“What is it?” inquired Lyra.
“Vand is amassing an army of over a million,” reported Emperor Marak.
“A million?” gasped the Star of Sakova. “That is impossible.”
“Not impossible at all,” responded Emperor Marak. “Vand lost more than that when he defied Kaltara at Vandegar Temple. When that army hits our shores, starvation will be the last thing on the minds of your Omungans. Listen to Kaltara, Lyra. He is trying to guide you wisely. You may not like what he has to say, but believe that it is the truth. He would no more cause unnecessary suffering than you would. Convert those cities to Sakovans and do it quickly.”
“I will,” Lyra promised with a new sense of urgency.
Lyra heard another commotion in the corridor beyond the cell door. Keys jangled in the lock to her door, and Lyra swiftly cast a spell. A blue cylinder shimmered in the dim light as it formed around the Star of Sakova. The door to the cell burst open and the Imperial Guards stood staring at the Sakovan mage. General Papper pushed his way past the soldiers and entered the cell. He stood staring at Lyra and the shimmering blue cylinder around her.
“What is going on in here?” he demanded. “What is that?”
“Who is there?” Emperor Marak asked anxiously.
“It is General Papper,” Lyra replied. “He has come to pay me a personal visit.”
“Are you protected?” asked Emperor Marak.
“I am in good hands,” smiled Lyra. “Kaltara surrounds me now.”
“Drop that blue thing, whatever it is,” demanded the general. “Who are you talking to?”
“You will make no demands of me,” retorted the Star of Sakova. “As to who I am talking to, it is Emperor Marak of Khadora. Would you care to chat with him, or are you prepared to surrender the city?”
“Do not try my patience woman,” snarled the general. “I will not for a minute believe that you are talking to the Emperor of Khadora.”
“You had best believe her,” Emperor Marak said loudly. “I believe that you are wise enough to surrender your city to the Star of Sakova and immediately release my crew. If you do not, I will immediately launch an invasion of Gatong. Unlike Lyra, your starving masses will mean nothing to me. I will crush your city like a ripe grape under the heel of my boot. Do I make myself clear?”
“I think he got the message,” smiled Lyra. “Cut the air tunnel now, Emperor Marak. I do not want to be distracted while I am discussing the future of Gatong with General Papper.”
“Contact me later,” requested Emperor Marak. “I want to know the status of things down there.”
“I will,” promised Lyra as the air tunnel broke.
“That was all some type of magical trick,” scowled the general. “I will not be swayed by such foolish things. Guards, seize her. Destroy that blue thing.”
“Wrong response,” Lyra said as the blue cylinder winked out, and her hand rose swiftly.
General Papper and the two Imperial Guards suddenly flew backwards. Their bodies slammed into the far wall of the corridor and collapsed on the floor. Lyra walked into the corridor and away from the bodies. The general groaned as Lyra’s hand came up again. She pointed a finger at the lock of the next cell. A stream of bright light flared from the tip of her finger, and a hole was blasted through the door, obliterating the locking mechanism. She kicked the door inward and saw two members of the crew from the Khadoran ship.
“Lock up the general and his soldiers,” instructed Lyra as she moved to the next cell.
Again Lyra’s hand came up, and again the lock was blown clear from the door. She repeated the spell on each door until the entire crew of the Khadoran ship was free. Lyra watched as the general and the two Imperial Guards were thrown into the cell. The door was slammed and locked. She heard footsteps coming down the stairs and motioned for the crew to get behind her. She was ready to strike when the mayor rounded the corner. He was huffing loudly and came to an immediate halt.
“What is going on?” he asked as his eyes swelled to enormous proportions as he gazed past Lyra.
“I have decided that I no longer wish to talk to General Papper,” smiled Lyra. “He was not listening properly. Perhaps I will have better luck with you. If you can guarantee the safety of my friends here, we can talk in the comfort of your office. If not, we will discuss matters right here.”
“Where is General Papper?” asked the mayor. “You did not kill him, did you?”
“Not yet,” replied Lyra. “He is locked in my old cell with two Imperial Guards. He may be a bit sore, but he is unharmed.”
“Come to my office,” said the mayor. “I will guarantee your safety. As for your friends, arresting them was a mistake. I did not realize what I was doing and I sincerely apologize.” The mayor looked past Lyra to the captain of the Khadoran ship. “I truly mean that, Captain. I thought it was a Sakovan ship. Even then I was probably out of line, but I would never serve such an insult to Khadora. You and your crew are free to go. Go shopping in the marketplace. I will pay for whatever you wish to buy and take home.”
“We will accompany the Star of Sakova,” declared the captain.
“As you wish,” agreed Mayor Robit as his baldhead started sweating. “Let me lead the way so that I can make sure that the Imperial Guards do not react improperly.”
“That would be wise,” replied Lyra. “I am loath to take human life when it can be avoided, but I have not been treated well so far in your city.”
The mayor nodded nervously and led the way to the stairway. They proceeded up a flight of stairs, and the mayor stepped out into a corridor. Several Imperial Guards were marching by, and the mayor waited until they had passed before continuing. He led the group along the corridor to his office. Two Imperial Guards were stationed outside his door. They looked strangely at the group of foreigners following the mayor.
“Is everything in order?” one of the Imperial Guards asked the mayor.
“Everything is fine,” responded the mayor. “I am seeking to get to the bottom of this food delivery. I do not want to be disturbed by anyone. Do you understand?”
The mayor stood to one side as the foreigners entered the office. The Imperial Guards watched with suspicion.
“Should one of us be present in the office?” asked one of the soldiers.
“That will not be necessary,” assured the mayor. “Maintain your post outside.”
The soldier nodded but it was clear that he did not like the looks of what was going on. The mayor closed the door as he entered the office and then walked around the desk to his chair and sat down.
“I apologize for the lack of chairs,” opened the mayor. “I must admit that I am rather confused about what is going on today. As I have indicated, the crew of the Khadoran ship is free to leave at any time. I made a terrible mistake in judgment and do apologize for it. I hope that Emperor Marak can understand my mistake.”
“I will notify him of our freedom when our ship is safely at sea,” declared the Khadoran mage.
“Notify him of your freedom?” the mayor asked nervously. “You mean when you return to Khadora, don’t you?”
“She means exactly what she said,” interjected Lyra. “Emperor Marak is already aware of the seizure of his ship.”
“That is not possible,” swallowed the mayor. “The seizure just happened. How could he possibly know.”
Lyra smiled and nodded to the Khadoran mage. The mage walked to the window and opened it. She wove an air tunnel to Khadoratung. Emperor Marak was waiting for it.
“What is the situation down there?” asked Emperor Marak.
“The crew of the ship and the Star of Sakova are in the office of Mayor Robit,” reported the mage. “The mayor has declared the crew of the ship to be free to leave. I told him that I would inform you when our ship was safely at sea.”
“That is wise,” replied Emperor Marak. “Anyone who would seize another country’s ship is not to be trusted too far. Is Lyra safe?”
“I am,�
�� Lyra said loud enough to reach the air tunnel. “We will not trouble you any further, Marak. I merely wanted to convince the mayor that we are capable of contacting you whenever we want to.”
The Khadorans glanced at Lyra when she addressed the Emperor with familiarity, but she merely smiled in return.
“Very well, Lyra,” replied Emperor Marak. “Contact me when the situation in Gatong is stable. I have already given an order to ready an army to send down there, but I do not want to disrupt their training any longer than necessary.”
Lyra nodded and the Khadoran mage broke the air tunnel. She closed the window and returned to stand with the crew.
“That was not a trick, was it?” the mayor asked nervously. “Was that really Emperor Marak of Khadora?”
“It was him,” declared Lyra, “but that is not important for the needs of our discussion.”
“Not important?” gulped the mayor. “How can you say it is not important? He has already been notified that I seized his ship. Can’t you at least tell him it was a mistake?”
“I could,” smiled Lyra, “but I promise you that it is totally unnecessary. He is either going to send his armies, or he is not. The deciding factor will be what I tell him about the outcome of this meeting.”
“I don’t understand,” responded the mayor. “Why is it that you have such a close relationship with the Emperor of Khadora? Why would he send armies on your behalf?”
“Because we are allies,” declared the Star of Sakova. “Emperor Marak has unified the Khadorans and the Chula. I intend to unify the Omungans and the Sakovans. It really is not hard to understand.”
“Does that mean that if we agree to be at peace with the Sakovans in exchange for food, that we will also be at peace with the Khadorans?” asked Mayor Robit.
“That was this morning’s offer,” Lyra shook her head. “That was what I was going to ask for before you imprisoned me and seized Emperor Marak’s ship. Things have changed now.”
“What is your new offer?” asked the mayor.
“Your surrender,” Lyra stated. “Gatong is to become a Sakovan city. In return for your allegiance, food will be shipped in on a regular basis. Mages will arrive to rejuvenate your diseased fields. In short, the people of Gatong will be treated as the rest of the Sakovans are. You will be loved and cared for. You will be well fed and well trained. What is your response?”
The mayor’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. He stared at Lyra as if she had three heads. Finally, he closed his eyes and shook his head. When he reopened his eyes he sighed deeply.
“You can’t be serious?” posed the mayor. “If Gatong defects, the Katana’s armies will march here with a vengeance. It would be a slaughter. General Papper’s troops cannot be expected to stand against the major armies of Okata.”
“You are in a rough position, Mayor Robit,” Lyra replied. “General Papper’s troops cannot stand up to the Katana’s army. They also cannot stand up to the Sakovan armies, and certainly not to the Khadoran armies. No matter what decision you make, you are going to offend a nation whose armies will have little difficulty in destroying your city. All things being equal, which choice guarantees you enough food to be able to survive until the armies arrive?”
“Eating a last meal is hardly something that matters much when everyone is going to die,” frowned the mayor. “Why can’t you just leave us alone? I will make sure that General Papper’s troops do not attack Sakovans, and you can forget about us.”
“That is not acceptable,” Lyra shook her head. “My next stop is Fortung. I will not leave Gatong behind me as an enemy city. Your choices are limited. Either you surrender peaceably, or I will defeat you. I prefer that I not be forced to kill the people of Gatong. I will also point out that I will be working my way towards Okata. Any armies from the capital will have to go through me first. Therefore, your risk is small. If I die, you merely have to swear your allegiance to the Katana. If he dies, you need do nothing but eat the food I provide. What could be simpler?”
“You present a good case,” the mayor swallowed hard. “There is still one small matter that must be attended to.”
“What is that?” asked Lyra.
“General Papper,” replied the mayor. “We will need his confirmation for this to work. While the Imperial Guards may take some orders from me, it is ultimately the general that they will obey.”
Lyra nodded and frowned. She turned to the Khadorans.
“It is time for you to leave the city,” she said to the captain.
“I think we should stay until this is resolved,” objected the captain.
“Your portion of this is resolved,” Lyra said adamantly. “I want you out to sea before General Papper is released from his cell.”
“You will end up back in a cell,” warned the captain.
“I will not,” assured Lyra. “If the general so much as tries to harm me, I will destroy this city by myself. You do not want to be here.”
“You must be kidding,” replied the captain, as his eyes grew wide with disbelief.
“She is not joking,” interjected the Khadoran mage. “The damage to the doors in the prison was such a small effort on her part that she did not even need to concentrate. Believe her and give her the keys to the cell.”
The captain nodded and handed the keys to Lyra.
“Thank you,” smiled Lyra as the crew turned to leave. “Have a safe voyage home. Send in one of the Imperial Guards when you leave.”
The crew left and an Imperial Guard cautiously entered the room. Lyra tossed the keys to him.
“General Papper is locked in a cell downstairs,” stated Lyra. “Please free him and bring him to the mayor’s office.”
The Imperial Guard looked to the mayor for confirmation. The mayor nodded and the soldier left the room.
“I hope you know what you are doing,” the mayor said with concern. “General Papper will be furious when he arrives here. I would not be surprised if he immediately attacks you.”
“I would not be surprised either,” Lyra said as a blue cylinder suddenly surrounded her. “I do expect you to calm him down before too many Imperial Guards get hurt.”
“Before they get hurt?” questioned the mayor as he stared at the blue cylinder. “Were you serious about destroying this city by yourself? Can you really do that?”
“I have never tried destroying a city before,” confessed the Star of Sakova, “but I have never met a task I could not accomplish. I certainly do not wish to experiment on Gatong.”
“Nor do I want you to,” agreed the mayor. “You have not lied to me yet. I suspect that your words are true. What does the blue cylinder do?”
“It protects me from harm,” answered Lyra. “Any attempts to harm me will be disastrous to those who try.”
Chapter 25
Resolution at Gatong
The door to Mayor Robit’s office flew open, and General Papper stormed in with four Imperial Guards. He glared at the Star of Sakova with obvious contempt.
“Seize her,” he shouted.
“Stop,” shouted the mayor. “We are here to talk, not fight.”
The Imperial Guards halted and glanced from the mayor to the general.
“I gave an order,” shouted the general. “Obey me.”
The first Imperial Guard moved forward and reached out to grab Lyra. His scream roared through the room as his arm passed through the blue cylinder. The soldier spun away from Lyra, clutching the stump of his arm. He stumbled several feet before falling on the floor and writhing in pain. The second soldier watched in horror as he halted, his hand mere inches from the blue cylinder.
The general swore and pulled his sword. He shoved the second soldier aside and swung his sword towards Lyra’s neck. He stared with disbelief as the blade of his sword vanished. He pulled the sword back expecting to see the blade reappear as if the whole thing had been some type of illusion. He stared at the shortened blade and then looked up at Lyra.
“Can we talk calmly
now?” she asked.
“Sit down, General,” offered the mayor. “Any attempt to harm Lyra will only result in more embarrassment. I have had a long talk with the Star of Sakova during your absence. She has something to say that you must hear.”
One of the Imperial Guards lifted the wounded soldier and carried him out of the room. The other soldiers stood and stared at Lyra with fear etched on their faces.
“How can you act so calmly about this?” scowled the general. “Are you going to just sit there and let this Sakovan dictate to us?”
“I am,” nodded the mayor. “You see, instead of trying to use brute force, I opted to listen to find out what the problem is.”
“And what is the problem?” snapped the general.
“The problem, General,” smiled the mayor, “is that you are trying to destroy our new leader. Unless we agree to do what the Star of Sakova wants us to do, Gatong will cease to exist.”
“You are mad,” retorted the general. “I will never follow this witch.”
“Then I suggest you run into her blue cylinder head first so we can be about the business of choosing your successor,” shrugged the mayor. “The Sakovans are allied with the Khadorans. Emperor Marak already has an army ready to come to Gatong to destroy us. Are you willing to lead your men into battle against the northern horde? Are you wiling to do it without any food supplies? Are you willing to leave your flank open to attack from Sakovans while you are doing it?”
“Are you serious?” asked the general as the color drained out of his face. “Did she play that trick with some guy’s voice and try to make you believe it was the Emperor of Khadora?”
“She did not,” answered the mayor, “but the Khadoran mage from the ship did. I, too, was skeptical at first, but I now know that it was genuine.”
“How could you know such a thing?” asked the general as he tossed his useless sword on the floor. “You have never heard the voice of the Emperor of Khadora. Whatever she did to persuade you, I would not believe it.”
“What persuaded me was not something she did intentionally,” replied the mayor.
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