Zoran Chronicles Volume 1 A Dragon in Our Town (21 page)

            
Oh the other hand, Jarka was wild about the ability to Make a Suggestion to a
Crowd. With a casting of her new spell, she could place a suggestion into a crowd of
people, who would then act upon it. Of course, the closer the suggestion was to their
reality, the better they followed it. Zoran had visions of Jarka suggesting that everyone
in the inn donate a gold piece to her funds and her sitting back collecting them. He
grinned as the images played through his mind.

            
Two weeks later, Zoran successfully cast a spell that he deemed highly useful for
himself. At last he was as exuberant as Bernard had been with his conjured animals. He
could now project his image some four hundred feet away from where he was standing.
Others found it difficult indeed to tell the difference between the image and him! He
realized that if he ever did have to fight his father, he could gain an advantage for a short
while by having this image of himself doing the fighting while he took a different tack.
Then, he realized that this spell could be used to good avail by an actual assassin!
Imagine the image of the assassin attacking his prey, while the true assassin stabbed the
totally distracted prey in the back! Somehow Zoran knew this was going to be a powerful
spell. He then set to work on finding ways and means to detect the image from the real
person and how to thwart it.

            
A week later, the team began tackling another highly powerful and useful spell,
the ability to Erect a Contingency Spell. That is, if a specific thing happened,
immediately the chained spell would activate. Their scrolls suggested numerous uses.
For example, in case I get badly wounded, teleport me to my bedroom. In case I get
blinded, teleport me to a place of safety. If I am about to be stabbed in the back, move
my body ten feet away. If I am falling over ten feet, cast levitation on myself. If I am
drowning, cast Swim.

            
Jarka made up a new one, “Gang, how about this one. In case I get caught picking
someone’s pocket, teleport me to my home.” Everyone moaned in mock protest. She
called out, “Hey, even better, in case I get caught, cast Forget on everyone present.” They
all roared with laughter.

            
“Hey, then you will forget too!” Karel pointed out to her and everyone roared
once more. She glared at him and then realized her mistake and laughed along with
everyone else.

            
Slowly the days passed. As August came to a close, Zoran began noticing that
Jarka and Bernard’s check lists had more and more unchecked off spells on them. As
their team leader, he took the opportunity to examine this phenomenon more closely.
Indeed, each had only been able to learn one spell out of the last fifteen! The blanks were
only increasing in frequency. Karel’s list also contained a lot of blanks, but not quite the
same frequency. The twins were following their usual pattern of seemingly random
spells being learned, perhaps one in five.

            
At last, although he really didn’t want to, he examined Zdenka’s list. He found
himself wanting her to be somehow different, but didn’t know why. He forced his eyes to
confront her list. While she too had gaps, they were nowhere as large as the others! He
breathed a huge sigh of relief and then wondered why he did that? Why am I so relieved,
he thought to himself. Finally, he looked at his own list and blinked twice. He had a gap
here and there, particularly on spells that he considered too evil to cast, such as turning
dead bodies into walking, attacking mindless zombies.

            
At last, as their leader, he requested a conference with the Archmage. “You have
something on your mind, Zoran. Out with it, please,” she said softly. Now that he
thought about it, she never ever had raised her voice! Somehow she could accept
anything that happened in her own quiet manner. Amazing.

            
“Oh, it’s these gaps in their check lists,” he said and began a lengthy explanation
of what he had observed. “What does it mean? Ought we all go back and help them
master the ones that they cannot seem to get the first time through?”

            
She smiled her all knowing smile. Gosh, I wish she wouldn’t do that! He thought
to himself. It rather unnerved him. He’d just made a startling discovery that she
apparently already knew all about!

            
“Remember what I said about intelligence and the ability to learn to cast magical
spells? In case you have forgotten it,” she explained.

            
He interrupted her; she was not going to get away with this one. “Yes, the more
intelligent a Mage is, the better able he or she is to learn advanced spells.”

            
“Precisely. You see, Jarka and Bernard have almost reached the end of the
advanced spells that they have the potential to learn. Karel is also getting near that
point, but he still has a little ways to go. I admit that I am a little surprised that Zdenka
is still doing so well.” Zoran felt a sudden wave of pride in her, but again he didn’t know
why that should be.

            
“Now the twins, well they are dragons and have vastly different minds than ours.
Yet, they both are highly intelligent and are picking up the advanced spells in the same
way that they picked up the easier beginning ones. No surprise there. Aldrick was the
same way. I made note of that in my treatise, if you will recall. I see that you are making
good progress still.”

            
“Well, yes, I seem to be getting most all of them. Why? Is that unusual?” he
asked, wondering if he was somehow different.

            
“I don’t know, Zoran, truly I do not. Perhaps it is because you are a Duska. I have
never taught a Duska before. However, if that were all that was occurring, then why
haven’t all the many other Duskas in the Federation done the same thing during their
magic training. No, I do not have an answer for that one, Zoran. Perhaps one day you
may find it for yourself. If you do, please let me know. Now you ought to get back to your
studies.”

            
The rest of the week did not go well for either Jarka or Bernard. Not one spell did
they even get close to working right. At this point, the Archmage stepped in to talk with
the frustrated team. “As you have seen, both Jarka and Bernard have reached the
highest spells that they can master. This is no reflection on them as people or as Mages.
All Mages have their limits. The wise know when they have reached it. However, this
does not necessarily mark the end of their training. There are other things that you can
attempt to learn that are vastly easier than these top level spells. I believe that you,
Jarka, would be interested in learning how to make magical potions, many of which
mimic similar spells.”

            
“Yes, I’ve always wondered how magical potions are made. Is it possible to learn
how to do it? I’m game if there is. I am really burned out on these terrifically complex
spells!” she replied.

            
Archmage Nadia smiled, “Yes, dear, you should find the making of potions fairly
easy. We shall start you in on that line of research today, if you are ready.”

            
“Absolutely!” her enthusiasm had returned. “I want to learn how to make healing
potions! Now that would be a super skill to have!”

            
“Bernard, you have always been keenly interested in history, am I right?”

            
“Ancient history is more like it. I am fascinated about how our planet was settled
and all that.”

            
“Excellent, I suggest that we start you in on an in depth study on the complete
history of Adapazan.” He was more than willing to do so at once.

            
Karel glared, “I aim to keep on trying to master some more of these. I am not
giving up yet, Archmage!”

            
“No, please do not. Keep at it and see what more you can learn to cast. However,
if later on you discover that you have reached your limit, please come see me. Now then,
let’s get back to work. You two, come with me.” Eagerly, Jarka followed her, while
Bernard shuffled behind her.

Chapter 12 Kidnaped

“Help! Everyone, Brother Jiri has gone missing!” a very distressed Priestess Anezka
wailed, interrupting the five who were struggling with another spell. Startled, everyone
instantly stopped and turned to look at her. Extreme distress caused tension lines all
over her face, and she continually wrung her hands over each other, as if she could
somehow make her husband reappear.

            
“Relax, Anezka,” Zoran said attempting to mimic the soft tones which the
Archmage always used. Whether or not he seemed like her, it did have some effect on
her. She stopped fiddling with her hands and sat down.

            
“Jiri ought to have been back an hour ago. I asked Marek to go and check on him.
He’s vanished! No trace.”

            
“Where was he supposed to be going? What was he doing?” he asked.

            
“He said he needed some lead and charcoal. He promised he’d be back in just a
few minutes. Marek said that he never arrived at the metal smith’s shop or at Zea’s
Charcoal. Honestly, I think something terrible has happened to him. Please, you must
help find him. So much is at stake,” she pleaded, though they all knew just how much
they were depending upon Brother Jiri.

            
Just then, Jarka and Bernard burst into the room. “I sent them a message,”
Zdenka whispered to Zoran.

            
“What’s this about Jiri vanishing?” Jarka asked. Zoran quickly explained.

            
“First, let’s use our spells and see if we can find out what’s going on with him,”
Zoran suggested. “We should use magic instead of running aimlessly around Brn. Let’s
use See Through Another’s Eyes and Hear What Another Is Hearing. Clues, gang, look
and listen for clues.” At once, the seven began casting their spells. Emil could cast the
see version, but not the hear, while Renata was the other way around. The others could
cast both. The See spell produced nothing but blackness, so Zoran assumed that Jiri
must be blindfolded. He quickly canceled that spell and cast the Hear version, others did
likewise.

            
Zoran began hearing what Jiri was hearing at this moment. The sound of a hand
slapping flesh suggested that Jiri was being beaten, especially when a moan followed
almost at once. A harsh voice barked, “Tell me what you are doing in that Mage tower?
Tell me!” Another loud smash followed along with a moan that was distinctly softer. Jiri
was slipping into unconsciousness. “Tell me! I followed you here from Mikolas’ fortress.
I saw you go in that tower. What are you doing in there? What are you hiding? Did you
take something from Mikolas?” Crack. “Damn, he’s passed out. Stupid monk.” Zoran
heard the sound of a chair sliding across a floor, then only silence. He canceled his spell;
one by one the others did as well.

            
“Damn assassin has probably got him. Beaten him unconscious already, if he’s
not dead,” cursed an angry Karel, pounding his fists together. “We’ve got to rescue him!”

            
“Yes, but where is he at?” Zoran asked. Everyone shook their heads.

            
“Leave that to me,” Bernard said now slightly interested. “Anezka, go find me a
dirty shirt or sock that he’s recently worn. I’m going to fetch the Nose. Back in a
minute.” He cast a teleport spell and vanished.

            
“What’s he doing?” Zoran asked, but Zdenka shrugged her shoulders. No one had
any idea. Anezka left to do as Bernard had asked, while the others hastily grabbed their
weapons and made ready to go after this assassin.

            
A minute later, Bernard reappeared holding a small brown dog on a leash. “I’m
back with the Nose. Meet Zeb, best tracking dog I’ve ever raised. I know, he’s getting a
little old, but his nose is something else.” He was about to launch into one of his many
tales, when Anezka returned carrying a slightly smelly shirt.

            
“Ah, perfect.” Bernard held the shirt to Zeb’s nose. The dog reacted at once with a
short series of high pitched barks. “Okay, he’s telling me that he’s got it. Come on. Let’s
follow where Jiri went.” Bernard led the way out of the tower and into the crowded
streets. Again, he held the shirt in front of Zeb’s nose and then commanded, “Seek Zeb.
Seek.” At once, Zeb barked and began trotting down the street, his nose in a continual
sniff.