancient ones and open this portal again.
So mote it be, by the power of three,
Temporis Portam, let the Cronus Monolith be set in motion."
And with a great cry, she released all the energy she had built up within herself. The Cronus Monolith erupted in a burst of light, hovering over the stream as it created a swirling portal.