Many leagues away Michael marched north through the D'Haran wastelands. He used magic to call forth water from deep under the earth and when necessary grow food in the unforgiving ground. He was no longer alone in the wilderness. In the journey north he discovered three D'Haran soldiers fighting for their lives against wild beasts. Michael ended the threat of the beasts, using impressive bolts of lightning. In gratitude the soldiers vowed to accompany and protect Michael until they repay their life debt. A few days later Michael and his new companions happened across a sorceress under attack by bandits. After saving her the sorceress, Kate, joined the group. Finally two Mord'Sith joined their group, Berdine and Holly, because they sensed Rahl blood in Michael. Only a week's journey from the People's Palace Michael decided to tell his companions who he really was, and where he was from.
Michael began his story by bringing his companions up to speed on how he came to their world. "As you know I'm a wizard, but you probably don't know that I'm a war wizard. This means I possess naturally both Additive and Subtractive sides of magic." His companions were bewildered by Michael's explanation but remained silent waiting for him to explain everything. "I am not from this world my friends. By my calculations I am nearly thirty years back in time from my home and quite probably in a completely different timeline from my world. Let me explain. In my world there are many differences at this juncture of time than what I have observed here. For example Berdine in my world at this time in my history is in Aydindril with the Mord'Sith Raina and Cara serving my father the Lord Rahl. Holly you were with them but you died shortly after finding my father helping him to fight off a group of magical creatures that are invisible. Ulic, you were with them as well with another soldier of your stature Egan." Michael paused to breathe for a moment half expecting someone to ask questions. No one did, the D'Harans just sat in front of Michael waiting and listening. Michael continued "I was training my wizard's ability with my father before I arrived here. We were in a place that connected me to many more magical possibilities that I possessed in the mortal world. I was working on a spell of transportation and it seems to have gone wrong. I did not arrive anywhere near the correct place I was planning on travelling to. In fact I was transported to an entirely separate reality from my own." Michael finished his explanation and looked to his companions. They remained silent for a moment absorbing all he had told them. Berdine spoke first of the group "who was your father?" Michael answered without shame "Richard Rahl, and in my world Richard is the son of Darken Rahl and grandson of Panis Rahl." Kate spoke then "I understand some of what your tale, I have heard of time altering spells. But to change time so extensively is beyond me." Holly spoke after a short silence "Richard is a Rahl, I can feel the presence of another with through the Bond, but I have never heard of him being a wizard before. It has always been his swords magic that we repel when battling him." Michael thought on this a moment "If he was able to transfer his magical gift to another then his true wizard's gift would be dormant. He would have to willingly activate his gift now for it to manifest. Otherwise he would have to reclaim his powers from the person he gave them to." "In this world Darken Rahl returned to the world of life during the Keeper's war on the living" Ulic stated. Michael found that very interesting. "In my time Darken Rahl was tethered to this world by a spiritual gathering my father called. This caused a power vacuum in who was the true Lord Rahl. It was only when my father stopped Darken Rahl that he could ascend to the throne. People still resisted him but after he killed the magical creatures in Aydindril that slaughtered battalions of soldiers did the D'Haran armies in the Midlands accept my father. Hmm…these differences may be causing many of the major differences in our timelines. Still even with the difference sometime soon the Imperial Order should be making its move on the rest of the world." The others looked questioningly at Michael. He then explained how D'Hara was the ultimate protection for the New World against a vast horde in the Old World that sought to end all magic in the world. He then told them how in his home that Richard Rahl was the one who led the New World to victory. Only with Richard on their side could anyone hope to win in the coming darkness. Kate then confirmed that darkness was coming to the world. She told them how many of the sorceresses were gathering as many with magic as they could and warning heads of state to prepare.
The next morning arrived before Michael and his companions realized it. He finished telling them the major details of his world and the obvious difference he has noticed in the world he currently occupied. They acquired a few hours' sleep before dawn and after a brief breakfast cooked by Michael and assisted by Kate they prepared for the day of travel. As the group packed the last of their supplies Berdine piped up asking "where are we going now?" Holly and Kate looked particularly interested in this conundrum. The soldiers did not show curiosity but likely wondered to themselves where this journey would take them. Michael thought for a moment. He knew where they had to go, but had not decided definitively the route to take. After a moment's silence he decided to at least tell them where they had to go. "We need to find my par…the Seeker and Mother Confessor of this world." Ulic spoke without looking up "The Seeker, Richard Rahl, and Mother Confessor, Kahlan Amnell, are in Aydindril. By now their wedding ceremony would have taken place nearly two weeks ago." Kate looked at Ulic contemplating the soldier's knowledge of world events. She confirmed that the two were supposed to be married but she did not know of a timetable of the event, which Ulic promptly explained that D'Haran spies in the Midlands reported just two days past that the event had occurred. "Now to decide the swiftest way to travel to the Confessor's Palace." Michael stated, knowing the inevitable apprehension of his companions. They did not show their nerve but Michael could still since the D'Haran blood running in his companions' veins. The voice of blunt reason, Berdine, found her voice first. "Lord..." Changing this title after a look from Michael, had told all in the group to stop calling him Lord Rahl more than a dozen times. "Michael, to go to Aydindril alone would be foolish for my Sister, the soldiers, and I, but the Confessor's Palace? That is utter suicide." Michael looked straight into Berdine's eyes, not allowing her to look away. "I will not let that happen." Berdine shrunk back from Michael's gaze. He knew that he looked uncharacteristically like a Rahl when he gazed at a person with his raptor-like eyes. He inherited this trait from his father. Even in a different world the Rahl gaze was known. Everyone consented that regardless of the route taken to Aydindril the group needed to travel north for at least another day before they could cut in any direction. The safest walking path would be to follow the Kern River west then north after the river crosses into the Midlands. This would take them through a majority of the Midlands however and would not be time friendly or safe after several leagues into the Midlands. They would have to cross through many of the more militarily powerful sovereignties in the Midlands. The other austere choice was to travel to the northern tip of D'Hara and travel east over the Western Mountains and travel down by water on the Kern River to Aydindril.
A day and a half later, Michael and his companions arrived at the Kern River in southern D'Hara, here they decided to rest and resupply on fresh water and discuss their next stage of travel. Berdine and Ulic discussed the risks of traveling through a large portion of the Midlands, while Holly and Ulic's fellow soldiers discussed the major risks of traveling through the Azrith Plains and Northern D'Hara. The Midlands route presented the swiftest land route but was not ideal for avoiding attention. It was especially dangerous to travel within a few dozen leagues of Kelton, one of the Midlands' strong military powers. Still a D'Haran route would be time consuming and potentially hazardous. After an hour or so passed and none of the discussions in the group were leading to a decision they looked to Michael for his input. Michael however did not plan on taking any of the routes presented so far. He merely had to convince his companions of his logic and keep their trust in the matter. "I'm afraid we can take neither path." All looked at him in wonder, or possibly shock. He did not give anyone the chance to ask questions. Inhaling air for speech Michael explained his plan to get to the Confessor's Palace. "Either route over land we take will take up valuable time. No matter the world I know Richard Rahl and we cannot afford to risk him leaving Aydindril before we can get there to speak with him." With his purpose stated Michael went on to the more bitter part of his plan. "The fastest way to get to Aydindril is to travel north to the People's Palace." Confusion crossed his companions' faces, but Michael pressed on explaining his intentions. "From the palace I can use a transportation spell to get all of us to Aydindril." Stunned silence followed. The D'Harans had a natural phobia of magic. If they could control the magic they would use it to their ends but they still feared it. The Mord'Sith for once did not have any witty reply or the soldiers a logical statement. Several more tense moments followed before Kate spoke, deep concern in her voice. "You're talking about using the same spell that brought you to this world, aren't you?" Michael nodded explaining further, "I've been thinking about the spell more, and I think that it brought me here because I was in a place that was between worlds. Not just the world of life and death but between time and space as well. I had been trying to use the spell to travel from that place to my world and it was not meant to be used in that context. It was meant to travel from one location in a world to another location in the same world." They continued in their silence; however less concerned and fearful. When the sun was overhead Berdine stood from her place on the ground "sounds like our route is decided. No point in sitting around we need to get moving." With that they all gathered their supplies and packs and set off north to the People's Palace. The soldiers dispersed themselves throughout the column they formed, with Holly and Ulic in the front, Kate with the smallest of the three soldiers behind them, Berdine and Michael next and the last soldier bringing up the rear of the group.