“Mount up,” ordered StarWind, cutting off the light banter. “I have a trip to make to Gatong. I want to get back to StarCity as soon as possible.”
***
Far to the west on the outskirts of Campanil, Harac lowered his torch to the watula field. The dry watula burned brightly as the flames raced through the field. Harac scanned the horizon and saw other fields lighting up in response to his fiery signal. Nodding in satisfaction, Harac tossed a star with his good hand into the back of one of his men. He mounted his horse and rode along the edge of the field. He killed four more of his men as he rode, each with a star in the back. He galloped to the next closest field and repeated the attack. He smiled as he remembered how he had ordered the men spread out so that they would not witness his killing of the others.
He stopped when he had killed fifteen men, half of those he had brought with him. There would not be time for him to kill anymore though. Lighting all the fields at the same time required that the men be too spread out for him to get them all. He would have to find some other way to eliminate his other partners. Not a problem, Harac snickered to himself. Harac was good at getting rid of people.
Harac turned at the trail leading into the city and pushed his horse hard. He could hear shouts coming from the direction of the city and grinned. Soon the city gates were visible and there was an obvious commotion around them. Harac whipped his horse faster as he sped down the trail.
As he neared the city gates, Harac started shouting. “Sakovan attack! The Sakovans are coming! Lock the gates! The savages are coming!”
Panic spread through the populace in the area of the gates. The Imperial Guards on duty at the gate tried to stop Harac, but he continued galloping into the city screaming about the Sakovan attack. Harac raced the length of the city shouting his dire warnings until he reached the waterfront area where he quietly cut down an alley and tied his horse. He walked down the alley to the rear entrance of the Hog’s Tail and pushed his way through the door. He casually made his way through the crowd to the stairs and climbed to the second floor where a series of tables had been arranged for his party. He sat at one of the empty tables and waited for the rest of his men to join him.
He waited a full hour, but only ten of the fifteen men who should have been left had arrived. The ten men had remained quiet during the wait, nobody wanting to ask where the rest of the men were.
“I guess this is it,” he remarked casually. “Lost more than I thought we would. Guess they couldn’t outrun the savages. Darn bad luck. Imagine doing a job and having those Sakovans attack at the same time. Guess we should be thankful we were so lucky.”
“What savages?” one of the men asked. “I didn’t see anyone out there.”
“You didn’t?” Harac retorted with amazement. “You sure weren’t at one of the fields directly east of the city then. Hundreds of them screaming out of the forest. I galloped so hard I thought I would lame my horse.”
“Oh,” the man cowered, “I was south of the city. I heard townspeople yelling about the attack, but I thought they were crazy. You think we will be able to get out of the city? I don’t want to be here if they are attacking.”
“Not to worry,” Harac smiled. “Harac always takes care of his men. I’ll get you home safely. You can count on that.”
Chapter 20
Tolling of the Bell
Lyra caught the shadow of MoonFlow arriving at the mage practice yard from the corner of her eye and slowly adjusted her spell allowing the clova to float downward, back to the ground.
“Well done,” congratulated LifeTender. “You are learning very quickly.”
MoonFlow nodded as she stopped, her long golden hair still swaying from her run. “Sorry I missed you at the midday meal,” she apologized. “I had to sift through some information arriving from our contacts in Omunga. I don’t know how StarWind keeps up with it and still have time for other things. You said you had something important to tell me?”
“I am not sure that it is important,” admitted Lyra. “I didn’t mean to interrupt your work, but there is something bothering me.”
“Actually I can use the break anyway,” smiled MoonFlow with an impish grin. “I miss getting out and I love the sunshine. What bothers you?”
“It is about Mekin,” Lyra began. “Something does not feel right about him. He acts nicely enough to everyone, but I feel as if he is always fishing for information. I have heard him ask about the spell that guards the stronghold with at least three people besides myself.”
“Perhaps he is just curious and very friendly,” suggested MoonFlow although she did not believe it.
“Perhaps,” murmured Lyra, “but he also thinks it is a portal of some type. He should know that it is an illusion if he is Sakovan by blood. He wears the ring and that should have allowed him to see through the illusion as it did for me. Shouldn’t it?”
MoonFlow’s face darkened. “Are you sure he thinks it is a portal?” she frowned.
“Yes,” insisted Lyra. “Twice he made reference to it as a portal. That is also strange terminology for someone to use that is not a mage. I think he is lying to us.”
“I agree,” scowled MoonFlow. “I should have been keeping a better eye on him, but there is always so much to do. StarWind will be very disappointed with me. I must discuss this with RavenWing immediately. Come to his office when your lesson is over. I am sure he will want to hear about your observations firsthand.”
“Poor girl,” sympathized LifeTender after MoonFlow had left. “StarWind handles the information so expertly that anyone who tries to fill her shoes feels inadequate. There really should be more people involved with the information gathering. It is too much for one person.”
“I just hope that I am not creating more work for MoonFlow with my suspicions,” sighed Lyra. “He just seems so phony to me. His father just died and yet he acts like school just got out, all giddy and carefree. I am sorry, LifeTender. My mind is just not on magic right now. I would like to go see RavenWing now and get it over with. Can we take a break?”
“Certainly,” smiled LifeTender. “I need to ask RavenWing about getting some more supplies in anyway. I will walk over with you. Help me straighten up this mess before we go though.”
“Sure,” Lyra replied as they started to clean up the debris left from their practice session.
“You really learn fast,” complimented LifeTender as she swept up some wood chips. “I think you must have learned a great deal at the academy without realizing it. The way you understand the subtle manipulations of variant spells speaks of good training.”
“I guess Master Malafar was a good teacher,” admitted Lyra. “I just didn’t understand what it was that he was teaching. I excelled at my studies, but everything seemed pointless and boring. I guess I never really thought about uses for the spells beyond what he taught.”
“Teaching actual spells is the easy part,” LifeTender pointed out. “Teaching control and concentration is harder. I thought you lacked control when we started training, but I was wrong. It was not a lack of control I was sensing, but distraction with all that was happening to you. Your control is excellent.”
“Thank you,” smiled Lyra, her blue eyes twinkling with the compliment. “I really appreciate all you are doing for me, LifeTender. If I ever gain RavenWing’s trust I will use these talents for the good of Sakova.”
“As a form of repayment?” questioned LifeTender. “Or are you really one of us?”
“I am Sakovan,” Lyra declared without hesitation. “Not just because Rhodella was Sakovan, but for the first time in my life I feel like I belong somewhere. I am ashamed of what the Omungans did to the Sakovans. That part of me that is Omungan is repelled by such behavior. The Sakovan part of me screams for revenge. I know that is not right, but that is the way I feel.”
“There will be a day of reckoning,” promised LifeTender. “It may not be in our lifetimes, but it is foretold in the Scroll of Kaltara that it will happen.”