“Anything's possible, I suppose.”
Simon stared off into space and frowned. He looked across at the front door and then scanned the room.
“Lose something?” Aeris asked with a grin.
“I think I might have. Where's Mortis? It's not in its usual place beside the door. I can't remember where I left it.”
Aeris clapped a hand to his forehead.
“Oh my, I totally forgot! I found your staff in the river, back in that canyon. That was my first real clue that you had even been there.”
“Awesome. So where is it?”
“I um, sort of left it there,” the elemental admitted, shying away from Simon's incredulous expression.
“You left it there? Aeris!”
“I was busy, all right? I mean, I did hide it before I went looking for you. And then, after I found that goblin mound, well, things got rather hectic.”
Kronk chuckled and, when Simon looked at him, the little guy just shrugged.
“You cannot blame him, master,” he observed. “Aeris could not have been expected to carry your staff around while he searched for you, could he?”
Simon sighed and shook his head.
“No, of course not. So where did you put it?” he asked Aeris.
“In some bushes along the bank of the river. I made sure that it was well camouflaged.”
The wizard stood up and moved to the center of the room.
“Okay. Well, I'd say it's time to bring it home.”
He held out both hands, palms up.
“Mortis de Draconis, come to me,” he intoned firmly.
The air shimmered above his hands and the staff dropped out of nothingness on to his palms.
Simon grunted at its weight and smiled in relief at the same time.
“There you are,” he said to it.
He set it down on end and examined its length.
“None the worse for wear, I see. Excellent.”
The staff flashed briefly. It might have been a reflection from the fireplace or the candlelight, but Simon chose to think otherwise. He leaned the weapon against the wall in its usual spot, patted it once and returned to his seat.
“That's better,” he said as he picked up his cup. “Thanks for putting it some place safe, Aeris.”
“You're welcome. I'm just glad that some passing animal didn't decide to chew on it.”
“I doubt that that would have gone well, for the animal. Okay, so now that we're all here and I'm almost feeling like my old self, plus some new scars, what exactly has happened while I was 'away', Aeris?”
The elementals exchanged looks and Kronk gestured for the air elemental to proceed.
Aeris glared back at him sourly, but took a deep breath and began to speak.
“We had a visitor while you were missing,” he told Simon.
The wizard looked startled.
“A visitor? Here? Who was it?”
“We weren't quite sure, at first. Come to think of it, we aren't sure of their identity now either, are we Kronk?”
“That is a good point. It cannot be who we thought it was, can it? Hmm, I wonder...”
“Guys? You're losing me.”
Aeris caught himself and shook his head.
“Sorry. The whole thing is just so strange. Anyway, a day before I went searching for you in the Grand Canyon, someone showed up at the front gate.”
He proceeded to tell the wizard the entire story. Simon nodded occasionally but remained silent until the elemental had finished.
“And even Liliana isn't really sure what sort of creature was locked inside of that stone,” Aeris said as he wrapped up the tale. “So we are back to square one, not knowing who or what tried to leave you that cursed talisman.”
Simon stood up and walked over to the sink to pump water into the kettle. He hung it over the fire and leaned against the side of the fireplace, thinking about what he had just heard.
“Whoever she was,” he mused as he stared into the dancing flames, “or whatever, if she was powerful enough to project an illusion through the wards around this tower, then I'm very worried. Was this being a human Changling? A godling like Lacertus? Or something entirely new? That is what we need to know first.”
“Why, master?”
“Because knowing your enemy is the first step to defeating them, Kronk,” Simon told the earthen. “You can't assess an enemy's weaknesses without know who they are. And as of right now, we are completely in the dark.”
“So what is our next step?” Aeris asked as the wizard carried the boiling kettle back to the counter.
“I'm not sure. I'm intrigued by this Ellas person that Elaine told me about; the sprite. Her powers might help us track down our mysterious new enemy.”
Simon rinsed out his cup and made some tea. His supply of coffee wasn't infinite and Kronk could always grow more chamomile.
The wizard moved over to his comfy chair in front of the fire and sat down with quiet delight. This is what he always missed the most when he was away from home; sitting in front of the fireplace with his friends on either side of him, chatting about whatever was on their minds.
Kronk hopped down from the table and up onto the right arm of the chair, while Aeris flew over to float on Simon's left.
“How could the sprite actually help us?” the air elemental wondered. “She needs a physical object to 'read' with her powers.”
Simon sipped his tea and watched the flames dance. It was both comforting and oddly hypnotic.
“Well, maybe she can't. But I'm hoping that whatever residue was left when that cursed stone exploded hasn't been washed away by some diligent member of the castle staff. Oh, speaking of which, I'd better call Tamara and mention that to her. Is it past midnight over in England yet?”
Aeris shook his head.
“Not yet, but it must be close. You need your mirror, don't you?”
“Yes please.”
“Hang on, I'll get it.”
He shot off toward the stairs and Simon looked down at Kronk.
“What do you think?” he asked simply.
“About what, master?”
“All of this, everything that's happened. You are a quiet observer, my friend. I've learned that much. Well, now it's time to put those observational skills to work and give me your opinion on where we stand in the world right now.”
“That is a big question, master,” Kronk replied.
He sat down on the edge of the chair arm, his stubbly little legs dangling.
“And I do not know if I have come to any conclusions yet. No, I must correct myself. There is something that I absolutely do know.”
“Which is?”
“That Argentium must be found before those dragon eggs hatch, and that the queen must be stopped, once and for all. She will be an eternal threat to mankind if she is left unchecked. And her madness makes her too unpredictable to guard against. The fight must be taken to her.”
“That's a tall order.”
“Yes master, it is. And old stories of her make a confrontation seem even more dangerous than a battle with one of her primal children.”
Simon put down his cup and stared at the little guy.
“More dangerous? How so?”
“She is reputedly almost impervious to magic, master. She can use the power in unknown ways, but it cannot be used against her to any great degree. Even spells that do harm to her are muted, made much less powerful by her magical strength. Perhaps it is related to her inability to fly, but the queen is reputedly almost as powerful as a godling like Lacertus.”
“Great,” the wizard said as he rubbed his tired eyes. “Wonderful. So that means that she has been attacked in the past?”
Kronk nodded.
“Oh yes, master, she had indeed. Many times, or so the oldest tales say. Great wizards, mighty paladins, even elves out of legend met her in battle. There were many songs sung by the bards of such conflicts. Sadly, none of the heroes ever returned from those meetings.”
/>
Aeris flew back down the stairs carrying Simon's silver hand mirror. He gave it to the wizard and looked at both Simon and Kronk.
“Who died?” he asked. “You look like you've just had some bad news.”
“That's one way to put it. Kronk was just telling me about the legendary battles that were waged against the dragon queen, back in ancient times.”
“Ah yes, the old tales. There were a lot of them once.”
The air elemental moved back to float to Simon's left.
“The thing is that no one really took them seriously,” he said thoughtfully.
“Why not?”
“Because, my dear wizard, the queen was more of a myth, even back then, than a reality. Remember that she existed long before mankind did. And she was sent deep into the Earth to sleep by the dark gods. We don't even know when that happened. Were there really ever battles between the queen and men? Or did the singers simply make such stories up out of whole cloth? Who can say?”
Simon picked up his cup and drank the last of his tea.
“So the tales about her being immune to magic might not be true?”
Aeris frowned at Kronk.
“You told him that? Kronk, those are just stories. I thought you only dealt in facts.”
The little guy shrugged.
“It is always better to overestimate your foes than to take them for granted, you know.”
“Pfft, where did you hear that drivel?” Aeris scoffed.
Kronk pointed at Simon.
“From our master. Before his battles against the primals began.”
“Oh,” Aeris exclaimed. “Um, well then, that seems like sound advice, I suppose.”
Simon burst out laughing.
“He got you,” he said with a grin at the air elemental's expression. “I don't remember saying that, exactly, but it is good advice. Finding out that your opponent is more powerful than you'd planned for once you enter into battle is a recipe for failure. I knew that back in the old days before my Change and it still holds true today.”
He held up the mirror and stared into it.
“Let's talk about this later. Right now I want to speak to Tamara. Hopefully I won't be waking her up. She gets a bit testy when she's overtired.”
Chapter 25
Tamara wasn't sleeping. In fact, she was fully dressed and walking the high walls of the castle when Simon reached her.
He looked in the mirror at her in surprise, watching her robe whip around her body in the brisk wind. He could barely see the woman's face in the darkness; all he could make out was a pale blur.
“Tamara? Are you okay?”
The mage stopped at the sound of his voice and, as Simon watched, she made a gesture and muttered a few words.
A magical light globe appeared above her outstretched hand and rose to float serenely over her head, untouched by the winds.
“Simon, hi there,” Tamara said, her face suddenly appearing out of the darkness. “How are you?”
She looks exhausted, was the wizard's first concerned thought. The burden of leadership, I suppose.
“You can see my image? Good. And I'm fine, thanks. How are you? I was afraid that I'd be waking you up at this time of night.”
The mage shook her head and turned to lean on the parapet that ran along the outside edge of the wall. It rose to her waist and she looked out into the darkness as she spoke.
“I don't sleep very well these days,” she admitted. “Somehow I've ended up being responsible for the well-being of several hundred people and it weighs on me sometimes.”
She frowned at a thought and then shook her head.
“Imagine that. Me, the least sociable person that you could ever meet. You know, back in the old days I had very few friends because I was always considered to be cold or distant or, occasionally, a bitch.” She shrugged. “Not that it bothered me. Sebastian was always there, almost like the embodiment of everything that I wasn't. Warm, loving, popular.”
Simon watched her silently, wondering where this sudden revelation was coming from. Tamara was always so closed off and guarded that this side of her was something he'd never seen before.
“You know, it would have been easy for me, his older sister, to have resented him,” she continued as she stared off into the night. “Or even hated him, as horrible as that sounds. He was our parents' favorite; he always had load of friends. All of that. But he has always been so supportive to me. And always unaffected by his own popularity. Isn't that odd? I honestly believe that Sebastian still, to this day, does not know the effect he has on others. Have you noticed how he can light up a room just by walking into it?”
“I have,” Simon replied with a smile. “It's a gift that has always amazed me. I was never popular back in the day either, you know.”
Tamara turned around and leaned back against the parapet.
“Really? You? But Simon, you are the kindest, most generous person I know; next to my brother, of course. And, don't get the wrong idea when I say this, but you aren't exactly hard on the eyes either.”
The wizard looked away from the mirror, feeling uncomfortable at the compliment, only to be met by the amused gaze of Aeris.
“You really are as cute as a button,” the elemental whispered with a snicker.
Kronk glared at him while Simon rolled his eyes and mouthed 'shut up' before looking back at Tamara.
“I may be better looking than I once was,” he admitted to her, “but after spending most of my sixty plus years as a very large, bald and, at best, plain-looking man, my appearance today is irrelevant to me. I am happy to have hair again though.”
The mage laughed, her somber mood obviously improved.
“Good to hear. What is it about the midnight hour that encourages soulful confessions, I wonder? Anyway, enough of that. What can I do for you, my friend?”
Simon explained his idea about having Ellas try to 'read' the remains of the cursed stone. Tamara stood up alertly and her eyes went wide.
“Why the hell didn't I think of that? Simon, that's brilliant. Follow me; I'm going to see if that sooty spot is still there.”
“I'm with you,” he replied.
She hurried off and the wizard watched as she trotted past several surprised-looking guards who were on patrol and made her way down the stairs off of the wall.
Her trip through the echoing, maze-like corridors of the castle didn't take long and, when she entered the main hall a few minutes later, it was to find it empty. A fire still flickered in the hearth, although it was burning low, and Tamara sent her mage light ahead to illuminate the floor between the fireplace and the conference table.
“It was here somewhere,” she muttered as she scanned the wooden floor. “But where? Surely if someone had washed it, the char mark would still be visible, wouldn't it?”
“I would assume so,” Simon agreed.
She dropped down to her hands and knees and the mage light obligingly descended to float a few inches off of the ground.
“Aha! There you are,” she exclaimed after a few minutes of searching. “Simon? Can you see it?”
He peered into the mirror, Aeris looking over his shoulder, and spotted the smudge. It was black but no larger than a quarter; easy to miss on the dark brown wood of the floor.
“I see it. Has it been cleaned?”
“No, it hasn't.”
Tamara's nose was almost touching the mark and Simon suppressed a giggle at the mage's rather undignified position.
“I can still see some grains of sooty material on top of the spot. Excellent.”
She pushed herself up and the globe of light followed suit.
“Okay, I'm going to go and fetch Chao. Hopefully I won't wake him. Are you up for a trip back here? If not, don't worry about it; you can watch from there.”
“Oh no, I want to see this in person. I've never seen a sprite before; they sound amazing. I'll get changed and be there in twenty minutes.”
“Excellent. See you then, “ the
mage said with a smile.
Simon canceled his spell and stood up.
“I'd better get out of this old thing,” he told Aeris and Kronk as he looked down at the robe he was wearing. “It's comfy but not exactly dignified.”
He walked over to the stairs and the air elemental picked up his cup and took it to the sink.
“Now he's worried about his dignity?” he muttered to Kronk.
Simon appeared in the main hall of Nottinghill Castle at almost the same time as the Zhang brothers. He had decided to bring Kronk along and left a disappointed Aeris behind to watch over the tower. Naturally the air elemental had complained bitterly.
Chao and Lei were just entering the hall from a small side door when the wizard materialized and both froze in place and stared at him, wide-eyed.
“Gentlemen,” Simon said with a smile.
He walked over to them and extended a hand.
“We finally get to meet,” he continued. “I'm sorry but I should have said hello before I left the other day. I'm Simon O'Toole.
Instead of taking his hand, both of the men bowed formally and held the bow until Simon awkwardly copied them.
Chao then straightened up first and shook his hand warmly.
“It is a tremendous honor, sir wizard,” he said in his soft voice. “We owe you so much and have wanted to thank you in person for finding us in Beijing.”
“My brother speaks for me as well,” Lei said as he in turn shook the wizard's hand. “We actually began to think that we were the last two people left on Earth, if you can believe it.”
Simon smiled and gestured toward the conference table.
“Let's grab a seat. And yes, I can totally believe that. I felt the same way back in the early days after the Night of Burning.”
The three of them sat down and Simon shook his head at the old memory.
“In fact, Kronk can tell you how worried I was on a daily basis that the black dragon who had been the first monster to attack my home city would swoop down on my tower and destroy me.”
The earthen had hopped up on to the table and stood next to the wizard. Now he nodded in confirmation.
The Queen of Dragons (Tales from the New Earth Book 8) Page 32
