Island of Darkness (9 page)

“And what have you discovered?” inquired the dark mage.

“Little,” frowned Lady Mystic. “You hide your emotions well. You are a mystery, Aakuta, and I find that attractive. This whole civilization is geared for war, but I find wars quite boring. Your meeting with Vand promises much more entertainment than a hundred thousand men charging another hundred thousand men. It will be a battle of wits, and that is the most delicious battle of all.”

“So you expect me to oppose him?” questioned Aakuta.

“I do not know what to expect,” chuckled Lady Mystic. “That is the delight of it. I can hardly wait to see what happens.”

Aakuta turned and stared at the huge pyramid that overlooked the city. He knew that his entrance into the holy temple of Vand might well be the last journey that he ever undertook. The thought brought a tremor of fear to his body, but the dark mage found the feeling exhilarating.

“When will he see me?” the dark mage asked.

“When I am ready to present you,” declared Lady Mystic. “I shall enjoy your company for a few more days before your audience. Excitement is best served after it has simmered a while.”

* * *

StarWind dashed into the temple atop the palace in StarCity. MistyTrail was on her knees in the center of the pentagon inscribed on the floor. Her head was bowed with her chin resting upon her chest. She did not look up when the Sakovan spymaster entered.

“MistyTrail,” called StarWind. “Enough with your prayers. If you have not received guidance enough by now, your answer will not be forthcoming. We have a problem.”

MistyTrail’s head rose, and she turned to look at StarWind.

“I have received what I have asked for,” stated MistyTrail. “I was merely thanking Kaltara for showing me the way. What is the problem?”

“Mistake is missing,” StarWind announced. “I thought she was hiding in her room these past few days as you were in this temple, but I decided that is was time for the two of you to stop acting so childish. I entered her room unbidden and found that she was gone.”

“Perhaps she is in one of the gardens?” suggested MistyTrail.

“I don’t mean that she has left her room,” frowned StarWind. “I have already had the city searched for her. I mean she has left StarCity.”

“No,” MistyTrail gasped. “That is not possible. How could she escape without the guards knowing? Where will she go?”

“I don’t know,” admitted StarWind. “I doubt she could possibly return to Fakara without provisions and transportation. MistyTrail, she has a magical carozit that will lead people directly to you. If she is captured in an Omungan city, the location of StarCity could be learned.”

MistyTrail stood unsteadily and frowned at the pentagon beneath her feet. Her body shook with tremors as her muscles refused to assume a position other than the kneeling she had done for the past few days. StarWind rushed over to steady her.

“We must find her, and quickly,” StarWind said with urgency. “I have alerted HawkShadow and SkyDancer. They are working the fringes of the Sakova.”

“She is not to be hurt,” MistyTrail said worriedly.

“I doubt that they would have to use force to stop her,” mused StarWind.

MistyTrail was silent for several moments as she tried to control her body. Eventually, a deep frown creased her forehead.

“They will not find her,” MistyTrail said with conviction.

“HawkShadow can find anyone,” asserted StarWind, “and other than yourself, SkyDancer is the best assistant that HawkShadow could have.”

“Other than myself,” echoed MistyTrail. “Mistake is much like me. Oh, she does not know the ways of the Sakova, but she has spent her life being invisible. At times, her very survival has required this. Mistake will not be stopped.”

“We must bring this information before Lyra,” StarWind decided. “Let me help you.”

“I am fine now,” MistyTrail insisted as she waved off StarWind’s help. “Let’s talk to the Star of Sakova.”

StarWind led MistyTrail out of the temple and off of the palace roof. They walked silently through the corridors until they reached Lyra’s office. The door was open and they entered the room. Lyra looked up and smiled as the two Sakovans took seats before Lyra’s desk.

“Did you find her?” asked Lyra.

“She is not in the city,” reported StarWind. “I alerted HawkShadow and SkyDancer, but MistyTrail is convinced that Mistake has the ability to leave the Sakova undetected.”

“The timing of this is most unfortunate,” frowned the Star of Sakova. “I just received a message from SunChaser in Okata. I was about to send for you, StarWind.”

“What is wrong in the capital of Omunga?” asked the Sakovan spymaster.

“The Katana made a public speech today,” replied Lyra. “He denounced the Sakovans as treacherous enemies of the people of Omunga.”

“But I thought Larst was for peace with us?” frowned StarWind.

“As did I,” sighed Lyra. “I have made a terrible misjudgment of the man. I hope the damage that I have caused can be limited in some way. Having Mistake and her carozit end up in Omungan hands right now would mean the end of the Sakovans.”

“I will issue immediate orders to our people,” declared StarWind. “We will send out two patrols to cover the entire Sakova. I will alert my spies in Omungan cities to keep an eye out for her. We will find her.”

“No, you won’t,” insisted MistyTrail.

“We must,” retorted StarWind. “Her carozit must be destroyed. There is no other way.”

“There is another way,” MistyTrail said softly.

“What is it?” asked Lyra.

“I must leave the Sakova,” declared MistyTrail. “Her carozit will only point towards me. If I am not here, the Omungans will not discover StarCity.”

Tears started to roll down MistyTrail’s face, and StarWind put her arm around the small Sakovan.

“No,” soothed StarWind. “There must be another way. The Sakova is your whole life. You can’t just abandon it.”

“Where will you go?” asked Lyra.

“I don’t know,” MistyTrail admitted tearfully. “I suppose that I will track down Mistake. It is what Kaltara would want me to do.”

“Where will you start?” asked Lyra.

“Alamar,” answered MistyTrail. “Kaltara showed me an image of what I thought was myself in piles of watula. Now I understand that it must have been Mistake that he showed me.”

“The caravans,” nodded StarWind. “Why did I not think of that? What an easy way to slip out of the city. I could contact FalconEye and have him search the city for her.”

“No,” MistyTrail shook her head adamantly. “Mistake has done no wrong to us. It is not her fault that her sister resides in a secret city. She is not to be bothered by Sakovans. I, alone, will go to her. It is the proper thing to do.”

MistyTrail rode into the Omungan city of Alamar on the last wagon of the Sakovan food caravan. As the caravan passed the center of the city, she bade farewell to the Sakovans and jumped from the wagon. She stood in the street for a few moments, watching the caravan continue onward to the headquarters of the Imperial Guard. She was surprised to see the soldiers running out of the building and hailing the Sakovans, as one would greet an overdue friend. She shook her head in amazement and turned the corner onto a narrower street.

MistyTrail was not sure where she should begin her search for Mistake, but she did know where she would find a hot meal and a place to sleep. She had heard that Lyra’s uncle had rebuilt his school. She had even talked to a few mages who had been there for magic training. She followed the directions that had been given to her.

She felt awkward carrying all of her belongings in her pack. She was used to traveling lightly on her patrols of the fringes of the Sakova. She adjusted her pack several times during the short walk to the magic school. As she walked into the school, several students looked at her in confusion before returning to their studies. MistyTrail ignored them. She walked through the large common classroom and along a corridor that led to smaller classrooms. The rear end of the corridor opened into the dining room. Temiker was sitting at the table with an empty plate in front of him. He looked as if he had just finished the midday meal and was sipping a cup of tea. MistyTrail noticed a second plate at the spot next to the master magician, but no one else was in the room. Temiker silently waved invitingly to MistyTrail and indicated that she should sit.

MistyTrail removed her pack and sat down at the table. Her mouth opened to speak, but Temiker smiled and shook his head. She said nothing as she frowned in confusion. A moment later, Mistake entered the room with a cup of tea. She walked mechanically towards the chair next to Temiker. When she looked up and saw MistyTrail, she dropped the cup of tea. The cup shattered on the floor.

“What are you doing here?” gasped Mistake as she looked at MistyTrail and then accusingly at Temiker.

“I have nothing to do with this,” Temiker declared defensively as he stood up. “I will clean up the mess and get you both some tea.”

As Temiker swiftly left the room, Mistake rose hesitantly.

“I thought you would be glad to see me,” frowned MistyTrail.

“I am not returning to StarCity,” Mistake declared. “Who told you where I was?”

“No one told me,” MistyTrail said sadly. “I came here for some food and a place to sleep. I did not know that you would be here.”

“That makes more sense,” scowled Mistake. “I bet you are traveling with the watula caravans.”

“I did ride into the city on one,” nodded MistyTrail, “but I am not going back with it.”

“Well, don’t even think of trying to talk me into going back with you,” Mistake said adamantly. “I know where I am not wanted.”

“You are a fool if you think the Sakovans would not accept you,” frowned MistyTrail. “What did they do to you that was so terrible that you have to speak of them this way?”

Mistake stood speechless as Temiker returned with two fresh cups of tea. He placed one on the table in front of Mistake and the other in front of the empty chair next to her.

“I would prefer that you drink your tea on this side of the table,” he said to MistyTrail. “That side has already been cleaned.”

MistyTrail nodded distractedly and picked up her pack.

“Aren’t you glad to see her?” Temiker asked Mistake. “I thought you would be ready by this time.”

“She is just sent to make me go back,” snipped Mistake. “She doesn’t care about me. They probably thought she had the best chance of finding me. I guess they were right. I should have left for Fakara a week ago.”

Tears rolled down MistyTrail’s face as she lugged her pack around the table. She dropped it on the floor near the chair

“What are you carrying in that pack?” asked Temiker. “It looks like it weighs more than you do.”

“Just my belongings,” sniffed MistyTrail as she pulled the chair out to sit down.

“Have you run away, too?” asked Temiker.

Mistake’s brow creased as she looked at the pack on the floor and then at Temiker’s concerned face. She looked at MistyTrail questioningly.

“I have left the Sakova,” stated MistyTrail.

“Why?” asked Temiker.

“To find Mistake,” MistyTrail said softly.

“I knew it,” scowled Mistake. “At least you admit it.”

“You hardly need all of your belongings to come to Alamar,” frowned Temiker. “Where did you expect to go to find Mistake?”

“Fakara,” sniffed MistyTrail, “but that is not why I carry all of my belongings. I am not returning to the Sakova.”

“So you have left your people to join your sister?” Temiker nodded as his eyes moistened. He knew rather well what MistyTrail was giving up.

MistyTrail merely nodded and stared at the floor. Mistake’s mouth fell open in surprise, and defiance fled from her eyes. The room was silent for a long moment; only the distant sounds of students talking in the classrooms could be heard. A singled tear rolled down Mistake’s cheek as she moved close to MistyTrail and hugged her. MistyTrail hugged her in return.

“I am sorry,” sniffed Mistake. “I never meant to make you choose between the Sakovans and me. I just wanted you to love me as I love you.  I will go back to StarCity with you.”

“I could not understand how you felt in the Garden of Hope,” sniffed MistyTrail, “but I think you taught that to me today. To come chasing after you, only to have you reject me, hurt a great deal. I understand you now. We are very much alike.”

“I will get my things,” offered Mistake as she tried to break the embrace.

“No,” sniffed MistyTrail as she clung to Mistake. “We are not going back to the Sakova.”

“We aren’t?” Mistake asked in surprise. “Where are we going?”

“I spent days in prayer to Kaltara after our meeting in the Garden of Hope,” stated MistyTrail. “He made me see things differently. If both you and I survived that great storm, maybe other members of our family did as well. We shall go in search of them.”

“Other members?” questioned Mistake. “What other members? Where will we look?”

“I do not know what other family we might have,” MistyTrail said as she finally broke the embrace, “but we must search for them. What else could we do together? You will not feel at home in the Sakova, and I do not belong in Fakara. We are finally together. What difference does it matter where we look?”

“Well we must start somewhere,” shrugged Mistake as she wiped her eyes.

“I doubt there are any more family members around here,” offered Temiker. “I remember that great storm. There were many fishermen lost at sea. The Omungans had runners up and down the coast looking for survivors that might have washed ashore some place other than where they left from. I think I would have heard about it.”

“Did you hear about MistyTrail?” questioned Mistake.

“I did,” nodded Temiker. “The Sakovans brought the fisherman’s body to Alamar. They asked about the child.”

“Then we will search in Fakara,” decided Mistake.

“Your search will be fruitless,” sighed Temiker. “Praise Kaltara that you have found each other after all these years. Let that be enough.”

“No,” MistyTrail replied. “I know that Kaltara wants us to search together. If we must start in Fakara, then that is what we will do. We shall never be separated again.”