The Dragons of Ice and Snow (51 page)

“
Great.
This just keeps getting better.”

Tamara
leaned forward until her face was almost touching the mirror on her
side. The wizard barely noticed as his mind seemed to be going in
twenty different directions at once. He felt like a hamster on a
wheel, spinning in place.

“
Simon!”
the mage shouted.

Simon
flung himself back on his chair and almost tipped over, while Aeris
actually shot across the room in surprise.

“
Holy
crap, Tamara! What was that for?” he asked shakily.

“
To
get your attention. I think you were on the verge of having a panic
attack.”

“
Is
that what that was? I've never had one. Ugh.”

“
Okay,
are you back with me now?”

“
Yeah.
Yeah, I'm with you.”

“
Great.
Now then, here is my suggestion. By the way, you're going to hate
it.”

“
Oh
goody. Don't want to get my hopes up, I suppose.”

“
I'm
glad you're keeping your sense of humor. You'll need it. So, if you
do manage to get to the top of that mesa, you're going to have to do
something to get the primal's attention. You are going to have to
divert it so that the null spell is broken and then you'll have to
keep its focus on you until the rest of us arrive.”

“
You're
right, I hate it. So, let me see if I'm getting this. You want me to
go to the top of dragon central, somehow, then do something to get
the primal dragon's attention, like, oh maybe juggle some balls or
something, and then keep it focused squarely on me until the cavalry
arrives. Does that about cover it?”

Tamara
folded her arms and stared at him directly.

“
That
just about does it, yes.”

“
And
if I can do that, you and your brother will lend us a hand?”

“
Precisely.”

Simon
looked at Aeris who was floating cautiously back to the table. The
elemental was out of Tamara's line of sight and was shaking his head
frantically. The wizard smiled at him and looked back at the mage.

“
You've
got yourself a deal.”

“
Are
you out of your mind?”

Simon
was sitting in his easy chair in front of the fire, his bare feet on
a ragged old ottoman that he'd had for years, since his days before
the dragons came. His eyes were closed and he was trying to think. It
wasn't easy.

“
How
many times are you going to ask me that?” he said as he leaned
his head back against the chair. “I've already said yes about
ten times.”

“
I
know that. Obviously you aren't taking this plan of yours, to attack
the primal white dragon, very seriously.”

“
On
the contrary, Aeris. I'm taking it quite seriously. I'm trying to
think it through and your constant barking at me is not helping.”

“
That's
enough,” a deep voice interrupted. It was Kronk. “If the
master wants to think, then let him think. He will need all of his
wits for the battle to come.”

“
I
understand that,” Aeris said a little less shrilly. “But
it's crazy. I've told you what he's planning. Don't you think it's
crazy?”

“
Yes,
I do.”

Simon
opened his eyes and looked over at the kitchen table where the two
elementals were standing, speaking face to face.

“
It
is crazy, to you and me. But not to our master. He would not put
others in harm's way unnecessarily. You know that. Which means that
his plan, whatever it might be, isn't insane.”

Thanks
Kronk, Simon thought as he closed his eyes again.

“
Merely
desperate,” the earthen added.

Simon
stifled a groan. So much for confidence.

He
spent the rest of the evening thinking and dozing in front of the
fire. It might be the last respite he'd get in a long time and he
tried to enjoy it.

Tamara
had been right, of course. There was no way to move a lot of people
to the top of the mesa if he couldn't Gate them there. They might be
able to climb to the top, maybe send someone ahead who was a good
climber to attach ropes or something. But he didn't know anything
about scaling mountains and he was quite sure that they'd be spotted
long before they reached their goal and then they'd be blasted with
dragon-fire while hanging helplessly off the side of a sheer cliff.
Stupid idea.

He
woke from a doze and looked around groggily. Kronk was standing
beside the ottoman, staring into the fire, his little face calm and a
bit thoughtful.

Why
I ever thought that he couldn't show emotions on that rocky face of
his, I'll never know, the wizard thought as he watched his friend
fondly.

Aeris
was nowhere to be seen.

“
Where's
our chatty friend?” he asked, still a bit sleepy.

“
He's
decided to take a spin around the tower, master,” Kronk
answered without turning. He too was speaking quietly. “I told
him that it might clear his head.”

Now
he looked over his shoulder.

“
He's
worried about you. So am I.”

“
I
know. But what else can I do? I can't leave innocent people to a fate
out of nightmare, can I?”

“
Of
course not, master. I told Aeris that, and he understands but,”
he shrugged, “it's in his nature to argue. You know how he is.”

Simon
closed his eyes.

“
I
know. And for all his whining, I do appreciate that it's because he
cares.”

“
What
are you thinking about, master? Do you want to talk it out? Without
an argument?”

The
wizard opened his eyes again and looked at the little guy with a
smile.

Kronk
returned it and one glowing red eye winked.

“
I'm
thinking through the mission one step at a time. And the first hurdle
to overcome is getting up there. I can create a diversion, yes, but
it won't do us any good if the group can't actually make it to the
top en masse. One or two at a time won't do it. It has to be an
attack with all of our forces at once.”

“
Understandable,
master. Perhaps it would help if you figured out how many people will
be in the war party?”

Simon
sat up and rubbed his eyes, trying to focus.

“
Okay.
Let's see. Daniel promises at least fifty elven archers,” he
said as he held up one finger. “Then there's Liliana. She's
worth twenty people alone. Let's see, there's Malcolm and Aiden. And
of course Tamara and her brother. And me. So, fifty-six?”

Kronk's
eyes narrowed.

“
Fifty-six
people
,
master. But what about elementals?”

“
Elementals?”

“
Master,
you're an elementalist,” he said, sounding a bit exasperated.
“You have power over earth, air, fire and water. And you can
command those like me. So why aren't you using that power?”

Simon
sat up and leaned forward, staring intently at the little guy.

“
I
don't know,” he said honestly. “At the risk of sounding
stupid, would you believe that I didn't think of it?”

The
earthen laughed lightly.

“
You
have much on your plate, master. Of course I believe it. Why not wake
up now and make some tea. And perhaps think this through as a wizard
instead of just Simon O'Toole, hmm?”

Wow,
Simon thought as he stood up and went to get the kettle. That's the
gentlest kick in the ass I've ever gotten. The little guy could give
lessons.

“
Okay
then, my friend,” he said as he hung the full kettle over the
fire. “Do you have any suggestions?”

“
I
do not wish to seem forward, master, but yes I do.”

Simon
leaned back against the counter and nodded.

“
Go
ahead then.”

Kronk
jumped on to the table and stood there tapping his chin.

“
First
of all, master, you have no need to Gate on to that small mountain. A
mesa, you called it?”

“
Mesa,
plateau, whatever. Why not? We have to get up there somehow.”

“
I
know, master, but again, you are thinking like a mundane, not a
wizard. No offense,” he added hurriedly.

“
None
taken. Keep going.”

“
It
is simple, master. You remember Aethos, of course.”

“
The
air elemental.”

“
Well
master, there are earthen elementals as powerful as he who wish to
serve you. Use them. They can easily transport your group to the top
of that mesa through the ground with none being the wiser. I doubt
that the dragons will be expecting an attack from beneath their
feet.”

Simon
stared at him in amazement.

“
That's
brilliant!” he exclaimed. “I never thought of that.”

“
I
know, master. And once they get you to your target, they will also
lend their aid to the fight. And may I say, my brethren who have that
kind of power are formidable indeed.”

Simon
made his tea and sat down at the table, his mind racing at the
possibilities.

“
Why
do they want to serve me?” he asked. “And how many could
I summon?”

“
They
respect you, master. Through your actions and dealings with
elementals in general, they have learned that you are an honorable
man, and the first wizard in history to offer my kind something they
have never had before.”

“
Which
is?”

“
Choice,
master. You have given us the power to choose. We can serve or we can
leave. We can act or we can choose not to. That is power. That is
freedom.” He smiled his little smile. “I would say that
the earthen realm is echoing with those clamoring to join you.”

“
Wow.
That's just...wow.”

Simon
was dazed at the idea that any powerful elemental would choose to
serve him.

“
But
the first rule of elementalism still applies, master.”

“
Wait,
what? There are rules? How come I've never heard of them?”

“
Everything
follows rules, master. Even the dark gods follow rules. If they
didn't, they would have invaded this realm long ago. But they have
to eliminate mortals first. That is a rule.”

“
Good
point. And the first rule of summoning is?”

“
You
may not have more than ten elementals from each realm serving you at
the same time, master. Whether ten little ones like me, or great ones
like Aethos, the rule is the same.”

“
And
if I try to go beyond that?”

“
It
simply won't work, master,” Kronk told him with a little shrug.
“Summon an eleventh elemental and the first one you summoned is
recalled back to its realm. Balance must be maintained. That is the
rule.”

“
Makes
sense, actually,” Simon mused as he sipped his tea. “Can
you imagine the destruction a hundred elementals could cause? Or a
thousand? An entire army?”

“
Precisely,
master. Rules like these were put in place when our kind were first
created. We do not know by whom. Whoever our creator was, I suppose,
although we do not even know who that was.”

“
God?”
Simon asked simply.

“
What
is God, master? Do you know? We do not. We've known gods, yes. But
one supreme being? That is a mystery to us.”

“
Don't
feel too bad about that, Kronk. It's a mystery to us too. Okay then.
I can summon up to ten earthen of comparable strength to Aethos.
That's an excellent start.”

“
Nine,
master,” Kronk interjected hurriedly.

“
Nine?”

“
Well,
you can certainly summon ten, master, but that would force me to
return to my home realm.”

“
Oh
crap! I already forgot that.”

Simon
gave the little guy a nervous smile.

“
Sorry.
Don't worry, bud. You aren't going anywhere.”