The Dragons of Decay

by J. J. Thompson

  He let out a long breath.

  That'll teach me to pass out for a frigging week, he thought bitterly.

  But you aren't involved in this, his inner voice said softly. It is their choice.

  “It is sad, master,” Kronk agreed and then echoed the wizard's thoughts. “But it is their decision to make, isn't it?”

  “I know. I know.”

  He slapped his two hands down on the atlas.

  “And since it will probably be the consensus to leave, I thought I'd maybe look around for a place for them to move to. You know, give them some options. The final destination will be up to them though.”

  He began flipping through the book and the elementals moved to either side of it to watch.

  “How far south is far enough, master?”

  “At a guess, I'd say far enough that they never have to deal with winter again.”

  Simon found a detailed map of the old United States and ran a finger down the middle of the country.

  “It has to be fertile enough to grow crops, get enough rain and sun, and rarely get too cold.”

  “What about that one?” Aeris suggested, tapping on a state.

  “Nevada?”

  Simon stared at him.

  “It's mostly desert. They won't have to worry about snow but I don't think there's a lot of water there.”

  “Right, right,” Aeris nodded as he stared intently at the map.

  “I was actually thinking about this one,” Simon told them and pointed.

  Kronk knelt down by the map and read the legend.

  “Florida, master?”

  “Yup. I know the northern part of the state gets the occasional frost in the winter, but they grew a lot of crops there in the old days, so there is fertile ground. And I know there were a lot of small towns and communities scattered about. Who knows? Maybe there are still some survivors down there.”

  “Well, if the people from Nottinghill agree, there is a way to find out,” Aeris told him.

  At Simon's questioning look, the air elemental pointed at himself.

  “Just do what you did once before, and summon some of my kind. A half-dozen of them could scout that area in a week at most. They would bring back detailed reports of ideal locations to settle in and any dangers present. And perhaps news of Changlings too.”

  “Excellent suggestion,” Simon told him and Aeris grinned, quite pleased with himself.

  “Okay. I'll mention it to Clara when I talk to her again.”

  The wizard frowned down at the book and then flipped over another few pages. He pointed at the map and the elementals peered at it.

  “They may actually want to go further, maybe Central or South America. If that's the case, I'll still suggest sending your people down first to scout, Aeris. We can't have them walking in blind.”

  “Absolutely not, master. Those people have suffered enough,” Kronk said firmly.

  Aeris agreed.

  “We must make the transition as painless as possible, especially for the children,” he said.

  Simon was a little surprised at the feeling in the air elemental's voice. Aeris wasn't known to be sentimental but the wizard could tell that he really cared about the townspeople.

  “Good. We're all on the same page then,” he said as he closed the atlas. “Now we'll just have to wait until Clara and the others decide, one way or another.”

  The rest of the evening the three of them spent discussing the various scenarios that could come up once the people of Nottinghill made their decision. In the middle of the talk, Kronk asked a question that caught Simon by surprise.

  “Are you thinking of leaving as well, master?” the earthen asked quizzically.

  The wizard stared at him for a long moment.

  “Why on Earth would you ask that?” he finally replied.

  “I don't know, master,” Kronk said with a quick shrug. “The other humans are leaving the area. You will be left here with only myself and Aeris for company. I just thought that you'd want to remain close to your own kind.”

  Simon leaned forward, rested his elbows on the table and his chin on his hands.

  “My own kind?”

  Aeris was watching him a little wide-eyed and the wizard wondered whether both of the elementals thought that he might head south with the others.

  “Kronk, my friend, there are no others of 'my kind'. I'm a wizard, possibly the only one on the planet. Sure, the others are Changlings just like me, but there is very little else that we have in common. I've come to accept that I am a magical creature, a different kind of mutation than the others, I suppose, and that puts me outside of what a 'normal' human being is now.”

  He smiled at them both.

  “I have a hell of a lot more in common with you guys than I do with other humans, so in that respect I am remaining with my own kind. So to answer your question, Kronk; no, I'm not leaving. I can Gate anywhere the people of Nottinghill decide to move to. If they need me, I'll be there. But to be honest,” he paused and looked around the room, “I'm very fond of this tower. As long as the gates stay closed, we are as safe here as anywhere else on Earth. And I like the peace and quiet, to be honest.” His smiled broadened. “At least I do when you two aren't arguing.”

  Aeris opened his mouth to object, realized that Simon was joking, and gave him a silent, wry grin.

  Kronk nodded once.

  “I am glad, master. We too think of the tower as our home. I cannot speak for Aeris, but I would be saddened to leave it.”

  “I agree,” the air elemental said softly.

  “And besides, we cannot move Sunshine in her current condition,” Kronk added seriously. “I do not know if Gating a pregnant mare would harm the unborn foal, but it might. I would not like to take that chance.”

  “Definitely not,” Simon agreed. “She stays put for now. I think moving somewhere else would upset her a lot. Like most animals, horses dislike change of any kind.”

  The evening wore on and Simon finally went to bed, still waiting for Clara to signal him using the lodestone.

  Must be quite the meeting, was his last thought as he drifted off to sleep.

  The next morning, Simon toasted some bread in the fireplace, slathered it with apple jelly he had received in trade with the good people of Nottinghill and sipped his tea as he ate.

  Kronk was out with the horses and Aeris had decided to sweep the area around the tower. 'Just in case,' he'd said.

  Simon pulled Clara's lodestone out of his pocket, but the egg-sized stone was still dim and cool to the touch. She hadn't called.

  What is taking them so long, he wondered. He also wondered if maybe there weren't as many people who were willing to leave their town as the cleric had assumed. It could get ugly if that was the case.

  He was just washing up when he felt a flash of warmth and a gentle tingling in his pocket. It was the cleric's lodestone.

  “Finally,” he said out loud. He sat down at the table and picked up the mirror. He'd carried it around the tower all morning.

  Simon cast the Magic Mirror spell, settled back in his chair and waited for the mist to clear off of the reflective surface. When it did, he saw that Clara was once again sitting in the barracks. She was alone and there were faint purple bruises under her eyes. Her hair was untidy and her expression as she gazed out of the window was one of profound sadness.

  “Good morning, Clara,” he said lightly.

  Her head barely moved as her lips twitched with the barest of smiles.

  “Good morning, my friend. How are you feeling today?”

  “Great, thanks. No residual effects from my long slumber over the past week. I hate to say it, but you, on the other hand, look like you could use some sleep.”

  “Do I?”

  She sighed and turned away from the window. Simon watched as she picked up a small bowl. Some water splashed over her wrist and then the wizard was looking at Clara face to face.

  “It was a...difficult meeting yesterday. Lasted un
til the wee hours actually.”

  “Why's that?”

  “Oh, lots of reasons. People are afraid to stay and afraid to go. The general consensus was that we have to relocate, but the problem was getting people to agree on where.”

  She rubbed her temples and closed her eyes for a moment.

  “And one person was holding out, adamant that he wasn't leaving no matter what.”

  “Anyone I know?”

  “Probably not. His name's Henry. He only found his way to Nottinghill last year. He's a general laborer, helps out where and when he can. I don't want to sound unkind, but he's a bit of a layabout; does the minimum, gets out of work when he can, tends to whine a lot.”

  She shrugged.

  “I guess every large group has someone like that. Anyway, he was comfortable here; always got enough to eat, loved the wine, found a willing partner. So he wants to stay, even with the danger. Unfortunately, his lady friend has no intention of staying. She's terrified of another wight attack, as are most of the others. When she told Henry this in front of all of us, he...kind of lost it. Took a swing at her.”

  Simon sat up with a jerk. He'd never heard of any of the townspeople acting violently toward each other. It was a chilling thought.

  “What happened? Is she all right?”

  Clara laughed, a rather sad sound.

  “Oh yes. Henry didn't realize the kind of reflexes that Malcolm and Aiden have. Before he could even get close to touching Sheila, that's his ex-girlfriend's name, the big guy dropped him with a clout to the side of the head. He's lucky that it didn't cave his skull in. I healed it immediately and now he's off somewhere, sulking I suppose.”

  “He sounds like trouble, Clara,” the wizard said angrily. “What are you going to do with him?”

  “Do with him?”

  She looked into Simon's eyes with some confusion.

  “Why, bring him along, of course. We don't have enough people as it is. We can't afford to abandon anyone, even one as small-minded and head-strong as Henry. Not without a damned good reason anyway. I'm hoping that he's learned his lesson, but we'll keep an eye on him for a while.”

  “I don't know that I would be so forgiving, but it's your choice, of course. So after all of this, have you decided where you want to go?”

  “Yes. Well, it came down to two choices really. Northern Mexico or Florida. I think either one would be a good choice. Someone mentioned California but the weather there can be...unstable sometimes. And there's always that old fear about a massive earthquake sending the entire state into the ocean. So, what do you think?”

  “I think that great minds think alike,” he said with a wink and a grin. “I was going through my old atlas last night with my two friends and we also thought Florida would be a good choice.”

  Clara laughed, sounding relieved and more like herself.

  “That's good to know. So what's our next move?”

  “Scouting,” Simon told her. “Instead of poking around using the Magic Mirror spell, I'll summon some air elementals and send them south along with Aeris. I can only have ten of each type of elemental summoned at a time, so I'll call in nine of them and send five to northern Mexico and the other four plus Aeris will scout out Florida. He claims that it will probably only take a week, possibly less.”

  “Ah, that's a wonderful idea, Simon. Better safe than sorry these days. I'll tell the others. It will definitely make them less jumpy if they know that their new home, wherever it may be, is reasonably safe before they go.”

  “My thoughts exactly. I'll get started right away and get back to you as soon as I hear anything.”

  “Good. I'll get everyone to start packing the essentials. No sense in waiting until the last minute to get ready to leave. Oh, by the way, how's that beautiful lady, Sunshine, doing?”

  “Resting comfortably, according to Kronk. I'm going to be checking on her daily from now on, and he's in there several times a day. Regular mother hen actually.”

  The cleric smiled widely and looked more cheerful than she had a few minutes earlier.

  “Gods bless him. Now if there's any change or she goes into labor, don't wait. Come and get me right away, day or night, all right?”

  “Will do. Good luck with the packing. I'll talk to you soon.”

  Clara waved and Simon canceled the spell. He sat for a moment and thought about what she had said.

  Someone trying to beat on a woman on this New Earth of theirs? Had they learned nothing from what had come before?

  He slammed a fist on to the table and the two candle holders jumped and almost tipped over. Simon took a deep breath and pushed back his hair.

  Malcolm and Aiden will keep an eye on that Henry guy, he thought, trying to calm himself. And if they catch him at it again, somehow I doubt that they'll stop at a smack to the side of the head.

  With that thought giving him some comfort, Simon got up and headed for the stairs. He'd left the atlas in his study and the chair up there was a lot more comfortable than the kitchen chairs.

  Once he'd settled into his seat, Simon stared at the center of the desk and winced a bit, knowing what was about to happen.

  “Aeris, I need you,” he said firmly.

  A distant echo of sound was followed by a flash of intense white light and a crack of thunder that made his ears ring.

  The air elemental appeared and hovered over the desk.

  “You know, your entrance could be a bit less...flashy,” he complained to Aeris, who only rolled his eyes.

  “That's the way it works, my dear wizard. I didn't make up the rules; I just have to abide by them.”

  “Yeah well, anyway, I was talking to Clara a few minutes ago.”

  “Were you? Excellent! Have they made any decisions?”

  “As a matter of fact, they have. Come over and look at this.”

  He opened the atlas and Aeris drifted over and hovered by Simon's right shoulder.

  “What did they choose?”

  “Florida for one, so we guessed correctly there. And...” he flipped through the pages until he found the correct one and tapped the map.

  “Northern Mexico. Apparently they think the weather and soil there would be suitable for a new town.”

  “Two locations,” Aeris muttered to himself as he rubbed his chin. “Interesting. So what do you want to do?”

  “I'm going to recall the other air elementals that scouted for me before, the ones that searched the major cities for signs of life. I wrote down all of their names and summoning them should be easy enough.” He grimaced. “Except for that damned thunder.”

  “Rules, my dear wizard. Rules,” Aeris said smugly.

  “Yeah right. I want you to take four of them with you and check out Florida. The other five I'll send down to Mexico. You said it should take about a week?”

  Aeris studied the map of Mexico and nodded.

  “Just the northern part of this country?” he asked as he pointed at the map.

  “That's it.”

  “Then yes, no more than a week, barring any unforeseen surprises. And there may be some of those, as you well know.”

  “I do, thanks. And I'm telling you now what I'll tell the rest later; no heroics, right? You go, you scout, you report back. If any of you run into something too dangerous, including, God forbid, dragons, then get your ass out of there and back here. Clear?”

  “Of course. We're scouts, not warriors. Just make sure you impress that on my fellow elementals. Some of them can be a bit...flighty, on occasion.”

  “You don't say?” Simon told him with a knowing look.

  Aeris just sniffed and looked away haughtily.

  “Okay, hang on till I find that list of names.”

  The slip of paper was tucked in the back of one of the desk drawers and, by the time Simon had found it, Kronk had returned from the stable and jumped up on to the desk. He watched the proceedings quietly.

  The wizard was fascinated when all of the air elementals were finally recalled
and they bobbed and weaved together on his desk, speaking quietly in their breezy voices that sounded like mournful gusts of wind. He also had a small headache from the nine claps of thunder he'd had to endure during the summonings.

  Simon explained the mission to them, making sure to emphasize to the group that they were to be cautious and not take any unnecessary chances. Then he let Aeris split them into two groups, showed each group their specific map and wished them the best of luck.

  The last of the elementals popped out of the room and left Aeris and Kronk standing near each other. The earthen looked at his friend and his expression was serious.

  “You be careful down there,” he said stiffly. “Master and I have no interest in training a new air elemental to take over your tasks here.”

  Aeris looked at him with wide eyes.

  “Why, Kronk, I didn't know you cared,” he said sarcastically. When the earthen didn't rise to the bait, the air elemental smiled diffidently. “Don't worry so much; I'll be fine. And I'll be back before you know it.”

  “Just remember, I've given you permission to return at any time; no need to wait for me to summon you,” Simon told him. “I suppose I should have done that for your fellows too. Damn. Well, too late now.”

  “I know, my dear wizard, but you do not give that boon to every summoned creature,” Aeris said seriously. “Stretching the rules is your specialty, but doing so too often can be pushing your luck. At any rate, I'll return as soon as I can.”

  “Right. Take care, Aeris.”

  The airy figure nodded to them both and disappeared, leaving the wizard and Kronk to stare at each other with worried looks.

  Simon put the list of names back in his desk and leaned back in his chair, watching the earthen curiously.

  “What is it, master?”

  “I was just wondering why Aeris thinks that allowing all of the elementals I summon permission to return to the tower is a bad idea.”

  Kronk looked a little surprised.

  “Forgive me, master, but is it not obvious?”

  “Not to me. You seem to agree with him, but why?”

  “Several reasons, master,” he replied.