The Dragons of Ice and Snow

by J. J. Thompson

  Simon shrugged.

  “I guess so. The letters were absorbed into the wood, anyway. And a few...strange things happened. Whether it will help augment my powers, well, we'll see.”

  “What strange things?” Aeris asked.

  “It doesn't matter, really. I guess the next step is to test it out. But that can keep for now.”

  Simon lifted the staff off of the desk and leaned back to rest it against the window ledge behind him. He turned and looked at the air elemental.

  “Aeris, Kronk and I were discussing the possible weaknesses of the white dragons while you were gone.”

  “Were you? All right. Any conclusions?” he asked skeptically.

  Simon explained his reasoning to the elemental, based on what had happened during his battles with the black and green primal dragons.

  Halfway through, Aeris began nodding slowly. When the wizard finished, the cloudy figure had a definite look of admiration on his face.

  “You know, it never occurred to me that the dragons were their own worst enemies. Interesting, isn't it? Hmm.”

  “Exactly. The problem is, if the white dragons can be harmed by intense cold, I'm in trouble. None of my spells does that kind of damage.”

  “Really? What about your Ice Spear spell? Or Ice Storm?”

  Simon shook his head.

  “I'm not saying that those spells won't damage them, although I doubt that they will do much. I need a spell that uses intense cold, like their breath attacks, not frozen water. At a guess, I'd say their scales would be more than thick enough to block an ice spear. And the hail? Doubtful.”

  Aeris floated up and down, looking thoughtful.

  “So you need to learn an offensive spell that attacks with deep cold, is that it?”

  “Exactly.”

  “And we think you can help,” Kronk piped up.

  Aeris stared at him.

  “Me? Well, that's very complimentary, I'm sure, but I don't know any spells. No elemental does. You know that,” he said to the earthen.

  “True enough,” Kronk replied. “But we know the magic, don't we? You know how air magic works. I know how earth magic works, correct?”

  “Well, yes, but...”

  “And you know someone who understands how to use cold-based magic.”

  Aeris looked puzzled.

  “I do?”

  “Yes!” Kronk said, exasperated. “Granted, his powers are over water, but he can use cold to enhance those powers.”

  Simon watched, fascinated, as Aeris' puzzled expression turned to one of comprehension.

  “You're speaking of the water sprite, Aquamastis?”

  “Exactly,” the wizard said. “I watched him freeze an entire swath of the river during my fight with the black dragon. It had to take not just a massive amount of power, but incredibly intense cold as well.”

  “Okay, I agree. So what do you want to do, approach him and ask him how to summon the deep cold?”

  “Basically yes.”

  Simon impatiently pushed his hair off of his face and yawned suddenly. He blinked an apology at the elementals.

  “Sorry, I don't know why I'm tired. Anyway, Aeris, you've spoken with Aquamastis a few times. Do you think that he would be amenable to sharing that information?”

  To his credit, for a change the air elemental answered the question directly.

  “No, I don't,” he said with an apologetic shrug. “I don't think he would care enough to bother, to be quite honest.”

  Kronk stepped closer to Aeris, looking indignant.

  “Not care enough to bother? Who summoned him to Earth? Who gave him the river he now calls home? Our master did! Does that sprite not remember that?”

  Aeris looked taken aback by the little guy's anger and retreated a few inches.

  “No, it's not that. He appreciates Simon's aid. But he feels that helping our dear wizard defeat the primal black was his part of the bargain. In his mind, they are now even.”

  He looked up at Simon.

  “It isn't ego, really. But an elemental as powerful as Aquamastis would not share something like the key to using the deep cold magic without expecting something in return. And what can you offer him that he would want?”

  The wizard had to agree. The water elemental had been quite clear after the death of the black dragon. He'd told Simon that they were even and that was that. What could he offer Aquamastis for his knowledge? Simon felt himself deflate. Nothing. Nothing at all.

  “Relax, Kronk,” he said. The little guy's red eyes were still glowing with anger. “Aeris isn't the bad guy here. Neither is Aquamastis. It's just his nature. And you're right,” he told Aeris. “I have nothing that the sprite would want. So, I guess I'll keep researching. Maybe somewhere buried deep in Daniel's notes is a clue that I can use. I mean, it was just a thought anyway, getting help from a being that powerful. We're no worse off than we were before.”

  Kronk looked up at him, slowly cooling off as he stared at Simon.

  “You aren't upset, master?”

  “What would be the point? I just wish, I dunno, that things didn't always have to be so complicated.”

  Simon stared off into space blankly, suddenly too tired to think. He guessed that attuning the staff to himself had used up more of his energy than he'd realized it would.

  Nothing that some sleep wouldn't cure, he thought wearily.

  Kronk stood still, staring dejectedly at the desktop, his little red eyes barely glowing.

  Simon glanced at Aeris and was surprised to see the elemental smiling in a self-satisfied way, looking from the wizard to Kronk and back again.

  “Why do you look so pleased with yourself?” he asked.

  Kronk looked at Aeris curiously.

  “Why? Because, my dear wizard, you are missing a very obvious solution to your problem. That's why.”

  “Really? Pray enlighten us, oh wise one,” Simon said with a sarcastic grin. A flutter of hope swept away his fatigue and he watched the elemental intently.

  “I'll do that,” Aeris answered loftily. “Aquamastis is a very powerful water elemental, it's true. But his powers are the same as all of his kind, just as mine are and Kronk's are. The only difference is in their degree.”

  He paused as if waiting for Simon to say something, but the wizard simply looked back blankly.

  Aeris threw his arms up in the air.

  “Don't you see?” he asked impatiently. “Any water elemental knows what Aquamastis knows. Any of them.”

  A light bulb suddenly snapped on in Simon's head and it must have shown on his face because Aeris grinned broadly.

  “Ah, I believe our dear wizard has connected the dots,” he told Kronk, who looked confused.

  “I still don't understand,” he said plaintively.

  Simon knew that the little guy was very bright, but that it took him time to put things together, so before Aeris could say something that might hurt Kronk's feelings, he hurried to explain.

  “What Aeris is saying, my friend, is that if I summon a water elemental, but one of the smaller ones, like you two, he or she could tell me what I wanted to know, because all of their powers are the same.” He quickly glanced at Aeris. “Correct?”

  “Precisely. A summoned being, as you well know by now, Simon, must obey the summoner. And before you say it, I will. You don't want to order us about and you don't want to play the master. I know that. But like both Kronk and I, if you summon a water elemental and offer them their freedom, as you did for us, I have a feeling that their gratitude would be enough to convince them to help you.”

  “Of course!” Kronk crowed with sudden delight. “Aeris, that's brilliant!”

  “It is?” The air elemental stared at him, apparently lost for words.

  Simon had to turn his laugh into a cough at Aeris' look of surprise.

  “He's right. It hadn't occurred to me to ask a less powerful version of Aquamastis for help. That's a lesson for me. Thanks.”

  “Err, you're welcom
e.”

  The wizard felt re-energized and sprang up to move to his work table, grabbing his spell-book as he went.

  He stood at the table while he skimmed through the book to the well-worn page that held the Summoning spell.

  “Okay, you guys ready for some company?”

  Aeris flew over to the table while Kronk jumped down from the desk, quickly tip-tapped across the room and leaped up to join him.

  “All set,” the air elemental said calmly.

  “Ready, master,” Kronk added eagerly.

  “Good. Whoever we get, I hope they're in a good mood.”

  Neither of the little guys said anything, they just stared at the middle of the table and waited.

  Simon memorized the spell, flipped through the spell-book to the page covered with the runes of the four elements and added the minor water rune to the spell in his mind.

  He swallowed nervously. This was always the big unknown when summoning an elemental. They were people, and you never knew if you'd end up with someone with a sweet disposition like Kronk or acidic like Aeris.

  With a deep breath, Simon stared at the table and chanted the incantation. He paused a moment and added the word of command.

  “Invectis,” he said steadily. And then he waited.

  A whisper of wind slipped through the partly-open window, a humid breeze smelling of rain. It swirled around the study, ruffling the wizard's hair and stirring loose papers on his desk. And then it settled and there was a long, drawn-out moment of silence.

  A puddle bubbled up in the center of the work table, a tiny spring of clear water that spread out in a circle. It began to swirl like a small whirlpool, churning and spinning faster and faster.

  Simon watched in fascination. When he had contacted Aquamastis, before his battle with the black dragon, he had summoned him at the river. He had never seen the great elemental until the actual battle, so this process was riveting.

  Kronk and Aeris were waiting side by side, watching the summoning with interest. They exchanged several whispers and Simon wondered what they were talking about. The fact that they were speaking without arguing was gratifying and he let them have their secrets.

  A figure began to rise from the center of the small pool, absorbing the water as it grew. Finally, a man-shaped being made of water stood on the table, the same twelve inch height as the other two elementals.

  Its face was finely detailed and human-like, the features attractive but hard to see because it was as clear as glass. Its body rippled and moved constantly, as if it was holding its shape with some effort. Unlike Aeris, who also looked like a small replica of the human form, the water elemental had long locks flowing from its head, literally looking like a small stream of water pouring down and disappearing before it hit the ground.

  The elemental slowly turned and took in its surroundings. When it spotted Kronk and Aeris, it nodded once and they returned the greeting. The watery expression showed both interest and curiosity as it scanned the room and, when it had turned full circle, the elemental finally stopped and faced Simon, bowing low.

  “You summoned me, sir wizard. I am honored. Word of your deeds has reached even to the realm of water. I am very pleased to be called to your aid. What would you have of me?”

  Simon sat down at the table and smiled at the elemental. Its voice was very smooth and high-pitched and he wondered if this being identified itself as male or female.

  “Thank you for coming. Before we begin, let me introduce everyone. My name is Simon. This is Kronk and Aeris.”

  The water elemental bowed again to the wizard and smiled at the others.

  “You honor me with your names. I am Anaposus. I have heard of your interaction with Aquamastis. He is one of our great ones, a legend to us. Your reputation shines like the Sun glittering on the wide sea. Tell me, what can I do to serve you?”

  The wizard shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

  “Um, yeah, about that. As I always do before working with new elementals, I wanted you to understand the terms of our relationship.”

  “Ah, of course,” Anaposus said equably.

  Simon decided that the water elemental was female. Her voice and graceful movements were simply too feminine compared to Kronk's and Aeris'.

  “I don't want servants. Nor do I want to be anyone's master. I summoned you because I need some help, yes, but you are free to leave at any time. Whether it's right now, after you hear what I want, or down the road, it is your choice. Do you understand?”

  Anaposus' eyes widened and she looked shocked. She turned to the other two elementals as if for confirmation and they both nodded, smiling broadly at her reaction.

  “Our dear wizard is being quite honest,” Aeris said lightly. “He refuses to accept servitude from anyone. Kronk here can't seem to get out of the habit of calling him 'master', but we both know that we are his friends, not his slaves.”

  “But, that is extraordinary!” the water elemental gasped. She looked up at Simon. “I've never heard of the like before.”

  “So my friends here have said.” Simon looked out the window pensively. “You know, the more I hear about those ancient wizards and how they treated those they summoned, the less I like them. Bunch of arrogant... Anyway, that's not me. So those are my terms, Anaposus. Please don't call me master. Kronk will never change,” and he smiled gently at the little earthen, who gave him a subtle wink, “but my name is Simon and I'd prefer it if you called me that. So, what do you say? Will you stay or do you want to leave?”

  The water elemental opened her mouth, hesitated and then stood silently, rippling with tiny currents as she frowned down at the tabletop.

  “I am intrigued,” she said a minute later. “Your respect for our kind,” she swept Kronk and Aeris with a quick look, “is unprecedented. Now I see why Aquamastis holds you in such high regard.”

  “Does he? I'm surprised.”

  She smiled up at him.

  “Do you think that one such as he would bargain with a wizard who attempted to shackle him? No, that would end badly for the summoner. There has never been a wizard who could enslave an elemental as powerful as he.”

  She stared at Simon searchingly. He wondered what she was trying to see in him, and what she was thinking.

  “I want to stay...Simon?”

  He smiled widely.

  “That's my name,” he replied and Anaposus laughed, a high tinkling sound, like bells.

  “I want to stay,” she repeated. “I have not served a wizard for thousands of years and I find that I am intrigued by you. So yes, I agree to your terms, although I must say that we elementals seem to be getting the better part of the bargain.”

  “I need friends and partners, not servants, Anaposus. I trust my friends, and I like to think they trust me. I prefer it that way. I hope in time you will as well. Just remember, any time you want to leave, you are free to do so.”

  Before the water elemental could answer, Aeris spoke up.

  “You see how he actually enslaves us?” he said to her, with an amused glance at Simon. “Through loyalty, perhaps the strongest fetters of all.”

  “Aeris, I...”

  “Oh hush, my dear wizard. You know very well that I'm joking. Sort of.”

  Simon looked at Anaposus and rolled his eyes.

  “You see what I have to deal with? Honestly.”

  She looked between the two of them and then burst out laughing.

  “Oh, I think I am going to like it here,” she said through her giggles. “I will admit that while I love it, my home has become rather staid and dull these past few centuries.”

  “You see? You see?” Aeris said to Simon. “I'm not the only one who relishes the chance to get away from their own realm.”

  The water elemental looked surprised but Simon only shrugged.

  “I never said that you were. You just seem to hate it more than most, that's all.”

  “I hate boredom. I hate the constant cycle of sameness. I don't hate the realm o
f air though. Not really.”

  “Well, now that that is all cleared up,” Kronk interjected, “perhaps we can discuss why you summoned Anaposus, master?”

  Appreciating the little guy's attempt to refocus the discussion, Simon nodded and looked at the water elemental intently.

  “Kronk has a point. And really, I called you here to basically ask for a favor. I don't want you to think I'm trying to learn any secrets, mind you, but there is something I'd like to know.”

  She tilted her head slightly and watched the wizard quizzically.

  “Of course, um, Simon. Anything I can do.”

  “You may not feel the same way when I ask, but here it is.”

  He took a deep breath.

  “I am in a battle with the primal dragons.”

  Simon paused and blinked as he realized what he'd just said.

  “My God, that sounded a bit pompous, didn't it?” he asked weakly.

  Both Kronk and Aeris chuckled and, after waiting an uncertain moment, so did Anaposus.

  “What I should have said is the remnants of the human race are in a battle. As you may know, both of the black and green primals have fallen.”

  He looked at the water elemental and she nodded vigorously.

  “Even in the water realm, we have heard this, sir wizard,” she told him.

  “Really? That's surprising. Anyway, after thinking about how they were killed, I've come to the conclusion that a dragon's greatest weakness is itself. Specifically, their main breath attack. The black died after its own electrical attack shorted it out in deep water. The green choked to death on its toxic breath.”

  “Is that true?” Anaposus looked astonished. “I had no idea. I didn't know that dragons had any weaknesses. How extraordinary!”

  “If I'm right,” Simon cautioned. “But if I am, then the next group of dragons I need to find a weakness for are the whites.”

  He leaned forward and rested his arms on the table.

  “There is a small group of Changlings in Moscow. It's a city on the other side of the world where...”

  “Yes, sir wizard, I know of Moscow,” the watery figure said quickly. “We have extensive knowledge of the Earth in my realm. I should say the old Earth, I suppose, after the attacks of the dragons devastated it.”