The Dragons Revenge (Tales from the New Earth #2) by J.J. Thompson Read Free Book Online Page A

carefully.
    “ The nature of the
dragons' attack is the key. Those two reds were sent to your home,
not to kill you, but to render you powerless.”
    “ What?”
    Simon sat up abruptly.
    The cleric nodded again.
    “ Yes. You see, they
circled your tower and set up a barrier between you and the magic
that the gods have been channeling to you. And then they absorbed it.
You aren't powerless, Simon. Instead, your magic had been drained
away by these dragons.”
    Simon blinked rapidly,
thinking through Clara's explanation.
    “ But if that's true,
then why didn't the power return when the dragons died?”
    “ Ah, now here is
where we have to take the gods' explanation on faith, I suppose. Once
the magic was consumed, it was gone. All of it. Including your
knowledge of those spells that the divine ones passed on to you.”
    Her gaze sharpened.
    “ When the dragons
died, did you examine the remains?”
    “ The remains?”
Simon was confused. “There were no remains. The beasts burned
up to nothing when they were destroyed.”
    “ No Simon, they did
not.” Clara sounded firm as she said this. “The gods tell
me that you must search the spot where each dragon fell. Find their
hearts. That is the reservoir of their power. If you can find those
objects, and destroy them, your magic will be restored.”
    “ What, just like
that?” he asked skeptically.
    She chuckled at his
expression.
    “ Yes, my friend.
Just like that.” She held up a warning hand. “But,
unfortunately, the spells that were imparted to you by the gods are
gone for good. If and when you regain your magic, you will be back to
being that young wizard who struggled along to discover spells
through research and trial and error. The gift cannot be given twice,
so you will have to relearn all that you need to learn on your own.”
    Simon was disappointed to
hear that he would be back almost to square one with his
spell-casting, but his excitement at the thought that he at least
wouldn't be powerless for the rest of his life smothered that
feeling.
    “ I can deal with
that, Clara. To be honest, the idea of being useless in this new
world of ours was, well, devastating.”
    Now it was his turn to
take her hand in both of his.
    “ Thank you. And
thanks to the gods of Order for answering your prayers. I
feel...whole again.”
    Clara smiled warmly.
    “ On behalf of those
gods, you're welcome. I did nothing.” She became serious again.
“But don't get ahead of yourself. Simon. Remember, you must
find these hearts and destroy them. That may not be as easy as it
sounds.”
    He shrugged that off.
    “ It doesn't matter.
I'll get it done. After all, I have no choice, do I?”
    “ Not if you want to
get your powers back.”
    She stood up and Simon
hurried to do the same.
    “ If you want to get
back home before it gets dark, I think you'll have to leave now.”
    She glanced out the
window.
    “ It will be dark in
a couple of hours and I'm sure that you don't want to be riding
through the forest at night. It gets even colder once the sun goes
down.”
    “ True enough,”
Simon said and he walked across the room to get his coat.
    Clara led the way into the
main hall and both of them stood for a few minutes next to the
roaring fire as they said their goodbyes.
    “ You discovered the
Magic Mouth spell on your own, didn't you?” she asked him.
    Simon put on his coat and
settled it comfortably before answering.
    “ I did, actually.
Why?”
    “ Because, once you
regain your magic, I'd like you to give me a call and let me know.”
She smiled. “It will reassure me to know that you are back to
your old self again.”
    He grinned as he pulled
his mittens out of his pocket.
    “ That will
definitely be on my to-do list.” He hesitated and then tried to
express how much he appreciated her help.
    The cleric waved off his
thanks.
    “ It was my pleasure,
Simon. And to be honest, as a cleric should be, we need you. We need
you as an ally in this magical new world. I will