by Ian Gregoire
Across the distance separating them, Kayden stared impassively back at the man. She folded her arms across her chest, deliberately conveying her lack of concern at the intrusion of of the ragtag group of bandits.
“Surely there must be some kind of mistake,” said the innkeeper. “I would never harbour such a person in my establishment.” He peered back over his shoulder, looking nervously at her. “I only have one foreign guest at present and she’s a lovely young thing.” Glancing back at Rakissian, he added, “I’m sure she wouldn’t do what you’re suggesting.”
“Of course I would,” quipped Kayden casually. “And I did.”
Some of the bandits stared wide-eyed at her, seemingly surprised by her admission. She couldn’t say for certain whether the response was prompted by her ability to speak fluent Anzarmenian, or simply disbelief at her audacity in acknowledging her defiance, not that it mattered. She ambled towards the front of the saloon to join the mayor and the innkeeper. As she approached it wasn’t just the gruff-looking bandits staring at her. The few patrons still on the premises were sitting nervously at their tables, aghast. Inserting herself between Mayor Nartovian and the innkeeper, Kayden came to a halt in front of Rakissian. She pulled back the hood of her cloak, locking eyes with the bandit ringleader—her silent gaze an unspoken challenge to him to make the first move.
A wry smile appeared on his face. “No wonder those fools couldn’t apprehend you in the woods,” he muttered, amused. “Probably tripped over each other’s dicks the moment they laid eyes on you.” Kayden didn’t react to the lewd imagery, but she noted the displeasure on the face of Drazanik who had led the ill-fated attempt to accost her on the road to Azderan. “However, what you did cannot go unanswered,” continued Rakissian, affecting a formal tone intended to be heard by everyone in the saloon. “You attacked men loyal to Baranzev Kazdaranian, and if you are allowed to escape the consequences of your actions it might encourage others to contemplate such open defiance.” He looked down upon Kayden ominously, no doubt hoping his significant height advantage would be intimidating. “If you come quietly there’ll be no reason for you to be harmed… too severely. And, who knows, maybe you’ll come to enjoy your new life as Kazdaranian’s latest plaything.”
The implication of Rakissian’s final comment didn’t sit well with Kayden. She scowled.
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” she replied. “But I do have an ultimatum of my own.” The bandit ringleader’s hand moved slowly towards the hilt of his sword; Kayden remained unconcerned. “Azderan and its people are under my protection. If you and your fellow reprobates leave town right now, never to return, you will not be harmed.” A chorus of disbelieving chuckles broke out among the bandits, but Kayden simply flashed a knowing smile as she cast her gaze across them. “It gets better,” she continued, raising her voice to address all the bandits at once. “After you leave town you will inform your leader, Baranzev Kazdaranian, that I am hereby declaring an end to his unlawful hold on this province. Sovereignty will be returned to the rightful authority of the queen, and Kazdaranian will turn himself in to stand trial for his crimes.”
The declaration caused more chuckling among the bandits, which soon turned to raucous laughter. If they didn’t think she was crazy before, they surely believed so now. But the reaction wasn’t shared by everyone. With a flourish, Rakissian drew his sword from its scabbard, prompting Kayden to invoke Yuksaydan in response. The weapon was instantly pulled from the bandit’s grasp, and the blade snapped in two as though it was a twig. The two halves of the sword fell to the floor at his feet, and having been given no time to wield the weapon, Rakissian stared wide-eyed at Kayden. It wasn’t just surprise and disbelief in his gaze, there was also realisation: he suddenly knew what he and his cohorts were facing, and finally understood Kayden’s lack of fear.
“She wields Zaranatar!” he yelled. “Kill her, quickly!”
The two bandits armed with crossbows swiftly raised their respective weapons, but before either could take aim at their target Kayden thrust out a hand, invoking Yuksaydan for the second time in quick succession. The crossbows were instantly obliterated in the hands of the two men, stinging their fingers. Both Varik and Mayor Nartovian scurried for cover, and a murmur of alarm issued from the motley group of bandits as all but one of their number slowly backed away from her. Standing his ground, the scrawny-looking man of middling years had to be the least intimidating member of the gruff contingent, and for the briefest of moments Kayden wondered why he was the one who seemingly wanted to carry out the order to kill her. She didn’t have to wonder for long. At once she sensed the imminent Zarantar strike from the bandit and realised that her opponent was also a Sanatsai—the first she had encountered in Anzarmenia.
The attempt to snap her neck was neutralised by her opposing invocation of Yuksaydan, then she retaliated. Before her adversary could react, she reached out with the ‘unseen hand’, seizing the scrawny man around the throat and lifting him off his feet. A strangled yelp of, “Help me,” escaped his lips as he hung in the air, struggling futilely against the invisible grip around his neck.
The call for assistance prompted an immediate response. An incendiary orb hurtled towards Kayden, and detonated harmlessly against the translucent barrier sphere she induced around herself courtesy of her swift invocation of Inkansaylar. It was followed by a second, third and fourth, revealing the presence of an additional four Sanatsai amid their ranks. Each orb failed to breach Kayden’s defences, but the rapid escalation of hostilities caused all the patrons to throw themselves to the floor and cower beneath tables.
With a nonchalant wave of the hand Kayden brought down the barrier sphere, and her aggressive invocation of Yuksaydan knocked every bandit to the floor, while simultaneously releasing her hold on the scrawny man, who was still suspended. She tossed him on top of Rakissian’s prone body then took a couple of steps towards the hapless group. “Surrender now and nobody will be harmed!” she ordered, her voice carrying an authoritative edge. She hoped her words would be heeded; it would be unfortunate if she had to resort to ending a life to ensure compliance.
Rakissian gave a shove to move the body pinning him to the ground, allowing him to scramble back on to his feet. He glared at Kayden, his spirit unbroken, but he made no moves towards her. Once all his subordinates had regained their footing and awaited direction, he finally spoke. “We obviously got off on the wrong foot,” he said through gritted teeth. “Kazdaranian is always on the lookout for more Sanatsai to recruit. If you agree to join us we can put an end to this needless skirmish. If you refuse…? Well, I’ll just point out that I have five wielders of Zarantar at my disposal, and it would be shame to have to kill such a valuable resource.”
Kayden successfully fought off the urge to laugh, but failed to suppress her involuntary smirk. Holding both arms out to the side, she replied, “Tell your five friends to do their worst.” She looked forward to demonstrating that it would take more than five Anzarmenian Sanatsai to get the better of her.
With a sideways glance, and a subtle nod of the head, Rakissian gave the silent order to kill. Immediately, the five men who had attempted to kill her moments earlier moved cautiously to the front of the bandit group. The each looked wary—as they should, thought Kayden—possibly concerned by her warning that someone might get hurt.
“What are you waiting for?” snapped Rakissian. “Kill her!”
Sensing the imminent attack, Kayden was ready to exhibit her superior mastery of Zarantar. The five Sanatsai bandits thrust out their hands, unleashing a barrage of incendiary orbs that hurtled towards her. In an instant every single orb simultaneously blinked out of existence before crossing a fraction of the distance to their target. The blood seemed to drain from the faces of the quintet like the outgoing tide retreating from the shore. As they exchanged glances, their blanching complexions conveyed both disbelief and terror. Nobody issued a verbal cue but, as one, the five men turned on their heels, pushing past their comrad
es in an effort to escape the inn. Amused by the reaction, Kayden thrust a hand forward, invoking Inkansaylar to create an impenetrable barrier across the front entrance. Cutting off the escape route seemed to provoke a blind panic in the fleeing men. They wildly pounded the translucent barrier with their fists in a futile bid to break through.
The panicked display was instantly contagious. Several more bandits joined their fearful counterparts in trying to flee the inn. Whether they knew why they were trying to escape, Kayden could only speculate. One of the few to maintain his composure was Rakissian, who forced his way through his panic-stricken subordinates to grab the scrawny man by his collar.
“What do you think you’re playing at?” snarled Rakissian. “I told you to kill her.”
The man fought off the grasp on his collar. “Don’t you get it?” he snapped, pushing Rakissian back. “She simultaneously neutralised all our fireball attacks. That means she’s more powerful than the five of us combined.”
At last Rakissian seemed to understand the situation he and his cohorts found themselves in. Kayden flashed him a wry smile as he glanced in her direction, a look of resignation slowly sweeping down his face. She ambled towards the crowded exit to confront the bandits and issue her terms of surrender. “If I may have everyone’s attention!” Her raised voice brought an end to the desperate attempts to breach the barrier shield set across the front door. “Whoever among you wishes to live,” she said, “fall to your knees, now.” Most of the men responded immediately; others sank to their knees more reluctantly, but only one person remained standing.
With a dramatic sigh, Kayden thrust out her right hand. Invoking Yuksaydan, she wanted to find out just how eager to die the bandit ringleader really was. The ‘unseen hand’ seized the obdurate man by the throat, prompting him to claw desperately at the invisible hold squeezing the life out of him. Though she had no intention of killing Rakissian to make her point, Kayden was prepared to go as far as to render him unconscious.
“All right All right!” he blurted in a hoarse wheeze. “I’ll kneel, I’ll kneel!”
The cessation of Kayden’s invocation of Yuksaydan permitted Rakissian to sink to his knees, coughing and spluttering. Finally, the last of his defiance appeared to have deserted him.
“For a moment, you almost had me convinced that you no longer wished to remain in the land of the living,” said Kayden mockingly. “Now that you’ve decided otherwise, let’s discuss what happens next.” She glanced around the saloon, looking for Mayor Nartovian. She spotted him cowering under a nearby table; Varik was right beside him. With her index finger she silently beckoned the mayor to come out from under the table to join her. After a moment’s hesitation he crawled out from underneath his hiding place, stood upright, then ambled forward to meet her.
“What are you going to do with them?” he asked, standing apprehensively at her side.
Kayden gave him a half-smile. “Wrong question,” she said. “The right question is, what are you and the townsfolk going to do with them?” The mayor’s bewildered expression prompted her to issue instructions to him, by way of explanation. “First of all, you’re going to ask the innkeeper to come out from under the table and go fetch several lengths of rope. You will then tell his patrons to tie up our unwanted guests. Once that is done, you will provide me with suggestions as to where in the town I can keep them detained overnight.”
A dismissive chuckle drew Kayden’s attention to the ringleader of the subdued bandits. She stared down at the kneeling man. “I don’t think you’re in any position to be laughing,” she said. “Your days of terrorising this town are over, so what exactly do you find so amusing?”
“You think you’ve liberated this town, but you are mistaken,” replied Rakissian. “If we don’t return tonight our people will know something is amiss. When they arrive tomorrow to collect tribute from the town, they will do so in greater numbers.” The smirk on his face was almost a sneer. “If they should find us being held captive here… Well, rest assured there will be repercussions.”
The fearful expression on the mayor’s face didn’t escape Kayden’s notice.
“You may be able to protect yourself, stranger,” continued Rakissian, “but you are just one person. You’re deluded if you think a can forcibly take even a single town from Kazdaranian’s grasp, never mind the whole province.”
“Oh, don’t worry, I won’t be liberating Azderan—its townspeople will do that. The same goes for the people of the rest of the province. Once they realise they have nothing to fear, your days are numbered.” Kayden glanced at Mayor Nartovian. “It’s time for you to instruct the innkeeper to fetch the rope I asked for.”
A large gathering of men, interspersed with a handful of women, stood outside the warehouse carrying lanterns to illuminate the scene. They had all come to bear witness to the stranger as she detained the bound and gagged bandits inside the unassuming storage building. Many of the townsfolk were visibly anxious about what was happening, but a cautious cheer from a small group of people greeted the sight of the last bandit being herded into the warehouse. It was a short-lived gesture. The troubled murmurings of the majority quickly overcame the momentary, muted exuberance of the minority—a clear sign of people’s concerns about the repercussions of defying Baranzev Kazdaranian’s rule.
Kayden took her time setting a Jaymidari containment ward around the warehouse. The men within were tied-up but it was a prudent precaution to ensure that no one was able to enter or leave the building. Though she rarely had opportunities for practising her illicit knowledge of Zarantar Jist, once the task was complete she stood outside the entrance satisfied with the ward she had invoked. Nonetheless, she still had concerns: five of them. Depending on how well trained they were, the quintet of Sanatsai among the bandit captives could potentially break the ward, and Kayden had no desire to stay awake all through the night to make sure that didn’t happen.
The solution she settled upon to address the dilemma was to send a volunteer messenger to the nearby Sisterhood seminary. He carried a request, asking for three Jaymidari to come to Azderan to bind the Zarantar of the five Sanatsai prisoners. While awaiting their arrival Kayden made it her mission to rally support among the townsfolk crowding outside the warehouse. If Azderan was to be liberated, it was vital that its people were prepared to play their part. She took Mayor Nartovian to one side and asked him to announce a meeting at the town hall in half an hour. Anyone who was willing to take a stand against the town’s tormentors should attend that meeting to hear Kayden’s proposal for putting an end to the ongoing bandit problem. Much to her surprise, the mayor’s forceful words did not fall on deaf ears. A chorus of defiant exhortations went up from the crowd, making clear that many people had been swayed by the call to action.
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Mayor Nartovian murmured in her ear when the crowd slowly began to disperse.
“We’ll find out soon enough,” she quipped.
“I guess I’d better fetch my aide and see about opening up the town hall and getting it ready for your meeting. What will you be doing in the meantime?”
“I need to wait here for the Sisterhood to arrive.” She glanced at the warehouse entrance. “There are five Sanatsai among the captives, and though it’s unlikely they have the necessary knowledge to break the ward I set around the warehouse, I think it prudent to have their Zarantar bound so they can’t escape, and your townsfolk can sleep peacefully in their beds tonight.”
The mayor mumbled his approval then departed to find his aide. As she watched him leave, the sight of so many other townsfolk uniformly heading in the direction she assumed would take them to the town hall was an encouraging one. It pleased her to know that the people of Azderan believed in her, easing her concern that the detour to the town would ultimately cost her more time than she would have liked.
Kayden had been standing guard outside the warehouse for almost half an hour when the three Jaymidari arrived in Azderan on horseback, ac
companied by the volunteer. She took a minute to apprise the Sisters of the situation, and what assistance she required of them. They were taken by surprise by the existence of an Anzarmenian-speaking, Vaidasovian Sanatsai, and even more astonished that Kayden also had sufficient mastery of Zarantar Jist to be able to set a Jaymidari containment ward. She brushed away their questions, unwilling to divulge any information that would either expose her connection to the Order, or the reason for her presence in Anzarmenia.
After the five Sanatsai bandits were brought out to have their Zarantar bound, agreement was reached that the Sisters would stay in town and take it in turns to stand guard until morning. A handful of men offered to remain on guard duty to keep the Sisters company during their respective shifts.
With her concerns addressed, Kayden finally made her way to the town hall, following the lead of a group of lantern-bearing townsfolk whom she assumed were heading there. She arrived to find that those in attendance had split into opposing factions engaged in heated debate. One group were arguing in favour of the intervention of the mysterious, foreign stranger. They sounded cautiously optimistic that the night’s events could be the catalyst for liberating the town. The much larger group, however, were making clear their belief that the actions of their would-be liberator presaged a bloody retribution against Azderan and its people.
A deathly hush descended the hall as soon as she entered. The throng of people crowding into the venue parted to allow her to walk to the front of the gathering, where Mayor Nartovian stood with a young aide, awaiting her arrival. When she joined the mayor, he told her that the floor was hers and that her proposal would be listened to, if nothing else. She thanked him for the consideration then turned to face the audience. The sound of Mayor Nartovian and his aide shuffling away brought Kayden’s attention to the fact she was being left alone to address the townsfolk while they watched proceedings from the side. Her heartbeat quickened as she stared unblinking at the crowd. All of a sudden she felt self-conscious. She had no experience of public speaking, and no clear idea of how she would persuade the town’s populace that it was in their best interest to take up arms against the men terrorising the town and the rest of the province.
