The Apprentice In The Master’s Shadow

by Ian Gregoire

  Oh, Daria, you’ve picked a fine time to grow a backbone, thought Kayden, pursing her lips. Letting out a sigh, she decided not to test Daria’s resolve, but she needed to provide an acceptable explanation. “Fine! At Master Fay’s insistence, I’m leaving campus for the holiday this morning,” she said. “For whatever reason, she seems to think I’ve been training and studying too hard, and that I need a break. The bottom line is she wants me away from Antaris for the next three weeks, and I was too ashamed to admit that I don’t have the money to go anywhere. That’s why I tried to squeeze it out of you.”

  Narrowing her eyes, Daria silently scrutinised Kayden with intent. It wasn’t difficult to ascertain that she was trying to decide whether what she’d just been told was the truth or not.

  “Oh, come on, Daria,” blurted Kayden. “Why would anyone lie about being poor?”

  “As an apprentice without family,” said Daria, “surely you are receiving a stipend from the Order?”

  “I used to. But for disciplinary reasons Master Fay permanently stopped mine, and my pride prevents me from begging her to have a change of heart.” And Kayden certainly wasn’t going to beg Daria to hand over the money either. Suddenly the prospect of committing robberies during her mission was a little less unappealing. “I realise I probably shouldn’t have asked for as much as I did, but it’s not as though I’m going to spend all that money.”

  In all likelihood the assertion was truthful. As things presently stood, the only non-travelling expenses she had earmarked for the money were some new clothes to wear. Having grown accustomed to always being in uniform, she had never bothered to replace any of the everyday garb she had outgrown since arriving at Antaris as a new apprentice, and though it was required by law throughout the Nine Kingdoms that wielders of Zarantar be identifiable at all times by their apparel when in public, she obviously couldn’t go gallivanting around Anzarmenia in her apprentice uniform. So, new clothing that didn’t betray her affiliation to the Order was an essential expense.

  Eventually, the scepticism marring Daria’s features faded away. “All right,” she said wearily, “the money is yours.” Tentatively she handed the money pouch to Kayden. “You didn’t need to threaten me. I would have helped you if you’d simply told me the truth about why you needed it.” Affecting a more neutral tone, she added, “When you leave my office make sure none of the Sisters see you with that.”

  Kayden tied the money pouch to her waist, concealing it beneath her tabard. “Fine,” she said. “And thank you.” A protracted silence followed as she stared at Daria, weighing up the risk of what she needed to do next. “I have one last favour to ask of you,” she admitted finally. Ignoring the look of exasperation on the Sister’s face, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the unmarked, sealed envelope. “I was hoping I could trouble you to hold on to this for me, for safekeeping, while I’m away.” She held it out to Daria.

  An inquisitive look appeared upon Daria’s face as she reached out and claimed the envelope from Kayden. She eyed it with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

  “The content is private,” continued Kayden, “so I’d appreciate it if you would refrain from opening it. I’ll come back for it when I return from my trip.” She paused for a moment, lost in thought. Eventually she appended, “In the event that I don’t return to campus for the start of the new term, you are to take the letter to Master Fay immediately.”

  The Sister cocked her head slightly. “What do you mean, in the event you don’t return?” she said, looking at Kayden with concern in her eyes.

  “I cannot guarantee that I will be returning to complete my apprenticeship. And if I don’t, I want Master Fay to know why.”

  “Kayden,” said Daria, alarm written all over her countenance. “You can’t just abscond and abandon your apprenticeship; the Order would be obliged to apprehend you and bind your Zarantar.”

  Letting out a sigh, Kayden decided it was time to nip the conversation in the bud and vacate the premises. She had the money she came for, now it was time to take the first steps on the road of her mission. “Sister Daria,” she said, adopting a formal tone. “I don’t wish to stand here and justify my actions to you. I’ve told you what I require of you, I hope you will respect my wishes.” She turned on her heels and headed for the door, exiting the office, not giving the Jaymidari an opportunity to respond.

  As she walked through the infirmary, Kayden caught a snippet of dialogue between the Sisters doing an inventory of dwindling supplies in need of replenishing. It made her wonder if this would be the last time she ever heard their voices. Though she wasn’t prone to negative thoughts, handing Sister Daria the letter she had written to Fay had finally brought home the possibility she may not return from Anzarmenia. She hesitated at the exit. There was still time to back out of the mission. Going to Astana for the holiday, instead, would almost certainly negate the threat of a second attempt on her life by Josario’s followers. But she remembered her primary reason for planning the mission in the first place. Too many people on campus resented the favour she enjoyed from Fay; they viewed her as the administrator’s pet, and used that as a pretext for disrespecting her. Only by accomplishing an unprecedented feat, without Fay’s involvement, could she alter the perception of her detractors, and the capture of Josario, the infamous Usurper King, was how it would be achieved. With that in mind, she simply couldn’t back out of the mission.

  Kayden opened the door and left the infirmary.

  Back in her dorm room she was surprised to find all her roommates still in their beds, though three of them appeared to be awake. Ignoring them, she opened her wardrobe and removed her two packed burlap sacks. She untied one, in order to stuff in the money pouch she had acquired from Sister Daria, then tied it up again. Now she was ready to leave.

  For a moment she stood beside her bed, contemplating everything she’d been through to reach this point in her life, and what she would potentially be sacrificing once she left Antaris. An involuntary half-smile touched her lips. Grabbing her two sacks from the mattress, Kayden hoisted both over her shoulder and headed for the door, without a word of goodbye for her roommates. She left the room, and a short while later she was exiting the dormitory building, perhaps for the final time.

  In the early morning light, she marched with purpose towards the administration building, unconcerned that Kai Delano was one of the sentries on duty at the rear entrance. No words were exchanged as the Sanatsai duo permitted her to enter without incident, for which she was grateful. At the reception desk she informed the weekend receptionist that she was expected in the staff common room. Once the receptionist verified the appointment, Kayden made her way upstairs to the next floor, hoping Fay would not be present to see her off.

  Announcing her arrival outside the staff common room with three knocks on solid oak, she stood at the double door entrance waiting to be admitted inside. Moments later one of the doors swung open, revealing Sister Elsa in the doorway dressed in her cream and beige uniform.

  “Good morning, Kayden,” said the Sister, smiling cheerfully. “You’re up bright and early, all packed and ready to leave.” She stood to one side, inviting the visitor to enter.

  “Morning, Sister,” replied Kayden as she stepped into the room. She would have said more but for the sight of a tall, burly Sanatsai standing to attention at the centre of the room. His presence caused the words to die on the tip of her tongue. Stood in front of the tea table separating two of the room’s couches, the man appeared to be in his mid-thirties and wore a neutral expression upon his olive complexioned face as he stared at her with dark eyes. Surely Fay hadn’t arranged for him to accompany her as a bodyguard?

  “Master Fay cannot be here herself to see you off,” said Sister Elsa, placing a hand on the small of Kayden’s back to prompt her further into the room, “so Master Lorendo will escort you down to the portal chamber.”

  Kayden nodded her head at the Sanatsai. “Master.”

  “Apprentice,”
replied Master Lorendo in acknowledgement.

  “If you will just follow his lead,” Elsa continued, “you can be on your way at once.”

  Without preamble, Master Lorendo marched towards the double doors set into the east-facing wall of the common room. Kayden silently trailed in his wake, knowing she was being led to the staff library that concealed a hidden entrance to the vast underground cavern beneath Antaris campus. As they passed through the doors into the library, she recalled the previous occasion she had done so: two years earlier she had followed Fay’s lead through the stacks of books, utterly convinced that her master was planning to kill her. Any moment now she would be standing at the north-facing wall, behind which was a secret stairwell descending deep underground.

  Her Sanatsai escort came to a halt, standing directly in front of a bare stretch of the north wall, between two hanging tapestries. Zarantar emanating from the wall triggered her recollection of the hidden doorway before them, and she couldn’t help but smile. Lorendo casually waved a hand in front of himself, invoking Yuksaydan, and Kayden observed as a series of glowing red glyphs appeared on the wall in the shape of a doorway. The glyphs soon faded from view and in their place a wooden door materialised.

  “Follow me,” said Lorendo.

  She walked through the door after him, to enter the enclosed shaft concealed behind the wall, and stepped onto the landing at the top of a descending spiral stairwell. Before following her guide down the stairs, she closed the door behind her, causing it to dematerialise and appear to be a wall again.

  Several minutes later they reached the end of the long descent and emerged in a vast underground cavern. The expanse laid out before them was just as Kayden remembered: it retained its resemblance to a village swallowed by the earth, with numerous buildings uniformly dotted throughout, and scores of Sanatsai and Jaymidari milling around in the intense glow of the network of orb-filled lanterns that kept the cavern illuminated. Master Lorendo silently led her deeper into the cavern towards the large portal that she could feel, but not yet see, at the farthest end. They attracted a few cursory glances from some of the personnel who witnessed them passing by, but no one approached them to question the presence of an apprentice.

  Eventually they were nearing the raised platform upon which the portal Kayden sought awaited. The powerful manifestation of Zarantar looked simultaneously like a tunnel opening and a circular tear in the fabric of the world. Inside, mists of varying shades of blue and purple swirled, making a pleasing-looking maelstrom. Standing at the foot of the three steps leading up to the platform was a lone Jaymidari with a welcoming smile upon her face. The Sister was of middling height, and slender build. Her dark, wavy hair flowed down to waist, and her flawless olive skin suggested a youthfulness that belied the experience and wisdom in her piercing brown eyes. Kayden guessed the woman was closer to forty than twenty.

  “This must be our early morning traveller,” said the Sister, addressing Master Lorendo. He silently nodded in affirmation. “Thank you, Lorendo, I can see her off from here.”

  The taciturn Sanatsai inclined his head in acknowledgement, turned on his heels, and marched away without a word. Peering over her shoulder to watch him depart, Kayden let out an imperceptible sigh of relief. She had been concerned about how she would broach the matter of her change in destination with the Sister, and not be overheard. Despite demonstrating that he was a man of few words, it was hard to imagine Master Lorendo not reporting a change of plan to Fay at the earliest opportunity. And though that wouldn’t be soon enough to prevent Kayden from leaving Antaris immediately, she needed as big a head start as possible if she was to successfully complete her mission.

  “My name is Lara,” said the Sister, drawing Kayden’s attention, “and you must be Kayden, on your way to Astana for the holiday.”

  “Yes, I’m Kayden, but there’s been a last-minute change of plan.”

  Lara placed her hands behind her back, and the questioning look upon her face seemed to serve as a cue for Kayden to elaborate.

  “I have an errand to complete for Master Fay,” said Kayden, “which requires me to go to Darmitana first, specifically to the Sisterhood seminary outside Ladurona. I can then make my journey from there.”

  “Oh, I see,” said Lara. “Well, this will delay your departure briefly. The Sisters need to re-set the portal’s destination.” She glanced towards the group of Jaymidari seated on the ground a short distance away “If you’ll just wait here, I will inform them of the change then rejoin you.”

  Watching Sister Lara amble towards her counterparts, Kayden bit her lower lip.

  “Take your time,” she called out in a measured tone. The sentiment was at odds with her hope that the delay would be as brief as possible. While she was still present on campus—or underneath it, as the case was—there remained the possibility of Fay thwarting her mission at the last moment. Until she stepped into the portal and was finally away from Antaris she wouldn’t feel able to relax.

  For the next couple of minutes Kayden’s right foot tapped the ground rapidly as she watched and waited while Lara stood over the sitting Jaymidari controlling the open portal. She had no idea how the Sisterhood did it, only that their mastery of Zarantar Jist had allowed them to create and sustain a vast network of portals that made possible instantaneous travel to and from multiple locations throughout the Nine Kingdoms and beyond.

  It wasn’t long before Sister Lara rejoined her. The new destination was set and all that remained was for Kayden to ascend the three steps up to the portal. She wasted no time bidding farewell to the Sister then proceeded up onto the stone platform, with her burlap sacks over her shoulder.

  Without looking back, she marched towards the portal, mind focussed on the mission, and entered the vortex of swirling mists. At once her eyes were assailed by bright white light.

  PART TWO

  CHAPTER TEN

  An Eventful Detour

  The journey south through Anzarmenia was well into its eighth day, and the bad weather that had plagued Kayden for the previous two days showed no signs of abating. It was aggravating to realise she hadn’t, in fact, accounted for every possible variable when planning her unauthorised mission. As for why she didn’t give any thought to the weather conditions she might encounter in Anzarmenia, she really couldn’t say. But if the torrential downpours of the last couple of days were any indication, the southern half of Anzarmenia had just entered its rainy season—assuming, of course, the realm experienced such a thing.

  The heavy rain didn’t particularly bother Kayden on a personal level; her continuous invocation of Yuksaydan allowed her to divert the rainfall, keeping herself dry. It was like having an invisible shield floating above her head as she rode on horseback. Nonetheless, there was nothing she could do to prevent the roads and trails she was traversing being turned into treacherously muddy tracts, slowing her progress. Any thought of urging her mount into a gallop, regardless of the conditions, was kept at bay by her concerns for the well-being of the black gelding. There was little justification for risking injury to the horse just to save a few hours on her journey, especially as she had spent more than half her funds purchasing him from a horse trader in Ladurona.

  Despite the expense, the purchase of a horse with a fine balance of speed and stamina had been a wise one. Though she’d been warned of the gelding’s temperamental nature, she had yet to witness it. The black beauty had been as good as gold since the moment she first laid eyes on him. If he did have issues with his previous owner, it was probably because of the stupid name he’d been given. Who in their right mind calls their horse Umberto? she had thought at the time. The first thing she did after handing over payment was to rename him, now she was the proud owner of a horse called Onyx, and he seemed as pleased as she was with the more appropriate name.

  While she rode at a steady trot, Kayden absent-mindedly contemplated her travels thus far. The journey through Anzarmenia had been almost entirely uneventful, except for the milita
ry checkpoint she had encountered on day three. It was shocking that soldiers were abusing their position to extort money from travellers before allowing them to continue on their way. Needless to say she wasn’t prepared to be robbed. Hopefully, the lesson she had taught them would prevent illicit activity in future. The only other issue of note she had to contend with was the manner in which she stuck out like a sore thumb—far more so than she did back in the Nine Kingdoms. From the stares she attracted from literally everyone she encountered, whether on the road or in the towns and villages she passed through, Kayden concluded that the people of Anzarmenia had never seen someone of Vaidasovian extraction before. She couldn’t recall a time in her life when she felt quite so self-conscious about belonging to an ethnic group different from that of everyone around her. It didn’t upset her that people were curious about her appearance, but all the staring eventually wore thin so she resorted to keeping the hood of her cloak pulled up over her head in an effort to conceal the almond-shaped eyes that gave away her heritage.

  Although Kayden hadn’t laid eyes on the sun for more than two days, the thick blanket of dark rain clouds overhead couldn’t conceal the arrival of early evening. The gloom all around her was increasing and she guessed sunset was, at most, only a couple of hours away. It was inconceivable she would reach the city of Nagornorak before nightfall given the slow progress she had made since the last town she’d passed through earlier that afternoon. The decision to continue onwards rather than stay in town to find lodging until the next morning was looking more and more like a foolish risk.

  Minutes later that impression was confirmed when Kayden came upon a weather-worn, wooden road sign at a branch in the road she was following. She brought Onyx to a halt to read the sign. Nagornorak was still sixty miles away in the southerly direction in which she was headed, and there was little chance she would get there before nightfall. By comparison, somewhere called Azderan was only three miles away, albeit along the trail heading eastward.