The Dragons Return

by J. J. Thompson

  Simon had been listening raptly to his friend, fascinated by his story. He waited for a moment after Daniel stopped speaking but his friend seemed lost in thought.

  Old people do that, he thought sadly. What the hell happened to the Daniel I used to know?

  “What was the catch?” Simon finally asked as the silence stretched on and on.

  “Eh? Catch?” Daniel looked at him vaguely. “Oh yes.” He laughed weakly. “Well, the catch, my dear friend, was that I could never leave the elven lands again. Time moves differently in that place. Once you enter, years can pass in the blink of an eye in this world. This old man that you see before you was young and strong a few hours ago. And now, here I am, ready for retirement.”

  He laughed at his own joke but Simon stared at him in horror.

  “My God, man, what were you thinking? Why the hell would you do that to yourself?”

  “Why?” Daniel glared at him. “Because, you dolt, you're going up against a dragon! These aren't those simple monsters we used to fantasize about and defeat in our games. These creatures destroyed our world. How could I let you face that alone?”

  Daniel reached across the table with his shaking, thin claw of a hand and Simon took it hurriedly in both of his.

  “This is your last stand, Simon. I could not live with myself, even in the idyllic land of the elves, if you were destroyed and I stood by and did nothing.” He squeezed Simon's hand once and released it. “Even if it meant that I could only come here and criticize. One of my favorite pastimes back in the day, may I remind you.”

  Simon had to laugh at that comment.

  “Oh, do I remember.” He finished his drink and then got up to brew some more. As he worked, Simon looked over his shoulder at Ethmira. “Daniel loved tearing me down in the old days. He hated the fact that I 'wasted' my time competing in strongman events. He was always more intellectual than I was.”

  “He means I was smarter,” Daniel added with a sly grin.

  Ethmira laughed.

  “You two certainly are old friends. I could never quite reconcile the idea that Daniel and you knew each other before the dragons came. But then, I never knew you, Simon, before you Changed.”

  “Believe me, we were an odd couple back then as well. I was twice as big and wide as Daniel was.”

  Simon refilled his guest's cups and his own and then sat down again.

  Ethmira shook her head.

  “I simply can't picture it. At any rate, Daniel, time is short. Perhaps you should tell your friend why we have come?”

  Daniel put down his cup carefully and began to speak, a bit reluctantly.

  “Yes, I suppose so. I'm sorry, Simon. I'd like to spend hours traveling down memory lane with you, but Ethmira is correct. We must get a move on.”

  He cleared his throat and straightened up. Simon almost laughed as he recognized what he used to call Daniel's 'professor' mode. He would always affect that look when he was about to lecture Simon about something that he felt Simon should have known.

  “The elves have been watching you over the last few years, my friend. Their scryers have ways of peering into this world without actually entering it and getting the dragon's attention.”

  Simon felt a flash of embarrassment as he wondered if they'd seen him fall from the sky and break his leg the first time he'd cast the Gate spell.

  “We know that you've discovered this dragon's weakness. It is water, as you surmised.”

  Daniel stopped and squinted at Simon with his rheumy eyes.

  “That weakness only applies to the black dragon, by the way. And it is the weakest of its brood. I suppose you are lucky that it is.”

  “The weakest?” Simon said faintly. “That monster is...is the runt of the litter?”

  Ethmira chuckled and nodded.

  “It is, Simon. Of the five prime dragons, the black is the smallest and least powerful. Its brethren; green, brown, white and gold, are much more powerful.”

  “So that's what they are,” Simon muttered to himself. Five colors, five levels of power and strength. He shivered at the thought that the others were more formidable than the black.

  “If we do manage to destroy this dragon, won't the others come to exact revenge?” he asked anxiously.

  “Doubtful,” Daniel said. “They are masters of their own domains. They will continue their missions to clear out the last of the human race before traveling here to finish the black's task.”

  Daniel laughed again.

  “Besides, they hate each other. They would never work in concert against us, even if their masters ordered them to.”

  “Do they? That's interesting.”

  “It is, I suppose. But let us move on. Ethmira and her people are offering to aid you in this battle, Simon. They know, as you do, that if the dragons succeed in wiping out the humans, they will take over this world. And the next land on their list to conquer will inevitably be the realm of the elves.”

  “Why?” Simon asked simply.

  “Because we are their enemy,” Ethmira told him. “We allied with the humans once long ago, back in the old days of magic. The gods of Chaos never forget and never forgive. They will destroy us for no other reason but spite. They are petty, hateful beings.”

  “So I've heard,” Simon replied. “Do you know what I'm planning?”

  “We know that you're going to try to lure the dragon over water,” Daniel said with an admiring smile. “Clever boy, Simon. Getting the beast to attack you on an island? Brilliant. But, unfortunately, futile.”

  Simon gaped at him.

  “Futile? But why? I mean, granted, we might not be able to kill it. But at least it won't have its drakes to help it in the battle.”

  “We're not saying the plan is futile, Simon,” Ethmira said with a frown at Daniel. “But that creature is ancient. It is evil. And it isn't a fool. It is well aware of its own limitations. To risk its existence by attacking a handful of humans over water? It would never do that.”

  Simon slumped in his chair. He felt a touch of despair. Put like that, he realized that it was obvious. The dragon wouldn't care enough about him and Clara and her people to chance its own life. He shrugged despondently.

  “Yes, of course you're right. I guess I didn't think it through. Oh well, so much for that idea.”

  “Simon!” Daniel barked and the wizard jumped in his seat. “What are you talking about? It's a wonderful idea. The best idea that I've heard yet for dealing with that monster, and I've listened to several put forward by some of the best tacticians the elves have to offer.”

  “But you said...”

  “We said it was futile, if the dragon doesn't take the bait. We just have to make the bait so irresistible that the beast ignores the danger and attacks anyway.”

  Simon looked from Ethmira, who smiled at him gently, and back to Daniel.

  “What bait could we find that would do that?”

  The elven maid tapped a finger on her chest.

  “Us,” she said quietly. “The dragons may hate humans, as they hate all life, but their fury is boundless when it comes to the elves. We were instrumental in their banishment many, many eons ago. Together with the last dragon of Light, we forced them from this plane to the place where their masters eventually retreated to.” She cocked her head and raised an eyebrow at Simon. “Why else did you think a dragon would give chase to a single, solitary elf?”

  Simon considered that. Ethmira had said at the time that the dragon would be drawn to her because it could sense her. He'd found that a bit hard to believe then, but now it became obvious why the monster would want her dead.

  “But that's incredibly dangerous,” he protested. “If the dragon is lured into our trap, you and your people will be the first to be attacked.”

  “Perhaps.” The elf exchanged another look with Daniel. “But we don't fear the dragon, Simon. And we don't fear death. It is merely the transition to another plane of existence. Oh, we certainly don't seek it, but to be part of an alliance
that brings down a dragon? Ah, my people would relish that. We would happily risk death for that opportunity.”

  “Why?” Simon asked simply. “I know that you say the dragons would be after you one day, once they eliminated my people, but that could be years from now. Why take the chance?”

  The elvish maid was silent.

  “Because the elven people hate them as well, Simon,” Daniel told him. “They hate the dragons with a loathing that almost puts yours to shame. And the elves hate nothing in this world. Back in the ancient times, their people were almost wiped out by the great wyrms. Elves reproduce slowly and it's taken thousands of years for them to recover from that.”

  “And now,” Ethmira cut in, her voice steely with resolve, “they would attack my people all over again. But we will not sit idly by. We will not debate, and discuss and defer, until the dragons burst into our realm. We will take the fight to them.”

  She banged her fist on the table and the cups tinkled in response. Her eyes flashed with determination and then she took a deep, calming breath and smiled at Simon tentatively.

  “If you will have us.”

  A tiny spark of hope began to burn within his chest. Maybe, that little voice inside him said, maybe we actually have a chance.

  “Of course we'll have you, Ethmira,” he told her with some relief. “If you are determined to do this, then yes, I would be honored if you and your people would fight by my side. And I'm sure that I speak for Clara and her people as well.”

  “Good call, Simon,” Daniel said dryly. But he winked as he said it and Simon grinned at him.

  The elf simply chuckled and then became serious again.

  “And when were you thinking of springing your trap, my friend?” she asked.

  Simon took a breath and then made his decision. He would wonder later how he could have committed himself so quickly, but at the time it seemed right.

  “A week from today. Some Changlings that we rescued from the north side of the river noticed a pattern that the dragon seems to follow. It leaves its lair on its hateful business every ten days like clockwork. It returns in the evening, just after dark. I want to get its attention by burning the small lighthouse on the island, so that's probably the best time to do it. And besides, winter is just around the corner. I know that it should be a few months away, but weather is unpredictable, even more so in this new age, and I'd rather not have to worry about ice or snow under our feet when we brace to fight that beast.”

  He hesitated.

  “I haven't asked Clara or her people if they are ready to commit themselves to this battle so soon, but I think that this time and this place is our best chance to strike back.”

  “Sound reasoning,” Ethmira said with approval. “Very well. My people and I will meet you on this side of the river, across from the island, in exactly one week's time. I can only promise you fifty archers, but they will be the best that we have.” Her eyes narrowed. “Be ready, Simon. This is our one and only chance to destroy this dragon and we will not get another. My people will be under a glamor like the one Daniel and I are under now, so that we don't get the beast's attention prematurely. Fifty archers are the largest amount that the glamor can encompass. Remember, if you dally too long and the enchantment fades, we will be slaughtered before we are ready.”

  The weight of what he was doing suddenly fell on Simon's shoulders like an anvil and he swallowed nervously. He looked down and saw his hands shaking.

  My God, he thought. I'm responsible if these elves die. It will be my fault if Clara and her people are killed too. What if I screw it up? What if I'm wrong or...?

  A frail hand dropped on to his shoulder and Simon looked up into Daniel's cloudy eyes. He'd walked around the table quietly and now stood beside him.

  “I still know you well enough to have an idea of what you are thinking, old friend. Don't beat yourself up with it.” He squeezed Simon's shoulder gently. “This day had to come. I knew that even as the world began to Change. Why do you think that I left all of my knowledge, all that I'd learned in my years of exploration, to you? You, Simon, are our hope now. The last hope of the human race, whatever it may have Changed into.”

  He stood back and Simon watched him as he turned toward the door. Ethmira rose and joined Daniel there.

  “We have to go, Simon,” she said. “Our glamor is fading and we'd best be back in the elvish lands before it does.”

  Simon scrambled to his feet and hurried to follow them outside. He passed the two watching elementals and realized that neither one had said a thing during the entire visit. A new record, he thought with a touch of humor.

  At the gate, Daniel and Ethmira stopped and the old man looked around and nodded with approval.

  “You've done well, my friend,” he said. “I'm proud of you.”

  Simon felt the sting of tears and hid them with a grin.

  “Now there's something I never thought I'd hear.”

  Daniel laughed his dry wheeze and staggered a bit. Ethmira caught him deftly by the elbow.

  “That's true,” he continued. “I think I was too hard on you, back in the day, and I apologize for that.”

  He became sombre.

  “This is our last meeting, I'm afraid,” he said.

  Simon stared at him in confusion.

  “What? But why? There's so much I want to talk about. So much I want to know.”

  “I understand, Simon. You don't know how much I would love to sit and converse by the hour, as we used to. But if I return from the elvish lands once more, I will die.” He raised his claw-like hands and scowled at them. “I'd probably turn to dust as soon as I set foot back on Earth. No, this was my only chance to see you again in person, and I'm grateful to have had it.”

  Ethmira shook Simon's hand.

  “We'll see you on the shore in a week's time, just before dusk. For all our sakes, don't be late.”

  “I won't be,” Simon assured her solemnly.

  She nodded and then walked slowly through the gate toward the distant forest, giving the two old friends their last chance to say farewell privately. Aeris and Kronk stood in the doorway of the tower and watched them respectfully.

  “Well, if you can't return, I guess that this really is good-bye,” Simon said sadly.

  “Yes, I guess that it is.” Daniel took Simon's hands in his own and peered at him closely.

  “Have faith in yourself, Simon. You have the power now. You have the allies. And you have the determination to get this done. Kill it, old friend. Kill the dragon. Do it for our people, both the ones who were slaughtered and for those who won't have a future if the dragon survives. And do it for an old friend who gathered the knowledge but never had a chance to use it.”

  “I will. Thank you, Daniel, for everything. Be happy in your new world.”

  “I am and I will be. And I'll be watching you from the depths of the elvish lands, never doubt it.”

  Daniel embraced Simon for a long moment and then pushed away and turned toward Ethmira, who waited in the middle of the field. He walked toward her and then turned one last time to look at Simon. Aeris and Kronk had come down the steps and now stood on either side of the wizard. The old man smiled widely at the sight. A light wind blew his white hair around his face like an aura and he looked ancient and wise.

  “One last gift for you, my old friend,” he called out. “Check out the back cover of my notebook. You may find something useful there. And be well, Simon. This is but the first step in the long battle to come.”

  And with those cryptic words, Daniel waved one final time and walked away. Ethmira met him and gently put her arm around his shoulders as the old man suddenly began to stagger in either exhaustion or grief.

  Simon watched them sadly as the pair reached the trees and faded into the forest.

  Good-bye, old friend, he thought. May you live a long and satisfying life in the elvish glades.

  Chapter 22

  Back in the tower, Simon slowly puttered around, cleaning cu
ps and putting his kitchen back in order. The elementals watched him from the tabletop. When he was finished, he sat down and stared at them both.

  “So that was Daniel, master,” Kronk said, stating the obvious. “He was as impressive as I thought he would be.”

  “Yes, he was, wasn't he?” Simon replied tiredly. “I admit it was a shock to see him like that though. The Daniel I remember was many years younger than my old self. Now? Now he looks like my grandfather.”

  “He sacrificed his youth to see you one last time, Simon,” Aeris said in wonder. “He must care for you a great deal.”

  Simon squeezed his eyes closed and felt sadness fill his heart again.

  “Yes, I suppose he does,” he whispered. “But I truly wish he hadn't done that.”

  He picked up his cup and found it empty. But when he began to get up to make some more, Kronk waved him down again.

  “You need something a bit stronger than tea right now, master,” he said and jumped off the table to hurry down to the basement.

  “What...?”

  “He's right, wizard,” Aeris said firmly. “You have had a real shock. And you've seen and lost your best friend once again. That has to be hard to handle.”

  Kronk came hopping back up the stairs, a bottle of wine cradled gently in his arms and Simon laughed at the sight in spite of his dark mood.

  “You think I need wine instead of tea right now?”

  “Absolutely, master.”

  Kronk jumped up to the counter-top and carefully removed the cork from the bottle.

  “We'll let it breathe a moment, master,” he said. “And while we wait, perhaps you can get that notebook?” Kronk said pointedly to Aeris.

  “Ah, good idea. I'll be right back,” he said and floated toward the stairs.

  The wizard watched as Kronk took a clean glass out of the cupboard and then carefully poured out the wine.

  “Are you going to be all right, master?” he asked as he put down the bottle.

  Simon watched the little guy, but saw Daniel in his mind's eye. His memories of his best friend fought with the old man that he had met earlier. It was still hard to reconcile the two.