by Ian Gregoire
“They haven’t poisoned your food, if that’s what you’re concerned about, my pretty,” said Josario, intruding upon her thoughts. “You may eat with confidence. If you are to die here today, it will be at my hand, no one else’s.”
Peering down Kayden examined the starter laid out before her. The bowl of thick, creamy chicken and vegetable soup looked as good as it smelled. As did the side serving of warm, crusty garlic bread. She hadn’t eaten since leaving Nagornorak early that morning so she wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity of a three-course meal. When the time was right, she would come up with a pretext for having the three Jaymidari turncoats vacate the bungalow. She picked up her spoon to scoop up a spoonful of soup that she promptly swallowed in a single gulp. It was delicious.
“You see?” said Josario with a half-smile upon his face. “It didn’t kill you, did it, my pretty?”
“It’s Kayden,” she retorted pointedly, irked by his insistence on addressing her as though she was a child.
“So Vartan tells me.” Josario dunked a piece of garlic bread into his soup then put it in his mouth. As he ate, he fixed an intent gaze upon Kayden. “So how is it that you and young Mr. Pazarian know each other, my pretty?”
Kayden clenched her jaw, but refrained from issuing a second rebuke about how she was addressed. “I should be asking you the same question,” she said. “Besides, he’s your lackey. Surely he’s already told you.”
“So he has,” said Josario. “But his story has given me cause to question who you really are. How does a Vaidasovian girl become an apprentice of the Order while simultaneously being the apprentice of a woman who supposedly died over seventy years ago?”
The time had come for Kayden to find out how convincingly she could tell the story she had concocted of how she and Fay had met. “Would you like the long story or the short story?” she said.
“My time is your time. Tell me everything.”
Kayden proceeded to narrate the tale of how her master had been captured alive during the final battle of the Great War, and that the reports of her death had been spread by the resistance to demoralise Josario’s forces, who quickly surrendered. In reality, the founders of the Order had chosen to keep the dreaded rogue Sanatsai in captivity, rather than kill her, because of her unrivalled mastery of Zarantar. They wanted to learn all her secrets, for the benefit of their fledgling organisation, so they subjected her to many months of brutal torture to attain her compliance. Eventually, they succeeded in breaking her, and so it came to pass that the Order’s first generation of Sanatsai were trained by the Rogue.
Despite being instrumental in making the Order the formidable institution that it is, Kayden assured Josario that her master was simply biding her time. After seven years of captivity, the opportunity to escape her captors finally came and she had taken full advantage. She was subsequently forced to spend many more years on the run, evading the assassination teams pursuing her. Though she was able to evade them for years at a time, the Order’s assassins would always catch up with her eventually. As a last resort, she fled to Zenosha where hostility to Zarantar and those who wield it meant that her enemies couldn’t openly hunt her.
“While she lived in hiding in Zenosha, my master was unable to forget the torture she had endured at the hands of her captors,” said Kayden. “She was consumed with a burning desire for revenge against the Order, and eight years ago she found the means to exact her revenge.”
Kayden explained how eight years earlier her master had intervened in the execution of a young girl in Zenosha who had manifested the Zarantar of the Sanatsai. In rescuing the condemned girl, she was forced to kill over a dozen soldiers before fleeing with her new Zenoshanese companion, back across the mountains into the Kingdom of Astana, where the young girl was taught that the power awoken within her didn’t make her evil; it made her special.
“I assume I don’t need to tell you that I was the girl she saved,” said Kayden. A shake of the head from Josario allowed her to continue uninterrupted. “I didn’t know it at the time, but she had chosen me to be the instrument of her revenge.”
For the next few minutes, Kayden detailed how she spent a year in Astana with her master, receiving intensive training to gain mastery of her Zarantar so she’d have a head start when the time came to repay her master for saving her life. That day came when they travelled to the Kingdom of Mirtana, where she posed as a newly manifested Sanatsai-to-be. She was then duly enrolled as an apprentice at the Antaris campus, as her master intended. The plan was for Kayden to be inducted into the Order, ascend the ranks, and destroy the institution from the inside.
“Now you have your answer as to how I am simultaneously my master’s apprentice, and an apprentice of the Order,” she said, “and how I came to cross paths with that dunderhead, Vartan.”
Josario seemed pleased by what he had heard, though it wasn’t clear if he was chuckling at Vartan being called a dunderhead, or if it was something else. “I’d forgotten just how devious my beloved could be,” he said in amusement. “Using a Vaidasovian girl, of all people, to infiltrate the Order and destroy it from within. Oh, the audacity.”
Frowning involuntarily, Kayden found herself wondering why Josario kept referring to Fay is his beloved. Surely their relationship hadn’t been intimate in nature? Fay would have been no older than twenty-one years old at the start of the Great War, so it stood to reason that she first met the fifty-something Josario while she was still in her teens. Given the age gap, it seemed highly inappropriate for Josario to have taken such a young lover, though Kayden wouldn’t put it past him.
“What’s on your mind, my pretty?” he said.
“Nothing,” she replied. “I was just wondering why you call her ‘beloved’.”
The query appeared to confuse Josario, delaying his answer. “That’s just how I always viewed her once she devoted herself to me,” he said wistfully. “Why, what do you call her?”
“Master.”
Josario chuckled. “Of course.” He scooped up the final spoonful of soup from his bowl and swallowed it. “So, my pretty,” he said, dispensing his spoon into his empty bowl. “Why is it that you are here, and your master is not? After all these years nothing would give me greater satisfaction than to have her back at my side.”
Without prompting, the three Jaymidari cultists began to clear the dining table, giving Kayden a moment to prepare herself for the bad news she was about to impart to Josario. She watched the three women remove the used cutlery and depart towards the kitchen before addressing the question put to her.
“I regret to say that my master was killed two weeks ago,” she said, watching Josario’s reaction closely. His expression shifted subtly, but his anguish hit her like a slap across the face. “The Order finally caught up with her in the town of Timaris, and I wasn’t there to help her.”
There was no verbal response from the cult leader. He remained in his chair, sitting still as a statue. The faraway look in his eyes failed to conceal the devastation he felt at hearing the news Kayden conveyed. It was the last thing she expected or wanted to see. She couldn’t afford to feel any sympathy for a man she was going to kill in a matter of minutes, especially when his emotional turmoil was the result of a calculated falsehood.
“This life we live can be so cruel,” mused Josario, seemingly to himself. “To think that I spent the past seven decades believing she was dead, only to discover in one breath that she was alive the whole time, and in the next breath learn that she was killed just two weeks ago. It is a bitter morsel to swallow.”
The trio of Jaymidari returned from the kitchen carrying the main course. When the plates were laid down on the table, Kayden was surprised to see a meal straight from the Nine Kingdoms. Risopenna was a popular stir-fried dish of rice, chopped vegetables, and diced chicken breast. The ample serving on Kayden’s plate looked and smelled mouth-watering, and she was momentarily distracted from her purpose.
“I’m sorry to have brought you bad
tidings,” she said, regaining her focus. “But now we need to discuss why I have come to you.”
Josario raised a hand, signalling for her to pause. “Let us eat first,” he said. “We can talk about why you’re here afterwards.”
Not wishing to appear pushy, Kayden acquiesced without objection. If Josario needed some time to process the news of Fay’s fictional death, so be it. The break in conversation would give her some additional time to come up with a ploy to get rid of the three Jaymidari cultists waiting on them, before killing Josario once she had him alone. She pulled her plate of Risopenna closer and proceeded to eat. For the next quarter-hour she and her host ate their meal in complete silence, while the trio of women standing around the dining table watched.
When the meal was concluded, the three women again cleared the table without prompting. Once they had disappeared into the kitchen, Kayden promptly restarted the conversation.
“The passing of my master has left me with a dilemma,” she said. “Should I continue with the plans she had for me, or should I avenge her death right away?”
“And you’ve travelled all this way to ask for my advice, is that it, my pretty?”
“No. I’ve already made my decision,” Kayden replied. “Though I’m less than four months away from being inducted into the Order, it will take considerably longer to rise sufficiently in the ranks to be in a position to bring about its downfall from within. Unlike my master, I am not a patient woman. I have abandoned her plan. Instead, I will avenge her death by turning the royal families of the Nine Kingdoms against the Order, but I cannot do it alone.” Her eyes were drawn to the Jaymidari cultists returning from the kitchen with dessert.
“I see,” drawled Josario. “And what exactly do you have in mind?”
Kayden watched as two plates laden with slices of strawberry flan were laid out on the dining table. The three Jaymidari moved back into position, standing around the table, as Kayden picked up her spoon and pointedly stared at each of them before returning her attention to Josario.
“What I have in mind is for your ears only,” she said, her eyebrows raised, making it abundantly clear she wasn’t happy about the presence of the trio standing around the table.
“My people are loyal,” insisted Josario with nonchalant confidence. “And if it sets your mind at ease, they do not understand a word we are saying; they do not speak the common tongue of the Nine Kingdoms. You can speak freely in front of them.”
“With all due respect, I’m not putting my trust in a bunch of turncoats,” she retorted dismissively. “Their betrayal of the Sisterhood tells me that their loyalty can never be taken for granted. Besides, the reaction of the ugly one standing over your shoulder suggests that she understands me well enough to be offended by my words. Dismiss the three of them now!”
The expression on Josario’s face shifted instantly, and his voice dropped a couple of octaves as he leaned forward to say, “I do not take orders, my pretty.”
Something in Josario’s voice made Kayden’s heart race, and she suddenly felt very cold. The spoon she held shook noticeably in her trembling hand, forcing her to set it back down on the table.
“I didn’t mean to overstep my bounds,” she said meekly, trying to shake off the unnatural sensation that had come over her. “As you can imagine, my master’s death has made it hard for me to contain my emotions.” She took a deep breath, and let it out with a sigh in an effort to regain her shaken composure.
“I understand,” said Josario, leaning back to sit upright in his chair once more. His demeanour and tone of voice reverted back to normal as he glanced up at the Jaymidari to his right. “Ladies, please leave us,” he said, switching effortlessly from Shintanese back to Anzarmenian. “My guest and I have a private matter to discuss.”
Kayden was relieved to hear that she hadn’t blown her chances of getting Josario alone. She watched the three women obediently step away from the dining table and head for the exit. Not taking her eyes off the trio, her head was peering back over her shoulder by the time they walked out of the front entrance. An involuntary half-smile tugged the corners of her mouth when the door closed behind them, but moments later it was wiped off her face when she saw one of the women appear in the window. It was the Jaymidari she had provokingly called ugly—peering into the bungalow, looking straight at her.
Oh, you cheeky bitch! thought Kayden.
With an indignant wave of the hand, she invoked Yuksaydan to draw the curtains closed. Returning her attention to Josario, she found him staring quizzically at her. “Oh… uh… Her face was bothering me,” she said. “I don’t know how you can stand to have someone who looks like that around you.” She picked up her spoon and looked down at her dessert.
“What’s on the inside is more important than what’s on the outside, my pretty,” he countered. “Not every woman in this world can be as beautiful as your late master. Or you, for that matter.” He, too, picked up his spoon. “Now, why don’t you tell me about your plans for avenging the death of my beloved. I cannot promise you any help in your endeavour, I have interests of my own to pursue that must not be interfered with, but I am intrigued to know your ideas for turning the Nine Kingdoms against the Order.”
Drat! thought Kayden. She hadn’t gone as far as to concoct the details of a fictional plan to avenge Fay’s equally fictitious death. Scooping up a spoonful of flan, she took her first taste, giving her a moment to think of something to say. All she had to do was keep him engaged for a few more minutes, until she was ready to make her move.
When she had finished the mouthful, Kayden had the beginnings of a vague story in mind. She proceeded to tell Josario that she had compiled a hit list of royal advisors and government officials who had, at one time or another, expressed opposition to the continued existence of the Order: some who objected to its independent status, and argued that it should be under the jurisdiction of the nine reigning monarchs; others who held that the institution should be disbanded completely, and all the Sanatsai incorporated into the respective militaries of the Nine Kingdoms. She said that her intention was to assassinate each of the individuals on the list, and leave behind incriminating evidence that implicated the Order. When the investigation into the deaths reached the conclusion that all the victims were murdered by the Order, it would cause an irreparable schism that would lead to conflict, ultimately forcing the institution out of the Nine Kingdoms.
“If I carry out the assassinations myself,” said Kayden, “the killing spree will look like the work of a lone serial killer rather than the orchestrated campaign of an organisation pursuing an agenda. With your assistance, the deaths can occur all across the Nine Kingdoms over the course of a single day.”
Josario didn’t say anything for a while, but the half-smile on his face said he liked what he’d heard. “It seems you have inherited your master’s deviousness, my pretty.” The expression on his face shifted slightly. He seemed contemplative. “If you want my help avenging the death of your master, you will have to earn it.”
Taken aback by the statement, Kayden frowned uncertainly at her host. Surely if Fay was Josario’s ‘beloved’ he would want to help avenge her death without precondition. “And what exactly do I need to do to earn your help?” she asked, humouring him.
“At the start of next week my people will be conducting a large-scale raid to eliminate my enemies here in Anzarmenia. You will participate in the attack, and demonstrate to me that you are a worthy heir to my beloved.”
A strange sensation came over Kayden. Whatever it was made Josario’s request seem like a command that had to be obeyed, and she felt a disturbing desire to do anything he asked of her. Clenching her toes inside her boots, she fought off the pressing urge, and said, “I need to begin my return journey to campus before the start of next week if I’m to get back in time for my final term.”
“Don’t worry,” crooned Josario. “What I have planned for you means you’ll never have to go back. Stay here at the commune,
help me eliminate my enemies, and I will give you what you need to avenge your master’s death.”
“All right.” The words came out of her mouth unbidden. Was it an order? It didn’t matter. The strange effect his voice seemed to have on her was disturbing enough to convince Kayden that she had to kill him right away.
“I’m so pleased to hear you say that,” said Josario. He set down his dessert spoon. “Now, if you don’t mind me changing the topic of conversation slightly, I’d like to hear about the time you spent with my beloved over the past few years. Even after all this time I find that I miss her greatly.”
The window of opportunity was now fully open, Kayden realised. “Very well,” she replied. “But perhaps we could take the conversation to the sofa.” She indicated towards the sitting area on the other side of the bungalow. “My master and I went through a lot together, so there is a lot to tell.” Setting down her spoon, she picked up her cup of water and guzzled every drop.
“As you wish.”
Josario rose to his feet, and Kayden did likewise. “After you,” she said, gesturing with her arm for her host to take the lead. As he duly stepped away from the dining table towards the sofa, she grabbed the hilt of her sword hanging from the back of her chair. Slowly, silently, she drew the blade free from the scabbard. The easier option of killing her target with a Zarantar strike was too much of a risk. The three Jaymidari cultists outside the bungalow would sense the attack—as would every other Jaymidari turncoat on the commune—and they’d burst in immediately to investigate. When they saw their master slain on the floor they would raise the alarm, and Kayden would find herself having to fight her way through hundreds of angry, Zarantar-wielding cultists in order to escape. In that event, she’d have little hope of success.
Once the single-edged blade was free of its sheath, Kayden gripped the hilt tightly with both hands, and tip-toed swiftly after Josario. In just ten paces she was within striking distance, and she swung back her sword, ready to deliver the killing blow.
