Read The Dragons of Decay for Free Online

up, startled.
    “ Maybe that's not such a bad
idea after all,” he muttered and walked to the door to get his
staff.
    Then he retreated to the kitchen
counter, leaned against it again and pulled his spell-book from his
robe pocket.
    He had rewritten all of his spells
into a smaller, easy to carry notebook and always kept it on his
person now. He could keep ten spells permanently memorized thanks to
months of dogged, tedious practice and study, and could pack another
ten into his memory temporarily.
    Simon doubted that there was anything
wrong, but skimmed through the book regardless, wondering what spells
he might need if there was indeed some sort of emergency.
    He dropped the book in surprise as he
looked up, wide-eyed. Something heavy had just slammed against the
front door.
    His eyes flew to the bolts on the
inside of the reinforced door. Naturally they were all open, but the
latch was closed against the wind. As he watched, it rattled in its
slot and he saw it bend inward. It wasn't meant to do anything but
keep the door shut.
    Simon swallowed convulsively, scooped
up his spell-book and slipped it back into his pocket.
    No time to look up spells now, he
thought nervously.
    He grabbed the staff and strode
toward the door,
    It shuddered for a third time and the
latch squealed in protest, barely keeping the door closed.
    Simon quickly chanted a spell.
    “ Invectis !” he said loudly, just as the door crashed open.
    A blast of arctic air hit his shield
spell and was redirected to the sides. The icy snow slammed into the
barrier, setting off little sparks and flashes of light and the
wizard could barely see the opening in front of him.
    And then with a chorus of wails, like
damned souls released from Hell, a wall of white bodies leaped
through the doorway directly at him.
    “ Holy shi...” he managed
to yell just as he was thrown across the room to slam into the far
wall. The shield cushioned the impact but he was dizzy and shaken up
as he lay on his back, looking up at the ceiling.
    Somehow, he had managed to hang on to
his staff, and he staggered to his feet and raised it as he hurried
to cast a second spell.
    “ Invectis !” he shouted again and heard little tinkles, like tiny chimes, as his
body was covered in a coating of crystal. He looked like a carving of
a man made of glittering diamonds.
    The shield was holding and Simon
looked around frantically. His attackers had paused for a brief
moment, stymied by his shield, and he had his first chance to get a
really good look at them,
    “ What the...?” he
murmured.
    White, so white that they were
difficult to see in the midst of the snow and ice that was blowing
into the tower. Man-shaped but hunched over, the creatures dragged
their skinny arms along the ground. All he saw for certain were
blazing red eyes, gaping maws full of crooked fangs and long, thin
fingers tipped with inch-long claws.
    An acidic stench, like urine, filled
the room as they piled in, making him gag.
    What the hell are they? he wondered
in shock. And how had they gotten past his wards?
    There were at least a dozen of the
monsters already inside the tower and more were crowding in at the
doorway, pushing and shoving as they tried to reach him.
    Simon's mind began to race as he
considered the best plan of attack. Creatures that lived in sub-zero
conditions must be vulnerable to fire, he thought quickly.
    He glanced up at the wooden ceiling
above him, with its huge cross-beams of oak and felt a pang of
regret.
    Stop that, his inner voice said.
Buildings can be rebuilt. Deal with these bastards first.
    For some reason that thought calmed
him down and he began to chant.
    As he finished, the monsters drew
back a little, and Simon briefly wondered why. He couldn't know that
a smile as cold as the wind blowing into his home had crept across
his lips.
    He pointed his staff at the group of
fiends directly in front of him.
    “ Invectis !”
he spat in a voice thick with disgust and hatred.
    The