“What the hell?” Simon said weakly. “Who builds a tunnel to nowhere?”
“There were four tunnels back at the crossroads, master,” Kronk said as he reached out to stroke the stone wall. “This one may have been abandoned ages ago. Perhaps the stone is bad further on, making digging perilous, and they created one of the other tunnels instead.”
“Oh great,” Aeris said in disgust. “Blasted dwarves! Why couldn't they at least have left a sign or something?”
Simon wiped his face off with his sleeve and slipped Bene-Dunn-Gal off of his back.
“Maybe they did. Those carvings back at the crossroads could have said anything, including 'Closed for Repairs' or whatever.”
“Never mind that,” Aeris said urgently. The distant scraping and dragging sounds were now getting louder.
Simon could just see the far end of the tunnel where it emerged from the s-bend and he watched it intently. Something was coming.
“Cast your Gate spell, wizard,” the air elemental said in a rush. “Get us out of here.”
“But what are you afraid of? What is it?”
Before Aeris could answer, Simon saw a cloud of dust suddenly blow out of the opening at the other end of the tunnel. There was a pause and he found himself holding his breath.
And then a blast of sound, a deep-throated scream of rage, shook the tunnel.
Simon fell back against the wall behind him and barely kept his feet as rocks, dust and debris rained down from overhead. The far opening in the tunnel exploded, rock and dirt flying everywhere and a massive head, as long as he was tall, thrust out of the darkness.
“Crap,” he said in disbelief. “You have got to be kidding me.”
It was a dragon.
Chapter 20
“What the hell is a dragon doing crawling around underground?” Simon asked Aeris plaintively. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
“No idea, my dear wizard,” the elemental answered tensely as they watched the distant head shaking back and forth, trying to free itself from the narrow curve in the tunnel.
“My guess? Either it is on its way to attack the dwarves, or it's been sent to kill you. I'm leaning toward the latter.”
“That's impossible,” Kronk said flatly. He had moved to stand between Simon and the dragon and was watching it with blazing eyes. “No one knows that our master is down here. The tower is blocked from all magical eavesdropping.”
“Yes, I know that,” Aeris answered shortly He kept his gaze on the approaching menace. “But we aren't in the tower now, are we? That evil wizard or even the dark gods themselves could be watching us right now and we'd never even know it.”
Simon planted his staff butt-end on the tunnel floor and muttered the Gate spell. He stared at the dragon as it squirmed and writhed, trying to free its huge body from the plug it was stuck in, and felt anger begin to dissolve his fear.
“But how could it get down here so quickly, even if it was sent after me? That's what I'd like to know.”
“And that's where I go back to my first conjecture,” Aeris said, as he glanced at Simon and then back on the distant monster. “Perhaps the gods have decided to turn their attention to the dwarves. We know that they hate them as much as they do humans. This creature may already have been down here, along with who knows how many others, advancing on the dwarven stronghold when it was redirected to come after you.”
“Thanks, Aeris. That's a horrible thought. The dwarves probably won't even know an attack is coming until the dragons are on them.”
Simon jumped as the dragon roared again, this time in triumph. It had managed to pull its bulk from the narrow tunnel, the walls collapsing behind it, and now began to advance, dragging its body along a few paces, pausing for breath and then inching along again.
“Well, at least now we know where that sound came from,” Simon said bleakly. “We have to warn the dwarves of a possible attack. We'll Gate back home and get hold of Clara. She may be able to get in touch with them, somehow.”
“Um, any time now would be good, master,” Kronk said as the dragon moved a few yards closer.
As if the monster had heard the little guy's voice, it raised its scaled and spiked head and glared directly at them. Simon noticed absently that it was a red dragon.
That means fire, he thought.
“Shield,” he snapped in response to the thought.
Bene-Dunn-Gal brightened and an opaque bubble popped into existence around the three of them.
Just in time. The dragon drew back, sucked in a massive breath and belched fire at them from twenty-five yards away.
The flames smashed into the shield but dribbled off of it like molten lava. The creature roared with frustration.
“Time to get out of here, my dear wizard,” Aeris said anxiously.
“Yeah, in a minute.”
Simon stepped toward the furious monster, his shield moving with him.
“Before I go, here's something to remember me by, you bastard!” he shouted at the scaled horror.
The beast bellowed at him and Simon glared back at it, enraged.
“Lightning!” he cried as he raised Bene-Dunn-Gal and pointed it at the dragon.
A jagged bolt of electricity, blazing chaotic purple, burst from the staff and shot down the tunnel. It engulfed the dragon's head and blasted it back down the path several yards.
There was a sharp stink of ozone in the air and Simon coughed as he tried to catch his breath. He peered through a thick cloud of dust and dirt that had cascaded down from the ceiling.
The dragon lay on its side, eyes glazed and obviously stunned.
“Tell your buddies about that one,” he shouted and the red eyes sluggishly moved to look at him.
“Okay, Simon, you've made your point,” Aeris said hurriedly. “Now can we get out of here?”
The wizard nodded, chanted the Gate spell and pictured the main room in his tower. After the elementals' earlier warning, he made sure the vision was as perfect as it could be.
Kronk and Aeris moved closer and grabbed on to his robe.
When he was ready, he looked at the dragon, which was just getting to its feet again, weaving and shaking its hideous head, and spoke the word of command.
The world dissolved around them and they were on their way home.
Back in the tower, Simon hurriedly put Bene-Dunn-Gal back in its place, patting it in appreciation. He dumped his backpack on the floor, quickly sat down at the kitchen table and picked up the hand mirror.
While he chanted the Magic Mirror spell, Kronk jumped up on the table while Aeris opened the front door and looked outside.
“I'm going to make a pass along the wall,” he said to the earthen, after a quick look at Simon. “If we've attracted the eye of the gods of Chaos, I want to make sure that they haven't sent anything against the tower.”
Kronk nodded, also watching Simon.
“Good idea,” he said and Aeris zipped out the door as the wizard finished his spell.
He stared intently into the mirror and Kronk moved closer and peered into it as well.
“Clara, are you there?” Simon asked as he watched the mist form on the mirror's surface.
“Simon? Good afternoon.”
The cleric appeared in the mirror. She was standing on the wall surrounding the town, her short brown hair blowing in the wind.
“It's nice to hear from you so soon. Aeris told me about your proposed exploration of a dwarven tunnel. Are you back so soon?”
Without her own mirror, Clara couldn't see where the wizard was calling from.
“I'm back, yes. I called to warn you.”
Simon told her what had just happened far below ground and she frowned in concentration as she listened.
“Dragons? Underground? By the gods, I never expected to hear something like that! And Aeris believes they might be about to attack the dwarves?”
Simon nodded, forgetting that she couldn't see him.
“He does,” he added qu
ickly. “And, barring another explanation, I tend to agree. There is no other reason for something that big and awkward to be crawling through tunnels underground. I mean, the damned thing got stuck as it tried to attack me.”
The cleric smiled a bit and then turned to look out over the wall. She seemed to be contemplating the distant horizon.
“Could this involve my people?” she asked, tapping the parapet nervously in front of her. “Or you, for that matter.”
Simon stood up with the mirror, brushed off some remaining dust from his robe and crossed the room to stare out the door.
“No idea, but I assume that it doesn't involve us at all. My presence down below must have made a tempting target when whoever sent that dragon after me realized I was down there. But I think it was a side-mission, not the reason that monster was down there in the first place. My question is, do you have a way to reach the dwarves to warn them? Just in case we're correct in our speculations?”
His heart sank as he watched Clara shake her head sadly.
“None. They show up when they show up. It could be today, next week, next month. There's no way to know.”
“Damn it,” Simon muttered. “I can't believe that they will expect a dragon attack on their stronghold so deep underground. I know they're tough, and they have amazing weapons and machines, but down there in close quarters? It could be a slaughter.”
Kronk jumped down from the table and joined him in the doorway. Both of them watched as Aeris flew from right to left along the top of the wall, staring at the surrounding forest.
“But Simon, why can't you get in touch with the dwarves?” Clara asked suddenly.
Simon stared into the mirror.
“What?”
“Well, you've met Shandon Ironhand before; at the fight against the primal black dragon, remember? You know what he looks like. So, use your magic and call him.”
Simon was stunned at his own stupidity.
“Unbelievable,” he said as he felt himself blushing. “Just when I thought that I couldn't get any thicker, a moment like this happens.”
“You aren't thick, master,” Kronk hissed from knee level. Simon spared him a quick smile and looked back into the mirror.
“I actually didn't think I'd be able to reach him using Magic Mouth or Magic Mirror,” he said to the cleric. “Something I read once, in a fantasy book, mind you, said that dwarven cities were warded against magic.”
“Fantasy is reality these days, my friend,” Clara said with a tired smile. “I would guess that they are warded, against hostile magic. Yours isn't, so perhaps you can reach them. Certainly it's worth a try.”
Simon leaned on the door frame and tried to recall Shandon's features as best he could.
“You're right. I'll try to contact him right away. And I'll let you know what happens later.”
“Good luck,” she said, still watching the fields beyond her wall. “My prayers are with you.”
“Thanks, Clara. Talk to you soon.”
He lowered the mirror and canceled the spell. Aeris flew around the corner of the tower and up the front steps.
“All clear, my dear wizard.” He looked at Kronk. “Will your compatriots be along to patrol the wall tonight?”
“Of course,” the earthen responded. “We all decided that they were only needed after dark, didn't we?”
The air elemental agreed.
“We did. The area is clear at the moment, anyway. So what did the cleric have to say?”
Simon went back inside and sat down again.
“She reminded me that as I've actually met the dwarven leader, I should be able to contact him directly.”
He rolled his eyes and laughed at himself.
Aeris floated to the tabletop and Kronk joined them.
“Aren't the dwarven strongholds protected against that sort of thing?” he asked.
“That's what I thought, but Clara says that friendly magic might let me get in touch regardless. No way to know unless I try, is there?”
Simon picked up the mirror and cast the Magic Mirror spell. He focused all of his mind on what he remembered of Shandon Ironhand as he chanted the incantation.
Long black beard, plaited with braids, heavy brows and a rather prominent nose. Yes, he thought. I do remember him.
He uttered the word of command and watched as the mirror fogged over.
“Any luck, master?” Kronk asked curiously as he moved over to see the surface of the mirror.
“No idea. It's obviously trying to reach, well, someone. But whether it's the dwarf or not, we'll have to wait and see.”
The three of them stared anxiously at the mirror and waited. And waited some more.
“Who in the bloody hell is trying to attack me with magic?” a gravelly voice suddenly barked from the mirror. Simon almost dropped it in surprise.
“Um, hello?” he said tentatively. “Is this Shandon Ironhand?” The mirror was still cloudy and all he could see was a vague, shadowy figure.
“That depends. Who wants to know?”
Simon sagged with relief. He recognized the voice of the dwarven leader.
“It's me, Simon O'Toole. Do you remember? I'm the wizard who...”
“Who fought and killed that damned dragon. Of course I remember you!”
The mirror abruptly cleared and Simon found himself staring at the face of Ironhand. He was grinning from ear to ear.
“Well, this is a surprise. Imagine me getting a call from a wizard! The first dwarf to receive such a thing in millennia.”
The dwarf was looking around vaguely and Simon realized that he couldn't see him.
“If you'd like to speak face to face, just find a mirror and you'll be able to see me,” he told Ironhand.
“Ah, a Magic Mirror spell, is it? Excellent. You've caught me in my quarters so I do have a lovely mirror close at hand. Made from a buffed sheet of platinum. Just the thing.”
The heavy-set figure stomped across the room and Simon had a chance to see that his quarters were quite opulent.
The stone walls were mostly covered with rich tapestries and fine paintings. Torches hung in brackets along the walls where the stone was bare. A fire roared in a massive fireplace with a mantle holding rich ornaments of gold and other precious metals.
Dwarves sure love their baubles, Simon thought with amusement.
The scene faded away to be replaced by Shandon's face again.
“Ah, there you are,” he said as he settled into a chair. The mirror must have been quite large; Simon could see all of the dwarf, not just his face.
“Now, to what do I owe this pleasure? As you saw, we have ways of blocking magic and I would normally have just dismissed this intrusion as a possible attack.”
The dwarf grinned and stretched out his short legs, lacing his fingers together behind his head.
“But you caught me on a good day, so I thought I'd see who was attempting to contact me. Now, what is it?”
Simon took a deep breath.
“Thanks for the welcome, sir, but this isn't a social call, I'm afraid.”
“Well, it won't be if you call me sir again,” the dwarf warned him, still smiling. “I'm no knight. Ironhand will do just fine as a title. Go on.”
“Right. Okay, Ironhand it is. Anyway, let me explain what happened earlier today.”
The wizard told his story as quickly and as concisely as possible. He was worried that they might be running out of time. After the first few sentences, Ironhand sat up and leaned forward, his smile replaced by a frown as he listened intently. When Simon was done, he stood up abruptly and clapped a hand to his waist. He was armed with an axe that shone in the firelight like silver.
“Dragons! Underground? I've never heard of such a thing.”
He paced back and forth, leaving Simon's field of view and then returning again. The dwarf was muttering to himself.
Finally he stopped and stared at Simon.
“Thank you for the warning, sir wizard. You have more than p
roven your friendship to my people with this. As your air elemental said, I too cannot think of any other reason for dragons to be crawling through our tunnels unless it is to attack us.” He scowled fiercely. “They'll get a surprise when they arrive, I assure you. Now that we are warned, we'll be ready for them.”
“If you need any help, Ironhand, I'd be happy to lend a hand.”
The dwarf looked at Simon speculatively.
“Would you now? Well, that is quite generous. But I'm afraid that my people are a little...insular. They don't take kindly to strangers and even less kindly to other races. Comes with living in isolation for thousands of years, I suppose. So I thank you, but we'll be fine. Call me back in a few days and we'll talk again. I'll tell you how we kicked those dragons' asses all the way back to the surface!”
Simon laughed.
“All right then. I wish you the best of luck, Ironhand. Take care.”
“You don't need luck in a battle, wizard. All you need is a trusty axe and a strong arm to wield it. Now, good bye.”
With a wave of his hand, Simon canceled the spell and then put down the mirror and sat back with a relieved sigh.
“At least we managed to warn them,” he said to the elementals.
“That is all you could do, master,” Kronk told him. “We earthen know how isolated the dwarves are. We have an affinity with them, you could say, but even we are not made welcome in their cities.”
Simon stood up and went over to the sink to fill his kettle.
“Yeah, I guess I've done my best. I hope that Ironhand isn't overestimating his people's chances against God knows how many dragons.”
Aeris chuckled and Simon looked at him curiously.
“I think that the dragons are in for a surprise, my dear wizard,” he said, sounding a bit smug. “It's one thing to rain fire down on dwarves from the skies, but fighting them in their natural habitat? Oh, that is something else entirely. One thing the tales always speak of is draconian arrogance. They believe that they are superior to all other living things. That arrogance will, I think, be their undoing.”
Simon hung the kettle over the fire and nodded, feeling a little more reassured.
The Dragons Revenge (Tales from the New Earth #2) Page 28