Richard Tuttle - Star of Sakova

She saw the ever-increasing pile of papers on her desk as she entered the office and a small sigh escaped her lips. She never knew that so much paperwork was demanded of a ruler. Everybody wanted her authorization to do something or purchase some item. She shuffled through the papers absent-mindedly and finally pushed them aside with a mental promise to appoint someone else to give authorizations for requests. She had not detected any dishonesty from the Sakovan people and she ended up approving all of the requests anyway. Why not let someone else handle the paperwork?

“Temiker said you wanted to see me,” Master Malafar said softly, interrupting Lyra’s thoughts.

Lyra looked and smiled at her father, “Yes I did. I am sorry that I have not had time sooner for this. I was just thinking of ways to free up more of my time. Please sit down Father.”

Malafar walked to one of the two chairs before the desk and sat down. “I hope I have not been too much of a problem for you,” he sighed. “I guess I have made a rather large mess of things lately. I do not understand how I could have been so blind. Rhodella must have laughed at me daily.”

Lyra sank into her chair and shook her head. “No Father,” she assured him. “Mother would never have laughed at you. You had reasons for your beliefs as she did for hers. Besides, you must not dwell on the past. We cannot bring Rhodella or Alfred back, so we must turn our thoughts towards the future.”

“The past looks better to me than the future,” frowned Malafar. “I had everything I could ever want and I threw it all away. The future holds nothing for me and that is what I deserve.”

Lyra bit down on her lower lip and frowned. Malafar was truly despondent. Temiker had been wise to tell her so that she could help before it was too late. Her mind whirled with thoughts, seeking direction for how she could best help her father forgive himself. Perhaps forgiveness should not be the goal, she reasoned. Perhaps a distraction would be better for a time.

“Father,” she smiled, “your knowledge of Omungan magic is unsurpassed in the world. Would you consider starting an Academy here in StarCity? I would fund any amount you might need to get it started.”

Malafar’s eyes sparkled briefly, showing the love he had for teaching his art to others, but it faded quickly. “It would not work, Lyra,” he sighed. “These people know all about me. They know that I have brought war and devastation to their doorstop. They know I have spent my life hating them and the god they pray to. No, I can never be accepted here and rightfully so. I have done a great disservice to Rhodella’s people. Each of their deaths will be on my hands. I cannot do it.”

“Father,” Lyra pleaded, “they will accept you. These are good people and they will understand. You will not have to teach anything offensive, I promise.”

“Bah,” scowled Malafar. “I never should have stopped teaching offensive magic. Perhaps the Academy could have defended itself if I had taught what I should have. I was too stupid to use my own magic even to save my wife. I have nothing to offer the Sakovans anyway. Temiker has always been a better teacher and a more powerful mage and he is not so full of himself that he demands people address him as Master. No, Lyra, I am not needed here or anywhere else.”

Lyra opened her mouth to object, but her father raised his hand to halt her interruption. “I am glad that I survived to see you again,” he smiled. “I am so proud of you. Rhodella would have been thrilled to see her little girl as the Star of Sakova. Maybe she still can.”

Lyra looked towards the noise at the door, wiping the beginning tears from her eyes.

“Is this a bad time?” StarWind asked. “Jostin said you wanted to see us right away, but we can come back later.”

“Yes, it is a bad time,” Lyra stated shaking her head vigorously, but Malafar rose out of his chair.

“Come in,” he commanded. “This news is important. I can wait off to the side while you report. After you are done, we can continue our family talk.”

StarWind looked back and forth between Lyra and her father, but HawkShadow strode in and took one of the available chairs in front of the desk. Malafar had already retreated to a chair in the corner by the door and StarWind finally stepped forward and seated herself in the chair next to HawkShadow.

“Very well,” sniffed Lyra as she lowered her head to wipe her eyes. “What did Mayor Ferde have to say? Did you get in to see him?”

“We did,” grinned HawkShadow. “A little help from Fisher didn’t hurt.”

“Fisher?” Lyra asked with surprise. “I thought he was on his way to Khadora with Lord Marak.”

“He probably is now,” chuckled StarWind. “He was on the palace grounds, dressed as an Imperial Guard Captain. He distracted the patrols while HawkShadow and I stole into the mansion.”

“Amazing,” commented Lyra. “How did the Mayor react to your file?”

“With a great deal of surprise and skepticism,” StarWind reported. “He said that he knew we believed it, but he will most certainly check it out himself. I threw him the bonus of Klaarg’s whereabouts. I figured getting Ferde to believe us is more important than any benefit we get out of capturing Alazar’s henchman.”

“Good choice,” agreed Lyra, “although I would love to repay Klaarg myself for the attack on the Academy. Do you think Ferde will help remove Alazar from power and end this war?”

“No,” interjected HawkShadow. “Even if he believes everything we have shown him, he will raise no hand against the Katana.”

“Are you sure?” Lyra persisted.

“We’re sure,” StarWind agreed. “He said as much.”

“Then the trip was wasted,” sighed Lyra.

“I don’t agree,” asserted StarWind. “Feeding the people of Campanil is victory enough to justify the trip. They are not our enemy and we should take solace that we were able to help them. Besides, Ferde will stop his call for war and try to convince everyone else that the conflict is not called for. That was the goal of our mission and I believe it was accomplished. There must be some way to either get Alazar out of power or at least hinder his ability to make war on us.”

Lyra pursed her lips in thought for a moment and then looked at HawkShadow. “Our assassin could visit Okata and relieve the Omungans of their new Katana,” she suggested.

“No,” StarWind nearly shouted. “That would be the biggest mistake of all. That would ensure that the Omungans need to wipe us out. We must find a way of dealing with Alazar that does not implicate us in the eyes of the Omungan people.”

Lyra nodded acquiescence and prodded the two Sakovans for a detailed report of their conversation with Mayor Ferde. Interrupted by questions from the Star, the report took over an hour. As StarWind and HawkShadow rose to leave, Lyra noticed that Master Malafar was gone.

“Darn!” exclaimed Lyra. “Did either of you notice when Malafar left?”

StarWind turned to gaze at the empty seat in the corner and shook her head. “Guess I was too absorbed in the meeting to notice,” she declared.

“Would you send Jostin to find him when you leave?” asked Lyra. “I need to finish that conversation with him.”

StarWind nodded and she left the office with HawkShadow in tow. Lyra fidgeted nervously around her desk for a long while and finally her patience ran out. She started to storm out of the office and almost bumped into Jostin as the young boy was charging into her office.

“Sorry,” Jostin panted as he bowed to the Star. “I have looked everywhere and cannot find him. He has disappeared.”

“I doubt that he disappeared,” Lyra said softly as she fretted about finding his body somewhere. “Tell Temiker and StormSong that I want to see them.”