The Dragons of Bone and Dust (Tales from the New Earth Book 7) (33 page)

“
Well,
that's amazing news. I just hope that your sources are right. It
couldn't have just been a dream brought on by indigestion, could it?”

The paladin raised a mailed fist in a
mock threat and Simon had up his hands with a wide smile.

“
Okay, okay.
Just kidding. But seriously though, thank you. That creature has been
on my mind lately and now at least I have one less thing to worry
about.”

The paladin nodded and warmly clasped
his hand.

“
No need to
thank me, Simon. I'm just the messenger. Take care and hopefully
we'll see you again soon.”

“
You can
count on it.”

The wizard turned and walked over to
the drill. The driver jumped to attention and nodded.

“
Are you
ready to leave, sir wizard?” he asked through his thick, brown
beard.

“
I am. You
know where our destination is?”

“
Certainly.
The king gave me the coordinates himself.”

The dwarf seemed very pleased at such
a gesture and his chest puffed up with pride.

“
Good. Then
let's get to it.”

Simon turned back to look at Tamara
and Liliana. He waved one last time and then climbed into the drill,
eager to get home.

The drill might have been efficient
and a marvel of magical engineering, but it was incredibly
uncomfortable to travel in. Simon spent hours strapped into a metal
seat with a very thin cushion being whipped from side to side and up
and down. He was positive that he'd be bruised for days after he got
back home.

The operator, whose name turned out
to be Dollin, stopped once to let Simon eat and stretch his legs.
There was a tiny lavatory that the wizard used as well. It was at
least serviceable, if not comfortable.

Near the end of the journey, Simon
became so used to the rough ride that he fell asleep and it was the
sudden cessation of noise and vibration that woke him up.

“
We have
arrived, sir wizard,” Dollin called back from the pilot's
cabin. “Just at daybreak as well, if that matters to you.”

Disorientated and wobbly-legged,
Simon untied his harness and stood up slowly.

“
Thanks,
Dollin,” he replied loudly. “It matters.”

The pilot unlocked the exit door and
kicked it open. It squealed in protest and the dwarf scowled at it.

“
We'll be
lubricating your hinges when we get home, missy,” he growled at
it.

Simon smiled as he heard the pilot
speak to the machine, but remained silent. He adjusted Mortis de
Draconis on his shoulder and stepped out of the drill and on to solid
ground.

The machine was sticking out of the
earth, tilted upward a bit but almost level and Simon didn't find it
too hard to exit it. He looked around and smiled in relief.

The drill rested in the middle of a
field, fifty yards in front of the high wall that surrounded his
tower. The wizard shielded his eyes against the rising sun and
squinted across the open ground to examine his home.

Was there movement along the top of
the wall? His earthen allies should be patrolling the perimeter, but
he couldn't really tell. He was relieved that the main gate was
closed though.

“
That's a
sturdy little tower you've got yourself, sir wizard,” Dollin
said approvingly. “Doesn't compare to dwarven architecture, of
course, but it will do.”

“
Thanks,”
Simon told him. “I like it. And thank you for the ride, Dollin.
I really appreciate it.”

“
It was
merely my duty, but you are welcome,” the dwarf said and
thumped a fist to his chest. “And now, if you will excuse me, I
must get back. My eldest is celebrating a birthday and if I'm late
for the party, she'll never let me hear the end of it.”

They shook hands and Dollin hopped
back into the drill, slamming the door behind him. Simon quickly
moved back and watched as the treads along the side of the drill
began to turn and pulled it back into the ground the way that it had
come. The back end of the machine pushed dirt and rock out of its
path and filled in the tunnel behind it, leaving a hump of fresh
earth to mark where it had descended again.

“
Remarkable,”
the wizard muttered as the rumble of the machine faded away. “Truly
remarkable.”

Simon took a moment to close his eyes
and just stand in the sunlight and breathe. The mingled scent of
grass, tree sap and awakening flowers was sweet in his nostrils and
the feeling of the warm sun on his skin was intensely pleasant.

The underground may be safer at the
moment, he thought, but the dwarves are more than welcome to it.

Before heading in, he waited a few
minutes to see if his powers would return quickly. He slipped the
staff off of his shoulder and held it in his left hand as he lifted
his right, palm upward.

“
Fire,”
he said quietly as he concentrated.

A ghostly little flame, almost
invisible in the sunlight, popped into existence above his open hand,
trembling in the gentle breeze.

“
Excellent,”
Simon said with a feeling of relief. “It's back.”

He shook his hand to snuff out the
flame and began walking toward the tower, feeling a sense of
contentment that he hadn't experienced for quite some time.

Later that day, after a swim in the
lake and a meal, the wizard was sitting in his study idly flipping
through an old book on fantastical beasts and magical creatures.

Both Kronk and Aeris were there,
standing on the desk on either side of him and looking at the book
curiously.

“
What
exactly are you looking for?” Aeris asked as he peered at an
illustration of a troll.

“
Not sure,
really,” Simon replied as he sipped a cup of tea. “But I
find it relaxing sometimes to just read through one of my books from
the old days, see if something pops out at me. And after the last few
days, I felt the need to unwind a bit.”

“
Understandable,
master,” Kronk rumbled. “I cannot imagine how traumatic
it must have been to be kidnapped and manhandled the way that you
were. The nerve of those dwarves! Treating a wizard in such a
fashion. It is a disgrace, that's what it is.”

The little guy had been almost
apoplectic when Simon had told him and Aeris about his trip to
Kingstone. The air elemental had been more amused by Kronk's reaction
than by the abduction, especially after Simon had assured them both
that he was feeling just fine.

“
Easy, my
friend,” the wizard told the earthen. “I don't even
remember it happening. And the bonk on the head that I got was healed
by a cleric. Plus, all of the conspirators were captured or killed
and their plots defeated. So let's call it a win and move on.”

“
Yes
master,” Kronk grumbled, still sounding irritated. “Although
if the dwarves had allowed me to go with you, it never would have
happened.”

Aeris appeared ready something smart
and Simon gave him a warning look. He wasn't in the mood to listen to
them squabbling.

He closed the book and rested both
hands on it.

“
But while
we're on the subject of magic and strange creatures, I have a
question for you, Aeris.”

“
For me? I'm
astonished, oh great one. What can this lowly servant do for such a
famous wizard?”

“
Are you
quite finished?”

Aeris snickered and nodded.

“
Good,
because this is serious business.”

Simon's tone was so grave that the
air elemental dropped his smirk and listened attentively.

“
I haven't
told either of you about a tentative plan that our human friends have
cooked up, mainly because I wanted to take it easy for a few hours
and try not to worry about it. But I think now is the time.”

“
A plan,
master? What sort of plan?”

“
A way to
strike back at the servants of the Chaos lords and perhaps even take
out their most powerful ally, the leader of the necromancers.”

Both elementals' eyes widened. Kronk
immediately looked worried while Aeris seemed intrigued.

“
And I am to
play a part in this plan?” he asked eagerly.

“
Perhaps. It
depends on whether my idea is viable. I have no intention of risking
your safety on a fool's errand.”

“
I'm touched
by your concern,” Aeris said, almost sounding sincere. “But
why not explain it to me and let me decide?”

“
I'm about
to.”

Simon finished the last of his tea
and leaned back in his chair.

“
The plan is
to attack the tower that has been raised from the wreckage of
Nottinghill Castle. We believe that, considering its size and
location, it may be the headquarters of the opposition. And possibly
even the lair of the head of the necromancers himself. Or herself. I
really don't know which.”

“
But master,
that sounds incredibly dangerous,” Kronk objected. “You
have no idea what would await you inside! If that place is the center
of the dark gods' power on this world, it could be stuffed with
monsters, magic-users or other horrible foes.”

“
I know,
Kronk. I know. And that's where Aeris comes in. Maybe.”

The air elemental's eyes lit up.

“
You want me
to scout it out, is that it? Find out what lurks within?”

Simon held up a hand to calm him
down.

“
No. I want
you to think about it and tell me if the idea is doable. There could
be spells and traps all over the place in there and if you happened
to set one off, that could be the end of you. Or, almost as bad, it
could alert our enemies to your presence and ruin our plans
completely. If we attack, the only way we stand a chance is if we
take them totally by surprise.”

Aeris tapped his chin and stared off
into space.

“
That is
quite true, of course. I have to admit that the risks are
considerable.”

“
That's my
point exactly. The only reason I'm even bringing it up is because you
can scout invisibly and you have a lot of experience at it.”

“
Well, not
to sound too boastful, but that is true,” Aeris agreed smugly.

Kronk made a odd rumbling noise as if
he was gagging and, when the others looked at him, he stared back
innocently.

“
Sorry
master,” he said humbly. “Had something stuck in my
throat.”

Simon grinned at him.

“
No problem.
I almost did too.”

Aeris just sniffed and turned away to
stared blankly into space again.

“
You don't
have to answer right away,” Simon told him. “Take the
night and think it through. Even if the idea is possible, it will
take the others some time to flesh out a decent plan of attack.”

He stood up and pushed back his
chair.

“
In the
meantime, I'm going out back to see the horses. Give it some thought,
Aeris, and we'll talk later.”

The elemental nodded silently and
remained floating a few inches above the desk as Simon and Kronk left
the room.

“
I think it
is a good sign that he did not answer too quickly, master,” the
earthen said as they headed downstairs.

“
So do I. If
he had agreed too quickly and impulsively, as he sometimes does, I'd
be worried. We'll wait and see what he says later.”

That evening, Simon was sitting
contentedly in his comfy chair in front of the fireplace. He was
drinking wine for a change; he'd cracked open one of his precious few
bottles as a way to celebrate his homecoming.

Kronk sat near the fire, occasionally
hopping up to rearrange the logs or kick an errant ember back into
the hearth.

Aeris hadn't been seen all day and
both of them were becoming a little concerned.

“
You know,
while I'm grateful that he's giving this scouting idea some serious
thought,” Simon said to the little guy. “I'm a bit
surprised at the amount of time it's taking for him to decide whether
to attempt it or not.”

“
None of the
airy ones are usually this contemplative, master,” Kronk agreed
with a thoughtful expression. “It is a trait of their species,
being quick to make decisions and jump into action. And I agree; for
him to meditate this long on a problem is out of character. Maybe
he's finally growing up!” the little guy added brightly.