by Callie Kanno
The desert was becoming rockier and less level. They had to take a slower pace or risk injuring the horses. Talk became limited among the travelers, but that did not deter Faryl from bringing her horse alongside Adesina’s.
“I have been thinking about our experiment.”
Adesina’s focus was on Torith’s footwork. Her answer was a distracted, “Oh?”
“If you do not think it will be an imposition, I would like to try using the vyala of another L’avan.”
She looked up in surprise. “You would?”
Faryl was immediately apologetic. “I know how that must sound, but please understand that I mean no offense. I am very appreciative of what you have done for me so far. I have nothing against working with you further. It is just that I am curious if I can use the magic of someone other than you.”
Adesina felt the corners of her mouth twitch. “I did not suppose you were trying to offend me.”
The former apothecary looked relieved. “You are known to do extraordinary things with your powers. I want to know if the results of our experiment were due to my ability or yours.”
“That is reasonable,” Ravi assented.
Adesina looked at the other L’avan thoughtfully. “Let me see…”
After some careful consideration, she called out to the thin figure riding near the rear.
“Than’os, can you come closer, please?”
The L’avan soldier obligingly brought his mount closer to theirs.
“Yes?”
“I would like you to begin training with Faryl. We have discovered that she can manipulate the vyala of others, and we would both like to know what she is capable of doing with that ability.”
He looked at the former apothecary with appraising eyes. “A strange gift.”
Faryl flushed under his scrutiny.
“I am quite happy to train with you, Mistress Faryl. May I ask why I was chosen?”
Adesina intervened. “I was the one who chose you, Than’os. Your gifts are more suited to Faryl’s talents. Mar’sal may be a healer, but you have a deeper knowledge of plants and minerals.”
He inclined his head in acknowledgement. “We shall begin as soon as we are at leisure.”
The two of them rode together for the remainder of the day, talking in low voices about different theories on how to approach the training. Adesina was pleased with the arrangement, since it left her to focus on her Dreams.
Ravi’s words of doubt still lingered in her mind, but she felt a thread of hope wrapped around her heart. Her Dreams had never led her astray, and they had never been without purpose. Why would she have Dreams about the Thresholds if it was not meant to help her on her journey?
The magic of the desert was on her side. All that was good supported her. She breathed a silent prayer to have the strength to succeed and the faith to endure.
***
The travelers stopped again at midday to rest during the hottest hours. Than’os approached Faryl after taking care of his horse.
“Are you tired?”
She looked up in surprise and shook her head. “I cannot sleep in this infernal heat.”
He gestured to a slightly shady spot near a group of tall rocks. “Would you like to begin training?”
A smile lit up her face. “Yes.”
They seated themselves on the parched ground, facing one another.
“Did Adesina explain to you what she did before?”
Faryl shook her head in a negative.
He waved a hand. “No matter. It is probably better to start from the beginning and find what works best for us.”
She rubbed her palms against her thighs and said in a nervous tone, “I suppose that is true.”
Than’os laughed. “Please do not look so distressed. I feel as though you expect to be punished.”
Faryl laughed as well. “I am sorry. I am quite anxious right now.”
“Perhaps it would help for us to talk about the basics of vyala first. Tell me what you already know.”
Her brow furrowed in concentration. “Well, I know that it is a hereditary trait that is passed through bloodlines. That is to say, the mother’s bloodlines. A father’s contribution is rather small.”
Than’os shook his head. “That is simply the science of it. What do you know about vyala itself?”
The former apothecary seemed at a loss. “I only know what the Shimat have told me.”
“Do not worry,” he reassured her. “I was only determining where to begin my instruction.”
He leaned back against the nearest rock and stretched out comfortably. His wiry figure still seemed taut, even though relaxed.
“The word vyala means ‘soul light’ in the ancient language. All living things have vyala to some degree. Even the earth itself is filled with it.”
“Including plants?” inquired Faryl.
Than’os nodded. “And rocks, and water…everything.”
“But rocks are not living,” she protested.
He grinned in his sharp manner. “That is a the common opinion. Nevertheless, even things such as rocks and water and wind have vyala.”
Faryl considered this information for a moment before posing her next question. “If all living things have vyala, why do you not see animals wielding magic?”
Than’os raised a finger. “It is not enough to simply possess vyala. One must have a sufficient amount, and the ability to use vyala for more than the ordinary functions needed to survive. I can breathe and I can use my arms and legs, but I must know how to use these abilities properly if I wish to swim. Do you understand?”
“I believe so.”
His expression was pleased. “Good. Now, the use of vyala requires mind, body, and spirit. All three must be in harmony or your efforts will be for nothing. I am going to teach you some simple exercises that will help you to synchronize these three aspects of yourself. Are you ready?”
Faryl only hesitated briefly. “Yes.”
Than’os took her hands. “Then, let us begin.”
Chapter Twenty-nine: The Lives of Many
Adesina opened her eyes and was bewildered by what she saw. She stood on a low hill, overlooking a picturesque village. There were windmills in the distance, and she could see herds of sheep grazing in the fields.
“Where are we, Ravi?”
The Rashad studied the Dream around them. “My knowledge of geography is limited, but I would guess that we are somewhere in Itho, the island nation off the coast of Joura.”
Adesina spotted a group ascending the hill and recognized one of the figures from her previous Dream. It was the confrontational female with powerful legs and no arms.
“There it is,” she said grimly.
“Are you certain, Tuwa?” asked a male member of her race. “It does not look like a demon stronghold.”
“Of course it does not,” she snapped. “The demons are not so foolish as to choose a spot that is obvious.”
The male’s expression was filled with doubt. “If you are wrong, it means the death of hundreds of innocent humans.”
“No human is innocent,” Tuwa muttered.
The male drew himself up to his full height. “We Gaiana are not the executors of mortal bystanders. We are here only to battle demonkind.”
Tuwa gave a fierce growl, exposing two rows of jagged teeth. “You are my General, not my Seeker. Obey my orders and destroy that village.”
The General was clearly conflicted. He stood still for several minutes before slowly giving the order.
Ten Gaiana lined up in front of Tuwa. They began chanting in monotonous voices, growing louder and louder. Then, with a mighty leap, they brought their brawny legs crashing to the earth.
Adesina was not affected by what was happening in the Dream, but even so, she could almost feel the ground shaking. The soil spewed up in a traveling wave that rushed towards the village and swallowed it without mercy.
She could hear the sheep bleat in terror, and the screams of the villag
ers echoed through the hills. The cacophony lasted only moments before it was enveloped by a deathly silence.
“I pray the Creator can forgive you,” said the Gaiana general.
“I do not need forgiveness,” retorted Tuwa. “I only need to win.”
***
Adesina was so shaken by what she had seen, she did not realize that she was being pulled into another Dream.
She was standing in a darkened room. The only source of light came from a handful of flickering candles. A dozen robed figures stood in a circle around the form of a Qetza that had been staked to the floor.
“O immortal ones of darkness,” intoned one of the robed figures. “We beseech thee to grant unto us power and life for our sacrifice on thy behalf. Take the soul of this monster and use it to expand thy reign through all of eternity!”
The Qetza gave a moaning hiss, and Adesina realized in horror that it was still alive.
Shouts sounded from outside the walls, and the doors shattered into thousands of splinters. Two Qetza flew into the room, their feathered wings stirring up tempestuous winds. They opened their fanged mouths and shot out bolts of lightning at the robed figures.
Within moments, all of the humans were dead.
“Demon-worssssshipping filth,” hissed one of the Qetza.
“Issss Ssssalasss sssstill alive?” asked the other.
The first Qetza examined the one staked to the floor. “Only jusssst.”
It lowered its snake-like head and bit into its dying comrade. Adesina almost shuddered in revulsion, but she stopped when she realized what was happening.
The injured Qetza began to glow and its wounds began to heal. It slowly raised itself up and shook its wings to free itself from the remaining stakes.
“Sssssalassss, my brother, how were you captured?”
“They had kidnapped a child and goaded a venomoussss sssssnake into biting it. I ssssenssed itssss disssstressss, and I wissssshed to offer healing to the child.”
The second Qetza shook its head. “Foolissssh brother of mine! How could you fall for sssssuch a trick?”
“The child would have died,” Salas protested. “I wanted to sssssave it.”
“The child died anyway,” hissed his brother, “and you were almosssst sssssacrificed to a demon.”
A milky tear rolled out of one of Salas’s large eyes. “Yessssss, the child died.”
“We are fortunate that the patron demon did not come to the resssscue of thessssse humansss.”
The first Qetza snorted. “No demon would risssssk itsss own sssskin for mortal sssservantsss. When will the humanssss learn thissss? They are choossssing masssters that care nothing for them.”
“Poor humanssss,” wept Salas. “They do not undersssstand the gravity of the choicessss they make.”
“Oh, they undersssstand,” muttered his brother darkly. “That is what makessss them ssssso dangeroussss.”
“Come,” said the first Qetza. “Let ussss leave thisss place of darknesssss.”
***
“How long will this conflict continue?” demanded a stubby little man with the wings of a bat. “We have been at war with the demons for almost twenty years.”
“I entreat thee to have patience, brother,” said Toraun sedately. “We knew when we began that this war would not be swift.”
“That is easy for you to say,” bellowed the tiny man. “You Aurym have done nothing but sit safely in your strongholds and plan battles from afar. We Vattir are dying by the thousands.”
“Recall that thou didst insist to be sent to the forefront of battle, dear brother. Didst thou think that there would be no risk?”
The Vattiri leader sputtered indignantly. “I just did not want my people to be kept away from the action because of our size. You know how prejudiced some are about those things.”
Toraun looked weary. “All must play a part in this war, no matter the size.”
“Well, if that is the case, then why are we not recruiting the help of mortals? I hear humans are keen on going to war for other people’s causes.”
“It is for the mortals that we fight,” clarified the council leader.
The small man took a small jump forward. “All the more reason for them to fight with us.”
Another Aurym, a female, spoke up. “Some of the humans hath sided with our dark brethren.”
“And many others stand firmly in the light,” asserted Toraun.
“If this is a war on behalf of the mortals, then they should join us and fight.” The man shook his bat-like wings for emphasis.
The Aurym all look at each other and gave a slow nod.
“We shall keep that in mind.”
The Vattir sniffed disdainfully. “That means nothing. What about now?”
“For now, we must send defenses to the north.”
***
“What does all of this mean, Ravi?” asked Adesina as they rode through the desert the following day. “Why am I being shown pieces of the Great Wars?”
“That was a pivotal time in history,” reasoned the Rashad. “The world as we know it was shaped by those events.”
“Yes, but why does it matter right now?”
He gazed over the monotonous landscape, ignoring the heat much better than any of the others in the party. “The Threshold of Zonne is the gateway through which the demons were forced, and now it is Basha’s destination. Its history must be relevant for our mission.”
“Some of the history, maybe,” qualified Adesina, “but not all of it. Why am I not being shown the Threshold itself? I need to know how to stop Basha from opening it.”
“Do not be hasty in your conclusions,” advised her guardian. “The design of a tapestry cannot be seen from a handful of threads. You must wait until you see the larger picture to understand the importance of each piece.”
She sighed quietly and also stared at the desert before them. The rocks were steadily turning into stretches of sand. Soon they would enter the part of Zonne where the desert matched Adesina’s initial imaginings—sand dunes as far as the eye could see.
“I hope these Dreams do not last much longer. We are making good time, and Maizah senses that we are gaining on Basha. I want to have a plan in place before our confrontation.”
Ravi made a thoughtful sound in the back of his throat. “If we are to believe that the forces of good are sending you these Dreams, then it stands to reason that they will be timed in an appropriate manner.”
Adesina grinned and shook her head ruefully. “You always have an answer.”
He returned her smile. “Of course.”
***
Adesina and Ravi found themselves standing once more in the council chamber of the magical creatures. Toraun stood in the center, as before, but this time a group of humans stood with him.
“We have come to you, Great Immortal Ones, to humbly beg to serve you. We have been aware of the war between light and darkness for many years now. We have asked before for the honor of fighting alongside you, and we have been denied. Now the forces of evil are amassing, and we cannot stand by any longer. Please, Great Immortal Ones! Allow us to fight!”
All of the humans fell to their knees, their heads bowed fervently.
The members of the council waited for Toraun to speak, even though it was evident that several of them wished to speak as well.
“As before, mortal children, we are touched by thy desire to stand with us. Nevertheless, the danger is far too great for thee. We have the protection of magic, and there is still much death and injury. What chance wouldst thou have, with no magic at all?”
“We do not need magic to fight,” burst out a young man from the back of the group.
His peers shushed him, and his face reddened in embarrassment.
“Nay,” said Toraun. “Let the lad speak.”
The young man slowly got to his feet, and continued in a more moderate tone. “The casualties of this war are not limited to you, Great Immortal Ones. All of us here have los
t much in the midst of the conflict. We may not have magic, but we are fighting for our homes and our families. That gives us strength as great as any magic.”
The leader of the humans smiled warmly at the young man. “Well spoken, L’avan.” He got to his feet as well and faced Toraun. “The lad is right. We know well the dangers of war, but our hearts are not faint. We ask you again, Great Immortal Ones, please allow us to serve you.”
The air was heavy with the importance of the decision. Toraun turned to the other members of the council.
“What say my brothers and sisters? Shall we call upon mortals to join in the battle against darkness?”
“Let them fight,” shouted the Vattiri leader almost at once.
“Aye,” rumbled the rock-like creatures. “They have earned the right.”
“Let them fight.”
“Let them fight!”
All votes were affirmative, and the humans stood tall with pride at the confidence that had been given to them.
Had Adesina been standing in a different part of the chamber, she would not have heard the low conversation that took place at the edge of the room. As it was, her position in the Dream placed her in the only location where she could overhear.
“He is the one,” said the Dream Rashad.
“The leader?” asked Sitara.
“No, the boy. He is the one who will set the prophecy on its course.”
The Serraf’s face was solemn. “The time is near, then.”
“Yes,” agreed her companion. “The time is very near.”
***
Adesina and Ravi were overwhelmed with a barrage of noise and lights. They both automatically crouched and shielded themselves before remembering that they were in a Dream.
“HOLD YOUR POSITIONS!” bellowed a powerful voice.
The young queen searched for its source and spotted the young man from the council chamber—L’avan.
His face had aged considerably since she had last seen him. He must have been at least twenty years older, and his eyes looked ancient and weary.
