Aakuta felt his shields beginning to fail. He turned his head with effort and saw several black-hooded men casting spells at him. He knew his time was short.
“You appear to know more than you should,” frowned the Emperor. “You think that my advisors served me poorly. Explain your reasoning.”
“Fakara was a wasteland with hundreds of disjointed tribes,” Aakuta said with effort. “They were a country that your forces could have stepped into and easily conquered. Veltar united them. What everyone thought they would never see now exists. The Astor has united the free tribes into a viable fighting force. That would not have been possible without Veltar’s involvement.”
“That was necessary to attack Khadora,” countered the Emperor.
“Another foolish mistake,” retorted Aakuta. “Zygor followed a plan developed by Veltar. He led troops into Khadora to raise havoc. Just what did he accomplish? Now Khadora is united against you. Once again your plans have suffered a major setback. Call off these attacks upon me! Are you so willing to throw away your chance for supremacy?”
Vand’s face clouded with confusion. For several minutes he said nothing as the mages and soldiers whittled away at Aakuta’s shields. Finally, he waved his hand in dismissal. The attacks immediately halted, and Aakuta breathed a sigh of relief. He had been seconds away from total failure of his shields. He inhaled deeply as his limbs began to quiver.
“If you had not killed Zygor,” stated the Emperor, “he might have accomplished his goal.”
“No,” Aakuta shook his head as he tried to control his trembling. “I wish that I had gotten to him sooner. I struck when I did in hopes that I could forestall Marak’s plans to unite the country, but it was already too late. I killed Zygor to stop any further disintegration of your plans. That is why I killed Smarc as well. He would only have picked up where Zygor left off. Why are your advisors causing you to unite your enemies?”
Emperor Vand frowned as he digested Aakuta’s words. Lady Mystic was grinning broadly from her place alongside the Emperor.
“Veltar’s foolishness vaulted Rejji into his leadership role,” Aakuta offered as he finally regained control of his body. “Zygor advanced Marak to a position of leadership in Khadora. Without those two mistakes, your enemy would still be disorganized today. I shudder to think of what your advisors have planned for Omunga.”
“What would you advise for Omunga?” asked Vand.
“Do nothing,” advised Aakuta. “Right now you have two nations there that despise each other. Already that means that your enemies in Omunga are divided in half. How much further do you think you could divide them?”
“They could be forced to battle each other and kill thousands before I even invade,” declared the Emperor. “Why is that not sound advice?”
“Because they could also unite,” explained Aakuta. “Certainly Omunga would not be the great mistake your advisors already made in Fakara and Khadora, but why continue to follow such poor advice?”
“So you suggest leaving my enemies to their own devices?” questioned Vand.
“That would have been my advice from the beginning,” nodded Aakuta. “Much damage has already been done to your cause. It is time to sit back and analyze your options.”
“And you have come here to offer your services for such planning?” posed the Emperor. “Why?”
“I like power,” grinned Aakuta. “It is obvious to me who will win this contest. Like any sensible man, I aim to be on the winning side. I have much to offer you, but I also expect to be well rewarded.”
“And what do you expect your rewards to be?” asked Vand.
“I want power and prestige,” Aakuta answered without delay. “I am sure that you are aware that I am a mage of considerable skill. I want to expand my knowledge.”
“And take my place?” the Emperor asked as his eyes narrowed.
“I am no fool,” Aakuta shook his head. “You have reigned for thousands of years, and I expect that you will rule for thousands more. To oppose you is to seek an early death. Besides, I want prestige, but I am loath to inherit all of the responsibilities that come with it. Give me power. Give me prestige, and leave me alone to relish both. I will serve you well until the end of time.”
Vand’s eyebrows rose in consideration of the proposal. Lady Mystic again leaned over and whispered in Vand’s ear. The Emperor smiled and nodded.
“Very well, Aakuta,” stated the Emperor. “I shall keep you around. You will gain power and prestige, but you will gain them on my schedule. Be forewarned. You will be watched closely. Any deviation from what is in my best interests will terminate my grace towards you. Do you understand?”
“I understand and am most grateful for this chance,” bowed Aakuta. “You will not be disappointed.”
Chapter 8
The Storm
“Wake up!” shouted MistyTrail. “Hurry!
Mistake opened her eyes. She could just see the rail of the boat and the angry sky beyond it. She sat up and was immediately thrown against the side of the boat. Pain shot through her shoulder as her body was tossed towards the other side of the boat.
“Grab the tiller thing,” shouted MistyTrail.
Mistake fell to the bottom of the boat. She shook her head and crawled toward the stern. The swaying of the boat made her feel queasy as she grabbed onto the tiller. She pulled herself up and managed to slide the bucket under her. A furious wind had the sail full. The boat was being pushed sideways through the water. Mistake tried to move the tiller, but it would not budge.
“It won’t move,” shouted Mistake. “Come help me.”
Mistake hung onto the tiller as she watched MistyTrail crawling towards her. She looked up at the sky and bit her lower lip. Dark angry clouds covered the sky, and it was pouring to the left of her. The chill of the air shivered through her body.
“It’s going to rain,” Mistake shouted over the howl of the wind. “Hurry.”
MistyTrail scurried along the floor of the boat and grabbed onto Mistake’s leg as the boat lurched again. She waited until the momentum of the boat steadied and then she stood and grabbed the tiller.
“Now,” shouted MistyTrail.
They both tried to move the tiller. It slowly started to move, but the boat lurched again. MistyTrail fell on the rail, the top half of her body hanging outside the boat. Mistake let go of the tiller and wrapped her arms around MistyTrail’s legs. She pulled frantically as the sea tried to suck MistyTrail out of the boat. MistyTrail’s hands appeared over the side of the boat. They gripped the rail as MistyTrail tried to pull herself into the boat. They lurched again and MistyTrail’s body flew into Mistake. They both ended up sprawling on the floor of the boat.
MistyTrail’s hands went to her side above the left hip. She groaned loudly.
“Are you alright?” shouted Mistake.
“I am still here,” quipped MistyTrail. “Let’s try that again, but I am not standing up this time.”
Mistake nodded and grabbed the bucket. She threw the bucket towards the bow of the boat and faced the tiller on her knees. MistyTrail crawled to her side seconds later. Suddenly, the sky opened up with a tremendous flash of lightning and a deafening clap of thunder. The rain came down fast and furious as they gripped the tiller and tried to move it.
“Harder,” shouted Mistake. “If we don’t move it, this boat may tip over.”
MistyTrail bit her lip and nodded as she saw the angry swells rising higher and higher as the storm moved closer to them. She pulled with every fiber of her body.
“It’s moving,” shouted Mistake. “It’s moving.”
MistyTrail closed her eyes and gritted her teeth as she tried to coax more strength out of her body. Suddenly, there was a loud snap, and both them were hurled against the side of the boat. Once again they were sprawled on the floor of the boat.
“Now what?” yelled MistyTrail. “We can’t steer any more.”
Mistake looked at the handle of the tiller swaying in the breeze. She
shook her head and sighed.
“I don’t know,” she said, her voice barely audible above the howling wind. “Maybe we should have lowered the sail first. At least with this much wind, we will end up somewhere.”
The wind suddenly increased as the sky lit up with multiple flashes of lightning. The boat tipped to a severe angle and both women grabbed the rail to avoid being thrown to the other side of the boat. A torrential downpour pounded them with cold water, and Mistake noticed that water was accumulating in the bottom of the boat.
“Get the bucket,” shouted Mistake. “We will need to keep the water out of the boat.”
MistyTrail nodded and worked her way forward without ever letting go of the rail. The boat leaned so much that MistyTrail felt almost vertical at times as she moved slowly forward. All of a sudden, a tremendous crack split the air. The noise was so loud that MistyTrail thought she had been hit by lightning. She closed her eyes and waited for the pain.
“Look out for the mast!” screamed Mistake.
Suddenly the boat lurched severely, and instead of being almost vertical, MistyTrail’s arms strained to keep her from being thrown out of the boat in the opposite direction. She glanced behind her and saw the fallen mast. The mast and sails were in the water; the only things holding them above water were the ropes tied to the rail. MistyTrail swiftly pulled a knife from her belt and cut the closest line. Mistake instantly nodded and did the same to the lines near her. The mast bumped noisily against the boat before sinking from view.
With the mast and sails gone, the boat didn’t ride at such a strange angle. MistyTrail sheathed her knife, crawled forward, and grabbed her pack. She strapped the pack onto her body and grabbed the bucket. She started bailing water out of the boat. She bailed for close to half an hour before her arms ached. All the while, the sea rose in intensity, and the rain continue to pour down on them. Eventually, she crawled towards the stern and shoved the bucket towards Mistake.
“Your turn,” she yelled to Mistake.
Mistake nodded and grabbed the bucket. She started bailing swiftly and appeared to be gaining on the water sloshing around the bottom of the boat. Then the waves began tossing spray into the small vessel. Mistake looked up and her eyes grew wide with terror. Instead of seeing the nasty sky, all she saw was a wall of water. The wave appeared taller than the Imperial Palace in Khadoratung.
“Grab onto something quick,” she shouted as she dropped the bucket and grabbed for the rail.
She closed her eyes and waited for the wave to collapse onto the boat, but it never did. Her eyes snapped open, and they were on top of a huge swell. Suddenly, the boat dropped. It felt like they were falling from a great height, but Mistake knew they were riding down the back slope of the huge wave. She also knew that another monstrous wave was coming for them. Her stomach wanted to heave.
The feeling of falling suddenly stopped and Mistake looked up at the next wave. She didn’t close her eyes this time. The small boat flew up the leading edge of the wave and tottered momentarily before plunging down the other side.
“Keep bailing,” shouted MistyTrail. “If the boat fills with water the waves won’t matter much.”
Mistake nodded as her hands grabbed for the bucket. She started bailing, but she had to stop each time they fell down the backside of a wave. She was sure that if there had been anything appreciable in her stomach, it would have exited by now. Her head began to spin with dizziness, and she tossed the bucket back to MistyTrail. She shook her head to clear it and looked up at the next wave. Her mouth fell open in horror as she saw the top of the gigantic wave curling over the tiny boat.
“Hold your breath!” she shouted. “We are going to die.”
The wave crashed down on them with tremendous force. Mistake felt the boat being ripped away from her while she was under the water. It felt like the sea was trying to tear her in half as it tugged at her body from every direction. Her lungs wanted air, but she kept her mouth closed tightly. Her head spun with dizziness, and she was not sure which way was up. She collided with something hard, and a stab of pain shot up through her leg.
Suddenly, her head was above the surface of the water. She gulped air as quickly as she could before being plunged back under. The water moved her in only one direction now, and she felt like she was being dragged along a beach. Her hand felt sand as it brushed against the bottom and her spirits immediately brightened. She pushed away from the sand, and her head broke the surface again. She sucked greedily at the air.
She was sucked back under, but Mistake’s resolve grew harder. She fought the water as it tried to drive her body. Somehow she managed to get her feet under her, and she stood up. She was surprised to find out that she could stand with her head above the surface of the water. She looked all around for MistyTrail as the waves tried to topple her.
“This way!” called MistyTrail.
Mistake turned and saw MistyTrail on the beach. She forced her way through the surf and threw her body down next to MistyTrail.
“Are you alright?” MistyTrail asked. “Are you hurt?”
Mistake wasn’t sure how to answer the question. Her whole body ached and was strangely numb at the same time. She flexed her fingers and then her toes. She moved her head from side-to-side and then rolled over onto her back.
“I think I am alright,” Mistake finally said. “How about you?”
“Good enough to find some shelter,” replied MistyTrail. “Let’s get out of here before the storm hits us.”
“Before?” gasped Mistake as she sat up and stared at the sea.
The mountainous waves were barely visible offshore, but they were still coming towards them. Mistake saw that the waves were breaking into huge sprays of mist some distance off the coast.
“It must be a reef or submerged rocks,” explained MistyTrail. “It’s amazing we got over them in one piece. Let’s find some shelter.”
Mistake nodded and pushed herself to her feet. She saw blood dripping down her leg, but she ignored it. Pain lanced through her leg as she followed MistyTrail.
A jungle ran along the coast, separated from the sea by a thin stretch of beach. MistyTrail stood staring into the jungle, but Mistake shook her head and indicated that MistyTrail should follow her. Mistake walked along the edge of the jungle peering into it. The wind still tore into them, spraying their bodies with fine sand, and the rain continued to pour from the sky. Mistake eyed the jungle with caution, remembering the dangers that might be found within it. After twenty minutes of walking swiftly, she was about to give up and plunge into the jungle when she saw a small rowboat farther along the beach. She turned to check on MistyTrail before picking up the pace a bit. A few minutes later she halted nervously. MistyTrail came up alongside her and stared at the small three-story building standing on the beach.
“Why are we stopping?” asked MistyTrail. “Let’s bang on the door and get out of this rain.”
“I don’t know where we are,” cautioned Mistake. “At first I thought we might have come out in the Qubari Jungle, but they would not have a house like this on the beach. They wouldn’t allow anyone else to either.”
“Alright,” whispered MistyTrail. “Let’s find out if anyone is inside. You take the front, and I will take the back.”
Mistake nodded and they both dashed towards the house. MistyTrail raced around to the back of the house. The windows were shuttered and the door was locked. She continued around to the far side of the house and eventually to the front where Mistake was standing by the door.
“The back is all locked up,” MistyTrail reported softly.
“So is the front,” nodded Mistake. “I am going to open the door. Get ready in case there are people inside.”
MistyTrail nodded and drew her belt knife. Mistake extracted a thin strip of metal from her belt and worked it into the lock. Seconds later a click let her know that the door was unlocked. She looked at MistyTrail and inhaled deeply as she shoved the piece of metal into her belt and drew her knife. Mist
ake eased the door open cautiously and stepped inside. MistyTrail followed her and pulled the door shut.
The first floor of the house was dark. Mistake and MistyTrail quietly worked their way through each of the rooms and found nothing. Mistake led the way up the stairs to the second floor. There were only two rooms on the second floor. One room had two large beds in it. The other had a table with chairs around it and a lone chair in front of the window. The window was shuttered like all the rest.
MistyTrail led the way up to the third level. The top level was smaller than the rest because the roof slanted down at a sharp angle. It was a single room with piles of used furniture and small crates. Another lone chair sat before the window at the front of the house. Mistake walked to the window and opened the shutter. She gazed out at the angry sea and watched the waves crashing on the reef offshore. She looked down at the small rowboat on the beach and shook her head. She closed the shutters and turned to see MistyTrail rummaging through the crates.
“Whoever lives here likes to watch the sea,” Mistake said. “I doubt it is a fisherman. The rowboat is too small for any serious fishing. Find anything interesting?”
“Uniforms,” MistyTrail said with a puzzled look. “Red uniforms. We are not in Omunga or Sakova. That much I am sure about. I have never seen uniforms like this before.”
Mistake walked over to the crate that MistyTrail was rummaging through. She took out one of the uniforms and held it up.
“Open the rear shutters,” ordered Mistake. “I can’t see much with the light only coming through the cracks.”
MistyTrail opened the shutters and tied them back. The sky was still angry, but there was more than enough light to see what they were doing.
“This is interesting,” commented Mistake. “I have seen just about every uniform from Khadora and Fakara. I have never seen anything like it. Who would go into battle wearing something this loud?”
“There is a city in the distance,” announced MistyTrail.
Mistake dropped the uniform and walked to the rear window. She gazed out at the distant city and frowned.
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