Simon watched for a few more minutes and walked around the edge of the roof, trying to make sure that the threat had been eliminated.
When he was satisfied that the tower was safe, at least for the moment, he put his hands on the ward stones and reduced their power levels.
The shield around the tower flickered and then faded away and a gust of cool air flowed past Simon. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. There was a smell of burnt grass in the air but it was still refreshing.
He slipped his staff off of his shoulder and looked at Kronk and Aeris.
“Come on, guys. Let's get down there,” Simon told them. “Grab hold.”
“You are wasting power, master,” the earthen chastised him gently.
The wizard grinned at him.
“I know, but this is quicker and doesn't take a lot of energy. So come on.”
The elementals latched on to his robe and Simon looked down at the front gate. He concentrated on where he wanted to go and cast the Gate spell.
The three of them appeared a second later just inside the entrance and the wizard summoned a globe of light. He pulled back the bolts, opened the gates and stood there looking out at the ruin of the undead army.
There was very little left. Piles of ashes, some blackened bones; that was about it.
“Amazing,” Aeris said with a wicked smile. “That necromancer is not going to be pleased.”
“Good,” Simon said flatly. “I hope the bastard is shaking in his boots. His arrogance in sending his army here and not even bothering to show up to lead it is telling. Maybe this will set him back a bit.”
“Let us hope so, sir wizard”
Incendus floated down from above, his body becoming man-shaped as he approached.
“Wonderful job,” Simon told him heartily. “I didn't expect you and your friends to take on the army as well as the undead dragon.”
“We hate leaving a task half finished,” the fire elemental said with a laugh. “My brethren are below ground now, chasing down the remnants of the undead army, including those damnable wraiths. They may be mostly ethereal, but they have a mortal core that burns easily.”
“Ah, good to know,” the wizard told him, tucking that fact away for future reference.
“Now, if you will excuse me, I shall join them and finish the job. Feel free to call upon me again, sir wizard. I find working with you quite satisfying.”
“Thanks again, Incendus. I appreciate your aid.”
The fire elemental nodded, rose up and shot away into the darkness in the direction of the crater.
The night was suddenly quiet and Simon noticed the dry stench of burnt bones clogging up his nostrils. He grimaced and slammed and locked the gates again.
“Yuck. That's disturbing,” he said as he rubbed his nose. “Let's head in, guys. I need more coffee and then I want to call Tamara back and tell her what's happened.”
“I hope they are all okay after that attack on Nottinghill, master,” Kronk piped up as they walked back to the tower.
“I'm sure they are,” Simon told him. “The sun was rising when I spoke to Tamara, which means that the worst was over.”
He climbed the front steps, opened the door and walked inside. The warm light of the candles welcomed them back and Simon smiled with relief at the sudden feeling of normalcy.
He left Mortis de Draconis leaning on the wall by the door, slipped off his shoes and walked over to the counter.
While Aeris put the kettle on the fire and the wizard began preparing his coffee, Kronk remained at the door.
“Master,” he called. “I think I should patrol the perimeter for the rest of the night. We lost three of our guards and have gaps in our defenses now.”
Simon turned around and looked at the little guy.
“Oh damn. I am so sorry, Kronk. I totally forgot about them in the middle of all the craziness. Are you okay? Were they close friends?”
“No master, they were not. But losing one of your own is always hard. Losing three is...harder. I am fine. I would suggest that, once you get some sleep, you summon some others to replace them.”
“Just like that?” Aeris wondered. “That sounds a bit heartless.”
Kronk glared at him and his red eyes flared briefly.
“Would you rather we left master unprotected? I feel the loss, Aeris. But I am also a realist. I swore my service to our wizard and I will do whatever it takes to keep him safe. Would you do any less?”
Simon remained silent. He'd learned that sometimes it was wiser to let the two elementals work these things out for themselves.
“No. No, of course not. I...yes, certainly the lost watchers should be replaced. My apologies, Kronk.”
The earthen looked at him silently for a moment and then nodded stiffly. He opened the front door and left, slamming it shut behind him.
“Prickly,” Aeris muttered as he watched the kettle, waiting for it to boil.
The wizard kept his thoughts to himself. It had been a long night.
Chapter 23
Tamara and the inhabitants of Nottinghill Castle were fine. Simon called and told her what had happened and the mage was suitably impressed.
“Maybe we should get some fire elementals to guard this place,” she said tiredly as she sat on the edge of a low wall looking out over the countryside. She was on the high parapet looking south from the castle. The morning sun had risen and a thin haze covered the forests in the distance. Except for a few hints of bird song, it was very quiet.
“I wish you had someone among you who could summon them. Unfortunately, as I've been told in the past, an elemental will only serve the one who conjures them. They can't be made to take orders from someone else unless they choose to. Like Vepolas on the Defiant. And she's a special case,” he added dryly.
Tamara laughed lightly.
“So you've said. Ah well, it was just a thought. Of course, if you lived here, you could defend the castle with your elementals personally,” she said with a sly smile.
“Yeah, that's not happening, Tamara. Sorry. I prefer my solitude and, quite frankly, Kronk and Aeris are the only ones who can stand me for long.”
“So true,” Aeris said tartly.
They were in the study. Simon sat at his desk and was working hard to keep his eyes open. He frowned at the elemental who looked back innocently.
“What? I'm agreeing with you.”
Simon shook his head and looked back in the mirror.
“Anyway, I just wanted to let you know what happened,” he told the mage. “I'm sorry to hear about the three people you lost. We can ill afford the loss of any Changling.”
“I know. But what can we do? It's a brutal world we've inherited. By the way, do you think your elemental friend is right? About the necromancers going after all of the surviving humans, I mean?”
He had told her about Aeris' theory and Tamara had been as appalled as he was.
“There's no way to know yet. I'll have to send out some scouts to investigate. Or do it myself. Either way, I'll keep you informed. You should get some sleep; you look worn out.”
“Thanks. You look like crap too, so we're even.”
She grinned as she said it and Simon chuckled in return.
“Touché. Okay, we'll talk soon. Take care, Tamara.”
“You too.”
He broke the connection and put down the mirror. When he glanced at the window, he could see the rising sun beginning to paint the sky pink and he sat back, rubbing his eyes. It had been a long night.
“Time to sleep, my dear wizard,” Aeris told him. “I will patrol the area around the tower today, just in case there are any remnants of the undead army that Incendus and his fellows missed.”
Simon stood up and looked at the elemental blearily.
“They're undead, Aeris. If they somehow avoided being incinerated, the sun will destroy them.”
“Not if they've gone to ground and found shelter from its rays. Anyway, it will give me something to do.
”
He flew to the doorway.
“Sleep well,” he said and left with a wave.
“Sounds good to me,” the wizard said thinly.
He blew out the candles and headed off to bed.
Simon woke up in late afternoon to the sound of pots and pans rattling together. He stared at the thick wooden beams that supported the ceiling of his bedroom and listened in sleepy confusion.
“You're getting it wrong!”
“I am not. I am quite capable of cooking, thank you. Master deserves a good breakfast and I intend to see that he gets it.”
“By burning it? Come on, Kronk. Let me do that.”
“No! Boil the water and leave me be. He will wake up soon.”
“With all of that banging you're doing, I'm surprised he isn't already storming down the stairs.”
The wizard closed his eyes and sighed tiredly. Then he grinned. Those two sounded like an old married couple and he had to admit he loved it. Even when it woke him up from a deep sleep. And breakfast sounded like a great idea.
He got up, groaning at the dull pounding in his head, and began to rummage around in his drawers looking for matching socks.
When he wandered downstairs a few minutes later wearing his usual brown robe, the argument had apparently been resolved. Aeris was pouring boiling water into the teapot while Kronk was putting the finishing touches on a plate of food. He was casually standing on the hot cast iron stove and putting some fried beef on to the plate next to a couple of eggs and a mound of home fries.
“Master! Good afternoon. You slept well?”
“Hey Kronk. I did, yes. How are things? Any signs of hostiles outside of the walls?”
“None, master. And Aeris says that he saw nothing on his patrol.”
“True,” the air elemental said as he set the teapot down on the kitchen table.
“Um, so what's with the service?” Simon asked curiously. “It isn't my birthday and Christmas isn't for about seven months or so.”
“You are always hungry and sore after using a lot of magic, master,” Kronk told him as he signaled for Aeris to carry the plate to the table.
“I thought that you should not have to make your meal for yourself, that's all.”
“Well, thanks to both of you. I'll just, um,” he nodded at the front door.
“Don't take too long out there; your food will get cold,” Aeris said primly.
When Simon had returned from the outhouse and washed his hands, he sat down and began to eat. The food was delicious.
“This is awesome, Kronk,” he mumbled through a mouthful of potatoes.
“It was nothing, master,” the little guy replied although his chest puffed out a little bit at the compliment.
“You can say that again,” Aeris muttered.
“Anyway, after I eat, I'm going to summon some replacements for the three earthen we lost.”
The wizard hesitated and looked closely at Kronk.
“If you think I should. Would any of your people even want the job after what happened last night?”
Kronk seemed surprised at the question.
“Want the job, master? They will be clamoring to be chosen. Perhaps you do not realized the status that those who serve you receive.”
“Status?” Simon said blankly. “What amount of status could anyone get by walking walls day and night or repairing a building?”
“Much, master. I have told you before that you are the only wizard that I have ever known who treats his servants as individuals. You give us the freedom to choose. We can leave if it suits us. We can say no if you wish us to take on a task that does not please us. It is...”
He seemed to be groping for the proper word.
“Revolutionary?” Aeris offered.
“Exactly! It is revolutionary, master. And even though we love our home plane, the earthen realm does become a little dull after several thousand years.”
“He's right, you know,” the air elemental said.
He picked up Simon's empty plate and flew it over to the sink.
“Even my people want to help you whenever you need their aid. It's all a bit overwhelming actually. I'm quite the celebrity back in the realm of air.”
Simon grinned at him
“Are you now? Well, well. Aeris is a star. Who'd have believed it?”
“I wonder that you can actually fly around as well as you do carrying an ego that heavy,” Kronk said snidely.
“What? Now listen here, you...”
“Uh-uh! Guys? Please, no fighting. My head hurts.”
“Of course, master. I would not dream of it.”
Aeris made an obnoxious sound and glowered at the little guy but remained silent.
“Good. Shall we go up to the study? I'd prefer summoning your kinsmen from there.”
Kronk gave Simon the names of three of his people that he believed would be pleased to work for the wizard. And when they appeared in the study, he was quite correct. The trio of earth elementals were thrilled to be asked to join the staff of the tower and happily went off to begin patrolling the outer wall with the other two earthen.
“That went well,” Simon said to Kronk after the elementals had left.
“As I said, master. They are happy to help.”
The little guy was standing in a shaft of sunlight that was beaming across the desk in the study. Tiny crystals embedded in his dark, rocky skin sparkled as he moved and made him appear to be a living statue.
Aeris seemed to have gotten over his grumpy mood and had flown over to stare out of the window.
“Have you considered checking on our neighbors?” he asked as he looked out over the southern section of the forest.
“Galder and his people?”
Simon sat up abruptly and picked up the hand mirror off of the desk.
“Damn it, I forgot about them. Hang on and let me take a look.”
He cast the Magic Mirror spell and the elementals both joined him and waited for the mirror to lock on to its target.
When it cleared, Simon groaned and pushed his hair out of his eyes.
“Oh no. Oh damn.”
“I was afraid of that,” Aeris said softly.
Kronk made a sound deep in his throat like a wordless growl.
The gates of the old town of Nottinghill had been smashed and torn down. Smoke was rising behind them and covered the scene with a thin, gray haze. Simon counted more than a dozen lumps of fur that were lying in front of the opening; the bodies of defenders.
“They must have been attacked at the same time that we were,” Aeris stated angrily. “Don't blame yourself, my dear wizard. The necromancer was trying to destroy two enemies at once. Even if Galder had called for help, you couldn't have responded.”
“Yes, I know. But, I mean, look at them. They look like,” Simon made a helpless gesture, “dead puppies. Just flung aside.”
He canceled the spell, put down the mirror and stood up.
“I'm going down to see if there are survivors.”
Simon quickly left the study and headed for the stairs.
Kronk and Aeris looked at each other.
“Are we going to let him go alone?” the earthen asked.
“Are you nuts? He can barely function without us at home. Let's move.”
Downstairs Simon put on his outdoor shoes and grabbed Mortis de Draconis. The elementals hurried down after him and the wizard stared at them.
“Coming along?” he asked with a strained smile.
“Of course, master. We wish to help.”
“Fine. Grab hold and let's go.”
Kronk held on to the hem of his robe and Aeris touched his shoulder.
Simon raised his staff, pictured the devastated scene he'd just seen in the mirror and cast the Gate spell.
A freezing blackness engulfed them and Simon began counting. Most trips took about ten seconds, although when he traveled to England it was almost twice that long. Why it took any time at all, considering the timelessness
of the void, was a mystery.
He had only counted to five when the three of them appeared on a little hill to the north of the town. A whiff of smoke made Simon wrinkle his nose and he looked around quickly for any enemies.
“Sunlight equals no undead,” Aeris reminded him as he flew forward several feet to stare down at the town.
“There are more dangerous things out in the wild than animated skeletons,” Simon said flatly.
The blowing grass between the hill top and the town was clear of threats though and he began walking toward the scene of the battle.
“Do you think anyone survived, master?” Kronk asked as he followed behind the wizard.
He was invisible in the tall grass and, under other circumstances, Simon might have laughed at the sight. Now it didn't even touch him.
“No idea. Aeris, could you scout out the town from above please? And Kronk, I'd like you to do the same from underground.”
“Happy to,” Aeris said and shot up into the late afternoon sky.
“Of course, master,” the little guy replied.
He sank into the ground and disappeared.
“Good,” Simon said to himself. “And I'll go in the front.”
He raised his staff as he kept walking.
“Shield,” he said quietly and an opaque ball of energy appeared around him.
The ground close to the wall was trampled and torn up and Simon was careful to watch his footing as he approached the front gates.
He passed the first corpse and avoided looking at it too closely once he saw that it wasn't Galder. The dead bear man had been hideously wounded in multiple places and Simon turned his eyes away from it hurriedly.
Several more corpses were clumped together at the broken gates, all horribly mangled. All of the bear people had been armed with swords or spears and several were damaged or broken, but there was no sign of their fallen foes.
Undead, Simon thought. Just like the bones around the tower that had rotted away when the sun came up. How many had they destroyed before they fell? Considering the size of the Haladanin, he assumed that it had been dozens at least.
The Dragons of Argent and Silver (Tales from the New Earth #6) Page 28