“Fine,” Aeris snapped. “But if you get yourself killed, I'm never going to forgive you!”
He started to rise and fade at the same time.
“Stay alive, Simon,” he said desperately just before he vanished.
I'll give it my best shot, the wizard thought.
As the shield was about the fade, Simon held on to the staff with both hands.
Now for a little spell invented by yours truly, he said silently to the attacking monsters. See if you like how I taste after this.
“Lavaskin!” he shouted just as the Shield spell wavered and disappeared.
The mass of mutated creatures leaped at him with happy, hungry barks and growls. The sound quickly turned to screams of pain and the smell of burnt flesh and hair as Simon's skin became coated in molten rock.
He'd come up with the spell by combining the incantations of the Stoneskin spell with the Fireball spell. The results were short-lived but then they didn't need to last too long.
The packs retreated, screaming in agony. The giant snake-like mutant with little arms like a T-Rex tried to wrap its coils around him and burst into flames. Its hissing tortured shouts nearly deafened the wizard.
Simon got to his feet slowly. He was unhurt but the attackers had sent him flying through the air and he had rolled a dozen times, leaving a trail of smoking earth in his wake.
“Shield!” he said again, just as the Lavaskin spell vanished.
He watched the monsters closely. All of them, and he counted about twenty creatures, had survived the attack except the snake-thing. It was just a misshapen pile of bones and ash. Several of the monsters rolled around to snuff out their burning fur.
When they had recovered, they gazed at Simon balefully, their eyes a uniform savage yellow. A few glanced worriedly at the remains of the snake-thing.
“Yeah, you should worry,” Simon shouted at them. He tried to keep his voice steady but the truth was, he was deeply afraid.
He'd had exactly five copies of the Shield spell stored on Bene-Dunn-Gal. Three were left. Each spell lasted exactly five minutes.
I'd better wrap this up in less than twenty minutes or I'm done for, he thought.
“You having a good snack?” he muttered to his staff as he watched a small rivulet of blood wind its way across his wrist and down his arm. Bene-Dunn-Gal always took its payment.
The staff didn't respond.
“Well, if I don't make it through this, try to at least give some of them splinters when they start chewing on you,” he told it.
This time the staff turned in his hands and Simon heard a small, angry murmur. He chuckled grimly.
“I knew that would get your attention.”
He looked at the shield and then at the pack beyond. The entire group had begun circling him, stalking around and around his position.
They're waiting for the shield to fail, he thought. I wonder just how much of the human intelligence they used to have is still in there?
One of the mutants that looked like an over-sized wolf covered with feathers snapped at the shield and then yelped as sparks flew from the contact.
Not that much, he concluded. Good. Just ugly-ass animals then. Okay.
The shield had about two minutes left until it failed. Simon raised Bene-Dunn-Gal cross-ways over his head and then brought it down in one motion, as if slamming an invisible car trunk closed.
“Ice Storm!” he shouted.
Bene-Dunn-Gal bit deeply into his palm and he winced at the pain. But the results were worth it.
Clouds formed twenty feet above his head. The mutant pack stopped moving and looked up as one at the dark, gray mass gathering over them. And then, with a sizzling sound like falling hail, but much, much louder, daggers of solid ice shot straight downward into the ground.
The deadly missiles slammed into the shield but shattered with a sound like breaking glass, and Simon drew in a ragged gasp of relief. He'd only learned to cast through his Shield spell a short time ago, but fortunately it worked. Unfortunately for the monstrous pack, they had no such protection.
The daggers impaled them. Screams, howls of rage and fear, whining murmurs of death; the sound was overwhelming and Simon flinched as it washed over him. He held Bene-Dunn-Gal steadily though as the ice fell. If his grip loosened, the spell would be canceled too soon.
Several of the creatures had been circling further out and scrambled to get out of the range of the spell. All of the rest died. The spell only lasted for a minute, but that was enough.
When it was done, the clouds faded away and bright sunlight shone down on the twitching remains heaped just outside of the shield.
Simon swallowed dryly. The smell of death and the lingering whimpers from the dying were hard to take. But he just had to look beyond the creatures at the smoldering remains of the farm to harden his heart against any feelings of pity.
There were four monsters left from the original two packs that had attacked him. One, humanoid-shaped but covered in gray scales with inch long talons and demonic horns, snarled at him when their eyes met.
But it was clear that the lust to fight had left them. The scaled creature roared defiantly one last time and then limped away toward the trees, followed slowly by its dispirited companions.
Well, what do you know, Simon thought. I won, I guess.
The shield began to flicker and he let it fade away. The shards of ice had melted into a cool mist as the sunlight touched them and all that was left of the attack were the remains of the pack.
Simon gingerly stepped over several bodies and began to walk toward the house. He still felt the need to check for survivors before he Gated home. This time, though, he was more cautious and cast a Stoneskin spell on himself before he reached the burned-out buildings.
The barns and sheds had been reduced to rubble and he saw no sign of bodies in any of them. The swirling smoke made his eyes water and he coughed and blinked away tears as he searched.
When he reached the farmhouse, the wizard had to steel himself before he began his search. The walls were still standing but the roof had collapsed. The front door was missing and Simon stepped carefully through the opening and into the wreckage-strewn building.
He had only taken a cautious step into the main room, littered with burned timbers and destroyed furniture, when the wizard stopped and stared, gasping in shock.
There was a heap of bodies lying in the center of what he guessed had been the living room. They were burnt almost beyond recognition and Simon tried not to look at them too closely. He guessed that all of the Changlings were gathered in one spot and he couldn't figure out how a dozen people could have been trapped in a raging inferno without at least a couple getting out of the house in time.
Simon swallowed again and stepped closer. There was a mystery here and he needed to know what had happened to these people.
He scanned the room and felt his heart ache as he saw some personal items that were still almost intact.
There were some shattered dishes with a leaf pattern that looked homey and familiar. He thought maybe his mother had had some similar dishes back in his childhood. There was a small carving of some sort of bird. He stepped forward and picked it up and turned it over in his hands.
It was crude but Simon imagined someone lovingly working on it at the end of a long day of working in the fields. With a sigh, he put it down again gently and then his eyes widened and he caught his breath.
Near the remains of the farmers, next to an outstretched arm that emerged from under the pile of bodies, was a stuffed animal. Partly burnt and missing most of its fur, the teddy bear was staring blankly at him with one button eye. It seemed to be accusing him and Simon had to turn away, a wave of guilt bubbling though his stomach.
Oh God, he thought. That's why they had all been bunched up together. They had been protecting a child, maybe the first one born since they'd all Changed.
He had to go. There were no survivors and he could not handle being among the belong
ings of these poor farmers any longer.
When he got outside, Simon walked away from the house slowly, his mind blank and his heart aching. He stopped and turned back when he was about twenty paces away. He couldn't just leave the remains lying there, unremembered and unmourned.
He raised Bene-Dunn-Gal and pointed it at the farmhouse.
“Fireball!” he said huskily, tears streaming down his face.
A brilliant missile of flame shot down from the heavens and slammed into the house, directly into the heart of the structure. The magical fire engulfed it and roared as it eagerly consumed the former home of the Changlings.
“I never knew you,” Simon said thickly. “But I will never forget you. I'm so sorry I wasn't here in time.”
He began to turn away again and then glanced back one last time.
“Rest,” he whispered and then, shoulders hunched and consumed with guilt and grief, he walked away.
Simon appeared in the yard in front of his tower. He stumbled with exhaustion and waited until he'd caught his balance before climbing the steps and opening the door.
“Master! You're back!” Kronk exclaimed the wizard walked in.
Simon nodded mutely and, leaving Bene-Dunn-Gal resting against the wall, collapsed into the chair in front of the fireplace.
Aeris, who had been adding a log to the fire, flew up and looked closely at him. He opened his mouth and then shook his head.
“I was going to scold you for ordering us home, my dear wizard, but I think you've had enough for one day.”
The air elemental flew to the kitchen counter, picked up the kettle, flew back to the fireplace and hung it there.
“I think I'll make you some tea instead,” Aeris said gently.
Simon shook his hair back from his face and some ash trickled past his eyes. He ignored it.
“Thanks,” he muttered.
“You look tired, master. You should wash up and change your clothes. You will feel better.”
The wizard glared down at Kronk, ready to say something biting about at least being alive, when he realized that the little guy was staring, not at him, but at the floor.
Confused, Simon looked at Aeris and saw the air elemental watching him from the corner of his eye as he waited for the water to boil.
The wizard's mood changed instantly and he felt a twinge of guilt as he understood what was going on.
“Guys, look...” He leaned forward and lowered his head, running his fingers through it. A cloud of dust floated to the ground.
Simon sat back and closed his eyes tightly. It had been a hell of a day, he thought wearily.
“I want to apologize for ordering you to leave me back there,” he said.
Kronk looked up, wide-eyed and Aeris turned from the fire and watched warily.
“That's why I took so long to Gate back. If that wizard was watching, I wanted to keep her attention focused on me until I was sure the two of you were safely back home.”
He tried to smile but only managed to twitch his lips.
“I had already failed to save those farmers. I was tricked and I lost them. I couldn't lose you too. So I'm sorry. I wish I could promise that I'll never do anything like that again, but when it comes to keeping you safe, well, I can't.”
The elementals looked at each other and shared a nod.
“We understand, master. Aeris and I discussed your reasoning while we waited for you to return. But,” Kronk hopped up on the arm of the chair and put a small hand on Simon's shoulder, “we are in this together. I am not as fragile as my size indicates, and Aeris has powers as well. If we are truly your friends, and not just servants, we want to help in these battles. There will be others in the future, probably many. Will you send us off to cower here in this tower each time? What use is that to you, or to us?”
Simon listened in amazement. Kronk wasn't exactly known for his eloquence, but his point was well taken.
Aeris spoke up before the wizard could answer.
“In this, Kronk and I agree, Simon. We are not helpless. I was damaged by that dark wizard because she surprised me, not because I cannot fight. We want to help and, no offense, but I think we've earned that right.”
Simon nodded blearily.
“You're right, both of you. I was afraid for you and I was afraid that I'd be distracted trying to keep you safe. But you aren't children. In fact, you are both so old that I can't really conceive of it.”
He stood up and almost managed a real grin this time.
“Okay, from now on, I'll try to do better. Meanwhile, I think I'll get cleaned up before I have that tea.”
The next day, Simon slept in. He was still saddened by the loss of the Changling farmers, but he also realized that dwelling on it was the wrong way to fix his mistake. He had to do better and prepare to face that wizard again, as soon as she popped up.
In the meantime, he had to tell Clara the bad news. It wasn't something he was looking forward to.
When he walked downstairs, Simon saw that Aeris had, yet again, made him tea without being asked. And he had toasted some bread and added a generous dollop of blueberry jam to each slice. The air elemental smiled at Simon's delighted surprise.
“Don't let it go to your head, my dear wizard,” he said as Simon sat down at the kitchen table. Sunlight streamed in through the windows and lit the room brightly. The fire was banked and the front door open to let in the warm morning air.
“You earned this favor after yesterday. And,” Aeris became serious, “I know that you have to contact our friend the cleric and tell her what happened to those farmers.”
Simon's mood became somber and he chewed his toast reflectively.
“You're exactly right. And I have to warn her again too. We don't know where that blasted wizard has gone, but if she's aware of me, she probably knows about Nottinghill as well.”
“Sound reasoning,” Aeris said with an approving nod. “And speaking of protection, I did some research last night after you went to bed, and I think I found a way to block that evil woman from spying on us, and from possibly Gating into the tower itself.”
Simon swallowed the last bit of toast and stared at the air elemental.
“I hadn't thought of that. God, if she could do that and maybe bring some of those mutated Changlings with her, it might be all over.”
“Exactly.”
Aeris flew from the table to the comfy chair in front of the fireplace, picked up a book lying there and returned.
Simon looked at the heavy book in surprise.
“It's that mystery book that I found those new spells in,” he exclaimed.
“It is. Your divine friends gave you more than just some spells when they gifted you with this amazing tome, Simon. Look at this.”
The elemental flipped open the book and turned pages until he found what he was looking for. He tapped a small illustration.
“Look familiar?”
Simon leaned forward and scanned the page.
“Hey, that's the rune I use to ward the walls,” he said with some surprise. “But, different. It looks more...complex.”
“It is. You've been using a very simple version of the rune, apparently. According to this, if you strengthen the existing runes and add some to the parapet up on the roof, they will actually encase the entire tower and block hostile magic.”
He smiled up at Simon.
“All hostile magic, my dear wizard. That means Gate spells, Magic Mirror spells, anything at all.”
“Hmm.”
Simon read the text dubiously.
“But what if she showed up and started raining fireballs down on us?”
“Doesn't matter,” Aeris said smugly. “If the tower is sealed with these runes, an attacker would have to breach the wall physically before they could attack with magic. And good luck knocking down a wall built by earth elementals.”
The wizard sighed with a profound sense of relief.
“If we have a way to keep the wizard out and unaware of our
plans, maybe the next time we try to stop her, we'll catch her by surprise.”
Aeris made a growling sound and his smile was cold and deadly.
“Let us hope so.”
Simon hurried to finish his tea and jumped up. Aeris looked at him in surprise as the wizard grabbed the book.
“I think I'll beef up the runes on the wall with this new one and add several up on the roof. I won't feel safe until I seal this place magically.”
“Good thinking, my dear wizard. I approve. Kronk is in the stable. I'll join him and let him know what you are up to. It will ease his mind, I think.”
“Sounds good,” Simon said as he headed for the door. “I'll call Clara after I get this done. See you soon.”
Upgrading the runes along the wall and then climbing to the roof to add a rune at each point of the compass to the parapet was probably one of the most satisfying things Simon had done in a long time.
When he had finished casting the spell to inscribe the final rune, the wizard breathed a sigh of relief and then gasped. A translucent dome appeared briefly over the tower, racing up from the outer wall and snapping closed just above the tower itself. Then it faded and Simon smiled.
He was weak-kneed and shaking from casting so many spells in a row, but felt that it had been worth it. For a few minutes, the wizard leaned on the parapet and looked out across the forest.
“Spy on us now, you...” he muttered with a scowl. “I'll find you eventually, but the next time, you won't see me coming.”
A mild breeze, filled with the sweet smell of spring, blew over him and ruffled his hair and Simon breathed deeply. He allowed himself to let go of his fury for now and just enjoy the moment. Then he smiled and made his way back inside.
Kronk and Aeris were waiting for him downstairs. Both were grinning when he arrived.
“Beautiful, master,” Kronk exclaimed. “We saw the shield come into being around the tower. Well done.”
“Thanks,” Simon said with a tired smile. “I can't tell you how much better I feel now.”
He went to the counter and filled the kettle with water. After he hung it over the fire, he tossed the spell-book on to the table and looked at Aeris.
The Dragons Revenge (Tales from the New Earth #2) Page 25