Chapter 1

Academy of Magic

Excitement rippled through Lyra's body as she leaned out of the castle window and spied on the two figures below. She felt the morning breeze blow through her short blond hair as she watched them sally back and forth with jabs, thrusts, and deadly swings. Quickly, she pulled away from the window and scurried under her bed. Stretching against the cold stone floor, she reached into the dark corner and seized the hilt of her forbidden sword. Rising with a swagger, she smoothly slid the sword under the belt of her plain, gray tunic with a practiced flourish. Quietly, she crept to the door of her room and eased it open slightly. Her blue eyes scanned the corridor for any signs of life as she slipped her young, lithe body through the doorway. Tiptoeing down the corridor, she peered ahead for any open doorways that might spell disaster for her plan.

Lyra stiffened as she reached the stone stairway and the dull sounds of voices drifted up to her. Bracing her back against the cold stone, Lyra edged her head around the corner and glanced down at the next landing. It was empty and Lyra swiftly raced down the steps, her bare feet gripping the rough stone steps where they met the wall. The center of the stairway was smooth, eroded by centuries of traffic, but it was also in the center of the steps where dirt gathered and Lyra could not afford to slip on any loose material, which might be present.

Lyra halted just short of the landing and peeked around the corner. The aroma of acids and herbs permeated the air on this floor where Master Malafar taught most of his classes. All of the classroom doors were open, but only one student stood in the corridor in a position capable of seeing her. Lyra recognized him. Walak was the son of a rich Lord and a pompous brat. He had no real comprehension of magic and Lyra was sure that his father had sent him to the Academy just for the prestige associated with having a family member attend classes under the Great Master. Lyra couldn't imagine what Walak was doing out in the corridor while classes were going on, but she could not afford to be seen by him.

Walak appeared to be pacing aimlessly as if waiting for someone. Lyra couldn't afford to waste much time waiting for Walak to do whatever he was going to do. She waited until Walak was pacing away from her and quickly darted across the landing and began a swift descent down the old stairway. The next landing was empty, as was the adjoining corridor and Lyra continued down to the main floor. Her heart beating rapidly, Lyra gazed into the grand entry foyer and saw people moving around at the far end. All of the people were older and she surmised that they were probably parents of prospective students who had come to inspect the Academy.

Standing upright, Lyra smoothly stepped off the stairs and turned down a corridor leading to a rear exit from the castle. Once she was far enough down the corridor to be safely out of sight, she broke into a run, her bare feet pounding lightly on the smooth floor. Lyra reached the door and swung it open swiftly as she stepped out into the bright glare of the morning sun. She closed the door with an authoritative slam and turned to face the two boys.

"So," she called, "you two are practicing without supervision again. Perhaps Master Caulder would be interested in your behavior."

"Oh, no," groaned Syman, the taller of the two boys. "Lyra, shouldn't you be learning magic with your father?"

"Yeah," echoed Antello, "you shouldn't be here, either."

"Okay," chirped Lyra, "I won't tell if you two don't. I've been waiting for the chance for a rematch with you two."

"I swear you should be taking lessons from Master Caulder instead of your father," smiled Syman. "Come on, we don't want to get caught out here. I'm ready for you this time. Master Caulder has taught us some new swings."

"You are going to need them," chuckled Lyra as she drew her wooden practice sword from her belt and leaped off the steps to land in the dew covered grass. "Let's see what Master Caulder can teach you to protect against this..."

Lyra swung her foot and knocked Antello's feet out from under him. Turning quickly, she thrust a rising slash of her wooden sword towards Syman and the dark-haired boy had to leap out of the way.

"You are a wicked girl," laughed Syman as he raised his wooden sword and moved into a defensive stance.

"And a cheater," laughed Antello as he jumped to his feet and charged Lyra.

"There is no such thing as cheating when you are fighting for your life," instructed Lyra as she ducked Antello's thrust and tumbled to the ground to avoid the expected swing from Syman. "Master Caulder may be a Master Swordsman, but fighting for your life is not a tournament. Every action to defeat your foe is legal in order to avoid being killed."

"She's right," agreed Syman as he ran to cross swords with Lyra, who had just regained a standing position. "Master Caulder should broaden our lessons to include situations we may face in real life."

Antello smiled as he circled Lyra to trap her between Syman and himself. "I guess he figures we will learn those lessons soon enough," he stated. "What he has taught us already makes us among the best swordsmen in Omunga."

"Not by a long shot," scowled Syman as he and Lyra continued to exchange blows. "He is an excellent teacher, but we have a lot to learn before we go fighting bandits or enter the Imperial Service. If we went off right now, we would be dead before nightfall."

"Not a chance," laughed Antello as he tried to trip Lyra in repayment for her opening gambit. "It would be our opponents on the ground, not us."

"None of us are ready for bandits," huffed Lyra as she jumped to avoid Antello's swinging leg. "Still, I wish father would let me study with you instead of taking magic lessons. That stuff is so dry and boring."

"Dry and boring, is it?" shouted Rhodella from the steps. "I thought you weren't feeling well this morning, Lyra. Your father is going to be mighty displeased."

Syman's sword struck Lyra in the ribs when her mother shouted and Lyra stumbled to the ground. The wet dew felt cool against her cheek as she sat up and stared at the imposing figure of her mother with hands on her hips.

"I couldn't resist, Mother," pleaded Lyra. "You know how I enjoy practicing with the boys. Why won't Father let me study under Master Caulder?"

"Your father is the finest mage in Omunga," scolded Rhodella as she strode over to the errant trio. "People from all over the country send their children to his Academy to learn magic and you are one of the most gifted of all. How can you even think of wasting your efforts with this foolish nonsense? What do you think it does to his reputation to have his own daughter frolicking in the grass with two young boys who shouldn't even be here? You waste your talents frivolously and you will end up getting hurt with this ... this disgusting show of brute force."

"Mother," appealed Lyra, "Father refuses to teach any interesting magic. I have learned what he is willing to teach, but he refuses to go any further. It is not exciting anymore."

"You mean he won't teach you to use magic as a weapon," scolded Rhodella. "You know your father's feelings about that, Lyra. We do not need to air this problem in public. Get yourself cleaned up and report to him directly. I am sure that he will have a few choice words for you. And you two ... Master Caulder is going to hear of this nonsense, I assure you."

"Mother," pleaded Lyra, "do not involve Syman and Antello in this. I will take Father's punishment, whatever it is, but they have no part in it."

"No part?" questioned Rhodella. "Master Caulder has strict rules about practice without supervision. There are reasons for this, Lyra. We cannot allow students to hurt themselves while here at the Academy. If just one student gets killed at the Omunga Academy of Magic, we will hear no end to it. There are other schools that would gleefully spread the news about our careless methods. All three of you will have your punishment."

Rhodella turned and stormed into the castle. Lyra rose and smoothed her tunic, trying to rid the rough fabric of dirt before she had to meet her father. "I'm sorry," she lamented. "I guess I wasn't as careful as I should have been. I think Walak might have seen me leave. Now I've gotten the two of you in trouble."

"Don't worry about it," smiled Antello. "We can handle Master Caulder alright."

"Right," snipped Syman. "We'll just let him beat us silly and then we'll plead for a swift death. It should all be over quickly."

"I'll..." started Lyra before the sounds of screaming reached her.

All three turned towards the castle as the sounds of mayhem increased. The pounding of running horses drifted on the wind and Lyra saw dark clouds of dust from the road leading to the Academy. The road to the Academy was quite long and Lyra realized that a large group of warriors must be attacking the castle. Why anyone would attack the Academy was a mystery though. Looking at her wooden practice sword with disgust, Lyra grabbed Antello as he tried to move towards the rear door of the castle.

"Without weapons," she whispered, "we will just be giving them three more victims."

"You don't think they will stop the killing inside do you?" quipped Syman. "In moments they will be out here to get us, too."

"You are right!" exclaimed Lyra looking around frantically. "Quickly, get into the moat. Maybe we can circle around to the front and find some weapons."

"We'd better find some," declared Antello. "I plan on taking a few of the raiders down if I have to do it with my bare hands."

"Your hands are not what I would call potent weapons," quipped Syman as he joined the other two in a mad dash to the dry moat surrounding the castle.

Lyra looked up from the dry moat and saw the windows to the top floors. "This is not good enough," she declared. "Whoever they are, they will still be able to see us."

"Can't you use some magic to help?" inquired Antello. "They must teach you something useful in there."

"I wish they did," frowned Lyra. "The fact is, my father doesn't believe in using magic as a weapon. My Uncle Temiker and my Father had a falling out over this very subject and they have not talked since. They were very close when I was younger and now they won't even talk to each other. We should move around to the front. We can hide under the old drawbridge."

The boys nodded as Lyra started crawling along the dirty moat. Although the moat was no longer filled with water, the ground toward the center of the moat was wet from the spring rains and Lyra tried to keep to the side where it was somewhat dryer. Still, her hands and knees were soon covered with the slimy mud. The sounds of screaming and battle floated on the air and Lyra wanted to yell and charge into the castle to battle with the attackers. She gritted her teeth in frustration as she continued crawling through the filthy moat. The sun beating down on her back made it feel as if she was being baked in a mud pit and she shivered with relief when the shadow of the castle fell over the moat as they reached the front of the academy. Looking up, she could see that riders were still coming in from the road and she scurried to the safety of the drawbridge.

They huddled under the drawbridge in darkness as riders continued to pour into the Academy. Dust and dirt rained down on the three youngsters as they hid and covered their ears to ease the sound of the hoofs pounding on the wooden planks overhead. The thundering seemed to echo endlessly through Lyra's mind and she pressed her forehead into the moist dirt before her. The last of the riders crossed and Lyra lifted her head and shook it. The screams of death and dying pierced her ears and she almost wished for the horses to come back.

Syman and Antello fidgeted constantly as if they were about to leap out of the moat and join the battle barehanded. Lyra looked from one to the other and saw the same tenseness that was usually present in one preparing to spring into battle. Quickly, she guided her thoughts through the images of scrolls and books that her father used to teach magic. She sorted through her lessons to find some type of magic that could stop her two friends from running towards their deaths. She knew that the number of raiders was too great for them to make a difference to anyone inside.

Finally, she remembered a healing spell used to relax patients who were in great pain. She pulled her hands out of the muck that constituted the wall of the moat and tried to wipe them clean. Turning towards Antello, she laid her hands on him. Being a veritable optimist, Antello would be the first to leap out of the moat and meet his death. Quietly, she chanted the spell as Antello looked at her in amazement. He shook his head as if to protest, but Lyra could feel his body starting to relax. Continuing quietly with her chant, Lyra was surprised with the effect of the spell when Antello closed his eyes and his head plopped into the muck on the side of the moat.

Turning towards Syman, Lyra saw that he was engrossed with the sounds from inside the castle. His head was cocked slightly as if he thought it would make his hearing clearer. Being a pessimist, Syman would know that death awaited him inside the castle, but he was no coward and Lyra knew that he was not far from leaving his hiding place to join the fray. Quickly, she laid her hands on him and he shivered at her touch and turned to look at her. Lyra ignored his questioning eyes as she began whispering the chant. During her lessons, the patients never lost consciousness, but their relaxed body eased the pain. When Syman collapsed in a similar manner as Antello had, Lyra wondered why and determined to ask her father about it when the raid was over.

The thought of her father snapped her back to reality and she wondered if she would have a father when this was all over, but quickly chastised herself for having such thoughts. Master Malafar was the greatest mage in Omunga and no simple raiding party could kill him. Lyra wondered how the three of them could help in some way and for the first time in her life she berated herself for her lack of attention in class. She knew that her father had taught her much, but she was too frightened and excited to think of what to do. Pressing her palms over her ears to shut out the noise, Lyra tried to calm herself and mentally walk through her lessons. By the time Lyra had calmed herself and brought her ragged breathing back to normal, the horses started to come back out of the castle.

Once again the drawbridge reverberated with the sound of pounding hooves and the dirt began falling once more on the three students. After what felt like hours, the thundering hoofs were gone and voices could be heard. Syman and Antello started to stir and Lyra gently touched each of them to remind them where they were. A loud conversation was taking place not far from the drawbridge and the three youngsters listened alertly for any clues they could pick out of the discussion.

"Your men are fools and bunglers," shouted an angry voice. "I wanted them both alive. He will never cooperate alone. The only chance we have now is to find that fool of a girl he calls a daughter. I want her found alive. Alive! Do you understand?"

"As you wish, Klaarg," mumbled another voice. "We didn't know what the wife looked like. You can't blame my men for her death. She was decimating my men and we thought she was just another magic instructor. You never said the wife was a mage too. As least we have the painting of the daughter. She will not get far. I will find an artist to duplicate the painting and all of Omunga will know what she looks like. We will capture her alive. You can depend on it."

"I am depending on it," berated Klaarg, "and so are you. If she dies, you will die also. I will not tolerate any more mistakes. See that you make none."

The pounding of Klaarg's horse drowned the response out as he rode across the drawbridge, but another voice soon joined the conversation.

"I have checked every hiding hole in the entire castle," reported the new voice. "She is not here."

"Well, she has to be somewhere," stormed the leader's voice. "You stay here in case she returns. I am taking the men to the village to find out if she decided to take a day off. I will turn that village inside out and return by nightfall. See that you have captured her by then and make sure that she remains alive. If Klaarg is going to kill me for her death, you can be assured that I will kill you if she dies."

The leader didn't wait for a response, but rode quickly across the drawbridge. When the noise of his passing subsided, Lyra was not sure whether the other man was still near the drawbridge or if he had retreated inside. Lyra pulled herself up toward the old wooden planks and tried to peer through the slits, but she could not see any sign of the raider. Syman understood what was on her mind and he rolled in the muck until he could see around the edge of the drawbridge. He signaled that there was no one visible and all three of the youngsters quickly scrambled out of the moat. They ran to the castle and pressed their backs firmly against the stone walls.

Lyra frowned when she saw the footprints they had left behind, but unless the raider was very observant, she doubted he would notice because of all the other marks made by the horsemen who had just left. Lyra leaned around the archway and glanced into the courtyard, but she could see only bloody bodies lying on the ground. The raider must have reentered the castle. Her eyes fixed on the sword of a fallen guard and she nodded to Syman. He nodded back as the three young warriors dashed into the courtyard. The Academy grounds were deathly quiet and Lyra made sure that the sword she grabbed did not strike the ground as she hefted it. She looked back at the boys and saw that each of them had also found a useable sword among the bodies.

The front doors to the Academy were wide open and Syman and Antello each pressed their body to a different side of the doorway. Lyra looked at them quizzically and then nodded. Lyra stood in the center of the courtyard and glanced at her two friends. Each of them nodded and Lyra banged her sword against the stone ground of the courtyard. The sound from that one strike reverberated through the courtyard and into the castle. It took only seconds for the raider to appear with his sword drawn and a smile upon his face.

"So, my little mud rat," sneered the raider, "you've been hiding in the moat, have you? Put down the sword and I won't be forced to hurt you. We're going on a little trip, we are."

Lyra was about to probe the man for information, but he must have sensed the boys behind him because he whirled and lunged for Antello. Syman wasted no time and leaped at the hulk of a man, bringing his sword down hard on the man's unprotected neck. The raider cried out in pain as he collapsed to the stones, blood squirting out of the long cut on his neck. Lyra ran quickly to the raider, but when she arrived the raider's body shivered and fell still. Wordlessly, the three youngsters entered the castle and started searching for survivors or other raiders who might be lurking about.

The entry foyer was the scene of a battle and Lyra fought to remain calm. Bloody bodies lay all over the stone floor and Lyra nearly fell when her bare feet slid on the blood-slicked stones. Most of the bodies in the entry foyer were Academy guards, although there were also a few raiders and some of the guests she had seen earlier. The weaponless guests had been slaughtered as well as the guards who were meant to protect the Academy. The three young warriors searched the entry foyer carefully, but they could not find anyone alive.

Lyra led the group as they silently climbed the steps to the second floor. There were classrooms and guest quarters on this floor and each room had to be checked thoroughly before they could be sure that there were no more raiders. The classrooms on this level were used mostly by Master Caulder to teach strategy and tactics to the small number of students he took on. Lyra's father had allowed Master Caulder to host a school here in return for the services of his men and cadets. The arrangement had turned out to be a poor deal for both of them. Most of the classrooms were empty, but the hallway and the large practice room were littered with more bodies. Most of the bodies here were cadets and there was not a single body of a raider on the entire floor.

Lyra's whole body began shaking as she summoned the strength to mount the next flight of steps to the floor that housed the magic classrooms. Syman and Antello each placed a firm hand on her shoulder as she fought to control herself. Everyone had heard the conversation and knew what they would find on the next floor. Lyra inhaled and nearly choked on the smell of blood, but she steeled herself and shook off the hands of her friends as she led the way up the stairway.

Lyra halted on the landing of the third floor and nearly retched. While downstairs had looked like a battleground, this floor presented the image of a senseless slaughter. The hallway was littered with student bodies, the look of horror and fear still etched on their young faces. Blood had flowed freely here and in the center of the hallway was a large pool of red, sticky blood.

The walls of the corridor were scorched black near the far stairway and burnt husks of what were raiders littered the far end of the hall. Lyra halted and stared at the scorch marks in confusion. Master Malafar disdained any use of offensive magic, but it was obvious that he must have utilized it because none of the students were capable of it. The conversation the raiders had outside swiftly replayed through Lyra's mind and she frowned at their mention of a woman mage, specifically indicating that it was her mother. But Rhodella knew no magic at all.

Lyra headed toward her father's main classroom while Syman and Antello continued searching for survivors. The scene of the large classroom was more like a battlefield again with Academy guards and weapons scattered around the room. Once again the walls were scorched black and burnt raiders were piled just inside the door. At the doorway to her father's private study, which connected with the large classroom, Lyra saw the body of Master Caulder. The bodies of eight raiders lay before him and Lyra belatedly thanked him for doing his best to save her father. Pushing past the bodies, Lyra stretched into her father's study and halted when she saw the body of her mother, Rhodella. Tears started flowing down Lyra's cheeks as she started crying. The sound of her bawling brought Syman and Antello running and Syman put his arms around her in an attempt to comfort her.

Lyra pushed Syman away and sank to the floor next to her mother's body, which was lying in a puddle of blood. Lyra reached out and caressed her mother's long golden hair and gasped when Rhodella's head moved.

"She's alive!" exclaimed Lyra. "Get me something for a bandage. Hurry!"

Antello leaped out of the room while Syman lowered himself to the floor on the opposite side of Rhodella. He helped Lyra gently turn Rhodella over and winced when he saw the nasty gash across her abdomen. He shook his head sadly as he looked into Lyra's eyes and Lyra bit her lower lip as the muscles of her neck bulged. She knew that there was nothing she could do to help her mother with the type of wound she had and Rhodella would soon die.

"You are safe," smiled Rhodella. "I thank the heavens for such mercy."

Lyra smiled tautly and moved the dagger away from her mother's hand. She never knew her mother owned a weapon therefore was amazed to find the dagger in her possession. Rhodella noticed the confusion on Lyra's face as she coughed and winced with pain.

"Your father was the nonviolent one," smiled Rhodella. "I fought alongside my brothers when I was young. Listen carefully. I know that I do not have much time left and I do not feel like I can say this twice. You must get away from here quickly. They have your father and they want him do to something evil."

Rhodella smiled and held her finger to Lyra's mouth when the young girl tried to ask something. "Let me finish quickly," gasped Rhodella. "Your father will not cooperate freely. They will need some leverage to make him perform. I was supposed to be that leverage; now they will seek you. You must go to Uncle Temiker's place in Alamar. Tell him what happened and get him to teach you properly. It will be up to you to free your father and you must learn everything you can. Tell Temiker to contact RavenWing."

Rhodella convulsed into a coughing fit as she removed a ring from her finger and placed it in Lyra's hand. "Who were they, Mother?" asked Lyra as she cast the healing spell that she had used on the boys earlier. "What are they going to try to make father do? Where will I find him?"

Rhodella grimaced as she tried to shake her head. "Thank you," Rhodella smiled tightly as she felt the effects of Lyra's spell. "You have learned your lessons well. I know nothing more about the raiders than you do. Under my bed is a chest. Go to it. Inside is your brother's sword. I think you know how to use it, in spite of your father's attempts to deny it. Do not allow anyone or anything to get in your way. I feel that there is more at stake here than just your father's life. Temiker will not be safe, either. Anyone who can cause your father to do what the raiders want is in danger."

Rhodella coughed and spit up blood. Syman gently took the bandages Antello had brought back and used one to wipe Rhodella's face. Antello stooped and tried to bandage Rhodella, but she pushed his hands away.

"Don't bother with me," Rhodella stated. "I know what is coming and you can do nothing to stop it. I want you two boys to swear that you will stay with Lyra until this is over. She needs your help."

Although both boys readily agreed, Rhodella was dead before she could hear their answer. Lyra sat and wept while cradling her mother's head as Syman and Antello quietly left the room.

Chapter 2

Escape from Terror

Syman heard Lyra calling and ran back to Master Malafar's study. Sliding on the blood soaked floor, he hit the doorway and halted haphazardly. "What is it?" he questioned. "Is something the matter?"

No," answered Lyra, her muddied face gazing at her dead mother. "I just wanted help getting my mother outside so we can have a proper funeral."

"Lyra," sighed Syman, "I'm sorry, but we have no time for that now. Those raiders are coming back here and as soon as they see the one we killed, they are going to be tracking us. We need to get whatever we can salvage and get out of here quickly."

"We can be ready for them," chirped Antello from the classroom. "Maybe we can get them as they come in."

Syman turned and shook his head. "Antello," lectured Syman, "we would be lucky to fight an even number of those bandits and survive. We've had good training, but we have no experience killing people. Those raiders sounded like it was a normal day for them. We need to get Lyra to Alamar. We swore we would do so, even if Rhodella never heard us. I intend to honor my pledge and we shall not do that waiting here for more raiders. Get down to the kitchen and fix us packs for the road. I'm going to scour this place for any useable weapons while Lyra gets her brother's sword."

Lyra gently laid her mother back on the floor and nodded. "Syman is right," she conceded. "Mother's plan makes sense even if Alamar is hundreds of leagues from here. We have to get someone to help us and Uncle Temiker is a powerful mage. Besides, Mother said he is in danger too. We can tell the villagers about this mess. I know they will provide decent funerals for everyone."

"But the raiders were going to the village," cautioned Syman. "We should try to avoid it."

"I may leave this castle without making my Mother ready for a funeral, but I will not allow her to lie here and rot," declared Lyra. "We will visit the village before we head off to Alamar. Antello, see if there are any horses left behind while you are downstairs. If the raiders didn't steal them all, pick three of the best for our journey."

"I need to get this crud off me before we leave," announced Syman. "Who knows when the next bath will be."

Lyra winced as she looked at her two friends and imagined what she looked like herself. "Okay," she agreed, "but we need to move quickly. I want a long head start on those raiders when they return."

Lyra stepped over the body of Master Caulder and headed for her mother's room. Swiftly, she threw herself to the floor and wriggled under the bed for her mother's chest. She cringed at the feel of her blood soaked tunic as it pressed against her body, but she yanked the chest out and opened it. Sadness filled her heart as she viewed the belongings of her brother, Alfred. Alfred had been killed when Lyra was still young, but she still remembered him well. How proud everyone had been of Alfred when he was chosen to serve with the Monitors, the Katana's own personal bodyguard. He hadn't been in the capital more than a year before an assassination attempt cost him his life. The victim of a magical projectile, Alfred never had a chance to defend himself, but his death saved the Katana.

The day the news arrived was the very day her father vowed to never teach offensive magic again and the last day he ever spoke to his brother, Temiker. The assassin was caught and identified as one of Temiker's former students. Very likely, Uncle Temiker taught the very spell that cost Alfred his life. Father could never forgive him for that.

Lyra looked through the contents of the chest and piled items she would be taking with her on the floor. She added Alfred's pants and leather vest to the pile and reasoned that she could alter them to fit herself while they traveled. A dark waistband with pouches for Omunga Stars and the Stars themselves were set aside for the journey. Six fine throwing knives with leather sheaths also made the pile. She examined the boots and decided they were too big for her, but smiled when she saw the black cap. She decided that it would do nicely to cover her hair and help to disguise her.

Alfred's sword was a mean looking double-edged sword, which was considerably heavier than what she was used to, but it also had a well-maintained back sheath and Lyra figured that she would get used to the extra weight of it. Lyra was slim, but she was not weak or frail. In fact, she was quite athletic and in as good a shape as any of the cadets. At the bottom of the chest was a fine bow with three extra bowstrings and a quiver of hunting arrows. Lyra added them to her pile and closed the chest. Gathering up her new belongings, Lyra ran to her own room and started tossing clothes on the bed for her journey. She grabbed the outfit she would wear for today and headed off to bathe.

Lyra pulled off her soiled clothes and threw them in a heap on the floor. She frowned when she realized that nobody would care about her mess or attempt to scold her for her untidiness. There was nobody left to care. Tears rolled down Lyra's cheeks as she scrubbed the mud and blood off her body, the stiff bristles of the brush turning her skin pink. The Academy had been her home for many years and now it no longer existed. Her tears helped fill her wash tub as she thought about never seeing her mother again. Everything that had happened today seemed like a bad dream to her and she wished she could wake up and find her mother complaining about her missing classes again. Lyra breathed the aroma of the coarse soap and realized that she was not dreaming. Quickly, she finished washing and got dressed.

Before she headed downstairs, Lyra detoured back to her father's study, carefully avoiding the pools of blood. Stepping over the body of Master Caulder, Lyra averted her eyes from her mother's body and moved to the wall of bookshelves. Her father, Master Malafar, never let anyone touch his personal library and Lyra had been scolded just for browsing the titles of the books upon it. The Academy had another library that was open to all students, but Master Malafar protected his personal books from student use. Lyra thought she knew why.

Swiftly she scanned the titles, running her finger along the old leather volumes, and had her hunch confirmed. On the very bottom shelf were books dealing with offensive magic. While Master Malafar may have abhorred the use of offensive magic, his love of books would not permit him to discard any, even those, which he would never open again. Realizing the limitations of traveling, Lyra chose three volumes whose titles suggested the most information in the smallest package. Clutching the leather-bound tomes to her chest, Lyra retreated to her room to complete her packing.

Quickly scurrying down the stairs, Lyra found Antello at the bottom with six packs of provisions already made up. "Where is Syman," questioned Lyra. "Do we have horses?"

"They didn't take anything but your father," explained Antello. "Syman has the horses tied out front. He is ... he is looting the bodies. I can't believe he is stealing their belongings. It doesn't seem right."

Lyra reached down and hefted two of the provision packs, groaning under the additional weight. "What have you packed in here?" she quipped. "I hope it is all edible and not brass candlesticks."

Turning to look Antello in the eyes she continued. "Don't let it bother you, Antello. Syman is just doing the same thing you and I just did. My pack is loaded with my brother's belongings and my father's books. The packs you made up for us are filled with provisions that belong to the Academy. Syman is wise in gathering anything that can help us reach our destination. Alamar is hundreds of leagues from here and these provisions will not last a tenth of the way there. Any coins we can find will help ensure our arrival. Grab the rest of the packs and let's get going."

Antello hoisted the four remaining packs and nodded. "I guess you are right," he admitted. "Do you even know where Alamar is? How will we know where to go?"

"Alamar is far to the Southeast," explained Lyra as they started making their way to the front of the castle. "We will have to cross the Wytung Mountains or go around them at some point and then I guess we can follow the rivers to the coast. There is a map in the greeting room just off the entry foyer. Take a look if you are interested. I will help Syman get the horses packed."

When they reached the entry foyer, Antello branched off towards the greeting room and Lyra spied Syman near the front doors. Nodding to Syman as he searched through the pouch of an elderly man, Lyra continued past him, anxious to be rid of the smell of death that permeated the air of the castle. Syman joined her outside and helped her secure the packs.

"I managed to pick up a fair amount of coin," remarked Syman. "I guess they won't have any more use for it."

"Don't feel bad about it, Syman," nodded Lyra. "The coins will be used to avenge their deaths. I think they would be satisfied to know how it will be used. Were you able to secure any decent weapons?"

"Oh, yeah," brightened Syman. "I even packed spares in case some become unusable. We will have no shortage of Stars or arrows. I also packed some tools for keeping the weapons in good condition."

"Are the horses going to be able to move?" Lyra asked as she lifted the last pack of provisions to her horse and began tying it down.

"It's not as heavy as you think," noted Syman, "and we weigh much less than a lot of riders I've seen. Besides, the weight will go down as we eat and discard items no longer serviceable."

Antello arrived and the three young avengers mounted and rode across the drawbridge. Syman took the lead and turned towards the forest instead of heading for the road. "We are better off keeping clear of the roads until we get away from here," he explained. "I hid the body of the raider we killed. They will find it, but it may delay them for an hour. Maybe they will think he fled."

The sun was well into the sky as the three youngsters headed across the open field towards the forest. Lyra began to feel the moistness of perspiration as she gazed at the cool inviting woods ahead of her and began to let her mind drift back to the morning attack. She had been so busy searching for survivors and packing to leave that she hadn't given much thought to why the attack had occurred. There must have been close to a hundred raiders in the Academy attack and they hadn't bothered to take anything except her father. The nagging question of why so many men would come to kidnap her father and not bother to take the spoils made her head spin. The raider Klaarg had indicated that Rhodella was not supposed to have been killed and was quite angry about her apparent death. Rhodella had also mentioned the raiders' need for a hostage to make Master Malafar do something evil. Clearly, they wanted him for his magical knowledge, but the who and why of it escaped Lyra.

They entered the forest and Lyra immediately felt the air cool as the trees shielded the summer sun. The sunlight filtering through the trees created a mosaic of light and dark patches and Lyra let her eyes adjust as her mind started to wander away from the brutality of the attack. The scent of sevemor cones was a pleasant reminder of her younger years and Lyra's tense body started to relax. The forest was quiet except for the sounds of the horses plodding along the trail and the rhythm of their hooves was pacifying.

Lyra let her mind drift to thinking of anyone who might want Master Malafar for some evil use. There were plenty of mages in Omunga and probably quite a few who would do whatever they were asked to do as long as they were properly paid. Whoever kidnapped her father must need an extremely skilled mage because Master Malafar was known as one of the best in Omunga. If they didn't need his level of skill, it would be cheaper to hire another mage than to send a hundred raiders to attack the Academy. Lyra wondered what kind of research her father had been involved with which might be considered revolutionary. She mentally kicked herself for not paying more attention to what he was studying, but Lyra found her magic lessons too easy and quite boring. She tended to push magic out of her life at every opportunity and had no idea what research was going on at the Academy.

Lyra looked up and saw that the others were a distance ahead of her and she urged her horse to go faster. She smiled as she heard the distinctive shrill of blue tails and she started drifting back to her childhood and memories of playing in the woods. She caught herself before she drifted too far and brought her focus back to the attack on the Academy. All of the raiders had worn dark colors, but it certainly wasn't a type of uniform, at least not any uniform that she had ever seen.

Lyra was so engrossed in solving the riddle of the attack that she didn't notice that the boys had stopped in the middle of the trail as Syman reached out to stop her. Lyra looked up to see Syman holding a finger to his lips to silence her. Antello eased his sword out of its sheath while Syman cocked his head as if listening for something. Lyra wrinkled her brow in puzzlement as she strained to hear whatever had alarmed the boys. The seconds dragged on in silence until suddenly the she heard a twig snap under the weight of someone or something on the trail ahead. The feeling of fear she experienced at the Academy quickly returned even as she tried to convince herself that it was probably just an animal and she was overreacting. Still, the forest animal noises had ceased and Lyra began to wonder if the raiders had thought enough to block the trail in case she tried to escape.

Syman kept a restraining arm on Antello as he swept the forest with his eyes trying to detect any movement around them. Lyra understood what Syman was thinking and she started scanning the woods along their flanks as well. Using hand motions, Syman instructed the group to dismount and handed the reins to Lyra. Easing his own sword out of its sheath, Syman motioned to Antello to take the left side of the trail while Syman slid into the woods on the right. Lyra felt exposed holding the horses in the middle of the trail as the boys disappeared into the trees. Looking around nervously, Lyra gaped as she saw someone move from tree to tree far up the trail. The noise they had heard had been human made, and Lyra shook with fear as she thought of Syman and Antello trying to sneak up on raiders. While they were decent with their swords, thanks to Master Caulder's instruction, she knew that they were not prepared to go off hunting raiders on their own.

Could she call them back without alerting the raiders? Should she tie the horses to a tree and go help them? Should she ride noisily down the trail to distract the raiders while the boys sneaked up on them? Wracked with indecision, Lyra promised to make contingency plans for such events in the future, should they survive this episode.

Suddenly, she heard screams and thrashing up ahead and ignoring caution, she charged up the trail while unsheathing her sword. As she approached the area where she had seen the furtive figure, she caught sight of Syman and Antello standing over a prone body. Running to where the boys stood, Lyra's eyes grew wide as she recognized the body at their feet. The wealthy magic student from the Academy, Walak, lay sprawled on the forest floor and Lyra's mouth gaped open as she slid to a halt.

"Say you didn't kill him," cried Lyra.

"Never touched him," Syman replied. "He fell as we charged him. Must have hit his head or something. I didn't realize who it was until he fell."

"Lucky thing he fell," quipped Antello. "We were ready to slice him in half."

"Yes," frowned Syman, "I guess the two of us could kill an unarmed student without too much difficulty. I think your assessment of our skills is a little too flattering Antello. These raiders are not something we want to mess with if we can avoid it."

"I agree," offered Lyra. "In fact, I was thinking that we need to have a plan ready for when this happens the next time. We can't just recklessly react whenever something comes up. We need to have a strategy set up to handle everything."

"I wonder what Walak is doing out here and how he avoided the attack?" pondered Antello as he pointedly ignored Syman's statement of caution.

"We will find out when we revive him," Lyra murmured. "Antello, go retrieve the horses while I see if he is hurt. I'm afraid I just let the reins drop when I heard the screaming."

Antello sheathed his sword and rambled off as Lyra knelt next to Walak and checked him for injuries.

Satisfied that Walak's only injury was a bump on the head, Lyra placed her hands on his forehead and cast a mild healing spell that would ease the pain when he woke. By the time Antello returned with the horses, Walak was rousing from his short slumber.

"What happened?" quizzed Walak as he looked up at his captors. "Where are the raiders?"

"I am afraid it was us stalking you," offered Syman quietly. "We thought you were a raider."

"How did you escape?" asked Lyra. "Where is your horse?"

Walak sat up and felt for the bump on his head. "I didn't have a horse," he answered. "My father was supposed to arrive this morning so I was not in class. I wandered into one of the empty study rooms and was gazing out the window when the screaming started."

"I will go back and get a horse for him," offered Antello as he tied the other horses to a tree.

Walak started shaking and crying as he related the tale. "I hid while they were killing everyone," Walak sobbed. "After a while the raiders left for other parts of the castle and I slipped out the back and ran for the woods. They killed everybody."

Walak's head sunk to his cupped hands and he started sobbing uncontrollably. Syman wandered off to check the horses while Lyra sat next to Walak and put her arm around him and tried to console him. After several moments of unresponsiveness, Lyra let her mind wander to the bizarre events of the day. She wondered if anyone else managed to escape the slaughter. She hoped some did, but she knew they dared not return to find out. Letting Antello return for a horse was not even a smart thing to have done, but her mind had been focused on Walak and she hadn't stopped to think about what might be waiting for Antello at the Academy. Lyra berated herself for another thoughtless decision. Silently, she vowed to start planning better.

Lyra's thoughts disintegrated as the sound of riders drifted through the silent forest and she leaped to her feet. Syman quietly drew his sword and Walak scrambled away from the trail to hide. A few breathless moments later, Syman relaxed as he recognized Antello returning from the Academy with a spare horse for Walak.

"Anything amiss back there?" asked Syman.

"Nothing at all," replied Antello. "Maybe it is all over and we can return."

"There is no going back," rebuked Syman. "Not ever. Have you so quickly forgotten your pledge?"

"No," Antello smiled thinly, "I just don't think we have to be so worried. They are not going to be bothered by a couple of students escaping."

"I will release you from your pledge," offered Lyra, "but I am going to Alamar. There is nothing left at the Academy for me and I must get to my uncle as quickly as possible. I understand if you want to go home. Rhodella had no right to wring that pledge out of you anyway."

"She had every right," Syman interjected. "Something very serious is going on and someone has to find out what it is. We are all that is left of the Academy. I would go with you without the pledge anyway, so do not blame Rhodella for asking. She did what she had to and we shall do what we have to."

"Of course," Antello jumped in, "I am with you too Lyra. I was just suggesting that maybe we don't need to be so jumpy. Syman and I can handle any trouble on the trip to Alamar and I gave my pledge freely. Like Syman, I would come without the pledge. I would never desert my friends."

"Alamar?" quizzed Walak. "Why on earth would you go to Alamar? That is on the other side of the country. We should just find the nearest Imperial Guard and tell them what happened and then go home."

"You are free to go where you want to, Walak," stated Lyra, "but I must go to Alamar. There is nothing the Imperial Guard can do for those at the Academy now and I have nowhere else to go but to my Uncle Temiker. I promised Rhodella that I would, so I will."

"You are welcome to ride with us for as long as it suits you, Walak," Syman added. "We have enough provisions for the four of us. Whatever your decision, we should be moving along now. We have wasted too much time already and I think the raiders will check this trail sooner or later. We should be well gone when they do."

Walak looked around nervously as the others mounted their horses and quickly joined them. "Well, you are going in the same direction," he feebly stated. "I think I will ride with you for a while."

Antello took the lead as the four students rode quietly down the forest trail, each lost in his own thoughts of the events of the morning. Several hours later, Antello paused briefly as the trail split. Lyra directed him to take the left fork towards the village and they continued on in silence. Lyra remembered her vow to anticipate and plan and starting visualizing the small village. She recalled that the raiders said they were going to the village and she did not intend to stumble into them. Silently, she pictured where the trail would enter the village and thought about how they could tell if the raiders were still there. Finally, she whistled softly and when she had Antello's attention, she signaled for him to stop.

"I am concerned about raiders in the village," she explained. "I want to stop before we get to the village so we don't stumble into a trap. There is a farm a short distance before the village. I want to stop there and talk to Aguara, the farmer, but I also want to check out his farm before we are seen. Let me lead for a while."

Antello quietly nodded as Lyra moved to the front of the procession. Everyone remained silent as the afternoon wore on and it was approaching dusk as the farm came into view. Lyra halted the little group and everyone dismounted. Lyra walked off through the trees to a small hill that offered a good view of the farm. Slowly she scanned the farm. Syman drew alongside her and gently touched her arm to let her know he was there.

"Something is not right," Lyra declared. "Aguara should be in the fields, but nobody is in sight."

"Not exactly true," grimaced Syman. "Look at the barn. I see at least four figures standing in the shadows inside. How many people live here?"

"Just three," frowned Lyra. "Aguara, his wife, and a son. I see the people you are talking about. I would have missed them."

"You were wise in checking," smiled Syman. "Keep watching. I will break out some food. We haven't had anything to eat since we left the Academy."

Lyra only nodded as she peered at the barn. She hadn't even thought about eating, but now that Syman had mentioned it, she was very hungry. Dismissing her newfound hunger pains, she considered Aguara's farm and the presence of the fourth person. It could be just a visitor or neighbor she realized, but the thought did nothing to quell the rising sense of fear that was building within her. If the raiders were still in the village, how safe were they this close to the village? Would the raiders think to check the trails in the forest near the village?

Syman returned with bread and strips of dried meat and they ate in silence while watching the barn for any changes. Lyra nearly choked on her food when the four people exited the barn and made their way to the house. Four dark clad raiders opened the front door and entered the house as if it was their own. Lyra fought the fear rising in her chest as she frantically started searching the rest of the farm for more dark clad figures.