Erin rolled her eyes as Liska operated the [Portal Door]. It worked like the last one, but instead of a cheap system with stones, it had a window that showed you what lay on the other side, and the dial was beautiful, made of metal, and swung from icon to icon burned into the wood. Invrisil’s looked like the City of Adventurers’ crest, the same for Pallass and Liscor. Celum’s wasn’t one of the city—it was a little pirate’s flag and a bit of growing wheat.
When she finally felt Erin tug on her [Portal Door], Liska swung it open. She was almost certain Erin could do it herself, but the [Innkeeper] walked through with the first teams.
“The [Portal Door] doesn’t go anywhere else, sorry. And what would you do if I did? I’ll be letting Deniusth and the others through, and they’ll follow you. Like I said—if you want to give up everything you stole, stay at Wailant’s farm. I’ll transport you to my inn, and then Larra’s Haven, and the Named-ranks and Gold-ranks won’t touch you, you have my word. I can’t promise you’ll be adventurers after that, but they won’t kill you.”
Liska stood there, knees trembling, and then followed Erin into the garden and back towards the regular hallway of the inn. Erin made the [Portal Door] reappear, and then she turned.
Erma and Fox made amazing time from Pallass. It took some doing to let them through the [Portal Door] and hitch them to the waiting cart, but the door was bigger and a sleepy Liska obliged.
It incentivized staying at the Haven. And yes, it meant only the nobility were just hopping through the [Portal Door] at random. At any rate, you could tell The Wandering Inn was the place to be.
He grunted—but Erin widened her eyes at him, and he hesitated. House Veltras was backing up already, and Ryoka was trying to say something to Erin as she pushed Tyrion to the [Portal Door].
He strode towards a window, intent on just heading out there instead of past the wary House Veltras. But now, Erin was snapping her fingers, and the [Portal Door] appeared in the middle of the common room.
Well, it was an understatement to say people were impatient. Barnethei had to physically stop Sammial from running through the [Portal Door]. Even so—the boy managed to pierce Magnolia Reinhart’s barrier enough to stick his head through the door.
Rags came to a halt—and Reynold was holding open the door as the [Portal Door] aimed itself at Invrisil. The Goblin Chieftain stared at the [Butler] and realized three things:
It was hazy, though, like a blur across the world, and the sound wasn’t perfect. Erin suspected that, like her [Portal Door], distance mattered. So close to the inn—well, from just south of Pallass, it wasn’t very noticeable.
“Looks like you won’t be able to get away from me! I’ll be able to check on all of my friends now! I don’t think this thing has the same limits as the [Portal Door]—at least, we haven’t found one. So what’s up, guys? How’s your trip going?”
The first people outside of The Wandering Inn to see the effects of the boon were the guests of The Adventurer’s Haven. Tyrion Veltras was trying the handle of the [Portal Door].
