The Labyrinth of Destiny

by Callie Kanno

  What would we do once we conquered this world? How could I continue to trust in my safety? The Shimat are not known for their loyalty.

  Cha-sak’s mind showed a brief flicker of triumph, as if Ruon’s questions were proof that he was nearing a decision.

  We will swear a blood oath to one another, that we will never harm each other by our own hands or through the actions of those who follow us.

  It was a strong promise, and did not leave any loopholes through which one might find a way around it. Of course, it benefitted Cha-sak as well. It would make him forever safe from Ruon.

  Your offer is tempting…

  Then join me, pushed Cha-sak.

  …but I am afraid I must decline.

  Cha-sak’s thoughts were shocked and confused.

  You decline?

  Yes.

  Why? Cha-sak demanded.

  I pledged myself to the Threshold Child before I came to this world. I swore that her fate would be my own, and that I would give her what I could offer.

  Such promises can be broken, argued the Shimat.

  Mine will not be.

  Ruon could sense the growing anger in Cha-sak’s mind, but he was not cowed by it.

  You would give up the glory of ruling this world just to follow some girl in her hopeless cause?

  The Laithur gave the impression of raising a finger. I did not say her cause was hopeless.

  What do you mean?

  She is the Threshold Child. Her army may be losing, but she will not.

  Cha-sak’s thoughts were scornful. Do you truly believe that she is the Threshold Child?

  Ruon considered his words before conveying them.

  I have been watching her carefully ever since I agreed to come on this journey. I have seen her courage and her compassion, and I have seen her flaws and her ignorance. She is so…human…in spite of her transformation into a Serraf.

  That seems to be an argument against her, pointed out the Shimat demon.

  I thought so, too, at first. Yet, it is not. She is everything that the Immortals need in order to return to our true purpose. Her very ignorance inspires one to step up and teach through example.

  Cha-sak’s disdain filled his thoughts, even though he did not form them into words.

  Ruon gave a small smile. I have seen for myself what she has the potential to become. In the short time I have known her, she has grown so much. I know that she is the Threshold Child, and I will follow her wherever she leads. You may call that folly, but I believe that it would be a much greater folly to hold to the Darkness when I have seen the Light.

  Cha-sak withdrew his mind from Ruon’s, leaving lingering thoughts of disappointment and scorn in his wake. The Shimat demon clearly did not give much credit to Ruon’s words.

  Or his mocking might have only been stubborn denial.

  Ruon took a deep breath and found that he was feeling rather cheerful. He was about to go and find Sitara when a sudden sensation came over him.

  His chest burned with a glowing flame—not painful, but filled with hope. His small eyes began to glitter fiercely and slowly turned from black to shimmering silver. The Seer Stone in his forehead pulsed with power, and he felt his mind expanding as it hadn’t for many centuries.

  In the deepest, most private part of Ruon’s mind he heard a gentle voice that he had never thought to hear again—the voice of the Seer.

  Welcome home, my child.

  Chapter Forty-Eight: Light and Darkness

  Adesina could feel that something was different.

  She couldn’t quite identify what had changed, but something deep within her told her that it was so. Something was beckoning her onward, and she knew that Cha-sak would be feeling the same.

  Sitara suddenly appeared at her side, and Adesina turned her eyes to her mentor.

  “It is time.”

  Sitara nodded. “I understand. I will take over your post here, and I will pray that the Creator strengthen you.”

  Adesina frowned and looked toward the fortification. “What about Ravi?”

  The same part of her that knew the time had come also whispered that she had to go alone.

  “He will understand,” answered Sitara. “You must anchor yourself to him more firmly than ever before, Adesina. You will need his strength.”

  “I will,” promised Adesina.

  The L’avan queen left her post overlooking the battle and gently touched down on the ground. She began walking north, but she was soon stopped by Ruon.

  “There are times when a single decision will determine the course of the future,” the Laithur began.

  “The labyrinth of destiny,” reminded Ravi, who was approaching them from behind.

  Adesina remembered the analogy well.

  Not long after she had learned the truth about the Shimat organization, she had asked Ravi about the role of choices in destiny. She had just been told about the prophecy of the Threshold Child, and she had been overwhelmed by what it meant for her.

  Ravi had said that destiny was like a labyrinth. One was given a choice of paths, but once chosen, the path had to be followed until a new choice was presented.

  Ruon seemed familiar with the analogy and he nodded in agreement. “The universe follows a similar pattern, Adesina. There is a delicate balance between Light and Dark, but at such times—times when a choice of paths is presented—that balance can be destroyed.”

  Adesina recalled Cha-sak’s words and a chill ran down her spine. “Darkness can be made to prevail over Light.”

  “And vice versa,” asserted Ruon with a raised finger. “Light can also become the dominant force in the universe, if that choice is made.”

  Adesina’s brow furrowed. “Who makes that choice?”

  “It is not a decision in the sense you are thinking,” said the Laithur. “It is a decision of action.”

  The young queen felt a heavy weight pressing down on her as his words sunk in. “Are you saying that my confrontation with Cha-sak will determine the decision of the universe?”

  “Simply put, yes.”

  Ravi moved to Adesina’s side and leaned against her, lending her his strength. She appreciated his support now more than ever, and she rested her hand on his back.

  “What if I fail?” she whispered.

  Ruon shrugged. “Then the universe will continue forward and the Light will continue to fight the Darkness. Your failure would not destroy the Light, Adesina. It would simply mean that the Darkness would become stronger.”

  Adesina didn’t find his explanation comforting.

  “Do not think of the universal outcome,” Ravi urged her. “Just focus on what this fight means for us here and now. Cha-sak will not stop until he has killed every one of us, and only you can prevent him from succeeding. You need to fight him, not for some cosmic outcome but to save the lives of those you love.”

  Adesina squared her shoulders and smiled down at her guardian. “Thank you, Ravi.”

  He gave her a feline smile in return. “Of course, dear one.”

  “I wish you success,” Ruon said softly, and he turned and walked away.

  Adesina felt the unknown force beckoning her onward more strongly than before. She turned to Ravi with a sad expression on her face.

  “You know I cannot take you with me.”

  The Rashad inclined his head unhappily. “Yes, I know.”

  Ravi summoned his own vyala, which appeared to Adesina as a prism of colors and lights. A band of the vyala wrapped around Ravi’s heart and mind, and then it extended to Adesina.

  “Take it and do the same,” he instructed.

  She took control of the band of vyala and felt a sense of wonder as she briefly experienced Ravi’s intimate connection to the natural world. His powers stemmed from the soul of the earth, and it was an awe-inspiring sensation.

  She wrapped the vyala around her own heart and mind, and she felt the connection with her guardian deepen.

  “The Rashad are taught to do that when
we become adults,” he explained. “We use the technique when deep and meaningful meditation is needed. We can gain guidance from the world around us, if we are open to it.”

  “Now you can guide me,” Adesina said with a smile.

  Ravi’s expression remained solemn. “I hope so, Ma’eve.”

  It had been a long time since she had been without her guardian, and she suddenly felt uncertain.

  Ravi could feel her emotions, and he encouraged her. “Do not be frightened, dear one. You are never alone.”

  Adesina nodded and faced north once more. As she began walking, a rush of determination filled her being.

  She let her vyala loose, and the power swirled around her like a shield. Her vyala was acting independently of her conscious will, but it didn’t frighten her as it had in the past. She knew that it would obey her wishes instantly and that she was still in control.

  As Adesina walked, the world around her grew steadily brighter. The details of the forest became lost in the intense light. She walked until she found herself standing in an empty space. She had left the forest—she had probably left her world—and there was nothing where she stood but light.

  After a moment, the light began to dim and change.

  Adesina turned instinctively and saw Cha-sak’s shadowy form approaching. He was surrounded by darkness, which swirled and mixed with Adesina’s light. The result was a grey atmosphere that stretched in every direction as far as Adesina could see. She knew, somehow, that this was a neutral place in the universe, where almost anything was possible.

  The knowledge was not a comfort to her.

  The L’avan queen felt small and alone, and she clung to her connection to Ravi. Ravi’s presence blossomed in her mind, and she felt him comforting her.

  Do not be frightened, Ma’eve. You are never alone.

  “So,” rasped Cha-sak in a mocking tone. “You have come to challenge my conquest.”

  Adesina didn’t answer, but drew her Blood Sword. Her vyala automatically extended to the sword, which caused it to glow and swirl with power.

  The Shimat demon sneered at her blade. “Do you think I am afraid of your paltry human weapon? Nothing that you have is enough to face me on equal terms.”

  “It was never my intention to meet you on equal terms,” Adesina said quietly.

  Cha-sak’s ruby eyes narrowed. “Are you implying that you are superior?”

  Once again, Adesina chose not to answer.

  She could feel the wrath of the demon rolling off him in waves. The dark energy of his shadowy being pulsed and pounded at her like a deafening sound, and even though she knew that it was all in her mind she covered her ears and braced herself against it.

  Cha-sak held out his hand and wisps of darkness gathered to form a sword similar to hers. He raised the black blade in a sort of mock salute.

  And then he rushed toward her.

  The demon was blindingly fast, and Adesina raised Falcon only in the nick of time. The two power-enhanced blades rang out when they touched, making a sound that was unlike metal against metal. It was an unearthly noise, unlike any Adesina had ever heard. Her mind could only equate it to the sound of two stars colliding—even though she had never heard such a thing.

  With the two swords crossed, Adesina found herself face to face with Cha-sak. His eyes were even more unnerving up close.

  “You are nothing more than a child playing in the mud,” the demon hissed. “You have no real understanding of anything that is happening here.”

  With a flick of his hand, Cha-sak summoned terrible black flames that were colder than ice. The freezing flames would have caught her directly in the face had her vyala not reacted on its own. Adesina was swept backward by her own power, and the black flames extinguished as they hit nothingness.

  Adesina recalled seeing such flames when she had fought with a different demon on the Threshold of Zonne. The black fire had continued to burn, consuming even stone. The fact that the flames went out in this realm gave her pause.

  Were the laws of nature different here?

  Adesina hardly had time to wonder, for Cha-sak immediately began pressing her. He continued to throw black fireballs at her, advancing slowly as he did. The L’avan queen was able to dodge on her own, and she frowned in confusion at his tactic. It was almost as if he were simply wasting time.

  That simple flash of insight saved Adesina’s life.

  She turned slightly to glance behind her, and she saw a pillar of darkness hurtling toward her. It would have pierced her being and destroyed her had she not seen it and leapt out of its way.

  Cha-sak’s harsh laughter filled the air.

  “Oh, you stupid child,” he mocked. “Only luck has saved you thus far. You cannot survive this battle, so why not surrender? You may find that I am better master than you think.”

  Adesina thought of Basha and she spoke through clenched teeth. “I doubt that.”

  “I have no more wish to toy with you,” the demon declared. “My amusement has waned, and I have my glory to claim. If you do not surrender, I will destroy you with one blow.”

  The young woman raised Falcon and bared her teeth. “No, you will not.”

  With a false sigh of regret, Cha-sak cast aside his black blade, returning it to the shadows that had formed it. He raised his arms and began to chant in a mesmerizing voice.

  “I am he, once born of Light, now bathed in Darkness and filled with hate. I gave my heart to the sacrificial blade to gain the power that none now hold. I call upon thee, Mighty Darkness, to claim me as thy champion. I renew my oath to give thee my soul if thou wilt give me the power to claim all!”

  The words struck Adesina to the core of her being, and she felt cold with horror. The meaning of Cha-sak’s vow had only begun to sink it when she saw that he was beginning to change.

  The darkness that had turned their surroundings grey was being drawn back to him in meandering streams. The realm in which they fought grew lighter and lighter as Cha-sak’s form darkened.

  The shadows became a part of him, and he grew larger in size. He lost his vaguely human form and became more like the demons pictured in human stories. His head elongated and a ridge of horns fanned out like some sort of crown. His hands and feet became clawed, and a long tail formed behind him. His ruby eyes glowed bright with power, and he shrieked with laughter as he grew to be twice her height.

  Adesina felt her heart began to fail her. How was she to face such an enemy?

  You are never alone.

  Ravi’s words pierced her fear and dissipated it completely. A memory came to her mind, and she squared her shoulders to face the Shimat demon.

  “You asked me earlier if I thought myself superior,” she said in a calm tone.

  Cha-sak looked down at her, clearly surprised at the serenity with which she faced him.

  “By myself I am too weak to fight you,” Adesina continued, “but I am not alone.”

  The air around them vibrated as thirty-seven ethereal voices converged together to speak the words that had been spoken at the beginning of Adesina’s journey to defeat Cha-sak.

  I pledge to you my life and my loyalty,

  so that my strength will be yours.

  Your fate will be my own—

  your triumphs my triumphs,

  and your failures my failures.

  The L’avan queen felt the strength of each of her Immortal allies flow into her body with a surge of Light, and she began to change as well.

  Her clothing transformed to a dress of pure white, belted with a simple golden band around her waist. White feathered wings sprouted from her shoulder blades, spreading outward to become larger than her body. She was wreathed in a halo of light, and above her Ravi’s eyes appeared to watch over her, as he always had.

  The thirty-seven voices spoke once more, proclaiming her as their champion.

  Behold the Queen of the Serraf, the Daughter of Light, the Threshold Child!

  Chapter Forty-Nine: They Who Fight<
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  L’iam could feel a change in the air.

  He wasn’t sure exactly what it was, but the atmosphere almost seemed to crackle with energy. It was simple to assume that Adesina was involved, but he could not imagine what could be happening to cause such a feeling. He took a quick glance at his fellow L’avan, and he could tell by their expressions that they felt it, too.

  The Shimat forces were completely unaffected, since they could not sense the presence of vyala, and they continued to press forward with unrelenting force.

  L’iam had known that they would be hard-pressed to face their enemies. The L’avan and Seharans were outnumbered and exhausted. Even the recent arrival of the Matshi was not enough to make the battle balanced.

  L’iam also knew that his battle, while important, was secondary to the fight that was taking place elsewhere.

  That certainly didn’t change how he fought.

  He, like Adesina, was a swordsman, and he was using every bit of skill he had to face the never-ending onslaught. He was not wearing his ceremonial armor, so he could have passed as an average soldier. He had done that on purpose so he could fight among his allies instead of keeping to the rear.

  Adesina had always ridden at the front, blazing with power and adorned with the emblems of authority. She couldn’t have been more obvious if she had made a public announcement of her rank. Yet, it had seemed so natural for her to do so that no one questioned it. L’iam may have worried for her safety, but he did that anyway.

  L’iam was not as bold as his wife, and he knew that he couldn’t afford to try. He did not have the backing of an ancient prophecy to give him reasonable confidence that his life would not end amidst the battles of mortals.

  Unfortunately, L’iam knew that his beloved was now engaged in a battle that was much more dire. If he understood Ruon correctly, this was one of the defining moments in the universe. There were no guarantees for anyone involved, especially the Threshold Child.

  L’iam turned his anxiety into energy, and he fought with more vigor than before. The mercenary he faced was more skilled than most, and the L’avan king found that he had to concentrate to fight him well.