The Labyrinth of Destiny (42 page)

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.

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!

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.

Somewhere above their heads there
was a burst of blue light. The mercenaries looked momentarily confused before
returning to what they were doing. The defending soldiers knew that the signal
meant that their reinforcements were on their way.

L’iam continued to fight, bringing
his sword up to block a blow and then whipping it around for a counterattack.
He pressed as hard as he dared, trying to force his enemy into making some
hurried mistake.

The mercenary was too experienced
to fall for L’iam’s strategy. He fought with measured reasoning, which won the
L’avan’s begrudging respect.

There was no knowing how long the
fight between the equally matched foes would have lasted. A man dressed in
black moved up behind the mercenary and cut him down without warning.

L’iam looked up in shock and saw
the temporary leader of the Matshi standing with his bloodied blade.

The L’avan king felt a surge of
anger. To kill a soldier in such a way was not honorable. He had had no chance
to defend himself. Besides, L’iam had been in control of the situation, and he
felt that he could have won in time.

L’iam took a deep breath and pushed
the anger from his mind. His ally had only meant to be of service, and it would
be very ungrateful to berate him for interfering.

The Matshi did not wait to listen
to anything the L’avan king might have said. Instead, he turned and pressed
onward into the lines of the advancing enemies. L’iam watched for a moment as
the middle-aged man wielded his knives with astonishing speed and accuracy.
Dozens fell before the former Shimat, and he continued on inexorably.

With the arrival of the reserve
forces, the current fighting force was expected to slowly withdraw. L’iam had
no enemy before him, so he began to make his way to the northern section of the
forest where he could rest until it was their turn to relieve the soldiers that
were now fighting.

The L’avan and Seharans who were
under his direct control knew where to gather and regroup. L’iam headed to the
same location to meet them. He had become separated from the main force, and he
knew that they would be worried about him.

Mar’sal was the first to spot him,
and a wide grin of relief spread across his youthful face.

“Your Majesty,” he exclaimed,
“thank goodness you are safe.”

“Yes,” L’iam responded, “I—”

His words were cut off by a sudden
shock wave that swept through the forest. It knocked everyone off balance,
friend and foe alike.

L’iam knew that it came from the
same source as the strange sensations that pervaded the atmosphere, only this
time it affected everyone, regardless of the ability to sense
vyala
.

The air began to audibly crackle
with energy, and the sunlight that filtered down through the trees seemed
uncertain. Sometimes it appeared to be brighter and other times it dimmed, but
there were no clouds in the sky to give explanation.

L’iam gave Mar’sal a meaningful
look. “I am going to speak to our Immortal allies.”

“Yes, sire.”

The L’avan king jogged over to
where the special L’avan division was positioned. He knew that would be the
most likely place to find Sitara or Ruon, and they would be the ones who could
give him answers.

As he walked around the camouflaged
barrier, he came to an abrupt stop and he felt his heart constrict in fear.

Ravi was lying on the ground,
unmoving.

L’iam rushed to his friend’s side. “What
happened to him?” he demanded.

“I do not know, your Majesty,”
stammered one of the nearby L’avan. “He collapsed a few minutes ago and he has
not moved since.”

“He is alive,” assured another
soldier. “His heart is still beating, and he is still breathing. It is almost
as if he were asleep.”

L’iam placed both hands on Ravi’s
head, his heart sick with worry. “You were supposed to stay with her,” he
murmured softly. “What could have prevented you from staying by her side?”

“He is by her side,” asserted a voice
beyond the gathered group.

L’iam looked up and saw Ruon
standing there.

“What do you mean?” he asked the
Laithur.

“Adesina has passed from this world
to another realm. Ravi was not able to go with her physically, but now his
spirit has joined her.”

“His spirit?” asked L’iam
fearfully.

Ruon shook his oval head. “He is
not dead, L’avan king. His body is simply waiting for his spirit to return.”

L’iam was tired and overwhelmed,
and it was difficult for his mind to grasp what Ruon was telling him.

Ruon seemed to understand and a
small smile crossed his face. “Do not worry, L’iam. Ravi has gone to give
Adesina the support she needs. If they are victorious in their battle, they
will both return unharmed.”

L’iam’s eyes turned back to Ravi’s
inert body and a silent prayer filled his entire being. He prayed harder than
he had ever done before, for he knew that it would be needed.

***

Kendan couldn’t concentrate on his
work.

The servants of the Shimat soldiers
were expected to keep the camp running while their masters were away in the
glory of battle. There was plenty of work to do, and some of it was best done
when the soldiers were gone.

Kendan knew that he should be
cleaning out his “master’s” tent, but instead he found himself pacing back and
forth.

It was unlike him to be so nervous,
but he couldn’t seem to help it.

He wasn’t worried for himself. He
had confidence that his mission would be accomplished without any problems. No,
all of his concerns were centered around a young woman with silver hair and
purple eyes.

Kendan suddenly felt a hand on his
arm, and he turned in surprise to see Maizah standing next to him. Her eyes
were wide and her mouth slightly parted. She gave him a single nod, and he knew
exactly what she was trying to tell him.

It was time.

Kendan had not the slightest talent
regarding magic, so he didn’t truly understand it. He knew that Maizah could
sense other people’s magic, which was why she had been tasked to watch for the
sign that Adesina was ready for Kendan to act. The former Shar felt no change
between that moment and the ones before it, but he knew better than to question
Maizah’s judgment.

He waved for the Tracker to follow
him, and together they hurried through the Shimat camp. It was easy to be
unnoticed when among the other servants, but that was not the case once they
entered the area that was normally occupied by soldiers.

There were only a few Shimat
remaining, assigned with keeping an eye on things while the army was away. Each
of these guards eyed Kendan and Maizah with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.
The two supposed servants kept their heads down and hurried onward as if they
had some important task.

As they drew nearer to the black
tent with the blood red standards, they found themselves almost completely
alone. There was something about that tent that warned people to stay away,
even when the occupant was known to be gone. Kendan pushed the feelings of
discomfort to the back of his mind and continued to walk straight toward it.

“Kendan?”

The ringing voice caught him off guard,
and he found himself turning to look at the source before he could stop
himself.

It was a Shimat by the name of
Larn, who had been one of Kendan’s rivals when they were students.

There was no use in pretending to
be a servant now that they had been recognized, and Kendan silently cursed his
ill fortune. He slowed to a stop and turned to face Larn, waiting to see what
his former fellow Shi would do.

An arrogant grin spread across
Larn’s face and he sauntered over to where Kendan was standing. “I thought that
was you. Imagine my surprise in seeing a traitor walking through the Shimat
camp.”

Kendan chose his words carefully.
“I am the slave of one of the Shimat who captured me. This woman is my keeper,
given the task of preventing me from escape.”

Maizah’s eye took on a flinty
expression and she gave a single nod in confirmation of his words. She
certainly looked the part that she had been given.

Kendan watched Larn’s face to see
if he believed the lie. Larn had never been very imaginative, and so it had not
been difficult to deceive him when they were children. Kendan prayed that the
same held true to the present.

Larn’s grin didn’t falter. “Oh, how
the mighty have fallen,” he exulted. “Once the insufferable nephew of the
Sharifal, and now nothing but a slave to those you considered inferior.”

Kendan was relieved that Larn had
believed his story, but he knew that the ordeal was far from over. His fears
were confirmed with the Shimat’s next statement.

“Well, since you are a servant, you
are required to obey the commands of all Shimat. I have a few things I would
like to see you do.”

Kendan clenched his fists at his
side. He didn’t have time to submit to the whims of a jealous and vengeful
former classmate.

Maizah took one step forward and
brought her hand down in a forceful gesture. She shook her head and pointed a
different way.

Larn looked confused, and stared at
Kendan for explanation.

“She is mute,” Kendan told the
Shimat. “It was considered best, so she could not be…manipulated…by me.”

Understanding spread across Larn’s
dull features. “What is she saying?”

“I was given a list of tasks by my
master,” he answered. “I must do them before I can do anything else.”

Larn set his jaw in a stubborn
expression. “Well, I am in charge while the army is gone. You will do as I
say.”

Kendan felt his patience waning.

Something cold and hard was pressed
into his hand. Maizah had passed him a knife.

He sprang forward with deadly
speed, aiming the blade with precision.

Larn was clearly surprised, but he
reacted as a true Shimat. He jumped out of harm’s way and brought his own
weapon to bear. The blade sliced through Larn’s side, but the wound went
unnoticed.

Larn held two small axes and swung
them back and forth with a look of gleeful menace on his face. “I have waited
for years for the chance to cut you down to size. Who would have thought that
my opportunity would come now?”

Larn rushed toward Kendan, and the
latter waited patiently for his opponent to close the distance.

Larn had always lacked the grace
that Kendan naturally possessed. He did not attempt any fancy footwork or
intricate movements with the axes, but instead simply ran forward and hacked
downward.

Kendan felt a flash of contempt as
he dodged the blow with ease. He had never understood how Larn had graduated
his training, and he was not surprised that Larn had been left behind to guard
the camp while the army went to fight.

He let Larn charge him once more
and deftly moved to the side while making use of his small knife. The blade
found its target and Larn fell to the ground with an expression of shock on his
dull face.

Kendan didn’t wait to finish off
the Shimat or to see if any other guards had been alerted to what had happened.
He motioned to Maizah and the two of them rushed up the small hill to the black
tent that was pitched at the top.

There were no guards, which Kendan
thought odd. But perhaps it was assumed that no one would willingly go near
Cha-sak’s domain.

He and Maizah slipped inside, and
the Tracker immediately turned to keep watch. Her eyes were fixed on the small
opening of the tent, making sure no one approached without warning.