Dragons, Power, Courts, And War (Book 2)

by Vic Broquard

  Next, she met with the other group, those who were lacking arms. These included the two Cosma women, Marcella and Marzia, the Rehor woman, Bronislava, and the four women from northern Adapazan, Zora, Luba, Chesna, and Mila. These had all been carrying blacks and had the same residual magical energies as the original seventeen. Since their arrival, Zdenka had assigned her six new spring picking students to be their twins, assisting them with their many physical needs.

  “We were hoping and praying that we’d get chosen!” Zora exclaimed when Zdenka explained that she would be teaching them magic as well. “We can’t help but see how fantastically well the others are doing — you know Danika, Eliska, and the others. We were all praying that we could get the chance to learn. Like we are, we can have no lives at all, but with magic we can live full lives again.”

  “Yes, that is very true. However, I must caution you seven too. You must learn to find alternate ways to do the things of life, just as the Danika and the others have. It is hard, I won’t say otherwise, but you must. Magic cannot ever give you back your arms and hands permanently, but if you study hard, practice diligently, and are patient, in time you may be able to cast spells that will give you both arms and hands on a temporary basis. Always, though you must be prepared to have the spell canceled and be able to get by as you now are.”

  She went on, “I am going to have Danika and the others work with you during the next few weeks teaching you the many tricks and ways that they have found useful. As you know, we have many more women who will be giving birth here shortly during May and June, half are armless as well. We must focus our immediate efforts on saving their lives. Once that is done, then we’ll begin your training hot and heavy.”

  “Couldn’t you just cast the spell that gives us arms now?” asked Marcella. “Then, we would not be such total burdens on everyone.”

  Zdenka smiled, anticipating this question. “You are right; we certainly could cast that spell on each of you, giving you both arms and hands. However, we will not, unless it is a dire emergency. Why? Remember, the spell is temporary and at any moment it can be dispelled. You simply must learn to get by on your own as much as possible so that when such a thing happens you will be able to manage and eventually recast that spell.”

  “So we have to learn to do things with our feet?” asked Zora.

  “Yes, I made the seventeen use their feet to study magic. In fact, they still do so, but soon, I hope that they will all learn the Morph spell and finally be able to have arms and hands once more, at least temporarily. Remember, you must be able to get by as you are, even if you should become an Archmage.” That satisfied the seven.

  A few days later, Zdenka changed her mind a little and started the seven off on the extensive reading of the basic background materials. She watched them plunge in with total abandon, just as Danika and the others had. Even though their actual spell casting training would be delayed for a time, at least they were getting a start. She didn’t do so with the blind women, since they had to learn to get around on their own and that was far more difficult and challenging, facing a world of total blackness.

  While Zdenka continued to focus on the training of her many students, she left the pregnant women under the care of the other Archmages, mages, and Duskas. Verushka and Nadia led that group which included Jarka, Chika, Akira, and her youngest daughter, Milena. High Priestess Jarmila, Zdenka’s daughter, joined them along with Baroness Reina Vavrin, and Zoran’s sisters, Reyna and Lida. When too many were approaching birth at the same time, Archmage Ivana returned from Jing to help out as well as Archmages Kate and Marjeta from the other warlord provinces. At several points, the men were also asked to help cast the frequent Morph spells as well. Verushka didn’t wanted to have to pull in others from off-world unless they simply could not handle it.

  During the first weeks of May, the eight armless women from Jing were saved. These included Mei, Lin, Fan, Hualing, Meili, Ning, Jinjing, and Qing. Of course, Zdenka met with Archmage Ivana and Baroness Chan ahead of time to discuss their future training, since these were Chan’s countrywomen. All had the powerful magical energies within their bodies now and would likely progress as rapidly as the original seventeen had. Ivana knew that she simply could not handle them. This was her very first months as a teacher and she had her hands full with the other thirty Jing women who had been victims of the greens. Zdenka had no real choice but to accept them under her tutelage, much to Chan’s great desires.

  As soon as they recovered from their harrowing birth experiences, she got them learning to deal with life using their feet and had them join the others studying the basic magical background materials, much to their joy as well. Comradery blossomed.

  The real test of everyone came in June when the eight Terra women who also had lost their arms gave birth followed within a couple days with the fifteen other Terra women bearing blacks and another ten with reds. At least the twenty-five had their arms and eyes. That was a welcome break, Zdenka thought. Yet, how to train all of these was her problem. Once more, the difficult cases fell to Zdenka, who anticipated this happening. Thus, during the middle of June, she added Jane, Betsy, Ann, Milli, Sally, Janine, Mary, and Beth to her group, once more setting them to work on a study of the basic background materials.

  As the last of the women were handled that third week in June, Zdenka now had far more students than she could possibly handle alone. Hence, she and Verushka and Nadia met to see how they could handle the women by dividing the students between the three of them. “I’ll keep the original seventeen because we are blazing the trail for all the others,” Zdenka suggested. “I’ll handle the six who are blind and the Rehor woman, Bronislava , and our four Adapazan women, Zora, Luba, Chesna, and Mila. That gives me twenty-eight tough ones, plus my dozen regular students.”

  “Okay, I’ll take on the other armless women, the eight from Jing, the eight from Cosma, and the seven others from Cosma. That gives me twenty-three tough cases,” Verushka volunteered.

  “Great, I’ll take the women who don’t have any physical disabilities. That means the fifteen from Terra who have just given birth, five from Cosma, and ten from Terra. That makes thirty women for me,” Nadia volunteered. “That is probably the best for me, since these will be my first real students and my tower is almost done now.”

  Having decided on a division of students, the three Archmages discussed this with their students and all their helpers. All three were very pleased when Reyna and Lida announced that they would stay here through the end of July, helping out wherever needed.

  After that point in time, the seventeen were able to use Morph Self spells and immediately volunteered to assist many of the others with their daily living needs. Nadia moved her thirty new students over to her tower which was newly built on the opposite side of the Fortress from Zdenka’s tower.

  Verushka now shared Zdenka’s tower with her and space was at a premium. Archmage Verushka’s tower was at the Fortress and Circle of Ascension in Sholov Province where she was the baroness. Since Verushka’s students were also armless, she and Zdenka thought it was wiser to keep them all together here in one location. Verushka also liked that idea, since she really needed Zdenka’s guidance and experience in training these women.

  By the end of July, a very strong bond had formed between these many women, a bond that would never be broken in years to come. Yet, other bonds formed during that time as well. In many ways, Zdenka felt that these bonds were nearly as important as their magical training.

  “Good afternoon, Door Warden Blanka. I’m here for Danika and Neda, please,” Rafael said politely to the stern faced woman who always answered the tower door. He was sure that she must be at least a mage, but he had no way of knowing. For some unfathomable reason, he always felt cowed when he spoke to this woman who held the love of his life hostage. One word from her and he’d not get to see lovely Danika this week. Thus, he always held his breath after he made his request of her. It didn’t help that she stood six inches tal
ler than him. She nodded and closed the door. Rafael always hated this part — the uncertainty — would she fetch them or would she leave him standing in the doorway? He never knew which.

  It was the first Sunday in May, the snows had melted and spring flowers blossomed. Behind his back he held a spring bouquets of daffodils, cradled in a pair cloth pouches with a long strap. He smiled as he felt them in his hand as he rocked impatiently on his feet. While working on a sword for Karel, he’d suddenly gotten the idea of how his love could carry flowers. Women, he knew, always liked flowers — at least his late wife had.

  The door opened and the flushed, smiling face of Danika met his. His heart leapt for joy once more. “Hi Rafael. Glad you’ve come.” Behind her, eleven year old Neda poked her head around Danika’s shoulders, flashing him a grin.

  “Now you two be careful out there,” the stern voice of Blanka called out as the two stepped out onto the cobblestones.

  “Oh don’t worry so much. She’s got me with her,” Neda replied, waving her arm at Blanka.

  Two months ago, Danika had attempted to again dissuade Rafael from taking a romantic interest in her. “Look, Rafael, Neda’s lost her parents and home. I used to baby sit her when she was little and I am all that she has left and I couldn’t refuse her request to be her mother. I can’t just leave her.”

  “No you certainly can’t, Danika. If you do, I will have to disown you. She’ll just now have to also have a new dad to depend on — me,” he replied. Danika had suspected that Rafael would now abandon his interests in her, since he would certainly not want an eleven year old girl. Thus, her heart fluttered when he accepted her as well. Ever since then, Rafael always took both of them on their Sunday outings. He did explain to Neda that he’d never had a young daughter and wasn’t sure what Neda might need, but he’d always be there for her. That was enough for Neda, who began to see that she might have a new family here.

  “For my fine, lovely ladies,” Rafael said, producing the flowers from behind his back. “Daffodils. I’ve made each of you a little carrying cradle. Here, it goes over your heads like this and the pouch dangles down like this so you can see them and smell them.” He placed one on each, stood back, and saw how they looked.

  “They’re beautiful, Rafael!” Danika fought to keep tears from coming. “You know I love flowers. If I can ever get a new home, I want to have hundreds of spring daffodils in the front and hundreds of marigolds around the sides, for they bring in the new year and later keep the summer alive far into the fall.” She gave him a loving kiss.

  “Dad, what are we going to do this afternoon?” Neda asked after she gave him a hug and a kiss on his cheek.

  “Well, for my little Neda and her gorgeous mother, this afternoon, we have a really big surprise.” He purposely teased her a little.

  “Come on, out with it! What are we doing?” Neda insisted, pulling on his arm with hers, while Danika smiled at her playfulness. It was so good to see Neda opening up like this once more. She was the old Neda that she had baby sat years ago, full of life and vibrance. She’d been so solemn and withdrawn since the dragon attack that killed her parents and destroyed her home. Of course, it was the same dragon attack that cost Danika and the others so dearly as well.

  “Jiri knows this perfect spot in the Dark Forest. We are all going on a picnic! But there’s more.”

  “What more?” Neda giggled.

  “You’ll see soon enough,” Rafael replied, as they walked a short distance to the Stodgy Inn. “I’ve a fine buggy waiting for us. Neda, I think someone is sitting in our buggy!” He feigned a little surprise. “Why don’t you run ahead and see who it is for us?”

  She did so and let out a little squeal. It was her boyfriend, Dragan, the innkeeper’s son. “Hi Neda. Rafael said that I can come with you on the picnic, that is if it’s okay with you,” he said. It was, of course.

  “You’ve made her day,” Danika whispered lovingly to Rafael, who was smiling over his little surprise.

  “Now I have to make yours, my love,” he whispered back, giving her waist a slight squeeze. “We’re going with the others. I hope you don’t mind,” he said in a normal voice.

  “Oh, that’s fine. We are all so close now.” She knew that he was referring to the Gang of Six, as they now called themselves. During the early part of the year, Rafael discovered that five others were quite serious about dating some of Danika’s companions. Some were widowers. One had a five year old daughter, but two were merely bachelors who’d never met quite the right woman for one reason or another. At the Yuletide Dance, they’d met some of these seventeen new women to Brn and had been smitten.

  During January’s Sundays, they had occasionally run into each other as they went to pick up their dates at the tower, the only day that Zdenka’s students had off. The six had discovered that they were all getting to know these new women and a special comradery formed between them. By May, they all worked together to plan enjoyable outings for their dates and themselves. This Sunday, they were following Jiri, the miller’s, idea of a picnic among the soft pine needles of the Dark Forest, at the edge of Brn.

  Jiri was dating Kate. Viktor, a fortress guard, was dating Eliska. Bedrich, the cooper, was dating Marjeta. Veko, the bootmaker, was dating Byrona. Zdenek, the stone mason, was dating Svetlana. A widower, Zdenek had a five year old daughter, Chesna, to raise, and Svetlana took an instant liking to the shy young girl. By May Chesna was hanging on to her as if she was her mother already.

  The six saw these women not as helpless cripples but as the beautiful young women that they were, highly intelligent, strong willed, and powerful. The raiding dragons had kidnaped the prettiest of the young women of the village. Further, all of Brn was now talking about the fabulous progress these seventeen were making, claiming these would soon be Archmages. Of course those doing the talking had not the faintest idea of just what this all meant beyond knowing that an Archmage was almost as powerful as a baron. Beauty and power attracted the young bachelors, but the women themselves had won their hearts.

  Weeks ago, Rafael had actually proposed to Danika. This was what she had feared would happen. Rafael had said that they simply had to wait to get married until she’d finished up her magic training. “I simply will not marry you until you finish up. I cannot keep you from that. I couldn’t live with myself if I did.” No, it was not that she might have to terminate her magic studies in order to say yes and marry Rafael. No, it was not that she didn’t love him. Her heart had opened up to him at last. The loss of her own husband and two babies had finally returned to the past, though she was occasionally reminded of them. Her hesitancy came from her physical situation, her lack of arms and hands, which made her so utterly dependent upon others for the most mundane actions of life.

  “I — I can’t marry you right now, Rafael, even though my heart yearns to do just that. It would not be fair to you. I cannot uphold the duties of a wife anymore. I can’t cook or take care of our household things that must be done. I can’t get the groceries. I can’t even pick up the dirty clothes, let alone feed myself well. How can I cook our family’s meals? I can’t care for Neda; she is caring for me. If we have more children, how can I change their diapers or even feed them? Rafael, I feel awful. I could not uphold my side of our marriage. I would be making you do all of the things that I ought and should be doing if we were married. I would be a leech on you. I love you too much to do that to you.”

  Rafael was not about to give up. “That is true, my dearest, but you are only looking at the things that you can’t do, not at all the incredible things that you can do. My shop has never been so clean and orderly since you came into my life. Each Sunday, you cast a few of your powerful spells and everything is spotless. We simply have to work out all the other ways you can help me and let me do what I can for you. We just have to juggle things around a little.”

  “Well, that’s true, but a Clean spell is nothing compared to all that you’d have to be taking on. Let me think about it,” she
finally conceded and that he accepted. She just needs time, he thought.

  As the days passed and May rolled around, one by one Eliska, Kate, Byrona, and Svetlana chatted with Danika during their private hours of the evenings. Their new boyfriends had asked to marry them as well and they wanted to get Danika’s advice before replying. It was responsibility kicking in for these women. As they progressed in their magic studies, gaining ever increasing powers and skills, so also came their own personal responsibility. Danika’s reasons for stalling Rafael’s proposal were really real to these women at this time. All six realized that six months ago, they would probably not have hesitated a second in saying yes and marrying their loves. Yet they all knew what was likely to have happened after that. Once the newness wore off, their new husbands would soon tire of the constant care they would be needing, ultimately ruining the relationship, because they had so little that they could give back, so little that they could do as a wife.

  Zdenka overheard them discussing this and smiled, knowing that these women were becoming more and more responsible. She knew that this was paramount if they were ever going to master even more powerful spells. Failure to assume the responsibility that comes with magical powers always kept one from mastering such spells.

  Although the six asked for more time, the Gang of Six continued their weekly dates, not taking no or even a stall. As the women picked up their power spells, Ball of Fire, Lightning Bolts, and so on, they effused excitement each Sunday afternoon, eagerly telling their boyfriends about their incredible new spells. More than ever, the six men wanted to marry and support these powerful women.

  Then came the breakthrough in July. Rafael swore that he would never forget that Sunday afternoon. When Danika came out to meet him, she had arms and hands again! She threw herself on him and hugged him tightly! As Rafael’s tears of joy trickled down his cheeks, she explained this powerful new spell she’d just learned. “This is what I looked like just before the dragon’s attacked. Of course, it is only temporary. I can cancel my spell at any time and go back to my old armless self, and other mages can also dispel it as well. But I can recast it. Now I can uphold my half of our marriage. So yes, Rafael, I will marry you as soon as we want, only I have to continue my magic studies.” Six men and six women were extraordinarily happy and exuberant that Sunday.