The Portal Key
Copyright© 2025 by Duncan7
Chapter 9: Castle
“Hang on!” David muttered, his heart thumping. “This could be a trap. If I were her, that’s how I’d do it.”
He backed away, eyes darting around the room, the air thick with unseen tension. If it were a magic trap, he wouldn’t know.
David walked to the gate and yelled. “Bob, does anyone outside have a length of rope? I’m worried she might have booby-trapped the lever.”
“Hold on.”
A minute later, someone threw a rope over the gate. David pulled it over and returned to the guardhouse.
He tied a lasso at one end of the rope and tossed it over the lever. Then, he retreated out of the guardhouse, holding the rope taut. He was now just outside the doorway.
“Everyone stand back from the gate!” yelled David. He counted to ten, the silence amplifying the impending doom.
David pulled on the rope.
With a loud explosion ripping through the guardhouse, the blast threw him backwards. Outside, he heard Saria cry out.
Soon he sat up and looked around. Much of the guardhouse was gone, together with part of the main gate. He saw Bob and Saria rushing toward him.
Before David could stand up, Saria was upon him, her arms a warm embrace, lips meeting his.
“My love, are you hurt?”
“I’m just a little shook up. She’d booby-trapped the lever as I thought.”
Bob stood nearby, scanning the courtyard for threats, the air thick with the scent of dust.
“Saria, can you ask your álfar friends to come inside and take up positions on the walls? I think she’s gone.”
Saria reluctantly stood and talked with the álfar archers, who were standing guard outside the gate. Bob offered David a hand up.
David looked at the remains of the rope in his hand before discarding it. “That was a doozy!”
“Yeah. I’m glad you weren’t hurt.”
“We should search the castle. Perhaps they left something.”
“Agreed,” said Bob.
Saria and the other álfar entered the gateway and cautiously moved to positions on the walls.
David and Bob walked to the keep. It took a few minutes to confirm the dungeon was empty.
When they returned to the ground floor, Saria stood at the entrance.
“Saria, the dungeon is empty,” said David.
“Now what, my love?”
“Bob and I will check the upper level. We’ll be back soon.”
David and Bob climbed the steps to the upper level of the castle and started searching. David felt her throne room was the sole point of interest.
When he reached the throne room, he saw the lamp beside the throne.
Pointing toward the lamp, he said: “Bob, that’s the route home.”
“Great! What do we do now?”
“We can fetch the others and take them home.”
They left the throne room and returned outside to the courtyard.
Saria met them in the courtyard. “Is everything good, my love?”
“Yes. The Dark Queen has left her castle. She also left the portal key. I can return the other humans to their world.”
“Excellent!”
“Yes, We should talk with Elion.”
Saria gestured to the álfar stationed on the walls. They soon left their positions and met her in the courtyard.
“We’re going to report back to Elion,” said David.
“Should we post a guard here? The Dark Queen might return,” asked Bob.
David looked at Saria, who nodded. She spoke to one of the álfar.
“He’ll remain to watch for her return,” she said.
“Tell him not to engage, but to retreat if she returns.”
“Don’t worry. The álfar would never confront the Dark Queen.”
“Oh, okay then.”
David, Bob, Saria, and three álfar exited the castle and walked back through the forest to their village.
At the álfar village, the álfar led the humans up the steps.
Elion’s voice, as always, was a warm greeting. “Welcome back!”
“We bring news. The castle is empty. The Dark Queen has left,” said David.
“We left one álfar to keep watch for her return,” said Saria.
Elion’s smile crinkled the corners of his eyes. “This is good news. What’s next?”
“If all goes well, tomorrow we can return the humans to their world.”
Bob’s face lit up at the thought, a smile spreading across his face.
Elion turned to David.
“I will pass word to have them ready to leave in the morning.”
The meeting broke up soon after that. David and Saria, hand in hand, returned home. It was a strange comfort, but David thought of this place as his home. He hardly considered his apartment back on Earth.
Calantha greeted David and Saria with warm hugs.
“Welcome home. What have you done today?” she asked.
“Emel, we went to the castle, but it was empty. It appears the Dark Queen has left.” David remembered to call her Emel.
“Amazing! Do you think she will return to Elyria?”
“I don’t know. She might recruit more minions. We’ve not truly defeated her yet.”
“I understand. She remains a potential threat. What’s next?”
David wondered why they always looked to him for the next step. He wasn’t their leader.
“Tomorrow, I hope to send the other humans home. Some of them have families who miss them.”
“You’re a good man, David. Dinner will be ready soon.”
“Thank you, Emel.”
Saria guided David to the “good” chair, while her mother resumed cooking. David found this weird after risking his life today.
Soon, they shared dinner together.
David awoke the next morning, feeling rested. He turned towards Saria, who was looking at him and smiling.
“Good morning, Saria.”
“Did you sleep well?”
“Yes. The Dark Queen didn’t attack me in my dreams. Perhaps she can’t reach me from Earth?”
“Perhaps.”
They got out of bed and dressed.
David and Saria met Elion, Bob, and the other humans in the council area.
“Yesterday, we found the castle was empty. The Dark Queen is gone,” said David. “Today, I plan to send you all back to Earth.”
“How do we get back?” asked one human, a former coworker named Ed.
“A portal key in the throne room, disguised as a lamp. You touch it, and it transports you home.”
Suspicion flickered in Ed’s eyes. “How do we know it’s not a trap? It may drop us into a volcano or something.”
“Saria and I have used it before. We arrived in Mrs. Ellis’s office at CHI. Then, we dashed out of the building.”
“What he says is true. It’s a magic portal to your world,” said Saria.
“Even if it works as you say,” Ed said, “Mrs. Ellis might be there waiting to capture us.”
David thought for a minute, then whispered to Saria. She then left the council area.
“I’ll go through the portal with you, Ed. I’ll be the first. We’ll arrive at her office, and I’ll make sure you get out. Is that okay?” asked David.
Ed agreed, grumbling.
Saria returned, handing David his wallet and keys and his little flashlight.
“Okay, we’re going to the castle, and after that back home to Earth!”
David led the humans out of the council area.
David, Saria, Bob, and the eleven humans left the village. They walked along the trail through the forest, the crunch of leaves underfoot.
Reaching the treeline, David saw álfar archers near the castle entrance.
“They’ve been guarding the castle overnight,” said Saria.
David nodded. Entering the courtyard, he smelled stone and damp earth.
“Saria, if all goes well, I’ll return via the cliff. You know where that is?”
“Of course, my love. We came through there together last time.”
“Can you meet me there tomorrow? I must ensure these people get home safely.”
Saria nodded her head.
David led all the humans into the keep.
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