“I will make no definite plans before I talk to you,” Rejji promised after a short pause, “but I must tell Emperor Marak. I will need to get a copy of the chart from him.”
“Alright,” agreed Mistake.
Mistake dropped the air tunnel as MistyTrail was returning from the bow.
“Did you reach him?” asked Mistake.
“I did,” nodded MistyTrail. “He promised that he would come. He has to speak to Lyra first. He cannot just walk off and leave the Sakova undefended.”
“Do you think she will stop him from coming?” asked Mistake.
“No,” MistyTrail shook her head. “Nothing stops HawkShadow when he has made his mind up. I am sure that Lyra knows that.”
“I think that I have a lot to learn about your humans friends,” commented Tamar. “Their responses amaze me. Then again, I must have an awful lot to learn about my princesses. You must both be remarkable women to inspire such loyalty to you.”
MistyTrail and Mistake looked at each other and grinned.
Chapter 30
Skimmers
The ancient elven scout ship entered the harbor of Angragar. Tamar’s eyes opened wide as he viewed the city of legends. The harbor was full of ships and the docks were alive with hundreds of colorfully clad humans. As he maneuvered around the anchored ships, Tamar saw some ancient elven trading vessels. He could not take his eyes off the ships that had not been seen in centuries.
“Look out!” shouted Mistake.
Tamar turned just in time to see the ship in front of him. He turned the scout ship sharply and the sails fluttered in the wind. He exhaled slowly.
“Sorry,” the embarrassed elf said. “I should keep my mind on sailing. MistyTrail, grab the line at the bow. Throw it to someone on the docks when we get close enough. Mistake, do the same with the stern line. I promise to keep my eyes on where we are going.”
The princesses sprang into action while Tamar corrected the ship’s course and headed for an empty dock. The ship floated perfectly alongside the dock, and the girls threw the lines to men standing on the dock. Rejji and Bakhai marched out onto the dock and grinned at the girls.
“Welcome back,” shouted Rejji as he waved to the girls.
The girls jumped off the ship and Tamar followed.
“This is Tamar of Elvangar,” introduced Mistake. “Tamar, this is Rejji and Bakhai.”
“Welcome to Angragar,” smiled Rejji. “Let’s go to the palace. There are some people there that I would like you to meet.”
Tamar smiled back at Rejji and nodded. The small group made their way to the center of the city. Tamar’s eyes constantly moved, taking in every sight and memorizing it. What amazed him the most was the architecture of the buildings. While they were not the same as the buildings in Morada, it was easy to see the influence of ancient elven style in many of the buildings. He wondered if this is what Alamanda would look like if it still existed.
Rejji led the way into the palace. He ushered them into a huge room that had a large table and chairs in it. The room was also full of people standing around in groups talking quietly. The room fell silent as the small group entered it, and everyone turned to face the newcomers. Rejji took Tamar around the room introducing him to everyone.
The humans were all smiling, and Tamar could feel a sense of excitement in the air. He thought it odd that everyone was fawning over him when he was just a mere soldier, and the real honored guests should be Mistake and MistyTrail, the princesses of the elves. He turned and saw that people who already had been introduced were gathering around the girls. He smiled as he understood that the humans were being polite to a friend of the girls. It was obvious that the girls were already highly honored and cared for. He had not expected humans to act in such a manner.
“And this is Emperor Marak of Khadora,” Rejji was saying. “He is the Torak.”
“I have heard much about you, Emperor Marak,” nodded Tamar.
“And I so little about you, Tamar,” smiled the Torak, “and please, call me Marak. I hope we have some time together to talk. I would like to know more about your people.”
“And Lyra, the Star of Sakova,” continued Rejji.
“I have also heard of you,” smiled Tamar. “I did not envision you as one so young. You are quite beautiful.”
“Why, thank you,” blushed Lyra. “I would love to join you when you speak with Marak. I, too, have a burning curiosity to learn about our ancient allies.”
“This is HawkShadow,” introduced Rejji. “I believe he will be going with you to the Island of Darkness.”
Tamar’s eyes measured the Sakovan. He was impressed with what he saw.
“Tayo, Tamar,” greeted HawkShadow as the Sakovan also measured the worth of the elf.
“Tayo, HawkShadow,” Tamar grinned at being met with an elven greeting. “I am happy with MistyTrail’s choice. We shall do well together.”
“That we shall,” HawkShadow nodded confidently.
Rejji continued with the introductions, and Tamar struggled to remember all of the names. When everyone had been introduced, they gathered around the table. In the center of the table were two large charts. One depicted the mainland and the Island of Darkness in relation to it. The other was a detailed chart of the coastline of the Island of Darkness. Captain Mynor moved to the center of the table and picked up an arrow to use as a pointer.
“Angragar is here,” the captain pointed. “The temple on the Island of Darkness is right here. It will be dangerous for you to sail a direct course for it.”
“Why?” asked Tamar.
“It is one of their busiest patrol sectors,” answered Captain Mynor. “It is also one of their busiest harbors. I certainly don’t want to tell you how to go about your mission, Tamar, but I am willing to share what knowledge I have. I have spent a great deal of time mapping the coast of Motanga and determining the placement of their patrols.”
“No, please continue,” urged Tamar. “I have never seen the Island of Darkness. Whatever information you can share will be most welcome.”
“Not far from the city,” nodded Captain Mynor, “is a lonely stretch of jungle. The patrols from both directions stop short of covering it. It is right here,” he pointed. “It would require you to go through some dense jungle, but you should be able to get close to the city without being seen. Also, if you can get your ship right up to the beach, it will be protected from view of the patrols. There is a small natural cove in that area.”
“That sounds rather promising,” nodded Tamar.
“We are not going to have a lot of people trying to go with us on this mission, are we?” Mistake asked as she scanned the faces in the room.
The Torak smiled and replied, “You can have as many people with you as you want. You can also have none if that is your desire. We are all gathered here to support you, but not to interfere with what you want to do.”
“Is that true?” Tamar asked skeptically. “Would you really send an army if Mistake wanted you to?”
“We would,” nodded the Torak. “Personally, I think an army would be shredded before they reached the temple, but I would commit the troops if asked. Although I personally would love to see Mistake and MistyTrail reunited with their father, this is also the King of the Elves that we are talking about. I have made no secret of my desire to form an alliance with the elves to defeat Vand. I fear that we may fall before his armies without your help. So, yes, I would sacrifice an army for this mission.”
“Are things really that dire?” asked Tamar.
“Vand has an army of one million men,” answered Lyra. “He has kruls to squander, and he has already sent hellsouls to attack us from within. We don’t know what other tricks he might be planning. The situation is dire. Will the elves help?”
“I am a mere officer,” replied Tamar. “In fact, I am probably now a criminal.”
“A criminal?” asked Rejji. “What did you do?”
“He helped us escape from prison,” replied Mis
tyTrail. “Now is not the time to discuss it. Tamar is no more a criminal than I am, but the reality is that the elves will not be aiding in the fight against Vand.”
“Does that change your mind, Marak?” asked Tamar.
“Not a bit,” the Torak answered without hesitation. “There are things in life that are inherently right or inherently wrong. Freeing the King of the Elves is the right thing to do, regardless of whether he aids us or not.”
Tamar stood silently for a moment gazing at the people in the room. He ended with his eyes studying Marak.
“I believe you,” Tamar declared, “but the point is not open to debate. We have decided that the mission is best accomplished with a small group. It will be just the four of us.”
“I figured as much,” grinned the Torak. “I took the liberty of having five Motangan uniforms made up. The three for MistyTrail, Mistake, and HawkShadow have already been tailored. We will need to have yours properly tailored before you leave.”
“What is the fifth one for?” Tamar asked with suspicion.
“For the king,” replied the Torak. “You may not need it, but it won’t hurt to have it just in case.”
Tamar nodded appreciatively. “You do plan well, Marak,” he grinned. “I think I should have the uniform tailored immediately. I would like to leave for the Island of Darkness as the earliest opportunity.”
“I will take you right now,” offered Bakhai. “Follow me.”
Bakhai led the elven officer out of the room. As soon as he was gone, everyone started talking again. Marak, Lyra and Rejji approached Mistake and MistyTrail.
‘What kind of trouble did you get into in Elvangar?” asked Lyra.
“We were accused of trying to assassinate the queen,” replied MistyTrail, “but we really didn’t mean to hurt her. She is our mother.”
“Your real mother?” asked Rejji.
“Yes,” nodded MistyTrail. “She wasn’t very nice to us. In fact, she doesn’t believe that we are related.”
“I hope our father is nicer,” added Mistake.
“You can’t choose your parents, Mistake,” smiled Marak. “Just remember that you have many friends here. If you ever need a home, you have three countries to choose from. Not many people can say that.”
Mistake grinned and hugged Marak. HawkShadow called to MistyTrail and the girls moved across the room to talk to the Sakovan assassin.
“How is your Jiadin gathering going, Rejji?” asked Marak.
“Fairly well,” answered the Astor. “Twenty thousand have joined with us so far, but that still leaves a great number of them on the loose. Myka is doing a great job and loving it, too. I don’t think she has had this much fun in a long time. She is racing around all over the country to make the Jiadin think that there are dozens of dragons. Her flying skills are fantastic. I have watched a few of her raids. I often thought that she would actually gore some of the Jiadin, but she has not.”
“She must be an incredible creature,” Marak said admiringly. “Can I meet her?”
Rejji hesitated for a long time before answering, “I will ask her permission first, but I think she will agree to it. She knows a great deal about what we are trying to accomplish. I don’t think she likes the idea of Vand’s people coming here. When I told her about that old prophecy that Yltar found, she actually became enthusiastic about helping.”
“The Dragon Prophecy?” asked Marak. “I thought Yltar said its authenticity was in doubt?”
“That was what I was led to believe,” shrugged Rejji, “but Myka disagrees. She says the prophecy is real, but that the humans who recorded it just didn’t understand it properly when they recorded it. It matters little at this point. Myka is fulfilling the prophecy in any event. If it works, the Jiadin will be ready to fight on our side.”
“Excellent,” smiled Marak. “I plan to stay for a few days in Angragar anyway. See what she says about meeting with me.”
Rejji nodded and moved on to other guests. Marak took Lyra’s hand and led her out of the room. Gunta and Halman did not even try to follow the Torak. They stayed and mingled with the others.
The Torak and the Star exited the palace and walked to one of the many parks that dotted the ancient city. They settled down on the grass and started talking.
“Do you think it is wise to let those two girls go back to the Island of Darkness?” asked Marak.
“They are not exactly little girls,” smiled Lyra. “I bet they are older than me, maybe even older than you.”
“I am not much older than you,” grinned Marak. “Can’t be more than a year or two.”
“I do worry about them going,” admitted Lyra, “but it is not our decision. It is their father that is imprisoned.”
“But they are the elven princesses,” retorted Marak. “The king and the two princesses could die on that island, and you heard what they said about their mother.”
“What you really mean is that it would lessen the chance of the elves joining in our struggle,” frowned Lyra.
“It would indeed do that,” agreed Marak, “but that is truly not what I was thinking. I was thinking about the elven people. Mistake and MistyTrail are kind of wild right now, but I know they would do what is best for their people if they were thrust into a leadership position. Some good people must survive this coming conflict, Lyra, and I am not too sure that we will be among those who survive.”
“Have you lost faith in Kaltara?” asked the Star.
“Certainly not,” Marak shook his head, “but I also know that the result of these coming battles does not rest on Kaltara. He made that clear to me at Changragar. Vand is human and it is for humans to destroy him. That’s you and me.”
“Among others,” nodded Lyra.
“Many others,” agreed the Torak, “but you know what I mean.”
“Yes, I do, Marak,” replied Lyra. “You are worried about what is to come. We all are. Our lives have been shaped by this time we live in, and death will have many chances to claim us in the near future. What if by some miracle we do defeat Vand? What do you see as our future?”
“Do you mean us?” asked Marak.
“No,” laughed Lyra. “Oh, I am willing to discuss that at some point, but I meant everyone, the world.”
“A valid question,” mused Marak. “I have not given that any thought at all. We will have three great nations that are finally united after centuries of petty rivalries. I suppose the future could be bright indeed. Of course there would need to be a ruler who is capable of keeping it all together.”
“You?” asked Lyra.
“No,” Marak shook his head. “I am not interested in ruling people. I only got involved in all of this because I could not stand the inequities that existed. They are practically gone now. After this war, my skills will no longer be needed.”
“That’s funny,” replied Lyra.
“Why is that funny?” frowned Marak.
“Because I feel the same way, but I suspected that you didn’t,” answered Lyra. “You always seem to be the perfect ruler. You always have an answer to any question asked, a solution to every problem. I never wanted to be the Star of Sakova. In fact, I fought it in the beginning, until I discovered that you can’t fight Kaltara and win.”
“We are so much alike,” grinned Marak.
“Don’t say that while MistyTrail is still around,” laughed Lyra. “She will gloat.”
“I bet she would,” laughed Marak. “She always said we would make a nice couple.”
Marak sighed and stared up at the sky in silence for a while. Lyra reached over and took his hand, and Marak realized that he had not had a private relaxing moment in years. He tried very much to put all of his worries out of his mind, but he just could not. He stared at the clouds and saw meanings in each of their shapes. Suddenly, he sat up.
“I can’t just relax,” Marak declared. “How about a walk up the river. I will show you the new boats we are building.”
“Let’s go,” Lyra readily agreed as s
he hopped up.
The Torak and the Star strolled through town and then along the bank of the river to an area that was only known to the Qubari and a few select others. The Qubari warriors on guard smiled to the Torak and let him and Lyra pass through.
“Why the guards?” asked Lyra.
“This is the most secret thing we are hiding from Vand,” explained Marak. “I am having the boats made here because the Qubari tell no secrets to any outsiders. They are also excellent woodworkers.”
They passed through a narrow stretch of jungle and emerged in front of a large lake. Scores of frameworks dotted the shores of the lake. There were more Qubari guards, and they looked to see who had entered the area. They waved, as did some of the workers. Marak led Lyra over to one of the finished boats and pointed to it proudly.
“It is called a skimmer,” Marak said. “It is Captain Mynor’s design.”
Lyra looked at the tiny craft and shook her head. It appeared much like a canoe, but it had a giant crossbow on each end and a mast in the center.
“What do they do?” asked Lyra.
“These are the boats that are going to attack Vand’s navy,” explained Marak. “They are two man crafts, although they can easily hold four men if necessary. That was important in case one of them is sunk, another can pick up the survivors.”
“And the crossbows?” asked the Star of Sakova.
“We hope they will be strong enough to pierce the hulls of Vand’s ships,” answered Marak. “They haven’t been tested yet.”
“Don’t you think that is rather important?” frowned Lyra.
“Extremely important,” nodded Marak. “If the crossbows don’t work, the whole idea is unsound. We have tested the stability and speed though. They are amazing little boats. They had a small keel for stability and yet they are still light enough to carry up on the beach if needed. They have extendable rudder boards that enable them to turn quicker than any boat I have seen. In short, they are very maneuverable.”
“But they can only be used if we know when Vand is going to attack,” Lyra pointed out.
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