Zoran Chronicles Volume 1 A Dragon in Our Town (2 page)

            
Magic was also prevalent throughout the Federation, though it took many shapes
and forms. Although no one ever made an accurate assessment, popular opinion held
that one in ten of every inhabitant had some latent magical skill, though often this
amounted to little more than having a spoon stir a cooking pot, starting a fire in the
fireplace — little useful sort of things. From among those with magical skills, a relatively
few had gotten some magical training and were able to cast limited formal spells; these
were called the Adepts. Often they made their living by trading their spells for room and
board or gold coins. Here on Adapazan, a heavily forested and mountainous planet,
forest fires were a common hazard, and Adepts could make a good living by using their
spells to help douse fires.

            
Even fewer still had the funds or backers to make a full time study of magic.
These were called Mages. Armed with an array of spells, often power spells such as Ball
of Fire, Lightning Bolt, and Killing Vapors, these men and women frequently found
lucrative employment within the ruling baron’s army of enforcers or even their armies
proper. Those who did not were often employed by the many warlords who controlled
lands currently beyond the dominion of the barons and baronesses.

            
Rare were those in the third category, the Archmage. These individuals had gone
far beyond the mundane use of magical powers and spells, extending their knowledge of
arcana to unknown limits. Wherever possible, every baron had one Archmage in their
employ. Baron Kazimir’s Archmage was Milos, now in his seventies, a tight lipped man
with a nasty temper and zero tolerance for mistakes. Milos also detested all those
without any latent magical skills and thus fit in well with the Baron’s subjugation plans
for Adapazan.

            
The court’s Archmage, Milos in this case, had several official duties, one of which
was to train the royal children of the ruling family. Indeed, Archmage Milos had trained
Radek, Rayna, Lida, and had just begun training Zoran. Radek rapidly picked up the
power spells which would aid him in battles with warlords and their rabbles. His sisters,
while they could cast such spells should they one day find themselves rulers, excelled in
other forms of spells, beneficial ones which would help others. Zoran also tended to
favor the same spells that his sisters had, much to the annoyance of Archmage Milos. Yet
to say that Zoran’s training was complete would be an utter falsehood. No, he’d only
learned a few spells to date. “Another five years, Zoran, and you will be skilled as a
Mage,” Milos had drilled this into his head only three days ago.

            
Around one in the morning, Zoran left the inn and headed home. The rain had
stopped, but the cold night ushered in a thin layer of ice over the cobblestones, making
walking treacherous. He slipped his way along to the entrance gates of Dorumova Castle,
flashed his duke ring to the guard, entered, and walked the halls and stairs that led to his
private room on the third floor west wing. Magically enchanted torches illuminated his
way. As he pushed his door open, he felt the presence of another behind him. His nose
caught the scent of lilacs; Rayna quietly tiptoed up to him.

            
Dressed in her white cotton nightgown, Rayna had long brown hair and blue eyes.
She put her finger to her lips and caught his attention. Zoran motioned her inside and
she silently slipped past him. Once they were inside and the door shut, she whispered,
“You’ve been to the inn; it’s on your breath, Zoran.”

            
“You would too if someone just tried to kill you tonight,” he grumbled.

            
“Oh no! Not again! Are you hurt? Ought we tell dad?” her voice changing from
one of antagonism to that of deep sisterly concern. Both she and Lida loved their little
brother, but mostly despised the rest of their family. Zoran repeated the short story of
this latest assassination attempt.

            
“Oh Zoran! What are we going to do?” Rayna whispered, her voice showing a
deep worry for her brother’s safety.

            
“You aren’t going to do anything, sis. I’ve made up my mind. I’m going away for a
while. Just disappear completely,” he said determinedly. It was not the ale talking, she
observed.

            
“But your magic training isn’t done? Where will you go? What will you do? Oh
Zoran! I don’t think this is such a good idea,” she pleaded. Noticing it didn’t get the
response she’d desired, tried another approach. “You know as well as I that you
absolutely must finish your magic training. Lida and I still have a couple years to go
before we are finished. We must have all the power we can possibly acquire, you even
more so.”

            
“What good will magic do me if I’m dead?” he countered. She resorted to tears
since this didn’t work. Zoran finally melted, taking his sister in his arms. “Please don’t
cry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I know I have to learn all the magic I can. At least you
and Lida have a good chance of marrying off planet and getting out from under
Kazimir’s thumb. Look, no matter where I go, you can contact me. Use your Mind Join
spell, sis. Keep me informed of the happenings here around the court. Just tell them I
ran away because I was afraid the assassin would kill me. After tonight’s narrow escape,
they ought to believe me.” Zoran cleverly gave her a job to do and she stopped crying.

            
“When are you leaving?” she finally asked, as he wiped away her tears with his
handkerchief.

            
“Got to pack first, then I’ll go — an hour or so,” he replied.

            
“You’ve got to have food. I’ll sneak down to the panty and pack you something,”
she volunteered. She cast a spell to make sure that the hallway outside this room was
empty, then left. Hastily, Zoran began packing, knowing that if he sat around thinking
about it, he might lose his nerve. He had no idea where he was going or really what he
would need. He changed into his traveling leather pants and shirt, stuffing a dagger
down each boot leg. He strapped a pair of throwing daggers onto his back and laid out
his pair of short swords. Zoran had defied his father’s wishes and had taken up using two
short swords instead of the traditional bastard sword, for which his father was famous.
Radek had followed in his father’s footsteps. Just to defy them both, he’d taken up the
two short swords — a thief’s or brigand’s choice.

            
He packed a change of clothes, burying several gems in his spare socks. He put a
sack of gold coins in the pack as well and tied a simple money pouch around his waist.
Zoran made a bedroll from several warm blankets, stowing his few other possessions in
his backpack. He didn’t need a lantern or any fire starters; the few spells that he knew
would handle any such physical needs. He took off his duke ring, fastened it around a
thong, and put it around his neck, beneath his shirt. No sense being recognized
everywhere he went. Indeed, one glance at his finger would tell all that he was a duke
and a Duska.

            
Presently Rayna returned with a pile of bread and dried meats bundled in a dish
towel. “I got this for you. Not much, but it should last you a couple of days. Do be
careful, Zoran. I love you and . . .”

            
Zoran cut her off, “I know sis. We three are alone against our parent’s tyranny,
but I’ll be careful. At least out there, no one will be trying to kill me. Has to be safer than
staying around here. You keep me posted on events, okay. Be brave. Tell Lida I love her
too.” He gave Rayna a long hug. “You better get back to bed before you get discovered.”
Fighting back her tears, she gave him another hug and then quietly left.

            
“I’ll miss you and Lida,” he whispered after she was gone and he stood alone in
his darkened room. Indeed he knew that he would. Those two had helped him keep his
sanity all these years. Now he had to make the decision on just where to go. Back at the
inn he’d suggested to his friends that he might go visit his Uncle Milan on the forest
planet of Gladno. He’d always gotten along well with Uncle Milan, who he respected.
However, as he stood there in his room, he realized that as soon as Kazimir discovered
he’d taken off, he’d certainly contact all of his relatives, searching for his son. No, he’d
have to go somewhere where he would not be known or recognized.

            
Ah, that was the key word: recognized. He couldn’t go to any of the court cities; by
now, everyone knew the youngest son of Baron Kazimir Vladislov. His freedom would be
brief indeed. No, he would have to go to the Wild Lands somewhere. Wild Lands was
their term for lands not yet under the control and rule of a baron or baroness. Yet,
somehow he had to learn more magic — that was his uppermost worry. He just could not
forsake further training.

            
Suddenly an idea formed. As if by some magic, Zoran remembered that there was
an independent Archmage Oldrich who controlled a section of the Wild Lands here on
Adapazan! Brn, yes, that was the town, located in the mountains far, far from Dorum —
at least a thousand miles. That ought to be enough distance to keep my father from
finding me, he thought. However, Zoran knew that he would have to be cagier than to
merely Shadow Walk to Brn!

            
No, any Duska worth their salt could easily track his Shadow Walk, and they’d be
on him in a day! There was only one way he could Shadow Walk without anyone being
able to follow his magical energy trail, but that was terribly dangerous to his own life. He
would have to trace the Circle of Ascension, much as he had done during the ceremonial
rites that had activated his gland and make him a Duska. When walking the Circle of
Ascension, shadow energy lines intertwined and mingled, leaving no trace of ones exit
point. However, walking the Circle of Ascension without a priest present to guide him
could well leave him insane or dead or lost in the Shadows of the ether. Yet, it was a risk
he would have to take. He took a deep breath and opened his mind, picturing the
colorful Circle of Ascension located in the basement of Castle Dorumova. He stepped
onto the Circle. His body flew through space and arrived there in the basement, dimly
illuminated by a Continuous Light spell. Memories of his own Ascension six years ago
swam through his mind. He forced them out, concentrated, and began his Shadow Walk.

            
Space seemed to blur into a dizzying whirl of places, castles, mountains, lakes,
hills, plains, swamps, towns, and villages — all mingled into one giant mass on top of
each other as he gradually traversed the Circle of Ascension. To the uninitiated, nausea
would certainly follow intense dizziness, and then madness. After making several
rounds, he concentrated on Brn and stepped out to that place. Snowcapped mountains
rose around him on all sides. Before him were the orange granite outer walls of the city
of Brn. Being the middle of the night, Zoran knew that he could not gain entrance.

            
Some distance from the gates, a dense patch of forest grew. It beckoned to him,
and he quietly walked among the tall pine trees. He found the forest floor thick with an
accumulation of years of pine needles. Here he made camp. Actually, he wrapped
himself in his blankets and dozed, leaning against a tree. His magical instincts would
wake him if trouble found him. In the morning he would enter the city and seek his
fortune; that was his plan.

Chapter 2 Starvation

Aldrick gracefully swooped and landed before the cavern’s entrance, dropping the
carcass of the antelope on the ground. His giant claws could have held much, much
more. Slim pickings indeed, but it would have to do for now. Sunlight reflected off of his
golden scales. Sofie poked her head out, stared at the carcass. “Is that all there is?” she
asked of her mate, though she already knew the answer. She, too, had been out hunting,
returning with empty claws.

            
“Divide it between the kids, Sofie,” Aldrick suggested, knowing that their kids
were going to howl and whine like mad. His stomach couldn’t remember when it had
last been really full. It was a miracle that the two had been able to sustain their twins,
Emil and Renata.

            
Indeed, the two young golden dragons complained bitterly and loudly, but not
until they had devoured the small antelope, ravenously. “Dad, we haven’t had a real
meal in, well since we can remember!” Emil howled angrily.

            
“Yeh, dad, we haven’t!” Renata added just as vehemently.

            
“Okay, okay. Family meeting is now in session,” Aldrick said in his commanding
tone of voice, bordering on a magical spell, though just shy of it. Still fuming, the kids
laid down on their cavern floor. Four huge heads were but feet apart.