String and Stone

No 49: XXXIX

No 48: XXXVIII

No 47: XXXVII

No 46: XXXVI

No 45: XXXV

No 44: XXXIV

No 43: XXXIII

No 42: XXXII

No 41: XXXI

No 40: XXX

No 39: XXIX

No 38: XXVIII

No 37: XXVII

So we realise portal travel is not available for most of our readers out there. But it is a pivotal mode of transportation for all manner of magical folk.

This is true. Persia used to grumble to me about how she wishes they were more widespread — she hates planes.

Lyall and I decided we should tell you all how portals work, what they feel like, how they’re made — general stuff, really.

To start off: portals appear differently according to the creator. Mine look like a swirling mass of champagne.

Mine are a wall of greyish-blue ocean waves. It really doesn’t depend on who you are. The magic just happens. You create a portal with very little difficulty, honestly. Just focus on the destination and how many people you transport.

The number of people is crucial. If you’re a party of five and you only account for four, someone will be stranded.

On the bright side this helps with security.

Portal travel is the safest way to travel. It feels like nodding off to sleep for 0.25 seconds.

Slightly alarming, but safe (Eddie doesn’t believe me — he feels out of control in a portal — but it really is completely secure). And to create them, of course, you must have magic.

Otherwise Persia would never ride on a plane again.