“Sorry, master. We worry about you, that's all.”
“I appreciate that,” the wizard said with a smile as he sat down. “But maybe do it where I can't actually hear you? It's like having your parents talk about you when you're a kid and you're in the same room. A bit creepy.”
“As you wish, oh great and powerful wizard,” Aeris said with an exaggerated bow.
“Stop that,” Simon told him as he sipped the hot liquid. “So why the sudden urge to patrol around the wall in the middle of the day?”
The air elemental shrugged.
“A feeling, mostly. The atmosphere is...unsettled. Ominous. Part of it may be because of what is happening on the home world of the elves. Often what happens on other planes is reflected here on Earth.”
“Really? I didn't know that.”
“Oh yes, master. That is very well known, among our kind at least,” Kronk said wisely. “In ancient times, there were wars between the elemental planes. The chaos and destruction was mirrored here on this world.”
Simon put down his cup and stared at the two little figures.
“Wars? Why haven't I heard about this before?”
The elementals exchanged an almost embarrassed look.
“To be frank, it isn't something that's spoken of much anymore,” Aeris said reluctantly.
“Why not?”
“Because, master, it is considered a shameful time among our people. There was really no reason for such conflict. We earthen have no interest in the air realm. They have no use for the fire realm, and so on. In the end, it was simply a clash of egos between our rulers.”
“Don't ever let them hear you say that,” Aeris told him ominously.
“They are well aware that we all know it,” Kronk told him with some exasperation.
“Maybe, but it's bad policy to bring up someone's failings when that someone can obliterate you with a thought.”
“Interesting,” Simon said and picked up his cup again. “Any other reason you're worried?”
“I'm not worried, exactly. But let's face it; things are becoming more unpredictable by the day, aren't they? Dragons invading other worlds, battles between dwarves and mutated dragons, the water elementals turning rogue and siding with the dark gods. Let's just say that I'm becoming a little more cautious these days.”
Aeris glanced at the bright sunlight streaming through the window.
“Oh, by the way, Kronk, if you are letting the horses out to get some exercise, you might want to do it now.”
“Why?” the earthen asked with a frown.
“Because there's a storm coming. And by a storm I mean a blizzard. It could last for several days, so take advantage of this last chance to let the horses stretch their legs.”
Kronk looked alarmed and jumped off of the table.
“Thank you, Aeris,” he said over his shoulder as he hurriedly tip-tapped to the front door. “I'll let them out right away.”
As the little guy jumped up, opened the front door and then slammed it behind him, Simon looked at Aeris in surprise.
“You can tell if there's a storm coming?”
“Why the look? I'm an air elemental, my dear wizard. I know when storms are approaching the same way that Kronk can feel an earthquake beginning to build up. It's in our nature, you could say.”
“Huh. The things I learn at the most unexpected times. So how bad is this blizzard going to be?”
Aeris looked at him soberly.
“Very bad. I would advise you to contact Clara and warn her to tell her people about it. They should get enough supplies out of storage to last a few days; possibly a week.”
“A week! Holy crap.”
Simon grabbed the mirror and began casting the Magic Mirror spell.
“Oh and tell her to put extra guards on the walls during the storm, just in case.”
The wizard finished his incantation and looked at the elemental, puzzled.
“Why? You want them to guard against a storm?”
“No. I want them to guard against what might be coming with the storm.”
“Which is?”
“Something horrible.”
Chapter 3
The blizzard rolled in just as Kronk returned the horses to the stable. Simon actually saw the white wall of driving snow and wind approaching from his study window. It was so dense that the world was blotted out as it came; a force of nature that sent a shiver of fear running down his spine.
He had called Clara to warn her and she'd assured him that she would pass the word on to her people.
“What is it about this storm that's got you so spooked?” he asked Aeris, who was hovering over the window ledge next to him.
“Just a feeling, like I said. In the old days of magic, creatures of darkness could use the cover of storms, whether in summer or winter, to approach settlements. Those days are gone, but the magic has returned. Who's to say that the horrors from the old days haven't returned with it?”
“Now there's a comforting thought.”
Just before the storm obscured the outside world completely, Simon had moved to the southern-facing window, looked down at the front gate and frowned.
“Why are the gates open?” he asked.
“They are?”
Aeris flew across the room and looked below.
“By the Four Winds, they are!”
“Well, damn it, get them closed!” Simon had barked and then caught himself.
“Sorry. Please get them closed,” he repeated in a lower voice.
The air elemental snickered.
“There's a time for politeness, my dear wizard, but this isn't it. I'll be right back.”
He disappeared with a tiny pop of sound and Simon saw him reappear near the gates, just as the wall of snow slammed into the tower.
The entire structure actually shuddered slightly; an amazing feat considering that Kronk and his fellow earthen had reinforced the building after two red dragons had attacked about a year earlier.
The glass in both windows actually creaked and chimed as the glacial winds pushed against them and Simon cursed under his breath. He hated to do it, but it was obvious that he'd have to close the shutters over the windows, at least the ones on the second floor.
It was a battle to seal all of the windows. The wind hurled blinding snow and ice pellets at him each time he opened a window to pull the metal-reinforced wooden shutters closed. He gashed his palm once as he hammered at the bolts inside the covers to slide and lock them, but he finally finished with the last set in his bedroom.
He staggered a bit and wiped cold sweat off of his forehead. Then he hurried downstairs to rinse the deep cut on his hand and wrap a bandage around it.
Simon was just finishing his first aid when Kronk slammed open the front door, a howl of wind, snow and deep cold accompanying him. The little guy turned and forced the door shut, once again exhibiting his amazing strength.
He looked over at Simon, a small crust of icy snow covering his head and shoulders.
“The horses are secure, master,” he said brightly. “The stable is clean and they are fed and watered.”
He skittered across the room, jumped on to the kitchen table and then stared at the wizard's freshly-bandaged hand.
“Master! You are wounded!”
“I'm fine, Kronk. Don't worry. It just took a little more force than I thought it would to close the shutters upstairs.”
“You should have waited for me to do it, master,” the earthen said with his tiny fists on his hips. “You mustn't take chances like that.”
Simon filled the iron kettle and hung it over the fire.
“Oh, for God's sake, I'm not a child. I can actually do some things for myself, you know.”
“Yes, master, I'm sure you can,” Kronk answered in a tone that meant the exact opposite. “At least Aeris should have helped you.”
He looked around the room.
“Where is he anyway?”
Simon leaned back against the counter to wait for the
water to boil.
“Oh. Well, just before the storm hit, I checked the gates and noticed that they were open a bit. I have no idea why, but Aeris popped out to close and lock them again.”
“The gates were open?” Kronk sounded stunned. “But that is specifically against standing orders, master. I have told my brethren that under no circumstances may the gates be left open unless the order comes from you, either directly or through myself or Aeris.”
He shook his head in confusion.
“What were they thinking?”
Simon just shrugged, a little amused that the earthen was taking what was obviously a mistake so seriously.
“No worries, my friend. Aeris will close and lock the gates and probably chew out the others for their error.”
“No doubt, master. No doubt.”
Kronk looked at the wall of white just beyond the window near the front door. Then he gave a convulsive little nod, as if winning an argument with himself, and jumped off of the table.
“Wait, where are you going?” Simon called after him as Kronk ran across the room.
“Just checking for myself, master,” the earthen said as he reached the door. He stopped and turned, giving Simon a penetrating look.
“Aeris should have returned by now, master. Perhaps you should get your staff,” and he nodded at the length of wood and metal leaning next to the door. “Just in case.”
And with those cryptic words, he jumped up, opened the door and closed it tightly behind him.
“Just in case?” Simon repeated out loud. “Just in case what? It's just a frigging snowstorm for God's sake.”
A howl of wind slipped past the tower, sounding remarkably like a child screaming and the wizard jumped up, startled.
“Maybe that's not such a bad idea after all,” he muttered and walked to the door to get his staff.
Then he retreated to the kitchen counter, leaned against it again and pulled his spell-book from his robe pocket.
He had rewritten all of his spells into a smaller, easy to carry notebook and always kept it on his person now. He could keep ten spells permanently memorized thanks to months of dogged, tedious practice and study, and could pack another ten into his memory temporarily.
Simon doubted that there was anything wrong, but skimmed through the book regardless, wondering what spells he might need if there was indeed some sort of emergency.
He dropped the book in surprise as he looked up, wide-eyed. Something heavy had just slammed against the front door.
His eyes flew to the bolts on the inside of the reinforced door. Naturally they were all open, but the latch was closed against the wind. As he watched, it rattled in its slot and he saw it bend inward. It wasn't meant to do anything but keep the door shut.
Simon swallowed convulsively, scooped up his spell-book and slipped it back into his pocket.
No time to look up spells now, he thought nervously.
He grabbed the staff and strode toward the door,
It shuddered for a third time and the latch squealed in protest, barely keeping the door closed.
Simon quickly chanted a spell.
“Invectis!” he said loudly, just as the door crashed open.
A blast of arctic air hit his shield spell and was redirected to the sides. The icy snow slammed into the barrier, setting off little sparks and flashes of light and the wizard could barely see the opening in front of him.
And then with a chorus of wails, like damned souls released from Hell, a wall of white bodies leaped through the doorway directly at him.
“Holy shi...” he managed to yell just as he was thrown across the room to slam into the far wall. The shield cushioned the impact but he was dizzy and shaken up as he lay on his back, looking up at the ceiling.
Somehow, he had managed to hang on to his staff, and he staggered to his feet and raised it as he hurried to cast a second spell.
“Invectis!” he shouted again and heard little tinkles, like tiny chimes, as his body was covered in a coating of crystal. He looked like a carving of a man made of glittering diamonds.
The shield was holding and Simon looked around frantically. His attackers had paused for a brief moment, stymied by his shield, and he had his first chance to get a really good look at them,
“What the...?” he murmured.
White, so white that they were difficult to see in the midst of the snow and ice that was blowing into the tower. Man-shaped but hunched over, the creatures dragged their skinny arms along the ground. All he saw for certain were blazing red eyes, gaping maws full of crooked fangs and long, thin fingers tipped with inch-long claws.
An acidic stench, like urine, filled the room as they piled in, making him gag.
What the hell are they? he wondered in shock. And how had they gotten past his wards?
There were at least a dozen of the monsters already inside the tower and more were crowding in at the doorway, pushing and shoving as they tried to reach him.
Simon's mind began to race as he considered the best plan of attack. Creatures that lived in sub-zero conditions must be vulnerable to fire, he thought quickly.
He glanced up at the wooden ceiling above him, with its huge cross-beams of oak and felt a pang of regret.
Stop that, his inner voice said. Buildings can be rebuilt. Deal with these bastards first.
For some reason that thought calmed him down and he began to chant.
As he finished, the monsters drew back a little, and Simon briefly wondered why. He couldn't know that a smile as cold as the wind blowing into his home had crept across his lips.
He pointed his staff at the group of fiends directly in front of him.
“Invectis!” he spat in a voice thick with disgust and hatred.
The room exploded.
The Fire Blast spell was an area-effect spell. It was crude and imprecise, but it was also brute force personified. Everything that could burn in the room suddenly went up like it was soaked in gasoline.
The monsters were turned to ash so quickly that their bodies actually stood for an instant, perfect copies made of lifeless cinders. And then the wind blew past them, scattering ashes everywhere.
The other creatures that had been eagerly trying to force their way into the room drew back with wails of fear. They raced away, disappearing into the storm. Simon almost followed them but stopped and looked around at the home he loved engulfed in flames.
He chanted another spell as quickly as he could and invoked it.
The Blizzard spell seemed to copy the storm outside but instantly snuffed out the flames, freezing the entire room and coating the burning ceiling with ice. Simon hoped that he had snuffed out the fire in time to at least stop the tower from collapsing from the inside.
With a shrug, he put away that sad thought, recast his shield spell and hurried outside.
He could barely see ten feet in any direction as the wind whipped ice particles past his shield, sending tiny sparks flying in all directions. He stopped and listened intently, trying to hear anything above the screeching blizzard. But he couldn't tell where the monsters had fled and he realized that he could stumble around for hours and not find them until they attacked.
Think, Simon, think, he told himself frantically. How can I find these things in this storm?
He was trying to decide what to do when a blood-chilling scream came from the area near the front gates.
The wizard spun toward the sound and hurried in that direction, slipping on the icy crust of snow that had already built up around the tower.
As the open gates appeared out of the white wall of snow, Simon stopped short and stared in disbelief.
There were several bodies scattered across the ground, black blood and entrails making it look like a scene out of a horror movie. Two of the monsters were still on their feet but they were being pulled down by a half-dozen small, brown figures while something that looked like a miniature tornado repeatedly slammed into their heads, ripping bits of skin and bone off of thei
r faces, turning them into gory masses of flesh.
The creatures finally collapsed as the earthen smashed into them again and again. Simon had never seen anything so violent and demented as this and could only stand with his mouth open in shock.
The bodies lay unmoving and obviously dead and still the elementals, including Aeris, continued to tear into them, literally ripping them apart.
“Guys?” Simon called out tentatively. “Hey guys! Um, I think they're probably dead enough.”
All of the little figures stopped attacking and looked over at him. The whirling dervish that was Aeris slowed to a stop and all seven little elementals simply stared at Simon blankly.
“Master!” Kronk called out in surprise. He was standing on the caved-in chest of one of the creatures, covered in gore.
“You're alive, master!”
“Uh, yeah. Mostly.”
Simon really didn't know what to say as he stared at the remains of whatever the hell had attacked the tower. He had never seen such uncontrolled violence from the elementals before and he was trying to process it.
Aeris shot across the space between then and stopped just outside of Simon's shield.
“We thought you were dead,” he exclaimed, drops of black blood trickling off of his hovering form.
“No, I'm still here. What exactly were,” he nodded at the bodies, “those things?”
“Wights, master,” Kronk said, his voice thick with disgust. “Back in ancient times, they were known to follow in the wake of storms, masking their presence until they attacked. It was a very effective tactic.”
“Can't argue with that.”
Simon dismissed his shield but kept his diamond skin spell active to protect him from the intense cold. He slipped his staff over his shoulder so that it hung down along his spine and peered through the blinding snow.
“Any more of those things around?”
“I think we've accounted for all of them,” Aeris told him. “But I'm going to take a quick spin around the tower, just in case. Be right back.”
With that, the air elemental shot off and disappeared into the storm.
Simon walked reluctantly over to the gates and looked down at the bodies.
Seen up close and unmoving, the wights looked even more horrible. Their glazed, dead eyes still seemed to burn with insatiable hunger and their gaping mouths were filled with broken, rotting fangs. Their pale skin reminded him of dead fish; colorless and slimy. And if they had any gender, there was no way to tell. Their bodies below the waist were masses of scars and ragged running sores.
Tales from the New Earth: Volume One Page 122
