Jak Turkov slumped back and felt the blood on his neck where the monster’s hand had ripped his flesh. But his neck still held his head up. He was breathing again and thinking more clearly. Smoke and flames were billowing up from the first floor and Tina was moaning behind him.
Tina! He’d almost forgotten.
For several seconds Jak fumbled through the deepening smoke for his knife, Fedor’s axe, or the Captain’s sword. Then he got up, used his torch to burn through the ropes that held his beloved, hoisted her unconscious and still bound on his back—he did not dare take more time over the straps holding her arms and ankles—and looked for an escape.
The stairs he had come up were blocked with flames, the windows too high to jump from. But when he turned back to see if there was a door beside the temple idol, there was no altar, no idol, no temple, but an open door in the center of the wall leading to a lighted hallway! Jak rushed for it.
The hall led through the usual low-ceilinged servant’s quarters and came to a winding stair down to the cellars, all blessedly free of smoke and flame. Here Jak put down Tina and, still panting from his exertion, freed her from her bonds. The cool air seemed to be bringing her around; soon she noticed Jak.
“Can you walk?” he asked her.
“Yes … I think so … now.
“But where am I? The last thing I remember was being tied up to a column with hot irons in a brazier next to me.” She shuddered, looked at Jak, and reached up to him. “And what happened to your neck?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. A bony monster grabbed me and choked me. But I toasted it with my torch before it could finish me off. I was surprised that worked, but I’m fine.”
“We should get you washed off. … Where are we, anyway?”
“We’re in the cellars under Falcon’s Aerie. It’s lucky for us that I did some work here, and some snooping, when the house wasn’t trying to kill everyone in it. Otherwise we’d never have gotten in so quickly.
“And you need to thank all my dead comrades. Captain Josifov and farmer Zrinski also made it up there to rescue you, but the monster killed them before it came after me. I guess I’m just lucky. I was lucky to find that back hallway, too, when the illusion that was hiding it ran out.”
“I think you’re also brave.” Tina was looking him straight in the eye. Jak tried to return her look the same way, but it was hard with a naked girl, even though he had seen her that way before.
Tina looked down at herself. “I wonder what happened to me? And how did I get … this?” He saw her eyes brighten as she fingered the amulet, though she still seemed puzzled. Then she looked up and smiled triumphantly at him. Jak smiled back. Together they had defeated the Baron and taken the source of his power. Could ruling the world be far behind?
He cleared his throat. “I think we can get out through a small tunnel that leads to the gazebo in the garden by the pond. We should be safe there.”
“Hmm, that sounds good. We’ll have water to get you cleaned up with, too. And maybe … we could watch the sun come up?” Tina kissed him lightly on the mouth, and then hugged him hard. “I’m so glad you made it, Jak! And thanks for saving me! You know, I’ve never been rescued from an evil wizard before. What kind of reward can I give you?”
“Given a few minutes alone, I’m sure we can arrange something suitable,” he said, as suavely as he could manage. “But if we’re going to go outside here, you’d better put on my cloak. I mean, it’s not that I don’t like looking at you, because I do, I absolutely do, but you never know when someone might—” The future witch cast a purely female spell of silence on his mouth, and this time Jak returned her hug and kiss almost violently.
With his cloak and his arm around her shoulders, the two escaped to the gazebo as Falcon’s Aerie burned itself down to the ground and into legend.
And that is as much of my story as I will tell you. It is the story of a man of natural science and of magic, who was good to his people and protected them from many dangers. And it is the beginning of my son’s story. He will never be a ruling baron, but his world will be a much richer one than mine—a time for humans, science, and progress … and much wonder.
Did I have a good time in my life? You bet! Would I change anything? Well, if wishes were kisses … I’d take more kisses! I do love the women!
—Baron Iglacias Rostov, retired
-- The End --