Just then, his inner senses began throbbing! His Circle began sending him data. Two were coming through his Circle right now in the middle of the night! No, they were coming just outside the tower — he’d just sensed their destination point. One was Kazimir and the other — the other’s intention was to assassinate him or Zdenka! Zoran didn’t hesitate. Using his Duska expanded senses, he imagined swirling them away, off into the Shadows, as Valentýn suggested that he could do. Zoran had the strangest perceptions sweeping over his mind, as though he could somehow “see” the two men in the black void of the Shadows. The others man’s grip on Kazimir’s hand loosened, and the man, arms and legs spread out, went spinning off — a three dimensional spin, until he totally disappeared. Kazimir, fighting madly, controlled his spin, reoriented himself, and disappeared in the distance. Zoran’s senses returned to normal, but he certainly did not!
He wanted to get up and move, but he’d wake Zdenka. He forced his breathing back to normal and then worked to relax his fingers, then toes, then arms, then legs, and at last his whole body. As he finally calmed down, he drifted off into a peaceful sleep, as if this had been but a dream.
The next morning over breakfast, Lida made a strange comment. “Zoran, last night, I had the strangest feeling that the baron was after us here. Weird, I know. Obviously he wasn’t.”
Zoran decided to say something about it. “Yes, sis, he was trying to get here and do his dirty deeds, but I took care of him and his companion before they actually arrived here. Nothing to worry about.” She gave him a strange look and then let it pass, for which he was grateful.
A thousand miles away and at midnight, Baron Kazimir finally appeared in his red Circle of Ascension located in the depths of Castle Dorumova. His clothes were shredded and his body covered in tiny scratches, as if thousands of razor sharp cat claws had attacked him. His long hair was disheveled, and he was frightened, more afraid than he had ever been in his entire life! He teleported directly to his room and grabbed his bottle of whiskey, ignoring his usual glass. He downed half the bottle before pausing, and then collapsed into his overstuffed easy chair.
“God! What happened to me?” he muttered, but no answer came, only the total silence of his room. Slowly, the alcohol kicked in and he relaxed and dozed. Images of his ill-fated attack on Sholov Province swirled in his mind. There were the fire breathing dragons swooping down. He re-felt his efforts to reach his heir and son, Radek. Now he was holding the burned shell that moments ago had been in the vitality of his life. Now, he saw the shell of a son jumping to his death. A tear formed, but the man detected it not. The funeral of his wife appeared, along with his attempted assassination of Lida. Again, all magic failed and everything went black, as black as the void tonight had been. When the images returned, he saw himself unleashing his most powerful assault group that he had ever fielded, all charging toward the Brn Archmage tower. Dragons again appeared! Screaming, dying bodies flew everywhere before his eyes! Milos died, his Mages dropped like flies. A dagger headed his way as he stepped into the Shadows once more safe. The darkness gave way to this evening’s attempt. His top assassin, at least the best one of those still alive, took his hand. Armed with all manner of poisons, he’d swore to secretly kill either Zoran or Zdenka or both. He would not fail. Into the Shadows the baron led him, but then as he zoomed in on the deserted street before the tower, someone else appeared in the Shadows!
Kazimir began sweating profusely. He strained to see who was there, but the figure remained but a shadow among the Shadows. No, it did something! This shadow had wrenched his assassin from him, sending the helpless man sailing off wildly in to the depths of the Shadows, lost forever. He, himself, was sent spinning after him. Only by his powerful will had he been able to regain control of his senses and mind and force them to do his bidding, returning to his Circle at last. He could not see the creatures which had attacked him there in the lost depths of the Shadows.
Baron Kazimir sat bold upright! The alcohol in his system seemed to evaporate in an instant! Someone was out to assassinate him! That had to be it. “Yes, yes, an assassin is lying out there in the Shadows waiting for me! That’s what happened. Well, he took me by surprise this time, but I out maneuvered him all right! Damn. Who would want to assassinate me?”
As he sat there, his answer was a very long list. “Think old man! It has to be a Duska! No one else can go into the Shadows. It has to be a master of Shadow Walking. But who? Baron Milan? Baron Viktor?” He named some of his top enemies, but none of them felt right. This shadow person seemed small and relatively youthful; his fellow barons were much older. No, this assassin was dexterous, highly skilled. He ruled them out. “A Duke, perhaps?” He thought of the young sons of his enemies, seeing their youthful faces in his mind’s eye. Somehow, he didn’t think any one of them was bright enough to have done this incredible thing. At last, he finished off the rest of the bottle and fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, he made mental contact with Baron Bogdan Clav. He told him of his narrow escape. “Honestly, Bogdan, be wary. There really is an assassin hiding in the Shadows ready to assassinate us. No, I am not going mad. I tell you he’s real!” He argued with his top ally for several minutes and finally broke off the contact. He contacted his other three allies, but met with similar disbelief. Kazimir gave up. “Sooner or later they will meet this secret assassin themselves. Then, they will come running back to old Kazimir for help!” He headed to his private bathroom. His body was covered in his own dried blood from the night before.
After a hearty breakfast, he sat down at his private desk and began to outline his strategic position. If Jiri was successful in the creation of another Circle, surely Baron Milan would give it to Duke Leo. He’d as said as much at the High Council meeting. Since his announced heir, Lida, had already married Duke Leo, as soon as the Circle was built and activated, Baron Milan would seek recognition of Leo as a new Baron. The High Council would accept it, as it had already done with Zoran. That eliminated all possibility of Lida inheriting his Circle and throne. No one can be a double baron or baroness. The High Council would not stand for that, no way. So in a few weeks, Lida would no longer be of any concern. Well, not unless she divorced Duke Leo. He quickly dismissed that thought. She was in love. She’d never do that, not just for a throne. The fool wasn’t politically minded.
For the moment, Baron Zoran was untouchable. “Concentrate, old man. Zoran is not your most pressing issue here. I must be ready to appoint another heir at the fall High Council meeting! The real question is who?” He began thinking of his bastard sons, naturally. He knew that he had fathered two, but there could be more. He’d slept with at least a dozen women over the years. Of course, he would have to choose them carefully, first by age. He knew that they had to be between ten and twenty to undergo the Ceremony of Ascension. Now he had a plan. He called for his advisors and Security General. “I have a top secret, highly critical assignment for you,” he began, outlining what he needed done.
At last the moon was full and Zoran saw some action once again. Unfortunately, it was anti-climactic. Zhou met with him; their new land was ideal, according to her. Already, they had begun constructing a permanent village. The remainder of the metal axes she accepted, telling him just how valuable they were proving to her men. Now their talks began on how best to communicate this offer of moving to a new land to all of the other tribes. While she could send out runners to many here in Zovou Province, the other large population of Yellers was totally isolated, way up in the northern Tratky Province. Additionally, there were small pockets of Yellers in many of the other eight provinces.
Zhou explained that, if she could somehow send a runner to the northern lands, those there would not believe the runner. They would insist on speaking directly with his matron, her. In matters of territory and village locations, the Yellers always depended solely on their tribe’s matron, who they believed was the mother of their tribe.
Karel actually solved this problem. His ide
a was for him to teleport some of her runners to the northern province and then himself morph into his giant hawk form, circling above the runners. They would in turn search out and find a prominent village and tell them the news. When they then asked to speak to Zhou personally, the runners could signal Karel, who would then teleport Zhou to their location. Once the talks were done, he could teleport them all back to their new homeland. This she accepted. Zoran realized that she had little choice, since the survival of the tribes depended on their tribal mother. It was her responsibility.
Within a week, the Mages were busy with routine teleportation of the numerous villages of Zovou Province. Karel’s plan was set in motion and a week later met with fruition. The first northern tribe accepted the offer. Emil and Renata began to transport them, aided occasionally by their parents. Thus, the Mages were kept busy during the rest of June and the summer as well. General Janos insisted that Zoran stay near the tower, because it was too risky for him to be traveling all over the provinces. Kazimir was certain to have spies among them and send out assassins. Reluctantly, he agreed and allowed his friends to do the teleports.
On the 22nd of June, he sensed another new Circle activating. He added this phenomenon to his list of unique attributes of an original Circle owner. He, Zdenka, and Lida, were the first to arrive at Duke Leo’s Circle of Ascension and Castle Damek, named after the city in which it lay. Leo rushed to Lida and she, he. Lovers kissed long and passionately. At last, Milan broke them up and discussed the importance of the day. Zoran watched both Jiri and Anezka accept the praise heaped upon them and was proud of them as well.
Baron Milan stated formally, “At the fall High Council, Leo will become Baron Leo Matous, and Lida will become Baroness. I will have to announce a new heir, that will fall to your younger sister here, Katerina.” The fifteen year old teen was very pleased indeed. She had now become a player and not a pawn. Zoran realized that this was precisely what she was thinking!
“A word, Zoran, before you go,” Baron Milan requested, taking him aside. “My spies in Dorumova have relayed that Kazimir is now hunting down all of his bastard children. Expect that at the next High Council, Kazimir will announce a new heir, probably one of them. Until then, I suspect you will be safe.” While Zoran wondered just how Uncle Milan had gotten spies into the castle, he didn’t ask.
“Thanks, I guessed this might be the case.”
“Another thing, Zoran. He might be losing his mind over this. We’ve heard that he has been going around telling his allies that there is now a Shadow Assassin hiding out there in the Shadows. He claims the assassin very nearly got him. We all know that there is no such thing as a Shadow Assassin. Perhaps his mind is indeed going. Please keep sharp; we don’t want anything to happen to you.”
Zoran smiled; of course he didn’t, for that would upset his newfound political gains. “I remain on high alert, Baron.” Since other barons began arriving to see the new light brown Circle, Zoran and Zdenka took their leave and returned home.
“Damn! Double damn! I am cursed!” screamed Baron Kazimir. His men had returned from their exhaustive search for his bastard children. They had found three who still lived. One girl was only ten and was of no use. Another was in his thirties and a sergeant in his army, too old. Another was a fifteen year old barmaid, like her mother; she, he dismissed at once. He had had far too much trouble with women to even consider the two girls. “Who is this sergeant?” he bellowed.
“He goes by Damek Kamil, his mother’s last name. I’ve ordered him to report here at noon.”
“Very well. Let me know as soon as he arrives. Dismissed.” He sighed. “So it comes down to this, putting a bastard older son on the throne and arranging a marriage to a Duska so that he can be baron. Damn, damn, damn.”
At noon, Damek was escorted into the Baron’s private dining room. He was a veteran fighter, used to giving orders. However, he was now fearful; the Baron wanted to see him personally. Try as he might, he could not envision what he had done so wrong to have called attention to himself! The Baron’s soldiers hated to be in the Baron’s eye. So many had met ill fates. Hence, fear was his only emotion as he entered the room to face the wrath of his Baron.
He looks a lot like me, thought Kazimir, as he looked at his bastard son for the first time. “Welcome, welcome, Damek. Come and dine with me, your father. I know that I have not been much of a father to you before now.”
Damek looked shocked. Indeed, his mind reeled. He called me his son! What is happening? Nervously, he shook the Baron’s hand and took a seat. His stomach knotted, how can I possibly eat?
“I owe my career in your army to you, Baron,” he finally figured out something to say.
“Yes, and you have certainly distinguished yourself,” the Baron replied, although he had no idea if the lad had done anything at all. Until this moment, he’d been a figure on a paper, one of the endless number of soldiers in his army, nothing more. “Now it is time for your just reward, son.”
He keeps calling me his son. Why? Reward? Now it comes. I am getting sacked or worse. I knew I should have deserted in Sholov with the other men.
“Son, I have a proposition for you. As you know, my heir and son, Radek, fell victim to the dragons. My daughters have abandoned me and married off-world, long gone from here. My youngest son defies me, having built a new Circle, hoping to take over half of Adapazan. Son, what would you say to becoming my heir? How would you like to become Baron Damek, eh? Like the sound of that?”
Damek’s mouth dropped. He stared at the Baron, completely speechless. Kazimir knew well that he had just given the lad the shock of his life and was wise enough to allow him time to absorb the news. At long last, after swallowing three times, Damek squeaked, “Yes, fantastic! Unbelievable, sir! Wait, I am not a Duska, sir.”
“Kill the sir. How about just dad? Okay?” While Damek found it nearly impossible to call him dad, he did his best to do so. “Now then, that is our only obstacle. However, it is not insurmountable. You are quite right — a Duska is required on the throne. So we simply marry you to a Duska woman. Then you can be the baron and she the baroness. Perfect, don’t you think?”
Still rather stunned, he replied, “Well, yes.” He then added, “Ba — dad. But who? How? Will she?”
“Son, you leave that to me. I have connections. I will try to find one that is not a pig,” he chuckled. Damek grinned.
“That would be a good idea. I mean I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but I doubt that I could bed a homely, ugly woman.”
Kazimir roared, “Well said, son, well said. Me either. I will do my best for you. Yes, indeed, son, in a few years, it will be Baron Damek who runs this castle. Yes indeed. Now then, General Damek, I believe that you need to go and see the commissar for a new uniform.”
“What?” he was once again shocked.
“Yes, you must be properly clothed. Then, go and see your mother. I wish that both of you will move into our castle here and stay with me.”
“What?” Poor Damek was beyond words once more. At last, he nodded and as the baron waved him off, he left the room. As he walked the long halls to the exit, he began to dance a jig. “Me, the baron! Me, live here! Whahoo!”
“Well, that went well,” Kazimir muttered to himself, once Damek left. Now came the delicate choice of bride. While Clav had two daughters, both were as ugly as he. No, he had to do better than that. Baron Carwyn Alun of the desert world of Anwyn was a possibility. However, what desert dweller would desire to move to this mountainous, snowy world? Baron Cheng Meerong of the swampy world of Jing might do, but they had yellow skins. No, the best possibility lay with Baron Eckhard Hadwig of the snowy planet Dietmar. Didn’t he have three daughters? He couldn’t remember well. His late wife, she would know. For an instant, Kazimir missed her presence. Then, he made mental contact with Eckhard.
An hour later, he reached an agreement with Baron Eckhard. His eldest daughter, Brunhilda, now twenty, would marry his son and become the baroness here, al
lowing Damek to become the baron. At last, Kazimir relaxed. The problem was nearly solved and would be at the next High Council meeting on the 1st of September. Besides, the Castle would no longer be quite so empty.
He resolved to see, no insist, that Damek and Brunhilda marry soon and move into Castle Dorumova. That way, nothing would be left to chance. After all, once their marriage was announced, his enemies may well try to assassinate Brunhilda, leaving him again without a viable heir. Married soon, well, they could still come after her, but here at the Castle under his protections, they would likely be safer from assassins than anywhere else.
That this Shadow Assassin still lurked out there in the Shadows waiting for him also bothered him. The worst case scenario would be for him to be slain without an heir! Then it would be totally up to the High Council to pick his successor. That he could not and would not ever allow! That had happened twice in history, and each time caused a major shift in the power balance among the barons.
Chapter 25 A Long Summer
Zoran missed having his sister around. He missed the excitement of life. Yes, he was bored. Constant vigilance, everyone kept insisting. His Mage friends were daily off teleporting the next group of Yellers to their new island. Zdenka was hard at work with her students. General Janos continued to get new recruits and held daily training exercises. The many work crews with their engineers were constantly working and laying stone. Aldrick was busy mining for gems. Mayor Oldrich was very busy managing Brn’s affairs. Not only did the improvement and expansion of their few roads require his time, but the city itself was growing twice as fast as last year. Zoran was reduced to casting a few Force Wall spells, laying them in place and then casting Make Permanent spells on them.
Early July, he received news from Baron Viktor that Baron Kazimir was going to name his thirty year old bastard son his heir and that Baron Hadwig’s eldest daughter, Brunhilda was betrothed to him. They were to be married immediately after the High Council fall session recognized Kazimir’s new heir. Baron Viktor said that this information was reliable and had come from one of his spies in Hadwig’s court. Also, he relayed news that Baron Hadwig now believed that Kazimir had become slightly mad, if delusional. Word was that his allies no longer trusted the Baron. Zoran found this slightly encouraging. No one knew anything about this new heir who went by the name of Damek Kamil. Zoran had never heard of him either.
Zoran Chronicles Volume 1 A Dragon in Our Town Page 36