by Ian Gregoire
She maintained her focus on the plume of smoke she had spotted in the distance a short while ago. The smoke obviously indicated a wood fire, which in turn probably meant a habitation of some kind. It was the first sign of a human presence she had seen for over an hour, so it wasn’t a difficult choice to steer Onyx in that direction. They were covering the ground at a steady trot, but as soon as a line of trees came into view, Kayden excitedly kicked her heels into the flanks of her mount, prompting Onyx into a gallop.
Minutes later, horse and rider had slowed to a canter, their woodland destination spread out in front of them. Kayden smile unwittingly, feeling certain she was nearing her objective. It was more than just blind hope. She instinctively knew she had come upon the woodland that concealed the cult founded by Josario, and before the day was out she was going to find and kill him.
Without intervention, Onyx slowed to a trot then pulled up just short of the trees. He was clearly agitated and unwilling to enter the woods.
“Hey! Why have you stopped?” said Kayden, slipping back into the Common Tongue. After a brief struggle she managed to ease the horse’s agitation. Nevertheless, Onyx remained unwilling to enter the woods no matter what she did to urge him forward. “Are you sensing something that I’m not?” she asked, while scratching him between the ears. “Is that it, big boy?”
Hood still over her head, Kayden stared intently at the trees before her. She could see nothing out of the ordinary, but she decided to try casting out her senses; maybe Onyx was aware of a threat lurking in the woods. Almost at once she realised something was wrong. She couldn’t detect anybody hiding in the trees, which should have been reassuring, but she could sense absolutely nothing from the woods at all. It was apparently lifeless, even though she could see and hear birds in the trees. There was even a squirrel sitting on a branch, staring warily down at her. The disturbing occurrence could only be the result of Zarantar, yet the fact that Kayden was unable to sense its presence meant that whomever was responsible had the ability to mask their use of Zarantar—something she had, until now, believed only Fay could do. It was confirmation, not that she needed it, that she was on the right path to tracking down Josario.
Thrusting out a hand in front of her, Kayden invoked Yuksaydan, strengthening the invocation to the limit in the hopes that she could neutralise the Zarantar preventing her senses from penetrating the woods. It didn’t take long. She knew she was successful when she suddenly detected the presence of four people approximately half a mile into the woods. A half-smile tugged the corners of her mouth. “Maybe now you’ll take me into the woods,” she said, stroking Onyx’s neck. She coaxed the black gelding into a trot, and sure enough he proceeded into the trees without resistance.
Slowly, Kayden navigated the woodlands, heading towards the four people whose presence her senses were detecting. There was no guarantee that the quartet were affiliated with Josario’s cult, but everything she had heard about the cult more than suggested they wouldn’t tolerate the intrusion of uninvited guests, so there was a good chance she had identified cult members who could lead her to Josario. As she drew closer to the moving targets, she saw no signs of habitation, and the plume of smoke she had seen while approaching the woodland was no longer visible through the canopy of branches and leaves overhead. If there was a commune ahead, it was probably still some distance away, and the four people moving through the trees were in all likelihood part of a random patrol.
A short while later, Kayden pulled on the reins to bring Onyx to a halt. She could sense the familiar use of Zarantar Shayd emanating from the four people she was moving towards, revealing that the group was comprised of Sanatsai. Their unexpected use of Zarantar probably meant they had heard the approach of a horse, and were now invisible, planning to catch her unawares. Awaiting their arrival, she invoked Inkansaylar to create a barrier sphere around herself and Onyx. When she sensed the quartet was close enough to be in sight, Kayden saw no sign of them, confirming her speculation that they were invoking Raytandushay to make themselves invisible. They stopped about twenty yards from her position, possibly unsure what to make of the fact she was seemingly waiting for them within the confines of a barrier sphere.
“I know you are there,” she called out, sounding disinterested. “You may as well show yourselves so we can talk.”
One by one the four men gradually became visible. Kayden was taken aback by the appearance of the group; they weren’t what she expected. In her mind she had imagined Josario’s followers as farmers, labourers, milkmaids, and the like. These men, however, looked like battle-hardened soldiers, ranging in age from mid-twenties to late-thirties. They were identically attired in well-worn leather fatigues, each with a sword hanging at their hips, and they obviously knew how to take care of themselves. Kayden was briefly disturbed that the four men appeared to be in possession of siphon cloaks, but she quickly dismissed the possibility that they might be from the Order. Logically, the Jaymidari turncoats who had joined Josario’s cult must have passed on the knowledge of how the cloaks were made.
“There’s nothing to talk about, stranger,” said the eldest looking Sanatsai, standing a good couple of yards ahead of his three companions. “You are trespassing and will go back the way you came while you still can.” He took an extra step towards her. “This warning will not be repeated.”
“I’m pleased to hear that,” Kayden quipped. “I’d rather we didn’t waste each other’s time. I’m here to see…”
From beneath the hood of her cloak, Kayden noticed that one of the other three Sanatsai was looking increasingly agitated as he stared at her. He then glanced sideways to whisper something to the man on his right; now two people were staring at her, looking disturbed. Their agitation was noticed by the fourth member of the contingent who said something inaudible to the pair. Upon receiving a reply, he too stared at her in alarm.
The lead Sanatsai looked behind him to ask what the problem was. The reply he received was four words, uttered by three voices, “The Destroyer from Mirtana.”
Kayden pre-empted the attack she knew was coming, thrusting out a hand as she invoked Yuksaydan. Her invisible blast blew the three men off their feet, sending them to the ground in dishevelled heaps. The lead Sanatsai’s head spun back around sharply to face her, and she unleashed a concussion orb at him. Onyx unexpectedly reared up onto his hind legs, forcing Kayden to hold on for dear life, and preventing her from reacting when the lead Sanatsai countered her invocation of Turmiraydan by deflecting the orb, and sending it hurtling back at her. The luminous, pale green projectile struck Onyx and he keeled over instantly. Kayden bit back a yelp as she found her right leg pinned beneath the hefty body of her felled horse.
One of the Sanatsai she had knocked to the ground yelled, “Kill her, quickly,” as he scrambled back to his feet.
Kayden couldn’t understand the urgency in his voice, but she didn’t doubt for a moment that someone would attempt to carry out his plea while she was pinned to the ground. The apparent leader of the four-man patrol, responsible for putting her there, was the closest to her, and scrutinising her as if trying to decide if she really was the so-called Destroyer from Mirtana. She took full advantage of his dithering, invoking Yuksaydan to seize hold of him with the ‘unseen hand’. The gruff Santsai was immobilised and forced down onto his knees, while an invisible grip squeezed his throat. Kayden felt his Zarantar as he attempted to neutralise her hold on him so she strengthened her invocation to thwart him.
The danger was far from over. Kayden sensed the imminent Zarantar strikes of the three remaining Sanatsai advancing towards her. There was no time to free her leg from under Onyx’s body; she would have to defend herself from where she lay. A barrage of incendiary orbs hurtled towards her. Reflexively, she invoked Yuksaydan to divert the orbs back at her attackers. Each of the flaming projectiles blinked out of existence before they could hit anyone, neutralised by their respective invokers.
Drat! thought Kayden. Overcoming these Sanats
ai was going to be harder than she expected.
She sensed another Zarantar strike, then felt an invisible hand grab her around the throat. Again, she invoked Yuksaydan, simultaneously neutralising the opposing invocation while unleashing an invisible blast that struck the guilty party square in the chest. The Sanatsai was knocked backward several feet through the air, landing in a crumpled heap on the leaf-strewn grass. Undeterred, his two comrades continued to advance, unleashing another barrage of incendiary orbs that Kayden diverted skyward where they detonated harmlessly. Employing the ‘unseen hand’ once more, Kayden tore up the ground beneath the feet of the oncoming duo. As the earth erupted, sending several large clumps of turf into the air, the two Sanatsai were likewise launched upwards. The smaller of the pair landed on his back, but his larger accomplice landed on his head, and Kayden distinctly heard something snap.
Rising swiftly off his back and settling into a kneeling position, the first Sanatsai hesitated when his counterpart didn’t rise also. From the mortified expression on his face it was apparent he had no expectation that his friend would get up ever again. He glanced at the lead Sanatsai. If he was hoping for instructions or assistance he wasn’t going to get it; his fellow cult member was still struggling against the invisible hold keeping him down on his knees. Turning his bitter gaze on Kayden, he glared at her pinned beneath her horse, but showed no inclination of wanting to resume hostilities.
While her only active opponent was staring at her, seemingly reluctant to attack, Kayden tried to pull her leg out from underneath Onyx’s body. The effort proved futile. Her equine friend was too heavy. But as much as she was concerned about her own safety, Kayden was more worried about Onyx, though she could see that he was still breathing. If he was human she would feel at ease with his condition, knowing he’d be back on his feet in an hour. But she had no idea what effect being struck by a concussion orb would have on a horse. Maybe Onyx would wake up in quarter of an hour, or half an hour, or an hour, with no ill-effect. But what if he was unconscious for a whole day? What about a whole week? What if he never regained consciousness at all? He would die of hunger and thirst if he couldn’t be fed and watered.
Kayden noticed the gaze of her adversary was no longer on her. His attention was focussed on something away to her left. Glancing in that direction all she could see was a couple of trees. There were no reinforcements from Josario’s cult approaching the scene, so she couldn’t work out what had the Sanatsai transfixed. She returned her gaze to the kneeling man when she felt his use of Zarantar, but it was a strange creaking sound that alerted her to what the cultist was doing. He was slowly uprooting the tree he was staring at, and Kayden’s eyes widened with the realisation that it would land on her and Onyx when it fell.
Sneaky son of bitch! she thought as she invoked Yuksaydan to defend herself.
The ‘unseen hand’ snatched hold of her adversary and threw him forcefully to one side. His body collided with another, larger tree and he landed in a crumpled heap at the foot of the tree trunk. Immediately, Kayden felt the lead Sanatsai cultist intensify his invocation of Yuksaydan in a renewed effort to neutralise the invisible hold she was employing to keep him immobilised on his knees. Finally, she decided she’d had enough of the intransigence that was trying to keep her from reaching Josario. Glaring at the gruff cultist, she invoked Balatlaydan, creating half a dozen incendiary orbs that circled haphazardly around his head like buzzing flies.
“You can live or you can die,” she called out, raising her voice. “Decide now.”
The Sanatsai ceased fighting her, and his shoulders slumped. At last he looked resigned to defeat. Kayden promptly utilised the ‘unseen hand’ to lift Onyx’s body off her leg, allowing her to rise gingerly to her feet. Putting some weight on her numb right leg, she felt relieved that falling beneath the full weight of a horse had done no real damage to the limb. Sustaining a broken leg would have seriously complicated matters. Surveying the scene, Kayden saw that three of the four cultists were laid out on the ground, unmoving, while the leader of the patrol remained on his knees nearby with six incendiary orbs circling his head. She ambled straight past him, heading towards the body of the first man she felled when hostilities had commenced. As she approached, she feared the worst, remembering the sound of something snapping when the Sanatsai landed on his head after he’d been launched into the air when she caused the ground beneath his feet to erupt. She had every reason to believe he was dead, but when she reached his body and saw the unnatural angle in which his head was turned, she felt sick.
Standing over the lifeless body, Kayden had no choice but to acknowledge that she had ended a life. Though it was likely she had killed a few people three days ago during the battle to liberate the town of Sevdanor, there was no room for doubt as to whether or not this man had died at her hand. She had killed him, albeit unintentionally. Stepping away from the body, she went to check on the condition of of the cultist she had knocked to the ground with an invisible blast to the chest. To her surprise, she found the man staring unblinkingly up at the sky, with copious amounts of blood in and around his mouth. She didn’t waste time asking if he was all right, it was obvious he was dead, too. Her invocation of Yuksaydan must have caused fatal damage to his internal organs, and it appeared he had drowned in his own blood as a result.
Kayden stood motionless over the body. She drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out to compose herself as it sank in that she had killed two men in quick succession. It didn’t matter that both kills were accidental. That fact didn’t make either man any less dead. With a shake of the head she tried to shrug off the guilt she was starting to feel. Why should she feel bad about killing two people who wanted to kill her? An anguished groan caused her head to spin around sharply. It was the third Sanatsai cultist, lying in a heap at the foot of the tree she had thrown him against. Kayden hurriedly went to him. In spite of herself, she felt a sense of relief at having not added another person to her body count.
Kneeling down next to her injured adversary it became clear that he was in bad shape. “Where does it hurt?” she asked.
“I can’t feel… my legs.”
A flash of memory reminded Kayden just how hard the man had collided against the trunk of the tree he was lying beneath. If he couldn’t feel his legs, it was likely his spine had been broken by the impact, and she would have to utilise her mastery of Zarantar Jist to heal him so he could walk again. She laid a hand on his torso in preparation.
What’s the matter with you, Kayden? she thought to herself abruptly. You’re on a mission to kill Josario, the Usurper King. How will you do that if accidentally killing his followers makes you feel bad? She knew she wouldn’t have the luxury of hesitation, doubt or guilt when she came face-to-face with the man ultimately responsible for the one million lives lost during the Great War. He had to die, and deserved to die. But before that moment came, Kayden realised she needed to prove to herself that she could knowingly and willingly take a life.
She stared fixedly at the injured cultist lying helpless on the ground beside her. There was no time like the present to demonstrate that she was capable of doing what needed to be done. Slowly she reached out and put her hand around the throat of the incapacitated Sanatsai. Closing her eyes, she proceeded to squeeze. Instantly, she felt his hands grasp her forearm in a futile bid to prevent her from strangling him. Then she sensed an imminent Zarantar strike, so she invoked Yuksaydan to neutralise whatever her victim had in mind. Finally, the sound of choking reached Kayden’s ears and she knew it wouldn’t be much longer.
Open your eyes, said a voice in her head, urging her to witness what happened when she extinguished a life. Slowly, she opened her eyes, to be greeted by the sight of the distressed Sanatsai’s face turning blue as the life was squeezed out of him. Kayden, what are you doing? she thought to herself. It was one thing to kill an adversary who was actively trying to kill her, but it was something else entirely to kill an injured, defenceless man who posed no threat t
o her. She quickly relinquished the grip she had around the cultist’s throat, allowing him to take several ragged breaths.
Kayden couldn’t understand what had got into her, she was just glad that she came to her senses before she had a cold-blooded murder on her conscience. Looking down at the man she’d almost killed, she realised her culpability for his condition meant she bore a certain amount of obligation to heal his injury. She cleared her thoughts, placed a hand on his chest, then called to mind the glyph of transference, the glyph of accelerated healing, the glyph of pain relief, the glyph of combining, and the glyph of invocation, communicating her will to the nearest ley line.
The employing of Zarantar Jist was successful, and the ley line implemented her accepted invocation, but it was likely to be a day or two before the Sanatsai cultist could walk again. Kayden had no intention of sticking around until then; he would have to wait for someone from his commune to come looking for him. As things stood, Kayden’s responsibility for the man was over, now it was time to resume her mission. She turned around and strolled back to the Sanatsai cultist who had led the four-man patrol. He was still on his knees being circled by six incendiary orbs, while Onyx was still suspended three feet off the ground.
