by Ian Gregoire
Taking a deep breath to compose herself, Kayden recalled the numerous occasions she had attended morning assembly on campus. Whenever it had been Fay delivering the address, all the apprentices would uniformly listen in rapt attention. Her master had a natural gravitas that demanded the undivided attention of those around her, and she spoke in a clear, matter-of-fact fashion that left no room for misunderstanding. It was these qualities Kayden knew she needed to emulate if she was to successfully win over the crowd before her.
For the next few minutes she laid out her proposal and the basic strategy she had in mind for accomplishing not only the liberation of Azderan, but the whole province, by removing Baranzev Kazdaranian from power in the provincial capital, Sevdanor. There were a number of noisy interruptions before she was finally able to conclude her address; multiple people baulked at what she was suggesting. Nevertheless, in spite of the heated objections of the many, Kayden was reassured that a significant minority of Azderan’s townsfolk seemed willing to take up arms to throw off the yoke of Baranzev Kazdaranian. With the aid of these people she was certain she could win over the doubters by demonstrating just how easily Kazdaranian’s bandits can be defeated, starting tomorrow morning when the tribute collectors arrived.
“That’s everything I intend to say tonight,” said Kayden. “So those of you too scared to take a stand, feel free to cower in your homes tomorrow until it’s safe to come out again. Those of you who want to liberate your town, and restore your queen’s rule over the province, for the next hour I will be at the White Stag Inn, detailing how I intend to engage and ultimately subdue the tribute collectors due to arrive tomorrow. I will also be assigning tasks to those of you who wish to help me in the endeavour.” She paused, then turned to address the mayor, still standing on the sidelines. “The floor is all yours, Mayor Nartovian. If you have any questions for me, I’ll be at the inn.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Absent Without Leave
Fay set her empty porcelain cup down on the table then picked up a napkin to dab her lips, removing any remaining traces of her breakfast. It was the first day of a new week and she remained seated on the couch, pondering what to do with her morning. Over the past two years she had grown accustomed to having a constant companion during the campus holidays, using much of that time to instruct Kayden in expanding the breadth of her Zarantar. But with Kayden away for the first time during her apprenticeship, Fay had found herself at a loss.
It was now the tenth day since Kayden had left for the autumn holiday, and though she was safely out of harm’s way in the Astanese capital, Shali, Fay couldn’t help but feel occasional pangs of concern. Several times during the past week she had been tempted to contact the Belisaris campus to request that someone be sent to check on Kayden’s well-being. But on each of those occasions she had successfully resisted the urge, knowing that Kayden would interpret the action as a lack of trust. Besides which, Fay was reasonably certain that if the apprentice did get herself into any kind of trouble in Astana, news of it would reach her at Antaris sooner rather than later.
The early morning sunshine streaming through the east-facing windows of the lounge suddenly intensified, further brightening Fay’s rooftop living quarters. It was a clear indication that the sun had finally burned through the cloud cover she had noted outside when she first rose from her bed. We’re in for another beautiful autumn day, Fay mused to herself, staring straight ahead at the west-facing patio. A contented smile curled her lips. She briefly wondered if Kayden was enjoying similarly pleasant weather in Shali. Her inner voice told her there was one sure way to find out.
Rising to her feet, Fay stepped away from the couch and promptly returned to her bedchamber to retrieve her black, hooded siphon cloak. She spent a moment in front of the mirror putting it on. With a calmness that belied her giddy sense of anticipation, she strolled across the lounge to the spiral stairwell leading down to her office. She descended the stairs slowly, telling herself that Kayden would surely expect to be checked upon at least once during her time away, and would no doubt consider it strange if her master didn’t do so.
At the bottom of the stairwell, Fay emerged in the administrator’s office and wasted little time ambling towards the large mirror mounted on the wall directly ahead. She halted in front of the dual-purpose mirror, and casually waved a hand across it, invoking Yuksaydan to activate the Zarantar-based visual communication network. A series of glowing, red glyphs instantly began to appear along the frame of the mirror, and Fay willed the ley line transmission to connect with the administrator’s office at Belisaris campus. Her reflection gradually disappeared, replaced by swirling lavender mists behind glass that appeared to liquefy.
She watched and waited for what seemed like an age, yet her call remained unanswered. Peering back over her shoulder, Fay glanced at the grandfather clock to check the time. It was fast approaching half past Seventh Hour, which was possibly too early to be contacting a fellow administrator during a holiday; her counterpart might still be in bed or sitting down for breakfast.
With a sigh, Fay returned her attention to the mirror, contemplating whether or not to end the transmission and try again later. Before she could make a decision, the swirling mists dissipated, giving way to confirmation that her call had been answered: the image of Milo Lukatoni, the administrator of Belisaris campus, standing in his office. The middle-aged Santsai was wrapped in a grey cotton bathrobe, a towel over one shoulder, and his grey flecked hair was noticeably damp.
“Fay, this is an unexpected surprise,” he said. “What can I do for you?”
“I apologise for the early morning call, Milo.” The dishevelled state of her colleague caused Fay to wonder if she should call back later. “Perhaps I should get back to you in half an hour or so, and give you time to dressed?”
“Don’t be silly,” insisted Milo. “It’s obviously important so please continue.”
“Very well,” she said, placing her hands behind her back. “I need to check on the well-being of my holidaying apprentice, and I’d be grateful if you could send someone out to Shali to visit her. I imagine she’ll be staying at an inn close to the Zenoshanese cemetery in the northeast quarter.”
Confusion and uncertainty marred Milo’s features. “I’m sorry, Fay,” he said. “I’m not sure which apprentice you are referring to.”
“Kayden Jayta,” she replied in a matter-of-fact tone, trying to ignore the sudden unease in the pit of her stomach. “She would have arrived from Antaris a little over a week ago via the portal network.” The nonplussed expression on her counterpart’s face did little to ease her disquiet. Cocking her head slightly, Fay elaborated. “She’s of Vaidasovian extraction, tall and very beautiful. She’s not someone you would forget seeing.”
Her fellow administrator shook his head apologetically. “A Vaidasovian apprentice?” he queried in a disbelieving tone. “I’d be amazed if anyone fitting that description has ever come here; certainly not recently. For that matter, I don’t believe we’ve had a visitor from Antaris this year.”
This can’t be happening, thought Fay. Where are you, Kayden?
“I can see that you’re worried, Fay,” said Milo, intruding upon her thoughts, “so this is what I’ll do. In a little while I will double-check with the Sisters on duty in the portal chamber. If your apprentice arrived last week, as you say, perhaps someone simply neglected to inform me of it—as is required. All the same, there would be a record of the visit so I’ll get back to you later to let you know.”
“Thank you, Milo. I’d appreciate that.” Fay’s voice was devoid of hopeful expectation. Somehow, she just knew that Kayden hadn’t made it to Belisaris campus. “I will also check with the Sisters here to make sure there was no problem with Kayden’s departure.”
“Very good,” agreed Milo. “I will be in touch in an hour or two. Until then, farewell.”
Fay returned the farewell then waved her hand across the screen, terminating the connection. Moments later her
reflection was restored in the mirror, and she saw for herself the concerned look upon her face. It was probably too early to be worried, but given her reason for wanting Kayden as far away from campus as possible during the holiday, there were legitimate grounds for concern. Nevertheless, before she entertained any thoughts that the apprentice had come to harm, Fay needed to rule out the possibility that something had gone awry with the portal beneath Antaris. Although the portal network was known to be both safe and reliable, over the years there had been a number of documented accounts of people being unexpectedly transported to the wrong destination. Such instances could feasibly be the result of human error, but who could say for certain? There was even one report from several decades ago of a Sister who emerged from a portal three days after entering it, though only a few seconds had elapsed from her own point of view.
Turning on her heels, Fay stepped away from the mirror and headed for the door. She exited her office and made her way downstairs to the floor below in search of Sister Elsa. Her Jaymidari counterpart was usually to be found in the staff common room first thing in the morning, but to Fay’s surprise the room was empty when she entered. It dawned on her that it was still autumn holiday, so there was obviously no reason to expect Elsa to be lounging in the common room, waiting to teach her first class of the morning. Fay left the room as quickly as she had entered, and exited the administration building a short while later. Outside, on campus grounds, she paused for a moment, trying to decide where Elsa was most likely to be. In all likelihood the Sister was either in her quarters in the women’s staff residential building, or in the women’s bathhouse taking care of her morning ablutions, or in the mess hall sitting down for breakfast.
Rather than waste time investigating all three locations, Fay cast out her senses in all three directions at once. She quickly detected Elsa’s familiar presence in the mess hall. When she entered a short while later, she spotted Elsa seated at a table near the serving counter. She was enjoying breakfast and conversation with some of her Jaymidari counterparts: Sister Daria and Sister Alina from the infirmary, and a third, less familiar Sister whose name escaped Fay for the moment. The women were accompanied by Fay’s Sanatsai colleague, Darrian Lanza.
“Please excuse the intrusion,” said Fay, halting beside the table. “Sister Elsa, could I trouble you for a moment?”
Elsa set down the mug she was holding. “By all means,” she replied with a smile. “What do you need?”
“It doesn’t have to be right this instant, but when you are free I’d like you to find out which of the Sisters were on portal duty the morning Kayden Jayta departed for the holiday. If you could send one of them up to my office to see me as soon as possible I’d appreciate it.”
“Is there a problem?” asked Elsa.
“Possibly.”
“Maybe I can save you both some time and trouble,” volunteered the unfamiliar Jaymidari. “I was on duty in the cavern that morning, and I was the one who saw the apprentice on her way.” Looking slightly puzzled, she added, “What seems to be the issue?”
Everyone sitting at the table suddenly appeared interested in the topic of conversation. All eyes were on Fay, each staff member eagerly awaiting her response.
“I spoke with the administrator of Belisaris campus a short while ago,” began Fay. “He was certain that Kayden did not arrive as she should have done.”
“Oh, I see.” The wavy haired Jaymidari looked mildly concerned. “Have you contacted the Ladurona seminary to inquire about Kayden’s whereabouts?”
Fay narrowed her eyes, trying to recall the woman’s name. “Sister Lara, isn’t it?” she asked hesitantly. A nod of the head confirmed her recollection. “Why would a Sisterhood seminary in Darmitana know where my apprentice is? Kayden’s destination was the Belisaris campus; she’s supposed to be spending the holiday in Astana.”
“But… there was a last minute change of plan.” Lara suddenly looked and sounded unsure of herself. “Kayden had to go to Ladurona first, on an errand for you. Once done she should have completed her journey to Belisaris campus from the seminary.”
“I gave clear instructions that Kayden was to be transported to Belisaris campus,” retorted Fay, trying to quell the annoyance provoked by what she had heard. “On whose authority was this change of destination instigated?”
“I… I assumed it was yours. If that wasn’t the case, I am sorry. It never occurred to me that I was being deceived.”
Mind racing, Fay pondered what business Kayden could possibly have had in Ladurona. Suddenly she noticed the shift in Sister Daria’s demeanour: the colour had drained from her face, and she had averted her gaze to stare down at the bowl of semolina she was vigorously stirring.
“Do you know something about Kayden’s disappearance, Sister Daria?” said Fay.
Daria looked like an ambushed woman when she glanced up from her bowl, and stopped stirring. “No! No, of course not,” she said nervously. “This is the first I’ve heard of it. I have no idea where Kayden is or what she is doing right now.”
The manner of her reply seemed almost evasive. She knew more than she was telling, yet was maybe too guilt-ridden to reveal what it was. But given her history with Kayden, her reaction was probably nothing more than embarrassment about their illicit relationship. Nonetheless, Fay briefly pondered the possibility of Daria’s complicity in Kayden’s deception. But she dismissed the idea, for the time being. Having forbidden the Sister from having any further contact with the apprentice for the duration of Kayden’s apprenticeship, Fay was satisfied that Daria had strictly adhered to that instruction over the past couple of years. Whatever was going on now, Kayden was surely the sole architect.
“Darrian,” she said, shifting her attention to her male counterpart. “Isko is due to return from visiting his family at some point to today, but until he gets back I’m leaving you in charge of overseeing the campus while I’m away.”
With consternation written all over his face, Darrian immediately rose to his feet. “While you’re away?” he said. “Where are you going?”
“Now that I’ve ruled out the possibility something went wrong with the portal when Kayden left, I’m going to pay a visit to the seminary outside Ladurona to see if I can find her there. If not, I want to find out what prompted her to travel there in the first place.”
The prospect of being left in charge of the campus obviously weighed heavily on Darrian if the expression on his face was any indication. Fay thought it prudent to reassure him that it was a minor responsibility that he was more than capable of handling.
“Stop worrying,” she said. “I shouldn’t be gone long, and you’ll have next to nothing to do in the meantime. We’re only a week into the holiday; you can count the number of apprentices still on campus with the fingers of two pairs of hands. And keep in mind that Isko may get back before I do, plus you have Elsa to lean on if need be.”
“Yes, of course,” said Darrian. Thankfully he looked reassured.
“And you needn’t worry about another attack on the campus,” Fay added. “The reason I scaled back security last week is because I no longer have concerns about a repeat occurrence.” Not while the intended target is absent, gallivanting goodness knows where, doing goodness knows what, she thought.
Fay stood before the mantelpiece in her living quarters to retrieve her weapons from the wall where they hung. Though she had no expectation she would need to wield them in anger when she arrived at the seminary, all Sanatsai of the Order were required to be armed as a matter of course while on duty. Once her sheathed sword was secured in her baldric—the hilt protruding behind her right shoulder—and her twin daggers were holstered at her hips, she strolled across the lounge to the spiral stairwell and made her way back downstairs. Emerging in her office moments later, the sight of the mirror on the wall reminded Fay that Milo Lukatoni had promised to get back to her in an hour or two with news of Kayden’s non-appearance at Belisaris campus. She had no hopes that he would have anyth
ing positive to report, so she had no plans to hurry back from Darmitana to receive the call.
Without sparing a second glance at the mirror, Fay left her office and made the short walk to the staff common room on the floor below. She found the room empty when she entered, allowing her to proceed to the staff library next door without delay. Accessing the secret stairway concealed behind the north-facing wall, she began the long descent to the cavern beneath the campus. As she did so, Fay couldn’t help but dwell upon her disappointment that Kayden hadn’t felt able to be honest about why she wanted to leave Antaris for the holiday, and where she was planning to go. Their relationship over the last two years had become such a strong, positive one that Fay genuinely believed Kayden could and would confide in her about most things.
Down in the portal chamber, she marched with efficient grace through the cavern towards the portal in the distance, returning the occasional salutation from some of her Sanatsai subordinates. After a brief wait while the Sisters on duty set her destination, she ascended the three steps and marched along the stone platform into the portal.
The bright white light faded almost as quickly as it began. Fay was no longer in the vast cavern beneath Antaris campus; her journey through the portal had brought her into a windowless, rectangular room. There was an almost earthy, damp smell in the air that suggested the room was below ground, and it was well lit despite the absence of an obvious light source. Fay was standing at the centre of the room, facing a wooden door set into the nondescript brickwork of a wall. She could sense the Zarantar of a containment ward encircling her, as well as a dampening ward surrounding the entire room. The Jaymidari handiwork would confine a hostile arrival to the centre of the room and prevent them from harming anyone who entered, by neutralising all Zarantar strikes they might unleash. Neither precaution would be a hindrance to Fay if she had hostile intent, but she had no cause to break the wards so she waited for someone from the Sisterhood to greet her arrival, and end her confinement.