“I have been such a fool,” cried Lyra. “How could I have been so blind? I thought she was a cold heartless creature pushing her agenda on everyone around her.”
“I do not know if you looked into the dining room as we passed,” MistyTrail said softly, “but if you did, you would have noticed that she was not there. I suspect the tears brought on by having to relive his death for your benefit are probably flowing under the door of her room and out into the corridor. I do not say this to you to cause you pain, Lyra. I want you to truly understand us. We hurt like anyone else, probably even more because we are such a small community and everyone knows everyone. No matter who the Sakovan is who dies, one of us knows him and all of us will miss him.”
“Thank you MistyTrail,” cried Lyra. “What can I do for StarWind? Should I go to her and apologize? What would a Sakovan do?”
“First you must decide what you will do for yourself before you can think about what you will do for StarWind. He was your loss too and I know much of what you are learning here must be a shock for you. StarWind has lived with her grief for a long time. She will get through this. You will do well to remember this though. Rather than try to force people to take up the Sakovan cause, we are actually reticent to accept outsiders. We will allow you to live here and we will train you in whatever discipline you want, but acceptance here must be earned. This is true for Sakovans as well as outlanders. You may decide you want no part of our struggle. Your choice will be accepted whatever it is.”
“I feel miserable, MistyTrail,” confided Lyra. “I cannot imagine how terrible I made her feel.”
“StarWind is strong,” smiled MistyTrail. “She knows how to accept pain and she will be fine in the morning. Do not dwell further on it. We leave in the morning for the wilderness. It would be nice if you showed up to see us off. Think about it tonight and do it if you feel comfortable with it. I must go now and get ready, but if you need to talk more, I will see you when we get back.”
If you get back, Lyra thought with tears in her eyes as MistyTrail left the room. She ran her fingers over the ‘SW‘ engraved in the sword and realized how little she knew about the people who had been the closest to her. Perhaps she had been too busy with her own life to take the time to get to know her family. Given the chance, she vowed, she would not make that mistake again. Wiping the tears from her eyes, Lyra opened the door and strode down the hall to StarWind’s room. She knocked softly and did not hear a reply so she knocked louder. There was still no reply and Lyra put her ear to the door. At first she thought the room was silent, but then she heard a distant sobbing.
Lyra quietly opened the door and entered the room. Her puffy eyes scanned the dark room and she eventually saw StarWind sitting on the floor in the corner by the window. She quietly closed the door and padded over to the corner and slid down beside StarWind. StarWind did not acknowledge her presence and Lyra wrapped her arms around the sobbing Sakovan and hugged her. StarWind looked up and stared at Lyra for a moment and then hugged her back. They sat in the corner for a long time, tears flowing freely until there were no more tears to give.
Eventually, Lyra pulled back. “I am sorry StarWind. I did not know, could not know. I guess I never knew my own family very well.”
StarWind wiped her eyes and gave a weak but warm smile. “You have a family now if you want it. You will be like a sister to me. Whatever you want to do, I will try to make happen. I will never let you down.”
“Nor I you,” promised Lyra.
Chapter 17
Schemes
“Enter,” called RavenWing as he tossed his long white mane over his shoulders and rose.
“Tayo, RavenWing,” greeted StarWind. “We are ready to leave. There are some things you should be aware of in my absence.”
“Sit,” offered RavenWing. “First tell me the state of our visitors.”
“I think they are fast becoming more than visitors,” StarWind smiled. “The boys have taken to practicing with the troops and they show promise. Their skills are well below that of a Sakovan of the same age, but they are strong and eager learners. Given time they will make fine warriors, although neither has a lick of magic. They have both expressed a desire to remain here and I believe the sentiment to be sincere. Still a period of watching is necessary.”
“Good, good,” nodded RavenWing. “That will eliminate one problem for me. And Lyra?”
“Lyra must begin mage training today,” smiled StarWind. “I have told her about WinterWind and the reason she left. She knows all about LoneBadger. It was a troublesome time for a while, but we are past it now. She will be a strong addition to our mage corps. She has the power and learns quickly, but we must concentrate on improving her control. As I suspected, she is Sakovan, heart and soul. It was rough for her to make the transition in the midst of all that is happening to her, but she is resilient.”
“Excellent,” RavenWing smiled. “May all our news be good this day.”
“I am afraid that is not the case,” frowned StarWind. “I have reports that GoldenEar has been terminated. He was a valuable source of information from Okata.”
“When did this happen?” RavenWing asked.
“Several days ago I believe,” reported the Sakovan spymaster. “He had a son named Mekin and I have received reports that the Imperial Guard has issued orders to arrest him as he tries to reach the Sakova.”
“Then the boy is coming here?” quizzed RavenWing. “That is rather unusual. Has he ever been here before?”
“No,” StarWind declared. “It puzzles and bothers me. Mekin should not know where we are unless his father was lax in security. If GoldenEar was lax, it may bode ill for the safety of StarCity. He was a long-established asset and well informed.”
“I wish to have someone else take your place with HawkShadow,” RavenWing stated. “You are needed here right now.”
“That is not practical,” sighed StarWind. “I wish to be in both places, but we have located Temiker and I have arranged to meet him on the way to our confrontation with the assassins. I plan to enlist his aid in using magic to even the odds for HawkShadow. This will be a serious confrontation.”
“You are right,” agreed RavenWing. “I have others who can handle the Mekin boy and it will take days for the Imperial Guard to mobilize if they are indeed coming here. MoonFlow can handle the spy network in your absence as she usually does. Abayo, have a safe journey.”
“Abayo, RavenWing,” nodded StarWind.
***
“Welcome General Kapla,” greeted the First Minister from behind the desk in his office. “Please have a seat.”
The general nodded formally and sat stiffly in one of the upholstered chairs opposite Alazar. The First Minister of Omunga sat at his desk and smiled at the General.
“I want to thank you for your cooperation in supplying me with those reports,” charmed Alazar.
“It always a soldier’s duty to respond to a request from the Katana’s Council,” the general stated dryly, “however, I was disappointed that you chose to use that information to publicly humiliate the Minister of Defense. Minister Doharte is my superior and knowledge of my supplying you with those reports could adversely affect my career.”
“As First Minister, I can assure you that supplying the reports will not harm your career,” smiled Alazar. “If anything, it will enhance the opportunities available to you.”
General Kapla relaxed his overweight body and settled deeper into the chair. “It is hard to believe that I could be higher than a general,” he smiled. “It is the highest rank available in the army, but it is good to know that the First Minister will stand by me.”
“I favor those who aid me in preserving and protecting our nation,” declared Alazar. “Your career will never flounder while I have any say about it and I expect that to be for the rest of my life. There are few that know this, but I have been chosen as the Katana’s successor. I trust you will keep this information secret.”
The general was clea
rly impressed by this pronouncement and Alazar knew that a select few individuals would learn of it, but he was not concerned with it getting back to the Katana’s ears. The army in Omunga was rather closed-mouthed with those outside the military and the army did not talk with the Katana except through the Minister of Defense.
“I must explain myself, General,” Alazar continued. “I did not intend to embarrass Minister Doharte during the Council session, but the Minister does not seem to grasp the reality of the problems our nation is facing. The Sakovans have been a constant thorn in our side for generations. Past Katanas have allowed them to remain alive because they were thought incapable of causing us any problems, but I do not feel that is true anymore.”
“What has changed?” queried General Kapla removing his hat and ruffling his short gray hair. Do you really feel that an attack from them is imminent?”
“You a strategist, General,” smiled Alazar, “let me ask you a question. If you led the Sakovans, what would you do?”
General Kapla leaned back in his chair and stroked his double chin. “Probably nothing but maintain a good defensive posture. They cannot hope to beat us in a war and we are not currently pursuing them, so why agitate things.”
“Fair enough,” agreed the First Minister. “What would you do if Omunga was in the midst of a great war, either a civil war or with a neighboring nation?”
“That would be a different situation,” the general remarked. “I would use that opportunity to expand my land. Depending on the logistics of the Omungan war, I might try to seize a section of the coastline, which I thought would be defendable after the war. I might go for Alamar and maybe Tanzaba. Duran and Zaramilden are sea-locked and do not offer a means of support from the land side. But this is hypothetical of course. We are not in danger of going to war in Omunga.”
“Aren’t we?” quizzed Alazar. “Have you read the Khadora Report?”
“Briefly,” General Kapla replied with a quizzical look. “All I remember is that it details an internal struggle in one of the clans across the border.”
“Hardly internal,” lectured Alazar. “Perhaps I understand more of Khadoran culture than most Omungans. Khadora is a segmented society and as such as never been a threat to us, but that is changing. The clans of Khadora serve to keep their nation divided. They would rather war amongst themselves than bother their neighboring countries. This is why our policy has never considered them a viable threat. Lord Marak is changing the rules. Your analysts may look upon his victory as the end of an internal struggle, but they would be wrong.”
Alazar stood and leaned forward on his desk in an intimidating fashion. “Lord Marak was the son of a slave just a year ago. In that year, he waged war not only on his own clan, but on neighboring clans as well. At the end of his victory, he controlled practically all of the land along our northern border and this land came from many clans. Worse, he obtained this victory with the use of indigenous peoples.”
“The Chula. Yes I remember reading that,” frowned General Kapla. “Do you think they have ties with the Sakovans?”
“Certainly,” warned Alazar. “Those ties are surely informal, but they date back centuries, long before the Omungans arrived here. This Lord Marak has demonstrated that he has the capability to appeal to these barbaric savages. As you well know, the Sakovans have lacked a real leader ever since we originally attacked them.”
“I begin to see your concern,” admitted the general. “If he should unite the Chula and the Sakovans, they could cause some disruption for us.”
“Disruption?” Alazar shouted, momentarily losing his control. He eased back into his chair and stared at the fat general across from him. “There is more,” he continued quietly. “My resources in Khadora have told me that Lord Marak is not content with his gains. He has publicly stated that the whole culture of Khadora is wrong and that he wishes to change it. He wants to unite Khadora under one government, with one ruler, himself.”
“We would be forced to start paying attention to them then,” nodded the general.
“No,” Alazar said quietly, wondering what kind of fools the army bred. “We are forced to start paying attention to them now. If Lord Marak is allowed to unite Khadora and the Chula and the Sakovans, Omunga will cease to exist. There is no way we could ever hope to defend ourselves against them.”
General Kapla’s eyes widened. “Are you suggesting that we attack Khadora now?” he blurted. “Minister Doharte would never sanction such a war. The Katana would never allow it.”
“Then what is the answer?” asked the First Minister. “Do we, as patriotic citizens of Omunga, just sit back and wait for our great nation to cease?”
“No, we cannot sit idle,” General Kapla stated. “If you are correct, they could attack us from both sides and we would be crushed quickly. I must bring this to the attention of the Minister of Defense.”
“But you have already correctly prophesized that he will refuse action on the matter,” smiled Alazar. “I have already discussed the matter with him, but as always, he would rather sit in luxury in the capital and pretend that anything outside the city does not matter. You will get no satisfaction from him.”
“Then we are doomed,” sighed the fat general.
“How can you give up on your country so easily?” stormed Alazar. “Think like a general. Doharte is merely an obstacle to victory. Doesn’t the general know how to remove obstacles?”
General Kapla struggled forward in his chair and panted with the exertion. “You can’t be suggesting what I think you are,” he whispered. “Assassination means death. I would be caught. It is impossible.”
“Who would suspect you?” smiled the First Minister. “You are not even in the running for the position of Minister of Defense. Of course, after it was over, I would strongly suggest your appointment to the Katana. He would never refuse me.”
“But someone could squeal,” General Kapla protested. “Whoever I got to do it could demand more money or become dissatisfied with the deal.”
“Do not obtain the assistance of anyone,” instructed Alazar. “Do it yourself and you will be safe. I will provide the alibi for you. I will swear that when he died, you and I were discussing the Sakovan problem. You cannot have a better alibi than the First Minister.”
General Kapla nodded nervously. Assassination was considered cowardly and despicable in Omungan society. The punishment was public brutal death at the hands of the citizens. The people would literally pull the offenders body apart with their hands. In addition, the entire lineage of the offenders would be killed.
“When you are Minister of Defense,” Alazar continued, “we will lay out the plan to exterminate the Sakovans. Whatever Lord Marak does at that point, we will not have to worry about attack from both sides.”
“What about the Katana?” inquired General Kapla. “He still will not sanction a war with Khadora and he cannot be assassinated. No weapon would ever get past his Monitors and magic does not affect him.”
“Let me worry about the Katana,” smirked Alazar as he moved to let the general out of his office. “With you on the Katana’s Council, he will sanction the war against Sakova. We will worry about Lord Marak when the Sakovans are finished.”
The First Minister congratulated himself after the general left. For years he had been planning to take over the country and finally he had found the right set of circumstances to put the plan into action. The general was ambitious and a fool. Anyone who could analyze data would have seen that Lord Marak was insignificant and not a threat to Omunga. The Khadoran Lord could barely keep his own clan together and most of the other Lords were already plotting to do away with him. The Sakovan threat was so fabricated that even the myopic Katana wouldn’t buy into it. What really mattered was galvanizing the army to face an external threat so that when Alazar seized power they would not react as they were supposed to. The army was the stabilizing force in Omunga. No soldier was ever permitted to become Katana and the army was to prohibit anyone
else from taking power by force.
The First Minister sat at his desk with his feet on the polished surface. The problem with the designers of the Omungan government is that they had never foreseen someone with the determination of himself, Alazar chuckled. Once the new Minister of Defense was installed, he would be forced to protect Alazar or face the penalty for assassination. The First Minister had no doubt which option General Kapla would decide on.
There was still the problem of killing the Katana though. The general was not quite correct about the protections on the nation’s leader. He could be killed by magic, but not by any mage that served him. Each mage in the service of the Katana, including the First Minister, was required to accept a spell, which effectively prohibited him from casting any offensive spell intended to harm the Holy Katana. Of course a mage not so sworn, could cast the offensive spell, but the Katana also had impressive defensive shields around him at all times. It would take a Master to accomplish the deed and not just any Master, but one who was powerful enough to blast through the shields so swiftly that there would not be any time for the Monitors to react. Even then, the assassin would never survive to leave the palace.
This is where Klaarg was failing him. The fool assassin had failed to produce either the brother or the daughter needed to make Malafar do his bidding. He had not managed to provoke any Sakovan attacks on Omungan citizens yet either. Alazar rose and started pacing. He still had to galvanize the Katana’s Council to back him as the next Katana, for that was how the Katanas were chosen. If the Sakovans were to start attacking, he would be seen as a visionary and be readily backed, especially when Malafar, the Sakovan, assassinated the Katana.
The First Minister stopped in front of the wall map and stared at it. He needed to get as many of the Ministers behind him as was possible. Minister of the Economy. Minister of Agriculture. Minister of Trade. It all came down to money and crops. Alazar’s black eyes twinkled as he looked at the map and saw his future.
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