The Dragons Return

by J. J. Thompson

  “Accept this gift from my people and me. It may answer your questions about Daniel. And I think it could help in the days ahead.”

  He looked down at the pouch and then back at Ethmira.

  “Thank you for the tea, young wizard. Remember me.”

  She turned and, before Simon could say anything, she was gone. She ran across the clearing so quickly that he could hardly tell where she had entered the forest. He just stood there and stared.

  After a few minutes he gave himself a little shake. He felt like he was waking from a dream.

  He looked down at the leather pouch and weighed it in his hand. It was flat and felt empty. He was hesitant about opening it, perhaps fearing that it would break the spell that he seemed to be under; the one that made him believe that, for a short time, he had spoken with an elvish maiden.

  Chapter 5

  The afternoon light was fading and a coolness in the air hinted at rain. Simon looked up expecting to see clouds massing over his head. The vegetables could use a good soaking, he thought. But the sky above the tower was the clear blue of early afternoon. Except for a few wisps of cloud, there was nothing there.

  Simon glanced around the clearing and then looked up again. It was definitely cooler and darker but it wasn’t caused by clouds. What is going on, he wondered.

  He heard something. It was more of a low vibration in the air than an actual sound at first. Like the beginning rumble of thunder but lower and constant. The ground shook slightly. Earthquake? We haven’t had one of those for years, he thought.

  And then the darkness descended and became almost total. A wind that seemed to blow straight down from the heavens slammed Simon to his knees. The rumble ramped up into a bellow of sound and he clapped his hands to his ears, futilely trying to block it out. He looked up at the blackened sky.

  Suddenly a shape blocked out what was left of the light. It was massive beyond imagining and moving at terrific speed. It passed over the tower in just a moment and yet to Simon it seemed to last an eternity.

  He saw a flash of huge wings, a black, scaly body and a head on a serpentine neck in which gigantic eyes burned like twin suns. And then it was gone, in the same direction as Ethmira. A stinking wind filled with soot chased after it.

  Simon cowered on the ground, not daring to move. The light returned to the world and a few notes of bird song broke the absolute silence that had descended on the area after the darkness. He could hear his tower creaking and grinding slightly as it settled back on its foundation. His panicked breathing was echoing loudly in his ears.

  Slowly his heartbeat shifted down to a more regular rhythm and he got weakly to his feet.

  “It was a dragon,” he said aloud. “Son of a bitch. It was a bloody dragon!”

  He knew that they were big. The one he had seen flying over Ottawa had looked large. Was it the same one? But he had had no point of reference when it was flying across an empty sky. Now though…he could not even estimate how large it really was. At least as big as the old seven-forty-sevens, he thought. How could something like that fly? How could it even exist?

  Simon looked up again, but all he saw now was the clear blue of a late spring sky with soft white clouds slowly tumbling across it.

  He thought of Ethmira. Had the monster been after her as she had feared? Had she managed to make it back to the Elven kingdom? He had no idea of how she would enter there or how far it was. Certainly it could not be a coincidence that the dragon would pass over his home so soon after she had left. In fact, it was the first time that he had seen the beast in this part of the country. And to see it this close! It would take him a long time to digest what he had experienced.

  He turned back toward the tower and saw Kronk standing in the open doorway. He stared at the little elemental for a moment.

  “Kronk, do you know what just happened?”

  The small figure shuffled out to the top step of the stairs. “Yes master, I know.”

  Simon sighed in frustration. He always had to pull information out of the little guy.

  “Well, what was it?”

  Kronk lifted his arms to the sky and then spread them wide. “Dragon, master. Black dragon passed over us.” He tilted his head toward Simon. “It did not see you.”

  Simon was startled. “It didn’t see me? How do you know?”

  The elemental shrugged. “You are still alive, master.”

  Just so, Simon thought. Like Ethmira said. He walked back to the steps, climbed up and sat beside Kronk. He settled his robe more comfortably, pulling it down to cover his spindly ankles.

  “You know, I'm not really sure if I believe in all this gods and magic stuff.” He looked down at Kronk. “Ethmira said that you were around back then. Can you tell me about it? About Atlantis, I mean.”

  The little stone figure looked up at Simon and he was again amazed at how much expression could be read on that rocky face. Even with just two holes for eyes and a slit for a mouth, Kronk’s face could say a lot. Right now he looked almost wistful.

  “They were good days, master. Before the end. Even though some of those that summoned my brethren and me were not kind, most of the time it was good.”

  “Not kind?” Simon was surprised by the statement. “In what way?”

  “Oh, not in a bad way, master, not really. But children can be mean-spirited once in a while. That is all that I meant. They would play pranks on others using us to do the deeds.” Kronk paused, then continued, sounding a bit sad. “When you play a prank on those who use magic, sometimes they react with more power than they should.”

  Simon was confused by that cryptic statement.

  “Meaning what?” he asked.

  “Some of my kind were destroyed from time to time.” Kronk shook his head. “It was believed by some that elementals had no feelings, or that little ones like me were not developed enough to feel pain or grief.” He looked up at Simon again. “They were mistaken.”

  The wizard nodded. “I won’t make that mistake, I assure you.” He sighed then laughed a little. “It sounds like I really am just a beginner in this new world, if children used to summon elementals like you. I guess I have a long way to go.”

  “You will learn fast, master. I think you have a gift for this.” Kronk stood up and took a step toward Simon. “I am not smart like some others of my kind but I feel,” he reached out and tapped Simon’s shoulder, “a power in you. It is more intense than many I knew back then. Stronger.” He stepped back and watched Simon.

  “Um, I have to say that you certainly seem smart to me.” The elemental just shrugged. “Anyway,” Simon continued, “can you tell me what happened back then? At the end?”

  Kronk turned away and then started to walk back and forth a few steps. Simon was fascinated. He recognized a habit of his own that he fell into when he was thinking deeply about some problem. He wondered if the elemental picked up the habits of those he served.

  “I remember a great confusion, master. The city was surrounded by the sea and protected by great walls of stone. On the last day, there was an earthquake. The walls fell, the sea rushed in. All the great spires and towers collapsed.” He kept walking back and forth, tap-tapping on the stone steps. “I knew the moment that my master died.” He stopped and looked at Simon. “We are freed when that happens. As I was drawn back to the earthen plane, the last thing I saw was a wall of water, littered with bodies and rubble.” He shrugged. “That is all, master.”

  Simon got up and walked down the steps. Kronk hopped down each one and walked beside him. His little legs moved rapidly as he tried to keep up to Simon’s pace.

  They walked around the base of the tower. Simon was deep in thought.

  “You can’t tell me any more?” he asked as they rounded the tower and walked down the gentle slope to the lake.

  “No. I am sorry, master.”

  The little guy looked up at Simon and promptly tripped over a protruding tree root. Simon stopped and waited while the elemental picked himself up.
He had learned early on that Kronk did not like to be helped up when he tripped. Which he did. A lot.

  They began walking again. Then Kronk stopped, turned and kicked the root. He didn’t say anything, just hurried to catch up to Simon who pretended not to notice.

  The lake was calm today, with hardly a ripple on its surface. The air was still. Simon walked to the edge of the water and squatted down, watching the little minnows darting about in the shallow water. Except for some scattered bird song, it was very quiet. Kronk sat down on the wet sand close to the water.

  “We little ones never saw much of the city, master. So I can’t tell you what it looked like close up. Just the towers and walls that I saw from a distance.”

  “Why didn’t you see the city?” Simon kept staring at the water. It gave him a sense of peace and calmed him. He needed that right now.

  Kronk reached out and splashed the water lightly. “We were just practice, master. We were not companions, not servants, the way I am to you.” He looked at Simon. “This is truly the first time that I have ever felt really useful.”

  Simon looked down at the elemental and smiled. “You are useful. You help in the garden. You give me clues when I try to make sense out of this magic stuff. You keep me company.” He hesitated a moment, then said “You talk to me, Kronk. Just having someone to talk to, I think, has kept me sane these past three years.” His smile widened. “You are very useful. It’s just too bad that your masters back then never knew that.”

  Kronk shrugged, a quick motion of his tiny shoulders. “They had no need, master. We were just steps in their magical training. When the students grew beyond the skill needed to summon us, we were dismissed back to our realm. There was no more to it than that.”

  He looked at the tiny minnows that Simon had seen. Then he picked up a tiny stone and tossed it into the water. The minnows scattered, moving so quickly that they were out of sight in seconds. He sighed.

  “Actually, master, I have spoken more with you in the time that I have served you than all the other masters I ever had put together. I think I like it.”

  Simon was moved. Something in the almost monotone tone of Kronk’s voice made Simon think that the little guy was, perhaps, happy. He was trying to think of some reply when Kronk pointed at the pocket of Simon’s robe.

  “Aren’t you going to open the elf’s gift, master?”

  Simon stared at him. The gift? Oh right, the pouch! How the heck could he forget that?

  He stood up, reached into his pocket and took out the flat pouch. It was sealed with several knotted leather cords and it took Simon a few minutes to untie them. Then he opened the pouch and felt around inside. He touched a small, metallic object and pulled it out, showing it to Kronk.

  “It is a key, master.” The little elemental sounded faintly surprised.

  “Yes, it’s a key. And I’ll bet it fits that box I found at Daniel’s place.” He shook his head in confusion. “But how did they know I would find the box? How did they know I have it now? How…” Simon sighed in exasperation. “More damned mysteries. My life has turned into one big state of confusion.”

  He slipped the pouch back into his pocket, but held on to the key. Then he looked down at Kronk.

  “Well, my little friend, let’s go see if this thing actually opens that box.”

  They walked quickly back to the tower. As Simon entered, he realized that the box had been in plain sight the entire time that the elf was there. It was sitting in the middle of his kitchen table.

  And she hadn’t say a word, he thought. I wonder why.

  He sat down at the table and pulled the metal box toward him. Kronk grabbed the back of another chair, quickly climbed up, jumped on to the table and walked over to the box, waiting.

  Simon took a deep breath and slowly put the key into the lock. It was a perfect fit. He felt a wave of anticipation flood through him. Finally, he thought, some answers. He swallowed nervously. I hope.

  He turned the key and heard the snap as the box was unlocked. Then he lifted the thick metal lid and looked inside. Kronk leaned over and looked in as well.

  A chemical smell, reminiscent of kerosene, made Simon pull his head back. He coughed and his eyes watered. He waited a moment for the smell to dissipate then looked into the box again.

  He saw a bundle wrapped in some sort of heavy paper. He picked it up and the paper slipped in his hand. It felt greasy as if it had been soaked in oil.

  Daniel’s booby-trap, he thought. He carefully unwrapped the bundle and put the oily paper to one side. The paper had been wrapped around a leather-bound notebook. Tied to the back of the notebook by a thick cord was a large, folded piece of parchment. The paper was very thick and yellowed with age.

  Simon unwrapped the cord and set the paper aside. The book was a simple brown leather notebook. There was no writing on the outside. Several dark stains had soaked into the leather.

  “It looks like blood,” Simon said. The elemental reached out and touched the book.

  “It is blood, master,” he said. “I can feel the minerals in the stain.”

  “Really? I didn’t know you could do that!”

  Kronk shrugged. “All of my brethren can sense metals and minerals, master.”

  “Makes sense, I guess,” Simon muttered. He laid the notebook flat on the table and Kronk moved around so that he was standing by Simon’s shoulder.

  Simon looked at him. “Can you read, Kronk?”

  “Yes, of course, master.” Kronk stared at the book with obvious interest.

  Well, this is certainly a day of surprises, he thought. He opened the book.

  Inside the cover was a folded piece of paper. He pulled it out and opened it. It was a short note written in Daniel’s distinctive script.

  Simon noticed that his hand was shaking. He took a deep breath and began to read:

  Dear Simon:

  I’m writing this note in haste. I’m being hunted and have to get out of the city quickly. But I couldn’t leave without writing to you in the hope that one day you will come back to Ottawa and perhaps find this box in the house where we enjoyed so many happy hours. In the box I am leaving you the notebook that I have used as my journal over the past few years. I have copied every bit of lore that I found in my travels into it. Perhaps some of these bits of spells, runes and glyphs can help you in your new life. I’m also leaving you a parchment that contains four runes that I believe are of master level; one for each of the four elements. Use them with caution and only when you feel you are ready

  I wish I had more time! But I have to go, now. Just know that I’m alive and well, at least at the moment. I have not Changed but I think I may be able to avoid the fate suffered by most of humanity. We’ll see. Take care, old friend. I hope we’ll meet again one day.

  Daniel.

  Simon stared at the note for a long moment and then turned it over. The back was blank. He read the note again. Then he slammed it on to the table.

  “Damn it!” he said loudly. “That’s it? A few lousy lines? What good is that?”

  He caught his breath and squeezed his eyes shut for a minute. His disappointment was almost painful. He drew a long shaky breath and opened his eyes. Kronk was standing in front of him, staring up into his face.

  “Master? Are you all right?”

  Simon reached out and lightly patted the little guy’s shoulder.

  “Yes, my friend. Or rather, I will be. It’s just that…I felt I was finally close to learning something about Daniel’s fate and now…” He shrugged. “Now, I’m back to where I started, aren’t I?”

  Kronk shook his head. “No, master, you are not,” he said firmly.

  “What?”

  “You are not back where you started, master. You have learned that your friend survived the destruction of the city. You have learned that he has not Changed as you have but that he knew how dangerous it was to be a true human and perhaps had a way to save himself.” Kronk touched the paper that Simon had set aside. “And
you have learned that your friend knew that you were on the path to becoming a wizard.”

  He considered this. Kronk made some good points. Since Simon still had no idea of exactly how Daniel had known that the city was going to be attacked, then it was quite possible that he had also known what Simon was Changing into.

  “You’re right. It’s not much but still, it gives me some hope that my friend survived. But is he still alive now? That’s what I’d really like to know.” Simon picked up the parchment and slowly unfolded it. It was thick but more fragile than it looked and he opened it carefully.

  Once opened, the square paper was only about a foot across. Its surface was stained and water-marked but still quite legible. In each quadrant, separated by the deep folds in the parchment, was a runic symbol.

  Simon looked at each one keenly but recognized none of them. If they were runes of power for the four elements, he certainly didn’t know which one was which. Kronk was looking at the symbols intently.

  “Well Kronk, I can only guess that this blocky looking one in the upper right is Earth, but as for these others…”

  Kronk knelt down in front of the parchment and touched each rune in turn, starting with the one that Simon had guessed was Earth.

  “Fire, Earth, Water, Air,” he said, tapping each one in turn. He looked at Simon. “That is what they represent, master.”

  Simon blinked. “Um, are you sure?” he asked doubtfully.

  “Oh yes, master. I do not know what they mean, but their elemental power shines brightly to my eyes.”

  He decided to accept the little guy’s word. After all, if an elemental didn’t know the difference, who would? Somehow though, that thought wasn’t very reassuring.

  “Well, at least now I know which power each one represents. How to use them is another story entirely.”

  Simon folded up the parchment again and looked back at the book.

  The first page was still facing him and he examined it and then skimmed through the book, curious to see what notes Daniel had made in his travels.