Wizard in the Woods

by Jeffrey M. Poole

  “Ewww!” Mikal rolled to his feet and pushed the excess saliva off his arms and legs. “That’s disgusting, Peanut. You be careful.”

  Peanut lowered herself onto the grass and looked expectantly at the two tiny figures, as though she was waiting for some type of explanation as to what had happened. The corgi cocked her head a second time and turned to her left. Pravara was less than a foot away and was regarding her with the same look Peanut was giving her. Peanut waited a few moments, as if she was undecided if she would accept the fact that her wyverian companion was now slightly smaller than she was.

  “It’s Pravara, Peanut,” Mikal told the dog. “She’s your friend. It’s okay. You know her.”

  Peanut stretched out her neck and waited for Pravara to mimic her. They sniffed noses. Peanut let out a joyful bark and was ready to resume her exploration of the surrounding area. Her leash, Mikal noted, trailed off behind her and was easily wider than he was at the moment.

  They all heard another loud screech. Lissa jumped and instantly flung herself into his arms. At any other time Mikal would have appreciated the situation but at this present moment the significance of the screech had presented a problem. There were griffins nearby. Mikal nervously eyed their small group. Without Pravara and her intimidating physique to protect them, they were in trouble. Especially if the griffins decided to attack, which it sounded like they were getting ready to do.

  “Were those griffins?” Lissa timidly asked.

  “Aye, they were,” Pravara agreed, looking nervously about. A dragon was easily more than a match for a single griffin, or possibly a dozen, but a miniature dragon? She had just as much to be afraid of as her human companions.

  “I think it’s time to go,” Mikal informed the others.

  “Where?” Lissa pointedly asked. “How? If griffins attack us we are going to be no match for them!”

  More squawks and screeches sounded, alarmingly close.

  “I can fly you to safety,” Pravara told them, “but I am too small to aid your canine.”

  Mikal looked at Peanut, who returned his stare with wide unblinking eyes.

  “I won’t leave her here,” Mikal vowed. “Whatever we do we have to do it together.”

  “I have called for assistance,” Pravara told them, “but I do not think anyone will be able to get here in time.”

  A large shadow passed over their heads, causing everyone, including Peanut, to look up.

  Mikal took Lissa’s hand and ran towards Peanut.

  “What are you doing?” Pravara wanted to know.

  “We’re going to ride Peanut out of here,” Mikal decided.

  “How to you plan on telling her which way to go?” Lissa asked, confused. “She isn’t a horse. She doesn’t have any reins.”

  Mikal pointed at Pravara.

  “That’s where you come in,” Mikal told their wyverian companion. “Peanut will chase you. She’s done it before and she’ll do it again. You’re going to have to fly low enough where she can see you and she’ll be encouraged to pursue.”

  Pravara looked skyward. “And the griffins?”

  Mikal turned to look at the forest.

  “We have the advantage. We’re a lot smaller than they are. We can lose them once we reach the forest.”

  “Being this size is most certainly not an advantage,” Pravara argued. “I am accustomed to flying at an altitude where there are no obstacles to avoid.”

  Lissa turned to look up at their dragon companion as she sprinted towards Mikal and Peanut.

  “Pravara, you don’t have a choice here, either. You’re much too small to take on a griffin. Listen to those squawks! It sounds like there’s an entire flock of them out there. You’d be done for if you tried flying out in the open.”

  “She’s right,” Mikal agreed. “As much as you don’t like it you’re going to have to keep fairly low to the ground.”

  Several more large dark shadows passed over them. Mikal reached Peanut’s side. To him, Peanut was now the size of a dragon. She should easily be able to carry the two of them. He just had to be certain the corgi remained safe. He’d never forgive himself if something happened to his dog.

  He grabbed a double fistful of Peanut’s orange and white fur and pulled himself up until he was sitting at the base of her neck. He leaned over to his left and helped pull Lissa up. As soon as he felt her hands holding on to his hips he urged the dog to run.

  “Okay, Peanut. Follow Pravara!”

  Peanut’s head turned and was able to look at the two of them from over her shoulder. Her mouth opened and she panted contentedly. Her squat rear legs buckled and she plunked her butt onto the ground.

  “No, Peanut! You must get up! You have to run! Hurry!”

  Lissa twisted to look back at Pravara. Their wyverian companion had taken to the air and was vigorously flapping her wings in an effort to hover nearby. Even though the dragon looked as though she was close to fifty feet off the ground Mikal knew that in reality, it was only about ten feet. Pravara cast a worried glance behind her, saw several rapidly approaching specks, and decided it was time to go. At least half a dozen griffins were circling the area and it was only a matter of time before they were spotted.

  One griffin shrieked a challenge. Pravara growled just as Mikal cursed in disgust. They had been seen!

  Pravara tucked her wings and dropped down. She snapped them open less than a foot above the sea of giant grass blades. Mikal patted Peanut’s furry side and pointed up. The corgi’s head lifted and she noticed Pravara’s receding form.

  “Go get her, Peanut!”

  Peanut gave a playful bark and surged forward, nearly dislodging Mikal and Lissa both. His eyes shot wide open. It was all he could do just to stay upright. A corgi might have some of the shortest legs in the canine world but never could it be said that this particular breed of dog was slow or cumbersome. In a matter of seconds the world had been reduced to a dizzying blur. Lissa screamed in terror and wrapped her arms around his waist in a desperate attempt to hold on.

  It was, Mikal would think later, the ultimate thrill ride.

  The corgi surged forward. The thick grass covering the valley floor was easily as high as the tips of Peanut’s ears. As a result, in order to see where she was going, Peanut began bounding through the grass much like he had seen her run through the snow back in Idaho on numerous occasions. Mikal felt Lissa’s arms tighten around his waist. He glanced over his right shoulder to see how she was doing. Lissa’s eyes were closed and her face was pressed tightly against his back. From the looks of things she wasn’t enjoying herself. He jumped when he heard a loud screech that sounded alarmingly close. Every time Peanut bounded, when her head cleared the tips of the grass, Mikal checked the skies for signs of pursuit.

  He breathed a sigh of relief. It had been easier than he thought to lose the griffins in the tall grass. He had always thought the griffins possessed excellent eyesight, so it surprised him they had been able to elude the flying creatures as quickly as they did, not that he was arguing. Mikal checked the sky again. Still no signs of the griffins anywhere.

  After the seventh or eighth bound he saw them. Half a dozen griffins were zigzagging through the air in an attempt to locate them. He heard one of the griffins give a loud squawk and within moments the six of them began angling their way. Mikal groaned. Once more they had been spotted. Mikal quickly turned to face the direction they were fleeing. There, in the distance, was the forest. That was where he figured they’d be able to lose the griffins once and for all. The trees grew so close to one another that it would make any airborne pursuit impossible. They just had to reach the trees. Mikal leaned over and patted the dog’s side.

  “You’re doing great, Peanut! Good job, pretty girl! We’ve almost made it to the woods!”

  Lissa tapped him on the shoulder. He turned and lowered his head so that she’d be able to whisper whatever she wanted to say into his ear. At that moment the world went dark and the air became musty. Mikal quickly faced
forward. He smiled. Peanut had come upon a long, hollowed-out log and elected to run through it instead of around it. Peanut reduced her sprint to a trot and easily navigated her way through the log.

  A piercing screech ripped through the air. Peanut came to a stop. Mikal swallowed nervously. A griffin had landed on the other end of the log and was now peering through the opposite end at them. It squawked again, this time its beak opened and closed several times in anticipation of what it thought would be an easy meal.

  Uh, oh.

  What is it?

  We’re in trouble. We’re stuck in a log with a griffin waiting for us at the other end.

  Can you turn around?

  It’s too tight in here. There’s no room.

  “There’s another one!” Lissa nervously exclaimed as she pointed back at the way they had come. “There’s one on either end!”

  I’m on my way.

  What do you think you’re going to be able to do? You’re not much smaller than they are. It’s just as dangerous for you as it is for us. Stay where you are and stay hidden. Maybe they’ll give up and go home.

  Unlikely.

  Don’t try to help us, Pravara. I mean it. I don’t want you getting hurt.

  A noble sentiment. I reject it. Observe.

  The griffin blocking their escape from the log suddenly screeched so loud that Mikal thought he’d have permanent hearing loss. The dangerous-looking beak disappeared from sight. He heard a series of angry squawks and trills and then a second loud ear-shattering shriek echoed noisily throughout the area.

  At this size my blasts are non-lethal, but still effective. The griffin has retreated. Go now, while you can!

  “Go on, Peanut!” Mikal urged. “Find Pravara! Go get her!”

  Peanut emerged from the log and stopped. She had lost sight of the small dragon. Mikal groaned. They were sitting ducks unless Peanut started running again and she wouldn’t do that until she had something to chase.

  Off in the distance Pravara’s sleek reptilian form reappeared. She had been crouching in the long grass and had now resumed her flight through the air. It was all Peanut needed. The playful canine yipped excitedly and surged forward, eager to renew the chase. Mikal placed his hands over Lissa’s clasped fingers and gave them a gentle squeeze. She responded by gently squeezing back, but without releasing her grasp of his waist. The girl had buried her face in his back and had continued to keep her eyes screwed shut. He patted her clenched hands and returned his attention to Peanut. He felt Peanut’s muscles ripple and contract as the dog eagerly surged forward in their risky game of follow-the-leader. The problem was, thanks to the increase in shrieks and squawks, Mikal knew the griffins had also renewed their pursuit.

  The grass thinned somewhat as the border of the forest loomed closer. Peanut was finally able to run through the grass without bounding like a gazelle. As soon as Mikal felt Peanut cease her bounding he urged the dog to run as fast as she could toward the safety of the trees.

  He knew they were still being pursued, naturally, but he didn’t know how close the griffins were until he felt, rather than saw, a large shadow pass over them.

  Wow! They have to be close! I think I can smell one of them.

  Aye, they are close. Four are pursuing. They keep trying to attack but thus far have been thwarted by the environment.

  I would’ve thought we would have been able to lose them in the forest.

  We aren’t in the forest yet.

  What? You’re kidding.

  I am not. Do you see many trees yet? I estimate we’ll arrive in the forest in less than a minute.

  Hey, in my defense we can’t see above the grass, okay? Were we really that far away from the woods?

  No, but we are now much smaller. The same distance takes much longer to traverse.

  Do you know where you’re going?

  No. I merely wish to elude.

  We need some type of a plan. They are getting way too close. Just get us inside the forest as quickly as possible. You must be able to see which direction to go, right?

  Aye. I could have taken a much more direct route but we have your canine to think of. She must be able to see me and be able to follow. Hmm, a moment, if you please.

  Pravara’s long neck turned about until she was looking back at the trailing griffins. Her jaws opened and she spit out a blast of fire. In her normal capacity she would have easily decimated the entire flock of griffins had they been foolish enough to pursue. However, in this case, the most her shot could do was annoy. The ball of fire hurtled by the running corgi and slammed into the chest of a griffin who had just swooped low with its talons extended. It was preparing to strike.

  The shot, while significant, was nowhere close to being fatal. The griffin squawked angrily and abruptly veered off. Pravara fired three more shots, each one colliding with an advancing griffin. Each one, Mikal thankfully noted, did only minor damage, and had the effect of temporarily driving off the griffin.

  Those were impressive shots. And both of you were moving, too. How’d you get so good?

  All dragons have impressive aim.

  Pravara, you’re flying forward, while facing backwards. You hit four moving targets that were quite a distance from you. You’re telling me all dragons could have made those shots?

  Well, perhaps not.

  What’s your secret?

  Practice. I’ve practiced my targeting skills ever since Steve worked with me to improve my aim.

  Steve helped you with your aim? When did he do that?

  Several years ago. It was when his mind was driven into my mother’s body and hers was driven into Sarah’s.

  I do remember him telling me about that.

  Ever since that day I have wanted to be the dragon with the best aim. I believe I have succeeded, although there is no way to tell for certain.

  That’s why that griffin left the log, isn’t it? You hit him with one of your shots, didn’t you?

  Correct. Observe. The griffins return. I do not know what has riled them up this much but they are clearly angry.

  Then get going. Look, there’s the start of the forest. I don’t know how we made it but we did. We should be safe. Look how low those branches are. A griffin won’t be able to fly around in there.

  Pravara flew into the densely wooded forest and selected a fallen branch to alight upon nearly a hundred feet inside the perimeter. Peanut, panting heavily, joined her and immediately sat down. Lissa released her death grip of Mikal’s waist and patted Peanut’s side.

  “You’re such a good girl, Peanut. Poor thing. She must be thirsty.”

  “I’ll bet we all are,” Mikal observed. He twisted around on Peanut’s back to look back at the valley. What he saw made his blood run cold.

  Four griffins had landed, folded their wings against their backs, and stepped into the dark forest. All of them were staring their way.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Mikal crossly muttered. “Heads up, guys. We’re not out of this yet. Pravara, you’d better get going!”

  Pravara jerked her head up and growled at the three advancing griffins.

  “Peanut won’t be able to keep up for much longer,” Lissa advised them. “She’s panting pretty heavily.”

  Mikal looked around the quiet forest.

  “We need a plan. What are griffins afraid of?”

  “Dragons,” Pravara immediately answered.

  “Just not tiny dragons,” Mikal clarified. “That doesn’t help us. What else?’

  “Water,” Pravara proffered.

  Mikal and Lissa simultaneously turned to regard their large companion.

  “Water? Really?”

  Pravara nodded.

  “It’s not that they can’t swim. They will if they have to. However, their feathers would take an inordinate amount of time to dry so a griffin will actively avoid swimming unless it absolutely has to. Therefore we should seek out a body of water.”

  Mikal turned to regard the surrounding woods.

/>   “Where? Where are we supposed to find water in here?”

  Pravara flew off, prompting Peanut to follow.

  Unknown. We had better find some soon, though. Our adversaries are closing in.

  Mikal turned to look behind them.

  They’re getting closer! How can you remain so calm?

  Would you feel better if I were to panic?

  Oh, please, would you?

  Sarcasm?

  You think?

  Mikal felt Pravara chuckle.

  We may still be able to lose them. Hold tight.

  Pravara kept low to the ground and flew through the tightest openings she could find. She swooped under branches. Peanut followed. Pravara folded her wings flag against her back and touched down on the ground so that she could squeeze her way through a dense clump of bushes. Peanut, keeping low to the ground, followed.

  Pravara emerged from the opposite side of the dense foliage and leapt back into the air. She spotted several fallen trees and instantly angled toward them. The second had fallen directly on the first, leaving a sizeable gap between the trunk and the ground. She dipped her wings and flew under it just as she twisted her neck around to verify Peanut was still following.

  Pravara’s wings snapped open, bringing her to a sudden stop. Peanut wasn’t there. She immediately doubled back and saw that the feisty little canine was eyeing the first fallen tree and was wondering how to climb over it. It was simply too big for Peanut’s tiny legs to hurdle.

  Pravara growled with frustration. She had assumed Peanut would have noticed the gap between the huge root ball that had been pulled out of the ground when the tree was felled and the trunk of the next closest standing tree. There was a gap wide enough to allow a normal sized human to pass, provided it was noticed. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. Pravara looked back towards the open valley. The griffins had finally caught up.

  The first griffin to arrive let out a victorious squawk and pounced. Peanut, having tons of experience dodging objects much larger than she was, darted to the left. The griffin ended up sinking its talons into the fallen tree. A second griffin arrived and it, too, attempted to pounce on the much smaller creature. However, much to its amazement, it was unable to land a solid bite as the foreign creature darted between its legs and was gone by the time the griffin lifted its leg to see where it had gone.