“Yeah, well, I hope to stay that way. But who knows? Now, how do I get back to the main hall? This damned place is so confusing to navigate.”
Aeris flew over to the door and opened it.
“Have no fear,” he said with an elaborate bow. “You are in the presence of one of the greatest scouts this world has ever seen. I shall guide you to your destination. And then come back to return that cart to the kitchen.”
“Thanks Aeris. Are you sure that you can fit that inflated head of yours through the doorway?”
Both of them laughed and started off to meet the others.
“You know, I think that Kronk and the other earthen might have been a little too generous with this place,” Simon said as they walked through the halls of the castle. “I mean, look at it. How many people could live here? Hundreds? Thousands? Even if every human left on Earth moved in, they'd rattle around like raisins in a packing crate. It's gargantuan.”
Aeris looked up at the soaring ceiling, lined with high windows, and nodded absently.
“I suppose they built it with the future in mind,” he observed. “If humanity survives, it will be many years before your people's numbers are sufficiently increased to begin building towns and villages, don't you think? In the meantime, Nottinghill is as secure a home as it was possible for the earthen to construct.”
“Yeah, I guess. Still a monster of a building though.”
They reached the main hall a few minutes later and were greeted by the entire assembly of the castle's leaders.
Tamara and Sebastian were there, as usual, but so were the other siblings; Lei and Chao, and Sylvie and Veronique.
Malcolm and Aiden sat at the far end of the conference table next to Liliana and waved cheerfully as Simon walked in. They were apparently energized by the thought of the upcoming battle.
Warriors, the wizard thought. They're all the same. Even Liliana looks eager. Typical.
Simon took the first empty chair, which put him between Sebastian and Sylvie and he was immediately offered tea.
“Thanks everyone. I'm sorry that I'm bringing more problems with me,” he told the group. “Just once I'd like to visit without chaos nipping at my heels.”
“But what would be the fun in that?” Malcolm wondered.
Aiden rolled his eyes but stayed silent. Clearly he'd given up trying to change the big man's ways.
“Tamara, is there a hand mirror that I could borrow?” Simon asked the mage. “I need to contact the earthen that I sent to locate the queen. If we can't track her movements then she could appear anywhere at any time. And that could be very bad.”
The mage nodded and glanced at her brother, who grinned at the unspoken request.
“I'll get one,” Sebastian offered cheerfully and trotted out of the room.
“What would you do without him?” Veronique teased Tamara.
“I couldn't even imagine it,” she replied with great fondness. “But don't tell him that.”
Several people laughed.
“I'd guess that he already knows,” Simon told her. “So, what have you all been planning?”
“Planning?”
Tamara sobered quickly and the others became quiet and grim-faced.
“How can we 'plan' anything until we know where that crazy dragon is? I still can't believe that her children turned on her. Are you sure that they will attack her?”
Simon sipped some tea and enjoyed its soothing warmth for a moment.
“Attack her? Not in the sense that I think you mean. I believe,” he said, stressing the word, “that they will attempt to neutralize the queen before actually inflicting harm on her. But who can say? If you had heard them speak to her and their apparent complete lack of emotion when doing so, I'm guessing that you would be as unsure as I am.”
Chao leaned forward.
“Do you have an opinion on why that is so? Surely being raised by their father, a dragon who follows the path of Law, would give them a perceptible moral compass. Would it not?”
“I saw no evidence of that,” Simon told him. “But I think the key to their odd behavior; well, odd by our standards; is something that Argentium said to the queen. He said that keeping the young dragons insulated in the Void allowed them to grow up without being influenced by the lords of Chaos. But that could also mean that the gods of Light would not have affected them either. Remember, we don't actually know how much time passed in that place; Argentium said that time there ran quite a bit faster than our own, so they could be many years old. Time enough to develop their own feelings and beliefs. Perhaps they are simply unemotional? I really can't say.”
“Well, I don't claim to understand dragons and their motivations,” Malcolm said heavily. “But what I do know is that the dragon queen is evil and more powerful than anything that we've ever faced, including the primals that Simon defeated.”
“Helped defeat,” the wizard corrected him hastily.
“Whatever. The point is, she has to be stopped. And I don't care if that means ripping her head off or singing her a lullaby. She has got to be stopped before she does horrendous damage to this world and to us. So let's get on with it.”
“And where do you suggest we start looking?” Aiden asked him sarcastically. “I can check my pockets but I'm pretty sure that I'm fresh out of dragons.”
“Always the smart-ass,” the big man growled.
Simon jumped in to prevent tempers from flaring any further.
“I have an earthen on her trail, as you know, and as soon as Sebastian gets back with that mirror...”
“Ta-da!” the young mage said as he returned to the hall.
He hurried over to Simon and offered him the hand mirror.
“Thanks, Bastian. Now let's hope that I can get in touch of my elemental friend before he returns to the tower. If he finds me gone, he might just decide to do something rather direct.”
“Like what? Burst through the floor of the hall looking for you?” Tamara asked with a smile.
“Something like that. Kassus is a very linear thinker. Just give him a direction and watch him go. But I don't believe that patience is one of his strong suits.”
Lei cocked his head to one side and frowned. When his brother asked what the problem was, he held up a hand.
“Oh dear. I think you may be right,” the paladin said to Simon. “Unless we know someone else who weighs half a ton, I do believe that your earthen friend has decided to pay us a visit.”
The room went deathly silent as everyone tried to hear what the man had already detected.
“Damn,” Simon said under his breath.
The steady boom of heavy feet could be heard approaching the hall, and the wizard looked over at Lei in amazement.
“How the heck did you hear that before the rest of us?”
“He has the ears of a fox,” Chao told them, nodding at his brother. “That did not change when our bodies did. He's always been aware of subtle noises that those of us around him couldn't hear.”
“It's a freakish gift,” Lei said disparagingly. “Like being double-jointed or some other 'talent'. Doesn't matter. What does matter is that someone had better open that door before he gets here.”
Chapter 31
Simon leaped to his feet and rushed across the room to tear open the main door just as Kassus was raising his huge fist to pound on it.
“Whoa there!” the wizard cried out. “Don't break the place, it's still under warranty.”
He heard Malcolm laugh loudly behind him while the earthen just looked puzzled.
“I do not understand the reference, sir wizard, but I did not intend to break anything. I was going to knock first. By the way, why are you here?”
“Um, what? I thought you came here looking for me.”
Simon moved back to allow Kassus to enter and watched as the earthen stomped across the hall to stand in front of the fireplace.
“No, sir wizard, I did not. After speaking with the leaders of this castle, I was going to return
to the tower to make my report.”
Tamara and Simon looked at each other, mystified. He sat down again and stared at the elemental.
“Okay. Well, since I'm here anyway, you can just go ahead and kill two birds with one stone,” he told Kassus.
The earthen shook his blocky head.
“Again, I do not understand what that means. Why would I want to kill any birds at all? I like nature and birds are innocent creatures.”
“No, I didn't mean... You know what? It doesn't matter. Just go ahead with your report.”
“As you say, sir wizard. Now, ladies and gentlemen, I have been on the trail of the dragon queen for some time. But while my kind can move rapidly under the earth, that creature does not travel in a straight line. Perhaps it is her serpentine nature, but her path zigs and zags and twists and turns in all directions and it has been difficult to keep up. However, once I was sure of her route, I decided to break off pursuit to report to you, the leaders of this place.”
“Why report to us?” Tamara asked him.
“Because, lady mage, the dragon queen's path is leading her here.”
The entire group froze for an instant and then Liliana stood up so quickly that her chair flew back and fell over with a crash.
“Here? That monster is headed for this castle?”
Kassus looked at her and nodded once.
“Yes, lady, she is. I am sure of it.”
“Damn it,” Tamara exclaimed as everyone stood up at once. “When do you expect her to arrive?”
“Now,” the elemental replied simply.
Malcolm and Aiden didn't wait for instructions. They raced out of the room and Simon guessed that they were going for their weapons. As usual, Liliana was the only one wearing her armor and sword.
Lei was only a few seconds behind the warriors, while Chao waited for the other magic-users.
“Okay people,” Tamara said to everyone. “We've already discussed our roles in the upcoming battle. Make sure that you stay scattered along the walls; don't bunch up. We can't allow that monster to take us all out with one blow.”
Liliana gave Simon a piercing look and a quick smile as she trotted out of the hall, leaving only the spell-casters and the elemental behind.
“Sylvie, Veronique; you know each other's strengths. Stay together and use that knowledge to support each other.”
“We shall,” Veronique assured her. “Come along, Sylvie, and let us deal with this 'queen'.”
The sisters walked confidently out of the hall, speaking quietly in French as they went.
“Bastian, check on Barnaby and the others, would you? I can't remember which one is on duty this morning, but we need all mages up and on the wall right now.”
“I'll see to it. Meet you all outside.”
He winked at Simon and slipped out through a side door.
“Chao, are you going to summon your allies in here or up on the wall?” Tamara asked the conjurer.
He looked around at the now empty hall speculatively.
“I think that here would be the better choice,” he said in his calm, low voice. “I work best without a lot of distractions.”
“Okay then. We'll leave you to it. Simon?”
The wizard was watching her in admiration. It was during times of crisis that Tamara's leadership skills came through and his respect for her calm and ordered way of dealing with the situation at hand was immense.
“Yes?”
“Go ahead and do whatever it is you intend to do. I'm heading out to the wall. Join me when you can.”
“Certainly. I won't be long. Aeris, would you go with Tamara, please? Your vision is better than anyone's in the castle and we might need that before the day is out.”
“I would be honored,” the air elemental replied.
He bowed respectfully to Tamara.
“If you would take the lead, lady mage?”
She swept them all with one last glance and hurried out of the hall, her robes swirling around her as she went.
“Kassus? Would you like to stay for the fight?”
The earthen rumbled with subdued laughter.
“Sir wizard, you could not tear me away. I shall also go out and observe. I am yours to command when you have need of me.”
“Thank you. I'll be along shortly.”
The elemental stomped past Simon and Chao and out of the main door.
“Intimidating, isn't he?” the conjurer said as he watched Kassus leave the room.
“Definitely. Anyway, before I head outside, I just wanted to ask if there was anything you needed. I'm not quite sure how your powers work. Do you need any materials or ingredients? Books? Anything at all?”
“Ah, you are too kind.”
Chao slipped the metal fan out of his sash and opened it with a flourish.
“But no, thank you. My fan is all that I use for my spells. Unlike mages, and you, I suspect, my summoning requires more time and ritual to complete successfully. That is why I prefer the quiet atmosphere of this room to performing the ritual out on the walls.”
“Hmm, interesting. Well then, I'll leave you to it. What sort of assistance are you hoping to summon?”
The smaller man gave Simon a teasing grin.
“Let's let it be a surprise, shall we? There is always a chance that the spell will fail and that I will have to seek aid elsewhere. If that happens, I would not want to disappoint you with a premature announcement.”
The wizard laughed.
“Have it your way, my friend. I'll see you outside.”
He sobered for a moment and offered his hand to Chao, who shook it warmly.
“Keep your head down out there,” Simon warned him. “I want everyone to survive this, and that includes you.”
“You honor me, my friend. But do not worry; I am much tougher than I look. I will be fine. And take your own advice, sir wizard. Our race will need you beyond today.”
“I'll try.”
With a final wave, Simon left the room. He slipped his arm through the strap on his staff and hung it over his shoulder as he hurried down the main hallway.
Let's hope I don't get lost in this damned maze trying to find the exit, he thought as he went. That would be embarrassing.
When he reached the top of the wall that enclosed the castle grounds, Simon stopped for a moment to catch his breath and assess the situation.
He was standing on the sea side of the castle but a thick morning fog obscured the distant shore. He could hear the faint crash of the surf and smell a slight saltiness on the wind, but the ocean was invisible.
There were several sentries pacing along the wall and they nodded respectfully as they passed by. The breeze wasn't very strong and the fog showed no signs of lifting any time soon.
Great, Simon thought as he turned in a slow circle. An entire legion of dragons could be creeping up on us and we'd never even know it.
He could just see the hulking outline of Kassus standing atop the southern wall and he began walking in that direction, assuming that Tamara and the others would be nearby.
He was right. Simon ran into Sylvie and Veronique looking over the battlements on the southeastern corner of the wall. He had no idea what they were trying to see; a dozen feet from the edge of the wall was a blanket of thick fog.
“It is like trying to see through a sheet of, what is it called? Wool?” Sylvie said when she saw Simon approaching.
“Thick as pea soup is the expression, I believe,” he answered with a smile. “Appropriate description in this case.”
“Pea soup?”
Her sister made a sour face.
“I could never stand pea soup,” Veronique continued. “I prefer to think of it as a very large and fluffy cloud. It sounds so much nicer, no?”
The wizard had to laugh, even though the situation was grave.
“I suppose so. Let's just hope your fluffy cloud isn't hiding a less than fluffy dragon.”
“So far we have heard nothing,” Sylvie told him
. “And you know how far sound travels in the fog. If the queen is heading towards us, I do not believe that she has arrived yet.”
“Stay vigilant, just in case,” Simon said soberly and gave them a little wave as he continued on his way.
Tamara and her brother were stationed at the exact center of the wall, staring at the fog bank just as the sisters had been doing. Kassus stood behind them, so still that he appeared to be a roughly hewn statue, while Aeris bobbed along in the light breeze to Tamara's left.
When Simon walked up to them, the earthen turned his head slowly to catch the wizard's gaze with his own.
“She is not here yet, sir wizard,” he rumbled. “I do not know what is holding her up, but she has not made it this far.”
“So I see.”
Simon looked out at the fog and grimaced.
“Or more accurately, so I don't see. But I can't hear anything, and I doubt that she would wait to attack once she arrived, so I guess that means we have a little more time to worry.”
Sebastian chuckled at his droll comment.
“What? You worry? A great and powerful wizard such as yourself?” the mage teased.
“Oh boy. When my friends start quoting Aeris, I know that things are going badly.”
“Hey! What did I do?” the air elemental protested.
“I don't have time to make a list right now.”
Simon looked down along the perimeter, but tendrils of fog made it hard to make out details.
“So where is everyone else placed?” he asked Tamara.
The mage was rolling her wand between her palms absently as she stared at the endless sea of mist. She gestured toward the southwest corner.
“Barnaby and Phoenix are at that corner there. Lei and Liliana, along with Malcolm, Aiden and the bulk of our troops, are waiting inside the main gate. All of the guards that you see up here are our best archers. It wouldn't be every effective to have the fighters watching from up here, although what warriors can do against a hundred foot killing machine is beyond me. Malcolm and the others insisted though, so I've left them to their own devices. If they wish to attack, then let it be their own choice.”
Simon nodded thoughtfully.
The Queen of Dragons (Tales from the New Earth Book 8) Page 40
