Chapter 1 : The troubles begun.
On a summer evening on De la Vega hacienda's, the atmosphere was festive in the main patio. Notable families, friends gathered with no reason. Music and dance were for the gaiety of the party. The discussion between Dons revolved around the next race, the next sales… A shot break the magical and everyone stop talking, on alert while señoritas and señoras take refuge in the hacienda.
"Señores go join your wives," ordered a man dressed in black and masked like Zorro could have been except for the goatee he wears. "Not you señores De la Vega," he added while he designed them with two pistols.
"What do you want?" Asked Don Alejandro whiles his last guest refugees in the hacienda.
"What do I want? How about your son's life?" Say the man mocking.
Diego, surprised and wondered why, exchanged a surprise look with his father. Before he had time to say anything, Don Alejandro preceded him.
"If you touch my son you will regret it."
What made the masked man laugh… That laughs… It was certainly not unknown to the ears of the De la Vega. Of the shadow a blade slipped to Don Alejandro who did not seek to know how or who and hastened to pick it up in a jiffy.
"Get down if you are a man," say Don Alejandro making laugh again the masked man who get of his horse, delighted with the turn of the events.
"Señor, what are you blaming me for?" Ask Diego who was afraid to have a direct answer.
"You are the cause of my fall and I will prove it, even if I have to kill your father first," explained the man arranging his pistols and drawing his sword out.
A man of honor, proud and arrogant. Though Don Diego and Don Alejandro.
"Father…"
"No Diego, I'm on it."
Does he read my mind or?
You're not up son.
Don Alejandro and the mysterious man watched each other while Diego back willy-nilly. He saw Bernardo and motioned him to stay still while the blades collide once.
I must oblige the young De la Vega to take arms. His father doesn't interest me. Think the mysterious assailant.
Both men play games of attack, parries and dodges trying to gauge each other. From left to right then right to left while the iron rings in the patio. None seems to have advantage on the other. Then the black masked man changes his tactical. He attacked and rolled his slash throwing Don Alejandro's blade to Don Alejandro's son… The black man smile slyly making Don Alejandro fall back and fall down unbalanced. Black man is about to hit him while Diego comes under the watchful and eager delight of his opponent.
Now you are trapped De la Vega. Will you do as clumsy as you were against Martinez, or will you show us your real skill?
"En garde Señor" intimated Diego.
The man still has that smile that has the knack for irritating him and confirms that he know the person behind the mask. Without warning the man attacked surprising Diego falling back to avoid the slash.
"What a wretched opponent you are, De la Vega."
Without leaving his opponent off of his eyes, Diego gets up and just play with parades while observing him. Don Alejandro, still on the ground, looks at his son with interest. His son is actually a wretched swordsman.
"You just know how to defend young whippersnapper. This will not help you."
"It's rather efficient."
"And if I attack your father what will you do?" Asked the man mischievous heading to Don Alejandro who just get up.
"No!" exclaims Diego bypassing him and blocking his way again.
He is on the verge of cracking and try basics attack more constant.
"It is better already" whisper the man.
"Diego?" Ask Don Alejandro before the new footwork of his son.
Diego felt that he have shown too much. Forgetting his opponent and committing voluntary rookie's mistake, he turns his head toward his father. His gaze was still on the next onslaught but react in such circumstances could betray him more. He feels the tip of the blade touching his left arm and winced under the mocking smile of his opponent.
"Touché" the evil man smile. The first part of his plan was successful.
Don Alejandro draws near his son while he steps back. The wound was not harmless, he know it. During his apprenticeship in university, he happened on or two times to be cut, living no sequel, obviously at the beginning. This cut is not like the others. He feels weak. With a resounding laugh the man puts away his blade and takes flight. Diego then drops his blade and grabs his injured arm. He is unsteady, but Bernardo and Don Alejandro support him already.
"Diego?"
"I'm okay, Father" he says with a heavy voice.
"Come inside son."
With the help of his father and Bernardo, Diego enters the hacienda. Questions are going well. What wanted Zorro? Why did he attack Don Diego? Diego is struggling internally not to scream that it was not Zorro, but it's hardly lost.
"My friends, the party is over" said Don Alejandro.
"Let me take care of your son," said his doctor friend.
"You're welcome."
"I think he will be better in his room."
To those words, Bernardo far enough, go up to check the room and light candles. He was about to leave when Don Alejandro, Diego and the doctor arrived. Don Alejandro gave the tear vest to Bernardo who then inspected it while his sense of smell, a little more developed, received a strong but delicate flavor. The injury itself seems to be just a flesh wound but the doctor did not explain the sudden fever of Diego who just lost consciousness. This is probably a coincidence. Once the wound bandaged, Don Alejandro and the doctor leave the room, leaving Bernardo refresh Diego. His gaze gets back and forth between the injury and the vest. An idea in mind he tries to leave but Diego, half awake, grabs his handle holding him.
"How is my father?"
"He is well." He mimes.
Two small knock on the door and Don Alejandro enters his son's room.
"Diego?"
"Father."
"I see you're back to you. How are you feeling?"
"I'm tired, he admitted."
"This Zorro, I did not think he was such a nuisance."
"It was not Zorro."
"How can you be so sure?"
Oops.
"It seems to me… according to the stories that were told… That Zorro does not… goatee."
"You stop on strange details son."
"In addition… Zorro signs his victories a Z."
"So you think that this was an impostor?"
"Yes," said Diego in perspiration.
"Who wants to masquerade as Zorro?"
"A malicious man who wants us to stand against Zorro" Diego winced.
"I did not know you were so cozy" pleasant Don Alejandro.
Bernardo, seeing the face of his friend, grabbed the vest and showed it to Don Alejandro
"What does he want?" Ask Don Alejandro.
Bernardo, seeing that Don Alejandro will not understand him as Diego, turn to him and try again.
"He… He wants you to smell? Smell my vest."
"Smell your? Why?"
"I don't know, Father."
Don Alejandro then brought the vest to his nose and perceived a strong but delicate scent that drove him away hastily, pale.
"What is it?" Diego asks.
"I'm not sure. Rest son, I have to go."
"Now?"
"Yes" he says gripping the vest.
Diego watch his father go with the vest and asked Bernardo.
"Can you explain me?"
Undecided, Bernardo 'told' him that it was his injury.
"So what? I know that's not normal" he said nodding his head.
Looking for the right words, Bernardo explain him that his opponent's blade must have been covered with a harmful substance.
"Poison?"
Not really, but probably, 'said' Bernardo. He then tried to make him understand he had to leave in a hurry to get herbs needed for the remedy he knew.
"No Bernardo… Not now. It's dark outside and the false Zorro must be near. You'll go out tomorrow. In the first hour" he said closing his eyes losing consciousness again.
Bernardo felt his forehead, he was burning of fever. Worried, he undertook to continue refreshing him.
Author's note : I changed the syntax of the dialogue using quotation marks. (Thank IcyWaters) The characters' thoughts are now in italics.