Chapter 1 continued
The way that a second ago was just a straight line now had turned into a fork without Xalia noticing. She was quite impressed usually these kind of tricks used some kind of dramatic effect to highlight the shift, making it seem like part of the show, here the system was finely tuned to wait for moment when attention was directed elsewhere to make things just be there. Quopka was now standing in a tunnel that was green hued on his side but an unpleasant yellow on hers. To her left hand a new tunnel glowing in a faint inviting amber had opened, it smelled of freshly polished stone,very clean and somehow of adventure. 'Active mind component,' Xalia thought, 'Expensive.'. The smell became more soothing, a faint whiff of the ocean added to it. 'Reactive even.'
"See you in minute." she said to Quopka who had gone back to looking mildly disgusted and generally miserable.
"Yes. But please don't buy anything else..."
"I already indulged myself." Xalia said waving her coat dramatically, her smile shattered on Quopka's distaste for place, the situation and as Xalia began to suspect life in general. She shrugged and entered the amber corridor.
"Chrysalis corporation welcomes you to Sralan traveller." the voice spoke with sugared enthusiasm as the path around her turned into a wide open vista of a beach. Instead of sand there where millions of tiny opal disks shimmering in all colours of the universe, the malachite green water expanding into the wide horizon where it met the cobalt blue of the Sralan sky.
"This is a world of water and precious stone, with a rich tradition going back millennia." the sight changed as she walked showing of the with every step the different cultures and architectures of the world. "A world to relax, to explore and to find all kinds of adventure." the scenery changed with every step, every word showing some new wonder that was expecting Xalia. While she enjoyed the show she was getting annoyed how the system was gently adjusting everything she was seeing to what she had reacted to the fraction a second before. When they reached the 'adventure' part she saw a lot of exiting looking but well coordinated tours through 'jungles', 'ruins' and 'hidden spots', she rolled her eyes at that point only to be show brief glimpses of a more intimate type of adventure. She smiled and cursed her self the moment she noticed. "Chrysalis corporation has a wide portfolio of Prime ranked worlds," a dizzying flash of impressions of other places, "where we carefully curate and preserve the local flair to provide the most authentic holidays possible." It refocused on Sralan, now she was walking through the air so she could see the many places where she could stay in Sralan. "You will find your personal form of comfort allowing you to experience a wide array of different cultures on your terms." It present her a large open space room, of panelled wood, comfortable chairs, books shelves and alcoves facing a large open wall, with a translucent energy window that let the ocean air flow in. Xalia was very tempted to book the place that very moment. But she was here on business, her pride was stronger than her impassivity, for once working for instead of against her. "Chrysalis also offers a wide range of congress centres, workshop retreats and company camp outs.", the voice went on not missing a beat. "From high focus environments to, places that push your creative side as far as your imagination can carry you," and then with a wink in its voice it added, "and push you that little bit further. Chrysalis brings you everything you need, where you needed and how you need it." she was back on the beach walking down a path that led her to a amber coloured tunnel that somehow seemed like it was the most natural thing to find in the middle of a beach on an alien planet. "Right now we are taking your personal needs to heart and out of the millions of possibilities, preparing four exiting packages that are perfectly tailored to your needs. Once you step out one of our local amenity experts will welcome you personally to introduce you to your choices."
A moment of brightness and she was standing in a hall, Quopka and his foul mood standing like an inverted light house at one end, while a fantastically pretty woman was flowing towards her a shining smile igniting as she saw Xalia. Xalia's breath caught, her heart skipped a beat. She had to give the Chrysalis corporation that they had recognized her... sense of adventure. She returned the smile with sad eyes.
"I'm very sorry." she said to the radiant apparition in front of her.
"Oh there is nothing to be sorry about.", she answered in a voice that told her that she was going to try a lot of things to see how far that would go.
Xalia inhaled, with her Authority she grabbed the presence, of the woman in front of her pulled out her former glory, the result was spectacular, even Quopka's eyes widened in amazement, when he beheld her. Xalia exhaled letting it all flow to the past. Now the woman in front of her was only the glowing ember, remembering how it once had been a fire, shortly before turning to ash.
This touched Xalia on a much deeper level, there was something in this kind of beauty she could not help but love. But this was the steady love of a grandparent and not the tempestuous infatuation Xalia had felt a second ago. Besides this was now within her Authority, this was a place completely under her control.
The woman in front of her she a single tear.
"What's your name." Xalia asked.
"Mynri." she answered.
"Your real name." Xalia said her voice now soft.
"Ptala" Ptala said.
"A beautiful name." Xalia said gently touching her cheek. "Don't worry, the effect won't last long and please don't be sad, look at the greatness that brought you where you are, remember who and what you where so that you could become who you are now. These past glories are what your present strength is build upon."
Ptala didn't say anything, she moved her hand up to the cheek Xalia had just touched, turned around walked to a window overlooking the Sralan sea and was lost in her past.
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