Kendan could see the fear on
Signe’s face.
He knew what she had done to his
family. He knew that she had manipulated him his entire life. And now she knew
that he knew.
She licked her lips. “Someone has
been telling you lies, Kendan. Why would I murder our family?”
Kendan’s anger boiled over and his
voice grew louder. “They were
not
your family! You were obsessed with my
father and hated him for choosing another over you. Your need for vengeance
destroyed my family.”
Signe’s taut face turned a shade
paler. “I would never do such a thing.”
“I saw you do it,” Kendan shouted.
“I witnessed it with my own eyes. It just took the magic of the Threshold to
show me the truth.”
Her brow furrowed. “What are you
talking about? What is the Threshold?”
He shook his head with a jerk. “I
am not giving you any answers. You do not deserve anything I have to offer.”
She spread her hands in a
beseeching gesture, but her eyes were cold and calculating. “Please, Kendan,
calm down. You must listen to reason.”
He barked a short laugh. “Reason?
Is that your claim?”
“If you have information that can
help the Shimat order—” Signe began.
Kendan cut her off with a hard
shake of his head. “You mean, if I have information that can help you to regain
power.”
The former Sharifal licked her
lips. “A conflict between Shimat factions would be disastrous. No one wants a
fight.”
“Oh, on the contrary,” Kendan said
in a soft and deadly voice, “that is exactly what I am looking for.”
Signe’s eyes hardened. “I see there
is nothing that I can say that will convince you.”
Kendan took a breath to calm
himself. He knew he needed a clear mind. “I am finished listening to lies.”
“So be it.”
Moving like lightning, Signe
whipped out a throwing knife and hurled it at Kendan.
If he hadn’t been expecting an
attack he would not have been able to move in time. He leapt to the side and
rolled as he hit the ground, pulling his meteor hammer out of the pouch on his
belt.
Signe pulled out her dirk and was
sprinting toward Kendan before he could regain his footing.
She drove her blade downward,
aiming for his heart.
Kendan punched upward, striking
Signe’s attacking arm and stopping her potentially fatal blow. He leapt to his
feet and wrapped the steel braid of his meteor hammer around his left arm. One
end of the braid bore a knife, which held in his left hand. He gripped the
other end of the braid with his right hand and turned his wrist, swinging the
metal ball that was attached to the end of the braid in a circle in front of
him.
Signe showed no signs of pain, but
she shifted her dirk into her other hand. She eyed the spinning meteor hammer
warily for a split second before springing into action once more.
She pulled out a handful of
throwing stars from her belt pouch and flung them in Kendan’s direction in
rapid succession. Some flew high, others low. Kendan scowled in concentration
as he used his weapon to knock the throwing stars off course. He tried to keep
an eye on Signe, but the throwing stars took all of his focus.
Kendan knocked the last of the
throwing stars to the side and immediately sent his meteor hammer flying toward
the woman he had once considered family. She had taken advantage of his
preoccupation and moved to a better position—a knoll that had trees on either
side. With the trees gathered around her, Kendan would be unable to use his
weapon in wide sweeps. He would have to use precise attacks to reach her.
Signe stepped to the side, avoiding
the attack, and hurled a small knife at her opponent.
Kendan jerked the steel braid to
recall the head of the meteor hammer, but not in enough time to use it as a
defense against the blade. He moved out of the way as quickly as he could, but
the knife still cut deeply into his arm.
Signe was already sprinting toward
Kendan.
She jumped into the air and kicked
off of a nearby tree, launching herself toward him. She spun and brought her
foot down on Kendan’s shoulder in a powerful blow.
Kendan’s breath expelled forcefully
and he dropped to his knees.
Signe landed with cat-like grace
and immediately lunged forward to strike at him again.
Kendan rolled forward and closed
the distance before Signe could complete her attack. He braced himself with his
hands and used both legs to side-sweep her. This time, he was fast enough that
he landed the blow.
Signe grunted and flipped backward,
using the momentum to regain her footing. She moved a safe distance away from
Kendan and stood near a tree to hinder his use of his meteor hammer.
“I must be getting old,” she said
softly.
Kendan wasn’t fooled by her words.
He knew the trick—that she was trying to make him feel overconfident by
pretending to be weaker than she really was. “Stop playing mind games and
fight.”
Signe’s grin became wolfish. “Are
you truly so eager to die?”
He jerked his head in a negative.
“I will not die today.”
“So you are saying that I am
feeling merciful?” she taunted.
Kendan flung his meteor hammer at
her with a precision that only comes with years of practice. His aim was low,
focusing on her legs.
Signe easily jumped to avoid the attack,
but while she was in the air Kendan spun forcefully and kicked her in the side.
The former Sharifal crashed into
the tree that she had intended to act as protection. She cried out in pain and
fell to the ground in a heap.
Now was his chance.
He could kill her and exact his
revenge.
His parents would finally receive
justice.
Kendan took a step forward and
faltered. He hesitated for half a moment, and the opportunity was gone.
Signe scrambled to her feet and
dove out of harm’s way. She clutched her shoulder with one hand and her side
with the other.
“What is it?” she spat venomously.
“Can you not bring yourself to kill your aunt?”
“You are not my aunt,” Kendan
roared. “You are nothing to me.”
The two opponents slowly circled
one another.
“Then why did you not kill me when
you had the chance?” asked the former Sharifal.
Kendan clenched his jaw, struggling
to control his fury and hatred. Not just the emotions directed at her, but also
the emotions directed at himself.
Signe read his face and gave a
disgusted laugh. “You are weak, Kendan. You have always been weak—like your
worthless father. I thought I could train you to be more, but you were always a
disappointment.”
Kendan knew that she was baiting
him, but he found himself unable to suppress his anger. He charged at her with
the blade of the meteor hammer in his hand.
Signe brought her dirk up in
defense and the two blades clashed. They grappled with one another, both trying
to overpower the other. Signe was surprisingly strong, able to match Kendan.
After a few moments of struggle,
Signe changed tactics. She shifted her footing and brought her knee up to
strike Kendan’s side.
Kendan took the hit the best that
he could, but his grip began to slip. He jerked Signe to the side, hoping to
throw her off balance, but his foot landed on a loose rock and the two
opponents went sprawling down the small hill.
Kendan rolled and regained his
footing, but his meteor hammer was caught in a bramble several feet away. Signe
was also disarmed, but her dirk was on the ground in between them.
She started for it, but Kendan ran
to bowl her over, knocking them both away from the weapon.
When Signe and Kendan got back on
their feet, they were both slightly winded from the fall. They stared at each
other for a moment, hatred blaring from their eyes.
Then, they both rushed forward.
The two Shimat exchanged blows so
rapidly that their movements almost seemed blurred. Hands and feet moved with a
deadly grace so fluid that it almost looked like a choreographed dance.
Kendan had sparred so often with
Signe that they knew each other’s fighting style intimately. Kendan could not
make a move that Signe could not easily block, and her counterattacks were just
as anticipated by Kendan.
Kendan’s entire focus was on
keeping up with the former Sharifal. He knew from experience that the slightest
mistake would cost him the fight.
Time blurred in Kendan’s mind, and
he flung any thought of exhaustion away from him.
Signe’s brow beaded with sweat, but
her face was calm. Her icy eyes were hard and intent, just as Kendan’s were.
Then, to Kendan’s shock, Signe made
a mistake.
Their movements had taken them
closer to Signe’s dirk, and both were very aware of the weapon just out of
their reach. Signe’s eyes flashed eagerly when she saw an opportunity to make a
grab for it. She aimed a blow at Kendan’s abdomen and hit with all of her
strength, hoping to gain a moment of distraction as he recovered.
However, Signe executed the attack
with her injured shoulder, and the blow caused her to cry out in pain.
Kendan kicked hard at her knee,
hearing it break with a sickening crack. Then he dove for the dirk and quickly
took aim.
He threw the large knife at the
wounded woman, not giving himself time to think or hesitate.
The blade struck Signe squarely in
the heart.
Her eyes widened in shock and her
mouth moved as if she were trying to speak. Without a sound, she fell backwards
and moved no more.
Kendan stood gasping for breath and
slowly leaned against a nearby tree. All of the physical pain that his mind had
been suppressing burst forth in a wave, but it was nothing compared to the
agony of his soul.
He had thought that he would feel
some sort of satisfaction after avenging his parents, but instead he felt
sorrow.
Deep, engulfing sorrow.
His dark eyes filled with tears and
he choked on a sob.
He remained still for several
minutes, visualizing his parents’ faces and wondering what they would say to
him if they were here.
The soft sound of a boot stepping
on damp leaves brought Kendan’s head up sharply. He saw the shocked face of a
young woman with large blue eyes and loose blonde hair. Kendan recognized her
as one of Adesina’s childhood friends.
“Shar Kendan,” she stammered in a
tone of horror, “what have you done?”
Kendan straightened slowly and set
his personal sorrow aside. This was a time of uncertainty for the members of
the Shimat organization that had not chosen to side with Basha. They needed a
leader.
They needed
him
.
“Do you know what the Shimat are,
Lanil?”
The young woman didn’t answer, but
waited for him to continue.
“They are a lie.”
Lanil frowned in confusion, but
seemed willing to listen. Kendan walked over to her, putting his weapons away
as he did.
“Most newly initiated Shimat are
sent on missions that help maintain the lie in their minds that they are helping
to keep the peace. Some are never told the truth, and others only come to
realize it after they have become hardened to the reality.”
“What is the truth?” asked Lanil
faintly.
Kendan looked down at her. She was
so young, so trusting. It was no wonder she had been assigned to care for
children. She was not meant for the kind of life that he had experienced.
“The Shimat are a force of
evil—manipulating and destroying lives. The Sharifal not only knew it, but
desired it to be so. We need a new leader. One that can turn our organization
into what we tell our students we are.”
“Are you speaking of yourself?”
Her question bore no tone of
judgment. She simply wanted to know.
Kendan slowly nodded. “Yes. I can
do it.”
Adesina felt her heart sink.
She looked through the telescope
she had borrowed from Captain Zulimar, staring at the ship that patrolled the
waters just east of Sehar. There was no way they could get to shore without
passing the enemy vessel.
She had been hoping that they could
sneak through without being seen, but the other ship was on an intercepting
course.
“What are we going to do?” asked
Ruon.
His voice was filled with
challenge, as if daring her to suggest using the Aekuor for violent purposes.
“I am not sure yet,” Adesina
answered honestly.
Kai seemed to be doing her best to
stay out of sight. She swam with only her head peeking above the water’s
surface, keeping behind the
Zephyr
to stay hidden. Adesina stood by the
ship’s railing, watching the approaching patrol vessel with a measuring gaze.
They were too far away to see the crew of the enemy ship, but Adesina was
certain that it was manned by Shimat.
“Would you like me to destroy that
vessel, my lady?” asked Kai quietly.
The others looked to Adesina to
wait for her answer.
She furrowed her brow and slowly
shook her head. “No, I do not think that will be necessary.”
Adesina was not practiced at
reading an Aekuor’s expressions, but Kai seemed to be relieved. Ruon’s defiant
stance softened somewhat and he unfolded his arms.
“What do you have in mind?”
A small smile appeared at the
corner of Adesina’s mouth as a plan formed in her brain.
***
Adesina watched as her companions
climbed into one of
Zephyr
’s rowboats. Satosh and Suvi had insisted on
being the ones to prepare the boat for departure, and they did so with speed
and skill.
Captain Zulimar’s face was grave.
“I had hoped to be of more use to you, Mistress Adesina. You have done so much
for us, and I have not even begun to show my gratitude.”
Adesina looked up into the man’s
dark face and smiled fondly. “You saved us from drowning, my friend, and you
brought us all this way back to Sehar. Is that not enough?”
“No,” was his humble reply. “It is
not enough.”
The young L’avan queen chuckled. “I
thought that might be the case.”
Zulimar also smiled, but his eyes
were serious. “My people have been at war with one another for generations. I
can smell the scent of battle approaching. You go to fight.”
He looked at her as if to confirm
his suspicions. Adesina’s expression turned somber, and she knew she was
revealing the truth.
“I would give my life if it aided
your cause, Mistress Adesina.”
She touched his arm, her heart
filled with the warmth of gratitude. “I know you would.”
When she didn’t say more, Zulimar
sighed softly. “I will take
Zephyr
south to Emerald Harbor. There we
will wait, should you need to call upon us for anything.”
The rowboat was ready, and Adesina
stepped into it. Suvi’s eyes glistened with tears as she stood in position to
help lower the boat into the water.
“Thank you all so much,” said
Adesina sincerely. “I promise we will meet again.”
The rowboat was lowered into the
water on the side of the ship that was opposite of the enemy vessel. Kai waited
to see that they were underway before diving smoothly and disappearing into the
ocean.
They had to move quickly. The
patrol ship was getting closer, and they had little time before Adesina’s plan
had to be enacted.
Adesina connected to her
vyala
and shaped it in a fashion she had used before. Her vision took on a reddish
hue, and she blanketed the boat and its passengers with an illusion that made
them invisible to onlookers.
Sitara brought her own
vyala
to bear and used it to propel the rowboat away from the
Zephyr
. They
headed in the direction of Sehar’s shore, which was quite a distance away.
Adesina kept her eyes fixed on the two ships, using her Shimat training to keep
her anxiety in check.
With a mighty roar, the ocean
erupted between the two vessels and the Aekuor reared her magnificent head.
Even though she was expecting it,
Adesina jumped. She could hear the panicked cries of the crews, and both ships
veered in opposite directions—away from the “sea monster.”
The
Zephyr
made for the open
ocean, safely away from the harm of the Shimat. The patrol ship moved north,
widening the distance between the Shimat vessel and the invisible rowboat.
Adesina grinned. “She did it!”
Ruon also smirked, showing a
happiness that seemed unusual on his flat face. “Of course she did.”
Kai thrashed and shrieked, doing
her best to drive the Shimat ship away. Adesina’s plan was that when the Aekuor
could be sure of the rowboat’s safe landing, she would meet up with the
Zephyr
and make sure they made it to Emerald Harbor without any problems.
Sitara continued to speed the boat
toward the shore, and soon Adesina could see the details of the small fishing
village for which they were aiming.
There were no more than a couple
dozen buildings, most of them the humble homes of the villagers. Adesina let
the magical illusion slowly fade, making the boat visible to the fishermen
throwing nets into the ocean.
Their arrival caused quite a stir
in the small village. Children shouted and ran toward the rickety wooden pier
and women congregated to watch the boat’s approach and whisper together. One old
man waved at them and offered his rope to tie the boat to the dock.
When the villagers saw Ruon and the
two Rashad, they immediately backed away to a safe distance. Fear was apparent
in all of their eyes, except for the old man who had helped them to land. He
seemed nothing but curious.
He chattered amiably in a thick
accent. “Donnot see many strangars ‘round heer. An’ ye lot be strangar than
mos’. How ye geet pass thar paytrol?” he chattered amiably.
“Luck seems to be on our side,”
replied Adesina vaguely. “Do you know anyone who might be interested in buying
our boat? We could use the coin.”
“No goin’ back ta sea?” queried the
old man. “Whall, I might be yer man fer tha’. Cannot give ye much, though.”
Adesina really only needed enough
to buys supplies for their journey to Pevothem. She haggled with the old man,
as custom demanded, but she would have been satisfied with his original offer.
When the transaction was complete,
Adesina led her companions into the village where they could buy travelling
supplies.
The shop owner was a small, portly
man with a red face and a fierce frown. He looked ready to say something sharp
to Adesina, but then his eyes fell on Ruon. The man paled considerably, and his
mouth opened and closed soundlessly.
The Laithur appeared to take a
perverse delight in the fear he caused, and he showed his pointed teeth in a
leering smile.
Adesina tried to draw attention
away from her non-human comrade. “We need some supplies for our journey.
Standard foodstuffs and packs to carry it in.”
The shop owner continued to stare
at Ruon, but he managed a hoarse whisper. “Of course, mistress. You…you may
take anything you desire.”
Adesina and Sitara exchanged
glances and set to work in gathering what they needed. Adesina filled a
knapsack with fresh hardtack, while Sitara perused the water canteens.
Ravi and Riel stayed at the
entrance of the shop in an effort to minimize the owner’s anxiety, but Ruon
felt no such inclination. His oval head swayed on his long neck and he made
soft humming sounds. The shop owner retreated behind some bolts of fabric and
stayed there.
Adesina shook her head in
exasperation. “Does he have to antagonize everyone?” she muttered.
Sitara smiled sadly. “The Laithur
have had a dark history with humans. I am afraid that he has not forgiven
them…”
She trailed off and seemed
reluctant to say anything else, leaving Adesina burning with curiosity.
When all of the supplies had been
gathered, Adesina approached the owner and inquired about price.
The portly man shook his head. “No charge,
mistress.”
Adesina stared at him. “I thank you
for your generosity, but I would much rather pay you for the goods.”
He shook his head again and hurried
to the back room of the store.
Ravi walked over to Adesina’s side.
“This is a rather unfortunate beginning for the return of the Immortals.”
He said it with humor in his voice,
but Adesina could feel the truth of his words. She estimated the cost of the
supplies and then added a few coins on top of that, just to be safe. She didn’t
want the owner saying he had been robbed by the newcomers. The last thing they
needed was hard feelings toward them.
From the shop they went on to a
small market at the edge of town. There were a handful of stands with various
fresh products, such as fish and local fruits and vegetables. Adesina made
inquiries about which direction would take them where they wanted to go, and
Sitara looked over the wares with a smile on her face.
She picked up a pink apple that was
delicately veined with darker shades of red. “I cannot remember the last time I
tasted the fruit of this earth.”
Adesina, in possession of the
desired information, looked at the Serraf with surprise. “Surely there must
have been food in the other realm.”
Sitara gave a slight shrug.
“Perhaps, but we did not test the limited plant life. As with sleep, Immortals
do not
need
food.”
Adesina sighed in exasperation. “I
wish you had mentioned that before I bought these supplies.”
The older woman gave a musical
laugh. “Just because we do not have to eat does not mean that it is a pleasant
experience to forgo all mortal necessities. Our bodies still use the
nourishment, even if it is not vital to our survival.”
Sitara placed the apple back on the
cart with just a hint of longing and Adesina smiled.
“Would you like to refresh your
memory?”
Sitara nodded shyly. “If it would
not be too frivolous of me.”
Adesina gladly paid for the
apple—taking one for herself as well—and turned to the others. “Is there
anything else that appeals to our returning travelers?”
Ravi and Riel both chuckled.
“We can hunt for our needs,
Ma’eve,” said Ravi.
“Ruon?” prodded the L’avan queen.
The Laithur’s face was conflicted,
but his tone was rigid. “No. I need nothing of this world.”
Sitara smelled her apple and closed
her eyes happily. “It is not a matter of need, Ruon,” she said. “It is a
celebration of our return to our home.”
Ruon looked as if he would refuse
purely out of spite, but he paused. There was a cart that had a small basket of
mushrooms set to the side. The Laithur’s slitted nostrils flared slightly as he
took in the scent.
“I…might enjoy some fungus.”
It took Adesina a split second to
realize what he meant, but after she sorted it out she walked over to the cart
and purchased the mushrooms.
Adesina pointed to a direction that
was just a bit north of west. “The Thieves’ Forest is about a two-week walk
that way. It would be approximately half that time if we had horses, but we do
not have the coin to purchase them.”
Sitara’s eyes lost focus as she
went deep into thought. “What if we were to fly?”
Adesina had used her
vyala
to hover in the air before, but it was quite a drain on her energy. “Can we do
that over a long distance?”
“I think so,” mused the Serraf. “We
would have to take more time to replenish our strength, but we could do it if
we shared our power.”
The idea of flying was exciting to
Adesina, and her heart rushed at the thought of seeing L’iam in just a few
days. “Well, then I suppose we should finish our celebratory treats and prepare
to leave.”
She took a bite of the apple and enjoyed
the burst of flavor in her mouth. It was both sweet and tart, refreshing
Adesina, who had been living off of traveler’s fare for many months.
Sitara seemed equally delighted
with her apple, but Ruon’s expression was more contemplative as he ate his
mushrooms.
“What do you think?” asked Adesina.
“They are more dry than the fungus
found in caves, but the flavor is not unpleasant.”
Adesina found herself amused by his
understated response rather than annoyed. “I am glad you are not displeased,”
she said drily.
Ruon did not react to her tone. “I
am not displeased,” he assured her.
They walked away from the market
and to an area that was more private, so they could speak freely. When they had
all finished eating, Sitara gave a soft sigh and then resumed a business-like
tone.
“Before we leave, I must teach you
how to use your
vyala
.”
Adesina was momentarily speechless.
“I…thought I knew how to use it.”
Sitara’s smile spoke volumes. “Not
as an Immortal.”