The Dragons of Argent and Silver (Tales from the New Earth #6) (7 page)

“
Freedom perhaps?”
Kronk mused. “She has been released from her chamber where she
was trapped for eons, master. That might have been worth paying any
price.”

“
No, she already had
that,” Simon told him. “She visited Liliana at least
once. In fact, I saw her myself that one time in Moscow. I thought I
was seeing a white dragon, but it turned out that it was Esmiralla.”

“
Was it, master? How
do you know?”

The wizard looked at Kronk
in confusion.

“
What do you mean?”

“
I mean that the
silver dragon is very old and, as you said, has powers we cannot even
guess at. How hard would it be for a being like that to cast
illusions to make you believe you are seeing something that you are
not? Master, remember the primal red dragon? Remember how it created
a copy of itself above this very tower,” Kronk pointed straight
up, “to distract you while it took control of Nottinghill
Castle? Could not Esmiralla do the same thing?”

There was a long pause as
Simon considered this surprising idea.

“
Maybe that's it,”
he whispered, wide-eyed. “Maybe I was her only way out. Oh my
God, Kronk! What have I done?”

“
Done, master? You
have done nothing. The silver dragons were created by the gods of
Justice. They died fighting against the forces of evil. Whether she
tricked you or not, Esmiralla is still a good creature and I am sure
that she had her reasons.”

Simon looked at the little
guy incredulously.

“
Did you hear what
you just said? There is never a good reason to use people against
their will. Never! If we're right, she should have asked me, not
tricked me.”

Kronk lowered his head and
stroked his chin, making a rasping sound of stone on stone. He began
to nod slowly.

“
Yes master, you are
correct. If the silver dragon was as pure as I would like to think,
she would have honestly asked for your help.”

He looked up at Simon.

“
But now what,
master? If we are right, what could Esmiralla be planning?”

The wizard's irritation
drained away and he shrugged.

“
I don't know, my
friend. I really don't.”

The wizard stared across
the yard again, thinking hard.

“
You know what makes
me even more anxious? It's this rite, ceremony, whatever it is that
she's planning. I mean, what's with those ingredients? Blood from the
dragon queen and from a drake. A dragon egg. What the hell is that
about? That isn't magic, Kronk; that's voodoo. It's primitive and
savage and I don't like it one bit.”

He stood up.

“
Let's walk, my
friend. I'm feeling restless.”

“
Certainly, master.”

The two of them left the
steps and began to walk around the tower. The warm breeze ruffled
Simon's hair and he smiled at the beauty of the day. Worried or not,
he loved his life and his home and had a natural optimism that not
even the direst of circumstances could completely put aside.

“
Still no word from
Aeris,” he told the little guy. “I was expecting him to
at least check in and tell me how things are going.”

Kronk laughed, a low
rumble.

“
You know him,
master. Once he becomes focused on a mission, it sometimes consumes
him. He knows how important getting the blood of the dragon queen is
and I would guess that he is working very hard to achieve that end.”

Simon waved up at one of
the earthen who was patrolling the outer wall. The little figure
waved back cheerfully and continued on its way.

“
Are you worried
about him and his single-mindedness?”

“
No master, not
really. Aeris also has a rather well developed survival instinct. I
doubt that he will put himself or his fellows in harm's way. If fact,
that could be why it is taking so long for him to report back; he may
be waiting for just the right moment to obtain his prize.”

“
Let's hope so.”

They reached the back gate
in the outside wall and Simon opened it. The two went out and stood
looking across the field toward the little lake behind the tower.

His three horses, Chief,
Tammy and Sunshine, along with the foal Sunbeam, were grazing
together along the edge of the water. A half-dozen cows ambled
contentedly across the pasture, heading for some fresh grass to feed
on. The cattle were almost twice the size of the horses but appeared
placid and gentle, which they were.

In a far corner, a dozen
balls of wool, sheep, were huddled together to munch on the rich
grass. The chickens were kept in a coop inside the wall next to the
stable, to keep them safe from predators like foxes or hawks.

“
The livestock seem
quite happy today, master,” Kronk said with genuine affection
in his voice. “Are you going to be getting a dog soon?”

The little guy was very
fond of all animals and had been asking Simon on an almost daily
basis about acquiring a dog, ever since the wizard had first
expressed an interest in finding a pet.

“
I'm sorry, bud, but
until this whole situation with Esmiralla is resolved, I can't even
consider searching for a dog. I have to remain focused on the task at
hand. I hope you can understand that?”

The little guy sighed but
smiled up at Simon.

“
Of course, master.
I understand what your priorities are at the moment. It is just
that...”

The wizard abruptly held
up a hand, cutting Kronk off, then quickly touched his lips with a
finger.

“
I can feel her
coming back,” he whispered and the elemental nodded his
understanding.

“I have to clean out the stable
and the chicken coop, master. I will see you later.”

Simon nodded at the little guy as he
headed back through the gate, then continued to watch the animals
pensively.

The silver dragon's presence was almost
suffocating as she returned from wherever she had been. The wizard
couldn't wrap his head around the entire situation and did not intend
to ask Esmiralla about her travels, however she managed to leave his
mind and return. But the fact that she could do that, and didn't
mention it to Simon, made him even more suspicious of her.

Apparently the dragon couldn't hear his
thoughts unless he was specifically talking to her, which was a
relief. And at the moment he had no wish to speak with her unless she
spoke first.

But except for the weight of her
presence, Esmiralla made no attempt to communicate with Simon and so
he simply moved back to lean against the wall and watch the horses
graze, thinking dark thoughts.

Simon's mood hadn't improved very much
later that day when he was standing on the roof of his tower,
surveying the forest that encircled his home. Usually an air
elemental was stationed up there, keeping an eye on the skies in case
of a dragon attack, but the wizard had sent off all three of the air
elementals who worked for him to try to get a sample of blood from
the dragon queen. The earthen on the walls were being extra vigilant
to make up for the gap in security and Simon hoped that it would
suffice until the others returned.

The tower was higher than any of the
surrounding trees and the sun gleamed off of the thick sea of green
and brown leaves that made Simon feel like he was looking out over a
jungle. Strange cries and mysterious scents filled the air, evidence
that the world was still Changing and that plants and animals were
mutating, thanks to the dark gods.

Simon found the new world ever more
exciting and frightening at the same time. His powers were growing as
the New Earth evolved, reflecting the changes around him. It added to
the frustration caused by his situation because he couldn't focus on
exploring his new capabilities while Esmiralla lurked in the depths
of his mind. It almost felt like she was a creepy stalker watching
his every move and he had grown to hate it. It certainly made using
the outhouse and bathing a bit uncomfortable for him.

His gloom was forgotten as a distant
rumble of thunder echoed across the sky.

Simon straightened up attentively and
listened closely. Was he about to get a visitor?

The tower shook as a second rumble,
both louder and closer, confirmed that he was correct and the wizard
gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes, knowing what was about to
happen.

A flash of blinding light and an
ear-numbing blast of sound staggered him and Simon shook his head as
his ears rang painfully.

Air elementals, he thought irritably.
Always going for the big entrance.

A man-shaped figure floated just above
the roof, slightly bigger all over than a human, and watched him with
an amused smile on his semi-transparent face.

“Wizard, I have returned,”
Aethos said in a voice as wild as the north wind.

“Yes, thank you, Aethos,”
Simon replied as he rubbed his ears gingerly. “I heard.”

“Ah, I do apologize. The
appearance of my kind can be a bit....ostentatious.” The
elemental shook his head. “Thank our ruler for that. He does
enjoy his dramatics.”

“I've noticed.”

Simon leaned back against the parapet,
his head still throbbing a bit.

“So how was your trip? Did you
find what you were looking for?”

Aethos' smile widened and he lifted his
chin proudly.

“If I had not, I would not have
returned, sir wizard.”

The elemental rubbed his hands together
and a glow engulfed them. Simon watched, fascinated, as the glow
increased to an almost painful level. Then with a final flash of
brilliance, something appeared between Aethos' hands.

It was large, dark and misshapen and it
took the wizard a moment to recognize what the elemental was holding.

“Oh gross,” he said in
disgust as he stared into the dead eyes of a drake, which seemed to
be staring back at him.

“Hmm, yes, I suppose it is. But
you asked for a drake's blood and a drake's blood I have found,”
Aethos said with obvious satisfaction.

“I thought it best to ascend high
enough to freeze the thing before I brought it back,” he
continued. “Less messy that way, don't you think?”

“Thanks, that was very thoughtful
of you.” Simon continued to stare at the grizzly trophy. “Could
you, um, leave it downstairs in the basement? It's cooler down there
and I should be able to draw some blood off of it with minimal mess
once it thaws out.”

“Of course, sir wizard. Is there
anything else you need from me or should I return home?”

“No, that's fine, Aethos. I am
very grateful for your help. I doubt that I would have been able to
get a drake's blood on my own.”

The elemental chuckled.

“Oh, I think you would have found
a way. You are quite resourceful. Farewell then, sir wizard. Do call
if you need me again. You've kept my life interesting as of late and
I find that I am enjoying our collaborations.”

“I will, Aethos. Thanks again and
take care.”

The elemental bowed slightly and
disappeared with a loud bang of imploding air.

'So, one ingredient down,' a voice said
from inside his head.

“One down, two to go,”
Simon answered the silver dragon out loud.

'Good. I know that you are as eager as
I am to sever our connection.'

“I am. I didn't realize that I
was being that obvious. But I'm sure you want your freedom back as
much as I want my privacy. No offense.”

Laughter bubbled through his mind.

'None taken. You are correct. Patience,
young wizard. We are getting closer now.'

Before he went to bed that night, Simon
performed the distasteful task of draining some fluid from the
drake's remains. Kronk joined him in the basement and watched
silently as the wizard managed to fill a glass jar with stinking
green blood.

Not only did it smell like week-old
roadkill, it was slimy as well and Simon was surprised that he
managed to seal the jar and wash up without vomiting. But he did,
barely.

Kronk took the head away to bury it
deep somewhere and the wizard washed the basement floor clean of the
last bits of drake's blood. Unfortunately, the smell would linger for
days.

The next morning brought Simon his
second visitor in as many days.

The day was warm with only a few puffy
clouds chugging across the sky and, for a change, Simon had thrown on
a pair of old shorts and a ragged old t-shirt that was the size of a
tent on his slim torso. It had fitted him back in the old days and
was a reminder of just how much he had Changed physically since then.

He sat on the front steps of the tower,
closed his eyes and leaned back, enjoying the warmth of the sun.

Kronk skittered around the corner from
the back of the tower and made his way to the bottom of the steps. He
stared up at Simon and seemed to be reading the shirt.

“What does that mean, master?”
he asked as he pointed at the faded design on the t-shirt. “A
Night at the Opera?”

Simon looked down at his chest and then
grinned at the earthen.

“It was the title of an album by
my favorite band back in the day; Queen. An amazing bunch of songs
and not a dog in the lot. Blew me away when I first heard it as a
teenager.”

“What is an album, master?”
Kronk asked curiously.

Running his fingers through his hair,
Simon frowned as he tried to think of a way to describe old records.

“Well, let's see. It was a way to
record music by artists that could then be played back by people
whenever they wanted to hear the music again.”