Defying Destiny

by Andrew Rowe

“Vincent Calloway and Lyras Luria. We’ve just completed an important assignment, and need to make a report.”

  One of the guards paled. “Lyras...Luria? As in, House Luria? My apologies, I didn’t recognize you.”

  That was unfortunate, since Jonan thought his illusion that made Aladir look like Lyras Luria — or Eridus, as he’d been called back in Velthryn — was quite convincing.

  Aladir smiled brightly. “No need to be concerned, friend. I’ve been out of the city until recently, doing some work for an important cause.” He gave the guard a conspiratorial look.

  “I...I, uh, understand. Please, wait here. I’ll need to check some things.”

  “Of course, of course. We wouldn’t want any mistakes to be made about something this important.”

  The guard hurried off.

  A few minutes later, they were being escorted inside, wagon and all.

  A few minutes after that, they found themselves in a small room standing across from a masked and hooded figure.

  Flower Mask, Jonan remembered. Although it could easily be a different person wearing the same mask I saw before.

  “I’ve been told you have a delivery?” The hooded figure asked.

  “Yes. The same one I mentioned previously. It needs to go directly to the Shrouded One, however, for immediate authentication.”

  The hooded figure leaned forward. “What makes you think I’m not the Shrouded One?”

  “You could be, but you don’t match the description Sterling gave me,” Aladir offered. “From your outfit, I’d wager you’re one of the council members that’s been sent to screen us. That’s fine, you can look in the crates and verify our delivery first, but we’re going to need to take it straight to the top after that.”

  Flower Mask gave a curt nod. “I’ll inspect them first.” They waved a hand, and a glimmering barrier appeared around them before they moved to the cart.

  A sensible precaution.

  “You said these were...”

  Jonan waved to the coffin. “Nakane and Larkin Theas. Last two on the House Theas list. Page 374.”

  Flower Mask nodded. “I’m familiar, and I recall our previous discussion.” She turned toward Aladir. “You were the one originally responsible for this, yes? These deliveries are significantly late.”

  “I, uh, ran into some difficulties.” Aladir sounded sheepish.

  “You were captured.” Flower Mask shook his head. “You have much to answer for.”

  Aladir’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t get snippy with me. I work for Sterling, not for you. And the job is done.”

  “That remains to be seen.” The figure stepped forward, opening the first coffin, and immediately stepped back with a hand over his face.

  “Sorry, should have warned you about the smell. Neither of us is a stability sorcerer, so...”

  The hooded figure slammed the first coffin shut, then moved to the next.

  “That one isn’t as bad,” Jonan offered helpfully. “Nakane was a little more intact than her cousin.”

  Flower Mask opened the coffin, stared inside for a moment, and then shut it again. “She’s older than I remembered.”

  “You’ve met her?” The surprise in Jonan’s tone was sincere.

  Flower Mask nodded. “Reconnaissance for the upcoming city-wide event. Continuity checks. You’ve done well to correct this mistake, it was one of the more serious problems with the scenario. This should reduce the probability that fate has been twisted beyond repair.”

  Jonan thought he understood most of that, but he didn’t like the implications.

  “Come this way.”

  Flower Mask led them to a spiral stairway. “The Shrouded One will see you on the top floor. Ah, I’m afraid getting that cart up the stairs might be somewhat difficult, however. Do you need some help?”

  Jonan looked at the cart and the stairs, grimacing.

  “We can handle it, thank you,” Aladir answered.

  Flower Mask watched them for just another moment, then nodded and walked away. “Good luck. You’d best hope she’s in a good mood.”

  Jonan took a deep breath.

  Honestly, I’m not even sure we’ll survive making it up the stairs.

  ***

  Dragging the cart up the stairwell was, predictably, tremendously awkward. It took several minutes just to get to the top floor, and that was with Aladir cheating and using some kind of levitation spell to help.

  When they reached the top, they found a pair of bright red double doors waiting for them. There were no guards outside.

  “Come in,” a voice said from the opposite side. “It’s unlocked.”

  Aladir and Jonan exchanged glances, then dragged the cart toward the doors. Aladir pushed the doors wide as they approached.

  The room ahead was huge and ostentatious. The walls were white stone, but draped with numerous banners and paintings. Four high stone pillars led to the angled ceiling, and toward the back of the room, Jonan could see a small stairwell leading to a trap door that presumably led to the roof.

  None of that was immediately important, however. Crimson carpet led across the room to end at a golden throne. Sitting on that throne was Silk — or, at least, someone who looked very much like her.

  The Shrouded One. It should have been so obvious.

  She was perhaps a bit shorter than Velas, however, and even lighter in build. Little more could be seen beneath the veils, however. Potent sight sorcery blocked any attempts to gaze at the person within. Jonan probably could have broken or bypassed that effect, but it would have been tricky to accomplish at a distance, and it would have been noticeable to everyone if he tried.

  “You can bring that straight to me.” The Shrouded One waved at them, holding a scepter shaped like a long-stemmed rose.

  Jonan and Aladir dragged the wagon forward.

  “The delivery, as promised.” Jonan bowed his head. “If there’s nothing else...”

  “Stay.” The Shrouded One commanded. “If you’ve actually completed this piece of the grand work, you should be rewarded, after all.”

  “Ah, many thanks.” Jonan took a step away from the wagon.

  The Shrouded One approached, then paused, turning her head toward Jonan. “You sound familiar...Virgil, was it?”

  “Vincent,” Jonan corrected, trying not to sound too nervous. “Ah, perhaps you saw me at Fort Kaldri?”

  She was there visiting Captain Nolan, so maybe...

  “Ah, yes, that must have been it.” She snapped her fingers. “My, this coffin is quite large.”

  “Larkin was wearing full armor,” Jonan explained. “We felt it was best to preserve the body with all the equipment.”

  “Prudent.” She walked closer, reaching for the coffin. “I’ll see—by the gods, what is that smell?”

  Jonan winced. “Decomposition, I’m afraid. We didn’t have someone with stability sorcery.”

  “Ugh.” She pulled her hand away. “And the other one?”

  “Not quite as bad, at least.”

  The Shrouded One groaned, then moved and opened the other coffin. “Hm. Nakane Theas, is it...? Interesting.”

  She took a few steps closer to Jonan. “You’ve done very well.”

  Jonan resisted the urge to flinch away. “Thank you, Shrouded One.”

  She’s so close.

  Her veils were floating inches away from him, almost within reach.

  “I’m quite impressed that you did such a service to the cause.” The Shrouded One stepped closer. “Tell me, what inspired you to go to such efforts?”

  She leaned in. Her draping silks brushed against Jonan’s shoulder.

  A moment of concentration and a single thought was all it took for Jonan to brush past their sorcery and see within them.

  And in that moment, he realized his mistake.

  She was right in front of him. That dark hair, those burning eyes, that awful smile.

  The same smile she’d worn when she’d burned his family to ashes.

&nb
sp; Lavender.

  “Ah...I...” he stammered, frozen in place.

  Lavender’s hand reached out, brushing his cheek. “No need to stutter. I already know the answer. I know what you want. I’ve known all along.” Her hand moved down to his neck, then slowly tightened. “You want to kill me. But I should offer you a warning — I see the future, Jonan. I saw you coming here. I saw your little tricks, I saw your disguises, and I let you come here. And I’ve seen how this ends.”

  She leaned in and whispered in his ear. “There is no future in which you leave this place alive.”

  Chapter XX – Taelien VI – Lord of Stone

  Lydia collapsed the moment she spoke the words of her spell. Taelien couldn’t catch her — not with a sword in one hand and a lantern in another.

  Wrynn was not similarly encumbered, and she managed to move forward quickly enough to grab Lydia before she hit the ground. She was surprisingly mobile for someone with a hole in her chest, but she still winced at the extra weight.

  Rather than collapsing like Lydia, Venlyra’s body simply trembled for a moment then froze in the position it had been standing in.

  That’s...creepy. Like looking at a porcelain doll, but far too large.

  Taelien kept his sword at the ready, preparing to strike Venlyra or the shades surrounding them if anything made a hostile movement. The shades seemed contented to simply circle around them now that Venlyra was inert.

  “What’s going on with them?” Taelien gestured toward the shades with the Sae’kes.

  “You remember how I mentioned that they’re controlled by some kind of dream sorcery? Lydia changed their commands with that dust she tossed around the area. Clever.” Wrynn sniffed at the air. “More will be coming, and I don’t know if her commands will spread to them or not. We should move.”

  Upon determining that the nearby shades were probably harmless, Taelien moved closer to Wrynn. “Are you capable of walking with an injury like that?”

  Wrynn snorted. “I’ve had a lot worse, and I’m already getting better.”

  Taelien blinked as he examined the wound. It was covered by a black, shimmering substance now, which he belatedly realized was a piece of her tunic that seemed to have broken off and stuck to it. “Ah. One of your famous shadeweave tunics?”

  Wrynn nodded. “Yep. They work quick, and I can regenerate even without it. I could heal myself faster if I could use my spirit arts properly, but I can’t risk using more energy than I absolutely need to use. The chances of breaking my seal are too high right now.”

  Taelien nodded. “Okay. I should probably carry Lydia, though. Can I take her and pass you the lantern?”

  “Sure, but let her keep her hand on the stone. I don’t know what will happen if we break the connection.”

  “Okay. Does that mean we need to take Venlyra with us as well?”

  Wrynn shook her head. “Nope. That thing is just a shell at best.”

  “Then how—”

  A shimmering aura briefly surrounded Wrynn’s hand. She brought it upward, cutting through Venlyra’s arm at the wrist. Then Wrynn shifted, lifting up Lydia — with the crystal still gripped in her hand — and offered her to Taelien.

  “That...works, I guess.” Taelien sheathed his sword, set down the lantern, and took Lydia. Venlyra’s severed hand remained clutched around the bottom half of the crystal, which looked a little creepy, but it began to melt almost immediately. Apparently, whatever force was keeping it frozen was disrupted by separating it from the main body.

  He’d just have to deal with it for a little while.

  He held Lydia carefully, prepared to shift her into an over-the-shoulder carry if he needed free use of one of his hands to fight.

  Wrynn picked up the lantern. “Let’s go.”

  They headed back toward the barrier.

  The shades followed behind them. Taelien found that unsettling, but he knew they weren’t hostile.

  At least, those shades weren’t. Other shades began to converge on them from all sides as they moved deeper into the woods. They didn’t attack immediately, but that only made the unsettling feeling worse.

  “What are the odds that Lydia’s command has a time limit?” Taelien asked.

  “Possible, but unlikely. It’s more likely the other shades are simply waiting to have a critical mass to overwhelm us and the shades that are protecting us.”

  “Lovely.” Taelien took a breath, then quickened his pace. Wrynn kept up easily in spite of her wound.

  More shades gathered with every passing minute. Lydia showed no signs of waking.

  When they reached the barrier, there was a small army of shades standing in the way. Dozens, maybe hundreds. They didn’t look friendly. As Taelien watched, they began to spread out and raise their claws. In a few cases, he saw balls of darkness forming between their hands, most likely preparations for ranged attack spells.

  That’d be fun to tangle with if I didn’t have to worry about Lydia dropping the crystal if I get into a fight. As it is, I’m going to have to be careful.

  He shifted Lydia to over his left shoulder, hoping she could maintain her grip from that position. Then he moved his hand to the hilt of the Sae’kes.

  “Don’t. Hold on.” Wrynn stepped forward. “Stop.”

  The shades ceased moving immediately.

  Wrynn drew in a deep, ragged breath. “To the barrier, quick. I can’t maintain this long.”

  Taelien blinked, then rushed to the barrier’s edge. Wrynn stumbled along behind him. “Should I...?” He gestured toward the barrier.

  “No, I’ve got it.” Wrynn reached a hand toward Lydia, putting it on her forehead, and closed her eyes for an instant. “Reshape.”

  A hole opened in the side of the barrier, just as it had when Lydia had opened it before.

  Taelien didn’t wait — he rushed through the hole.

  Wrynn followed behind him, but only barely. She was staggering now, clearly exhausted.

  The barrier slammed shut behind them.

  Beyond it, Taelien could see the shades beginning to move again — and throw themselves bodily against the shield. “Uh...”

  The barrier flashed each time one of the shades made contact against it, and the shade fell back, writhing in agony.

  After the first few shades crashed into it, cracks began to appear.

  “That’s...bad...” Wrynn managed before breaking into a cough. “Keep...moving...”

  “If you can take Lydia, I can stay here and fight the shades. We don’t want them to escape.”

  Wrynn shook her head. “Can’t... Not enough...” She wobbled on her feet.

  Taelien moved closer, using his free hand to steady her. “Okay, come on. I’ll carry you both.”

  Wrynn considered that for a moment, then nodded. “Drop me...if anything attacks.”

  He wasn’t planning to do that, but he nodded anyway, picking Wrynn up and putting her over his other shoulder.

  “Now...run.”

  Taelien ran.

  Maybe if I get out of sight, the shades will stop trying to break through the barrier.

  He didn’t know what the odds were of that happening, but either way, getting Lydia and Wrynn back to safety was the priority.

  After all, the shades weren’t the only thing watching them.

  He made it a few hundred yards into the woods before things went from bad to worse.

  A shimmering portal appeared in mid-air. Not a teleportation spell, but a two-way sorcerous gate, the kind that only the most powerful of travel sorcerers were capable of using.

  A single figure stepped through the portal. His broad build was encased in glittering golden armor, but he still wore the same stone mask as the last time he saw him.

  Perhaps more worryingly, he carried a massive two-handed hammer against his shoulder. Taelien recognized that just as quickly.

  En-Vamir, the Hammer that Broke the Spine of the World.

  Ooh.

  I wonder if he’s going to fight me w
ith that thing.

  A smile crossed his face at the thought, but he quickly reminded himself of just how precarious his position was, and that they were ostensibly supposed to be making a deal with Kyestri, not fighting him.

  “Lord Kyestri,” Taelien gave him a nod. “Please forgive me for not bowing, as you can see my hands are a bit too occupied.”

  “Of course, there is no need for such formalities.” He lowered the tremendous hammer, laying the white stone head against the ground. The hammer’s head was glimmering with light, the runes on it already active.

  “May I ask why you’re here?” Taelien scanned the forest, looking for signs of other people, but he couldn’t see anyone from his current angle. That was both good and bad.

  “I confess that I have been monitoring your progress, and when I saw how badly injured Prime Lady Wrynn was upon your exit from the barrier, I arrived as quickly as possible to offer aid. I have many potent healing compounds at home. If you’ll follow me through the portal, we can ensure everyone’s injuries are properly treated, and perhaps conclude our trade after you’ve had a chance to rest.”

  Wrynn didn’t say anything. Either she’d actually lost consciousness or, Taelien suspected, she was simply faking it.

  Even without her guidance, though, he could tell something was off. Not just the hammer — taking a weapon when leaving the house was a fairly reasonable precaution when you lived in a murderous death forest. He didn’t know exactly what Kyestri was playing at, but if he’d wanted to offer healing items, he could have just brought them with him.

  “Ah, I’m afraid that won’t be possible right now. You see, Miss Jaden has to be returned straight home. Her injuries are not a concern. She’s having problems with her...condition.”

  Well, that was probably the most vague and awkward bluff anyone has ever made, but hopefully he’ll buy it.

  “Ah, I do understand. My manor is a bit out of the way...but I could have a carriage prepared for you if you’ll come with me briefly? I’m certain you must be tired, and carrying two people for that distance would be quite a challenge, even for a paladin of your stature.”

  Taelien shook his head. “No, I’ll be fine. I do, however, need to hurry. I’ll look forward to meeting with you again to secure our deal after we’ve had a chance to rest.”