The Dragons of Bone and Dust (Tales from the New Earth Book 7)

by J. J. Thompson

  “We aren't going to take them out?” Liliana asked. “That's not a sound strategy, Simon. Leaving an enemy behind you means that they can take you by surprise later when you are engaged with forces further up the tower.”

  Simon was startled by that idea.

  “Damn, I didn't think of that. I thought that neutralizing the guards might warn others if we make too much noise.”

  The paladin gave him a subtle wink.

  “We'll be invisible, remember? We should be able to take them out quietly. Of course, once inside we'll lose that advantage so we might as well use it as long as possible.”

  “That's news to me,” the king said to her. “Is there some sort of magical dampening field in there?”

  “I have no idea. But we have agreed to send Virginia, Eric and the others back outside and out of harm's way once they're gotten us into the tower.”

  “You're going to give up four such powerful spell-casters?” Shandon asked in disbelief. “In the name of all the old gods, why?”

  Instead of answering, Liliana looked pointedly at Simon. The king followed her eyes and stared at the wizard.

  “This was your idea?”

  “It was,” he replied levelly. “Liliana and I spoke about it briefly before I left Kingstone. I want them safely out of there before we get into the thick of battle.”

  “And your reason?”

  Simon paused to collect his thoughts. He'd been afraid that the king would object at this point, but it didn't matter. He wouldn't let those four young people toss away their lives, and that was all there was to it.

  “I have many reasons, but I'll tell you what my main one is. The four of them operate as a unit, as you know. Their magic is practically nonexistent unless they combine their talents. The problem with that is, in a fight, even as powerful as they all are together, they have trouble directing their powers quickly. They aren't telepathic. Virginia is the leader of the group and she has to direct the others in a fight.”

  Shandon had been frowning but now his eyes widened as he grasped what Simon was saying.

  “I think I see. They are unwieldy in combat.”

  “Exactly. They get in each others' way. Virginia could tell them to attack a zombie, for example, but then would have to point at that target and make sure that the other three were concentrating on the same monster. Good grief, it's awkward even trying to explain it. Anyway, they'd be great at casting at a distance; on the wall of a castle or on a hill overlooking a battle, for example. But in close quarters, no; at best they'd be a distraction for us as we tried to keep them safe; at worst they'd get the rest of us killed.”

  The king nodded as he stroked his beard.

  “Of course, of course. Good call, Simon. Have you told them yet?”

  “I haven't had a chance to speak to anyone but you folks. Your dampening field, remember? I'm afraid that Liliana or Tamara will have to pass along the bad news. I don't envy whoever decides to do it.”

  “We both will,” the paladin said as she looked over at the mage.

  Tamara nodded stiffly.

  “Good. Now, what kind of guards did your elemental scout encounter?” the king asked.

  “The type that you'd expect. Aeris said that there were two patrols circling the outside of the tower. Undead; skeletons and zombies. A dozen in each group. They don't get tired, of course, so they simply march around and around the perimeter. I assume they retreat inside once the sun comes up. But inside is another matter. The enemy leader, whoever that is, has employed some old friends of mine.”

  His voice became thick with anger and Shandon's eyes narrowed.

  “Who?” he asked.

  “Goblins. The little bastards are a hell of a lot more dangerous than mindless undead, so I suppose it makes sense to press them into service. Just like the patrols outside, there are two groups constantly on patrol. Fortunately, Aeris says that he saw no spell-casters among them, but we have to assume that we'll run into goblin mages or wizards as we ascend the tower.”

  “Lovely,” Tamara said dryly. “I'd forgotten about them. As far as we know, the goblins produce the only wizards on the planet except for you, Simon.”

  “And those human necromancers,” he replied heavily. “They were once wizards until the Chaos lords perverted them. Anyway, I wanted to add that the goblins are all armed and wearing pieces of armor, mostly leather. Aeris says that they don't get along with each other too well, but that's hardly a surprise considering how truly nasty a species they are.”

  The king fiddled with his beard and seemed to be lost in thought. As Simon finished speaking, he gazed at the wizard keenly.

  “So what is your plan? How are you going to assault that stronghold?”

  “I'm not the leader, Shandon,” Simon protested. “I'm just relaying the facts. I'd like all of you, together with the other mages and Malcolm and Aiden, to discuss it first. Once you come up with a battle plan, call me back and we'll set it up.”

  Everyone stared at him and he looked back in surprise.

  “What? You didn't think that I was going to take charge and just order you around, did you? My God, you must know me better than that by now!”

  Liliana was the first to react. She chuckled and looked at Tamara.

  “He's right, you know. Simon's never had a problem risking his own life in the fight against our enemies. But telling others what to do? He'd not comfortable with that.”

  Sebastian and Veronique remained silent but listened attentively. The king shook his head.

  “My friend,” he rumbled in a gentle voice. “Battles are not won by committee. One person has to lead, just as one person is surely leading the forces of the Chaos lords.”

  “I know that,” Simon told him tiredly. “But everyone has to agree on who that person will be. My vote is for either Liliana or Tamara. Anyway, I'll leave all of that in your hands, folks. Just remember what Virginia told us; the four of them won't be able to use their invisibility spell on more than a dozen people, so make your choices wisely. We'll need a healer and warriors as well as casters, you know.”

  “We know,” Tamara assured him. “It shouldn't take us too long to get organized. As long as the king will allow us to communicate with you magically?”

  Shandon smiled beneath his beard.

  “Of course I will. It is irritating some of my courtiers enormously that I am doing so, which is extremely entertaining.”

  The mage grinned.

  “Thank you, my lord. So we'll call you in a day or two, Simon. Thank your scout for us, would you? He'd provided valuable information.”

  “I will. It will inflate his ego to new heights, I'm sure. Talk to you soon.”

  The wizard waved once to all of them and then canceled the spell.

  “Well,” he said to himself as he stood up. “That was interesting.”

  “So, were they impressed?” Aeris asked eagerly.

  Simon was standing outside of the back gate behind his tower, watching the rippling surface of the lake. He looked over at the elemental who had floated down from above.

  “Where were you, on the roof?”

  “Yes, I thought that keeping watch up there might be a good idea, at least until Brethia and Orriss come back. So how did it go?”

  The wizard smiled at his persistence.

  “Yes Aeris, they were impressed. In fact, I was instructed to pass along their thanks to you for a job well done.”

  “Woo-hoo! I knew they would be.”

  Aeris flipped several time and then bobbed happily in the evening breeze.

  “So what now?” he asked.

  “Now? Now we wait. The others are going to discuss strategy and make a plan of action and then they'll get in touch. Oh and they'll choose a leader as well.”

  Simon ambled toward the lake with Aeris floated along behind him.

  “What do you mean, choose a leader? You're the leader, oh great wizard.”

  With a tired sigh, Simon sat down near the edge of the water
and watched water-bugs skim along its surface, leaving little trails behind them like miniature powerboats. The sun was setting and crickets were beginning their nightly song.

  “I'm no leader, Aeris,” he replied as he pulled up his legs, wrapped his arms around them and rested his chin on his knees. “I'm a lone wolf, you know that. If I have to stand to battle, I'd prefer doing it alone, without risking anyone else.”

  The elemental descended until he appeared to be standing just above the water. He put his hands on his hips and looked up at Simon quizzically.

  “But you aren't going to attack the enemy's tower alone,” he stated firmly.

  “Yeah well, that place is a bit too much for me to take on by myself. But if I thought I could succeed, I'd give it a shot.”

  “I believe you. Why though? Why have you always been so content to be by yourself? I have a feeling that even if Kronk and I weren't here, you'd still choose to live alone.”

  Simon hesitated, giving his answer some thought. It was the first time that Aeris had ever asked that question and he deserved an honest response.

  “Okay, I'll tell you, if you really feel the need to know.”

  He looked past the elemental at the darkening lake behind him.

  “Back in the old world, I wasn't what most people would call attractive. Physically, I mean. I like to think that I was kind and generous, but I was also big. Really big. And I went bald very young. It made me self-conscious, I guess. I became a programmer because I enjoyed working with computers, but also because it was mostly a solitary profession. Working alone with a machine meant no one judged me or was mean to me. It made life so much...”

  “Easier?” Aeris suggested gently.

  “Exactly. But when I was around thirty years old, something inside of me shifted. I don't even know why. But I decided that just because I was big, that didn't mean that I had to be fat or out of shape. So I decided to hit the gym, work out, get fit for the first time in my life.”

  He ran his fingers through his hair slowly, enjoying the feeling of the heavy mass.

  “It was the hardest thing I had ever done. For a shy, self-conscious person who was well over six feet tall and weighing almost three hundred pounds to go to a public club and work out in front of other people was literally torture. I remember dying a bit inside every time I went.”

  “But you kept going?”

  “I had no choice. My doctor had hinted that my weight was going to be the death of me eventually. Not straight out, but I got the gist of his hints. That was the final push I needed to start working out, I suppose. So I kept at it, embarrassment be damned. I would go in late at night or very early in the morning, when there were few people around to stare at me. And it worked! Slowly at first, a pound lost here, some strength gained there. But I progressed.”

  Simon grinned at Aeris, who was starting to glow in the fading light of early evening.

  “And there's nothing like progress to encourage a person to keep pushing forward. A few years later and I had dropped fifty pounds of fat and put on almost as much weight in muscle. I was still big but now it was because of my strength. And I was still ugly, but I didn't care. There were no bullies calling me names anymore, not like in school. They gave me a wide berth and I was happy about that.”

  “But you continued to prefer solitude?”

  “Old habits, I suppose. I've never liked conflict. Not like the conflict that we have with the dark gods, but personal conflict between people. You know how I always stop you and Kronk when you start arguing? That's why. It stresses me out. Living alone meant that I never had to deal with that, and I was content to keep it that way.”

  “Ah, I think I understand now,” Aeris said thoughtfully. “And you remain that same person to this day. Even though you are young and attractive and powerful, that large, shy man still lives inside of you somewhere.”

  Simon shrugged.

  “And he always will, I suppose. I'm okay with that. Old Simon was a good man, Aeris. He really was. In my mind, he feels more like an childhood friend that I once knew than the old me, but maybe that's for the best.”

  He pushed himself to his feet and looked around.

  The tower was still visible in the gathering gloom but it was beginning to blend in with the approaching night.

  “Let's go in. It's starting to get chilly and I want to make dinner.”

  “Certainly.”

  Aeris zipped upward and flew along beside the wizard's shoulder.

  “What about companions?” he asked as they approached the back gate. “Were you ever married or whatever?”

  “Nope. Paralyzing shyness doesn't help with that sort of thing,” Simon said as he entered through the gate.

  Aeris slipped in behind him and the wizard closed and locked the heavy door.

  “Not that I ever really wanted kids,” he continued as they walked around the tower. “But it might have been nice to have had someone special. At least I had a close friend in Daniel.”

  They stopped at the steps leading to the front door and Simon turned to Aeris.

  “Friendship is sometimes underrated, I think. A close friend can often be more supportive than a wife or family. I count it as a blessing that I knew Daniel for so many years. He was a lifesaver, he really was.”

  Aeris looked at him with an undecipherable expression.

  “And Kronk and me?”

  Simon grinned.

  “You two keep me grounded, and sane. When you aren't driving me crazy,” he added.

  They both shared a laugh and Simon walked up the steps.

  “Do me a favor, would you? Check the front gates to make sure they're sealed? We can never be too careful.”

  “I agree. Consider it done.”

  The wizard smiled a thank you and turned to open the door.

  “And Simon...”

  He turned back to look at Aeris, surprised as always when the elemental used his name.

  “Thank you for your candor. I've always wondered why you live like this. You didn't need to tell me, but I'm grateful that you did.”

  The wizard winked at him.

  “What are friends for?” he said as he opened the door and walked into the tower.

  “What indeed,” Aeris whispered.

  Chapter 20

  Almost a week passed before Simon heard back from the people in Kingstone. He'd spent his days puttering in the garden, practicing a few obscure spells that he'd managed to dig up in Daniel's old journal and trying to get as much sleep as possible. He had a feeling that he'd need all of his strength and limited stamina for the coming attack.

  Kronk had suggested several times that perhaps they should go out in search of more cows to domesticate, but Simon had had to put him off. He didn't want to use what few magical resources he had for something so trivial. Needless to say, the little guy was disappointed. He really did love caring for animals.

  “When we get this attack over with, I promise that restocking the herd will be my first priority,” Simon told the earthen in an attempt to cheer him up.

  “Yes, master. Thank you. I look forward to it.”

  The wizard wasn't sure whether he'd managed to convince Kronk or not, but the elemental did stop asking.

  “Just don't forget your promise,” Aeris whispered to him a few minutes after the conversation. “You'll crack that stone heart of his.”

  “I won't, I won't,” Simon murmured back. “Wait. Does he actually have a heart?”

  “Metaphorically speaking, my dear wizard.”

  Simon was baking some bread on a warm afternoon when he felt a tingle down his spine. It was the familiar feeling he got when someone was trying to contact him magically.

  He pulled two loaves out of the cast iron oven and left them on the sideboard to cool. Then he tossed his oven mitts aside and walked out the front door to sit on the steps. It was cooler out there.

  “Hello? Tamara?”

  “Veronique actually, Simon,” he heard a voice reply. It soun
ded like someone invisible was standing about five feet in front of him.

  “Oh. Hey there. How are you?”

  “Quite well, my friend. And you?”

  “Great, thanks. It's good to hear from you. I've been expecting a call for a few days now. What was the hold up?”

  There was a pause.

  “No hold up, Simon, just a lot of vigorous debate and discussion.”

  Translation: lots of arguing, the wizard thought to himself.

  “I see. So what's happened? Have you all agreed on a plan?”

  “We have, yes. Subject to your approval, of course.”

  He pushed back his hair and pulled his knees up to his chin while letting out a long sigh.

  “You don't need my approval, Veronique,” Simon told her. “I'm just part of the group.”

  Another pause.

  “Hey Simon, it's Malcolm. How you doing?”

  Startled by the big booming voice, the wizard grinned at the empty air.

  “Hey you. I'm good. What's up?”

  “I just jumped in to tell you that you may not think of yourself as a leader, but you are essential to our plans. So if you don't approve, we'll work things out and adjust them until you do. So uh, yeah. Anyway, here's Veronique again.”

  Kronk tip-tapped around the corner of the tower at that moment and waved at Simon. The wizard winked and motioned for the little guy to join him.

  “What's going on, master?” he asked as he hopped up the steps.

  “Conference call,” Simon replied and touched his lips with a forefinger.

  “Ah.”

  Kronk settled down on the step next to the wizard and listened attentively.

  “Sorry Simon,” Veronique said. “But Malcolm wanted it made clear that we value your input. You are our only wizard and we need you to be on the same page with us as a group.”

  “Right. Understood. Who's listening in on our conversation, by the way?”

  “Besides myself and Malcolm, most of the other leaders are here as well. Tamara and Sebastian, Liliana. We've also been joined by Barnaby, my fellow mage from the Defiant, and my sister. Virginia is here representing her group. Oh and Miriam is here too.”