“What’s wrong?” asked a very concerned Zdenka, who had been awakened by his thrashing in their bed. She saw that he was dripping wet. “Are you ill?”
“Bad dream. No, I’m fine. Just had a nightmare, that’s all. Mermaid was drowning and I couldn’t save her.”
“Dear, there are no such things as mermaids. It must be your imagination at work. Maybe you are working too hard. Maybe all of the stress you are under — what with all the assassinations and war threats.” She tried to invent a plausible explanation. He agreed with her and they went back to sleep.
Since the assassination attempt on Baroness Zdenka, Karel had adopted a new policy. He’s been highly successful at thwarting the assassin by virtue of being both Invisible and perched high on the roof of the inn. From that vantage point, he’d seen the assassin coming. Now each morning as the sun rose, Karel moved to the top of the tower, some five stories above the city and the construction site behind the tower. Here was where he kept his dozen falcon cages. Each morning, as well as evening, he would release them and allow them to hunt and get some exercise. While they were doing so, he cast his most powerful spell, changing into a giant falcon himself. While circling high over the town, his falcon vision showed all warm blooded bodies down below. Workers coming to the construction site predominated.
Karel’s thought was to continue to hunt for further Invisible assassins who might be making a sneak attack on the tower. Anyone about below who had cast Invisibility on themselves would show up with his falcon sight. He could now see in the infrared band as did his hunters. Once the town became a bustling hive of activity, Karel would transform back and call back his many falcons and join the others for breakfast. Thus far, he’s seen nothing out of the ordinary.
Near the end of April, while they were eating breakfast, Baron Milan made mental contact with Zoran. Zoran, we just got word from our spies that a large force of shock troops is on the move. We don’t know where they are headed or how many there are. Reports suggest that a number of Mages are with them. Stay vigilant, nephew. He thanked his uncle and promised to be so.
“Gang, that was my uncle. He reports that his spies have detected a large force of shock troops and Mages are on the move. Stay alert today. They may be headed here,” Zoran relayed the news. All day long, everyone was on high alert, spells at the ready. However, Zdenka continued her lessons with her students. If an attack came, she would join in the defense. Nothing happened all that day.
In the middle of the night, Zoran again had his mermaid nightmare, waking Zdenka once again. “It’s always the same. I see this mermaid swimming around a Circle and she is drowning and I am powerless to prevent it,” he explained, wiping the sweat from his face. Zdenka just snuggled with him. She’d run out of things to say. After all, mermaids did not exist. True, the Mages could cast Breath Water spells and stay underwater for hours, but there were no mermaids on any planets.
At dawn, Karel once again let his falcons lose and transformed into his giant falcon form to join them. As he soared high above the nearly deserted streets just beyond the entrance of the Archmage Tower, he suddenly spied invisible forms materializing. At once, he cast his Message spell to the others.
In bed, Zoran suddenly had a vision of a Circle of Ascension activating and men in plate armor with broadswords and shiny helms were being transported. He awoke with a start. Just then, Karel’s warning message blasted into his mind as well as all of the other Mages and General Janos. Archmage Karel dove for the safety of the tower’s barbican lined top and transformed back into his normal form. Then, he hastily cast numerous protection spells on himself. Invisible, he crept to the edge and peered down into the broad street below.
Hundreds of Kazimir’s best shock troops, their plate mail armor glinting in the early morning sunlight, began marching rapidly towards the tower. In the rear, hovering above the mass of men were five Mages, Archmage Milos, and Baron Kazimir himself. The Baron was heavily encased in his best suit of armor and was at the very rear of his small force.
Boom! The Archmage cast a Disintegrate spell on the wooden doors of the tower, splintering them into kindling wood. The Baron’s plan was obvious. Rush the tower before anyone was awake and take them all down while they were confined within the constricted space of the tower. Karel took careful aim and determinedly cast his spell. Suddenly, Archmage Milos’ head had a three inch hole bored completely through it. He died instantly from Karel’s Disintegrate spell, catching the small army and Mages totally unaware. Of course, that revealed Karel and his position to the other Mages, who unleashed a volley of devastating spells his way. Karel was faster and he dodged back out of the way and cast a Fly spell and then Invisibility. Quickly, he flew off to the right of the tower as more spells landed on the top of the tower. Several Web spells covered the area from which he’d launched his attack.
Zoran and Zdenka were sleeping on the fourth floor when the alarm came. While she cast protective spells as rapidly as she could on Zoran, he got dressed and grabbed his swords. He cast a Magical Door spell and stepped into the first floor, just out of sight of the main door. Already he could see the leading wave of shock troops a mere ten feet from the gaping hole where the door had been. He cast his most powerful Ball of Fire spell. He spotted Marek, the door warden, nearby. Marek saw what Zoran cast and duplicated it, adding his exploding ball of flames to Zoran’s, doubling its effect. Men dropped like flies before the door.
However, the shock troops behind the incinerated ones continued their forward momentum. They knew that the battle was theirs the very moment that they could set foot inside the building. No more flames could be cast in such a confined space. Meanwhile, Karel hovered and aimed his next spell carefully. Another Disintegrate spell blasted a hole in the center of another Mage, who crumpled to the ground. He’d aimed for the Baron, but his Duska sense warned him of the impending attack, and he dove and rolled out of the way, leaving his Mage to take the spell in his chest.
Suddenly, two windows on the fourth floor splintered, glass shards, reflecting sunlight, tumbled slowly to the ground. Two large golden dragons, the twins, came flying out of the windows. At once, they swooped and let lose two blasts of their fiery breath upon the troops about to enter the tower. Simultaneously, Zdenka appeared on the rooftop amid the remnants of the sticky Webs. She shot a Disintegrate spell at another Mage, downing him, but becoming visible herself. She dove for cover, fearing instant retaliation from the remaining three Mages.
Bernard and Jarka planned their first attack carefully, based upon the action before them. Both teleported to a position behind the three hovering Mages, whose attention was totally toward the tower, frantically lobbing spells at the last known position of Karel and Zdenka. Another pair of Balls of Fire came from Zoran and Marek from just inside the open door.
Just as Jarka and Bernard launched their attack, Aldrick and Sofie came flying in to go to work on their mining operations. Seeing the battle, they swooped in and added their fiery breaths to those of their circling twins, further roasting the shock troops. Jarka’s carefully thrown dagger pierced the back of the neck of one hovering Mage; he collapsed onto the ground. Bernard’s Disintegrate spell removed the back of the head of another Mage. Jarka’s subsequent volley of Acid Missiles struck the remaining Mage in the back of his head. He died instantly.
Baron Kazimir whirled and prepared to duel the two Mages. He saw the look of total confidence in Jarka’s eyes and instantly Shadow Walked himself back to his castle. Her throwing dagger missed his forehead by a split second. Once again, his Duska sense had kept him alive.
The dragons circled the mass of burning men, continuing to breath fire down upon them. They were taking no chances. At last Zoran called out to them that the battle was over. Only then did the dragons cease. Emil called out, “We’re off to eat. This has made us hungry!” Zoran chuckled. One by one the defenders stepped out of the front door or down to that area, except Bernard and Jarka, who were already examining the fallen bodies
of the Mages, making doubly sure that they were dead. As the flames died down, but not the horrid stench, Zoran saw the remains of two hundred fifty of Kazimir’s best shock troops. Not one had set foot in the tower. Now all of their students began peering out of the windows as well as hundreds of townsfolk, who began congregating to see what had happened. The stench was awful; many were nauseated. It was that bad.
“Anyone hurt?” Zoran called out loudly. A chorus of no’s gave everyone immediate relief.
“Kazimir was the only one to get away,” Jarka yelled to him. “I just barely missed him. He’s a hard man to kill.”
“He’s a Duska,” Zoran yelled back. She grinned. Well, she knew that. That was the reason she did not go after him first. He would very likely avoid her attack and perhaps fell her in the process. Instead, she took out the next most dangerous ones, his Mages. “Hey, that’s Archmage Milos!”
“Yes, I took him out first,” Archmage Karel declared. “He was the most dangerous man on the field of battle that I had any chance of getting. He had to go. Pity I didn’t get the chance to get Kazimir, though.”
“He would most likely have just dived out of the way in time, and your spell would have been wasted,” Zoran explained. Karel began wondering just how one could kill an enemy Duska anyway. He angrily swore to find out.
General Janos, who was out walking among the fallen shock troops, called out, “Interesting, Zoran. Dragon breath is so hot that it has melted their armor and weapons! None of it is worth salvaging. What a mess to clean up before breakfast.”
“I know. Have your men stack them up in a pile of four. I will get rid of them myself,” Zoran decided. As a pile was made, he cast his Vanish spell on them, dropping them just above the sun, where their remains vaporized instantly. However, it took him an hour to get them all disposed of and only then could the rest of the scene be cleaned up. With all the Mages working together, casting numerous Create Water spells, the whole main street before the tower was finally washed clean. Many of the cobblestones would now need to be replaced, because they had cracked under the intense heat of the dragon’s breath. One side note, this outcome convinced everyone in Brn that indeed their new baron and his dragons would protect them from Baron Kazimir. Zoran now had the entire town one hundred percent behind him.
Finally at ten, the group sat down for their very late breakfast. General Janos and his men set about replacing the doors and the two broken windows. After eating, Zoran then made contact with his uncle telling him the outcome.
Zoran, that is the best news I’ve heard in a long time. With his Archmage and remaining five Mages dead, he is out of magic users! That has to cripple his ability to wage war! Glad none of you were injured. You are an amazing nephew!
Say uncle, I’ve been meaning to ask you something. Does any planet have any mermaids on them?
He detected his uncle laughing. No, there is no such thing as a mermaid. Now the water world of Asami does have women who swim underwater going after pearls. That’s their biggest money making enterprise, pearls. No mermaids, sorry. Why do you ask?
Been having strange dreams. Guess that’s all it is. Thanks for the timely warning.
The next night, the nightmare returned and this time, Zoran told Zdenka what Baron Milan had told him about Asami and their pearl industry. “See, I told you that there is no such thing as a mermaid,” Zdenka pointed out. Nevertheless, as the days passed, the nightmare continued to plague him.
On May Day, Bernard and Jarka were married in a simple ceremony held at the Stodgy Inn, where they had first met many years ago. “Where are we going to go for our honeymoon?” asked Jarka coyly the day before May Day.
“Beats me. Where would you like to go?” Bernard replied.
“Well, when I was in Alta, I heard all of these tales of just how fabulous the water world of Asami is. Delightful sandy beaches, warm sunshine, tropical breezes, perfect weather nearly every day. It is a vacation planet,” she replied.
Since Zoran had not yet taken Zdenka on a honeymoon and hearing Jarka’s desires, he spoke up. “Then, it’s settled. Zdenka, you and I and the Dragans are going to honeymoon together on Asami! Kazimir is not likely to do anything against us here in the near future. I’m not really needed here at the moment, though I have yet to deal with the Yeller problem. That can wait. Let’s have our honeymoon on the vacation planet.”
“Are you sure, Zoran?” she asked conservatively. It would not do to get her hopes up immediately.
“Absolutely. With Bernard and Jarka with us, we ought to be plenty safe. Besides, no one will know that we are going but us. We’ve only just now decided to go there. It should be safe for a few days, maybe a week. What say you? Marek, Karel, the twins — anyone can substitute for you with the students for a few days. Please say yes my love,” he begged.
Now convinced that he meant it, her enthusiasm sprang out. “Fantastic!” she jumped up and hugged him tightly. Jarka was also very pleased. She was going to a tropical paradise!
“Dear, what do we wear there? What should we pack?” Zdenka, ever practical, asked what now came into her mind.
“Let’s take nothing. I’m sure that we can buy whatever is appropriate there,” he suggested. Honestly, he had no idea whatsoever what they ought to take. He’d never been there, only hovered above it during Shadow Walks.
Chapter 21 Asami
After the wedding ceremony was finished and the new couple congratulated by everyone in the tower, Zoran sat down and focused his mind on Asami. He soon made contact with Baron Hajime. Hi, Baron Zoran here. Say, Zdenka and I and another couple would like to take our honeymoon on Asami.
An excellent choice, I might add. You and lovely Zdenka are most welcome. In fact, please allow us to host your complete honeymoon! Baroness Lami will not hear of it if you insist on paying. Please, allow us to show you our world. When would you like to come?
Wow! Thanks, yes, we would be delighted. Jarka and Bernard just got married a few minutes ago. We’d like to come now, unless you need time to prepare for us. However, I must request that until we leave, you keep our presence a secret, as much as that is possible. Baron Kazimir has attempted to assault our tower a few weeks ago and before that Baron Bogdan attempted to assassinate Zdenka.
Yes, I have heard about both. Terrible treachery and from your own father too. Despicable tyrant. Were you hurt?
Not at all. No wounds on any of us, though the Baron lost two hundred fifty of his best shock troops, his Archmage, and all of his remaining Mages.
Incredible. That must be most devastating to him. Yes, we will keep your visit as secret as possible. After all, I have my reputation at stake. If anything happened to you or your party while on Asami, why, our tourism industry would suffer an immense blow. Politics, eh son?
Politics can be useful. Thanks. Where should we arrive? I’ve never been to your world. Can we get whatever clothes are needed when we come? We have no idea what to wear or bring.
Leave all that to Lami. When you approach, look for the largest island. It is called Shimamori. You can’t miss it. There is no other island anywhere near its size. My fortress and castle is on the northern edge of the island at our largest city of Paru. When you approach, you will see a large yacht and docks. Land on the docks and I’ll be waiting for you. Give me a half hour to prepare for your arrival.
Thanks a bunch, Baron Hajime. We four really appreciate your kindness for our very special time.
“All settled gang. All expenses paid vacation on a tropical paradise island! Baron Hajime insists that we pay nothing. Bring nothing, he said. He’ll provide what we need. We leave in a half hour. All right!” The others whooped it up. Jarka was extremely excited about this trip.
Zoran decided that the fewer people that knew about this short trip, the better. Hence, he did not even tell his uncles. Only his trusted friends in Brn knew of their trip. Archmage Karel was put in charge and the four joined hands a half hour later. Zoran began his Shadow Walk once again, taking them
with him. Into the black void they stepped. Zdenka and Jarka fought valiantly the nausea that swept over their bodies. Bernard just closed his eyes and pretended it was nighttime.
Soon, a blue dot appeared ahead in the total blackness. Slowly it began to grow in size until it became huge. Now those with open eyes could see Asami, the water world. This planet was almost entirely water, one monstrous ocean from pole to pole. As they drew even closer, a myriad of tiny islands began to appear, tiny against the sea of blue. Zoran moved slowly around the world, looking for the large island. At last he saw what had to be his destination, an island perhaps a hundred miles long and fifty miles across. Sure enough at the northern edge, as he moved closer, a large city sprang into view. Paru. He moved down towards it and spied the large yacht and docks. A moment later, he landed the four nicely on the docks.
“You can open your eyes now, dear. We are there,” Jarka teased Bernard.
“Oh, wow. It’s beautiful,” he exclaimed. He felt a bit sheepish, but then he had not gotten ill during the trip.
Baron Hajime walked up to them. He looked so vastly different than he had at the High Council that they hardly recognized him or his wife! Gone were the fancy blue suit coat with twin tails and the billowing blue dress. He wore blue shorts; his chest was bare; flip-flops were on his feet. Baroness Lami wore shorts as well, revealing her nicely tanned and shapely legs. She had on a top that barely covered her breasts, leaving her middle section open to the warm, balmy air. She, too, wore flip-flops. However, what caught their attention was the huge string of creamy pearls about her neck and matching pearl earrings.
The air was moist and balmy, about eighty-five degrees. A gentle sea breeze fluttered strands of the baroness’ long black hair. “Welcome to Asami!” Baron Hajime exclaimed, shaking Zoran’s hand first, then the others. The baroness gave each a hug and fake kiss on each cheek in turn.
Zoran Chronicles Volume 1 A Dragon in Our Town Page 29
