Tales from the New Earth: Volume Two Page 18

“Live in peace? While my home world is being ravaged by dragons and Chaos lords? Yeah right. No, I'm doing research, trying to dig back through time to see how the whole thing started.”

  “The whole thing? What whole thing? What are you talking about?”

  “The divine war between the Light and the Darkness. How did it start? Which side first created the dragons? Do the gods have any weaknesses? All of that.”

  Simon drank some coffee while he considered his response.

  “Um, no offense, Daniel, but they're gods. They don't have any weaknesses.”

  “Nonsense,” his friend replied with a scowl. “All creatures have weaknesses. I don't necessarily mean a physical vulnerability, you know. Emotional, spiritual, there are many types of deficiencies that can be exploited. These so-called 'lords of Chaos' have a lot to answer for and, if we can find a way to help the gods of Light win their war against these monsters, I think we should.”

  “Oh, I'm not arguing, trust me. I just don't know how much mortals can do in a fight like that. We must seem like ants to the gods.”

  Daniel's smile was unpleasant.

  “Exactly. And who expects the ants to turn on them and attack, hmm? Anyway, that's what I'm doing now. How about yourself?”

  “Still finding my feet. Did you hear about how all of the Changlings are gathering in one place to live?”

  His friend perked up and raised an eyebrow.

  “No, I didn't. Tell me.”

  And so he did. Simon told Daniel about Nottinghill Castle and how as many Changlings as possible had moved there, and of others who were being invited to join them.

  When he was done, Daniel was smiling and nodding with approval.

  “Excellent. A castle. That is brilliant. It's a place that can be well defended both physically and magically. And there are hundreds of human survivors? Wonderful. I'm cautiously optimistic.”

  “Me too.”

  Simon was sorely tempted to tell his old friend about the silver dragon. But he had no way of knowing if the dark gods could tap into his communication spell and he couldn't risk it.

  “Thank you for calling, Simon. You've cheered me up immensely.”

  Daniel stood up slowly and leaned against the tree trunk for a moment. Simon was distressed to see how wobbly he looked. He might sound vigorous, but his old friend's premature aging seemed to be catching up to him. He quickly pushed that thought out of his mind.

  “I'll keep doing my research. Call me every few weeks, would you, and I'll update you on anything I've found.”

  “Absolutely. You take care.”

  “And you, young wizard,” Daniel replied with a crooked grin.

  Simon shook the mirror to break the spell and then set it down on the desk.

  What would he do if he lost his friend to old age? The wizard shook his head and tried not to think about it. That wasn't going to happen, not for years, he told himself and tried to concentrate on something else.

  Luckily a distraction appeared soon afterward. As he was walking back downstairs for more coffee, the door slammed open and Kronk popped into the room.

  The little guy appeared to be fairly dry and Simon stopped at the bottom of the stairs to look at him.

  “Has it stopped raining?”

  “It has, master, for now. But the sky is still heavy with rain clouds, so I do not think it will last.”

  “Probably not, but this might be a good time to let the horses out for a run. I know they don't care about getting wet but I thought I'd help you with them and I don't want to get soaked. Frankly, I feel the need for something to do.”

  The little guy smiled brightly.

  “A wonderful idea, master. Let us go now, before it starts raining again.”

  Simon slipped on his outdoor shoes and he and Kronk headed for the stable.

  Letting the horses out to exercise and graze cheered the wizard up as usual and, when the rain began to fall again, he ran back inside in better spirits. Chief and the mares stayed out in the field. The rain didn't bother them and the filly seemed to love it. Her bright yellow coat was splattered with mud as she raced around the field joyously.

  Simon waited for Kronk to come in behind him and closed the door. As he was slipping off his shoes, the little guy nudged his knee and pointed across the room at the kitchen table.

  He turned and saw Aeris bobbing gently up and down and smiling. He looked pleased with himself.

  “Hey, you're back! That was fast.”

  The wizard changed shoes and walked over to sit at the table.

  “It really wasn't,” Aeris replied. “I've been gone for hours.”

  “Well, it seemed pretty quick. So? Any luck?”

  The air elemental's smile widened.

  “Yes. Very good luck for a change. I found a herd of cattle about fifty miles to the southwest of here. A couple of dozen cows and a rather formidable bull watching over them.”

  “Milk cows?” Kronk asked as he hopped up on to the tabletop.

  “Several of them are, yes. The rest are beef cattle.”

  “Beef cattle? Hmm.”

  Aeris looked at the wizard intently.

  “Thinking of steaks, are you? Could you bring yourself to kill and butcher a cow?”

  Simon's face twisted with distaste.

  “God no. That's why I used to trade for venison with Nottinghill, before they moved away. And why I don't eat rabbit or any of the other game around here. I'm pretty sure I could milk a cow, once I figured out what to squeeze or whatever, but as much as I love beef, I can't kill an innocent animal.”

  “But you have no problem with someone else doing the dirty work, right?” Aeris said with faint disdain.

  The wizard shrugged.

  “I'm a child of my times. What can I say? I grew up buying my meat at a neighborhood butcher shop. It not like I didn't know where the stuff came from, but we had people who specialized in that sort of thing.”

  Aeris snorted softly.

  “Well, my dear wizard, those people are gone. If you want meat, you will have to forget the middle-man and do the distasteful work yourself.”

  “Yeah, no. That's not going to happen.”

  Simon stopped speaking abruptly as an idea began to form in the back of his mind.

  “What is it, master?”

  “Something just occurred to me,” he said, thinking it through. “If we could actually round up a couple of dairy cattle and maybe several beef cattle as well, then we could care for them here. I'm not sure about a bull though; I think that would be too much to handle.”

  “Why that many cattle?” Aeris asked. “And why beef cows if you can't bring yourself to slaughter them for meat later?”

  “Because I know that there are people at Nottinghill Castle who can,” Simon told him.

  Both of the elementals looked a little puzzled and Simon tried to explain.

  “If we captured our own beef cattle, domesticated them, raised them ourselves, then when the time came to restock my supplies with smoked meat, dried beef, all of that, I could just transport a cow to the castle. One of their people could do the butchering and take a portion of the meat as payment for their services. It would be a win-win for both of us.”

  “Ah, I see, master,” Kronk told him with an understanding nod. “That sounds quite fair.”

  “I agree, my dear wizard. If they have many mouths to feed in their new home, the townspeople would probably be quite happy to begin trading.” Aeris frowned in thought. “Perhaps we could begin trading in vegetables again as well. Kronk, could you expand the garden to grow extra produce for trade?”

  “Yes, of course,” Kronk replied. “We grow as much as we need now, because master can't abide waste. Neither can I.”

  He looked at Simon.

  “But if you'd like, master, I can certainly plant more corn, beans, tomatoes; whatever you'd like. It is still early in the season and expanding our garden would be quite easy to do.”

  Simon was smiling as he considered
the possibilities of renewing his trade with his old neighbors. He didn't know what skills the new group had, but if they had people who could sew or knit, he could use some new robes and an extra blanket for his bed. And shoes. He wondered if any of them could work leather into shoes. Hmm.

  “If you don't mind the extra work, Kronk, then I think that's a terrific idea. We don't live in a vacuum, even in this dangerous new world. I may be a wizard, but I can't just snap my fingers and conjure up new clothes or other things that I need. I have to rely on others for that.”

  “It is no trouble, master,” the earthen assured him cheerfully. “I will begin first thing tomorrow, providing the weather clears up. Planting in the pouring rain is pointless; the seeds just wash away.”

  “I'll leave that in your very capable hands, my friend,” Simon told him gratefully. “Now, Aeris, about tomorrow.”

  The air elemental listened attentively.

  “If the weather is nice, while Kronk gets started on expanding the garden, you can take me to the location of the cattle and we can figure out the best way to, um, procure some livestock.”

  “That should be interesting,” Aeris said with a wry smile.

  “That's one word for it. It's bound to be challenging, especially if, as you say, there's a bull watching over the herd. Oh well, who said life was easy, right?”

  “None of us, that's for sure. Very well, sir wizard, we will give it a try.”

  Simon got up and filled the kettle. He put it over the fire and took out one of his fresh loaves of bread. While he cut off several slices, Kronk jumped down and added a log to the fire, adjusting it carefully until he was satisfied with its placement. Meanwhile, Aeris floated over to the counter and took out a cup and readied Simon's tea.

  Simon smiled at them both in appreciation as he began to spread jam on his bread.

  When he was done, he carried his impromptu snack back to the table and sat down. The elementals rejoined him.

  “So now that we're all together,” Simon said around a mouthful of bread and jam, “I have to tell you two something.”

  He swallowed noisily and drank some tea.

  “Actually, if I don't tell you, I feel like I might burst.”

  “Well, we can't have that, now can we?” Aeris said in a mocking tone. But he looked intrigued.

  “What is it, master? Are you unwell?” Kronk asked anxiously. “Oh, I knew we should not have gone out into that damp air. It cannot be good for your fragile lungs.”

  Aeris grimaced and seemed about to say something sarcastic, which was bound to start an argument, but Simon cut him off with a sharp look.

  “I'm fine, Kronk. Please don't worry so much. And it isn't about me. It's about something else entirely.”

  Both of the elementals waited for him to begin and Simon suddenly felt a bit nervous, although he wasn't quite sure why.

  “Okay, now before I tell you, and I know that this really isn't necessary, I need both of you to swear to keep the information to yourselves.”

  Kronk nodded silently but Aeris looked offended.

  “Hang on,” the wizard told him quickly. “Before you get angry, I want you to know that I trust both of you totally. Okay? But this knowledge, this secret, isn't mine. It's someone else's. They told me that I could share it with you, but because it comes from elsewhere, I need your assurances for that person, not for myself.”

  Aeris shook his head with a dramatic sigh.

  “That was very convoluted, do you know that? But you have my word, my dear wizard, for what it is worth.”

  “It's worth a lot, to me,” Simon assured him and the air elemental looked a little less irritated by his statement.

  “I give you my word as well, master. But I would never discuss your business outside of the tower regardless.”

  “Meaning I would?” Aeris asked him sharply.

  “Well...”

  “Hang on a second. Are you saying I have a big mouth?”

  “Well...”

  “What? Why you...”

  “Whoa, whoa, you two,” Simon cut in. “I have no interest in listening to you guys bicker at the moment, all right? Gees. I want to share something with you and you start fighting?”

  “He started it,” Aeris muttered sulkily.

  Kronk opened his mouth and Simon pointed at him sternly.

  “Enough, from both of you. You know, maybe I should just keep this to myself. Obviously you guys don't think it's all that important that I want to share a deep, dark secret with you, so...”

  “No, no! We care. Honestly we do,” Aeris said hastily. He looked at Kronk “Don't we?”

  “Yes, master. Absolutely. I apologize for arguing and interrupting you. It won't happen again.”

  Simon looked at both of them intently and was met by wide-eyed, innocent stares.

  Yeah right, he thought, but he was amused nonetheless. Sometime the elementals were less like immortal beings and more like a couple of bickering teenagers.

  “Okay then, let's start again. First, I'd like to remind you both of that cache of strange magical items we discovered back in Russia. Do you remember it?”

  “How could we forget?” Aeris told him. “Mysterious relics are a possible danger to anyone exposed to them.”

  “Yes, I suppose that's true,” Simon said uncomfortably. “So anyway, I was drawn to that crystal ball that we saw among the other items and sort of, um, took it.”

  “What? Are you deranged?”

  “Master, what were you thinking? No disrespect intended, but that was a very dangerous thing to do.”

  Yup, Simon thought with a wince. Both reacting exactly as I figured they would.

  “Yeah, I know. I know, all right? But I was curious about it and it, I don't know, was almost irresistible to me. So I snuck it back to the tower.”

  Aeris stared at him aghast.

  “It's here? Now? Where? We must get rid of it before you are cursed. Or we are. Or the tower is.”

  “Aeris, you're babbling,” Simon told him sharply. “I've already used it. That's why we're having this delightful little discussion.” He rubbed his temple. “Which is already starting to give me a headache, by the way.”

  “Be quiet and let master speak, Aeris,” Kronk said with a glare.

  The air elemental folded his arms silently and just waited.

  “Good. Anyway, I used the crystal ball. And I got in touch with someone that I did not expect.”

  “Who was it, master?”

  Simon sipped his tea, and then took a deep breath.

  “Okay, brace yourselves. This may freak you out a little.”

  And so he slowly went through his entire encounter with the silver dragon. Neither of his friends interrupted him during his story, mainly because they seemed stunned by his revelation.

  When he was done, Simon finished his tea, got up to make another cup and then watched the elementals as he waited for the water to boil.

  “Well? Don't hold back; just tell me what you think.”

  Neither of his friends seemed to know what to say. Aeris was staring blankly off into space with his arms folded, bobbing silently. Kronk was tapping his right foot, the sound against the wooden table was reminiscent of a woodpecker hammering on a tree.

  “Guys? Anything to say?”

  “A silver dragon,” Kronk whispered. “A silver dragon.”

  He blinked his red eyes several times and seemed to snap out of his shock. He looked at Simon with an awestruck expression.

  “That is amazing, master! We believed that all of the dragons of Light were slaughtered thousands of years ago. To know that one has survived is...almost miraculous.”

  “That's a good word for it,” Aeris agreed in a dazed tone. He looked like someone had hit him with a brick and, as he met Simon's eyes with his own, he broke into a wide smile.

  “Do you know that the silver dragons were sacred to my people? When my lord Astrandamus learns of this dragon's survival, he will be overjoyed.”

&nb
sp; “Hang on a second,” Simon said sharply. “Didn't you just promise not to tell anyone about this?”

  “Have you forgotten, oh great elementalist, that anything I know, my ruler knows too? Don't worry. My oath binds him as well; that's how our loyalty to our summoner works. He will be delighted nevertheless, even if he can't speak of it to anyone else.”

  “Hmm. Okay. I'll take your word for that. So these dragons were important to your people? Why?”

  “It's hard to explain actually,” Aeris answered. He began to float in a small circle in the center of the table.

  “The silver dragons were the most beautiful of all of the dragon species, good or evil. They were also the masters of air magic, using lightning and storms to assault their foes. None of the silver dragons went down easily when the lords of Chaos turned on them, many killing several foes before they were defeated.”

  His face fell and he looked very sad suddenly.

  “Near the end, Astrandamus offered the handful of surviving silvers aid. He was willing to send some of our most powerful elementals to join in the battle against the evil dragons, and against the gods themselves.” He shook his head. “They refused.”

  “I never heard this!” Kronk exclaimed in surprise. “Why would they do that?”

  “They didn't want to drag my people into their fight with the gods,” Aeris replied heavily. “The great silver dragon, Argentium, told us that if we helped him and the few surviving silvers, that we would be next to feel the Chaos lords' wrath. He would not allow that. And as you know, elementals cannot enter this world unless summoned, so we could not even force our help upon him.”

  He stopped circling and clasped his hands together, looking distressed.

  “He died, the last of his people, or so we thought. We watched from our realm. Argentium's last battle was one for the ages, let me tell you.” He looked up at Simon fiercely. “A dozen dragons fell to him before he was pulled down. A dozen, my dear wizard! Truly a tale worthy of song and story. We have never forgotten this noble being or his people. And now you tell me that one has survived? I could not be more pleased.”

  Simon nodded and smiled at him.

  “I'm glad. I had no idea that the silvers were so dear to your people. Esmiralla is certainly beautiful. And she seems quite...” he groped for the proper word, “well, I guess noble is the right way to describe her. Majestic. I felt nothing but goodness from her.”