by Vic Broquard
“If we exhaust all options and cannot get them back to normal, the only safe thing to do is to remove them,” he replied. Jarka groaned.
The group continued to try all manner of ways and means and even wild spells during the ensuing days. Nothing made the slightest difference. In desperation, the physicians wanted to dissect the women’s arms to see if they could learn anything that way. This was going too far, Zoran decided, much to Jarka’s relief. After all these women had endured, she didn’t want the men cutting up their bodies. It didn’t seem fair or right.
At last in mid-December, Zoran finally had to make the decision. “As you know, we’ve tried everything imaginable as well as some pretty wild things, but nothing has made the slightest difference to your arms. It is like they are dead.”
“Hey, they look almost dead!” Danika interrupted, stating the obvious. Her arms were so thin now that they looked like mere skin covering her bones, a rather sickening sight.
“We can’t leave them like they are. Already, a couple of you have broken your arms several times. It is way too dangerous for you, since you cannot feel then when they get hurt.”
“Well, I don’t mind that,” Danika joked. “I broke my toe when I was a girl and man did that ever hurt! I’ve broken my left arm here and didn’t feel a darn thing. That’s dangerous, isn’t it? If you can’t get them working again, can you get rid of them? After all I’ve been through, I don’t want to die because my arm got infected or something and I didn’t even feel it. Besides, even if you got them going today, there’s almost nothing left of them. I don’t think that they would be able to even lift a spoon.”
“Yes, Danika. That is the conclusion that we have all reached. Since we simply cannot undo whatever the dragons did to your arms, the only safe thing to do is to remove what little is left of them so you don’t risk life-threatening injuries later on,” Zoran explained as gently as he could.
“Fine with me. It won’t hurt a bit, will it?” The others agreed and the operations began. The very instant the physicians finished their work on a woman Jarka poured her healing potions down her throat. The women had a full recovery in only a single day, thanks to her potions. However, Zoran did permit the physicians to hang on to the removed arms for further study. As it turned out, in the long run, this was a brilliant move, though at the time, Zoran thought this was particularly gruesome and macabre.
Of course, during this time, Zdenka and Verushka both worried about what kind of life these women could now have. Thus, they continued to observe and study them, making notes of what each woman seemed to like to do or had done before this had happened. Until the women had finished giving birth, their attention had been forced onto satisfying their craven hunger and somehow hanging on. Once they were taken to their new bedrooms and out of the infirmary, their massive losses began to surface. More than once, they sobbed over their lost families and lives. Their suppressed grief surfaced at last, compounded by the reality of what their lives had become because of their arms. None of this was missed by Zdenka and Verushka.
Long hours they discussed the women’s future and their plight. Then, Zdenka noted, “Say, they are still radiating enormous amounts of magical energies.”
“Are you thinking what I am thinking?” asked Verushka.
“Let’s see if they can learn to cast spells.”
“Like minds think alike,” Verushka joked. “Or is it because you were my teacher?” Both women laughed.
They picked on Danika first, a day after the operation and after Jarka pronounced her shoulders were fully healed. Zdenka placed a little pile of dirt on the floor. “Now then, Danika, I want you to concentrate on the dirt pile.” Ten minutes later, Danika’s first spell detonated. Clean. The dirt had vanished. Of course, she then asked where it had gone.
“How would you like to learn to cast magical spells, Danika?” Zdenka asked.
“What? Me? Cast spells? Become a real Mage? Whoopee!” The Archmage had her answer.
One by one, the two worked with each of the other sixteen women. It took between ten and fifteen minutes for each one to learn to cast the Clean spell, fantastically rapid for a total beginner. Immediately, Zdenka added seventeen more magic students to her school. Verushka was pulled in to help with their training, and Zdenka twinned all of her other students with one of the seventeen to be their hands as needed. When Zoran heard the news at suppertime, tears of joy trickled down his cheeks. He finally relaxed; the women could start a new and valuable life.
Around the same time, ten new baby Black Dragons were born in the mountains of Gerde and were immediately given to ten families to raise. The dead women’s bodies were drenched in acid and disposed of, leaving behind no trace of their existence.
Dario was furious when he was told of the disappearance of the eighteen women. He sent out scouting parties to scour the mountains, looking for any trace of the women. None was found. He personally inspected the cavern and saw that the locks around their neck had been picked. At last, he came to the only conclusion that seemed plausible to him. Somehow they had picked the locks with their feet. The cook was not bright enough to have done it, that he knew. Besides, the poor woman was totally exhausted from constant cooking. One of the women must have picked the locks and then they tried to escape and had fallen down the thousand foot cliff to their deaths. Probably wild animals, bears likely, had then carried them off and dined on them. This was the story that he told to the seventeen expectant sets of parents.
Later, when Aldrick visited him, he denied it all, but began to wonder why the gold suspected that he might be trying to do interspecies breeding. Perhaps no other conclusion was possible, since they had taken thirty women. He resolved to be more careful in the future.
In the high, snow covered mountains, the whites monitored the interspecies breeding of their neighboring blacks. In late November, they saw for themselves that such was feasible. Cezar, the white, sent Dario a word that the whites were now interested.
Chapter 13 A Long Winter
Yuletide came to Adapazan, the traditional time of celebration. For five days, folks partied and exchanged small gifts. Song and dance, often aided by a bit too much ale, predominated at all the inns. On the night of December 25, Zoran hired the Stodgy Inn and held his usual come-one, come-all Yuletide Dance. All food and drink was on him and the place was always packed with folks from Brn. Of course, the Archmages cast all manner of spells on the entrances beforehand, guaranteeing that no thief or assassin could enter without a loud alarm going off.
Danika and her friends had been learning to cast magical spells for two whole weeks now. Amazingly, all had this very day completed all of the Adept Spells and were ready to begin their study of “real spells,” as the women began to call them. That is, they could cast the three dozen useful, helpful spells, such as Clean, Mend, Tie, Wipe, Polish, and Light a Lamp. Normally, those whom Zdenka accepted into her school required three months to learn all of these, sometimes more in the case of those who would only ever reach the Adept level of magic use. Neda, although now eleven, had also just finished up learning all of them, but she was bright and young. Zdenka had expected that she would pick these up quickly for Neda had an inherent knack for them. These seventeen were adults and as such ought to have taken three months to learn them. Hence, she and Verushka were shocked to see the incredible rapidity with which they learned them. Both attributed it to the women’s altered bodies, having carried a magical creature full term. Somehow that had altered the women’s sensitivity to magic in ways neither Archmage understood.
So this night, Zdenka promised Neda, Danika, and the others a celebration for their impressive achievement: party time at the Stodgy Inn. She and Verushka had taken them all to dressmakers earlier in the week and bought them each a new fancy dress just for this occasion. Naturally, the women had to have their partner help them get dressed and ready for the party, though Neda always did her best to help Danika as well. In actual fact, it was becoming difficult for the
two to be parted now.
The two Archmages had an ulterior motive behind the celebration and the fancy dresses. This would be the first time that these young women would venture out into the public eye since their abduction, rape, and loss of their arms. They worried about how the women would deal with it. “We’ve got to know, Zdenka. Are they going to adapt or are they going to have nervous breakdowns or totally introvert, never venturing into the public again? We have to know and we have to help them adjust, you know,” Verushka stated factually.
“Wow, you look beautiful, Danika,” Neda admired her close friend.
“Oh, I don’t know about that. I have no arms anymore, Neda. I need others to help me with everything now. I feel so nervous and awkward. Everyone will be looking at me.”
“I think that they should, Danika. You look very pretty. I have all these pimples which just won’t go away and the gap between my teeth is really large. I think I look goofy,” Neda admitted.
“No, you look like a pretty young girl should. Hey, I had them when I was your age. When you get older, they will go away. Maybe there is a spell that will fix your teeth. We should ask Archmage Zdenka or Verushka. Do you really think that I look okay? I feel so nervous and funny.”
“Oh sure. You look great. Here, let me fix your hair a bit. Say, I have wanted to ask you something, Danika. Since mom and dad are dead, will you be my mom? At least for a while, please? Jarka is always way too busy.”
Danika grinned. “Of course, silly Little Weed, though I can’t do a whole lot for you, no arms anymore. You have to help me now.”
“Thanks! I will, I promise,” She hugged Danika with her arm. “Come on, we best get going. I hear the others gathering in the hall.” She opened the door and Danika walked out into the hall, growing more nervous with each step. She glanced at her comrades, the other sixteen like her. They looked really nice in their new dresses, but she knew that they were just as nervous as she was.
One whispered to her, “I’m really scared! What if I get bumped and fall? I have no arms to catch myself. I am going to make a complete fool of myself.”
“Me too, I’m so nervous I can barely walk. We have to go though, after all Archmage Zdenka has done for us, but I’m really scared.”
“Me too,” another added, overhearing them. “We all are. We are so helpless. I think it is folly that we go out into the world like this. Maybe we should just stay here. What if we have to go pee? How can we even eat or drink anything?”
“Hey, that’s what I’m here for,” her twin broke in on their conversation. “I’m supposed to be your hands, though if you want to dance with some young fellow, please go ahead,” she added.
Danika frowned, “Get real, what guy is even going to be with us, we’re. . .” She didn’t get to finish her sentence because Zdenka came out into the hall with Zoran on her arm.
“Okay everyone, it is time to relax and celebrate. Eighteen of you have just mastered all of the Basic Adept Spells. So I want you all to have fun and enjoy the night. Merry Yuletide to one and all. Follow us, off we go. A dancing we will go, a dancing we will go,” her voice trailed off as she stepped out into the main street before her Archmage Tower, two blocks from the Stodgy Inn.
“Aren’t you overdoing it a bit dear?” Zoran whispered.
“Have to. The women are frightened to death of going out. We have to make sure that they really do have an enjoyable time especially this first time out. It’s critical to their well-being. I can’t imagine what they must be feeling right now, but I am trying my best. It has to be awfully scary for them. If all goes well, it will give them a huge boost of self-confidence which they absolutely must have. Now promise me that you will dance with each one of them at some point tonight.”
“Yes dear. You are right as always.” He leaned over and planted a quick kiss on her forehead.
As they reached the doorway, a voice called out, “Make way for Baron Archmage Zoran and Baroness Archmage Zdenka!” The room was packed as it always was, but somehow an opening formed and the pair strolled inside, glad for the warmth. No one bothered to wear a coat; it was just two short blocks. Her forty magic students followed right behind them. Each twin had his or her arm around their partner, ensuring that they didn’t slip on the snow packed road or have any trouble getting inside. Once the last of them entered, the opening somehow vanished and the musicians stuck up a lively dance tune, one of Zdenka’s favorites.
“Everybody’s staring at us!” whispered a very nervous Danika. Her legs felt suddenly very weak.
A voice nearby called out, “You bet. You look beautiful. You must be one of her new students. I haven’t seen you around Brn before.” Danika turned and saw a young man in his twenties. He had black hair and a matching moustache. He was well dressed, but the suit was well worn. He also had big hands. “Rafael’s my name. I’m a blacksmith and work in the fortress for the baron. What happened to your arms anyway?”
“I’m Danika. Yes, we are her new students. Only been studying for two weeks though. The dragons got them,” Danika fumbled about, uncertain just what to say or reply.
“Mind if I have this dance, Danika? They always play this one first because it is the Archmage Zdenka’s favorite.”
“Well, I don’t know. I don’t have any arms to hold you back,” Danika replied, trying hard to find an acceptable way to get out of this without turning him down. Surely he can see that I am completely helpless. There are so many other women in here for him to ask to dance, she thought.
“Go ahead, Danika,” Neda whispered encouragingly. Rafael’s arms slipped around her waist and then over her shoulder and he gently moved her into the dance pattern.
Meanwhile, a boy came up to Neda. “How come you only have one arm?” he asked.
“Cause a dragon got it when they attacked and destroyed my village up in Tratky. I’m Neda and I am going to be a mage too,” she replied.
“Cool. I’m Dragan Zikmund. My dad runs the Stodgy Inn. One day I’m going to run the inn. Wanna dance?”
“I don’t know how,” she replied honestly.
“Hey, no problem. I’ll show you. It is not hard at all.”
While nearly everyone took note of the seventeen women — word of their situation had long ago spread around Brn, by the second dance, the newness had worn off and folks were back to chatting, dancing, drinking, eating, and enjoying themselves. Long ago, Mr. Zikmund had purchased the building behind his inn, had it torn down, and doubled the size of his main floor. Tonight, he reaped a huge profit, best all year, as over four hundred men, women, and children crammed into his inn for the dance. Zoran paid for everything with a huge tip to boot. Mr. Zikmund was very pleased with this long-standing arrangement at Yuletide.
By the third dance, Zdenka began looking around for her special students. She’d gotten lost in the dances and rather forgotten them. She said a silent curse for her negligence. She spotted Danika dancing with a stranger — no he was a blacksmith she recalled. One by one, she located the others. All were at least dancing with someone and she relaxed a bit. So far so good.
“You dance well, Danika.”
“My husband and I used to. . .” her voice faltered.
“I’m sorry is he here? I don’t mean to . . .”
“Oh no. He was murdered by the dragons that kidnaped me. They murdered my two little children too. I watched him get burned to death by a dragon. It was horrible.”
“I’m so sorry for you! That is just horrible! If that would have happened to me, I don’t know how I could go on living. Your children even! How awful.” Rafael seemed very sincere and she relaxed a bit further.
“Well, then I was raped by the Red Dragons, but I wanted to live. Zoran found me. He can talk directly into your mind somehow. After hearing his voice inside my head, I just wanted to live somehow.”
“Well, I am so glad that you did. Were you a stay at home mother raising your children?”
“Yes, I took care of our house and all that. I wanted t
o be a good mother, but I also made quilts to sell. It brought in much needed extra money. When I was a kid, times were really harsh. No one had hardly anything. Then, Zoran became our Baron and after that, why everything changed for the better.”
“You can say that again. I was six when his evil father invaded Sholov Province and wiped them all out. Here in Brn, we were scared that soon he would be marching his Shock Troops into Brn and wipe us out as well. Then along come Zoran and the Gold Dragons. Everything changed after that. Do you realize that Brn has now more than doubled in size since then? Pretty amazing times that we are living in, isn’t it? Say, would you like something to drink? All this dancing has made me a bit thirsty.”
“Well, yes, an ale would be great, but I . . .” she faltered, her helplessness came flying back into her mind.
“Of course, I will help you drink it. Come on, old Mr. Zikmund has a very special dark ale that is just incredible. Come on. Let me be your hands for tonight, okay?”
“It is so utterly embarrassing,” she admitted.
“Of course it must be, but hey, the Archmage knows what she is doing. If she thinks you can learn magic, you must be incredible able and powerful. She only takes the very best students, you know.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“Oh yes. She has made more Archmages in the last twenty years that she’s been running the magic school than have been made throughout all of the rest of the whole Federation! Who knows, maybe one day you will be an Archmage too. Two of your dark ales, Mr. Zikmund, the special one. Zoran is paying for it,” he teased.
The innkeeper grinned as he filled two mugs. “Right he is. Enjoy. A gold a mug usually,” he added.
Rafael held the mug up to her lips and she took a frothy sip. “Wow, this is the best tasting ale I’ve ever had. Thanks.”
“Told you. Let’s move over there where we have a bit more room to drink and chat.”