by Callie Kanno
“We will not be training with you today, Kendan.”
The former Shimat looked at the Rashad in surprise. “Oh?”
Ravi shook his head. “We have a different sort of training that must be done.”
Adesina felt a flash of apprehension, but she was immediately calmed by Ravi’s reassurance.
It is time. We are stronger now than we were before, and it is time to master the last element of our Joining.
It was true that Adesina felt different than before. The past week had opened up a world of possibilities, and she was certain that she and Ravi were only touching the surface of their combined potential.
They left the bemused instructor and made their way back to the abandoned lower levels of the Henka settlement, where they would be completely alone.
Ravi sat back on his haunches, facing the young woman he had sworn to protect.
“We have come far in exploring our Joining and learning to use its gifts. A deep mutual knowledge of each other has been the key. We must know each other’s strengths and weaknesses in order to accomplish all that we wish to do.”
Adesina indicated her agreement.
“In that regard, I have an advantage over you.”
She tilted her head to the side. “Is that so?”
“Yes,” he responded. “I have a comprehensive understanding of L’avan vyala, and I have had the opportunity to work closely with it throughout my life. You, on the other hand, know little about Rashad vyala.”
Adesina felt slightly embarrassed. “I assumed that all vyala was the same.”
“In a way,” Ravi acknowledged. “Vyala is the life force of the universe, but it is uniquely manifest in everything. One cannot expect a rock and a horse to be identical in vyala.”
“Of course,” she readily agreed.
“Do you remember the exercise that L’iam gave you when you first began to use your vyala? He taught you how to connect to the world of the spirit and to observe the hearts and souls of those around you.”
Adesina nodded.
“Since then, you have learned how to use that skill in a deeper manner. Your connection to that type of vyala is more functional than simple observation. However, I would like you to repeat that exercise now. Use only a thin stream of your power and use your gifts to observe only.”
The young queen complied. She was aware of the torrent of power that lay just beneath the surface of her being, and once again it chilled her with fear. Ravi’s mind was an anchor of reassurance that all would be well, and she was grateful for her steady guardian.
When Adesina had first taken part in this exercise, she had noticed that Ravi was not like the L’avan. His soul was a kaleidoscope of shifting color that dazzled Adesina’s vyala-enhanced vision. L’iam had told her not to concern herself with the mysteries of the Rashad, and said that no mortal truly understood.
“He was correct, in a way,” said Ravi in answer to her thoughts. “Even the Rashad have lost much knowledge throughout the generations since we set aside immortality. We keep no written records, obviously, and oral tradition is not perfect.”
“You do not understand your own powers?” Adesina asked in disbelief.
“We know how to use our powers,” explained Ravi, “but we do not understand why they are so different from our fellow creations. You see, everything that bears vyala has a recognizable tone to it. When you are viewing the world through your powers, you are able to identify everything around you even if you cannot see it, correct?”
“Yes.”
“You know the location of trees and streams and birds, even though they are out of sight.”
Adesina nodded again. “Yes.”
“How do you know this?” questioned Ravi. “How can you tell a stone from a log?”
She had never been asked to explain it before. She struggled to find the right words. “They…they are just different. My mind can tell them apart.”
The Rashad smiled. “That is because part of you can differentiate between the different kinds of vyala by instinct. Living creatures have a unique tone as well, and if you were to spend enough time studying a person, you would be able to identify them by their vyala alone.”
“Is that how you always know where I am?”
Ravi chuckled. “I do not always have a perfect knowledge of your location, but yes. I am able to find you because I know your vyala.”
Adesina’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “Is that how Maizah is able to track magic-users?”
Ravi inclined his head. “Yes.”
“Interesting,” she mused.
The various tones of vyala were interpreted by Adesina’s eyes as a myriad of colors. She had always taken note that the world seemed more vibrant when she was connected to her vyala, but it wasn’t until now that she realized what that meant.
Her gaze was drawn back to her guardian, whose ever-shifting colors seemed strangely out of place.
“Why are the Rashad different? You do not seem to have a set type of vyala.”
“We do not,” confirmed Ravi. “Our vyala is changeable, according to our needs. It means that there are more possibilities for what we can accomplish, but it also means that we will never be as powerful as those who are solidly attached to a specific type of vyala.”
“Why is that?”
He paused, and Adesina could feel him searching for a simple way to explain. “Think of it this way: if you were to plant a garden every spring and then clear the earth every fall, you would have a large number of possibilities of what your garden could produce each year. On the other hand, if you were to plant a tree in that same patch of earth, you would not see much variation, but the tree would continue to grow taller and stronger with each passing year.”
Adesina rested her chin in the palm of her hand. “So, why not simply focus on a type of vyala and develop it?”
Ravi’s deep laugh rumbled in his chest. “Why not simply grow a different color of hair, Ma’eve? Why not sprout a set of wings? It sounds like an easy change, but it is not. While there are legends of the great power of the immortal Rashad, none of my people have ever been able to discover how to end the shifting of our vyala.”
“How will this help me to control my own power?” asked Adesina.
“I can change my vyala to be whatever you need,” asserted her guardian. “You have learned to combine certain threads of power to create specific effects, and now you have at your disposal an infinite variety of vyala. Together we can discover how to accomplish anything.”
Adesina felt a rush of excitement. She had always been limited in what she could do with her magic. Granted, she was able to do much more than other L’avan, but her creativity was still restrained by her ability. What would it be like to have all limitations removed?
“For now,” continued Ravi, “I will act as a steadying force. We must tame your vyala back into submission, and I can anchor you while you do that.”
The L’avan felt her guardian’s vyala swirl for a moment before it changed to a slightly brownish tone. He felt strong and solid in her mind, and she had the impression that she could withstand almost anything while connected to him.
Even with that sense of reassurance, Adesina felt a tremor of trepidation. She had grown accustomed to keeping her vyala tightly in check, and she did not know what would happen if she simply let it flow.
Ravi sent her waves of encouragement and support through their Joining, and Adesina took a deep breath.
She reached within herself and unleashed her power.
It coursed through her like a torrential wind, and Adesina was so overcome that she fell to her knees. L’iam had once said that vyala was a living thing and must be treated as such. Adesina never believed that more than now. The power was like an angry behemoth that was finally free of its chains.
Ravi’s feline face tightened with concentration, and Adesina could sense him acting as a shield to protect her mind from the buffeting of the wild magic.
You are the
master of your soul, Ma’eve. You must claim control.
She closed her eyes and imagined the struggle taking place in her mind. She visualized herself standing in an open field with Ravi by her side, and the vyala was a fiery silhouette standing across from her.
She drew her Blood Sword from the sheath across her back.
Part of her knew that this was all in her imagination, but it felt vivid and real. She drew comfort from the feel of the hilt in her hand, and she raised the weapon in a stance that bespoke of her readiness to fight. The emblem of the falcon shone brightly, and the slender blade seemed to glow with power.
The fiery silhouette suddenly seemed uncertain. Ravi was like a stone foundation, giving her sure and steady footing. Her Blood Sword blazed in her hands, becoming a symbol of her power and authority.
“Kneel,” she commanded the silhouette.
The vyala creature flared in anger, and its fists clenched at its side.
“I am your master! You will obey!”
Leach its fury, Ma’eve. Cleanse it of the poison.
Adesina was surprised by Ravi’s instruction. Leach its fury? How could she possibly accomplish that?
She studied the creature before her, trying to understand why it had changed so drastically from when she first began her training with magic.
Foremost, she could sense its rage. It bore a blackening hatred that tainted its entire being. Beyond that, Adesina could feel its fear and desperation. She could feel its doubt and its sorrow.
The emotions were radiating tendrils from the silhouette, and Adesina began to trace them back to their source. If she was going to rid the vyala creature of the poison—as Ravi had called it—then she needed to find the core.
The trail of negative emotion led downward to a shadowy line on the ground. Adesina followed it backwards and discovered that it led directly to herself.
She was the source of the poison.
For several moments Adesina stood dumbfounded.
What did this mean? Was she the creator of the monster before her? Was she the only cause for her loss of control?
Adesina looked down at Ravi, and his luminous eyes stared back in compassion.
I see now. I finally understand.
The young queen studied her own heart. Yes, she was angry. How could she be otherwise? The Shimat were truly a plague on the earth, and they had taken everything she loved. Yes, she was afraid. Time was running out and L’iam’s life hung in the balance. She could not help but feel doubt at her own ability to save him. How many lives had been lost because she had been unable to do more? Because she had not been a stronger warrior?
A figure appeared before her, standing between herself and the fiery silhouette. He had curly brown hair and a sunny smile, with wry brown eyes that were open with affection. Adesina felt her chest constrict and she found it difficult to breathe.
It was Aleron, her friend who had been dead for five years.
“How long are you going to punish yourself?” asked Aleron with a hint of exasperation.
Adesina stared at her friend. “How…?” she gasped.
His smile widened to a jaunty grin. “You of all people should know that the dead are not gone.”
Another figure appeared next to Aleron. Again, Adesina immediately recognized the twinkling eyes and heart-shaped face. The newcomer brushed her golden hair off of her shoulders.
“I always thought you were so smart, but maybe I was overestimating you,” said L’era. “How could you possibly think that you are to blame for our deaths?”
“Because I am,” whispered Adesina hoarsely.
The two figures exchanged glances with exaggerated patience.
“You cannot control everything,” pointed out Aleron.
“Besides,” added L’era, “we were the ones that insisted on coming with you. You did everything you could to keep us safe.”
“You thought of our well-being before your own,” reminded Aleron with a loving smile. “You always think of others before yourself.”
Adesina felt tears streaming down her cheeks, but she did nothing to stop them. “I am so sorry, my dear friends.”
“We know,” said the boy from the High City. “We never blamed you, and it is time that you stop blaming yourself.”
L’era nodded emphatically.
“Human life will always be filled with mistakes and regret. We will always stumble and fall. If you keep a ledger of everything in your life that you have done wrong, you will never realize anything that you have done right.” Aleron suddenly seemed wise beyond his years. “Learning to forgive yourself and to move forward is one of the greatest lessons that one can learn. Nothing is wasted if we use each experience to become better.”
Adesina gave a trembling laugh. “When did you become so enlightened?”
Aleron and L’era laughed with her.
“Our journey does not end with death. We all have much to learn.”
“There is one more thing we want to tell you,” said L’era.
“And then you must go?” Adesina asked sadly.
The young princess nodded. “We love you, Adesina, and we have faith in the goodness of your heart. The Shimat tried to rob you of that goodness, but you held on to it throughout everything. Do not let them win now.”
Adesina thought about the fear and anger she had been carrying in her heart for the past several years—ever since she had learned the truth of the Shimat order. Those dark emotions had become so much a part of her that she almost didn’t notice that they were there. Yet she was clearly changing. Her vyala was proof of that.
Most of the time the darkness remained in the back of her mind, but L’iam’s capture had made it her focus once more. She hated the Shimat. She wanted them destroyed.
Aleron and L’era looked saddened, even though she hadn’t vocalized her thoughts.
“We do not deny that the Shimat is an evil organization, Adesina, but it is not completely filled with evil people. Think of Lanil and Kendan,” reminded L’era.
“The Shimat do everything in their power to take away the humanity of those under their influence, but there are those who fight back—even without knowing the truth.” Aleron’s brown eyes were intent upon the L’avan queen. “You do know the truth, my friend. It is up to you to continue fighting by filling your heart with love and compassion—not hate and anger.”
Adesina knew that they were right, but the thought of removing years of bitter resentment from her soul seemed daunting.
You cannot wipe it away with a single stroke. Leach the poison away bit by bit until it is gone.
Her attention turned back to the fiery silhouette that represented her vyala. She imagined herself pulling at the numerous threads of dark emotion—drawing them away from the creature and bundling the threads at her own feet.
The silhouette gradually became more calm, and the blazing exterior became an orderly glow.
Aleron and L’era beamed at her.
“What do I do with these?” asked Adesina, gesturing to the bundles of negative emotion at her feet.
“It is difficult to get rid of them,” admitted Aleron, “but I know that you will find a way in time.”
“Just keep them from taking over again,” warned L’era.
“I love you—both of you,” said Adesina in farewell.
“We love you, too,” replied Aleron.
“Take care of that foolish brother of mine,” smiled the young princess.
The two figures disappeared, leaving Adesina and Ravi alone with the tamed embodiment of the queen’s vyala.
Instead of trying to force it into submission, as she had tried before, Adesina extended her hand to the glowing figure of power.
“Come,” she invited.
The silhouette walked forward and took Adesina’s hand.
Chapter Forty-four: The Ending of the Storm
The L’avan travelers had been with the Henka for eleven days when a ghostly hush fell over the settlement.
&
nbsp; Adesina was sitting with the village elders, studying one of the few scrolls that remained intact in the hard desert climate. The Henka relied primarily on oral tradition, but they had a few legends that had been written down many generations ago.
The L’avan queen looked up with disbelief in her eyes.
“It is quiet,” she stated unnecessarily. “The wind has stopped.”
Relief and satisfaction passed over the faces of the aged Henka women.
“Yes,” said Gauri. “The storms are coming to an end.”
Adesina recalled what Savir had told her about the period of silence before the final storm. “This period of quiet will last an hour, correct?”
“More or less,” acknowledged Gauri.
“Then the final storm can last for up to three days?”
“It can,” said the Chief Elder. “A mere fourteen days of storms is a blessing. The children will be glad to run and play outside once more.”
Adesina had a harder time considering the lost time a blessing, but she was grateful that it was not twenty or thirty days.
She carefully rolled up the scroll and handed it back to Pallavi. “Please excuse me, honored elders. I must go make plans with my companions. We must be prepared to leave as soon as the storm ends.”
The old women chuckled at her eagerness, but they waved her away in good humor.
Adesina hurried to the common area, where she had last seen her fellow travelers. Mar’sal had been playing some sort of game with a group of children that involved kicking a ball made from leather. Now, the children were nowhere to be seen and Mar’sal sat with Faryl and Than’os, who were discussing new ideas for herbal hybrids.
“Where are your friends?” asked Adesina with a grin.
Mar’sal laughed and shrugged. “They became excited when the winds died down, and they all ran off. I suppose they went to their homes to spread the news.”
“This silence is a good thing, right?” Faryl’s face was filled with hope. She had made it clear that she hated being confined like a prisoner to the weather.
Adesina nodded. “Yes, it means that there will only be one more storm before the end.”
