“And exactly how did you manage to milk that behemoth?” Aeris asked incredulously.
“Err, it's complicated,” the little guy replied vaguely. “Let us leave it at that.”
Simon smiled broadly.
“That's excellent! Thanks so much.”
He had collapsed on to his chair in front of the fire and had been getting ready to head to bed but now jumped up and went to the sink to fill up his kettle.
“I think I'll celebrate with a cup of coffee. My first one with milk in it for, what is it now, six years? Seven? Yikes.”
“It will keep you awake,” Aeris warned him.
“Bah. Don't spoil it for me. And I'm tired enough to collapse right now. Some caffeine won't change that.”
“Suit yourself. I'm going out to check the perimeter. Enjoy your treat.”
The air elemental disappeared with a loud pop and Simon stuck out his tongue at the space where he'd been.
“Spoil sport,” he muttered irritably.
He hung the heavy kettle over the fire and began to prepare his cup.
“So what happened in England, master?” Kronk asked as he watched Simon's preparations.
“Oh, you know, the usual. The people of Nottinghill were evacuated from the castle and I had a chat with the primal red dragon who had decided to pay them a visit. We had a lovely talk and then he left. Now everyone's back home. That's about it.”
Kronk stood on the counter with his mouth hanging open. Simon snorted with suppressed laughter and the little guy scowled.
“That was not very nice, master,” he said as he put his small fists on his hips. “You will have to explain things better than that.”
“Sorry, bud. I'm not trying to be mean. Let me get my coffee made first and then I'll explain.”
And so he did. Once Simon was sitting down in front of the fire, sipping his first decent cup of coffee in years, he told Kronk the whole story. The earthen stood in front of the fireplace and listened in amazement.
When he was done, the wizard felt his exhaustion settle over him like a heavy blanket and he closed his eyes. His head was beginning to ache, a sure sign that he was overtired.
“I will take your cup, master,” Kronk offered.
He accepted the cup and hopped up on the counter and left it in the sink.
“So, do you believe the primal, master? About wanting help to defeat the queen?”
“About that? Yes, I do. About afterward? Not a chance.”
“Good. It would be foolish to take the word of a dragon,” a voice said from behind them.
Simon and Kronk turned to see Aeris floating across the room.
“The perimeter's secure. So, you at least know enough to reject Pyrathius' offer of a truce, right?”
Simon rubbed his face and leaned his head back against the chair.
“Of course I do. I could almost taste the evil rising from him as he spoke to me. And the arrogance? My God. I really do think that he believes we're stupid. That if he says we'll be the best of friends when his mother is locked away again, we'll just accept his word on it. Unbelievable.”
“But that is good, master,” Kronk told him. “Arrogance is a weakness. A large one. Taking your opponent for granted has led to many defeats throughout history. Perhaps it will again.”
“Yeah, let's hope.”
Simon pushed himself to his feet with a grunt.
“Okay, it's time for bed. Call me if the world begins to end. Other than that, please let me sleep.”
“Good night, master.”
“Night,” Aeris said as he started to rinse out Simon's cup. “Sleep well.”
Chapter 26
“Are you coming down to breakfast today or should I just feed it to the squirrels?” came the shout from downstairs.
Simon growled irritably and pushed the crystal ball away from himself. He stood up and stretched, feeling the cramped muscles in his back loosen up one at a time.
“I'm coming right now. Hold your horses!” he replied, almost shouting.
Aeris had taken it upon himself to make a meal for the wizard and the colder it got, the crankier he became.
“Fine. I'm sure that cold porridge and rock-hard toast is quite delicious.”
“Ah gees,” Simon muttered as he pushed his hair out of his eyes.
He was in his study. When he woke up an hour earlier, he'd had an idea and had gone straight to his desk to put it into action. Now he was starving and in desperate need of a trip to the outhouse.
He opened a drawer in his desk, put the crystal ball into it and closed it with a thump. Then he hurried downstairs, slipped on his shoes and went to the door.
“Where are you going now?” Aeris snapped from the kitchen counter.
“Bathroom. Back in a second.”
By the time Simon had gotten back and washed his hands, the elemental had made fresh toast and porridge and had a few more choice words to say to the wizard.
“Look, I'm sorry, okay? I just had to take care of something before it slipped my mind, that's all.”
“Take care of what?” Aeris asked as he handed Simon a full cup of tea. “I heard you moving around up there over an hour ago.”
“Thanks for the tea. Nothing, really. I woke up with an idea, that's all. Guess I'd been dreaming about it. And the thing is, if I don't act on these weird dreams right away, they tend to fade from my mind pretty quickly. So I did and that's that.”
Aeris eyed him suspiciously.
“What kind of idea?”
Simon just shrugged and concentrated on his food. He could feel the elemental watching him closely.
“Keeping secrets again, are we? Fine. Go ahead. I'll find out what it is eventually.”
“Of course you will, because I'll tell you myself. And it's not a secret. It's just that it may not work out, so why even discuss it?”
Aeris flew back to the counter and wiped it down with a damp dishcloth.
“So what is it, a new way to kill a dragon?” he joked.
Simon chewed his toast and stared at his plate, not answering. He was afraid he'd look guilty if he caught the elemental's eye.
“Where's Kronk?” he asked, trying to change the subject.
It worked.
“Oh him. We're down to about six months worth of firewood, so he decided to head out to the forest and gather some more.”
Aeris folded the dishcloth and hung it on a rack next to the sink.
“You know, I think I've finally discovered what it means when you call someone anal. And Kronk is the perfect example of it.”
“Be nice. He just worries more than most, that's all. He likes to be prepared for any eventuality. What's wrong with that?”
“Exactly. Totally anal.”
“Oh for...”
Simon got up, put his dishes into the sink and went over to the clothes cabinet. He rummaged around inside for a minute and pulled out the bag that he kept his bathing gear in.
“Going for a swim?” Aeris asked as he pumped water into the sink.
“Getting washed up. Want to come along?”
“Hardly. No offense, my dear wizard, but watching your spindly body thrash around in the lake as you get clean isn't really one of my favorite pastimes.”
Flinging a towel over his shoulder, Simon carried his bag to the front door.
“My, you're in fine form this morning,” he said as he opened the door.
“Why, thank you.”
“That wasn't a compliment. Be back soon.”
It was a mild early summer morning and the wizard waved to several of the earthen patrolling the walls as he walked around the tower to the rear gate. Out in the field that led down to the lake, Simon stopped and watched the horses and cows grazing peacefully together. He breathed in the sweet air and smiled at the sight.
You'd never know that our little world was about to come to an end, the little voice inside him said, spoiling the mood.
He frowned and started down toward the lake.
After his bath and a visit with Chief and the mares, Simon went back inside the tower, hung up his wet towel and changed into a light blue robe. He put on a pair of socks and sturdy shoes and grabbed his staff.
“Going somewhere?” Aeris asked as he flew in through the open front door.
“Where were you?”
“Up top. Brethia and I were having an interesting discussion. So what's up?”
“Nothing. I want to go for a walk, clear my head. I have a lot to think about after that meeting with Pyrathius and I need to try to sort things out.”
Aeris followed him outside and down to the front gate.
“Good idea. I'll come with you.”
“No, that's fine,” Simon told him. “No offense, but I need some quiet time alone.”
It took a minute to unlock the gate mechanism and push it open and then the wizard walked out into the meadow.
“Are you sure?” Aeris asked a bit anxiously. “The forest is more dangerous than it used to be, you know. The animals are still Changing in unexpected ways.”
Simon shrugged and wiggled his staff.
“I'm more dangerous than I used to be too. I'll be fine, Aeris. Keep an eye on the gate till I get back. Close it if anything happens.”
“Happens? Like what?”
“No idea. Like you said, things aren't as safe as they used to be. See you later.”
He smiled at the elemental, who waved back a bit tentatively, and set off across the field, the thick grass halfway up his shins and pulling on his robe.
Once among the trees, Simon found a game trail and began to walk. Contrary to Aeris' obvious suspicions, he really did just need to be alone for a while. He was struggling to find a way to keep the remnants of humanity safe and there was no ready answer.
Pyrathius was overwhelmingly powerful and the wizard couldn't come up with any truly practical plan to stop him. And then of course there was the dragon queen.
He stopped at a clearing in the forest where several paths met and wondered for an instant what kinds of animals were making these trails.
With my luck they'll be dinosaurs, he thought dryly.
To one side, an old dead tree leaned at a drunken angle, its bare trunk a leprous cream color against the green bushes around it.
“Ah, the perfect target,” Simon said to himself with a grin.
Another reason that he was wandering through the woods was to test out a new spell that he'd been given that morning. At least he thought it was a spell. When he woke up, there was an incantation flitting through his mind and he had raced into the study to write it down. Apparently the lords of Light were still being kind to him occasionally. Maybe. He still had to test it out. He'd already merged the magical words with the spell's name and it gave him a bit of a shiver because it sounded pretty brutal.
I think we're going to need some brutal soon, he told himself.
Simon pointed his staff at the dead tree, going for maximum power and effect. He took a deep breath and concentrated on his target.
“Blades!” he growled as he watched the tree through narrowed eyes.
The result was both spectacular and frightening.
Spinning blades of pure force shot from the end of the staff and knocked him back several steps. They screamed across the clearing and sliced into the dead tree. The trunk was over a foot thick but the spell shredded it like paper, wood chips flying in all directions.
“Cripes,” he muttered as the dead tree tilted and then fell to the ground with an echoing crash. The birds around the clearing stopped singing for a moment and then began their calls again to fill the silence.
“Well, that was impressive,” he said breathlessly.
Simon took a last look at the demolished tree, shook his head in wonder and then walked away deeper into the forest.
He wasn't aware of any conscious plan to end up where he did, but after walking for more than an hour, going through scenarios in his mind of confrontations with the primal dragon, Simon emerged from the trees and found himself standing on a low hill overlooking the old town of Nottinghill.
“What the hell am I doing here?”
The sun was high and the day had become almost hot. The town below was bustling with activity and Simon found himself watching raptly.
The bear-people were exactly as Aeris had drawn them. Big, hairy and bear-like, they walked on their hind legs and wore clothing. The wizard counted at least forty individuals including almost a dozen cubs. The population had apparently increased. The kids were racing around the town, playing, wrestling and generally getting underfoot of the adults, who took in their antics calmly. Simon was grinning as he watched them.
Could we make contact with them, he wondered. How clever are they? How aggressive?
The town looked good. The walls were in good repair and manned with sentries. The houses that the wizard could see looked neat and clean and the narrow streets were well kept. All in all a cozy looking place.
Simon turned to his left and saw the field beyond the town dotted with beehives; tall wooden structures that looked like tiny replicas of castles. Several of the bear-people were tending the hives, apparently unconcerned by the swarms of bees buzzing around their heads.
He watched his odd neighbors for a few more minutes and then decided that he'd walked enough for the moment. He painted a picture in his mind, stopped to consider if what he was doing was wise, and shrugged.
What the hell, he thought. But let's be a little cautious.
“Shield,” he said and the barrier sprang into place around him. Then he swallowed nervously and took a deep breath.
“Gate.”
The blackness of the void no longer frightened Simon. He was more afraid of what would happen when he arrived at his destination and he tried to prepare himself for whatever was waiting for him.
And then he was there. In total blackness.
“Is there a reason that the lights are off?” he asked the darkness in a calm voice.
“Is there a reason that you have erected a shield around yourself? That could be construed as insulting.”
“Or simply common sense, when Gating into the unknown.”
“I see. Very well then.”
A pale light with no source that he could locate began to grow around Simon and he could suddenly see his surroundings.
He was in a great cavern that stretched out in all directions. The black rock of the ground shone as if polished and the ceiling and walls were barely discernible in the distance. A faint scent of jasmine hung in the cool air and Simon felt the skin tighten on the back of his neck.
He caught a movement out of the corner of his eye and spun around. Just outside of his shield was a woman. She was watching him calmly, a serene smile on her lips.
Silver. That was his first thought. Silver hair that flowed down from her head to hang like a cape to her waist. Delicate silver eyebrows arched over pale blue eyes. And a gown that appeared to be made of tiny links of silver that rustled and tinkled as she moved. She was beautiful in a demure sort of way, but the sense of force and power that emanated from her in waves was palpable and Simon's shield began throwing off sparks in response.
She raised an eyebrow and made a small gesture. The shield collapsed with a flash and Simon gaped at her.
“My apologies,” she said in a low voice. “It was distracting. Welcome to my home.”
The wizard stared at her for a long minute and then took a deep breath and bowed awkwardly.
“Thank you. Esmiralla?”
“Of course. Come with me.”
The woman turned and strode off imperiously and Simon hurried to follow her.
“I commend you on your courage,” she said as he caught up to her. “Not many would dare to enter the lair of a dragon. It shows a level of trust that I appreciate.”
“Maybe it's just desperation,” Simon said to her.
She smiled and then her laughter rang musically around them like a song.
�
��Perhaps. I choose to be flattered.” She gestured ahead. “Let us sit and talk, shall we?”
In the middle of the empty expanse of the cavern, two heavy chairs, thickly padded, were facing each other with a low round table between them. Esmiralla took the chair on the left, sitting down gracefully. Simon sat across from her, leaned his staff against one arm of his chair and crossed his legs.
“I was surprised at your call,” the woman said as she caught his eyes. “I know how much you despise my kind. You have certainly killed enough of us. And yet here you are. Would you care to explain why?”
“Straight to the point,” Simon said. “All right then.”
He looked over the woman's shoulder into the distance.
“As I explained this morning, Pyrathius wants an alliance to help him defeat the dragon queen.”
Esmiralla smiled demurely and shook her head once.
“What?”
“Nothing,” she said. “Please continue.”
“Um, yeah. Anyway, he says that if we can weaken her to the point where he and the dark gods can imprison her again, then he'll declare a truce with the human race and leave us in peace.”
“So you said. And do you believe him?”
Now it was Simon's turn to smile.
“About as far as I could throw him. No, he's lying. Of that I'm sure.”
“Wise, young man. You are correct. The primal red dragon cannot be trusted. And so, why are you here if you already know the answer?”
“That's not why I'm here.”
“Oh?” She sounded intrigued.
“No. I'm here because, while I think Pyrathius will betray us once he gets what he wants, it is the other part of his request that interests me.”
“His need for your help to deal with the queen,” Esmiralla said. It wasn't a question.
“Exactly. I think he's telling the truth about that. Do you?”
She studied Simon's face and he resisted the urge to squirm under her scrutiny.
“Yes,” she answered finally. “Yes, I do. Pyrathius is very powerful, but he is no match for his mother. No dragon is. I suppose you should consider his request as a compliment, Simon O'Toole. Your reputation as a killer of primals apparently makes the red dragon believe that you could be helpful.”
Tales from the New Earth: Volume Two Page 35