The Dragons of Decay

by J. J. Thompson

  “Oh yes, master. They were highly valued. I remember hearing one wizard complaining about their high fees. They were often called in during a drought or a flood, you see, and they charged high prices for their services.”

  “Supply and demand, I suppose,” Simon said vaguely as he sipped the tea that Aeris handed him.

  “Don't do that!” Aeris snapped at Kronk and the wizard turned his head sharply around to look down at the earthen.

  “Do what?” Kronk asked in confusion.

  “You were about to jump up on to the table and you are still glowing from the fire. Look, you're scorching the floor where you are standing.”

  Aeris sighed and glared at the little guy.

  “Stay standing on the edge of the fireplace, on the stone, until you cool down. Honestly, I don't know how many times I've had to remind you of that.”

  He turned back to pour the rest of the hot water in the sink and Kronk scowled at his back and made a vaguely rude gesture. Simon choked as he bit off his laughter and, when the earthen looked at him, he returned the glance innocently.

  “Are you calling the lady cleric back today, master?” Kronk asked a bit grumpily as he waited to cool down.

  “That's the plan. I'm feeling really good this morning, by the way. You guys are a big help in my recovery.”

  The earthen's mood changed immediately and he smiled broadly.

  “Thank you, master. It is our duty but I am pleased that you are improving. I think that the paladin will do well in the warmer weather, don't you?”

  He stepped tentatively on to the wooden floor, nodded to himself, and leaped on to the table to stand near the wizard.

  “I hope so. She's gone through so much tragedy and Moscow has to be associated with sadness for her now. A change of scenery is probably the best thing for her.”

  “It will be good for Clara and the others as well,” Aeris suggested as he washed a few dishes and set them on the rack to dry. He'd made Simon a breakfast of fried smoked venison, and apples from their dwindling supply, and was just finishing cleaning up.

  “If there are any threats to the settlement, the paladin's powers and fighting skill will be invaluable.”

  “You're right. Okay, I'm going up to the study.”

  Simon stood up and looked at Kronk.

  “Want to come along or are you heading to the stable?”

  “I will come, master. I saw to the horses earlier.”

  The little guy jumped down and tip-tapped after the wizard.

  “If you feel up to it later, master, you should visit them as well. Your presence cheers them up immensely and Sunbeam adores you.”

  “She does?” Simon asked as he climbed the stairs carefully. He was delighted at the news.

  “In that case, it's a date. I just dread having to slog my way through all that snow.”

  They entered the study and Simon lit the candles with a flick of his power. He felt very little weakness as he did so and grinned at Kronk, who returned the smile.

  “Getting better, master,” he said as he jumped up on the desk.

  “I know. Slowly but surely.”

  “Don't start without me!” Aeris yelled from downstairs.

  “I won't,” Simon shouted back as he settled into his leather chair. He took a moment to lean back and close his eyes, simply enjoying the pleasure of his surroundings.

  The chair was the most comfortable in the tower, since he'd lost his sofa and comfy chair in the fire, and the candles smelled faintly of cinnamon, one of his favorite scents in the world. Even the howling of the storm as it raged around the tower only made him feel more peaceful and secure within his home.

  “Has he fallen asleep?” he heard Aeris ask as he entered the room.

  “No, he hasn't,” Simon replied as he opened his eyes. “Just taking a minute to appreciate my home.” He looked at the two elementals standing side by side on the top of the desk. “Our home,” he added, making even Aeris smile.

  “Yes, I must say that I hold this tower in great affection,” the air elemental said as he looked around. “I never thought that I could care about any physical place, but I've been proven wrong.”

  “I should write that down,” Kronk said to him jokingly. “One from the airy plane admitting that he's made a mistake. Surely a historical moment.”

  “Uh-uh,” Simon said as Aeris prepared to reply with a comment that would only start an argument. “I want to call Clara and I want no fighting between you two. It makes us look so...unprofessional.”

  “Since when have we been professional?”

  The wizard sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

  “Since never, so let's try it once, shall we?”

  “Of course, master. It's all Aeris' fault anyway.”

  “What?!”

  “Guys!”

  The two elementals settled down, glaring at each other and Simon quickly picked up his hand mirror and began casting.

  He connected with Clara very quickly and found her standing, surprisingly, on the seashore, staring across at the distant horizon.

  “Clara? Good morning. Are you okay?”

  “Good morning, Simon,” she replied with a warm smile. “How are you feeling?”

  “Excellent, thanks. Getting stronger every day.”

  “Wonderful news. You never know when a fully-functioning wizard will come in handy, do you?”

  He chuckled.

  “True. So what's happening? You're away from the settlement for a change.”

  “We've decided to call it Nottinghill, the new town that is,” she answered with a wistful smile. “Someone suggested 'New Nottinghill', but my people are a fairly pragmatic bunch and decided that was too wordy, so we'll keep the old name. It was a lovely town while it lasted and we wanted to honor its memory somehow.”

  “That's quite understandable and, even though I know you don't need my stamp of approval, you have it anyway.”

  “Thanks. As to why I'm outside of town,” Clara gestured at the rolling waves that were crashing on to the shore. The cries of gulls echoed mournfully over the sound of the water and the scene was poignant and sad somehow, and yet beautiful as well.

  “I never got a chance to visit the ocean in my old life,” she said as she watched the restless waves pensively. “My daughter got married and moved to Florida with her husband, but I didn't visit soon enough. I had planned to but, well...”

  “The dragons destroyed the world,” Simon finished her sentence, a bitter taste on his tongue.

  “Exactly right, my friend. So since today was designated as a rest day, I decided to visit the shore. It's only about a thirty minute walk from town.” She smiled a bit. “And before you say anything, Aiden is watching me a little ways up the beach, so I'm not here alone.”

  “Good. I was going to mention that, actually. Anyway, I have some news. Both good and bad, I'm afraid.”

  “All right,” the cleric said, her body stiffening. “I wish I'd thought to bring my mirror so that I could see you, but go ahead.”

  So Simon told her what had happened with Liliana and her people. Clara's face fell as he spoke and, by the time he had finished, she had gone back to staring out to sea.

  “Imagine, surviving this long only to die because of a gas leak. How tragic is that? Poor Liliana. She must be devastated.”

  “She's still standing somehow,” Simon said with admiration. “An amazing woman. I told her I'd ask if she could join you, now that she's all alone and there isn't anything tying her to Moscow.”

  “Simon!” Clara exclaimed. “Ask me? By the gods, you must know me well enough by now to know the answer to that.”

  The wizard nodded unconsciously.

  “I do, but it is only courteous to ask. And I believe that Liliana would say the same thing.”

  “Fine then. I formally give my consent, and I speak for my people in this, for Liliana to join our community. We would be honored to have her.”

  She smiled into the wind.

&
nbsp; “Good enough?”

  “Good enough,” Simon said with a laugh. “With luck, I'll be strong enough in a week or so to Gate over to Moscow, pick her up and then bring her to you. After that, I'm going to have to impose on you for at least a night. I think I'll be too drained to risk Gating home right away.”

  Kronk silently nodded his approval at this plan and Simon winked at him.

  “Oh, we would love for you to visit for a while,” Clara said enthusiastically. “Getting away from that winter weather will do you a world of good.”

  “I have no doubt about that. The snow is falling thick and heavy even as we speak.”

  She grimaced.

  “Delightful. I'm feeling less nostalgic about the old Nottinghill by the minute.”

  “I'll call you the day I decide to do the transfer and I'll be bringing Kronk and a few of his friends along to help with the new buildings. That should speed things up a bit.”

  “That would be very generous of him, Simon.”

  “It will be our pleasure, lady,” Kronk spoke up and the cleric grinned.

  “He loves to help,” Simon told her. “So, I'll let you get back to enjoying your day off. Talk to you soon.”

  “I'm counting on it. Take care.”

  He canceled the spell, put down the mirror and sat back in his chair. He rubbed his eyes and then looked at Aeris as the elemental cleared his throat.

  “Hmm?”

  “You look like you could use a nap,” Aeris told him pointedly. Kronk nodded vigorously in agreement.

  “Sleep and eat. Sleep and eat. That's all I do now, you know that?”

  “Big picture, my dear wizard,” Aeris said. “Get healthy, get strong, save the world, right?”

  Simon burst out laughing.

  “If only it were that simple. Okay, I'll catch a few winks before I visit the horses.”

  He glanced at the window and the darkness that came with the heavy snowfall beyond.

  “After all, there's no rush, is there?”

  Chapter 22

  The next week passed quickly for Simon, mainly because he spent most of it asleep. His new body was still growing and filling in and it needed to be fed and then allowed to rest. He occasionally felt like he was simply a passenger in the vehicle that was his body and was trying to enjoy the ride. It certainly helped him practice patience.

  At the end of the week, the elementals allowed him to try several simple spells, but watched him like hawks for any sign of weakness. Simon felt like he was auditioning for one of those old television talent shows and he was more nervous than he expected to be.

  “Okay, you guys pick the spells,” the wizard said at breakfast that day. For a change he was having hot chocolate with his toast and was feeling mellow and content, right up until the elementals mentioned the test.

  The two were standing on the kitchen table and Kronk waved Aeris forward.

  “Very well, my dear wizard. We have discussed this. Obviously you can cast your communication spell with little trouble, which is a good sign, so let's have you stretch your magical muscles a bit more and cast these spells.”

  Aeris held up a blurry hand and ticked off the list on his fingers.

  “Light, Shield and...” he paused dramatically. “Gate,” he finished and folded his arms, waiting for Simon's reaction.

  “What?”

  The wizard dribbled hot chocolate down the front of his robe and jumped up to grab a dishcloth to clean it off.

  “Hang on just a second,” he said as he wiped himself off. “Light I can understand. Shield? Yeah okay. I always have that memorized anyway and it's a simple spell to cast. Bit draining though. But Gate? Come on. You two have been on top of me for a week to make sure that I didn't cast that spell. And now you've done a total one-eighty? What's going on?”

  The elementals exchanged a look.

  “We don't want you to Gate very far, master,” Kronk said with a nervous smile. “Just from here to,” he pointed upwards, “there.”

  “You want me to Gate to the ceiling?” Simon said with a frown.

  Aeris snorted.

  “Of course not. I think you are still half asleep, my dear wizard. We want you to Gate from the first floor to the second and that's all. No further than that. I think all of us want to see what the aftermath of casting such a spell will be, in a controlled environment.”

  Simon sat down again and watched his two little friends thoughtfully.

  “You do realize that if I collapse, it could set our plans back for God knows how long, right?”

  “Is it not better to know now, master, here at home, than possibly being trapped in Moscow or Florida after a Gate?” Kronk asked him, sounding like his usual practical self.

  The wizard hesitated and then grinned.

  “Okay, I can't argue with that. If I was rendered powerless in the middle of a Russian winter, and God forbid there was a wight attack, that would probably be the end of me and Liliana as well.”

  He finished what was left of his hot chocolate and clapped his hands loudly.

  “Well, I'm ready whenever you guys are.”

  Aeris zipped across the room, grabbed Simon's staff where it was leaning against the wall next to the door and returned to hand it to him.

  “Um, you think I need this?”

  “I think you need all the help that you can get,” Aeris said tartly. “The staff helps to boost and channel your power and it may ease the shock to your system somewhat.”

  “Yeah, good idea. Thanks.”

  Simon walked to the center of the room and settled himself down. He planted the end of the staff firmly on the floor and took a deep breath. His heart was racing and his stomach twisted in a mixture of fear and excitement.

  “Light spell first?” he asked and both elementals nodded in unison.

  “Okay then, here we go.”

  He easily rattled off the incantation for the spell and a globe of brilliant white light appeared above his head, bobbing serenely and casting sharp shadows around the room.

  “Well, hello there,” Simon said as he looked up at it. “Long time no see.”

  “How do you feel, master?” Kronk asked quickly.

  “Feel? Fine, I guess. No weakness, no dizziness.”

  Simon sucked on his lower lip as he focused on his body.

  “Nope, no reaction at all. That's a bit weird, isn't it?”

  “Not really,” Aeris responded. “It is a simple spell, after all. The next one should be very telling though.”

  “Shield? True. It's simple to cast but is usually fairly draining, even when I'm at full strength.”

  He squared his shoulder, tightened his grip on the staff and looked expectantly at his friends.

  “Ready?”

  “Go ahead,” Aeris said. “Let's see what happens.”

  “Okay. If I collapse, try not to let my head smack into the floor, would you?”

  Kronk leaped off of the table and scurried across the room to stand next to him.

  “I will not let you get hurt, master,” he said stoutly while Aeris just rolled his eyes.

  “He's casting a spell, Kronk, not climbing a mountain. He'll be fine.”

  Simon chuckled.

  “Here we go,” he said and began the incantation.

  Funny, he thought as he cast the spell. I've been through death and been brought back to life and I still have these spells locked firmly in my mind. How is that even possible? Is it the mind that survives after death? Or are the soul and consciousness the same thing?

  He pushed away those distracting thoughts and concentrated on the task at hand.

  “Invectis,” he said tentatively.

  There was the merest moment of silence and then a hazy globe burst into life around him, extending six feet in all directions. A slight feeling of weakness rippled through him, and he felt light-headed for a minute and swayed a bit.

  Kronk braced his knees firmly and Simon felt like he was standing in a bucket of cement. The earthen's
grip was absolute and he had no chance of falling, which he was sure he hadn't been about to do. Probably.

  “Thanks, Kronk. I'm good.”

  “Yes master. It was just a precaution.”

  Simon smiled at his little friend and looked over to see Aeris' reaction.

  The air elemental was looking a trifle smug.

  “Perfect. Almost exactly what I had expected,” he said in a superior tone.

  “Yeah right. Anyway, it worked and I feel fine.”

  Kronk tapped his leg and gave him a skeptical look.

  “Um, I mean I felt dizzy for a minute, but I'm okay. Really,” the wizard said, more to the earthen than to Aeris.

  The little guy smiled and nodded, keeping one cautionary hand on Simon's knee.

  “Do you feel up to the last test?” Aeris asked as Simon canceled the Shield spell. The field disappeared with a muted blue flash, while his globe of magic light continued to bob lightly over his head.

  “I'm good. And no matter what happens, I'll make sure to rest once we're done. Better safe than sorry.”

  He looked back down at Kronk.

  “Want to come along for the ride?”

  “If I won't be too much of a burden, I would like that, master.”

  “You are never a burden, my friend,” Simon said fondly.

  “Getting nauseous over here,” Aeris said in a snarky tone. Kronk glared at him.

  Simon just gave him a look and an exaggerated sigh and began chanting the incantation for the Gate spell.

  When he finished, he closed his eyes, keeping the image of his study firmly in mind and then, with some trepidation, he invoked the spell.

  It was the shortest Gating that Simon had ever experienced. There was a quick moment of darkness and then he and Kronk were standing in the study.

  “Whoa. That was amazing!” he exclaimed as he grinned down at Kronk. “If it wasn't such a strain, I think I'd just pop around the tower instead of walking.”

  The earthen made a sound of disapproval.

  “That would be most unwise, master. One stray thought and you could be trapped in the void...or inside of a wall.”