Jack Gregson & the Forgotten Portal (6 page)

“Right. Jack pass me the necklace you
grabbed from the black warrior,” his grandmother requested holding
out her hand.

Jack passed it over. He had been examining
the stone since walking back from the garden. When he didn’t wear
the magic ring it was a dull red rock, the size of a large marble
but course and chipped. But when the ring was on, it was another
story. It glowed a dull red, enough to spot in the dark but not to
light a room. The stone itself lost it coarseness, becoming smooth
with the colour changing from shades of bright red to black as it
swirled in a clockwise rotation. It reminded Jack of a planet.

“It’s enchanted,” his grandmother said
examining it. “It’s extremely powerful. It was being used to
conceal the warrior statue and the black mist. There’s something
else…some other purpose I can’t see. Luckily for us, there are few
that could have created something like this. Alice, did you bring
what I asked?”

“Of course,” replied Alice pulling a leather
pouch from an apron pocket and handing it over.

Their grandmother took the parcel and pulled
on one of the leather strings that bound it together. The knot
released and the leather unwrapped to reveal pristine white writing
paper, a small pot of ink and a golden quill. “As soon as you
exposed the illusion by pulling the necklace off the black statue,
I knew we would be needing some outside assistance and asked Alice
to fetch this for me.”

David, getting impatient asked “Grandma, the
blue emerald. Why was it used to seal the portal?”

His Grandmother ignored the question as she
opened the pot of ink and dipped the quill in. “This is special
paper, it takes whatever language is written on it and transforms
it in to a language the reader can understand. Anthrow can speak
English but he never bothered to learn how to read it.”

She went quiet again as she continued to
write the note. Once done, she reread what she’d written and
lightly swayed the paper in her hand to dry the ink. “Now, we need
to…”

“Grandma!” said Jack. “Please don’t ignore
us. We ask a question and ignore it. You mention someone called
Anthrow whom we’ve never heard of and you don’t explain who he is.
It’s not fair!”

“It’s because you don’t need to know all the
details Jack, I’ve already told you too much,” his grandmother
replied shortly. “You’ve all been thrown into this, and yes I’ll
acknowledge that it’s probably my fault. But this isn’t a game and
your part in it is over.”

“Madam?” Alice asked quietly from where she
stood. “The note you wish to deliver. You know you cannot do it
yourself. You must stay and protect the manor while the portal is
open. And you’ll need a Gregson to go through the portal and talk
to Anthrow if you want his assistance…”

“No, not them. They’re children!” Their
Grandmother said horrified.

“They’re also the only Gregson’s besides you
that know there is something wrong. Do you want to involve more
family members?” the curator countered. “Besides are they not just
delivering a note? I’m sure it is something they can handle. Even
if they are some of the slower family members I’ve met over the
years,” she finished sourly.

“Hey!” Rosie said.

“They can call Anthrow the second they’re on
the other side, I still have that signalling device he gave you.
They could also take the book with them, in case they need any
information when they arrive. This is the best way,” Alice
added.

“Enough! You win, but stop this ganging up.
You do work for me remember?” Grandmother said admonishing them
both as they smiled back at her.

“Right then. It’ll be safer if you stick
together, so it looks like you three will be going through the
portal tonight. You will need to go after dark, once the rest of
the family have returned to the house. Come, we have much to
prepare.”

“Wait!” both Jack and David said in
unison.

“We’re going through the door? The one that
hasn’t been opened in over a hundred years?” Jack asked.

The curator turned to Alice and said, “See,
it’s as I told you. These really are the slowest Gregson children I
have ever met.” Turning back to Jack she continued, “Child, the
stories are just that. Stories. Oh some of them are true enough,
but in reality if it wasn’t for the fact there is a magic door that
can’t be opened on the grounds, only a select few would know the
true history of this family.”

“It’s true,” added their Grandmother. “If
not for the door, the stories would have been too fantastical to be
believed. But every generation hits it with an axe or tries to blow
it up - this she said with a frown - and discover that it is no
ordinary door. So the stories live on. For some reason the house
won’t allow me to hide the portal door with an illusion.”

“But why is it a secret?” David pleaded.

Their Grandmother looked at all three of
them, knowing they wouldn’t let up unless she gave them more.
“Fine, one question each and that’s it. Rosie, go.”

“Who’s Anthrow?” Rosie said excitedly.

“Anthrow is a guide of sorts. No one knows
the portal entrances better than him, and few have his…talents for
travelling throughout different worlds. He owes me a debt, and he
always pays them. David, you’re next.”

“I think you know my one, but why was the
blue emerald put in the rear garden of the house. Why did you seal
the portal?”

Their grandmother shifted uncomfortably, as
if it wasn’t something she felt like sharing with the three of
them. Finally she said, “Have you ever heard anyone talk of Richard
Gregson?”

“He’s the one that named his son Greg
Gregson, the one who the Attic has a crush on,” said David. “Is
that you Curator? Do you fancy Richard?”

“Where did you hear such nonsense...oh that
blasted book!”

“Oh I doubt Richard Gregson had many people
who liked him, let alone ‘fancied’ him,” their grandmother said
gravely. “He was a horrible man, consumed by greed and a desire for
power. When the portal was open, the Gregson family used it to
travel worlds for exploration and trade. Richard however was
different. He went in search of weakness, and ways in which he
could exploit it. From small communities to full civilisations, he
began invading and ruling with fear.”

“Did he kill people?” Rosie asked.

“Yes many died, but not him. The story goes
that he grew so strong in magic that he was able to cheat death.
Once his brother Charles learned of his evil deeds, he had the blue
emerald made, and sealed off our portal from his possible
return.

“So with the blue emerald gone, he can come
through the portal?” David asked worryingly.

“Anyone can, which is why I cannot leave,”
she said sighing. “I must stay and protect the house from any
intruders.”

“But who would have stolen the emerald? Why
would someone want him to come back?”

“Richard commands a legion of deranged
followers. People who actually want to live in his dark world.
Somehow one of those people have found a way through the portal,
stolen the blue emerald and somehow infected our home with
Richard’s evil magic. Our only clue is this stone,” she said
holding up the necklace. “We must find out who enchanted it and
have Anthrow track the thief that stole our emerald. Now to work,”
she stood as if to leave the attic.

Jack said, “Grandma, I still have my
question. What will happen if we can’t get rid of that mist? What
if Richard comes through the portal?”

She looked thoughtful before reciting, “The
great Horde cometh, to take away our land. The great Theorden
cometh, our bones in the sand.’ That’s a children’s poem I heard
long ago. I don’t recall the rest. The Horde they talk of is the
mist you saw in the garden, only so much more. It spreads like
fire, consuming the land it comes in contact with, killing all life
in its path. Once the land is covered, Theorden arrives to take
control of what’s left.”

“Theorden? Is that what they call Richard
Gregson?” asked Jack confused.

“The Horde, Theorden. I don’t know who
coined it but yes it’s him. He is the reason we hide ourselves
away, our family shame that curses everyone that crosses his path.
You asked what would happen if he returned here, and my only answer
to that is, above all else we cannot let that happen!”

Everyone was silent as they took the words
in.

Finally Jack stood and said, “Well then,
let’s go stop him.”

Chapter
Six

The Door Opens

Jack walked alongside his cousins as they
made their way towards the Western Gardens. He was still coming to
terms about everything that had happened that day, from discovering
the magic book all the way to learning about his evil relative
Richard Gregson – Theorden. Secrets upon secrets were being
revealed to him, ones even his Great Uncle didn’t know about. How
could his Grandmother keep so much from them!

After she had revealed the families dark
past, she had sent Alice, David and Rosie downstairs to join the
family for dinner, as they had returned from the Western
Garden.

Jacks cousins had protested, thinking she
just wanted to exclude them from the mission. She was able to
convince them that they didn’t want to cause the family any alarm,
and missing children always caused alarm, so it was best they show
their faces, tell everyone Jack was not feeling well and that they
would see him tomorrow.

Jack was pretty sure it was an excuse
because she had then asked the Curator to make herself busy on the
opposite side of the room, so she could talk to Jack alone.

“Jack, there are things you must know,” his
Grandmother had started, struggling on how to proceed. “About your
mother and father and about this house.” She had paused but Jack
hadn’t said a word, not wanting to give her a reason to stop
talking.

He knew very little of his father, having
learned to stop asking questions about him years ago. What he did
know was that after his mother had died, his father had run off,
never to return.

“This manor, and everything in it will
someday be yours. By birthright you are the heir to Gregson manor
and with that comes certain…responsibilities. It’s time for me to
start teaching you the secrets of this house, something I’ve
already left too late.”

Jack had then started asking questions,
wanting to know more about his parents and the secrets of the
house, however his Grandmother asked for his patience. Tomorrow
would be soon enough to begin his education on the real Gregson
family history.

As he now walked alongside David and Rosie,
he wondered if he would be able to tell them about what he learned,
or would he have to keep the secrets to himself, just as they had
been kept from him. They had a right to know he decided.

“It’s cold,” Rosie said they approached the
staircase. “I should have brought a jacket.”

“Grandma said there wasn’t any point. It’s
warm beyond the door.” Jack replied. She had been very insistent
that they didn’t need to pack too much for their journey, as once
they had delivered the message they were to return immediately to
the house, therefore only being gone for an hour at most.

She had however given Jack a pouch to fit to
his belt to hold various items to take with him. One was a small
metallic cube, heavy to hold and tarnished with age. Four sides
were flat, with intricate circular engravings swirling across them.
The other two sides had a slightly raised dome across them. Once
they were on the other side of the door, he was to press both domes
down tightly to call Anthrow to their location.

Before handing over the second item, his
Grandmother had made him promise that he would only use it if they
were in dire need of help.

“Jack, the last thing I want to do is send
you through that door, but at this point we have no choice,” she
had said while handing him a small black bag. He had undone its
drawstrings and opened it up to reveal a glass sphere the size of a
tennis ball and black in colour.

As he held it in his hands he could hear a
tapping sound, as if someone was knocking from within, trying to
get out.

“What is it?”

“A Chaos Pixie Orb. I refuse to give you
kids any weapons however at anytime you feel threatened, throw this
on the ground and run, run fast and don’t look back.”

Jack put his hand in his jumpers’ pocket and
held the sphere, making sure it was still there. He felt comforted
that he was walking into the unknown with something that could
protect them, even though he had no idea how or what they would
need protecting from.

“We’re here,” David said stating the obvious
as they descended the stairs of the Western Garden. Jack felt the
excitement flow through him as he looked upon the door. It was
finally going to open! He looked towards his cousins and saw that
they too saw this as a momentous occasion as they approached
wide-eyed.

“Grandma gave you the key didn’t she?” Rosie
asked.

“Got it,” replied Jack as he put his hand
into his other pocket to retrieve the third item his Grandmother
had given him. It was large and black, old fashioned in design but
otherwise nothing out of the ordinary.

He looked up to the keyhole, something he’d
tried to pick hundreds of times with an assortment of sticks,
paperclips and nailfiles. Taking a deep breath he slowly placed the
key in the hole and turned it left, a satisfying ‘click’ as the
bolt shifted to an unlocked position.

Jack looked at them both, “Ready?” he
asked.

“I’ve been ready since I first saw the
door,” Rosie replied smiling. “Open it!”

Jack grabbed the handle and pushed, a long
creak coming from the old hinges as the door slowly swung open. A
narrow passageway greeted them, trailing off into darkness.

“That’s it?” David asked.