The Dragons of Decay

by J. J. Thompson

  “I thank you, my friend, but no. As you can see, most of the time I wear armor. I find that it feels more natural for me to do so. Part of being a paladin, I suppose.”

  “Funny. Malcolm has said almost the same thing from time to time.”

  Clara folded her hands and rested them on her lap. Then she looked from Simon to Liliana and back again.

  “You both look well. Liliana, please allow me to offer my condolences on your losses. After all of your efforts, to lose your people despite that, is truly a tragedy.”

  The paladin's face paled but she accepted Clara's words with grace and dignity.

  “Thank you, my friend. I grieve for them, but I also hope to help you and your fellows here, if you will have me.”

  “There has never been any fear of our not accepting you,” the cleric assured her warmly. “Not only do we need any help that we can get with our rebuilding, your skills in combat and your ability to heal will be invaluable to us.”

  Simon watched the interaction between the two women with interest. Both were strong people, loyal and fierce in their wish to protect those around them and he'd been sure that they could work together, but until this moment, there had been no guarantee. He felt a sense of relief and allowed his mind to wander lazily for a moment as he looked around.

  The inhabitants of the new town were all looking healthy and happy. He saw and heard a lot of laughter and joking, but they were still working steadily at the same time.

  Among the tents, several clotheslines were heavy with laundry flapping merrily in the warm breeze. The three children of the town, a boy and two girls, all under five years of age, were playing together, running here and there and getting underfoot, but everyone was being very patient with them.

  It takes a community to raise a child, Simon thought and wondered where he had heard that. It seemed to be the case here as each child would occasionally be lifted up and hugged or tickled by the adults they were running amongst, to screams of laughter, and then put down to continue playing. It was remarkably joyous to watch.

  “Don't you agree, Simon?”

  He looked at Clara blankly.

  “Sorry?”

  She laughed and looked in the direction he had been staring.

  “They do look happy, don't they?”

  “Remarkably so. The move from up north looks like it's invigorated them. And I see some people are finally getting a little color from the sun.”

  “Yeah, my tan's coming along great,” a deep voice boomed and Simon turned to see Malcolm approaching along with Virginia.

  They all laughed at his joke and the wizard watched as the pair put down a large pitcher of orange juice and several glasses on a table. Clara thanked them and poured a glass for everyone.

  “Oh, this is wonderful,” Liliana exclaimed as she tried the juice. “I haven't had fresh orange juice in, well, I can't remember when.”

  Simon savored the delicious sweetness and nodded appreciatively.

  “I agree. When I get my strength back, I may Gate down here regularly to steal a bottle or two, so don't say I didn't warn you.”

  The cleric looked at him fondly.

  “Anytime, my friend. Oh Simon,” she said and took his hand, holding it in both of her own. “I'm still trying to believe that you are really here, alive and well. Do you know how deeply your loss affected us?”

  The wizard set down his glass and returned Clara's grasp.

  “I'm not someone who's used to people caring about him, to be honest,” he told her slowly, glancing at the others as he did so. “Back in the old days, Simon the middle-aged computer guy had only one very good friend and that was Daniel. Now look at me. I consider all of you friends and, frankly, it's a bit overwhelming to hear that you cared enough to mourn for me. But I want you to know how much I appreciate your friendship and that I will do anything in my power to help you, Clara, and your people.”

  She gave his hands a final squeeze and sat back again.

  “Thank you for that. Now then, Liliana, there's a tent set up for you and, when you're ready, Virginia could probably take you over and you can settle in.”

  “I'd be happy to,” Virginia told the paladin with a smile.

  “That is very much appreciated. Perhaps we can do that now? I find that it may take a while for me to acclimate to this warm weather and, perhaps, I will change into something a little less constricting than my armor.”

  Liliana finished her juice and stood up.

  “Guys? Before you go?” Simon said quickly and both women turned to look at him.

  “With Clara's permission, I'll be staying over until tomorrow, to rest up and call in my earthen friends to help with construction. But before I go, Virginia, I'd like to talk to you, Anna, Eric and Gerard. And you as well, Liliana. No rush. In fact, I'd rather wait overnight so that I can be rested and a little more clear-headed before we meet.”

  “What is this about?” the paladin asked, obviously intrigued.

  Simon could feel everyone's interest sharpening and he suddenly felt nervous.

  “Well, I don't want to spoil the mood or anything but,” he hesitated, “it's about the war against the dragons in the elven lands. I intend to be ready if and when my friend Daniel requests my help, and I'd like to discuss the possibility of the five of you joining me, if you're willing.”

  Dead silence.

  “Well now, that was unexpected,” Clara finally said as she stared at the wizard. “Our newest member of the community hasn't even settled in yet and...”

  “I know. I know. Believe me, I was hesitant to even bring it up but our future, the human race's future, may hinge on the elves defeating the brown dragons. If the dragons win, they will swarm back into this world stronger and more blood-thirsty than ever.”

  Simon thought for a moment.

  “I suppose, in a perverse way, that it's kind of lucky that we have them separated from the red dragons here on Earth. We can focus on one problem at a time. Bad luck for the elves, of course.”

  “Bad luck is an understatement,” Malcolm rumbled. “But why choose those five? I mean,” he looked at Liliana, “the paladin I can understand; she's a born fighter, that's plain. But Virginia and the others? Why them?”

  “Are you implying that we aren't up to fighting back against the dragons?” Virginia bristled at him.

  The big man held up his hands placatingly.

  “Of course not. But you guys aren't natural fighters; surely you'd agree on that much, wouldn't you?”

  Virginia's glare softened and she gave a sort of accepting shrug of her shoulders.

  “Yes, that's true. But it doesn't mean we won't fight if necessary. Surely our defense of Nottinghill against the wights proved that much.”

  “No one is doubting your courage, or the courage of your friends,” Clara told her. “But defending your home is one thing. Deliberately going up against dragons? That's something else entirely. Simon,” she turned to the wizard, “I have to echo Malcolm's question; why those four?”

  “Because my friend Daniel, who you know is trapped in the elven realm, told me specifically that their four-way bond will prevent them from prematurely aging if they travel between worlds. The time-line between Earth and the elven lands is too volatile for most people to survive crossing over and then returning safely. Sometimes it's very fast, sometimes a lot slower, but it is never the same as the time passing on this world. It aged my friend to the point that his returning home would kill him instantly. Apparently a wizard ages much more slowly than most, so I should be fine for a short stay. Virginia and the others also share this because of their magical bond. And Liliana,” he looked at the paladin, who was listening intently, “heals almost instantly. The time difference will not harm her either.”

  He took a drink of juice to moisten his suddenly dry mouth.

  “Look, I really didn't want to have to talk about this until tomorrow. We can all meet, Clara and Malcolm too if they want, and hash it out then.” He looked up
at the sky. “The day's moving on and I'd like to bring Kronk and his friends down so that they can start working on building you some more permanent structures than tents.”

  Clara nodded once.

  “Very well, Simon. We'll table this discussion until tomorrow. Virginia, would you show Liliana to her tent? And Malcolm, could you find Mark please? He's our resident engineer, after all, and I want him to discuss the placing of buildings with the earthen before they begin construction.”

  Virginia led the paladin away while Malcolm went hunting for the engineer. Meanwhile, Clara poured Simon more orange juice and then stared at him curiously.

  “Do you really think you're up to a confrontation with the dragons?” she asked. “Forgive me, but you're as pale as milk and look like a strong breeze could carry you away.”

  “Thanks. You look great too,” he responded, drawing a chuckle from the concerned cleric.

  “I have time,” he continued. “Time to grow stronger, to regain what I lost in my 'rebirth'. Time flows faster here than it does in the elven lands. A month here might be only a few days there, so even if things begin going badly for the elves, I still have a rather large window of opportunity that I can use to, in a way, recharge my magical batteries.”

  “And you really believe that our four young friends could be of use?” she asked, lowering her voice.

  “I do,” Simon replied quietly. “Their communal strength is quite formidable. I think their Shield spell is actually stronger than my own. Virginia's ability to heal is extraordinary and their Force spell kept a horde of wights at bay for several hours. Even Anna's Invisibility spell could come in handy. Yes, I think they could be very useful.”

  He patted her hand reassuringly.

  “But I also know what they mean to you and to this community. That's why I want you at our meeting tomorrow. I won't guilt-trip them or try to railroad them into coming with me. It will be their choice. And if you want to raise any objections, please feel free to do so. To be honest, I've always been a lone wolf. If I had my druthers, I'd simply go it alone. But the brown dragons are stronger than any other dragon I've faced so far and their primal? God, I can't even begin to imagine what his powers are like. This war had reached a whole other level and I'm going to need help on this one.”

  Clara watched him silently for a moment and then smiled.

  “Thank you, Simon,” she said simply.

  “For what?”

  “Your honesty. Some people would try to sugar-coat this, but you're being upfront about it.”

  “You're my friends, as I said earlier.” he replied. “Friends don't sucker friends into rushing off to face danger. They lay it out in front of them and let them make their decisions based on fact. No need to thank me for that.”

  “There is, but I don't think you'll ever see it that way. But enough of that.”

  She stood up and waited for the wizard to join her.

  “Did you want to summon your elemental friends now? I can see that Malcolm has found Mark for us.”

  “Absolutely. Let's head to the center of town. That way your engineer can show Kronk and the others exactly where he thinks the various buildings should go.”

  Malcolm and Mark, a small man with large eyes and a thatch of sandy blond hair who Simon always thought looked more like a schoolboy than an engineer, followed Clara and the wizard to the center of town, where he had arrived earlier.

  The wizard wasted no time in calling out the names of the three earthen, beginning with Kronk. When they had arrived and he introduced them all around, he summoned Aeris.

  The air elemental appeared, still holding the sack full of beets and immediately began berating him.

  “Finally!” he exclaimed as he popped into view, hovering at eye level. “Do you realize how long I've been holding on to this bag of vegetables?”

  “Two hours?” Simon guessed.

  “Two hours, exactly! Two hours that I've been dragging around this blasted, smelly sack...”

  “Hello Aeris,” Clara said, cutting him off. “It's good to see you again.”

  Simon gave her a look of gratitude as she diverted the elemental's wrath and she winked subtly.

  “Ah, lady cleric.” Aeris bowed slightly and offered her the sack. “A gift, from myself and the addle-brained wizard for whom I work. With our compliments.”

  “Addle-brained? Now, hang on a second...”

  “Aeris!” Kronk barked up at him. “How dare you address our master in such a tone!”

  “Well, if the name fits...”

  “Enough!” Malcolm roared and an immediate silence followed as everyone jumped and then stared at the big man.

  “We don't have time for all this bickering,” he told them, glowering. Simon couldn't remember ever seeing him looking so serious.

  “Malcolm's right,” the wizard agreed. “Thanks for bringing the bag, Aeris, but we have to press on. Daylight is burning here.”

  Aeris nodded stiffly and bobbed in the breeze, remaining silent.

  “Kronk, if you and your friends would be so kind as to confer with Mark here? As I understand it, you've already laid out a plan for permanent buildings?”

  The engineer nodded and pulled out a roll of paper from his back pocket. The earthen gathered around and Mark sat down on the grass and the four of them started speaking quietly.

  Clara opened the sack that Aeris had given her and gasped in delight.

  “Simon! I love beets! Thank you so much. And you too, Aeris,” she added hastily. “I'll give you a bag of oranges and lemons to take back with you tomorrow. You'll need all of the vitamin C you can get if you intend to spend the winter up north.”

  The rest of the day passed in a bit of a blur for Simon. Kronk and the two earthen with him began raising buildings according to the plans drawn up by Mark and agreed to by the rest of the community.

  One addition that both Simon and Kronk convinced Clara and the others of was a central hall. They told them about the usefulness of a warded building during an aerial attack, which sobered up the group considerably. Liliana, as the veteran of more than one encounter with dragons, added her voice of support for the idea and a hastily called town meeting approved it.

  “How are you going to build it?” Simon asked Kronk quietly after the meeting. “You'll have to travel a long way to find enough wood, won't you?”

  “Yes master,” the little guy agreed. “If we were using wood. But we are not. We are using rock. Excuse me please but we should start immediately.”

  And then he and the other earthen slipped into the ground, leaving small mounds of dirt behind them.

  “You know, that is really freaky to watch,” Mark said as he walked over and stood next to the wizard.

  “Yeah. I've gotten used to it somewhat, but when they just casually disappear underground like that, it can still surprise me.”

  Mark had some sheets of paper with him and he proceeded to show Simon some hastily drawn sketches of the new hall.

  “You are going to be casting wards along the wall?” he asked.

  “Along the walls and then,” Simon tapped the roof on the drawing, “on top, right in the middle. The wards will mesh together and create a shield around the entire structure.”

  “Amazing. Too bad the town itself couldn't be protected like that.”

  Simon smiled at him.

  “Even magic can only be stretched so far. My tower is just about the biggest structure that can be shielded in such a way. Any larger and the power just collapses back in on itself.”

  Mark was nodding, but his expression was a little vague, as he took Simon's word for it.

  “Okay then. Thanks for this, by the way. You are the only one who can cast these ward thingies, you know. If it wasn't for your powers, I'd say it's safe to assume we'd be screwed.”

  Simon laughed uncomfortably.

  “Just doing my part, same as you are,” he told the engineer. “I mean, look at you. You were actually an engineer back in the day?”r />
  “Oh yeah,” Mark nodded. “Had a very successful company back then as well. Then everything mechanical stopped working overnight. Do you know how disconcerting that is to an engineer?”

  “I can imagine, considering how the rest of us reacted. But like I was saying, you're doing your part as well. Just looking at you, I'd say you were no more than, what, seventeen? But here you are, doing your best instead of reveling in your new-found youth.”

  “Ha! You're one to talk, sir wizard,” Mark grinned. “You look even younger than I do. Here's a tip, by the way. If you cut your hair short, you look younger. Learned that from my barber back in the old days.”

  Simon laughed in return.

  “I had very little hair left back then, to be honest. My rebirth means that I have to regrow my hair again.” He rubbed his head ruefully. “I miss it already. Ah well. Patience is my new mantra and it'll get there eventually.”

  The two spent the next little while reminiscing and exchanging stories about their old lives and Simon found Mark to be one of the sharpest and funniest people he'd known for a long time. In fact, he was practically howling at one of the engineer's jokes when the ground began to shake and he staggered, almost falling over.

  Mark caught him by the elbow and steadied him, then looked around with a scowl.

  “This area isn't geologically unstable. What the hell's going on?”

  Simon didn't have time to explain. Two of the children were scampering after each other in the middle of the town, watched over fondly by their mothers. As the ground shook, they all stopped and looked around in confusion. The wizard began to run.

  “Get the kids out of the area,” he shouted. “Right now!”

  The women gaped at him for a second and then raced toward the two kids, scooping them up and running back toward the tent area.

  Simon skidded to a halt and breathed a sigh of relief. He backed away, berating himself at the same time.

  I should have warned them that Kronk would be raising bedrock to build the town hall, he thought in disgust. Less socializing and more thinking, oh great wizard.

  Slowly the ground split open to reveal thick stone walls growing up in a circular pattern. Mark moved next to Simon and watched in awe.