“Hours. I can't say for sure how many, but do not waste any time. I made you some tea and toast to hurry you on your way.”
Simon got downstairs and went over to the counter. He ate quickly, standing up, and then went out to answer the call of nature.
As he walked back from the outhouse, trying not to slip on the ice-crusted snow, he stopped for a moment and stared up at the ominous clouds that were piling up at an alarming rate.
The day was as dark as twilight and the wind had amped up several notches and was howling like a tortured soul.
It's going to be close, he thought and glanced at the arch over the main gate. Let's hope that the new wards hold back any attack, if wights will actually be swarming in the wake of the blizzard. I'd hate to come home to find the place infested with monsters.
Back in the tower, he got into his winter coat and boots, slipped some gloves into his pocket along with his spell-book and grabbed his staff.
“You ready?” he asked Aeris.
The air elemental was banking the fire in the fireplace. He turned and flew quickly across the room to join the wizard.
“Ready. Let's get moving.”
He held on to Simon's coat and the wizard rattled off the Gate spell. He took one last worried look around at his home and then invoked the spell and watched as it faded away.
They appeared in the barracks to a chorus of relieved cries. Virginia and her three friends were standing next to the pile of furniture and essentials, watching him with wide eyes.
“Morning, guys,” Simon said with a strained smile. “Good to see you all. As you may have noticed,” he looked at the shadowy light trying to pierce the windows, “the storm had decided to show up a bit early, so we have to get a move on.”
“We noticed,” Virginia told him nervously. “We've combed the village and all of this,” she waved at the pile, “is what is needed down south. If we've missed anything, well, to hell with it.”
The wizard smiled at her and nodded.
“Agreed. Okay, here's the thing. Each load can't be any larger or bulkier than six adults. Weight doesn't seem to be a factor; it seems to be that volume is the most important when it comes to Gating. So let's separate it all into loads and I can start moving it out.”
The five of them moved as quickly as they could, getting the goods organized as the wind howled by the building, becoming louder and more violent by the minute.
Simon took a moment and looked from Aeris to the nearest window and back again.
“How bad is it going to get?” he asked under his breath, with a quick glance at the others. They were dragging things around and joking and talking together.
“Very bad,” Aeris replied quietly as he moved to hover next to the wizard. “It will be worse than the last storm. I can't say if wights or other creatures will be using the weather for cover, but considering how bad it will get, it is quite possible.”
“Wonderful. Okay, thanks.”
“We're done here, Simon,” Eric called out and the wizard walked over and joined them, checking out the size of the loads.
He moved several pieces of furniture, and isolated a massive chest of drawers to one side by itself. He looked at it quizzically.
“Do your people really need this behemoth?” Simon asked Virginia. It was very heavy.
She shrugged and patted the drawers.
“Well, it's the biggest piece of furniture we have and, luckily for us, since you say weight doesn't matter, we stuffed the drawers with as much clothing as we could. So yes, I'd say we need it.”
Simon sighed and nodded reluctantly.
“Okay. In that case, I'll take it first.”
He counted the separate piles and winced. This is going to be hard, he thought.
“So, a dozen loads, is it? Does anyone want to Gate down with me or...?”
“We've decided to stay until the end,” Anna spoke up in her delicate, quiet voice. Simon smiled at her and she returned it nervously. “If the storm hits before you're done, we need to be together to hold the barracks against an attack. If there is one.”
The wizard looked from face to face. Eric and Gerard looked grim and determined, Anna was obviously afraid but holding up well and Virginia, as always, exuded an aura of quiet calm. Simon approved. She was the natural leader of the quartet and the others took their cues from her. As long as Virginia was in control of her emotions, he had no fears that anyone would buckle under the pressure of the situation.
“Good for you. Aeris, would you stay with them, please? Keep an eye on the weather. I'd like you to head out to the wall and, if possible, warn our friends if you see any hint of an attack.”
“Yes, I'll do that. Be as quick as you can, my dear wizard. Time is ticking away.”
“Yeah thanks. No pressure.”
Simon grounded his staff in his left hand, rested his right on the top of the chest of drawers and spoke the incantation for the Gate spell.
“Back in a few minutes,” he told them all and invoked the spell.
The blast of warmth that greeted him as he emerged from the void into the center of the new settlement was so delicious that Simon's knees became weak and he had to lean against the chest of drawers for a moment to regain his strength. He had warned Clara and the others to stay clear of the central section of the town. He didn't want to flatten anyone as he transported the goods down from Nottinghill.
He looked around, enjoying the morning sunlight and the sounds of birds and saw the cleric hurrying toward him, Malcolm and Aiden in tow.
“Good morning, my friend,” she said warmly as she approached. She looked at the hulking piece of furniture and rolled her eyes.
“I'm glad you brought this monstrosity first. Frankly, I don't like it, but we shoved a lot of clothing into it so at least it's useful for something.”
Simon nodded at the guardsmen who were grinning at him. Both had removed their armor and were wearing light tunics and leather trousers. He didn't return their smiles and Malcolm frowned at his expression.
“What's wrong, sir wizard?” he asked abruptly. “You don't look very happy.”
“I'm not, guys. The storm is about to slam into Nottinghill a day early, so I have to move this along.”
Clara put a hand to her mouth in shock, her eyes widening.
“It's too soon,” she whispered.
“Yeah, I know. Look, Malcolm? Aiden? Would you move this damned thing out of the way?” Simon asked as he slapped the chest of drawers. “I'm going to pop back into this exact spot every time I Gate. It will save me a minute or two. Otherwise I'd have to move my target location each time and things are getting a bit too tight to have to do that.”
“Of course we will,” Aiden averred and looked at Malcolm, who nodded once.
“Go, sir wizard. This spot will be cleared before you return, have no fear of that.”
“Good. Okay, I'll be back in a few minutes.”
Simon began chanting again and, as he faded away, he saw the two big men pick up the chest with identical grunts of effort and begin to carry it away.
The morning then turned into a blur for Simon. He had to concentrate harder each time he Gated, as his mind began to feel foggy from all of the energy he was losing each time he cast the transportation spell.
He lost count of the number of trips he made, but Malcolm and Aiden were as good as their word, and the target area was clear each time he returned to the new settlement.
A crowd had gathered around the spot, far enough away to be safe, and every time he appeared they rushed in to carry away bags, crates and bales of hay. A large cage with the town's livestock, four sheep and a half-dozen chickens, had to be transported by itself and even though he was getting more and more tired, Simon had to laugh at the sounds of bafflement from the sheep when they appeared in their new home.
On his second to last trip back to Nottinghill, Virginia took him firmly by the hand, made him sit down and handed him a cup of hot chocolate. There was a kettle o
ver the fire in the fireplace and she had boiled some water for him.
“Thanks,” he said with a weak smile. “But do we have time for this?”
“I don't know and I don't care,” she said seriously. “You're a lovely shade of gray, Simon, and you need a shot of energy. The honey in the chocolate should help a bit. Plus, you need to take a minute to catch your breath. In case you hadn't noticed, you're shaking like a leaf.”
“I am?”
Simon lifted the cup to his lips and watched as his hand shook so hard that the liquid slopped over the rim. He hissed as the hot chocolate burned his fingers and quickly shifted the cup to his other hand.
“Huh, I guess I am. Thanks. Any word from Aeris?”
Eric was standing by the door to the building, leaning a shoulder against the frame with his arms folded. He shook his head.
“Nothing yet. I'd say that's a good sign.”
Simon looked at the two heaps of goods that were left to transport. One pile was mostly farm equipment and the blacksmith's gear. The other consisted of several crates of dried food, the box of powdered chocolate that the townspeople had discovered and was, to Simon's mind, more precious than gold, plus a couple of canvas bags filled with utensils and, oddly enough, towels.
“Well, this last bit shouldn't be too bad. I'll take the tools first and come back for the rest. If you guys have any personal stuff you want to bring along, get it ready. I want you all ready to get the hell out of here on my last trip.”
“Don't worry about that,” Gerard spoke up. He was peering out of one of the frosted windows, but all that could be seen was a wall of white. The blizzard had begun in earnest and the entire group was becoming twitchy. “Everything of ours that we wanted is already down in Florida. If we have to leave in a hurry, then we leave. Period.”
“Good. Okay.”
Simon finished his drink and stood up slowly. His legs felt less wobbly and he took a moment to breathe deeply.
“Thanks, Virginia. I actually needed that.”
“I know,” she said and smiled. “One last push now and you can get some real rest, Simon.”
“Yup. Time to go.”
He crossed the room and touched the pile of equipment with his free hand. Then he leaned against his staff, chanted the Gate spell and invoked it. As the room faded, he saw Aeris pop into view and zip over to begin speaking frantically to Virginia. Unfortunately, he couldn't hear what was said as he slipped into the void.
Simon staggered away from the pile of equipment, already beginning to cast another Gate spell.
Clara walked over quickly and stared at him.
“Whoa there, my friend. Take a minute to catch your breath.”
“Can't,” the wizard gasped as he finished the incantation. “As I was leaving, I saw Aeris enter the barracks. He looked frightened. I think something's wrong. I have to get back right away!”
There was a tug on his robe and he looked down to see Kronk staring up at him.
“What?” he asked in confusion.
“Nothing, master. Let's go.”
The little guy's voice was matter-of-fact and firm and Simon knew that look. It would be a waste of time trying to argue with Kronk and there was no time to lose.
“Fine,” he said and raised his staff, concentrating as much as his fuzzy thoughts would allow on the barracks. Then he invoked the spell and Gated.
Simon and Kronk reappeared a moment later into pandemonium. Virginia and her friends were standing in a circle, all of them holding hands, heads bowed as the building shuddered and shook around them. Dust was drifting down from the ceiling and the noise was indescribable.
“What the hell is going on?” Simon yelled over the deafening booms and crashes. The wall were shaking and cracks had appeared in the bricks.
None of the four answered him, but Aeris flew across the room from the far side of the circle.
“Wights,” he said shortly. “Hundreds of them. They came in a solid wave and hit the wall like a sledgehammer.”
“They broke through the wall?” Simon asked, stunned.
“No, of course not. The wards repelled them, but the gate was destroyed in an instant. They actually climbed over each other and smashed into it. It took less than a minute.” He looked at the wizard with an expression of disbelief. “I swear it was coordinated effort, which I always believed was impossible for such creatures.”
“Yeah well, we're learning new things all the time, aren't we?”
Simon looked at the silent circle of friends.
“What are they doing?”
“They're reinforcing the walls and ceiling, keeping those devils back for now. But one small break in their concentration and the building will collapse. Listen to them out there.”
The wizard couldn't help but listen. The sound of the monsters tearing at the barracks was ear-numbing.
“My God, how many of them are there?”
“Hundreds, my dear wizard. Hundreds. It's so much worse than the first attack. I cannot understand where they came from or how there are so many of them.”
“Doesn't matter,” Simon said as he walked over to look at the four young people.
All of their eyes were closed, each gripped the hand of the person on either side of them so hard that their knuckles were white and their hands shaking with effort. Sweat was running down their faces and Eric and Gerard's lips were pulled back in identical snarls of fury.
“You can't interrupt them,” Aeris told him, “or you're all dead.”
“I know that,” Simon hissed at him, trying to jog his mind into thinking coherently. “Give me a second, would you?”
The air elemental opened his mouth to respond and Kronk interrupted him.
“Stay quiet,” he rumbled, his little red eyes blazing. “Let our master think this through.”
Aeris subsided with a stiff nod and Simon looked around the room, frantically searching for a solution.
His eyes fell on the last pile of boxes and crates, a few feet to the right of Virginia's circle and he was hit with sudden inspiration.
“Okay, guys, I have an idea,” he said loudly over the din. “I know you can't lose focus, but you can hear me. So this is what I want you to do. The last bit of the supplies is about four feet behind Eric. I need you to all move, as slowly as you have to, until Eric is touching the closest box. I won't need to break your connection by touching anyone; all I need to do is grab one of the pieces of the pile and Gate out with it and you'll be brought along with it.”
Aeris gasped and stared at the wizard.
“That's...that's brilliant,” he stuttered.
“No it isn't,” Simon replied as he watched the group. “But it's logical and it should work.”
He waited for a few moments but the four friends didn't move. They were all shaking now and the strain on their faces was painful to see.
“Why aren't they moving?” Simon finally said with desperation in his voice.
“They cannot, master,” Kronk told him as he watched keenly. “Even moving now will break their bond. The attack on the building is simply too great. They are balanced on the edge of a sword and cannot move, even to save themselves.”
Simon nodded, despair beginning to creep into his thoughts. It was obvious that the little guy was right. Even the four of them together couldn't hold back the tide of undead that ravaged outside.
“I don't know what to do,” he whispered hopelessly.
“I do, master,” Kronk said firmly. He tip-tapped across the room to the nearest wall and laid his small palms flat against its surface. In an instant, the little guy began to glow red-hot, as if he was made of molten lava. The section of the wall that he was touching took on the same fiery glow and with a loud whooshing sound, the red quickly expanded, racing from brick to brick, up to the ceiling and along both sides of the building until they were surrounded by the hellish red of a furnace.
Simon gaped at the walls. He couldn't feel any heat from the burning red stones, bu
t the heat was definitely going somewhere. Through the stone, sudden shrieks and roars split the air as the wights stopped pounding on the building and retreated from the searing, semi-molten walls. Virginia and her friends opened their eyes as one and looked around in confusion.
“What's going on?” she asked in a daze. “Why has the attack stopped?”
“Thank my friend there,” Simon said and pointed at Kronk.
Everyone watched the earthen in awe for a few seconds.
“Master,” Kronk said with obvious effort. “I can only do this for a short time. Get everyone away from here while you can.”
“Okay, everybody. Touch a crate or box and join hands. Aeris, with me. Kronk, I'll chant the spell and then you come over and join me. Then I'll invoke it and we'll get the hell out of here.”
Kronk turned his head to look over his shoulder at Simon, a gentle smile on his glowing face.
“I cannot do that, master. As soon as I release the wall, the stone will lose its heat immediately. The wights will tear through the building in seconds. You will have to go on without me.”
“Are you insane?” Aeris spluttered. “Those creatures will rip you apart, you fool. You can't stay behind.”
“I must protect my master,” Kronk said simply. “As must you. Watch him for me, won't you? He will not admit it, but our master sometimes needs our guidance.”
Aeris, for once, had no response. He could only look at his friend, anguish in his face.
Simon and the others began speaking at once, arguing vehemently against leaving the earthen behind.
“Please!” Kronk bellowed, cutting through the babble. “There is no time. I am failing as we speak. Please master,” he said to Simon, who watched him through eyes blurred with sudden tears. “Please don't make my sacrifice be in vain. Go, protect your friends, be the great wizard that I know you can be. Please.”
Simon's voice caught in his throat. He could hear the howls of hunger and rage just beyond the walls and knew that the wights were simply waiting for their chance to renew the assault. Kronk was right; they had to go.
“Okay everyone, let's move,” he said roughly and hurried over to the heap of boxes.
Tales from the New Earth: Volume One Page 140