The Magical Land Beyond the Redwoods

The loud thunder woke the child in the middle of the night. The bedroom was pitch black with the occasional lightning illuminating through the slats of the blinds. The roaring rain was pounding the ceiling. The howling wind was creeping in between the joints of the window glass. It was nights like these that Elijah wondered if there were any shadows lurking in his room. The thought of it was too dreadful to bare. The fear too great to shout for the aid of his parents. All he could do was hide under the sheets and hope the shadows had not decided to pay him a visit that night.

Elijah closed his eyes to try to go back to sleep. But just because his eyes were closed didn’t mean he was not still awake. With his eyes shut it seemed that his other senses had intensified. He could hear the twigs from the branches of the trees scratching the walls outside the house. He could feel his increasing heartbeat pumping blood through his body. But most of all he had the dreadful feeling that someone or something was watching him in the darkest corner of the room.

Outside his bedroom door he heard glass smashing on the floor. The loud sound of the breaking glass made him open his eyes again. He looked towards the bedroom door and sees light coming in from under the gap between the door and the floor. The wooden floors creaked with the steps of the intruders.

“Careful, don’t cut yourself!” said a voice of a woman.

“Turn off that light before they see it.” said a voice of a man.

“If I do, then how will you see the broken glass on the floor?” said the woman

“I’ll manage.” the man replied.

The light Elijah could see from under the gap of his door was gone. It was dark again.

“Quickly then. Let get what we came here for.” said the woman in a whisper.

Elijah could hear the creaking of the wood floor again from their footsteps as they passed by his bedroom door. His curiosity was too great to remember the fear he had felt a few minutes ago. Elijah stood up on his mattress and grabbed a hold on the crib’s bars.

“Shiitake Mushroom!” hissed the man.

“What? What happened?” asked the woman concerned

“I stepped on a piece of glass.”

“I told you we needed the light!” hissed the woman.

“Fine! But keep it low. We don’t what to wake up the whole house.” said the man.

Elijah could see the light again under the gap of his door. This time it was fainter as they continued walking away from his bedroom. Elijah climbed over the bars of his crib and lower himself down towards the floor. With his tiny hands he reached inside his crib in between the bars to grab his favorite blanket. He placed the blue blanket over his head and wrap it around his tiny body.

Elijah felt that the blanket would hide him from the view of the intruders. On his tip toes he slowly and quietly walked towards the door. He held his breath as he turned the knob. He opened a small crack and slowly peeked his head out. The coast was clear, no one in sight. Elijah’s bedroom door gave out to the living room and up ahead towards the kitchen he could see the light. Without making a sound he walked towards it. When he got to the kitchen, he saw the door that led to the garage open. The light was inside.

“Ah. Here he is.” said the man with relief.

“Perfect! Now we can leave this dreadful place and go home.” said the woman.

Elijah’s eyes opened wide when he heard them. For the only “he” there was in the garage was Meeko the family’s pet chameleon. He quietly but quickly rushed to the garage door. He peeked his head in to look. He saw a beautiful woman with vines in her long brown hair. She was wearing a dress made of flowers and leaves. Her skin was light brown with native pattern tattoos on her arms and decorative markings on her face. She was looking inside Meeko’s reptile terrarium. In her right hand she was holding a small flame. Elijah was curious as to how the flame didn’t burn her skin.

Next to her was the man. His skin and hair were as pale as the snow. His hair was long down to his waist. Unlike his companion he did not have any flowers or vines, instead he wore a green suite with gold patterns. He was opening the terrarium and grabbing Meeko. The Chameleon was not pleased with his visitors and bit the man’s finger.

“Argh!” hissed the man as he shakes off the pain.

“He’s a fierce one.” said the woman with a smile. “I knew he would be the one.”

“Quick, let’s put him in the bag and get out of here.” said the man

Elijah had to save Meeko! He didn’t have time to wake up his parents. He took off his blanket that was concealing his presence to confront the intruders.

“No. Mine!” was all he could say in the spring of the moment.

The intruders turned to see the little boy staring at them. With the quick movement of their heads Elijah notice that their ears were pointy like arrowheads.

“We’ve been seen!” said the man anxiously. “I told you not to use the light!” he tells the woman.

“Relax. He is no threat. He is just a child.”

“Let Meeko go. He’s mine.” said Elijah.

The woman bent down to her knees to get a better look at Elijah

“Hello little one. What is your name?” she asked.

“Elijah.” said the boy.

“How old are you?”

“Three”. He’s pronunciation sounded like he was saying tree.

While she was talking with Elijah, the man was in the background grabbing the chameleon and stuffing him in a brown leather bag.

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance Elijah. My name is Alfdis and he is Álváró.”

“What are you doing?” asked Álváró.

“He won’t remember.” said Alfdis. “Besides he’s so cute!”

Elijah rushed to Meeko’s terrarium. “Where Meeko go?” he asked.

“Meeko is safe right here.” said Alfdis patting the brown leather bag.

Elijah's eyes were starting to tear up, knowing that his friend was inside their bag.

“No! Let Meeko go.” said Elijah sobbing.

“Stop toying with the poor kid and let’s get out of here before his parents wake up.” said Álváró.

Alfdis reached for a pouch on her belt. She took out a handful of dust and blew it on Elijah’s face.

“Sleep well little one” she said.

Elijah buckled at his knees and Alfdis caught his fall. She carried him to his bedroom and laid him in bed. She tucked him in the blankets and whispered in his ear. “Meeko will be safe beyond the redwoods.”

“Alfdis, we need to go now.” said Álváró “He’s giving me a fight inside the bag.”

Both elves climb back out the living room window. Álváró fixed the broken glass with a swift movement of his hand. The window glass glued itself back together as if nothing had ever happened.

The storm was still ongoing. The rain seemed like stones falling from the sky and the wind was blowing with fury. Álváró and Alfdis ran towards the woods behind Elijah’s house. The farther away they got from the house the bigger the trees became. The soil was saturated from the rain making their travel difficult in the mud. They ran in between the ferns passing by the trees until they got to the Mighty One. The tallest and oldest redwood in the Humboldt Forest. Near the base of the tree was an opening. Both elves stood under the rain in front of the threshold.

“Are you ready?” asked Alfdis

“Not quite. He’s going to be furious once we reach the other side.” said Álváró

“How about if we toss him in first, then we follow behind. Would that make you feel better?” asked Alfdis.

“That won’t change his fury.”

“If it’s really him, it will give us some cover.” said Alfdis

Álváró took the chameleon out of the bag. The lizard was hissing and snapping his jaws to bite both Álváró and Alfdis.

“Please forgive us sire. We would not be here if this wasn’t an emergency.” said Álváró to the chameleon. With both hands he tossed the lizard into the darkness of the threshold. Alfdis grabbed Álváró hand and they both followed Meeko inside the bark of the redwood.

******

The tree was a portal to a magical land. A land of Dragons and mythical creatures. The rain from the human world was nonexistent. The night sky was filled with stars. The redwoods were even bigger reaching towards the heavens. The blue moon casted their huge shadow on the ground. At the base of the trees were fluorescent mushrooms with a variety of colors. Their rainbow illuminated the forest floor.

Álváró peeked his head out in search of the lizard but the chameleon was nowhere in sight.

“I don’t see him.” He looked from left to right and saw nothing but the thick forest.

“Shouldn’t the change have been instantaneously?” he asked

“Yes. According to the scriptures the portal should have revealed his true form.” said Alfdis.

“Did we waste our time with another lizard?” asked Álváró frustrated.

They both walked out from the hollow bark of the Mighty One. The forest was silent and still. The once cool breeze turned into a desert heat. A low and grave growl was heard from behind them. They turned to find a Dragon staring at them. The top of his head had 14 horns and the bottom of his chin had 5 tusks. His back was filled with scaly plates that were turning from green to red in color. The scales on his body were changing color from green to red, orange, and yellow. His eyes were golden honey color. They were filled with rage. His nostrils were smoking. Alfdis and Álváró stood in awe before the great and mighty dragon. Meeko let out a roar revealing his teeth and a fireball generating in the back of his throat. Alfdis and Álváró quickly bowed down in reverence of his presence.

“Who dares to force me back thru the Mighty One!” roar the dragon with rage.

“We are Alfdis and Álváró. Your loyal servants. Guardians of the Dragon Keep. Keepers of the old ways. Protectors of the legacy” said Alfdis on the ground prostrating front of the dragon.

“Rise Alfdis and Álváró.” roared the dragon. Both elves did as they were told.

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t burn you two to a crisp for abducting me from my rider!” roared the dragon

“Sire, while you searched in the human world for a rider. The Dragon Keep has been seized by the Shadows. The King and Queen have been overpowered, leaving you the sole survivor of the true bloodline. The lands are becoming barren, and the citizens of Lemuria are living in fear and dying with no hope.” said Álváró

“Lemuria needs its most powerful dragon to vanquish the Shadow Master.” said Alfdis.”

“What?! How did this happen?! Why was I not informed sooner?!” asked Meeko

“The King and Queen were confident they could handle the situation on their own while you searched for a rider. But they were wrong, they were betrayed by the Shadow Master. He led the army of shadows into the Dragon Keep attacking from within the castle. No one saw it coming.” said Álváró.

“But not all hope is lost, for I heard you say it. You have already found a rider!” said Alfdis with joy. “With him on your side you shall become more powerful. Tell us who it is, and we shall bring him to you.”

“You shall do no such thing!” Said Meeko “My rider is still just a child. He is not ready, and I would not forgive myself if he were to be killed during battle. This I must face on my own.”

“But Sire, you may not succeed on your own! You need a rider!” said Álváró.

“If your rider is still a child then maybe the connection has not been established yet.” said Alfdis. She looks at Álváró. “He might still be strong enough to fight the shadows on his own, or we can try to find another rider.”

“The bond has been made. No other rider can take his place.” said Meeko. “Lemuria does not have much time to wait for the child to be ready. I’m still the most powerful dragon on the land. I shall do my best, and if I fail, I will die knowing that the child will continue to live and grow safe in the human world.”

*****

The storm had stopped. The sun rays were penetrating the cloud cover. Elijah woke with the voice of his mother.

“Good morning sweet hearth. Time to get up.”

Elijah grabbed his blue blanket and covered his face from the brightness of the ceiling light.

“No.” he said with a wine

“Come on sleepy head. It’s time to get up and play.” She said as she searches his dresser for the cloths he was to wear for the day. Elijah’s mom now stood over him watching him hide under his covers.

“Oh no! if you don’t get up, I’m going to have to tickle you!” said his mom.

She reached down and gave Elijah a taste of the Tickle Monster. He started to laugh and wiggle in bed trying to escape her touch. She took the covers off his face.

“There he is!” she said with a smile.

Elijah was smiling and laughing. He loved waking up with the Tickle Monster. He stretched out his hand towards his mom and was trying to tickle her.

“I got you! Tickle, tickle!” he said

“Ah, you got me!” she said with a chuckle.

She picked him up, gives him a hug and multiple kisses on his cheek.

She lowered him down on the floor and holding hands they walk towards the bathroom to get him ready to play.

*****

There was no way for the dragon and the elves to reach the Dragons Keep without the Master of Shadows knowing. It was hard to tell which shadows belong to his army within the darkness of the forest. The safest way to travel was to wait until daybreak and fly above the cloud line where no shadows could survive the light of the sun. Until then, Meeko, Alfdis and Álváró remained close to the Mighty One that shielded them from the powers of the Master of Shadows.

*****

Blueberry pancakes with strawberries and banana toppings was Elijah’s favorite. That was the best part about the weekends. Then afterwards watch an episode or two of his favorite show Blippi.

While he was eating his pancakes, he heard his dad in the garage.

“Hey Honey. Looks like Meeko escaped from his terrarium again.” said Elijah’s dad.

“Last night’s thunders must have probably scared him. Poor little guy.” said Elijah’s mom.

And with that, Elijah remembered everything from last night. He remembered the man and the woman putting him inside a bag and taking Meeko away.

“Alfdis and Álváró took Meeko.” said Elijah

“Who are they?” asked his mom

“They broke window at night and took Meeko.”

“What window?” asked his dad.

“That one!” said Elijah pointing towards the window in the living room.

Both parents looked at the window and not a crack was observed. The window didn’t have any signs of ever being broken or forced opened.

“The Window is okay honey” said his mom to him. “You see, all good.” She pointed towards the window for him to see.

“But they had triangles on their ears!” said Elijah

His dad started to laugh. “Oh, I see!” he said “A pair of elves took Meeko. You have such an incredible imagination son.” continued saying his dad.

“That was probably a dream.” said his mom. “Don’t worry honey, Meeko will turn up eventually.”

She took some Huggies wipes to clean Elijah messy face and got him down the highchair.

He ran towards the garage to check the terrarium for himself. Meeko was definitely gone, and he was positive that Alfdis and Álváró were the ones that took him. He tried hard to remember what else had happened last night. He could hear Alfdis voice saying “Meeko will be safe beyond the redwoods.”

“Aha, that was it!” Elijah thought.

The only way to find Meeko was to go outside into the forest in the backyard. He grabbed his rubber boots and sat on the floor to put them on.

“Honey, don’t you want to watch Blippi?” asked his mom from the living room.

Elijah finished putting on his boots and ran towards his mom.

“Can I play outside?” he asked.

“That sounds like a great idea.” said his mom “Remember to take your boots off when you come back in. I don’t want any mud inside the house.”

“Okay Mami” he said. He ran towards the sliding door in the living room that gave way to the back yard and ran out in search for Meeko.

*****

Day break had finally arrived. The sunrays penetrated through the canopy of the trees. With no time to waste Meeko allowed Alfdis and Álváró to ride on his back. The redwoods were too tall and thick for the dragon to ascend into flight from the ground. Meeko used his sharp claws to climb the thick trunk of the redwood towards the canopy. Even the mightiest dragons could seem puny in compared to these gentle giants.

At the canopy Meeko and the elves could see the redwood forest extent for miles. Large blue monarch butterflies danced in between the branches and the leaves. They glided with the gentle breeze floating on the canopy like a wave. Meeko closed his eyes and extended his wings to feel the warm touch of the sun. The scales on his body were changing from earth mud brown to golden yellow. Just as his lizard’s form in the human world, Meeko could change color which allowed him to have many different abilities. Only true bloodline dragons could do this. Making him the most powerful of them all.

The butterflies attracted to the golden skin landed on the dragon’s body. They opened their wings revealing their royal blue color. Both dragon and butterflies were in harmony feeling the sun on their skin and the breeze under their wings.

Meeko opened his eyes and with one powerful flap to his wings he soared into the air. The canopy shook with great force from his drag. The butterflies followed him as he soared above the canopy gaining altitude towards the clouds. An experience never felt before except for a dragon and his rider. Meeko vanished inside the cloud cover leaving the butterflies below flying back towards the canopy of the redwoods.

*****

The intruders may have been able to cover their tracks with the broken window, but they made one big mistake. They came on a rainy night and their tracks were all over the back yard. Elijah remembered what Alfdis had told him, and he went straight to the redwoods that were behind his house.

Elijah walked as slowly as possible to not slip on the mud and fall. He pushed his way through the thick ferns that blocked his path. A few minutes had gone by, and he no longer could see his house behind him. Every direction he looked he was surrounded by trees. The hairs on the back of his neck rose. He had a strange feeling as he continued to walk deeper into the woods. He continued to follow the tracks the intruders made until he came upon the Mighty One.

Their footsteps stopped at the tree, no sign of them going around the tree trunk. Elijah looked up the branches. Maybe they had climbed the tree? The tree was too tall for anyone to reach the first branch. Then he notices an opening at the base of the tree behind a fern. Maybe they went inside to cover from the rain? Maybe they are still inside?

Elijah was not very comfortable with the idea of venturing inside the trunk of the tree without a flashlight. Or even worse, confront the two adults that had taken Meeko away. But he was still compelled to rescue his friend. He could not fully comprehend it, but he felt a strong obligation to save Meeko. Elijah took a deep breath as if he was about to go underwater, and with a few steps forwards he entered the threshold of the redwood.

*****

Meeko was flying towards the Dragon Keep with Alfdis and Álváró on his back. When an unexpected surge of energy rushed through him. He could feel the fear of his rider. The feeling was so overwhelming that it caused him pain to fly any further. Meeko gave out a loud roar. The scales on his body changed from gold to firered.

“What’s happening?” asked Alfdis

“The child is in great danger.” said Meeko as he turned around with great haste.

*****

It was the darkness that made Elijah scared. With no light to guide his way he used his tiny hands to touch the bark of the tree. He kept walking forward. From the outside it seemed like a normal tree but on the inside it felt more like a tunnel.

“Meeko?” Elijah whispered. “Meeko, where are you?”

Up ahead Elijah could see a faint light. He walked towards it. Elijah emerged on the other side of the tree. Outside everything looked the same. The redwoods, the ferns, and the mushrooms that glowed with the moonlight now seem completely normal. Elijah turned around and looked up at the tree. He walked around the trunk to the other side where he had entered, but the opening on the bark was not there. Did he walked in circles inside the tree trunk thinking he was walking straight?

The birds from before he entered the tree had gone quiet. He could hear the breeze moving the branches above the canopy.

“I see you.” said a voice behind Elijah

Elijah turned around but didn’t see anyone.

“Are you lost my child?” asked the voice again.

“Where are you?” Elijah asked.

“Right HERE!” said the voice is the most terrible scream.

Elijah’s greatest fear had come true. He saw a shadow move between the trees coming towards him. He started to scream and run away from the Mighty One. If he only knew that the tree’s shield would have protected him from the shadows. He ran as fast as he could. Tears were falling down his cheek. He could hear behind him the approaching laughter of the shadow. They liked a good game of chance before making the kill.

“Mami! Mami!” Elijah would scream out in tears as he ran deeper into the woods.

A vine laying across the ground made Elijah trip and fall. He looks up to see the shadows approaching. More of them had appeared with the thrill of the hunt. All he could do was scream and cry as they approached him with great speed.

Elijah heard a roar behind him. The shadows that were ready to grab Elijah and rip him apart stopped on their tracks to listen. The canopy from above the redwoods burst into flames. A loud snap of the tree bark was heard as the great dragon broke his way through the tick canopy.

Elijah covers his head with his arms. The dragon landed on top of him, keeping him safe from the shadows, the debris falling and the flames. The forest was filled with the screams of the shadows. They had not expected to encounter a trueblood. They couldn’t escape the dragons flame and fury.

*****

The screams of the shadows had travel far, reaching the Dragon Keep. The Master of Shadows covered by a black coat concealing his appearance was in the master chamber. He was planning his next attack on Lemuria to destroy the resistance and take control of the land. The tortured cries echoed through the walls announcing the arrival of the trueblood and his rider. The screams penetrated his ears forcing him to cover them with his hands in pain. Blood was dripping out of his eardrums caused by the torture screams. Just as the screams had arrived, they stopped, and silence consumed the castle once more. The shadows had been destroyed. He could feel their dark energy gone. In a furious rage he tipped over the desks he was working on. With his powers he destroyed the Master Chamber, ripping and burning the furniture and tapestries of the trueblood lines. He gave out a hellish scream summoning the army of shadows to the castle.

He knew this day would arrive, but he didn’t expect it to be so soon. To fully gain control of Lemuria he needed to eliminate the dragon and his rider.

*****

Elijah was still sobbing, curled up in the ground. He was too terrified to open his eyes. Meeko gave him a gentle touch on his back with his nostril. Alfdis walked towards Elijah to make sure he was alright.

“Its okay. You are safe now.” she said.

Elijah opened his eyes and saw the two elves and the dragon looking at him. He couldn’t believe his eyes. The dragon’s color was changing from red to green and yellow. The dragon laid down next to Elijah and stood still to not scare the child.

Elijah looked at the dragon in the eye and felt a familiarity.

“Meeko, is that you?” he asked

“Yes.” said Meeko.

Elijah cleared the tears from his face with the back of his hand and walked towards Meeko to touch him. He placed his tiny hands on the dragon’s face. His skin was rough and hard.

“Meeko, you got bigger.” said Elijah. He used the tusks and the horns to climb on to Meeko’s back.

“We no longer have the element of surprise.” said Álváró. “They know we are coming. The Master of Shadow will gather his army.”

“But we now have the rider. Even though he is young we can still defeat the army of shadows.” said Alfdis.

“This changes nothing.” said Meeko. “I will not put Elijah in harm's way. No one must know that he is my rider. We shall return him to the human world where he is safe, and I shall continue with my quest in defeating the Master of Shadows.”

Alfdis and Álváró climbed onto Meeko's back and the dragon climbed the bark of the redwood to take flight towards the Mighty One. At the top of the canopy, they could no longer see the sun with the dark cloud cover. The shadows were flying towards the Mighty One surrounding the canopy of the redwood.

“They already know you have a rider.” said Álváró. “It is not safe to return the child to the human world. They will hunt him down.”

“It will be safest for the child to remain with you.” said Alfdis to Meeko.

“We must leave the redwoods before more shadows arrive. I know just the place we can go.” said Álváró.

Meeko ascended into the sky with his strong wings disappearing above the cloud line. The plans had changed. The Master of Shadows and his army would have to wait until another day. The priority was to keep Elijah safe and conceal his identity as the rider of the trueblood dragon.

****To be continued****