Tales from the New Earth: Volume One

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Tales from the New Earth: Volume One Page 132

by Thompson, J. J.


  “Everything is fine, my dear wizard. I would have returned if they weren't. Those were your instructions, were they not?”

  The foggy little face was frowning at him and Simon tilted his head slightly as he returned the look.

  “Aeris, you and I both know that you tend to deviate from instructions when you feel it is necessary, right?”

  The elemental hesitated and then nodded slowly with a bit of a sheepish grin.

  “Perhaps. But only when absolutely necessary, as you said. So far though, things are looking hopeful. My brethren and I divided this, state was it? Yes, this state into five equal sections. I am scouting the east coast and, in fact, I'm almost finished. There are several locations that are promising and I will draw a detailed map of them when I return.”

  “Any signs of life? Any humans?”

  “None, I'm afraid. But the native animals have bounced back nicely. Rabbits, deer, some squirrels. And I have even seen several packs of wild dogs. So hunting will be available if the people of Nottinghill decide to move to this area.”

  “Dogs?” Simon asked with interest. “Wow, that's great. None of them seem to have survived up here. If some puppies could be gathered up, they would be great companions for our people, both for hunting and guarding and just for their value as friends.”

  “Yes, I thought the same thing. By the way, I've scouted every small town and village that I've run across. I even made a pass through the main city. Miami? Nothing. No sign of Changlings. Also, happily, no dragons darkening the skies. At a guess, I'd say they swept through this part of the country and hunted down any survivors, then moved on.”

  “Bastards,” Simon hissed through gritted teeth. “They're efficient, I'll give them that. Okay then, I'll let you get back to it. So what, a few more days?”

  “Say two more, barring any incidents. If I haven't returned by then, feel free to call and badger me again.”

  “Our master is not badgering you, Aeris,” Kronk protested as he moved across the desk to peer into the mirror. “He is concerned. Show some gratitude once in a while.”

  The air elemental stared wide-eyed at the earthen for a moment and then nodded.

  “Yes, of course. No offense meant, my dear wizard,” he said contritely.

  “None taken. Don't worry, Kronk. We both know that Aeris has a habit of hiding his feelings behind a big mouth.”

  The little guy burst out laughing while Aeris' face darkened.

  “Now wait just a minute,” he began and Simon cut him off.

  “Oops, sorry. Gotta go. See you soon,” he said and broke off the connection as Aeris spluttered in indignation.

  Kronk was still laughing.

  “That was marvelous, master,” he finally managed to say.

  Simon grinned at him.

  “Thanks. I rather liked it.”

  He put down the mirror and thought about what he'd learned.

  “It sounds encouraging, don't you think?”

  The earthen's expression became serious.

  “I agree, master. It is sad that no Changlings survived in the area, but if there is game and Aeris has found no obvious signs of danger, then this Florida could be the correct choice.”

  “We'll have to wait to hear from the others that are exploring the state, but I think you're right. I wonder how things are shaping up in Mexico?”

  He opened the atlas to a marked page and examined the map of northern Mexico. He tapped the illustration.

  “I was never under the impression that this country was the best place to grow food, although my knowledge of such things is pretty thin.”

  Kronk looked at the map.

  “Ah, but that was before, master. With steady good weather, that country could very well be lush and fertile. We won't know until the scouts return.”

  Simon closed the map with a quiet sigh of frustration.

  “Patience. The one thing I've never had in abundance.” He rested his arms on the atlas and stared, brooding, at the rainbows sparkling and flickering through the windows.

  “We could you know, master,” Kronk said suddenly into the silence.

  Simon turned his head to look at the little guy.

  “We could what?”

  “Move your tower, master. My brethren and I could move it, anywhere you wanted to go.”

  The wizard stared at him in disbelief.

  “You're kidding?”

  “Of course not, master. I don't really know how to kid, I think; whatever that is.”

  Simon had to smile at the little guy.

  “No, that's true. But Kronk, you actually could move,” he waved at the room around them, “all this? In one piece?”

  “Oh no, master, not in one piece. But we could disassemble it, move it to a new location, and rebuild it exactly as it is now.”

  “Exactly?” Simon asked skeptically.

  “Exactly, master.”

  Kronk looked at the tightly-fitted heavy stone blocks of the walls with what could only be called affection.

  “It is what we do, master. We know rock and stone. We are, after all,” he tapped his small, rough chest and it made a ticking sound, “made of the earth too.”

  “That's a good point. Huh.”

  Simon leaned back and looked at the room. He frowned at the thick ice on the windows and the constant shriek of the wind that he hardly heard anymore. How great would it be to wake up in the middle of the winter, open a window and feel a warm breeze blow past him instead of a bitter blast of cold?

  But then he thought of his roots. The tiny cottage that he'd first bought here with his life savings. How Daniel had offered to build the tower and then had designed the entire place, hired the contractors, and had made their shared dream come true. The beauty of the little lake behind the tower on an early summer morning, wisps of steam rising above its mirrored surface. And Ottawa. A ruin, yes, but his hometown nevertheless. Could he just pull up stakes, abandon his country and move south? Would it be that easy?

  Simon looked back at the elemental and smiled sadly.

  “I can't leave, Kronk. I'm tied to this land with chains that are too thick and heavy to break. Even the winter has its own unique beauty. Thanks for the offer, but no. I stay. And if wights come knocking, if the forest becomes infested with evil things, well then, we'll see what the true worth of being a wizard really is.”

  The earthen just nodded calmly.

  “I suspected that you would say that, master. I too love this land. The bedrock goes deep, the dirt is old and full of memory. It is...soothing to me. I am glad we won't be leaving it.”

  The wizard rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, or maybe it was a tear or two, and stood up.

  “Let's go out and say hello to Chief and the girls. I know it's bitter out there, but I think they should be let out to stretch their legs.”

  Kronk perked up immediately.

  “An excellent idea, master! It will be good for Sunshine to move around a bit. She should not stand idle all the time, with her delivery so close.”

  The two of them spent the next couple of hours with Chief, Tammy and Sunshine. The brooding mare was huge by now and even Simon, not exactly an expert on such things, could tell that she was getting close to delivering her foal.

  But Sunshine was still lively and the three horses were exuberant when the wizard let them out of their stable, opened the back gate and allowed them into the field between the tower and the frozen lake.

  Chief raced through the crisp snow, throwing up huge divots behind him as he ran. Tammy was almost as lively as she ran down to the shore of the lake and cantered along its edge, tossing her head in the bright winter sunlight and snorting with glee.

  Sunshine was more sedate, ambling agreeably after her two stable-mates, snuffling along the top of the crust of the snow and occasionally blowing out a loud blast of foggy breath.

  Simon stayed just outside of the gate, huddled in his coat and shivering in the deep cold. The wind was calmer away from the tower, bu
t it was still bitter.

  He noticed that neither Chief or Tammy got too far from the waddling mare and were constantly circling back to pace along beside her, as if reassuring themselves that she was okay.

  Yes, he thought as he watched the display, his cheeks going numb. They really are a lot more intelligent than they were before they Changed.

  After he let the horses get as much exercise as they could before he froze solid, Simon called them back to the gate and led them into their stable again. Kronk had cleaned the place from top to bottom, laid out new straw in each stall and filled their water buckets and hay boxes. Both wizard and elemental watched them for a while, each pleased with how well the three beautiful creatures were doing.

  “Do you really think that there are others out there somewhere, master?” Kronk asked him as they observed the horses munching hay contentedly.

  “Other horses? I sure hope so. Even if Sunshine's foal is healthy, that's only one more horse. Tammy could give birth as well, but you couldn't breed the offspring to continue the species; they would simply be too close genetically.”

  “Then I hope that you are right, master,” the little guy said and Simon looked down at him. He was watching the horses with a look of undisguised love. “I would hate to see horses fade from history.”

  “As would I, my friend,” the wizard agreed softly. “As would I.”

  They made their way back to the tower shortly afterward. Simon was dying to sit next to the fireplace with a cup of tea. His shivering was constant now and his fingers and toes were numb.

  As they entered the building and Simon closed and locked the door behind them, he heard Kronk gasp in surprise.

  “We have a visitor, master,” the earthen warned him.

  Simon spun around, his coat half off, and saw a misty shape standing on the kitchen table. Actually, it was slumped over and weaving a bit.

  He threw off his coat, stomped his feet to knock off the snow and walked over, still wearing his heavy boots.

  The figure turned out to be one of the air elementals. Simon looked closely at it, but the only one he was ever able to identify by sight was Aeris. This individual was vaguely shaped like a woman and he assumed that the little figure was female.

  “Hi there,” he said as he sat down at the table. Kronk leaped up and moved to stand next to the wizard. “Welcome back.”

  The little figure turned slowly and looked up at him. Simon caught his breath. He had never seen such a look of complete despair on the face of an air elemental before.

  “Thank you, sir wizard,” came the reply. Her voice was delicate and very high-pitched. She sounded absolutely exhausted.

  “Did the earthen let you in?”

  “Yes, sir, they did. They recognized me and opened the gate. I hope that is acceptable?”

  “Of course it is. Kronk,” he glanced at the little guy, who nodded, “told them to allow any of you to pass when you returned. Which group were you with?” Simon asked her intently. When she didn't answer right away, he and the earthen exchanged concerned looks.

  “I was with the group sent to Mexico,” she finally replied wearily.

  “Ah okay. So, uh, where are the rest your friends? It looks like you finished your mission early.”

  She straightened up painfully and slowly shook her head.

  “I could not finish the scout, sir wizard. I humbly beg your forgiveness for my failure. It is unbecoming for one of my kind to leave a task undone.”

  “Don't worry about that,” the wizard told her reassuringly. “Where are the others?”

  She sighed raggedly. It was painful to hear.

  “Gone, my lord. All of them. Destroyed, I believe.”

  “What?”

  Simon stood up abruptly and leaned forward. The air elemental pulled back fearfully and he felt a pang of guilt for scaring her. He took a deep breath and sat down again.

  “I'm sorry,” he told her quickly. “Don't worry, I'm not angry with you. Please, tell me what's happened. And you can start by telling me your name. Forgive me but I have a hard time telling you air elementals apart, until I get to know you better.”

  She looked at Kronk and he smiled and made an encouraging gesture.

  “Yes, of course. I am called Brethia, my lord. I was tasked with scouting the northern-most strip of northern Mexico. We divided the country equally between us. That is probably why I survived. I was furthest away from the danger zone. We split up when we arrived and I began my sweep.”

  She seemed to acquire new life as she spoke and was finally strong enough to rise up above the table and hover there.

  “The country itself is lush, my lord. Many crops from the old world are growing wild and the land is rich. I was curious to see no animals though and wondered why it was so bereft of wildlife. I thought it possible that some sort of disease might have swept through the area and killed off the wildlife. Or perhaps dragons had slaughtered them as they searched for humans.”

  She shrugged and put a small hand to her head.

  “I made the mistake of taking these signs too lightly, my lord. I continued my mission and, perhaps, let my guard down a bit.”

  “What happened?” Kronk asked breathlessly. “What caused them all to disappear?”

  Brethia spotted the pile of blank paper on one side of the table and flew over to pick one up. She scooped up a pencil and returned to her original position.

  “May I, my lord?” she asked as she held up the writing material.

  “Certainly,” Simon told her. He knew how well all of the air elementals could sketch out maps and pictures.

  “Thank you. It will be easier for me to show you than to try to describe it.”

  The wizard and Kronk watched in amazement as Brethia put the paper on to the table and began drawing. The pencil moved so quickly that it was just a blur and a picture soon appeared in exquisite detail. When she was finished, she slid the paper across the table to Simon and then watched silently.

  “What is this?” he asked in wonder.

  “I do not know, master,” Kronk said as he stared at the picture. “It seems familiar, somehow. It looks like a termite mound, does it not?”

  Simon murmured in agreement.

  The picture showed a flat plain with scattered trees and plants growing randomly. In the middle of the drawing, a huge mound rose above the closest trees. Simon guessed that it was at least a hundred feet high, maybe more.

  The mound was beautiful in its own way. It had canting spires and rose in rounded steps, becoming narrower as it grew. It was flat at the very top, and some sort of arch had been built there. You could see the sky through it. It reminded him a bit of an ancient Mayan pyramid.

  “Who built this thing?” the wizard asked Brethia.

  She quickly grabbed another sheet of paper and began drawing again. She spoke as she worked.

  “That one is not the only such mound down there, my lord. I found three others and that was just in the area that I was assigned to scout. I fear that there are many more further south.”

  She finished the picture and Simon quickly reached out and picked it up.

  “Dear God,” he muttered. “What is this?”

  “Oh my,” Kronk said softly.

  The wizard looked at him and saw that the little guy was gaping at the picture in surprise.

  “What is it?” he asked the earthen.

  “It is a goblin, master,” Kronk whispered. “A goblin!” His face twisted and he glared at the creature with loathing. “They are a scourge, a blight on the Earth. I thought that I would never see such monsters again.”

  “A goblin?”

  Simon stared at the detailed drawing.

  He saw a spindly, dark-skinned creature standing upright but hunched over, arms long enough to almost scrape the ground. Its skin was tight over its bones and it looked like the monster had no muscles at all. There were wicked spurs on its elbows and knees and its fingers were tipped with broken claws.

  The face
was the worst. Huge eyes with vertically-slit pupils like a cat's eyes, a stubby bump for a nose and a wide, gaping maw of a mouth, rimmed in jagged fangs. Its ears were high and pointed, reminiscent of an elf's ears. And on top was a pointed, bald head, wrinkled and leathery.

  The goblin was wearing some sort of ragged armor; strips of leather that covered its torso and a skirt of leather with bits of metal sewn on to it. It held a twisted sword above its grotesque head and had its thin lips pulled back in an insane scream.

  “So that's a goblin,” Simon said under his breath as he examined the creature. “And they built those mounds?”

  Kronk spoke up before Brethia could answer.

  “Yes master. I remember now. Back in ancient times, they polluted the earth with their foulness. They would choke the ground water with their waste, strip a land bare of any game, including humans, and then, when there was nothing left to consume, they would move on and do it again. As I said, they are a blight, like a horde of locusts.”

  “Brethia,” Simon began and the air elemental jumped at her name. She was obviously still skittish.

  “Easy there. Try and stay calm, please.”

  “Yes. Yes, of course, sir wizard. Forgive me. It has been a...trying time.”

  “I can see that,” the wizard said sympathetically. “But I need all of the information I can get. I hope you understand that? I don't want you to think that I'm badgering you.”

  She drew herself up and squared her shoulders.

  “Of course not, my lord. I am at your command.”

  Simon shifted uncomfortably and Kronk winked at Brethia.

  “My master does not like giving commands,” he told her frankly and smiled up at the wizard. “He prefers suggesting rather than ordering others around.”

  “He's right,” Simon told her. “I just need a few questions answered, that's all.”

  She nodded silently.

  “Good. First of all, where did these goblins even come from? As I understand it, the gods of Chaos can't just arbitrarily create something from nothing. If they could, the world would already be theirs and we'd all be dead.”

  Brethia seemed to be choosing her words carefully as she answered.

 

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