Richard Tuttle - Winged Warrior

“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.

Lady Mystic ran out of the temple and through the streets of the city. She wandered through the jungle to the secluded spot on the beach where she had spied on Aakuta. There she threw herself on the ground and cried herself to sleep.

The balding mage hurried through the streets of Morada, capital of the elven nation of Elvangar. He looked around anxiously before slipping into the Society of Mages. Once inside the old building, the mage made his way through the reading room, nodding to two of his acquaintances before exiting the room and entering his private study.

In the reading room, the two men rose nonchalantly and put down the books they had been reading. The tall, lean man left first, and the overweight one dallied for a moment before following. Both men made their way to the same private study that the bald man had entered.

“Salfour,” greeted the bald man. “Have a seat. Is Levitor coming?”

The door opened before Salfour could answer. The overweight mage slipped into the room and closed the door.

“You look worried, Maraton,” commented Levitor as he also took a seat. “What did you find out?”

“Our task will not be an easy one,” sighed Maraton as he sat behind the desk. “Avalar is determined to aid the humans in their war with Vand. I wish Karaza was still with us.”

“He is not with us because he wanted to claim the throne for himself,” replied Salfour. “He was foolish to think that the people would break the thousand-year rule of the Kierans.”

“And just how would you suggest we gain control of the country if we let the Kierans keep the throne?” retorted Levitor. “None of us have Kieran blood flowing through our veins.”

“I don’t know,” conceded Salfour. “What I meant is that Karaza saw himself as too important. He should have worked with the rest of us. Together we could have succeeded. Now we not only have Avalar back among us, we also have his two daughters to contend with. It just complicates everything.”

“There is a way,” Maraton interrupted. “I have spent a great deal of time thinking about this.”

“Do not hold us in suspense,” replied Salfour. “Say what you know.”

“Queen Alycia has a sister,” declared Maraton. “She is Kieran by blood as same as the queen. If the royal family were to have fatal accidents, Kanis would have a valid claim to the throne.”

“I remember the sister,” nodded Levitor. “In the early days she used to live at the palace, but I don’t think she has been seen in years. What happened to her?”

“She did not get along well with Avalar,” answered Maraton. “They fought constantly. Kanis tried to express her views about how Elvangar should be ruled. Avalar thought her ideas were foolish and ignored them. When things came to a head, she tried to get Alycia to come to her aid. The queen refused to intervene, and Kanis left the palace forever. She moved to a small village and has lived there ever since.”

“And why would she want to become involved now?” asked Salfour. “Obviously she has given up any hopes of ruling Elvangar.”

“Yesterday,” grinned Maraton, “I would have agreed with you.”

“And now?” prompted Levitor.

“I took it upon myself to visit her yesterday,” smiled Maraton. “I made up a reasonable excuse for my presence in the small village and acted like I just happened to recognize her. She was flattered that someone from the Society of Mages would remember her and invited me into her home.”

“And because she talked to you, you think she will aid us?” frowned Levitor. “You can’t be serious?”

“Oh, but I am,” grinned Maraton. “When Avalar and the princesses were lost at sea, Kanis returned to Morada. She figured that she could move back into the palace and live with her sister. No doubt she expected to exert influence over the queen. To her surprise, Alycia refused to even see her. She left Morada in a very bitter mood, a mood that has not improved over time.”

“No doubt Karaza had a hand in refusing her entry into the palace,” quipped Salfour. “He was always jealous of anyone else exerting any influence over the queen.”

“No doubt,” nodded Maraton. “In talking to Kanis yesterday, I rekindled her feelings about the royal family. She hates Avalar with a passion, and despises her own sister. Words cannot begin to describe her feelings towards the two princesses. I am sure that she would execute them if she got the chance. She sees them as obstacles.”

“How does all of this help us?” asked Levitor. “So you have a Kieran that would be glad to see the royal family disposed of. Am I missing something here? Kanis has no power in Elvangar. She will never be queen while any of the four members of the royal family live.”

“An accurate statement,” agreed Maraton. “She does not do anything for us at the moment, but I believe that her cooperation is the key to our success. The people are evenly divided about this upcoming war. Our first task is to keep things that way.”

“Wait a moment,” interrupted Salfour. “I thought our task was to sway the people against the war?”

“It was,” nodded Maraton, “but I have a new plan.”

“A new plan?” echoed Levitor. “Isn’t that something for the three of us to discuss? Or are you following in Karaza’s footsteps and trying to seize the throne for yourself?”

Maraton sighed and shook his head. “Why don’t you accuse me of being a fool while you are at it?” he snapped at Levitor. “The three of us are here right now to discuss my new plan. Do you want to argue about protocol, or do you want to hear the plan?”

“Let him speak,” Salfour urged Levitor. “Maraton is not like Karaza.”

“I am sorry,” apologized Levitor. “Tell us of your plan.”

“I understand that we are all tense after what Karaza did,” soothed Maraton, “but I think we can salvage something out of it. I think we all know that a Kieran must reign, at least for now. Kanis is the only hope we have of finding someone with a proper claim to the throne. If the peace faction of Elvangar wins decisively in the ongoing struggle about aiding the humans, our chance for power will disappear. This is also true if Avalar wins decisively because we will be off to war. Things must remain evenly divided.”