“They must carry a thousand men each,” gasped Aakuta.
“Easily,” remarked Lady Mystic. “This is not the only shipyard, either. There are three others scattered around the island. The army sent forth from Motanga will be the largest ever seen since the fall of Vandegar.”
“Why are you showing me all of this?” frowned Aakuta. “I must presume that the building of this great navy is a closely held secret of Vand’s.”
“As secret as he can keep it,” nodded Lady Mystic. “Any ship sailing near Motanga is intercepted. The crews are either destroyed or captured. The ships are sunk. The arrival of your small ship would be an embarrassment to the authorities. Perhaps your clothing was sufficiently close enough to local garb to spare you from close scrutiny.”
“But you didn’t answer my question,” prompted Aakuta. “Why are you showing me these things?”
“I am not sure,” Lady Mystic admitted after a slight hesitation. “I don’t expect that you will ever leave this island, but I suppose there is more to it. I wanted to see your reaction to gauge where your sentiments lie.”
“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.”