Portal Magic

Short Story Featuring Sardonix and Guido

Guido falls on his butt from the sky. He looks around and sees nothing but darkness. “What the heck?” He feels his way around, soft, like felt. Almost. What could it possibly be? “Help!” he cries out.

Suddenly he is pulled upward by his ears through a vaccum. He can hear an echo.

AAAA~

AAA~

LAAAAA~

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!”

Sardonix pulled something out of his fancy dark brown top hat alright. But it wasn’t a rabbit, that’s for sure.

The creature was half Sardonix’s height. While he held onto the ‘rabbit’s’ ears it continued to toss and kick. It shouted, “oww!!!! What the heck man! Lemme go!”

Sardonix gazed at his ‘trick.’ “Um, what are you?”

The small crowd that was watching the show had doubled. People had never seen anything like Guido before. Some stared pushing and shoving others out of the way to get a clearer view of the strange beast.

Guido flapped his tiny useless wings in frustration. “Let go of my ears!”

Sardonix dropped him to the stage floor.

Guido rubbed his sore ears.

Sardonix knelt down for two reasons, the first was to block the view from the spectators and the second was to get a good look at Gudio.

The creature was human in shape, but with a long lion tail, small bat wings on his back, and long rabbit-like ears. His face was cat-like and he was wearing a black shirt and white pants.

How very odd.

“What kind of monster are you? Are you even from this world?” Sardonix asked.

Guido glared at the magic man. “What even are you?”

Sardonix grinned and ran his fingers through his full silky mane. “I’m Sardonix the Magnificent!”

Guido rolled his eyes. “Whatever, man. Now, send me back home.”

Sardonix glanced back at his fans for a split second. He turned to face them, and shooed off a few who gathered too close to the stage. 

“And now it’s time for the finale!” He pulled out his cane, topped with a red and black orb on either end, and spun it around and around.

Faster and faster. So fast that smoke started coming from the center. Quick as a flash Sardonix grabbed Guido’s arm and jumped off backstage, all while the smoke had just started to dissipate. Soon all that was left on stage was the smoking cane, a table, and some cards.

~~~

Sardonix let go of Guido’s arm. 

Dazed, the creature took a step back and then gathered information about his surroundings. They were inside a small broken room. The walls were falling apart and it smelled of mildew. One wall was completely gone. There was a lot of debris scattered across the floor and graffiti all over everything.

Disgusted, Guido jerked his arm away from the mad magician. “What have you done? Where have you taken us?

“This is my hideout. A safe place hidden away from prying eyes. Now to answer you from before. I cannot sent you back home, bec-”

Guido grabbed Sardonix’s collar and pulled him down to his eye level. “WHY NOT?”

Sardonix pushed him off and straightened his shirt. “BECAUSE, I don’t know where you came from in the first place.”

Guido took a step back. “Are you stupid?” With his ears down, he searched for a way out. Of course, if this really was a different world he would have no way to get back home without help. He decided to stay put for the time being.

“I came back here so we could talk in private. And seeing as how you know English so well, I thought I should be able to reason with you.”

Guido crossed his arms and huffed. “Reason? So you did intend to pull me out of your hat.” 

Sardonix waved his arms, “No, no, no. It was a new trick I was just testing out in public today! I didn’t think it would actually send my hand through a portal! I swear!”

“A portal?”

“Yes, a magic portal. I bought this hat from a peddler claiming it was a magic portal hat. But, I didn’t believe him. I just liked the look of tha hat!” He held up the short brimmed brown hat. It had a very small ornate design across the fabric. And a mahogany ribbon tied around it. And a few fake flowers sticking out from behind the ribbon.

Guido had to admit, it was a nice looking hat, but that wasn’t the point! He shook his thoughts away. “Then let’s go to this peddler and get the instructions.”

Sardonix put the hat on his head. “Yeah… about that…” He touched his fingers together in a fidgeting manner. “He was a traveling peddler…”

Guido narrowed his eyes. This creep really was a stupid madman. “Then we have to find him. He couldn’t have gotten far. When did you purchase the hat?”

Sardonix’s shoulders sagged as he continued to fidget. He looked at a graffitied wall. “Uh… last week…”

Guido grabbed Sardonix’s arm. “We have no time to lose. Let’s go now!”

“B-but! He’s not there anymore!” Sardonix complained.

“We’ll ask around! I need to get home!”

~~~

Sardonix threw a long overcoat on Guido. Hiding his ears, wings, and tail. Now he just looked like a kid with his father.

“Is this really necessary?” Guido asked, peeking out from under his hood.

“Yes!” Sardonix pulled his hood back down over his face. “No one will suspect anything.”

Guido rolled his eyes. “Seriously. No one? You are such an idiot. Whatever. Let’s go.”

“You aren’t the only one who thinks that.”

~~~

The two of them traveled back to where Guido was pulled out of a hat. The stage was empty now, save for a few birds. On the way there a few people glanced at the two of them suspiciously, but nothing came of it.

The boys marched right down the alley next to the stage.

Guido pressed on, this magician wasn’t going to slow him down. He kept up the pace, passing by stall after stall, vender after vender, and peddler after peddler. Stopping at each one to check with Sardonix to see if ‘this one’ was the ‘correct one.’

After hours of searching Guido finally came across the right peddler. He was a rather short man with a nice mustache. He was selling a mini rug to a woman as the boys drew closer.

“Aye, that be a real magic rug, it be.” The peddler said. The woman bought the small rug and passed by the boys. The peddler looked up, “Ah the tall magician has returned! Come to purchase more wares? Hmmm?”

Sardonix knelt down to face the man eye to eye. “Sir, you didn’t give me the instructions for the hat. I don’t know how to return items back through the portal.”

The man simply smiled at Sardonix. “You return them the same way you conjure them, yes sir.”

Guido glared at both of them from under his hood. “So it doesn’t matter what world the ‘items’ come from? They will just go back to where they belong?”

“That is the idea.”

“Are you positive?” Guido begged.

“Quite certain, lad.”

Guido stared at Sardonix intensely. “Then you can send me home right now.”

“Home?” The peddler glanced at the boy in the long coat. “Are you not from here?”

“ANYWAY!” Sardonix interrupted. “Thanks SO MUCH!” he said to the peddler, and then faced Guido. “Come on now uh… boy.” He pushed the shorter boy through the alley back towards the stage.

“The name’s Guido.”

“Let’s go back to the stage and do a proper farewell for you.” Sardonix said.

“Whatever.”

~~~

Sardonix shouted and flailed about announcing his final act for the day. Making the rabbit from earlier disappear.

The crowd from earlier was there but now it tripled in viewers. They were more interested in the rabbit creature than Sardonix’s magic act.

Sardonix stepped out on stage first. He did his usual introduction and started his act.

The few people impressed with his tricks ooo’d and ahhh’d. The others waited either quietly or annoyingly. They were disrupting the others trying to enjoy the show.

Boo! Bring out the rabbit!

Boo! Bring out the rabbit!

Sardonix, not bothered at all by the boos continued his act. They would get the rabbit at the end anyways.

One trick consisted of a volunteer from the audience. A little girl about eight came up. She was so excited and happy that her energy became one with the audience's energy.

Meanwhile; in the back Guido was preparing himself. He grabbed the coat that he had been wearing and buttoned it up. Sardonix told him the plan was to walk out on stage disguised and at the last moment to reveal himself to the crowd.

He had to admit, it was something he would totally do. But these people, they weren’t normal, he was afraid they might do something to him if they caught him. So the sooner he could get home the better.

But having a little fun couldn’t hurt, could it?

Soon, it was almost time for Guid to make his appearance.

He walked up to Sardonix from backstage, large coat on, hood up.

“Now my assistant here will kindly demonstrate the finale with me.” Sardonix said waving his cane about.

Just as Guido stepped up to the top hat that was sitting brim side up on a small table, Sardonix removed the coat from him with a quick yank. Guido was revealed!

His long rabbit ears popped out first. “Hello world!” He made a dramatic bow and faced the audience. “My name is Guido, you all have been great! Until we meet again, farewell!”

Gasps of anticipation and excitement filled the air.

He climbed into the hat. The spectacle was astounding. Such a large creature forcing his way through a small hat. Deeper and deeper he went until all that was left on him on this side of the world was his lion tail.

Guido felt his body being stretched like a rubber-band. He hoped he didn’t snap back together like a rubber-band.

He closed his eyes and counted to ten. When he opened them he was back in his room like nothing had even happened.

“What the actual heck?” He shook his head, “That was the weirdest dream I’ve ever had. That for sure did not happen.” He glanced back at his room. “Right?”

THE END.