Island of Darkness Read online

  “Don’t even think about it,” warned the woman. “I am not a krul, and I will not be dismissed so easily.”

  The woman flicked her wrists and a glowing blue aura promptly surrounded her.

  “You may be able to get through these shields eventually,” she grinned, “but by then you will be dead. Let’s try this again. Who are you?”

  “My name is Aakuta,” answered the visitor as he tried to measure the power of the woman. “What is your name?”

  “You may call me Lady Mystic,” answered the woman, “and looks can be deceiving. I know a measuring gaze when I see one. Why do you automatically take me for an opponent? Have I tried to harm you?”

  “No,” sighed Aakuta, “but that matters little to me. You are blocking my path.”

  “So I am,” smirked Lady Mystic. “Still, I mean you no harm. I am just curious. What are you up to?”

  “Do not expect me to fall for such false statements,” scowled Aakuta. “You are trying to delay me until someone comes to your aid.”

  “Hardly,” laughed Lady Mystic. “I doubt that I would need assistance from anyone on this island to deal with you. The same cannot be said for yourself, however. You obviously have not been invited to Motanga, or you would not be trying to sneak ashore. Perhaps I can aid you?”

  “Why would you?” questioned the dark mage. “You know nothing about me, or why I am here.”

  “True,” Lady Mystic smiled as she shrugged, “but you have proven to be interesting already. Things are rather boring on this island. Helping you may provide some entertainment. Come, I will fix you some food. You must be hungry after your ocean voyage.”

  Lady Mystic turned and started walking away. Aakuta hesitated. He was torn between testing the woman’s defenses, and quietly disappearing. Suddenly, his stomach rumbled with hunger, and he found himself laughing.

  “What is so funny?” Lady Mystic asked as she turned to watch Aakuta.

  “The small things that can influence large decisions,” chuckled Aakuta. “Lead on, Lady Mystic. I hope you are a good cook.”

  “The best,” grinned Lady Mystic as she turned and led the way out of the forest.

  Aakuta followed the woman warily, his eyes continually scanning the field they were crossing. Thankfully, no one was around the area, and Aakuta breathed a small sigh of relief. He did not need any more unexpected surprises to deal with. The woman led him across the field and past a small farmhouse. The city began just beyond the small farm, and Lady Mystic ducked into a narrow alley.

  “No one will notice you this way,” Lady Mystic promised. “If we pass anyone, just act like we are old friends. Most importantly, behave as if you belong here. Most of the inhabitants are intelligent enough not to question anyone who might be in authority.”

  “Do I fit that description?” asked Aakuta.

  “You could,” shrugged Lady Mystic as she hurried out of the alley and across a street. As she led the way along another alley, she turned and said, “With a little work, you could be made to look official. We will work on it.”

  Aakuta shook his head with bewilderment as he followed the strange woman through the strange city. Lady Mystic halted in the middle of an alley. Her hand moved swiftly over the door before she opened it and stepped inside. Aakuta followed the woman through the door and found himself in a small office. A laboratory was visible through another doorway, and Lady Mystic led him into it.

  “I don’t have a room for eating,” she announced. “Clear a spot on the table. I will bring you something to eat.”

  Lady Mystic disappeared through a doorway at the far end of the laboratory. Aakuta stared for a few moments at the long table occupying the center of the room. It was covered with jars, flasks, small tin containers, and cloth pouches. He picked up a small mortar and pestle and sniffed it. He quickly turned his head as he frowned and held the offending objects at arm’s length.

  “That will teach you not to go sticking your nose into my business,” laughed Lady Mystic as she entered the room with a plate of food.

  She shoved a bunch of jars out of the way and placed the plate on the table.

  “This area is fairly clean,” she shrugged as she dragged a chair towards the table. “Sit and eat.”

  Aakuta cautiously sat and stared at the plate. There was a large slab of roasted meat occupying half the plate. The other half was a pile of something green and slimy. He pushed his hood back and felt Lady Mystic’s eyes staring at his face.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “Meat and seaweed,” chuckled Lady Mystic as she reached into the pile of seaweed and grabbed a sample for herself. “Are you afraid that I might poison you? Don’t be childish. You interest me too much to want you dead.”

  “At least for now,” sighed Aakuta as he pulled a knife from his belt and cut off a slice of the meat.

  He chewed on the meat, and his eyebrows rose in surprise. “This is excellent,” he said as he nodded at Lady Mystic. “Wasooki?”

  “Snake,” smiled Lady Mystic.

  Aakuta coughed and looked questioningly at the female mage. “Where would you find a snake this large?”

  “Most of this island is jungle,” shrugged Lady Mystic as she dragged another chair to the table and sat down. “Some of the snakes are over thirty paces long and over a pace around. They are a delicacy, and there is so much meat that they last forever. You won’t find wasooki on this island. Grain is too precious to serve to animals.”

  “It is quite tasty,” remarked Aakuta. “At least you have not lied about being a good cook.”

  “I don’t care much for liars,” declared Lady Mystic. “A person should say the truth and deal with the consequences, or at least be quiet if the truth is too much for the audience. Now, tell me why you have come to Motanga.”

  “To meet Vand,” confessed Aakuta.

  “Oh?” Lady Mystic brightened. “You don’t believe in starting small, do you? What if I told you that strangers don’t get the opportunity to meet the God of Motanga? You have to do something extraordinary to get his attention.”

  “Would killing Zygor and Smarc be considered noteworthy?” posed Aakuta.

  “Oh my,” Lady Mystic inhaled deeply. “I heard that someone had killed Zygor. Vand was quite incensed. I can imagine his wrath when he learns that Smarc is dead, too. You don’t care much for this life you live, do you?”

  “Life is meant to be lived to its fullest,” shrugged Aakuta. “Will that be enough for Vand to agree to see me?”

  “Count on it,” Lady Mystic nodded seriously. “Why did you kill them?”

  “So that Vand would see me,” smiled Aakuta.

  “Oh, I am going to enjoy having you here,” grinned Lady Mystic. “I must know more about you before I take you to see Vand, though. You will stay with me for a few days. I love learning about new people, and I probably won’t have the chance to talk to you afterwards.”

  * * *

  Lyra and StarWind sat in the office of the Star of Sakova in StarCity. StarWind had just finished relating her experiences in Khadora.

  “I am glad that you were there to help Lord Marak,” smiled Lyra. “I am even more glad to have you and HawkShadow back in the Sakova. My meetings with Larst have been very fruitful. He has become the new Katana of Omunga, and that means that peace is finally upon us. I am going to need your expertise a great deal.”

  “You shall have it,” smiled StarWind. “I am exited to hear about Larst. He will make a fine Katana. What do you need me to do?”

  “MeadowTune has a map of the Sakova with some drawings on it,” explained the Star of Sakova. “We are going to be building three roads through the Sakova for Omungan use.”

  “Roads?” frowned StarWind. “Is this wise? Once we allow Omungans to start coming into the Sakova, there will be no stopping them. We have spent decades making up horror stories to keep Omungans away. Those stories will be seen as the fabrications that they are. It will be the end of the Sakova.”

  �
��Yet it will bring peace to the Sakovans,” argued Lyra. “I know that we are taking a great risk with this plan, but it is guaranteed to gain the support of the Omungan people. How can we expect to be trusted by the Omungans if we do not in turn trust them?”

  “I see your point,” sighed StarWind, “but what if the Omungan generals do not buy into this peace plan? We will be providing them roads with which they can march their armies to the heart of the Sakova.”

  “It will not be that bad,” frowned Lyra. “The roads that I am proposing will not come anywhere near StarCity. In fact, they will be in areas that we are sure the Omungans have already explored. I did check with MeadowTune about the routes before I proposed them. Mostly, they cut through the fringes of the Sakova.”

  “I will look at the map and give you my assessment,” promised StarWind. “When is this project to start?”

  “Not until we have a written peace treaty with the government of Omunga,” replied Lyra. “Another good point of this plan, StarWind, is that it will take years to complete these roads. The veil of the Sakova will not be pierced until we are sure of the Omungan intentions.”

  “That is clever,” smiled StarWind. “We can begin the construction in the areas closest to the Omungan cities.”

  “Exactly,” nodded Lyra. “There is a more pressing task regarding the Omungans, though. Their crops and animals are diseased. I had Larst supply me with a report of the situation. SunChaser spent most of a day reading it through an air tunnel. We now have a complete copy of the report. I would like you to read it thoroughly.”

  “I will make that my first priority,” promised the Sakovan spy.

  “Not your first,” smiled Lyra. “Your first priority is to relax and renew your friendships with people here in StarCity. MeadowTune can manage your contacts for a few more days.”

  “Thank you,” smiled StarWind. “I would like to unwind from the journey. What do the reports say?”

  “It appears that Alamar was hit with the disease first,” stated Lyra. “It has spread rapidly along the coast. Now all of Omunga is infected with it. The animals are sick and dying. The crops are withering in the fields. I have promised Larst that we will send food to the Omungan cities to get them through this.”

  “This sounds similar to the burned watula fields around Campanil,” frowned StarWind, “except it is every Omungan city. Even if we use our hoardings, we cannot possibly supply enough food to all of the Omungans.”

  “I know,” agreed Lyra. “I have already spoken with Emperor Marak about this. He has agreed to send us what he can. We will just have to do the best that we can.”

  “It is still hard to think of him as Emperor of Khadora,” StarWind shook her head. “He is an amazing man. I think we can learn a lot from him. If he can bring peace to that group of treacherous lords, he has much to teach us.”

  “He will find us eager to learn,” nodded Lyra.

  “How do we start delivering food to the Omungans?” asked StarWind.

  “MeadowTune has already arranged for the first deliveries,” declared the Star of Sakova. “We are going to concentrate on Alamar first. They appear to be the hardest hit and have been suffering the longest. A caravan of three wagons should be leaving for Alamar this evening.”

  “We are not going to be waiting for the peace treaty then?” inquired StarWind.

  “Not for the food,” Lyra shook her head. “People are starving, StarWind. The people of Omunga have never been our enemies. I feel an obligation to help them even if we never sign a peace treaty.”

  “I agree,” conceded StarWind. “I have spent much time in the Omungan cities. The people have never been our enemies.”

  “I understand that Mistake and MistyTrail have met?” questioned Lyra.

  “They have,” smiled StarWind. “Mistake was like a child getting free candy. I guess she has waited all of her life for this moment.”

  “And MistyTrail?” asked Lyra.

  “She didn’t know what to think at first,” StarWind revealed. “I guess she has been with us so long that she has grown accustomed to not having a real family. She is much like an adopted child I guess. She had been quite happy until she found out that she is adopted.”

  “Do you think this poses a problem for us?” asked Lyra.

  “Not really,” replied StarWind. “I do think it poses a challenge for MistyTrail. She has grown closer to Mistake as we traveled here, but it is still a great adjustment for her. It is hard to believe that you have a family that you have written off as dead long ago.”

  “Do you think she will leave the Sakova?” asked Lyra.

  “I am not sure,” admitted StarWind. “I have tried to put myself in her position, but I cannot. I do know that I trust MistyTrail explicitly. While she may decide to leave us, she will never betray us. I know that in my heart. HawkShadow agrees.”

  “So you have discussed the possibility,” nodded Lyra. “That pleases me. Is Mistake trustworthy?”

  “That depends on who you are,” chuckled StarWind. “She is fiercely loyal to those she considers her friends, but I feel that she would pick the pocket of a priest if she felt a need to.”

  “You said she was willing to risk her life to save Marak when he was imprisoned?” probed Lyra.

  “She was,” nodded StarWind. “She does not lack courage. As I said, she will face death for her friends.”

  “If she feels this way about Emperor Marak,” smiled Lyra, “then I have no worries about her here in StarCity. Let her go wherever she wishes.”

  “She will not leave MistyTrail’s side,” grinned StarWind. “I don’t think we need to worry about her getting into trouble.”

  * * *

  “This is the Garden of Hope,” MistyTrail said as she continued to show Mistake around StarCity. “I come here often when I need a little picking up of my spirit.”

  “Then it is good that we are here now,” frowned Mistake as she plopped down on one of the stone benches. “What is the matter, MistyTrail? Am I a disappointment as a sister?”

  “What do you mean?” asked the small Sakovan.

  “You lost your smile an hour ago,” scowled Mistake. “You act like you are performing some dire chore by showing me around the city. What did I do wrong?”

  MistyTrail sighed and sat beside Mistake. “You have done nothing wrong,” stated MistyTrail. “I am just having a hard time believing that I have a sister. It’s not your fault.”

  “Well, I am glad to hear that,” pouted Mistake. “I just don’t understand you. I have searched my whole life to find you, and you could care less that I am here. Everyone says how much alike we are, but I see us as different as night and day.”

  “You misunderstand me,” MistyTrail said as she toyed with her lower lip. “You are excited less by me being your sister than by the fact that you have accomplished a long-sought goal. The point is, this reunion has always been your goal, not mine. I gave up any thought of having a family years ago. The Sakovans are my family now.”

  “And what is that supposed to mean to me?” scowled Mistake. “I am not a Sakovan. I am not even a Khadoran or a Fakaran. I don’t belong anywhere.”

  “That’s not true,” frowned MistyTrail. “You have been welcomed into the Sakova. Do you have any idea what a privilege that is? Not just anyone can come to StarCity. The Sakovans have accepted you with open arms. You can have a home here. You can have anything you want. The Sakovans are a generous people.”

  “And why would I want to live here?” snapped Mistake. “I don’t need charity to live. I am welcomed in Khadora and Fakara. I can go wherever I want to.”

  “Mistake,” pleaded MistyTrail, “you are overreacting. I just need time to understand what having a sister means to me. You cannot imagine what a shock this is for me. I have long believed that my family was dead. That was a hard burden for a young girl to learn to accept, but I did it. Now you show up, and I learn that I do have a family after all. You cannot just turn these emotions on and off at will.
I am still struggling with the question of how this happened. Should I have been searching for you all of this time? Do we have any more family that we don’t know about? Can’t you understand the confusion that I am going through?”

  “No, I can’t,” scowled Mistake as she leaped to her feet. “I have wasted my life looking for you, and all you can think of is what went wrong. If we do have any more family, I will leave the task of finding them to you. I have done more than my fair share.”

  Tears welled up in MistyTrail’s eyes as Mistake fled from the garden. Within minutes she was crying up a storm. She felt a nudge as someone sat on the bench next to her. She wiped her eyes and looked over to see StarWind sitting alongside her.

  “What happened?” StarWind asked softly.

  “I don’t know,” MistyTrail sobbed. “Mistake wants me to feel about her as she does about me, but I cannot. I still can’t believe that I have a sister. For too many years I have pushed such thoughts out of my mind. I don’t know how to react to her, StarWind. How am I supposed to feel about a sister that I have never known?”

  “I am not the right person to ask that question of,” shrugged StarWind as she reached out and put her arm around MistyTrail. “Perhaps it is how I felt about MoonFlow? She was the closest thing to a sister that I have ever experienced.”

  “But you loved her,” frowned MistyTrail. “Everyone knows how close you two were. Is that how I am supposed to feel about Mistake?”

  “You do not determine how to feel about a person in the same manner as you decide what to wear in the morning,” StarWind replied. “What you feel for any person is dictated by your heart. Don’t you like Mistake?”

  “I like her a lot,” sobbed MistyTrail, “but that does not seem to be enough for her. I guess that I do not measure up to what she expected to find. She said some nasty things before she ran out of here. I think she hates me now.”

  “She needs time to adjust, too,” soothed StarWind. “Have you ever wanted something so badly that you could not wait to get it?”

  MistyTrail sat silently for a few moments before nodding. “I remember wanting to go on patrol by myself,” sniffed MistyTrail. “HawkShadow kept saying that I was not ready and wouldn’t let me go alone. I hated him for it.”