A Portal for Your Thoughts

by Jeffrey M. Poole

  “I already know that’s wrong,” Steve mumbled under his breath. The dragon heard him.

  “Indeed? Good for you. As I was saying, the humans believe only they are capable of interpreting and utilizing this force within themselves. How, then, can the wyverians heal? How can the griffins see even if blinded?”

  Steve blinked with surprise. “What? There’s no such thing as a blind griffin?”

  “Whether they’ve lost their eyesight in battle, or due to age, or by lack of light, a griffin can always see what transpires around them.”

  “I didn’t know that.”

  “Unsurprising. Each species prefers to keep their own secrets to themselves.”

  “Okay, so how do you know about the griffins?” Steve wanted to know.

  Pryllan’s cryptic smile, the one he knew very well, appeared on her face.

  “We dragons have our ways.”

  “I’ll bet you do.”

  I already know dwarves have jhorun, too.

  I know. I felt it. I also know you refrained from telling the dwarf underling what you knew.

  There’s no sense in having her raise unwanted questions to her father. The dwarves of my time view jhorun as an abomination and actively avoid it.

  Those exact same views are in place right now.

  And how would you know that?

  Pryllan kept smiling as she gently swayed back and forth across the waves, much to Aislinn’s delight.

  A few minutes later, as everyone was clearly enjoying the quiet solitude of flying above the sea, Steve looked down at Aislinn and raised an eyebrow. Something the girl had said was bothering him. Something about the shachar.

  “What did your father tell you?”

  Aislinn turned to look at him. Waves of thick brown hair caught the breeze and blew up in his face, threatening to tickle his nose and make him sneeze. Aislinn hastily gathered her hair together and started braiding it together.

  “He instructed me to let him know if I felt any strange urges.”

  Pryllan blinked a few times before turning her head around to inspect the girl. Steve also stared down at her. Aislinn finished her braid and tucked her hair under her arm to keep it from flapping in Steve’s face. She looked up and noticed she was being watched.

  “What?”

  Steve cleared his throat. “Like?”

  “Well, whether I felt like eating raw meat, or if I started growling, or if I grew any…”

  Steve’s eyes widened and he held up a hand, signaling Aislinn to stop.

  “Did your father suggest you could grow scales??”

  “Not exactly.”

  Pryllan’s gaze shifted from Aislinn to Steve.

  “You told me you explained it to him.”

  “I did explain it to him.”

  “Obviously not.”

  Aislinn looked up at Steve and then over at Pryllan, and then back again.

  “What’s the matter? Did father get it wrong?”

  “Not only did he get it wrong he wasn’t even in the right ballpark,” Steve grumbled.

  “Ballpark?” Pryllan shook her head. “I’m not familiar with that word.”

  “It’s… forget it. Listen, Aislinn. It’s, uh, hmm. Where do I start?”

  “A shachar is a bond between the dragon and their rider,” Pryllan clarified. “I have now saved your life. Until you can repay the debt, and save mine, then you will feel an overwhelming sense of uneasiness. Of stress. You won’t be at peace until the debt is lifted from your shoulders. Do you understand?”

  Aislinn was silent as she thought about what she had just heard.

  “You saved my life so I have to save yours? That’s fair. What can I do?”

  This isn’t as easy as I thought it’d be.

  Tell me about it.

  “It’s not that simple,” Steve told her as calmly as he could. “In all of the dragons’ history only a handful of these shachars have ever been created. None have ever been absolved.”

  “You mean I’m going to be the first to pay back a dragon for saving my life? That’s fantastic!”

  “Wow. You’re handling this much better than I thought you would.”

  “I had better start thinking about what I could do to repay Pryllan for her kindness.”

  Both Pryllan and Steve stared at the diminutive girl with equal fascination. This child, this underling, was displaying wisdom way beyond her tender years.

  We have got to break this thing.

  Agreed.

  We cannot let her live her life trying to figure out what to do to save yours.

  Agreed.

  We need to –

  What happens when you return to your own time?

  What?

  Your goal is to get the crystal from the dwarves. Once you have it you’ll return to your own time. What about me?

  I’m sorry. Perhaps I should have made that clear. I’m not returning to my own time until this is resolved. You’re in this mess because of me. I got you in, I’ll get you out.

  I can see why we have become friends. I trust you.

  Steve laid a hand on the closest scale he could reach.

  And I you, my friend.

  They were less than ten leagues from the rapidly approaching coast when something down on the water on their left caught Steve’s attention. The waters below them had started churning, as though a huge school of piranha was attacking some hapless prey. Aislinn pointed at the disturbance.

  “What’s that?”

  “It’s an oskorlisk,” Pryllan answered. She wisely chose to steer clear. “A great sea serpent. It’s not often one is seen near the surface when it isn’t their time to rut.”

  “When it’s their time to what?” the young girl asked.

  “Think of it like a party,” Steve hastily interjected, before Pryllan could answer. “They get together and, er, look for partners.”

  “Oh.”

  “As for me, I’ve personally seen enough of them to last a couple of lifetimes.”

  Steve noticed Pryllan’s subtle tilt of her head. He had piqued her curiosity, he was sure, but thankfully she didn’t press the issue. The last thing he wanted to do was to explain how he knew so much about the dragon’s annual hunting of the great serpent.

  Pryllan gently banked south as they approached the coast. Flying along at an altitude of several hundred feet they followed the smooth cliffs for a few miles before they all spotted one of the three waterfalls found on Lentari’s eastern coast. This one, Steve noticed, was at least two hundred feet tall and was kicking up quite a cloud of water vapor from where it splashed into the ocean.

  Aislinn pointed at the waterfall and giggled. “Look! There are faces on the cliffs. Dwarf faces!”

  Steve had to give the girl credit. It did look like several stern dwarf faces were silently watching them, one from each side of the falling water. As Pryllan circled around the waterfall several times Steve could see the stone face of the cliff had been eroding due to the constant presence of water, which was what had created the pockets and indentations on the surface of the rock. The dwarf faces all but disappeared the closer they got to the falling water, so it was clearly all in the mind’s eye. However, Steve still couldn’t help but feel as though the faces had been deliberately carved into the stone.

  He then caught sight of a massive slab of stone that had broken off from the cliff and fallen into the sea, only it was so large it hadn’t completely sunk. Either that piece of stone was much larger than it looked or else the depth of the water wasn’t that great. No matter how one looked at it, it must have made one heck of a splash when it had fallen.

  The air chilled as Pryllan gained altitude and increased her velocity. They had just passed into the Selekai Mountains, home to many flights of griffin. Ordinarily griffin and dragon left each other alone, but since there was only one of her, and presumably many hundreds of griffins, it was best to be safe and keep at an altitude much higher than what the hybrid eagle/lion creatures could attain. />
  Pryllan turned west and followed the mountain range for another thirty minutes before she turned north and headed back towards the open grassland in central Lentari. A flight of three dozen griffin appeared directly in their path. Over half the group held some type of prey in their beaks. Evidently this was a hunting party, returning home after a successful hunt. Several griffins squawked warnings so that those members directly in Pryllan’s way could give the dragon a wide berth.

  Steve eyed the dozen or so griffins who were warily eyeing them back. Since neither party was willing to create a skirmish and neither wanted to challenge the other, the griffins continued down into the mountains to enjoy the spoils of their hunt. Pryllan continued flying north and soon passed out of griffin territory altogether. Steve had felt her concern as she wasn’t aware of any other dragons in the area should she need help fighting off the griffins. He hadn’t said anything but he had been ready. Both hands were ready to ignite and he was ready to throw up a wall of flames to defend his friends. Thankfully it hadn’t come to that.

  I agree. You would have fought the griffins for me?

  Steve jumped. Aislinn turned to look at him.

  “Sorry. I’m fine.”

  “You’re awful jumpy.”

  “Yeah, it happens when you get old.”

  The girl laughed and turned back around to enjoy the passing scenery.

  Yes, I would. It’s what friends do. I’ve fought a few griffins before. It wasn’t fun.

  Were you forced to dispatch any of them?

  No. I just scared them off. Actually, one of them wanted to talk and I managed to convince the people I was with to listen. It was just a misunderstanding.

  Interesting.

  What is?

  That a griffin would want to talk and not fight.

  This one wanted to fight, but its cub had been injured. We healed it and anyone else that had been injured.

  Indeed?

  Yep.

  Commendable.

  They thought so.

  Several hours later they had returned north and were rapidly approaching their original starting point. Pryllan insisted it was the right place even though they couldn’t see anyone present. The tiny glade, which contained the hidden entrance down to Aislinn’s home, was deserted.

  Pryllan gently touched down and extended her wing until her wing talon had sunk deep into the grassy valley floor. Steve made a move to pick Aislinn up and carry her down when she surprised him yet again by springing up from their seat and sprinting – leaving a trail of giggles behind her – along Pryllan’s back toward the wing. The moment her feet touched the springy leather skin comprising Pryllan’s wings the child let out a cry of delight and jumped up into the air. The dragon’s wing stretched, much like a trampoline would do, and propelled the child back into the air. Bouncing along Pryllan’s enormous wing, as though she was immune to the effects of gravity, Aislinn made her way towards the ground. Seeing that she only had room for one more bounce, she gave a mighty leap and propelled herself high into the air. She squealed with delight as she came hurtling back to the ground just in time to see her father emerge from the forest’s edge with Cecil at his side. Selwyn had timed his appearance perfectly so that he could catch his daughter before her feet came close to the ground.

  “Father! We had the best time! We were soaring through clouds!”

  Selwyn had sunk to one knee as he held his daughter. Tears were falling freely down both of his cheeks. Aislinn, unaware of her effect on her father, struggled out of his embrace and walked back towards the massive dragon. Pryllan was resting her head on the grass as she watched the reunion between father and daughter. Aislinn walked right up to the dragon’s snout and, ignoring the wickedly long fangs that were visible protruding from the upper and lower jaws, laid a tiny hand on Pryllan’s nose.

  Steve rose to his feet and walked stiffly to the edge of Pryllan’s wing. He slowly picked his way down Pryllan’s back until both feet were standing on solid ground.

  “You look like you’re in pain,” Cecil quietly observed.

  “I’m getting too old for this,” Steve admitted with a grimace. “My seat up there was nothing but a hard scale. Let’s just say I don’t feel like sitting any time soon.”

  Overhearing him Aislinn turned her head to smile at him.

  “That’s why I folded a blanket into a cushion. I was way more comfortable afterwards.”

  Steve gritted his teeth and smiled at the girl. “You’re smarter than I am, kid.”

  Aislinn turned her attention back on Pryllan. She kept her hand in place and the two gazed silently at one another. After a few moments the dwarf girl finally spoke.

  “Thank you for the most wonderful experience in the world. I will never, ever, forget it.”

  “Don’t thank me yet, young one,” Pryllan softly told her. “As soon as you feel the effects of the shachar you will feel differently.”

  Selwyn approached and also placed his hand next to his daughter’s. He tried to say something but his voice cracked. He angrily cleared his throat and waited a few moments to compose himself. Aislinn smiled at her father and took his heavily callused hand in hers. The tears started flowing again and the poor dwarf was unable to speak. Steve laid a friendly hand on Selwyn’s shoulder.

  “It’s okay. It must be overwhelming, seeing your daughter healed.”

  Selwyn could only nod. He pulled the leather satchel that he had been wearing off his chest and handed it to Steve.

  “What’s this?” Steve started to untie the opening to see what was contained within when Selwyn smacked his hand. Hard. “Oh. Right. Wow, that would have been stupid. This is the athe crystal. Got it. It stays tightly wrapped.”

  “One cut, polished, and refined athe crystal, ready to power a portal. As we agreed.”

  Steve slipped the strap over his shoulder and secured the satchel against his waist.

  “Are you…” Selwyn’s voice cracked again. He ran a hand through his hair and scowled. He looked down at his daughter and his stern expression disappeared. “Are you well, Aislinn?”

  The girl’s smile was infectious.

  “Never better, father.”

  “How are you feeling, young one?” Pryllan wanted to know. “Have you begun to feel any affects?”

  Steve thumped Selwyn on his shoulder and spun him around until he was facing him. “You seriously asked your own daughter to let you know if she craved red meat? Or grow scales? Did you completely miss the explanation of what was going to happen?”

  “I was just being careful,” Selwyn muttered. He turned to his daughter. “Aislinn, can you feel anything?”

  Aislinn took a deep breath and laughed. “I feel everything, father! I want to run and play! I want to see mother! I want to help mother cook! I want to –”

  “Think about me,” Pryllan gently interrupted. “What is your first impulse when you think about the two of us?”

  “I want to know where we’re going next.”

  “You are returning home with your father while I return to my nest.”

  “But –”

  “Little princess,” Selwyn began as he dropped back down on one knee, “the dragon wants to return home just as much as you do.”

  “But I don’t want her to leave.”

  “She has to. She has her life, just as we have ours.”

  A frown appeared on Aislinn’s elfin face. Her brow furrowed.

  “I do not think I want to be separated from Pryllan,” Aislinn announced. “Yes, that’s it. I want to go with her.”

  “I know you do,” her father told her. “It’s a feeling you’ll have to suppress until our new friends Steve and Cecil can undo this life debt.”

  “But –”

  “No ‘buts’, princess. It will be difficult; however, this is the way it must be. You now owe the dragon your life.”

  Cecil cleared his throat and waited until he had everyone’s attention.

  “Fear not. Steve is a man of his word.
If he says he’ll absolve this life debt then rest assured that’s exactly what he’ll do.”

  Steve risked a look at his friend.

  “Thanks, pal. No pressure there.”

  “How soon must we be at the waterfall?” Cecil asked as he turned to Steve. “If we miss Sarah’s return then we will be stranded.”

  “Don’t I know it. We need to high-tail it back to Verdayn so we can get the king to let us use Avin’s portal. That was only about an hour west of the waterfall.”

  “Or I could take you.”

  Steve and Cecil looked up at the huge green dragon towering high over their heads.

  “Can you? I don’t want to risk you getting into any more trouble on my behalf.”

  “I’d carry the two of you in my claws rather than have you ride on my back.”

  Cecil paled. “Be carried? By a dragon??”

  “Think of the stories you’d be able to tell once you made it home,” Steve whispered to him. He gave his companion a friendly nudge on his shoulder. “Wouldn’t you want to tell AnnaBelle that not only did you make friends with a dragon that you were also carried by that same dragon?”

  Cecil took a few deep breaths. “Not really.”

  Steve dismissed his concerns and looked up at their large scaly friend.

  “Pryllan, we would be eternally thankful if you can take us to that waterfall.”

  Pryllan nodded. She extended one of her forelegs and opened her talons. She waited for the two of them to climb into her open palm. She carefully used the talons from her other foreleg to create a protective basket around the two humans.

  Without waiting to see if they were ready, Pryllan leapt straight up and disappeared into the clouds. Cecil’s panicked screams finally faded away.

  Selwyn put an arm around his daughter and guided her towards their hidden doorway. The entire time Aislinn talked non-stop about the many sights she had seen, describing the sensations of flying so effectively that Selwyn had to slap a hand over his mouth and try to keep from getting sick. Aislinn giggled with delight and launched into even more detail as they descended down the dark staircase.