She bowed her head and pressed down so hard on the table that her fingers went white.
“And then those chosen few opened the way and allowed the browns to cross over, to this world. All of the scouts were killed in the process.”
“My God, Ethmira!” Eric exclaimed. “Why the hell would your people do that?”
He was staring at her in shock and his expression was mirrored in every face around the table except Daniel's. He just watched her sadly and reached out a thin hand to grip her shoulder.
Ethmira looked at him with a sad smile, patted his gnarled fingers and cleared her throat.
“We did it for a simple reason, really. It separated the browns from the reds. Two singular forces instead of one combined threat. Each species of dragon is powerful in and of itself, but together? We would have had no chance against them and neither would your people.”
“But to allow them to come here?” Simon couldn't quite grasp what he was hearing. “We saw the destruction that the dragons have already caused on the trip here. They are literally using their powers to rot your entire forest.”
“I know that,” she replied. “As I said, this was not my decision. The elders had a plan, you see, in case we could not destroy the dragons here in our own lands. We would seal the realm again and the dragons would be trapped here for all of eternity. Your world, your universe, would be safe from them. Yes, the red dragons remain, but at least they would be the only species of dragon left to threaten your home.”
“Doesn't that mean that all of the elves would die?” Anna asked in a small voice. She was curled up on her chair and looked even smaller and younger than usual.
Ethmira smiled at the young woman.
“Not all, no. Some would remain to keep the dragons' attention while the majority would cross over to your world. My people would survive, but we would lose our homeland forever. A hard price to pay, but one we would pay gladly if it meant the end of the brown dragons.”
There was a long moment of silence where everyone seemed lost in his or her own thoughts. Simon finally looked over at Ethmira and asked the questions that were burning brightest in his mind.
“Ethmira, I may not be the best judge of people, or so I've been told by some others in the past,” and he gave Daniel a significant look.
The older man laughed and nodded appreciatively.
“But I believe your story. However, I have some questions that I'd like answered, if that's okay?”
“Of course. You deserve answers. After all, you believed that I was a traitor up until a few moments ago. If it will set your mind at ease, then ask your questions.”
He nodded his thanks.
“I only have a few. How did the primal black dragon sense you the first time you visited me? You said that the longer you remained in the world, the more chance that monster would have of sensing you. But we figured out that dragons can't feel the presence of elves any more than they know when humans are nearby. So why would you tell me that? And later, you said that you and Daniel were covered by a glamor that only lasted a short time, but there really aren't such things as glamors, are there?”
Ethmira's face showed her dawning understanding as Simon spoke and she smiled wryly when he was finished.
“So that is why you thought I was a traitor, because you believed I lied to you,” she said flatly.
“More or less.”
“Well, when we first met, I wasn't sure of you. I knew only what Daniel had told me; that you were his friend, that you were trustworthy and that you needed some help. That's why I crossed over with the key to his box that you discovered. You are quite correct when you say that dragons can't sense us, but they can sense magic being used. And when we open a portal between our two worlds, a huge surge of magic takes place as the energy moves from one world to the next.”
She made a vague gesture at the room around them.
“Our ancient world has very little magic now, Simon, and so when we open the way, the power is sucked into this world from yours. And dragons can sense that quite easily, I'm afraid. So when I journeyed to meet with you the first time, I drew the attention of the primal black dragon by entering your world. And when I opened the portal for the return trip, that pinpointed my location exactly. That is why the dragon appeared and why it almost caught me.”
“And the glamor?”
Ethmira laughed and shook her head, looking at Daniel fondly.
“My friend, sometimes I wish that you could actually use magic. There are so many things you do not understand.”
He looked surprised.
“Such as?”
“Such as the fact that elves may not cast magic, but we are magic. And we have a natural camouflage that we call a glamor that we can trigger when scouting or going into battle. No, it does not shield us from dragons; as Simon said, those creatures cannot sense us magically. But it does give us some protection. It confuses the eye, makes us harder to target and to hit. Unfortunately, it does not last that long.”
She turned to look back at the wizard.
“When we aided you in your battle with both the primal black and white dragons, we used our glamor abilities each time. It probably kept more of us alive that might otherwise have died. And if we use a glamor when others are nearby, like I did with Daniel the time I brought him over to meet with you, they are imbued with it as well.”
“Oh for the love of...” Daniel said in exasperation. “Why didn't you explain that to me?”
“You never asked, my friend. Why didn't you ask us?”
“Miscommunication, obviously. Damn. I am so sorry for doubting you, Ethmira,” Simon said. His sense of relief was like a breath of fresh air. He had been fond of the elf from the moment he'd met her and knowing that she hadn't betrayed her own people was incredibly comforting.
“There is still one thing left to clear up,” Liliana said, her voice still hinting at suspicion.
Ethmira looked at her calmly.
“Of course. Whatever you'd like to know.”
“The elders,” the paladin said harshly. “Your elders were ambushed and killed while being taken secretly to a place of safety.” She looked around the room. “Here, I assume. How did the dragons find them?”
And now Ethmira truly looked grieved. She made a helpless motion and sat back in her chair, her delicate features becoming pale.
“They did it themselves,” she said in a voice barely louder than a whisper.
“What? But why..?”
“It was against all of our protests,” the elf continued. “They gathered those of us who had positions of command and stated their case. If the primal brown dragon could be convinced that the most powerful of all of our people had been destroyed, it would let down its guard, its suspicions would fade and it would be ripe for an attack. They also made sure that they took as many of the lesser dragons with them as possible That not only decimated the ranks of the dragons, it also helped convince the primal that it had killed off its greatest threats. Now it rests, smug in the knowledge that the elves will soon be conquered and this world made its own. After that, it plans to rejoin the primal red on your world, likely thinking it can force one of my people into opening a portal for it.”
“I still don't understand,” the paladin said. “If you mean to seal this world and trap the dragons here, why would the elders sacrifice themselves? It makes no sense.”
Ethmira turned her head heavily and looked directly at Simon.
“Because of him,” she said simply.
Simon gasped in shock and then jumped up so quickly that he knocked his chair over.
“Me? They died because of me? What are you saying?”
“Be easy, my friend,” the elf said with a reassuring gesture. “I'm not blaming you for their deaths. I am saying that they had enough hope and faith in you that they willingly sacrificed themselves believing that you might be able to save this world. Sealing the realm is a last resort, and we will do it if we have to, but the elders hoped
, with your history of victories over the primal dragons, that you might have a plan to destroy the brown dragons that would allow our lands to remain free.”
Simon righted his chair and sat down heavily, feeling as if someone had knocked the wind out of him.
“So my question, sir wizard, is this: do you have a plan to kill the primal brown dragon?”
The wizard looked around the table from face to face. Virginia and her friends were watching him hopefully. Liliana was stone-faced but alert and Daniel simply smiled at him compassionately, knowing him well enough to be able to guess at his feelings.
Finally he looked at Ethmira. They locked eyes and the question seemed to hover over them like a spell waiting to be cast.
He sighed and nodded.
“Yes, I do,” he said quietly.
Eric and Gerard cheered and Anna clapped her hands excitedly. Daniel nodded approvingly while the paladin simply closed her eyes with relief.
Virginia leaned toward him across the table and searched his face with her eyes.
“You don't have a lot of conviction in your voice, my friend,” she told him. “How good is this plan of yours?”
“Honestly? I think it's insane,” Simon told her with a shrug. “But it may have a chance, thanks to what Ethmira just told me about the elders and the possible state of mind of the primal brown right now.”
He emptied his glass, refilled it and drank thirstily. His mouth and throat had dried up completely.
“What does the dragon's state of mind have to do with anything?” Daniel asked with a frown.
“If there's one thing I've learned from facing the first three primal dragons is that they are arrogant beyond belief,” Simon told him. “That's not surprising, I suppose, considering how ancient and powerful they are. And now, if the primal brown believes that there are no more significant threats to it and its followers, maybe we can use that to lure it into a trap.”
“A trap,” Liliana repeated flatly. “You expect to be able to trap a monster that's bigger than one of the old jumbo jets? Well, my friend, I'll give you points for nerve, at least.”
“Thanks,” he replied with a grin at her expression of disbelief. “It's good to have your support.”
The paladin gave him a grudging smile.
“So what do you want to do, Simon?” Ethmira asked him. “We won't be safe here for long. It's possible that draconic scouts might have spotted Pharra when she brought you here; they do pass over this section of the forest on occasion.”
As if to reinforce her statement, a distant sound echoed through the room from the corridor. It was a high-pitched screech that Simon couldn't identify.
Everyone looked around and Anna shuddered.
“What was that?” she asked in a small voice. “A dragon?”
“I don't know,” Ethmira said and stood up abruptly. “Let's find out, shall we?”
The entire group got up and shuffled around the table to the door. The elf led the way back toward the main cavern and they all entered and moved to stand in the center of the large space, listening intently.
The sunlight filtering through the holes in the ceiling was cut off for a second and then brightened again and everyone looked up.
“Something just flew by over the hill,” Ethmira said tensely.
Another screech rang out, this one from above them. It was cut off abruptly and then a deafening roar echoed through the cavern and Anna and Gerard clapped their hands over their ears.
“Dragon,” Liliana spat and scowled upward as if she could see through solid rock.
“Dragon, yes,” Daniel said but then he cocked his head to one side, looking perplexed. “But something else as well. It sounds like there's a battle going on up there.”
Ethmira looked at the group.
“Can any of you use a bow?” she asked hurriedly.
“I can,” Eric volunteered. “I've gone out with the other hunters after game.”
“Excellent. Anyone else?”
“I prefer the sword, but I can use a bow if the situation calls for it,” Liliana told her, sounding less than enthusiastic about it.
“Good. Could you both come with me, please? I have a cache of weapons stored near the meeting room. If we are facing dragons, lady paladin, I doubt that your sword will be of much use. A bow, especially one of elven make, can penetrate even a dragon's hide.”
Liliana's eyes lit up at the thought and she smiled grimly.
“Lead the way,” she said and the three of them hurried from the room.
“I'm going out to the entrance to see what's going on,” Simon told the rest of the group. “Daniel, I don't mean to be insulting, but your...physical condition slows you down, so if you would, I'd like you to remain here until I get back.”
“He means I'm an old man,” Daniel said grumpily.
Virginia chuckled but looked at him sympathetically.
“Fine, I'll wait here. Keep your dead down.”
“I will,” the wizard replied with a wink. “Be back in a bit.”
He glanced quickly at Virginia, Anna and Gerard and nodded and then trotted out of the cavern and down the tunnel toward the entrance.
When he spotted daylight ahead, Simon slowed down and cautiously crept forward, looking up until he got a glimpse of blue sky through the branches of the trees. He stopped just inside the tunnel and scanned the forest, looking for any movement.
Everything was quiet but he felt a sense of unease. The trees seemed to be engulfed in a brooding silence and the wizard instinctively held up his staff and rattled off the incantation for his Shield spell.
“Invectis,” he whispered and saw the air around him quiver in response. Then he looked up again, watching the sky.
Sometimes instinct is all we have to rely on, Simon thought later when he'd had a chance to reflect on why he cast a shield at that exact moment. But whether accident, fate or sheer dumb luck, it saved his life that day.
He heard a hollow, reverberating sound above his head and to the left, like wind being sucked up through a massive tube and turned to see what the sound was.
A huge gout of black, smoking liquid sprayed down over him, drenching the rocky walls and the sandy ground and sending up intense fumes of gray smoke. It was followed by a massive roar and the huge head of a brown dragon shot down toward him, its mouth gaping open.
All Simon saw was row upon row of six-inch fangs as he reacted by throwing himself backwards down the tunnel. The dragon's head slammed into the gap in the rock and filled the space from one side to the other. It squirmed and snapped at him in a frantic effort to reach him and green blood ran down the sides of its scaly head as it tore skin off in an effort to rip him apart.
The wizard scrambled backwards on his hands and then rolled over and leaped up. He managed to get his legs under him and staggered back toward the cavern just as the dragon vomited more acid at him, fortunately coming up short, but leaving the ground pitted with holes and smoking craters as the liquid ate its way through the sandy surface.
As he turned a corner of the tunnel, Simon's shield flickered, spluttered a bit and then collapsed in a shower of sparks. The acid bath had been too much for it but it had done its job and saved his life.
Without his shield, the smoke and stench from the acid attack burned his lungs and the wizard staggered into the cavern hacking and coughing, his stomach threatening to spew its contents everywhere.
“My God, Simon, what happened?” Virginia cried out.
The group rushed forward and Gerard and Virginia each took an arm and helped the wizard to move to the nearest wall and slide down it. He sat on the sandy ground and leaned forward, coughing violently for a few minutes while Virginia gently patted his back.
“Anna,” Daniel said. “Could you go into that alcove there and get Simon some water please?”
She looked at him with wide, frightened eyes but nodded and hurried away, seemingly happy to have something to do. While she was gone, Simon finally caught his bre
ath and then leaned back against the wall, sucking in deep breaths of fresh air.
“What's happened?” Ethmira called out as she, Liliana and Gerard entered the cavern. All three were carrying bows and had quivers of arrows strapped to their hips.
They hurried over to join the others standing around Simon, while Anna reappeared and pushed through the group to offer the wizard a cup of water.
“Thanks,” he gasped and took a few tentative sips, afraid that it might set off another round of coughing. But the cool liquid soothed his throat and settled his stomach and he emptied the cup before trying to speak.
“Dragon attack,” he was finally able to say in a raspy voice. “At the entrance. It was waiting in ambush.”
“In ambush?” Ethmira repeated in disbelief.
Simon nodded.
“But then, that means they know we're here,” she continued.
“They must have followed us, somehow,” Virginia said, shaking her head. “Damn it.”
“But how? We didn't see any dragons on the way,” Anna said tremulously.
“They could easily have been lurking in the trees beneath you as you flew over,” Daniel told them. “Easily. These brown dragons are sly, intelligent. And apparently,” he looked down at Simon, “patient. Instead of trying to break into these caves, they planned an ambush, made some noise above us to flush us out and simply waited to spring it. Crafty buggers.”
Simon leaned back against the wall, braced his hands on it and pushed himself up. As he staggered, Eric stepped forward and held his arm until he regained his balance.
“Thanks,” he told the tall young man, who only smiled tightly in reply.
“Sir wizard, I am beyond pleased that you survived that ambush,” Liliana told him. “But exactly how did you do that?”
Simon shrugged and futilely ran a hand through his short hair.
“Instinct? Experience? No idea. But for some reason, I cast a Shield spell just as I reached the exit. Saved my life.”
Tales from the New Earth: Volume One Page 157