The dining hall was packed with Sakovans as everyone sat and listened to Lyra reveal the new strategy that she was going to implement. The crowd verbally showed their disappointment about the elves not joining in the struggle against Vand. MistyTrail felt sorry that her friends were being deceived, but she knew that thousands of lives depended on the spy delivering a false message. The glares that she received from many of the Sakovans hurt her feelings, though.
The Sakovans were surprised to learn that the bulk of the armies were being sent to aid the Khadorans, but most of them accepted that it was logical for Vand to attack Khadora. What caused the crowd to become extremely vocal was Lyra’s statement that Alamar would be abandoned when it was clear that they could no longer halt Vand’s advance.
“You can’t do this,” StormSong yelled loudly from the back of the room. “The people of Alamar have become our brothers and sisters. You can’t just abandon them. It is not right.”
“We are not abandoning them,” insisted Lyra over a roar of jeers. “There will be a noble defense, but let’s be practical about this. Without the bulk of our armies, Alamar cannot be saved.”
“What about our mages?” shouted HawkShadow. “Surely they can halt the advance.”
“The mages will also be going to Khadora,” answered Lyra as she sighed and shook her head. “At least most of them will. They are needed up there.”
Temiker frowned as he watched his niece perform a task that he knew she hated. She had grown to love the Sakovan people, including those who used to be Omungan. Her only pleasure in life seemed to come from making them happy, and now she was intentionally misleading them to the point where they were ready to rebel against her.
“That is unacceptable,” HawkShadow shook his head vigorously. “The citizens of Alamar are Sakovans now. We have all pledged our lives to protecting our brothers and sisters. I formally request leave to help defend Alamar. I will not leave those people to be crushed under Vand’s boot.”
“I am with HawkShadow,” declared SkyDancer. “I offer my life in defense of Alamar.”
“And mine,” added FalconEye. “Let the armies go to Khadora, but I am staying here.”
“I suspect you will find that all of us will stay in Alamar,” shouted StormSong. “Lyra, what has gotten into you? The words you are saying cannot be yours. Rethink your policy.”
Lyra felt the meeting slipping from her grasp. If she allowed the dissent to continue, she would lose the chance to send the disinformation to Vand.
“Quiet,” Lyra shouted sternly as she banged on the table. “I will have quiet.”
The crowd quieted down, but many of the Sakovans stared at Lyra as if they did not know her. They had never heard her shout before, and pounding her fist on the table was just not her style.
“I admire the spirit of everyone in this room,” Lyra said calmly, “but many of you are forgetting something very important. You are forgetting the Scroll of Kaltara.”
Hushed murmurs rippled through the room, as many people knew what was coming next. Lyra never thought she would see the day when she threw this into the faces of the Sakovans, but she knew that she had to.
“Kaltara has anointed me as the Star of Sakova,” Lyra declared. “You know that means that Kaltara has placed his trust in me. There were times before when the Sakovans have turned away from their Star. Are you ready to once again slap Kaltara across the face? Are you now willing to turn your backs on the one sent from God?”
The murmurs continued quietly, but no one rose to speak. Lyra’s eyes scanned the large crowd. Some people glared back at her, but most of them averted their eyes when she looked at them. Lyra felt so ashamed and dirty for doing this to her people, but she could not stop now. When it was over there would be time to cry about how she lost the faith of her people.
“The strategy session is now over,” declared Lyra, “but before you leave this room, I have another announcement. I know that many of you are not happy with my plans. You probably will not feel inclined to an evening of cheer, but there will be a party in this room in just a few minutes. I think it is important that you all have one last good time with your friends and relatives, and tonight is that last chance. One caution, however.”
She saw that she had the group’s attention, but she worried that many would want to leave the party before it started. She didn’t want that to happen.
“I will start issuing final orders to each of you individually in the morning,” Lyra continued, “so do not drink too much. Each of you should be ready to ride out of here at sunup. An assignment list will be posted later this evening with the times that each of you are to report to my office. I will not stay for the party as I think it is best if you enjoy it among yourselves. I know my presence at this time would dampen your spirits. May Kaltara watch over each of you in the coming days.”
The Star of Sakova turned and strode from the room. She barely made the corridor before the tears started streaming down her face. Temiker rushed after her and tried to console her.
“Leave me, Temiker,” urged Lyra. “Your services are desperately needed elsewhere. Please find him for me. I want my people to know the truth.”
Temiker halted as the Star of Sakova hurried to her office. He frowned as half a dozen people left the dining room before the party had even begun. He slowly started following the group out of the palace. When the people started to split up, Temiker made impromptu decisions on which one to follow. Cats appeared out of the shadows and followed some. Temiker ended up following a Sakovan to the Garden of Hope, one of the gardens that occupied the five points of the star that was StarCity. The mage from Alamar followed the Sakovan into the garden. He slid into the shadows and cast an illusion to conceal himself while the Sakovan sat on one of the benches in the garden.
For half an hour the Sakovan sat silently on the stone bench, his head bowed in prayer. No one came or went during that time, and Temiker realized that he had drawn the wrong person. Finally the Sakovan rose and left the garden. Temiker was about to drop the illusion and return to the party to follow another Sakovan, when another Sakovan entered.
The new Sakovan did not bow in prayer, but rather looked around the garden to see if anyone else was around. With no one else in sight, the Sakovan wove an air tunnel. Temiker listened in rapt fascination as the spy began giving a report about the Sakovan plans. The report was thorough and detailed, and uninterrupted by any reply from the other end. The spy’s head swiveled the entire time, as if expecting to be interrupted at any moment, but no one entered the garden. It was as far from the palace as one could get without leaving StarCity.
Temiker let the spy leave the Garden of Hope, keeping his illusion in place for a full half hour before heading to Lyra’s office. When he got there, he found Lyra still crying, her head resting on her crossed arms, which were placed on the desk. He walked over to her and gently placed his hands on her shoulders.
“I have found what you sent me to look for,” he said softly.
Lyra’s head flew up. Her eyes were swollen with tears, but they sparkled with hope. “Who is it?” she demanded to know.
* * *
HawkShadow and SkyDancer approached the assignment board with anxiety. They walked with their arms wrapped around each other and waited patiently for some other Sakovans to move away from the board so that they could see it. As the crowd thinned, the couple moved forward to peer at the listings.
“Good thing we got up early,” commented SkyDancer. “We are in the first group to get our assignments this morning. We better hurry or we will be late.”
“StormSong and FalconEye are with us,” commented HawkShadow. “I hope we are going to Alamar.”
“I still can’t believe that this is happening,” SkyDancer shook her head. “Who would have thought that we would be aiding Khadora instead of the other way around?”
“It makes sense in a way,” shrugged HawkShadow.
SkyDancer looked strangely at HawkShadow and shook her head. “You were so strong last night about opposing this plan,” she stated. “What has changed?”
“She is the Star,” shrugged HawkShadow. “I really think the plan is wrong, but who am I to think that I have all of the answers? If it was open for discussion, I would argue with Lyra all day and night about it, but she halted that discussion. Now I must follow orders. It is that simple.”
As they entered Lyra’s office they found StormSong and FalconEye already there. MistyTrail and Temiker were also there.
“Close the door please, MistyTrail,” ordered Lyra as she looked up at the four Sakovans before her. “You four are the first group to move out. You are being sent to Alamar.”
HawkShadow could not resist a smile at the words.
“Each of you will have a distinct job to perform,” continued Lyra. “SkyDancer, you are to help Temiker gather the mages together. One dozen will be staying in Alamar to help with healing. The rest will be going to Khadoratung. You and Temiker will accompany the mages that are traveling.”
SkyDancer frowned at the mention of travel to Khadora, but she didn’t know yet what HawkShadow would be doing. She hoped that he would be traveling with her.
“FalconEye,” Lyra continued, “you will be taking a boat from Alamar to Zaramilden. You are to supervise the destruction of the dock area. I want every boat in that harbor sunk and the docks destroyed.”
“For what purpose?” asked FalconEye. “The people will need those things after the war.”
“To deny their use to the enemy,” answered Lyra. “All food supplies are to be removed or destroyed. General Papper will have some men there. You may utilize them to accomplish your goal. The idea is to leave nothing behind that the enemy can use.”
FalconEye nodded, and Lyra turned her attention to HawkShadow.
“HawkShadow,” Lyra ordered, “You are to shut down the port of Alamar after FalconEye leaves. He will be on the last ship to sail out of Alamar. Once he has left the harbor, I want holes drilled in the bottom of every ship left in Alamar. Cork the holes for now so that it appears that ships are sailable, but make sure that they are not.”
“Why?” interrupted HawkShadow.
“Because you are going to make it appear as if Alamar is manned by a large force,” smiled Lyra, “when in fact it will not be. You will have the full resources of General Manitow’s army to help you. I want wooden silhouettes of people on the roofs of buildings. I want hundreds of campfires outside the walls as if there were so many soldiers that the city cannot house them all. I want thousands of uniforms drying on lines at any time. Rotate the clothes so it looks real. In short, I want you to create an illusion. When you have it all in place, you will march with General Manitow’s army to Khadora.”
“To Khadoratung?” asked SkyDancer.
The Star of Sakova ignored SkyDancer’s question and looked at StormSong.
“StormSong,” smiled Lyra, “you also have a trip in your future. When we do evacuate Alamar, our remaining forces are going to move south along the coast road. I want you to start outside of Alamar and set up bonfires every thousand paces. General Manitow will provide some men for the labor. I want a series of bonfires all the way to Okata ready to be lit on a moment’s notice.”
“That will takes months,” frowned StormSong. “I am a warrior, not some group leader of laborers.”
“This task requires a warrior,” countered Lyra. “I think the invaders will try to disrupt the process. In any event, that is your task. MistyTrail and Temiker will be accompanying you to Alamar. You should leave StarCity within fifteen minutes. That is all.”
The group of four left the office and closed the door behind them. When he was sure that they were gone, Temiker spoke softly.
“Four good people in that group,” he sighed. “I cannot imagine what they are thinking right now, but it is a credit to them that they are following your orders. The spirit of Kaltara is strong in them.”
“In three of them at least,” frowned Lyra. “I hope they forgive me.”
“They will,” chirped MistyTrail. “Should I have the next group come in?”
“No,” Lyra shook her head. “That was the only group that matters. I will wait for half an hour after you leave before assembling the Sakovans in the dining room again. I will explain to them the deception that I foisted on them last night and explain the reasoning behind it.”
“Is that wise to announce so soon?” asked Temiker.
“We have run out of time,” answered Lyra. “We need to start on the real defense of the Sakova, and I need those people behind me. Make sure that our spy does not get out of line, Temiker. I am counting on you.”
Temiker nodded and opened the door. He left with MistyTrail and closed the door to leave Lyra to herself.
* * *
Fisher found several trails that ran through the jungle to the beach. He could not be sure which trail was the one used by Aakuta, so he began walking past all of them. He walked along the beach from one point fairly close to the city to another point far from the city. When he reached the end, he turned around and walked back. The spy had covered the route over forty times already without seeing anyone, so it surprised him somewhat when a woman appeared on the beach. She was an attractive woman, but she was not what Fisher had hoped to find. He paid no to attention her as he walked by, seemingly deep in thought.
Fisher continued his path to the far point and turned around to retrace his steps. He frowned as he once again approached the woman. He had hoped that she was just out for a morning stroll like he was pretending to be, but she had seated herself on the sand and did not appear anxious to leave. While pretending to be looking out to sea, Fisher caught the woman’s image with his peripheral vision. She was staring at him and frowning. The spy knew that he could not walk the beach the entire day without arousing suspicion, so he planned to make this his last trip. He began to wonder if the whole trip had been a waste. The chance of running into Aakuta now seemed rather weak.
“What are you doing?” demanded the woman.
Fisher glanced at the woman and then looked away, preferring to ignore her on his last pass. The woman had other ideas. She rose from the sand and blocked Fisher’s path.
“I asked you a question,” scowled the woman. “What are you doing on this beach?”
“Why shouldn’t I be here?” Fisher snapped back. “I am not on duty. I feel like walking and being alone with my thoughts. Am I disturbing you?”
The woman was slightly taken aback by Fisher’s reply, but she didn’t move out of his way. She seemed as if she were itching for a fight, and that was something that Fisher could not afford.
“Look,” Fisher said to the woman, “this is my last pass on the beach. I will be gone soon, and you can have the whole beach to yourself. I am just going up to the point and back. Now, if you don’t mind, I want to get back to my walk and my thoughts.”
Fisher stepped around the woman and continued walking. He wanted to turn and look back at her, but he didn’t dare show that much interest in her. He would see her again when he turned around. If there were soldiers with her, he would run in the opposite direction.
Fisher reached the point and turned around. The woman had gone back to sitting in the shade, and he sighed with relief. His eyes drifted up to the towering mountain peaks before him. He knew that somewhere up there was Calitora, a Chula shaman. If strolling the beach looking for Aakuta was no longer an option, he wondered if he could climb the mountain and speak to Calitora. It would be a way to spend the rest of the day without drawing any more attention to himself.
When his eyes returned to the beach, Fisher saw that a black-robed man had joined the woman. He felt a shiver tingle up his spine, as he knew the garb meant that the man was one of Vand’s mages. The spy steeled his nerves and tried to continue walking nonchalantly, but he could feel that he was being watched. When Fisher drew close to the couple, the mage started to approach him. Fisher let a knife slide into his hand, holding his arm slightly behind himself so that it could not be seen.
“Fisher?” exclaimed the man. “What in the world are you doing here?”
Fisher tensed as he turned to face the mage. He saw the woman rise and hurry towards him. The mage’s face was handsome, and Fisher imagined that the man could not walk past a pond without admiring his own reflection.
“You must have me confused with someone else,” Fisher replied, not knowing if he had found Aakuta or someone else who might recognize him.
Fisher began to doubt the wisdom of his mission as he stared into the mage’s eyes for any sign that Aakuta lived within. The mage frowned and then saw Fisher’s eyes focus on the woman. He nodded his head in understanding.
“She is alright,” the mage said. “Come and sit down in the shade. Tell me why you have risked your life to come to Motanga.”
“What is your name?” asked Fisher as the woman arrived and frowned in confusion.
“Xavo,” the man answered.
“I know no one named Xavo,” shrugged Fisher as he tried to walk by the couple.
“Then call me Aakuta,” the mage said softly, “but not too loudly. I am not anxious to die again.”
Fisher froze and spun towards the man, his eyebrows rising in understanding.
“Again?” echoed Fisher. “That explains a lot. Who is the woman?”
“Her name is Lady Mystic,” answered Xavo. “She is Vand’s daughter.”
“And she knows who you are?” whispered Fisher.
“She does,” nodded Xavo. “Come and sit. I will not say that you are safe with us, but Lady Mystic will not cause harm to come to you.”
“Unless you intend to use that knife in your hand,” Lady Mystic said threateningly. “I would advise strongly against that.”
Fisher nodded and slid the knife into its arm sheath. He followed the couple to the shade of a palm tree and sat down on the beach.
“I am hesitant to say what I have come to say in the presence of Vand’s daughter,” admitted Fisher.
“Do not be,” replied Xavo. “She is working with me to do as much damage to Vand as possible. Why have you come?”
“To talk to you,” admitted Fisher. “The last information that you sent has stirred a hornet’s nest. It shows that we need more information than what you have been sending. Just the date of the invasion will not be enough if we cannot discover Vand’s plans.”
“I am not sure that I can get any more information without being discovered,” frowned Xavo. “Vand does not share much, and he trusts no one. That is why Aakuta had to die. Vand uncovered him.”
“Clarvoy is the only one that Vand trusts,” volunteered Lady Mystic. “The spymaster knows everything, but he shares just about as much as Vand himself.”
“That was the reason for the warning I sent,” nodded Xavo. “Only a handful of people were present when Clarvoy spoke to Vand about placing a spy in Lyra’s inner circle. If they found out that someone from this island supplied that information, I would be dead within a day.”
“You have that high an access to Vand?” questioned Fisher.
“I am one of his disciples,” grinned Xavo. “In fact, I got credit for killing Aakuta. That was one of my finer accomplishments.”
“What is it that you need to know?” asked Lady Mystic.
“Everything and anything,” sighed Fisher. “Who the spies are on the mainland? What the overall strategy will be? What is Vand’s goal in all of this? Who is going to the mainland to spy, and how do we identify them?”
“Clarvoy would never mention names,” Lady Mystic shook her head. “He never has, and he never will. Vand would never ask for such information. He is paranoid.”
“Clarvoy goes to the mainland himself quite a bit,” offered Xavo. “In fact, he spends much of his time there. I can tell you one thing that is important. So far the Motangans only know how to use the air tunnel to send messages. They know nothing about equalizing the pressure.”
“That is worth noting,” nodded Fisher. “Incidentally, Rhoda is assigned to you full time now. Her only task is to field your messages, so you can contact her day or night. What about strategic targets on the island that we might want to sabotage? Are there any installations that would cripple Vand’s attack?”
“Vand worries about that,” answered Lady Mystic. “That is why no one ever leaves the island. He does not want any knowledge of Motanga to be in the enemy’s hands. He talked about moving supplies to the mainland before the invasion, just in case the island was attacked after the armies leave.”
“Has that started yet?” asked Fisher.
“That is something that I can find out,” replied Lady Mystic. “While I am no longer allowed into the palace, I know many people on this island. I can find out thousands of small details, like the shipbuilding schedules, storages levels on food and weapons, and which army units are getting ready to move.”
“All of those small details would help immensely,” Fisher nodded encouragingly. “Perhaps you should introduce Lady Mystic to Rhoda,” he suggested. “Both of you can file reports on different levels.”
“I will do that later today,” agreed Xavo. “I have a session this afternoon with Vand and had planned a report to follow it.”
“What will it be about?” asked Fisher.
“One of Clarvoy’s spies sent an important message last night,” replied Xavo. “Vand thought it was important enough to have Clarvoy’s ship turned around. He should be arriving back in the city soon. This afternoon’s session is to hear the report.”
“So Clarvoy is in town,” mused Fisher. “What are the odds of me getting to see what he looks like?”
“That depends on your courage and skill,” frowned Xavo. “I am not sure how much good it would do you. Clarvoy is a master of disguises. How he looks today may not help a bit when you next see him.”
“I will take that chance,” Fisher said eagerly. “Where was he heading?”
“No one ever knows that beforehand,” shrugged Xavo. “He is very secretive.”
“They may not know beforehand,” agreed Lady Mystic, “but today will be an exception. Clarvoy usually does not tell the captain of the ship where he is going until they are at sea, but this captain will already know. I will find out that information for you.”
“Excellent,” smiled Fisher. “Tell me how I get to see this spymaster.”