The Labyrinth of Destiny

The Labyrinth of Destiny

Callie Kanno

For my Grandpa,

who taught me
about the things

for which it is
worth fighting.

He was dying.

He couldn’t be sure of much else—his mind was so hazy and
confused—but of this vital fact he was certain.

Part of him didn’t care. After all, his life had ceased
to have meaning. He couldn’t even remember his own name.

And yet…

There was something that told him to hold on—a gentle
reminder that there was something worth living for.

He stared into the featureless white that surrounded him.
He couldn’t remember anything before the whiteness, but he knew that there was
something beyond. Something important.

A slender figure appeared before him.

Her black clothing was a stark contrast to the white of
their surroundings, and her silver hair shimmered in the light. His heartbeat
quickened at the sight of her, and yet he couldn’t remember who she was.

She shouted something at him, but the words became
garbled before they reached his ears. She struggled to move forward, but the
light held her fast.

Who was this woman? Why did he feel such a strong sense
of longing when he looked at her face?

Suddenly, he felt the drain on his life force reverse. A
surge of energy bolstered his entire being, and he felt as if he had the power
to do impossible things.

The woman was much closer now, and he studied her face
with curiosity. She was incredibly beautiful to him—but not because of her
physical appearance. There was something about her that filled him with
inexplicable joy. Why would that be? Also, there was something deeper in her
eyes that spoke of strength and resolve.

Her metallic purple eyes swirled with golden light, and
he was mesmerized by the sight. Her skin was darkened by the sun and the tip of
her lightly freckled nose was burned by the exposure. Her brow was furrowed in
concentration and she studied him as though he were some kind of puzzle.

She stared at him for long minutes, and he stared back.

What was she doing?

He could feel something happening, but he could not
identify what it was.

Then, as if he were suddenly yanked from a sinking bog,
his mind became clear. He remembered everything.

The kidnapping. The journey across the sea. The ritual
that was meant to steal his life away.

His name was L’iam, and he was King of the L’avan.

His eyes locked once more on the face of the woman before
him, and he knew who she was. His heart was overwhelmed with love and relief.
She was safe, and they were together again.

“Adesina,” he whispered.

Her smile warmed him like the sun.

“I love you, L’iam.”

But something was wrong. He could sense it, even if he
didn’t yet understand it.

Adesina closed her eyes and a surge of 
vyala
 poured
out of her and into the light that surrounded them.

“Adesina!” L’iam knew that she must have expended a great
deal of 
vyala
 to restore his health, and his chest constricted
in alarm at the amount she was allowing to rush into the gateway between
realms. He watched in horror as her face became ghostly white and she collapsed
on the ground. L’iam moved to catch her, but the pillar of light that was now
centered on her limp form acted as a barrier between them.

The young king thought he caught a glimpse of Ravi’s
feline form on the other side of Adesina in the moment before the light became
a swirling mist. It caught up the young woman’s body and carried it through the
closing portal.

The sudden darkness that fell over the room left L’iam
momentarily blinded. He blinked to help his eyes to adjust and then looked
around frantically.

He was standing in a small cave that was lit by a single
torch. There was no sign of Adesina or the Threshold. Where had she gone?

Was she unconscious at the foot of the Threshold? Had she
been carried through to the other side?

Was she…dead?

L’iam shook his head fiercely. She had to be alive. He
needed her to be alive.

He looked at the ground and saw that he was surrounded by
a tight circle of runes. The runes must have been what had connected him to the
magical gateway. He gingerly stepped outside of the circle, half-expecting
something to force him to stay within.

Nothing happened.

He sighed in relief. Adesina must have sealed the
Threshold completely, which meant that all of the protective magic left by the
Serraf would be gone now. The barrier of fire that L’iam vaguely recalled
outside the mountain would be gone, along with any other measures that had kept
the gateway safe.

L’iam squared his shoulders and hurried towards the
tunnel leading out of the cave. His mind was becoming clearer by the minute.
Memories that had been nothing more than a confusing haze while he was under
the influence of that vile potion were beginning to make sense.

A demon had been released on the world.

Basha—Adesina’s mortal enemy among the Shimat
organization—had made some sort of blood contract with the monster, and now
there was no telling what they would do.

Liam knew that the first thing he needed to do was to
find Adesina. She would need his help in restoring her 
vyala
 to
balance. L’iam hoped that she couldn’t be too far away from where he stood.

Once they were reunited, they would return home and
prepare the L’avan for battle. There was a lot of work to be done. The L’avan
might be the only force standing between that demon and world domination.

And this was a war that L’iam knew they could not afford
to lose.

The air felt thick as Adesina breathed it in, and it had
a strongly herbal scent.

It had been mere minutes earlier that she had been in
Zonne—the great desert continent—high atop Daemon Mount where there stood a
magical gateway between realms. Now she found herself on the opposite side of
the Threshold, standing in a world far from her own.

Her large feline guardian, Ravi, stood by her side as he
always did. However, her attention was focused elsewhere at the moment.

Adesina’s eyes were fixed on the angelic woman standing
before her, a woman she recognized from her Dreams of the past.

The woman’s name was Sitara, and she was the leader of
the Serraf—an immortal race of women with magical abilities.

Sitara greeted Adesina with a warm and musical voice.
“Welcome, She Who Was Born on the Threshold. We have been waiting for you.”

“You have?” was Adesina’s baffled reply.

Sitara inclined her head and a lock of dark wavy hair
brushed her round cheek. “Yes, we have been waiting for centuries for your
arrival. Your birth was foretold by the Ancients, and now you are here.”

Adesina’s mind was a muddle of confusion. “My birth…?”

“I suppose I should say your 
rebirth
,”
corrected Sitara.

The memories of Adesina’s journey flashed through her
mind.

She had traveled to Daemon Mount in pursuit of her
kidnapped husband, and she had fought obstacle and demon alike to reach the
Threshold. Adesina had released L’iam from the spell that imprisoned his mind,
and she had taken his place as the sacrifice to open the gateway between
realms.

“I died,” stammered Adesina.

Sitara nodded calmly. “Yes, but surely you did not think
that death was the end.”

“No,” Adesina answered slowly. “I know that our spirits
live on.” Her hands pressed against her abdomen in a gesture that reassured her
that she was still solid. “But I am not a spirit. My body still lives.”

Sitara smiled. “Mortal life is like a line from birth to
death, but eternity is as a circle—always returning to its source. You have
stood on the brink of eternity, and have returned to your beginning.”

“Are you saying that she has become immortal?” asked Ravi
sharply.

Adesina glanced at the enormous feline that served as her
guardian. She and Ravi had been Joined during their recent journey, which had
created a deep connection between them. One aspect of their joining was that
they could feel each other’s emotions. Adesina sensed Ravi’s concern as he
asked the question, but she did not fully understand why.

Sitara tilted her head slightly to
the side. “No Serraf is ever born mortal.”

A jolt of shock and disbelief came
from both Ravi and Adesina, leaving them feeling shaken from the strength of
the joint emotions.

“A Serraf?” asked Adesina faintly.

Sitara’s purple and gold eyes
searched the face of the young woman before her. “You willingly gave your life
to save your husband and your world. Your actions awakened the gift of your
L’avan heritage—your
vyala
in its purest form. The part of you that is
human died to bring to pass the desire of your heart, and the part of you that
is Serraf was transformed by the connection to true
vyala
.”

Adesina had spent the last six
years studying
vyala
—the magic of her people—but there was still so much
that she didn’t understand. She grasped at the parts of Sitara’s statement that
she could comprehend.

“My
vyala
saved my life?”

The leader of the Serraf shook her
angelic head. “Adesina the human died on the Threshold.”

“And Adesina the Serraf was born,”
Ravi’s deep voice finished gravely.

Adesina took careful stock of her
body. She did not feel any different. She did not feel weak or ill, as one
might expect after…dying. In fact, she felt wonderful. She felt well rested and
strong—incredibly strong.

Too strong for any mortal.
Ravi’s grim assessment entered her mind through their Joining.

Adesina’s pulse quickened with
fear. “What does this mean for me?”

Sitara reached out a gentle hand.
“Do not be afraid, young one. You have simply passed from one state of being to
another. You are still you.”

“Is she?” questioned Ravi. “Would I
not be different if I suddenly became human?”

“You were not born to be human,”
reasoned Sitara calmly. “Whereas Adesina was born to be a Serraf.”

“How can that be possible?” asked
Adesina. “I do not see other L’avan being transformed into Serraf.”

Sitara’s purple and gold eyes were
serene. “They are not you. Everything that has happened in your life has led
you to this path. This transformation is the culmination of every choice you
have ever made.”

Adesina’s brow furrowed in thought.
“What if I had made different choices? Would I not have been transformed?”

Sitara lifted a shoulder in a
slight shrug. “There is no way to know such a thing. All I know is that you
did
make the choices that have brought you here.”

Adesina gave a heavy sigh. She
already bore the burden of being the Threshold Child, with the responsibility
of bringing about the fulfillment of the corresponding prophecy. The
information that she was now a Serraf only seemed to add to the weight that she
already felt on her shoulders.

“Well, what now? What does it mean
that I am a Serraf? Do I just stay here with you? What about my people and my
home?”

There were so many people that
relied on Adesina, and the thought of being trapped in this realm was not one
she could face calmly. Her heart began to pound as she considered all of the
loved ones that she would never see again and how she would not be able to help
them as she needed to.

What about L’iam? What would she do
if she could never see her husband again?

Sitara shook her head. “You will
not remain in this realm.”

Adesina felt a tangible weight lift
from her shoulders and she began to breathe normally again.

The Serraf went on. “Your birth is
only the first in a series of vital events that are required to save your
world. The time for waiting is over.”

Ravi cocked his head to the side.
“Do you know of another way back to our world? Adesina sealed the Threshold of
Zonne, and it cannot be reopened.”

A lock of Sitara’s dark hair fell
across her face as she lowered her head. “That Threshold is my greatest
failure. I did not properly protect the Immortals from being drawn in when it
was opened, and I did not have the chance to close it fully before we became
trapped. The demon Cha-sak and his followers have fought to control that
Threshold for centuries. I knew I could not attempt to open that gateway as
long as they were there, so I began to work on opening a different Threshold.”

“Did you succeed?” asked Ravi.

The leader of the Serraf slowly
shook her head. “The Creator told me that it was not time to open that
Threshold.”

Adesina felt a jolt of surprise.
“You talked to the Creator?”

A hint of a smile touched Sitara’s
lips. “Of course. Why does this surprise you?”

The young woman struggled to find
her words. “I guess…it is because I have never heard of the Creator speaking to
anybody. I did not know that there was any real…proof…of the Creator.”

“Do you require proof?”

Adesina’s face flushed in
embarrassment. “Well, no…”

There was a time when Adesina would
have demanded proof before believing anything, but that had changed during her
time with the L’avan. She knew now that there were some things that were beyond
mortal logic.

Sitara’s expression softly changed
from amused to kindly. “The Serraf are the handmaidens of the Creator. It is
our privilege to receive direct communication.”

Ravi, on the other hand, continued
to look vastly amused. “Perhaps you should have paid more attention to the
history of the L’avan, rather than simply dismissing it as mythology.”

Adesina shot him a sharp glare
before turning back to Sitara. “Did the Creator tell you when it would be time
to open that Threshold?”

“Yes—when She Who Was Born on the
Threshold stands before it.”

Adesina made an impatient gesture.
“Well then, let us not waste any more time! Show us the way to the Threshold so
we can return to our world.”

Sitara nodded calmly. “I will do as
you request, but first we must meet with the Council.”

Ravi frowned. “Why?”

“Because it is required,” was her
enigmatic reply.

The Serraf leader turned and walked
out of the cavern where Adesina and Ravi stood. She did not turn to see if she
was being followed.

Adesina stood for a moment,
irresolute.

We cannot find the Threshold on
our own,
Ravi reminded her gently through their shared thoughts.

I know, but I hate to delay any
longer than necessary.

Her feline guardian smiled.
Then
consider this a necessary delay.

Adesina frowned in frustration and
restlessly adjusted the sheath that carried her Blood Sword—which she had named
Falcon during her fight on the Threshold with the demon. After a brief moment
of debating within herself on whether or not to do as she was told, she hurried
after their guide. After all, Ravi was right in pointing out that they couldn’t
find the Threshold without Sitara’s aid.

Her sight was dazzled by the bright
sunlight of the outside world. She shielded her eyes as they adjusted. She took
note of the heavy herbal scent of the air, but didn’t find it unpleasant.

Adesina couldn’t help but stare at
the alien appearance of the world she had entered. There was no grass on the
ground. Instead it was covered with thick, violet-colored moss. The sky was not
blue, but pink like a sunrise. There were a handful of shrubberies nearby that
were yellow, and the stream that trickled by was a vivid green.

Other than the outcropping of rock
where the Threshold cave was located, there were no hills or mountains in sight.
There weren’t any trees or buildings either. Everything appeared to be either
flat or low-standing.

Sitara was walking down a worn path
on glittering black dirt. Adesina noticed that there were no other people in
sight and she frowned thoughtfully. She rushed to catch up to the Serraf.

“I thought you said that this
Threshold was controlled by demons.”

Sitara inclined her head. “It was.
Once Cha-sak crossed over into your world, the others abandoned it. The
Threshold had served its purpose, and they saw no value in maintaining control
over it. I have been watching this Threshold for a long time, and when I saw
the demons leave I knew that your arrival was near.”

“So you came to greet us,” finished
Ravi.

Sitara nodded. “Yes. I sent my
Rashad companion to gather the Council, and I came to act as your guide.”

“How far away is the Council from
the other Threshold?” asked Adesina impatiently.

Sitara did not slow her step. “Not
far. The Council meets in a valley along the way. This realm is not large, and
the two points that connect this world to yours are both on this narrow section
of the continent. The Immortals created settlements farther west.”

“I do not see any buildings,”
observed Ravi.

The Serraf leader inclined her
head. “It has never been our intention to stay in this realm. We have made no
permanent changes to this world where we are merely visitors.”

“You have been here for hundreds of
years,” pointed out Adesina.

“Our lives are endless,” reminded
Sitara. “A few centuries mean little. Also, time appears to be different in
this realm.”

Adesina’s curiosity was piqued.
“What do you mean?”

“Time appears to be slower here
than in the other world.”

The cold feeling of dread rolled
out from Adesina’s heart in chilling waves. She had been in this realm for less
than an hour, but how much time had passed in her own world?

“How much slower?” she asked
fearfully.

Sitara walked on, still calm and
stately. “I do not know. I have never had the means to measure it with any
accuracy.”

Ravi’s brow furrowed. “But you are saying
that a minute here could mean hours in our world. Or days, or weeks.”

“Yes, that is what I am saying.”

Adesina felt a desire to run back
to the Threshold and pound her fists on the walls until an opening appeared.
She kept tight control on the emotions in her voice as she spoke. “We do not
have time to lose. That demon could be wreaking havoc as we speak.”

“I am aware of that,” responded
Sitara.

The three travelers topped a low
hill and looked down into a small hollow. A crowd of strange and diverse creatures
was gathered there, milling restlessly. Sitara and her companions were spotted,
and word spread among those waiting. A Rashad with an unusually delicate build
and jet black fur separated from the crowd and hurried to Sitara’s side.

“You were longer than anticipated,”
said the Rashad in a melodious voice. “I was growing concerned.”

Sitara smiled at her feline
guardian. “You knew I was safe, Riel.”

The Rashad shook her head. “None of
us are safe anymore.”

Sitara’s expression became grim,
but she did not respond to Riel’s statement. “Adesina, this is my guardian and
companion, Riel. She is the leader of the Rashad, just as I am leader of the
Serraf. Riel, this is Adesina, the Threshold Child.”

“And this is Ravi, my guardian,”
Adesina added.

Ravi had lowered himself into the
feline equivalent of a bow. “Lady Riel, I am deeply honored.”

Riel looked at him with interest.
“I see that you are the leader of our mortal brothers and sisters.”

“I am next in line to lead my
people,” corrected Ravi humbly.