Kassus' eyes burned brighter.
“A worthy task. I shall join the fight at once. Where are they?”
“Down there,” Simon told him, pointing at the courtyard.
They could hear a steady roar of conflict coming from below and Kassus cocked his head to listen.
“Excellent.”
Instead of jumping down into the shadows below, Kassus hurried off along the wall as quickly as his great weight would allow.
Kronk watched him leave and smiled up at Simon.
“Good idea, master. Now Kassus can feel useful and stay out of the queen's clutches at the same time.”
“Exactly. She does seem eager to find him, doesn't she?”
The dragon queen was tearing up the fields furiously searching for the one who maimed her and ignoring the attacks from the elementals at the same time. It was madness of epic proportions.
“As much damage as we're doing, it isn't even slowing her down.” Simon told Kronk. “Eventually she's going to turn her attention on the castle, elementals or no elementals. If we can't finish her off before that happens, we don't stand a chance.”
“Fire!”
The king's order rang up from below and Simon looked eagerly to see the results. He was disappointed.
“Damn it, she's too far away,” he said as he watched the bolts fall short. “Wait here for me, I want to talk to Shandon.”
“Yes master. Be careful.”
“Don't worry,” he told the little guy, grinning. “He likes me.”
Simon Gated down to the front of the castle and waited for a minute while the king spoke to his soldiers. When he noticed the wizard, Shandon waved them back to their posts and walked over.
“The range on these beauties is about a hundred yards,” he said without preamble. “I assume that's what you wanted to know. That crazy dragon is almost double that distance away. Until she gets closer, we'll just be wasting our bolts if we fire at her.”
“I can get her within range,” Simon told him, “but I'm worried that she may take a sudden interest in the castle if she gets that close. Unless you can guarantee that you can bring her down, or at least cripple her before she can attack Nottinghill, I'm not sure that I want to risk it just yet.”
Shandon watched the battle for a moment and then nodded.
“Aye, you have a good point. She's tear through these walls like paper if she decides to attack. Blast it all, but we're in a right pickle here.”
“I don't suppose you could, you know, move the arbalests closer to her?” Simon asked carefully.
He wasn't a military man and these weren't his people, so he didn't want to sound like he was trying to give orders to Shandon.
The king simply shook his head.
“It's not that simple. Oh, we could move 'em, surely. But they have to be anchored into the ground before they can be fired. That takes a few minutes. Minutes during which her ladyship out there might decide to start squashing me and my warriors. I'm sorry but it's just too risky, my friend.”
“Don't apologize,” Simon told him quickly. “You're the expert, not me.”
Both of them watched the battle for a few minutes and the wizard winced as he saw another fire elemental destroyed.
“If your elemental friends keep falling at that rate, she'll be on us in no time anyway,” Shandon observed.
“I know. Damn, the fire elementals just aren't as quick and agile as the air elementals are. Well, I've lost too many as it is. I'm going to recall them and let the air elementals keep her busy.”
“Understandable.”
Simon moved off until he had some clear ground around him.
“Incendus, I need you and your people here, right now!”
The attacking fire elementals disappeared from the battle immediately and reappeared several yards away.
“Sir wizard,” Incendus said in surprise. “You called?”
“I did. You and your brethren have done yourselves proud,” Simon said as he counted only four fire elementals, including Incendus. “You've inflicted heavy damage on the queen, but you've lost over half of your companions. It's enough.”
“I...I would argue with you, but you have a point. That beast is more powerful than anything we have ever faced. How will you defeat her?”
“I'll think of something. I still have a few tricks up my sleeve,” Simon assured him. “You should all head home. Allow me to tell you how grateful I am for your aid, and how sorry I am for your losses.”
All four of the elementals morphed into a humanoid shape and bowed respectfully. Then they vanished in a flash of heat and smoke, leaving Simon alone to breathe a sigh of relief.
At least some of them survived, he told himself. But not enough. Something else to add to the list of things that weighed on his conscience.
He Gated back to the battlements and told Kronk what he had done.
“Good, master. Very good. But please remember that it was their choice to fight the queen. All of them volunteered, including Incendus. Do not let their deaths be your fault; they are not.”
“Thanks but I won't let myself off that easily.”
Simon noticed that the shouts and sounds of battle had faded within the courtyard and he felt some relief. Hopefully it meant that the defenders had triumphed over the invading drakes. It was difficult concentrating on more than one conflict at a time.
A few yards away he saw the air ripple as if heat waves were rising from the ground. A mass of shadows coalesced and Tamara and Sebastian stepped out of the Void and looked around.
They grinned at the wizard and he felt weak with relief. They looked pale and tired but they were alive.
“How did it go?” he asked them.
“We won,” Tamara said as the three of them gathered together to watch the distant queen battling the air elementals.
“We did lose three of our fighters though,” Sebastian told him. “Damn it. But the paladins were amazing. They healed others as they fought together and saved a lot of lives. And Malcolm and Aiden? Incredible. Their skill and fierceness was breath-taking. I'm surprised that those stupid drakes didn't turn tail and run when they saw those two fight. But we did win, so now we can concentrate on that monster.”
He scowled at Aurumallia.
“Chao stayed with the healers to lend them a hand. We have a lot of wounded. Hopefully they will all survive. So how are things going with you?” Tamara asked Simon.
Before he could answer, a rhythmic pounding caught his attention and he looked around quickly.
Kassus was stomping back toward them along the wall and Simon was pleased to see that the elemental looked quite pleased with himself.
“We are victorious, sir wizard,” the large earthen reported when he arrived. “The drakes are no more.”
“Thanks, Kassus. I'm happy to hear that.”
“Also, I had an idea while in combat with those wyrms. Something we might use against that beast.”
He pointed at the queen.
“We could definitely use some help right now,” Simon told him. “Tell me about it.”
Chapter 34
“This is our last push, you know,” Tamara said as she and Sebastian watched Simon send Kassus off.
The elemental had passed along his plan to the wizard and they had quickly set it in motion.
“If this doesn't work, all we have standing between the castle and the queen are the dwarves. And no offense to their battle prowess, but I don't think they'll be able to stop her.”
“It's hard to say. But there is something else protecting Nottinghill and its people from Aurumallia,” Simon told her with a grim smile.
She looked at the archers who had returned to their posts at the front of the wall and then back at the wizard.
“Besides them? What else is there?”
“There's me,” he said simply. “The queen will not reach this castle while I live. I'm not trying to sound dramatic here, but if I fall, I have a plan to take her with me. So rest a
ssured, you and your people will survive this battle, Tamara.”
She grabbed Simon's shoulder and spun him around to face her.
“Are you mad?” she asked angrily. “Do you think that we are willing to allow you to sacrifice yourself to save a building? There are other ways. We can retreat underground with the king and his people. We've done it before.”
He looked at her calmly.
“How long do you think it would take to evacuate over four hundred people? We simply don't have the time. If we had started earlier, maybe it could have been done. But it's too late now. We have to play the cards we've been dealt. And what are the other options available to us? Name them, please. Without their help,” he pointed up toward the still-circling dragons, “I don't think that we can stop the queen on our own. I am only one man, after all. Is my life worth any more than the lives of the guards who fell to the drakes?”
The siblings looked at him helplessly, neither of them answering.
“That's what I thought. Now, you two,” Simon said to Kronk and Aeris, “please stay here and help Tamara if she needs it, okay?”
“Yes, master.”
“Of course. But please don't do anything stupid, my dear wizard.”
Simon had to laugh.
“I'll try my best not to, Aeris. No promises though.”
“Where are you going?” Tamara asked him with a frown.
“I thought I'd head over there,” he nodded at the ongoing battle, “and say hello.”
“But what...”
The rest of the question was lost to Simon as he held up his staff and focused on the queen.
“Gate,” he said firmly.
The forest looked like a war zone when Simon stepped out of the Void. He had targeted a spot beyond where the dragon queen was rolling, writhing and snapping in her battle with the air elementals. He was amazed that she could remain so distracted by what was, ultimately, a rather minor enemy.
Another example of her madness, he thought.
The ground before him was littered with wood chips, branches and piles of leaves. There was a rumble beneath the debris and it burst apart as Kassus pushed his way out of the earth.
“I am here, sir wizard,” he stated.
“So I see. Okay, give me those two names again, please. Sorry but I'm a little distracted at the moment and they've slipped my mind.”
“Understandable,” the earthen conceded. “They are Galden and Forrse. Two of the strongest and most capable of my brethren.”
“Got it. Here we go.”
Simon always had the incantation for his summoning spell memorized these days. It was a staple of his magic along with Gate and Shield.
The spell tripped off of his tongue and he added the names of both earthen at the end of the chant.
Like Kassus before them, the pair of earth elementals exploded out of the ground with enough force to send dirt and debris flying in all directions. Simon turned away quickly and covered his eyes for a moment.
“Do be careful, you two,” Kassus rumbled. “Is that any way to treat a wizard? Especially one who has summoned you for the first time in eons?”
Simon shook his head to get rid of the dirt in his hair and wiped his face on his sleeve. He blinked rapidly to clear his vision and looked at the two elementals.
He was surprised to find that both of them were even larger than Kassus. Galden was coal black and smooth, the total opposite of the typical look of an earth elemental. He stood about a foot taller than Kassus, although he was almost slim next to the heavier earthen.
Forrse looked like she was made of diamond. Her body was translucent and shone blindingly in the sunlight. She had delicate features but was both taller and heavier than either of the males.
“Forgive our precipitous entrance, sir wizard,” Forrse said with a graceful bow. Her voice was light and musical.
“We are eager to do you a service.”
“That is true,” Galden agreed. “What do you wish us to do?”
“Thank you both for coming,” Simon told them. “We need your help in our fight with...her.”
He pointed at Aurumallia and the earthen turned to gaze at her.
If Simon was expecting a reaction, he was disappointed. The elementals looked the queen calmly and turned back to the wizard.
“So we surmised. Word spreads fast in the elemental realms, sir wizard. What would you have us do?”
“Kassus has had an idea, a way to either kill her or at least cripple her enough for us to keep her away from my people and their castle. I'll let him explain it to you.”
The earthen began speaking in their own tongue, a grinding, crackling language that Simon couldn't even begin to understand. He left them to it and moved away to observe the ongoing battle.
The air elementals were almost invisible against the clear blue sky. They moved so fast that they were like wraiths, mere hints of movement that tricked the eye. But open wounds and discolored spots on the queen's golden hide showed that their attacks were having an effect. And she was enraged by what must seem to her to be a swarm of gnats that she couldn't swat.
“Keep her busy,” Simon whispered fervently. “Just for a little while longer.”
The low murmur of the elementals' conversation stopped and he looked around to see the three earthen watching him.
“All set?” he asked Kassus.
“We are ready, sir wizard. We will wait until the queen has drawn closer to the castle. And then we will have to strike when the dragon is motionless, or nearly so, for this to work. And even if it does work, there is little chance that we will be able to perform the same attack twice. I doubt that she will hold still for a second assault.”
“I know, but if we're lucky, one hit will do. Okay then, it is in your hands now. Good luck to all of you.”
They nodded and disappeared into the ground, leaving three large holes behind them.
And now we wait, Simon thought. My least favorite thing.
He looked up at the moving specks that were the six dragons.
“I hope that you're enjoying the show,” he muttered bitterly. “I know that you could stop her if you wanted to. Bastards.”
He sighed and then had a rather desperate idea.
Maybe if I talked to Argentium one more time, Simon mused. I know that he has a conscience. If he knew that some of the defenders had already fallen, maybe he'd rethink his position.
It might be worth a shot. The only problem was that the wizard couldn't fly.
He looked at his staff and chuckled at a whimsical thought.
“You're a big help, Mortis,” he told it. “But just this once, I wish that you were a witch's broomstick. I could really use a lift.”
He snorted at the absurdity of the idea and slipped the staff over his shoulder.
Yeah, I could really use a lift, Simon thought as he watched the air elementals swarm around Aurumallia.
He blinked and then clapped a hand across his forehead.
“Of course,” he exclaimed. “A lift! Aethos, I need you!”
The elemental appeared at once and looked at Simon in surprise.
“Please don't tell me that you're recalling us,” he protested. “I know that Incendus lost some people, and I feel badly about that, but my brethren and I are all doing well.”
“No, no. Relax, it isn't that.”
“Ah, thank you. I know we probably won't be able to bring her down for good, but we are definitely making an impression on the queen.”
“I can see that. No, I actually wanted to ask for a favor,” Simon told him. “Feel free to say no if you find the request too...odd.”
Aethos looked intrigued.
“Odd? I doubt that anything you could ask of me would seem odd, sir wizard. But ask away and let us see.”
“Well, you see, I need to talk to that silvery dragon up there.”
And he pointed straight up without bothering to look.
“The argent dragon? Okay then. And you wanted me to fly
up and ask if he would meet with you?”
“No, I actually doubt that he will return to the ground until this battle is over, one way or the other.”
“Um, then how..?”
Aethos suddenly grinned.
“You want me to take you to him?”
Simon knew his face was getting red.
“I know, I know. It sounds a little ridiculous.”
“Ridiculous? It's perfect! A story to tell others in the years ahead; how I carried a wizard into the heavens! Excellent. But I have transported you once before, you know. Unfortunately you were unconscious for most of it.”
“I remember the prison break,” Simon assured him. “Although I had to take Aeris' word for it when he said I actually Gated the three of us to Nottinghill once we had escaped. That could have gone badly.”
“Life is full of risks. I would be happy to take you up to the dragon. Just say when.”
“Hang on a minute. Kassus! Come to me please.”
The earthen erupted out of the ground and looked at Simon expectantly.
“Yes, sir wizard? We aren't quite ready yet.”
“Change of plans, I'm afraid. I'd like you to wait until I speak with Argentium one last time.”
“You mean to elicit his aid? I do not believe that he will help you.”
“Probably not, but I have to try. Will you and the others wait?”
“Of course, if that is your will. We will remain underground until you are ready.”
“Thanks Kassus, I appreciate it.”
The earthen slipped out of sight again and Simon took a deep breath.
“Okay, let's give this a shot. I don't suppose there's any way for this to look a little dignified?”
“You don't consider being cradled in my arms dignified?” Aethos said with a broad smile.
“You are really enjoying this, aren't you?”
“You could say that. But have no fear, sir wizard. We will do this in a more 'dignified' manner, if you insist. Now stand perfectly still; this will undoubtedly feel odd at first.”
Simon clenched his fists tightly by his sides and waited for whatever Aethos was planning to do to him. He was astonished to see the elemental fade into invisibility. And then he felt a swirling wind begin to rotate around him.
The Queen of Dragons (Tales from the New Earth Book 8) Page 45
