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

am
understanding you correctly, you think that Esmiralla may have subtly
coerced you into allowing this connection?”
    “ She might have,
yes.”
    “ Then the most
important question has to be...why? What could she possibly hope to
gain from this merging?”
    Simon stopped again,
walked back up the steps and sat down heavily next to Kronk.
    “ That is the one
thing that keeps stopping me from completely accepting that she might
have tricked me. What could she gain from being trapped inside this,”
he slapped his narrow chest, “skinny, adolescent body? Wouldn't
she rather remain as herself? I'll tell you, her draconian body was
awesome and powerful. So what has she gotten out of this merging with
me?”
    “ 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