“I beg your mercy,” cried the commander. “I had no way of knowing that the escapees were in my sector. I have served you faithfully. Please don’t kill me.”
“Very well,” the Emperor replied after several minutes of silence. “Stand up.”
The commander rose submissively. He looked around the room to see who was present. He avoided the glare from the emperor and stared at the floor. Vand gestured to the gold-trimmed officer and instructed him to open a door at the rear of the chamber. The officer immediately complied, his expression one of wonder.
“Walk with me,” the Emperor said to the commander.
The soldier nodded and followed the Emperor out of the chamber. Lady Mystic tugged on Aakuta’s sleeve and nodded towards the door. The two mages followed the emperor and the soldiers. The small group emerged into a corridor. They walked along the corridor a short distance before they came to another door. The emperor turned and dismissed the gold-trimmed officer. When he had left, the emperor opened the door to the chamber. A blast of hot arid air immediately swept into the corridor. The emperor’s face began to glow with pleasure.
“Wait inside for me,” the emperor instructed the commander.
The soldier nodded and walked into the chamber. A sudden brilliant glow emanated from the chamber, and the soldier began screaming hysterically. Emperor Vand smiled thinly at Aakuta.
“Don’t even think of betraying me,” Vand warned Aakuta. “There are some powers so great that you will never be able to comprehend them.” Turning to face Lady Mystic, the emperor continued, “Enjoy yourself with the commander. Make sure that everyone knows what happened to him.”
Lady Mystic nodded her assurance, and Vand stepped into the chamber. After several minutes, the screaming soldier flew out of the chamber and slammed into the wall of the corridor. The door closed silently, cutting off the brilliant glow.
“What do we do with him now?” Aakuta asked as he watched the screaming soldier banging his head against the stone floor in an attempt to kill himself.
“We enjoy the show,” shrugged Lady Mystic. “He needs to be seen in the city as an example of what happens to those who fail their duties. Should we levitate him down the stairs, or just toss his body off the roof?”
“He won’t die?” asked Aakuta.
“Not until he is allowed to,” replied Lady Mystic.
Chapter 3
An Odd Assortment
The string of red-clad soldiers wound through the city to the Temple of Vand. The line ran around the temple and into a huge cavernous room through the rear entrance. Lady Mystic and Aakuta stood in the center of the room watching the procession. At the end of the room opposite the entrance, Emperor Vand stood mumbling words as he took a soldier’s right wrist into his hand. A small curl of smoke rose from the contact, and the soldier jolted slightly. Vand dropped the man’s wrist and waited for the next soldier to step forward so he could repeat the procedure.
The recently processed soldier shook his head as he fought the pain that had been inflicted on him. After a few seconds, he walked forward to a long table and picked up the clothes that had been laid out for him. He turned silently and marched towards the rear exit from the temple where Clarvoy and Santiock waited for him. General Santiock stared at the soldier as the man halted in front of him.
“Brown and yellow uniform,” General Santiock announced.
“He will be impersonating a soldier of the Kamaril clan of Khadora,” declared Clarvoy. “He will not be leaving until tomorrow.”
“Return to your barracks,” ordered General Santiock. “Report to the docks at daybreak.”
The soldier nodded silently and marched out the door. Already the next hellsoul was approaching the general.
“Simple black cloak,” announced General Santiock.
“I have need of him tonight,” Clarvoy smiled mischievously. “Send him to the docks.”
Suddenly, the crazed commander raced into the temple, his red uniform torn and ragged and his wide-open eyes focusing on nothing. The man’s mouth was twisted grotesquely and drool ran down his chin. The guards moved quickly to halt his progress. Two spears pierced the man’s side and a sword slashed across his abdomen. The commander fell to the ground, screaming in pain. Seconds later, he rose and began running again, his entrails hanging through his fresh wound. The guards seized him and dragged him out of the temple. Vand looked briefly at the distraction and instantly returned to processing the long line of soldiers.
“What a horrible existence,” remarked Aakuta from the center of the room. “How long will he exist like that?”
“As I said before,” smiled Lady Mystic. “He will not be allowed to die until Vand feels the punishment has been met. Such is the price to pay for betraying a god.”
“A rather heavy price,” Aakuta remarked. “It was humorous at first, but it grows tiring now.”
“It is meant to grate on your nerves, Aakuta,” smiled Lady Mystic. “For some reason Vand does not trust you. I can’t imagine why.”
“Nor can I,” scowled Aakuta. “I have tried to be helpful to the Emperor. I have studied your spells and potions. I have even offered my advice on how to improve them. My every action has been to make Vand’s operation more successful, but he insists on sending fools to the mainland. Can he not see the destruction he is doing to his own cause?”
“Do you think he cares about his losses?” laughed Lady Mystic. “Vand is thousands of years old, Aakuta. His playing in Khadora and its neighboring countries brings amusement to him. It really doesn’t matter in the end what the Torak does. So he unites the pitiful armies of Khadora, so what? They still will be unable to defend against what Vand is going to throw at them. The same is true of the Sakovans and the Fakarans. In fact, maybe their newfound organization will make the war more enjoyable.”
“Are you telling me that my advice is rejected even though he knows that I am right?” asked the dark mage.
“Vand doesn’t want your advice,” replied Lady Mystic. “He wants you to be excited about his projects. Oh, your advice might be desirable when it conflicts with his other advisors as that makes for an interesting exchange, but he will not alter his methods because you think your ways are better.”
“So he is going to send these thousands of hellsouls to the mainland just for excitement?” questioned Aakuta.
“Mostly,” nodded Lady Mystic. “Oh, Clarvoy will make good use of them no doubt, but it is the excitement Vand desires. Think about it. It is really a brilliant plan. Thousands of assassins roaming the mainland causing death and destruction, and they will not be able to be killed. Imagine the havoc this will cause. It almost makes me want to go and watch.”
“How does Vand get his excitement from this?” inquired Aakuta. “What gain does he get when he cannot witness the havoc?”
“He can somehow,” frowned Lady Mystic. “I do not understand it, but he has a way of seeing what happens. I think he gets visions in that chamber behind the throne room. How the visions come, or how accurate they are, is unknown to me, but he usually has a good feel for what is going on in the mainland.”
“Interesting,” mused Aakuta. “I truly wonder what exists in there.”
“Do not even think about it,” warned Lady Mystic. “You saw what happened to the commander. Your curiosity will be your death, or worse.”
* * *
Rhoda rose from her bed at Raven’s Point and walked to the window. The breeze was coming off the ocean as she leaned out the window. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes as the wind gently blew her long black hair back into the room. As an air mage, Rhoda loved the feel of the wind upon her face. She remained frozen for several minutes as she felt the soft caress of the breeze. Eventually, she opened her eyes and stared into the predawn darkness. The stars overhead twinkled brightly, but she could smell the faint tinge of fog in the air. She pulled back from the window and slipped on a robe.