Adventures of Jacko the Conjurer: The Dawn

by Jamie Ott

  Every so often, she was stirred by a murmur or vibration within the walls.

  Just as she started to nod off, the feel of many people running in the castle vibrated up through the floor boards.

  Lyssa got out of bed and gently pulled back the wood pivoted blockade.

  Her stepmother’s servant was arguing with her governess.

  Suddenly, the whispering stopped. She heard a sharp intake of breath, and something fell to the floor.

  Lyssa pulled back the blockade a bit more, and looked out to see what made the noise.

  Her governess was lying on the floor, clutching her abdomen.

  She screamed, “Lyssaaa! They’re coming, run!”

  Lyssa slammed the blockade shut.

  Lying against the wall was a 6x6x6 inch wood bar. She slid it into the metal rests that were grooved into the door and the wall.

  Her step mother’s servant rammed the door.

  She ran to her bed, slipped on her sandals and grabbed her morning star.

  The bottom half of the door broke in.

  The servant, and a man she’d never seen before, ducked under the wood bar.

  She spun gracefully as she swung the spiked ball into the man’s face, spattering blood all over the servant’s night dress.

  The servant screamed.

  More footsteps vibrated up through the wood floor.

  Lyssa pulled back the red tapestry of flowers, and kicked in the wall, behind which her brother had a secret waiter installed.

  She tried not to scream, as she plummeted four floors down.

  A moment later, she hit the underground floor.

  Just like Dracus told her, there were little ridges in the ground that glowed with the remnants of eel blood.

  She followed the ridges to the wall.

  Lyssa drew back her fist and punched in the wood. Then she yanked back the planks so that she could squeeze in.

  Inside, her brother had a special set of wooden espadrilles, which she tied around her ankles and then ran down the wall.

  Desperately, she tried to hold her breath as much as possible, for the stench of urine and rot was horrible.

  She couldn’t see a thing, except for traces of eel blood painted on the wood walls.

  The ground continued to grade down. She stumbled a couple of times.

  Five hundred feet later, she sighed with relief because the ground had leveled off, meaning that she was at the bottom of the mountain and was traveling through the tunnel.

  Right up ahead, a tiny white light could be seen.

  Fresh air breezed past her.

  Happiness welled up inside her.

  Once emerged out of the hole, she ran as fast as she could. With the moon full, and no trees or plants to obscure her for 200 more feet, she could still be seen by those on the mountain.

  A few moments later, she made it through the small clearing, into the trees. She chanced a backward glance.

  Along the castle wall, lamps had been lit. There was a shadow moving down the mountain road.

  Just like her brother said, he’d left a trail for her. It was a bunch of white stones that, at first glance, seemed to zig zag ahead of her. When she looked at the white rocks as a whole, she could tell they all went in one direction: North.

  She followed the trail to a tree where she dug up the Earth.

  Buried there was a large box.

  Inside, there was a plain purple dress and a purse with enough gold and silver coins for Lyssa to live well for many years. Beside it laid her brother’s miniature crossbow – perfect for catching small prey, and a bag of the smallest arrows she’d ever seen.

  Quickly, she changed and disappeared further into the forest.

  Romani Circle

  Chapter 2

  Lyssa walked until the moon and the sun faced each other from opposite sides of the sky.

  Once more, she looked at the map her brother left for her.

  Lyssa was never good at interpreting handwritten landscapes. Her brother told her that if she got confused, to follow the seven stars until the sun rose. Then walk with her back to the sun.

  Now that the sun was rising, and the morning star glittered through the trees, it was time to go west.

  She wished he would have told her how far she’d need to go because she was really starting to get hungry.

  A few miles later, she approached a clearing where a road had recently been traveled.

  Lyssa knelt and looked at the grooves of the tracks. The patterns suggested that more people went left, than right.

  So which way should she go?

  If she went left, she could find a city where people were looking for her. To go right might mean she’d be on the road for some time, and would have to hunt for food.

  After a few moments contemplation, she went left.

  Several hours later, a village that she didn’t recognize came into view.

  The road led her straight through a marketplace. On the left and right sides, farmers and smiths had their stands up and were selling goods.

  She pulled a small silver piece from her bosom, and bought a small loaf of bread. Up ahead, the road lead to a line of people waiting with buckets at a well.

  People paid her no mind as she got in line to drink and wet her face.

  She continued along the road until the end of the town.

  Not sure of what to do, she sat on the edge of the road to think.

  A very dark and scruffy looking man, wearing a schenti, sidled over to her. His face was fallen into folds, and gray heavily bespeckled his beard.

  “You look lost, miss,” he said nicely.

  “I’m fine.”

  “Shouldn’t you have a guardian?”

  “Why do you ask?”

  “Well, a lady never goes out alone.”

  “Please, go.”

  But the man ignored her.

  “Are you running away from home, miss?”

  She said nothing.

  “I’ve known many noblemen, in my time. They keep their children locked away, or on very short chains. Eventually, they all want to see the world. Parents just don’t understand that children need to experience things, too.”

  The man sat down next to her in the dirt.

  On his shoulder, he carried a bag. He pulled the cork from it and took a sip.

  “Here, miss. This will make you feel better.”

  She took the leather bag and sipped. From it, spiced ale refreshed her.

  “My name’s Bali.”

  The man pulled a hunk of cured goat from his other bag. He sliced off a chunk and gave it to her, before helping himself.

  “You know, I have seven daughters and one boy,” he sighed. “I know how a woman’s heart works. They never want to do what they’re destined to, on this Earth. Can’t say I blame them. There is so much more to life than breeding.”

  He smiled and turned to her.

  “How would you like to see the sunset on the Nile? Or cross into Athens and meet real men of learning?” he asked, chewing down his meat.

  “I suppose I’d like that,” she said, taking another sip of the ale.

  “You look like a woman of learning, yourself. Can you read?”

  “Yes.”

  “So can I,” he leaned in and smiled.

  A cart with a mule slowly made its way up the road.

  “Well, miss, it’s getting hotter; high noon approaches. I must be getting back. Why don’t you come with me? You obviously have no place to go. A pretty girl like you should not be alone. You can meet my daughters and the rest of my family.”

  Lyssa looked up at the man. He seemed harmless. Seven daughters meant he was likely not a lunatic.

  She followed him further down the road.

  ~~~

  They walked for an hour before turning into another section of forest.

  High noon had come, and the heat was making her tired.

  “Just a short way, miss.”

  Out of the trees
, appeared a tall cliff that blocked out the sun, giving them shade.

  Beside the cliff was a row of half a dozen wagons.

  Before the wagons’ was a large fire, around which a settlement of twenty or so people worked. Some of the women were sewing, while one man carved out a piece of wood.

  They looked up at the sounds of their approach.

  “This is Lyssa. I’ve invited her to stay awhile. Treat her like family,” said Bali.

  The men looked approvingly while the women gave her nasty looks.

  “Lyssa, why don’t you help Chandra with the leathers,” he said, indicating a middle aged woman with frizzy hair and a dirty dress.

  Lyssa went to her side and helped her sew the pieces into shoes for their kids. With her quick, strong hands, they finished the work in an hour, making the lady very happy.

  “You have the hands of a lady, but they’re so strong,” she smiled.

  The sound of children laughing made her look up.

  Several men were making their way back to camp, and six children followed.

  They carried lines with dozens of fish.

  Chandra introduced her. They nodded their heads, silently, and went about their way.

  Since there was still light in the sky, Lyssa helped a man, named Eli, with fixing several wagon wheels. He was also pleased.

  “You’re so small. You don’t look like a good worker,” he told her.

  Though they were impressed with her work, they still regarded her with a cold shoulder. Only the kids seemed to take a liking to her, admiring her pretty purple dress and clean shiny, straight hair.

  After a dinner of fish and wild mushrooms, one man played a little wood flute.

  “Lyssa, take this,” Bali said, handing her a large brown fur. “It’s going to get cold.”

  She accepted it appreciatively, as the temperatures had already fallen. Dacia was always known for its alternating desert-like temperatures.

  That night, she couldn’t get to sleep at all. The ground was too hard and the cold chilled right through her fur. She couldn’t stop shivering long enough to relax.

  She turned over and saw Bali and Eli walk into the trees. They both glanced at her.

  Something about the way they looked at her made her uneasy. She shook it off, and rolled back over.

  Sometime later, after finally having nodded off, a pair of rough hands grabbed her and forced her into a sitting position.

  “What’s going on,” she asked groggily.

  Someone tied her hands with rope, yanked her up off the ground and dragged her into the trees.

  “Eli, what are you doing?”

  A few feet ahead, Bali talked to a man in a rich purple robe with a silver sash.

  His greedy eyes examined her head to foot.

  “Yes, yes, I’ll take her.”

  They bartered numbers.

  Lyssa’s brother had taught her how to get out of simple bindings.

  Easily, she turned her wrist, and tugged the middle cord, which she twisted over, allowing her left hand just enough room to squeeze out.

  Right as her wrist was freed, Eli threw a net over her.

  “She got out of the bind,” he said.

  Lyssa place each hand on a piece of rope, right above her head, and pulled outward, ripping the net in half.

  They stood, frozen with surprise a moment before reacting.

  Eli grabbed her by the arms and tried to subdue her, but she slipped out, turned around and punched him to the ground.

  “Get her!” shouted Bali.

  Lyssa grabbed the baselard from within her sleeve.

  The man in the purple robe tried to grab her by the shoulder.

  She ducked, turned, and swung the knife into his spine, dropping him like dead fish.

  Without a moment of hesitation, she yanked the knife out and swiped at Bali, who jumped back and pulled out a knife of his own.

  They circled each other several times before the sounds of footsteps came up behind her.

  “Well,” said Bali. “That’s twice I mistake you. You work and fight. You’re not really a lady, are you?”

  She didn’t have time to respond. A person was right behind her.

  She stepped left, turned and slammed the knife down into the young man’s neck.

  “That’s my son!” shouted Bali, who ran at her with his knife raised.

  Lyssa leapt right, and rammed her blade up into his chest.

  She yanked the baselard out of his chest, wiped it on the ground and looked around.

  Two others from the camp had woken. It appeared they’d been watching them for a time.

  Together, they ran at her.

  Two of the men came at her with swords. Lyssa bobbed and weaved right and left, as she walked backward.

  When both men accidentally crossed their swords, Lyssa stabbed the one on her right, through his hand and removed his sword.

  The man fell to his knees, yelling.

  The other one continued to poke and jab at her. Lyssa met each attempt with her sword.

  Frustrated by his inability to conquer her, he raised his sword to the sky, meaning to bring it down with all the force he could muster.

  It was a mistake because Lyssa’s brother taught her exactly what to do, in such a situation. He even dubbed it an easy win.

  She brought the handle of the sword downward to her left as she stepped forward and left. Easily, it sliced through his midriff, as he brought down his sword with all his might, impaling his own self even further.

  Lyssa drew back her sword.

  The man stood in shock for a moment, and then something shiny and red poked out from his gut.

  He grabbed his stomach, trying to push his entrails back in.

  Lyssa took his sword and ran back to the camp with the intention of getting her things and leaving. However, the Romanis were determined to kill her.

  A melee ensued that lasted a good hour, even the women tried to subdue her. Several of them died as a result.

  She owed it all to her brother. Yes, she was a strong woman, but she’d never have survived if not for his pushing her to learn to handle a sword.

  By the time the sun peeked down on them, only the children and six of the Romanis were left. They were too injured to fight anymore.

  Lyssa shredded the net and tied them all together, even the children.

  “Now that is how you tie someone up,” she said.

  Her brother also taught her nautical knots. One would have to saw their wrists off to get out of them.

  She sat by the fire and watched them all for a moment.

  The women cried about not hurting the children, and the men looked at her as though she were evil. They murmured curses at her.

  Ignoring them, she laid back and fell asleep.

  ~~~

  Sometime later, there was a stirring. She opened her eyes to find that a woman had, in fact, escaped. Her ropes had been cut.

  Grinning, she went after her. It was nearly impossible for the average woman to outrun Lyssa.

  She brought the woman back and tied her, face forward to the trunk, with extended hands and ankles around the tree.

  Another wonderful lesson from her brother: tying one up this way was a classic method of torture. Essentially, keeping someone suspended in between a sitting and a standing position.

  “After a few hours, it’s almost like hanging from a cross,” Dracus told her.

  They watched as she picked up one of the leather straps that’d been hung out to dry.

  “Tell me, how many slaves have you sold? How many young lives’ have you ruined?”

  She walked back and forth.

  When they didn’t reply, she asked, “How many beatings did you give them, before they submitted?”

  When they didn’t reply, she drew back her arm and brought the leather strap down, hard, into the woman’s back.

  She screamed at the top of her lungs. But the Romani were a cold and hardened folk. Motion
less, they sat, unfazed by the woman’s suffering.

  “You should all rot in hell. She’s one of you, and you don’t care if I beat her?”

  Again, silence.

  Lyssa sat down at the fire and made breakfast.

  She put stewed lamb chunks and mushrooms in some spiced ale and gave it to the kids.

  Later that day, she went to the river and filled a couple buckets of water. When she made it back to camp, she made tea and gave the kids bread and water.

  “How long are you gonna keep us tied up like this?” asked Chandra.

  “I’m not sure,” she said. “Right now, I just like watching you suffer. Maybe I’ll keep you indefinitely.”

  After she’d supped, she checked their bondage and announced that she would go to town.

  She grabbed her morning star, crossbow and arrows.

  “If you can’t escape, which I’m sure you won’t,” she smirked, “don’t worry. I’ll be back.”

  Lyssa wanted to find news of her father or the castle. Whoever broke into her room didn’t look like a Roman soldier. For all she knew, he could have been an assassin.

  If he was an assassin, she could find her father or brother, and tell them what happened. Maybe the King would get rid of Andrada, once and for all.

  But if it were a Roman Soldier, staying in the forest was a bad idea.

  As she got closer to the village, she became frightened. The town was deserted. Stands were upturned, fruits, bread and other items were strewn everywhere.

  Blood stained the gravel.

  Several men and women, and one child, lay dead in the dirt behind the stands.

  The Romans must have finally come. Who else would do such things to the Dacian people? Not even her father was as cruel.

  She picked up an empty sack. Lyssa picked up food and other items from the ground.

  At the town well, she filled her leather bag with water and doused herself.

  Lyssa knew it was a bad idea, and she was scared. But she had to know, without question, that her brother and father were either alive or dead. She would only leave her father and brother when she had absolutely no other choice.

  So she followed the road back to the forest, and followed the rocks back to the palace.

  ~~~

  It was midnight.

  Once again, the lamps on the castle wall had been lit.

  She set her sack and her weapons down, even the money her brother left for her because she needed to be able to move lightly.

  Taking only her knife and morning star, she ran across the field as quickly as she could. Her espadrilles were still at the entrance of the tunnel.