by Tom Larcombe
Primicerius bowed deeply.
“I have been told that a good deal of the credit for releasing us is due unto you, my Lady. You have my thanks and the thanks of those for whom I speak.”
Nimue's eyes grew wide at the formal speech.
“Merlin must have told you that. It was his plan and his power. I just managed the flows to keep the portal spell going. And please, I've never been a Lady, nor desired to be one. Just call me Nimue.”
“Yes Nimue. I am amused that you answered exactly as Merlin said you would.”
“It's no surprise to me. He knew me that well before our recent merging. Now, I'm sure he knows me even better.”
“Often the merging engenders hatred between two wizards.”
Primicerius looked from Nimue to Merlin and back.
“You two do not have that problem?”
“There was something that caused me some embarrassment, but it's nothing that would cause a problem.”
“There will probably be more of those moments,” Merlin said. “But I think that, if anything, we'll grow closer from the experience. If not, then we'll do what we must to resolve any problems that arise.”
Primicerius nodded.
“I see. Each of you would do whatever is necessary to safeguard the other, both physically and emotionally. Perhaps Praesagium is not as much a fool as I thought. Either way, my people will need to rest for several days. More specifically they need the sunlight. When they've rested I'll arrange the transportation I offered you Merlin. Now, I too must go and lie in the sun. I'm not doing as poorly as some of my people, but hundreds of years without sun or fresh air drains one drastically.”
Primicerius turned and left the camp. When he reached an area with enough open space, his outline shimmered as he took his dragon form. The massive dragon launched itself into the air and flew to join the rainbow of dragons adorning the hillside.
* * *
The dragons needed their rest. Every morning Merlin noticed that their colors were brighter than the day before. After a few days he began to notice the ambient magic dragons shed from their very existence. That night the valley received its first snow of the year.
Two days after the dragon's magic became palpable, and usable by the wizards, Merlin was given a demonstration of the power of their illusory magic.
{What is that noise?} Primicerius sent to Merlin.
{I can't hear anything.} Merlin replied.
Merlin's head filled with the droning approach of aircraft as Primicerius sent the sound directly to his mind.
{Those are some of the flying machines I told you about. Are they approaching?}
{It seems they are. Our rest period may be over for the time being. Stay still and have those with you do the same.}
Merlin told the others what was happening. When they could hear the aircraft with their own ears, they tried to stay as still as they could.
Why does he want us to stay still? Merlin thought. Perhaps they intend to cloak us.
He looked around with his eyes, keeping his head still, and was amazed at the sight. What he saw was what the valley would look like if it were completely devoid of dragons and humans. The hill that the dragons adorned looked bare. Nimue was no longer sitting across from him. A glance down showed him the ground and not his feet.
Three planes flew overhead. There was no doubt that they were scouting the valley. They flew across it several times, lower on each pass. Finally, they turned and flew back from where they had come.
When things were back to normal, Primicerius came to the camp in his human form.
“We are, at least, rested enough for an extended flight. Our magic may not be back to what it once was, but that will merely take time. If you are ready, we'll leave tonight. I will take you on my neck Merlin, we shall talk mind-to-mind, and you will direct us.”
“Did you ever speak with Anguis?”
“Yes, I did. Please ensure that your directions avoid likely emplacements of those anti-aircraft guns you mentioned. Were our magic restored we could shield against such, but as we are now, both ourselves and our riders would be in danger from them.”
Merlin nodded.
“I'll do my best to avoid anything that might cause problems. I would prefer an uninterrupted return home.”
* * *
Darkness fell and the dragons were ready to depart. Merlin rode astride Primicerius' neck. He tied himself there with a section of rope, after ensuring the dragon wouldn't be offended. Gunter and Nimue did likewise with their dragons but at the last moment Verruckt refused to climb on.
“Do you want to stay here? They'll probably send search parties on foot to verify what the planes report,” Merlin said.
“I can't do it. I'm afraid I'll lose my grip and fall. I'm fine below ground, and in the ground is even better. The thought of being so far from the earth leaves me dizzy,” Verruckt replied.
“So you want to go, but you fear you cannot maintain your grip?” Primicerius asked.
Verruckt nodded violently.
Primicerius said something to Verruckt's intended mount in the dragon language. The dragon that was spoken to laughed and replied to his leader.
The first to take off was Verruckt's mount. He wrapped one set of claws around the Dverger and leaped into the air from the other set. The downdraft from his wings snapping open nearly knocked Merlin from his seat.
Merlin heard Verruckt scream as Primicerius took to the air next. Dragon after dragon followed behind. All seventy-three of the surviving dragons who were rescued formed a flight in the air. Unlike birds in a V, the dragons used a three-dimensional shape that was similar to a four-bladed broadhead tip for an arrow. Flying in the middle of the broadhead shape, protected by the stronger dragons who formed it, were those who were weak, ill, or otherwise encumbered.
As they flew over the mountains, Merlin saw that their valley was an anomaly. Snow lay deeper in the areas surrounding it. He counted himself lucky that they hadn't received snow earlier in the year.
I wonder what the weather is like back home? he thought. Speaking of home, I better warn John that we're on our way. I hope the dragons can make it in a single night. I can't think of anyplace we could hide them during the daytime.
{John?} Merlin sent.
{Merlin?} came the groggy reply.
{Yes John, I wanted to tell you. We're on our way with the dragons. Seventy-three of them to be specific. I don't know if we'll make it in before dawn but I hope so. I don't know how to hide all of them if we don't.}
{Great, no sleep for me tonight. You couldn't have warned me earlier?}
{No John, I couldn't. I couldn't take the risk that they could intercept mind-to-mind messages. Stranger things have occurred on this trip, so I waited until we were on the way.}
{Probably wise to take precautions. At least I don't need to worry about how you're doing any more. I'll see what I can do. Contact me when you're an hour or so away from the channel, if you can figure that out, and I'll send out fighters to escort you.}
{Will do John, see you soon.}
John cut the connection but not before Merlin heard him thinking.
{Of course he contacts me at night again.}
The flight went well until they were a little more than an hour away from the coast. Merlin's enjoyment of the ride was interrupted by Primicerius.
{I can hear that buzzing sound again. Does that mean more of those flying machines?}
{It's very likely. Do you number among yourselves a dragon who can fly fast, use illusions, and is otherwise strong in magic or able to breathe flame?}
{Yes we do. You want us to attempt to implement your plan, don't you?}
{Can you think of some other way to avoid the airplane? If not, we'll need to fight it. I'd prefer the Germans not have a chance to report that the dragons are loose. I don't know if it would be believed, but if the reports met the correct ears there would be those who would believe, and possibly act on it.}
{I'll see if any of
my better fliers are willing to try.}
{They'll need to fly significantly faster than we are now in order to be a threat to it.}
{We're holding our speed at about half normal, so those in the middle can keep abreast. We can also increase our speed for short periods of time using our magic. I don't think it should be a problem.}
{Have them use this for their illusion.}
Merlin sent the image of a Spitfire fighter plane to Primicerius' mind.
{Flame or electrical attacks directed a claw's-length behind the rapidly spinning blade would be the best way to disable it. You could ignite other parts, but it wouldn't necessarily destroy the airplane quickly.} he added.
Merlin watched as a dragon somewhat smaller than Primicerius accelerated out of formation. As he watched, the dragon took on the appearance of a Spitfire. The noise from the aircraft grew closer and the dragon moved beyond Merlin's sight, he caught the broadcast message that followed though.
{There are three of these things. They're trying to injure me with small pieces of metal accelerated to a high speed. This should be easy.}
A jet of flame lit the area where the combat was occurring. Merlin saw the dragon disguised as a Spitfire attacking from behind and above the German planes. The flames rushed out and down, striking the cowling of the targeted fighter plane. The front of the plane burst into flames before it lost control and dove out of sight.
The dragon put on an incredible burst of speed which would have shaken a true Spitfire apart. It spun around and flew directly at the remaining two fighters. Another cowling burst into flame. Since the dragon was nowhere near it at the time, Merlin assumed the kill could be attributed to magic. The dragon flew straight at the last fighter, confident that it couldn't hurt him.
When the dragon and the Messerschmitt collided in mid-air the illusion of the Spitfire was dispelled. The spinning propeller also dispelled the dragon's sense of invulnerability. The propeller struck the dragon's wing, tearing a large section of it. The injury was aggravated when the dragon snapped his wings out to arrest his fall.
With the three Messerschmitts destroyed, the dragon returned to the formation. Instead of taking his previous place in it, he moved to the protection of the center with the other wounded.
* * *
After another half hour of uninterrupted flying, Merlin gauged that it was time to contact John again.
{John?} Merlin sent.
{Merlin, are you close already?}
{The dragons fly incredibly fast and I was told that this is only half their normal speed. I'm guessing we're about a half hour or a little more from the channel now.}
{I'll see about getting the Spitfires on the coast to escort you in. They won't be going out over the channel though, I was informed that there's lots of German air activity tonight, starting a couple of hours back. I wonder what could've caused that?}
Sarcasm in mind speech was delivered exactly as the sender intended, with no chance for it to be misunderstood.
{I guess we weren't cautious enough. But, I have an idea. We might be able to go under the radar, as it were.} Merlin sent.
{We'll be waiting for you. Let us know if there are any problems. I don't know if we'll be able to do anything about them, but we'll try.}
Merlin ended the conversation.
{See you soon, John.}
He pondered for a moment and decided that his idea might work, if for no other reason than he didn't think the Germans would expect it.
{Primicerius?} Merlin sent.
The reply held an edge of weariness.
{Yes?}
{I've been told that there are many more of the airplanes out, scouting over the ocean channel we have to cross. They fly high in the sky most of the time. How close to the surface of the ocean can a dragon safely fly?}
{I see your plan. We can come very close to the surface. Young dragons often fly at high speed and allow their tail to drag in the water to create rainbows from the mist and water droplets that shoot up. I doubt there are any dragons that have never done that. The memory of it can serve us well tonight.}
{We don't want the tails dragging this time, quick and silent is my preferred method for this. If someone can cast a massive illusion of undisturbed ocean to cover us that would be good also.}
{I'll tell them. How soon to this ocean?}
{Just under half an hour.} Merlin sent.
{I don't know that measurement of time.}
{When the moon is here in the sky.}
Merlin sent an accompanying image of the moon where it would be in a little under a half hour along with his last message. He got the sense that Primicerius understood before the dragon cut off their communication.
The flight of dragons shifted formation into a standard V just before reaching the channel. They went in low and fast. They increased to nearly double their earlier speed as they crossed the beach.
They certainly can fly close to the surface, it seems like I could lean over and drag my hand through the tops of the waves, Merlin thought.
Once the dragons were in sight of the beaches of Britain, Primicerius spoke to Merlin again.
{I hear more of those airplanes. Shall we use the same plan?}
{If you hear them over the land then those are our escort. We follow them and land where they do. We're almost there now.}
{Good, it's been centuries since I flew this far. Increasing speed as we just did may have been necessary but it's exhausted several of us.}
{Not long now.}
The flight of dragons followed the Spitfires to the air base. The planes landed first, waved in by men with glowing wands. When they tried to wave the dragons down the same way, they got a shock. All over the base, anywhere there was enough room, dragons came down to the ground as quickly as they could. When Primicerius assembled them, they covered the airstrips and then some.
John walked over to Merlin, eyes wide and jaw agape.
“I thought I was prepared for this, but I was wrong,” John said.
“It's a bit much to take in, isn't it?” Merlin replied.
John just nodded. After a few moments he tried to regain his control.
“Welcome home Merlin, Nimue, Gunter. Where's Anselm? And who is this?”
“This is Verruckt. He assisted us. You may remember him from what I told you before.”
“Pleasure to meet you Verruckt. We should talk later,” John said.
Verruckt was white-faced and shuddering. He made no reply whatsoever except to walk off the artificial surface of the airstrip and lie down on the bare ground. Moments later, he sank into it.
When the Dverger sank into the soil, John shook his head and blinked.
“Where'd he go?”
“His magic allows him to pass through earth. Evidently that power is fairly common among the wizards of the Dverger,” Merlin said.
“Dverger?”
“The name his race uses for itself. You have to remember he isn't human. Some question his sanity as well, so keep that in mind.”
“What are you bringing here Merlin?”
“Aside from the seventy-three dragons you're currently ignoring? I understand that you may want to put off dealing with them, that they're a bit overwhelming. But they've struggled hard to make it here and should be treated with respect.”
John opened his mouth as though he were about to reply, then snapped it shut again, thought for a moment, then spoke.
“You're right. Which one of them is in charge?”
“Follow me. I'll introduce you,” Merlin said.
* * *
Chapter 25
Primicerius requested that either Merlin or Nimue be present during the negotiations that took place the following week. As he put it, “I intend for Merlin to see that I am keeping my promises.”
The end result of the negotiations gave all the dragons until the end of the year to rest and recuperate from their long ordeal. After that break, there were twenty-seven that were willing to fly combat missions whi
le disguised as airplanes. Another eight of the smaller, faster dragons volunteered to carry messages that the Allies didn't want the Germans to be able to spy on, or special cargo that needed to arrive as soon as possible.
Food for the dragons was an issue. They didn't need food often, but when they did they required massive quantities. Merlin solved that stalemate by commenting that Praesagium normally caught his own fish and that these dragons could do likewise so long as they didn't concentrate their efforts on a single area. The dragons complained that fish was an inferior meat, the negotiators complained that the dragons would destroy the fish stocks in the nearby ocean. Everyone complained, but they eventually agreed.
Merlin tried to get Gunter to act more like a friend and less like a bodyguard. They compromised the only way Gunter was willing to do so. When they were in the cottage, Gunter would let down his guard. When they were out and about Gunter was in bodyguard mode, nearly unnoticeable until he thought there was a danger to his charge.
“I decided that if anything could get through the dragons that are always near that tree, then they could swat me aside like a bug,” Gunter said when Merlin asked why he agreed to the compromise.
Two weeks after the negotiations, Merlin was sitting in his cottage, reveling in the magic available in the area. The dragons had taken a liking to the lightning tree and the tree responded to their ambient magic by growing faster and shedding more magic of its own. Merlin's yard was frequently filled with a combination of wizards trying to regain their energy, dragons in human form basking in what sun was available (and the sunlight from the tree the rest of the time), and one Dverger who was slowly recovering from his forced flight.
A knock on the door tore Merlin from his studies on mixing magic and technology. When he answered the door he found Anselm, looking ragged and tired. Vadoma stood beside him and the two were grinning wide enough that Merlin feared their faces would split.
“Come in,” Merlin said, “have a seat. I'm delighted to see you. I feared the worse, despite knowing that it would take you quite a while to return.”
