The Second Prophecy (Part 1 of the Dragdani Prophecies) (42 page)

“
Well
now, I think it’s time for
me to give a small announcement to the people waiting outside,”
said the mayor. He got up straight away, and when he was two feet
from the door, the deputy opened it and stood aside to let the man
out.

Only an
uneasy silence welcomed the mayor as he stepped out.

“Keep your fingers crossed,” said Euol.

Shouts from the crowd rang out as the people
became keen to hear the outcome.

The mayor
raised his hands and silence reigned again. “My friends, I’m here
to let you know the outcome of this very short trial,” said the
man. “But before I say anything of it, tell me, is there any news
of young Kayie?”

“
No,” said
the girl’s uncle, “but when I last saw him, the doctor said it
wouldn’t be long. I would be there, but I wanted to know what would
happen to that boy who caused my niece’s fatal wound.”

“
Yes
and on that topic -
” the mayor paused as
he stared at the faces of the people that stood before him. Some he
had grown up with, others he had watched grow, and the some were
yet to grow. In those few seconds, he knew that some would never
favor or except his decision to execute the boy, while the others
would want the boy to die for what he had caused. The question in
his mind was how many would be for him and how many against. Was
the innkeeper right? Would he lose the election if the boy died?
However, there was nothing that could be done to stop it. The trial
was now over, and his ruling was clear.

“
Why don’t
you just tell everyone the truth? Tell that this is just for your
own well-being and has nothing to do with justice,” said Euol, who,
with his wife and friends, stood to the mayor’s left.

“
You again,”
said the mayor, again losing his cool. “The truth is that this boy
has caused a great dilemma. If we don’t punish him by the time the
other creatures come, they will kill all in their sight. None shall
be spared. And if you have some sort of proof that I’m doing this
for personal gain as you say, present it to the sheriff. However,
if it is as I expect and you have none, then I’ll have no option
but to send you for a night in the cells to think about where your
loyalties lie, unless you take back these accusations.”

“
No, I won’t
take them back. I know I’m right,” said Euol. “Besides, if you
arrest me, you know you will have to arrest all those that feel the
ruling you have come up with is nothing but a scheme, a scheme to
make you look like some kind of hero.

Then the
truth is that you are nothing but a coward.”

“
Excuse me,
how could you possibly know what I have decided before I have
said,” said the mayor giving the innkeeper a suspicious look. “I
see now. I see. I wondered why you would want to help him, and now
I see. You’re one of them, aren’t you?” he said, pointing and
waving his finger dramatically. “You’re a Wizard. I’m right, aren’t
I?”

There was a
sudden silence as some of the people looked at the innkeeper with
expressions of horror on their faces.

“
That shut
you up, didn’t it?” said the mayor in a victorious tone. “It’s just
a pity I can’t prove it.”

“
Please, your
verdict? I have to know,” said the girl’s uncle; losing patience
with the mayor’s delaying.

“
Very well,”
said the mayor as Peter was being escorted from the inn. “This
so-called boy we know as Dermo, though I found out that his name is
really Drago, has been found guilty of all that he was charged
with, and it is the ruling of the elected mayor of this town that
he is to die at the gallows.” This verdict was met with a mixture
of reactions. Some of the crowd cheered; others cried out, cursing
the man. And to the mayor’s delight, most were for it.

Peter gave
his friends a small nod to show that he was still willing to go
through with their plan. However, his face told a different story.
He looked nervous, even scared. Whether or not it was all an act
was not clear to the Wizards and their wives. So to show him that
they at least were confident that it would work, Euol returned the
nod.

“
You know,
Drago, you are entitled to a last meal,” said Jaroe.

“
No, thanks,
let’s just get this over with,” said Peter, still afraid that he
might lose his nerve if they waited too long.

“
You heard
the boy,” said the mayor. “There’s something I’m forgetting. I’m
sure I’ll remember later. Bring the cart around.”

Three seconds
after the mayor’s order, a cart with a thin layer of hay laid in it
and driven by one of the deputies came to the front of the Huffy
Hog.

Peter jumped
up the steps and stood in the center, and when the deputy cracked
his whip, they were on their way to the gallows.

Chapter Eighteen

The
deputy driving the cart pulled on the reins.
“WHOA!” he shouted.

The horse
stopped and Peter, escorted by Jaroe, stepped off of the cart then
climbed the steps of the gallows. The hangman stood waiting for
him. As the man slipped the noose over the top of the boy’s head,
he whispered, “Don’t worry, my lord, you’ll be laughing this off
soon enough.” The executioner gave him a quick wink.

How many damn Wizar
ds
and Witches are in this town?
thought
Peter as he stood waiting for his neck to be stretched.

The
white-haired mayor stepped out of the mass of people, which once
again had formed, and turned to face them. “This is not something
that I’m proud of, but this boy must pay for what he has done to
this town, and today, the very day he committed his crimes, he
shall pay,” said the chubby red-cheeked man loudly and very
nervously. The mayor was now having second thoughts of what he was
doing. The question he asked himself over and over again was, “Is
this really worth the life of this young boy?” And the answer that
sprung into his selfish mind: “Of course it is. After all, one less
Wizard in this world couldn’t be a bad thing.”

He had
already begun to question himself again and turned and looked at
Peter. “I hope you find peace.” Then he looked to the masked man
waiting to pull the lever.

“
Are
you ready?
” he said to the
executioner.

The masked
Wizard nodded.

“
Are you
ready, Drago?” said the mayor.

Peter said nothing.

“
Wait! This
isn’t right,” said an unknown face in the crowd.

“
Who said
that?” asked the mayor, taken aback.

“
I said it,”
said a young man in his early twenties, stepping from the crowd. It
was one of the guards from the bell tower. “I haven’t given my side
of the story,” said the guard, still wearing his uniform of red and
gold armor, black boots, and gold helm. His quiver of arrows was
still strapped to his back, and he held his bow in his right
hand.

“
You
were the one who
helped him shoot down
the creatures,” said the mayor.

“
Yes,” said
the archer. “That means you’ll have to hang me too, uncle. But at
least hear it from my point of view.”

“
Why didn’t
you come forward before?” asked the mayor with feeling.

“My shift only ended a few minutes ago,” said
the young man.

“
Can’t you
just lay all the blame on me so we can get this over with? It is
cold you know,” said Peter.

The mayor
looked at Peter as though stunned.

“
Go on,” said
the mayor to his nephew in a firm tone.

T
he young man went on to tell
what he thought had happened when the Lores arrived.

“
What
happened wasn’t his fault,” said Peter. “I’ve already confessed to
it all. He was only doing what he thought was right. You can’t
sentence your own nephew to die for doing the right
thing.”

After a few
minutes of letting those words sink into his head, the mayor turned
to face Peter. “No I can’t,” he said with tears welling up in his
eyes. “And it’s made me realize that if I can’t do that to him, how
can I do it to you? How could I face my family knowing that I sent
an innocent person to die? And he is innocent. We all know he is.
We just needed someone to blame for what happened to that little
girl. But if there’s anyone to blame, it’s me. You did well,” he
patted his nephew on the shoulder. The man turned and proceeded to
ascend the steps and stood beside the executioner.

“
Set him
free,” the mayor said to the masked Wizard.

Just then
someone from the crowd yelled, “No it isn’t right; he should pay.”
It was the wounded girl’s uncle. He jumped onto the platform and
pushed the mayor, who fell head first to the ground with a smack.
The executioner tried to reach the attacker, but was too late to
stop him pulling the lever, and unfortunately, he hadn’t had enough
time to take the noose from around Peter’s neck. Before anyone knew
what was happening, the boy was swinging.

Euol and Jert
jumped toward their King. Jert grabbed him by his kicking legs and
tried to hold him up while Euol ran past the executioner who was
struggling to keep the girl’s uncle from escaping. The Wizard took
out his wand. He waved it and said, “Sharront,” and a thin ray of
green light severed the rope.

Peter fell,
as did Jert, and when the Wizard checked the boy for life signs,
there were none.

“
Stop,”
shouted someone who was trying to make his way through the thick
mob. It was Braten. “Stop! You can’t kill him. He’s not guilty. The
girl’s alive and well.”

“
What do you
mean?” said the girl’s uncle, who at those words had stopped
struggling with the executioner.

“
I
mean
she’s fine. There’s nothing wrong
with -” when he broke through the crowd, he saw his friend’s
lifeless body lying in the dirt.

“
You’re a
little late,” said Euol as he calmly walked down the steps as two
of the townspeople lifted the unconscious mayor to the front of the
gallows.

“
But he
confessed,” said the girl’s uncle.

“He only confessed because he thought that
was the only way to get away from it,” said Jert stiffly.

“But surely he knew he would die,” said one
of the women in the crowd.

“
He is dead,
but only until he wakes up again,” said Euol. “Other than that,
he’s fine.” The Wizard’s wife, son, and the other magic users were
the only ones who understood what he meant. Everyone was asking
what the hell was going on.

“
We can’t
answer any questions yet. And we’ll need to take them to my place,”
said the innkeeper to the people as he gestured to Peter and the
mayor. “You can explain to us what happened with the girl on the
way, Braten.”

“
Sure, that’s
fine,” replied the son.

They walked
side by side, and when they reached the Huffy Hog, the mayor and
the young Draga-Wizard Elf were made as cozy as Wizardly
possible.

The mayor was
the first to come round and the boy jumped to life again only five
minutes after.

“
So what do
you say now?” Euol asked the mayor “Is the boy now going to spend
the rest of his life in the cells?”

“
Oh no, no.
He has already paid severely. He’s free to go with my blessing,”
replied the mayor with the sound of a deep, foreboding regret. “Let
him leave this harsh place and, may he live his life in peace from
this day on.”

“
Good,” said
the Wizard. He turned on his heel and went to see Peter, who at
that time had started on a large bowl of vegetable soup and four
slices of thick homemade bread.

“
Good news,
then,” said Peter in a rough ragged voice, which didn’t by any
means stop him smiling.

“I forgot about those big ears of yours,”
said the innkeeper.

“
It’s not
nice to make fun of people you know,” replied the boy, his smile
widening.

“
What do you
think is going to happen to the man who attacked the
mayor?”

“
Who knows?
In this place, anything can happen,” said Euol. “You’re proof of
that.”

“
Tell me
about it,” said the boy, rubbing his neck with one hand while
trying to balance his spoon in the other.

“
You should
have a little time to rest, maybe a day or so, and then if you feel
all right, I think it would be for the best if you and Braten leave
for Cayer-Huld,” said the Wizard.

“
No, I’m
fine. I just want to finish this,” said Peter, lifting his bowl.
“Then we’ll leave if that’s all right.”

“
Whatever you
think,” said the innkeeper. “So I take it you heard about the
girl.”

“
No. When did
she die?” Peter asked with the guilt flowing out of his
words.

“
She didn’t;
she’s fine. In fact, she’s out side with the others, her and her
family. And then there’s the rest of the town, who all wish you a
speedy recovery,” said Euol happily.

The boy shot
up out of his chair and stood bolt upright.