by Ian Gregoire
Things would be so different if I was in charge, thought Benzino. For a start, next week’s mission wouldn’t just be about killing Josario Sandolari. If he had his way he would order the wholesale massacre of every man, woman, and child who belonged to Josario’s cult, rather than disbanding the group. Then he would launch reprisal attacks against the Anzarmenian government, as punishment for allowing its territory to be a safe haven for evil Saharbashi to plot and scheme. Just how stupid were these people? Couldn’t they see the danger in allowing practitioners of Zarantar Najist to live openly among them? Having a queen as the reigning monarch for three consecutive generations was obviously the problem. A woman had no business ruling a country. Her rightful place was on her back with her legs open, producing male heirs for a king.
Arriving at the door to his quarters, Benzino took comfort in knowing that the day Ari was finally put out to pasture he would become the dominant voice in the Council. He could then shift the focus and direction of the Order, and ultimately change the destiny of the Nine Kingdoms.
The sun had dipped below the horizon, creating a beautiful orange-red vista behind the royal palace silhouetted in front of it. Fay rode Shadow at a trot through the streets of the Anzarmenian capital, heading straight for the royal residence. The clock tower she had passed a short while ago informed her that the time was fast approaching Twenty-First Hour, so she had reached Nerezan an hour earlier than anticipated. It meant there was still an abundance of people on the streets, doing whatever it is they did in the late evening, which wasn’t ideal. When word of an attack on the palace got out it was sure to quickly draw crowds of concerned people.
Fay chose not to dwell upon the possibility. Dressed head to toe in black, with her hood pulled over her head, she was unlikely to be recognised while forcing her way into the palace. Nonetheless, trying to leave the palace once a crowd had gathered outside had the potential to be a problem, even though it would be night-time when she completed her objective.
As with any major city, the advent of street lighting meant that sunset didn’t immediately result in people deserting the streets of Nerezan to go indoors. The hustle and bustle of the city was unaffected be the nearing of nightfall, and Fay watched with mild interest as lamplighters went about their job of lighting the oil-based street lamps lining the roads. Soon the outer perimeter wall of the royal palace came into view and she steered Shadow towards the open east gates. Drawing nearer, she glanced up at the top of the wall to see that it was manned by several uniformed soldiers from the Queen’s Palace Guard, all of them armed with crossbows. There were also a number of armed soldiers clustered at the gate, and Fay was well aware that every member of the Queen’s Palace Guard had sworn an oath to lay down their life to protect their queen. But she was mindful of the need to refrain from using lethal force against them, while still making the threat to the life of the queen seem genuine.
Spotting her steady approach towards the east gate, four of the ten soldiers advanced towards her with their hands resting on the hilts of their swords.
“Please show your face and state your business,” said one of the Palace Guard.
Without uttering a word, Fay invoked Yuksaydan to seize hold of the four soldiers, and simultaneously toss them up into the air. Her subsequent invocation of Turmiraydan unleashed four concussion orbs that struck each of the quartet in mid-air, rendering them unconscious before they hit the ground. A cry of alarm went up from the six soldiers remaining at the gate, who quickly drew their swords and charged towards her. Maintaining Shadow’s steady trot, Fay nonchalantly continued her approach, unconcerned. Again, she invoked Turmiraydan, unleashing the half dozen orbs necessary to incapacitate the onrushing soldiers.
“Desist and surrender!” yelled a voice from the top of the perimeter wall. “Or we will put you down.”
Fay ignored the warning, safe in the knowledge that the expected volley of crossbow bolts was not a threat to her. An order for the crossbowmen to let loose, quickly followed, and the unmistakeable sound of bolts cutting through the air assailed her hearing, but the deadly projectiles failed to find their target. Each bolt burst in a dramatic puff of dust before reaching Fay as she utilised her mastery of Zarantar Jist to protect herself and Shadow. She in turn unleashed almost three dozen concussion orbs that snaked up into the air, homing in on the men at the top of the perimeter wall.
With the threat from above neutralised, Fay passed through the gate of the outer perimeter wall unhindered to get her first view of the palace grounds. Several hundred yards in the distance was the inner perimeter wall, behind which was the splendour of the royal palace. Between her and the Anzarmenian queen’s residence scores of Palace Guard were massing with their swords drawn. Their numbers continued to swell rapidly as additional men and women poured out of the single-storey rectangular buildings dotting the grounds. The shouted orders for the soldiers to move into formation barely registered with Fay as she glanced to the left to see several Palace Guard mounting horses. Glancing to the right, she observed the same.
In response to the yelled order for the mounted soldiers to charge, Fay again demonstrated her mastery of the Sisterhood’s branch of Zarantar. She created two inertia fields, one around the cavalry charge to her left, and one around the cavalry charge to her right. Instantly, the horses and their riders were moving in exaggerated slow motion. By the time they passed through the inertia fields several minutes would have elapsed, and Fay would already be inside the palace.
Still she rode Shadow at a gentle trot towards the sword-wielding formation of Palace Guard arrayed before her, who now numbered in the hundreds. An order to kneel was issued, and the lines of soldiers promptly dropped to one knee, revealing a line of archers behind them armed with short bows. The archers let loose at once, but their volley of arrows burst into puffs of dust before reaching their target, and Fay retaliated without hesitation, unleashing a barrage of concussion orbs that arrowed towards the archers with unerring accuracy. Undeterred, the Palace Guard were ordered to charge, so they stood upright once more and rushed headlong at Fay, shouting battle cries as they advanced.
Fay nonchalantly invoked Yuksaydan, swatting the onrushing men aside like flies. They were knocked off their feet to the left and to the right, clearing a path for Shadow. Once she and her trusty mount were clear of the last of the Palace Guard, Fay again utilised Zarantar Jist, this time causing a thick, white bank of fog to billow out behind her. Anyone who attempted to follow would have great difficulty getting their bearings. As she drew closer to the inner perimeter wall, Fay noted at once the different uniform worn by some of the men and women manning the wall. The elaborate design of their black and yellow livery marked them as members of the Queen’s Elite Guard. The unit functioned as the personal bodyguard to the Anzarmenian monarch, and all of them without exception were Sanatsai. The fact that some of them were deployed outside the palace meant that word of a Zarantar wielding attacker on the grounds must have already reached the palace, but Fay continued her slow approach unabated.
The moment Shadow brought her within fifty yards of the closed gate ahead, Fay pulled the mare to a halt, sensing imminent, multiple Zarantar strikes. They manifested as almost three dozen incendiary orbs, hurtling down from the top of the perimeter wall. Each of the orbs halted in mid-air as Fay simultaneously usurped control of the invoked, fiery projectiles from their respective Sanatsai. A volley of crossbow bolts rained down from the regular Palace Guard, but they burst in a puff of dust when they came within six feet of Fay. She stared at the suspended incendiary orbs, and then their orange-red hue rapidly changed to the luminescent, pale green tinge of concussion orbs, courtesy of her invocation of Turmiraydan. They also began to change shape: their spherical forms morphing into those resembling eagles.
All at once, the eagle shaped concussion orbs flapped their wings, taking flight. The Anzarmenian defenders on the wall looked on, transfixed, as the bird-like orbs circled above them. Suddenly, without warning, Fay sent t
he orbs hurtling down upon the Palace Guard, rendering over thirty people unconscious, including two Sanatsai from the Queen’s Elite Guard, who failed to shield themselves from the strike in time.
The nine remaining Sanatsai ceased their invocations of Inkansaylar, bringing down their barrier spheres before jumping from the top of the wall. Invoking Makfayshulat, they descended slowly towards the ground, drifting sideways to put themselves between Fay and the closed gate of the inner perimeter wall. The moment they alighted on the ground, they unleashed another barrage of incendiary orbs at her. The orbs detonated harmless against the barrier sphere that Fay instantly invoked around herself and Shadow.
One of the Queen’s Elite Guard stepped forward to the front of the group. He was a tall, burly man with a deadly serious expression upon his face. “This is the end of the road,” he bellowed. “You cannot hope to best all of us. We will die before we let you reach Her Majesty.”
Fay thrust out a hand, invoking Yuksaydan. The ‘unseen hand’ reached out beyond the radius of her barrier sphere, seizing hold of the burly Sanatsai around the throat. He was quickly forced down onto his knees by the invisible grip that squeezed his neck, cutting off his air. Despite his futile effort to neutralise the attack with his own invocation, he would pass out in a matter of seconds. His eight counterparts slowly backed away, obviously perturbed by Fay’s ability to extend her Zarantar outside the confinement of her barrier sphere—something that should have been impossible. They recovered their fortitude when one of them yelled, “Take him down!” prompting another barrage of incendiary orbs to be unleashed against Fay. This time the orbs blinked out of existence before they could strike her barrier sphere.
Undeterred by the failed attack, or the sight of their burly colleague passing out and collapsing, the lone female Sanatsai among the remaining Queen’s Elite Guard held out her hand, invoking Yuksaydan to try to neutralise the translucent bubble enveloping the unidentified, mounted attacker. Her counterparts quickly followed suit, but their combined effort had no effect on the defences of their superior opponent.
Stroking Shadow’s neck, Fay leaned forward to speak into the mare’s ear. “Be a good girl for me and wait here while I go inside,” she said gently. “I have an audience with the queen.” In the blink of an eye, she disappeared from the saddle, and reappeared outside the barrier sphere. Now standing in front of the closed gate, the eight remaining Sanatsai of the Queen’s Elite Guard were several paces behind her. Without peering back at them, she invoked Turmiraydan to unleash eight concussion orbs, then felt the Zarantar-induced projectiles find their targets, followed by the sound of eight bodies falling to the ground. Unleashing a further half dozen concussion orbs, she directed them upwards to strike the last of the remaining Palace Guard on top of the perimeter wall.
A chorus of voices shouted at her from behind, and she knew without looking back that some of the Palace Guard she’d bypassed in the forecourt earlier had found their way out of the fog bank she had created. She ignored their cries and invoked Naymutandushay, becoming incorporeal to pass through the black, iron gates.
On the other side of the inner perimeter wall, Fay was met by the sight of hundreds of sword-wielding Palace Guards littered across the grounds between herself and the royal palace. She continued her march towards the palace entrance, unconcerned by the presence of so many armed men determined to stop her. A thunderous battle-cry reverberated across the grounds as the guards yelled in unison, charging towards her. Fay ignored them when they swarmed around her. Their blades passed harmlessly through her incorporeal form as they slashed ferociously at her with their swords, hoping to end her progress towards the palace. Despite the fear and desperation on their faces, Fay admired their determination, and respected the fact that they would give up their lives if they had to. But that wouldn’t be necessary on this occasion. She invoked Yuksaydan, and one by one her attackers were hoisted up into the air, removing them from her path towards the palace. By the time she crossed the grounds all the Palace Guard present were suspended several feet in the air, wriggling futilely against the invisible hold on them.
Halting briefly at the gilded double door entrance, Fay knew that once she entered the palace most if not all the resistance she encountered would come from the Queen’s Elite Guard. She would need to be a little more careful when dealing with fellow Sanatsai, though ultimately, they wouldn’t prevent her from reaching the queen. Ready to complete her objective, she passed through the solid doors as though they weren’t there.
Fay had little difficulty making her way up to to the third floor of the five-storey palace, despite the aggressive opposition she faced. Casting out her senses again, she still detected the queen’s presence in the banqueting hall, which she found odd. By now, she expected the Queen’s Elite Guard to be evacuating their monarch to safety. Perhaps they were unsure of a safe place to lead the queen once the palace was infiltrated, she thought, but given the large number of people Fay could sense present in the banqueting hall, maybe Her Majesty was entertaining guests whom she couldn’t or wouldn’t leave behind.
At last, Fay entered the lit corridor leading to the south-facing entrance to the banqueting hall. It was no surprise to find six more Sanatsai opponents waiting for her halfway down the corridor. Immediately, they each invoked Balatlaydan, unleashing a barrage of incendiary orbs at her without warning; no longer was she being ordered to surrender. The orbs blinked out of existence almost as quickly as they materialised, neutralised by her invocation of Yuksaydan. In the blink of an eye she was beyond the Queen’s Elite Guard, standing at the double door entrance to the banquet hall. Without looking back, she invoked Inkansaylar to create an impenetrable barrier shield across the corridor behind her to keep the half dozen Sanatsai at bay, then pushed the doors open to make her entrance.
Another barrage of incendiary orbs hurtled towards her, but again Fay neutralised them quickly. Taking in the sight of all the people present, she saw a host of perturbed Anzarmenian noblemen and noblewomen gathered around the dining table dominating the centre of the room. All the men were on their feet, holding drawn swords. A number of the Queen’s Elite Guard were standing between Fay and the dinner guests, while several more stood at the other end of the banqueting hall as part of a mixed crowd of people surrounding the queen. Some of the willing human shields appeared to be royal advisors and servants, including it seemed, a young Jaymidari. For whatever reason, they weren’t attempting to lead the queen out of the room through the north-facing double doors.
The Sanatsai closest to Fay, again, unleashed a barrage of incendiary orbs at her, with the exact same outcome. This time she retaliated. Invoking Yuksaydan, she seized hold of the eight men with the ‘unseen hand’, and they were thrown left and right through the air until they were pinned against the walls of the banquet hall. Held immobile where they were, the eight Sanatsai made futile efforts to neutralise the invocation, but they simply weren’t strong enough, individually or collectively.
Continuing her slow advance into the hall, she glided to the right to skirt around the dining table. On the other side of the table a portly, older nobleman pointed his sword in her direction with a trembling arm and called out to her. “Halt! In the name of Her Majesty, I order you to desist your outrageous assault on the royal residence.” His voice carried all the pomposity Fay would expect of someone born into the nobility and believed himself superior to those who were not. With a nonchalant wave of the hand she invoked Turmiraydan, letting loose a concussion orb across the table that struck him in the chest. He was unconscious before he hit the floor.
Frozen on the spot, none of the other noblemen opened their mouths or made any attempt to interfere. She bypassed all of them until she was clear of the dining table, and the only thing between herself and the Anzarmenian monarch were the two dozen or so subjects crowding around her. Still Fay couldn’t understand why no one was leading the queen out of the banquet hall through the nearby double doors, but she continued her appr
oach.
“Die you despicable fiend!” yelled one of the Queen’s Elite Guard. He thrust out his hand, invoking Balatlaydan to unleash a volley of incendiary orbs. As with all the previous failed attempts, the orbs blinked out of existence almost instantly. This time Fay slowed to a standstill.
Whether inspired by their colleague’s show of defiance, or encouraged by the halting of their black-clad adversary, all the other uniformed Sanatsai guarding the queen were prompted to likewise unleash a barrage of incendiary orbs. A multitude of orbs materialised and hurtled towards Fay like a swarm of large angry fireflies, only to blink out of existence before they could find their target. Still the defenders didn’t let up their futile effort.
“That’s enough!”
The queen’s bellowed command brought an immediate end to the multiple invocations of Balatlaydan. She then pushed her way through her entourage, in spite of several muted objections, to stand majestically at the front of the group. Resplendent in a black silk evening gown that shimmered and moved like dark water, and an ornate crown resting on her elaborately styled brunette hair, the queen was the epitome of elegance.
“I am Queen Serefina,” she announced. “I demand to know the meaning of this egregious intrusion, and the unjustified aggression against my countrymen.” The statuesque woman spoke with a commanding resonance. “And you will show your face in my presence.”
