The Dragons Return Read online

  She shook her head. “Amazing how history can be passed down through the generations and yet become so distorted.” She sipped her tea. “Yes Simon, it did exist. But it wasn’t a city of advanced technology. It was a city build entirely by magic.”

  Simon leaned forward. “Magic?” he asked.

  “Oh yes. You see, before Atlantis was destroyed, ten thousand years ago, the world was infused with magical energy. Your people used magic and spells then as easily as they later used engines and electricity.” She paused a moment. “Until the dragons attacked, that is.” She saw Simon shake his head once. “What is it?”

  “It sounds a little bit like a fairy tale to me,” he said. “A magical world? Spells? That’s hard to believe.”

  “Is it?” Ethmira asked. She gestured toward the door and Simon glanced over and saw Kronk standing next to it looking like a small, misshapen statue. “As hard to believe as summoning an elemental perhaps?”

  He gave her a rueful grin. “Good point,” he said.

  “Now this is the part that you will have to take on faith. Or not, as you see fit. Are you a religious man?”

  Simon was confused by the question. “Well, no. Not really. I was raised in the Catholic faith, but as an adult, I guess you could say I’m agnostic.”

  “Good. Maybe this will be easier to digest then. You see, before the destruction of Atlantis, there were gods in the world. Or above the world. Or…well, you know what I mean.”

  He just grinned and nodded. She returned his smile and continued.

  “Anyway, these gods took a fairly direct hand in the affairs of men. They answered prayers, accepted offerings and passed judgment on mortals when asked to do so by their priests.”

  Simon opened his mouth to ask a question but Ethmira cut him off with a gesture. “Please just let me tell it my way. If there’s time, I will answer all of your questions later.”

  “Fair enough,” he said and sat back to listen.

  “Now, just as the universe is divided into two sides, opposite and equal, like light and dark, night and day, male and female and good and evil, so were the gods. They were in a constant struggle to gain control of this world. But where the gods of goodness, call them the gods of Light or Justice, were trying to maintain a balance in the world, the gods of Darkness, or Chaos if you will, were trying to gain control of mankind and his world. Atlantis was a city founded on laws, on the belief in justice. And the rulers of the city fought against evil in any way they could.” She paused a moment.

  “I would guess that didn’t make the dark gods too happy,” Simon said.

  “Good guess. The people of Atlantis were very powerful. Their three rulers, each the leader of a school of magic, were slowly tipping the balance of power in favor of the Light. The dark gods were losing. And so, in a final attempt to avoid being destroyed, the dark ones channeled all of their considerable magic into one final act of power.”

  Simon held his breath, caught up in the story.

  “They used their remaining strength to pull their rival gods out of this plane of existence.”

  He blinked. “Um, so what?”

  Ethmira just looked at him. “What do you mean, so what?”

  “Well, I mean, so the gods left. Didn’t that mean that the people of Atlantis won?”

  She shook her head. “No, no, you don’t understand,” she said sharply. “The gods, all of them, are the ultimate source of magical energy. When they were pulled from this world, all of that power went with them. The people of Atlantis, and indeed all of the people on Earth, were no longer able to use magic.”

  Simon shrugged. “So they had to get their hands dirty for a change. So what? It might have done them some good.”

  Ethmira gave a sigh of exasperation. “Are you truly this dense?” she asked. Simon felt his face getting red. “Honestly, I wonder that Daniel even asked us to help you understand this new world.”

  Simon stood up abruptly. “Daniel!” he exclaimed. “You’re here because of Daniel? Have you seen him? Where is he? Is he okay?”

  She held up her hands. “Slow down. One thing at a time.”

  “But I have to know! You don’t understand. All this time, after he saved me and now you show up telling me you know him? What are you…?”

  His voice trailed off. He realized that he was standing up, towering over her, flushed with excitement. He took a deep breath and went back to his chair.

  “Sorry,” he said. “You caught me by surprise there.” He looked down at his cup and realized that it was empty. “More tea?” he asked.

  “Oh, yes please,” she answered and handed him her cup.

  The kettle was still hot and Simon made the tea, taking his time so that he could calm down. He returned to the table, handed the small woman her cup and sat down again. He took a deep breath.

  “Again, I’m sorry,” he said. “Please go on.”

  She smiled with understanding. “I will tell you what I can of Daniel in a moment. But it’s important for you to understand what is going on and if I get sidetracked, I may never get to finish my explanation.” She glanced at the window as if checking the time of day. “I will have to leave soon.”

  “Leave?” he asked. “Why? You just arrived. It’s only about noon. There’s a lot of time before it gets dark, if that’s what you are worried about.”

  “No, that’s not it. But it doesn’t matter. Let’s just move along. Now where was I? Oh yes, no magic.” She sipped her tea again. “This really is excellent, Simon.”

  He smiled at the praise. “Thanks. It is actually.”

  “Anyway,” she continued, “the problem was that Atlantis itself was built with magic. Without that source of power, this wonderful city of spires and minarets, of soaring towers and wide sweeping avenues, could not be held together.”

  “Ah,” Simon muttered. “Now I see.”

  Ethmira nodded. “Exactly. The city began to fall in upon itself. And it had been built on an island that had itself been raised from the sea-floor, again with magic. It sank, taking ruined Atlantis and its people to the bottom of the sea.”

  “But…” Simon interrupted.

  “Go ahead,” she said with a patient smile.

  “Well, couldn’t some of the people escape? On ships or boats or something? How could they all die?”

  “You have to understand something. The world back then operated on magic almost exclusively. People used magic to travel, to gather food, to light and heat their homes. They used magic the way that your world used electricity, except that they were even more dependent on it. The people of Atlantis didn’t escape because they couldn’t escape. It’s as simple, and as tragic, as that.”

  There was silence for a moment. Outside, Simon heard the nest of robins in the tree closest to his window. The babies were calling for food. He smiled slightly at the urgent sound.

  “You like nature, don’t you?” Ethmira asked quietly.

  He sighed. “Yes, very much. I suppose in a way the destruction of most of mankind has given nature its chance to come back. No more pollution, no more logging or mining. The world has turned.”

  “Perhaps,” she replied. “Perhaps not. Let me continue and explain what has happened since those ancient days.”

  “Yes, please.”

  “After the fall of Atlantis and the disappearance of magic, your people had no choice but to start over. To learn to hunt and plant crops. To create simple tools. It was, as I’m sure you can appreciate, a hard road. It took humanity ten thousand years to reach the level of technology and skill that almost rivaled the days of high magic. And then, the Changelings appeared.”

  Simon glanced down at himself, at the new man he had become. He looked back at Ethmira who nodded.

  “Yes, those like you began to Change. Some faster than others. Some into forms like yours; young, strong, capable of using the magic that was once again being unleashed into the world. Some others into forms that you would call monstrous, like the Changelings you met in
Ottawa, and those that hunt them.”

  “Wait a minute! Those kids aren’t monsters. They’re just like me.”

  “Are they? Did you actually see what hides under those wrappings?”

  “Well, no. But I saw Sarah’s hand. It was just the hand of a little girl.”

  Ethmira shook her head. “No Simon. You saw what she wanted you to see. And only her hand. If she had revealed more of herself, she could not have hidden her true form. Like you, they have only begun to learn to use their new powers. In a few years though, they will be able to remove their rags and walk around uncovered using their magic to conceal their monstrosity.”

  Simon shook his head. “I’m sorry but I can’t believe that.”

  “I know. And I can’t convince you. It isn’t important though. One day, you will learn the truth for yourself.”

  She sat back and finished her tea.

  “Forget about them for now. I must finish this. The magic…”

  “Wait a minute, please,” he interrupted. Ethmira just watched him. “I’m sorry, again, but you said there is no magic. How can I use it if it doesn’t exist. How can anyone use it for that matter?”

  “Ah, now that is the right question. And it brings us to what happened three years ago and where this world is going. After some ten thousand years, the old gods are returning.” She said it very calmly but Simon sat up abruptly.

  “Returning? After all this time?”

  Ethmira nodded.

  “But how?” he asked. “I thought that they had all been banished. Or the evil ones banished the good ones. Or something like that.” He was a bit confused.

  She laughed. “I know it’s hard to follow. And I shouldn’t laugh. It is the most serious thing to happen to this world in a very long time.” She sighed and shook her head. “At first we did not believe that it was possible. But the truth was finally revealed to our elders not long before the Night of Burning, as you call it. And now there is no mistaking what’s happening.”

  Simon stared at her. “Your elders? Just who are you, really?”

  “I am just who I say I am, more or less. Ethmira is my public name. My true name is my own. But perhaps you mean, what am I?” He nodded and she turned to look at Kronk, who was still standing silently beside the door. “You know what I am, don’t you little one?”

  “Yes, I know,” Kronk shuffled over to the table. “I remember your people from those lost days.”

  “You remember?” Simon stared at Kronk. “But were you there? In Atlantis?”

  “Yes master, I was there. Young wizards first learning their craft would summon me and my brethren as they practiced their skills.”

  “Don’t look so surprised,” Ethmira said. “Unless they are destroyed, elementals are immortal. They do not age or decay as humans do.”

  He looked thoughtful. “I think I knew that. But I hadn’t really thought it through until just now.”

  “Well, don’t worry too much about it. I just wanted you to realize that your servant had met my people before.”

  “Your people?”

  She turned to the elemental again. “Kronk, what am I?”

  “You are of the faerie, lady. I think you are an elf.”

  “What!” Simon stood up again and stared at Ethmira. She smiled widely and tucked her long blond hair behind her ears.

  Simon looked at those ears. No lobe, tapering up into a distinct point, they lay almost flat against the sides of her head.

  “But, there are no such things as elves! They’re just part of fables and folklore.” He stopped for a moment. “Besides, if there really were elves, we would have found them a long time ago.”

  “Possibly, Simon. But we have not been here to find. When the magic was withdrawn from the world, the elves also withdrew, to our own realm.”

  “Your realm?” Simon was more than confused. He was learning too much, too quickly and his head was starting to pound.

  “Elves don’t live quite on this world. We live, well, it’s hard to explain really. It isn’t quite another world and it isn’t quite this one either. It is…between is the best way that I can describe it. But now that magic is returning to this world, we are turning our attention to it once again.”

  He sat down again abruptly. “I’m finding this all a little hard to digest.”

  “Drink your tea. It will help to soothe your nerves a bit. And let me finish this story now.”

  Ethmira watched Simon until he had taken a deep breath and had a sip of tea. Then he returned her look and nodded.

  “Good. So here is what my people believe happened. Over the eons, wherever the gods went, they continued their struggle for dominance. And, somehow, the dark gods managed to gain the upper hand.” Simon looked alarmed and Ethmira raised a hand. “They did not win nor did they conquer the gods of Justice.” Simon sighed with relief. “But they gained enough power to crack open the portal back to this world. And that opening, small as it must have been at first, began to leak magic on to the Earth again.”

  Ethmira stood up and began to slowly walk around the room, still speaking as she went.

  “Magic and technology cannot exist at the same time, Simon. So your advances in science, your engines, power plants, radio and television signals, all of it began to break down.”

  “I remember very well,” Simon sounded grim. “After a while, there were riots in the streets. Services broke down, electricity failed and people were forced to fend for themselves.” He hesitated a moment, lost in the memory. “It was very bad at the end.”

  She nodded. “I can well imagine. And then, to sweep away the old world, the remnants of your civilization, the dark gods sent the dragons.”

  “The dragons.” Simon’s voice hissed as he felt a wave of hatred almost choke him. “Those…beasts were sent by the evil gods?”

  “Oh yes. They are their most powerful servants. Dragons know only hunger and revel in pain and bloodshed. They are also conduits for magical energy. With them on Earth, the gods of Chaos will be able to return even more quickly, and with more power.” She had wandered to the window and looked out over the front lawn of the tower. Now she turned back, walked to the stairs and sat on the bottom step, hugging her knees with her arms.

  “Once there were dragons that served the gods of Light as well. But they were destroyed millennia before the gods left this world. You and the other Changelings that survive have only one defense against the evil dragons.” She looked keenly at Simon. “They cannot see you.”

  “What?” Simon stared at Ethmira. “But how is that possible? They certainly saw well enough when they destroyed Ottawa. And all the other cities of the world, I assume. What makes us so special?”

  She smiled. “The same thing that allowed you to Change in the first place. The same thing that gave you the gift of wizardry that you are learning to use.”

  “Which is?”

  “The power of the gods, Simon. When the evil ones were able to penetrate this world again, the gods of Light could see only one way, one hope of saving at least some of humanity. And that was to slip a small portion of their power into the powers of the evil gods. Just a mere hint of magic. It was like pouring a cup of water into a river. Not enough to be noticed and certainly not enough to stop the destruction that followed. That magic touched you and the others like you, and Changed you into what you are now.”

  She stood up and walked back to the window again. Simon noticed that her movements had become tense and her posture as she looked out of the window was stiff.

  “Are you okay?”

  Ethmira looked at him over her shoulder. “I’m fine. But I have to go, very soon. So let’s wrap this up.”

  She walked back to the table, sat and looked at him. Her face was pale.

  “The dragons have not finished their work. They scour the land, looking for any remaining true humans, as you call them. Until they are all found and destroyed, the evil gods cannot return. These remnants of humanity are a hindrance to them and their po
wer. And so the dragons are ignoring all magical creatures, including the Changelings.” She sighed and Simon thought he heard a note of sadness. “When all of the mundane humans have been destroyed, you will no longer be safe from them.”

  “You mean, safe from the dragons?”

  “Yes. The true humans are a sort of dam to the flow of magic. An impediment. When they are gone, the evil ones will be free to return. And then you and your kind will be in grave danger.” She stared at him intently. “They hate you, you know. All of you. Humans fought them ten thousand years ago. They forced them to retreat from Earth. They will never forget that defeat, and they will never forgive it either.”

  She rose and walked to the door. She threw back the middle bolt, opened the door and stood in the doorway. Then she looked at Simon.

  “But in the meantime, the gods of Light have given you a chance. Their magic has made you and the others safe for now. You have time to learn to use that magic. And perhaps, when you become the hunted, you will be able to defend yourselves.” She turned and walked outside. “I really have to go.”

  Simon stood and moved quickly to the door.

  “But you haven’t been here very long! What’s the rush? And what about Daniel? I thought you were going to tell me about him, where he is, how he is, all of that?”

  Ethmira walked down the steps to the grass. She looked up at him.

  “Simon, I can’t stay. I told you that all of you Changelings are safe from the dragons, for now, because you have been touched by magic. But I am not safe. My people do not use magic. We are magic, you could say. It is in our nature. But instead of keeping us safe, our magical essence is a beacon that will draw a dragon to me if I stay in one place too long. So I must go back to the Elvin lands. Only there am I safe. At least until the gods of Chaos return.” She walked away, then stopped and turned back. “Oh, I almost forgot. I have something for you.”

  Simon hurried down the steps as she reached into her jacket. Ethmira pulled out a small leather pouch and handed it to him.