Perthorn scrambled backwards, his feet kicked up the grass as he pressed his back into the tree’s bark. He frantically looked around for the Giants of Inner Urthe. The ones both his friends had called out in their sleep. Knowing better than to wake the Dragon, he shook Kiel’s arm until his eyes groggily opened.
“What?” Kiel said, digging his fist into his eyes to remove the traces of sleep.
“What about the Nomliac’s?” Perthorn stared at Kiel, full of questions.
“I don’t...” He began and then Zelspar awoke to complete the answer.
“I saw them, or better stated, I saw a similarity to the Nomliacs.”
Perthorn said, “Here? There are Giants here?”
“No. That isn’t what I meant. It was the only word I had to describe what I was seeing.”
“I saw them, too.” Kiel added in a quiet voice, stifling a yawn.
“Thunder and Lightning, you both had the same dream?” Perthorn sputtered out in disbelief.
To his astonishment, they both replied, yes at the same time.
Zelspar raised a bushy brow as he looked at Kiel, who looked just as surprised.
“You saw? Tell me what you saw in your dream, Kiel.”
“I saw us in a different land where the people living there sounded like the Nomliacs. They weren’t giants. It was because of their speech and the color of hair and skin that made me think of the Nomliacs.”
“Hmmm.” Zelspar puzzled. “It seems that we both had the same dream, the same Vision. How extraordinary.”
“What do you think it means, Zelspar?” Perthorn pressed for explanation.
“The dream or Vision I would be more inclined to name it. Kiel and I sharing the same Vision as we slept? I am unsure of the latter but as far as the Vision, I believe it is telling me…us, what to expect after taking the portal. The people we will see or should search for will be similar to the Nomliacs.” He studied Kiel for a few beats of his Dragon heart. “Kiel, when did you start seeing Visions?”
“I didn’t know that I had…” He mumbled, his lips forming a frown. “I think -- well maybe it was because when I fell asleep, I was lying next to you?”
“I would think that highly unlikely,” Zelspar mused. “No, I think something more is going on. You did not sleep, Perthorn?”
“How would I have been able to with the two of you mumbling? You had me looking all around us for some unknown threat.” Perthorn wore the face of confusion mixed with a dash of irritation.
Zelspar chuckled in good nature. “True enough, my friend. Only a curiosity in me asking the ‘why’ of the shared Vision. Back with the Hails of Dragons, when there was a shared Vision it usually meant something of vital importance or a dire warning. This did not have the same feeling. What about you, Kiel? Did you feel anything worrisome? Frightening?”
“No, I only thought it was a dream. I didn’t even know that I had spoken until Perthorn woke me up.”
“I will not rule it out as a Vision. We both saw the same people. It is important to remember what we are shown in our Visions. It has always proved to be information I found usable. However, I am thankful neither of us detected an ominous feeling.”
Perthorn asked, “So, why do you think you both shared this dream or whatever?”
Zelspar rubbed his long muzzle. “I find nothing to worry with the shared Vision. It only piqued my interest. We didn’t rest long, but I am already feeling hungry. Let’s explore through these trees to see what we can find to eat.”
“Should I strap our belongings back on you, so we need not return?”
“Excellent idea, Kiel. My stomach was getting the better of my judgement,” Zelspar chuckled.
Kiel made quick work of securing their sparse belongings as Zelspar slipped his own bags and parcels crisscrossed over his neck and against his opposite side.
They began walking into the dense canopy of the trees, keeping watchful eyes for any dangers. They were greeted with the musical caws of the avian hidden in the branches, thick with leaves. Other noises mingled in the music of the forest. Kiel pointed up for them to catch a glimpse of a creature that swung from branch to branch high above them.
“Did you see that?” he whispered in amusement.
“Indeed. More things live in these trees than we had back at our home.”
Zelspar was still watching overhead when he heard Kiel scream.
“Zelspar, look out!”
Zelspar quickly looked to find a monster crawling towards him at great speed, its mouth opened wide enough to chew his hindquarters clean away. He roared a consuming flame that killed the beast in its tracks. It flip-flopped in agony for only seconds before it stopped all movement.
“Well, my friends, it looks as if we were provided a meal. It is already cooked for your pleasure. I hope you enjoy your meat ‘well done’ because it is crispy-fried!”
Perthorn laughed, “That is my preference, especially from a beast with that many teeth flashing at me.”
“You mean, like mine?” Zelspar gave Perthorn an extra large open-mouthed smile.
Kiel and Perthorn laughed deeply and Perthorn said, “Thankfully, you are a friend.”
Zelspar was still chuckling as he walked up to the armored land creature and ripped off a leg, peeling away its leathery hide to expose the meat before handing it to Perthorn. “Here, cut off as much as you and Kiel can eat. I think I’ll flip this monster over and enjoy his belly.”
Perthorn went to work cutting off chunks of meat for them and turned away from the Dragon as he tore into his food. They might be friends, but it still made him nervous to watch the damage those great jaws could do when he ate. He gave an involuntary shiver.
Well fed, they continued their journey. The trees opened up to a marshy area. There before them, they saw perhaps a hundred eyes staring. The eyes set deep into their heads with long muzzles filled with sharp dagger like teeth. Beasts like the one they just ate. The beasts were swishing their long tails against the water and cattails, taking a slow, methodical approach.
“Quick, climb up!” Zelspar shouted.
He bent and Perthorn and Kiel dove up onto his back. A few flaps of his wings and they were airborne, looking at the snapping jaws below them. Zelspar circled above the marsh, looking for a safe place to land. He couldn’t risk flying too far away because they might miss where the portal was located. He landed at a clearing on the far side of the swamp. His eyes searched for any movement nearby.
“If it is all the same to you, I think I’ll stay where I am,” Perthorn said as he saw the beasts still too close for comfort.
Zelspar was on the verge of answering when movement in the middle of the marsh caught his attention. The beasts suddenly swam off in every direction as a humming noise grew in volume until it became a buzzing and popping sound. As they watched, an arch rose from the water, covered in a deep green moss and vining tendrils. It continued to rise until it towered twice the height of Zelspar. It started to vibrate and shimmer, the mud and vegetation sliding down its sides.
Zelspar said, “There, my friends, is our portal.”
“You can’t be serious,” Perthorn said nervously. “We have to pass those wide mouthed, tooth laden beasts? Not me.”
Zelspar craned his neck over his shoulder, yellow eyes glinting. “You would prefer I leave you here?”
He sputtered. “Well no. But I’m not climbing off of your lumpy hide, either.”
“Then hang on, we’re flying through it.”
Zelspar leapt into the air headed directly towards the arch. Down below, the beasts made a circle around the arch and snapped their jaws towards the air. He dove through the arch.
“Nothing happened!” Perthorn screamed out.
Zelspar turned and headed back through the arch. Again, nothing changed.
“By all that is Dragon,” he thundered as he headed back to their landing place. He caught his breath and then said, “It looks like we will have to land near the portal and step through.”
<
br /> “Have you lost all your senses? Land? Those beasts will be upon us in a moments time. Don’t you see how they have circled the arch? They are biding their time, waiting for their dinner.” Perthorn was tugging on his extra-long mustache so hard his lip pulled down. “Why don’t we keep looking? Maybe there is another portal we are missing.”
Zelspar rubbed his hand down his snout, displacing the tendrils of smoke that had formed as he thought. “No. This is the one we should take. Something or someone has activated it, otherwise it would not have come up from the depths. Don’t worry, you will not have to walk to the portal. We will fly there and land right next to it. All I will need to do is take a step over the threshold. Then, we should be at our destination.”
“How do we know we won’t arrive in the same situation, looking down the mouths of the same kind of beasts?” Perthorn asked. His eyes darted from Zelspar to the circling beasts.
“We don’t.” Zelspar quickly took to the sky and circled the arch once. “I can’t tell if there is stable ground to land on, I can only assume to support the portal, there must be. I will land as close as my wings will take us. Do not move. Stay on me as I step through. Got it?”
“You don’t have to worry about that, I’m not moving a whiskers-hair from where I’m currently clinging on for my dear life.” Perthorn announced. Kiel grabbed onto his sides enough to bring a quick bite of pain to Perthorn. Before he had the chance to tell Kiel to loosen up, Zelspar headed down towards the arch.
The beasts swished their tails as they crawled forward. Zelspar landed. The sound of snapping jaws met their ears as Zelspar took a step into the arch. Nothing. His eyes bulged out in recognition of that fact. They were now surrounded by the creatures moving towards them and picking up speed.
Zelspar sprayed out a flame in a circle, pushing the beasts back a few paces. “I don’t have room to fly, they have cut off the room I need to become airborne.” He took an involuntary step backwards to avoid the newly adjusted path of the beasts towards them. He heard Kiel yell from behind him. Then, swoosh!
They had made it through the portal.
In the chaos of their escape, one thing was missed. Through the portal they went and entered into a land of wind pushing up over the cliffs and surrounded by vast waters. Perthorn slipped off of Zelspar’s back and reached to help Kiel down.
“Kiel! Thunder and Lightning, Kiel is missing.”
“Missing?” Zelspar looked around them. “Stay here, I need to go back through.” Without waiting for Perthorn’s response, he stepped back through the portal.
When he returned to the swamp, a tight ring of snapping jaws awaited him. Kiel had been surrounded. Zelspar reached in front of him, hooked an arm around Kiel. The last thing he heard was Kiel’s scream before he crossed into the new land.
“You scared me to death, I thought a beast had grabbed me!” Kiel said. The color slowly came back to his pallid face.
“What happened to you, Kiel?” Perthorn questioned.
“I don’t know, exactly. Those beasts were circling, and I turned to look behind me and slid off, then you were gone. Those wide-jawed creatures kept coming closer. I tried to go through the portal, but it wouldn’t open. I called for you to come back, but you didn’t hear me.” Kiel was shaking. The knowledge of his close call hit home.
“I wonder why you couldn’t go through the portal?” Perthorn asked. His brows furrowed deep in thought.
“I had no such difficulty, I latched on to his waist and stepped back through it, and none too soon, I might add.” Zelspar said as he looked towards Kiel. “Perhaps the portal will only trigger with the weight of a Dragon. It does make sense. Otherwise all those beasts would end up over here.”
As soon as the words slipped out of his mouth, he saw Perthorn and Kiel quickly jerk their heads around and check the land on which they were standing.
Kiel shook his head. “I would have been food for those things had you not come back for me.”
Zelspar smirked. “You wouldn’t have been much more than a tiny morsel and more than likely would have been spit out. You don’t look very appetizing!” He laughed. Kiel gawked in disbelief of hearing Zelspar’s jest.
“No worries, Kiel. We are all here, flesh and bones intact. I think it’s time we take flight and get a glimpse of this place.” Zelspar bent down allowing the two riders to find their seats. He could feel the tension of the strappings pulling tight against his chest. Good, he thought. A lesson learned. They will hold tight and not risk becoming dislodged again.
Chapter 24
Zelspar stepped off of the cliff, alarming Perthorn. He grabbed onto his neck and buried his face into his scales. The Dragon caught the air with his wings and lifted back over the cliff. He flew low, watching the ground for signs of the peoples he had seen in his Vision.
This was a land edged in ice. Beyond, the great waters. They flew over hills, broken mountains and many lakes. It was then that Zelspar saw a hillside. Craning his head over his shoulder, he warned, “Use Invisibility Magic, now!”
In an instant, they disappeared in the sky. Zelspar held back, circling in the distance, watchful. He slipped up closer and dodged behind a tumbled mountain with huge boulders strewn across the ground. A fortuitous refuge. They landed. Perthorn and Kiel silently slipped down the Dragon’s back and peered around the boulder.
Perthorn turned to Zelspar with a gruff whisper, “These are the peoples you brought us to find?”
Zelspar stared at the scene in front of them. He rubbed a palm down his snout. “I’m unsure. I see giants, but from what Kaida said of the giants you have in the Inner World, they don’t look anything like them except perhaps the coloring of the one with the huge staff.”
They all looked on at the confrontation taking place. Two giants stood measuring each other as they paced in a slow circle. When they changed positions, Kiel let out a gasp. One giant had only one eye, which was closed. When he opened it, the wind howled and blew the other giant back against the rocks. His massive legs pressed down into the dirt, pulling himself forward and leaving deep ruts in the ground. He took great strides when the opposing giant closed his eye. As he drew within striking distance, he hefted his staff across his shoulder and swung. It made contact against his enemy and felled him like a giant tree. The winning giant stood over his enemy and in a surprised act, turned his staff around, and touched the head of the giant, bringing him to life again.
The giant rose to his feet. One leg looked broken. He drug it across the ground as he walked. The red-haired giant moved his staff close to the other. When he opened his mouth, the words rang loud. “You have been defeated! I spared your life only for you to take your people and leave this land. I have won the rights to inhabit all of its places. If you remain, I will slay all of your peoples. Leave and you own your life and the lives of your people.”
The giant with one eye turned and made his way into a large tunnel in the mountain that had its exit down by the great waters. As the red-haired giant looked over the cliff, he watched as the defeated giant led his peoples into the waters. The victor then turned and cupped his hands around his mouth and called out a mysterious name.
Zelspar blinked rapidly as he saw a great musical instrument encrusted with jewels fly through the air and land at his feet. Gently, the giant strummed its strings and the air was filled with the sounds of joy with the dancing of notes filled every pore. The three behind the massive stone watched as people ran out of hidden places and danced before the giant.
Zelspar pointed, “Those are the peoples in my Vision. See how they have the same coloring of the giant? Reddish brown hair? They look like him but without his stature.” Perthorn and Kiel nodded as they watched all the peoples assemble close to the giant. The giant stepped away from them and his magical instrument and moved apart two massive stones. Reaching in, he brought out a cauldron of unimaginable size and hefted it over one shoulder.
The peoples scurried around. They grabbed up dead branches and heav
ed them into a pile. The giant touched the deadwood and flames blazed. Then he placed the cauldron over the flames and laughed a deep and joyous laugh as he reached to put the great ladle into the pot. Nestled inside he found seven children playing games with pebbles. Tipping the ladle on its side on the ground, the children rolled out and danced around the pot shouting, “We’re hungry, we’re hungry, let us eat!”
The giant placed his hands on his hips, leaning backwards he belted out deep laughter that rattled the ground. “Aye and eat you shall! Bring out your bowl, bring out your spoons, you will never feel hungry when my cauldron is on the fires.”
In amazement, the Dragon and his riders watched as these people brought out stone bowls so heavy, they had to carry with both hands. The giant dipped the ladle into the cauldron and poured a steaming stew into all the bowls held out towards him. Wave after wave of the people came to the fire and the giant continued to dip the ladle and pour and unending supply of stew into the bowls. After all his people sat and hungrily slurped down the warm food, the giant drank big ladles of the food himself. There was so much food, the smell of it wafted through the air and stirred the hunger of those in hiding. Kiel’s stomach growled in a low rubble.
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