by Callie Kanno
The man broke the seal and scanned the words carefully. Adesina prayed that it was a good enough forgery to pass such a close inspection. After a moment, he walked over to the nearest lamp and burned the paper. “Follow me,” he instructed.
They walked down two flights of stairs, and through a gloomy passageway. The air was stale and oppressive, causing Adesina’s nose to wrinkle in distaste. A wooden door stood at the end, with a sturdy lock on the latch. The Shimat searched through his keys and then opened the cell.
There was another Shimat sitting on a stool by the door. She looked up at their entrance and quirked an eyebrow questioningly.
“Change of plans,” the man said briefly. “These two will be taking the alchemist with them.”
On the far side of the room, the prisoner lifted her bedraggled head to look at her new captors. She was alarmingly thin, with a gaunt face and haunted eyes. Her hair was dingy, but it looked to be a shade of auburn, and her eyes were a vibrant green. It took Adesina several moments to recognize the face of Mistress Faryl, a woman she had known years ago in the High City.
Adesina’s mind filled with questions, but she kept her expression passive. They would have time to talk later, if they could escape without arousing the suspicions of the Shimat.
The woman guarding the prisoner walked over to unlock the shackles binding Faryl to the wall. The former apothecary shop owner got to her feet shakily, and tried to hold her head with dignity.
“Just this one?” asked the male Shimat.
Kendan nodded once. “Yes.”
“Do you want any of her work, or shall I send that back to the fortress?”
“Her notes will suffice,” he replied. “Send the supplies back.”
The man went to fetch the notes, while the woman wrapped a thin cloak around Faryl’s stooped shoulders.
“This will help avoid suspicion while you leave town,” she explained.
In the corridor a small bell rang twice and fell silent. The Shimat woman glanced in its direction with surprise. “It seems we have more company on the way.”
Adesina felt a spike of panic. Had they been discovered?
Kendan cleared his throat and tried to keep his voice casual. “We have no other business here, so we shall be going.”
Adesina thought that Kendan’s voice was a little too insistent to be natural, and she was not the only one. The Shimat woman studied him carefully.
“What if it is a messenger with updated orders?”
His expression became haughty. “I have my orders from the Sharifal herself. I doubt she would have changed her mind the moment I left.”
She didn’t respond, but continued to watch them closely.
Adesina made an imperious gesture to Faryl, and the prisoner obediently walked over to stand at her side.
Kendan sniffed in disdain and spun to march out of the room. The male Shimat was exiting a room just ahead, and he fell into step with them.
He handed Kendan a sheaf of papers. “Here are her notes, Shimat Shrike. I will see you out.”
Adesina could feel her heartbeat speeding up with each step and she strained to keep her breath steady. Her muscles tensed in automatic preparation for a physical attack. There was no way to know who was heading toward them, and they needed to leave with Faryl before that happened.
The tinkling of the bell could be heard once more, and the Shimat glanced towards the hatch with a furrowed brow. “Someone is fast approaching. It would be best for you to wait here while I let them in.”
Kendan knew that protesting would appear suspicious, so he nodded and walked into the shadowed alcove indicated.
The man opened the hatch and waved in a cloaked figure. Then, as he had with Kendan and Adesina, he pulled out his knife in a threatening gesture.
“Identify yourself.”
“I am Shimat Fox, I am here for a prisoner transfer.”
A chill ran through Adesina as she recognized a voice she had hoped to never hear again.
It belonged to her lifelong enemy, Basha.
Basha had trained as a Shimat with Adesina, and they had never liked each other. Their rivalry wouldn’t have been a problem in itself, but Basha had spent years attempting to injure or even kill Adesina while making it look like a training accident. The last time they had met, Adesina had been an acknowledged enemy of the Shimat and Basha had tried to kill her in earnest—tried and failed. That failure would only have fueled the hatred that already burned in Basha’s chest.
Adesina reached over and gripped Kendan’s wrist, and she could tell by the grim expression on his face that he also recognized the danger. She leaned down so her mouth was next to Ravi’s ear, and she whispered as softly as she could, “Go warn the others that we need to leave immediately. I will use my vyala to get us out of here, and I will catch up as soon as possible.”
Ravi wasn’t pleased with the idea of leaving her side, but he nodded once and then disappeared from sight.
Faryl looked at her supposed captors with a trace of suspicious confusion. Adesina knew that they were not acting as they should, but she just hoped that the prisoner woman would do nothing to compromise their escape.
Basha’s voice could be heard from just around the corner. “I have orders from the Sharifal.”
Kendan swore under his breath. “I fear we will have to fight our way out of town.”
He moved to grasp the rope dart he kept in a pouch on his belt, but Adesina laid a hand on his arm to stop him. She released the illusion that altered her appearance and she created one that shrouded all three of them in complete darkness.
Adesina motioned for them to move towards the exit, and she wove the shadows to cover the light of the opening hatch.
Kendan exited first, making sure there was no one waiting for them on the other side. He was followed by Faryl, who knew by now that something was afoot but obeyed without question. Adesina was the last to leave the Shimat post, using her vyala to cover their escape. She used her senses to find the room where Faryl had been conducting her work and sent a flash of pure energy to start a fire there. Then she set up a mirage around the entrance of the hideout, making it look like a solid wall. Finally, she fused the hatch to the ground, which would make it impossible to open without breaking it. That would buy them enough time to escape their pursuers.
She could sense Kendan and Faryl waiting just around the corner, and she hurried to catch up to them.
The former apothecary gasped when the young woman came into sight. “Adrie! What are you doing here?”
It had been years since anyone had called Adesina by the alias she had used while in the High City. Hearing it brought back a flood of memories and a stab of regret.
“There will be time for explanations later,” she said shortly. “For now, we need to leave town as quickly as possible.”
Chapter Six: Betrayal
Mar’sal and Maizah were waiting outside of the inn when they arrived. Adesina gave the soldier a questioning look.
“Where is Than’os?”
Mar’sal’s expression was instantly apologetic. “We do not have enough coin to cover our bill. He promised to stay within sight of the innkeeper while we waited for you to settle our account.”
“I will go,” volunteered Kendan. “Make certain our horses are ready.”
They rushed to the stable, where their mounts were waiting. Adesina slipped the groom an extra coin in thanks, and helped Faryl into Torith’s saddle. She climbed up behind the emaciated woman and waited anxiously for their missing party members.
Than’os and Kendan wasted no time in joining them, and they all rode out of town as quickly as they could without attracting attention. The streets of the city were beginning to fill with vendors and customers alike. Adesina’s eyes darted from face to face, searching for any sign that someone might be taking too much interest in their departure.
The young L’avan queen breathed easier once they left the bounds of the village.
The group
headed east towards the river, breaking into a gallop as soon as they were far enough away from civilization.
Adesina turned to Than’os, who was riding beside her. “Cover our tracks,” she ordered, as she used her own powers to create an illusion to shield them from onlookers. The illusion blanketed the group of travelers with the appearance of the surrounding terrain, so anyone looking in their direction would see only grassland.
Than’os obeyed immediately, the dark red of his eyes glowing with a metallic sheen. The indentations of the horse hooves in the soft ground behind them rose back to its original state, as if the riders had not passed that way at all.
When they reached the edge of the river, they turned south and followed the water to the lake. They stopped briefly to rest their horses, but they knew they had to keep moving if they wanted to escape the Shimat.
The danger seemed much less pressing now that they were away from the village, and the rescued prisoner began to ask questions.
“Why did you rescue me?” asked Faryl as they continued southward. “And who are you really?”
“My name is Adesina,” explained the young queen. “The reason I left the High City all those years ago was to rejoin my people. We had nothing to do with the attack on the city.”
“I know you did not,” Faryl replied in a voice that was both matter-of-fact and pained. “The Shimat attacked the city.”
Adesina frowned. “How can you be certain?”
Faryl’s fists clenched in controlled anger. “I saw them. There may be those who would not recognize the shadows that infested the city that night…but I did. It was during that attack that the Shimat retrieved me,” she said bitterly. “The Shimat always have many purposes behind a single action, but one of the reasons for the destruction of the High City was to make an example of me. I was proof that no one can escape from the Shimat. No one can hide from them. And they will make anyone who causes them trouble pay dearly.”
Adesina could not see Faryl’s face as she spoke, but she could sense the depth of her pain. Adesina had felt that same pain many times in her own life. “But you are not Shimat,” she stated, confused as to why an organization of assassins would care about an apothecary.
“No,” Faryl admitted, “but I am a useful tool to them.”
“I am sorry,” Adesina said quietly, and she meant it with every fiber of her being. She knew all too well what it was like to be hunted by the Shimat. She had spent the last five years feeling as though she was mere moments away from a Shimat attack. She did her best to be prepared and to prepare those around her, but there was always a nagging doubt that it was not enough.
“I am surprised that a L’avan would have ties to such an organization.”
Adesina felt a surge of surprise at the other woman’s statement. It had been a long time since Adesina had trained as a Shimat, and she did not feel that bore any resemblance to them anymore. “How could you know that I do?”
The middle-aged woman nodded in Kendan’s direction. “I know that he is a Shimat. He is the one that arranged for my ‘probation’ at the post where you just rescued me.”
“Why?”
“I am very skilled at what I do,” she explained softly. “That is why the Shimat have not simply killed me. I was imprisoned after they re-captured me from the High City, and I grew close to my cellmate. They were torturing him mercilessly, seemingly without any real purpose. Finally, Breyen said that they would stop hurting my friend if I agreed to continue my work for them and never try to escape again. Kendan arranged for me to be transferred.” Faryl trailed off, her voice overcome with the pain of the memories.
There was something familiar about Faryl’s story. Adesina frowned thoughtfully as she tried to recall what it was.
The High City had been destroyed around the time that Adesina had mounted the rescue mission at the Shimat fortress. That meant that Faryl would have been a prisoner at the same time as Me’shan, Adesina’s father.
The L’avan queen suddenly remembered a statement made by her father as they had tried to escape. He had mentioned Faryl by name, and insisted that they rescue her as well. However, they had been unable to find her, and they had been forced to leave her behind.
“You sacrificed your freedom for my father’s sake?” Adesina asked quietly.
Faryl’s head whipped around. Her green eyes were wide with shock and her jaw dropped. “Your father?” she gasped.
Adesina nodded. “Me’shan is my father.”
Faryl’s voice filled with urgency. “Is he still alive? Did they keep their promise?”
“We rescued him, probably no more than a few hours after you left the fortress.”
The former apothecary stiffened. “Are you saying,” she said slowly, “that I have been a prisoner to honor a promise that became void before I even left Shimat lands?”
Adesina didn’t know what to say. There was no comfort that she could give this woman who had sacrificed so much for a lie.
Kendan slowed his horse, and the others did the same. Adesina was glad for the distraction from her conversation with Faryl. She needed time to consider what she could say to help the rescued prisoner overcome the pain and sorrow of the last five years.
“We will rest here for a while,” said Kendan.
There were two large hills that provided cover for them—one to the north and one to the south. The twin lakes sat on the east, which meant that their position was accessible only from the west.
The travelers began caring for the horses and preparing a midday meal. Kendan and Adesina climbed the northern hill to keep watch. As they reached the summit, they crawled on their hands and knees to avoid being seen from a distance.
Adesina settled onto her stomach and began scanning the north and east. The lakes took up the majority of her field of view, which made it easier to focus on the land that remained. Kendan faced the opposite direction and watched the south and west.
Adesina could not help wondering about her former teacher. Kendan had done so much to prove his loyalty to the Shimat organization, and yet there were inconsistencies in his behavior.
After a handful of minutes she asked, “Why did you arrange for Faryl to leave the fortress?”
He glanced at his former student out of the corner of his eye. “She was Breyen’s responsibility. I only followed his orders.”
There was a brief pause.
“Why did you not tell me your plan for retrieving her? Allies are more effective if they are allowed to help.”
He snorted. “Are you disappointed to have missed an opportunity to argue?”
She frowned. “No, Kendan. I am disappointed that because of your pride we missed an opportunity to rescue Faryl without alerting the Shimat.”
“My pride?” he sputtered. “I was giving you the chance to show a little faith in me. To show that you could look past my former weakness and that we could work together as a team. Instead, you have proven that you are too stubborn to forgive and too narrow-minded to believe that you might be wrong.”
“Purposefully hiding your plans is not working as a team,” she hissed.
Warning bells sounded in the back of Adesina’s mind.
Kendan must have sensed it, too, because there was an abrupt change in his expression. His indignation froze, and he quickly began searching for what was wrong. He pulled out his Blood Weapon—a meteor hammer—in preparation. The finely wrought steel braid was almost twenty feet long, with a throwing knife attached to one end and a lemon-sized metal ball attached to the other.
Adesina’s eyes intuitively turned towards the lake, and she spotted a small boat resting on the banks.
It had not been there before.
She silently cursed her negligence. Why hadn’t she been watching the water as well as the land?
“Kendan,” she half-shouted as she pointed in the direction of the boat and scrambled to her feet. Adrenaline began pumping through her veins and she sprinted back towards the others.
Wit
h an ear-splitting crack, the ground erupted beneath her, sending her flying into the air. Clods of grass and dirt confused her vision, and it took her a moment to reorient herself and to react accordingly.
Adesina’s instincts kicked in, and she used her vyala to land softly on the ground. Her eyes darted over the scene before her.
The other members of their party were lying on the ground, unconscious. Even the horses were on their sides. The dark figure of a Shimat in full uniform moved towards Faryl’s unmoving body, a dagger in hand.
Kendan flashed past her, his meteor hammer spinning. He held the knife in his left hand, with the steel braid wrapped around his wrist three times. Using his right hand, he whipped the ball in circles and prepared to send it flying at the assassin.
Adesina reached out with her powers to locate the other enemy. There was a magic-user somewhere close by that had caused that explosion.
There. On the far side of the hill.
She ran up the slope, knowing that she would need height for what she was about to do.
Adesina leapt off of the apex, letting her body glide through the air. She ignited the energy at her fingertips and sent the bullets of fire raining down on the opposite side of the hill, where her opponent was hiding.
The muscular build of her enemy betrayed his gender, but that was all that she could surmise from his appearance. He was completely covered in black robes and a strange grey mask that had a slightly wolfish appearance.
He dove out of the way of the fire, extending his gloved hand in a commanding gesture. Adesina could feel energy being drawn out of her, causing her to curse under her breath.
She touched down on the ground and began running. It would not do to give him an easy target. The earth around her feet exploded in a wave of shattered stone and pulverized sod. She hardened her skin against the flying debris, but not before several shards of rock pierced her legs and feet.
She gave a sharp cry of pain, but allowed the force of the rupture to take her into the air, where she hovered to regain her bearings. She redirected the flying dirt and stones back towards her attacker with an enormous push of force. One of the fist-sized rocks slammed the magic-user in the face, cracking the mask in two. The pieces fell to the ground, revealing the face of her enemy.