Portals

by Brian S. Pratt

  Anxious minutes passed as he continued eastward. At one point, he tried the hand-held mirror again, thinking that perhaps the reason it hadn’t worked was due to it being in the remains of the building the things avoided. Unfortunately, his theory failed to yield results.

  When the sun reached its apex, he reached the final structure of the ancient city. Naught but a pile of broken stones, the building lay in crumbled ruin. From that point on, there were only trees, and things. The forest floor grew less populated with the things and a more southerly course could be taken. Tree-huggers remained a problem, but they were easily avoided. Passing quickly beneath three that stretched between overhanging limbs, he came to a latticework of the creatures stretching throughout the boughs of a score of trees. It had to be the single, greatest concentration of the creatures yet encountered. Easily fifteen foot in height and at least thirty wide, it was truly a fearsome sight.

  Holk had a fleeting urge to fling a stone into its center just to see what would happen, but knew such an action could possibly create a situation from which there was no escape. Instead, he worked his way around the things and continued on.

  For the next half hour, other latticeworks appeared to block his southern path. Time and again he was forced more to the east. After having to alter course for the fifth time due to a high thing concentration, he noticed a white structure within the trees ahead. Curiosity piqued, he threaded his way between the tree-huggers and the ever more infrequent ground-huggers to get a closer look.

  It turned out to be a stone obelisk. Fairly overgrown with vines, it rose to a staggering height of fifty feet before tapering off to a point. The surface facing him was smooth with not a mark other than those caused by the ravages of time. He worked his way around to the right in order to see if the other sides were equally devoid of markings.

  On the far side, there were no markings, but there was a hollowed out, arched cavity in which sat a hand-held mirror, identical in every way to the two he already carried. His excitement at finding it was quickly dampened by the notion that this could be a trap to the unwary. He had experienced enough strange occurrences since leaving the Kiln to be wary of something placed so invitingly.

  Unlike the structure avoided by the things, this one had them in abundance. Over half its surface was covered by them, there was even one in the niche with the mirror. Attached to the right side, it rested less than two inches from where the mirror sat, a distance much less than others that had caused previous things to ripple and react. Any attempt on his part to retrieve the mirror would most likely result in awakening the creature.

  He considered using his staff to knock the mirror out of the niche, but the recollection of a notation made in Kiernan’s journal as to the fragile nature of the hand-helds stayed his hand. If not remove the mirror, then perhaps the creature? Deciding the risk was worth it, Holk picked up a stick from off the ground and moved one end slowly toward the thing. Once he saw it ripple, he quickly pressed the stick to its side and watched as it wrapped itself about the stick.

  Withdrawing it from the cavity, he flung the stick through the air. Before it even hit the ground, he reached in and snatched the mirror, ensuring to grip it only by its wooden frame. “Got you.”

  The thought of seeing where the mirror went crossed his mind, but with his other two inoperable, there may be no way to return. It might be best to wait and see if the Merchant had indeed done anything to the other two, and if so, somehow get him to remove it. Holk slipped it carefully into his shirt between the other two.

  From off to the side came the sound of the thing working on the stick. He glanced to the forest about him, fearing that his actions at the obelisk may have provoked others from their lethargic repose. Fortunately, the forest remained still and quiet. Happy with his latest acquisition, Holk quickly set out on the most southerly path available. Soon, the obelisk disappeared in the forest behind him.

  During the next hour, the number of things encountered gradually tapered off. No longer having to head east, he kept to as southerly a heading as possible. There were still both ground and tree-huggers present, though the number of the former had reduced to only one every now and then.

  To his left, the cliffs bordering the forest rose quite high. They were very sheer and he doubted his ability to scale to such a height. The ground had taken to sloping upward to meet their base. When he happened to cast a look farther up the eastern slope, the sight of movement brought him to a halt. The trees were too dense for him to get a good look at it, but it was definitely too large to be one of the things floating about. Besides that, it walked upright on two legs.

  Holk came to an immediate halt and ducked behind a tree. Peering around the trunk, he watched as it continued to move in a lateral trajectory. Based on the description of the Ti-Ocks Kiernan had written in his journal, Holk was fairly certain that what he looked upon was one. Scanning the upper slopes for signs of further movement, he discovered the creature to be alone. This was too good a chance for him to learn more about the creatures to pass up.

  Dodging stealthily from one tree to another, he worked his way closer to the creature atop the slope. Where had it come from? Where was it going? Perhaps more importantly, what was it doing?

  Holk worked steadily closer, narrowing the gap marginally with every mad dash from one tree to the next. When the Ti-Ock stopped and knelt, he was able to come to within twenty yards without being spotted.

  From this distance, he could easily see the bestial face and pair of tusks protruding upward from its lower jaw. It was heavily armored just as Kiernan had said, and bore a wicked looking battleaxe strapped to its back.

  The Ti-Ock used a small hand tool to dig in the ground. From his vantage point behind a tree trunk, Holk was unable to determine what exactly it was the creature was doing. After several minutes of digging, it stood, turned, and headed back the way it had come. Waiting for a bit more distance to develop between them, Holk emerged from behind the tree and followed.

  He kept just far enough behind to be able to see the creature moving through the forest. It headed farther up the slope toward the base of the cliff. Holk was pleased to note that as he drew closer to the fringe, the things were no longer present. He figured they must prefer the forest’s interior.

  As the Ti-Ock passed from the forest and continued climbing the slope toward what looked to be a sheer cliff face, Holk noticed that in its hand, the creature held a sack with a small bulge. Perhaps it contains whatever had been dug out of the ground?

  Holk debated whether to keep following, or close the distance and dispatch the creature. Seeing as how Kiernan noted the two times the scribe encountered Ti-Ocks he had been immediately set upon, Holk held no qualms about taking the offensive. Surprise, after all, was the key to most engagements. His sole quandary was whether dispatching this solitary Ti-Ock was worth the possibility of alerting the others to his presence, or at least the presence of something hostile to them. He doubted if communication was an option. Any attempt on his part would more than likely provoke an attack. No, better to learn about your enemy. Only a fool fights in the dark.

  The Ti-Ock reached where the hillside met the cliff face. It then turned southward and proceeded along the rock wall.

  Holk kept to the protective shelter of the forest’s fringe. Thus far, the creature seemed oblivious to his presence; its pace not having altered in any way. For a hundred feet, he kept it in sight. But when he had been forced to scramble around a tangled pile of vines having overgrown two fallen trees, the creature vanished.

  His first impulse was to race up there and discover what had happened. But years of combat experience made him wary of such reckless behavior. Keeping behind the bole of a rather large tree, he searched the hillside for any sign of where the creature might have gone.

  Minutes ticked by and still no egress or other methodology for the Ti-Ock’s disappearance could be found. Unable to quell his rising curiosity, Holk cautiously emerged from behind the tree and qu
ickly made his way to the Ti-Ock’s last known position.

  Hand gripping the hilt of his sword, Holk made ready to launch an attack should the creature reappear. As he drew nearer the cliff face, he saw the Ti-Ock’s tracks in the dirt. In fact, the tracks were part of a well-trodden path. Seeing evidence of repeated Ti-Ock incursions, Holk knew he pressed his luck just by being there.

  The path continued along the hillside for only a few feet before turning toward the rock wall. Holk grinned. There was a crevice, hardly noticeable unless one stood directly before it, through which the Ti-Ock path continued. Moving to the opening, Holk peered around the edge.

  It proceeded straight for less than three strides before making a turn to the left. An animalistic odor wafted from the deeper recesses. Holk concluded that it must be the scent of a Ti-Ock.

  Keeping still, he cocked his head to the side and listened. All he could hear was the faint sound of air passing through the opening, and of the forest behind him. There was nothing more that he wanted to do but to enter that opening, but knew that to do so could be a tactical disaster. First rule of combat, know your enemy.

  Embarking on such an ill-conceived, stumbling-around-in-the-dark plan would assuredly be the height of stupidity. He didn’t know where the crevice led, how many of the enemy he would encounter, or what defenses they may have in place. Better to wait until he knew more. He could always return.

  After a quick scan to make sure the hillside remained deserted, he left the crevice and raced south toward the cave and the mirror that led to the Merchant via the Crystal room.

  Chapter 9

  “What did you do to these mirrors?”

  Upon his return to the Merchant’s Room, the being appeared when Holk again approached the old wooden table. The Merchant’s salutation had been cut short by Holk’s demanding question.

  Surprise cut a swath across its face. “You think I did something? How interesting. Could you perchance explain what it was that I did?”

  Holk brought forth and held out the mirror which led to the Prison Room. “You know perfectly well what you did!” Moving his hand toward the mirror, he touched it as he said, “These no longer….”

  As soon as his hand touched the mirrored surface, the Merchant vanished and was replaced by a wall with two barred windows overlooking a watery expanse. The mirror had worked. It had returned him to the Prison Room.

  “Damn!”

  Taking out the mirror that led to the room wherein lay Kiernan’s remains, he activated its magical properties. After quickly passing through the series of wall-mounted mirrors that would take him back to the Merchant, he again stood in the increasingly familiar hallway. Anger filled him as he stomped down its length and rounded the corner to see the Merchant still hovering behind the old table.

  “That wasn’t funny!”

  Its face registered surprise. “It wasn’t? What wasn’t? I had no intention of being funny. How could remaining in one spot be considered humorous? Your kind grows ever stranger with each new interaction.”

  The mirror remained firmly clutched in his hand. He held it out as he came to a stop before the table. “This mirror didn’t work before. Now it does.”

  Gazing curiously at the mirror, the being shrugged. “I detect no alteration in either its power or its function.”

  “Look. When I was out in the forest on your wild goose chase, I tried to use this mirror to return. Only, it didn’t work.”

  “Wild goose chase? I do not recall asking you to chase a wild goose. But that would be humorous though, yes? As to the mirror, your assumption about my having affected it in some manner was in error. I can fully understand, given your limited knowledge of just about everything, how you could come to that conclusion.” His expression turning quizzical, the being asked, “Would this be considered amusing?”

  Holk was anything but amused. “No, it would not.”

  “Ah, very well.”

  “What about the mirror?”

  “The mirror? Oh, yes. It doesn’t work outside you see, only within the confines of our little world here.”

  Holk gave the being a less than pleasant look. “You could have told me that?”

  The Merchant returned a look full of hurt with a touch of indignation. “Did I know that you did not know? Am I to give full discourse upon every possible subject to every human I meet? Such would entail more time than your frail existence could sustain.”

  “Still…”

  Acquiring a smile, the Merchant held forth its hands and the mirror pouch appeared upon the table. “Let us not forget why it is that you are here.”

  “But, I did not find the item you wanted.”

  “Oh, but you did. I appreciate your efforts very much. Without your intervention, I could never have reacquired it.”

  “There was nothing there.”

  “Hmmm. Once again, your scope of perception has fallen short I’m afraid. Many items of note are all around, yet humans are unable to see them. Yes, I do think that should satisfactorily explain things.”

  “No, it doesn’t. What exactly was it that I was sent to retrieve?”

  The Merchant paused a moment as it considered the question. “Such knowledge would hardly set well with you. No, I do not believe you really wish to know. Most humans are not happy about such things. Although, I suppose there is a possibility, albeit a small one, that you are the exception.” It motioned to the pouch. “Feel free to take it. You have earned it.”

  Holk considered if he truly did wish to know, but figured it hardly mattered as long as he was out nothing further, and he still acquired the pouch for the mirrors. He hesitated only a moment while wondering if this would prove to be some kind of trick. Seeing no underlying chicanery evident in the being’s expression, he took the pouch.

  “As you can see, it is made of the finest leather and constructed by a master craftsman.”

  He did have to admit, the pouch was expertly made. The three mirrors that had until then been stashed away within his shirt, fit perfectly within the pouch’s compartments. There was even a pair of loops sewn into the back which allowed it to be worn upon the belt. He soon had it in place on his right side.

  The Merchant waited quietly and patiently during this, but grew excited when he saw red-capped mushrooms appear and placed upon the table. Once all fourteen of the afore-promised mushrooms had been laid out, the sunstone Holk had entered into trade for appeared beside them.

  Holk picked up the ‘stone while the Merchant happily gobbled the red-capped deliciousness. “So, you strike it against the ground?”

  Shaking its head, the being quickly swallowed to clear its mouth. “Good gracious, no. That would be most inadvisable. Chips would fly and the ‘stone would in short order be no more.”

  “Then how do you get it to…”

  The being gestured to the tabletop. “Strike it against wood. Wood, after all, is not nearly as rare as the sunstone.”

  Holk brought the sunstone down hard. Upon impacting with the tabletop, the veins within the stone flared with light. Startled by the sudden brilliance, he dropped the sunstone upon the table.

  “It is not hot,” the Merchant stated. “If you wish a stone that would give heat, I could arrange for that, though it would entail a much greater recompense than the sunstone.”

  Holding his hand above the ‘stone, he felt the lack of heat then picked it up again. For all intents and purposes, it felt just like a regular stone from off the ground. “How long will this last?”

  “The size of the ‘stone determines the light’s longevity. For one this size, say an hour or two?”

  Holk nodded appreciatively. “Is there a way to douse the light?”

  “The light, no. But you can drop the sunstone in a bucket of water if you like. Though why you would wish to do so is beyond me. Perhaps this is one of your human oddities I fail to understand.”

  “No. I mean, can I make the light go away.”

  “Ah, I see. Now your statement makes a lit
tle more sense. To ‘douse the light’ is your way of asking how to make it vanish.” When Holk nodded, the Merchant said, “No. Even if you smashed it into dust, it would still glow for some time afterward.”

  He slipped the stone into his pack. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  “Now, in what other manner may I be of service?”

  There were many questions Holk greatly desired answers to. Mainly, how to get out of this place, and information about the Ti-Ocks. Recalling a passage in Kiernan’s journal that intimated the Merchant became less social and communicative after Kiernan had asked about the Ti-Ocks, he kept those questions in check. Inquiring about the arch that the scribe thought may be the way out could have just as detrimental effect on Holk’s future dealings with the Merchant, too.

  “Right now, none. Just…”

  “Yes?”

  “If you see Streyan, mention to him that I would like to speak with him.”

  “Should I meet a human by that name, I will assuredly pass on your comment. This Streyan you wish to meet, he is human, is he not?”

  Certainty gave way to doubt. Is he? “I think so.”

  “Very well.”

  Holk nodded. “I think that will be all for the moment.”

  Taking on a sad countenance, the Merchant said, “I shall wait with great anticipation until our next meeting,” then he was gone.

  Picking up his lantern, Holk spent a bit more time exploring the Merchant’s room. But as before, found only the small wooden table and the lone torch burning above in a wall-mounted sconce.