Zoran Chronicles Volume 1 A Dragon in Our Town

by Broquard, Vic

  “Oh my!” exclaimed the conservative Zdenka, seriously shocked by what she saw.

  “Damn, what happened here?” exclaimed Karel, the moment he apparated in the room.

  “I’ll be!” Jarka calmly stated as she arrived. “Bit of a mess. Is Damek all right?”

  “He’s in shock, but is unharmed by their duel” Zoran replied. “We have a real mess here. For once, I don’t know what to do.”

  “Well, silly, get a hold of Milan or Viktor immediately. Karel, Emil watch the hall. Don’t let anyone in here,” Zdenka ordered, as she saw Zoran concentrating.

  Uncle Milan. I need your help instantly. Please come to Castle Dorumova, the Baron’s private dining room. Home in on me. Brunhilda’s killed Kazimir and he has killed her. I need your help, please sir.

  On my way. Don’t let anyone else into the room, certainly none who live in the castle. I’ll be there as soon as I get my pants on son!

  “He’s coming soon,” Zoran reported. “Don’t touch anything until he gets here.”

  “Backstabbed, just like a woman,” Jarka commented.

  “Yes, but you are also a woman and a thief and you backstab all the time,” Bernard teased her. For once, Jarka didn’t retort, but broke out laughing.

  “I mean just like a woman, not a woman, silly.” Both chuckled.

  A minute later, Baron Milan and Baron Leo stepped into the room from the Shadows; both had their swords drawn, ready for action. Looking at the mess, both sheathed them. “What happened here?” Baron Milan asked.

  “I was in the Shadows, still watching Kazimir. He tried to come to Brn Tower again tonight around ten. I followed him back here and accidentally saw the whole thing. Brunhilda tried to get Damek to stab Kazimir when he had returned from the Shadows, but to Damek’s credit, he refused to do it,” Zoran explained, omitting the fact that he had lent a hand to his brother’s refusal.

  “Brunhilda then drew her dagger and did a Duska lightning stab in his back. He whirled around and ripped her open as he died. They killed each other, while Damek stood by helpless to react as fast as a Duska can.”

  “I see. Well, their wounds and positions and the lack of blood on Damek or his sword backs this up. What a mess! Baron Eckhard will blow a gasket when he finds out! Hell, Kazimir’s allies will all rave about this one. We best handle this properly and legally. It is not every day that a baron and Duska are slain. Leave everything to me. You and Leo help the others keep all local personnel out of this room,” Baron Milan ordered, taking charge. Leo and Zoran joined the others at the doors. There was no chance of anyone getting past Emil or Renata, but Zoran decided this was best left in the hands of Milan.

  Ten minutes later, the other barons began arriving. Purposely, Milan notified Eckhard last of all. Thus, when the father arrived, all of the other barons had already come. “My daughter! What madness is this? Who has slain my precious daughter? I’ll kill them with my bare hands!” Eckhard screamed.

  “Calm yourself, Brunhilda has already had her revenge. Look for yourselves. She stabbed the old man in his back and his blade unfortunately has ripped her open. Lightning moves for sure. You had trained her well, Eckhard. Look, her dagger pierced his heart, a perfect Duska strike. No shame on her. Damek had his sword out, but could do nothing. They obviously used Duska moves. Damek had no chance of preventing his wife’s murder by the Baron,” Milan explained, slightly altering the events to ease the grieving father and prevent further questions that might be hard to prove.

  One by one, the many barons examined the crime scene and stated their belief that she had indeed stabbed Kazimir in the back, hitting him directly in his heart. The Baron’s bloody blade had obviously cut her open. Finally, Baron Alvaro spoke, “Barons, are we all in agreement on what happened here?” A chorus of yes’s filled the room. Eckhard was the last to speak. “Yes, it is plain. I taught her well. She struck a true blow. Woe to me the day I agreed to allow her to marry his son! The blame of her death lies on my head. I am so sorry, Brunhilda. So sorry.”

  Softly, Milan said, “You may take her body back with you now, Baron. Go with our deepest sorrow for your untimely loss.”

  “Thank you, Milan. I won’t forget your kindness.” He picked up her remains, cast several spells on her, the last shrinking her very small. Finally, he nodded to the other men and Shadow Walked back to Dietmar.

  “Well, we will certainly have some major business at the Spring High Council meeting,” Baron Alvaro commented to Milan as he too left. One by one the other barons nodded and left.

  When they had all gone, Milan let out a sigh of relief. “Whew, that went well, better than I expected. I was really worried that Eckhard would challenge the scene. Since he did not, I suspect that he may have given her the order to attempt to kill Kazimir. Interesting possibility.”

  “Thanks for your help, Uncle. What do we do now?” Zoran asked, very much impressed with Milan’s handling of the situation and the barons. That he altered what had happened so successfully was not missed by anyone present, except Damek.

  “First, Damek must now make the announcement that the Baron and Brunhilda are dead. Normally, Damek would now become the new baron and have full and complete authority over the castle and realm.”

  “Yes, but he’s not a Duska,” Zoran protested.

  “Quite true, that’s what makes all this a mess. He has no choice now but to act as if he is the Baron of Dorumova. He must make the announcement and see to issuing of orders. If the Generals will go along with this, then we are all safe. If they reject his authority, we will have to take immediate action. Eckhard will be watching Dorumova very closely. If the Generals reject Damek, undoubtedly Eckhard will come back here with a sizeable force, claiming the castle and Circle now belong to him, vis a vi his daughter.”

  At last, Zoran turned his attention onto his brother, who had been sitting quietly in the back corner, totally forgotten all this time. “How are you doing, Damek?” he asked.

  “Useless, pretty much useless, brother. Why?”

  “Well, now is your real chance to make a difference in our world. Stand up and take charge here. We will all support you. If you don’t, Eckhard will likely be returning with an army and try to take over this whole castle and province. You don’t really want him running your country, do you?”

  “Well, no. Treacherous bunch. Zoran, I am a pawn. I have no idea what to do or say. Can’t you step in and do it?”

  “No big brother, I cannot. I am considered an outlaw here, their enemy, as far as Kazimir taught them. You are his heir. Since he is dead, at least for now, they will consider you to be their new baron.”

  “But I don’t know a damn thing about the stupid Circle thing or even magic. Nada, nothing.”

  “The Circle is safe and right now needs nothing. Magic is not needed either. What is needed is that your Generals, your men out there, they need guidance, a leader. You were a sergeant. You know how to give orders to soldiers. Go give them those orders. This I know that you can do. Go do it, big brother.” At last, Damek smiled.

  “I like the sound of that — big brother. I see your point. I’ll do this, because I really don’t ever want to see Eckhard again, not ever! Will you come with me?”

  “Okay, but I had better be Invisible. The Generals might think that the Castle is under attack if they see me.”

  Damek chuckled. “Hell, and they’ve been plotting a huge battle to take your tower come spring.”

  “Bet the men are scared of the dragons,” Zoran teased.

  “So much so that there has been rampant desertions among the ranks, though no one dared tell Kazimir about it. You know, she wanted me to kill him, don’t you.” Zoran nodded. “Well, when it came down to it, I just could not kill him. For once in his pathetic life, he did something good for me. I just could not kill him because of that.”

  “I know; you were very wise not to have drawn his blood. Come on; we’ve got Generals to address.” Quietly, Zoran’s friends cast their Invisibility spe
lls and followed along behind them. Only Jarka and Milan remained, watching over Kazimir’s body.

  At the end of the long hallway, a guard stood sleepily on guard duty. “Guard! Make haste. Go find the bugler and have him sound General Quarters. I must speak to everyone immediately!” Damek barked his first order with enthusiasm.

  A few minutes later, bugles sounded throughout the castle, and Damek stood on the second floor balcony overlooking the large assembly grounds below. Soldiers, officers, and the Generals came rushing out of their barracks, partially clothed, swords drawn ready for action.

  Speaking as loudly as he could, Damek said, “I have vital news for everyone. Brunhilda has just slain Baron Kazimir in his dining room. Kazimir in turn has killed Brunhilda. The many barons have already been here and have verified the slaying of both. As you all know, I am my father’s heir, so that now makes me Baron of Dorumova. My first orders are as follows. The spring assault on Brn Province is off. There will be no battle. For now, we are at peace with Baron Zoran.” In spite of themselves, the relief boiled over! Wild yelling and cheering drowned him out for several minutes.

  “Second order, since it is Yuletide, I want all soldiers, except for the castle guards, to take the next month off of active duty. Go home and spend this time with your families and friends. I promise you, no more wars. Not for a long time. I would like my Generals to visit with me at ten tomorrow to discuss security arrangements before they go home as well. Please, go enjoy the holidays!”

  The wild yelling, clapping, and cheering made any further orders impossible to deliver. If he had any more, Damek forgot them for now. He stood there tall and proud, waving his hands along with his fellow soldiers. He knew precisely what this news actually meant to them. He had been one of them until just months ago. At last, the men headed back to their barracks. Many packed up and left at once, before their Baron could change his mind.

  Damek turned and headed back inside, bumping into the unseen others. “Er, how was that?” he asked, as Zoran and the others became visible once more.

  “Perfect, big brother. I do believe that you are in charge. Of course, the meeting tomorrow with your Generals will tell all, but I think that they have already accepted you as their baron.”

  “But how can I be baron?”

  “Let’s worry about that later.”

  “But I don’t really want to be baron, Zoran. I haven’t a clue about how to do it.”

  “I know. Please, let’s worry about that tomorrow.”

  Back in the dining room, Milan told Zoran, “Now he ought to be buried as soon as possible. Do you want a state funeral?”

  “No, he was a tyrant right up to the end. However, he ought to be buried in the family burial plot.”

  “I’ll see to that in the morning,” Damek offered. “But what do I do now?”

  “Well, I for one am going to go to bed. It has been a long, eventful night,” Baron Milan replied. “Zoran, I’ll come by tomorrow afternoon and we can discuss things with Baron Damek then. Okay?”

  After he left, seeing Zoran and friends about to leave, Damek suddenly became fearful. “What about me? Will I be safe in here alone? What if Eckhard tries something? I cannot even get a hold of you.”

  “Emil, will you volunteer to stay here with Damek tonight and protect him if need be?”

  “No problem. I will wander the halls and make sure no ill comes to him.”

  “Thanks, we’ll come by tomorrow and talk more Damek. I am proud of the way that you handled things here tonight. Well done, big brother.” Zoran’s comment had his intended effect; Damek smiled. Then, they vanished from sight.

  Back in their tower, everyone was now totally awake, so they raided the kitchen. For a while, everyone discussed this unexpected turn of events. Finally, sleep overcame them all.

  Chapter 28 Aftermath

  Early the next morning, Zoran took a hasty breakfast, before the onrush of Zdenka’s students. When she came down, she found him sipping his tea, deep in thought. As she sat down, he looked up and said, “Damek didn’t want to kill Kazimir. He was resisting Brunhilda’s orders. I know, I helped him. I was sneaky and just enter his mind and re-enforced his own choice.”

  “You did what you had to do, Zoran,” she replied, sitting down to eat.

  “Yes, and now I feel that I am facing the biggest decision of my life.”

  “How so? Isn’t everything over now? I suppose Milan will have someone else become the actual baron,” she replied, afraid that she was sounding terribly ignorant of this court situation.

  “I hardly know the man, Zdenka, but he is my brother.”

  “Well, so was Radek. Look how he turned out?”

  “That’s precisely my point. Would Damek be another Radek, if given half a chance?”

  Jarka walked in, her black hair a disheveled mess, sleep still in her eyes. She’d heard the last of their conversation and chose to answer Zoran. “Oh that one is an easy question.”

  “Oh, morning Jarka. What do you mean easy?” Zoran turned to look at her.

  “Yes, easy. Suppose that it was Radek there — you know, standing there with the broadsword and not Damek. Would Radek have done it — stabbed Kazimir?” she asked, taking a long drink of juice, and then wiping her lips.

  “Yes, yes he would have. Radek always wanted to be the baron. With Kazimir so — well mad — he would have seized his chance, probably sooner,” Zoran replied. He brightened up, “I see what you mean. Damek didn’t. Well, I will give Damek a chance. Thanks oh wise Mage,” he teased.

  “No, it’s a thief thing, not a magic thing. Got to understand people’s motives, Zoran. Magic can’t do that. Um, pancakes!” She helped herself to a pile from the platter that Hana just brought to the table.

  Zoran grinned. “Okay, here’s the plan. I think it’s time that Damek met the rest of his family and they, he. He’s already met Lida and Rayna. We’ll take Jan, Zuza, and Kamila to meet their older brother. Based on how that goes, I’ll work out the rest. Thanks, Jarka.”

  A half hour later, Zoran gathered the three together. “Gang, we have an older brother to meet. I know, he’s our half-brother, but still he’s our brother. He’s much older than all of us. His name is Damek Kamil, and at the moment he is acting as the Baron at Dorumova. Shall we all go and meet him?” They had no objections and certainly were curious to meet him, especially the young twins.

  Zoran Shadow Walked his friends and the kids directly into the main meeting room of Castle Dorumova. None of the three had ever been inside a real castle before and were awestruck with what they saw here. Suits of plate armor, tapestries, fancy tables and chairs, even the plush carpet was noticed. “Ah morning Damek. I’ve brought along the rest of our family. We’ve one more brother and two sisters.”

  “This is Zuza and Jan Vavrin, they are ten years old and are learning to read and write now.”

  “Very pleased to meet you, Zuza and Jan. I’m your big, older brother, Damek,” he shook their small hands. Zoran watched his reactions carefully. He seemed to enjoy meeting them.

  “Gee, you really are old, Damek!” Zuza exclaimed wide eyed.

  Damek laughed, “Yes, I’m three times older than you, but not so old that I can still tickle you guys.” She let out a squeak.

  “Can you show us the castle, please? We’ve never see a real castle before,” Jan pleaded.

  “You bet.”

  “And this pretty teenager is Kamila Lota.”

  “Hi, Damek. I’m learning to read and write too.”

  “You are going to be a very pretty lass. Yes, I know, our dad never did much for us. I didn’t learn to read and write until I was twenty-one and in the army. As a soldier, I had to learn to read the orders. I must admit, Kamila, I don’t read very well. I get stumped on the big words. Would you like a tour of the castle too, Kamila?” Damek asked.

  “You bet! I’ve heard adults sometimes talk about this castle. I never dreamed that I would ever be inside it!” Off they went. Jarka decided to
tag along, just in case, while Zoran and the others headed for the study. The sounds of three excited children echoed through the halls.

  A while later, the jubilant kids returned. Jan said, “Zoran, guess what? Damek says that we can come and visit him anytime we want. I told him that we can all Shadow Walk here. How comes he can’t do that? Is he really too old to learn?”

  “Yes, Kazimir ought to have given him the proper ceremony, like I did with you kids. He didn’t. However, Damek might just possible be able to learn some magic spells. Of course, he’d have to learn to read and write much better.”

  “Zoran? Are you teasing me? I’m thirty years old,” Damek replied.

  “You have our father’s blood in you. I know it is rather old to get started, but there is always the chance, if you are willing to try.”

  “Thanks, brother. I owe you. I have to meet with the Generals in a few minutes. It shouldn’t take too long. We can talk more then.”

  “Okay, I need to get the kids back to their lessons. Zdenka here will have my hide for keeping them from their studies. We’ll drop by in a couple of hours, round lunch time, okay?”

  With that, the group returned to their tower, just in time to meet Baron Milan and Baron Viktor, who had come to meet with Zoran. They took tea and biscuits in the second floor dining room.

  “We’ve been going over the Federation Legal Rules,” Milan began, “to try to figure out this mess.”

  “Yes, it is highly irregular for a baron to die and his appointed heir also to be at that time technically invalid. There is no question that at this point in time, Damek will not be permitted to become Dorumova’s baron. He is not a Duska and no longer has a Duska wife,” he explained.

  “Now if Damek can marry a Duska woman before the Spring High Council meets, he would then become qualified to be the baron,” Viktor added. “Is there any real chance of that?”

  Zoran shook his head. “Damek does not know any one that meets that criteria. He’s already had one arranged marriage which did not work out well. I doubt that he could be convinced to do it again, even if we could somehow find someone in time.”