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  “Don’t start believing your own stories, Syman,” laughed Lyra. “I never realized how resourceful you are. How do we meet up with Antello though?”

  “Well, he said we needed to circle around the city, so he intends to meet us on the other side. I would suggest that we find a high point on the other side of the city and keep watch for him. First, we are going to have to find a way to cross the Altha River. Perhaps we should catch some sleep in the hunter’s cabin first.”

  Lyra playfully punched Syman’s arm and laughed. “I think we need to circle the city and find out what is going on to alarm Antello.”

  Darkness settled over the valley as Lyra and Syman worked their way through the woods and finally found a trail leading eastward. The trail was well used, but not a main trail and they proceeded single file. Chirping crickets and croaking frogs created a racket loud enough to block out any other sounds and Syman led them slowly through the woods to avoid stumbling upon a patrol. Eventually, the trail ran alongside the Altha River and they followed it upstream for several hours before coming to a crudely made bridge. They crossed quickly and started following the trail on the other side of the river back towards the city.

  It was approaching the middle of the night when Syman spotted the glow of a campfire ahead on the trail. Raucous laughter drifted lightly on the wind and Syman turned around and they retreated back up the trail. Backtracking for a while, they came to a fork in the trail and turned south. The narrow trail wound through the forest and started climbing. Being unfamiliar with the area, Syman could only follow the trail and hope that they came to an intersection that would allow them to turn westward once again, but the trail continued southward and climbed steadily. The soil turned rocky as they climbed and they began seeing glimpses of the starry sky as they continued to ascend the trail. The trail began to switchback and Syman realized that they were climbing out of the valley and were not likely to find a connecting trail until they either reached the top of whatever they were climbing or they descended the other side.

  “I think we ought to find a place to sleep,” suggested Syman. “I am sure that we are probably south of the city now and we need some height to watch the road. In the morning we will be able to see where we are.”

  Lyra was sore from riding and welcomed the stop. She quickly agreed and Syman began searching in vain for a suitable campsite. The trail had grown quite steep since they had agreed to stop and the night sky was completely visible to one side, while the other side was a wall of solid rock. The path consisted of small rocks and Syman had almost given up finding a campsite when he spotted an overhang in the rock wall. It was not a cave, but the overhang would offer some protection should the weather turn to rain.

  They halted and dismounted and led the horses under the overhang where Syman had found a protrusion in the rock to tie the reins to. The ground was quite pebble-strewn and they laid blankets on the ground and slept on top of them.

  Lyra awoke several hours later, feeling as if she had not slept at all. The sun had risen and while they were still in the shade of the mountain, the entire valley below was bathed in sunshine. Lyra stood on the edge of a cliff and gazed out over the broad valley and the sea beyond. The city of Gatong lay nestled below and the rising sun reflected off a multitude of buildings like light refracting through a many-faceted prism. Lyra never imagined such beauty and was so enraptured with the vision that she did not notice when Syman walked over and stood next to her. The intrusion of his voice startled her and she jumped.

  “It is a beautiful sight, isn’t it,” Syman commented.

  “Yes,” Lyra sighed, regaining her composure. “It is hard to imagine such beauty. The city seems so small from up here.”

  “Indeed, it will be impossible to spot Antello from this distance,” Syman agreed. “I am going to walk up the trail a bit and see if I can tell how far we have to go up before it starts back down. We might be better to turn around and take our original trail back to the road. I am sure that whoever had the campfire last night is long gone.”

  Lyra nodded as Syman left and returned to gazing at the vista before her. The people of the city were rousing from their night’s slumber and she watched them move busily about like tiny ants. The sun’s reflection off the buildings kept moving ever so slightly and the people and horses flitted from light to dark as they traversed the streets. Somewhere down there is Antello she realized, suddenly afraid for him. What was it that spooked him so? Was he in danger or did he sense danger for Lyra? A sense of darkness fell over her just as the shadow of a cloud fell over Gatong and she knew that they must hurry to meet Antello, or perhaps, rescue him.

  Syman returned at a run and Lyra turned to meet him.

  “We stopped just short of the summit,” Syman panted, “and the watchtower that sits upon it. It is crawling with Imperial Guards.”

  “Is that bad?” questioned Lyra. “I mean why should we be afraid of Imperial Guards? They will protect us from the raiders at least.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure,” offered Syman. “Antello is no fool and he obviously did not want us to pass the Imperial Guards at the gate. I do not pretend to understand what is going on, but I think we should avoid everybody until we talk with Antello and that includes the Imperial Guard. There is no way past them other than returning the way we came and that is what we are going to do.”

  Lyra looked deeply into Syman’s eyes trying to read whether it was fear or concern that lurked within them. Finally, realizing that his caution was probably well founded, she shrugged and went to pack the horses for the trip back down the mountain.

  The journey down the trail was quicker in the daylight than it had been the night before and within a couple of hours, they were past the site of the campfire and approaching the road south of Gatong. Mindful of the watchtower atop the mountain, Syman found a concealed waiting place that offered a good view of the road and they settled in to wait for Antello to come out the gate.

  A couple of hours passed before they finally saw Antello and when they did, he was not coming from the city, but from the south. Quickly, they mounted and made for the road, turning south when they reached it. Syman and Antello ignored each other as they passed on the road, and Syman and Lyra continued south until the city was out of sight. Syman dropped a shiny coin on the ground and led Lyra into the woods until they found a small clearing. There they waited for Antello to show up and they did not have to wait long.

  “I thought I would never find you,” greeted Antello. “That was my fourth run over the road this morning and I really didn’t want to have to do it again.”

  “Sorry,” apologized Syman, “we had trouble finding a safe way around the city. What is the matter with us entering Gatong? Did Walak get to speak with the Imperial Guard about the raiders?”

  “Oh he got to talk with them alright,” frowned Antello. “He was already talking to them by the time I reached the gate. When they found out he was from the Academy, they dragged him off to be interrogated.”

  “Well that is what he wanted,” interjected Lyra. “I don’t see why that bothered you so much. It makes sense that they would want to investigate such a massacre.”

  “No, no, no,” Antello shook his head. “They already knew about the massacre. They were taking him into custody as an accomplice. “

  “An accomplice?” Lyra scowled. “Whatever would make them think he was an accomplice?”

  “Whoa,” interrupted Syman. “You are not making sense, Antello. Start from the beginning and go slowly. Tell us everything that happened.”

  “I am trying to,” sighed Antello. “Okay, when I got to the gate, Walak was off his horse and talking to the Imperial Guards. He appeared to be arguing and they dragged him off right before my eyes. Nobody paid any attention to me riding in and I immediately dismounted and went to the first street merchant I saw. I asked her what the commotion was about and she started telling me about the terrible massacre at the Academy. When I asked her if the person they dragged
off was one of the raiders, she told me that he had just admitted to leaving the Academy with the killer and that he was arrested.”

  Lyra started to interrupt and Antello held his hand up to stop her. “I asked her what she meant and she pointed to a poster on the backside of the gate. She told me that Walak had just admitted to leaving the Academy with the terrible killer who was pictured on the poster. The picture was of you, Lyra. You are wanted for the massacre at the Academy.”

  “Wha…at?” Lyra stuttered. “You can’t be serious, Antello. How can they think a young girl killed all those people?”

  “And how did they get a picture of you?” questioned Syman. “Think about it for a moment. The raiders are searching high and low for you, Lyra. By making up some story about the young female wizard who blew everyone away with her magic, they now have the Imperial Guard hunting for you.”

  “Precisely,” Antello continued. “That was why I signaled you to get away from the city. After I warned you, I spent the night trying to find out more information. I thought at first that Walak would set them straight and they would take down the poster. Instead, it appears as if Walak told them everything he knew about your plans. The docks were swarming with Imperial Guards asking if you or anyone who looked like Syman or me had inquired about passage. I started keeping to the shadows after that. Thankfully, Walak’s description of us would fit a lot of people. I hung around a tavern next to the south gate for most of the night and tried to listen to any talk from the Imperial Guards. I didn’t learn much more except that a runner was sent out with the poster to every town between here and Alamar.”

  “So they even know where I am headed,” stated Lyra. “Walak has certainly been a big help to the raiders. There is no way we can get to Alamar through the raiders and the Imperial Guard. I might as well give myself up and explain what really happened.”

  “No,” shouted Syman. “That is pure foolishness. Don’t you see it yet? The Imperial Guard cannot protect you from the raiders. Do not underestimate their reach. They would not have arranged for the Imperial Guard to hunt you if they did not already have a way to get you from the Imperial Guard. They have thought this through very cleverly. The Imperial Guard would have to transport you to the capital and the raiders would think nothing of ambushing the Imperial Guard to get you in their hands. They want you very badly and they will stop at nothing to get you. Turning yourself in would be the same as slitting your own throat.”

  “I agree,” added Antello. “We will find a way to get to Alamar. At least we know enough to avoid the Imperial Guard now. We might have gone straight to them if we had not found out about the poster. Syman and I will get you there like we promised Rhodella. I know we can do it.”

  Lyra hugged them both and cried. Maybe with friends like Syman and Antello she could make it, but she wasn’t sharing information with anyone else again.

  Chapter 5

  Temiker

  The old man stood in the shadows of his darkened home and peered out of the windows. He watched as another black shape flitted from tree to tree, outlined by only the light from the night stars. The city was long dark and the residents lay in various stages of slumber, awaiting the dawn to trudge onward to their daily tasks. Not so with Temiker, for he was accustomed to the nighttime hours. In fact, it was during the lonely stillness of the night that Temiker’s bursts of inspiration arose out of the silence. If it were not for his students at the magic school he founded, Temiker would sleep the day through and arise at dusk as the night owl he felt himself to be.

  The wizard ran his hand over his bald scalp and tried to make sense out of the stealthy movements occurring outside. The men surrounding his home appeared to know what they were doing, and what they were about was making sure that there was no way for him to escape. It was doubtful then that they intended to kill him, he thought as he fiddled with his beard. No, more likely they intended to capture him, but for what purpose? There was no wife to pay a ransom. In fact, he could think of no one in the city who would care if he disappeared, save his students. Temiker was a solitary individual, who while sociable, never went out of his way to make friends. He never bothered anybody and did not take kindly to others bothering him. His love was magic and what he wanted most out of life was to master it. His skill in the magical arts was well known and he was regarded as one of the best wizards in all of Omunga.

  Another black shape slid across his view through a different window and Temiker knew his time was short. Moving swiftly and quietly through the dark room, as only its occupant could, Temiker grabbed the essentials he would need for an extended stay away from the home he had known for most of his life. In a few short moments, he gathered everything he would need and turned once again to the who and why of the attack. None of it made any sense to him. He could not recall anyone that he had offended since the fiasco at the Imperial Palace and that was years ago, certainly not what this attack was about. His concern drifted from himself to his students. He thought quickly about how they would all file into the schoolrooms in the morning and wondered if they would be in danger. Another task before he left then, he decided.

  Turning towards his extensive library of magic books, Temiker raised his hands and began a complicated spell designed to protect his valuables in his absence. He could not bear to think of the destruction of his collection regardless of what else was looted or destroyed. Through his concentration, he heard the first sounds emanating from the invaders and his pulse quickened when he realized that he may have waited a bit too long. Finishing the protection spell, he whirled to see the face of an invader peering through the window, searching the darkness for the old man. He froze in the shadows and the man's head continued to swivel in its search.

  Hoisting his backpack off the floor, Temiker started another incantation and the area around his feet began to fill with a thick rolling fog, billowing upward from his feet and swiftly filling the room with an eerie unnatural cloud waiting to burst out upon the city. With the final words of the casting, the cloud burst forth spewing through the windows and cracks around the door. With a speed that belied his age, Temiker danced over to the only windowless wall and pressed his hand flat against the pine slats. The boards warmed to his touch and then a door-sized section rippled, assuming a consistency much like the cloud within the room. Temiker stepped through and felt a light breeze fan his whiskers.

  Muffled voices pricked at his ears as he strained to detect the whereabouts of the invaders. Soon, a shout rang out and curses filled the air about him as men ran in the direction of his front door. Whoever was leading the invaders had just figured out that Temiker was onto them and they were rushing the house in an effort to capture him. The old wizard smiled as he stepped swiftly through the still spreading fog and headed for the schoolhouse.

  Leaving the shouts behind, Temiker whisked into the schoolhouse to make sure that no students had stayed the night as they occasionally did when they had a perplexing problem, which they refused to let go of. Satisfied that the building was empty, Temiker started at the rear of the building tossing fireballs at the walls. Moving as swiftly as he could, Temiker made his way back to the front door satisfied that the building would be nothing but ash when the sun arose. Tears welled up in the mage’s eyes as remembered the years of his life devoted to the school, but the safety of his students was worth more than the old building. His students were smart enough to know that something was very wrong and he hoped that none of them would openly identify with the school. The invaders appeared to be set on capturing him and they would not hesitate to use an unsuspecting student to accomplish their goal, not that his students would be able to help them. Still the students could be hurt by the invaders even if they could not help locate him.

  Temiker kept to the shadows as he moved. Already the populace was stirring with shouts of fire and soon the streets would be crowded with the curious and those who sought to help. The wizard smirked as he thought of the invaders and how they would try to be inconspicuous in
the milling crowd.

  Temiker slid down an alley as the first onlookers started filing into the street. Some people leaned out of windows for a look, but their focus was far distant from the streets below and Temiker felt no fear of discovery from them. He knew the invaders would immediately try to block the exits from the city and time became his enemy. He cursed his years of inactivity and the extra twenty pounds he carried because of it. Already he was losing his wind and the magic became difficult when one couldn’t breathe. And magic was the only way Temiker was going to get out of the city.

  He rejected the closest gate with the thought that the invaders would rush to secure it. The docks and any possibility of a sea escape were also ruled out because he would be seen too easily. He thought briefly of hiding in the city for a few days until the invaders thought he had slipped out, but quickly dismissed it when he realized that he did not know the reason for their visit and therefore could not trust anyone to know his whereabouts.

  The only two people in the world he could really trust with his life was his brother Malafar and his wife Rhodella, but they were hundreds of leagues away, far on the other side of the country. Malafar still blamed Temiker for his son’s death and had not spoken to him since, and while he would certainly not be happy to see Temiker, he would hide him and protect him. Tears welled up in his eyes as he thought of Malafar and Alfred. He loved his brother dearly and had treated Alfred as his own son. Malafar could not accept that one of Temiker’s students had killed Alfred in a botched assassination attempt on the Katana, Holy Ruler of Omunga. The ironic twist was that Temiker couldn’t accept it either. Harcad had been an exemplary student and the thought of him trying to assassinate the Katana was ludicrous. Harcad would never have attempted such a thing, but Malafar would not hear about it. His grief over the loss of Alfred locked reason from Malafar’s mind as efficiently as Temiker’s ward over his books would halt attempts to procure them.