They parted ways and Liliana walked back to the entrance, opened the door and watched as the storm raced across the sky. She had a lot to think about.
The next morning, all of the senior members of the castle met again. The room that had been set aside for meetings was oval shaped with high, narrow windows and ancient shields hanging on the walls, coats-of-arms shining and flashing in the early morning light.
The long, heavy wooden table was laden with trays of fried eggs, ham, toast and pots of honey. Several large pitchers of tea and juice were set in the center of the spread, along with cups, glasses, plates and cutlery.
“Everyone help yourselves,” Tamara said loudly once they were all gathered. “Don't stand on ceremony.”
Malcolm and Aiden didn't need to be told twice. Liliana watched the men with amusement as they loaded up their plates. She knew that warriors were always hungry, as she was herself, but those two were so large that they seemed to inhale anything edible left near them.
The paladin was more delicate as she arranged her breakfast. Her sleep had been long and deep and not entirely uneventful, but she would wait until after she had eaten before telling the others about it.
Tamara and Sebastian were speaking quietly to Keiko as they got their breakfast. The tiny woman was listening intently and nodding occasionally. She barely took any food and seemed to have the appetite of a bird. Perhaps she was still suffering from a touch of the flu.
Miriam, the castle's only cleric, was cheerfully joking with Malcolm. She said something that made the big man squirm and blush like a schoolboy and sent Aiden into gales of laughter. Liliana smiled in spite of herself and the current crisis. Any time she was down, being around that couple always cheered her up.
Virginia and Anna entered with Eric and Gerard trailing behind them and the paladin greeted them with a nod as she ate her breakfast. Sitting in armor for any length of time wasn't all that comfortable, so Liliana stood next to the table to eat.
The four young people smiled and said good morning to her and to everyone else. They then eagerly began to fill their plates and the paladin watched them speculatively.
The quartet were the most unusual of all of the castle's inhabitants, in Liliana's opinion. Kept as virtual slaves by mundane humans for several years after the dragons had destroyed humanity, they had developed magical abilities that only functioned if the four of them worked together.
Virginia was a healer and the leader of the group. She was also as beautiful as a cover model with her waist-length blond hair and perfect features.
Anna was quite small, with bright red hair that hung heavily over her shoulders and a sprinkle of freckles across her nose. She could actually turn members of the group invisible if they held hands.
Gerard, with his small frame and shaggy, white-blond hair, looked almost elvish compared to the others. His large brown eyes darted around the room curiously. He was inherently cheerful at all times, except when discussing his own powers. Gerard was the only member of the quartet whose talent was offensive. He could use magic to smash things with incredible force. Unfortunately for him, he was a pacifist by nature and he hated that power.
Eric was the tallest of the group. He was pale and thin with dark hair and eyes and was almost always serious. His talent was the ability to cast a force shield around himself and his friends. The shield was as strong as any cast by another magic-user, even Simon O'Toole.
Once everyone had settled in and eaten their breakfast, Tamara stood up and tapped a glass to get their attention. She was sipping a cup of tea and looked relaxed and rested.
“You all know why we've gathered, correct?”
There was a general nodding of heads.
“Good, then I won't have to explain things again. It's quite worrying that our most powerful ally has possibly turned his back on us. Now before I get a chorus of objections, I agree that it's all circumstantial evidence. Simon is a busy man, of course. He has responsibilities of his own that have nothing to do with Nottinghill Castle. I know, for example, that he's assigned several air elementals to track the dragon queen, in case she approaches too closely to any human habitation, including ours.”
“That's a relief,” Virginia said in her husky voice. She glanced at her three friends. “We've been discussing options on that front ourselves. I'm glad to hear that Simon has it covered.”
Tamara nodded.
“Exactly. So that proves that he's still taking his duties seriously. Plus there was the happy discovery, also by Simon and his elementals, that there are indeed other human settlements out there, including that ridiculous ship that's sitting off the west coast of Africa.”
There were several chuckles from the others and Tamara frowned.
“C'mon Tammy,” her brother said with a grin. “Doesn't it appeal to the romantic inside of you that a bunch of people are living on a cruise ship like pirates from a storybook? And using magic to make it move? That's awesome.”
“It's absurd,” she replied in a clipped voice. “Using the powers of a mage to keep that bloody boat afloat is...a waste.”
“I disagree,” Liliana said abruptly.
Everyone looked at her, Tamara obviously surprised.
“You do? Why?”
“Tactically, it is sound. Red dragons are reluctant to fly over large bodies of water. I have been told that the ship, the Defiant is it? Yes. Well, I have been informed that they only see dragons when they are close to land. So they spend most of their time, when not resupplying, at least twenty miles off-shore. Out there all they have to worry about are the sea monsters.”
She said this last bit so matter-of-factly that it took a few seconds before anyone responded to it.
“Hang on a second,” Eric said, looking confused. “Sea monsters?”
The paladin smiled an affirmative.
“Yes. Sea monsters. Apparently the New Earth and the magic that permeates our atmosphere has spawned dangerous creatures in the oceans as well as on land.”
“Like what?” Gerard asked eagerly.
“Oh, I don't know. Kraken, sea serpents, which are some sort of aquatic dragons that breathe acid, giant turtles; that sort of thing.”
“And how do they survive attacks by things like that?” Anna asked in a frightened voice.
Virginia put an arm around her shoulders and gave her a reassuring squeeze.
“They have several mages on board,” Sebastian told her with a gentle smile. “And they have built catapults that throw enchanted iron balls covered with spikes that, I'm told, are very effective. They manage.”
Malcolm poured himself some apple juice and sat back in his chair. He was listening closely.
“I haven't heard anything about this,” he said irritably. “Just how long were you magical types going to wait before you deigned to pass on this information to the rest of us?”
“Excuse me?” Tamara replied sharply. “It's common knowledge.”
The big man returned her look coolly, but didn't respond.
“Actually, it isn't,” Aiden spoke up. “Let me delicately suggest here that what is common knowledge among magic-users may not be common knowledge to the rest of us. Perhaps you could, oh I don't know, put out a release every month or so for the castle's inhabitants on what is going on in the world?”
Liliana could feel the tension rise in the room and moved closer to the table. She put down her plate and then rapped loudly on the wooden surface, getting everyone's attention.
“Before this escalates, Malcolm and Aiden have a point,” she said.
She looked around at each person.
“I was raised in a society where citizens were only told 'what they needed to know'. That can only end badly. You,” she pointed at Tamara, her brother and then Keiko, “have powers that many of your fellows don't. Virginia and her friends do as well; they may not be as powerful as you are, but they are gifted. As such, you know things that others, who are less gifted, do not.”
She glanced at Miriam
and then back at Tamara.
“Your cleric and I are blessed by the gods, but it is quite a hit and miss relationship. We pray, they answer...or they don't. We can't Gate or cast communication spells, so we are often uninformed of news as well. I only knew about the Defiant because Sebastian mentioned it a few weeks ago to me in passing. So, it would not hurt to erect a notice board in the courtyard and hang a news report on it every few weeks, would it? Even a notice reassuring people that things were going well would help.”
Tamara's irritation evaporated as quickly as it had come and she nodded thoughtfully.
“You make a good case. I apologize, Malcolm, for assuming things that I shouldn't have. It's probably because I've always hated snooty people who were oh so smug when they knew things that I didn't.” She flushed and ducked her head. “And now I find that I am one of those people. It's not a comfortable thought.”
“You aren't,” Malcolm told her quickly. “And I'm not angry. I do agree with Liliana though. Keeping ordinary folks in the dark will sow seeds of resentment that we certainly don't need. A public notice board sounds like a great idea.”
The group agreed and it was decided that the mages would meet and make a list of all the news that had come in lately. Then they would have it written up and release it to the castle's inhabitants as soon as possible.
“Who knows? This could be the start of the first post-dragon invasion newspaper,” Eric said brightly.
He looked at the dubious expressions around him.
“What? I used to be the editor of our small-town paper. We printed the local news, articles of interest, social events, all of that. It was great.”
“Maybe we should appoint you editor-in-chief then,” Sebastian said with a grin. “Everyone in favor say aye.”
Before Eric could protest, the entire group shouted “Aye!” and then burst into laughter.
“There. You're elected,” Tamara told him with a grin.
“Fine. I accept,” Eric replied, laughing himself. “It actually sounds like fun. I won't have to worry about a printing press when it's just a large notice tacked up on a board. Maybe I can punch it up a bit with some human interest stories or something.”
“Whatever you like,” Sebastian said, sounding very pleased. “It's your baby now. Now, as for Simon and this situation...”
The room quieted down quickly as the mood became solemn again.
“Yes. Simon,” Tamara muttered. “What to do, what to do.”
“I truly do not think that there is anything we can do,” Keiko said in her small voice. “We cannot approach the wizard without his permission. His tower is warded against intrusion and he has earth elementals who act as sentries. If he blocks our attempts at communication, which he seems to be doing now, we cannot even speak with him. I think that we must simply practice patience.”
“Whoa, hang on a second. This is news to us,” Virginia said sharply.
Anna, Eric and Gerard looked at her and at each other.
“I agree,” Gerard said. “What's this about Simon blocking communication?”
Tamara rubbed her eyes and sighed loudly.
“Damn. Something else I forgot to mention. Yes, since we last spoke, I've called him twice. No answer. Sebastian and Keiko have tried as well and no luck. We've concluded that Simon is blocking us. As to why, we don't know.”
“Oh, this is just getting better and better,” Malcolm said sarcastically.
“Hush,” Aiden told him. He looked at the mages. “So what, we just wait for him to make the next move?”
“Basically, yes. There really isn't anything else to do,” Tamara told him. “I'd like to ask all of you to let the rest of us know if he contacts you. If nothing else, it will be reassuring to know that he is okay.”
Everyone agreed and the meeting began to break up. The three mages huddled together and spoke quietly.
“What do they know that we don't?” Malcolm asked Liliana quietly.
He and Aiden had joined her and the three of them were walking slowly toward the exit. Virginia and the others were just leaving, chatting loudly with the cheerful Miriam.
“Many things, I'm sure,” the paladin replied. “But they are not keeping secrets on purpose, of that I am certain. So be at ease, my friends. The idea of a monthly news release came to me in a dream last night. Perhaps it was a thought sent by the gods.”
“Or maybe it was a stroke of genius,” Aiden told her with a wink. “Either way, it will go a long way to relieving the minds of the others living here. I've heard more than a few grumbles about being kept in the dark from the general population.”
“Me too,” Malcolm agreed.
He waved Liliana through the doorway into the hall and followed her out, with Aiden bringing up the rear.
“We have good people here and they have the right to be kept in the loop.”
“Well, now they will be,” the paladin told them both as they walked down the corridor. “I'm more concerned about Simon at the moment. Something is going on with him and it is making me uneasy.”
“If you're uneasy, I really am worried,” Aiden told her seriously. “You know him better than the rest of us.”
“I thought I did. Now I'm not so sure. Simon cares about everyone; he cares a lot. This new attitude is worrying because it truly is not like the man I thought I knew. Perhaps there is something dark going on. Keiko was right though; we have no choice but to wait. For now anyway.”
“That's not very reassuring,” Malcolm told her.
They stopped at an intersection, wide hallways leading in four directions. Old paintings hung every few feet on the dark stone walls.
“No, it is not. What I am most concerned about is if the castle is attacked and we cannot get in touch with him.”
Liliana looked up at a large painting of a battle scene. Two armies were clashing in the middle of a muddy field. No one seemed to be winning.
“If dragons attack and we can't repel them, without Simon Nottinghill Castle could be lost.”
“Way to cheer me up,” Aiden told her with a crooked grin.
The three of them laughed lightly and parted, Malcolm and Aiden setting off for their quarters to get ready for their first shift.
Liliana stood still and watched them disappear down the corridor, then looked up at the painting thoughtfully.
“Where are you, Simon?” she murmured. “And what is happening? Have you finally given up on us?”
She sighed and turned away from the battle scene. It was time to head for home.
Chapter 3
Simon O'Toole; wizard, teenager, former middle-aged I.T. worker, was at that very moment rolling out of bed in the predawn light. He moaned loudly and put both hands to his pounding head.
“Can you not shut up for one blasted minute?” he asked weakly. “If I don't get more than an hour's sleep at a time, eventually I'll go nuts.”
'Don't blame me for your weakness, human,' a haughty voice echoed inside of his head. 'You occasionally hear my thoughts and that is something that I cannot control. The sooner we separate, the sooner you will be back to your normal self again.'
“Can't argue with that,” Simon groaned. “I wish we could do it today.”
'As do I. But your elementals have not returned with the ingredients we need to perform the ritual and, until they do, we are stuck with each other.'
The wizard swayed tiredly as he slipped on a plain gray robe, some socks and his indoor shoes. Then he left his bedroom, walked downstairs and stoked the fire. The tower was cool in the early morning and it was still spring; the days were often cold.
“Good morning, master,” a voice said brightly as the front door opened and then closed with a loud bang.
Simon winced as he carefully laid a log on the bright embers in the fireplace.
“Morning,” he mumbled and stood up slowly.
He turned and walked to the counter to fill his kettle. He watched as Kronk tip-tapped across the room and hopped up on to the kitch
en table. The little elemental was smiling, his blocky face cheerful as usual.
Simon pumped some water into the kettle, hung it over the fire and then sat down heavily, feeling totally exhausted.
Kronk's face fell and he peered at the wizard.
“Still not sleeping well, master?” he asked with concern.
“Nope. My tenant,” he tapped his forehead, “won't shut up for more than a minute at a time. It's like a constant whisper of sound that you can almost understand, but not quite. She says it's her stray thoughts and that she can't control them. Probably true, but it's nagging at me.”
Kronk nodded solemnly.
“I see. Well master, both of you should be back to normal soon. I'm sure that Aeris and the other air elementals will be back with what is needed to cast the spell to separate the pair of you.”
“I'm not so sure. If I didn't have to stay as far away as possible, I'd do it myself.”
'You cannot!' the voice throbbed inside of his head. 'My presence would be felt immediately and we would both be destroyed.'
“Ouch! Don't yell!” Simon said loudly as he pressed his fingertips to his temples. “I know, okay? I know. Jeez.”
Kronk had jumped when the wizard raised his voice. Now he watched him sympathetically.
“The lady objected, master?” he asked.
“She certainly did. And quite loudly too. God, I should have known this merging was a mistake when Esmiralla first suggested it. Why the hell it seemed like a good idea at the time, I'll never understand.”
The kettle began to boil and he got up and made some chamomile tea.
“It saved your life, master,” Kronk reminded him. “When the volcano exploded and killed the primal red dragon, having the silver dragon as a part of you saved your life.”
He scratched his small head with a sound like sandpaper on metal.
“I was delighted but confused at the time. I did not think that even your shield could withstand a blast like that one, master.”
Simon sat down again and sipped his tea. He rolled his shoulders to try to ease the pain of the muscles in his neck.
Tales from the New Earth: Volume Two Page 43