unusual for a wizard not to answer a summons. We are still investigating."
"Well, moving on, I was privileged, if that is the word, to see your dragon yesterday. Quite impressive. However, I will hold my comments until I have heard from you folks. What can you tell me about Thermite? Master Diamond?"
Diamond cleared his throat, “It first appeared about three months ago. Thermite first started destroying homes on the very outskirts of Center City. It either burns them to the ground or simply lands on them. Because of its weight, the results are about the same. So far, it has destroyed twenty-seven homes, and, most recently, the bank in Norkon. That was its first incursion into the city proper.
Three of the Masters attempted to use the information in Dragonis Eliminatus to kill the beast. It took them a week before they even got a glimpse of it. The flaming arrows did nothing. They tried a freeze spell, which also had no effect.” Diamond paused and glanced about the room. “Master Citrine, they were all senior wizards. They all had strong talents, but not a single spell had any affect on the beast."
Hamilton sat and then asked, “Can I see their reports?"
"There are no reports from them. They did not survive the attempt."
"So what makes you believe that I will fair any better?"
"Because you are the best that we have. If you fail, the Guild fails."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence. Does anyone else have anything to add?"
An acolyte half raised his hand. Hamilton looked at the boy. “Yes? You are?"
"Whimper. Anthony Whimper, Master Citrine. Level 2 wizard in training.” The boy looked nervous and fidgeted in his chair. He had difficulty meeting Hamilton's gaze.
"Yes, Acolyte Whimper. What can you add?"
"W-well, the d-dragon doesn't attack people or animals, just houses and, er, banks."
"Anything else?"
"N-no, sir."
"Thank you, Acolyte. Does anyone else have anything to add?"
The room was silent except for a muffled cough or two. Hamilton looked at the Acolytes and at the Senior Wizards. They all looked back at him. “Frankly, I was hoping that you can provide me with more information. Here is what I believe to be true. First, your Thermite is not a dragon. Dragons are, if nothing else, reptiles. Thermite is a bug, albeit a large one. Also, you can add a clock shop to your list of destroyed buildings although, were it not for my intervention, it would have been the King's Arms Inn instead of the shop. I do not tell you this to tout my abilities as saving the Arms as it was as much dumb luck as anything else that saved it."
Hamilton spotted the Alchemist seated to Diamond's left. “Master Hardension, what can you tell me about the items I left for you to examine?"
The Alchemist stood and placed a burlap sack on the table. He opened it and removed the cylinder. It no longer glowed. “This,” he began as he held the cylinder, “is made of base metals. A bit of gold mixed with some silver but mostly lead. I opened it. It was hollow and empty. The glow came from a magic charge of some sort but, even after consulting with the other wizards, I was unable to determine how it was so charged or what spell was used. As you can see, the charge has dissipated."
"Anything else about the cylinder?"
"Only that it was, at least physically, created by a talented metallurgist. The mix of metals is uniform throughout. Also, the machining of the parts comes very close to artistry in its precision. I would very much like to meet the man who created it."
"As would I, Master Alchemist. What about the material in the jar I left?"
Hardension brightened. “Now that was interesting. It is some form of oil. Quite flammable. Unfortunately, I can't identify its type."
The Alchemist removed the blackened jar from the sack and unscrewed its top. “There is something disquieting about this substance.” He took a stylus and inserted it into the jar withdrawing a small bead of it on the stylus’ tip. He then smeared it on the
"Well, moving on, I was privileged, if that is the word, to see your dragon yesterday. Quite impressive. However, I will hold my comments until I have heard from you folks. What can you tell me about Thermite? Master Diamond?"
Diamond cleared his throat, “It first appeared about three months ago. Thermite first started destroying homes on the very outskirts of Center City. It either burns them to the ground or simply lands on them. Because of its weight, the results are about the same. So far, it has destroyed twenty-seven homes, and, most recently, the bank in Norkon. That was its first incursion into the city proper.
Three of the Masters attempted to use the information in Dragonis Eliminatus to kill the beast. It took them a week before they even got a glimpse of it. The flaming arrows did nothing. They tried a freeze spell, which also had no effect.” Diamond paused and glanced about the room. “Master Citrine, they were all senior wizards. They all had strong talents, but not a single spell had any affect on the beast."
Hamilton sat and then asked, “Can I see their reports?"
"There are no reports from them. They did not survive the attempt."
"So what makes you believe that I will fair any better?"
"Because you are the best that we have. If you fail, the Guild fails."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence. Does anyone else have anything to add?"
An acolyte half raised his hand. Hamilton looked at the boy. “Yes? You are?"
"Whimper. Anthony Whimper, Master Citrine. Level 2 wizard in training.” The boy looked nervous and fidgeted in his chair. He had difficulty meeting Hamilton's gaze.
"Yes, Acolyte Whimper. What can you add?"
"W-well, the d-dragon doesn't attack people or animals, just houses and, er, banks."
"Anything else?"
"N-no, sir."
"Thank you, Acolyte. Does anyone else have anything to add?"
The room was silent except for a muffled cough or two. Hamilton looked at the Acolytes and at the Senior Wizards. They all looked back at him. “Frankly, I was hoping that you can provide me with more information. Here is what I believe to be true. First, your Thermite is not a dragon. Dragons are, if nothing else, reptiles. Thermite is a bug, albeit a large one. Also, you can add a clock shop to your list of destroyed buildings although, were it not for my intervention, it would have been the King's Arms Inn instead of the shop. I do not tell you this to tout my abilities as saving the Arms as it was as much dumb luck as anything else that saved it."
Hamilton spotted the Alchemist seated to Diamond's left. “Master Hardension, what can you tell me about the items I left for you to examine?"
The Alchemist stood and placed a burlap sack on the table. He opened it and removed the cylinder. It no longer glowed. “This,” he began as he held the cylinder, “is made of base metals. A bit of gold mixed with some silver but mostly lead. I opened it. It was hollow and empty. The glow came from a magic charge of some sort but, even after consulting with the other wizards, I was unable to determine how it was so charged or what spell was used. As you can see, the charge has dissipated."
"Anything else about the cylinder?"
"Only that it was, at least physically, created by a talented metallurgist. The mix of metals is uniform throughout. Also, the machining of the parts comes very close to artistry in its precision. I would very much like to meet the man who created it."
"As would I, Master Alchemist. What about the material in the jar I left?"
Hardension brightened. “Now that was interesting. It is some form of oil. Quite flammable. Unfortunately, I can't identify its type."
The Alchemist removed the blackened jar from the sack and unscrewed its top. “There is something disquieting about this substance.” He took a stylus and inserted it into the jar withdrawing a small bead of it on the stylus’ tip. He then smeared it on the
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