Zoran Chronicles Volume 1 A Dragon in Our Town (63 page)

            
He saw her urging Damek to strike, saw him refusing to do so. Damek was his
brother. Zoran could not let his own brother slay their father. He entered his brother’s
mind and re-enforced his brother’s resolve to take no action. Then, he saw Brunhilda
make her Duska, lightning fast move, saw the Baron react too slowly. Again, he stepped
in and as the Baron was about to fail in his last sword move, Zoran gave his father’s
muscles a little extra push from the Shadow Land. Kazimir’s sword struck true. Without
Zoran’s intervention, it would not have cut Brunhilda.

            
When both bodies finally collapsed onto the floor mere seconds later, Zoran
Messaged his friends.
Teleport to Castle Dorumova immediately! The Baron’s been
assassinated! Meet me in the main dining room there!
Message sent, he stepped out of
the Shadows and into the room. Using his most powerful spell, he lowered the Baron’s
protections against others directly teleporting here. He took hold of his brother’s arm
and helped his body sheath the sword. Then, he moved him over to a chair and had him
sit down.

            
At last he spoke, “Well done, brother. You have maintained your own integrity
and honesty. I am proud that you did not do what Brunhilda asked.”

            
“Zoran? You? Here? How? She — she killed dad! Dad killed her!” Damek finally
found his voice.

            
“I know. I saw it all from the Shadows. My friends will be here momentarily. We
will keep you safe from harm and retribution.” Thirty seconds after Zoran appeared in
the dining room, Zdenka appeared, still in her nightgown, spells at the ready. Seconds
later, Karel, Bernard, Jarka, Emil, and Renata also appeared.

            
“Oh my!” exclaimed the conservative Zdenka, seriously shocked by what she saw.

            
“Damn, what happened here?” exclaimed Karel, the moment he apparated in the
room.

            
“I’ll be!” Jarka calmly stated as she arrived. “Bit of a mess. Is Damek all right?”

            
“He’s in shock, but is unharmed by their duel” Zoran replied. “We have a real
mess here. For once, I don’t know what to do.”

            
“Well, silly, get a hold of Milan or Viktor immediately. Karel, Emil watch the hall.
Don’t let anyone in here,” Zdenka ordered, as she saw Zoran concentrating.

            
Uncle Milan. I need your help instantly. Please come to Castle Dorumova, the
Baron’s private dining room. Home in on me. Brunhilda’s killed Kazimir and he has
killed her. I need your help, please sir.

            
On my way. Don’t let anyone else into the room, certainly none who live in the
castle. I’ll be there as soon as I get my pants on son!

            
“He’s coming soon,” Zoran reported. “Don’t touch anything until he gets here.”

            
“Backstabbed, just like a woman,” Jarka commented.

            
“Yes, but you are also a woman and a thief and you backstab all the time,”
Bernard teased her. For once, Jarka didn’t retort, but broke out laughing.

            
“I mean just like a
woman
, not a woman, silly.” Both chuckled.

            
A minute later, Baron Milan and Baron Leo stepped into the room from the
Shadows; both had their swords drawn, ready for action. Looking at the mess, both
sheathed them. “What happened here?” Baron Milan asked.

            
“I was in the Shadows, still watching Kazimir. He tried to come to Brn Tower
again tonight around ten. I followed him back here and accidentally saw the whole thing.
Brunhilda tried to get Damek to stab Kazimir when he had returned from the Shadows,
but to Damek’s credit, he refused to do it,” Zoran explained, omitting the fact that he
had lent a hand to his brother’s refusal.

            
“Brunhilda then drew her dagger and did a Duska lightning stab in his back. He
whirled around and ripped her open as he died. They killed each other, while Damek
stood by helpless to react as fast as a Duska can.”

            
“I see. Well, their wounds and positions and the lack of blood on Damek or his
sword backs this up. What a mess! Baron Eckhard will blow a gasket when he finds out!
Hell, Kazimir’s allies will all rave about this one. We best handle this properly and
legally. It is not every day that a baron and Duska are slain. Leave everything to me. You
and Leo help the others keep all local personnel out of this room,” Baron Milan ordered,
taking charge. Leo and Zoran joined the others at the doors. There was no chance of
anyone getting past Emil or Renata, but Zoran decided this was best left in the hands of
Milan.

            
Ten minutes later, the other barons began arriving. Purposely, Milan notified
Eckhard last of all. Thus, when the father arrived, all of the other barons had already
come. “My daughter! What madness is this? Who has slain my precious daughter? I’ll
kill them with my bare hands!” Eckhard screamed.

            
“Calm yourself, Brunhilda has already had her revenge. Look for yourselves. She
stabbed the old man in his back and his blade unfortunately has ripped her open.
Lightning moves for sure. You had trained her well, Eckhard. Look, her dagger pierced
his heart, a perfect Duska strike. No shame on her. Damek had his sword out, but could
do nothing. They obviously used Duska moves. Damek had no chance of preventing his
wife’s murder by the Baron,” Milan explained, slightly altering the events to ease the
grieving father and prevent further questions that might be hard to prove.

            
One by one, the many barons examined the crime scene and stated their belief
that she had indeed stabbed Kazimir in the back, hitting him directly in his heart. The
Baron’s bloody blade had obviously cut her open. Finally, Baron Alvaro spoke, “Barons,
are we all in agreement on what happened here?” A chorus of yes’s filled the room.
Eckhard was the last to speak. “Yes, it is plain. I taught her well. She struck a true blow.
Woe to me the day I agreed to allow her to marry his son! The blame of her death lies on
my head. I am so sorry, Brunhilda. So sorry.”

            
Softly, Milan said, “You may take her body back with you now, Baron. Go with
our deepest sorrow for your untimely loss.”

            
“Thank you, Milan. I won’t forget your kindness.” He picked up her remains, cast
several spells on her, the last shrinking her very small. Finally, he nodded to the other
men and Shadow Walked back to Dietmar.

            
“Well, we will certainly have some major business at the Spring High Council
meeting,” Baron Alvaro commented to Milan as he too left. One by one the other barons
nodded and left.

            
When they had all gone, Milan let out a sigh of relief. “Whew, that went well,
better than I expected. I was really worried that Eckhard would challenge the scene.
Since he did not, I suspect that he may have given her the order to attempt to kill
Kazimir. Interesting possibility.”

            
“Thanks for your help, Uncle. What do we do now?” Zoran asked, very much
impressed with Milan’s handling of the situation and the barons. That he altered what
had happened so successfully was not missed by anyone present, except Damek.

            
“First, Damek must now make the announcement that the Baron and Brunhilda
are dead. Normally, Damek would now become the new baron and have full and
complete authority over the castle and realm.”

            
“Yes, but he’s not a Duska,” Zoran protested.

            
“Quite true, that’s what makes all this a mess. He has no choice now but to act as
if he is the Baron of Dorumova. He must make the announcement and see to issuing of
orders. If the Generals will go along with this, then we are all safe. If they reject his
authority, we will have to take immediate action. Eckhard will be watching Dorumova
very closely. If the Generals reject Damek, undoubtedly Eckhard will come back here
with a sizeable force, claiming the castle and Circle now belong to him, vis a vi his
daughter.”

            
At last, Zoran turned his attention onto his brother, who had been sitting quietly
in the back corner, totally forgotten all this time. “How are you doing, Damek?” he
asked.

            
“Useless, pretty much useless, brother. Why?”

            
“Well, now is your real chance to make a difference in our world. Stand up and
take charge here. We will all support you. If you don’t, Eckhard will likely be returning
with an army and try to take over this whole castle and province. You don’t really want
him running your country, do you?”

            
“Well, no. Treacherous bunch. Zoran, I am a pawn. I have no idea what to do or
say. Can’t you step in and do it?”

            
“No big brother, I cannot. I am considered an outlaw here, their enemy, as far as
Kazimir taught them. You are his heir. Since he is dead, at least for now, they will
consider you to be their new baron.”

            
“But I don’t know a damn thing about the stupid Circle thing or even magic.
Nada, nothing.”

            
“The Circle is safe and right now needs nothing. Magic is not needed either. What
is needed is that your Generals, your men out there, they need guidance, a leader. You
were a sergeant. You know how to give orders to soldiers. Go give them those orders.
This I know that you can do. Go do it, big brother.” At last, Damek smiled.

            
“I like the sound of that — big brother. I see your point. I’ll do this, because I
really don’t ever want to see Eckhard again, not ever! Will you come with me?”

            
“Okay, but I had better be Invisible. The Generals might think that the Castle is
under attack if they see me.”

            
Damek chuckled. “Hell, and they’ve been plotting a huge battle to take your tower
come spring.”

            
“Bet the men are scared of the dragons,” Zoran teased.

            
“So much so that there has been rampant desertions among the ranks, though no
one dared tell Kazimir about it. You know, she wanted me to kill him, don’t you.” Zoran
nodded. “Well, when it came down to it, I just could not kill him. For once in his pathetic
life, he did something good for me. I just could not kill him because of that.”

            
“I know; you were very wise not to have drawn his blood. Come on; we’ve got
Generals to address.” Quietly, Zoran’s friends cast their Invisibility spells and followed
along behind them. Only Jarka and Milan remained, watching over Kazimir’s body.

            
At the end of the long hallway, a guard stood sleepily on guard duty. “Guard!
Make haste. Go find the bugler and have him sound General Quarters. I must speak to
everyone immediately!” Damek barked his first order with enthusiasm.

            
A few minutes later, bugles sounded throughout the castle, and Damek stood on
the second floor balcony overlooking the large assembly grounds below. Soldiers,
officers, and the Generals came rushing out of their barracks, partially clothed, swords
drawn ready for action.

            
Speaking as loudly as he could, Damek said, “I have vital news for everyone.
Brunhilda has just slain Baron Kazimir in his dining room. Kazimir in turn has killed
Brunhilda. The many barons have already been here and have verified the slaying of
both. As you all know, I am my father’s heir, so that now makes me Baron of Dorumova.
My first orders are as follows. The spring assault on Brn Province is off. There will be no
battle. For now, we are at peace with Baron Zoran.” In spite of themselves, the relief
boiled over! Wild yelling and cheering drowned him out for several minutes.

            
“Second order, since it is Yuletide, I want all soldiers, except for the castle guards,
to take the next month off of active duty. Go home and spend this time with your
families and friends. I promise you, no more wars. Not for a long time. I would like my
Generals to visit with me at ten tomorrow to discuss security arrangements before they
go home as well. Please, go enjoy the holidays!”
 

            
The wild yelling, clapping, and cheering made any further orders impossible to
deliver. If he had any more, Damek forgot them for now. He stood there tall and proud,
waving his hands along with his fellow soldiers. He knew precisely what this news
actually meant to them. He had been one of them until just months ago. At last, the men
headed back to their barracks. Many packed up and left at once, before their Baron could
change his mind.