Aakuta started stepping slowly backwards, tossing fireballs as he retreated. The flames from the burning kruls leaped upwards, and the prisoners fled to the back of their cells as the intense heat began to spread. The flames were so high that the mage could not see the escapees and they could not see him. Neither side could actually see that all of the kruls were already dead.
The escapees halted before the fires. Suddenly, a blue cast surrounded the corpses. The flames died out completely, and ice began to form on the bodies. Over the heap of charred bodies, the escapees were able to see Aakuta again. Avalar’s arms rose and pointed towards the human mage.
“He is all that stands against us now,” Avalar stated as he prepared to cast a spell.
“No,” shouted HawkShadow as he knocked Avalar’s hands down.
“What are you doing?” shouted Mistake. “Are you crazy? That is Aakuta. He can kill us with one spell.”
“That is not Aakuta,” announced HawkShadow. “That is Master Malafar, Lyra’s father. Do not harm him.”
MistyTrail stared at the mage’s face under his hood and gasped. “HawkShadow is right. That is Master Malafar.”
“Hurry,” shouted the human mage. “You do not have much time. Follow me.”
Aakuta retreated to the end of the corridor where he had left the door blocked open just a bit so he wouldn’t have to unlock it. He pushed it all the way open and placed his back against it while the escapees climbed over the bodies and raced for the door.
“Enter the first room on your right and be silent,” instructed Aakuta.
Mistake led the group and slid into a small storage room. A woman in a robe frowned as the group piled in. As soon as the last of the group had exited the cell area, Aakuta let the door close. He followed the group into the room, unaware of the furtive figure that was hiding in the stairwell just outside the door to the cells.
“You are Master Malafar!” gasped MistyTrail. “Why did Mistake think you were Aakuta? What are you doing here?”
“It is too long a story to relate now,” answered Aakuta. “The short answer is that I came here to repay my daughter’s people for the ill that I caused them. I could not do so in the Sakova or in Omunga. I needed to be someone else. I became Aakuta. What is important now is to get you out of here. I also want you to take Rhoda with you. She is a Khadoran mage who was kidnapped and tortured.”
Rhoda looked with uncertainty at the strange group. Aakuta smiled at her and placed his hand calmly on her shoulder.
“I know most of these people, Rhoda,” the mage said. “If anyone can get you home, it is them. I can’t protect you here forever.”
“But if I am gone,” frowned Rhoda, “they will suspect you. They will kill you. Come with us.”
“I cannot,” Aakuta shook his head. “My work here is not done. Besides, I have no life left on the mainland. I betrayed my own people, and I betrayed my daughter’s people. I have nowhere to go.”
“Lyra would love to have you back, Master Malafar,” stated MistyTrail.
“Omunga and the Sakovan are now one,” added HawkShadow. “There is no need for you to stay away now.”
“There are other reasons, HawkShadow,” frowned Aakuta. “My wife and son are dead. My academy and reputation are ruined forever. It is not just a matter of acceptance. I don’t belong there any more. I will not spend my life as an old aging mage with nothing to do. I have a purpose here. I must alert the Torak when I discover the timing of the invasion. If I can’t do it, no one can. There is no one to take my place here on Motanga.”
“I do not know you,” Avalar said, “but I admire your courage. Thank you for saving us in the cell area.”
Aakuta nodded curtly to the elven king and rolled a scroll across the table. Everyone gathered around to see what was on it.
“This is the best map I could create,” apologized Aakuta. “Leaving by the front door or the rear is out of the question. The alarms will be sounded before you could exit. There are two balconies on the second level. They know that the girls came and went from the library one the last time they were here, so they have magically alarmed both of them, but they are sloppy with their security, as you already know. Otherwise you would not be inside this building.”
“It sounds like they were expecting someone to return,” frowned Mistake.
“Indeed,” nodded Aakuta. “Avalar has been kept here for many years. He has been their insurance that the elves would not interfere with Vand’s plans. They thought that he was the target the last time you snuck in.”
“So how do we get out?” asked HawkShadow.
“They constantly check the alarm on the library shutters,” explained Aakuta, “but that is not true of the other balcony. I disabled that alarm over a week ago. No one has noticed yet. I know because I check it daily. This is the location of the room that leads to the balcony,” he added as he tapped the hand-drawn map.
“A meeting room?” asked Mistake. “Will anyone be in it?”
“No,” replied Aakuta. “It is seldom used. Important meetings are held in the throne room.
MistyTrail stared at Rhoda in her red robe. “Is that all you have to wear?”
Rhoda nodded and MistyTrail reached into her pack and gave Rhoda her uniform.
“It may be a little tight, but it better than nothing,” smiled MistyTrail.
The men turned their backs to Rhoda as she slipped into the uniform.
“I will check the corridor outside the door,” Aakuta said. “I dare not travel with you, though. Are you sure that you can find the balcony?”
“We will find it,” HawkShadow assured the human mage. “Take care of yourself, Master Malafar. I will tell Lyra about your decision to stay.”
“I am not sure that I want her to know,” frowned Aakuta. “She already has too much to worry about. She holds too many responsibilities for one so young. She does not need another.”
“Perhaps not,” MistyTrail said as she hugged Aakuta, “but you must know that she loves you dearly. The Sakovans will welcome you whenever you wish to return. Never doubt that.”
Aakuta’s lips pressed tightly together, and he broke the embrace. He opened the door a crack and peered out. Seeing no one, he opened the door fully and stepped into the corridor.
The six escapees filed out of the room. HawkShadow took the lead and headed towards the front of the temple. He left the lowest floor at the first staircase, heading towards the ground level. He paused to listen at the ground level and then continued up to the second level. He moved stealthily as he stepped out of the stairwell. The corridor was empty and he turned towards the rear of the temple.
When he reached the rear corridor, he halted before turning the corner. He could hear two men around the corner talking. Mistake moved close to him, and he bent down to listen to her.
“An alarm will sound as soon as anyone enters the cell area,” she whispered. “Once that happens, alarms will go off all over this island. We cannot wait for these men to finish their conversation. We must hurry if we wish to live.”
HawkShadow nodded and tapped Mistake’s palm. She nodded as a knife slid into her hand. HawkShadow nodded three times. On the third nod, Mistake ran around the corner and threw her knife. It struck a hooded man in the throat. HawkShadow stepped around the corner, his long sword held before him. With a quick slash, the second man’s head rolled across the floor. Mistake retrieved the knife from her victim as the rest of the group rounded the corner.
The rear corridor ran the width of the pyramid and no one else was in sight. HawkShadow picked the pace up and began running quietly. The others matched his speed. When they reached the far corner, HawkShadow slowed and peeked around the corner. There were two soldiers at the far end of the corridor near the front of the large temple. He pulled his head back.
“Two guards at the front of the temple,” explained HawkShadow. “They are way too far away to attack, and we cannot wait for them. Any ideas?”
“How far is the balcon
y room?” asked MistyTrail.
“About half way,” answered HawkShadow.
“Do you think they would see a soldier walking the corridor as strange?” she asked.
“Probably not,” shrugged HawkShadow. “What do you have in mind?”
MistyTrail hopped onto HawkShadow’s back and wrapped her arms around his chest.
“Carry me to the room,” ordered MistyTrail. “I will create a fog so that the others can follow us.”
“A fog indoors?” frowned Mistake. “Is that wise?”
“I don’t know,” shrugged MistyTrail. “Do you have a better idea?”
“I can dissipate it when we reach the room,” offered Rhoda. “Perhaps they will not notice it, or they will think they didn’t really see it.”
“I am game,” replied HawkShadow. “Hang on, shrimp, you are going for a ride. Just get off me quickly if they approach us. I will want my sword.”
HawkShadow straightened and turned the corner. He strode close to the wall to minimize the view of the far away soldiers. The two soldiers appeared to be engrossed in their conversation. They did not turn to look, and HawkShadow opened the door to the meeting room and entered sideways to avoid having MistyTrail seen.
“Don’t overdo the fog,” warned HawkShadow as he looked around the room to make sure it was empty. “Just enough to hide our people.”
MistyTrail nodded and cast her spell. The corridor grew misty and opaque. As soon as the soldiers disappeared from view, Mistake led the rest of the group in a run towards the meeting room. The group entered the room and Rhoda immediately turned back to the doorway. She cast a spell and the fog came soaring into the room. She closed the door, leaving the corridor appearing normal.
“Nice,” complimented Avalar. “We have the makings of a fine team here.”
Rhoda smiled at the elven king as HawkShadow opened the shutters to the balcony. He stepped onto the balcony and looked down. He quickly withdrew his head and backed into the room.
“We have three problems,” the Sakovan assassin announced. “We have no rope, and there are two guards below the balcony.”
“No rope?” questioned Avalar.
Tamar shrugged and said, “we left it in the forest when it became apparent that we could not walk through the back door carrying it.”
Mistake looked at MistyTrail and grinned. “We can take care of the other two problems,” she announced. “You guys find some rope.”
The elven princesses snuck out onto the balcony. They peeked over the railing at the two guards standing below. MistyTrail tapped Mistake and pointed towards the distant frameworks of the shipyard. Mistake nodded. The princesses each cast the compulsion spell on one of the guards. The guards looked at each other and then started walking away from the temple. They crossed the clear area and entered a street heading towards the shipyard. When the princesses turned around to reenter the meeting room, they bumped into Avalar.
“There is much I have to learn about you two,” he smiled. “May I get past you?”
“You will learn a lot about us later,” chuckled Mistake as she moved aside to let the elven king onto the balcony.
Avalar cocked an eyebrow but quickly dismissed her words. He leaned over the railing and gazed at the ground below him. He closed his eyes and magically searched the grass below. Mentally, he felt the blades of grass brush against his face, but he kept on searching until he found the buried treasure, a winter store for some hard working squirrel. He focused on the acorn and concentrated. He did not need to open his eyes to see the mighty oak sprout upward. He continued to concentrate as he bent the forces of nature to his will. When he finally opened his eyes, the oak tree’s branches danced happily near the railing of the balcony.
“We are ready to descend,” Avalar announced as he entered the meeting room.
HawkShadow stared through the open shutters and shook his head as the sight of the tree awaiting them. He wasted no time asking questions of the elven king. He moved swiftly to the balcony and stepped over the rail and onto a sturdy branch. Within seconds, HawkShadow was on the ground, sword drawn, as he waited for the others to descend.
When the whole group was on the ground, HawkShadow led the way across the clear area and onto the street leading away from the temple. They turned to the right at the first intersection and proceeded to the end of the block.
“More fog, MistyTrail,” ordered HawkShadow. “I think that is the only way to get this large group across that wasteland.”
MistyTrail nodded and cast her spell. She did not hold back this time and great billows of fog rolled out across the wasteland. When the fog was thick enough to obscure the forest ahead of them, HawkShadow led the way forward at a run. They paused when they reached the forest and HawkShadow nodded to Rhoda.
“Disperse it,” he nodded.
Rhoda called upon the winds and blew the fog upwards into the sky. No sooner had the fog lifted than the alarms started sounding. The soldiers at the rear of the temple immediately became alert.
“That is cutting it close,” sighed HawkShadow. “A few more minutes and we would not have made it.”
“You don’t understand, HawkShadow,” corrected Mistake. “The escape is not nearly over. The soldiers and kruls will not just be chasing us from the temple. The woods will be crawling with them. They will be coming at us from every direction. The kruls can smell elves very easily. We need to run, and run fast.”
Chapter 33
The Escape
HawkShadow and Mistake started running through the woods behind the temple of Vand. Avalar and Rhoda followed, with Tamar and MistyTrail bringing you the rear. The horns that had started blaring from the temple were being joined by an ever-increasing chorus from all directions. Tamar looked over his shoulder and saw dozens of soldiers racing out of the temple.
“There is a large group giving chase,” shouted Tamar.
“There are mages among them,” added MistyTrail as she also looked back and saw hooded men among the charging soldiers.
No one responded, and MistyTrail stopped looking back. The group raced through the forest until a krul stepped out in front of them. HawkShadow and Tamar drew their swords without stopping. The krul just stood waiting for its prey to arrive. HawkShadow charged with a burst of speed, and the creature’s large mouth opened wide in a grin. The Sakovan assassin raced right up to the krul and then ducked below its swinging arms and veered around it. He turned and swung viscously into the back of the creature’s legs. The krul screamed in pain as the rest of the group detoured around it. As the creature dropped to its knees, Tamar swung his sword at the krul’s throat. He did not stop to verify the kill, but he heard the impact of the krul’s body hitting the ground.
The group reformed with HawkShadow and Mistake leading again. MistyTrail felt the air beside her head tremble and a tree off to her right exploded, sending a fine spray of bark and wood splinters through the air. MistyTrail urged Tamar further to the left as she increased her speed.
“We need to do something quick,” MistyTrail yelled. “Magical projectiles are coming from the rear.”
“Fog,” replied Avalar. “Do not let them see us as targets.”
MistyTrail nodded and tried casting her fog spell as she was running. The result was less than desirable. A misty haze trailed behind the group, marking their path of escape. Still, it made individual targets difficult for the mages to see.
“It’s not working,” frowned MistyTrail.
Avalar looked over his shoulder and saw what MistyTrail was talking about. He also saw the large group of men gaining on them. He faced forward once more as his eyes sought to distinguish the features of the dim forest far before them.
“We need a burst of speed,” shouted Avalar. “Head for that row of four trees slightly to the right, HawkShadow, and make it quick.”
HawkShadow immediately complied without question. He and Mistake raced forward to the landmark that Avalar had suggested.
“Leave your spell
for now,” Avalar said to MistyTrail. “As soon as we are behind the hedge, lay it on thick.”
Avalar then grabbed Rhoda by the arm and raced after HawkShadow. MistyTrail dropped her spell and ran forward with Tamar, but she could not see the hedge that the elven king was talking about.
Avalar started casting his spell before he reached the four trees in a row. A long line of buds protruded from the forest floor as HawkShadow and Mistake raced between the trees. Avalar and Rhoda had to step over the foot-high stalks, and MistyTrail and Tamar had to actually jump over the fast-growing hedge, which was already a pace high. Avalar halted and turned to continue his spell. Rhoda also stopped and tried to catch her breath. She was not used to such strenuous running. MistyTrail grinned broadly as she finally understood what Avalar was trying to do. She cast a fog centered on the hedge, which was already eight feet tall.
HawkShadow and Mistake had halted a hundred paces past the hedge when they realized that no one was following them. Their eyes scanned the forest ahead for any signs of the enemy while they waited for the others. When Avalar and MistyTrail were done with their spells, Avalar hoisted Rhoda over his shoulder and started running. MistyTrail and Tamar followed.
“Now head back to the left,” Avalar called softly to HawkShadow.
HawkShadow nodded as he and Mistake turned slightly to the left to find their path through the jungle. Shouts of alarm sounded from behind as the pursuing soldiers and mages slammed into the high hedge, which had been hidden in MistyTrail’s blanket of fog. Shouted curses and hollering reverberated through the forest, and MistyTrail smiled when she heard the growls of nearby kruls alerted by the noise. She envisioned the huge creatures tearing into the soldiers, mistaking them for the escapees.
HawkShadow almost missed the trees with the stars marked in the moss. They had approached at a slightly different angle and HawkShadow saw the marks as he was racing by. He turned abruptly and found the trail that led through the jungle to the beach. The group entered the trail in single file with Mistake going first. While the trail was wide enough for two people to stand abreast, it was not wide enough to travel side-by-side.
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