Richard Tuttle - Star of Sakova

The only two people in the world he could really trust with his life was his brother Malafar and his wife Rhodella, but they were hundreds of leagues away, far on the other side of the country. Malafar still blamed Temiker for his son’s death and had not spoken to him since, and while he would certainly not be happy to see Temiker, he would hide him and protect him. Tears welled up in his eyes as he thought of Malafar and Alfred. He loved his brother dearly and had treated Alfred as his own son. Malafar could not accept that one of Temiker’s students had killed Alfred in a botched assassination attempt on the Katana, Holy Ruler of Omunga. The ironic twist was that Temiker couldn’t accept it either. Harcad had been an exemplary student and the thought of him trying to assassinate the Katana was ludicrous. Harcad would never have attempted such a thing, but Malafar would not hear about it. His grief over the loss of Alfred locked reason from Malafar’s mind as efficiently as Temiker’s ward over his books would halt attempts to procure them.

Temiker paused in the shadows at the mouth of the alley and peered up and down the street he had to cross. The paused saved him from capture as three dark-clad riders galloped down the street heading for the nearest gate. The wizard wiped the sweat from his brow as he thought about his own stupidity. Horses. He had not counted on the invaders having horses and therefore swift access to all of the city gates. How could he have been so stupid, he berated himself? It didn’t matter which gate he chose now because there would be invaders at each of them.

Temiker shrunk back into the shadows and thought about his predicament. He had some options still open to him, but he needed to think about how effective they each would be. Certainly he could fight his way out. He was quite capable of dealing out death and destruction to his enemy, but he had no idea of who they were or how many of them existed. He could not even be sure they were all dressed darkly and he abhorred the killing or maiming of innocent civilians. No, until he knew who his enemy was he could not fight his way out. He wondered how the Imperial Guard would react to the invaders gathering at each of the gates. Would the Guard attempt to disperse them or ask their business? Would the invaders wait within the city gates or directly outside the gates? If he managed to get out one of the gates, would he then be attacked outside the city? He could create another fog and slip out the gate unseen, but using that trick again would be setting off a signal that he was leaving.

A smile split Temiker’s face and he peered out at the street once more. Seeing nothing visible, he sprinted across the street and down another alley. Swiftly and furtively, the wizard negotiated alley after alley until he was in the north section of the city. Standing in an alley not far from the North Gate, he summoned the fog around his feet and let it build to a thick roiling cloud. With a flick of his wrist he sent the cloud spewing forth towards the gate like an ocean wave descending upon a tiny isle. While he would have liked to watch the reactions of the invaders, Temiker turned and ran back up the alley. Shouts rang muffled through the mist as the bald mage crossed a street and headed along another alley.

Temiker was getting winded from the run across town and paused in one of the muddy alleys to catch his breath. He gazed up between the buildings and saw the first hint of the morning sky. While dawn was still some time off, the darkness he was using so effectively would be receding quickly. Removing his white robe, Temiker dragged it along the muddy alley until it was filthy. He scooped a handful of mud and smeared some on his face and bald head. Donning his now filthy robe, the wizard took off down the alley again. Each time he waited to cross a street, he brushed at the mud on his head and robe. As the caked mud began to dry, portions of it flaked off. By the time he reached the south section of the city, it no longer looked as though he covered himself with mud, he just looked filthy.

As he neared the South Gate, Temiker adopted a hunched-over walk and shuffled his feet awkwardly. He glanced anxiously about as he rolled his head from side to side as he walked. There were four Imperial Guards at the gate. There were also six men who could possibly be with the invaders, all of them darkly clad. Temiker hobbled across the street to the city wall and leaning against it, slid down to a sitting position. Rolling his head from side to side, he looked every bit a drunken beggar, yet not so drunk that the Guard would arrest him.

Quietly he observed the invaders. Two groups of three men each stood in crude circles as if they were just early rising citizens who happened to meet and talk in the street. Temiker did not see any sign of the invaders’ horses. The Imperial Guard stood in two groups of two, boringly watching the comings and goings of the predawn city. One man in each group of invaders was constantly observing the area while the others just talked.

Temiker closed his eyes and felt for the wind, felt it flowing briskly through the gate and dispersing as it caught the angles of the buildings. Lowering his normal voice about an octave, he formed the words and let them drift off into the wind, knowing the sound would become audible farther down the windstream.

“Hey there! Did you see those men take those horses? I am sure they didn’t belong to them.”

Both the invaders and the Guard turned towards where they heard the voice and looked. One of the observing invaders nodded with his head and sent two men running down the street and around the corner of a building.

After a few minutes the two men returned shaking their heads. The beggar rose and hobbled up the alley he had come down before. Carefully working his way around to the building where the two invaders had gone, Temiker found six horses tethered to a post. Soothing the beast, the wizard picked one and untied it, leading it back through the alley towards the gate. Just short of the where the alley opened to the street by the gate, Temiker placed his hands on the horse’s head and cast a calming spell. The horse would remain quiet until Temiker retrieved it.

The beggar hobbled out of the alley and back to his spot by the wall without anyone’s notice. Temiker realized that people had a tendency to categorize others and the beggar was beneath notice unless he became troublesome. Time was getting short for his escape when Temiker sent another voice along the windstream, this one with a sailor’s accent.

“Bloody right! There is fireballs and magical missiles hitting the North Gate like we is under attack. I hear’d the Imperial Guard up there is getting their heads kicked. Someone says there is people trying to free some wizard or sumptin like that.”

The invaders and Imperial Guards snapped towards the sound as one. The invaders ran towards where their horses were tethered while the Imperial Guards quickly conferred with each other. The invaders appeared back on the street with only five of them mounted and one screaming to the Guards about his horse being stolen. With hurried directions from the Guard in charge, two other Guards ran over to the invaders. Instead of talking with the victim of the horse theft, the Guards raised their pikes and forced two of the invaders to dismount. Taking the invaders’ horses, the two guards galloped up the street towards the North Gate. Cursing after them, the invaders were forced to double up on their horses and charge after the Imperial Guards to join the fight at the North Gate.

Temiker smiled as the two Imperial Guards left, talking to each other in hushed tones. His ruse had performed better than he had expected. He had not expected any of the Guards to leave. Waiting just a few moments so the others were well away, Temiker raised his voice several octaves and sent his next message out.