He snorted as he stroked Mortis de Draconis absently.
“Not a big god, mind you. But a god is a god. Who the hell would even want to expose themselves to that kind of insane danger again? I mean besides me. And you, of course.”
He gave the staff a final pat, pushed himself to his feet and picked it up.
“Well, at least I still have you,” he said to it. “And a big point in your favor is that you don't argue. Aeris never seemed able to break that habit.”
“I've always told you that he insulted me behind my back. See? You've never believed me.”
“That wasn't an insult. It's true. You have a bad habit of bickering and it gets annoying after a while.”
“I do not!”
Simon spun around, looking for the source of the voices behind him.
Kronk was standing beside the open trap door to the roof. Next to him, floating a few inches off of the ground, was the semi-translucent figure of Aeris. Both of them were grinning at him.
“You, you...”
“You're stuttering, oh great and powerful wizard,” Aeris told him with a shake of his head. “Sign of possible mental issues, you know. You'll have to watch that.”
“Be quiet, Aeris,” Kronk growled, his bass voice at odds with his small stature. “Master is the most stable human that I have ever known. We surprised him, that is all.”
Simon sat down again with a thunk. His staff rolled out of his hand as he stared at the elementals.
“You came back,” he finally managed to say in a strained voice. “You really came back.”
Kronk pattered across the roof until he was standing to Simon's right. He smiled warmly at him, his dark, rocky face glowing with delight.
“Of course we came back, master. How could we not? I swore to follow you when you first set me free and made me a friend, not a slave. And we earthen never break a vow.”
“And we airy ones, as Kronk likes to call us, keep our word as well,” Aeris added as he floated over to hover next to Kronk. “Besides, as I've told you many times, my dear wizard, the air realm becomes extremely boring and tedious over time.”
Simon spent a silent moment just enjoying his friends' presence. He'd been sure that they wouldn't come back; that they were sick of him and of their turbulent lives here on Earth.
“But here you are,” he said out loud.
“Um, yes. Here we are.”
Aeris peered at him quizzically.
“Are you certain that you are all right? You seem a trifle...disjointed.”
Simon reached down and patted Kronk's shoulder silently. The little guy's smile widened even further and his fiery red eyes gleamed.
“Disjointed?” the wizard replied as he pushed himself to his feet again. “Yeah, you could say that. It's been a bit of a crazy time, the last day or so.”
Kronk easily picked up the staff and handed it up to him. His strength was always surprising, given his size.
“Thanks, Kronk. Listen guys, I'm so grateful that you decided to come back to me.”
He looked at the descending sun.
“But we only have a couple of hours of daylight left and the tower is barely habitable. Could you give me a hand to start repairing some of the damage?”
Both of the elementals looked surprised and looked around the roof.
“How long have we been gone, master?” Kronk asked with a frown as he skittered over to the parapet and hopped up to its top. “It is hard to judge time passing in my realm.”
“Mine too,” Aeris agreed and rose up a dozen feet. He spun in a slow circle. “Looks the same from here.”
“Three years, guys,” Simon told them heavily. “It's been three years. At least that's what Ethmira told me. Like your realms, the elven world's time stream runs differently than that of Earth's. It only felt like a few months to me.”
“The front gate has been shattered!” Kronk exclaimed indignantly. “The tower courtyard is exposed! That will not do, master; not at all. How is the tower's interior?”
Simon walked over to join the earthen and looked down at the wall below them.
“Not good, my friend. The front door was destroyed, I assume in your fight with Lacertus, and Mother Nature has had a good time over the past few seasons. The main floor is a mess, my bed on the second floor is ruined with damp, and there's dirt and dust everywhere. Fortunately the doors to the storage rooms in the basement are still sealed, so a lot of what was ruined can be replaced.”
He ran a hand through his hair and leaned heavily on his staff.
“At least I have dried meat and fruit to eat, new candles and clothes, all of that. And I have a couple of rolled-up mattresses stored in plastic as well, so that's a relief. But still, the clean-up is going to take a while.”
Aeris flew down to join them and the trio spent a quiet few moments just looking around the tower.
“Three years, huh?” Aeris finally said. “Well then, we'd best get to it. My dear wizard, if you have the strength for it, may I suggest you summon back the earthen who used to inhabit the tower? Not only will they be able to begin patrolling the outer wall again, they can help us to clean up and repair the tower.”
“I'm not sure if that's a good idea,” Simon replied hesitantly. “I mean, it's going to be dirty, boring work.”
“Our favorite kind,” Kronk said firmly. “No offense, master, but Aeris is right.” He smiled at the air elemental. “For once. We must make the tower safe and snug for you again. My brethren will be happy to help, just as I am. Please summon them.”
He hopped down off of the parapet and tip-tapped to the open trap door.
“In the meantime, I shall begin working.”
He looked back with a frown.
“What are you waiting for, Aeris? You heard our master; time is passing. Let us get to work!”
He hopped through the opening and disappeared below, leaving Simon and Aeris staring after him.
“Um, is it just me or is he more assertive than he used to be?” the wizard asked.
“Perhaps. But you know Kronk; he's a mother hen. And he is devoted to you. And this time he's right.”
The elemental flew over the edge of the roof and floated there a moment.
“So do get on with it, my dear wizard. We have much to do.”
And with that, Aeris dropped out of sight.
Simon took a moment to absorb what had just happened and he found that he couldn't stop smiling.
“Well,” he said as he raised his staff. “Here we go again.”
Chapter 6
In the end, it took longer than Simon wanted, but less time than he expected, to repair and refurbish the tower.
Once he had summoned the five earthen who had previously patrolled and protected the grounds, things moved along at a steady pace.
Kronk had been right; all of his fellow elementals were thrilled to be back on Earth with something to do. Simon welcomed each one back and gratefully sent them off to get their orders from the little guy. After that, he did his best to pitch in and help where he could.
The comfy chair, couch and his mattress were taken away by several of the earthen and buried outside of the wall. Along with the furniture, all of his blankets and sheets, his clothing, towels; basically anything that could be rotted by dampness or ruined by mold had to be disposed of.
“Well, at least my shoes survived,” Simon said as he watched the elementals carry away all of the trash.
“Fortunately your dear friend Daniel thought ahead,” Aeris said as he followed the wizard down to the storerooms. “You can replace almost everything you've lost.”
“Yeah,” Simon replied as he summoned a magical globe to light up the basement. “Everything except Daniel himself.”
He sighed with regret and entered one of the storerooms.
All of the clothing, bedding and in fact anything that was susceptible to rot was tightly wrapped in plastic. So were the two replacement mattresses that were rolled up and lying in a far cor
ner.
“Now you can change out of that...outfit,” Aeris told him with obvious disapproval as he looked at the leather clothing that Simon was wearing.
“Hey now, there was no point in wearing a robe in the elven realm when I had no magic to draw on,” the wizard said as he poked through the large cabinets full of clothes.
“Besides, these leather outfits are both comfortable and protective. Although I have to admit, mine have seen better days.”
Simon looked down at himself for the first time since he had arrived home and laughed in surprise.
The pants were cut and slashed in several spots and the tunic was torn as well. The leather itself was filthy and it dawned on the wizard that he was as well.
“Hmm, maybe I should head out to the lake and wash up before the sun goes down,” he muttered.
“An excellent idea,” Aeris said primly. “Dig up some soap and a towel and take your new clothes with you. I think you will feel much more like yourself when you're clean and dressed like a proper wizard again.”
Simon glanced at the elemental and Aeris winked at him. Both of them laughed.
“You have a point. Okay, let me find a robe and some underwear. Hmm, socks as well. These boots that the elves gave me should be fine for now; I'll just have to clean them later.”
He found everything he needed and headed back upstairs. Aeris told him that he would move one of the mattresses up to the second floor and Simon didn't question him; he had learned long ago just how strong the elementals were and had no doubt that Aeris could easily handle the load.
On the main floor, Kronk was directing his cohorts as they scrubbed the floors and walls. He himself was in the fireplace, sweeping out the old ashes and a bunch of leaves. He waved cheerfully as the wizard headed for the door and went outside.
They do love to keep busy, Simon thought. Lucky for me.
The sun was going down but hadn't set yet when he reached the small lake behind the tower. The water looked as fresh and clean as ever, little minnows darting about in the shallows, and Simon got undressed quickly. Once it got dark, the air would cool down in a hurry and he wanted to be done before that happened.
The water wasn't hot but it wasn't cold either.
Just right, as Goldilocks would have said, Simon thought and he grinned as he slipped into the lake.
He dove underwater to get thoroughly soaked and then stood knee deep as he soaped himself down. His cuts and scrapes burned as he washed them, but it would limit the chance of infection and pain wasn't something that Simon paid much attention to anymore.
When he was sufficiently lathered up, he waded in again, ducked under the water and rinsed himself off. Then he swam across the lake and back and got out. He was too tired to do more. It had been a long and crazy day and between the escape from the elven realm and the use of magic for the first time in months, he was surprised that he could still function in a reasonable manner.
But now as he dried off carefully, he could feel waves of exhaustion starting to wash over him. He pushed them back with some effort.
Not yet, he told himself. Soon, but not yet.
The clean clothing felt wonderful and the robe, received in a trade with Nottinghill Castle not long before he had escaped Lacertus, was soft and warm and just felt right against his skin.
He ran his hands across the dark blue cloth and smiled contentedly.
“I think I'm me again,” he said quietly. “I'm me and I'm home. What more could anyone want?”
When he entered the tower again, Simon was surprised to find only Aeris there, puttering at the kitchen counter. He could hear the small army of earthen over his head, banging around as they continued their cleanup and repair work.
The main room looked almost new again. Granted, the comfy chair and couch were gone, but the kitchen table and its six wooden chairs were cleaned up, as was everything else. The table top gleamed as if freshly polished and there was a fire cheerfully burning in the fireplace.
Candles were set up and lit on the mantle and on the table; a welcome sight as the evening descended outside. Simon closed the newly replaced front door behind him and then stopped to run a hand over it.
Perfectly made, as everything built by earth elementals was. The wood was dark and heavy and had been smoothed out.
“Kronk wanted me to tell you that they would be sealing the wood tomorrow,” Aeris said from across the room. “Also that they would add iron strapping and proper locks. They wanted to make the tower livable for you tonight and fine-tune everything later.”
“Amazing, as always,” Simon said.
He slipped off his boots and put them in the cabinet near the door. Then he slowly walked across the room and sat down at the table with a tired grunt.
“Long day for you,” Aeris said from the counter.
He was cleaning something in the sink that Simon couldn't quite see and the wizard just sat back and closed his eyes for a moment.
“You could say that, yes. I think at this point I'm running on adrenaline. Once I burn that out, I'm going to collapse.”
The air elemental chuckled and Simon heard him using the pump beside the sink.
“Well then, perhaps a cup of tea is in order. It might keep you going for a few extra minutes.”
“What?”
The wizard opened his eyes and sat up in time to see Aeris pick up his old kettle and float across to the fireplace to hang it over the flames.
“You cleaned it up!”
“Of course I did,” Aeris said and rolled his eyes. “You don't think I'd forget one of your favorite things, do you? And the tea box was closed tightly enough that nothing got in to ruin it. It may not be as strong as you'd like, but it will do until you can get some fresh.”
“Aeris, you are a life-saver,” Simon said sincerely.
“Well, perhaps not a life-saver. But it is important to remember the little things, I believe. We'll have to send one of the earthen out in the morning to raid a wild bee hive for honey though; what you had was ruined.”
“Unsweetened tea will be just fine for now,” Simon told him.
He took a minute to look around the room.
“It's amazing how much they can do in such a short space of time,” the wizard said as he saw how clean everything was again. “I was sure that it would take days, or longer, to get everything back to normal.”
“It would have, if it had just been you and I and Kronk,” Aeris told him as he waited for the kettle to boil. “But six earthen together can do almost anything and in record time. You're lucky to have them.”
“Oh, I know that. And I've told them all that many times.”
Simon chuckled at a memory and Aeris looked at him curiously.
“Oh, it's nothing,” the wizard said. “Just that every time I compliment Kronk or any of his people, they get so flustered. It must have been a hard existence, working for the wizards back in ancient times, when a simple compliment was such a rare thing.”
Aeris picked up the boiling kettle and carried it to the counter.
“It was a nightmare, my dear wizard. An absolute nightmare. Back then, no elemental from any plane wanted to be summoned to Earth. We knew what was in store for us.”
He poured hot water into a cup, put down the kettle and carried the cup over to Simon.
“Thanks.”
The wizard watched as the elemental landed on the tabletop and sat down, his expression rather sad.
“Old memories?” Simon asked softly as he sipped his tea. “This is delicious, by the way.”
“Thank you,” Aeris said absently, his thoughts obviously on something else.
“Yes, old memories. Between the two of us, my dear wizard, I cannot express how much happier I've been in your service. And I can speak for Kronk and the other elementals who have served you as well. You treat us as people, not things, and that is partly why the earthen are so enthusiastic when you call upon them for help.”
Aeris looked up at Simon and smile
d broadly.
“And partly it is because they just love to be doing something. Busy as a beaver, wasn't that the expression?”
“Yes, that was it,” Simon answered with a laugh. “At least it was up here in Canada. Well, it's good to know that you are all happy to be back. And while we have this quiet moment,” he glanced up at the ceiling, “and the others are still busy, can you tell me what happened with Lacertus?”
Aeris stood up and then ascended to hover at Simon's eye level.
“Ah yes, that creature. I was rather wondering when you'd get around to mentioning him.”
Simon sipped more tea and sat back. His lower back was burning with fatigue and he knew that he'd have to get some sleep soon.
“Were you? To tell you the truth, when I got back and saw the front door ripped off of its hinges, I really feared the worst. That's another reason I was so happy to see you both safe and sound. So what's the story?”
Aeris bobbed up and down. He looked over at the new door and shook his head.
“I would love to tell you a gallant tale of a brave battle against that little god, but the truth is rather more mundane. Kronk and I held him back for only a few moments before he broke free of us. He flung us aside, smashed open the door and chased after you.”
He smiled ruefully as he remembered.
“We recovered and pursued him.”
“That was foolish, Aeris,” Simon chided him. “You could have been killed the second time around.”
“Heat of the moment and all that,” the elemental said with a shrug. “Didn't matter anyway. A few minutes later, I could feel myself being pulled out of this world and back to the plane of air. That meant one of two things; either you had escaped into the elven realm or you had been killed. And until today, I never knew what had truly happened. I'm pleased it was the former and not the latter.”
Simon laughed at Aeris' sly expression.
“So am I, Aeris. So am I. Also, I think my premise was correct. My journey to another plane and back again must have altered my physical makeup enough to stop Lacertus' ability to track me. If it hadn't, he'd probably be here by now.”
The Dragons of Bone and Dust (Tales from the New Earth Book 7) Page 7
