Aakuta: the Dark Mage

by Richard S. Tuttle

  Lord Marak nodded and the Toraks finished their meal. Lord Marak issued a script for a thousand gold and handed it to the innkeeper as he left. The innkeeper smiled broadly as he held the door open for Lord Marak.

  The group passed through the two Imperial guards and moved swiftly to the broker’s back door. They entered the office and the broker greeted them with a friendly smile. Lord Marak walked to a map hanging on the wall, which depicted the city of Khadoratung and showed all of the buildings in the city.

  “Is there a particular section of the city you are looking to invest in?” asked the broker.

  Lord Marak put his finger on the map and pointed to a building not far from the side of the Imperial Palace.

  “I have heard that this building is for sale,” Lord Marak stated. “I would like to visit it.”

  “Certainly,” nodded the broker, “but it is hardly fit for the residence of a member of the Lords’ Council, Lord Marak.”

  “Why not?” questioned the Torak lord. “It is close to the palace.”

  “Yes,” frowned the broker. “It is close, but it hardly is befitting your station. As you can see, the building fronts on two parallel streets, but only half of it is a residence. The other half hosts a tavern. It was the house of a merchant, and he rented the tavern portion out, but you would have to make major renovations to restore it to one dwelling. I have properties for sale that are much better for your purpose.”

  “Perhaps,” responded Lord Marak, “but I will see this one first. Give me the keys, and we shall go examine it. If it is not suitable, I will let you show me others.”

  “Very well, Lord Marak,” sighed the broker as he opened a drawer and handed the keys to Lord Marak. “I did warn you.”

  They walked out the back door of the broker’s office. Another man dressed as a Torak soldier was waiting for them. Lord Marak nodded to Fisher as the spy casually joined the group as they walked the few blocks over to inspect the building. No words were spoken until they had entered the old house.

  “I heard that you had a bit of a problem in the marketplace,” Fisher said softly. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes,” nodded Lord Marak as his eyes gazed about the old structure. “Is this the house that you wanted me to see?”

  “It is,” chuckled Fisher. “I know it does not look like much, but you will see why I recommended it. Come upstairs.”

  The building was in an older part of Khadoratung, and it was four stories tall with a basement underneath it. Fisher led the way to the top floor.

  “Look out the window,” smiled Fisher.

  Lord Marak gazed out the window. The view of the front of the palace was over the roofs of the other houses on the block. He nodded in appreciation.

  “There is more,” smiled Fisher. “The building used to stretch through to the next street, but a merchant divided it and had a tavern put in the other half.”

  “So the broker mentioned,” nodded Lord Marak.

  “They closed up everything that connects the two except the basement,” Fisher continued. “That door is merely locked on both sides.”

  “How does that help me?” asked Lord Marak.

  “It allows you to have people come and go without being seen,” grinned Fisher. “I have already talked to the tavern owner. He is old and willing to sell his business. If you could arrange for a free man to buy the tavern business, it would never be tied to you.”

  “And spies could go to the tavern and end up in my home,” nodded Lord Marak. “That does have merit.”

  “There is also an unimpeded view of the rear of the palace from above the tavern,” added Fisher. “Right now the tavern owner lives above the tavern. The two floors above him are empty and unused. You could modify the structure so that your upper floors ran across the whole building and no one would be the wiser.”

  “Meaning we could house several cortes comfortably in a house that appears to be only capable of holding two squads,” grinned Lord Marak. “I should never doubt your analysis, Fisher. This building will do splendidly.”

  “What about its location, though?” questioned Gunta. “A member of the Lords’ Council is expected to live much finer than this. Won’t that cause the other lords to not take you seriously?”

  “It would,” frowned Lord Marak. “While I would normally not care how I am viewed, this election to the Lords’ Council requires a few changes on my part.”

  “There is more than one lord who has multiple residences in Khadoratung,” Fisher offered. “Use this one as your residence, and buy another for show. You could also use the larger one for entertaining. That way there will never be a reason for outsiders to enter this building.”

  “I agree,” responded Lord Marak. “Find me a large estate along the river just south of the city, preferably around the bend from the docks of the city. I want to be able to have troops arrive by river during the night without anyone noticing.”

  “Are you expecting to wage war in Khadoratung?” questioned Halman.

  “I am not expecting it,” answered Lord Marak, “but I am preparing for it. I will be setting up new cortes of Torak troops chosen from the clans that owe allegiance to me. Lectain Zorkil is already working on that. I do not expect my enemies to attack me only outside the city. Today was a good indication that my thoughts are valid. This time it was a lone assassin, but it may very well evolve into open warfare before long.”

  Chapter 18

  An Act of War

  Mistake finished her meal in the Wine Press Inn and slipped out the back door. She looked both ways and saw a series of wagons coming up the street. She dashed in front of the lead wagon and was going to dart down an alley when she stopped and turned around to look at the road. The four wagons coming down the street were lashed together with only two drivers. The first driver was a large bear of a man draped in a black cloak and hood. He sent shivers down Mistake’s spine, just as he had in the inn. The other driver was the young soldier she had seen with the mystery man the day she had arrived in Khadoratung, but he no longer wore his brown and yellow uniform. Now the man was clothed in a simple brown tunic and pants. The wagons were loaded down with sacks of seed, except for the last, which carried six wasooki and six clova. She watched in puzzlement as the wagons rolled by. She was not sure who the men were, but she was sure that they were not farmers.

  Mistake shook her head and ran down the alley. She used the alley to cross several blocks of the city before turning onto one of the streets. She slowed down to a fast walk until she reached the house that Lord Marak had purchased. She loped up the steps and the door opened as she reached for it. Mistake smiled at HawkShadow as she slid through the doorway.

  “Now we can get started,” taunted HawkShadow. “I have always wondered how those who are so blessed with speed can always be the ones who arrive late.”

  “I was eating,” protested Mistake. “It is not good to hurry your meals.”

  “There is no rush for this meeting,” smiled Lord Marak as he waved Mistake into one of the rooms. “In fact, the purpose of this meeting is to determine where you three go from here.”

  “Our mission is complete,” announced StarWind. “General Didyk has given us the slip.”

  “I suppose that I will accompany the Sakovans back to the Sakova,” shrugged Mistake. “Rejji has no need of me right now.”

  HawkShadow gazed at Lord Marak expectantly. “You did not bring us here to bid us a safe journey,” HawkShadow finally said. “What did you have in mind?”

  Lord Marak grinned. “I am planning a delicate mission, and I could use some of your talents,” he replied. “Two Sakovans who are nearly invisible in the wild and know how to make an air tunnel would be a great asset to me at this time.”

  “I know how to make an air tunnel,” interrupted Mistake. “I can be invisible, too.”

  “I have something a little different in mind for you, Mistake,” chuckled Lord Marak. “I will get to it in a moment.”

  “I am game,�
�� offered HawkShadow. “I could even be talked into teaching the little elf how to move silently.”

  Mistake frowned and opened her mouth to protest, but Lord Marak cut her off. “Your tutoring her could be of great help,” Lord Marak stated, “but my time is short. We will be leaving before sun up.”

  “Tomorrow morning?” asked StarWind.

  “Yes,” nodded Lord Marak. “We will begin to gather after midnight. I want to be well outside the city before dawn breaks.”

  “What do I get to do?” asked Mistake.

  “Do you still carry that blow tube the Qubari gave you?” asked the Torak lord.

  “Of course,” nodded Mistake. “It is always ready. What darts are you thinking of?”

  “The tyrik venom,” replied Lord Marak. “How long do the effects last?”

  “About three hours for a fair-sized man,” shrugged Mistake. “Maybe less if it is a big man. I only have six tyrik darts. There are other types of darts, though.”

  “Six should be enough,” declared Lord Marak. “I am not looking to kill with the darts, so only the tyrik venom will be used. If you could spend some time with HawkShadow today, Mistake, it would be of benefit to the mission.”

  “I will,” promised Mistake as she began to get excited about going on a mission with the Toraks.

  “Any news about the assassin?” asked Lord Marak.

  “Not much,” frowned StarWind. “I did pick up a piece of curious knowledge in the marketplace concerning the attack on you. Everyone was confused about what was happening, but more than one person remembered seeing an Imperial guard running away from the attack. I found that most strange. Even better is the description that people agreed on. This Imperial soldier was wearing gloves.”

  “That is interesting news,” frowned Lord Marak. “Did anyone remember anything else about him? His face? Scars? Anything?”

  “No,” StarWind shook her head. “Too much attention was drawn your way.”

  “That is more knowledge than we had before,” shrugged Lord Marak. “Come over to this map and I will explain what I need you to do.”

  * * *

  Botal looked around the empty suite for anything his men might have left behind. Satisfied that everything had been taken, he left the suite and stepped into the corridor. The Imperial Palace was dim and desolate, everyone having gone to bed hours before. He had dispatched his men over the last few hours in groups of two, and now he was the only one left. Botal adjusted his weapons and strode quietly along the corridor. He passed through the entry foyer and was stopped at the door leaving the palace by two solitary Imperial guards.

  “Another Torak?” questioned the guard. “Don’t you fellows get any sleep? I saw two of you leave the palace not an hour ago.”

  “That is why I am leaving,” frowned Squad Leader Botal. “I need to catch up to them. They are on an errand for Lord Marak.”

  “You will have to hurry then,” smiled the guard as he opened the door. “They headed towards the stables quite some time ago.”

  Botal nodded and ran towards the stables. He mounted his horse and rode out of the city to the meeting spot they had previously selected.

  “Any problems, Botal?” inquired Lord Marak.

  “A mention of two other Torak soldiers leaving, but it was just friendly banter,” reported Botal. “We will be long gone before anyone notices that the Torak quarters are empty.”

  “Excellent,” Lord Marak said. “StarWind? HawkShadow? Are both of you comfortable with this plan? You do not have to take part in this if you do not want to.”

  “We are comfortable with it,” volunteered StarWind. “Since General Didyk has already left Khadoratung, there is nothing left here for us to do. We might as well aid in your troubles.”

  “I would prefer to be by your side in this Lord Marak,” interjected HawkShadow, “but I understand the need for what StarWind and I are doing. We have the skills necessary. You can count on us.”

  “I am not very comfortable with this,” sighed Katzu. “As a Lords’ Council mediator, I have no business being involved in whatever it is that you are about to do. I cannot favor one clan over another. It goes against the very nature of the Lords’ Council.”

  “Which is why I have not told you what we intend to do,” smiled Lord Marak. “Katzu, you are only traveling with us because you will have to mediate a dispute. If I told you ahead of time where you were needed, wouldn’t that then give you advance notice of what I intend to do?”

  “It probably would,” nodded the mediator.

  “And if your prompt mediation of a dispute could save lives,” Lord Marak continued, “wouldn’t you want to be close by to do your duty?”

  “Certainly,” Katzu replied as he felt the logical net closing around him.

  “And above all,” grinned Lord Marak, “is it not your desire to see justice done in Khadora and honesty upheld at the highest levels?”

  “That is my desire, Lord Marak,” Katzu replied testily, “but why do I feel as if I am being used by one clan against another?”

  “Katzu,” soothed Lord Marak, “every dispute that you mediate is the result of someone trying to use your judgment against someone else. That is why you are called upon to mediate. If no one thought your words could be used to gain advantage over another lord, your services would never be called for.”

  “I will grant you that, although it is a strange way of looking at mediation,” Katzu shook his head. “Lords do not normally drag me off to battle.”

  “I have no intention of dragging you off to battle,” promised Lord Marak. “I am merely inviting you to end a dispute. If I sent a messenger to Khadoratung, you would hurry to where we are going and perform the mediation gladly. I am just trying to save time and lives by making sure that you are close by.”

  “If my coming with you will truly save lives,” sighed Katzu, “then I cannot argue with your methods. I will forewarn you, however, that my going with you will in no way affect my mediation. I will not compromise myself for anyone, not even the Emperor.”

  “I would never ask you to do so,” Lord Marak said seriously. “The mediators of the Lords’ Council are the strength of Khadora. If you and your kind start to waver, then we are a nation without hope.”

  “I am glad that you understand that,” nodded Katzu. “Lead me to this mediation, but do not tell me anything of what is to come. I do not wish to know the details until the mediation begins.”

  “Fair enough,” agreed Lord Marak as he signaled for Botal to lead the group forward.

  * * *

  The night air was cool as the column of Nordon soldiers rode down out of the Bear Mountains near Deep Bend. The stars were bright, and the moon was nearly full. The cortain led his column in silence as he rode off the mountain trail and onto the main road. Although the sun would not rise for a few hours yet, the men were alert and ready for battle.

  As the column of green and white soldiers neared the Nordon estate, the cortain’s fingers moved rapidly over his head. The unspoken command was superfluous. Each member of the Nordon corte knew his task by heart, and the signal to be alert was merely a force of habit.

  The Nordon corte turned onto the estate road leading to the mansion. The guards at the gate waved uncaringly as the soldiers rode by. As the corte approached the mansion, the cortain turned towards the guest barracks. The two sentries outside the mansion watched the procession with halfhearted interest. They had seen this particular corte leave and return at strange hours of the day and night. They were guests from the main estate in the Imperial Valley and nobody paid any attention to their comings and goings.

  Cortain Talli dismounted around the corner of the mansion. His troops immediately followed his lead. Two men gathered around the cortain as the others tethered their horses and waited silently. Everyone remained poised, their attention glued to the cortain.

  Cortain Talli nodded with exaggeration and started walking towards the front of the mansion. The two escorting soldiers immed
iately followed him. The rest of the corte turned and began executing their assigned tasks. The three men rounded the corner of the mansion and strode purposely towards the door of the mansion. They were halfway to the door before the two guards even noticed them. One of the guards nudged the other causing him to look towards the approaching soldiers. As the three men got closer, it became obvious that they were heading into the mansion. The two guards stiffened.

  “I hope you aren’t planning on waking anyone,” one of the guards said softly to the approaching men.

  “I must,” Cortain Talli said with feigned exasperation. “I need to speak with Marshal GeHert right away.”

  “Can’t it wait until morning?” objected the guard. “He has a nasty temper when he is awakened without reason.”

  “It is not without reason,” responded Cortain Talli as he mounted the steps and approached the door.

  “Hey,” said the other guard as he turned to follow the cortain. “You aren’t the same cortain that led the men out. What happened to the other one?”

  The first guard also turned to look at the cortain. Neither of the guards realized their mistake until the two men escorting the cortain had attacked them from behind. The attack was not brutal. The fake Nordon soldiers looped wires over the men’s heads and tightened them. The cortain turned around and held his finger to his lips.

  “Not a sound and you will both live,” smiled the cortain. “I am going to gag you and then you will be bound. If you make no noise, you will be freed in an hour or two. Do you understand?”

  Both men tried to nod, but the wire nooses restricted their movement. They held their hands up in a show of submission.

  “Good,” smiled the cortain as he watched several of his men running silently across the lawn in front of the mansion.

  Talli stuffed clean rags in the men’s mouths while the soldiers holding them bound their arms behind them.

  “Take them around to the side of the mansion,” instructed Cortain Talli. “Make them comfortable and then return here to rejoin me. I am going to speak to Lord Grentle.”

  Cortain Talli stripped off his Nordon uniform and dropped it on the porch. He straightened his Torak uniform and observed his men as they secured the barracks by barricading the doors. Two men quietly raced up the road to the gate and subdued the gate guards. Cortain Talli could see another corte of Torak troops riding onto the estate. The two men who had tied up the guards returned wearing Torak black and silver. Talli turned and opened the door to the mansion.