Richard Tuttle - Aakuta - the Dark Mage

The Imperial soldier was struggling to free something around his neck as the shadow behind him exerted more pressure. Lord Marak acted swiftly. He brought his right arm up in a swinging motion, and his fist connected with the Imperial guard’s face. The soldier went limp, and Lord Marak recognized the shadow who had been behind the Imperial soldier.

“I want him alive, Fisher,” Lord Marak said softly. “Let’s get him into the Torak quarters.”

Lord Marak bent and picked up the knife. Fisher draped the soldier over his shoulder and followed Lord Marak to the Torak quarters. Lord Marak unlocked the door and held it open while Fisher entered and deposited the unconscious man in one of the soldier’s bunks. Lord Marak closed the door and joined Fisher in the barracks room.

“What are you doing in the palace?” asked Lord Marak. “They will arrest you if they find you. All clan personal have been ordered out of the Imperial Palace.”

“I know,” frowned Fisher as he removed the wire from the soldier’s throat. He bound the man’s hands and legs before saying, “Isn’t it convenient that all of the escorts are out of the palace while this assassin runs free?”

“Do you think this is the man who killed Bagora?” asked Lord Marak.

“Without a doubt,” nodded Fisher.

Suddenly there was a loud pounding on the door. Lord Marak reached into his pouch and found a Torak staff pin as the pounding continued.

“Put this on,” ordered Lord Marak. “We can say that you were sent to tell me something.”

Lord Marak ran to the door and opened it slightly. Marshal Chack pushed the door open and barged in.

“What is going on here, Lord Marak?” demanded the marshal. “I saw you and your man carrying an Imperial guard into this room from the other end of the corridor. I demand an explanation.”

Lord Marak sighed and pointed to the barracks room. “Come in,” Lord Marak said as he closed the door and led the marshal into the barracks room. “I was just going to try and find you. We have captured the assassin.”

Marshal Chack’s eyes narrow skeptically as he gazed at Fisher and then the Imperial soldier. “Who are you?” he demanded of Fisher.

“I am a friend, Marshal,” Fisher replied. “This soldier is your assassin. Show him the knife, Lord Marak.”

Marshal Chack looked briefly at the knife, but his attention immediately returned to Fisher. “I asked who you were,” reminded the marshal. “Don’t expect me to believe the staff pin that you are wearing. I personally escorted everyone out of the residence sections myself last night, and nobody has been allowed into the palace since then without my express approval. Who are you?”

“I am a spy,” answered Fisher. “Why is your interest on me instead of this assassin?”

“Because I know that soldier,” stated Marshal Chack. “Andretti has been a member of the Imperial Palace for a number of years. Did you know this man was a spy, Lord Marak?”

“I have known him for some time,” admitted Lord Marak. “He is a spy, but he is not your enemy, Marshal Chack. He just saved my life. That knife was aimed at my back.”

The soldier started to wake up. He groaned and opened his eyes to see Marshal Chack in the room.

“What is this?” he said indignantly. “Why am I tied up?”

“What proof do you have of your accusation, Lord Marak?” asked the marshal.

“Our words should be enough,” declared Lord Marak. “If you need more, you can find out the whereabouts of Andretti when Emperor Bagora was assassinated. Check to see where he was when Lord Woton was killed, or when I was attacked in the marketplace.”

“Or search his quarters,” suggested Fisher. “He must keep that poison somewhere.”

“What is going on?” demanded the soldier. “What tale are they stringing, Marshal Chack? I was just walking the corridor when I was attacked from behind.”

The marshal turned and walked to the door to the corridor. He opened the door and blew a whistle. Three Imperial soldiers came running. He gave instructions to each and then returned to the barracks room.

“We will have answers to those questions shortly,” declared the marshal. “What reason would this man have to kill anyone?”

“What reasons do any assassins need?” posed Fisher. “Perhaps we should ask him. I know several methods of persuasive questioning. I am sure that he will tell us everything.”

“I will have none of that on my watch,” the marshal shook his head. “I will have men transport him to a cell until the Emperor rules on this.”

“No,” Fisher stated. “He will not be moved from this room until we have the answers we need.”

“Who are you to make demands?” snapped the marshal. “The Imperial Palace is my domain. You will not give orders here. In fact, you will be arrested. I still do not know who you are.”

“My name is Fisher,” the spy stated.

Suddenly, Andretti gasped. Everyone turned to look at him and the man was trembling. “Take me to the Emperor,” he demanded. “I will tell everything only to the Emperor.”

“Marshal,” Fisher said, “these quarters are the Torak quarters. As such, Lord Marak controls what goes on in here. You may stop us from leaving these quarters with this assassin, but he is staying here until we have a confession out of him.”

“That is impossible,” argued Marshal Chack. “The entire Imperial Palace in under my domain. The Emperor will back me up on that.”

“Do you know what clan this man belongs to, Marshal?” asked Fisher.

“No,” responded the marshal. “When someone joins the Imperial Palace, their association with their clan is over. As it is with the Emperor, so it is with the lowest of Imperial workers. His clan does not matter.”

“I advise you to rethink your position,” declared Fisher. “This man is Andretti Argetta. Small wonder that he demands to be taken to the Emperor. Mirakotto Argetta is this man’s only hope of living.”

“They have no right to keep me tied up,” shouted Andretti. “I demand that you take me to the Emperor.”

There was a knock on the door and the marshal moved quickly to answer it. He returned with a heavy crease across his brow.

“He was one of the two guards on duty at the Emperor’s suite the night Bagora was killed,” Marshal Chack stated. “He left his post right after the Emperor said he was going to bed. We also found this hidden in his quarters.”

The marshal held up a jar of brown liquid. He put the jar on a table and glared at Andretti.

“You will tell me all that you know,” Marshal Chack declared. “You will tell me now, or I will leave you here with Fisher.”

“You can’t do that,” trembled Andretti. “The Emperor will have your head.”

“And why is that?” asked the marshal.

“Because he works for Mirakotto,” answered Lord Marak. “It all makes sense now. The first attack was to kill Bagora and have me blamed for it. The only problem is this incompetent fool killed Lord Woton instead. That must have really riled Mirakotto. Woton was one his boys.”

“Are you suggesting that Emperor Mirakotto knows what this fool has been doing?” questioned the marshal.

“Isn’t it obvious?” retorted Fisher.

“How is it that you know each other?” asked the marshal.

“Andretti is an old acquaintance. He is the man who killed my family,” Fisher said with hatred in his voice. “I vowed to kill him and the lord that ordered the deaths.”

“Are you threatening the Emperor?” asked Marshal Chack.

“Are you protecting the man who ordered the death of Emperor Bagora, Marshal?” countered Fisher.

“Marshal,” pleaded Andretti, “I will tell you everything, but you must promise to get me out of here.”