The Ports and Portals of the Zelaznids (17 page)

Chapter 13

The Usage of Portals

A

rcturus Aurelius did not come from this world, yet his
home port
was not the same
world
discovered by the Zelaznids
of
Sang-e.
  Leonardo
witnessed unimaginable wonders in a
distant
land
, yet
this was not the place
from which
Nostradame
drew his knowledge
.
  Ports, in
number
, rival the
stars; indeed, it would be easier to count the wishes in the heart of a child than
to count the
worlds in
this
universe of
universes.

     As numerous as portals are the methods by which we might utilize them
. 
I
t is not always possible
to know the proper
way to
open
a portal by looking at it
.  Therefore,
to be prepared,
it would be best to
learn
each
method.

B

rahma may be looked upon as the key
to life
in the distant Indus, but countless
other
powers
have been
credited
– age after age -
for bringing the universe into being.  Gods, demigods, saints,
and
angels rival demons, devils, shades, and imps. 
G
ood fights evil
;
and to serve their selfish ends, it is common for
the
weak to declare that the one is the other. 
We see this in our own cittie to the detriment of
those we call friends
, bringing
sorrow to the soul
s of the suffering
.
[121]

D

o not, however, think that
philosphie
alone determines the
nature
of portals, for these are scientific constructs, even if they may be manipulated by human will.
  In truth, p
ortals
are subject to
mathematics, which is why
the Zelaznids have pursued that
science with such
fervor.  Yet, just as there is no single construct for the world of universes, and no single method for opening portals, so there is no one formulae with which
we might explain the operation of
portals.

    
There
have been
few,
even among
the Zelaznids
,
who possessed
a full
understanding
of
portals.  Yet, to the extent that we can make it plain, we
offer the following explanations.

U

nder one conception, articulated by the great Kwarzimi
[122]
of ancient and worthie note, the formula is stated thus:
ds^2 = a^2.(dX^2 + sin^2X.(dT^2 + sin^2T.dB^2))
.
[123]
 
It is certain that
this scholar
knew that of which he spoke, though his mathematical skills far outreach our own.
[124]
 

L

ook to Euclid, that great and glorious
scholar
of Alexandria, and you will learn of another scientific construct for the
existence
of portals.  For Euclid, who shared his ideas with Eratosthenes and Archimedes, the riddle of portals could be summarized with the following formula:
ds^
2
= dw^2 + dx^2 + dy^2 +dz^2
.
[125]
  It
is not known
to what extent this differs from other theories established before and since the time of this great mathematician.
 

H

ooshyar
taught
that
some
portal
s
were
connected to numerous ports at once.  This Hooshyar
explained
with
the formula:
ds^2 = a^2
.(
dX^2 + X^2.(dT^2 + sin^2T.dB^2))
.
[126]
It is not known where Hooshyar learned his
skills at
mathematic
s,
but
,
having spent time
in
at least
ten other port
s,
it is reasonable to conclude that he did not acquire his
knowledge within the confines of this world.

A

bdul Hazred, remembering his days
searching for
the Cittie of Pillars, knew that
dark worlds might be reached by portals, to the greater sorrow of those who sought them.  H
e
taught that
the number of portals leading to darkness was equal to the number of portals leading
to light
. 
And
i
n
each
dark
world,
he warned,
there a
re countless souls
who live to
oppos
e all that is good and true
. 
Hazred believed that these p
ortals
to darkness
existed
according to
the
formula
:
ds^2 = a^2
.(
dX^2 + sinh^2X.(dT^2 + sin^2T.dB^2))
[127]
 

Z

elaznu, a simple herdsman, was no mathematician.  Yet he opened portals in ways that did not resemble these models.  His method, taught to
Zelaznu
by those who
had saved him from the dangers of the
mountains
, was one of human will. 
To open a portal,
Zelaznu summoned up
what
energie he could manage, forcing
a
portal into being
where none had existed
.

    
Those who witnessed Zelaznu’s efforts spoke of them
enough that we know much detail
.  They recalled sensing a tremendous
energie
emanating from
the prophet
on these occasions
.  Other believed that
a great wind, unfelt by the skin of man,
had
swept
from
the fields and hills to descend upon Zelaznu
, to
then
be expelled
by him
in the
creat
ion of
a portal
.
[128]

R

eadying oneself to open a portal is no simple matter. 
T
he act of opening a portal
saps large stores of energie from t
he user.
 
Countless gatekeepers
have
been taken
to the limits of strength and enduran
ce by the opening of portals
;
not all have survived the effort. 
To avoid dangerous levels of weariness, a
would-be
portal
opener
should
rest,
gather
ing
mental and physical energ
ies
for
no less than a full
day and
night.  Some have managed on less,
but
out of necessit
ie
and in the
interest of
survival
;
th
ese
should be considered
extreme cases
.  Some have lost their lives
after
open
ing
a
portal
because
their
bodies lacked
the energie to continue.

E

stablishing,
in the manner which we have described,
the method of finding portals
,
according to one’s own inner eye
and
through the
use of
ancient formulae
;
prepar
ing
oneself for the effort of opening
a
portal
by pursuing
rest; and securing
the vicinitie from prying eyes -
having done these things,
it is then possible to proceed.
 
To protect yourselves and
those around you,
learn from
the experiences of others
.  Adhere to the rules stated here
and t
hey will protect
whosoever might delve into these matters:

D

o not seek portals
out of selfish desire
; use such power for the benefit of all.  Do not educate the unworthie
to
use portals; such is not for them.  Do not fail to keep your inner eye ope
n
; this
will guide you to the proper
portal.  Do not forget that portals exist to those with the faith to find them; all
others
are blind.  Do
honour
to the sun
when
it
touches
the horizon; this will reveal your portal.  Do
proper
meditat
ion
upon the nature of your portal;
this will help you
to
distinguish
the good from the
bad.  Do not fail to search the vicinitie of your portal
for those who would do you harm; these must never witness the operation of portals.  Do your utmost to
dutifullie
follow
all 
prepar
ations
for the effort
of opening portals
;
sufficient r
est may thus save you from dire consequences.

~
168
~

Chapter 14

The Danger of Portals

H

ere let us speak of troubles
which may result from the improper
use of portals; for historie shows us that disaster awaits the unprepared and the unworth
ie
alike.  Heed well the lessons of
both
wise men and fools, who through error, negligence, or intent have so misused the skill of opening portals that dire consequences have
befallen them
. 
We have laid
sundrie lessons before the reader
as a
warning. 
L
et us now provide some few examples of mistakes made in this vein, so that it will be clear with what seriousness the student mu
st
approach the stud
ie
of ports and portals.

O

pening portals without proper preparation.
- -

Both m
ind and body must be as one for the
safe and
proper use of portals.
 
Sundrie careless
fools ha
ve
failed to
heed this lesson
.
Rest and meditation must
come first
, for the opening of portals saps from the user exceeding stores of energie.  Even the great Lakku, wise and learned though he was, had cause to learn this lesson.

     It
is written
that Lakku, upon learning of the approach of the Kabul warriors, spent much time assisting his people in their preparations to flee through the portal
rather than
prepar
e
himself
as much as he
should
.  His mistake might have led to
his death had it not been for the strength of his constitution. 
Even so,
Lakku spent a fortnight in a fever after his operation of the Sang-e portal.

     If one such as Lakku may suffer in such a way,
what hope would he
have who is
weak of body
or
mind
?  How would
such a one
survive if faced with
similar circumstances?  It is a lesson not to be lost upon the novice.

O

pening portals without
ensuring
proper securitie.
- -

In terms of securitie,
Hooshyar
was said
to be the most careful of all Zelaznids through the ages.  Though it
would
cost him his life,
[129]
his sense of loyaltie
led him to
stand between his people and
all who might
threat
en them
. 
His concern for the securitie of his people was no more evident than in his use
of portals.

     We know that Hooshyar opened portals in seven locations during his life
and
visit
ed
no less than ten separate worlds.  Never, as far as
we
know, did that wise man ever let prying eyes see that which
was not
meant
for them.

     B
y contrast,
it is said that Adbul Hazred, who served as the
leader of
the Zelaznids after the passing of Lakku, once opened a portal without securing the vicinitie,
and
thus frighten
ed
a
passing shepherd
to such an extent that the fellow
r
an
in terror
to the nearest village,
where he
spoke openlie of the ‘
devilrie
’ he had seen
.  For this reason, the Zelaznids
were forced
to
abandon the encampment in question.

S

howing the unworthie how
they might
open
a
portal.
- -

Arcturus Aurelius was not the first to
acquire
the skills of portal use
under the tutelage of
the learned Emlyn. 
Note that
I do not say ‘wise’ in this instance
.  T
hough the old man
was later
considered
one of the
wisest
of his time
, his earlie years
were fraught with ill-placed energies and foolish mistakes.

     At first,
Emlyn trusted too easilie and
fill
ed
his idle days by teaching
everyone who wished to learn of ports and portals
.  This was in the
years when Arcturus Aurelius was in his boyhood, before
the boy’s
training could begin
.

     It
is said
that in these days, Emlyn
extended his tutelage to
one Llewellyn
. 
This Llewellyn
showed
much potential, but
little
discipline and
less
patience.  T
he student
press
ed Emlyn in his quest for knowledge and power. Then,
one day
while
his master was absent
,
Llewellyn opened a portal
and crossed into a primitive world
,
where he
sought to establish himself
as a god.  Sad it was for Emlyn
when
forced to
order the death of his pupil, but such
are
the
danger
s
of training the unworthie
.

H

eeding not the inner eye.
- -

Some
have ever failed to find portals
, though
such a gate might
be
but
a hand
’
s breadth away from them. 
This is because t
hey have forgotten the value of the
inner eye,
which
is
drawn
to the fore through
no means but
deep and meaningful meditation.

     Zelaznu knew this to be true and
thus he regularlie turn
ed
to
relaxation and the inner eye.  Though Zelaznu rarelie
opened
portals,
this method
became a common feature of his training.  Students came to him
so that they might
learn the ways of ports and portals
;
and
to
some
of these Zelaznu
taught the skills. 
But
most were released from his tutelage
without
such training
due to their inabilitie to master the inner eye.

     It
takes more
than concentration, according to the writings of Abdul Hazred; it
takes
faith, and more than faith; it
takes
the certa
i
ntie that you will find what you seek.  Without this, there
can be
no finding of portals.

Y

earning for power.
- -

Majumin, great
man
though he was, never learned
the ways
of ports and portals.  Alas, he never saw the ultimate
results of
his strange journie
across the Takla Makan. 
And yet
, even Majumin held
wisdom
in one source of danger
fac
ing
the user of portals: desire.

     “What is it that you seek, Master?” inquired a youth of the Ginyu tribe.

     “It matters not.”

     “But surelie there is more
to this life
.  You are a leader of men.  What would you have?” asked another.

     To this, Majumin smiled, “
People
follow me
.  This does not mean that
I lead them.”

     “But you have so much power, Master.”

     “I
hope that
I
have none
;
nor would I seek such
if it
was with
in my grasp.”

     “Then why do you journie so far, to places you have never seen
, enduring such hardship
? 
Why do you leave behind all
that
you have known?”

     “Because this is what I am meant to do.  It
has been given
to me to go to where the waters meet the mountains, and so I shall.  That there are others at my heels matters not to me.  I ask nothing of them and would that they ask no
thing
of me but that which I do. 
To seek more
than
this
might le
ad a man
to his destruction.”

    
Majumin
knew nothing of port
al
s and the tremendous power they held. 
But
this is immaterial.  He knew
the nature of Man
,
though
th
e
herdsman had
associated with
so few souls in his time
, because he
knew the
ir
hearts
.  He saw what
ambition
might do
. 
Majumin’s
warning was a warning for all matters, but let it
be remembered
as a warning for
those
who would
learn of
ports and portals;
these things are not
meant
for
ambitious eyes.

     Consider that wicked Frenchman
,
Nostradames,
and the damage
that
he did to himself and others.  The
peace
of
nations crumbled at his touch.
  He took, and ordered to
be taken
, the lives of countless men
. 
A
nd
what followed?  His
over
use of port
al
s
weaken
ed
his
constitution
until he
was
no longer
able to
fight the illnesses that consigned him to darkness.
[130]

     Ambition
takes its toll on
the weak and strong alike. 
M
aster
s
throughout the ages ha
ve
known this
. 
W
e know of no masters
who yet
remain in this world,
so
we
now
pass on their wisdom in the event that the knowledge of ports and portals
will survive, so that other masters will emerge who have the wisdom to use their skills for the benefit of all
.

    
For there have been other masters, those who
failed to
heed th
e
threat of ambition
.  Of these persons, we have decided not to speak
,
to prevent future scholars from
learn
ing
the wrong lesson from their example.

     Emlyn
did not speak of
those who
had betrayed
his teachings.  Zelaznu
, likewise,
would
not discuss
such persons. 
Most of these
lost souls have been so shunned in the memorie of the Zelaznids that
their names are no longer known to us
.  
T
his is just as well. 
They
are best forgotten
.