Kronk read through the page that Simon was staring at.
“Really, master? I didn't know that the spell could do that. How does it work?”
The wizard got up, went to his bookshelf and found his atlas. He returned and sat down again.
“Supposedly you can use a map, like the ones in here, to find coordinates. You know, longitude and latitude. Once you have them, the spell will do the rest, zooming in on that location.” He tapped the book with a doubtful smile. “Maybe.”
“And you want to try the spell,” Kronk said wisely as he watched Simon's face.
“Well...yeah. Of course. Why wouldn't I?”
The elemental was looking at him closely.
“I'm sure I don't have to remind you about not overexerting yourself, do I, master?”
“Kronk, that ship has sailed,” Simon replied impatiently. “This spell is no more taxing than Magic Mouth. Besides, I'm much stronger, magically speaking, than I have been for months.”
His little friend hesitated before answering and then slumped a bit, accepting Simon's statement.
“True enough, master. So what do you need for the spell?”
“A reflective surface.”
Simon looked around the study, but the only thing reflective was the window.
“Hmm. I don't want to have to use the full-length mirror in my bedroom all the time. Don't I have a hand mirror somewhere around the place?”
Kronk's face lit up.
“You do, master! Down in the storage area, among your clothes and things, there's a lovely hand mirror. I noticed it ages ago when tidying up. It has a black frame and a silver handle.”
“It does?”
Simon tried to remember where and when he'd picked up such a thing. Certainly he'd never liked looking at his own reflection back in the old days. He had been far from attractive. And now that he was, in an awkward, skinny teenaged way, he couldn't be bothered.
And then a memory popped into his head; a very old one.
“Ah yes. That's where I got it,” he murmured, his eyes dimming a little.
“Master? Why does this make you sad?”
“Sad? No, not sad, my friend. Well, maybe a little. It was my mother's mirror. We've never really talked about her, have we?”
“No, master. We have not. Were you very close to her?”
Simon settled into his chair and stared off into space.
“I was, actually. Maybe being an only child was part of that. She was beautiful, you know. Truly beautiful. I know everyone thinks their mother is like that, but mine really was. Dad told me once that he had to compete with several other men to get her attention.” Simon chuckled at the memory. “He always sounded a bit surprised that he had come out on top. Anyway, I remember that mirror on her night table. She liked to apply her makeup using it, rather than a big one. She's hold it with her left hand and touch up her eyebrows and put on her lipstick. I loved watching her do that. She was so graceful.”
“Were they taken in the Night of Flames, master?” Kronk asked gently.
Simon snapped back to the present and looked at the stony little face.
“Oh no. My father died of cancer many years ago. Mom was gone long before him, unfortunately. She died when I was just ten. Aneurysm, they said.” He smiled a bit wistfully. “So she'll always be young and beautiful in my memories. Perhaps it's best that way.”
“Well then, I think that she would approve of you using her mirror, master,” Kronk said firmly and hurried across the desk.
He hopped on to the floor and made for the exit.
“I will find it and return, master. It will only take a few minutes.”
“Thanks, Kronk,” Simon called after him as he heard the little guy bounding down the stairs.
He stood up and went to stand at the open window. The trees in the surrounding forest were filling out. Leaves were unfurling like bright little green flags and birdsong once again filled the air as the birds frantically built their nests.
Simon closed his eyes and just breathed for a minute, savoring the scents of spring. Then he leaned forward and rested his forearms on the windowsill.
“Mom. Dad. Sorry that it's been so long since I thought of you,” he muttered as he watched the waving leaves. “Things have been really crazy lately, but that's no excuse. I wish you could have lived to see all of this. Who knows? Maybe you both would have been remade like me. Young. Healthy. The whole new world ahead of you.”
He heard Kronk tapping up the stairs and stood up abruptly, wiping his eyes hurriedly.
“I'll try not to screw up too bad,” he promised them and then went back to sit at his desk.
Kronk skittered into the room, a hand mirror over his shoulder. He moved around the desk and handed it up to Simon, obviously not willing to jump to the desktop for fear that the mirror would break.
Simon took the mirror gratefully and the little guy jumped up to stand next to the wizard's shoulder; his usual spot.
“Yup, that's it, all right,” Simon said as he examined the silver and black housing. “You know, I thought it was plastic but it isn't, is it?”
“Oh no, master,” Kronk said. He reached out and touched the handle. “It is ceramic, I believe, inlaid with silver. Quite beautiful, isn't it?
“It is indeed, my friend.”
Simon turned the mirror over and looked at the back. A vine, covered in tiny flowers, all made of fine silver, wound around the surface and down the handle.
“I'd forgotten how much detail it has. Amazing.”
“Where did your mother get it, master?” Kronk asked.
“It was a family heirloom. She got it from her grandmother, she told me. So that makes it over a hundred years old. Possibly much older than that.”
“Really?” Kronk's voice was hushed and he stared at the mirror with wide eyes. “I have not seen a human artifact that old since you called me back to this world, master.”
“Yes, well, I'd better not drop it then, right?” Simon asked him with a lop-sided grin. He set the mirror down carefully, with the reflective side up.
“Indeed not, master. Be very careful with it.”
Simon tried not to roll his eyes at his little friend's obvious statement as he picked up the spell-book again.
“Okay, time to give this spell a test drive. Let's see now.”
He memorized the spell easily and then picked up the mirror.
“Don't you need to use a map, master?” Kronk asked as he pointed to the atlas.
“Not this time. I want to talk to Clara and warn her about what Aeris found on his scouting trip.” His voice became grim. “And tell her what happened to him. Something that can harm an air elemental is definitely powerful. She should be told.”
“Of course, master,” the earthen agreed heartily. “It is just too bad that you have to warn them of yet another danger while they are still recovering from that last attack.”
“Yeah, I know, bud. I know.”
Simon locked the cleric's face firmly in his mind as he stared at the mirror and cast the spell. As he uttered the word of command, the surface of the mirror misted over as if he'd suddenly breathed on it.
He watched, fascinated, as the mist faded away slowly and he saw Clara sitting in her quarters on a couch, reading. Before he said anything, it occurred to him that this Magic Mirror spell had to be used carefully. What if he had caught her bathing or getting dressed?
A voyeur's dream, he thought as he felt his face going red.
“Hello Clara,” he said and watched as her head snapped up and she looked around in surprise.
“Relax. It's Simon.”
A smile broke out on her face and she seemed to be looking out of the mirror into his eyes.
“Simon! Hello there. How nice to hear from you.”
“Thanks. I'm using a new spell to contact you,” he said.
He explained the Magic Mirror spell and about finding the mysterious spell-book on his bookshelf. She was nodding before he f
inished.
“I believe that Kronk is correct. That sounds very much like something the gods of Justice would do. As you know, they are limited by their cousins and can only do so much to help us in our fight against the darkness. So they must resort to trickery on occasion. The visitations I receive in my dreams are like that.”
She smiled a bit and Simon was almost convinced that she could see him.
“I suppose it's lucky that I was dressed when you called, isn't it?” she asked archly and Simon knew he was blushing again.
Kronk chuckled quietly.
“Um, yeah. I actually only thought of that once I reached you. Sorry. Maybe we can arrange a time of day when you'd be available and, um, decent?”
Her smiled broadened.
“I'm always 'decent', young wizard. But I'm not always dressed.”
“Tell her about Aeris, master,” Kronk urged him.
Simon was about to ask him to be patient when he saw Clara's eyes widen.
“Is that Kronk? I heard him! How can I hear him?”
“Really? That's remarkable,” Simon replied.
The Magic Mouth spell only allowed the people using it to hear each other.
The wizard suddenly had an idea.
“Clara, do you have a mirror?”
“A mirror? Well, yes. I have a small one on my night stand. Why?”
“Just a hunch. If you can hear other people on this end, maybe you can see them as well. If you could get the mirror, or sit in front of it, we'll see if we can have a face to face conversation.”
“Oh, that would be wonderful. I doubt that it works that way, but let's give it a try anyway.”
“Great. I'll wait.”
“Right.”
Simon sat back, staring at Kronk.
“Thanks for speaking up,” he told the little guy. “If you hadn't, we never would have known that the Magic Mirror spell worked the way it does.”
“Mere luck, master, but I'm happy that it does. Won't it be amazing if we could see each other as well?”
“Absolutely.”
“I'm here, Simon,” Clara said and he looked back at the mirror.
She was sitting in her bedroom. Simon could see a large bed, covered with a colorful quilt, in the background. As the cleric's face became more defined, her mouth dropped open.
“I can see you! Simon, I can see you both. It's almost like a conference call on computers from back in the days of technology.”
The wizard and the elemental exchanged grins.
“Well, this makes things so much better,” Simon said. “I've never been comfortable talking to thin air when I call you. Now we can meet face to face whenever we need to.”
“That's true. Hang on, I just had an idea.”
Simon watched as she reached out, as if to touch him through the mirror, and then the view swiveled and twisted and he found himself looking through a window.
“Clara? What did you do?”
“I just picked up the mirror. I'm pointing it outside. Can you see?”
“Definitely. Wow. It's like you're holding a camera and I'm watching the picture on a monitor.”
“What is a camera, master?” Kronk asked curiously.
Simon chuckled.
“Old tech, my friend. Not important now. And besides, it looks like we just found a replacement for it.”
The wizard and Kronk watched as Clara carried her mirror back into her living area and sat down on the couch. She turned it around and they saw her smiling face again.
“I'm glad my experiment worked,” she said. “Now, what was Kronk talking about? What happened to Aeris?”
The cleric's smile quickly faded as Simon told her about Aeris' communications over the past week. When he described the air elemental's condition when the wizard recalled him the day before, her expression became one of concern.
“Oh, I'm so sorry that happened. I know how much you care for that little being. Do you think he'll be all right?”
Instead of answering, Simon looked at Kronk, who responded reluctantly.
“It is hard to say, lady,” he answered. “Certainly Aethos and others on the plane of Air have resources that we do not. All I can say is that if he can be healed, they are the only ones who can do it.”
Simon pinched the bridge of his nose and then rubbed his eyes. He was very tired.
“That's not exactly encouraging, you know,” he said wearily.
“I know, master. But I will not lie. I simply cannot answer that question with certainty.”
“Yeah, well...”
The wizard rubbed his eyes again and then looked at the cleric.
“We'll have to wait for word on Aeris. It's out of our hands. For now, there is a more pressing concern. Those mutated Changlings are roaming the countryside, destroying any sign of habitation. The ones that Aeris was trailing were a long way from Nottinghill, but he believes that there are other packs out there. So you and your people have to be doubly vigilant, Clara. I recommend that anyone working the fields be guarded at all times. And whenever your people are inside the walls, keep the drawbridges up and man the walls. Obviously you know best how to protect your own town, but I think that being ultra careful right now is the best way to go.”
She nodded, a determined look on her face.
“I agree. I'm going to call a town meeting right away and explain what's been happening out in the world. Malcolm and Aiden are the leaders when it comes to protecting us now. I'm sure that they will schedule new shifts for anyone who wants to do guard duty. You should be wary too, Simon. If the dark gods hate you as much as we think they do, your tower would make a tempting target for an attack.”
“I know, my friend,” Simon told her. “But, not to sound too cocky, there is one thing that my tower has that your town and those destroyed homes don't.”
She cocked an eyebrow.
“And that is?”
Simon grinned.
“A fully functioning wizard with a bad attitude. If any of the monsters that harmed Aeris show up here, they'll have their hands full, believe me.”
Clara chuckled but sobered quickly.
“I'm not kidding, Simon. Watch yourself. If you need us, you only have to call.”
Touched by her concern, Simon glanced soberly at Kronk and then looked back at Clara.
“Don't worry. We'll be okay. But I think, just as a precaution, that I'm going to summon some of my little friend's fellow earthen for an extended visit. They can man the walls at all times and act as an early warning system.”
He looked at the elemental again.
“Do you think they'd agree?” he asked.
“Master, they would be delighted,” Kronk assured him. “And so will I. We do not sleep and we do not get tired. We will protect you for as long as is needed.”
He turned and looked in the mirror.
“Fear not, lady. My master will be safe. You have my word.”
“Thank you, Kronk,” she said solemnly. “You've eased my mind somewhat. Simon, call back again in few days and I'll give you an update. And if you get any word on Aeris, please let me know how he's doing.”
“I will. Thanks for your concern. Talk to you soon.”
The cleric smiled and nodded and Simon canceled the spell. Then he slumped in his chair and closed his eyes. A headache was starting to throb at the base of his skull and he grimaced at the pain.
“It is past time to rest, master,” Kronk said firmly. “I shall call my brethren to keep watch on the wall. You should get some sleep.”
Simon opened his eyes and stood up slowly, grumbling.
“You're a bit of a bully, do you know that?” he asked the little guy accusingly.
“Yes, master, I know,” Kronk answered placidly. “Sleep well.”
The wizard didn't wake until noon the next day and felt foggy for hours. When he complained to Kronk, the little guy didn't seem overly concerned.
“You are sick, master. Don't you know that?”
“
I am?”
Simon looked at Kronk with surprise. He was at his kitchen counter making tea and cleaning his breakfast dishes while he talked to the elemental. He stopped and spent a moment just listening to his body. He was so used to being tired and dragged out from using magic that maybe he was blaming it for every ache and pain.
Let's see now, he thought. Massive headache? Check. Joints aching? Check. Weak as water? Double-check.
“Oh, damn,” he said and stirred some honey into his cup with shaky fingers. “You're right. I've got the flu.”
He walked slowly to the comfy chair by the fire and almost collapsed into it.
“Great,” he moaned. “What perfect timing.”
Kronk hopped up on the arm of the chair. It was a wet day and he was still damp from his walk back from the stable. He steamed slightly in the heat from the fire.
“Do not worry, master,” he told Simon. “It is a good excuse to get some rest. You can explore those new spells and perhaps do some thinking about how to deal with those mutated Changlings that Aeris discovered.”
The wizard chuckled weakly.
“Yeah, there's nothing like being sick as a dog to make you sit still and think. Thanks, by the way. I'm so used to being tired out from the magic that I hadn't realized that I just had an old fashioned case of the flu.” He settled himself deeper into his chair. “Too bad that the Change didn't give me immunity. Oh well.”
Kronk looked amused.
“You are still human, master. You have simply been...adjusted to be able to use magic. In all other respects, you are very similar to a mundane human being.”
Simon sipped his tea and then smiled down at the little guy.
“If you don't count these oddly colored eyes of mine.”
Kronk looked at him closely.
“I think they are beautiful, master. Much more interesting than just regular eyes.”
“Thanks. Anyway, I feel as weak as a kitten. No casting today. But I want to read through that new spell-book again.”
Tales from the New Earth: Volume One Page 61
