“Another paladin,” Simon muttered. “Interesting.”
He glanced at Aeris.
“Do you think it's a sign that the gods of Justice are winning against the Chaos lords?”
Aeris tapped his chin thoughtfully.
“It's certainly possible. However, I'd say it's more likely that they were able to extend their powers into this realm during their endless conflict with the Darkness, when they might have had a momentary upper hand, and gave this Lei fellow their blessing.”
The wizard drained his cup, thinking about that.
The gods of Light and Darkness were battling out in the Void; one side was trying to force their way back into the mortal realm while the other was trying to stop them. It had remained a stalemate since the lords of Chaos had unleashed the dragons on to the Earth, and begun imbuing the atmosphere with magical energy. But Simon supposed that there were times when the gods of Justice gained the advantage over their evil cousins and were able to send aid to humanity.
Damned few times though, he thought bitterly. There are only a handful of us left to accept their help.
“Well, whatever their abilities, it is good to know that two more of my race have survived. So what are they going to do? Stay in Beijing or...?”
“No, my lord,” Wistia told him. “I informed them of the humans who are rebuilding the castle at Nottinghill and they volunteered to join them, if that is allowed. I told them that I would pass the request on to you.”
Simon sat back and grinned.
“Excellent! I'm sure that Tamara and the other leaders would welcome the brothers with open arms. When we're done here, I'll give her a call and set something up.”
Wistia bowed gracefully.
“Thank you. That is all that I have to report.”
“And thank you. That was well done, Wistia. Really well done.”
She joined the others, a wide smile on her diminutive face. Several of her fellows muttered to her in their own language, sounds that Simon guessed were compliments. By the look on her face, he thought that if Wistia were able to blush, she would.
“So, who's next?” he asked.
The reports continued. Besides looking for any human survivors, the elementals had standing orders to report on any new or unusual animals and creatures they discovered. More and more mythical monsters were appearing in the world and Simon was doing his best to keep track of them all.
He'd even gone so far as to create a new map of the world and list the locations of the beasts by type and density. It was a good way to follow the progression of the spread of new monsters. It was also getting a bit out of hand.
“I have a list of new creatures in western Europe, my lord,” Brethia said as she moved forward to hover in the center of the desk. “As well as sightings from the entire group from their own designated areas. We've combined our findings to make it easier for you to collate the information.”
She offered him a stack of papers and the wizard flipped through them.
“So many?” he asked in surprise as he read each page.
“I am afraid so. We have sketched each creature with as much detail as we could and tagged them with the names we knew them by in ancient times. I hope that it is acceptable?”
Simon looked at her and the others and smiled appreciatively.
“You know, just when I thought you people couldn't get any more efficient, you prove me wrong. Amazing. I like what you've done with the data. The next time I call you all together, this is the system that we'll use; if that's alright with you?”
“You honor us, my lord,” she said with a bow.
The others quickly followed her example.
“Okay then, if that's it, you are all free to leave. Thanks again for your hard work.”
One by one, the air elementals disappeared with tiny pops of sound, returning to their home realm, until only Brethia and Orriss were left.
“Did either one of you want to head back as well? Take some time off?” the wizard asked.
The two exchanged looks and shook their heads.
“No, my lord,” Brethia replied. “We'd like to return to our duties on the roof. With the world becoming ever more dangerous, you need reliable lookouts watching over the tower at all times. If you'll forgive me for saying so.”
“There's nothing to forgive; I completely agree. The earthen guard my walls very well, but the eyes of the air elementals see farther.”
When the two small figures grinned, Simon lowered his voice and looked around dramatically.
“But don't tell them I said that,” he added in a hushed voice.
“Your secret is safe with us, sir wizard,” Brethia chortled.
“Good. Now, if there's nothing else?”
“Actually, my lord, if I could say something?” Orriss piped up.
Simon leaned back in his chair and watched the elemental closely. Orriss was usually the most animated of all of his people but he had been oddly quiet during the reporting session and Simon guessed that he was about to learn why.
“Certainly. What's up?” he asked.
“It's about my brother, Corriss.”
Chapter 2
“Your brother? I was told by Aeris that you and Corriss are related in some way, but you're actually brothers?”
Orriss nodded solemnly.
“But...I don't mean to sound rude or insensitive, but how is that possible?” Simon asked. “I mean, you aren't mortal beings like myself; you're elementals. Immortals. You don't physically, um, you know, reproduce.”
“Yes sir, that is true. We do not have sex like biological species do. But we can have children, in a way.”
He glanced at Brethia, who smiled back encouragingly.
“You see, when an elemental dies, by accident or violence, our ruler, the mighty Astrandamus, will choose one of us to replace the one who was lost. And that chosen one will use their essence to create a new elemental.”
“Like a cell, you mean? By division?”
“Something like that, my lord. But while there is no need for copulation between two elementals, the ones that you seem to see as females, like Brethia here, are the only ones who can produce a new elemental. Why that is so, no one knows but Astrandamus himself. We only know that males cannot. The resulting offspring can be either male or female. My mother has been chosen twice to produce children over thousands of mortal years. I was one and Corriss was the other.”
“Ah, okay. Now I understand.”
Simon leaned forward and rested his arms on the desk.
“And you're concerned about his absence? Of course you are. Sorry, stupid thing for me to say.”
He rubbed his eyes, feeling a little drained.
“So what would you like to do, Orriss?”
“Well, my lord, with your permission, I would like to go out and search for him,” the elemental said earnestly. “I know the area that you assigned him to scout and I shouldn't be gone too long. But I also know that you need me here to share lookout duties with Brethia, so I would completely understand if you said no. He's probably just gotten lost or distracted anyway. Knowing Corriss, he may be out there chasing butterflies. He does love little flying creatures.”
Simon smiled at the fondness in Orriss' voice. Elemental or not, he sounded very much like a human worried about his sibling at that moment.
“You don't think that I should just summon him back directly? It would be faster.”
“If you think it best, then of course you could do that, my lord, but...”
“For one of my people to be recalled from a mission for anything less than an emergency would be humiliating,” Aeris interjected. “It would mean that the one who had summoned them, you, did not have enough confidence in their skill to allow them to finish their job. It would be shameful for the elemental involved and it would be a black mark against them in the eyes of others.”
“Seriously?” Simon asked, surprised. “Isn't that a little extreme?”
“It is, my
lord,” Orriss told him candidly. “But that is our way. And knowing my brother, he would be crushed that you did not have enough faith in him to allow him to complete his task. But it is your choice, naturally.”
“In that case, then of course you can go and look for him. Don't worry, the tower will be fine. If Brethia needs help keeping watch, I'll ask Aeris to take your shift. No problem.”
Aeris nodded his agreement.
“I concur, Orriss,” Brethia said as she patted him on the shoulder. “Go, find your brother. We will be fine here.”
“I cannot thank you enough, sir wizard, for this,” Orriss said, bowing deeply. “You are truly the most compassionate human being that I have ever served.”
Simon shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
“If that's true, then you must have served some real winners,” he said dryly. “Now go on, get out of here and find your brother. And be careful; it's getting more dangerous out there in the world with every passing day.”
He grinned and shook a finger at Orriss.
“But no chasing butterflies, okay?”
The elemental laughed and bowed once more. And then with a wave, he disappeared.
“How is the rebuild going?” Simon said into his mirror, a few days after Orriss had left on his search.
He was talking to Tamara, the leader of the inhabitants of Nottinghill Castle. She and her brother, Sebastian, both of whom were mages, were sitting next to each other at a conference table, going over construction plans.
“Surprisingly quickly, thanks to you and your friends,” she replied with a grateful smile. “That little earth elemental Kronk is quite good at organizing his people and as for Kassus, well, I've never seen a stronger creature; and that includes Malcolm. Amazing.”
“If it wasn't for the elementals' aid,” Sebastian chimed in, “this project would simply not be feasible and we'd probably be living underground with the dwarves for many years to come.”
“No thanks needed,” Simon told them with a grin. “The elementals love to help and the earthen are masters at working with stone. It is good that they're strong though; with the six aiding in construction, including Kassus, and the four that I've summoned to guard my walls, I've reached my limit on earth elementals. Those are the rules, apparently.”
He looked at the background over the siblings' shoulders. All he could see was white linen cloth rippling in the breeze.
“By the way, where are you exactly?” he asked curiously.
“A tent,” Tamara told him as she looked around. “A really large tent. All of the leaders are living in them until the castle is finished. This one is the designated conference room. We can all fit comfortably around this table, even Malcolm and Aiden.”
She gave her brother a tired glance.
“But Bastian and I do seem to spend an inordinate amount of time in here, constantly going over the plans, revising and altering things as per the new recommendations that the elementals bring us.”
“I'd imagine it's a lot of work.”
“It is, but it will be worth it in the end. Thanks for sending Kronk back, by the way. He reported in earlier and said the outside wall should be finished by day's end and that all of the living quarters will be completed by the end of the week. I've passed that information along to Shandon Ironhand and he's promised to tell our people down there in Kingstone. I'm sure that they will all be very excited.”
Aeris floated into the study and joined Simon at his desk. He looked at the mirror in the wizard's hand quizzically.
“Nottinghill?” he whispered.
Simon nodded and looked back into the mirror.
“I'm glad to hear that everything is progressing so quickly. So where is everyone else? Liliana? Sylvie and Veronique?”
“Sylvie remained down in the dwarven capital along with her sister. Veronique felt that some of the leaders should stay with our people, for reassurance. As for Liliana, who knows?”
Tamara shuffled the stack of papers in front of her, finally pulling out a crude map of the area around the construction site.
“She and Malcolm and Aiden are constantly on patrol around the perimeter of the castle grounds; far enough out to catch wind of trouble before it surprises us. It's a dangerous world now, Simon, and we have to be on our toes at all times. Barnaby is on call right now if they need any magical assistance. All of the mages take turns with that, including Bastian and me.”
“You can never be too careful,” Simon agreed. “Are the earthen using the wreckage of the dark tower for building materials?”
“They are. Handy, that idea. It cleans up all of the debris and uses it constructively at the same time. Very efficient.”
Simon darted a quick glance out the window across the room, watching the shadow play of clouds racing across the sky.
“So, optimistically, when will the castle be ready for the former inhabitants to reclaim it?” he asked as he looked back at Tamara. “I'm guessing that they're eager to see the sun and sky again after months of living underground?”
“Are they ever. Unfortunately, the timeline keeps changing. Kronk warned us that might happen; rebuilding as large and complicated a structure as the castle isn't as predictable an operation as we might have wished.”
She rifled through her notes again.
“But according to his latest estimates, two weeks, more or less. I just hope he's right; Shandon told me yesterday that there have been a few, in his words, scraps between some of our people. Nerves are frayed and I suppose the anticipation is getting to some of them.”
“Tell him that Veronique should threaten to recall Malcolm to keep order for the next little while. I'd say that might cool down some of the rowdier elements.”
Tamara laughed and Sebastian grinned widely.
“I might just do that. We can't have a full-blown riot on our hands just before we leave Kingstone; it wouldn't exactly make us look too good in the eyes of our hosts, now would it?”
Simon nodded vigorously.
“Exactly. My God, don't let anyone insult the dwarves. Shandon may be a friend, but they are all sticklers about manners and protocol. We can't afford to lose our only ally in these dangerous times.”
“Relax, my friend,” Tamara said calmly. “We all know the stakes, even the rougher members of our little community. No one will do anything overly stupid. I think.”
“Very reassuring,” Simon said dryly. “Anyway, part of the reason I called was to let you know that my scouts have discovered a couple of survivors.”
“More survivors?” Sebastian exclaimed, wide-eyed. “Fantastic!”
“Yep. The air elementals found these men, brothers actually, in Beijing. They've survived alone since the Night of Burning.”
“Incredible,” Tamara murmured. “It's what? Seven years since the world went all to Hell?”
“Closer to nine or ten, I think. I don't bother trying to keep track anymore. Anyway, the pair were fortunate that their Changes altered them into forms apparently quite suited for survival in this crazy new world of ours. One brother is a paladin.”
Both siblings looked amazed.
“Incredible. Up until now, Liliana was the only one of our people gifted directly by the gods. That we knew of,” Tamara added, speaking to her brother.
“Yes. I wonder how she'll react to the news that she isn't unique anymore?” Sebastian replied with a sly grin.
“I'm sure that she'll be thrilled,” Simon told them. “The paladin's brother sounds interesting as well. According to my scout, he's a summoner.”
Both of the mages stared at him blankly.
“A what?”
“A summoner,” the wizard repeated with a chuckle at their expressions. “Or a conjurer. Take your pick of titles, I suppose. I'm told that he can use magic to summon aid in the form of supernatural creatures. Handy in battle and it probably helped him and his brother to survive. Unfortunately, I am also informed that he can cast no other spells; no Gate or Magic Mirror. Nothing el
se.”
Tamara fiddled with a pencil as she digested the information.
“I'm not sure if that sounds awesome or somewhat limiting,” she stated after a moment's thought. “I mean, great, he can call up creatures to protect him or whatever, but he can't cast a simple fire spell or a mage light? That kind of sucks.”
Her brother shook his head vehemently.
“I disagree. The other spells would be useful, of course, but with the world as it is today, our main goal at the moment is simple survival. And it sounds like this conjurer or whatever has powers perfectly suited to do that. Add in his brother's ability to heal and fight and you've got a potent combination. No wonder they've managed to survive on their own all this time.”
Simon found himself nodding.
“You make some good points, Bastian,” he said. “And siblings have a special bond, as you both know. As a fighting unit, they could be formidable.”
“Well, we won't know until we meet them,” Tamara said, practical as always. “Do they want to join us, Simon?”
“They do. I could Gate to their location myself and pick them up, but I thought that, since they are going to be living at Nottinghill, you two should have the honors. If you want to, of course.”
“Of course we do,” Sebastian said immediately, not waiting for his sister to answer.
He then gave her an inquiring look and Tamara smiled back.
“I agree. We'll take Malcolm or Aiden along, just to watch our backs.”
“Cool. Okay, their names are Chao and Lei Zhang. Chao is the summoner. And here are their coordinates.”
Simon rattled off the longitude and latitude which Tamara quickly wrote down. After she had repeated the numbers back to make sure that they were correct, she frowned down at the slip of paper.
“What's the time difference between us and Beijing? I wouldn't want to pop in on them in the middle of the night. Might start things off with a bigger bang than I'd like.”
Tales from the New Earth: Volume Two Page 121