Zoran Chronicles Volume 1 A Dragon in Our Town (19 page)

            
“As long as we can figure out how to do it, I promise you that I will do so.” Zoran
knew well what this meant. Once he had shown them the sixteen planets, from then on,
they would be able to travel there on their own and show other dragons the way. Was he
opening the door to a massive dragon resettlement? Was he creating an insurmountable
problem far into the future? He had no real choice but to agree to this request. After all,
once the Circle was completed, realistically, it would be the threat of the dragons that
would guarantee the safety of the Circle and the new House. It would take years and
years to build a proper castle and an army to protect it. He knew that without the aid of
the dragons, the new House would be short-lived.

            
“Excellent. A bargain is sealed,” Aldrick pronounced. With the formalities
finished, they then chatted a while before returning to give those in the tower the good
news. Golden dragons would protect Brn, something no other House on any planet
would have, an ultimate weapon that could guarantee them some measure of security, if
only for a time.

Chapter 9 Janos Lavos

The next morning, the team met for breakfast. “Where are we off to today?” Jarka asked
curious about this mysterious person, who Zoran wanted to become their general.

            
“Unfortunately, he is a very private man at the moment. I must ask you to wait
here while Zdenka and I meet with him. If all goes well and if I find him suitable, then I
will message you for you to come to us and meet him yourselves and give me your
assessment of my choice. I hate to restrict you this way, but for the man’s sake, I am
asking you to allow us this first meeting.”

            
“Do you know who he is talking about, Zdenka?” Jarka asked a bit peeved that
she was not asked.

            
“No, Jarka, I really have no idea at all or why he wants me, but I am glad that he
is taking one of we Mages with him. He should never be allowed to go traveling about
without at least one of us there to help protect him. After all, he is now going to be our
Duska.” Jarka could not argue with that and resigned herself to wait.

            
“Go for it,” Bernard said in his usual bored manner.

            
“If trouble finds you, send for us immediately, do you hear me?” Karel said with a
slight snarl. He meant it. Zoran and Zdenka agreed and left, walking out of the main
door into the sunlit morning.

            
“Where too?” she asked.

            
“Let’s walk to the gates and step outside the city first, please. It’s a beautiful day
to be walking with a fine young woman,” he complimented her. She blushed and took his
offered arm.

            
A half hour later, they left the city behind them and were walking down the main
road that led out of Brn. “Okay, no one can overhear us now. Take me to your father,
Janos. I must talk with him.”

            
“What? You want my dad — the general? Really? Are you sure?” Poor Zdenka was
taken completely by surprise and was terribly confused.

            
“I told you long ago that I wanted to meet him. Now is as good a time as any.”

            
“Well, okay then. I will teleport us to our homestead. Mind you, our place is
absolutely nothing like — well anything that you are probably used to. I mean — well you
will see. Please don’t hold our homestead against me or dad.”

            
“Of course not, Zdenka. Lead on.” She concentrated and cast her spell. A moment
later, they arrived deep within the Dark Forest. Gone was the bright sunlit day, replaced
by deep shadows of the wood. The air was slightly musty and noticeably cooler. They
stood in a clearing among the dense woods.

            
Before them was a crudely build log cabin, a split rail fence enclosing the clearing,
and a barn, constructed similarly of logs. Two horses were grazing on the grass. A
number of chickens pecked at grain on the ground within their fenced cage. A big black
dog came bounding across the grass towards them. Zdenka knelt down to greet him.
“My dog, Pik. Hi, I am glad to see you too, big boy.” He came up to her and began licking
her hand and face, welcoming her home at long last. A pounding noise came from the
barn.

            
“Dad’s probably in there inventing something. Come on. I’ll introduce him.” They
walked across the clearing to the barn, whose doors were opened. Inside, a small
foundry was burning. A man was bent over an anvil, pounding away. Sweat poured
down his shirtless back. Even from a few feet back the heat was intense. “Hi dad. I’m
back for a bit. Brought someone who wants to meet you.” He looked up and doused the
metal in a bucket of water.

            
“Zdenka! What a surprise. Everything going okay at the tower?” he asked,
concerned that his daughter had returned so soon. Worry lines creased the brow of this
tall, well-muscled man in his early fifties. His hair was similar in color to hers, but he
hadn’t shaved for a few days. His body hid what he was working on and Zoran sensed
that this was on purpose.

            
“Sure dad. Had some real excitement yesterday. We’ll tell you about it, if you can
take a break. I have someone I want you to meet,” she changed tactics as her father
visibly relaxed, knowing that she was not in some kind of trouble on this surprise visit.
“This is Zoran, Zoran this is Janos Lavos.”

            
Wiping his hand on a rag, he offered it to Zoran, who shook it firmly. He’d asked
her not to divulge his last name just yet. After all, Janos probably held a good deal of
hatred against the Baron. No sense starting out on the wrong foot. “Well met, Zoran.
Excuse my appearance. I wasn’t expecting my daughter or a visitor. Come on up to the
house. I’ll wash up and Zdenka can brew us some tea. Sorry, don’t have anything
stronger to offer you. The mead is gone until the fall batch is done.”

            
Long used to stone castle walls and stone buildings of Dorum, Zoran found the
inside their cabin to be the crudest building in which he had ever entered. Mud filled the
cracks between the logs. Yet, there was something else in this main front room,
something intangible but very real, a feeling of real warmth and love, as well as security
and a distinct peacefulness, which was totally lacking in Castle Dorumova, except
around his sisters. “Mom did most of the decorating in here; we’ve left it pretty much as
she had it,” Zdenka explained, as she began fixing their tea and noticed Zoran looking
around the room. “Got two small bedrooms; mine is up above your head, the loft. Dad’s
is in the back room. It’s probably nothing like you’ve ever encountered. Sorry.”

            
“Hey, there is nothing to be sorry about, Zdenka. This place has both charm and
unique warmth about it. I can really feel it. Cold granite cannot compare one iota to your
house.” She blushed and hurriedly busied herself with the simple task of getting tea
ready.

            
By the time she was carrying the pot and mugs into the pine roughhewn table off
to one side of the large main room, her father came out of his small bedroom; he’d
rinsed and put on a shirt. She served the tea and the three sat down. “So what do you do,
Zoran?” he asked.

            
“Long story, but at the moment, I am the team leader of we seven Mages. By the
way, Zdenka is now officially a Mage,” he replied.

            
“Well, isn’t that something! My little archer has become a full-fledged Mage as
well. Congratulations, Zdenka. You did it. I always said there isn’t anything my Zdenka
cannot do once she sets her mind to it.” He was quite proud of her that was readily
apparent.

            
“We’ve got quite a story to tell you. I’ll let Zdenka tell you about the other day’s
adventure. I think you will enjoy it.” Zoran cleverly allowed his daughter to relate the
lengthy story. Zoran wanted time to study the man. He had not grown soft living all
these year out in the wild away from all civilization. He was still fit.

            
When she got to the part where the golden dragons made their appearance, Janos
did not look at all surprised. After she finished relating that they had gotten back safely
to the Archmage’s tower, she said rather annoyed, “Dad, you aren’t totally shocked and
surprised about the dragons appearing!”

            
“I know honey, but I’ve been seeing them on occasion out over the forest about a
dozen times since you went off to study magic. I’ve been going to tell you about those
magnificent creatures the next time you came home for a while. Haven’t had the chance
yet today. I will say this: Warlord Mikolas had more humanity than all the Baron and his
cronies have combined! Brilliant move of his to evacuate his whole province. I hope
most chose to leave; subjugation under the Baron’s rule is neigh on to slavery. Yet,
maybe there has been a subtle shift in the balance of power with the appearance of these
dragons. Undoubtedly, the Baron’s losses were horrific, compared to what his original
estimates must have been. I am sure this will slow him down in his plans to subjugate
the rest of the Wild Lands.”

            
“Undoubtedly so,” Zoran replied, now taking up the narrative. He’d reached his
judgment of Janos and was very pleased to see that anger and hatred had not festered in
the ex-General who had been exiled for treason. He then began a careful and lengthy
explanation of what the Brother Jiri and Priestess Anezka Zar were going to do, build the
first new Circle of Ascension in several centuries. “As soon as it is built, all of the other
sixteen Houses will instantly know of its existence. A new power will suddenly appear,
shaking up their rigidly fixed world outlook. Of course, the new House will have to have
a Duska. I have volunteered to be their Duska.” He paused, letting the magnitude of his
simple statement register.

            
“Who are you anyway?” Janos asked, his eyes piercing into Zoran, as if he had not
yet seen him.

            
“Zoran Vladislov, unfortunately Baron Kazimir is my father. I aim to put a stop to
his tyranny here on Adapazan, if I possibly can.”

            
Janos opened his mouth to respond, but sat speechless. Wild emotions ravaged
through his mind. Here was the son of his enemy sitting at his table, the son of the vilest,
wickedest, most sadistic man he had ever had the misfortune of serving. Yet, the son was
not his father, slowly that idea rooted and took over control of his mind. As it did, he
stood up and gave Zoran a long unused, courtly bow, as he once had done so very long
ago, when he was a young man in his early twenties. “My duke,” he bowed a second time,
embarrassing Zoran even further.

            
“Please, just Zoran, and please, you don’t have to bow to me. Rather it is I that
ought to bow to you — you who alone had the will and courage to defy the Baron’s orders
to further ravage poor villagers. I am honored to meet you, General Janos Lavos.” Zoran
rose and bowed to him. Zdenka looked totally shocked at both men, not knowing how to
react. That her father had bowed to Zoran filled her with surprise and a little awe. She
had never known her fiercely independent father to bow to any man, yet he did to this
young lad. She felt ill at ease, courtly manners and rules she had never known and
suddenly felt that she was somehow dishonoring Zoran by not — well she didn’t know
what she ought to have been doing, she concluded.

            
“Now then, Janos. Once the Circle of Ascension is made and activated, a new
House will come into existence. As you know, the Baron’s Circle is deep within the
heavily fortified Castle Dorumova. Ours will be in a simple Archmage tower; there is not
anything remotely like a fortress in this whole province. Yet, it will be guarded by the
Archmage and all us Mages. Plus, I have made a deal with the golden dragons of Voss.
They will then become visible to everyone and fly protection for the tower. Let’s see an
army even try to attack Brn then! However, I will also need some handpicked, well-trained guards to help with physical security. I need a General of Security. Janos, I
would be highly honored if you would consent to become my new General of Security.
Please give this serious consideration. I know of no one better qualified than you in this
entire province.”

            
He grinned, “How can I possibly refuse your offer? My daughter is now a Mage
and will be protecting the tower. I absolutely insist that I lend a hand. Not only for her
sake — she is all that I have left that matters most to me — but also if this will in some
way help put an end to the Baron’s continual subjugation of the free peoples of this
world, I must lend my assistance to this strange adventure. You, sir, know how to strike
a hard bargain,” he teased Zoran, while a broad smile brought out his age lines on his
forehead.