A Portal for Your Thoughts

by Jeffrey M. Poole

  “Watch your head, milady,” Pheron caution as they crested a rise and began their descent down into a shallow depression.

  The captain held a few low branches out of the way while both Steve and Sarah pushed by. Both of them came to an abrupt halt as they saw the flurry of activity before them. Tents had been erected everywhere they would fit. Marching guards patrolled by every thirty seconds. A large maroon tent had been erected just off to the side facing south. In the direct center of all the commotion was a small group of people that were huddled around a group of recently pruned ferns. Several makeshift tables had been set up nearby where a gaunt man dressed completely in black was busy adjusting various devices that had been set up in several rows. The thin gray haired man looked up and smiled at the two of them. Shardwyn’s familiar face sparkled with wonder. The castle wizard was clearly enjoying every minute of his involvement with whatever this anomaly was.

  “Sir Steve! Lady Sarah! So good of you to join us!”

  A small figure that had been standing so still he could have been mistaken as a part of the surrounding environment looked up and bowed. The top of the dwarf’s head may have only come up to Shardwyn’s chest but he still managed to project an aura of confidence and intelligence. The dwarf pushed by the wizard and smiled at both of them. Shardwyn crossed his arms over his chest and scowled.

  “Lady Sarah! Sir Steve! Welcome!”

  Sarah gave the dwarf a hug.

  “Maelnar! It’s nice to see you!”

  Steve grasped forearms with the dwarf and grinned.

  “Looking good, pal. How’ve you been?”

  “Quite well, quite well. I don’t recall enjoying a mystery as much as this since Nar was discovered.”

  “What did you guys find out here?” Steve asked, genuinely bewildered. “I have to admit you’ve definitely piqued our curiosity.”

  Shardwyn appeared and swept Maelnar out of the way. He took Sarah’s arm and started to guide her towards the anomaly.

  “You’ll be most interested in this, Lady Sarah. What we have here is – “

  Shardwyn tripped over Maelnar’s outstretched foot and tumbled to the ground. Without missing a step Maelnar took his place and hooked his arm through Sarah’s.

  “What we have here,” Maelnar continued as he smiled victoriously at Shardwyn’s sprawled form, “is what we have decided must be a natural portal.”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever heard about a natural portal,” Sarah commented.

  Steve grasped Shardwyn’s outstretched hand and pulled the wizard to his feet.

  “Neither have we, if you must know,” Maelnar added with a wink. “But, we know about it now.”

  “And you don’t know where it goes?” Sarah asked.

  Together she and Maelnar approached a ten foot by ten foot burlap tent that had been constructed over the portal. Maelnar gently pulled the flap out of the way and let Sarah get her first look at the anomaly. Steve appeared at Sarah’s side and together they gazed at the swirling vortex.

  “If that’s a portal,” Steve began, “then what’s powering it? I thought it needed some type of special crystal.”

  “An athe crystal,” Maelnar confirmed. “And you’re right. It does. However, this one doesn’t.”

  “What would you like me to do?” Sarah asked as she looked down at Maelnar. “How can I help?”

  “We’re told,” a new voice chimed in, “that teleporters can get a sense of where a portal will lead if they are in close proximity to said portal and if they concentrate. We would like you to do just that.”

  Everyone turned to see the king exit his giant maroon tent and approach the group.

  Steve bowed while Sarah curtsied.

  “We didn’t think you’d still be here,” Steve jovially told the king.

  “As Master Maelnar has indicated, this is an intriguing mystery; one that must be solved. I will devote as much time as needed to guarantee our villagers are returned safely.”

  “Trying to avoid some boring meetings at the castle, huh?” Steve said under his breath, but loud enough for the king to hear. Sarah elbowed him in the ribs. Kri’Entu smiled.

  “Whatever could you be refering to, Sir Steve?”

  Steve gave the king a knowing smile and returned his attention to the small vortex. Sarah had squatted down about three feet from the portal and had her eyes closed. Maelnar had squatted down with her and was on her left. He, however, had his eyes wide open and fixed on Sarah. Steve nodded as he understood what the dwarf was doing. Maelnar was there to make sure Sarah didn’t become the next victim to fall through the portal.

  “Can you see anything, lass?” Maelnar hopefully asked.

  Sarah was frowning. “It’s worse than trying to picture someone on Lentari when we are on our world. Every time I start to get a picture something happens and I lose my concentration.”

  “Like what?” Steve asked, curious.

  “Like you breathing,” Sarah instantly answered. “Or Pheron coughing, or Shardwyn fidgeting from foot to foot which causes his robes to make a rustling sound. Every time I hear something like that I lose the picture.”

  “You’re saying you need absolute quiet, is that so?” Kri’Entu nodded. He looked at the many people bustling about. “That can be arranged. Attention! I need everyone to vacate the area. That means everyone! Fall back to the edge of this clearing. You need to be at least a thousand feet away. We must give Lady Sarah absolute quiet. Captain Pheron, secure the tents, the packs, the equipment, and anything else you can think of. No noises. Is that understood?”

  “Be careful,” Maelnar warned Sarah. “We will give you your required privacy but do remember that there will not be anyone here to prevent you from falling into the anomaly.”

  Sarah nodded. “Got it.”

  Five minutes later, watching from as far away as they could while still keeping the anomaly in sight, Steve saw Sarah lower herself to sit cross-legged on the ground. She went perfectly still and remained that way for several minutes.

  “How long should we give her?” Shardwyn whispered to Steve. “A few minutes more?”

  “She will be given as much time as she needs,” the king promptly told him.

  Sarah remained on the ground for another ten minutes before she finally rose to her feet and signaled it was okay to come back. Maelnar and Shardwyn both noticed at the same time. Wizard and dwarf eyed each other. Both wanted to inform the king first, but Kri’Entu was standing off to the side and talking with Pheron. Maelnar was much smaller than a human and therefore easily able to maneuver around the men that were milling about. Shardwyn tried to thread his way through the crowd of people but found he spent more time excusing himself than making progress towards the king. Maelnar ducked under Pheron’s arm and and tugged a corner of the king’s robes to get his attention.

  The king looked up and then over at Sarah’s distant form. He smiled gratefully at the dwarf and ordered everyone back to the clearing. Shardwyn could only glower from a distance.

  Arriving at Sarah’s side first Steve looked into her eyes to see for himself that she was okay, which she was. His wife had an unconcerned look about her that puzzled him. He wanted to press her for more information but decided to wait until everyone had arrived.

  “What did you see?” Kri’Entu asked as soon as everyone had returned to the small clearing. “Could you see our people?”

  “I didn’t see any people,” Sarah began, which elicited a frown from the king, “but I did see several pictures. I couldn’t keep it in focus for very long. Those that I could see didn’t last very long.”

  Steve leaned forward. “Pictures? Plural?”

  Sarah nodded. “That’s right. More than one. I actually saw at least a dozen different visions. I’m convinced that if I were to sit there long enough I’d keep seeing new ones every thirty seconds or so.”

  Steve shoved his hands in his pockets. It was his tell tale sign he was thinking about something that was bothering him.

 
; “Were you seeing the same scenes more than once?” he asked.

  Sarah shook her head.

  “It was the weirdest thing. The pictures took so long to focus that I was only able to look at them for a few seconds before the scene would shift and I’d have to start all over again. That’s why I waited so long. To answer your question, no, I didn’t see the same picture more than once.”

  “That is very peculiar, lass,” Maelnar commented. He stroked his beard. “Have you ever encountered a vision like that before?”

  “The closest I’ve ever had to something like that was when we were all fighting Celestia and her sister, Caladonia, showed me the approaching monsters. This, however, didn’t feel like that. It didn’t feel like anyone was in control of what I was looking at.”

  “It sounds like someone kept changing the channels on the television,” Steve said quietly, more to himself than to anyone. Sarah, with her keen Vulcan hearing as Steve had called it many times before, easily heard him.

  “Yes! Like that. Exactly like that!”

  “What can you remember about your vision, Lady Sarah?” the king asked. Kri’Entu turned to make eye contact with one of the scribes he had brought along and pointed at a nearby table with a stack of blank parchment and several quills and ink bottles. The young scribe hastily took a seat and looked expectantly up at Sarah. His quill was poised and ready to go.

  Sarah took a seat at the table, which prompted everyone else to do the same. Sarah closed her eyes and went through the images that she could remember.

  “Let’s see. The very first picture I saw was of trees and water. I could see tree covered hills that were bordering a lake. The hills continued off into the distance so I assumed it was a large lake.”

  Sounds of a scratching quill were heard as the scribe took notes.

  “The second picture showed an oblong clearing with what looked like a small river running through the center, like a tributary of a larger river. I remember thinking this vision was one of the prettiest. Pine trees were everywhere, except for the clearing, obviously. It also had what could have been moss or a light-colored grass covering the ground.”

  “Excellent, Lady Sarah,” Kri’Entu praised. “Do continue.”

  “The next picture was of a waterfall. Some parts of the forest were visible up behind the rock formation the water was falling from, but this vision’s main theme was rocks. There were smooth rounded river rocks everywhere, as though the area had been underwater but wasn’t anymore. The pool formed by the waterfall wasn’t that big, either. The water flowed off to the left. I couldn’t tell which direction it was.”

  The scribe called for a pause while he hastily uncorked a fresh bottle of ink and resumed his work.

  “The image that stands out next was another image of the forest. There were trees everywhere I looked, including off into the distance. Speaking of which, it looked like the area was surrounded by a slight hazy fog. I remember thinking that the one thing lacking from each of these pictures was civilization. No houses, no roads, no signs of people nearby. This one was no exception. The forest was pristine; picturesque. It looked untouched.”

  The king nodded thoughtfully. Steve raised a hand.

  “I have a question.”

  Kri’Entu gently pushed Steve’s arm down.

  “Let Lady Sarah finish her narrative and then we will ask some questions. It is important for her to recall everything she can before any details fade from her memory.”

  Steve nodded. “Right. Sorry.”

  “I’m trying to think of any other images that stood out. Oh. The mountains. Okay, this next picture showed snow-capped peaks way off in the distance. The mountains were just rock as far as I could tell. Gray and brown with only the tips of the peaks dusted with snow. Sitting before the mountains was an enormous field of broken rocks. They were jagged and looked as though they were out of place, like someone had dumped them there. Several dead trees were nearby. They were twisted and gnarled.”

  Shardwyn opened his mouth to ask a question but Maelnar stomped on his foot to silence him. The wizard muffled a curse but did refrain from saying anything.

  “The last vision I can recall is of a shallow river running along the base of several hills. I remember thinking that I was looking at a road because the river ran fairly straight before curving off to the right. A moment later I knew I wasn’t looking at a road. Several white cumulus clouds were visible up in the sky and several more mountains could be seen to the right.”

  Sarah opened her eyes, looked around the table, and smiled.

  “Alright, I will now field any questions you may have.”

  Steve snorted and hesitantly raised his arm.

  “Yes, my dear. You have a question. Go ahead.”

  “Did any of the trees look familiar? I mean, you know a lot about trees and plant life. Could you recognize anything?”

  “Not from the perspective I had when I had those visions. I was too far away. I’m sorry.”

  Steve frowned. “You don’t have anything to be sorry about.”

  “I concur,” Kri’Entu agreed.

  Maelnar cleared his throat. Shardwyn instantly crossed his arms over his chest.

  “I wonder if Lady Sarah was seeing the same forest but from different angles?”

  “There’s no way to verify that,” Kri’Entu informed him. “But it’s a very good point.”

  “There’s something about that scene with the shallow river I thought was a road.”

  Everyone turned back to Sarah.

  “What of it?” the king gently inquired. “Was there something odd about that last vision?”

  “Steve will tell you that I’m no camper and I don’t really like spending too much time outdoors. However, that picture of the river reminded me of the very few camping trips I took when I was a child.”

  “What about it?” Steve inquired. “What makes you say that?”

  “It was just the whole scene. I thought it would be a perfect place to camp for a few nights provided they had an RV hookup nearby.”

  Steve chuckled. His wife was a confirmed city girl, no doubt about it.

  “Not once,” Sarah continued, “have I looked at any river here in Lentari and thought that.”

  Steve leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table.

  “Interesting. Are you saying your visions weren’t in Lentari?”

  “The pictures were all outdoors and showed trees and mountains. From a distance they could be anywhere. However, not once have I ever seen dancing lights in the sky, either.”

  “Dancing lights? Like the aurora Borealis?”

  Sarah nodded. “It is similar, yes. However, the pictures I’ve seen of the aurora Borealis aren’t nearly as bright and colorful as what I saw in several of those visions. Wherever that was, it wasn’t Lentari.”

  Kri’Entu frowned. “Then it is confirmed. The anomaly is a portal, and from the sounds of it, it’s a portal to another world. Our missing villagers no doubt happened upon this very spot and fell through this portal. It also means they have become stranded. This pleases me not. We must render aid. I want ideas, no matter how preposterous they may sound.”

  An entire table full of people sat with their hands clasped in front of them as they helplessly looked at each other.

  “We have no idea where that thing leads,” Pheron said, breaking the silence. “Our only option is to send a teleporter through that portal and hope they can make it back.”

  “Teleporting across worlds has only been accomplished by one person,” Maelnar reminded them. “And that person is sitting at this very table. Lady Sarah, what do you think?”

  “I’d like to think that I could return safely,” Sarah slowly began, “but I can think of one problem no one has addressed.”

  “And what would that be?” Kri’Entu asked. He, along with everyone else at the table, had given Sarah his complete attention and was waiting, transfixed, at what she was about to say.

  “What if my visio
ns weren’t of the same forest? What if my visions were jumping around random areas? What if one person fell through the portal and was dropped in location A? Then person two comes along a few months later, falls in, and is sent to location B. How would we even know?”

  More silence ensued.

  “You’re saying it’s too dangerous to risk a trip through?” Kri’Entu slowly asked.

  “I’m not comfortable with her going through there,” Steve told the king. “Even you have to see that, your majesty.”

  The king nodded. “I do, Sir Steve. As much as I want our villagers returned, there would appear to be no method available to assure the safety of a rescue team. It pains me to say this but I must order this location off limits. A stone structure will be built around the anomaly and permanently sealed. No other villagers will lose their lives, is that understood?”

  Those sitting near the king at the table solemnly nodded their heads. The king rose to his feet.

  “This meeting is adjourned. Captain, you will oversee the building of whatever structure is necessary to keep our people safe.”

  Pheron nodded. “Aye, your majesty.”

  “I want this area evacuated. Right now. Shardwyn, collect your equipment. Master Maelnar, would you give Shardwyn a hand in dismantling his devices?”

  Maelnar nodded. “Of course.”

  Kri’Entu turned to face Sarah and was startled to see her openly crying.

  “Lady Sarah, are you alright?”

  “I’m sorry, your majesty. I want to help those people so badly. I feel like we have sealed their fate. Maybe if I were to at least try I might be able to save someone. I can try, can’t I?”

  Kri’Entu shook his head at the same time Steve scowled.

  “Your suggestion is commendable, Lady Sarah,” the king comfortingly told her, “but impossible. Your safety cannot be guaranteed. If the victims of the anomaly have suffered some horrible fate then you’d be sharing that fate. I am the one that must live with this decision, not you. I will bear that grief.”