A Portal for Your Thoughts

by Jeffrey M. Poole

  Steve trailed off as he waited for Cecil to come to the same conclusion.

  “If the portal remains powerless then you’ll never get to Lentari,” Cecil slowly answered. He turned to look at Luther and his wife. “You’re going to need their help.”

  Luther smiled and nodded.

  “I came to the same conclusion as you, my friend. Only I got there about fifteen minutes ago.”

  Cecil chuckled. “This is all very new to me. My experience with magic has been limited to stage shows and card tricks.”

  Steve held out a hand, as though he was greeting Cecil for the first time. When their hands were clasped together Steve released his jhorun into his hand and held on as Cecil automatically flinched and tried to yank his hand out of Steve’s flaming grip.

  “Trust me,” Steve told him. “You won’t be harmed.”

  Cecil and AnnaBelle watched, amazed, as Steve’s flames spread to Cecil’s hand and flickered merrily over their clasped hands.

  “Does it hurt?” AnnaBelle asked as she stared at the two clenched hands. She frowned at Steve. “You’d better not harm him.”

  “Then tell him to stop trying to pull his hand free,” Steve told her. “I can only prevent him from being burned provided he’s in physical contact with me.”

  AnnaBelle turned back to Cecil and cuffed him on the back of his head.

  “You heard him. Stop trying to pull your hand away. You’ll get burned!”

  With great reluctance, Cecil ceased his struggles.

  “Feels like something is tickling your hand, doesn’t it?” Steve commented as he rotated their hands this way and that to inspect for possible damage. Just as he expected, their hands were blemish free.

  Steve finally extinguished his flames and released his grasp on Cecil’s hand. Cecil yanked it away and held it up before his eyes for a close inspection. Satisfied he was unharmed he silently regarded Steve for a few moments.

  “Simply incredible. If I had that ability, my friend, I would use that power at every opportunity I could.”

  Steve sighed. “Oridinarily, I’d agree. However, I think I should keep the fires to a minimum. What would the people of Lentari think if all of a sudden a fire thrower appeared in their midst?”

  Sarah took his hand.

  “Don’t you remember what the king and queen said to us when we first met them?”

  Steve thought a moment. “I think so. What part are you referring to?”

  “Do you remember what the queen said when she found out you were a fire thrower?”

  Steve slowly nodded. “Yeah, I do. She said something about there hadn’t been another fire thrower for over a hundred years. So?’

  “Honey, don’t you see? I think she was talking about you!”

  “You have no way of knowing that. She had to have been talking about someone else.”

  “If that was true then she would have said something about multiple fire throwers. No, she only mentioned one. Do you realize what this means?”

  “No.”

  “It means,” Sarah continued, “that you were meant to go to Lentari. Once there you must have used your jhorun for some reason. Someone obviously noticed. Whatever that reason may be, it must have been noteworthy since it made it into their history books.”

  “You’re saying we’re supposed to do this.”

  “Not we,” Sarah corrected. “You.”

  “You’re not going? How am I supposed to get where I need to go without you?”

  Sarah shrugged. “The old-fashioned way, I guess.”

  “You mean I’d have to walk? That sucks! Are you sure you don’t want to come with me?”

  “I want to, but someone has to stay here.”

  “Why?” Steve demanded.

  “Sheriff Whats-his-name. We can’t risk Luther or Cora. Someone has to protect them.”

  Steve looked over at his great-great-grandparents before fixing his wife with a stare.

  “Protection is my department, not yours.”

  Sarah nodded. “I’m aware; however, your jhorun is way more noticeable than mine.”

  “Meaning?”

  “If it comes to it, and someone has to use their jhorun here, it’d better be me ‘cause you’ll freak people out.”

  “And you won’t?”

  “I can play the innocent damsel in distress pretty well. They’ll never know I’m responsible for anything. We’ve both read up on Coeur d’Alene’s history. We’ve been to the museum. Have you ever seen or read anything about a serial arsonist being in the area?”

  “I’m no serial arsonist, thank you very much.”

  “That’s how the people would see you here,” Sarah told him.

  “She’s right,” AnnaBelle added. “There’s no one around here even remotely like you, Steve. If it becomes known you can control fire then the townsfolk will turn on you.”

  Cecil scoffed loudly. “If that happens I’ll give you three guesses who’ll be out at the front of the pack screaming for your head. However, you’ll only need one.”

  Steve scowled. “The sheriff.”

  “Miss Sarah is right,” Luther agreed. “If someone has to use their jhorun around here, it’d be best if it was an ability that wasn’t easily noticeable.”

  “I really don’t like separating like this,” Sarah admitted as she took her husband’s arm. “So many things could go wrong.”

  Steve patted her hand reassuringly. “Not as many as what could go wrong if we don’t do this. Hey, I just thought of something. Have you tried going to Lentari since you made it here?”

  Sarah shook her head no. “As soon as I saw what the year was, and realized the portal dropped me at a different time, I decided not to risk it. Besides, I wanted to make sure I was here when you came looking.”

  Steve smiled tenderly at his wife. “Based on everything we’ve seen I’m very thankful I made it. Now, speaking of trips, how am I supposed to get back from Lentari? Without you or a portal, I’m screwed.”

  “Don’t be so melodramatic. We’ll meet at a pre-arranged location at a specific time.”

  “What happens if I get into trouble? What if you do? What then? We’re taking a hell of a chance separating like this.”

  Sarah nodded. “I know. It’s risky; I don’t like it either, but what choice have we? We can’t leave them unprotected. I just don’t like the idea that you’ll be by yourself.”

  “He won’t be,” a new voice chimed in. “I’m going with him.”

  Everyone turned to look at Cecil, who was nervously clutching his bowler hat in his hands.

  “I appreciate the support, pal,” Steve began as he approached Luther’s friend, “but we’re talking about some rough territory here. This isn’t going to be any picnic you’re familiar with.”

  “I am not afraid,” Cecil stoically declared. “I have a firearm.”

  “Which you’ve never used,” AnnaBelle pointed out.

  “And have never loaded,” Luther added.

  “Steve should not have to suffer that abominable land by himself.”

  “Abominable?” Luther repeated as he frowned. “Have a care how you speak about my homeland. It is a wonderful place to live.”

  “He’s right,” Steve added. “I’ve been to Lentari many times.”

  Cecil visibly relaxed and offered a smile.

  “Don’t you remember how scared we were the first time we saw those two griffins in person?” Sarah asked with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

  “What are griffins?” Cecil wanted to know.

  Steve gave Cecil’s shoulder a reassuring pat.

  “Mythological creature with the body of a lion and the head, wings, and forelegs of an eagle. They are a wonder to behold, that’s for sure.”

  “Mythological monsters?” AnnaBelle repeated. Horrified, she looked at Cora. “Is this true?”

  “Luther has told me about them before. Apparently they are noble creatures. Luther is fascinated with them. I personally wouldn’t want to come fa
ce to face with one.”

  “You’re not helping,” Cecil accused.

  Steve grinned. “It could be worse.”

  Cecil moaned. “I sincerely doubt it.”

  “You could run into a dragon.”

  “A dragon? As in fire breathing, heavily scaled, and need to be a knight in shining armor in order to survive?”

  Steve shook his head. “That’s where the fairy tales got it wrong. I don’t care how much armor you’ve got on. There’s no way a single human, armed with only a sword, would ever be able to successfully take on a dragon. Not only could the dragon simply melt the armor right off you, but they wouldn’t have to. They’re so big that they could simply step on you and squish you flat.”

  Cecil’s face had turned ashen white.

  Sarah gave Steve a disapproving look before smiling at Cecil.

  “Don’t worry. The chances of running into a dragon there are slim to none. They stick to the northern mountains and will rarely venture south.”

  The color had yet to return to Cecil’s face.

  “That’s not very reassuring.”

  Steve clapped his hands together and vigorously rubbed them together.

  “So! Sounds like a blast, doesn’t it? When are we going? Now?”

  “The sooner you go the sooner you can come back,” Sarah agreed.

  “Where are you going to drop us?” Steve asked as started going through his pockets in search for anything he didn’t want to risk losing in Lentari. As it turned out, the Lentarian trousers he was wearing didn’t have any pockets, nor did his tunic. A quick pat down revealed the only extra item he was carrying was the Nohrstaf, concealed in its original holder that was strapped to his back under his tunic.

  Sarah, observing her husband fumble with something behind his back, approached Steve from behind and gingerly prodded his back. Feeling the small club sitting in its holder she quizzically turned to her husband and raised an eyebrow.

  “What is that? Is it the Nohrstaf? What prompted you to bring that?”

  Steve shrugged. “I can’t say. I don’t use it that much and thought it might come in handy.”

  “What is a norestaff?” Luther asked.

  Steve reached behind his back and slid a hand up under his shirt. He tugged the small club free. He held the unremarkable weapon out to Luther and waited for him to take it.

  “This is a special weapon that I was given by Sh… by the wizard from our time. It is capable of assuming the form of most weapons, but only when the situation calls for it. The problem is, my definition of pertinent and its definition of pertinent are clearly not the same.”

  “It’s temperamental,” Sarah translated, causing Cora and AnnaBelle to giggle with laughter.

  “I’ll go retrieve my firearm so that we may leave straight away,” Cecil told the group.

  Steve hooked his arm through Cecil’s as he was passing by.

  “Don’t bother, Cecil. Most creatures that call Lentari home would not be stopped by a single bullet. The only thing you’ll end up doing is severly annoying whatever it is you’re shooting at.”

  “You’re suggesting I don’t bring my firearm?”

  “Remember the description of the dragon? We weren’t kidding. Those dragons are huge. A simple gun is not going to be able to do anything against them. The best thing we can do is avoid them.”

  “But you can generate fire out of your hands! Could you not hold off a dragon?”

  Steve shook his head no. “I wouldn’t stand a chance. A dragon’s flames get much hotter than what I can summon, so my jhorun is no help there. Oh, let’s not forget the size difference. I would be nothing more than a bug to something that big.”

  Cecil swallowed nervously at the same time Steve grinned.

  “Sure you don’t want to stay here?”

  Cecil shook his head no.

  “I told you I’d accompany you. I will not back down now.”

  “You may want to reconsider when you realize where you’re going to have to go,” Sarah informed him.

  If possible, Cecil paled even further.

  “What do you mean?”

  Curiosity piqued, Steve also turned to Sarah.

  “What do you mean? There are no dragons in R’Tal.”

  “You’re not going to R’Tal, are you?”

  Steve blinked with surprise. “If we’re not going to R’Tal then where are we going?”

  “And who do you think has the athe crystal you need?” Sarah asked, adopting a tone she would have used if she were addressing a group of school children.

  Comprehension dawned. Steve’s eyes widened. Cecil saw Steve’s expression and fidgeted uneasily from foot to foot.

  Sarah nodded. “That’s right. The dwarves. We have to get you to the dwarves. I can’t take you all the way down there. They don’t know you. Yet. So it’ll have to be the valley.”

  “That’s gonna be a problem,” Steve muttered darkly.

  “Why?” Cecil demanded. “Why is that a problem? A valley sounds nice.”

  “Not when it’s in the heart of dragon territory,” Steve informed him. “Way up in the Bohanis.”

  “Bohanis?”

  “The northern mountains.”

  “But…but… Isn’t that where you said we shouldn’t go?”

  Luther whistled. “Most of the dragons live around Lake Raehón, up north. You’re talking about the valley that lies just to the south of the lake, right?”

  Steve nodded. “Yes. In our time it’d be no problem at all ‘cause we’re friends with the dragons.”

  Luther’s mouth gaped open. “You are??”

  “Yes. We’re even good friends with the Dragon Lord, if you can believe that. The problem is, that’s in our time. At present no dragon knows us nor will they think twice about attacking. Humans and dragons aren’t typically a good mix, especially when they aren’t allies. Yet.”

  All color drained out of Cecil’s face. “And this is where we have to go?”

  Steve nodded again. “No one ever said this was going to be easy.” He gave Cecil a speculative look. “Last chance to back out.”

  Cecil gave a quick shake of his head. “No, I am still going.”

  Resigned to visiting Lentari of the past, with a complete Lentarian newbie in tow, Steve turned to Sarah.

  “Alright, hon, there’s no time like the present. No pun intended. Let’s get going.”

  AnnaBelle tearfully embraced her husband and whispered something in his ear. Cecil nodded. He took off his overcoat and handed it, along with his bowler hat, to AnnaBelle.

  “Keep them safe for me. We’ll be back as soon as we can.”

  ****

  “There are so many things that can go wrong with a stunt like this,” Steve murmured softly to Sarah as he held her tight. “What if something delays us and we can’t make it back here by two days? What if…” He trailed off as sounds of someone retching could be heard from the other side of a clump of bushes.

  Husband and wife turned to the large group of bright green leafy plants. Cecil was down on his knees, hunched over close to the ground, and politely offering the shrubs some fertilizer. Steve crossed his arms over his chest while Sarah clasped her hands together in front of her. She cleared her throat.

  “Cecil? Are you okay?”

  The retching paused.

  “Give me a minute, will you?”

  “Take your time, pal,” Steve called out. “I guess I should have warned you that Sarah’s teleportation jumps can cause quite a jolt to the system. Trust me, it’ll pass.”

  Wiping a sleeve across his mouth as he stood up, Cecil gave them a weak smile.

  “I have never experienced anything of the like before, and I would rest easy knowing I never have to experience it again.”

  Steve looked around. They were standing in a clearing where a section of the forest met the mountains. A veritable wall of rocks was directly south, signifying the base of a nearby mountain. Falling from the heights above was a steady strea
m of moisture in the form of a waterfall, which formed a small body of water at the base of the rock cliffs. Excess water flowed east as a small river.

  “It’s very picturesque,” Cecil commented.

  “This is a known watering hole,” Steve told him. “This is where we saw our first griffin. Scared the hell out of us.”

  “Is the castle nearby?” Cecil wondered as he noticed all the nearby trees.

  Steve and Sarah both cocked their heads at him as though they had just heard a high pitched sound

  “Do you see any castles around here?” Steve asked incredulously.

  Cecil’s cheeks reddened. “Well, no, but… Why are we here then?”

  Steve turned back to Sarah. “Good question. Why are we here?”

  “This is the easiest safe zone to visualize,” Sarah explained. “When teleporting I need to be able to see where I’m going. Teleporting between two worlds isn’t easy. I have to redefine some of my safe zones. What I’m used to in my time doesn’t exist here.”

  “You couldn’t picture anything else?”

  “Not a single thing,” Sarah confessed. “I tried each of the villages and I even tried R’Tal. I couldn’t get a picture to form. Then it dawned on me why. The only frame of reference I have is that of present day Lentari. I know what the castle looks like then, but it clearly doesn’t look like that now.”

  Understanding, Steve nodded. “So that explains why you couldn’t picture the villages. They’ve probably changed in appearance, too.”

  “Right. So I decided to try a more generic location. The first place I thought of was here, at this waterfall. Surprise, surprise, it worked.”

  “Now that we’re here can you take us somewhere close to the castle?”

  Sarah went quiet and closed her eyes. She nodded.

  “I can take us to just outside one of the gates. Apparently the landscape there hasn’t changed much. Will that do?”

  “Perfect.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to take you north? I realize you have recently changed your mind but I still do think that you should be talking to the dwarves first and not the king.”

  “Professional courtesy. This is his kingdom. Do you really think that we can show up at the dwarves and ask for the one type of crystal that can power a portal? I guarantee you they will notifiy the king. It would be best to inform the king first.”