Richard Tuttle - Island of Darkness

A junior officer of the Imperial Guards spat in the direction of the Star of Sakova. “How long must we listen to her babble,” he scowled to those around him.

“What do you propose to do to stop her?” retorted a senior officer as he looked around at the thousands of people and Imperial Guards gathered in the plaza. “Nothing seems to affect her. I am not going to be the one to lose an arm to that magical shield. Besides, her talk will accomplish nothing. Unless she threatens the Katana, or starts attacking us, I am willing to let her talk.”

“She called the Katana a fake,” snapped the junior officer. “Maybe we could all rush her from each side. Some of us would get hurt, but surely not all of us. Her shields must have some limitations.”

“In a short while,” Lyra continued, “the false Katana will be brought out here for your judgment, as will the members of the Katana’s Council. It is to you, the citizens of Okata, to judge the actions of these men. If you find them lacking in their service to the city, they will be punished.”

“Did you hear that?” scowled the junior officer. “Do you still think she does no harm by speaking? She probably has confederates inside the Imperial Palace while she stands here distracting us.”

The senior officer turned nervously and stared at the Imperial Palace. Although he saw no signs of battle at the palace, he nodded his head in agreement.

“All right,” he said to the junior officer. “Pass the order around the plaza. We will all charge her at once.”

Lyra saw the disturbance as Imperial Guards moved methodically whispering orders to others. She had expected an attack for some time, but she did not want the innocent citizens hurt. She quickly wove an air tunnel and let it stop just beyond the Imperial Guards who had crowded in front of the citizens. She warned the citizens to flee and not return until the dust settled. She repeated the message continually as she moved the air tunnel around the perimeter of the plaza. While the Imperial Guards gathered to attack, the citizens quietly turned and fled. The only people left in the plaza were Lyra and five thousand Imperial Guards.

The Star of Sakova gazed skyward as the soldiers prepared their attack. Her hands rose and soft words murmured from her lips. Suddenly the sky turned angry. Dark black clouds gathered over the Star of Sakova and began flowing into her blue cylinder. The clouds whirled ominously within the cylinder until Lyra was barely visible. As the dark mass rotated viciously, Lyra’s words rang out through the plaza.

“Do not attack me,” threatened the Star of Sakova. “I am loath to harm you, but I will do what I must to end this war. Stay away from me.”

“She is afraid,” grinned the junior officer as he gazed at the black swirling mass inside the blue cylinder. “She thinks she can hide in that darkness, but we will be attacking from every side. She will die.”

The senior officer nodded as he shouted the order to charge. Five thousand Imperial Guards shouted war cries and charged towards the Star of Sakova. Many raised their swords as they charged, others extended pikes before them. The Star of Sakova shook her head sadly and dropped the magical spell holding her blue cylinder shield. The cylinder winked out, leaving the Star of Sakova vulnerable.

When the cylinder disappeared, the compressed swirling winds were loosed. They spread outward with the force of a hurricane. The winds tore into the charging Imperial Guards and lifted them off the ground. Similar to the ripple caused by a pebble thrown into a pond, the ring of soldiers flew outward in a wave. The innermost soldiers crashed into those behind them. The collisions continued until the plaza was empty except for the Star of Sakova. In a huge ring outside the plaza, large heaps of Imperial Guard bodies littered the ground. Lyra slowly turned and surveyed the wreckage. She gritted her teeth in anger at the foolishness of the soldiers.

The front door to the Imperial Palace opened, and Monitors slowly ushered the members of the Katana’s Council onto the steps. They stood and stared at the piles of Imperial Guards and wondered if they should return inside to the safety of the palace.

“Make way,” shouted Colonel Zanta as he led the Monitors carrying the frozen Katana.

The colonel stepped through the door and moved aside so that the men carrying the Katana could exit the door. He gazed across the plaza and his mouth dropped open. He turned questioningly to one of the Monitors stationed outside the doors.

“The Imperial Guards decided to charge the woman,” the sentry reported. “A terrible wind suddenly ripped through the plaza. I am sure that she did it, but I cannot imagine how.”

“Are they all dead?” asked the colonel.

“No,” the sentry said as he pointed to Imperial Guards rising and separating from the pile. “I think they were just blown away from her. Look. Others are rising over there.”

“Fools,” shouted Lyra as she saw the Imperial Guards rising. “Do you think Kaltara would allow you to harm me? Have you lost whatever brains Kaltara has given you? Why do you constantly need to be demonstrated to? Can you not understand the power of God? Do I need to show you more power to make you understand?”

Lyra burned with anger. Her veins bulged as she surveyed the bodies around the plaza. Even the knowledge that the soldiers were not dead did little to calm her fury. She knew that they very well could be dead if Kaltara deemed it necessary. As her eyes moved over the soldiers rising from the piles, they landed on the headquarters of the Imperial Guard.

“You need demonstrations?” Lyra shouted. “Is that what is required for you to finally think about the God you are defying? Fine. Observe this.”

Lyra’s arms extended fully as she brought them together to point at the headquarters of the Imperial Guard. Tremendous power surged through her arms, her fists bulging, and the skin of her arms rippling viscously. She closed her eyes briefly as she felt the power surge from her combined fists. An invisible force sped across the plaza, distorting the air as it passed.

The force blasted into the front of the three-story building. The large entry doors disappeared, as they were smashed into the building. The sound of an explosion rocked the plaza as huge clouds of dust and stones flew out of every window of the building. Soldiers in front of the building scrambled to get away while others rose and watched in wonder. The debris stopped flying out of the windows, but the building groaned loudly as cracks appeared in the stone walls. The nearby soldiers moved back further.

Suddenly, the headquarters of the Imperial Guard collapsed. The walls all caved inward, and the roof fell on top of them. Within seconds, the building was nothing more than a rubbish heap, a pile of stones and broken columns. A huge cloud of dust rose high over the city.

Colonel Zanta watched the display of power from the steps of the Imperial Palace. He cringed inwardly about approaching someone with such power, but he recognized that someone had to take control of the situation or blood would flow through the city. He marched into the plaza and held his arms high as he rotated in a circle.

“Imperial Guards of Okata,” shouted the colonel. “I am Colonel Zanta, head of the Monitors. Your presence as soldiers in this plaza is no longer required. If you wish to remain as citizens of Okata, you may do so, but I will not tolerate any further moves to harm the Star of Sakova. If you wish to fulfill your duty in a military manner, guard the walls of the city.”

The colonel continued further into the plaza until he stood a few paces away from Lyra. They stared at each other for several moments. The colonel tried to calm his fear, and Lyra tried to suppress her anger.