The Dragons Return

by J. J. Thompson

  “If it comes to that, I could cast a fireball. Not very well, mind you, but if I had to, I could.” He rolled his eyes. “Of course, I'd have to memorize the bloody spell first, and it would be a one-off. I can't seem to remember more than one spell at a time, except for the spell that recharges the runes around the tower.”

  Aeris floated upward until he was at eye level.

  “Doesn't your focus help you with that? I know you are a young wizard, but it should allow you to cast the same spell at least twice.”

  “My what?” Simon asked blankly.

  “Your focus.” Aeris stared at him. “Hang on. You don't have an object to focus your powers through?”

  “Uh, no. I've never heard of that before.”

  The elemental threw his hands into the air and spun around several times.

  “Honestly! How have you survived for three years without blowing yourself up?”

  Simon flushed at Aeris' sarcastic tone.

  “Look buddy, it's not my fault that I was dropped into this situation,” he said angrily. “I never asked the dragons to come back and destroy my people. And I sure as hell didn't want to Change into,” he slapped his chest, “this weakling. So do me a favor and save the smart-ass comments, okay? If you're that sick of our company, you can leave at any time. Kronk and I won't try to stop you.”

  “Well said, master,” Kronk piped up and glared at Aeris. “If you are not going to be helpful, then we don't need you. We have managed to fumble along without you for this long. I am sure that my master and I can make it after you're gone.”

  Aeris seemed surprised by the vehement reactions of Simon and Kronk and simply hovered over the table, staring from one to the other. Finally he shrugged a bit sheepishly.

  “You're right. Both of you,” he admitted to Simon's surprise. “I've never been in a situation like this before. I doubt if anyone has. Back in the days of high magic, the wizards took knowledge of certain things for granted. And I suppose I did as well.” He shook his head. “I must remember that you are still very much a blank slate, young wizard. Not your fault, of course.”

  Although he didn't apologize, and Simon would have been surprised if he had, Aeris' tone was as close as Simon thought he could come to remorse and he accepted it that way.

  “Not to worry,” he told the little elemental after a quick look at Kronk. “I'm a bit testy lately myself. I'm used to being self-confident and independent. Now I have to rely on you and Kronk and probably a whole lot of luck just to survive. It's unsettling to say the least.”

  “Yes, I can see that.” Aeris descended and stood on the table again. “Very well then. Fresh start. First thing is our immediate problem. If there is some sort of undead creature lurking about, we should be safe enough in here.”

  He pointed at the candles and the crackling fire in the fireplace.

  “They cannot abide light. It weakens them, makes them vulnerable. That's why they will never be roaming about on nights when the sky is clear and the moon is full. Your horses will be safe as well.”

  “Oh damn! I'd forgotten about them,” Simon said and jumped up.

  “Easy, wizard. Your unicorn is more than a match for the undead. His horns are magical, after all.”

  “My unicorn? You mean Chief?” Simon laughed. “He has two horns. And he's a horse, not a unicorn.”

  “No. He was a horse. And I'm afraid that folklore has changed the unicorns into a single-horned creature. They always had two actually.”

  Simon sat down with a thump.

  “Chief's a unicorn?” Aeris nodded. “Well, I'll be damned. That's amazing.”

  “More amazing than you know. For a unicorn to befriend a mortal is practically unheard of. He is a powerful creature. You should feel honored that he has accepted you as a friend.”

  Aeris sounded impressed and Kronk smiled widely at Simon, who managed to grin back at him with some confusion.

  “Anyway, the horses are safe as long as he is present,” Aeris continued. “And we are safe, as long as the undead are not abroad in great numbers, which I doubt is the case. At least for now. If and when that happens, your wall will be built by then and suitably strengthened with the proper runes.”

  “Well, that's a relief at least,” Simon said and he allowed himself to relax a bit and drink some more tea.

  “Yes. Now, let us talk about focus items.”

  Simon watched as Aeris sat down cross-legged and hovered a few inches off of the tabletop. He was still fascinated by the air elemental's ability to float and he stared as Aeris rested his arms on his knees and looked up at him.

  “Now, perhaps you have heard of wizards in legend or myth carrying a wand or staff with them?”

  “Oh sure. Merlin was always illustrated with a staff in his hand,” Simon said. “They seem to go together, wizards and staffs. Or is it staves? I can never remember.”

  “That's not important,” Aeris said dismissively. “What is important is that those myths were incorporating the idea of a focus object in those pictures.”

  “You mean the staff?”

  “Exactly. The point of a focus is to channel a wizard's power. It focused the power, if you will, and augmented it. No wizard, no matter how powerful, could reach his or her full potential without such an object.”

  “Huh.”

  Simon got up and added a log to the fire, which had been dying down a bit. If some sort of monster was creeping around outside the tower and fire kept it away, then he had no intention of letting it go out.

  After he'd arranged the log properly, he sat down again and watched Aeris attentively.

  “So how would I go about creating a focus object? And does it have to be a staff?”

  “Definitely not. In fact, staves were used by the more powerful wizards more for show than anything else.”

  Simon was intrigued.

  “Really? Why?”

  Aeris shrugged. “They did love an audience. Some of them at least. But a staff or wand is too visible. Remember, without their focus, a wizard is greatly weakened. Staves, wands, and items like that can be lost or stolen. They can be dropped accidentally. No, a focus should be more subtle than that. Easily hidden. Something more mundane and ordinary.”

  “Such as?”

  “Rings and bracelets were popular once,” Kronk spoke up.

  “True,” Aeris agreed. “But again, jewelry catches the eyes of thieves. No, the most powerful of wizards were much more clever than that.”

  “Well then, what did they use?” Simon asked impatiently. “I mean, what kind of object can't be lost or stolen? No matter what they carried to focus their powers, there was always a chance that it could be mislaid, wasn't there?”

  “No master. Not always,” Kronk said quietly. “There is one thing that a wizard will always have with him. Something that he will never misplace.”

  “Ah, you know, don't you?” Aeris asked him. He sounded a little impressed.

  “Of course I know,” Kronk replied. “Wizards always talked around us. We were, as I've told my master before, simply tools to be used and discarded.”

  “Yes. How well I remember.” The air elemental sounded bitter.

  Simon rapped a knuckle on the table and both of the elementals looked up at him.

  “So what are we talking about here?” he asked curiously. “What can't be lost or stolen and still used as a focus?”

  “It is simple, master. Your own body.”

  Simon simply looked at Kronk in confusion.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Kronk is correct, wizard. The greatest spell-casters would have a mark of focus inscribed on their bodies. Some place subtle, like an armpit.” Aeris looked thoughtful. “I actually heard of one who had it written on the inside of an eyelid. I don't know if that is true, but certainly it would be the perfect spot.”

  “Whoa, whoa. Hang on a second.”

  Simon stood up and started to walk around the room nervously.

  “You're saying that I shou
ld tattoo some sort of mark that focuses my power on my skin?” He stopped and stared at the two elementals in disbelief. “That's nuts.”

  Aeris shook his head. “No, it's wise. An enemy can take away a staff or wand, remove a ring or necklace. But a mark? Well, it could be cut off, I suppose. But first they'd have to know about it. And these days, who knows anything about real wizards?”

  Simon walked slowly over to the door, thinking deeply. He absently put his palm on one of the metal bands that reinforced the door and then pulled it off quickly with a hiss of pain.

  “Master?” Kronk leaped off of the table and hurried over. “What is it? What's wrong?”

  Simon grimaced, shaking his hand.

  “The metal. It's so cold, it feels hot.” He shook his hand again and flexed his fingers. “It's better now. My God, what's the temperature outside?”

  Aeris flew across the room and pressed his little hands to the door. Simon almost cried out for him to stop but he noticed that the elemental didn't look like he was in pain; he looked thoughtful.

  “Oh yes. It is colder.” He lowered his voice. “Something is close. Something is very close indeed.” Simon began to speak and Aeris cut him off. “Keep your voice down. Some of the undead have hearing as sharp as wolves. If it is one of the more powerful ones, we don't want to attract it.”

  The air elemental pointed back at the table and Simon took the hint and quietly crept back to his seat and sat down. Kronk seemed to be trying to tiptoe across the floor to avoid tapping his rocky feet against the wood as he returned. Aeris just flew back soundlessly.

  “We must be quiet while whatever is out there skulks around. It will avoid the warmth of the fire because it knows that light accompanies fire. Hopefully your body warmth will be masked by the fire as well.”

  “They can sense that too?” Simon murmured, horrified.

  “Some of them can smell you, wizard. They are fearsome creatures. I wish this had happened after the wall was built.” The elemental sat down again on the table, still hovering a few inches above it. “We could have looked down from its top and laughed at whatever beast is out there, instead of cowering here hoping it passes by.”

  “What if it doesn't?” Simon asked as his stomach clenched with fear.

  Kronk had climbed back on to the table. Now he walked over and patted Simon's shoulder.

  “I will protect you, master. Have no fear of that.”

  “Thank you, Kronk,” Simon said with a smile. “I appreciate that.”

  “Yes, very noble,” Aeris said with a faint sneer. “But what could you do against a wraith?”

  Kronk's eyes suddenly blazed, their red fires bright even in the light of the candles on the table.

  “If it happens, you will see. Or you would if you didn't disappear, as I am sure you would.”

  Aeris bristled. “Disappear? Are you calling me a coward?”

  The air elemental had raised his voice indignantly and Simon hurried to hush him.

  “We're trying to be quiet, remember?” he asked.

  Aeris subsided, still scowling at Kronk.

  The three of them then waited quietly, listening to the crackle of the fire and the occasional low moan of wind that whirled past the tower. Simon began to imagine that it wasn't the wind that he was hearing, but the cries of unspeakable creatures hungry for his blood. The time passed slowly.

  Finally, after what seemed like hours, Aeris floated back to the door and set his palms against it.

  “Ah, that's better,” he said with some relief. “The cold has faded. Whatever was out there has moved on.”

  He looked across the room at Simon.

  “We have been lucky this time. I hope that this convinces you not to wait too long to have that wall built.”

  Simon stood up with a sigh of relief and stretched with a groan. He'd have to figure out a way to pad his kitchen chairs; his butt was sore from sitting too long.

  “I don't need any more convincing.” He moved to the counter and filled the kettle with the hand pump next to the sink. He set it over the fire again. “That was actually quite scary.”

  He rinsed out his cup and began making more tea.

  “Now that we can talk again, can we discuss this whole focus thing? If I was willing to mark something on my body,” and he rolled his eyes at his own statement, “exactly what would I write on it? I mean, what exactly does a focus thingy look like?”

  “Each one is different, master,” Kronk spoke up. He was watching Simon make tea, his arms folded.

  “Yes, that's true.” Aeris floated over to the counter and hovered there. “The rune is written in the old language. But what the rune says is simple enough. It is your true name.”

  Simon paused, the tin box of tea in his hand.

  “My true name? But...I don't know my true name.”

  “What?” Aeris stared at him blankly. “But, you must know it. How are you even casting spells without using your true name? You need it to gather power for each cast.”

  Simon shook his head.

  “I don't even know what that means,” he told the elemental. “All I do is memorize the spell and cast it. That's it.”

  “Oh my.” Aeris actually looked dumb-struck. “You may be even more powerful than I originally thought. But you must discover that name. It is key to your future as a wizard. Actually it is the key to your survival.”

  Simon slumped back against the counter and stared at the kettle as it slowly began to heat up over the fire.

  “The elf woman mentioned my true name as well. I wish I'd known why it was so important at the time. But more to the point, how am I supposed to discover what it is?”

  There was a long moment of silence. And then, to Simon's surprise, Kronk spoke up.

  “There is a way, master. At least, I think I remember hearing of one back in the old days.”

  Simon made his tea and sat down. He looked at Kronk expectantly, but the little rocky figure was silent.

  “Well? Don't keep us in suspense, oh wise one,” Aeris mocked as he flew back to the table. “What is this method of discovering a person's true name?”

  Kronk didn't get angry at the air elemental's tone this time. He stared at Simon instead.

  “The problem, master, is that I do not think you will be able to do what I heard has to be done.”

  “Well, what do I have to do?” Simon said, trying to curb his impatience.

  “It is simple. You must ask the gods.”

  Chapter 9

  “What do you mean, ask the gods?”

  Simon stared at Kronk, who stood calmly and watched him expressionlessly.

  “What gods?” Aeris asked. “The gods are no longer here, as you well know. It is their return that is changing this world into what it is becoming. And those evil beings are not likely to do anyone any favors. Especially not humans, whom they despise.”

  Kronk ran a hand over his bald head, the gritty sound of rock rubbing on rock loud in the silent room.

  “I do not know the answer to that. I am only repeating what I heard, master. Two wizards were discussing the subject of true names once. I believe it had to do with the daughter of one of them and the fact that they could not discover her true name. One told the other that she would have to consult the gods if she did not know it herself. He suggested that she be taken to see a cleric.” He shrugged. “I suppose most wizards know their true names quite young.”

  “But how? How do they know them?” Simon was still bewildered by the need to know his true name. Why was it so important anyway?

  “Dreams usually,” Aeris said. He was still watching Kronk speculatively. “Early in their lives, wizards have a vision of their true names in a dream. They keep it to themselves if they are wise.”

  Simon remembered something that Ethmira had said.

  “The elf told me that if someone knows your true name, and that phrase is starting to irritate me by the way, that they would have power over you.” He looked at Aeris. “Is that true?�
��

  “Quite true.” The elemental's smile was a little twisted. “Spells directed at someone whose name you know are incredibly potent. It is wise to never share it with anyone, no matter how much you trust them.”

  Simon finished his tea, got up and washed his cup. He put it in the cupboard and looked at the pair of little figures watching from the tabletop.

  “Well, since I don't know any clerics, and I'm assuming you two don't either, then asking the gods isn't an option. I'll just have to muddle through the way I have been.”

  He walked to the stairs.

  “I'm going to get some sleep. If I'm summoning a bunch of your people tomorrow, Kronk, I'd better be rested. Good night.”

  “Sleep well, master,” Kronk told him. Aeris just gave him a half-hearted wave.

  Simon nodded at them both and went upstairs and got ready for bed.

  The next morning, Simon reluctantly opened his eyes to see sunlight streaming into his bedroom. He guessed that Kronk had opened the shutters once the sun had risen.

  He lay quietly for a few minutes and just watched dust motes drift lazily through the rays of light.

  He had fallen asleep thinking about his true name and was still thinking about it as he woke up. But since he couldn't come up with any ideas on how to discover what it was, he tried to set the whole thing aside.

  I have some elementals to summon and a wall to build today, he thought. And with a surge of excitement, he threw back his covers and got up to start his day.

  It was already warm when he got outside wearing shorts and carrying a towel and soap. He headed around the tower toward the lake and almost tripped over Kronk who was coming in the opposite direction.

  Simon dodged to the side and hid a grin as the little guy moved out of the way so quickly that he fell over.

  “Good morning, master,” Kronk said brightly as he jumped up again.

  “Morning, Kronk.” Simon began to walk again and Kronk hurried to catch up. “Are you looking forward to meeting some of your fellow elementals?”

  “Well, no master. I am more looking forward to helping to build this wall of yours and make your home more secure. It will make you safer and that is important.”