“Why are the Sakovans rejected by Kaltara?” Lyra inquired. “Something must have made him angry to allow this fate for his people.”
“We rejected him by killing the Star he sent to guide us,” LifeTender explained. “Not once, but three times. The first time an ambitious rival who wanted to rule the Sakovans killed the Star. Kaltara smote him at his coronation. Several hundred years later, another Star was murdered. That time it was a jealous lover and Kaltara was angry. That night every member of the murderer’s family died in their sleep. Four generations of that family simply ceased to exist in the blinking of an eye. Every mention of their family name mysteriously disappeared from all journals and public records. It was as if they never existed.”
“I would call that anger,” Lyra agreed. “I could not imagine anyone daring to cross Kaltara after that.”
“Nor I,” LifeTender shook her head. “Yet there came a third time when Kaltara’s Star was murdered.”
“Just before the Omungan invasion,” Lyra said remembering the lecture StarWind had given her when they were captured.
“Yes only months before the invasion,” LifeTender continued. “The people had come to believe that our God, Kaltara, had abandoned us. People disdained the edicts of the Star and eventually a group sought to rid the Sakovans of his rule. Kaltara was furious. He stopped a priest on his way to the funeral and presented the Scroll of Kaltara to him so that the Sakovans would know what was coming. As a sign of his wrath, God raised his hand and rent the earth to show what he would do to the Sakovan people. The earth trembled and heaved and crumbled to dust along the banks of the Kaltara River, the River of God. The great gash is known to this day as the Wound of Kaltara.”
“I saw the Wound,” admitted Lyra. “I never imagined anything so large and deep.”
“Then came the invasion,” sighed LifeTender. “Thousands died the first day and still the Omungans continued to come. They destroyed everything in their path, man, woman, and child. Whole cities ceased to exist and the Sakovans were hunted like animals. Women were raped. Men were tortured. Children were slaughtered. Legends say the Sakovans thought they would be wiped out for defying God, but the leaders pointed to the Scroll of Kaltara, which foretold the coming of a new Star, and the people were heartened. The remaining Sakovans banded together in prayer and vowed to never forsake God again.”
“I am finished here,” Lyra stated.
“Good,” smiled LifeTender. “We can walk to RavenWing’s while I finish my telling. The people gave up their fishing. They no longer had access to the sea. They gave up their farming, as they no longer had fields to tend. The Sakovans learned to hunt and gather foods from the forest. They started learning to fight and trained their young to survive. The Omungans tried to eradicate them, but the Sakovans killed all who entered the wilderness in search of them. And so it remains to this day our way of life. We are still hunted and we will continue to hide in the wilderness until Kaltara sends us a new Star. When the Star comes, so too will come our chance for revenge. So do not feel that your feelings are wrong, Lyra. All Sakovans yearn for revenge. We desire to repay the Omungans for the thousands who were butchered and for the centuries of death that have been dealt to us. We strive to take back our land. One day the Sakovans will again stand in the good grace of Kaltara and shine as we did long ago.”
They had entered the palace and were approaching RavenWing’s office when they heard the scream. They ran towards the office and charged through the open door. Lyra stood shocked as she took in the sight. MoonFlow lay on the floor in a pool of blood, a dagger protruding from her back. RavenWing’s white mane was just visible on the floor to one side of his desk. He was groaning in pain. Mekin stood in the middle of the room, his right arm missing and his left hand fumbling for another dagger at his belt.
Lyra’s face twisted in rage as she finally realized what was happening. Her left hand rose automatically as Mekin grabbed his dagger and hurriedly headed for RavenWing to finish the job. The force bolt felt natural to Lyra as the power shot out of her fist and screamed across the room. Her mind barely registered LifeTender’s shout of “No!” as the force bolt slammed into Mekin. The killer’s body was lifted and thrown into the far wall and slid into an unrecognizable heap on the floor.
LifeTender ran to RavenWing and knelt beside him. “Check on MoonFlow and then get me some water. Quickly!” she shouted.
Lyra stooped and confirmed that MoonFlow was dead. She ran out of the room and swiftly returned with a basin of water. She carried the basin to the desk and set it down, her eyes straying to the form on the floor. “How is he?”
“Chill the water,” LifeTender instructed without turning her attention away from RavenWing. “I do not think I can save him. He is bleeding internally and I am not sure what is damaged.”
Lyra stuck her hands in the basin of water and cast a spell to chill the water, never taking her eyes off of the snow-white hair cascading over the floor near the desk. A brilliant flash of blue light struck the ceiling in the form of a star and Lyra’s eyes snapped to the basin and froze. Lying in the bottom of the basin was her ring that had slid off her icy fingers. She swiftly grabbed it and shoved it back on her finger.
“The water is cold enough,” she announced handing the bowl down to LifeTender.
RavenWing struggled to rise and LifeTender had to restrain him. “You cannot move,” she insisted. “I am trying to keep you alive and your struggling does not help.”
Lyra knelt to help LifeTender and RavenWing turned his head and stared at her. Strangely, he smiled at her. “Assemble the elders now,” he commanded in a weak voice. “Tell them to meet in the chapel. Tell everyone to meet in the chapel. Tell them to send someone to carry me. Go.”
Lyra looked at LifeTender for instructions and the healer merely nodded sadly, her cherub face stained with tears. Lyra ran out of the office and towards the central part of the palace. She had no idea who the elders were or where she might find them, so she ran to the only people in the palace she knew. She sprinted into the kitchen and told them what had happened and what her instructions were. The old cook spoke calmly to her and assured her that everything would be taken care of. Lyra heard the cook shouting orders like a military commander as she left the kitchen and returned to RavenWing’s office.
“You cannot move,” LifeTender argued as Lyra entered the office.
“Do not argue with me healer,” RavenWing groaned. “You have done what you can for me. Roll me over so I may present my good side to those who come to carry me.”
LifeTender mumbled under her breath as she complied with the order from the leader of the Sakovans. Lyra rushed to help her and they managed to turn RavenWing over as gently as possible.
“LifeTender,” smiled RavenWing, “you are a breath of heaven, but you cannot heal what is willed to be broken. Wipe your tears for this is a joyous day.”
“He must be delirious,” LifeTender sighed as she mopped the sweat from RavenWing’s brow. “He does not appear to be bleeding anymore although he cannot move his legs. The force bolt must have hit his spine.”
“But that should have killed him,” puzzled Lyra.
“Yes, Lyra,” nodded LifeTender, “but Mekin made the same mistake you did once. I told you that if you cast a force bolt without compensating for the ring that it would direct most of the force back into your body. It blew Mekin’s arm clear off. Still the damage to RavenWing’s spine is bad enough. I cannot say if he will live, but if he does, he will not have use of his legs again.”
“You need not talk about me as if I were already gone,” chided RavenWing. “I will not die yet. Not yet.”
“You live on will alone,” retorted LifeTender. “How you can find light in this dark day I do not understand.”