Zaconis - Guardian of Magic

by MJ Schutte

  Imlan looked at her closely for a few moments before he gestured with his head towards the camp and said, ‘Walk.’

  ‘May I get dressed first?” she asked softly.

  ‘There are hundreds of soldiers not far from here. I am going to march you naked into that camp. How many men do you think will want to get between your legs? How many will you endure before you tell me the truth?’ Imlan growled.

  Raw fear crept into her eyes.

  ‘No, please…’ she tried.

  ‘Walk,’ he snapped at her.

  Slowly she took a step towards the camp, and then another.

  ‘Imlan, please…’ she tried but he cut her off.

  ‘WALK!’ he snapped again.

  ‘Please don’t do this. You don’t know what it’s like to be raped,’ she pleaded.

  ‘And neither do you. Now walk or I will drag you by your hair,’ he threatened.

  ‘Imlan…’ she tried but caught her breath as his arrow sped past her head, nicking her ear.

  Her hand shot up to the injury as a small whimper escaped her lips.

  Imlan slung the bow over his shoulder, grabbed the woman by the hair and headed towards camp.

  ‘Wait, wait!’ she howled, but Imlan ignored her, dragging her along.

  ‘I’ll tell you the truth,’ she wailed.

  Imlan stopped and let go of her hair.

  ‘One lie and I will drag you to the middle of that camp and leave you there,’ he threatened.

  Slowly she nodded, fear dancing in her eyes.

  ‘This whole thing was set up by…’ she said but Imlan interrupted.

  ‘Get dressed first,’ he said.

  She ran to her clothes and got dressed as fast as she could, nervously glancing at Imlan.

  ‘What is your name?’ Imlan growled when she stood before him again.

  ‘Desha,’ she said.

  ‘Fine, Desha, tell me what is going on here,’ Imlan said.

  ‘Madam Jenneve arranged for me to be here. She also arranged for the three soldiers to act like they were going to rape me,’ she said in a small voice.

  ‘Why?’ Imlan asked.

  ‘She said something about you not liking it when people pick on others who are weaker than them. She said you would save me, and you did,’ she squeaked out.

  ‘And why would she want me to save you?’ Imlan asked.

  ‘Madam Jenneve believes that you will feel close to me after we’ve shared such a traumatic experience and it will be easier for me to seduce you. I have to get you to lay with me,’ she answered.

  Imlan thought of Lani and the other girl who had also tried to get into his bed. He could not understand why this was so important to Madam Jenneve.

  ‘Why is she doing this?’ he asked.

  ‘I don’t know,’ Desha answered, the fear that Imlan won’t believe her showing all over her face.

  Imlan thought for a moment and then said, ‘I don’t understand why this Jenneve person thinks it so important for me to be with a woman, but it seems as though she will not stop until she has succeeded.’

  ‘Madam Jenneve always gets what she wants. She will keep sending girls until one of them succeed. You might as well give in now and take what I am offering you. I promise, you won’t be disappointed,’ she said as she slowly removed her shirt.

  Imlan took a threatening step towards her, raising his hand.

  ‘I’m sorry, I won’t do it again,’ she cried as she pulled the shirt back on.

  Imlan did not respond, partly because he hated being this cruel to a woman and partly because he was deep in thought. Desha did not know what to do next, so she just stood waiting for him to speak.

  Eventually he said, ‘What will happen to you if you go back and report that you have failed?’

  ‘Madam Jenneve will punish me,’ she replied in a small voice.

  ‘How? Will she hit you?’ Imlan asked.

  ‘No, she never abuses us. She punishes in other ways,’ she replied.

  ‘How?’ Imlan frowned.

  ‘Some of her clients have…um…strange ideas about bedroom favors. Madam Jenneve does not abuse us, but if a client pays well enough….’ she trailed off.

  ‘I see,’ Imlan said slowly.

  ‘There is more. Normally we are paid by Madam Jenneve for our work, but when she punishes us, she also withholds our money. Sometimes a girl has to go to a client’s house for ten days, perform all her duties and she won’t even get a single copper,’ Desha continued.

  Imlan looked at her closely to see if she was telling the truth. Even in the gloomy moonlight, he could see she was being completely honest.

  ‘You will go back to your Madam and tell her you succeeded. You will avoid punishment and she won’t send any more girls to me. We both gain something from this,’ Imlan said.

  ‘You want me to lie to Madam Jenneve?’ she gasped.

  Imlan fished in his pocket and found the other silver coins Alexi gave him.

  ‘Here, take this if it will help you feel better,’ he sneered as he shoved a coin in her hand.

  ‘But I can’t lie to Madam Jenneve,’ Desha argued.

  ‘You had no problem deceiving me. You’re a gifted performer. Use this skill to save yourself a great deal of pain,’ Imlan answered.

  Slowly Desha nodded.

  ‘If I find out you betrayed me, I will come back for you and then you will wish for the gentle hands of those other clients you spoke of,’ Imlan threatened.

  Imlan did not have the faintest idea what he would do to her, but by the way her eyes went wide, he knew the threat worked.

  ‘I will keep this secret, I promise,’ she said.

  ‘Good. Now run off, I have to get back to camp,’ he said as he turned away.

  ‘Wait, you can’t go yet,’ Desha called after him.

  Imlan spun around with a murderous look in his eyes.

  ‘If you try…’ he growled.

  ‘No, I won’t, I promise,’ she said quickly, clutching her torn shirt to her chest.

  ‘Fine, what do you want to say?’ Imlan asked.

  ‘Madam Jenneve will want details of what happened and no doubt will share it with Father Zaconis. He, or someone who works for him, will probably ask you what happened between us, so we should at least tell the same story,’ Desha replied.

  ‘How do you know Jenneve will let Father know? What does he have to do with this?’ Imlan frowned.

  ‘He paid for the girls who went to you in your room back in Celonis. He also paid for me,’ she said, casting her eyes down.

  ‘A moment ago you told me you did not know why Jenneve was doing this,’ Imlan spat at her.

  ‘I don’t know why, I simply know who paid,’ Desha stammered quickly, fear welling up in her again.

  ‘How do you know?’ Imlan asked.

  ‘I overheard Alexi and Madam Jenneve talk. My room is right above hers. While the walls in The House of Ladies are sound proof, the wooden floors aren’t,’ Desha explained.

  ‘Tell me what you heard,’ Imlan said.

  ‘Only that Father Zaconis wants you to be with a woman, nothing else,’ Desha replied.

  Imlan saw that Desha was being honest. She was terrified of what he would do if she dared tell more lies.

  ‘Fine, what should we say happened here?’ he asked.

  ‘You saved me from three attackers. When I went to go wash myself in the river, you got spellbound watching me and…’ Desha said, but Imlan quickly interjected.

  ‘Yes, fine, I can fill in the rest for myself,’ he cut her off.

  ‘It would be best if I could show Madam Jenneve something to prove that we were together,’ Desha hesitantly said.

  ‘Show her something? What do you mean?’ Imlan frowned.

  ‘Madam Jenneve knows that soldiers like to get rough with the girls. If I had a few bruises on my legs or breasts, it would convince Madam Jenneve and Father Zaconis that we were together,’ Desha explained.

  ‘I’m not doing that!’ Im
lan exclaimed.

  ‘Imlan, you have to! Just grab my breasts as hard as you can. Make sure you leave a mark,’ Desha said as she opened her shirt again.

  ‘No!’ Imlan said harshly.

  ‘Fine, then I will do it myself,’ Desha said as she grabbed her breasts. She squeezed as hard as she could, grimacing against the pain. She stepped closer to Imlan, dropped her shirt and said, ‘Scratch my back.’

  ‘No,’ Imlan replied, shaking his head.

  Desha punched his rock hard chest with her tiny fist and demanded, ‘Scratch me!’

  Reluctantly Imlan put his arms around her and scratched her back slightly.

  ‘Harder!’ Desha shouted.

  ‘No, I don’t want…’

  ‘Harder!’ Desha shouted again.

  Imlan dug his nails into her back and ripped strips of skin off.

  ‘Satisfied?’ he asked as he stepped away.

  ‘Good. Now I can show Madam Jenneve how passionate you were with me,’ she said softly.

  ‘Fine, now run along. We have nothing more to say to each other,’ Imlan replied.

  Wordlessly she turned and headed towards Celonis.

  Imlan retrieved his water skin, filled up the pail and headed back to Alexi’s tent. A dark shape jumped from a nearby tree and fell into step next to the big man.

  ‘Hello boy. I’m glad to see you,’ Imlan greeted the black panther as he placed his hand between the cat’s ears.

  The panther rubbed his head against Imlan’s hand, a soft purr escaping his throat.

  ‘You can’t come into the camp with me. Stay here,’ Imlan said as they drew closer to Alexi’s tent, wondering if the cat will understand.

  The panther immediately veered off and blended into the dark forest. Imlan watched him go, curious as to why such a powerful, dangerous animal would have chosen to befriend him. With a sigh he continued walking.

  ‘Imlan! Where have you been?’ Alexi shouted when Imlan was still some distance away.

  Imlan waited until he was closer before replying.

  ‘I went to fetch the water,’ he said sheepishly.

  ‘Why did it take so long?’ Alexi enquired irritably.

  ‘There was a girl. Three men attacked her and I went to help. She then went to the river to go bathe and…well…um…you know…’ Imlan stuttered.

  A sly grin lit up Alexi’s face.

  ‘Imlan, you charmer! We’re in the middle of nowhere and you manage to get a girl to lay with you!’ he said as he slapped Imlan on the back.

  ‘Well, yes, uh…don’t tell anyone, please,’ Imlan pleaded.

  ‘Not to worry, your secret is safe with me. Don’t be so shy about it. At some point we’ve all had our first time tasting the pleasures of a female body,’ Alexi smiled.

  ‘I wonder if I will see her again,’ Imlan said softly.

  ‘Perhaps you will,’ Alexi replied, then turned around and disappeared into the tent. He closed his eyes and focused, casting his magical sense out as far as possible. He knew Father would feel it and contact him using his own magic.

  A few moments later he felt Father’s familiar energy link enter his body.

  Yes, Alexi, Father’s thoughts traveled into his mind.

  Father, Imlan lay with the girl, Alexi thought.

  Good. Have a safe journey, popped into Alexi’s head.

  The energy link disappeared.

  Outside, Imlan sat down and picked up the piece of wood he got from the Provisions Master. Smiling to himself, he carefully started carving.

  Chapter 17

  Al’taish squinted as he looked out over the ocean. This was the third day he had been waiting for the daraghna. Robyn wanted to wait with him, but he thought it a bad idea to let the daraghna see her. The beast would no doubt report back to Father once they get to Palentis.

  Far in the distance he spotted something in the air. The tiny speck soon grew until Al’taish recognized it.

  He did not have to wait long before the daraghna landed next to him. The beast folded his wings onto his back and walked around Al’taish.

  Al’taish stood dead still. He was terrified of these beasts, as were all the soldiers in Father’s army. A sickening, scraping sound came from the brown scales that covered the daraghna’s entire body as it moved. Dark eyes peered at Al’taish from deep within a head that seemed a little too large for the beast’s body. Curved fangs half as long as Al’taish’s hidden blades protruded from its mouth. The beast looked up at the sky and shook its head a few times, as if the sun was bothering him. He leant down, his head almost touching Al’taish’s. The unmistakable stench of rotting meat filled the air as soon as the beast opened his mouth.

  ‘Fathersss, sssent me to fetchsss tiny humansss called Altasssh,’ the daraghna said.

  ‘I am Al’taish,’ he answered.

  ‘Tiny humansss will waitsss here. Daraghna hungrysss. Huntsss first, then returnsss,’ the beast said, spread his wings and launched himself into the air.

  Al’taish sat down on the ground. He could do nothing but wait.

  After an agonizingly long time, the daraghna returned, blood dripping from its fangs. More blood and tiny pieces of meat covered the beast’s hands. For a moment Al’taish wondered if it was human or animal flesh, but quickly banished the thought.

  ‘Daraghna andsss tiny humansss go nowsss,’ the beast said as he unceremoniously scooped Al’taish up in his arms. The wing-like membranes between his arms and body folded around Al’taish like a cocoon.

  ‘I can’t breath!’ Al’taish complained, fear threatening to overwhelm his mind.

  The daraghna relaxed his arms slightly allowing Al’taish to part the membranes. Al’taish stuck his head out and took deep, long breaths. The stench inside the cocoon was almost unbearable.

  ‘Sssssilly humanssss,’ the beast laughed, opened his powerful wings and with one mighty shove from his thick legs took to the sky.

  They flew high above the ocean at an incredible speed. Al’taish became dizzy looking down, so he closed his eyes instead. The way the daraghna was holding him was terribly uncomfortable, but he dared not say anything.

  After flying until it was almost dark, the daraghna suddenly went into a steep downward spiral. They landed on a small island made of rock and sand only. There were no trees, bushes, grass or any form of vegetation or animal life.

  ‘Fathersss sssaid tiny humansss needsss ressst and foodsss. Sssleep here tonightsss,’ the beast announced.

  ‘Thank you,’ Al’taish replied hesitantly.

  ‘Tiny humansss ssso weaksss. Daraghnasss flysss for three daysss, no restsss,’ the daraghna spat.

  Al’taish did not want to get into an argument with the fearsome creature. He walked away a short distance and opened the knapsack Robyn had given him. Inside was a selection of foods, a water skin and the silver bracelet. He rationed himself, making sure he left enough for at least another three days. After his meal, he found a comfortable spot in the sand and lay down. He knew he needed to sleep, but it was difficult with the daraghna watching constantly. Eventually, as the moon was highest in the sky, Al’taish drifted off into a restless slumber. It felt like he had only been sleeping for a few moments when the daraghna shook him awake.

  ‘Comesss, timesss to leavesss,’ the beast said.

  Al’taish barely had time to grab his knapsack before the beast scooped him up and took to the skies once more.

  For the next two days the routine stayed the same. They traveled high above the ocean during the day and rested on islands at night. Al’taish felt great relief when he spotted a city and realized it was Celonis.

  ‘Could you land close to the city, please?’ he shouted against the wind.

  The daraghna did not answer, but veered sharply to the left and went into a steep dive. He landed just outside the city, dumped Al’taish on the ground and said, ‘Tiny humansss go to Palentisss himssself. Daraghna tiredsss of carryingsss now.’

  Before Al’taish could answer, the daraghna launc
hed himself into the air and flew away. Al’taish watched him disappear into the distance. He was relieved that the terrifying journey was over, but did not look forward to traveling to Palentis on horseback. It would have been a lot faster if the daraghna had taken him there.

  Sighing deeply, he headed for the city but changed course almost immediately to a nearby river. Although he was anxious to see the man he knew as Imlan, he desperately needed to wash the daraghna’s stench from his body and clothes.

  Lilian watched as the biggest bird she had ever seen passed overhead.

  ‘What an enormous bird,’ she commented to Angelina, who was standing next to her at the front of the ship.

  ‘That was no bird! It looked like a dragon of some kind,’ Angelina replied.

  ‘Dragons don’t exist,’ Lilian smiled.

  ‘And neither does magic,’ Angelina retorted sarcastically.

  Lilian gave her friend a smile as she said, ‘I see your point. We are going into a strange land. We should expect to see things we could not possibly imagine.’

  ‘Mistress, land ahead,’ the elf on lookout duty called.

  Lilian was about to signal a thank you to him but caught herself.

  Everybody on the ship was under strict orders not to use the elf sign language.

  ‘Thank you,’ she called up to him instead.

  The elves had all learnt how to speak like humans. The only thing Lilian was unable to do was to stop them from calling her “Mistress”.

  They were happy enough not using Jonathan’s title, but insisted that she was their Mistress and kept calling her that.

  For the sake of uniformity, Jonathan and Angelina had agreed to also call Lilian “Mistress” once they reached the unknown land. It had been decided that she will take the role of their leader when they encountered strangers.

  ‘Mistress, there is a city to the north-west,’ the lookout shouted.

  ‘Call Jonathan,’ Lilian said to another elf standing close by. He rushed off and moments later Jonathan joined them on deck.

  ‘The lookout reports land ahead and a city to the north-west,’ she informed him.

  ‘Do you think we should head for the city?’ Jonathan asked.