“That is all I need,” announced the First Minister. “Lock it and escort me out.”
The guard dutifully locked the cell, unaware that there was one other cell unlocked, and escorted the First Minister to the exit for the cell block. As the guard stepped outside, clear of the anti-aura spell, Alazar cast a spell on the guard, putting him to sleep. He propped the sleeping guard against the wall and left the door unlocked. Alazar headed up the stairs and waited in an alcove between floors. Within moments, Klaarg descended.
“Both doors are unlocked,” Alazar whispered. “Drag the guard inside. Kill him and leave him in the boy’s cell. Wait for the other to return and kill him as well. You can use the keys to lock doors. Lock everything up so you will have time to get the boy out of the city. Go.”
Alazar waited until Klaarg disappeared down the stairs before continuing upward to the main floor. He hurried his pace slightly so he would not be late for the Council meeting. The Katana’s Council meeting was usually a rather dry and boring affair, but Alazar was looking forward to this one. Much would be discussed today and he didn’t want to miss any of it. He reached the doors to the Council Chamber and the Monitors guarding the door opened them upon seeing the First Minister.
Alazar scanned the room as he entered, noting the disposition of each of the Ministers, and quietly slid into his seat at the Katana’s right hand. There were several moments of silence as the last of the Ministers arrived and took their places and Alazar used that time to gauge the mood of the government heads. As First Minister, it was Alazar’s duty to conduct the session and he rose when everyone was assembled.
“Ministers,” he greeted solemnly, “the Katana’s Council is in session. Please offer your reports in the prescribed order.”
Alazar had arranged the order of reports so that the mundane affairs of state were discussed first. He loathed hearing about the state of the agricultural economy or the tiresome details about cultural calendars. These items were all discussed and disposed of by the time the Minister of Defense, Doharte, spoke. The Minister of Defense was an obstacle to be overcome by Alazar. The man was fat and lazy and thought the country was always in fine shape and that he was doing an excellent job. He let the Minister give his rosy report and waited to see if anyone had comments or questions. As usual, nobody did.
Alazar rose before giving the nod for the next Minister to begin. “Minister of Defense, thank you for your report. I have a few questions stemming from some intelligence reports that I have received and I would like to verify the information. As you know, there was a very nasty massacre at the Academy of Magic recently. Some very influential families had children in residence at the Academy and they are rightfully screaming for information regarding the incident. My sources have indicated that there is a major split in the Sakovan forces occurring right now and that the massacre was a direct result of this Sakovan struggle. Do you have any information on this massacre and what happened there?”
The Minister Doharte rose with a puzzled look on his face. “Well, we have investigated the massacre of course, but we did not find anything to indicate Sakovan activity there. The local villagers had already been to the facility and were in the process of burying the dead when my men arrived. It was hard, as you can imagine, to conduct any kind of a proper investigation, but I seriously doubt that the Sakovans are involved in this. Frankly, we have had no news of any Sakovan activity in years.”
“No news?” puzzled Alazar. “Very strange indeed. I have been getting reports from all quarters. Were you aware that the Academy of Magic was a training facility for the Sakovans?”
“Preposterous,” the Minister of Defense declared. “Master Malafar’s own son served in the Katana’s own Monitors a few years back. I could not imagine the Academy of Magic being involved in Sakovan activities.”
“Yes,” Alazar drawled. “He even lost his life protecting the Katana. I said nothing at the time because the chapter was closed, but we have been watching that family ever since. Do you know who it was that killed young Alfred?”
“It was nobody important,” answered the Minister Doharte, obviously feeling uncomfortable in the spotlight with questions he was unprepared for.
“Ah, I beg to differ,” smiled Alazar. “In fact, I do not believe the Katana was the target of the attack. Alfred was the target.”
Murmurs rose from the assembled ministers and they laid their paperwork aside to pay attention to a confrontation that none of them had expected.
“The killer was a student of a mage running a school in Alamar,” Alazar continued. “You call him nobody important, but I disagree. A man called Temiker, the brother of Malafar and the uncle of Alfred, runs the school in Alamar. The Sakovan feud actually started then and has escalated now. Are you aware that the school in Alamar was also destroyed recently? That school also trained Sakovans and Temiker is now mysteriously missing as is Master Malafar.”
“Coincidence,” sputtered the now sweating Minister of Defense. “You make a conspiracy where none exists. The Sakovans are not a threat to our security. Never have been. There is absolutely no connection between the two magic schools and the Sakovans.”
“No?” pressed Alazar. “Yet your forces are on the alert for Malafar’s daughter Lyra. Do you know where she is right now?”
“My men are searching for her because we received information that she might have had something to do with the massacre, perhaps some magic gone astray or something like that,” the Minister Doharte replied. “I cannot be expected to know the whereabouts of all citizens at all times. If your information is so great, why don’t you tell us all where she is.”
“If you wish,” grinned Alazar. “I am sure that your men will report this to you sooner or later. She is in the Sakova. She left the road just south of Gatong where your men missed picking her up. She was in the company of over forty dark-clad Sakovans, returning home after their job at the Academy was complete. If you check the reports from Alamar, you will find that Temiker is also in the Sakova with another forty Sakovans.”
The First Minister paused to take in the surprised gasps and murmurs from the assembled members of the Katana’s Council. “This civil war of the Sakovans spells great danger for Omunga,” Alazar declared. “Great danger and great opportunity. Their uncontrolled bloodshed has already affected some of the most prominent families in the country and the Katana will soon be pressed to wage war upon the Sakovans. I think it prudent for you to gather your generals and start planning the attack, Minister. One of the Sakovan factions plans to bring wholesale slaughter to Omunga and we cannot be sure of which faction will win. We should strike while they are bickering amongst themselves.”
“Until I receive reports confirming this nonsense, I will not prepare to attack a sleeping hornets nest,” scoffed the Minister of Defense. “Suppose your information is wrong? We could throw this country into war with an enemy we cannot find. Right now they inhabit the central area of the country, which is a wasteland anyway. We would gain nothing and suffer the populace to attacks from the Sakovans.”
“You do not consider the attacks we have suffered already to be considerable?” taunted Alazar. “I should make a point to let the prominent families, who have suffered the loss of their young ones, know that the army considers their loss insignificant. I am sure they will wait in line to praise the Katana and bring him gifts. Just last night we captured another Sakovan spy, right here in the capital. He was posing as a merchant. He offered much information before he died. Unfortunately, his son escaped and is on his way home to the Sakova as we speak. His name is Mekin if you think your army can actually catch this one.”
The Minister of Defense was speechless. Alazar sat down and was going to continue with the next Minister when the Katana rose and ended the meeting. “We should adjourn for a while,” he announced. “First Minister has brought forth some serious allegations with potentially disastrous repercussions for Omunga. All Ministers are requested to obtain any information they can on Sakovan activities. We will reconvene this meeting tomorrow morning.”