Aakuta stood in the laboratory staring at the broken glass and ingredients strewn across the floor. He thought about his previous exit from the house and tried to understand his friend’s emotional state and determine what her reactions must have been. Finally, he nodded conclusively when he realized that she would take the air tunnel to Vand. There was nothing that Aakuta could do now to stop her. Instead of wasting time berating himself for his failure, Aakuta gathered up the ingredients that he had seen Lady Mystic use to make the pain-killing potion. He grabbed an old pack off the floor and filled it with what he would need to duplicate her potion.
With the pack in hand, Aakuta left the house, closing the door behind him. He immediately headed to the edge of the city and dashed across the open area to the forest beyond. Once he found a secluded glade, Aakuta sat down and opened the pack. He removed the ingredients and began to concoct a batch of the pain-killing potion. When he was done, he filled four glass bottles with the liquid and put stoppers in to seal them. He dug a hole with his hands and buried the old pack along with the tools used to make the potion. Taking the four bottles, Aakuta wandered through the woods, looking for four different places to hide the liquid drugs.
* * *
Lady Mystic stopped at the front entrance to the temple. The guards immediately stiffened and move their pikes to prohibit her entry.
“You know that you are not allowed in the temple,” stated one of the guards.
“I know,” Lady Mystic nodded. “Send word to my father that I am here to see him. It is extremely important.”
“The Emperor will not accept such a message,” the guard shook his head. “You do not exist.”
“You will go to the Emperor, and tell him that I am hear,” Lady Mystic said forcefully. “If you don’t, I will see that you are severely punished. Tell him that I know the secret of the air tunnel. Go!”
The two guards looked at each other for a long moment before one of them shrugged and stepped through the door. Lady Mystic waited impatiently for his return. The wait seemed like an eternity, but the guard eventually returned with a squad of soldiers.
“You will have an escort,” announced the guard.
Lady Mystic sighed and nodded. She had not expected her father to treat her so poorly, but she knew that everything would change in a few moments. She allowed herself to be escorted up to the throne room. She smiled broadly as she walked into the throne room. It felt like home to her. She gazed up at her father and smiled. The Emperor glared in return.
“You profess to know the air tunnel,” Vand announced bluntly. “Prove it.”
Lady Mystic halted halfway across the room. Half of the soldiers escorting her continued onward unaware of her halting. The other half stopped abruptly in confusion. Lady Mystic wove the air tunnel and aimed it at the Emperor.
“I have succeeded where others have failed, Father,” Lady Mystic said softly into the air tunnel.
A look of surprise illuminated the Emperor’s face. He grinned broadly and nodded. “Approach, Lady Mystic,” he said loudly.
Lady Mystic grinned and felt a shiver of victory course through her body. The others in the room stared in confusion as they wondered what was happening. Lady Mystic marched up and stood before her father.
“Teach me,” the Emperor instructed. “I want to know how it is done.”
Lady Mystic gladly instructed the Emperor in the creation of the air tunnel. He nodded his understanding and experimented with it. First he aimed one at Clarvoy, the head spy for Motanga.
“Now we have something we can use against them,” whispered the Emperor. “We must discuss the implications of this discover. Stay when the others are dismissed.”
Across the room, the head spy merely nodded. Next, the Emperor directed an air tunnel at one of the mages in the rear of the room. He instructed the man to leave the room. While no one else had heard the utterance, the mage nodded and walked out the doors.
“This is wonderful,” announced the Emperor. “How did you learn this magic?”
“I watched Aakuta use it,” grinned Lady Mystic. “Surely you can have no doubts about my loyalty now. He would die if he knew that I was instructing you in its use.”
“He would not die,” frowned the Emperor. “I have not allowed it yet. Why didn’t you bring this knowledge to me before? Why have you waited until now?”
“I just learned it,” answered Lady Mystic. “I brought the knowledge to you as soon as I learned it.”
“Do not lie to me,” shouted Vand. “The insane do not go around casting spells.”
“I am not lying,” frowned Lady Mystic. “I do not understand it, but Aakuta still has the ability to reason. I made up a potion to ease his pain, and he became quite lucid. The first thing he did was to run to the beach and create an air tunnel. I followed him and spied on him. I came here as soon as I learned his secret.”
“You aided the traitor?” scowled Vand. “You will never aid him again. Is that understood?”
“I understand,” Lady Mystic responded, her brow creasing heavily, “but my aid enabled us to discover his secret. Besides, I will never see him again once I move back into the temple. Surely you would not allow him entry.”
“Allow him entry?” balked Vand. “Never. I do not allow the enemy into my midst. Everybody out. This court session is over.”
The people started to leave. Lady Mystic turned to leave, and Vand stopped her.
“Not you, Daughter,” Vand said softly. “I am not through with you yet.”
Lady Mystic turned to her father and smiled. When all of the people had left, Clarvoy stepped forward and stood beside Lady Mystic.
“Lady Mystic has brought valuable information today,” the Emperor said to the head spy.
Lady Mystic beamed with pride as she listened.
“This information has altered my plans,” the Emperor continued. “Aakuta must be found and destroyed.”
“How can we destroy him?” asked Clarvoy. “He is protected from death.”
“Not any longer,” announced the Emperor. “By the time you exit the temple, his protection from death will be lifted.”
“It shall be as you wish,” nodded Clarvoy.
“You are also to go to Lady Mystic’s home,” instructed the Emperor. “Destroy her laboratory. I will not have traitors making potions to aid my enemy.”
“Destroy my laboratory?” Lady Mystic echoed with shock. “Is that really necessary? Couldn’t I just move it to my chambers here in the temple?”
“You have no chambers in this temple,” sneered the Emperor. “You never will again. I told you before that I do not tolerate traitors in my midst. You are alive only because you are my daughter, but life is all that our relationship buys you. Cross me again and even your life will be forfeit.”
“I am not a traitor,” Lady Mystic fumed. “Who else would bring you the air tunnel? I have done more for you than even Clarvoy.”
The Emperor struck swiftly. He rose from the throne and slapped Lady Mystic across the face. Lady Mystic sprawled on the floor and looked up at her father with hurt and surprise.
“You think that being my daughter makes you immune from my wrath?” laughed the Emperor. “I have had thousands of sons and daughters. You should be grateful that my blood flows through your veins. It is my only gift to you. Get out of my sight before I change my mind and have you executed for my enjoyment.”
Lady Mystic rose, her cheek stinging from the blow and tears flowing from her eyes. What hurt the most as she retreated from the room was the fact that Aakuta had been right all along. Her father was an animal who cared for no one but himself. Lady Mystic cried as she raced down the stairs.
Her first instinct was to run to her house and try to preserve her laboratory, but she knew that that effort was futile. Clarvoy would search her entire home to make sure that everything was destroyed. She wanted desperately to find Aakuta, but how could she face him now? Twice she had betrayed him. No man could possibly forgive her after that. She had had to choose between her lover and her father, and she had chosen wrong. Now she had neither.