Tales from the New Earth: Volume One

by Thompson, J. J.

  He looked at Ethmira and raised an eyebrow silently.

  She grinned at his expression but quickly became serious.

  “Keep that piece on your person at all times. If you can find a way to dull its sharp edges, loop a piece of string or leather through it and wear it around your neck. But whatever you do, don't leave your tower without it.”

  Simon had never heard the elf state something so firmly.

  “Okay. Why?”

  “It's a directive I received from the Elders. You have to wear it like a talisman, in case the gods of Chaos decide to try to take your magic again. Don't ask me how it works, because I have no idea. But a piece of a heart that was imbued with your own magic will block another dragon from using the same trick again.” She shrugged. “Or so they say.”

  “Huh, that almost makes sense,” Simon said as he stared at the fragment. Then he slipped it into a pocket and accepted the shovel from Ethmira.

  “Now, how about some more of your wonderful tea, my friend?” she asked. “I think we've earned it.”

  “Absolutely! Come on in and I'll make a pot.”

  Back inside, Simon took off his coat and gloves, changed into simple shoes and made some tea.

  He and Ethmira then sat in companionable silence and savored the warmth of the fire that the wizard had built up.

  After some time, Simon glanced at the elf as she stared calmly into the flames.

  “You know, I don't feel any different,” he said tentatively.

  She looked at him quizzically.

  “Different?”

  “Well, you know. My powers. I don't feel any magic yet.”

  He looked at one of the unlit candles on the wall and tried to light it with his mind. As he suspected, nothing happened.

  Ethmira followed his eyes and seemed to understand what he'd tried to do.

  “Be at ease, my friend. It is not an immediate result, recovering your magic. Like a vessel that has been drained of its liquid, your body needs time to fill with energy again. If you remember when you lost your magic, it took some time for it to fade away, did it not?”

  Simon nodded, remembering that his Magic Mouth spell fizzled out and that it took a while before he lost Kronk and Aeris. He felt a twinge of loss at the memory.

  “So, how long will it take to get it back?”

  “I have no idea,” Ethmira told him. Then she smiled gently, reached out and patted his hand.

  “Try to be patient, Simon. And have no fear. Your powers will return, slowly certainly, but they will.”

  Then the elf stood up and laughed lightly.

  “Speaking of returning, I must get back to my own realm. It will be dark soon and I would like to get back before then.”

  Simon scrambled to his feet as Ethmira walked toward the door.

  “Are you sure?” he asked her, suddenly reluctant to be alone for another long winter night.

  “I'm afraid so,” she said with some regret. “I'd like to stay and talk for a while, but my people worry and the Elders will want a full report on our success.”

  She stopped by the door and then turned and took Simon's hand in both of hers.

  “And we have been successful here, Simon. Don't forget that. We stopped the gods of Chaos and Darkness in their tracks. They tried to take away a weapon, you, from the battle for this world, and failed.” She smiled grimly. “And gave them even more of a reason to hate the elves than they already had. I find that quite satisfying.”

  Simon had to chuckle at her tone.

  “I don't know that I'd find that reassuring, but thanks. I'll try to be patient. Not that I have a choice.”

  “Good.”

  She opened the door and Simon shivered at the blast of cold air that blew into the room.

  He grabbed his coat and followed her out into the fading daylight. At her questioning look, he waved toward the front gates.

  “I have to lock the gate after you leave,” he said and Ethmira nodded her understanding.

  They walked quickly across the front yard, Simon's shoes slipping on the snow. At the gate, the elf turned to look up at the tower.

  “You have a wonderful home here, my friend. I'm sure that your little companions will be back with you soon. Until then, keep your gates and doors locked.”

  She touched the wall next to the gate and closed her eyes for a moment.

  “Your wards are still in effect and you should be safe enough until you regain your magic.”

  “Ah, good to know,” he said. It hadn't occurred to him that the wards he'd cast on the wall around the tower might have faded when he lost his magic.

  “Now I must go. Be assured that we are watching and will aid you when and where we can.”

  “Thanks again,” Simon told her sincerely. “And thank your people for me. You've been the best of friends and I am very grateful.”

  He hesitated a moment and added, “And say hello to Daniel for me, won't you? Tell him, well, just tell him that I'm okay.”

  Ethmira smiled warmly, waved once and slipped out of the gate.

  Simon watched her run lightly across the snow and disappear into the darkness of the forest before he put a shoulder to the gate and closed it firmly.

  He managed to engage the stiff locking mechanism and seal the gate before he slipped and slid back to the tower and hurried inside.

  He locked the door and took off his coat. Then he added another log to the fire and sat down in front of it to warm up.

  Patience, he thought. Yeah, I'll be patient.

  He was suddenly reminded of how he felt as a child on Christmas Eve, lying in bed and trying to sleep, but unable to keep thoughts of the next morning's presents out of his mind.

  He'd tried to be patient then too. It worked about as well as it was working now.

  Thoughts tumbled around in his head as he watched the fire, feeling his toes start to warm up finally.

  At last he blew out all of the candles except one, picked it up in its holder and climbed the stairs. Tomorrow was another day. But whether he'd be opening any presents in the morning or not, he didn't know.

  But impatient or not, Simon was exhausted by the day's events and slipped into sleep quickly, his last thoughts vaguely hopeful.

  Chapter 6

  The next morning, Simon woke up slowly, his mind groggy and his legs aching. When he peeked out from under his blankets, he saw that the frosted window was dark and gloomy-looking.

  Cloudy day, he thought dully. Great.

  The room was shadowed and he could feel the coldness in the air. He missed having a furnace. At least the heat would be steady all night.

  I wish Kronk was still here. Not only was he good company, but the little guy never slept and would keep the fire burning all night, ensuring that the tower was warm and toasty all winter.

  With a resigned sigh, Simon thought about getting up and standing on the cold floor in the dark. He grimaced and glanced at the candle standing on the table next to the bed. He frowned at it.

  I'll have to take it downstairs and get the fire going before I can light it.

  He sighed again and flipped back the covers. He began shaking immediately and looked down at the goosebumps running across his body.

  Maybe I should start wearing pajamas to bed, he thought and grumbled as he put his reluctant feet on the cold floor.

  He stood up and quickly slipped on a robe before grabbing the candle holder. He glared at the candle in sudden frustration.

  “Just light, for cripes sake,” he said to it angrily.

  And the wick burst into flame.

  “Holy crap!” Simon exclaimed and almost dropped the holder.

  He stared in disbelief at the flickering candle for a minute, a slow grin stretching across his face.

  “It's back. Yes! It's back.”

  He laughed out loud, blew out the candle and lit it again with a flick of power.

  “Merry Christmas, Simon,” he said, giggling like a schoolboy. “God bless us, everyone.�
��

  Forgetting the chill in the air, he put on his slippers and hurried downstairs.

  After building up the fire, he ran outside to use the outhouse and then returned to make his breakfast. As eager as he was to attempt to summon Kronk and Aeris again, Simon knew that he needed to take it one step at a time.

  Food first, then he'd have to find the spell in his spell-book and memorize it. With the spells that the gods had given him wiped away, he would have to learn each spell again before he cast it. And then it would fade from memory and he'd have to learn it again.

  I wonder how many spells I can memorize at once, he thought. When he'd started learning to use magic, he could only keep one spell in mind at a time. With practice, it had grown to two and then four.

  But it was only when the gods of Justice gave him all of the spells that a master wizard would know, that he was able to call up incantations at will. Somehow he suspected that he was starting at square one.

  He shrugged unconsciously. If that's the way it has to be, then so be it. Better to have to take baby steps than to have no magic at all.

  When he was done with his tea and oatmeal, Simon went upstairs to his study and lit all of the candles on the table and in the wall holders, both for the light and the sheer joy of being able to use magic again. Then he sat down at his desk, opened his spell-book and found the summoning spell.

  He read through it slowly, concentrating on each word to make sure he had them firmly locked into his memory. He closed the book, stood up and walked across the room to his work table.

  Simon stared at the center of the table and took a deep breath.

  Okay, he thought with a mixed feeling of excitement and trepidation. Here we go.

  He intoned the spell in a steady, measured voice and hesitated when he was done. The spell hung in the air around him, throbbing with potential.

  He swallowed noisily and cast the spell by using the word of command.

  “Invectis!” he said in a firm voice.

  Simon felt a pulling sensation as the magic was drained from his body and channeled into the spell. He waited but nothing happened. Instead of disappointment, the wizard smiled slightly. He'd summoned elementals before and now the spell was waiting for him to specify which one he wanted to appear.

  “Kronk, I need you!” he said loudly and stared intently at the open space on the table.

  There was a muted rumble in the distance, as if something was shooting toward the tower from deep underground. With a loud crack, the table shook violently and standing in the middle was a little figure made of dark stone.

  The elemental looked around, a expression of amazement showing clearly on his rough, rocky features. Then Kronk caught sight of Simon, who was watching him with a wide grin.

  “Master! I'm back!”

  “That you are, my friend,” Simon said happily.

  Kronk suddenly laughed, a rare occurrence, and raised his hands over his head.

  “I'm back, I'm back, I'm back!”

  He threw back his head and guffawed with joy. Simon sat down at the table and simply stared at his friend. The little guy's reaction was all that he could have hoped for, and he himself was beyond delighted.

  “Welcome back, Kronk. I'm so sorry you were banished back to your world.”

  Kronk tip-tapped over to Simon and stood next to his shoulder. He stared intently at the wizard, patting his arm repeatedly as if to reassure himself that he was really there.

  “It was not your fault, master. The more powerful of my people told me that your magic had been taken by those evil gods. Is that so?”

  “That's what happened, I guess. Ethmira told me that, when she showed up yesterday to help me regain the power.”

  Kronk's eyes, two dark pits with tiny red flames flickering deep inside, widened.

  “The elven maiden came to help?” Simon nodded. “That is wonderful, master. It is good to know that they are willing to help you.”

  “Well, I certainly appreciated it,” Simon told him dryly. “Anyway, forget that for now. How are you doing?”

  “Oh, I'm fine, master. I was just so worried about you. And the horses, of course.”

  Kronk caught himself and looked concerned.

  “The horses! I must check on them right away.”

  “They're fine, Kronk. I've been taking care of them.”

  “Yes master, I'm sure you've done a fine job,” the elemental said, sounding less than impressed by Simon's assertion. “But I should see to them anyway.” He hopped off of the table and started for the door, speaking more to himself than to the wizard.

  “They'll need to be fed and watered. The stable should be cleaned. Oh and I'm sure that the tower needs a good dusting. And the fire probably needs tending.”

  Simon watched him leave the room and heard him jumping down the stairs step by step, still mumbling to himself. The wizard couldn't stop grinning foolishly and wiped tears from his eyes.

  Still the same old Kronk, he thought. Thank the gods for that.

  He decided to leave the little guy to his self-imposed duties. Simon had never once asked Kronk to do anything around the place. The elemental had simply taken on tasks by himself, to the point where the wizard could concentrate on his studies.

  He had made himself indispensable, Simon thought gratefully. I'm so glad he's back.

  The casting had made him more tired than he'd expected but he could rest later. He wanted Aeris back as well, caustic though the air elemental could be. So he stood up, went back to his desk and sat down to memorize the summoning spell once again.

  With the incantation firmly in mind, he stood by the work table and chanted the spell one more time.

  The spell hovered around him, crackling slightly like an electrical discharge

  “Invectis!” he barked and knew the magic was waiting for him to call forth the elemental.

  “Aeris, I need you,” he said firmly as he watched the center of the table.

  This time, a mutter of thunder echoed through the tower and Simon squinted his eyes. He knew what came next.

  There was a loud bang and a flash of light that was blindingly white. A smell of ozone wafted bitterly into his nostrils and Simon sneezed violently.

  “Well, it's about time,” an irritated voice said from the table top.

  Simon coughed several times and blinked to clear his eyes.

  “Good to see you too, Aeris,” he replied.

  The air elemental hovered an inch or so above the table, hands on hips. He was semi-transparent with features much more human-like than Kronk's. Right now those features were set in a frown.

  “What took you so long?” he asked Simon with a touch of bitterness.

  The wizard was used to Aeris' attitude and way of speaking, but was still surprised by his lack of pleasure at being returned from his realm. A realm, Aeris had told him once, that he very much disliked.

  Simon sat down and rested his arms on the table. He stared at the elemental and matched his frown with one of his own.

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” he asked with a touch of anger. “You think that I've just been sitting around, leaving you in the air realm for laughs?”

  Aeris' face cleared and he looked a little embarrassed.

  “Well, I mean...” he sighed. “I apologize, my dear wizard. I'm sure you've had your struggles since I was sent back. I was worried, actually.”

  Simon knew what it took for the elemental to apologize. And to admit he was worried? The wizard was amazed.

  “Were you? Well, it's mutual. I know how much you hate your home realm. Unfortunately, I was stripped of my magic for a while. It was a difficult time.”

  Aeris floated closer and studied Simon's face,

  “No doubt. Well, I'm back now. Did you recover Kronk as well?”

  Simon had to smile at the elemental's slightly acerbic tone.

  “Yep, he's back. He took off to check on the horses.”

  “Of course he did,” Aeris said
sarcastically. “Ah well, back to normal then.”

  He rose from the table and flitted about the room for a moment.

  “Everything seems to be in order. Care to tell me how you recovered your magic?”

  “Sure. But let's go downstairs. I want some tea and I'm a bit tired from casting two summonings so closely together.”

  Aeris followed him out of the room.

  “Tired? From casting such simple spells?”

  Simon nodded as he walked down the stairs.

  “Clearly something had changed with your powers.”

  “Yeah, you could say that.”

  So Simon made tea and sat near the fire to explain what had happened over the past few days. Halfway through his explanation, Kronk came in from the stable and stood next to the fire, steam rising from his rocky body. He listened intently while the wizard spoke but stayed silent.

  When he was finished speaking, Simon went and got the shard of crystal heart from his coat pocket, putting on a glove before touching it. He showed it to the two elementals who looked at it with fascination.

  “A dragon's heart,” Aeris murmured. “Imagine that.”

  Kronk stared at the shard and then looked up at Simon.

  “Would you like me to smooth those edges, master? They are very sharp.”

  Simon sat down and handed the jagged piece to the little guy.

  “Can you do that?” he asked in surprise.

  “Yes, of course, master.”

  Kronk rubbed his stony hands lightly around the circumference of the round crystal. A light glow followed his movements and Simon watched in awe as the shard became smoother, gleaming with the reflected light of the fire.

  When he was finished, Kronk handed the piece back to Simon, who examined it closely.

  “Thank you, Kronk,” he said. “That was great.”

  The shard looked like a pendant now, almost flat and round with a hole through the center.

  “I'll find a strip of leather later so that you can wear it when you leave the tower, master,” Kronk told him.

  The wizard put the shard in a pocket and smiled at the little earthen.

  “Thanks again. As always, you are a great help to me.”

  Kronk seemed to puff up a bit at the compliment while Aeris, as usual, made a disparaging sound.