Alfheim Seoul Read online

  “Yes.”

  “You aren’t supposed to agree with me.”

  “But it’s true. If you hadn’t talked Grandpa Dan into purchasing those rings, then they would never have kidnapped him.”

  “I don’t care if it’s true, you are supposed to be supportive of me and tell me it’s not my fault.”

  “Oh, sorry. It’s not your fault.”

  “Oh shut up. It’s too late.”

  “Humans are so confusing.”

  “Whatever. How do I open this portal?”

  CHAPTER 10

  “Which magic system have you been learning?” Iverog said, as we moved into the large show room. The room was a bit crowded with merchandise on display, but it was where Grandpa Dan had opened the portal this morning.

  “What?” I said, the question catching me off guard.

  “I need to teach you how to open a portal. If I knew what you had already learned, I might be able to avoid messing up your lessons.”

  “I wouldn’t worry about messing up my lessons, I haven’t been able to learn anything.

  “Nothing?”

  “Nothing,” I said, shaking my head. “Why can’t you just open the portal?”

  “Technically, I don’t exist outside of your soul plane. I can’t affect the outside world and nothing can get to me unless you let them in.”

  “How can you live in there? It seemed pretty empty when I saw it last. I couldn’t live like that,” I said.

  “When we met on your soul plane, that was merely the entrance, a facade protecting the interior. If an intruder attempted to possess you, that is the place where you would do battle. Your true soul plane is decorated by your imagination.”

  “So, how big is my soul plane?”

  “How big do you imagine it to be?”

  “So, you are in there navigating around my imagination?” I was suddenly nervous. I did a lot of daydreaming when I was bored, and not all of it was fit for public consumption.

  “Not exactly,” he said. “I appear to have a place of my own filled with things from my thoughts and dreams. I assume it’s a byproduct of you insisting on your privacy.”

  I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding.

  “Since the goblin is no longer wearing the ring, is Grandpa Dan back to normal?” I said, changing the subject.

  “Yes, it also means they probably know we are onto them. We will need to hurry to catch them before they flee their current location.”

  “So how do I open a portal?”

  “I’m going to teach you the faerie way. It’s simpler than most of the other methods, but it doesn’t allow you to cooperate with other wizards like most of the human magic styles.”

  “Cooperate?”

  “Humans realized if each wizard casts part of a spell, they can cast a larger, more complicated spell than can be accomplished individually. However, everyone has to agree on the language and methodology, or it doesn’t work. Faeries are naturally selfish and competitive with each other. Getting two of them to agree on a spell-casting style is next to impossible. So faerie style magic is unique to each individual.”

  “If you can teach me to cast the spell, I don’t care what form of magic it is. We need to go rescue Grandpa Dan,” I said feeling a bit impatient, and a lot worried. It was my fault he was captured and it weighed on me heavily. I was still tired and sore from my battle with the goblin. Waiting around wouldn’t be good.

  “The first step is to be in the right place,” Iverog said, and pointed toward the back wall. “Which we almost are. We need to move about three steps toward the wall.”

  “Why there?”

  “This section of ground connects to Tal-Oknal. It’s a fairly significant connection. If we were to move toward the storeroom we would have to walk ten miles to reach Tal- Oknal. From inside the store room, we would connect to an entirely different city.”

  “But it would still be in Alfheim, right? I remember you saying it all connects to Alfheim.”

  “True. All of the places in this realm connect to Alfheim. However, there are other realms, such as Helheim where the demons live or Vanaheim where the ancient wizards used to dwell. Alfheim connects to all of them.”

  “Sounds like it’s easier to get to Alfheim than it is to get back home.”

  “Worry not. My skills as a locarus will guide us safely through.”

  “Let’s not count our chickens just yet. I still have to figure out how to open the portal.”

  “Do you know how to shape the magic within you?”

  “Yeah, that part seems natural to me.”

  “Then show me what you can do. Draw on your energies and prepare them for casting,” he said. I nodded, then closed my eyes and got into the Taekwondo ready stance. It helped me focus and pull the magic out more readily. I grabbed a large chunk of magic and pulled it into a ball in front of me in the air.

  “Anytime you want to start,” Iverog said.

  “I did. I’ve got it,” I said. The magic swirled and flowed in the air before me.

  “Where?” he said, squinting and searching around.

  “Right in front of me.”

  “Wow, that isn’t even enough magic to light a candle. You are going to need more magic than you are used to working with, at least an order of magnitude more.”

  “Oh,” I said, and let the magic I had collected fade away. “That might be why I haven’t been able to cast any spells yet.”

  “I’m going to teach you how to tap into the ley lines, so you can access the power you need.”

  “I remember you mentioning I would need them this morning. The one I saw was kind of overwhelming.”

  “They come in all sizes, so let’s see if we can find one you can work with. There are a couple of them above us now. Look up at the ceiling, unfocus your eyes and let yourself feel beyond the roof. Extend your senses up and out until you can feel the ley lines.”

  I did as he said and immediately I saw a large ley line running overhead. It wasn’t quite as large as the one this morning, or maybe I was getting used to the effect so much magic had on me. I closed my eyes for a minute and then tried again. This time I could feel three of them.

  “I found three of them,” I said.

  “Reach out and pull some of the magic from the smallest of the ley lines, but don’t disconnect it. As you pull it down to where you can work with it, a small strand will maintain the connection. That’s important so it can feed the spell after it’s cast.”

  I thought it was going to be difficult to reach all the way up to where the ley lines were, but it was almost like the magic came when I called. I shaped the energy into a sphere almost the same as I had done with my magic before, except this time I could tell it was different. It was heavier, warmer, and reminded me of the glow given off by the faerie ring.

  “Wonderful,” Iverog said. “Faerie spells are often linked to a word or phrase. But I don’t think it would be wise to have you running around yelling ‘Portal’ or ‘Open Sesame’ every time you traveled to Alfheim,” he said. I smiled, imagining myself running around announcing my spells like anime characters.

  “What do you have in mind?” I asked. I let the spell fizzle, and the magic flow drained away.

  “Anything can act as the trigger for the incantation, the important part is how you shape and feed the magic to the spell. The trigger just binds your intent to the spell. This spell is a good candidate for a gesture.”

  “What about the door opening motion?”

  “If that works for you,” he said. I let out a breath slowly, closing my eyes for a second and then reached for the ley line again. It seemed easier to locate this time.

  “When you activate the spell, remember what it felt like to be in Alfheim,” Iverog said. I pulled the magic down and shaped it into a doorway, trying to mimic the portal we used when Grandpa Dan had cast the spell. I reached out with my right hand and pulled open the imaginary door, making the gesture to activate the spell and felt
the magic shift sideways as I moved my hand.

  And then it exploded.

  CHAPTER 11

  Pain raced through my back and bleeding shoulder when I slammed into the wall. My ears were ringing as I slumped to the floor. The explosion felt like one you would see on TV, where the people get flung across the room by an enormous fireball. Instead of a bomb or gasoline, this one was caused by a small ball of magic. I sat there for a moment and then realized the shop was on fire. Oh crap! I rolled to my feet and stumbled toward the red fire extinguisher hanging on the wall near the exit.

  It came off the wall with a thunk and I wobbled under its weight. It wasn’t really heavy, I was just a bit loopy from hitting the wall so hard. I struggled with the pin and managed to wiggle it free. I held the nozzle in my left hand and pointed it at the base of the fire. A sharp burst of white powder erupted from the nozzle when I squeezed the trigger. The fire went out in two short puffs. Part of me wanted to empty the entire extinguisher just because, but I realized I might need it later.

  A small pile of oriental towels lay smoldering on the floor, and two of the windows were shattered. Grandpa Dan was not going to be happy about the state of his shop when he returned.

  “You may want to try again,” Iverog said.

  “Are you crazy? It nearly killed me!”

  “You have very little time if you want to find Mr. Dan before he is moved.”

  “Yeah, you’re right and I’m sure someone heard it, so the police are probably on their way.” My body hurt as I limped back to the portal area. “What did I do wrong?”

  “You pulled too much energy from the ley line too early, and then you messed up the form when you tried to activate it.”

  “I think I see what you mean. When I did the activation motion, my elbow and wrist got in the way and messed up the spell form,” I said, moving my arm in the door opening movement to illustrate the issue. “How do people not kill themselves when learning magic? I nearly blew everything up!”

  “Most people don’t start learning magic with portal spells. Lighting candles is usually the preferred starting spell.”

  “Oh shut up!” I was starting to think this was all just ridiculous and I should quit now. My whole body ached, I was bleeding from more than one place and I could barely see straight. But it was Grandpa Dan, I couldn’t leave him out there by himself. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’m going to try starting from the bottom this time, kind of like unzipping a tent. I think I will be less likely to drag my elbow through the magic.”

  Iverog merely shrugged. “Whatever works for you.”

  I got into position and took up the Taekwondo ready stance again. This was going to take all the energy I could muster. I dug deep, clenching my fists and tightening all my muscles. It was the same thing I usually did when preparing to break a board or cinder block with my fist.

  I let out a loud yell and felt the adrenaline rush as I relaxed my muscles. I was ready.

  The ley lines above me buzzed and crackled with energy. I could sense them so clearly this time I wondered how I had ever not seen them before. The power rushing inside the ley lines flowed freely when I reached for it, filling the air in front of me with swirling energy. I felt like I understood how it moved as I shaped it into the doorway.

  I reached down and slowly unzipped the portal, being careful not to disturb the shape as I went. There was some pushback from the “zipper” as I tugged on it and my aching shoulder screamed at me with each bump. I remembered Iverog saying I needed to think of Alfheim, so I closed my eyes and let the feeling envelop me. The portal trigger motion became smoother, and I unzipped it all the way to the top of the doorway I had crafted.

  “You did it!” Iverog said. I opened my eyes and saw the silvery portal hovering in the air in front of me. However, it was only about three feet in diameter.

  “It’s small,” I said. “I know I formed the energies larger than that? What happened?”

  “You didn’t use enough magic this time.”

  “You said I used too much last time. I was trying to keep it from exploding. Will it still work?”

  “It should, but you may have to dive into it. Try not to touch the edges.”

  “What happens if I touch the edges?”

  “It could fall apart, or it could explode.”

  “Why does everything explode when you get it wrong?”

  “It doesn’t, it’s just you. The way you swirl the energies together when you form them is very unstable. I’m surprised every spell you do doesn’t explode.”

  “Why am I not surprised? You’re a terrible teacher.”

  “That was the part I didn’t teach you.”

  “Never mind!” He was right though. I hadn’t paid much attention when Grandpa Dan was trying to explain that part. It just seemed so easy to swirl the magic into the form I needed that I didn’t bother wondering what the consequences might be.

  “What are you doing?” Iverog said, as I picked up the heavy goblin’s legs.

  “Taking him with us.” I dragged the goblin the short distance to the portal. He wasn’t heavy, but his gangly limbs made him difficult to maneuver.

  “It really sucks you can’t help with the heavy lifting,” I said to Iverog between labored breaths. I rubbed my sore shoulder, it seemed to be holding up for now.

  “I don’t see why you need to take him,” Iverog said.

  “If the police are coming, we shouldn’t leave the goblin here. I have no idea what kind of trouble that might cause,” I said.

  “How are you going to get him through the portal?”

  “Spin toss.” He gave me a skeptical look. “Shut up,” I said, glaring, then grabbed the goblin by one arm and a leg, leaned back and began twirling around. The goblin scraped across the ground till I got enough momentum to get his large frame into the air.

  “One. Two. Three!” I shouted, and I let go of him. He flew through the air, spinning a little from the toss and disappeared into the portal. It was a sloppy throw, one of his legs caught the edge making the portal shimmer and fade before snapping back into shape.

  “You might want to hurry,” Iverog said. “The portal is collapsing.”

  CHAPTER 12

  I took off at a sprint towards the collapsing portal.

  “Stop!” Iverog yelled, but it was too late. I was already diving headfirst through the air. My outstretched hands hit the portal, splashing through the silver liquid. It was thick and slimy like mucus. I shuddered and tried to pull my arms back, but I was airborne and flew into the portal with a loud sucking sound.

  I struggled, cocooned in the slimy, silver goo, unable to breathe; stuck between worlds with the portal about to close and cut me in half. I expected half of me to be scattered across the floor on each end.

  The portal constricted and desperation sunk in. What would the police think when they found half my body in the middle of my grandfather’s shop? Maybe there was a magical cleanup crew that kept that sort of thing from getting found. I wondered if Malcolm might be part of it. The goo squished down my neck and soaked into my clothes as I struggled against it. I tried going back out the way I came, but it wouldn’t budge at all.

  I reached forward, squishing my hands through the gelatinous muck to swim through it, and felt my shoe come loose. I was through to the other side. I took sharp gasping breaths as I burst into the air and immediately spit out the goo I’d sucked in. Bright sunlight greeted my eyes, and I fell to the ground. I should have tucked and rolled when I emerged, but my shoulder wouldn’t let me. Instead, I landed in a heap on top of the goblin, his raspy breath gurgled in my ear.

  “You idiot! You nearly killed us!” Iverog said, his hands gesticulating wildly in the air. I could tell he was really upset. “What possessed you to jump head first into a collapsing portal! It could have closed around your neck and chopped it clean off. That would have killed both of us! YOU HAVE TO BE MORE CAREFUL!”

  I rolled off the goblin onto a dirt path and la
y on my back. I hurt everywhere, my clothes were covered in blood and goo from the portal. I was probably still bleeding.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, still lying on the ground. “I didn’t know it was dangerous. I thought it was my only chance to get through.”

  “With the way you cast spells, it may have been your only chance, but it isn’t worth dying for.” Iverog was still fuming, but he seemed a bit calmer now.

  “I have to save Grandpa Dan. I don’t know what I’m doing, and I don’t know where to go, but I just have to figure it out. I’m sorry I nearly killed us, but I really need your help now.”

  “Our destination is that way,” Iverog said, pointing at some buildings across the street. I couldn’t see what he was looking at, so I struggled to my feet. My vision got a bit blurry, and my head spun as I struggled to stand, but I made it to my feet. I turned to see where he was pointing. The portal was gone, and the forest city of Tal-Oknal surrounded me. It was hard to tell the time of day because the light barely trickled through the thick canopy of leaves and branches.

  I wouldn’t call the streets crowded, but there were more people out now than had been here when we visited last time. The cobblestone streets were neatly paved with the stones arranged in colorful designs. Iverog had pointed down the road, past several vine-covered homes toward a cluster of taller buildings nestled deep in the trees.

  I stumbled forward, following after Iverog. He walked silently ahead of me.

  “What’s over there?” I asked, after a moment.

  “The city center. Beyond that, I don’t know.”

  “I thought you were a locarus. Don’t you know where everything is?”

  “No. That would be quite the skill to have. My ability allows me always to know where I am and how to get where I’m going. It’s an advanced pathfinding ability.”

  “So you can find anything?”

  “No, I can find anywhere.”

  “I don’t see the difference,” I said, and I stopped walking. I was struggling for breath and needed a break.