The food on the large round dining table was vegetables, fruits, and roasted piles of meat slices in the center. Pink petals decorated the table and drinking bowls filled with red wine stood in front of the guests.
While Jenny and her friends ate, they told their stories to Chief Eera. Jenny revealed where she actually came from, except she didn’t tell Eera about her power from the Star Crystal. If everyone knew she had goddess-like powers, they might try to use her for their own conquest, or worse, kill her for believing she might be a threat. Although Eera behaved nicely, Jenny doesn't fully trust her. But at least her food tasted good.
"Time travel, you said?" Eera asked, wearing a heavy white silk dress. She sipped her bowl and smiled with deep interest on her face. "What a coincidence! I am searching for two relics that can send anyone back through time!"
Jenny widened her eyes and dropped her mouth open. "Really?"
Eera rubbed some wine juice off her chin. "Allow me to explain." She placed her bowl down. "There is a legend about a great sorcerer named Marzak the Strong. About a hundred years ago, Marzak found a Star Crystal shard and crushed it into dust. He sparkled the crystal dust into paint and drew a runic spell around a stone. With his power, he transformed the stone into a time-traveling implement called the Time Stone. You can use the stone to travel through time and space. However, you can only travel to places in the past from your memories. Not before your birth or after your death. Unless…" Eera glanced at Jenny. "Unless you came from that past.”
"You mean I can return to my original time without the stone's limit?" Jenny asked.
Eera nibbled an apple slice from her plate. "Yes, and the legend is true."
Zena narrowed her eyes. "How do you know it's true?"
Eera smiled and held up a scroll. "My possession visited a tribe who gave me this. It is a map of the locations of the stones."
"I thought there was only one Time Stone," said Huntar.
Eera placed the scroll on her lap. "There are now two stones. Marzak tried to use the Time Stone to travel into his past life to slay his rivals when they were young. But his rivals found him and killed him before he could vanish into the past. They split the Time Stone in half and took the pieces for themselves. Nobody knew where they hid until someone drew the map. Now I have the map, I can find the sorcerers and take the stones. Heeheehee."
"Why do you want the stones?" Zena asked.
Eera licked her lips. "Long ago, I lost a tribe in a battle. With the stones together, I will go back and change my tribe's fate."
"You ruled a different tribe before the Golden Sands Clan?" Jenny asked.
Eera sighed. "My father ruled our tribe before he fell. I intend to bring him back and our people." She glanced at Jenny. "If you help me, I promise I can send you back home."
Jenny’s breath left her throat. If this was true, then Jenny could return to her rightful time period if she accepts Eera's quest. For years, she thought she would never return because the future doesn't have another Transgate connected to the one in the past. The fate she shared with her father could finally end. This was like a dream come true!
“Hold on!” Zena held up her hands. “What’s in it for me, Huntar and Torag?”
Eera grimaced for a second, then she grinned. “I can give you whatever you desire.”
Jenny glared at Zena. The zebra girl better not ruin Eera’s offering.