by Ian Gregoire
As she approached the door to her office, Fay’s mind lingered on the interrogation. The encounter had forced her to recall some unpleasant memories from her past. Once it was finally over, she had invoked Barmityanzak to strip the prisoner of his memory of being questioned, then promptly left the holding room, lamenting that she couldn’t be freed of her infamous past. Long ago, her best friend and founder of the Order, Ari Shinadu, had offered to eradicate those memories for her, but she had refused. It was too important that she remembered who she had been and the horrific things she had done prior to joining the ranks of the Order in its infancy. What other way was there to guarantee she wouldn’t replicate her crimes in the future?
Arriving outside her office, Fay was still reeling from the events of the last couple of hours. She couldn’t recall the last time her ability to keep a lid on her emotions had been so sorely tested. But the years of practice helped her to remain calm and cope with the inner turmoil brought on by conflicting thoughts and feelings. On the one hand, her anger was simmering away beneath the surface because the raid had done more than just disturb the tranquillity of the night. It had violated the sanctity of the campus and caused loss of life, shattering the illusion of security and invulnerability. Yet her relief that the incident hadn’t been so much worse was just as potent, if not more so. On the other hand, the indignation she felt at having eleven of her fellow Sanatsai killed during her tenure as the administrator of Antaris was tempered by her determination to restore confidence as soon as possible, not least among the younger apprentices who had almost certainly never witnessed death up close before.
And then there was Kayden.
Fay had initially been conflicted about the apprentice breaking curfew. She couldn’t condone the disobedience, of course, but at the same time Kayden had removed herself from harm’s way during the attack. Nevertheless, the subsequent discoveries she had made about Kayden’s misconduct in Timaris, and what it entailed in terms of the lack of respect the young woman apparently still had for their master-apprentice relationship, infuriated her. Fortunately, it provided her with an opportunity for when she called Kayden into her office in the morning.
Shutting the office door behind her, Fay invoked Sinjaydan to create an illumination orb that floated to the centre of the room, and rose up towards the ceiling, chasing the darkness away. She spent a few moments lighting all the candles of the wall-mounted sconces, as well as the hanging chandelier. Once the office was suitably bathed in the warm light of candle flames, she casually waved a hand up at the floating illumination orb, neutralising it with her invocation of Yuksaydan. Turning her attention to the nearby mirror mounted in landscape orientation on the wall, she proceeded immediately to it. As she stood before her own image she noted how her mental state was clearly reflected in the glass: she was a coiled cobra preparing to strike. There was no denying her eagerness to lash out at the Saharbashi responsible for the attack on Antaris. She was very much looking forward to making the acquaintance of this man when she journeyed south to Anzarmania.
She waved a hand across the mirror, invoking Yuksaydan once again, and instantly a series of glowing red glyphs appeared all along its frame in response. The glass appeared to liquefy, and gradually the image of Fay standing in her office was supplanted by swirling lavender mists within the altered screen. The time had come to contact the Council via the Zarantar-based visual communication network that would allow her to speak with Ari across two and a half thousand miles of ocean.
The mists quickly gave way to the crystal-clear image of Ari Shinadu standing in the Council’s chamber in Temis Rulan, alongside his fellow Council member, Idelle Silavas, the diminutive head of the Sisterhood. It was readily apparent that both her counterparts were gravely concerned.
“Hello, old friend,” said Ari in salutation, his voice lacking the usual mirth, “we’ve been awaiting your call. Can you tell us more about the attack?”
“The incident was quickly resolved, though it took a little longer to put all the pieces together as to the motivation behind the attack,” Fay replied. “Things are slowly getting back to normal, but we lost almost a dozen of our people, plus all but one of the attackers.” And I am culpable for that needless loss of life, she thought to herself.
“When we were apprised of the situation in Antaris we immediately reached out to the other eight campuses; no other attacks have yet been reported, but the administrators have been instructed to increase their security arrangements.”
“Fortunately, the extra precautions won’t be necessary,” she informed Ari. “The Anzarmenian attackers were specifically targeting Antaris.”
“So, you’ve definitively confirmed the attack came from Anzarmenia?” said Idelle, entering the conversation.
“Yes,” she said. “Although there was some initial confusion and doubt, I can say with certainty the raid was the work of the Anzarmenian cult that the Order has been monitoring these past three years.” As unexpected as that was. “This whole situation was an assassination attempt.”
“That’s what I was concerned about,” said Ari. The look he exchanged with Idelle did not go unnoticed by Fay. “Thankfully they failed in their attempt, and you are unharmed. Nonetheless, it’s one more new complication in how we deal with the cult of Yosarian.”
Intrigued by Ari’s first assertion, Fay asked, “When you say, that’s what you were concerned about, do you mean you were anticipating an attack?”
“No, of course not, old friend. But once we were able to confirm that no other campuses were under attack, the mention of Anzarmenians just confirmed my fears that it was you they were after.”
“Ari, you’re mistaken,” Fay rebutted. “I wasn’t the intended target of the raid; I thought Sister Elsa would have mentioned the real motive behind the attack when she contacted the Council.”
“Elsa did mention the capture of one of the attackers as he was attempting to enter the women’s dormitory,” Idelle interjected, “and your subsequent contention that one of the apprentices was being targeted. But she also told us the desperate lengths the rest of the group went to in order to kill you… and very nearly succeeded.”
Fay recalled the moment the intruders had done the unthinkable—invoking Balatlaydan within themselves, essentially turning their bodies into humanoid incendiary orbs, obliterating themselves and others in their effort to kill her. If she hadn’t reacted in time—if any of them had got close enough to her—she almost certainly would have been killed by the multiple detonations.
“I was merely an obstacle to their objective, one that needed to be removed,” she said soberly. “I questioned the man who led the raid shortly before making this call. I can confirm that this attack wasn’t about me. It was, as I said, an assassination attempt on one of my apprentices. Kayden to be exact.”
The look exchanged between Ari and Idelle was difficult to interpret, but it conveyed enough to let Fay know her two friends were keeping something from her.
“Are you certain about this, old friend?” asked Ari, returning his attention to her.
“Yes, Ari. Like I said, the prisoner has already confirmed it. And even if he hadn’t, the reaper stone he was in possession of was invoked specifically to seek out and kill Kayden.”
“All right. That’s good.”
Raising her eyebrows at the two figures in the screen, Fay couldn’t believe the relief in Ari’s voice, nor his obvious contentment at learning that Kayden had been targetted for assassination, and was likely still in some danger.
“I, of course, didn’t mean to suggest that an attempt on Kayden’s life is a good thing,” he said, pre-empting Fay. “But knowing that you were not the intended target of the attack makes it more likely the Anzarmenian cult is unaware of your presence here at Antaris. That would be one further complication to contend with, in light of another recent development already effecting the plans for the pending mission to eliminate the group and its leader.”
It was an odd observation t
o make, Fay noted. What difference would awareness of her presence make to either the man who’d ordered the attack, or to the Order’s plans for moving against his cult?
“Ari! Idelle! What is it you’re not telling me?”
Her two peers exchanged a meaningful glance before Idelle addressed the question. “This is a matter that would best be discussed in person. Both Ari and I will be arriving at Antaris at midday to see you.”
“We had already intended to visit you because of a disturbing discovery I made earlier today, before we were informed about the attack on your campus,” added Ari. “The raid tonight makes it even more urgent that we talk to you. As the assassination attempt ended in failure, it’s possible Kayden’s presence will increase scrutiny of the campus, thereby revealing your presence here. It’s important that nothing be allowed to undermine the upcoming mission in Anzarmenia.”
Fay would have questioned her counterparts further, but there seemed little point. Nonetheless, if both Ari and Idelle were going to be absent from Temis Rulan at the same time, then whatever it was they wished to speak to her about had to be even more serious than just the attack on the campus.
CHAPTER FOUR
Falling Out Of Favour
With an illumination orb floating before her, and Lazar trailing behind, Kayden marched along the dirt track leading to Antaris, still feeling perturbed. She and her fellow curfew-breaker had left Timaris some ten minutes prior, but as they’d walked the deserted streets, she couldn’t shake the feeling there were multiple eyes upon her, just out of sight. The one man she had spotted quickly disappeared around a corner into a side-street before she could get a good look at him. Maybe it was just paranoia brought on by her concern about getting caught. But maybe it wasn’t.
Under normal circumstances she and Lazar would have returned to campus separately, but their intimate liaison had gone on for considerably longer than it should have. They both had to get back immediately if they wanted to get enough sleep before morning classes began. Since departing Timaris she had pointedly ignored Lazar’s attempts to engage her in conversation until he finally took the hint. There was nothing he could say to her that would make her entertain the possibility of transforming their arrangement into a genuine courtship.
Without warning, Kayden halted in her tracks so suddenly that Lazar bumped into the back of her. She would have been aggravated by his slow reactions if she didn’t have a more pressing concern. Instinctively, she neutralised her illumination orb, allowing darkness to claim them both.
“What are you playing at, Kayden?” blurted Lazar.
Ignoring his question she stared fixedly into the distance. The Antaris campus was still about five minutes walk away, and as she stared at the pale blue glow that always emanated from the grounds at night, she realised it was more intense than normal. She wasn’t close enough to tell with any degree of certainty, but it seemed as though there were numerous illumination orbs floating outside the perimeter wall.
“Are you going to tell me what has you so spooked?” said Lazer, intruding on her thoughts.
“No!”
The instant her eyes had fully adjusted to the dark Kayden resumed her march, veering off the dirt track towards the copse of ash trees that lay southeast of the campus. The trees came within three hundred yards of the perimeter wall, which would allow her to conceal her approach, and get a closer look at what, if anything, was going on outside the campus.
Lazar was quickly at her side demanding an explanation.
“Something seems to be going on around Antaris,” she said, not looking at him. “I want to have some idea what it is before I attempt to sneak back in. We can take a closer look from those trees ahead.”
A short while later, they were navigating cautiously through the trees, drawing closer to the campus. Once they reached the edge of the copse, Kayden halted beside the tree with the thickest trunk. She dropped to one knee, placing a hand against its rough bark for balance as she stared at the campus a short distance ahead. Lazar followed suit, squatting down right behind her—so close, she could feel him breathing down her neck. It took a moment to block out the thoughts of his closeness before she was able to concentrate on the scene before her.
So, it appeared her initial assessment back on the dirt road had been accurate; the increased intensity of the pale blue glow emanating from Antaris was due to the presence of multiple illumination orbs, courtesy of the numerous Sanatsai patrolling outside. And, much to Kayden’s surprise, there were several Sanatsai floating and drifting high above the campus. She couldn’t see them in the dark, but she could feel their Zarantar as they invoked Makfayshulat to remain airborne.
“What’s this all about?” Lazar murmured behind her. “There’s no way we can return to our dorms unnoticed.”
Kayden offered no response. She was too focussed on evaluating the various scenarios that could have led to such a pronounced increase in security around the campus, starting with the possibility that her curfew-breaking had been discovered. She quickly dismissed the idea out of hand. Only Fay, as the campus administrator, could have authorised the security increase, and Kayden knew her master well enough to realise this would not be her response to learning that an apprentice had broken curfew—especially not for the one apprentice who, in all likelihood, could evade the extra security.
A visit by a VIP would be grounds for stepping up the level of security around the campus. However, during her seven years as an apprentice of the Order there had been several visits by dignitaries; never before had she witnessed dozens of Sanatsai performing perimeter patrols. She doubted if even a visit by Master Ari would prompt the kind of security increase she was now observing. Realistically, only a visit by a member of the Mirtanese royal family would warrant it, and even then their arrival wouldn’t have occurred after midnight.
No. Fay would only have increased security around campus in response to a perceived threat.
Kayden’s ruminations over who or what could pose a credible threat to a campus run by the Order was acute enough to be a distraction. She nearly ignored her senses warning her of the nearby presence of Zarantar; two Sanatsai were moving stealthily through the trees, approaching their position from the east.
“How are we—?”
Kayden spun around sharply. She threw herself at Lazar, pinning him to the ground, and clamped a hand over his mouth to silence him as she invoked Raytandushay to make them both invisible. The surprise in his incredulous gaze confirmed he had no idea they were about to be caught if he didn’t keep quiet, and stop squirming beneath her. Staring pointedly into his eyes, she pressed her left index finger to her lips, and held her breath. If Lazar failed to take the hint, she would be more than a little annoyed with him.
Sensing the invisible forms of the approaching Sanatsai come to a halt, only feet from where she lay on top of Lazar at the foot of the tree, Kayden dared not even turn her head towards them, lest she alert the pair to their presence. All she could manage was a glance from the corner of her eyes. Suddenly, one of the two interlopers became visible, having ceased his invocation of Raytandushay. He immediately created an illumination orb to cast pale blue light upon the surroundings. Moments later the second Sanatsai made himself visible.
“I could have sworn I heard something over here,” said the first Sanatsai.
The second replied, “It wasn’t just you. I heard something, too.” He paused. “Maybe it was a fox.” The timbre of his voice revealed he was younger than his fellow Sanatsai.
Finally, Kayden moved her finger from her lips. If Lazar didn’t understand the need for silence before, he surely knew it now. She decided to risk turning head to take a good peek at the Sanatsai duo. Unsurprisingly, both men wore the black and three shades of grey uniform of the Order. Neither of them was familiar, so they couldn’t have done sentry duty on campus before. It was safe to assume they were from among the contingent of Sanatsai stationed beneath Antaris, in the underground cavern of which none of her fell
ow apprentices were aware. One of them was noticeably younger than the other. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties, whereas his companion looked a decade older, and presumably of higher rank.
The senior Sanatsai squatted down on his haunches, and began examining the leafy ground beneath his feet. “Something larger than a fox came through here recently,” he declared with confidence. “It may very well have been someone.” He rose from his haunches. “This is an ideal position from which to observe the campus from a distance, without being seen.”
Oh, drat! thought Kayden when he began to amble towards the tree. He was about to step all over her and Lazar, giving them away.
Keeping her composure, she invoked Yuksaydan, using the ‘unseen hand’ to disturb some leaves a short distance away. She did it repeatedly, again, then again, and again—each disturbance a little farther away than the last. With any luck it would sound like someone scampering away through the trees, under the cover of darkness.
The ploy worked. The senior Sanatsai halted, turning his head in the direction of the disturbance before giving his junior colleague a questioning look.
“I heard it too,” he said in response. He thrust out a hand, unleashing several illumination orbs in the same direction the noises had emanated from. The pale blue glow pushed back the dark, but revealed nothing and no one moving away through the trees. “It could have been a startled animal.”
“Let’s find out for certain.”
In an instant, the inquisitive older Sanatsai was darting away in pursuit of the diversion.
“Wait!” called out his younger companion, bringing him to a halt. “Shouldn’t we signal the campus first?” In response to the senior Sanatsai’s nod of the head, he raised a hand skyward; his invocation of Kiraydan let loose a lightning flash orb that arrowed swiftly into the night sky, detonating in a silent flash of brilliant white light.