“Master, that's brilliant!” Kronk said excitedly.
“I agree,” Aeris added. “Although you took an enormous risk. Well done.”
Simon turned on the elementals so quickly, he almost fell over.
“Well done? It was a vile trick! It was low and mean and despicable. It was...”
He stopped and was surprised to find himself blinking back tears.
“It was dishonorable. The dragon and I should have fought face to face, with dignity. This?” He waved toward the glowing shield, tinged green from the gas inside. “This was necessary. That gas wasn't a weapon I could confront for long. I can block flames, ice, rocks, claws. At least for a time. But that horrible stuff? One deep breath and I would have been finished. One mistimed Shield spell and I would have died choking on my own vomit. So I tricked it. It was evil, yes. But it was an ancient creature, a being out of legend. It deserved a more noble end, that's all.”
He was tired of talking and tired of company. Simon turned away and walked back to the lake. He stood there for a long time, looking out across its still, dark waters, his mind blank and his heart heavy.
How much time passed, he didn't know, but eventually Aeris appeared to his right, his glowing form bobbing in the gentle evening breeze.
“It's finished,” he said simply. “The gas does not affect me, so I went through the shield and scouted.”
When Simon looked at him, Aeris shrugged.
“It's what I do, isn't it? At any rate, the primal green dragon is dead. Its own gas not only killed it but turned it into, well, a mess. When you feel up to it, you'll have to burn the remains. It's simply too big to be buried.”
The wizard nodded and Aeris began to float away.
“Aeris,” Simon said hesitantly. “Wait, please.”
He turned to look at the elemental.
“I'm sorry for snapping at you and Kronk. It's, it's just that...”
“I know, Simon,” Aeris said with an understanding smile. “You are a decent man forced to do indecent things, at least in your own mind. But, for whatever good it will do, I must tell you that you are too hard on yourself. Countless lives have been spared by your actions today. What humans remain on the continent you used to call South America are now safe from the green dragon and its minions. The dark gods will have to use other, less powerful servants to clear them out now. It gives them a chance, and that's all you could hope to do.”
Simon shook his hair back from his face and stretched, hearing his joints snapping. He slipped Bene-Dunn-Gal over his shoulder and finally smiled slightly.
“Thanks, Aeris. You're right, of course. I didn't start this fight, and I probably won't live to see the end of it, but I will do what I have to do, to see it through as far as I can.”
He began to walk slowly back toward the tower.
“Come on,” he said to Aeris. “Let's go burn a dragon.”
Aeris followed him and Kronk appeared suddenly, scurrying through the grass like a swimmer in deep water.
“Are you all right, master?” he asked cautiously.
“I'm fine, my friend. As I told Aeris, I'm sorry for my bad mood earlier. It's been a hell of a day.”
“I know, master. At least now we can get back to normal, for a while anyway.”
“You do realize, my dear wizard, that if the gods of Chaos hated you before for your destruction of the primal black, their rage will be incalculable now that you've killed another prime dragon?”
Simon stopped well back of the tower's shield and made a gesture. The glowing outline disappeared and a huge puff of green gas exploded skyward. Fortunately the winds were blowing from behind him and the wizard watched as the currents tore apart the mass of chlorine gas and it faded away into the night sky.
“You're right, Aeris. Let them stew on that rage for a while. I have some ideas on how to deal with the next primal, but it's going to take a few months, at least, to bring them together.”
“Oh wonderful,” the air elemental said sarcastically. “And which primal will it be next time? Red? White? Brown?”
“Well, let's keep that a surprise for now, shall we?” Simon said with a broad smile. “But I'll give you a hint. Have you ever seen me ski?”
The End
The Dragons of Ice and Snow
By
J. J. Thompson
Trust not in the word of dragons,
For they are sly and know only treachery.
(New Earth Proverb)
The Dragons of Ice and Snow
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Afterword
Chapter 1
“Have I mentioned lately how much I hate the cold?”
“Yes, master, you have.”
“About two minutes ago, actually. Now would you please stop talking and save your breath for running?”
Simon O'Toole, former middle-aged I.T. specialist and now young wizard, was pelting across a barren, frozen lake, his feet slipping and sliding under him as he tried to move with as much speed as he could and not land flat on his face.
On either side of him ran his two companions, neither more than a foot tall; an earth elemental named Kronk and an air elemental called Aeris.
Aeris was actually floating at shoulder height while Kronk's little legs were moving so quickly that they were only a blur. His rocky feet on the ice sounded like a tap dancer in a foot race.
The lake stretched out for miles in all directions under an icy blue sky, and a bitter wind blew across it from the west, to the left of the little group.
Simon was bundled up in a heavy, ankle-length coat lined with fur, but he had it opened to the waist as sweat rolled down his face, stinging his eyes even in the sub-zero temperatures.
He was gasping for breath, the air so cold that it burned his lungs, and his run had turned into a stagger.
The wizard finally slid to a stop and bent over, grasping his knees and sucking in great lungfuls of air. Sweat dripped from his face and pattered to the blue-black ice.
Kronk skittered and tripped and then ran back to look up at the wizard.
“Master, we must keep moving! There is no cover here. If the dragons return, you will be exposed.”
Aeris floated back to them and stared at Simon with a deep frown.
“He's right, you know. Without your staff, your spells aren't powerful enough to do much harm to even a lesser dragon, especially not the whites in their natural environment.”
Simon began to speak and then just held up a hand weakly as he tried to catch his breath and slow his racing heart.
“I, I know that,” he finally managed to gasp. “But you two don't need to breathe. I do. Running won't do me any good if I have a frigging heart attack, now will it?”
Finally, his breathing slowed down enough for him to begin moving again, slowly.
“Are we still heading in the right direction?”
Kronk pointed ahead.
“Yes, master. The closest shore is that way. I can feel it. Beyond, the land rises and twists into hills and low mountains. There is a cave there that runs deep.”
Simon picked up the pace a bit at these encouraging words.
“And you're sure that there's a connection from that cave to a dwarven
tunnel?”
“I can feel it, master,” Kronk repeated patiently.
The wizard glanced at Aeris, who shrugged.
“If our earthen friend says he can feel it, then he can. That is his power, after all.”
Kronk gave the air elemental a little smile of appreciation and Simon nodded.
“Okay,” he said. “Good. Now we just have to get there in one piece.”
He let Kronk take the lead and Simon and Aeris followed closely behind him.
“As much as I disliked the thing, I'd feel better if you still had that cursed staff,” the air elemental said. “I told you not to depend on that weapon too much, but you didn't listen. Now see where we are.”
Simon snorted.
“Constantly saying 'I told you so' isn't exactly helpful, you know. Bene-Dunn-Gal was a useful tool. Besides, aren't you the one who told me that all of the best wizards used staves back in the old days?”
He looked over at Aeris who was frowning. The elemental nodded reluctantly.
“That's true. But their weapons weren't semi-intelligent the way yours is. Was. And I don't remember them storing spells on their staves either. That was both the blessing and the curse of that staff, I suppose.”
The wizard moved forward slowly but steadily and watched the icy surface under his feet.
“It bought us the time we needed to get away,” he said with a touch of sadness. “I know that it was just a staff, but I almost feel like I've lost a friend today.”
“And that isn't very healthy, my dear wizard,” Aeris said with a sideways look at Simon.
He didn't answer, just thought about the ill-timed meeting with the white dragon with regret.
He'd had no choice but to use Bene-Dunn-Gal the way he had. And, as always, the staff had not let him down.
But now he had only himself, his spell-book and his wits left to defeat untold numbers of dragons. Simon looked at his companions and smiled a bit. And the elementals, of course.
The best pace the wizard could manage after his extended head-long run was a jog and he kept it up as well as he was could as they made their way across the bleak landscape.
Behind them, there was still no sign of pursuit, but he listened closely for the sound of flapping wings or roars of rage. As the three of them retreated from danger, Simon bitterly recalled the circumstances that had brought them to this desperate situation.
It had been six months, give or take, since he had defeated the primal green dragon. Tricked was actually the more accurate term.
It still didn't sit well with Simon that he'd had to lure the dragon into a trap and use its own weapons against it. But he had been desperate. The green dragon's chlorine breath was deadly and he simply could not be sure that his own magical shield would completely block that foul gas in battle.
So he had baited the great wyrm into attacking him at his tower and then had closed the tower's defensive wards with the dragon inside, cutting off all air and making the beast breathe its own chlorine breath, gas that was deadly even to itself.
That had been last summer. Since then, Simon had been working hard; doing research on the last three primal dragons, trying to increase his own magical skills and seeking allies out in the world.
And he had found them. Using his Magic Mirror spell, the wizard had discovered Changed humans like himself in and around several of the former major cities of the world.
In London, Hong Kong, Sydney, and Moscow, there were small groups of Changlings who could directly use the magic that now permeated the New Earth.
A brother and sister who had Changed into mages lived in London, along with a dozen or so warriors. In Hong Kong, two women, enchanters, were trying to protect a colony of survivors. They were quite powerful and it had taken weeks to convince them to meet with Simon face to face.
A group of about twenty Changlings, some from Australia, some from New Zealand, were living on the shores of the sea near the ruins of Sydney. No wizards, but a mage, a witch and a cleric led the group. They were all in good spirits and optimistic, and very pleased when Simon reached out to them to tell them that he was on the trail of the primal dragons.
And finally, there were the survivors in Moscow.
Simon slipped on the ice of the lake and slowed his pace, moving more carefully as he recalled the events of the last few days. Kronk looked back over his shoulder and the wizard gave him a reassuring smile and motioned for him to continue. The little guy nodded and Simon went back to his bitter thoughts.
Moscow. What had he been thinking when he decided to meet the woman in Moscow?
You were desperate, Simon, his inner voice told him. You were offered aid against the primal white dragon and you jumped at the chance.
Yeah, the wizard thought darkly. I was desperate. But also arrogant.
Believing in his own powers and magical strength, he'd gotten careless. And now Simon might have to pay the price for that with his life.
He had sent out a large group of air elementals similar to Aeris to search the world for survivors of the dragons' attacks. That was how they had discovered the small groups that had been fighting to adapt to the new reality of life after technology.
Simon was sure that there were other pockets of humanity around the world, but he had concentrated on the ruins of the great cities as a place to start. The last of the elementals to report back had come from the former country of Russia.
The air elemental had told the wizard that a handful of Changlings were hiding and fighting back against the white dragons that had claimed Russia and the rest of northern Europe as their own.
The primal white dragon had originally destroyed, not only Moscow, but the rest of the Russian cities as well and then had retreated to the far north, leaving its servants to clear out the remnants of humanity. They had been very efficient.
“I searched all of the cities in that former country, sir wizard,” the elemental had told Simon. It had taken the scout more than two months to complete its task. “I found no other survivors except for a half-dozen on the edge of Moscow.”
The Russians were led by a woman and the scout confirmed that the leader was a paladin, a warrior blessed by the old gods of Light.
“She had powers of some sort?” Simon had asked excitedly.
“Indeed she does. I saw her lay her hands on one of her followers who had been injured in a fall. The bones knit and the skin closed while I watched. It was...impressive, I would say.”
“And this paladin wants to meet me?”
“Yes, sir wizard.”
The elemental had drawn an amazing likeness of the leader of the survivors and presented it to Simon.
“Her name is Liliana. She will receive your call if and when you wish to contact her.”
The wizard had thanked the scout for the fine work and released it back to the realm of air.
He had immediately used the Magic Mirror spell to call the paladin and had been impressed by her sense of purpose and authority.
Liliana confirmed that she and her little band were striking back at the white dragons when and where they could, but needed all the help that they could get.
Simon had arranged for a meeting and received the coordinates for a spot on the northern edge of Moscow where he could use the Gate spell to transport himself, Kronk and Aeris.
Unfortunately, when they'd arrived, it had proven to be a trap.
Simon spotted a dark line ahead, rising out of the lake like a mirage. It pulled him out of his bitter memories.
“Is that the shoreline, Kronk?” he called weakly.
“Yes, I believe so, master,” the little guy said over his shoulder. “We should be there in a few minutes.”
“Good,” Aeris said with some relief. “Then we can find you some cover, my dear wizard.”
Simon's answer was cut off by a distant, echoing cry from far behind them. It reverberated across the frozen lake and sent a shiver up his spine.
“Dragons, master,” Kronk said, statin
g the obvious.
“Yes, thank you,” Aeris replied dryly. “We never would have figured that out.”
The little earthen gave him a sour look and turned back to continue leading their retreat.
“I still don't believe that the paladin and her people set you up, Simon,” Aeris told him as he floated along beside the wizard. “It is quite possible that they were followed to the meeting place and driven off before we arrived.”
Simon sighed with what little breath he had left.
He wanted to believe that. He really did. But when the Gate had dropped them knee-deep in crusty snow and a lesser dragon had swooped to attack, it had certainly felt like a setup.
Thankfully he had reached a point in his magical development where casting his Shield spell was now almost a reflex. He had cast it without thinking as a blast of freezing air pounded down from above and blew Simon off his feet.
The elementals went flying. Kronk skittered across the frozen ground like a hockey puck on ice and Aeris shot away as if he'd been hit by a truck.
Neither of them was hurt, fortunately, and recovered quickly enough to get back inside the wizard's shield before the dragon banked around for a second pass.
The beast had been a pure, blinding white, scales reflecting like mirrors in the bright winter sunlight. Fifty feet in length, the dragon was horned and fanged and altogether a creature out of legend.
It was also furious and bellowed in rage as its breath was reflected by Simon's shield.
“Move, master!” Kronk had screamed. “It is going to smash you!”
The dragon was arrowing out of the sapphire sky and looked like it was indeed going to slam straight down into the wizard.
Simon knew that his shield couldn't stand up to such a tremendous blow and looked around frantically for some sort of shelter.
The area that they had Gated into, on the outskirts of Moscow, was surrounded by the ruins of old office buildings and warehouses. Gutted by fire and frozen in the bitter winter, they loomed like the skeletal remains of dinosaurs, twisted and grotesque.
Tales from the New Earth: Volume One Page 78
