by Callie Kanno
Every soldier of the reserve force knew that they would see plenty of battle soon enough. They would be called in to relieve the attacking force, giving their allies a chance to rest and recuperate. The two forces would switch back and forth as long as this battle lasted.
Adesina did not expect Cha-sak to give them any reprieve.
She walked purposefully to a smaller, separate fortification. It was located further west and had been carefully concealed from the casual observer. She and Ravi ducked behind the wall that was covered in leaves and mounds of dirt, joining the L’avan who were waiting there.
The young queen had been given charge of a specialized force that comprised roughly a dozen of the strongest members of the Red, Orange, and Gold L’avan groups. There were more members of the Gold group than there were of Orange or Red.
She had only requested those with dark red eyes, rather than any with light red. The latter were only able to manipulate illusions, and Cha-sak had shown that he was able to neutralize illusions with ease. Those with dark red eyes could manipulate physical objects, which was more useful on the battlefield.
There Orange group was only slightly larger. Their powers were similar to telekinesis. And then there was the Gold group.
Adesina took a moment to walk through the members of the Gold group, who were resting and trying to recover from their attack earlier. The young queen touched each of them on the forehead and gave them a small boost of energy, for which they each thanked her sincerely.
Adesina knew that she would need to be careful with how she used her own vyala today, but she wanted her soldiers to feel their best as the real battle began.
She restored her own energy with a deep breath, closing her eyes as she internalized the power. It was a useful technique, but it took time and left her briefly vulnerable. She could not afford to do that when in the middle of a fight.
There was a slight disturbance behind her, and Adesina turned to see what was going on.
Sitara, Riel, and Ruon had joined her force, and they were looking at her with expectation in their eyes.
“I am glad you are here,” Adesina said, genuinely pleased. “We could use your help.”
Ruon snorted softly. “You are fighting a losing battle. Three more Immortals will not change that.”
Adesina frowned at him, but her irritated response was cut off by Sitara’s urgent words.
“Why are you here, Adesina? You need to confront Cha-sak directly. That is the only way that we can win this war.”
“I understand that,” she acknowledged, “but I cannot do it yet.”
“Why?” questioned Riel.
Adesina fell silent. She didn’t know how to explain it to them, especially since the answer didn’t quite make sense to her either.
There was something nagging at the back of her mind, and it was frustrating that she couldn’t quite identify it. Her instincts told her that it was vital to her success. She didn’t know what it was, but she knew that she needed to figure it out before she could face Cha-sak and win.
She hated feeling like she was using this battle—and the lives that would be lost in it—to stall for time, but she didn’t know what else they could do.
“The time is not right,” was the only reply she could give to Riel’s question.
The Immortals looked extremely dissatisfied with her response, but they did not press her for a different one.
Ravi turned to the Laithur. “Have you had any visions about this battle?”
Ruon shook his oval head. “The last vision I had was of Adesina refusing Cha-sak’s offer of alliance. When I try to See the outcome of this war, I feel nothing. It is likely that the outcome has not yet been decided.”
Adesina felt the weight of her responsibility keenly. She felt as though the entire world was in her hands, and it would either thrive or die according to her abilities.
You are not the only factor that will decide the future of this world. You are simply the most visible.
She appreciated Ravi’s words, but it didn’t make her feel much better.
That is because you are stubborn, Ma’eve.
Adesina grinned at her guardian, but said nothing in return. She could hear that the fighting had begun in earnest, and the sound immediately caught her attention.
There were several holes in the fortifying wall through which they could watch the distant battle. Adesina watched with her heart in her throat, praying for L’iam’s safety.
After several gripping moments, Adesina took a deep breath. “Let us begin,” she said to her soldiers.
She walked outside of the fortification and used her vyala to lift herself into the air. Then she wrapped herself in an illusion that made it seem that she was floating several feet away from where she was actually located.
With her elevated view of the battle, she was able to see where her forces would be most needed. The mercenary archers were readying themselves to once again try to thin the ranks of the opposing army. Adesina sent a thought to Ravi—an order for the Orange group to send the arrows back to their source. She felt Ravi relay the message, and a moment later the arrows were streaking back into the mercenary ranks.
A group of Seharan soldiers were separated from the main army, so Adesina opened a path for them by ordering the Red group to make a series of well-placed ruptures in the earth.
L’iam’s soldiers began to be too far spread, and Adesina helped to rectify that by ordering the Gold group to explode a few trees among the back ranks, forcing the mercenaries to press closer together.
As Adesina watched the battle, she began to notice something strange. There was a group of enemy soldiers forcing their way forward from the rear. There were probably fewer than a hundred of them, but they stayed in a tight knot.
They appeared to be led by a woman whose face bore intricate black markings. They all had their weapons drawn, but they ignored any enemies that they came across. Instead, they pushed forward resolutely with intense expressions on their faces.
One of them spotted Adesina in the distance—or, rather, the illusion of Adesina floating several feet from her actual location. He pointed and raised a frenzied cry.
“Death to Lord Cha-sak’s mortal enemy!”
The cry was taken up by the other members of the group and they surged forward in Adesina’s direction.
“Death to Adesina!”
“Death to the queen of evil!”
“Kill her! Kill her!”
Adesina wasn’t the only one who was shocked by the harsh cries. L’iam had heard the shouting, even over the din of battle, and his eyes widened in alarm.
He and his soldiers rushed forward to try and head off the fanatics, but they were far to the east had to fight their way through hoards of enemies.
Other L’avan and Seharan soldiers had heard the battle cries of the frenzied followers of Cha-sak and they moved to cut down those they could reach. The fanatics did not appear to be the best fighters, but they were clearly willing to give their lives for their cause.
Adesina realized that they were pressing forward as a group to increase the odds of some of them getting through. Dozens of them fell by the sword of their enemies, but the rest continued forward as if possessed.
There were perhaps twenty fanatics that broke free of the press of battle. They broke into a run, heading straight toward Adesina’s illusion.
Adesina didn’t want to hurt them—they were clearly being manipulated by the Shimat demon—but it was apparent that nothing would stop them from achieving their obsessive purpose.
She raised her hand and shot out a wide stream of vyala, transforming the raw energy into roaring flames that consumed the charging soldiers.
Screams of agony rent the air, but several of them managed to shriek a few final words.
“Praise and glory to Lord Cha-sak!”
Adesina felt sick as the fanatics fell to the ground, dead.
It had been a hopeless charge from the beginning, and she cou
ldn’t understand why Cha-sak would have wasted time ordering it.
High above them, humming through the air like an errant breeze, Adesina recognized the sound of Cha-sak chuckling in amusement.
Chapter Forty-Seven: Temptation
Sitara had been assigned to shield the battlefield from Cha-sak’s attacks, but she was surprised to find that no attacks were being made. She continued to maintain the shield, but she was curious what else could be drawing the demon’s attention.
As she stood at the back of the roughly constructed fortification, she felt the soft brush of another mind against her own. Her eyes blazed with anger as she recognized the gesture that had once been common between the Serraf and the Shimat.
Cha-sak was requesting to speak to her.
Riel felt the touch as well through their Joining. She looked at Sitara in shared shock.
What could he possibly want?
Sitara felt a wave of emotions so powerful that it hurt her physically. She shook her head.
I do not care.
This is the first time he has tried to contact the Serraf in centuries.
Sitara clutched her fist against her chest and closed her eyes in an attempt to calm herself.
It must be important…
Riel nodded at Sitara’s thought, but said nothing.
Sitara’s emotions were conflicted, and she knew that her guardian felt the same.
Slowly, with agonizing indecision, the Serraf opened her mind to Cha-sak so they could communicate directly. She only opened the doorway enough that they could speak, careful to block off all parts of her mind that might give the demon an advantage.
I did not think you would answer me.
Cha-sak’s tone seemed pleased. It made Sitara feel ill.
I almost did not.
It has been many years since I have felt the beauty of a Serraf mind.
Sitara resisted the urge to shut Cha-sak out of her mind once more. The demon repulsed her.
What do you want?
Cha-sak’s reply was simple. An alliance.
Sitara almost laughed aloud. What?
The Serraf and the Shimat used to be the closest of allies. Together we served and struggled, together we lived and laughed.
Sitara shuddered. Do not speak of such times. You desecrate the memories by speaking of them as if you cared.
I do care, insisted the demon. The Shimat never forsook their bond with the Serraf.
Anger flooded her mind.
You sacrificed my predecessor to the Darkness in order to gain power. You used her trust to lead her into danger, and then you destroyed her for your own purposes.
There was a brief pause as Cha-sak considered his words.
There are always sacrifices for the greater good. It pained me to see my partner die, but it had to be done.
No, lashed out Sitara. There was no greater good, only your selfish lust for more power.
She could feel his dissent.
You do not understand.
I will never understand how one so dear to the Creator could betray the Light and embrace the Darkness.
To fight the Darkness is folly, stated Cha-sak calmly. It is a battle that cannot be won. It is better to join the Darkness while there is still a chance to do so, otherwise your kind will be destroyed.
Sitara’s thoughts became tinged with scorn. So you are offering an alliance in order to save the Serraf?
Yes.
You could have saved yourself the trouble, Sitara sent to him bitterly. I would never join you.
Another pause.
You are being too hasty in your decision.
Sitara gave a sort of mental shrug. It does not matter, because the decision is not mine.
Cha-sak’s tone became more uncertain.
What do you mean?
I am no longer the leader of the Serraf.
That is not possible. Passing on that role is not a simple matter.
Sitara’s reply was a bit stinging. I am aware of that.
Who is the new leader?
Adesina.
The pause that followed was long and heavy.
Only a Serraf can lead the Serraf.
I know.
She is a human. She cannot possibly…
Sitara gave a humorless smile.
She was human, until she became the Threshold Child.
Cha-sak seemed unwilling to believe Sitara’s words. The prophecy of the Threshold Child is a foolish lie. If it were to happen, it would have happened during the Great Wars. You are using the prophecy in order to convince the other Immortals to follow you.
If that were the case, reasoned Sitara, do you think that Ruon would be here? He is not one to follow blindly.
Ruon?
The Serraf shook her head. You truly have been so consumed by your ambitions that you have not seen anything that has been happening.
She took his silence as confirmation of her words.
I will never join you, Cha-sak, and you will not win this war. We have the Threshold Child, and we have the Creator on our side.
Because their minds were connected, she felt the shiver of fear that passed over the demon. It gave her satisfaction as she closed her mind to him once more—this time, forever.
She had never truly healed from the loss of her beloved sister, the one who had died at Cha-sak’s hands. However, now she felt strangely complete—free from the pain that had haunted her for centuries.
Cha-sak would lose, and Sitara would finally find peace.
***
Ruon could see that something was happening with Sitara, but he did not know what it was. In truth, it did not matter much to him. The Serraf was free to do as she pleased.
With a small, shuddering breath, Sitara opened her eyes. Then she turned and walked away from the fortifying wall.
Ruon shrugged and turned his eyes back to the battle. The humans were fighting so hard in a battle they couldn’t possibly win, and he found that he admired them for their dauntless persistence. It was as if they didn’t realize how hopeless the situation was.
The Laithur suddenly became very still.
He felt an unfamiliar mind roving in his direction, searching as though blind. His instincts told him that the strange mind was searching for his, and he debated whether to reach out or not.
He could simply ignore the searching mind. The odds of it finding him by chance were slim, and even if it did, it would need his permission to make a connection.
Or he could find out what the stranger wanted. He had a pretty good idea of who it was that was looking to contact him.
Ruon allowed the other mind to find his. He was curious to know what Cha-sak had to say.
Once the initial contact was made Ruon made the other demon wait, as if he were deciding on whether to speak to him or to ignore him. Ruon really just liked making Cha-sak wonder if he was wasting his time.
Finally, the Laithur opened a line of communication to the visitor. He could not fully open his mind to any being other than another Laithur, or the result would be insanity for the receiving party. The mind of a Laithur was touched with infinite possibility, and most minds—Immortal or not—could not handle being faced with the vast complexity.
Good afternoon, Cha-sak.
There was a flicker of surprise from the Shimat demon which brought a small smile to the Laithur’s face.
You knew I would try to contact you?
Only you would attempt to connect at this time.
There was a slight pause. Ruon imagined Cha-sak attempting to regain his footing.
I was surprised to learn that one of my brother demons was among my enemies. Why are you aiding the Children of Light?
Although Cha-sak was shielded from the eternity of Ruon’s mind, Ruon could clearly see into Cha-sak’s. The Shimat had not learned to block off his personal thoughts and emotions, which meant that Ruon had intimate insight into what Cha-sak was really saying.
You were surprised, but not displeased.
Another pause.
No, I suppose not.
Why?
Cha-sak felt a stab of irritation, and Ruon sensed it as well. The Shimat demon had not anticipated revealing his reasoning so soon in the conversation.
Because it means that I am not the only demon in this world. I have a natural ally in you, and I did not know of your presence until recently.
The Shimat were manipulators. They enjoyed shaping conversations in order to lead the thoughts of those foolish enough to listen. The Laithur, on the other hand, were much more straightforward. Ruon preferred having the whole truth right at the beginning.
Your natural ally? What an interesting idea.
Is it not true?
Ruon gave the impression of a slight shrug through his thoughts. It is not as simple as you make it seem.
Cha-sak repeated his earlier question. Why are you helping the Children of Light?
Ruon did not answer, but asked a question of his own. Why not tell me why I should be helping you?
There was another flash of irritation from the Shimat, and Ruon smiled again. The Laithur and the Shimat had never really gotten along, regardless of the fact that both had willfully become demons.
You aligned yourself with the Darkness, and yet you fight on the side of Light. Such a choice does not make sense.
We Laithur have never claimed to make sense.
Ruon could feel Cha-sak’s growing frustration.
You must know that you are on the losing side.
Yes, I know.
A surprised silence followed.
I have a superior army, and my soldiers will crush the L’avan.
Very likely.
Cha-sak seemed baffled by Ruon’s casual agreement, but he quickly recovered.
You are a Creature of Darkness, Brother Ruon. Come take your rightful place as my partner. Together we will rule this world.
Ruon took a moment to consider the Shimat’s words.
The future was not decided, and so it was entirely possible that Cha-sak could succeed in his plan. He certainly had a much greater chance of success with Ruon to help him. From a logical point of view, the two demons would be just as likely to prevail as Adesina. More, for they would have a larger army and possessed more experience using their vyala.
