The Labyrinth of Destiny (7 page)

Adesina had never considered that
using her
vyala
would be different now that she was an Immortal.

“How has it changed?” she asked.

Sitara considered the simplest way
to explain. “Have you ever flown a kite?”

The question caught Adesina off
guard. “No, but I have seen them flown.”

“Imagine your
vyala
as a
kite. You have been able to fly to a certain height, but now that you are
Immortal you have an infinite amount of string. Your kite can fly as high as
you can imagine.”

The idea was exciting to the
“newborn” Serraf. “Do you mean that I can do anything?”

“In theory,” acknowledged Sitara.
“That is the power of connecting to the Eternal
Vyala
. However, there is
danger in such power as well. If the possibilities are truly endless, then it
is also possible to become lost in the vastness.”

Adesina’s brow furrowed. “Lost?”

“You could lose yourself in the
power forever.”

A chill ran down the young woman’s
spine. Adesina had felt that terrifying possibility before. There had been
times when the strength of her
vyala
had been so great that she had
worried that it would take over her completely.

Sitara watched Adesina’s face and
nodded. “You have felt it before.”

“Yes,” was the whispered reply.

“Think back to the kite analogy.
What happens if you cut the string of the kite?”

Adesina shrugged. “It crashes.”

“Exactly,” answered Sitara. “It
needs an anchor in order to fly. Your
vyala
may have endless potential,
but you need an anchor in order to realize it. I sense that you have Joined
with your Rashad companion, is that correct?”

The younger woman nodded. “Yes, I
did it by accident.”

“Accident?” asked Riel.

Ravi chimed in. “She did it by
instinct, to save my life.”

Sitara gestured gracefully with one
hand. “The Serraf and the Rashad have always been together, since the Immortals
were created. Our races have a symbiotic relationship, and that is amplified
through Joining. The Rashad gain strength and expansion through the bond, and
they become the anchor that allows the Serraf to reach their potential.”

Adesina thought she understood, so
she nodded. “So how do I use Ravi in order to ground my power?”

“The simplest way to begin is in
imagining that you have tied a rope between yourself and your companion. Your
vyala
senses your desires and will mimic the action. After enough time, it will be a
natural connection that happens automatically.”

Adesina did as she was instructed.
She called forth her
vyala
and let it expand through her body. Then she
imagined taking a section of the
vyala
and turning it into a rope that
tied her to Ravi.

She had become accustomed to
feeling Ravi in her thoughts, but his presence in her mind was immediately
intensified. It was almost as if they were sharing a single mind.

Fascinating,
they thought
together.

Adesina could feel the change in
her powers as well. She felt more secure, like someone holding her hand while
she leaned out over a ledge.

Sitara watched her expression and
nodded in approval. “Now cloak yourself with an illusion so others cannot see
you, and we shall fly.”

The experienced Serraf made a
graceful gesture with her hand and raised herself and Ruon above the ground.
Adesina could see the air shimmering around them, and knew that they were
invisible to all outside eyes.

“What about Ravi and Riel?” she
asked.

Riel gave a feline smile. “Do not
worry about us. I will instruct Ravi and we will catch up to you later.”

Adesina could feel a twinge of
anxiety from Ravi through their Joining. Ravi still looked upon Riel with a
deep sense of awe, and he wished to make a good impression.

I am certain you will do fine,
Adesina reassured him.

I hope so…

Their minds were so closely linked
that Adesina was worried as well, even though she had faith in her companion.

Adesina wrapped herself in a layer
of red
vyala
, using illusion to hide her presence, and then she switched
her
vyala
to a light blue and adjusted the force of gravity on her body.
She rose into the air to join Sitara and Ruon.

Adesina took a moment to regain her
bearings and then she pointed in the direction that led along a jagged range of
mountains. “The Thieves’ Forest is east of these mountains. If the L’avan have
set up a defense of Pevothem, it would be logical for them to do so in that
forest.”

Ruon and Sitara flew in the
direction that Adesina indicated, and after observing their technique, the
young queen did the same. Adesina felt a rush of exhilaration as the crisp air
swept across her face and fanned her silver hair back behind her. The landscape
flowed beneath them in a blur, and Adesina was heartened by the knowledge that
she would reach L’iam soon.

***

“What is that over there?”

Adesina looked in the direction
Ruon was pointing. There was nothing but an outcropping of rock, and she
frowned in confusion.

As they continued their journey
through the air, they moved past the outcropping and an enormous camp came into
view. Hundreds of wagons stood in groups of ten or fifteen, and dozens of
cooking fires glowed in the darkening evening.

“How did you know that was there?”
asked Adesina in amazement.

“I can See,” Ruon replied unhelpfully.

Sitara seemed to understand what he
meant, and didn’t give it much thought. “Let us land here and take a closer
look.”

Adesina followed them as they
descended, but she shook her head. “You have said that before, Ruon. What do
you mean?”

“I have the Sight, half-blood,”
Ruon said impatiently. “It is the gift of the Seer to his followers.”

Adesina looked to Sitara for some
explanation, but she was preoccupied. Ruon watched the young woman’s expression
with a spiteful sort of enjoyment.

“Your ignorance is amusing.”

Adesina felt her face burning and
she turned away, stubbornly refusing to ask him more.

Ruon continued anyway. “The Seer is
the Ancient who can See all things—past and future. The Laithur, as his
followers, were given the Heaven’s Eye.” Ruon pointed to a slight bump in the
middle of his forehead. “It allows us to See several moments into the future,
should we choose to do so.”

They all touched down on the ground
in the shelter of a copse of trees, and Sitara turned her attention back to the
others. “Shall we approach these people?”

“It might be wiser to discover who
they are before revealing ourselves,” suggested Adesina.

“You are our leader, Adesina,”
reminded Sitara. “We will do as you say.”

Adesina suddenly felt Ravi’s
presence in her mind become stronger. She could sense him looking through her
eyes to see where they were standing. In a moment, he had transported himself
beside them.

Normally he could only do this to a
place that was within his line of sight. Through their joining, Adesina
understood that, Riel had explained to Ravi that he could transport longer
distances if he used Adesina’s line of sight. She smiled at her companion, glad
to have him near again.

Riel appeared next to Sitara, and
their group was complete once more. The female Rashad was aware of the current
conversation, even though she was only joining it just then.

“I could do some reconnaissance, if
you would like. Although I do sense that their intentions are benign.”

Ravi also reached out with his
senses, and Adesina could read his mind as he did so.

We know them.

Adesina grinned. “There is no need
for caution. They are the Northern Tribes.”

“Are the Northern Tribes peaceful?”
challenged Ruon.

Ravi nodded. “These ones are.”

Adesina walked boldly from the
cover of the trees, keeping well within the light and extending her hands to
show that she held no weapons. They were a fair distance from the edge of the
camp, and the tribe members watched them warily as they approached.

Adesina slowed to a stop as a
handful of young men moved to intercept her. She smiled and spoke clearly. “Are
the Ojuri with you? I must speak to Hestia.”

The young men seemed surprised that
she knew the Ojuri leader by name. One of them pointed north. “They are on the
other side of the camp. I can take you there.”

Ruon and the Rashad entered the
firelight, and there were several murmurs of apprehension. The young man who
offered to lead them suddenly looked as if he regretted the decision.

“Hestia knows us,” reassured
Adesina, “and she knows we would never bring harm to any of you.”

The young man nodded, but kept a
wide berth. He walked them through the camp, keeping his head down to avoid the
stares of those they passed.

The young man pointed after coming
to an abrupt stop. “The Ojuri are there.”

He turned and hurried away, without
giving the visitors a chance to say anything.

The members of the Ojuri tribe
recognized Adesina and greeted her warmly. They had once saved her from
starvation year ago, and since then she had made great efforts to build a relationship
between the Ojuri and the L’avan. The two groups traded often, and Adesina was
well known to all of the tribe members.

Hestia appeared out of the darkness
and hurried forward embrace Adesina. The Ojuri leader was a woman in her middle
years with grey-touched raven hair and eyes that were filled with strength and
kindness. She wore a turquoise dress that was patched with brightly colored
fabrics, and her arms jangled with mismatched bracelets.

“Adesina,” Hestia exclaimed. “I had
heard you were missing.”

“No,” answered Adesina. “I was just
delayed.”

Hestia’s gaze turned to Adesina’s
companions. “It seems you have traveled far.”

The young queen gestured to each of
them. “This is Sitara, Riel, and Ruon. They are representatives for the
Immortal Council.”

Hestia’s eyes widened and she bowed
to them humbly. “I never imagined that I would have the honor of such guests in
my camp. You are all most welcome.”

The Immortals returned her bow, and
even Ruon had a courtly grace in doing so. His usual overtone of bitterness and
sarcasm was set aside, and he appeared to be pleased by the greeting.

Hestia extended a hand of
friendship to Adesina’s Rashad companion. “And, of course, it is always a
pleasure to see you, Ravi.”

Ravi gave a feline grin. “You as
well, Hestia.”

The older woman looked over them
all shrewdly. “Well, I am willing to bet that you have not had a hot meal
today. Come and join my fire.”

No one questioned them as they
walked through the Ojuri camp, but there were still plenty of curious glances
in their direction.

Hestia’s daughter, now a beautiful
young woman of twenty, was tending to the fire and stirring the stewpot. A
young man sat next to her, holding a tiny infant and looking at Hestia’s
daughter with adoring eyes. Hestia’s son, a man in his mid-twenties, sat on the
other side of the fire. His heavily scarred face was expressionless, but his
eyes were dark and brooding.

Adesina greeted Hestia’s children
politely. “Hello, Hesper. Leander.”

Hestia’s son merely nodded his head
in response, but Hesper smiled radiantly. “Hello again, Adesina. Do you
remember my husband, Finlay?”

Adesina greeted the young man, and
she stared at the baby he was holding. “Hestia, are you a grandmother?”

Hestia laughed gently. “It is hard
to believe, is it not?”

“Would you like to hold him?”
offered Finlay.

Adesina and the others sat down
around the campfire, and Finlay gently transferred the sleeping infant to
Adesina’s arms. The child was tiny—no more than a few weeks old—and his perfect
fingers rested against his round cheeks.

“What is his name?” asked Adesina
quietly.

“We named him Frayne, for Finlay’s
grandfather.”

Adesina stroked the baby’s downy
hair, and she was filled with a sense of longing. She wondered what her own
child would look like, and she began to paint a picture in her mind.

Her happy musings were interrupted
by Sitara’s soft voice in her ear. “Mortal infants are so beautiful, are they
not?”

The Serraf was leaning over to look
at the baby, and her smile was full of wonder.

“Yes,” Adesina answered, “they are
beautiful.”

“I have often wondered what it
would be like to have a child in such a manner. So strange for new members of a
race to be so small and helpless.”

Adesina’s brow creased slightly.
“Is that not how all infants are?”

Sitara laughed lightly. “Adesina,
you
are an infant Serraf. Immortals are never born, they are made.”

The younger woman stared at her
mentor, a cold feeling of dread stealing over her entire being. “Do you
mean…that Serraf cannot have children?”

Sitara appeared surprised by the question.
“No Immortal can. If we were to continually procreate, our population would
grow to an unthinkable size. After all, Immortals do not die naturally.”

Hesper took the baby from Adesina,
and hot bowls of stew were passed around to the guests. The conversation
shifted to other topics, but Adesina found that she could not make herself
listen.

Sitara’s words had turned Adesina’s
heart to stone, and the young queen stared at her bowl until the stew grew
cold.

Adesina awoke disoriented.

She was laying on a worn pad with a
patched blanket draped over her. There was some sort of low wooden roof over
her head that was painted to resemble the night sky. Adesina sat up and looked
around. She had been sleeping in one of the Ojuri wagons, presumably Hestia’s.

The wagon had been emptied to make
room for the sleeping pads, but in the corner there was a sizable stack of
books. Adesina stared at it with some confusion. Books were very valuable, and
it was rare for individuals to own any. The Northern Tribes were an
impoverished group of people, so it didn’t make sense for Hestia to own books.

Adesina took a closer look at the
titles, and found that they were all very old books—centuries old, at the very
least. There were books on antiquated law, battle strategy, economy, and so
forth. A very strange collection for wandering outcasts.

Adesina sensed Ravi’s approach
before she saw him climb into the wagon. His purple and gold eyes were filled
with concern.

“How are you feeling, Ma’eve?”

She rubbed her forehead. “I am not
certain. I do not remember coming here last night.”

Ravi nodded thoughtfully. “You did seem
quite distraught. I thought it would be best to leave you to sleep.”

Adesina got to her feet and brushed
off her rumpled clothing. “I should go and thank Hestia for her hospitality.”

“Ma’eve,” began Ravi, “what is
wrong?”

“Can you not read my mind?” asked
Adesina in a slightly waspish tone.

“I would rather you tell me.”

She shook her head. “Nothing can be
done about it, so why waste time?”

Adesina climbed out of the wagon
and looked around. The cooking fires were being stirred and people were rolling
up their sleeping pads. The young queen walked over to Hestia, who was brushing
out her wavy hair beside a small stream.

“Good morning,” she called
cheerfully.

“Good morning,” replied Adesina.
“Thank you for letting me sleep in your wagon.”

Hestia smiled. “It was no trouble. This
spring has been warmer than usual, so it is pleasant to sleep under the stars.”

She led them back to the fire,
where Adesina’s companions were all sitting and eating breakfast.

“We did not get to speak last
evening.” The leader of the Ojuri tactfully refrained from mentioning Adesina’s
indisposition the night before. “What has brought you to our humble camp?”

“Actually, we came upon it by
accident,” admitted the young queen. “Why are so many of the Northern Tribes
gathered here together?”

“Protection,” was the simple
response. “The Scepter of Cha-sak drives many to flee to the north. Most of the
refugees are harmless, but there are bands of marauders who will take what they
need by force. A lone tribe can easily be attacked, but even the largest groups
of ruffians will think twice before confronting all of us together.”

Sitara leaned forward with a frown.
“What of the law keepers? Can they do nothing to keep the peace?”

Hestia and Adesina both stared at
her blankly.

“Law keepers?” repeated Hestia. “There
has not been anything like that since the end of the monarchy.”

Ruon picked up a handful of pebbles
and passed them over his long fingers. “Surely there is some sort of resistance
to the oppression.”

Hestia shrugged. “If there is, the
Northern tribes have had no part of it. One hears rumors of the brutality of
the Scepter, and we are inclined to stay out of their way until everything
settles down.”

“What if things do not settle
down?” asked Adesina sharply. “What if this is only the beginning of their
tyranny?”

“It is not our fight,” said Hestia
quietly. “The Northern Tribes are outcasts and we have been for many
generations.”

“This is still your land,” argued
Adesina, “and it is your responsibility to defend it. If this threat continues
unchecked, it will spread to cover the entire world.”

The leader of the Ojuri spread her
hands. “What would you have us do? We are not warriors.”

Adesina’s expression was grim.
“Anyone can be taught to fight. Come with us to rejoin the L’avan. Together we
can all stand against Cha-sak and his minions.”

Hestia let out a slow sigh. “Well,
I cannot speak for the other tribe leaders, but I believe the Ojuri will choose
to join you.”

“How many able-bodied adults are in
this camp?” inquired Ruon.

“There are seven tribes here, and
together there would perhaps be two thousand men who would be able to fight.
Some of the women may choose to fight, but most of them would stay behind to
care for the children.”

The Laithur turned to Adesina. “How
many half-breeds would be willing to fight?”

She fixed him with a cold glare.
“Stop calling us half-breeds, Ruon.”

He shrugged. “Well, I suppose
you
are not anymore, but the facts of your people’s origins remain.”

Adesina gritted her teeth. “My
people have been steadfast and loyal to the Creator and to humanity’s
well-being from the beginning. They deserve respect for all that they have
done.”

She expected some sort of sarcastic
retort from the demon, but instead he looked thoughtful.

“Perhaps you are correct.”

Adesina was dumfounded.

Ruon didn’t dwell on his admission.
“How many…L’avan would be able to fight?”

The young queen gave herself a
quick mental shake to return to the matter at hand. “Our numbers were greatly
diminished when we were attacked by the Shimat organization six years ago. I
would estimate no more than fifteen hundred soldiers, but many of them are
young and inexperienced.”

“What other allies are there?”
probed Ruon with an expression of growing doubt.

Adesina and Hestia exchanged
glances. “We may be able to recruit some of the refugees,” said Adesina slowly.

Ruon’s eyes widened in shock. “Are
you telling me that you plan to face Cha-sak and his followers with less than
four thousand soldiers?”

“We could easily double our numbers
if the Seharans will join us,” said the young queen in a defensive tone.

“Even if you tripled your force,
you would still be outnumbered by the enemy,” snapped Ruon. “There is no way
that you can win this war against Cha-sak.”

“If that is the case, then why did
you join us?” asked Ravi.

“Perhaps I would not have if I had
known how futile it would be,” sneered the Laithur.

Adesina struggled to keep her
temper under control. “Numbers are not everything in a fight such as this. The
L’avan are able to use their
vyala
, and that is a considerable
advantage. The Shimat may be more highly trained, but I have been teaching the
L’avan everything I learned as a Shimat. The L’avan are much more prepared for
battle now than they used to be.”

Ruon bared his teeth. “You clearly
know nothing of the Shimat demons. They are the original Children of Darkness.
They made a pact with Evil for no other reason than the lust for power. Cha-sak
is the leader of the Shimat because all others fear him. He will stop at
nothing to enslave this world.”

“No amount of darkness can destroy
the light. As long as there is a single ray of light, darkness can never win,”
said Sitara softly.

Ruon shook his head and looked
away, refusing to answer the Serraf.

“In any case,” Riel asserted, “we
still need to convince the rest of the Northern Tribes to join our cause.”

Hestia nodded. “I think I should be
the one to talk to them. They are untrusting of outsiders.”

The others assented readily.

“We need to leave as soon as
possible,” urged Adesina. “Pevothem is still days away, and we have much to do
before we are ready for battle.”

***

Basha felt as though she was waking
up, and yet she found herself standing in the center of a large camp. It was just
past noon and she was clearly in the midst of some sort of task, yet she had no
memory of how she got there.

Breyen was standing next to her and
the ever-present shadow of Cha-sak stood behind her. She did not need to look
over her shoulder to know that he was invisible to the eye, and yet she knew he
was there.

A group of rag-tag ruffians
shuffled uncertainly before her, waiting for her to say something.

After several seconds, Breyen
cleared his throat. “Sharifal? Do we have your approval to process these new
recruits?”

“Of course,” Basha responded
quickly. “Take care of it, Breyen.”

He nodded and gestured to a Shimat
standing off to one side. The recruits were herded away, leaving Basha alone
with her assistant and her master.

“Are you quite well, Sharifal?”
asked Breyen quietly.

The all-too-familiar haze was
beginning to steal over her mind once more. She struggled to keep control. “I
am fine. Remind me: were those some of the mercenaries we have been shipping in
from overseas?”

Breyen’s controlled expression was
tinged with confusion. “No, Sharifal. All of the mercenaries finished arriving
last month. These were more volunteers of those who wish to follow the Scepter
of Cha-sak.”

Basha had no memory of there being
any such volunteers. It did make sense, though. There were always those
weaklings who wished to align themselves with the truly great. In general, such
people were useless as soldiers, but someone had to run at the front of an
assault.

Her thoughts were becoming
increasingly sluggish, in spite of her efforts to maintain control.

What was happening to her?

“How many…do we have…now?”

Breyen’s eyes flashed with
recognition and fear at her slurred speech, as if he knew something she did
not. “Mercenaries and volunteers now number just over nine thousand. All Shimat
have been recalled, and the disloyal have been executed. There are two hundred
forty-eight Shimat warriors in your service, Sharifal.”

Basha could sense Cha-sak moving
closer. His hand of pure shadow hovered over her shoulder, but she felt an
enormous weight pressing down.

Basha heard her voice speaking, but
the words were not her own.

“Continue with your orders, Breyen.
We march tomorrow to crush the puny rebellion in the north before moving on
with our world-wide conquest. Any other volunteers must be sent to catch up
with us later.”

“Of course, Sharifal,” Breyen said
with a bow. “Our supply lines are secure and…”

To Basha it sounded as if her head
had been submerged in water. The sound of Breyen’s voice blurred and faded
away.

Terror gripped her chest and her
heart began racing. What was happening?

In her mind’s eye she saw Cha-sak
standing before her. His glowing red eyes mesmerized her and drained her of all
emotion.

“You have served your purpose,” the
demon rasped in a silky voice. “All that is left is for you to submit your will
to mine, and our contract will be complete.”