Island of Darkness

by Richard S. Tuttle

  “I know of one thousand who will not be invading the Sakova,” declared the general. “Do not ask me to go further than that.”

  “All I can ask of any leader is to think about what is best for the people in his care,” Lyra replied.

  Chapter 14

  Eltor

  The large chamber was silent as were the tunnels that ran out of it. The large wheel had remained motionless for hours, and the rope holding the buckets was unmoving. Twenty paces above the floor of the chamber, Mistake’s eyes were closed as she rested her head on her arms. MistyTrail grew impatient waiting for the elf to return. Her mind wandered aimlessly. She thought about the sinking of the boat, and the strange guardhouse on the beach, but mostly she thought about her friends still in the Sakova. She missed them and wondered why she was where she was.

  A soft and distant padding dragged MistyTrail away from her thoughts. She peered into the large chamber and tried to determine where the sound was coming from. The sound echoed lightly off the rock walls, masking the true directions, but MistyTrail knew they were coming closer. She gently touched Mistake to wake her up. Mistake’s eyes popped open, and she raised her head. She heard the soft sounds immediately. Her eyes focused on the tunnel that Eltor had disappeared into hours ago. She watched as Eltor came into view.

  Eltor paused where the tunnel entered the large chamber. He looked around nervously before entering the room. Mistake immediately wrapped the rope around herself and braced her feet on the rock as she had for her sister. MistyTrail grinned broadly at Mistake as she took the coil of rope and threw it over the edge. The rope fell silently with only a light thud as the end hit the floor. Eltor immediately focused on the rope. His eyes followed the rope upward until he saw MistyTrail looking down at him. He walked cautiously to the rope and gazed upward.

  “Who are you?” he asked.

  His voice was barely audible and MistyTrail frowned. She had expected him to climb the rope. She wove an air tunnel towards Eltor and spoke softly into it.

  “Climb up,” she urged. “You don’t want to be caught.”

  “Who are you?” Eltor repeated stubbornly.

  “I am MistyTrail,” she answered. “I am here to rescue you.”

  “I don’t think so,” Eltor shook his head. “I think you are trying to lure me into escaping. I will stay here.”

  “Why would we lie to you?” MistyTrail asked with exasperation.

  “To make an example of me,” retorted Eltor. “I may be new to the mines, but I was not born yesterday. I have already heard the tales of people trying to escape. I will not be the next one tortured. I have learned my lesson.”

  “What are you talking about?” scowled MistyTrail. “We have waited all day for you.”

  “We?” asked Eltor. “So there are others in this plot?”

  “My sister, Mistake, is with me,” answered MistyTrail. “She is holding the rope. Why do you think we would lure you up here?”

  “To get me whipped,” replied Eltor.

  “Would you not get whipped for standing down there talking to us?” asked MistyTrail.

  Eltor’s face clouded, and MistyTrail grinned.

  “So to get you whipped all we would have to do is scream to get someone’s attention?” surmised the Sakovan. “Then it would be foolish of us to risk our lives trying to lure you up here. Either you climb the rope, or we are leaving. The choice is yours, but make it quickly.”

  Eltor stood unmoving for a moment. He was still skeptical, but he was more curious to find who the women were. He grabbed the rope and climbed up to the ledge. MistyTrail immediately pulled the rope up. Eltor stared at MistyTrail’s face, and the pale of confusion on his own became more noticeable.

  “You are an elf,” Eltor said with surprise. “Why did you not say so?”

  “Am I?” replied MistyTrail as her hand reached out and touched Eltor’s ear. “I thought the elves died off ages ago?”

  “How could you believe such a thing?” asked Eltor as Mistake unwrapped the rope from around her body. “Are you not from Elvangar?”

  “Elvangar?” echoed Mistake. “Where is that?”

  “Ah,” sighed Eltor. “You were born on this island. Still, your parents should have taught of our homeland. How have you remained ignorant for so long? Have you grown up in this cave?”

  “Island?” asked MistyTrail. “This is an island?”

  “Now you are making fun of me,” scowled Eltor. “Give me the rope that I might go back to my bed and get some sleep. I have no need of games when much work will be required of me in the morning.”

  “We are not playing games,” responded Mistake. “I am from Fakara, and MistyTrail is from Omunga. Our ship was sunk in a storm. We swam to shore, but we do not know where we are. Is this really an island?”

  “The island of Motanga,” replied Eltor as he studied Mistake’s face for a hint of humor or deceit. “What kind of names are those? They are not elven names.”

  “Our names were given to us by those who brought us up,” answered MistyTrail. “We did not know that we were related to elves. In fact, I did not believe in elves until I saw you.”

  “How is that possible?” frowned Eltor. “I know of no elves except for Elvangar and the hapless ones who were captured near this island. I have never heard of Fakara or Omunga. Where do these places exist?”

  “We are not sure where they are in relation to this island,” admitted Mistake. “We were trying to sail from Omunga to Fakara when the storm hit. Who lives on this island?”

  “Why do they try to capture people?” asked MistyTrail.

  “These people are evil,” frowned Eltor. “You are fortunate not to have been caught. How did you get in here? There are metal gates stopping us from getting out.”

  “Not up here,” offered MistyTrail. “We crawled into a small cave to sleep for the night. We heard noises and decided to explore. We ended up here and saw your ears.”

  “You can leave this place with us,” suggested Mistake. “Maybe you can help us get home.”

  “I cannot leave here,” Eltor shook his head. “They will know if I am gone. Then the kruls will be sent to track me down.”

  “Kruls?” echoed Mistake. “What are they?”

  “Did you not see the kruls today?” questioned Eltor. “They are the ones who move the great wheel.”

  “The apes?” asked Mistake.

  “Yes,” nodded Eltor, “except they are not apes. At least they are not apes any more. They were created by magic. They can smell elves very far away. Even if I left here tonight, I would be captured by tomorrow. You would be captured along with me. I cannot leave.”

  “We passed kruls yesterday,” retorted MistyTrail. “They were very close and did not smell us. They were cutting down huge trees.”

  “For the shipyards,” replied Eltor. “The Motangans are building a great navy. I used to work there with my friend, Caldal. The kruls smell elves all over the island. They will not react to the smell until an alarm is issued. Then they will hunt endlessly until the runaways are found.”

  “What happens when the runaways are caught?” asked Mistake.

  “Bad things,” frowned Eltor. “The kruls might eat them. If they do not, the runaways are punished harshly to set an example for the rest. Some of them will dive into the pit if they get the chance. Better to die quickly than suffer the punishments that are inflicted.”

  “The pit?” inquired MistyTrail. “What is that?”

  “That hole down there,” Eltor pointed to the hole in the center of the wheel where the ropes carried the buckets. “No one has ever reached the bottom and come back up. Some say it is endless.”

  “You mean they jump into the hole?” asked Mistake. “Can’t they just ride the buckets back up?”

  “The buckets do not go to the bottom,” explained Eltor. “There are numerous levels of mines, but there is a great void beyond the lowest reach of the buckets. They say it is an old vent from a volcano.”

  �
�Would they sound the alarm if they thought you were dead?” questioned Mistake.

  “What do you mean?” squinted Eltor. “Why would they think that?”

  “Would they?” pushed MistyTrail.

  “Of course not,” replied Eltor. “Why would they search for someone who is dead?”

  “If you were dead, would you come with us?” asked Mistake.

  MistyTrail laughed softly, and Eltor looked confusingly from one sister to the other.

  “What Mistake is suggesting,” grinned MistyTrail, “is that you appear to die tonight. No alarm will be sounded, and the kruls will not search for you. If that were possible, would you come with us?”

  “Go with you where?” asked Eltor. “You are in constant danger on this island. You may be free today, but they will catch you. If you are lucky, you will end up in the mines with me.”

  “We are not staying on this island,” declared Mistake. “We will find a boat and go home.”

  “Forget it,” snapped Eltor. “Caldal and I thought we could do that, too. We worked in the shipyards. We had a boat almost completed in secret. Or we thought it was a secret. Another slave told the masters about it for a small favor for himself. I was lucky. I was sent to the mines and beaten. Caldal was sent to the great pyramid.”

  “The pyramid?” asked MistyTrail. “What is that?”

  “It is the Temple of Vand,” answered Eltor. “They sacrifice people there and drink their blood. The screams can be heard almost every night. It is a fate worse than death.”

  “Vand?” gasped Mistake. “Tell me that the temple is just a tribute to him.”

  “This whole island is a tribute to him,” replied Eltor as MistyTrail looked on in confusion. “He rules everyone and everything on it. It is his kingdom.”

  “But he can’t really be alive,” argued Mistake. “That was thousands of years ago.”

  “You know the tales of Vand?” Eltor asked in astonishment. “How is that possible?”

  “I have read ancient scrolls that told the tale of Vandegar and Angragar,” replied Mistake. “There is much in them that is hard to believe, even now. Perhaps someone else has stolen the name?”

  “Not according to the tales from those who have lived here for many generations,” Eltor shook his head. “They say that Vand is immortal. He takes new bodies from time to time, but it is always the same Vand. I heard that he took a new body just before I was captured. That was four months ago.”

  “Who is this Vand?” MistyTrail asked with confusion.

  “We have to get off this island,” stressed Mistake. “Will you come with us, Eltor? I am sure that they won’t issue an alarm for you.”

  “Even if no alarm is issued,” Eltor shook his head, “I cannot leave without Caldal.”

  “Then we will have to leave without you,” frowned Mistake.

  “Wait,” interrupted MistyTrail. “Do you know how to sail, Eltor?”

  “Of course,” replied Eltor. “We grew up sailing. That is what got Caldal and me into trouble. We wanted to explore the world. We ended up here.”

  “I say we get Caldal free,” declared MistyTrail. “Neither one of us really knows how to sail. I do not want to die at sea. We need a real sailor, Mistake.”

  Mistake frowned and stared at MistyTrail for several moments. Finally, she turned her attention to Eltor.

  “Do you know where he is being held?” she asked.

  “Somewhere in the temple,” shrugged Eltor, “but I have never been inside. That is all I know.”

  “Great,” Mistake sighed with frustration. “Alright, MistyTrail, we will rescue Caldal if we can.”

  “Really?” asked Eltor. “Can you two do that?”

  “Not the two of us,” retorted MistyTrail. “It will be the three of us. Give me your hat.”

  “Why do you want my hat?” asked Eltor as he removed it and handed it to MistyTrail.

  “They have to think that you died tonight,” explained MistyTrail. “I want you to go move along this tunnel to where it bends to the left. Wait there until Mistake talks to you. When she tells you to, I want you to scream really loud and long.”

  “Won’t that alert everyone to where I am?” asked Eltor.

  “Only if that is where the sound of your voice is coming from,” smiled MistyTrail. “Fortunately for us, your voice will be coming from deep in the pit.”

  “Perfect,” grinned Mistake. “What do you want me to do?”

  “We are going to need two air tunnels,” explained MistyTrail. “I will weave one into the pit, starting at the top and constantly moving it downward. I need you to direct his screams with an air tunnel into my air tunnel.”

  “Why not just one air tunnel?” questioned Mistake.

  “I want you to cut off your air tunnel and reverse it when someone enters the chamber,” explained MistyTrail. “Then you can tell him to stop screaming. If we only used one air tunnel, one of us would have to be back there with him, and we would not be able see someone enter the chamber.”

  “Right,” nodded Mistake. “What is the hat for?”

  “I am going to throw the hat on the floor so that they know it was a slave that jumped,” answered MistyTrail. “You are going to throw a large rock into the hole. Hopefully it will hit the rope or some buckets and make them jiggle a bit on its way down.”

  “Nice plan,” admired Mistake. “I might want to spend some time in the Sakova learning to scare people. It sounds like fun.”

  “It does make you think a lot about how people perceive things,” grinned MistyTrail “Grab a rock. As soon as you throw it, tell him to start screaming.”

  MistyTrail tossed the hat into the chamber. It floated through the air and slid across the floor when it hit. She then wove an air tunnel and directed it towards the pit. She held her hands to form a circle around the end of the air tunnel so that Mistake would have a target to aim her air tunnel at.

  Mistake threw the rock hard. She thought she had thrown it too hard and that it would overshoot the pit, but it hit the rope and fell into the hole. She swiftly wove an air tunnel and instructed Eltor to start screaming. She reversed the flow and directed it at MistyTrail’s hands.

  Eltor’s scream was loud and brought an almost immediate response. Several slaves raced into the room. The whip man was only a few seconds behind them. MistyTrail worked her air tunnel down the center of the pit. She could hear the scream getting fainter as she extended the air tunnel further down the hole. One of the female slaves started screaming. The whip man strode angrily towards her.

  “Cut him off,” whispered MistyTrail.

  Mistake immediately reversed the flow of the air tunnel and said, “Stop screaming now.”

  The whip man slapped the screaming woman and shouted, “Who was it? I want to know who jumped.”

  The chamber was still filling with people when he shouted his orders. The slaves immediately turned around and exited into tunnels. Eltor crawled alongside Mistake and peered into the chamber.

  “They will conduct a search now to find out who is missing,” he whispered. “I saw this just the other day. It will take an hour or two.”

  “Will they know it was you?” asked Mistake.

  “Oh yes,” nodded Eltor. “They keep track of each slave in the mine just like they do in the shipyard. What do we do now?”

  “We go back to our small cave and get some sleep,” stated Mistake. “Tomorrow you have to draw a map of this island so that we know where we are going.”

  “I can’t travel around like this,” frowned Eltor. “I should have thought about that earlier. If I am seen, they will know that I am slave from the mines. I should not be in the city.”

  “We have some red uniforms,” offered MistyTrail. “Can you use one of those?”

  “You have uniforms?” Eltor asked with a raised eyebrow. “How did you get hold of them?”

  “A long story,” grinned MistyTrail. “We will tell you about it later.”

  “I might be able to wear
it if no one gives me a close inspection,” shrugged Eltor. “It is better than what I am wearing.”

  * * *

  HawkShadow felt cramped as he changed his position slowly. He pushed lightly on the woven mat and peeked out at the river flowing by. His eyes rose to the sky as he studied the stars. He smiled inwardly as he determined the approximate time of night. He pushed the mat a littler further so that he could see the Imperial Guards that he knew would be posted on the opposite bank of the river.

  HawkShadow had picked his spot well. He had timed the travel of the Omungans and determined what time of day they would come to the river. He had correctly surmised that the leader would choose to set up camp on the banks. The Sakovan had even made it more promising by arranging a fire circle and stacking a fresh supply of wood near it to make it look like a natural place to camp for the night. Next he had woven a mat from vines and covered it with the same long grass that was found along the banks of the river. Then he found a hollowed out spot along the near bank and secreted himself, pulling the mat in to hide any sign of him. He had waited for hours while the soldiers ate and watered the horses. He waited even longer for them to hone their weapons and tell stories before they bedded down for the night. Then he waited some more for the sentries to become tired and careless. Now the time to strike had come.

  HawkShadow eased the mat away and slid out of the hollow. He laid the mat gently on the ground as he surveyed the sentries on the far bank. Most of them stood with their backs to the river. The others sat with their backs against the trees. They too were facing away from the river. HawkShadow rose and peered over the near bank. He smiled inwardly as he saw that his calculations were accurate. He was in the middle of the Imperial Guard encampment.

  The Sakovan assassin pulled himself up onto the bank. He looked briefly at the placement of the sleeping men and charted a path through the camp. The hair on his neck stood up as he contemplated his next move. He knew that he would either accomplish his mission silently, or he would die this night. He pushed the thought from his mind.