HawkShadow was the first to reach the spot where he had stashed his two bows. He stepped off the trail and slung his quiver over his head. He held out Avalar’s bow and quiver as the eleven king came running along the trail. The king stopped and put Rhoda down, put on his quiver and grabbed his bow. He also stepped off the trail and nocked an arrow as Rhoda ran after Mistake.
“You came prepared,” Avalar smiled at HawkShadow. “What other surprises are in store?”
“We have a ship on the coast,” HawkShadow answered as MistyTrail and Tamar raced by. “Let’s hope we get to it. It is quite a ways yet. You go on. I will be along shortly.”
Avalar nodded and stepped back on the trail. As soon as the king started running, HawkShadow saw the first of the soldiers appeared on the trail. HawkShadow sent an arrow into the man’s chest and then turned to race after Avalar. He ran past Mistake who standing off the trail with an arrow nocked. He grinned at her as he passed and heard her arrow fly seconds later. A distant scream testified to the accuracy of her shot.
Each member of the team with a bow took their turn at stepping off the trail and firing one arrow at the pursuers before joining the end of the column. The tactic worked well for a while as it slowed down the pursuers. Unfortunately, it ended up leaving Rhoda in the lead as she had no bow, and was not skilled with one in any event.
Rhoda rounded a bend in the trail and abruptly halted. Blocking the trial before her was a huge krul. It saw her and growled loudly in victory. The air mage defiantly cast a spell and sent a whirlwind of trail dirt flying into the creature’s face. Avalar was second in line, and when he rounded the bend he bumped into Rhoda. He quickly recovered and sent an arrow flying into the creature’s open mouth. The krul howled in pain, but it did not fall down. It ripped the arrow from its mouth and threw it at Rhoda, but it bounced harmlessly to the ground. Avalar sent another arrow into the creature’s face. It struck him between the eyes. The creature wobbled slightly and then fell to the ground.
“They are catching up,” shouted Tamar as he backed around the bend in the trail.
“And I hear more noises in the jungle alongside us,” Avalar said softly. “Take the lead HawkShadow. You may need your sword more than your bow.”
HawkShadow nodded and handed his bow to Rhoda. He pulled his sword and stepped past the Khadoran mage to take the lead. HawkShadow raced along the narrow trail, his eyes scanning the dense jungle on both sides of the trail. He frowned as he thought about the beach that waited ahead. They needed time to launch the elven scout ship, and the group behind them was too close to allow for that time. His mind raced as he tried to work out a plan to get off the island.
Suddenly, fireballs screamed through the air. None of them struck the escapees, but several of them were much too close for comfort as they slammed into the foliage on both sides of the trail.
“Forget the arrows and run,” shouted MistyTrail. “We need to put some distance between us and those mages.”
The group needed no further encouragement. They all raced for the beach. Mistake was last in the group and several dozen paces after she rounded a bend, she heard a snap behind her. She looked over he shoulder and saw a wire stretched across the trail. She shook her head in confusion, but she did not slow down as she ran along a straight section of trail that stretched for several hundred paces. She looked over her shoulder again as she heard the shouts behind her.
“Arrows now!” shouted Mistake as she watched the pursuers tripping over the wire and falling to the ground.
The group halted and immediately turned around and nocked arrows to their bows. They sent arrows flying into the mass of Motangans. Unexpectedly, from each side of the trail, arrows flew from the jungle foliage. The new arrows soared into the Motangan soldiers until nothing stirred on the trail behind the escapees.
“Get to the beach,” shouted a voice from the jungle. “Run!”
“Do it!” shouted HawkShadow as he turned and continued running. “To the beach.”
The group did not hesitate. They all turned and ran after HawkShadow. As they emptied onto the beach the group stopped and stared. Bodies littered the beach and the sands were stained with blood. Three men stood in black and silver uniforms. One of the men wore a cape.
“Emperor Marak?” shouted Mistake. “What are you doing here?”
“I certainly am not here to interfere with your plans,” Marak grinned at Tamar. “I was just in the neighborhood testing out our new boats. I suggest you hurry and launch your elven scout ship. The Motangan ships will be by shortly.”
“Those were your men in the jungle?” asked HawkShadow as he waved Tamar over to the scout ship.
“Botal’s squad is covering the jungle trail for now,” nodded the Torak as he stared at Avalar, “but other Motangans arrived a while ago by the beach trail. There may be more coming from each direction.”
HawkShadow and Tamar dragged the scout ship into the water, and the three women immediately jumped in. Avalar walked over to Marak and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Whoever you are, friend,” Avalar smiled, “I owe you a debt of gratitude.”
“We shall talk in Angragar,” smiled the Torak. “You owe me nothing.”
Avalar swung into the scout ship, and Tamar followed him as HawkShadow pushed the craft away from the beach. By the time HawkShadow pulled himself over the side, Tamar had the sails unfurled, and Avalar had the helm, guiding the ship out to sea.
Avalar watched over his shoulder as close to twenty men emerged from the jungle. They carried five small boats and set them in the water. Four men filled each of the boats. The skimmers moved with surprising speed as they darted out of the small cove.
“Ship off the port bow,” shouted Tamar. “I suspect it is Motangan.”
Avalar turned to look at the ship. His jaw grew rigid as he calculated the speed and direction of the other ship. He angled his craft to starboard, but he did not think he would be able to outrun the enemy vessel. The mood on the scout ship grew tense and silent as the large enemy ship continued to gain on them. The enemy ship had its sails full of wind, and the only way that Avalar could accomplish the same windage was to parallel the coast of Motanga. He knew that was not a good idea.
Unexpectedly, two of the small Khadoran vessels came between the elven scout ship and the enemy vessel. Avalar watched with curiosity as the Khadorans headed straight for the enemy ship.
“What are they doing?” Avalar asked aloud. “They will be crushed by that behemoth.”
Suddenly, a projectile flew from one of the skimmers. It struck the Motangan ship just above the waterline. The enemy warship turned sharply and headed toward the small vessel as if to ram it. The small boat darted away while the other Khadoran boat sent another projectile into the opposite side of the ship. It also struck the Motangan ship just above the waterline.
The enemy vessel now had two large holes in its sides. As it turned to maneuver, water flowed through one of the holes. By the time the captain of the Motangan vessel realized the danger, it was too late. The large ship began to sink as the waterline rose and reached both of the holes in the hull. The small Khadoran boats darted away to safety.
“Incredible,” remarked Avalar. “Who are these people?”
“That was Emperor Marak of Khadora that you spoke to on the beach,” answered Mistake. “His black-clad warriors are members of his clan.”
“What was the meaning of his words on the beach?” asked Avalar. “He spoke about meeting in the city of legends. How is that possible?”
“Angragar has risen,” answered MistyTrail. “Emperor Marak is the Torak.”
“Merciful Kaltara,” Avalar replied as his eyebrows rose. “And what about the Star and the Astor? Have they been found yet?”
“You know of the prophecies?” MistyTrail asked excitedly. “Yes, they have both been found. They are good friends of ours.”
“How is it that you know of the prophecies, and Queen Alycia does not?” asked Mistake.
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“Is she still alive?” Avalar asked softly. “Is she well?”
“She is alive,” answered Tamar. “I worry for her, though. She does not want to join with the humans to fight Vand. She no longer allows visitors without the permission of the Head Elder. There are other things that she has done, but I am not the best person to relate such things,” he added as he looked at Mistake and MistyTrail.
Avalar caught Tamar’s gaze. He looked at the elven girls with curiosity.
“You two are not from Elvangar,” Avalar stated as he recalled Tamar’s statement inside the temple. “I thought that meant that you were born on Motanga, but you appear to be very familiar with the humans. Who are you?”
“You cannot tell from our faces?” asked Mistake.
Avalar stared at their faces. He noticed the similarity to his own, but he shook his head with disbelief. Just the memory of his daughters brought tears to his eyes. MistyTrail walked to the helm and wrapped her arms around Avalar. Mistake smiled and joined her.
“Can it be?” Avalar asked as tears rolled down his cheeks. “Dare I think it is possible?”
“You had better believe it, Father,” cried MistyTrail.
“Or we will take you back to the Island of Darkness,” added Mistake.
“But Karaza told me that you both had died,” cried Avalar as he hugged both girls.
“When did you see Karaza?” Tamar asked worriedly.
“About a year after my capture,” replied the elven king. “I guess he was captured, too. We only spoke briefly and then I never saw him again.”
“He lives in Morada,” spat Tamar. “He is the Head of the Society of Mages. He said that you were dead and that he saw your remains.”
Avalar’s hands closed into tight fists, and his face contorted in rage. MistyTrail and Mistake backed away from their father as they felt his body tense and go rigid.
“Take the helm, Mistake,” snapped Avalar as he walked to the rail and clenched it with his hands.
Mistake obediently took the helm, but her teary eyes remained on her father. After a few minutes, Avalar appeared to calm down. He exhaled slowly and let go of the rail. He wiped the tears from his eyes and turned around. He smiled at his daughters.
“I am sorry to disrupt our reunion,” apologized Avalar. “The problem is one that I will deal with when I return to Elvangar. Now it is time for us to get to know one another again. The first thing we must do is rid ourselves of those names. No daughter of mine will be named Mistake. Which of you is Alahara?”
Mistake and MistyTrail looked at each other and shrugged.
“We don’t know,” Mistake and MistyTrail answered in unison.
Avalar smiled and dismissively waved Tamar and HawkShadow forward. He walked behind Mistake and lifted her tunic. Mistake went rigid, but she did not interfere. Avalar grinned and let the tunic fall back into place. He took Mistake’s hands off the helm and turned her around and hugged her.
“You are Alahara, the first born,” Avalar said as he kissed her on the forehead.
He turned to MistyTrail and embraced her. He kissed her on the forehead and said, “And you are Alastasia. You followed on the heels of your sister. Praise Kaltara that you are both alive. Tell me everything that has happened in your lives.”
“First,” smiled Alastasia, “We need to get Mistake, err, Alahara away from the helm. She knows nothing about sailing, and I don’t want to die.”
“She will learn,” smiled the elven king as he wrapped an arm around each of his princesses. “Just because you fail once at a task is no reason to abandon it. I can see that I have much to teach you two. You will both share in manning the helm on the way to Angragar. Now where do we start?”
* * *
Lady Mystic hid in the corner of the stairwell, tears rolling down her cheeks. She watched Aakuta lead the invaders to his small storage room and then fled up the stairs to her room. She slammed the door and then kicked it in a fit of rage. She picked up a chair and threw it against the wall, knocking books off the shelves. Finally, she collapsed to the floor and began beating her fists against it.
“I told him not to put me in this position,” Lady Mystic screamed. “Master Malafar,” she spat. “Father of the Star no less. How could he do this to me? I should skin him alive. No. No, that would be too good for him. He must be made to suffer.”
Lady Mystic’s hands went to her head and she began to pull on her hair. Finally, the fury worked its way out of her system. She sat up and gasped for breath. She was exhausted.
“I can’t do any of that,” she sighed. “I still love him. How could he do this to me? I told him not to make me choose between him and Father. Why couldn’t he just listen to me? What am I to do now?”
* * *
The alarms blared loudly as Aakuta stepped out of the small storage room and closed and locked the door. He looked both ways in the corridor before backing to the opposite wall and sending a powerful force bolt into the door of the storage room. The door splintered under the impact and collapsed amidst a shower of wooden splinters.
Aakuta nodded approvingly and walked away. He wound his way through the maze of corridors until he came out in the large room at the rear of the temple. The area was a scene of chaos as soldiers ran around wondering what was happening. He walked across the room and found the officer he had seen earlier escorting the invaders. The officer turned and looked at him in surprise as he recognized him.
“Aakuta?” the officer said nervously.
“Come with me,” ordered Aakuta. “I have some questions to ask you.”
“I am on duty right now,” frowned the officer. “The alarms are sounding. I cannot leave.”
“It will only take a minute,” insisted Aakuta. “Are you defying me?”
“No,” the officer said quickly, “but it must be quick. My men are being called to duty.”
Aakuta turned and strode back across the floor of the large open room. The officer dutifully followed. They entered a corridor off the rear of the room and Aakuta opened the first door he came to. He looked into the room and saw no occupants. He stepped in and waited for the officer. When the officer stepped into the room, Aakuta closed the door.
“You escorted some people into the temple tonight,” declared Aakuta. “Who were they, and why were they here?”
“I didn’t tell anyone,” the replied nervously.
“Answer my question,” glared Aakuta. “Who were they, and why were they here?”
“Two soldiers and two elven girls,” answered the officer, his voice quaking with fear. “They said that they were ordered here by you.”
“By me?” Aakuta echoed with outrage. “An obvious lie,” he spat. “Who else heard such treasonous talk?”
“No one,” replied the officer. “The soldiers were quite adamant about not revealing your name. They told no one else. I really must go now. My men will be looking for me.”
“Let them look,” snarled Aakuta as his reached out and grabbed the officer by his throat.
The officer’s hands rose and wrapped around Aakuta’s arm, but the mage’s strength was magically enhanced. The officer’s head snapped to one side, and his limp arms fell to his side. Aakuta tossed the body in the corner and left the room.
The dark mage made his way up the stairs. He entered the library and grabbed a book off the shelf. He sat in a comfortable chair and pretended to read it while the alarms blared all around him.
Suddenly, the door to the library flew open and four soldiers entered with their swords drawn. They looked around the room, their eyes landing on Aakuta.
“Has anyone been through here tonight?” asked one of the soldiers.
“Not a single person,” Aakuta answered calmly, “and I have been here for hours. What is that infernal racket?”
“Alarms,” answered the soldier as he waved two of his comrades into the room. “There are invaders in the temple. I am posting guards in this room. It would be advisable for you to return to your q
uarters. These invaders are armed and dangerous.”
Aakuta put the book down and rose. “Perhaps I have read enough for one night. Good luck with your hunt.”
Aakuta rose and walked by the soldiers and into the corridor beyond. He made his way up the stairs, but instead of going to his quarters, he went to Lady Mystic’s. He knocked loudly on the door and received no answer. He frowned and knocked louder.
Lady Mystic opened the door. She was fully clothed, and her hair was a mess. She stepped to one side so that Aakuta could enter. Aakuta stepped into the room. His eyes landed on the broken chair and the books that had obviously fallen from the shelf. Lady Mystic closed the door.
“What has happened here?” asked Aakuta. “I was in the library reading and soldiers entered to say there were invaders in the temple. Did they enter your room? Are you all right?”
“I didn’t sleep well,” Lady Mystic answered softly as she walked over and picked up the books. “Perhaps it’s those trilling alarms going off. How is anyone supposed to get any sleep around here?”
Aakuta walked over to Lady Mystic and embraced her. He tried to kiss her, but she turned her head. Aakuta frowned.
“What is the matter?” Aakuta asked. “Have I done something to offend you?”
“I don’t know,” Lady Mystic replied coldly. “Have you?”
“I would never hurt you,” Aakuta replied as he hugged her tightly. “You know that I love you too much. You have given me a new life, one that causes me to look forward to the future.”
“I wish that I could believe that,” replied Lady Mystic, tears once again beginning to well up in her eyes. “I have never felt about anyone the way I feel about you. Still, I feel as if you are using me. I do not think your expression of love is genuine.”
“Then you should think again,” smiled Aakuta. “My love for you is genuine. What must I do to prove it to you?”
“You could start by telling me about Malafar,” answered Lady Mystic.
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