The Dragons of Bone and Dust (Tales from the New Earth Book 7)

by J. J. Thompson

  “I do not know specifically what they are doing or planning, no. But there is activity up there and more than one human form, that much I do know. And the abominations that were once primal dragons still circle the tower's peak, waiting to attack anyone who approaches.”

  “Why aren't there more undead troops here?” Tamara asked. “We've barely raised a sweat reaching this point and I know that the leader up there commands hundreds, possibly thousands of undead creatures, including more dracoliches. This place should be swarming with the vermin, and goblins as well.”

  Argentium chuckled, surprising them.

  “You have made a few mistaken assumptions, my friends. The goblins are not in league with the necromancers. Yes, some of their spell-casters and warriors have joined with your enemies, but that was their own choice and they are now considered traitors by their people. But the goblins hate all humans, whether they serve the lords of Chaos or the Light. They are now at war with this tower and its denizens. That is the explanation for the lack of undead troops.”

  He looked around pensively at the darkness beyond the floating globes of light.

  “The undead legions are spread thinly across the world, attacking the goblin settlements like mindless swarms of ants. Whoever the leader of the necromancers is, he is no battlefield genius. He is simply using his hordes to batter at the goblin strongholds, the same way he's used them to try to defeat the dwarves. Both outcomes are the same; a futile waste of troops.”

  “He's losing?” Hallic asked hopefully.

  Argentium looked at him and smiled ruefully.

  “When you can simply resurrect your fallen troops as well as your dead foes, losing is not really a possibility. No, the only way to stop the attacks against your people, the goblins and what remains of humanity is to stop the one who dwells above us.”

  He looked upward and frowned.

  “That magic-user is powerful though; he controls the undead, gives them life of a sort, but they also feed power back to him. It is a twisted, symbiotic bond that won't be easily broken.”

  “He's still human, isn't he?” Malcolm growled. “He can still bleed, can't he?”

  “He can.”

  “Then if he can bleed, he can die. We just need to reach him.”

  “Hold on a moment,” Liliana said and stepped closer to Argentium. “What about those two undead primals up there. If we destroy the head necromancer, will they fall as well?”

  “The undead troops and the lesser animated dragons will cease to exist, yes,” he told her gravely. “But the primals have achieved a sort of semi-sentience. They are almost self-aware and retain much of their power from their previous lives. They will have to be defeated individually.”

  “Yes, I thought as much,” she said stoically. “Ah well, I enjoy a challenge.”

  “How many casters are up there?” Simon asked.

  “Six, I believe. No more than that. The two that were patrolling the outside perimeter of the tower, and their troops, have been dealt with.”

  There were scattered exclamations of surprise.

  “You destroyed the patrols?” Tamara asked him.

  “Not I. The silver dragon, Esmiralla, took up that task. It was not a problem.”

  Argentium looked at Simon as he spoke and the wizard nodded his understanding. Now wasn't the time to hold a grudge.

  I just wish she hadn't stolen my kidney though, he thought fleetingly, and then let it go.

  “Well, there's one less thing to worry about,” he said with some relief. “I was sure that there were a lot more necromancers than the handful that are here in this tower right now. I suppose their numbers were whittled down in their battles with the goblins. Good news for us. So now, the most important question is how can we reach the top of the tower and deal with the rest of them?”

  Everyone looked at each other, waiting for someone to come up with some sort of solution. To Simon, the answer was obvious, but he wasn't going to be the one to suggest it; he had a feeling that, ally or not, the argent dragon would be offended.

  Apparently Barnaby was either more eager or more ignorant, because he was the one who opened his mouth and suggested it.

  “Why don't you just fly us up?” he asked innocently.

  Argentium looked down at the mage and his expression became glacial.

  “I beg your pardon?” he said slowly.

  “I said, why don't you...ow!”

  Sebastian had elbowed him in the ribs.

  “Shut up, you idiot!” he hissed. “You're talking to a dragon, not a bloody mule.”

  Barnaby finally seemed to realize that he'd insulted Argentium and he tried to stammer an apology. The argent dragon ignored him.

  “Do you suggest that I act as transportation?” he asked Simon intently.

  The wizard felt Argentium's gaze on him like twin lasers and swallowed once before he spoke.

  “I wouldn't suggest it, no. But unless we can come up with a way to bring down the enemy's warding, I can't think of another way to reach the top of the tower. Can you?”

  The dragon glowered at him for a moment.

  “You have answered your own question, wizard. It won't matter if I carry you to the pinnacle. If you cannot bring down those wards, you won't be able to reach the necromancer physically. His warding blocks your magic and it blocks you; surely you know this? The wards you have placed upon your own tower do the same, do they not?”

  “But it wasn't like that before,” Simon protested. “Aeris was able to scout out the necromancer's actions back when he had a base in the city of Ottawa. Yes, his wards blocked my Magic Mirror spell, but they didn't block anyone physically.”

  “He has grown since then,” Argentium told him. “His power is stronger now and his wards match your own. They must be brought down and there is only one way to do so.”

  “Which is what?”

  Everyone appeared to be holding their breath as they waited for the argent dragon to answer.

  Argentium in turn seemed reluctant to reply. He walked away from the group, glinting and flashing in the light as he moved. A dozen yards away he stopped and bowed his head.

  “He seems conflicted about something,” Aeris said to Simon in a hushed voice. “I wonder why.”

  “So do I. One thing I do know though; we can't coerce him. If he chooses not to help us further, there is literally nothing that we can do about it.”

  The air elemental nodded and descended to float next to Kronk. The two of them began speaking quietly.

  The company waited while Argentium wrestled with whatever thoughts were bothering him. A few long minutes passed before he returned, walking proudly with his head held high. He met Simon's eyes and smiled.

  “The necromancer's wards can only be taken down if they are overloaded. I will take it upon myself to do this for you all. Once the protective magic has fallen, your group must quickly use your viewing spell to find a clear spot up above and Gate to it immediately. Do not hesitate; the necromancer and his followers will try to recast the warding as quickly as they can.”

  “But, I don't understand,” Tamara said in confusion. “How can such wards be overloaded?”

  “Only by direct attack,” Argentium told her. “By an overwhelming force. I will attack the sanctuary along with Esmiralla. Between us, we have sufficient power, I believe, to batter down those wards. Unfortunately, there is a distinct possibility that the recoil from the collapsing spells will destroy one or both of us. Even if they don't, there are the two undead primals to contend with afterward. But I have decided that it is worth the risk to stop the evil that is threatening this world and your people.”

  “My lord argent,” Liliana said formally. “I think I speak for all of us when I say that you offer is...”

  “Too high a price to pay,” Simon interjected, cutting her off. “Argentium, sacrificing your life and possibly the life of the silver dragon as well, is a waste just to get at the scum who lives at the top of this tower. We can find anot
her way to tear him down without losing the only two lawful dragons left in the whole world.”

  As soon as he spoke, Simon was brought up short by what he had just said and replayed it in his head.

  “Sir wizard,” Argentium said. “There is no other way. Believe me, I have no wish to die, not again, but this necromancer must be stopped and I cannot think of any other way to reach him.”

  He stopped and frowned at the wizard. The others looked at Simon as well and were puzzled by his expression. He seemed lost in thought and he was smiling vaguely.

  “Simon? Are you okay?” Malcolm asked.

  “Hmm? Oh yes, sorry. I just thought of something. It occurred to me, as I was speaking a second ago, that we needn't actually try to ascend the tower to get to the magic-users above. We can make them come to us; well, sort of.”

  “We can? How?” Tamara asked him.

  “The way I just said. We can tear him down, or rather, tear this damned tower down from under him. You can't stay hidden and warded on top of a building if that building is destroyed, now can you?”

  The mage snorted in disbelief.

  “This bloody place is huge. How exactly do you propose we 'tear it down', hmm?”

  Simon grinned widely and just pointed. Everyone followed his arm and looked across the floor to the distant hole that Argentium had smashed through the wall.

  “I'd say a few more of those aught to do the trick. Argentium, could you and Esmiralla bust down the walls on this floor?”

  The argent dragon stared at the ragged hole he had created and then turned to Simon, matching the wizard's grin with one of his own.

  “You know, I do believe that we can. By the gods, why did I not think of that myself?”

  “Sometimes the best plans are the simplest ones,” Simon told him with a shrug. “We just need a few minutes to Gate out of here, round up Virginia and the others who are waiting nearby and then get to a safe distance. After that, the stage is yours.”

  “I doubt that the destruction of this place will kill that necromancer,” the dragon warned him. “He may just transport himself out of here to another location.”

  “He may, but I doubt it. We are all here now, in his web. It's obvious that he knows we're here. In fact, he's probably known for quite some time now. He's just been toying with us, letting us make enough progress to get our hopes up and then planning to attack us with overwhelming force. Tearing this place down will probably just enrage him, which is fine by me. Emotions tend to cloud a person's judgment and that is the best time to confront them.”

  “Well said, Simon,” Liliana told him and squeezed his shoulder. “Take him while he's angry and shaken from losing his home. It's the perfect time to strike.”

  “Very well,” Argentium told them. “I will return to Esmiralla, she waits nearby, and we will give you five minutes to get clear; any longer and our foes may detect your absence. And then we will strike.”

  “Thank you,” Simon told him sincerely.

  “No, thank you, my friend,” the argent dragon said. “I may live to fight another day after all; we all may. Your time starts...now!”

  Argentium hurried off into the darkness and Simon extinguished his light globe. Tamara did the same and in the darkness they felt a sudden blast of wind as the dragon transformed and flew out of the tower in a burst of speed.

  “Tamara, do you want to Gate us or shall I?” Simon asked her.

  He could just make out the silhouettes of the people around him but he couldn't tell who was where.

  “I think you had better do it, Simon,” she told him, sounding a little embarrassed. “It takes me some time to gather enough strength to Gate more than a handful of people at once and I think that we should all transport out of here immediately.”

  “Can do. Everyone, touch the person next to you and hang on. Kronk, Aeris, grab hold please.”

  He waited a moment while the group got themselves sorted out and then pictured the hump of broken rocks they had hidden behind before entering the tower.

  “Is everyone connected?”

  There was a general murmur of assent and Simon smiled in the darkness. They sounded like a chorus of kids lined up for a school trip who had been told to hold hands.

  “Okay, here we go. And...Gate!”

  The Void pulled them in and vomited them out in the blink of an eye, because of the short distance of the teleportation. Simon looked around quickly to make sure that he'd taken them to the proper spot; occasionally he got it wrong.

  Fortunately they were exactly where he wanted them to be and, even better, Virginia and her three friends were only a few yards away, huddled behind the pile of broken stone.

  “Oh my God, you guys scared the hell out of us,” the woman said as she and the others hurried over to the group. “What's going on?”

  Simon listened with one ear as Barnaby excitedly explained what the argent and silver dragons were going to do. He scanned the starry sky for any signs of Argentium and Esmiralla, but it hadn't been five minutes yet and there was nothing to see.

  “Guys?” he interrupted the chatter. “Talk later, move now. Hundreds of tons of tower is about to come crashing down and I'd prefer not being under it, if it's all the same to you.”

  “Simon's right,” Tamara said loudly. “Let's get the hell out of here. Hallic? You see best in the dark. Could you lead us please, and quickly?”

  “Right you are, lady mage. Follow me, everyone. Double time it!”

  “He sounds like a Cockney drill sergeant,” Sebastian said to someone, prompting laughter from the group.

  Simon saved his breath. Hallic was almost running in the darkness and the wizard concentrated on keeping his footing and trying to breathe. He would never be fit enough for a long run, but survival was a great motivator.

  They hurried along for several minutes until the rogue was satisfied that the tower couldn't fall on them even if it tipped over in their direction.

  “This should be far enough,” he called out and the group staggered to a halt.

  “Okay,” Malcolm wheezed as he bent over and rested his hands on his knees. “Running in plate armor? Bad idea.”

  “Tell me about it,” Aiden gasped. “I think I'm going to puke.”

  “Don't,” Liliana said, sounding amused and barely winded. “It's undignified.”

  Simon moved away from the others and stared at the tower. Hallic had led them to a low hill and, even in the darkness, they had an unimpeded view of the huge structure.

  Aeris floated by his right shoulder and Kronk stood to his left, both elementals also keeping an eye on the tower.

  “So what sort of outcome do you expect?” Aeris asked quietly. “Assuming that the fortress collapses as we hope it will.”

  The wizard leaned on his staff, still breathing deeply but keeping his gaze locked on the tower.

  “Expect? No idea. But those dracoliches aren't going to keep idly circling that thing and the head necromancer won't be defeated by a destroyed building. I think that if we want to stop him here, we're in for a hell of a fight.”

  “Do you really?” Tamara asked as she joined the three of them. “Sorry, I overheard you. So if we do engage the necromancer and whatever followers he has left after the tower comes down, assuming that it does, what are our best options for tactics?”

  Simon smiled as he looked at her face, barely visible in the night.

  “Tactics? Hit them with everything we've got and hope for the best. What else? If there's a tactician in the group, it certainly isn't me. Liliana is probably better at that sort of thing.”

  The mage laughed softly and shook her head.

  “No one who doesn't understand at least the rudimentary principles of tactics defeats five primal dragons, my friend. I don't care if you have a horseshoe shoved up your butt and snack on four-leaf clovers all day long, there simply isn't that much luck in the world.”

  Simon had to chuckle at her words but he nodded reluctantly.

  “O
kay, maybe I make good guesses occasionally. But I do know this; if those two dead primals attack us, leave them to me. You guys all focus on the spell-casters and any undead troops they may have.”

  “Do you really think that you can take on two of those monsters? Alone?”

  “No, I can't. But I don't expect to be alone.”

  “What are you...”

  “Look!” someone shouted. “What is that? Coming from the north?”

  Everyone's head snapped to the left and they saw what appeared to be a silvery point of light approaching the tower at incredible speed.

  “There's another one to the south!” Barnaby exclaimed. “Cripes, they are moving fast!”

  It had to be the dragons, Simon thought excitedly. But which was which was impossible to tell.

  They were both flying at a great height but as they closed in on the tower, both points of light, now blazing like comets, dove in unison toward the lower floors of the building.

  “My God, they're going to kill themselves at that speed!”

  Simon was suddenly afraid that that might be true. Could even a dragon survive an impact at that speed?

  He held his breath and tightened his grip on his staff in anticipation.

  “Here it comes!” Malcolm bellowed.

  The two blazing dragons smashed into the base of the tower simultaneously and a tremendous burst of light blinded the watchers. Simon dropped his staff and covered his eyes with both hands at the intense display. A moment later an explosion of sound rolled over them followed by a howling blast of hot air.

  It feels like someone dropped a nuke, he thought with a chill of fear. How could either of the dragons survive such a thing?

  As the darkness closed in again, he turned to see what the outcome had been.

  “There she goes,” Tamara exclaimed excitedly.

  Simon could barely hear her; his ears were still ringing from the blast.

  But what she meant was obvious; the tower was buckling.

  The lower floors had been weakened by the dragons' assault and whatever support had been built into the structure was destroyed. The building was collapsing under its own immense weight.