A Portal for Your Thoughts
By
Jeffrey M. Poole
www.AuthorJMPoole.com
The Mythra Triad illustration drawn by:
Brett David Gable Illustrations
Smashwords Edition License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.
This book is a work of fiction. All characters and locations appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or real locations, is purely coincidental.
Published by: Hungry Griffin Publishing
www.HungryGriffin.com
Published in the United States of America
1st Electronic Edition
Copyright 2015 © Jeffrey M. Poole
YEP. STILL THE KING OF SSX TRICKY!
The Mythra Triad
(sold separately)
For a complete list of titles available by Jeffrey M. Poole, including the best-selling fantasy series Bakkian Chronicles and Tales of Lentari, and the cozy mystery series Corgi Case Files, please click here!
Acknowledgments
As usual, my list of people to thank is long and extensive. Please bear with me.
First off, I need to thank my wife for continuing to be my inspiration. I strive to become a better writer because of you. I also would like to thank the beta readers who took the time out of their busy schedules to lend a hand proofreading a manuscript that clearly needed the attention. Next up would be anyone unlucky enough to have to listen me prattle on and on about the books, possibly story arcs, battle scenes, and so on.
I’d also like to thank a good friend of mine in England for providing yet another illustration. The Mythra Triad was hand painted by Brett and is used here with his permission. Great job once again, Brett! I’d also like to thank Rachel and Richard Marks. Rachel painted the wonderful cover for me and Richard handled the title graphics. As always, your work is impeccable, guys! Thanks for putting up with the whims of a seriously demented fantasy author. :)
And finally, I’d like to thank you, the readers. Tales of Lentari exists solely because of you. If not for the continued interest in the series then I’m sure I’d be wondering what I could possibly write about. Thank you for keeping Steve and Sarah with all kinds of new adventures!
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1 – VANISHING VILLAGER
CHAPTER 2 –CALL OUT THE CAVALRY!
CHAPTER 3 –ROADTRIP, ANYONE?
CHAPTER 4 –A TEMPORAL TWIST
CHAPTER 5 –TWEAKING THE HISTORY BOOKS
CHAPTER 6 –PESKY POWERLESS PORTAL
CHAPTER 7 –PERSONA NON GRATA
CHAPTER 8 –AN EERIE ENCOUNTER
CHAPTER 9 –ROYAL PAIN IN THE ATHE
CHAPTER 10 – A DRAGON’S DILEMMA
CHAPTER 11 – AN ARDENT ADMIRER
CHAPTER 12 – A PROMISE KEPT
CHAPTER 13 – ROTTEN TO THE CORE
CHAPTER 14 – FLAW DETECTED
AUTHOR’S NOTE
FAN SUBMISSIONS
FOR GILIANE –
AS EVER, I COUNT MY LUCKY STARS THAT I CAN
ALWAYS COUNT ON YOU TO BE BY MY SIDE.
LOVE YOU ALWAYS & FOREVER!
Chapter 1 – Vanishing Villagers
The setting sun had laced the early summer sky with streaks of orange and had painted the undersides of what few clouds there were a soft pink. A flock of bright yellow kytes circled lazily about high overhead as they searched for a suitable place to perch for the evening. The writhing and pulsing mass of yellow feathers was a sharp contrast to the calm azure sky and, therefore, had the effect of causing many an onlooker down below to lift their hands and point at the noisy fluffy birds in wonder.
Directly below the flock of kytes was the Lentarian capital of R’Tal. Nestled safe within its walls was the majestic castle the king and queen of Lentari called home. It was nestled up against Anakash forest on the north and sat fairly close to the great sea on the east. Inside the city walls was street after street of vendors, who were eagerly peddling their wares to anyone that passed by, and residential houses ranging from simple thatched cottages to much more elaborate multi-level dwellings that only the city’s elite could afford. Anyone strolling outside on a beautiful sunny day, such as this was, would typically encounter villagers selling baked goods, fresh meat, recently harvested vegetables and bolts of fabric in bright vivid colors. If the prospective buyer wasn’t looking for new clothes, or fabrics to make their own, and were able to pry themselves away from the tempting aroma of freshly baked food, then they’d encounter several rows of vendors selling all manner of tools, weapons, and services pertaining to each. Coins changed hands and goods changed possession.
The sounds of a galloping horse caught the attention of the gatemaster guarding the city’s west gate. The guard frowned. From the sound of the hooves rapidly striking the cobbled pavement it was clear that this rider wasn’t out for a leisurely stroll. The guard’s right hand rested easily on the hilt of his sword while his left inched toward the tower’s bell. In his three years of service in the castle’s militia it had only been necessary to ring that bell once.
Horse and rider came into view. The guard’s eyes opened wide as he was finally able to see who the rider was. He barely had enough time to usher a few peasants out of the way before the horse thundered by him, on a direct line to the castle. The guard jumped back against the wall just as the whinnying horse galloped by.
The gatemaster followed the rider’s progression up the streets as numerous vendors voiced their alarm. Conversations were halted and the streets became silent as the clatter of the horse’s hooves echoed loudly on the paved road. After a few moments of silence the general din of the day’s activities returned.
Arriving at the castle’s inner keep, the rider dismounted and tossed his reins to the closest guard. Catching sight of the rider’s identity, the guard snapped to attention. He caught the reins with his left hand while simultaneously opening the door with his right.
“See to my horse,” the tall soldier instructed. “I may have to depart just as quickly as I arrived. He is to be ready at a moment’s notice, is that understood?”
The guard bowed. “Aye, captain.”
Captain Pheron strode purposefully into the castle’s interior. He had to constantly remind himself not to break into a run as it was generally considered bad form to appear in front of the king and queen out of breath. The captain took several deep calming breaths as he neared the Great Hall. The king wasn’t going to like what he had to tell him. He could only hope that his majesty was preoccupied with other things and he would have to impart his news to someone else. He doubted he’d be that lucky.
As luck would have it both the king and queen were present. Not only were their majesties holding court inside the large chamber but the commander of the royal guards was also present. His superior officer’s keen eyes had noticed him first. The captain groaned silently. He watched the commander’s eyes travel down his unwashed face to his dirty, disheveled clothes and then back up to his face. Or more specifically, his eyes. Pheron was certain his commanding officer had noticed the look of concern he was desperately trying to mask.
Rhenyon rose to his feet and dismissed the three lieutenants he had been speaking with. The commander glanced over at the king and queen and confirmed that neith
er the king or queen had noticed the captain’s arrival. Rhenyon gestured to an unoccupied corner of the Great Hall.
“I assume,” Rhenyon began as he glanced again at the dirty countenance his subordinate presented, “that you have a good explanation for this.”
Captain Pheron bowed. “My apologies, Commander. I was following the king’s express orders. If I were to learn of any new developments with regards to the situation in Capily then I should hand deliver the news personally.”
Rhenyon straightened. “Something has happened in Capily?”
“It’s more like something else has happened in Capily, commander.”
Rhenyon’s full attention fell on Pheron.
“Well? What is it?”
“Another person has gone missing. It happened just last night.”
Commander Rhenyon cursed softly to himself.
“His majesty will not like this.”
Pheron nodded. “Aye. Those are my feelings exactly. But, now that you’re here, perhaps you could tell him?”
Rhenyon considered for a few moments. “Aye, I suppose I could.”
Relief washed over Pheron. “Thank you, commander.”
“However…”
Pheron had turned about and had just taken a step back toward the keep when he froze.
“Didn’t you just say that you were given strict orders to personally hand deliver any news to the king?”
Pheron swallowed nervously and nodded. “Aye.”
“Then you should be the one to tell him. Wait here. I will see if he deems this important enough to halt these mundane proceedings.”
Pheron watched as Rhenyon approached the king and tapped him softly on the shoulder. The king kept his eyes, and presumably his attention, on the people standing before him but did lean over to hear what Rhenyon had to say. Pheron held his breath. He already knew that the king would want to hear about this latest development.
Sure enough, the king’s head snapped up and instantly sought him out. Kri’Entu excused himself and said something to Rhenyon. The commander instantly looked at him and mouthed the word ‘Antechamber’. Captain Pheron began automatically moving toward the king’s private chamber tucked deep within the castle and far from prying ears. Once the three men had stepped inside the magically enchanted chamber where no jhorun – magic – could be used unless one had a very powerful ability, Kri’Entu faced the commander and the captain.
“What has happened?” Kri’Entu snapped. “Report.”
Rhenyon instantly turned to Pheron.
“Tell the king what you told me, captain.”
Pheron nodded.
“Fifteen minutes ago I received word, via a village messenger kyte, that another disappearance has happened.”
The king let out an exasperated sigh.
“How long ago? Today?”
“Last night. A young girl never returned home and no amount of searching has turned up any clues.”
Both the king and the commander scowled. Rhenyon ran a hand through his thick black hair.
“How young?”
“Perhaps twelve, maybe thirteen.”
“Wizards be damned,” the king muttered. “She was just a child. This has got to stop. This marks the second time this year a villager has gone missing.” Kri’Entu looked up and met Rhenyon’s eyes. “I had instructed Capily’s constable to inform us of anything unusual happening, no matter how irrelevant it appears.”
“What would you have us do, your majesty?” Rhenyon inquired.
The king’s response was quick and to the point.
“We find our citizens and return them home. I do not care what it takes. This mystery ends now.”
Kri’Entu walked over to his private desk and faced the wall directly behind it. He tapped one of the many stones on the wall’s surface and waited for the false wall to slide out of the way. Once it did, a large pedestal, with a statue of a griffin standing on top of it was revealed. Soft chimes began to play. The king approached the griffin and waited for it to raise its right front paw. As soon as it did the king pressed the small button that had been concealed and then pulled open the pedestal’s door. He retrieved a small velvet case and turned to place it on his desk. Opening the case revealed a set of sparkling crystal keys set in various colors. He selected a sky blue key and handed it to Rhenyon, who nodded. The commander turned to Pheron and handed him the portal key he had just been given.
“Captain, take one squadron to Capily and investigate. There has to be something we’re missing.”
Pheron was confused. “Were you not just there several months ago? What new leads do you think I would be able to find where you could not?”
“Unknown,” the king answered. “We have faith in you, captain. You will succeed. Why? Because you are going to be more methodical than we ever were. And aye, we were there nearly three months ago.”
Rhenyon nodded. “That was when we were investigating the disappearance of a woodsmith.”
“Is there anything else I need to know?” the captain asked as he mentally assembled the roster of men that would accompany him.
“There have been five disappearances,” the king answered in a neutral tone. “These occurrences stretch out over several years. However, I suspect this has been happening far longer than has been documented.”
“Why are we just now hearing about this?” Pheron asked, perplexed. “Why didn’t the constable report this long ago?”
“How would you be able to tell if a person went missing?” Rhenyon asked. “Unless there was someone actively looking for that person and it is reported, then we’d never know.”
“So what has changed?” Pheron wanted to know.
“The frequency of these disappearances have been increasing,” Kri’Entu answered. “And that is unacceptable.”
Captain Pheron lowered his voice to a whisper. “Could the renegade wizard everyone has been searching for be responsible?”
“It’s plausible, but unlikely,” Rhenyon told him. “That wizard has a history of conducting his or her activities in secret, so I very much doubt that he or she would do something so foolish as to draw attention to themselves. For now we will assume this is something else besides the wizard.”
Pheron nodded. “I understand your majesty. Fear not. I will get to the bottom of this.”
“See that you do, captain,” the king said as he turned to Rhenyon. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I must return to the Board of Treasurers meeting. Nothing is as dull as listening to proposed changes to the taxes, I assure you.”
The king departed, leaving captain and commander eyeing one another.
“Do you have an idea which men you will select?” the commander asked.
Pheron nodded. “I do.”
“I will expect daily progress reports, captain.”
Pheron saluted. “You will have them, commander.”
****
“What would you like us to do first, captain?”
Pheron fastened the crystal portal key to his dragon tooth medallion and tucked it safely beneath his tunic. Adjusting his dark brown leather armor so that his chest was once more properly protected he turned to his first lieutenant.
“We were tasked with solving this mystery, Graylan. I have no plans on disappointing the commander or the king.”
“How long do you think this will take?” a young soldier asked.
Pheron made eye contact with the youngest member on the squad. A youth, barely 18 years old and the youngest member on their team, fidgeted under his gaze.
“We will be here as long as it takes, Gunnar. Do you have somewhere else to be?”
The young soldier shook his head and fell silent.
“Let’s find the constable. We need to know more about what’s been going on around here.”
Captain Pheron stepped out into the brisk morning air and inhaled. He had always loved the smell of the sea. If he hadn’t become a soldier then he was positive he would have ended up choosing an occupation tha
t involved being out on the open water.
Pheron walked a few steps away from the large two story building that housed the portal and spun around to verify the rest of his men had followed. When all twelve were standing in two rows of six men each, Pheron looked around the quiet seaside village.
“We need to find the constable. He was supposed to be in his office but clearly he’s not. Spread out. Find him. Report back here every half hour until he’s found. Move out.”
All twelve men nodded and quickly fanned out, heading to opposite corners of the village. Surprisingly it took less than fifteen minutes to find the missing contstable. One of his men had found the village official trying to drink away his sorrows at one of the village’s three taverns. Taking up position all around the pub Pheron approached the establishment’s front doors and automatically ducked.
Being six and a half feet tall usually resulted in more blows to the head than he’d care to admit. As such, Pheron had learned long ago that it was simply easier to duck when entering a building for the first time. In this case, it was a good thing he continued to do so or else he would have cracked his head against the door’s six foot high frame.
Smells of roast meat, burnt tobacco, and spilt ale assailed his nostrils; wooden tables that were so old that they had been worn smooth by countless years of use were haphazardly scattered about. There were only a few patrons in the tavern at this time of day and all save one left to find other things to do at the sight of Pheron and his impeccably dressed soldiers. The last patron hadn’t even bothered to look up at the disturbance. The lone man kept his eyes glued to the heavily scarred table and the half full tankard of ale in his shaky hands.
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