by Ian Gregoire
“I should have known she wouldn’t just let it go. Now it all makes sense why she was too busy to socialise during the final week of term; Kayden must have been making preparations for whatever she had in mind.”
A sinking feeling developed in the pit of Fay’s stomach as she mulled over Neryssa’s recollections. She didn’t want to believe it, but she instinctively knew what Kayden was trying to accomplish. “Neryssa, this is very important,” she said. “Do you remember what day the incident in the communal hall happened? Was it before or after the attack on campus?”
Neryssa’s face lit up. “It was the day after the attack,” she blurted. “I remember because it was the first time I had ever seen so many Sanatsai sentries on campus grounds.”
Immediately, Fay’s mind went back to the midday meeting in her office with Ari and Idelle during their visit from Temis Rulan. She recalled how that meeting had been unexpectedly interrupted by Kayden’s piercing scream outside the room, and now it was obvious that the apprentice had been eavesdropping at the door prior to the violent altercation in the corridor. Assuming Kayden had heard that the attack on campus was an assassination attempt directed at her at the behest of a cult leader who may or may not be the infamous Usurper King, then it certainly wouldn’t be out of character for her to view the situation as an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, after the disparaging remarks in the communal hall. In theory, travelling to Anzarmenia would allow Kayden to prevent a second attempt on her life, by killing Master Yosarian, which in turn would earn her the respect of all her peers if he really was Josario Sandolari.
Shaking her head involuntarily, Fay knew that Kayden’s reckless decision could only end one of two ways: she would die in Anzarmenia, or something worse. A nightmare scenario that didn’t bear thinking about.
“Master Fay, you look really worried,” said Neryssa, sounding more than a little concerned herself. “Is Kayden in some kind of trouble?”
“If Kayden is going where I think she’s going,” replied Fay, “she will soon find herself in more trouble than she is capable of getting out of.” Mind racing, she fought to keep her alarm at bay. For now, she didn’t definitively know if Kayden had gone to Anzarmenia intending to hunt down Master Yosarian, but she had to alert Ari and the rest of the Council to the possibility at once. “Listen to me, Neryssa,” she said sternly. “You and I did not have this conversation, and you are not to discuss Kayden’s absence with anyone else, is that clear?”
“Yes, Master Fay.”
“Try to enjoy the rest of your holiday without worrying about Kayden. I’m going to find her and stop her from making a terrible mistake.”
Without another word, Fay vacated the dorm room and left the building. Outside, she marched promptly towards the administration building, taking only a few short paces before invoking Makfayshulat to levitate into the air. She drifted steadily to her destination, landing back in her roof garden. Resuming her march, she went through the open patio doors and wasted no time making her way to her office. Halfway down the stairs the sound of knocking on her office door began in earnest; someone was eager to see her. At the bottom of the stairwell, the knocking continued unabated as she casually walked to the front of her desk, where she halted and stood facing the door on the opposite end of the room.
Invoking Yuksaydan, Fay opened the door, granting admittance to a distraught looking, Sister Daria, who hurriedly walked towards her, holding what appeared to be an envelope.
“Fay, you have to do something!” said Daria frantically. “She’s going to die! She’s going to die! Kayden is going to die!” The poor woman was beside herself, and she looked close to tears.
“What do you know?” demanded Fay.
Sister Daria stopped in front of Fay, and took several calming breaths to compose herself. “On the morning Kayden left campus for the holiday, she came to the infirmary to borrow some money,” she said. “Before leaving, she handed me an envelope for safekeeping until she came back. She also left instructions that I should pass the envelope on to you if she didn’t return from her holiday.” Glancing down, she stared fixedly at the envelope in her hand. “Ever since breakfast in the mess hall, when you mentioned Kayden’s unexplained absence, I have been debating whether to violate her trust by opening her envelope. A short while ago I decided to do so, and now I wish I had done it sooner because I’m scared that it’s already too late.” She held out the envelope to Fay.
Unsure what she was about to learn, Fay took the envelope and gently pulled out a letter, written in Kayden’s distinctive cursive hand.
Dear Fay,
If you are reading this letter it can only mean one thing: that I am dead. By now you already know I deceived you about going back to Astana for the holiday. I hope you can forgive me for the deception; lying to you was much harder than you might imagine.
You have no doubt ascertained that I did indeed overhear your private conversation with Master Ari and Sister Idelle. I understand why you chose to keep from me the fact that I was the target of the attack on campus, and I guess my subsequent actions have proved you correct. But learning that Josario Sandolari was alive and wanted me dead provided me with the chance to earn the respect I craved.
It was my intention to capture Josario and deliver him to the authorities in Shintana, to face the justice he escaped at the end of the Great War, and that is why I journeyed to Anzarmenia. My failure was perhaps inevitable, but I hope you will not blame yourself for my death. Once my mind was made up, nothing you could have said or done would have prevented me from pursuing this course of action.
My only regret is that I never told you how much you mean to me. The past two years have been the best of my life, and I thank you for it. All that remains for me to say is, goodbye.
Your friend,
Kayden Jayta
Fay said nothing as she folded the letter and tucked it back inside the envelope. A protracted silence followed while she contemplated the revelations in Kayden’s message. It was all too much; she couldn’t think clearly.
“Is it true?” asked Daria, intruding upon Fay’s ruminations. “Is Josario Sandolari really alive, living in Anzarmenia?”
“Yes. And you are not to pass that information on to anyone else, is that clear?”
“Is that all you care about? Protecting a secret?” The incredulity in Daria’s voice was written all over her agitated face. “What are you going to do to stop Kayden from delivering herself to a sadistic tyrant who wants to kill her?”
Eyes ablaze, Fay glowered at the emotional Jaymidari. “You should be more concerned about what sanctions I impose upon you, Daria,” she said, keeping her voice even. “You have already admitted to financing Kayden’s escapade; if something happens to her, and I find out you helped her in any other ways…” She trailed off. Making threats against her worried counterpart was uncalled for. With a sigh, Fay slowly turned her back on Daria before setting Kayden’s letter down on her desk. Moments later, she turned back around to face her colleague. “I understand that you are concerned, Daria,” she said, “but there is nothing you can do. I thank you for bringing Kayden’s letter to me, now it’s time you returned to your duties. Let me worry about getting Kayden back.”
Briefly, it seemed as though Daria would protest at being dismissed, but she refrained. With discernible reluctance, she left the office in a forlorn, dejected manner. Fay, for her part, wasn’t ready to assume that it was too late to save Kayden from the perilous predicament she was heading towards. Thinking back to the meeting she had with Ari and Idelle the day after the attack on campus, Fay was confident that Kayden wouldn’t have learned enough from eavesdropping on the conversation to track down Master Yosarian in a timely fashion. At most, Kayden would have gleaned that he and his cult were based in southern Anzarmenia, but nothing more than that. The apprentice only had a three-week window to find her quarry, and half that time would be spent just travelling. Even if she reached the south of the realm before she could be i
ntercepted, the odds of Kayden finding Yosarian were slim. She could waste weeks searching for him without success.
Fay let out a sigh. As much as she wanted to believe that time was not on Kayden’s side, no one knew better than her just how resourceful her headstrong apprentice was. Kayden would not have embarked upon her unauthorised mission if she didn’t have a degree of confidence in its success, even knowing that the Order had a pending mission of its own to eliminate the cult of Yosarian. Then there was the cult leader himself to take into consideration. If he really was having prophetic dreams, warning him of Kayden’s arrival, he would surely be prepared to deal with the threat.
Closing her eyes, Fay rubbed her forehead with her fingers, trying to conjure a plan of action. If she was to pursue her young charge in Anzarmenia, there was no chance she’d be able to catch up by conventional means, given the big head start Kayden enjoyed. But getting ahead of the apprentice via the portal network wasn’t an option either, in light of the Council’s concerns about possible infiltration of the Sisterhood in Anzarmenia. Those very real concerns had already affected the deployment of the five thousand Sanatsai now in place to carry out the pending mission to eliminate the cult of Yosarian. The risk of spies within any of the Sisterhood seminaries had necessitated that the five thousand men and women travel in small groups on horseback, over a period of weeks, to reach their destination without exposing their arrival.
The culmination of her brief ruminations left Fay with only one viable option. She opened her eyes and glanced at the wall-mounted mirror. If she couldn’t catch Kayden in time, then she would have to prevent the apprentice from reaching her objective. Fay marched the short distance to the mirror, invoking Yuksaydan with a wave of the hand to activate the long-distance communication system. It was now imperative that she inform the Council of Kayden’s reckless misadventure, and persuade the thirteen-member ruling body to authorise some of the Sanatsai in Anzarmenia to intercept the apprentice before she got herself killed, or worse.
Moments later, the swirling lavender mists that had replaced Fay’s reflection in the mirror gave way to the image of an unfamiliar, bearded Sanatsai with a stern visage, who appeared to be in his mid-thirties. The green tourmaline pendant pinned below his right collarbone indicated his rank as Mirai, confirming that he wasn’t a member of the Council, nor was his surroundings that of the Council’s chamber.
Damn! thought Fay. Her outgoing call had been redirected.
“Greetings, Danai,” said the man. “A meeting of the Council commenced a short while ago so your transmission has been directed to Internal Security. You may leave a message, and it will be passed on once the session has concluded, or you may initiate contact again at a later time.”
Fay pursed her lips. There was no point leaving a message that wouldn’t be passed along until after the session had finished. If the Council had convened only minutes ago, then the meeting was likely to drag on for another two hours or so. “I will be arriving in Temis Rulan within the hour to address the Council directly,” she announced to the Sanatsai. “They are not expecting me, but this is an emergency so please notify Rendai Shinadu of my need to stand in person.” The words came out of Fay’s mouth before she’d given the matter much thought. “And please could you ensure that a horse and boat are prepared for each step of my journey,” she continued. “I want to waste as little time as possible.”
The Sanatsai acknowledged the request, and Fay duly terminated her long-distance connection to Temis Rulan. Staring at her restored reflection in the mirror, she pondered how long she was likely to remain at the headquarters of the Order now that she’d made the decision to address the Council in person. As much as she wanted to believe she would only be gone for a matter of hours, there was a part of her that felt certain she wouldn’t be returning to Antaris campus until the situation in Anzarmenia had been fully resolved.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
A Leader Of Men
The unnaturally thick blanket of fog rolled steadily ahead of the thousand-strong contingent led by Kayden, concealing the onward march towards Sevdanor, the occupied provincial capital. Although it had been her idea to conceal their approach in this manner, Kayden couldn’t help but be impressed by the handiwork of the Jaymidari volunteers marching with her who were making it happen. Someday she would learn how to do it herself, but for now she was counting on the demonstration of Zarantar Jist being an intimidating spectacle. Though the men defending the northern outskirts of the town would surely be aware that the thick white wisps of the fog bank rolling towards the town was not a natural phenomenon, the sight of it would surely prevent them from risking a cavalry charge. Visibility would be poor, and they’d have to be stupid not to realise there was a threat lurking within the fog.
Riding alongside Kayden at the head of the militia, Sartis broke the mandated silence. “Commander, I understand that you don’t want Kazdaranian to see us until we are in striking distance,” he said, “but we can’t see anything either. How will we know when we’re close enough to execute your plan?”
“When the fog bank stops advancing, so do we,” said Kayden. “That’s when I will announce our arrival to the enemy.”
There were no further questions and the hush around them was restored. The only sounds were the muffled trotting of hooves and the marching of hundreds of boots. By Kayden’s estimation, at least a quarter-hour had elapsed since the motley group of townsfolk and villagers had resumed their march, and it wouldn’t be much longer before they halted outside the town, just beyond the range of bowmen. Sitting bolt upright in the saddle, she was keenly focussed on the battle ahead, in the likely event that Kazdaranian’s men refused to surrender after she emerged from the fog and issued her ultimatum.
Soon enough, the fog bank finally stopped rolling forward. Kayden pulled on the reins, bringing Onyx to a halt with a murmured, “Woah,” in his ear. Without looking back over her shoulder, she raised her clenched left fist in the air, signalling for the procession trailing in her wake to stop. Once the militia had come to a standstill, she tried to hear through the sounds of the multitude of horses and people idling behind her. The sound she was waiting for soon reached her ears, so she glanced back to see the approach of the dappled mare carrying Sister Valeria and the Jaymidari newcomer, Sister Zarina.
A short while later, Valeria had dismounted and was sitting in the saddle behind Kayden, arms wrapped around her waist, ready to help with the next phase of the plan to liberate Sevdanor. The remaining Sisters were now gathered around the two women mounted on Onyx, each of them also on horseback, waiting to play their part in what was soon to come.
“All right, Sisters,” said Kayden. “The moment of truth is close at hand. Let’s see if we can turn the odds in our favour.” She received silent nods of the head from everyone but Zarina, while Valeria murmured in her ear that she, too, was ready to proceed. Glancing sideways at Sartis alongside her, Kayden issued final instructions. “Remember! Once the Sisters have dispersed the fog bank, initiate the charge on Sevdanor without delay. I will be ahead of you, clearing a path.”
Kayden returned her attention to the bank of fog. Taking a deep breath, she let it out then urged Onyx forward to enter the thick white wall of vapour. Moments later, she and Valeria had ridden clear, granting them a clear view of the provincial capital. Immediately, Kayden tugged on the reins, pulling the black gelding to a halt. To her surprise, the edge of the fog bank was closer to Sevdanor than she had planned. The northern outskirts of the town were no more than three hundred yards away, so the militia she led was potentially already within range of archers and crossbowmen among Kazdaranian’s bandit forces. She pursed her lips at the observation, but there was nothing she could do about it now. In any event, the plan of attack was dependent on the ability of herself and the seven Sisters to protect her militia from projectile weapons as they tried to enter Sevdanor.
“Are you all right, Kayden?” asked Valeria. “You seem nervous.”
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��I’ve never participated in a real battle before,” she replied. “I’ve certainly never been in a position to lead anyone else into one. Now it’s starting to sink in that I could be leading a thousand people to their deaths.”
“Do not allow such thoughts to diminish your resolve,” said the Sister. “Everybody marching behind you volunteered to be here, knowing the risks. We do not doubt you, so do not doubt yourself. Are you ready?”
Yes. She was ready. She had to be. By now, the men defending the northern approach to Sevdanor had already spotted her and Valeria emerging on horseback from the strange fog bank lingering beyond the outskirts of the town. If they weren’t yet pondering what the sudden appearance portended, it wouldn’t be long before someone speculated that the anticipated attack was almost under way.
“If you’re sure you can do your part, then I’m ready,” said Kayden. “So, what do I have to do?”
“Speak as you would if you had an audience in front of you right now,” replied Valeria. She tightened her hold around Kayden’s waist. “Your voice will be conveyed and amplified throughout Sevdanor, as you wanted. It likely won’t be enough to frighten Kazdaranian’s men into laying down their arms and surrendering, but if you can provoke an uprising of the town’s inhabitants against the bandits, it will greatly increase our odds for success.”
Sensing Valeria’s imminent use of Zarantar, Kayden prepared herself. She didn’t know the exact means by which the Sister would accomplish the feat, but she had faith that once she began her address the words would be heard throughout Sevdanor.
“People of Sevdanor! This is the voice of the resistance,” said Kayden. “For ten months you have been made to live in fear because of one man who betrayed his oath to protect the subjects of the realm, for personal gain. Today, I hereby bring you glad tidings that this reign of terror is at an end. Your fellow countrymen, from towns and villages to the north, have risen up to liberate Yeverezan province from the banditry that has menaced all of you. Now they wait on the outskirts of town, to liberate the provincial capital, and restore governance to the rightful authority.”
