Free The Dragons of Argent and Silver (Tales from the New Earth #6) by J.J. Thompson Page A

surprised that you're back already, both
with her blood and in one piece. Really remarkable.”
    His pep talk worked and
the elementals cheered up immediately. Kronk, who had hopped up on to
the table and was watching quietly, gave Simon a discreet wink.
    “ We were happy to
serve, sir wizard,” Brethia said. “May we now resume our
post on the roof?”
    Simon looked at her and
Orriss curiously.
    “ Don't you two want
some time off? Head home for a while maybe or whatever?”
    “ Oh no, not at all,”
Orriss told him quickly. “We enjoy keeping watch over your
tower, sir wizard. And we will get a break because we share the
duty.” He hesitated. “Unless you would like one of us to
return to the desert keep track of the queen?”
    His distaste for that
option was obvious and Simon had to laugh.
    “ No, you've gone
above and beyond the call on this mission. I'll summon another one of
your people to take over that job.” The wizard grinned at their
pleased expressions. “I'll feel more secure with your keen eyes
up on the roof watching over my home.”
    Both of the elementals
bowed and disappeared with twin pops. Aeris looked amused.
    “ What are you
grinning about?” Simon asked him as he picked up the glass and
watched in disgusted fascination as the green blood continued to
melt.
    “ Just their
enthusiasm. They love doing what they do.”
    “ And you do not?”
Kronk asked absently as he tapped over to Simon and examined the
frozen blood.
    “ Of course I do. But
I prefer scouting or doing what I do now to standing watch day and
night on the roof of this tower.”
    Simon turned the glass
this way and that and then put it down on the table and wiped his
hand unconsciously on his shirt, even though he hadn't actually
touched the blood.
    “ Can you imagine how
old this stuff is?” he asked the others as he nodded at the
green, viscous liquid. The blood had melted quickly.
    “ Probably millions
of years, master,” Kronk replied in obvious awe.
    He stroked the side of the
glass, his hand clinking loudly against it.
    “ It's just blood,
you know,” Aeris said dismissively. “A dragon is a
dragon.”
    “ No real respect for
history, hmm?”
    “ I have a lot of
respect for history, my dear wizard. What I don't have respect for is
dragons. And if it wasn't for the queen, we would never have had the
damned monsters in this world to begin with.”
    Kronk gave him a serious
look.
    “ Don't blame her. It
was the lords of Chaos that created her to be the mother of her
species. If anyone is to blame, it is them.”
    “ Kronk's right. If
we ever rid the world of the red dragons and the queen, we'll still
have to deal with the evil gods.”
    “ Well, good luck
with that,” Aeris told him with his usual sarcasm.
    Simon had to smile.
    “ Yeah, you're right.
Good luck with that. Anyway,” he picked up the glass,”
I'm going to put this downstairs with the other 'ingredients' and get
it out of sight. It's a bit...”
    “ Gross,” Aeris
said with a firm nod.
    “ Exactly. I'll be
back in a minute.”
    The wizard walked over to
the stairs and disappeared below. The two elementals watched him and
then Kronk turned to Aeris.
    “ Was it difficult?”
    Aeris floated off of the
table and down to the front of the fireplace. Kronk dropped to the
floor and joined him. Both of them sat and stared at the flames.
    “ Difficult? Yes, I
suppose it was. Exciting too, in a way, but that creature is so
powerful and unpredictable that we came close to being destroyed more
than once.”
    “ Well, I am glad
that you were not.”
    Aeris smiled at the
earthen.
    “ Thanks. I
appreciate that. So now what? When will our wizard start this
ceremony?”
    Kronk shrugged, the light
from the fire casting shadows across his suddenly serious expression.
    “ I do not know. I
doubt that he knows either. This is Esmiralla's show, as they say.
She will dictate the next move.”
    Aeris looked over his
shoulder and then lowered his voice.
    “ I