Mitheil

By Andrew Walker

A young boy finds a door which leads him to adventure with dragons, faeries and magic!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Andrew Walker
• Release date: Feb 18, 2010
• ISBN: 9781452311951

Andrew Walker

 Andrew T. Walker (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is associate professor of Christian ethics and public theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and an associate dean in the School of Theology. He is a fellow with the Ethics and Public Policy Center and managing editor of WORLD Opinions. He resides with his wife and three daughters in Louisville, Kentucky. 

Book preview

Mitheil

By Andrew Walker

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2010 Andrew Walker

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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For my children, who taught me the value of imagination

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Chapter 1: Doorway to Nowhere

The carriage pulled to a stop in front of the house. Mitheil turned his gaze from the window to his mother, who sat beside him. She nodded and then he was out the door in a flash.

Gampa! Gamma! he called out as he ran to the front door.

He reached the door just as it opened. Mitheil skidded to a halt and looked up at the man who opened it. He had graying hair and his appearance spoke of regular exercise. The man looked back at the boy with a severe expression on his face, and Mitheil's smile vanished. The boy stood four feet tall with tousled brown hair that couldn’t decide which way it should go. His brown eyes sparkled, betraying the merriment he still felt.

The old man’s stern expression did not last long. The corners of the man's mouth twitched, and then his face broke into a wide grin. Laughing merrily, he picked up his grandson and held him high in the air.

Mitheil laughed brightly as his grandfather danced out onto the front lawn, spinning him around. The boy's mother and older sister got out of the coach at a somewhat more relaxed pace while his father stepped down from the driver's seat, being careful to step off on his left foot.

Mitheil’s sister watched her brother and grandfather's antics with a bored expression, baffled by her parents' amused reactions. It's not that funny, really, the young woman thought. She was easily marked as his sister, with the same brown hair which fell in uncoordinated waves and curls to just past her shoulder blades.

The old man dizzied and fell to the ground. His grandson seemed to find this at least as funny as the spinning had been, and they both laughed gleefully as they lay back on the finely-trimmed grass to catch their breath.

Tanyer! called a woman from the doorway.

Yes, dear? Mithiel’s grandfather called back.

Get off the lawn this moment! She cried. After a pause, she added with a smile, There's food waiting, but only for those who come into the house in the next minute.

*

Spring was, perhaps, Mitheil's favorite time of year. As the weather got warmer, he was able to play outside more often, he saw more of his friends, and then, best of all, he got to visit his grandparents. Every year for as long as he could remember, his family packed up their things, loaded up their carriage, and headed for the home of his mother's parents.

At ten, Mitheil was at the peak of his childhood. He knew he should call his grandparents something better than Gamma or Gampa, but he hadn't yet given up using those nicknames for them and nobody seemed to care.

The evening meal that night was the best Mitheil had ever had. His grandmother had a special way with food. He knew she had a cook to help her, but he felt certain she did most of the work.

Liking her cooking as much as he did and being the ten-year old boy he was, Mitheil finished his meal quicker than anybody else. In fact, he nearly finished his second helping before most of the family finished their first servings.

He knew better than to ask for thirds. Instead, as he swallowed down his last bite, he looked to his grandfather and said, Gampa, can you tell us a story about the Red Merloin?

Mitheil, your– Mitheil's mother started to say, but her father cut her off.

It's okay, Linny. I like to tell my tales and my grandson likes to hear them.

You've not even finished your meal, Dad.

Nothing to worry about. I can talk and eat at the same time.

Linny knew this was a losing fight, so she sighed and agreed, Very well. But don't blame me if your food gets cold.

Tanyer gave a wink. I won't.

Turning to Mitheil, he said, Did I tell you of when I chased the Merloin down to the deepest depths of a blue dragon's cave?

No! Mitheil replied. His eyes were wide with rapt attention.

It was about thirty-five years ago, the boy's grandfather said. I'd chased the villainous Merloin about for, oh, five or six years at that point. Anyway, he got it in his head to get the help of a vicious dragon…

Much as Linny was loathe to admit it, she enjoyed her father's stories. The whole family listened to him weave his tale, most ignoring their food almost as much as her father did.

She also knew nothing brought joy to her son like her father's storytelling. Dragons were always involved, and although young Mitheil had never met a dragon, tales of them kept his attention like nothing else. He still talked about the day a silver dragon flew near the village they lived in, and that was nearly two years ago.

*

Tanyer carried his grandson up to bed with his wife following close behind.

Are you sure that was a wise thing to do? Dee Dee asked her husband.

I don't do a lot of wise things, my dearest. Perhaps you could be more specific! Tanyer replied with a smile.

Telling the tale of Medstalla like that.

Bah, it's no problem. I changed the names as I always do.

I know, but I am concerned the boy will some day go crawling about the attic and find the book she gave you.

It is well secured, my love, Tanyer said as he gently laid the boy in his bed. I would not want a dragon's gift to be stolen. Or accidentally opened by curious little boys for that matter.

It is the latter that worries me the most.

The aging man nodded and agreed with a sigh, Very well, I shall be more careful in my tales.

"That is the answer I was hoping for."

Would you like to visit our old blue friend after our daughter and her family have left for home?

The couple paused at the doorway to the boy's room. With a last smiling glance at the sleeping child, they left the room.

We can visit all of our dragon friends, Dee Dee said as she quietly shut the door.

*

Mitheil was not, in fact, asleep. He had been sleeping when his grandfather picked him up, but that roused him just enough to hear the start of his grandparents' conversation. By the time Tanyer set him down in his bed, he was wide awake.

The door to his room barely closed before he opened his eyes. Quiet as a mouse, he got out of bed and tiptoed over to the door. He listened carefully for his grandparents' door to shut and then eased his own door open again.

The young boy crept to the end of the hall and carefully opened the door at the end. This led to a flight of stairs going to the attic. Ever alert, Mitheil carefully stepped over the three steps he knew would creak loudly.

The attic was a crowded affair, with odds and ends of all varieties strewn about. A cluttered workbench sat in one corner with smithy and woodworking tools hanging on hooks nearby. The smell of various woods and grease filled the air, mixed in with the scent of a perfume bottle spilled somewhere nearby.

Now, where in the attic would Gampa keep an old book? Mitheil wondered as he began his search. It wasn't long before he realized where it must be.

In one corner there sat a large leather trunk, locked twice: Both a padlock and a combination lock kept it secure. The latter he'd secretly seen Gampa open one day, but the former could be a problem. I hope the lock-picking trick Steele showed me will work, the boy thought, thinking of one of his friends back home.

Looking about, the mischievous child spied the workbench. On a hunch, he began to quietly poke around it, looking for a makeshift lockpick. The room was only lit by light from one of the moons peeking through the window, but after a few minutes his eyes adjusted enough for him to find two pieces of metal on the floor.

Mitheil's grandfather had a lathe for smoothing or trimming the things he crafted. The byproduct of this was metal shavings, two of which happened to be long and slender pieces which the young boy felt would be perfect for picking a lock.

As it turns out, he was right. He cut his hand in the process–the edges of the metal shavings were very sharp–but he finally heard the lock make a satisfying click and drop open. He pulled the padlock off and then spun the dials of the combination lock.

Joyfully, Mitheil turned the latch and opened the trunk. Within were a number of wonders, most of which he'd seen before. His grandfather often got very involved in his storytelling and decided he needed to show this, that, or the other thing he'd gotten as a result.

However, he'd never shown Mitheil the book before. It lay beneath a number of delicate-looking items, so the young boy paid extreme attention to what he was doing as he cautiously lifted them out one by one.

Finally, he lifted the heavy book out and set it aside. It was blue, with a texture that looked like leather and felt like sandpaper. It had a latch on it, but wasn't locked, so he quickly opened the book and stared at the first page with wide eyes.

At first, he couldn't make out any of the characters on the pages as he flipped through them. After a few minutes, the pages began to glow and they became clearer. He didn't know what the letters were, but he supposed the writing was in dragon, since it came from a dragon in the first place.

The glow of the book became brighter, and Mitheil thought he heard a whisper from it.

What? he whispered back.

"Dess nok ni'polluen di besnote?" the whisper asked, a little more clearly this time.

I don't understand, Mitheil said.

Speak you not the language of the blue? The whisper was a little louder now, bordering on being a normal speaking voice.

No, I only speak the language of humans, Mitheil answered. Can you be a little quieter? I don't want to wake Gampa.

The sleeping must not be disturbed, the whisper acknowledged, losing some volume.

I agree!

What is your wish, boy of the language of humans?

I get a wish? the boy asked, surprised.

I am a book of destinations. Do you wish a door?

Mitheil's eyes went up in wondrous surprise. He barely kept his voice low as he cried, Wow! Gampa didn't say anything about that! He said you gave him a magic sword!

There was a blade that passed through the portal that is this tome once before. By some interpretations, it may have been viewed as a gift.

Yeah, that's it! the boy said with a vigorous nod of his head.

I cannot repeat this gift; no blade borders my portals.

Mitheil puzzled over that for a moment, then asked, What's a portal?

A portal is a gate or a doorway between one place and the next.

So you make doors?

"Not exactly, no. More accurately, I am a door. Would you like to see?"

Mitheil thought about that for a moment. The attic didn't really need a door as it had one already. Where else would one go from the attic but downstairs to the rest of the house? he wondered. Still, he thought it would be interesting to see the book become a door.

Yes, I would, the boy finally answered.

The book suddenly slid across the floor away from Mitheil. Before it hit the wall it closed and turned upright. The young boy's eyes grew wider as the book began to glow. It shook, and then grew to the size and shape of a door! The book stopped at exactly the right spot;, when it became door-sized, its top rear edge barely touched the angled ceiling. It opened up, revealing not pages within but a dark and empty space.

Mitheil could hardly contain himself as he stood up. His mouthed the word, Wow, but made not a sound. He walked slowly towards the open door, wide-eyed in wonder.

Pausing on the threshold, he looked around the attic and listened intently for any sounds. The house was completely asleep as far as he could tell. He lifted his foot to step in, and then hesitated. It suddenly occurred to him he was about to embark on an adventure without the slightest bit of magical assistance.

He ran back to the trunk and reached in. He pulled out a mirror, one which his grandfather described to him on many occasions. Mitheil was certain he knew its use and felt it would be helpful.

Mirror in hand, Mitheil strode back to the open door. This time he did not hesitate; he stepped boldly through it into the darkness beyond. When he was several steps into the blackness, the door closed behind him and disappeared.

****

Chapter 2: Doorways to Everywhere

Mitheil looked back at the spot where he was sure the door had been, but there was nothing there. He walked backwards a short distance, until he was certain he passed the point where the door sat.

Becoming a little frightened, he cried out, How do I get out of here?

Doors appeared. Lots of doors, in fact, suddenly filled the area. They formed an immense circle around Mitheil, with the boy in the exact middle.

There were tall doors, short doors, fat doors, skinny doors, round doors, square doors, and doors with shapes Mitheil could not give a name to. There were red doors, brown doors, green doors, and doors with colors that had no name. There were wooden doors, metal doors, and stone doors. There were doors shaped like people; there were doors shaped like animals.

The fear Mitheil felt rose several notches at the overwhelming choices he now saw. Remembering the mirror in his hand, he recalled Gampa said it helped him find things. The boy raised it to eye level with a trembling hand and looked at it.

Where’s the door home? he asked.

The mirror fogged up, as if it were in a steamy room, and then the fog formed a question mark.

Mitheil paled a little. You don’t know where the door home is?

The question mark changed into a smiley face.

What good are you?! the boy cried unhappily.

The face frowned. Mitheil had to giggle at that. The fog on the mirror changed back to the question mark, which only elicited more giggles.

Hey! Mitheil exclaimed. I can see my hands. And all the doors. But it’s all black in here!

Indeed, looking around, the boy found no source of light. There was nothing but blackness, doors, and himself. Deciding it was a magic place and it didn’t matter, he began to look for a door that looked like the one he’d used to get here. He reasoned that the way back should look like the way in. It seemed like a good idea, but there were a lot of doors that looked like books.

He walked around, looking for the one door he thought was an exact match. Eventually, he stopped in front of one of the oversized book covers. The color was different from his grandfather's, being purple instead of blue, but it had the same leathery look to it. He was about to open it when he noticed the door to its right.

This door went beyond looking friendly; it was a giant yellow circle with a smiling mouth and two black eyes painted on it. The boy’s curiosity got the best of him and he moved over to the door.

Mitheil couldn’t find a handle on the smiling door, so he grabbed the side and pulled. It swung as if hinged on the other side, revealing a crack in the blackness. The boy peered through the crack and smiled when he saw several blue-skinned little men dancing in a circle. They wore funny little outfits, each one a different color.

Mitheil giggled at the sight, and the little men stopped their dance. They looked over at the door, and their smiles vanished.

Something escapes, one of them in green coveralls said.

What should we do? asked one in a red shirt with blue pants.

Same thing we always do. Kill it! a third one cried.

Mitheil drew back from the door, eyes wide, and slammed it shut. Some doors are dangerous! he thought. In spite of this, his curiosity drew his attention to the next door, which looked like a large barn door. It seemed very out of place, looking as rickety and old as it did while most of the rest of the doors were clean and new-looking.

The boy walked over to the barn door and took hold of the handle attached to it near the bottom of the left side. The door was fifteen feet high and ten feet wide, so he hoped the hinges were well oiled as he took a deep breath and gave it a strong pull..

The door opened up with effort, and Mitheil heard a loud whistle sounding in the distance. He peeked around the doorway and saw something he did not recognize. Two metal rails appeared to exit from the far side of the doorway, stretching all the way to a tunnel about half a mile away. They had wooden planks attached to their undersides, apparently to keep them held to the ground and keep them the same distance apart all the way into the tunnel.

The whistle sounded again, and Mitheil saw a light appear inside the tunnel. The light grew larger, and he stepped up to the threshold of the door to get a closer look. Just as the light reached the end of the tunnel, the whistle sounded once more, and Mitheil’s eyes went wide as a metal monstrosity emerged with the light attached to its nose.

The boy decided he had a good enough look, and backpedaled into the blackness. The whistle—quite loud now—sounded again. Mitheil grabbed the door and pushed. It was heavy, but he managed to slam it shut before the terrifying metal monster reached the magical portal.

Panting, Mitheil looked over at the purple book, wondering if it was the right door or if it held some other horror. At his point, however, he decided his adventure was getting too dangerous, so he stepped over to the purple book. He grabbed the edge and pulled.

However, the book cover refused to budge. Frowning, Mitheil put a foot up on the edge of the back cover and pushed. Groaning with effort, he finally managed to crack the door open. Something pulled at the door, trying to slam it shut again, and it took all of the boy’s strength to open the door further.

As he opened it, a hissing sound escaped from the door. The hiss became a howl the further he opened the door, and Mitheil suddenly realized the book had a great wind flowing into the opening.

This, he decided, was the root of the problem. He peered into the doorway, but saw only blackness. Still struggling to keep the door open, he poked his head through the opening to get a better look.

The blackness beyond this purple book’s doorway was not complete. Little white dots peppered it like stars. A wall of orange sparkles shimmered into existence a few feet away, and suddenly the suction stopped.

Relieved, Mitheil pushed the door open and leaned forward. Looking down, he saw a dark purple dragon slowly getting to his feet. The dragon looked up, staring directly into Mitheil’s eyes.

Who are you? the dragon asked.

M-Mitheil, the boy responded nervously.

"What are you doing in my Book of Shadows?"

I thought this might be Gampa’s book.

The dragon raised a curious eyeridge. Who?

My grandfather. He has a book like this, I think, but it’s blue.

Did you notice this one is purple?

Mitheil shrugged. Yes, I guess, so, but it’s the closest thing I could find.

Well, it’s the wrong one. Now, get out of my book. I have to put it away.

Of all the times to not have a sword with dragon-slaying magic! Mitheil thought to himself as he closed the door. Sighing, he turned and looked for another book-door.

A dozen doors away there stood a golden book. It was not leathery, like the purple one or the one his grandfather owned, but it was a book. Mitheil walked up to it and touched it. Letters etched into the front read, Book of Golden Shadows.

It looks like it’s made of pure gold! the boy cried. He ran his fingers to the edge of the cover and hesitated. I need to get home, but if this is another dangerous place…

As he stood there, wondering whether to even try to open the door, his gaze moved beyond it to the next door in line. To Mitheil, it seemed to be a most unusual door. Most of the doors were solid in this strange place were solid, but this one was not. It was formed of two semi-circles with vertical bars on them, almost like it was some sort of cage door. There was a lock in the middle of the left side of the right half that conveniently had a key sticking out of it.

Curious, Mitheil stepped over to this door and took hold of the key. He turned it clockwise until it made a click at the half-turn mark.

Light suddenly appeared in the narrow space between the two halves of the door. The light did not quite reach the top or the bottom, but Mitheil could see there was something in the space above and below the light.

The boy gave the key a light tug and the door opened without a sound. A hole in the blackness appeared, beyond which was a tunnel that extended no more than five or six feet past the door before opening into an outdoor area.

A muddy little stream ran through the bottom of the tunnel. The walls of the tunnel were made of gray stone, polished until the surface was almost perfectly smooth. It had some minor chips in it, and it seemed to be made from a single stone.

Mitheil looked at the other half of the door, which was still shut. He cautiously poked an arm between two of the bars, then leaned forward to see that his arm was not coming out inside the tunnel.

Pulling his arm back, he looked at the book-cover door. That door might