'You seem restless today,' Esmiralla remarked at one point.
Simon was flipping through a book in his study, staring blankly at the pages. He almost dropped it when she spoke. Did she sound suspicious?
“Restless? Yeah, probably. I mean, tonight is a big deal, isn't it? I'm anxious to get it over with,” he answered a little too quickly.
A long moment passed.
'Yes, of course,' she finally said. 'I must admit that I am eager to begin as well. Try to think of something else.'
Easy for her to say, Simon thought but he felt relieved. She hadn't caught on to the real reason for his twitchiness.
He eventually gave up trying to read and went out for a walk. The day was beautiful and he thought that it would help to distract him.
The meadow in front of the tower, between the outer wall and the forest, teemed with wildflowers and long green grass. The smell was almost intoxicating and Simon lost himself in the delight of his senses for several minutes.
'We will be performing the ritual out here,' Esmiralla told him abruptly.
Simon was roused out of his pleasure by her voice ringing through his head and he scowled in irritation.
“Why?” he snapped.
'Because we will need a fire, a rather large one, and this open area will be the safest location for it. Also, we need to be out under the full moon for the magic to be effective.'
“That doesn't sound like any magic I've ever heard of before,” Simon said, now more confused than angry.
'No offense, wizard, but you are very young and uninformed. Magic comes in many forms and flavors. For our separation to take place, this is the path that we must use.'
She paused.
'And so we will need a large fire, after the moon has risen. I will let you know when the time is right.'
She faded into the background again and left Simon shaking his head.
A fire for what? Roasting marshmallows? Making s'mores?
It felt raw and primal to him and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. What was coming?
The sun set finally and Simon sat on the front steps outside of the tower watching the world's colors fade away. Crickets started singing their evening song and the air began to cool. He just sat there quietly, taking it all in.
“It must be almost time, master,” Kronk said quietly.
The little guy was sitting to the wizard's right while Aeris hovered to his left.
“Getting there. How long until moon rise?”
“About an hour,” Aeris replied in a subdued voice. “But if the silver dragon waits until it is overhead, that will take almost three hours.”
Simon looked up and watched the first stars appear in the purple night sky.
“She probably does.”
“I gathered up the firewood, master,” Kronk said. “And arranged it properly. It is ready to be lit whenever the dragon wishes it.”
“Ah, thanks,” the wizard said gratefully. “I appreciate it.”
“It was nothing, master. It helped to take my mind off of things for a short time.”
Aeris floated forward until he could see the earthen sitting next to Simon and gave him a quelling look.
Kronk's glowing red eyes widened and he nodded hastily. Obviously the air elemental had warned him not to mention their suspicions aloud.
Simon watched the exchange and had to suppress a smile. Subtlety wasn't really the little guy's strongest skill.
“Esmiralla, are you there?” he asked, deciding to be direct.
A pause.
'I am. What is it?'
“Do we wait for the full moon to be high in the sky, or can we begin when it rises above the horizon?”
Both elementals watched quietly, eyes riveted on the wizard's face.
'It will be best to wait until it is directly overhead,' she replied. 'Have the ingredients ready next to the fire and I will tell you when it should be lit. Have one of your servants do it; I don't want you using your magic.'
“Why not?”
'I have my reasons. Trust me, it is important. Now please, I am preparing for the ceremony in my own way. Do not distract me further.'
And she was gone completely.
“Okay, that's weird,” Simon said, looking from Aeris to Kronk and back again.
“What is weird, master?”
“She doesn't want me to light the fire with my powers. She wants one of you to light it instead; using a torch lit from the fireplace, I suppose.”
“Why?” Aeris wondered.
“She wouldn't say. Just told me to trust her.”
“Hmm.”
Yeah, Simon thought. That isn't at all suspicious.
“Is she...?”
Aeris made a vague gesture and the wizard chuckled.
“No, she's not still around. I felt her fade away again. I'll be damned if I know how that works.”
“You might not understand it if she tried to explain it, my dear wizard. Ancient draconian magic would probably not make much sense to a human mind.”
“You're probably right. Okay, look guys, this may be our last chance to talk privately before Esmiralla comes back, so let's make it count. I don't trust this whole process, but it's the only chance I've got to get away from the silver dragon, so I have to take it. But I want you to watch me closely. If something happens, and God knows what that might even be, you have my permission to take whatever actions you deem necessary to counter Esmiralla.”
Both elementals looked surprised by Simon's blanket statement.
“Whatever actions?” Aeris repeated. “That gives us an awful lot of leeway, you know. An unscrupulous person could take advantage of an opening like that.”
“But we would never do that, master,” Kronk hastened to assure the wizard. “Would we?” he added with a glare at Aeris.
“Of course not. I didn't mean us when I said that. But what if, to save you from her schemes, we have to do something fairly violent? Like knock you out or immobilize you for a time? Is that acceptable?”
“Aeris!” the earthen gasped in shock.
“Whatever you believe you have to do, do it,” Simon answered levelly, catching Kronk's eye. “I don't want to die, not again, and the gods of Justice have assured me that I will not be brought back if I do. There's still so much work for me to do in this world and I want to be around for a while to do it. So please, watch my back the way I would watch yours if the situation was reversed. All right?”
Aeris nodded while Kronk wrung his hands, seemingly wracked with indecision.
Simon gently put a hand on the elemental's small shoulder.
“All right, my friend?” he asked quietly, the night sighing around them.
“As you say, master,” the little guy agreed hesitantly. “But only if we absolutely have to.”
“Good. Thanks. That's all I ask. Now, if you guys wouldn't mind, could you bring the blood and the egg out to the clearing?”
He was looking to the east as he spoke and saw a pale glow beginning to light up the dark sky.
“It looks like the moon is about to show her face and we might as well be ready whenever Esmiralla returns.”
While the elementals headed downstairs to get the ingredients, Simon got up from the steps and walked unhurriedly to the main gate.
The gate was wide open and the field beyond it was cast in shadow. The night had truly arrived and with it a chilly breeze that made him shiver. The forest on the other side of the meadow was a vague, distant mass of darkness and the grasses ahead hissed and whispered like secretive snakes.
Maybe I'm just being paranoid, Simon thought as he leaned against the right side of the gate and crossed his arms.
Esmiralla may very well be doing exactly as she says she is; splitting us apart so that we can both go our own way. He certainly hoped so.
He watched the moon slowly ascend above the horizon and enjoyed the earthy smells in the night air around him. The distant woods seemed mysterious, alive with unknown cries
and odd primordial sounds that reminded Simon that the world had Changed as much or more than he had.
And he loved it, he thought with a sudden smile. The mystery of what creatures walked, flew or swam across the face of the New Earth now was thrilling to him. He wanted to start exploring it again, see the sights, learn all there was to know about the world around him.
He wanted to develop his own powers to their fullest potential, whatever that might be. The gods of Light had given him his gifts to strike back at the lords of Chaos and their minions. He wanted to battle the dragons again and whatever other evils threatened his people. In the end, it really was what he lived for.
Well, I can't do it with Esmiralla hovering in the back of my mind and distracting me, he told himself. So let's hope she's being truthful about this process and that I can get back to living my own life and she can get on with living hers.
“We've got all of it, master,” Kronk said from behind him.
Simon turned around and saw the little guy carrying the dragon egg. He stifled a laugh. The pale ovoid was bigger than Kronk was.
Aeris floated several feet above him, a vial of blood in each hand. Both were greenish but the liquid in the right-hand vial was glowing with a fluorescent, putrid color that was stomach-churning to look at.
“I'm assuming that is the queen's blood?” the wizard asked and pointed at the glowing vial.
“Good guess. Disgusting stuff, isn't it? Well, shall we head out to the center of the clearing? The moon is getting higher by the minute.”
Simon looked up and was surprised to see that the bright disc had risen substantially since he'd last checked it. He nodded at the others and the three of them moved forward into the darkness.
The firewood in the pit at the center of the meadow had been stacked up in a pyramid-like shape and was almost six feet high. Kronk had dug the pit deep and wide enough to ensure that the fire would be contained once the wood was burning.
“Good job,” the wizard complimented him.
“Thank you, master. I hope that it will suit the silver dragon.”
'It does.'
Simon shuddered as Esmiralla's voice resounded through his skull once again.
“She says it does,” he told the earthen
Both of the elementals looked cautious and Aeris nodded his understanding. They should watch what they said from now on.
'The moon is almost in the proper position and I see that you have brought out the items needed for the ceremony. Excellent. Tell your air elemental servant to light the wood and we can begin.'
Simon winced at the word 'servant' but chose to ignore it.
“Aeris, could you get a light from the fireplace and bring it back? She wants to get the bonfire going.”
“Certainly. Won't be a minute.”
He set down the two vials of blood next to the fire pit and disappeared with a soft popping sound.
Kronk put the egg beside the vials and stood back, watching Simon expectantly.
“So what exactly is going to happen?” the wizard asked, staring at the unlit wood pile. “And please, no more beating around the bush; just tell me.”
'Very well. The time has come, after all. Once the moon is in full ascension, you will pour the blood over the egg; first the blood of the drake and then the queen's blood. While you are doing this, I shall be chanting the proper incantation.'
“Okay, got it so far.”
'And then, when I give you the signal, you will place the egg in the center of the fire; your earthen servant can do this safely.'
“Stop calling them servants!” Simon snapped irritably. “They are my friends.”
'As you say. Whatever they are, the egg must be placed in the hottest part of the fire.'
“What happens after that?”
'We wait for the magic to take hold. How long that will take is unknown. This is the first time I have ever gone through this ritual.'
Simon looked worriedly at Kronk.
Are you sure it will work? he asked the dragon silently.
'It should.'
He closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair; his usual nervous gesture.
“What is wrong, master?”
“Nothing, Kronk. Nothing. Esmiralla is a tad unsure about the results of this...”
Simon caught himself just as he was about to curse.
“Err, this ceremony. But it'll be fine. I think.”
Kronk looked dubious but didn't say anything. Instead, he pointed back at the tower and Simon looked around in time to see Aeris, looking like a small comet, shooting across the field. He was carrying a lit torch.
“Here you go,” he said when he arrived.
'He may light the fire.'
“Go ahead and light it, Aeris. Thanks.”
The air elemental descended and carefully thrust the torch into the base of the pyramid of wood. It took a moment, but the kindling around the logs caught and began to burn.
'Wait until all of the wood is burning. When it is, begin your part and I will start the incantation.'
“Okay.”
Simon and the elementals watched as the fire slowly built up, becoming a raging bonfire after a few minutes. He looked up at the moon and saw that it was directly overhead. A creeping sense of foreboding enveloped him.
The wizard knelt down next to the fire. The heat from it actually felt good in the chilly night air. He opened the vial with the drake's blood, hesitated a moment and then poured the green liquid over the large ovoid.
He had expected the blood to flow off of the leathery skin of the egg, but instead the liquid seemed to be absorbed by the light brown ovoid and disappeared quickly, leaving the egg looking exactly the same.
“Wow, that was a surprise,” he said as he sat back on his heels.
In his head, he heard Esmiralla muttering in an unknown language. The words felt like worms crawling around inside of his skull, trying to get out. It was horrible. He clenched his teeth and tried to control himself. He began shaking.
“What's the problem?” Aeris asked anxiously.
Simon shook his head and forced himself to open the second vial. He wanted to get it over with.
The dragon queen's blood was still glowing and it poured reluctantly on to the egg; thick, slow and viscous. Like the drake's blood, the egg sucked up the glowing liquid thirstily. When all of the blood had disappeared, the sphere began to glow as well and its surface became shiny and smooth.
“Oh, I do not like this,” Kronk whispered to Aeris. “This feels wrong.”
“Shush,” he replied tersely as he watched Simon with narrowed eyes. “Stay alert.”
The wizard stood up slowly, his legs quivering. He was overcome with a feeling of weakness and planted his feet as firmly as he could. Esmiralla's chanting faded away and there was a moment of absolute silence both inside of his head and around them in the clearing.
“I've done my part,” he said harshly.
Simon's voice broke and he cleared his throat.
“Now what?”
'Place the egg in the center of the flames. Quickly. Quickly!'
“Kronk, could you put the egg into the center of the fire, please?”
“Of course, master,” the little guy said and moved toward the sphere.
He hesitated and stared at it.
“It almost looks like it is moving, doesn't it?” he asked Aeris in a hushed voice.
'It is just the reflection of the flames tricking the eye,' the silver dragon said. 'Hurry, before the spell fails.'
“Hurry, Kronk!” Simon told him urgently.
The earthen jumped in surprise and grabbed the egg. He held it over his head and shoved his way into the heart of the bonfire.
He buried the ovoid in the embers, a shower of sparks billowing up around him, and then pushed out of the ashes and coals to stand smoking in the cool air.
“Done, master.”
“Thank you,” Simon said and forced a smile. “Now what?” he asked the d
ragon.
'Patience, wizard,' she replied. 'Now we wait for the power to coalesce. Brace yourself, it will be painful.'
“What a surprise,” he muttered.
“Now what?” Aeris asked as he stared at the barely visible egg in the heart of the bonfire.
“Now we wait, she says. Let's hope it isn't too long. I'm feeling really weird right now.”
“Weird?” the air elemental repeated.
He rose up and flew over to hover a few feet in front of the wizard's face. He narrowed his eyes as he stared into Simon's.
“Define weird,” he said suspiciously.
Simon shrugged.
“I don't know. Just weird. The backs of my eyeballs are itchy, believe it or not. My stomach is burning. And it feels like snakes are crawling just under the surface of my scalp.”
He balled his hands into fists and held them tightly to his sides.
“I'm trying my damnedest not to scratch at my head hard enough to draw blood.”
Aeris moved forward and flew around the wizard. He made a complete circuit and returned to his original position.
“You look fine, physically, but you are shaking like a leaf. And you're as white as milk. I don't know...”
“Master!” Kronk said urgently. “Look. The egg is moving!”
Both Simon and Aeris looked at the fire simultaneously. The little guy was right; the egg was rocking and jumping like a living thing.
“Esmiralla, what's happening?” the wizard asked urgently.
There was no immediate answer.
“Esmiralla? Are you still there?”
'It is working,' she said with a note of exultation in her voice. 'I can feel it. I am being drawn back into the physical world. Brace yourself, wizard. Be strong!'
“I'm trying,” Simon gasped.
He suddenly felt weak and light-headed and he staggered, the world blurring around him. He stumbled forward, falling toward the fire and he was powerless to stop himself.
“Oh crap!” he croaked as he realized that he was about to fall headfirst into the blazing pyre.
A sudden blow against his chest sent him flying backwards and he slammed into the ground and rolled away from the bonfire several times. When he stopped rolling, he was staring up at the purple sky, the stars gazing back at him impassively.
Tales from the New Earth: Volume Two Page 49