Without further words, Morro reclined on the bed and closed his eyes. Kalina stared at him for several moments, trying to decide what the thief was truly after. Eventually she shook her head in confusion and took Tedi's staff. She left Morro's room and climbed the mound of sand. Pulling herself out of the hole in the ceiling, she strapped the staff to Morro's horse and rode out of the cave. Night had already fallen over the desert, but the moon was bright, and brilliant stars shone in a cloudless sky. Kalina took a moment to get her bearings and then rode directly westward to the top of the nearest dune. There was no one visible for as far as she could see so she continued on a westward course. A little over an hour later, Kalina felt a familiar weight upon her shoulder.
"You have found a horse," chirped Bitsy.
"I have found a horse, a thief, a staff, and a lost city," smiled Kalina. "How far away is Garth?"
"Only two dunes away," replied the fairy. "They are resting the horses for a spell as they are unsure which direction to head. There are no tracks of the thief's passing at all."
"I am not surprised," replied the Knight of Alcea. "Take me to them."
The tiny woman guided Kalina to the rest of the Alceans, and Garth hugged her tightly when she dismounted. Tedi quickly retrieved his staff from Morro's horse and inspected it closely.
"I trust that you let him go?" asked Garth. "You did not harm him, did you?"
"I did not harm him," Kalina answered with a questioning look upon her face. "That is the second time you expressed concern for the elf's well being. Why are you so worried about him?"
"I am not sure," Garth sighed. "Perhaps it is the dreams."
"You haven’t said anything about any dreams lately," frowned Kalina. "I thought you were free of them."
"I have tried not to dwell on them," shrugged Garth. "How did you get the staff from Morro?"
"He gave it to me," answered Kalina. "He also let me borrow his horse."
"Borrow?" questioned Garth. "I do not understand."
"Nor do I," admitted Kalina. "According to Morro, everything he has done has been designed to lure us to the lost city of Aranak solely for the purpose of speaking to us. I am not sure what to make of him."
"What kind of thief lures his victims into the desert and then lends them his horse?" asked Natia.
"Not his victims," corrected Kalina. "His theft of Tedi's staff was to lure the strangers from over the sea to the desert."
"He knows that we are not Zarans?" gasped Tedi.
"He does," nodded Kalina. "He claims that he figured it out from bulletins sent to the Federation garrisons, but I think there is more to this thief than meets the eye. Although I spoke to him about the history of the elves, I was hesitant to answer his more personal questions. He evidently thinks that you will be more open with him, Garth. He expects me to guide you back to Aranak."
"So he is still there?" asked Garth.
"Napping," nodded Kalina. "He also speaks of having some magical abilities, but I did not pry into that area as I did not wish to bring the conversation around to my own abilities."
"That was wise," mused Garth. "You act like he might be working for the Federation. Is that your fear?"
"I do not know what to make of him," sighed Kalina. "He controls his emotions well. He had me thinking that he was believing my story for quite a while and then suddenly revealed that he knew who I was. He already knows far too much of who we are and what we are up to than I feel comfortable with."
"Yet you left him where he can run away?" asked Natia.
"He has no intention of running away," replied Kalina. "He is looking forward to meeting all of you. He shows no fear of the consequences of being alone in the desert with warriors from another land. In fact, his only fear seems to be that we might lead others to his hideout. He made me promise to keep its location secret."
Garth turned away from the conversation and stared at the open desert.
"What is this lost city like?" asked Tedi. "Are there still buildings that are habitable?"
"There are rooms in Aranak that look as if they have been lived in recently," answered Kalina, "but I am sure that they haven't. It is like opening an ancient tomb."
"It is hard to believe that anything could be left standing with the desert winds we faced earlier," commented Tedi. "Surely, the sand would pit everything left standing."
"The city is not on the surface," replied Kalina. "It is underground. There is only a very small opening in the side of a dune. One could pass within twenty paces of it and never know that it was there."
"I wonder how he found it?" mused Natia.
"And why he wants to keep it so secret," added Tedi. "There are no people out here to steal from, so I can't imagine it as a base for his own gang of thieves."
"According to Cracker," Garth said as he turned and rejoined the conversation, "Morro could inherit almost any band of thieves in Zara. He has no need to create a new gang. There is much about Morro that does not fit. I think it is time that we go to Aranak and discover who he truly is."
Chapter 38
Broken Dreams
Captain Gomery stood under the shade of a palm tree observing the crewmen working in the cove. The Remora sat in the cove with its bow firmly set on the beach. Piles of discarded broken planks littered the beach, and the sailors were handcrafting replacements for whatever they could not salvage from the debris. He looked at the Remora with sadness. Although it was originally an enemy ship, it had served him well during the past few months, and he had grown accustomed to it. The damage to the bow had not been as severe as he had thought at first, but it still needed extensive repairs. The main problem facing the crew was finding suitable wood. While there was an abundance of palm trees, Captain Gomery preferred a harder wood for certain repairs. That necessitated assigning some of the men to explore while the others worked to fashion replacement planks. The delay bothered him mostly because he did not know exactly when he would be called upon to transport the Knights of Alcea back home. As he watched Cirris and Ecaro fit a palm plank into place, he saw Chanz emerge from the water under the Remora. He had not remembered the mate going into the water, so he watched with curiosity as Chanz dried off and walked towards him.
"Cooling off?" asked the captain.
"The swim was refreshing," answered the mate, "but I went under for a reason."
"Oh?" prompted the captain.
"I heard something when the tide went low," explained Chanz. "Rather than alarm you unnecessarily, I thought I would check on it myself first. We have a cracked keel, captain."
Although he knew enough not to doubt the mate, he couldn't help asking, "Are you sure?"
"Positive," nodded Chanz. "Considering the impact we had with the warship, it really shouldn't surprise either of us."
"No, it shouldn't," the captain sighed heavily, "but it presents us with quite a problem. Any chance of mending it?"
"I can add supports to it," answered Chanz, "but the ship is going to perform poorly. Worse, in my opinion, is that it could split in two at sea. After mending it we can sail in calm waters, but the first time we hit rough seas, we are going down."
"You do realize what you are saying?" asked Captain Gomery.
"Aye," nodded Chanz. "The Remora is not returning to Alcea. There is no chance at all that we could make a sailing of such a duration without encountering rough seas."
"What about remaining beached while the other repairs are being made?" asked the captain.
"We are moving away from the moon tides," answered Chanz. "It will not crack any further before we get the repairs done."
"Then continue the work as planned," ordered the captain. "I will send the bad news to the Rangers."
* * *
The Knights of Alcea spent their first hours in the lost city of Aranak asleep. As much as Natia feared the thief slipping away during the night, Garth had insisted that everyone get some sleep before waking Morro. Garth had joined Kalina in the room she had found, while Tedi and Nati
a moved along the corridor to the next available room. Tedi was the first to awaken, and quickly woke the rest of the group. Kalina led them to Morro's room, and they found the elf with a large pot of tea.
"Good morning," Morro said cheerfully. "I do hope that you all like tea. That is all that I have to offer."
"You cook down here?" asked Natia. "What about the air?"
"That is why I occupy the room nearest the entrance when I am here," answered Morro. "The smoke rises out to the desert, but don't worry about anyone seeing it. I always go up and check before I light a fire, and the visible smoke is minimal."
"Why are you afraid of people finding you?" asked Garth.
"I am not afraid of them finding me," answered Morro. "I do not want the secret of Aranak's location to get out. I have future plans for this city."
"And what might those plans be?" asked Garth.
"I will explain it all later," the thief said elusively. "The more important question right now is how I may help you in your mission."
"Do not take offense, Morro," Garth replied, "but we don't know who you are. You seem to have the upper hand here, and that makes me a bit uncomfortable."
"Understandable," Morro nodded as he handed out cups of tea. "If I am correct in my assumption of why you have come to Zara, all our lives depend upon secrecy. You would be a fool to tell me your business, and I would be a fool to tell you mine. So let me be the first to make a fool of himself."
Garth nodded to the thief and sat on the bed.
"I am Dielderal," declared Morro. "Everyone that I have met in Zara believes that I left the reeducation centers and chose to live among the humans as many elves do. That is a lie. I was indeed educated in the centers as are all my people for the first twenty years, but I returned to Elfwoods when I was given the choice."
"Then you should not be among the humans," Kalina stated.
"Correct," nodded Morro. "Any attempt at escape means not only death for the escapee, but also a punishment will be exacted on the Dielderal. So now you know my secret. I have not told another soul in the world about this, but it is enough to cost me my life. All you need to do is inform any Federation garrison, and they will begin an eager search for me."
"Why are you telling us this?" asked Tedi.
"To gain your trust," answered Morro. "The Federation thinks you are a great threat to their plans. If they truly think that, then I want very much to help you in any way that I can."
"Why?" asked Kalina. "Many people want the downfall of the Federation, but that doesn't mean they are willing to die alongside us. There is more that you are not telling us."
"There is always more to tell," agreed Morro, "but I have seen no acceptance from any of you yet."
"How did you manage to escape?" asked Garth.
"It was a stroke of luck," grinned Morro. "My best friend was killed by the Federation one day, and I vowed to leave my homeland and fend for myself, but it was forbidden, and I could not make others pay a price for my own deeds. A few days after my friend's death, the world shook. There was havoc everywhere. Dozens died in Elfwoods alone, but the human cities were affected as well. In the confusion that followed, I realized that I could flee, and no one would be the wiser. So that is what I did. I used my gift to avoid the patrols and wandered into Despair as if I belonged there. The hardest part for me was finding a way to fit in. Most elves that remain in the cities have some offer of work available to them. I had none. That is when I discovered the thieves guild."
"We call that day the Collapse of the Universes where we come from," Garth responded. "That means that you have been thieving for twenty years."
"And so I have," smiled Morro, "and I have never been caught."
"What is this gift you speak of?" asked Natia.
"I do not know how to explain it," admitted Morro. "I have the ability to move very quickly when I want to. Some of the people I have known told me it is a magical gift, but if so, it is the only magic that I have. It has enabled me to stay alive in the land of the humans."
"If you seek the end to the Federation," asked Garth, "why aren't you in the Elfwoods gathering your people to fight their oppressors?"
"The Dielderal are incapable of breaking their bondage," frowned Morro. "The emperor has found the one weak point of our culture. He holds all of the elven children hostage for the express purpose of forcing the Dielderal to bend to his will. As long as elven children are captive, no revolution will take place."
"And that is where you come in, isn't it?" asked Garth.
Morro stared at Garth with wide-opened eyes. His lips opened motionless, and he shook his head slowly in disbelief.
"You are not the only one who can fit the pieces of a puzzle together," smiled Garth. "You plan to use the lost city of Aranak to house the children in safety while the Dielderal throw off the yolk of slavery."
"Exactly," gasped Morro. "How could you possibly deduce that?"
"What else would you need a hidden city for?" retorted Garth. "Where do we fit into your plan?"
"I truly do not know," conceded Morro. "I only know that it takes more planning than I am capable of. I have managed to travel to all of the Federation cities with reeducation centers, and I have made hundreds of friends among the thieves of those cities. I think that I can supply the manpower to affect the rescues, but there are still problems to be worked out. The timing of the attacks must be coordinated, or it will become impossible after the first attack. There is also the problem of transporting so many children while the armies of the Federation are searching for them."
"How many children are we talking about?" asked Natia.
"Over a thousand," answered Morro. "We would have to get an exact count before the attacks, but a thousand will point out the problems of the logistics."
"It does indeed," Garth nodded. "I won't say that the task is impossible, but it is nearly so. It might take a year to properly set up, and we don't have that much time available."
"Are not the children of the Dielderal worth your time?" scowled the elf.
Garth looked at the thief and sighed heavily. "My heart bleeds for the Dielderal," he said sincerely. "Some of our people have recently visited there, and what they found shocked them. When we started this voyage, we believed that the Federation and the Dielderal were partners in the coming attack on Alcea, and indeed that may become true if the emperor holds as much power over your kin as you say."
"It will become true," agreed Morro. "Can you not see that it is in the best interests of your people as well as mine to strike this blow?"
"I find no fault in your reasoning," agreed Garth, "and I would aid you for the sake of compassion alone, but we have a specific mission to accomplish and not much time to do it."
"And what is that?" asked Morro.
"We were sent here to learn about our enemies," declared Garth. "We need to get our information back to Alcea so that they can utilize it to prepare for the invasion."
"What do you need to know?" asked Morro.
"That is part of the problem," explained Garth. "We don't even know all the things that we need to know. Certainly we need to know the troop strength of the enemy. The timing and location of the initial assault would be invaluable, and what type of battle strategies the Zarans use."
"Not to mention their magical capabilities," added Kalina. "You mentioned to me that all of the Zaran mages are priests of Balmak. Is this true?"
"As far as I know," replied Morro. "I have never known a mage who was not a priest. Not that I have known any of the priests either, but it is common knowledge that all mages are priests."
"What about the K'sans?" asked Tedi.
"You know of them?" frowned Morro. "They are extremely dangerous. They can bend a person to their will with merely a thought. Do not go near them."
"Who or what are they?" asked Natia.
"It is rumored that they are demonkin," Morro said softly, "but I cannot imagine such a thing."
"Demonkin?" echoed Natia. "Wha
t do you mean?"
"When I was in the reeducation center," explained Morro, "there were always rumors of missing elven children. The missing were always females of childbearing age. The rumor was that they were wedded to demons. After the birth of their offspring, the women were eaten by the demons."
Kalina gasped and sank to the bed alongside Garth. She grasped his hand and clutched it tightly. Natia moved close to Tedi, and the gypsy prince tightened his grip on the black staff. For a long time, silence enveloped the room.
"It is only a rumor," Morro said softly, finally breaking the silence, "but I have heard it from numerous sources. I have also heard that K'sans are impossible to kill. They are immortal."
"That part of the rumor is false," scowled Tedi. "I have killed them before, and I will kill them again."
Morro's eyes widened, and he stared at the black staff in Tedi's hands. "I think I now understand why you would have followed me to the ends of the world. I had no idea, truly."
"There is a possibility for your plan to succeed," Garth stated, eager to move on to a different topic. "At some point in time, the Federation will load their ships and set sail for Alcea. If we can determine how many of them are heading towards my homeland, we can determine how many are staying behind. That might just be the time for your plan to work."
"That could be soon," frowned Morro. "Too soon in fact. When I was in Giza, I also explored there in my free time. There are three volcanoes east of Giza called the Pyres. One day I hiked up the closest one. It provides a breathtaking view of the Sea of Tears. When I was up there, I saw a fleet of warships. There were over a hundred of them sitting idly at anchor."
"Is that unusual?" asked Garth.
"Very unusual," answered Morro. "At times there are not enough ships for all of the commerce that sails on the Sea of Tears. To let a hundred ships sit idle makes no sense."
"When was this?" asked Tedi.
"A few months ago," answered the elf. "The shipyards are still working as hard as they can to produce more ships, so why leave those idle when they would soon be replaced?"
Final Voyage of the Remora Page 47