“No one has been here for a very, very long time, Zoran,” Jarka commented. “How long does it take for a sealed space to accumulate so much dust?” she asked. No one knew, but stared in disbelief at the treasure before their eyes. “Well, don’t touch anything. Check for traps. All of you, cast your spells, while I look for signs of mechanical traps,” she ordered. They followed her orders, but after ten minutes of searching, no traps had been found. Jarka was finally satisfied and allowed them to begin to examine the room’s contents.
Bernard headed for the treasure pile, as did Zdenka. Neither had ever seen so much money and valuable gems and ornate jewelry before. Karel cast a spell and headed over to the armor and weapons pile, while Zoran began examining the oil skin wrapped books. “Zoran! All of these items on the table are radiating magic!” Karel exclaimed, his voice cracking from uncharacteristic excitement!
“All of them?” asked Jarka in total disbelief.
“Yes, all of them!” Karel replied. As he touched the table, the dry rotted wood crumbled, sending the entire table disintegrating to the floor with a resounding crash. Helms, shields, swords, and armor landed noisily on the floor, a cloud of dust rose causing everyone to begin coughing like mad. “Clean! Clean! Clean!” Karel commanded, his spells firing off like a machine gun. The others joined in, rapidly the dust and fragments of wood vanished, particularly from the air.
“That’s better,” Jarka stated, putting her hands on her hips. “Now, this is the find of a century!” she exclaimed, her enthusiasm returned. “Sacks, we need lots of sacks. Zoran, don’t touch your table.”
“I’m not. Yes, sacks. Okay, Bernard, why don’t you teleport you and your dogs back to the tower and return with a whole lot of sacks,” he asked. He didn’t need to be asked twice. “I’m going to levitate these books and see if I can keep from wiping out the table. I sure hope these books are not as fragile as the tables are.”
Bernard returned ten minutes later to find that Jarka had begun to sort out the coins; Zdenka, the gems and jewelry; Karel, the magical items. Zoran sat in the middle of the room on the floor, a large volume opened in his lap. “Hey, listen to this book’s title: Journal of Baron Valentýn Vladislov, first Baron of Adapazan. Incredible. This stuff probably belonged to the first baron on Adapazan! It’s hard to read, though. The dialect is very different than ours. I have to use a translation spell. This is an incredible find!”
For an hour, the five filled sack after sack, teleporting them back to the tower, only to return with now empty sacks for more. At long last, Jarka made a final thorough search to make sure that nothing had been overlooked, including more secret doors. Alas, she found none.
“Okay, we three will continue our sweep of the island. You two can head back and start counting,” he teased, knowing that was precisely what Jarka had in mind.
“I’ve got to see to my students, but I think I will call a halt and have them all lend Jarka a hand with it,” Zdenka added. A bit later, the three continued their Shadow Walk above the island. After three more days of searching, they found nothing else at all. The island was devoid of human occupation, which pleased Zoran, who now knew he had a viable alternative for the yellers.
After diner, the counting finished, Jarka reported that there were five thousand six hundred gold coins, four thousand nine hundred and six silver coins. Aldrick had been called in to appraise the gems and his estimate was four hundred fifty-three thousand gold coins worth. The jewelry he estimated might bring an additional one hundred thousand.
“Okay, first action, divide the gold, silver, gems, and jewelry into eight equal value piles, please,” Zoran asked.
“Why?” asked Jarka, confused by this strange request. She was ready to begin her study of the properties of the many magical items.
“Because I want each one of you, including Emil and Renata here to have an equal share of the treasure. I’ll give General Janos some of my share. This way, you each have your own money to spend. I know, make sure that the twins only get the large gemstones. They don’t want gold or silver,” he teased. Both Renata and Emil nodded wildly, about to get what their hearts desired, a pile of gems! Everyone enthusiastically thanked him over and over. Such generosity was nearly overwhelming, to say the very least. Each of his friends just received the equivalent of nearly seventy thousand gold coins.
For the next few days, Zdenka had her advanced students using their Identify spells on the various magical items, attempting to identify just what their magical properties were. It was an extremely good training exercise for them all. While Zoran greatly desired to study the six volumes, he knew that he honestly had to deal with the Yeller problem soon.
“Okay, I’ve been putting the Yellers off for too long. Tomorrow, I am going over to Zovou Province and see Warlord Petr about the Yellers there,” he announced over dinner.
“How are you going to move them? We have no boats?” asked Zdenka, rather worried about his safety.
“They aren’t going to go peacefully,” Jarka added.
“They are stronger than us,” Bernard put in his thought.
“We can always put them to sleep or stun them and then teleport them,” Karel stated flatly.
“Dunno yet, gang. I’ll have to see.”
“Well, we’re coming with you,” Karel announced in a manner that Zoran could not refuse.
“I’ll take all of you, except Zdenka, who has her students to handle. I think General Janos ought to come and maybe a half dozen security men. We ought to be prepared to stay there a few days,” he announced.
He sent a Message to the warlord that night. At nine the next morning, the small group teleported over to the most western province of Adapazan, Zovou. There, Warlord Petr welcomed them. He was a burly man, heavily bearded and in dire need of a bath, Zoran thought, as he introduced his party to the rebel leader. Their main fortress was crude by all standards — the smoothly cut and polished stonework of Zoran’s slowly forming walls contrasted sharply with the rough and ill-cut stone that formed Petr’s outer wall and central manor. Theirs was a life of barest necessities, Zoran realized at once. They eked out an existence, barely.
The furnishings left everything to be desired, he noted, following Petr into his war room, a large, bare-walled room. Blackened oil lanterns long in need of a cleaning valiantly attempted to illuminate the rough map he had laid out on the table. “Yellers occupy all the lands west of here, down to the ocean, we think. We’ve got daily patrols that go from here to here, keeping them at bay from our meager crop lands. ‘Course, that ain’t saying much. They barely make enough for half a winter. We are forced to buy more from Ves just to get by. As promised, our new road to Ves ought to be done by first snow. No idea if Warlord Sabina will keep her word and have it connected to yours by then. How much is a wagon of grain going to cost us if’n we get it from you instead?”
“That I don’t know off hand. I will check and see. How many wagons could you use this winter?” Warlord Petr took this opportunity to rattle off his long list of supplies that he greatly desired to acquire by any means. He was definitely prepared for this meeting with his new Baron, Karel pointed out, as he copied down the items ranging from grain to cloth to weapons. After lunch and a large round of honey ale, Zoran decided it was time to meet the Yellers.
Warlord Petr loaned him some horses and a guide, but refused to come with him, citing important organizational matters. As they rode along, Karel commented, “Some organizational matters — I bet he didn’t want anything to do with these ferocious animals.” Bernard agreed with him. Their guide led them about a half day’s ride westward to their perimeter line, which was heavily patrolled. Their well-marked horse trail led northward and southward from this valley. Here, their guide explained that he would await their return. Although the guide didn’t say it, Zoran picked up his unspoken words, “that is, if you ever return.” Indeed, the warlord and their guide figured this might be the end of their baron. Only fools went after the Yellers directly.<
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Since darkness would come in about an hour, the Mages cast one of their Safe House spells, which created a large room in which men and horses could safely spend the night free from worry about attacks. The house was extra-dimensional and not visible on Adapazan. Of course, their guide was impressed with their spell and eagerly shared their evening meal with them. From the way he ate, Zoran guessed that the man was having a veritable feast.
The next morning, they cast their Skin of Stone spells on their bodies and prepared to continue westward on foot. “Remember, when we make contact with the Yellers, do not draw your swords. We want to somehow see if we can parley with them,” Zoran reminded them of his wishes.
“Let’s hope that they understand a few words like my dogs do,” Bernard grumbled. He liked this less and less. “They are just animals, after all.” Zoran hoped and prayed this was not the case.
“Remember, each security man is to stand next to one of us Mages. If trouble does come, we will teleport ourselves out of here.” The six guards appreciated this bit of encouragement, but General Janos had faith that Zoran must know what he was doing. In his mind, a baron always did. Since there were no trails to follow, Zoran headed them up the side of the valley into the next one, hoping that they would not have to travel for days to find them.
After a long struggle to climb up and over the valley walls, they descended into the next western valley. As they reached the bottom and stood admiring the tall, rugged mountains, Zoran’s inner senses began alerting him to eminent danger. This he relayed to the others. Suddenly, from behind the pine trees a loud, scary, high pitched yelling accompanied the rush of a dozen seven foot tall Yellers, brandishing large clubs. Zoran saw at once that these creatures, who wore fur loin cloths, had the intelligence to surround them before attacking. That was a good sign, he thought, although General Janos and the others saw this in an entirely different light. Only with extreme effort did the men resist the powerful, self-preservation move of drawing their swords. Zoran raised both of his hands high in the air, hoping that this gesture of submission would somehow be recognized by the Yellers.
The Mages had long since cast their Universal Translator spell. Zoran hoped — no, he had counted upon these creatures having a spoken language. “Peace. We will not fight you. Speak to your leader. Hold. No fight. Speak leader.” Zoran called out loudly, as the dozen were now dangerously close to them and within clubbing distance.
Suddenly, one of the tall Yellers stopped and cried out in utter shock and surprise, “Animals speak our language? Hold. Animals can speak?” he addressed Zoran.
“Yes, we can speak your language. I am Zoran. I wish to speak to your leader, chief, boss, the top man. We come in peace. Not harm you. You not harm us. We speak to leader.”
Something he said must have sounded funny, because several of the Yellers chuckled. “We never knew wild animals could speak! Leave sharp metals on ground here. Come with us. Glock will be famous now,” he said to his men. Zoran asked his party to do as they asked, dropping both of his short swords onto the ground first. One by one, his companions reluctantly followed his lead.
Another Yeller commented, “Glock, they are doing it! You will be famous now. Capture speaking animals!” Glock smiled and gestured for them to follow him. Surrounded by the dozen Yellers who towered over them, to say nothing of their vicious looking clubs, the group followed the one called Glock.
Zoran’s group had to almost jog to keep up with the swift footed Yellers, who took long strides. On down this new valley they marched for nearly two hours. Soon, Zoran saw tell-tale smoke clouds drifting upwards towards the billowing white clouds and blue sky. A village of sorts must lie ahead, which he found very encouraging. The others had an entirely different feeling!
Not long after that, they walked into a large village unlike anything they had ever seen before. Hundreds of other Yellers, some old, some young children, came out to taunt them. Uniformly, they all wore fur loin cloths and went barefoot, even their women wore the same thing, their breasts quite visible, startling the men. Their homes were hide domes, round hemispherical affairs. Bent wooden saplings could be seen holding them up. Numerous cooking fires dotted the village.
Glock marched them up to one specific hut, all the while calling out, “Look, the white animals can talk! Come and hear what we found!” As they approached the hut, Glock called out, “Animals, wait here.” His eleven men made sure that Zoran and his group did as asked.
Zoran’s danger sense was at a continuous low key pitch, which he tended to block out, focusing on just who their leader was and how amenable they would be to constructive talks. Glock opened the hide door and held it open for his leader. Out stepped an elderly woman, taking them all by surprise. Glock said, “Animals, speak to leader. This is leader.” He was keeping his speech to short sentences, probably, Zoran thought, because he thought that he was speaking to a dumb animal.
“I am called Zhou. Hunter Glock says that white animals speak. Is this so?” she asked. Her voice betrayed a hint of curiosity.
“Hello, Zhou. Yes, we all speak well. I am called Zoran. I came to talk with your leaders. It is important that we speak.” Of course, as soon as he spoke, the whole village erupted into a raucous — wild comments flying in all directions. Evidently, the Yellers thought that the white animals were just efficient dumb animals, as the humans did the Yellers!
She motioned for them to sit by her cooking fire, and she sat down as well. Zoran, smaller in size than she, found it a little embarrassing to find himself staring straight at her breasts. “I am sorry that for years my people have been attacking your people, driving them clear across the land to this location and in the far north. I came to offer your people a new land in which there are none of we white animals, and I will give you my word that we whites will not go there unless you ask for our aid.”
“We are called Chou and we once numbered many tribes, before the white animals came with their metal cutters. My grandmother was very angry and ordered many unsuccessful attacks on the white animals. She told me of how the Chou had once been free to roam from coast to coast, but now had retreated to the western half. My mother feared greatly the white animals and sought to gather as many of us as possible together, strength in numbers. Alas, even that has failed. Now I lead my village here to the edge of the world. We have no more room to retreat and must make our last stand here, though we know that we cannot survive.” Her apathy touched Zoran. He realized that the centuries of slaughter and constant movement westward had driven them down to anger, then to fear, and now they were in apathy, ready to accept their fate.
“Yes, you and your people can survive and thrive and multiply once more. Across the waters is another land which no whites have touched. It is ten times larger than this area here that your people occupy. To make amends for our butchery of your people for so many, many years, I would like to help all your people move to this new land and get settled there. We have looked the whole land over and have seen no white animals there. I give you my word that in the future, none of us will set one foot into this new land of yours, unless you invite us to come. I know that this is asking a lot of you to trust me that I speak the truth.”
“You speak of trust, yet your white animals kill us every chance they get,” she replied sadly.
“I know. For that, I am sorry. We thought of your people as also dumb animals too. What I propose is for me to take six of your people to see this new land that I am giving to you. Let them see for themselves if this land is suitable for your people. While I am gone with them, I will leave my friends here with you as hostages to guarantee that I return with your people. Will you agree to let me try to make amends with you and your people?”
“How will you get there? No one can cross the endless waters,” she asked somewhat fearfully.
“By magic. How long will your men need to see if this new land is a good one for your people? As far as I can tell, it is very similar to all of the lands here.”
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nbsp; “A day perhaps. I will see if you speak truth,” she decided. She called out six names, and the men quickly moved to her, standing proudly before her. “You are to go with Zoran here. He says he will show you a new land where we can live in peace. See for yourselves if he speaks truth. I will hold his friends here as hostages until you return. Be back by dark,” she ordered.
“But you cannot trust them,” one protested. She raised her hand and he was silent. Zoran noted that she held implicit power over the men, concluding this must be a matriarchal society.
“Take these men. Be back by dark. If not, we will kill your men. Go now,” she ordered.
“Are you sure?” General Janos asked Zoran.
“Yes, it must be done. I have to show them the land. I will be back by dark,” he replied. He had the six men hold hands and then took one’s hand and cast his teleport spell, arriving near the northeastern coast, where a mountain stream came down to the sea. He wanted them to see that there was fresh water, which was why he chose this spot.
The men blinked, unable to grasp what had happened to themselves. Suddenly, they were looking at a strange place, a location that they had never seen before. “I will wait here by the stream. You check out the land. Be sure that you return before dark. Yell if you need any help,” he explained and then sat down on a boulder to wait.
He watched as the men fanned out and began reconnoitering the area. Now he waited and prayed the land would be to their liking. Hours passed before the men reappeared. Actually, they returned so silently that he was surprised by them. Zoran filed this datum for future reference. These were highly skilled hunters. “We return now,” one said to him. After making sure that all six were present, he again teleported them back to their village.
Zoran Chronicles Volume 1 A Dragon in Our Town Page 34
