The Dragons Return

by J. J. Thompson

Simon walked back to where his notes were piled on the grass.

  “You mean there are better versions of the spell?” he asked the elemental as he picked up the sheaf of papers.

  “Certainly. All spells can be upgraded as their casters become better at their trade, so to speak.”

  “I'll remember that.”

  Simon sat down on the grass and Aeris landed in front of him. They both stared at the scattered debris for a moment and then Simon felt his skin begin to tingle again.

  The gray bumps began fading and disappeared very quickly.

  “Doesn't last very long, does it?” he said to the elemental.

  Aeris smiled. “That too will increase as your powers do.”

  “Good. Now, can you tell me how things went on your mission?”

  “Of course.”

  Aeris hesitated, gathering his thoughts and Simon relaxed while he waited.

  He wasn't as tired after casting two spells in a row as he expected to be and wondered if it had anything to do with having his true name on his person.

  He adjusted his belt unconsciously and then stretched out his legs. The sun was very warm now and the scent of the grass was sweet.

  “I went to visit Heather, the witch, first, as you suggested,” Aeris began. “You'd be amazed at how the place has changed.”

  “Really? What's different?”

  “Well, apparently she's not naïve and has taken steps to make her home more secure. The field around her cottage is now choked with brambles and vines, all of which have thorns that are very long and razor-sharp. I doubt that any creature except for one like myself could even reach her without her permission.”

  Simon thought about that. Heather had said she was an herb witch. He hadn't really known what she had meant, until now. Obviously she had power over plants that mirrored his power over the elements. Interesting.

  “But you did manage to speak to her, didn't you?” he asked Aeris.

  “Oh yes. It was an easy task to fly over her barrier but I did not want to be rude or startle her, so I called out at the edge of her gardens, just inside the brambles. Once I explained who I was and why I was there, we had a long conversation about what's been going on.”

  He looked keenly at Simon.

  “Like yourself, she prefers solitude and had no interest in moving south to join the cleric and her people. But she is willing to begin trading herbs for staples like flour and meat.”

  “Well, that's something, anyway,” Simon said.

  “Yes. At any rate, I took some herbs with me when I left to journey to Clara's village. The cleric was very pleased and asked me to return to the witch with some supplies, which I did. That is why it took me longer to return than expected.” He looked a bit anxiously at Simon. “Do you approve?”

  “Of course I do,” Simon said with a chuckle. “It was very diplomatic of you to assist them and I appreciate that.”

  Aeris looked relieved.

  “I'm glad. Now then, let me tell you what happened during my visit to the village.”

  While Aeris was speaking, Simon wrote out his new spell for his spell book and labeled it 'Meteor'.

  “Go ahead,” he said a bit absently. “I'm listening.”

  “Well, Clara was quite naturally upset about the news that the true human village had been destroyed. She asked me, with your permission of course, if I would search the surrounding area to see if any of the Changlings could be located. If so, she'd like to arrange for them to make their way to her village.”

  Simon looked up at Aeris.

  “Do you want to? It could be risky, especially if any of those drakes you mentioned are still in the area.” He remembered what Aeris had told him about the river, and its new inhabitants. “And even if you do find any survivors, how would you get them back? Crossing the river sounds almost impossible.”

  Aeris smiled a bit.

  “One thing at a time. Yes, I'm willing to look for them. I hold out little hope, to be honest. They were virtual slaves before the true humans were destroyed and I doubt that they have the skills or knowledge to survive in the wild. But you never know. As for the drakes,” he shrugged, “I have never confronted one of them, but I'm fairly sure that they could not sense me when I'm invisible.”

  Simon shook a finger at him.

  “Don't be overconfident, my friend. Minions of dragons may have powers that we know nothing about. Be more than careful when you're searching.” He put the new spell aside. “So, did Clara have anything else to say?”

  Aeris laughed lightly.

  “She suggested that it would be safer for you to move to her village, at least temporarily. I told her that I didn't think you would, but that I would pass on the invitation.”

  “You're right. I have no interest in joining a community. I like it here. It's my home.”

  He looked over his shoulder at the walled tower.

  “And to be frank about it, I doubt that Clara's place is any safer than mine, now that we have the wall up and the enchantments on it.”

  “I agree, Simon,”

  Aeris rose to shoulder height as Simon stood up and brushed some blades of grass off of his robe.

  “So, if I have your permission, I'd like to leave now and see if I can find any of those Changlings.”

  “Right now?” Simon asked, startled.

  “The sooner the better.” Aeris' tone was sober. “If any are still alive, then time is not on their side. If I find anyone, I'll return and let you know and maybe we can work out a way to get them to Clara's place.”

  “Okay. That makes sense.”

  Before Aeris could take off, Simon raised a cautionary hand.

  “I want you back in one piece, Aeris. You're part of my little family now. You and Kronk and the horses. So don't take any unnecessary risks. Just get there, do the search and get back. Okay?”

  Aeris watched him silently for a long moment, bobbing up and down in the light breeze. Finally he smiled widely.

  “Me? Take risks? Of course not. I'll get back as soon as I can. And Simon...”

  He hesitated and then shrugged.

  “Thank you. I've never been part of a family before. I think I like it. See you soon.”

  With that, Aeris waved and disappeared with a little pop.

  Simon smiled to himself as he realized that he'd spoken the truth. Between Kronk and Aeris, as well as the horses, he now had a family. And he felt responsible for them.

  But we certainly are a weird bunch, he thought with amusement.

  Chapter 14

  The following day, Simon woke up with a massive headache. He spent the first part of the morning groaning occasionally as the pain took its time subsiding.

  Oh for some aspirin, he thought more than once as he puttered around the kitchen, wincing at the sound of Kronk's footsteps as he walked in from outside.

  “Something wrong, master?” the little guy asked anxiously when he'd made his way to the tabletop.

  “Headache,” Simon said shortly. He sat at the table sipping tea slowly.

  I'd kill for a cup of coffee, he thought, missing his favorite beverage even more than usual.

  “You overdid it yesterday, master,” Kronk told him, sounding less than sympathetic. “Did I not warn you at lunch that you were pushing yourself too hard?”

  Simon looked at him in exasperation.

  “I have to push it. You know that. If the dragon is sending its minions to ravage the countryside and they show up here, I have to be ready.” He groaned again. “Well, as ready as I can be. So I have to learn more spells faster. That's the reality.”

  Kronk crossed his arms and looked up at him.

  “And if you are too exhausted to fight, what then? Forgive me, master, but I have seen wizards who have overreached themselves. They become ill, easy targets for sickness. They loose weight and are always tired.” He became thoughtful. “That is not so bad when there are other wizards to take on their duties, but you are only one. One wizard alone can only do so
much.”

  “Yeah, yeah. You know, Kronk, you're doing a wonderful impression of my late mother right now. She was a master at guilt trips too.”

  “What is a guilt trip, master?” the elemental asked, puzzled.

  Simon laughed at the question and then grabbed his head with both hands and moaned.

  “Never mind,” he said mumbled through the pounding in his skull. “God, I've had hangovers that were more pleasant than this.”

  “A wizard's mind is the source of his power. When you overwork it, this is the result.”

  Kronk stared at Simon sternly for a minute, then walked over and patted his arm.

  “Forgive me, master. I am not unsympathetic to your pain. Perhaps when Aeris returns you can ask him to speak to Heather and see if she has any willow bark tea to trade. I seem to remember that it is a pain reliever of some sort.”

  “It is?” Simon asked hopefully. “Good. I'll remember that.”

  He stood up, slowly, and made more tea.

  “So what were the results from yesterday, master? You stumbled to bed last night before I had a chance to ask.”

  Simon sat down again, momentarily forgetting his pain.

  “Three new spells, Kronk. Three! One was Meteor, at least that's what Aeris called it. Another one actually knocked me on my ass, quite frankly, with a gust of wind out of nowhere. It sounds lame, but I'm calling it Wind for now. I'm guessing Aeris may know what it's really called, since he's an air elemental.”

  He paused and thought about the third spell. He'd simply tossed together several runes and added another that he'd found in Daniel's book. Damned if he knew what it meant, but he had been able to read it out loud.

  “What about the third spell, master?” Kronk asked eagerly.

  “I'm not sure. I know it worked, but I don't know if the results were only in my mind or not. I was quite tired by the time I cast it.”

  “What happened?”

  Simon sipped some tea and laughed uneasily.

  “Well, it sounds a bit nuts but...I think I heard Clara. She was speaking to someone about something unimportant, really. Having a chat about...sheep? I think it was sheep.” He looked at Kronk and shrugged. “It seems absurd, I know, but it sounded like she was standing next to me, talking the way you and I are right now. Weird, eh?”

  Kronk actually looked excited, which was unusual for him.

  “But master, that is wonderful!”

  “It is? Hearing voices is wonderful? Sounds like I'm cracking up a bit actually.”

  “No, no, no! I know this spell. You may call it whatever you wish, of course, but in the old days it was called Magic Mouth.”

  Simon had to laugh.

  “You're kidding, right? Magic Mouth? What's that even mean?”

  “It was a way for wizards to communicate over long distances. I'm not an expert, but I would guess that you thought of the cleric as you cast the spell, so that is who you heard.” Kronk grinned at him. “Don't you see how important this is, master? Now you will be able to speak to anyone you wish, wherever they are.”

  He paused for a moment and tapped his chin a few times.

  “Anyone you have actually met in person, that is. I believe that is how it works.”

  Simon felt a surge of excitement that pushed aside the last remnants of his headache.

  “Okay, wait a second. You're saying that this spell will let me talk to anyone I know regardless of where they are?”

  “Precisely, master. Anyone, at any time. But I would suggest that it is bad manners to wake someone in the middle of the night, unless it is an emergency.”

  Simon chuckled.

  “Yeah, kind of like calling someone on the telephone and waking them up.”

  “What is a telephone, master?” Kronk asked curiously.

  “Never mind. It's gone the way of computers and airplanes. Old technology.”

  He stood up and stretched slowly, then grinned down at Kronk.

  “I think I'll test out this Magic Mouth spell. Aeris has been gone since yesterday and I'm a little concerned. Come up to the study and let's see if we can contact him.

  Simon headed for the stairs and Kronk jumped down and followed him.

  “Are you sure you are rested enough, master? Perhaps you should wait for a while.”

  “It wasn't a complicated spell, my friend,” Simon said as he climbed the stairs. “Just confusing. It didn't really take much effort to cast, actually. I think it was that Wind spell that sucked the energy out of me. Good spell though. I think with some refinement, I could knock over a whole group of people at once.”

  They entered the study and Simon opened the shutters to let in the sunlight. It blazed in, causing him to wince, but at least it lit up the entire room and saved him using a candle.

  He grabbed his pile of spells and sat down at the desk. Kronk hopped up and stood near him.

  “Here it is,” Simon said as he shuffled through the pile. He wrote 'Magic Mouth' at the top of the page.

  “So do I just have to think of whoever I want to talk to while I'm casting it?” he asked Kronk.

  “That is my understanding, master. It did seem to be a spell that most wizards had memorized at all times.”

  “Yeah, that makes sense.”

  Simon took a deep breath.

  “Okay. Here we go.”

  He read through the spell, locking in his mind and then thought of Aeris. He kept the elemental's face in his mind's eye and then chanted the spell.

  “Invectis!” he said at the end of the spell. And then he waited.

  Nothing. Nothing happened.

  Before he could say anything, Kronk interrupted him.

  “Speak to him, master. As if you were speaking to me.”

  Simon looked at him and then shrugged. He felt foolish talking to thin air but went ahead anyway.

  “Aeris? Can you hear me?”

  There was a pause.

  “Simon? Is that you?”

  He let out a whoop and grinned at Kronk.

  “It worked! Unbelievable!”

  “Excellent, master. Only you can hear him, but that is wonderful.”

  “What worked?” Aeris said. “Hold on. You discovered Magic Mouth?”

  “Obviously,” Simon said with a laugh. “Total accident, but hey, it works. I wanted to try to contact you first, considering the dangerous job you are doing.” He winked at Kronk. “So how are you doing anyway?”

  Aeris' voice lowered and he was almost whispering. It sounded like he was in the room with Simon.

  Amazing, the wizard thought.

  “Not so good, Simon,” Aeris told him quietly. Simon's excitement evaporated.

  “What do you mean? What's wrong?”

  “I found four survivors of the attack on the true human village. That's the good news. And they're remarkably healthy, considering. They've been eating berries and some roots. Raw, of course, but it's kept them going. We're at the river's edge now. And that's the problem.”

  “What is it, master? What's happening?” Kronk asked. Simon motioned for him to be patient.

  “I was actually about to leave to return to you,” Aeris continued. “I'm not sure what to do, to be honest.”

  There was a short pause.

  “Yes, it's my master,” Aeris said, apparently speaking to someone else. “Yes, I told you he was a wizard. What? You think so? That's a long walk, you know and awfully close to the city. Hmm. Fine, I'll ask.”

  Simon was listening anxiously. He wished that he'd found a spell to actually see what was happening instead of just hearing it. Somehow he doubted that such a spell existed.

  “Simon? Are you still there?”

  “Of course I'm here, Aeris. What's going on?”

  “The Changlings are all very young, in body at least, and quite frail after three years of being virtual slaves. None of them is in a position to defend themselves if we are attacked. And there are beasts roaming the countryside here. Many more than on your side of the river.
At any rate, the only method that they can think of to cross the river is for us to travel east to a bridge that spans the water near your home city of Ottawa.”

  Simon stared at Kronk, who had begun fidgeting.

  “I remember it. Actually, there were several near the city. Do you know if the bridge is still intact?”

  “I doubt it,” Aeris replied. “It is surely damaged, at least. Perhaps destroyed. But unless you can think of an alternate plan, I'll have to leave the group here and scout it out before we head in that direction.”

  There was a pause.

  “Do you have an alternate plan?” Aeris asked. He didn't sound sarcastic. Simon could tell that the air elemental was hoping that he did.

  “Hang on a minute. Let me think.”

  “Master, what is going on?” Kronk asked plaintively.

  Simon told him and the little guy looked thoughtful.

  “What is it? Do you know a way to summon a boat?” he asked Kronk humorlessly. The situation wasn't in the least bit funny and Simon wished that there was a way to do such a thing. But he didn't think so.

  “No master, not a boat.”

  Kronk looked away toward the window and then began pacing across the table.

  Back and forth. Back and forth. Simon stayed quiet. This was Kronk's way of thinking through a problem and he'd learned that the little guy was a lot smarter than he claimed.

  “Well, what do you think, Simon?” Aeris' voice asked him.

  “Hold on, Aeris. We're working on it.”

  “You are?” Aeris sounded skeptical. “Fine. We'll wait. Actually we don't have a lot of choices at the moment.”

  And there's the sarcasm I've been waiting for, Simon thought with grim amusement.

  Meanwhile Kronk was still pacing, rubbing his chin and mumbling to himself. It sounded like two stones being rubbed together.

  Finally he stopped and turned to look up at Simon.

  “You cannot summon a boat, master. No. But you can summon elementals. In fact, you have a gift for it.”

  “I do? Okay, whatever. But what good is that to us now?”

  “What good is what?” Aeris asked.

  Simon rolled his eyes. “Hang on, Aeris. Please.”

  There was a grumble but Aeris went silent again.