“Magic,” he muttered. “Black magic. Has to be.”
The tower was surrounded by a rippling field of distortion that made it hard to make out details, but he could see greenish lights glowing from crooked windows, climbing up level upon level. And near the top, where the tower came to a sharp, defiant point aimed at the sky, were monstrous shapes that soared and glided around the edifice as if on constant guard: dracoliches.
The wizard saw two of the massive undead dragons and wondered if they were the remains of the two primals that had pursued him before he'd escaped to the elven realm. He would have to assume that they were.
Simon sat back in his chair with a groan. He had a feeling that he'd have to face one or both of those creatures one day, and the thought was far from comforting.
Who lives there, I wonder? The necromancers? That damned Lacertus? Or something even worse?
And why build their accursed tower on the bones of Nottinghill Castle? It seemed so petty and childish. Or was it a warning, a lesson to everyone who saw it?
It didn't matter. One day the human race would tear that thing down and destroy whatever was hiding inside of it.
Brave words, wizard, his inner voice said mockingly. Let's see you do it.
“One day,” he muttered. “One day it will happen. You just wait and see.”
He dismissed the vision of the black tower and tried to find the old cruise ship, the Defiant. It had been home to quite a few people. But he had no luck. That wasn't really a surprise though; the ship had no permanent home port. If the crew and the others living on her had been evacuated by the dwarves, they could have left the ship anywhere. And moving water was a natural barrier to the Magic Mirror spell anyway.
Simon then directed his mirror toward a handful of smaller settlements that he vaguely remembered, scattered around the world. Each one was deserted and most had been flattened and torn apart like Nottinghill. It was a tremendously depressing session and he gave up after a couple of hours.
If there were any humans left alive on the planet's surface, he couldn't find them.
“So I guess I'll have to do it the hard way,” he said to the room around him.
He stood up abruptly, pushed back his chair and left the room. The wizard turned left out of the study and hurried up the stairs to the top floor. He climbed the ladder to the roof, pushed back the trap door and pulled himself out into the morning light.
The rain had passed but dark clouds raced across the sky, promising more precipitation to come. The wind was gusty and constantly changing direction. Simon's hair whipped around his face and his robe fluttered and snapped in the breeze.
He ignored these distraction and held out his hand.
“Mortis de Draconis,” he said firmly.
The staff flashed into existence and settled into his palm, a comforting and familiar weight.
“Morning,” Simon said to it with a tight smile. “We have some work to do.”
He held up the staff and winced; he knew what was coming.
“Brethia, come to me,” he stated in a loud voice.
There was a dull rumble in the distance and the daylight seemed to dim.
“Here we go,” he muttered and cringed a bit as he closed his eyes.
A moment later there was a blinding flash and the tower shook with a resounding blast of thunder that made Simon's ears ring.
“Damn it, I hate that,” he said as the echoes faded.
He leaned the staff against his chest and rubbed his ears.
“Forgive me, my lord,” a delicate, feminine voice said contritely.
Simon opened his eyes and saw an air elemental bobbing in the wind a few feet away.
“That's okay, Brethia. Aeris has told me many times that your ruler likes you all to make a big entrance.”
She shrugged a bit wearily and nodded.
“I am afraid so, my lord. We have petitioned him about changing it, but...”
“He's stubborn. Yeah, so I've been told. Anyway, it's no big deal. So how have you been?”
“Excellent, sir wizard. Never better. And I am pleased to see you looking so well. We've heard so many rumors back home about you and your people that it is difficult to separate the truth from the fiction.”
“Really? I didn't know that you got news about us in your realm. And it's good to see you too. If you have a minute, I'd like to run something by you and see what you think.”
The elemental looked at him brightly.
“Is it a task, my lord? I will happily perform any task you wish.”
Simon shook a finger at her.
“Don't commit to something before you know what it is. You never know what you're getting yourself into.”
Brethia laughed delicately.
“I trust you, sir wizard. All of my people do. You are so unlike the wizards of old, you know. When we were summoned by them, we always answered with great reluctance. Some of the horrors they involved us in...ugh.”
Simon walked over to the parapet and sat down on the edge of it, hoping his butt wouldn't get too soaked on the wet stone.
“So Aeris has told me. You know, it's just occurred to me that the necromancers who created the dracoliches and control the undead are wizards as well; corrupted and evil, but wizards just the same. And wizards are the only magic-users who can summon supernatural beings. Have any of them attempted to summon your people or any other elementals?”
“Attempted and failed, my lord,” Brethia replied grimly. “The four rulers of the elemental planes have sealed their realms to such evil. No elemental can be subverted by the dark ones, and none of us will serve them.”
“Really? I didn't know your leaders could do that.”
“In truth, neither did I. They have never had to exercise such powers before. As I am sure you know, sir wizard, the more powerful of my kind can choose to resist a summons if they wish, but we small ones cannot. We are all very relieved that we are now shielded from serving the evil gods and their servants.”
“Me too.”
Simon stretched and stood up. Brethia floated upward until she was looking at him at eye level.
“So what may I do for you, my lord?”
The wizard winced internally. He hated when some of the elementals called him 'lord'. But no matter how many times he asked them to stop, most of the small ones like Brethia simply couldn't seem to break the habit.
You've been called worse, he thought wryly.
“Well, not just you actually. I'd like to summon Orriss as well as a few others, if you think they will come. This job will take quite some time and the more of your kind we have, the faster it will go.”
The elemental's eyes widened.
“I am intrigued, my lord. What sort of job is it?”
“Scouting,” Simon told her and smiled at her suddenly eager expression. “The area where your people shine the most.”
“In all modesty, sir wizard, that is true. Is it a big job?”
“The biggest. And almost a repeat of something I had you all do a few years ago. I need a global search for any and all remaining human survivors. I need to know where they are, how many there are and if they want or need help. As you may have heard, the dwarves have evacuated several human settlements, including the one at Nottinghill Castle. And while I haven't spoken to them since I returned from the elven realm, I'm sure that they would find room for any other survivors we can find. If there are any,” he added heavily.
“Ah, I see. A noble quest, my lord. I think I can speak for Orriss and the others when I say that we will gladly perform this task.”
She spun in a quick circle and then looked curiously at Simon.
“But where is Aeris? Surely he would want to be a part of this?”
The wizard smiled and nodded out at the dense forest that surrounded the tower.
“He's on a quest of his own. I have him out searching for my livestock, especially my horses. They managed to free themselves while I was gone, which I am very pleased a
bout, and now I'm hoping that he can find them again. I'm very fond of them.”
“Oh. Yes, I agree. I know little about such animals, but they seemed very fond of you, my lord, as I recall. I hope that he is successful.”
“So do I. Now I know Orriss and you by name, and I'm aware that I can only have ten of your people in my service at one time. So can you think of seven others who would care to join you in this search? I'd rather call upon willing volunteers for this.”
Brethia's smile widened.
“I can think of several dozen others, my lord. But as you wish. Summon each by name as I give them to you. It will be more efficient that way.”
Simon groaned and rubbed his eyes.
“I'm going to have such a headache after this. Please Brethia, for the sake of my hearing and my head, pass along my request for your leader to tone down the entrance dramatics. Once is bad enough, but multiple times? Ouch.”
She gave him a sympathetic look.
“I will try again, my lord. He does hold you in high regard. Perhaps your direct petition will sway him. We shall see.”
“Thanks. Okay then, let's get this over with.”
It only took about fifteen minutes for Simon to summon the other eight air elementals, but by the end of it, his ears were ringing, his vision was blurred and the expected headache was drilling into his skull with a vengeance. He was also weak at the knees from using so much magic, but he tried to ignore that for the moment.
“Never again,” he murmured. “I swear to God, I will never do that again.”
“Are you not well, my lord?” Orriss asked anxiously as he peered down at the wizard.
Simon had sat down heavily on the parapet when he was done with the summoning, too sore and exhausted to stand anymore.
“Give him a moment,” Brethia said sharply. “Our overly loud entrance display is very hard on the wizard.”
“Is it? Hmm, I never knew that. Someone should tell the great Astrandamus, shouldn't they?”
She rolled her eyes and Simon laughed a bit through his pain.
“Many already have, Orriss, and I will pass along the wizard's request that we dispense with such theatrics in the future.”
“He won't listen, you know,” one of the other elementals said. “Our leader is notoriously stubborn about such things.”
All nine of the elementals were bobbing and weaving in the late morning breeze that flowed across the roof. It was actually soothing to Simon's painful head even as it slapped his hair across his face.
“We shall see. Should I pass along your request to them now, my lord?” Brethia asked as she watched the wizard push back his hair wearily.
“Would you, please? I'm having a hard time thinking with this headache.”
Simon pulled out a slip of paper from his pocket and the stub of a pencil and, with an effort, wrote down the names of all of the elementals that he had summoned before he forgot them. That way he could quickly recall them should the need arise.
“I would be happy to. Very well, everyone, listen closely. Our wizard has a task for us; a very important task.”
Her fellow elementals gathered around, eager expressions on all of their faces.
Brethia had been correct. Each air elemental was thrilled to be asked to help find any human survivors. And since they were the experts, Simon let them work out the details on who would search where and what they were to do if they found any settlements.
He listened quietly, impressed by how organized the group was. All he added to the discussion was to give permission for all of them to return to the tower immediately when they needed to, instead of having to fly back the long way.
All of the elementals were suitably impressed by this expression of trust and there was much bowing and thank-you's, until Brethia broke it up and sent them all on their way.
In the ensuing quiet, she descended to look Simon in the eye.
“Are you well, my lord?” she asked quietly.
He grinned at her and pushed himself to his feet.
“Quite well, Brethia. Thanks. The head's almost back to normal again. But as I've always said, let the experts do what you hire them to do. That maxim applied here as well. You did an excellent job of organization.”
She bowed gracefully.
“Thank you. I hope that when we return, we will have good news for you.”
“So do I. Good luck.”
She gave him a last nod and a smile and shot off over the edge of the roof toward the west, disappearing into the distance.
“So they are gone,” a voice rumbled from the direction of the trapdoor.
Simon looked over and watched Kronk hop out of the opening and on to the roof.
“You were listening?”
“Yes master. I did not want to interrupt, so I waited for them to leave. How are you?”
His anxious expression made Simon smile.
“No worries, my friend. I'm fine. I could use a nap though. Funny how not casting spells for a few months makes you forget how draining it is.”
He moved his reluctant legs toward the trapdoor, using his staff for added support.
“Master, you just summoned nine elementals. Even back when you were using your powers every day, you would have been drained by that.”
“I suppose that's true,” the wizard answered thickly. “Do me a favor, would you? Wake me if I sleep more than a couple of hours; if I oversleep, I'll be up all night.”
“Certainly, master. I will make you something to eat when you get up; you will need fuel from using so much energy.”
Simon stepped on to the ladder and smiled crookedly at Kronk.
“I sound like a battery. Thanks, I appreciate it.”
“Get some sleep, master. You did well today.”
The wizard chuckled as he climbed down into the tower.
Once a mother hen, always a mother hen, he supposed.
Chapter 8
It took Simon a surprisingly short time to regain his confidence and control when using his magic again. Several days after sending the air elementals out on their search for survivors, he mentioned this to Kronk.
“How is it that after not casting spells for months, or years in Earth time, that I can just casually use magic as if my life had never been interrupted?”
“You are not just a simple spell-caster now, master,” Kronk told him.
The two of them were walking along the shore of the lake behind the tower. Simon had found renewed delight in being out in the sunlight and enjoying the simple pleasures of nature since he'd returned from the elven realm.
“Your powers are a part of you as much as breathing is. That is another difference between a wizard and a mage. Or a witch, I suppose.”
Simon pulled the hem of his robe off of a snag on the ground and looked down at the little guy. Kronk was hopping over weeds and dodging clumps of tall grass as they walked and talked.
“What do you mean?”
“It is hard to explain, master,” the earthen replied.
They stopped at the water's edge and Simon sat down carefully to avoid sitting on any rocks.
“Take your time,” he said to Kronk. “I'm curious. I've actually always wondered why mages can't do some of the things that I can and vice-versa.”
Kronk moved around to sit next to Simon and he stared out at the sparkling ripples that danced across the lake.
“Aeris could explain it better, master. The airy ones were always more involved in the uses of power than the rest of us.”
He scratched his head, a grating sound that always made Simon shudder, like nails on a chalkboard.
“But as I understand it, no matter how experienced and powerful a mage is, they will always need to use spells to control magic. The siblings, Tamara and Sebastian, have been using their powers since the fall of your old world, master. But even today, although I have not seen either of them for several years, I can assure you that they must direct their powers by casting spells.”
Simo
n pulled up his knees to his chest and rested his chin on them, fascinated.
“And me?”
“You, master, do not do that anymore. Well, you do for more complicated magic, I suppose. But for spells that you have used often, you can now invoke the magic with a word, not an incantation. And when you need fire, you only use your thoughts. That is a wizard's gift; the ability to bend elemental magic to his will without ritual or ceremony.”
“Huh. I've never heard it described like that before,” Simon said thoughtfully. “So we can use the magical energy more directly than mages can? Interesting.”
“Yes, master, that is exactly what you can do.”
Kronk narrowed his burning red eyes as he looked up at the wizard.
“I suspect that in the years to come, master, you may not even need to use incantations for the most complex of spells. Forgive me for saying so, but you are very young as wizards go.”
“Am I?” Simon said with a laugh. “That's funny, considering that I must be almost seventy by now, if you count back to when I was actually born.”
“Ah, but you have been reborn, have you not, master? You bear the unlined face and the energy of a youth now and as a wizard, you will look that way for a very long time to come.”
Simon stood up slowly and looked down at Kronk affectionately.
“If I'm not destroyed by a dracolich, or a necromancer, or the undead, or...”
“Yes, master. If none of those things happen.”
The next morning dawned gray and gloomy. Fog had rolled in overnight and the tower was surrounded by thick mist.
Simon couldn't see more than a few feet out of any window and so, after breakfast, he climbed up to the roof to get a better view.
“Okay,” he said as he turned in a slow circle. “This is creepy.”
The tower rose above the fog as if it was suddenly floating among the clouds and Simon had a light-headed moment where he felt like the entire building was drifting across the sky.
“Weird. This must be how Aeris feels when he's flying.”
“Not exactly, my dear wizard, but there is definitely a similarity.”
The Dragons of Bone and Dust (Tales from the New Earth Book 7) Page 9