“No punishment can be as bad as what we saved you from in Motanga,” MistyTrail said as she locked eyes with Caldal.
Caldal frowned stubbornly for a moment and then nodded his head in agreement.
“I owe you my life,” he declared. “I know that I have acted rudely since arriving here. Eltor has already rebuked me for doing so, but I cannot wash away the years of training that I grew up with. I will try to behave. Correct me gently when you see me straying from your good graces.”
“I will try gently at first,” grinned MistyTrail. “I hope you are quick at adjusting. I would hate to have to beat some sense into you.”
“Your attempts at it could be fun,” chuckled Caldal in his first display of merriment since entering Khadora. “Perhaps we should practice this afternoon before we pack for the trip?”
Chapter 4
Attack of the Hellsouls
The army encampment outside of the Sakovan city of Alamar spread for miles in every direction. Thousands of tents dotted the landscape, and wagons loaded with food spread through the camp like the veins of a leaf. Lyra halted her horse and sat silently for several moments absorbing the image.
“I am glad that we didn’t have to face this army during the war,” commented StarWind. “It is one thing to talk about twenty thousand men, but it is quite another to see them all gathered in one place.”
“How long will Alamar’s food last feeding so many?” asked HawkShadow.
“The armies will not be staying here for long,” answered the Star of Sakova. “The purpose of the meeting today is to send General Romero and General Didyk back to Okata. By the time they reach the city, the mages will have restored the fields there.”
“Can the generals be trusted?” asked HawkShadow. “They were our enemies not long ago.”
“I don’t know,” Lyra conceded, “but we have little choice in the matter. I asked General Manitow to keep them here until I spoke to them. I want a chance to impress upon them the need for solidarity. We must get ready to face Vand’s armies. We need the loyalty of these generals and their men.”
“I do not trust them,” interjected Goral.
Lyra smiled at the Sakovan giant. “I do not trust them either, Goral, but we still need them, and I will trust StarWind’s people to keep a close eye on them.”
“I will infiltrate spies into their camps,” promised the Sakovan spymaster. “If the generals become treasonous, I will know about it.”
“I have faith in you, StarWind,” smiled the Star of Sakova. “I also have confidence that HawkShadow will eliminate those who seek to destroy this union of ours.”
“Is that why you are not taking us to Angragar?” asked the Sakovan assassin.
“Yes,” Lyra admitted. “It is necessary for me to join the Torak and the Astor in Angragar, but the trip comes at a critical time for the Sakova. I need skilled Sakovans to protect me on this trip, but I need the best to remain here. LunarSigh and DarkBlade are already waiting for me within the city. They will keep me safe until I return home.”
“Both are well skilled,” StarWind responded, “but you are to take three people with you. Who is the third?”
“My Uncle Temiker,” smiled Lyra. “I want his help when we start studying the ancient tomes of the Qubari. He often sees things that others miss. I want to be sure that we learn everything that we can about this coming invasion.”
“Your choice of Temiker pleases me,” smiled StarWind. “He will watch over you.”
“Kaltara always watches over me,” Lyra replied with a smile. “Let’s go talk to our generals.”
The four Sakovans rode down the hill and through the encampment. Imperial Guards scurried to and fro throughout the camp, but those along the path of the Star of Sakova stopped and stared as the Sakovans rode by. Some soldiers wondered who the strangers were, but word quickly spread that the Star of Sakova was coming. Before they were half way to the generals’ tents, soldiers began bowing as Lyra passed. Soon crowds grew and created a corridor through the camp. Lyra smiled benevolently at the soldiers as she passed.
By the time the Sakovans reached the tents of the two generals, Romero and Didyk were standing outside. They both bowed humbly when the Sakovans halted and dismounted.
The only Imperial Guard, who was not bowed down, moved swiftly from alongside the tent. He stabbed a knife into the side of General Didyk. HawkShadow leaped forward, drawing his two-handed sword as he ran. As the Imperial Guard turned to run away, HawkShadow’s blade sliced into the man’s back. The assassin fell to the ground and died.
Lyra raced to the fallen general and knelt next to him while HawkShadow knelt next to the dead assassin and searched his body. HawkShadow found nothing but a small pouch of gold on the body. He reached for the assassin’s left arm to inspect the wrist area. Some assassins in Omunga were branded with a tattoo resembling a coiled serpent with wings. It was their way of identifying each other. HawkShadow dropped the left arm and examined the right one. He frowned when he saw the mark. It was not the tattoo that he had been expecting to see. Instead of the coiled serpent, there was a thumbprint seared into the man’s flesh. He shook his head and dropped the arm.
Lyra checked the wound in General Didyk’s side. She frowned at the oozing crevice.
“It was a poisoned blade,” Lyra announced. “StarWind, race to the city and fetch LifeTender. Her healing skills are much greater than mine.”
Instead of mounting her horse, StarWind wove an air tunnel to Temiker’s school. HawkShadow ran to help Lyra support the general’s body as he used his knife to cut away the man’s uniform. Imperial Guard’s started to drift closer to the commotion, and two of them knelt on the opposite side of the fallen general and helped HawkShadow disrobe Didyk. Lyra started casting healing spells. During the commotion, almost everyone missed seeing the dead assassin rising to his feet.
“Down,” shouted Goral. “Everyone get down.”
Thousands of soldiers immediately dropped to the ground in confusion. The Sakovan giant thundered across the ground in pursuit of the assassin. Still a couple of paces behind the fleeing man, Goral swung his massive maul as he surged forward. The maul slammed into the man’s head, spraying blood and tissue across the ground. Instantly, all parts of the assassin turned to smoke. The white uniform of the Imperial Guard fell to the ground in a heap. Soldiers who had been sprayed with portions of the exploded head stared as the blood on their uniforms smoked, leaving no stain at all.
“What was that?” asked one of the Imperial Guards as others began quietly moving away from Goral.
Goral turned and strode over to HawkShadow. “I thought you killed him.”
“I did,” frowned HawkShadow as he looked up at the giant. “Trust me. That man was dead. I know dead when I see it.”
“He was a hellsoul,” Lyra announced as she continued to cast healing spells on General Didyk. “There will be more of them soon. Where is LifeTender?”
“She will be here shortly,” promised StarWind.
“Let’s hope that shortly is soon enough to save the general’s life,” frowned the Star of Sakova.
* * *
Rejji and his brother, Bakhai, stood in the square in the center of the city of Taggot. Thousands of tradesmen moved around the city as the sound of hammering echoed from every corner. Horse drawn carts moved logs and loads of stones in every direction.
“Your people can build a city overnight,” commented Bakhai. “It is hard to imagine the small village that existed here not long ago.”
“Overnight is quite an exaggeration,” replied the Astor as he turned to observe the work, “but everyone is working hard to make our dreams come true. Much of the credit must go to Lakado. He drew up the plans for the city. I think he has done a fine job.”