The Portal

This week's Prompt: Wizard - Portal -  Dragon.

Jerad ran through the woods, the pinecones and needles from the evergreens crunching underfoot, and he could hear the men following. The sun shone through the high canopy, casting false shadows. The branches cut into his arms and neck; wiping a trickle of blood from his cheek, he paused. The birds were chattering among themselves. What were they trying to tell him? This way? No, that way? He didn't know. Talking to animals was not his thing. He stopped again, listening—a grunt from his far right: a hog was digging up the earth with its snout. The hog looked up at Jerad, moving its head to the right; it seemed to give him a wink. Jerad glanced to the right. Then he saw it, the monument; it was covered in brambles and vines. He ran over to it and knelt beside it, pulling off as much of the foliage as he could, searching for his book of spells. Lizbeth said she would leave it there for him.

Jerad had known the monument was in these woods, but had never found it; it was a statue to the great man himself, ‘Merlin.’ Lizbeth had been here several times and told him this was the place she would leave something for him and meet him on the other side.

As he pulled away at the brambles, he found a sack. Tugging at the sack, he stumbled and fell backwards; luckily, the sack came with him.

He heard voices, “We know who you are, Wizard, we will get you,” one shouted, while others cried, “Kill the wizard.” They were getting closer. He needed to move, sliding down the hill, and he stopped at the water’s edge to take a drink. It had been several hours since he had eaten or drunk anything. The villagers had him tied to a chair in the barn after beating him and threatening to burn him at the stake. But he hadn’t admitted to anything. While the villagers were eating and planning their next move outside the barn, Jerad created an illusion of a dragon flying towards the barn, causing them all to run in different directions. This provided him time to untie the ropes and escape.

Opening the sack and finding his book of spells and some fruit. He flicked through the pages, “Where is it, where is it?” he cried. Jerad had been performing Magic for ten years now. He could do most spells without his book, but to make a Portal appear, he needed to be sure. Lizbeth was much better than he was. The journey to Solitude would mean his freedom, he hoped; he had never met anyone who had come from Solitude, but he knew a few who had gone there.

Opening to the right page, Jerad started to read the words; he had to concentrate. A bird of prey shrieked in the distance. “Don't look up, don't look up,” he repeated the spell, moving his hands around an imaginary ball, saying the words repeatedly. 

A flash of light appeared, and then it started to turn clockwise. It grew as his hands worked it big enough to climb through. The voices were nearer. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. “This is it, now or never,” he grabbed his Book of Spells and the fruit, then jumped through. 

He started to spin like a windmill being pushed around in the wind. It felt like he was being pushed along as thousands of stars shone bright. Then they started to move, he was floating as they rushed by, faster and faster, until it was one beam of light. His head was spinning, and he was feeling nauseous. Jerad didn’t know if he was moving or if it was an illusion, and then it all went dark.

Jerad woke against a giant Oak. He could hear music, and he looked around. He saw people. He could see a market with stalls, and the smell of freshly baked bread came towards him; he felt hungry. Steadying himself against the tree, he stood up. A voice shouted, “Hey, look!” A young girl was pointing at him. Several villagers turned towards him.

“Hi” was the only reply he had at that moment. Holding his spell book, he walked towards the people. Some of the men were wary about the stranger. One picked up a tool used in the fields at harvest time.

“You come from the big light,” said the man whom Jerad thought was the leader of the group.

“Yes,” he thought, honesty was the best policy here. “Yes, someone was chasing me, and I woke up here. Has anyone else come from the…, Errm big light”? Jared turned to where he thought it had been.

“A Girl, a few days gone, said her name was Lizbeth”

Jerad felt excitement in his bones. “Is she still here?” he asked.

“Yes, she’s in the Village. She is a healer”

Jerad smiled. He knew Lizbeth carried the genes. “Can you tell me where I am? What is the name of this village?”  

The Leader, still holding the tool, walked forward, “Hi, this be Solitude, and who might you be”?

“My name is Jerad”

"Hello Jerad, Lizbeth mentioned you and said you might be arriving," he handed Jerad a cup. "Here is some water if you need it."

“Thank you,” he said, emptying the vessel as he was about to pass it back; the earth shook. “What was that?”

“An earthquake, that’s the third this week, we have had lots of injuries, what with buildings falling and trees a topplin, this is why Miss Lizbeth is so busy in the village”

“When you say third this week, how long have they been happening?”

“Just two weeks gone by, Nothing for years, then this”

  “Can you take me there…, to the Village?” Jerad asked.

  “Yes, come follow me, my name is Tomas, by the way” Tomas walked up a slight incline, followed by Jared and a few of the men who were standing listening. The floor shook again, sending some of the stalls across the pathway. One stallholder was frantically trying to gather the fruits and vegetables that were rolling down the path.

“Should we stop and give him a hand?” Jerad asked Tomas.

  “No, we don’t have time to help. Come quick.” They had to climb over three large fallen trees, which Jerad estimated were over two hundred years old.

  “These trees are Birch,” Jerad said as he climbed down.

  “That would be correct,” Tomas replied, “And how would you know this”?

  “The bark, leaves, and small root ball,” Jerad replied. “I maintained the gardens at the grand house where I lived and made herbal remedies.” He jumped down to the path. “Do you know what is causing the earthquakes?”

  Tomas stopped and took a breath, “Yes, we do, there is a Dragon trapped in a cave, the entrance is on the other side of the valley, but it runs over this side under our village”

  “Who trapped it in the cave?” Jerad took hold of Tomas’ arm.

  “Why, that would have been our forefathers. Some one hundred and fifty years now,” Tomas pulled his arm from Jerad’s grip.

  “Ok, firstly, I have never seen a dragon in real life. I’ve made a few appear, but to actually see one”

  “Hang on a minute, are you telling me you have magic powers like Miss Lizbeth?” Tomas had his hand on his hips as he spoke.

  “Well, yes, you could say that.” Jerad felt a little flushed. Back in the other world, he could never admit to having any powers.

  “Could you and Miss Lizbeth kill the Dragon?”

  “Are, well, I would have to consult my book and speak to Lizbeth, sorry, Miss Lizbeth.

  “Well, come, we have no time to lose” Tomas grabbed at Jerad's jerkin and pulled him along. Reaching the Village, Jerad could see a queue of people waiting to get into one of the buildings. “Here in here,” he pushed the people aside, still dragging Jerad. Some had cuts and bruises, two were sitting on the floor, and you could see they had broken limbs.

  Jerad cried out Lizbeth's name. She looked up, handed some clothes to a nearby person, and ran towards him, tears of joy streaming down her face. “My Love, I thought I would never see you again,” she sobbed.

  “It was because of you. I am, my dear, leaving the book of spells next to the statue of Merlin, and how did you get that Hog to tell me which way to go?”

  "Jerad, your presence here changes everything. Remarkably, we have finally reached Solitude. There will be no more hiding or running." Suddenly, the ground trembled, causing individuals to slide across the floor.

  Jerad approached Lizbeth and said, "Come here quickly." He gently pulled her aside and held onto her. Three of the beds where the sick lay were moved to the other side of the room; fortunately, the people remained on them when they stopped. "Jerad, I am glad to see you, but I need to help these people. I made a promise to the leader. When I came through the Portal, there was a significant quake, and a building collapsed on me. The people here saved me, so I am going to assist them. If you can kill that Dragon, we will have a place to live. Now, let me return to the sick."

  Jerad stepped into the street searching for Tomas, who approached him from behind. "We need your help," Tomas pleaded. "Do you have a spell in your book that can kill the dragon?"

  “Tell me what you know about the Dragon, how he got trapped, if he’s been there for over one hundred and fifty years, as you said, who feeds him?”

  “Well, Tomas, as I said, it was my forefathers who trapped the dragon. They placed sheep in the entrance to the cave and a few inside. As the Dragon went into the cave, a net was dropped over the entrance, blocking his exit. And he has been there since, every month we go and drop in some sheep”

  “Has he never tried to escape? I thought Dragons could throw fire. How come he hasn’t burnt the net? Of blasted his way through”?

  “We think he is injured. There are stories passed down about how he was injured. The story is, my great-great-grandfather managed to get a spear in his right leg, and it has been told that it never healed”

  “Has no one been to talk to him, to ask him what he wants? Does he want to spend the rest of his life in a cave? And why has he started shaking the earth? What has changed?

  “We don’t know how to speak to him. When we go to take the sheep, he hides away in the dark”

  “Now we have a plan. But first, I need some food,” Jerad proclaimed. “When I use my powers, it drains all my energy, so get me some food” Tomas and Jerad walked to one of the stalls in the market. On display were cuts of meat, pies, cakes, and bread. The stall next had barrels of ale. “This will do for starters,” As Jerad ate, he could see air blowing up through the ground. “Tomas, what is this?” he asked.

“An air vent coming from the caves,” Jerad walked and leant over the hole, and he sniffed up.

  “That smell, has it always been there?” Another few deep breaths of the air.

  “Yes, it is a sweet, sickly smell. For as long as I can remember, it has been coming from the caves below”  

  While eating his fill, Jerad gave Tomas a list of herbs, roots he wanted to take with them. After collecting all the things on the list, Jerad, Tomas, and three other villagers took the two-mile hike to the cave entrance.

  On the way to the cave entrance, Jerad consulted his book of spells, but he thought something else was at play here. The dragon had been in the cave for an exceedingly long time, and two weeks ago, he started to try to escape. Or was he trying to get their attention? According to stories passed down, he has an injury to his leg. “We’re here,” one of the men shouted as he hid behind a large rock.

  Jerad shook his head and walked up to the net. “Grass, and twine,” he turned to Tomas, “This net is made of twine, a two-year-old could break out of this.”

  “Yes, yes, but he hasn’t, so why change it?”  Tomas argues.

  Jerad pulled at the net near the wall, and a gap appeared. “I’m going in, if you want to come, be quiet and let me do the talking” Fifty feet or so into the cave, they came to a large opening. Jerad had already lit some branches and made a torch; he hoisted it high to get a better view.

  Then he heard, “What do you want, Human?”

  “Erm, Hi, I just came to see what’s wrong” Jerad couldn’t see who he was talking to, but the voice came from deep within the cave and echoed around him.

  “Why, after all this time, are you interested in me now?” The dragon stood on three legs and hobbled nearer to see those to whom he was talking.

  “My name is Jerad. I am new to the village, and I was wondering why you have now started banging on the walls of the cave. Is it your leg that is causing some problems? If so, is there anything we can help you with?”

  The Dragon Roared, “Do you think I need you for anything? I could have broken out of here years ago, with that flimsy rope you put across the entrance.”

  “Yes,” Jerad walked further into the centre of the cave, “But you haven’t, that tells me something is wrong, either you can’t or you're happier to stay here”

  “This is very descriptive of you, human. Just to let you know, I haven’t eaten this month and I’m feeling a little peckish, it's been a long time since I had human for dinner”

  “Thanks for sharing, but you won’t eat me or the people hiding in the entrance, because we have come to help you.”

  Help, help, how can you help me?” The dragon was now standing twenty feet from Jared, showing his teeth.

  “As soon as I came in, I could smell it. You have an infection in your leg, it has been festering for years, and I can see you walking on three legs, so you are in pain. And your flames, you’ve not used them on us or, looking at the walls of the cave, anyone else. Now, if you let me help you, will you please stop banging on the walls of the cave?”

  “Infection, Ha, you don’t know what you’re talking about” The Dragon leant against the cave wall.

  “And, if I get the go-ahead from the village elders, they may let you out and spread your wings, do you remember what that felt like, being out on the wind, soaring above the clouds, the master of the skies?”

  “And what do you get out of this, Jerad the Dragon saver?” The Dragon’s voice had calmed a little.

  "I live in a beautiful place with the girl I love," Tomas shouted. "I just need to see what the Village elders want. When I return, step into the light so I can check your leg wound."

  On his return, Tomas and two others accompanied him, carrying some pots.

  “You’ve been a while, Jerad. I thought you weren’t coming back”

  “I always keep my promises. This is Tomas, the village elder; he has something to say and a favour to ask.”

  “Hello, I am Tomas, the Village elder. I would like to say it was my great-grandfather who put that spear in your leg” The Dragon stirred and made a deep growling sound. Everyone took three steps back.

  “Carry on, Tomas the Elder, the dragon said.

  Tomas coughed, “Well, I would like to apologise on his behalf, I know it has been over…” The dragon cut him off.

  “Yes, over one hundred and fifty years, and I have been living in this cave with an infected leg ever since, and if it wasn’t for young Jerad here… Anyway, what is the favour you want to ask?”

  “We have the poultice that can rid you of the infection, and in time, you could possibly fly again. I would like to ask you if you would stay and live in the cave and protect our village. I realise it's a big request since you've been in this cave for a long time, but you could have left at any time.”

  “Erm, one hundred and fifty years is a long time to hold a grudge. I really can’t remember how I let my guard down enough to receive such a blow. I do know I could have escaped at any time, and if I had, your village would have been the first to be flattened. But where would I have gone with an injured leg, and I am unable to spit fire due to the infection? And your kin have been feeding me for as long as I can remember. So, I say let young Jerad here do his thing, and we will speak again.”

  Jerad walked tentatively towards the Dragon, the spear was still sticking out of his hind leg, “This is going to hurt,” he said.

  A few months later, Jerad was standing on a hillock with Lizbeth, “Come on, Ignis, you can do it.” A month into his recuperation, the Dragon did tell Jerad his name. Ignis, in the Greek Islands where he was from, meant fire, and when he was out in the air, all his scales turned bright red. He hadn’t tried the fire-throwing yet; he was still stretching his wings. Tomas had given Jerad and Miss Lizbeth, as she was now known, a house by the lake, where they could sit on the porch and watch Ignis soaring in the sky, then scoop down for fish. The farmers were happy that Sheep were not on the menu every day.