Accepting her plea for help, Daelen says, "Alright, are you going to open the portal, or shall I?" "Portal?" Mandalee looks amused. "Yes, you know, to travel to your time." "Portal?" she repeats, laughing despite the seriousness of the situation. "My goodness, how quaint! I'm almost tempted to let you do it, just for the experience, but now is not the time for such crude techniques. We don't use portals anymore, my friend." "Then how do we get to your time?" With a smile, she replies, "We're already here." "That's why this place feels strange! I've walked through this forest so many times, and I don't remember ever noticing this place before." "That's because it doesn't exist," Mandalee explains. "You mean, it doesn't exist in my time?" "It doesn't exist in any time." "Then, where are we?" Daelen looks confused. "I mean, this ground we're standing on, where is it?" Mandalee sighs; exasperated. "It's nowhere! I told you – it doesn't exist!" Poor Mandalee. It's like trying to explain the Origin of the Universe to a baby. Daelen is simply not sufficiently developed to cope with it. So many of what are considered the most basic root concepts are beyond anything the shadow warrior has had to deal with, and Mandalee has neither the time nor the patience to take him through nursery education. Trying to rationalise it, Daelen asks, "Are you saying this glade is an illusion?" "Oh no, it's real; it just doesn't exist. Look, it all comes down to the manipulation of spatial dynamics and dimensional harmonics to annexe a section of spacetime. This place is special because it's Timeless, but similar annexes are routinely created. It's simple enough – delicate and intricate, but not hard. Any other questions?" "Just one, about Time travel: you act as if it's commonplace." "It is," she replies. "Since when?" "For the Guardians, from their creation – it's a natural consequence of existing out of Time. For the members of the Higher Council, over a century. For your average wizards, druids and clerics, about half that time. Then in recent years, basic observation-only Time travel has been available to all for recreation, vacations and study." "That's impossible!" Daelen insists. He's obviously finding it very hard to adjust to a world that has left him behind. "I would have noticed! Where are all these travellers from the future? Why aren't they all over the place? Why haven't I met any, apart from you?" "Oh, the arrogance!" Mandalee rolls her eyes. "I had almost forgotten that about you. I often used to wonder if the real reason you left your plane of existence was that your ego grew too large and it just sort of spilt out like an overfilled bathtub. The reason you haven't met any other Time travellers is that, except for the Guardians, nobody has ever gone back this far." "Why not?" "Because, my dear shadow warrior, you're just not interesting enough yet. Now, if you're quite finished, it's time for us to join a friend of mine so she can explain the current situation. She is looking forward to seeing you." With that, the White Guardian flies into the air, leaving Daelen little choice but to follow meekly behind.