Zoran Chronicles Volume 1 A Dragon in Our Town (8 page)

            
“In addition to your studies, from time to time, I will have missions for you to
execute. Some of these may well prove exceedingly dangerous to your lives. I wish that I
did not have to do this, but as you can see, I am far too old to travel very much. Because
of the critical nature of events unfolding across Adapazan, I must ask you to undertake
these in my place. I will do everything that I can to ensure that you have the skills to be
successful in the mission. Yet, I cannot emphasize enough that danger does lie out
there.”

            
“I have carefully picked every member of this team. Each one of you brings some
special skills with you that the others lack. In the end, this may well be of tremendous
value to you and your well-being. Enough of the doom and gloom. Here in my tower, I
wish that you will remain on this first floor until meal times. Our dining room is directly
above us on the second floor, where the kitchen and grounds staff dwell. The third floor
is where the more advanced teams live and study. I live on the top floor, the fourth and
fifth floors are off limits for all students unless I accompany you there. Now then, let’s
begin at the beginning. That door there leads to the study room, where each of you may
begin your study of magic. Shall we proceed?”

            
She led them into a large library room. Hundreds of books and scrolls lined one
wall. Magical illumination made the room very bright, easier on the eyes for so much
reading, Zoran thought. “Now then, even though three already know some spells, I was
not their teacher. Hence, I wish that you three would also study the beginning materials
as well, just to be sure that there are not any holes in your education. When we get to the
actual casting of spells, if you already can cast a given spell, I trust that you will assist me
in helping the others attempt to master it. Now here is a checklist of what you are to
study. After you feel that you know and can use one of these on the checklist, you are to
place your initials beside it.”

            
“I wish that I had enough copies of everything you need to read and study, but I
do not. So you may skip around on the checklist until you have covered everything on it.
Finally, if you already have studied thoroughly an item, you may sign it off. Incidentally,
you are welcome to read and study everything in this room. I will leave you to it for now;
I need to assist the others in some casting. If you need anything, pull that string and
Marek will come. I’ll check back with you later.” She left the seven to their study, and
Zuzanna entered with a much smaller checklist.

            
“Hi, I am going to be your maid and look after your things, but first I have to
study all these things too. Isn’t this just the greatest thing in the entire world?” she
bubbled total enthusiasm, like a child with a long desired new toy.

            
Everyone settled down to begin their study of magic. Zoran already was totally
familiar with over half of the items, which he checked off and began with a
History of
Magic on Adapazan
. While mostly light reading, Zoran found it interesting, as the
author presented the advancement of magic in chronological order. Zdenka was also
reading the same book. Towards the end of the long afternoon session, Zoran noticed
that her face turned beet red. She hid her face; something had really embarrassed her,
but now was not the time to ask her about it.

            
Instead, he continued reading, wondering what in the book had caused her wild
reaction. Not very many pages later, he read, During the famine of 2140, General Janos
Lavos was given the order by Archmage Milos to carry out his Baron Vladislov’s orders
to take the food supplies requested by Archmage Milos, supplies desperately needed to
feed all of his many apprentices. General Janos Lavos refused to do the Archmage’s
order, claiming that would cause the villagers to starve to death during the winter. He
was then tried for high treason and sent into exile in the Wild Lands. Thus, when given a
direct order from an Archmage, do not presume to know better. These are the wisest,
most powerful wizards on Adapazan. They see the whole picture, not one small
snapshot.

            
Zoran’s face flushed. Now he remembered where he had heard that name, Janos
Lavos. Archmage Milos sometimes brought up that incident as a warning to his new
apprentices! Damn! This was her father and more importantly, he was still alive. I’ve got
to meet him, he swore to himself, and then plotted out a time when he could talk
privately to her about it.

            
Shortly after this, Renata commented to her brother, “Gosh, Emil. There are
fifteen other worlds with hoofers besides this one!” Emil leaned over to look at the
passage she pointed out.

            
“What’s a hoofer?” asked Bernard. Of course everyone else wanted to know too.

            
Slightly embarrassed, she replied, “Our land’s word for antelope. Sorry, I
sometimes use our words, not yours.” Now Zoran began to wonder why they were both
so excited about deer. That made little sense to him, only adding to the mystery
surrounding the twins.

            
At supper, they joined nearly two dozen others in the second floor’s spacious
dining room. Nothing about these first two floors was either elegant or exceptional;
everything was purely functional, quite the opposite of what Zoran was used to back at
Dorumova Castle where elegance was everywhere. There, even the hall candle mounts
were made of gold. Still, here he felt human warmth, a glow that was nearly totally
absent back at the castle. Only when he was around his sisters did he feel as he did
continually here.

            
All of the other students introduced themselves and chatted away as if everyone
was a lifelong friend. More importantly, the conversation was stimulating, as many
discussed things that they learned today. The very atmosphere here was so completely
different than in Archmage Milos’ tower that Zoran thought he was in a different world.

            
“Just so our new arrivals know, you all have Sunday’s off from your studies. You
may use the day anyway that you desire. Oh, and one more small thing. Emil and Renata
have permission to depart in the very early morning hours on Sunday. Do not be
alarmed if you rise and they are gone. They will be back sometime after supper. Now if
you will excuse me, my old body is quite tired enough for one day.” She left and one by
one the others followed suit.

            
Zoran took this opportunity to chat with Zdenka about her father. He gently held
her back, as she got up to follow the others out. She turned and smiled, picking up his
subtle hint that she should dally. When they were alone, he said. “I read that bit about
your father in the history book today. I just wanted you to know that it is totally bull,
just the kind of thing I detest utterly. They had no right to force those villagers to starve
to death. I think your father did the right thing by refusing to carry out those evil
orders.”

            
Tears swelled, though she fought hard to keep them at bay. “I know; dad’s told
me about it. That’s why he came here where no one knew of his past. Maybe the rest will
miss that connection when they read it.”

            
“Yes, but they might not make the connection with you. Zdenka, one day I must
meet your father! So few ever take a stand against the Baron or his Archmage, I really
need to talk with him one day, okay?”

            
“Sure, but I don’t know when we will get the chance. I can see that we are going to
be incredibly busy here. I’ve never read so much in one day in my life. My head is
swimming in facts.”

            
“Don’t worry, it will get easier. This is all background information that puts spell
casting into proper perspective. The really hard stuff will come when we have to learn
the spells,” he warned her.

            
The next morning, Zoran rose and dressed. He found that during the night, his
clothes had been somehow cleaned and were fresh for him. At the castle, he would just
leave his room as it was — bed a mess, dirty clothes piled everywhere. Someone would
later come in and clean it for him and make his bed. Now he was in a place that he truly
respected. He looked at his messy bed and made it, then tidied up his few possessions.
As he was heading off to breakfast, Zuzanna knocked.

            
“Oh, you’ve made your bed. I was supposed to do that for you, sir.”

            
“You don’t have to, Zuzanna. I am perfectly able to make it. Tell you what. When I
need clean sheets, I’ll leave it unmade. How’s that?”

            
“Oh thank you, sir,” she grinned. Zoran skipped up to the dining room for
breakfast.

            
Days passed. On their first Sunday, their day off from studies, Zoran noticed that
both Emil and Renata had long ago left. The doorman confirmed that they had
awakened him to let them out at three in the morning! One more mystery piled itself on
top of the others. Zoran decided that he would spend the day studying. Zdenka stayed
behind as well, “I’ve got nothing to do in Brn. I know that Karel wants to check on his
many hawks, likewise with Bernard and his dogs. Jarka told me that she wants to nose
around and pick up any news of what’s been happening in Brn during the week.
Honestly, I think she’s a big gossip.”

            
“Glad you are with me,” Zoran found himself saying, though he didn’t know why.
“Say, how far is it to your place in the Dark Woods?”

            
“Three days travel, less if you have a horse, which I don’t.” That put any chance of
a visit with her father out for the time being. True, he could just take her hand and
Shadow Walk there in a second, or better once he learned to teleport, they could go that
way. To Shadow Walk now would completely blow his cover. Only a Duska could
Shadow Walk, that was common knowledge, even if the average person had no clue what
it meant.

            
Days passed into weeks, as they immersed themselves deep into the world of
knowledge, magic, and spells. On the day that everyone had at last signed off on
Creatures of Adapazan
, Archmage Nadia held a conference to discuss what they had
learned and to put it into perspective.

            
She said softly, “Why are the Wild Lands of Adapazan called the Wild Lands?”

            
Zoran spoke up at once, images of his father strong in his mind. “Centuries ago,
we landed on Adapazan and, under the reigns of a number of evil barons, began
subjugating all of the other people here by force of arms, deceit, and treachery. Baron
Kazimir is continuing to extend his dominion over the planet. He calls those lands not
under his iron fist of control the Wild Lands, because here warlords run even worse
viciousness on the people living out here.”

            
“Flunk, Zoran. You have given me an answer that I would expect to hear from one
who has been brought up in the so called
civilized
lands of Adapazan,” she stated flatly
and without emotion. Her comment raised the eyebrows of both Jarka and Zdenka, but
for different reasons. Zdenka thought that this only confirmed her deep suspicions that
Zoran was indeed a nobleman, probably from the civilized lands. Jarka, on the other
hand, snickered; he was not such of a hot shot after all, and he certainly was not from
around these parts.

            
“Would anyone else like to answer my question?” she asked softly, her keen eyes
pausing for a moment on the others.

            
Zdenka decided to try. “Originally, Adapazan was populated by the Yellers, who
built what one might call population centers. Highly intelligent, these were the first true
civilizers of the planet. Then we, the humans, came here and began killing them, driving
them off of the most fertile lands, forcing them out of the zones that we controlled. As
the barons continued to enlarge the areas they controlled, the Yellers were forced further
out into the less desirable portions of Adapazan. The Yellers now hate humans with a
passion and fight us whenever they get the chance. They get their name from all the wild
yelling they do when they attack us. Also driven from their old haunts are other nasty
creatures, the banshees, the megalowolves, the slithers, and the paleowasps. All of these
combine to make living in the non-civilized areas of Adapazan quite dangerous — hence
the name Wild Lands.”

            
“Very good, Zdenka. Precisely so. The Yellers are more than justified in attacking
humans. After all, we are slowly committing genocide of their kind. Now then, has
anyone ever seen a Yeller? Can anyone describe what they look like, what they are afraid
of, or how we mages may defeat them if we are attacked?” she asked.