The Apprentice In The Master’s Shadow

by Ian Gregoire

  It would have been an understatement if Fay had said she was not best pleased by the revelation. She had a very personal reason for wanting—no, needing to be involved. As a matter of principle she felt an obligation to avenge the death of her former brother-in-law, Marit Katarnian, brutally slain by the leader of the cult two years ago during an ill-fated assignment in Anzarmenia.

  “I don’t understand,” she said. “What could you possibly have discovered that would prevent my involvement in the mission?”

  “As you know,” replied Ari, “for the two and a half years in which the Order has been monitoring the cult, identifying its leader has been problematic. Although we eventually managed to get a name, we were never able to get eyes on this Master Yosarian. Until a couple of days ago.

  “One of our people deployed in Anzarmenia, unwittingly witnessed an entourage of cultists travelling between communes late at night. As luck would have it, Master Yossarian was among them. When I was informed of this I ordered the immediate return of Kai Orianis to Temis Rulan. I wanted to access his memory to see for myself the face of the man he saw. Only then could I confirm the suspicion I’ve harboured about the true identity of this cult leader, ever since the killing of Marit Katarnian.

  “Kai Orianis arrived a few hours before we received word of the attack here at Antaris. Looking into his mind I was finally able to put a face to the name, confirming my worst fear about Master Yosarian. And given your history with him, it would be folly to involve you in the pending mission.”

  The assertion baffled Fay. She had no history with the mysterious cult leader. “Ari, what are you saying?” she said. “I have no history with this Master Yosarian. I think I would remember meeting an Anzarmenian cult leader.”

  Ari exchanged a meaningful look with Idelle, as if seeking reassurance. “Idelle, would you like to tell her, or should I?” he asked.

  With a subtle nod of the head, Idelle indicated that Ari should proceed.

  “Master Yosarian is an assumed identity,” he began. “In fact, he’s not even Anzarmenian by birth, he is a native of the Nine Kingdoms. Balintanese to be precise.” Ari stared earnestly across the table at Fay. “You knew him many years ago by another name…” He paused. The silence was fraught with tension. “Josario Sandolari.” The revelation broke the silence in the most terrible way possible. “Your former master is still alive, Fay.”

  Fay’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of the Usurper King, the man who had instigated the Great War that engulfed much of the Nine Kingdoms over seven decades earlier. Ari had to be mistaken. There was no way the cult leader in Anzarmenia could be Josario. Even though he’d successfully evaded capture once his war was lost, it simply wasn’t possible for him to still be alive all these years later.

  “Ari, what you are claiming is impossible,” she said, emphatically. “He must be long dead by now. Only elite Sanatsai, like you and myself, are known to live extended life spans.” Though she recognised the certainty in Ari’s voice, she did not want to believe the news. “Besides, how can you be certain it was him you saw in Kai Orianis’ memory? You never met Josario.”

  “Like all tyrants, the Usurper King was rather fond of having his portrait painted. I saw enough of those pictures to know that he is the cult leader in Anzarmenia.”

  “He was in his mid-fifties at the end of the war,” she said. “He would be approaching a hundred and thirty years of age if he were alive today. How could he possibly still be alive?”

  “We were hoping you could tell us,” Idelle interjected, speaking for the first time. “When I was ordained as the head of the Sisterhood, I inherited from my predecessor all the knowledge the Sisterhood has accumulated over the ages, pertaining to the mysteries of Zarantar. As you can see from my appearance, that knowledge does not extend to slowing down the ageing process. What comes naturally to yourself and Ari is beyond the ability of both the Jaymidari and the Saharbashi. Even the vast majority of your fellow Sanatsai are likewise limited.

  “But Ari has confirmed that Master Yosarian and Josario Sandolari are one and the same. So even if, as he has told me, Josario doesn’t have the youthful appearance of either of you, he is very much alive and well. Could you shed some light?”

  It was becoming harder to continue denying, outright, the possibility that the Usurper King had survived the intervening years since the conclusion of the Great War. Fay’s initial certainty that her counterparts were mistaken was weakening. Doubt was creeping over her consciousness like nightshade. She glanced down at the table, reached for the teapot and poured herself a cup of the herbal infusion.

  “He was always so obsessed with trying to increase his power,” she mused, more to herself than in reply to Idelle’s question. “If any Saharbashi could find a way to extend their life span, it would be him.” Looking up, porcelain cup in hand, she addressed Ari. “If he is still alive, and leading the cult in southern Anzarmenia, all the more reason why I need to be involved in the mission to eliminate the group.” Her brow furrowed as she narrowed her eyes at him. “Unless… Unless you think I can’t be trusted.” Surely that couldn’t be the reason? she thought.

  “Trust has nothing to do with it,” Ari countered. “Keeping you away from this is about protecting you.”

  “From what? I don’t need protecting.”

  A response was conspicuous by its absence. But Fay could read her long-time friend like a book: he wanted to tell her something he knew would displease her. It was all the more apparent when he, again, exchanged glances with Idelle, possibly seeking guidance or just moral support.

  “Idelle! You don’t think I can be trusted either.” It wasn’t a question, it was an accusation. Fay couldn’t keep the hurt from her voice. Sitting before her were the two oldest and dearest friends she had. She trusted both Ari and Idelle with her life, and—until that moment—she assumed the pair held her in the same regard.

  “You know that’s not true, Fay,” insisted Idelle. “But we have to be mindful of the past. We know what Josario Sandolari once meant to you. We recall the fierce loyalty he inspired in you, and the lengths you went to in his service.”

  “And now that he appears to be alive you believe I will betray the Order at the first opportunity.”

  “What Idelle is trying to say,” said Ari, cutting in, “is that we’re concerned about the potential effect coming face-to-face with Josario might have on you, both mentally and emotionally.”

  “There is nothing he could say or do that would make me betray you or the Order.”

  “I know that, old friend. We both do. But once upon a time, you told me that Josario was the closest thing you had to a father. Knowing that, how can I put you in a situation to confront someone you have such a history with, and ask you to take his life?”

  Ari’s reasoning just didn’t ring true in Fay’s mind. She had no qualms about the necessity of killing the man now styling himself as Master Yosarian. It wasn’t even a matter of obligation to the Order. She had her own reason, beyond duty, for wanting to kill him.

  “You wouldn’t be forcing me to do something I don’t want to do,” she said. “Remember, it was this so-called Master Yosarian who murdered Marit Katarnian two years ago. For that alone, I feel obliged to kill him. To avenge Marit’s death.”

  “That’s easy to say, here and now,” replied Ari. “But could you go through with it when meeting him face-to-face? Just one moment’s hesitation could get you killed. It wouldn’t be fair of me to put you in that position, that’s why I don’t want you anywhere near this mission.”

  Fay’s riposte died on the tip of her tongue. Finally, she had noticed Idelle’s silent preoccupation with the office door, her motionless poise reminiscent of a wizened owl fixated on nocturnal prey in the distance. Glancing toward the door, and seeing nothing, Fay returned her attention to her Jaymidari counterpart. “Is there something wrong, Idelle?” she asked.

  “Perhaps,” murmured the Sister. Slowly, she tore her gaze away from the door to
address Fay directly. “How did Kayden react when you told her she was the intended target of last night’s attack?”

  The question took Fay by surprise; she had no intention of telling Kayden any such thing. “I didn’t tell her,” she replied, “and I’m not going to.”

  “Why would you keep that from her?” said Ari. He looked perturbed by the admission.

  “If you knew Kayden like I do you wouldn’t need to ask. Believe me when I say telling her the truth is a very bad idea. It would only prompt her into doing something stupid.” Fay shook her head then continued. “If she knew that Josario was alive, leading a cult in southern Anzarmenia and actively trying to kill her, this is how that scenario would play out: she would get it into her head that she must go to Anzarmenia to kill him before he can kill her, and nothing would dissuade her. Allowing that to happen would only get her killed, or worse. That is why I cannot tell her while the threat to her life remains.”

  Looking dubious, Ari replied, “Fay, the mission in Anzarmenia is a month away. That’s more than enough time for repeated attempts on Kayden’s life. Wouldn’t it be prudent to not keep her in the dark? If she is made aware of the situation she can take precautions to minimise the danger she is in.”

  “I’ve already taken steps to ensure her safety,” Fay insisted. “The extra security I deployed in the wake of the attack will remain in place until the mission to eliminate the cult of Yosarian has been completed. Also, a recent breach of discipline provided me with a pretext to ban Kayden from leaving campus grounds without my consent. Between now and the end of this term, if she is granted permission to be outside the grounds, she will be accompanied by six sentries at all times.”

  Fay could tell instantly from the reactions on the two faces opposite her that both Ari and Idelle thought she had gone overboard.

  “The mission in Anzarmenia will take place during the final week of the upcoming autumn break,” she continued. “Kayden is the only apprentice who never leaves Antaris to visit family during the three-week holidays. She and I are constant companions at these times. So, if I cannot participate in the mission, I’ll be perfectly placed to prevent any harm coming to her.”

  Neither Ari nor Idelle said anything in response. But what could they say to her? As she had already pointed out, she knew Kayden better than either of them. They simply weren’t in a position to offer a persuasive argument for letting the apprentice know that she would be living under the threat of assassination for the next month or so. Secrecy was essential until the threat posed by Master Yosarian—or Josario, if he truly was still alive—was neutralised.

  “It seems you’ve given this a lot of thought,” remarked Idelle.

  A wry smile tugged the corner of Fay’s mouth. The matter required very little thought. If Kayden knew the truth, she’d be planning her own mission to Anzarmenia quicker than the Order could say, kill or be killed. And the prospect of a meeting between her precocious apprentice and her erstwhile mentor didn’t bear thinking about. Nothing good would come of such an encounter, so she would do nothing to facilitate that occurrence.

  Briefly, Fay contemplated explaining the rationale behind her decision to her counterparts, but before she could make a decision, the sound of some kind of commotion in the corridor outside the office drew her attention to the door. A quick exchange of glances with Ari and Idelle confirmed that they, too, had heard it. She peered back at the door, waiting for a repetition of the disturbance outside.

  There was a piercing scream. A young woman was hurt. Fay knew at once who it was… Kayden.

  In the blink of an eye she vanished from her seat, reappearing at the door in an instant, her hand gripping the knob. She yanked the door open and was shocked by the sight that greeted her.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Unbearable Slights

  Ear pressed against the office door, Kayden couldn’t believe the content of the conversation taking place on the other side. What she had heard had come as a complete shock; it was like being slapped across the face while half asleep, rousing her fully awake. Learning that the attack on campus was an assassination attempt aimed at her rather than Fay was troubling enough, but knowing that the man who had put the target on her back was the infamous Usurper King, Josario Sandolari, was unbelievable. It should have been impossible. But Josario was still alive and wanted her dead. Now she would have to spend the next month looking over her shoulder, helpless to do anything until the Order carried out its mission to eliminate the threat. A threat that could strike out at her, at any moment, from hundreds of miles away.

  Kayden couldn’t help but wonder how she was able to make an enemy of someone she had never met. A hand gripped her firmly by the shoulder, taking her by surprise. She was forcefully pulled away from Fay’s door and spun around, bringing her face-to-face with an irate Master Luka, accompanied by the dunderhead sentry, Kai Delano.

  “Come quietly,” hissed Master Luka in an urgent undertone, his face creased in anger, “or I’ll have you detained and interrogated for espionage.” He grabbed her by the upper arm, attempting to drag her with him down the corridor.

  Kayden yanked her arm free of his grasp. “Don’t be ridiculous,” she hissed back, all too aware of the need to keep her voice low, and not cause a commotion outside the administrator’s office. “I’m not a spy.”

  Acting on instinct, she slapped Master Luka’s hand away when he reached for her a second time. She followed up with a straight kick to his chest, causing him to stumble backward and fall flat on his back. Before she could regret the rashness of her actions, she was rewarded with a sucker-punch to the side of the head, courtesy of Kai Delano. She dropped to one knee, stunned.

  Son of a bitch!

  Without a second thought, she was back on her feet, unleashing a flurry of punches at her attacker. Though he effortlessly blocked and parried every blow, she still succeeded in putting her Sanatsai opponent on the back-foot until his back was up against the wall opposite Fay’s office. Seeking to press home her advantage, the final punch of the combination she threw was neither blocked nor parried. At the last moment, Kai Delano deftly sidestepped her, leaving the blow aimed at his face to strike the wall with a loud, echoing thump. Kayden had no time to curse the pain in her right hand. A brutal kick to the ribs sent her colliding into the opposite wall of the corridor.

  Badly winded, she no longer cared about concealing her presence outside Fay’s office—they were surely moments away from being discovered anyway—she just wanted to teach the dunderhead Sanatsai a lesson. Lurching forward, on the offensive once more, she initiated another combination of punches. Again, none of them found their target, and before she knew it her right arm was caught in a jarring armlock, forcing her down on to her knees, head bowed low. She wanted to struggle against the powerful hold keeping her immobile, but the pain was an irresistible disincentive. Her mouth was open in a silent scream. The bastard Sanatsai was pulling her arm back high above her head, as though he was trying to rip it out of its socket.

  In spite of herself, Kayden screamed—a shrill, piercing sound that reverberated through the corridor.

  “What is going on out here?”

  The intrusion of Fay’s voice from the open doorway of the office brought an instant easing of the agonising pain, though Kayden’s tormentor retained his hold of her arm while Master Luka, now back on his feet, observed.

  “Release her and let her up,” said Fay. She did not sound amused by the spectacle outside her office.

  Once the hold on her arm was relinquished, Kayden rose to her feet, grimacing, while she rubbed her right shoulder. Lips pursed, she glared daggers at Kai Delano as he stood to attention before Fay. The stupid son of a bitch could have dislocated her arm. He was lucky their confrontation was interrupted when it was because she was only moments away from unleashing a devastating Zarantar strike against him.

  “Could you explain what just happened?” said Fay addressing Master Luka.

  “After it was made clear
to her that you were indisposed and couldn’t be interrupted, this apprentice refused to leave the building then proceeded to assault myself and one of my men in the lobby,” replied the Sanatsai. “And then—”

  “They started it!” Kayden interjected, unable to keep the anger from her voice. “They were rude and aggressive before I even set foot in the building, treating me like a potential threat. And in the lobby, it was them who put their hands on me first. I was just defending myself. That’s when they drew their blades, threatening to kill me. And they wanted to kill me, too.” She gestured at Kai Delano. “Especially this one.”

  He glanced sideways at her, a smug expression etched upon his stupid face. It was readily apparent that the son of a bitch had enjoyed hurting her before Fay’s timely intervention. The look in his eyes seemed to be daring her to do something about it. She barely heard Master Luka rebutting her accusations to Fay. All she could think about was wiping that smug look off Kai Delano’s face.

  Without warning, she threw a punch at him—payback for his earlier strike. Her fist stopped just short of his nose, smacking into the palm of Fay’s outstretched hand with a sharp, audible slap.

  “Enough!” Fay had a stern look in her eyes, mirroring the tone of her barked command.

  Letting her hand drop to her side, Kayden tried to regain her composure.