The Exercise Of Vital Powers

by Ian Gregoire

  “During the three years I’ve been serving as the administrator of Antaris campus, you have frequently given me reason to suspect you of possessing the ability,” admitted Fay, taking another sideways glance at Kayden. “But I could never be entirely certain. There was always the possibility it was simply a case of you having good instincts or intuition. However, the ‘capture the box’ exercise last night proved that you can sense Zarantar. That’s why I tested you earlier—to confirm it.”

  Kayden began searching her memory of everything that had happened that day. When had Fay tested…? Oh, of course, she realised. Back at the administration building, in the library; before going down to the underground cavern beneath the campus. Sneaky woman!

  The administrator’s revelation led to another question.

  “This is the second time you’ve implied you know exactly what occurred during last night’s assignment. I don’t see how that’s possible,” said Kayden. “If you had been using Zarantar to follow and spy on us, I would have known.”

  Fay glanced at the apprentice once more.

  “Are you certain about that?” There was a mischief in her voice.

  Glancing at the rider alongside her, Kayden met Fay’s eyes. The mischief was also present in her gaze. That all too familiar, inscrutable expression on her face seemed to be saying, I know something that you don’t know. Kayden resisted the urge to demand that Fay explain herself, knowing there was little chance of her doing so if she didn’t wish to. Instead, she made a mental note: discover other applications of Zarantar a Sanatsai isn’t supposed to possess that she might develop in future. She returned her gaze straight ahead, looking between the ears of her horse.

  “Well, I was sure,” she said in response to Fay’s question, “until a moment ago.”

  Again, there was another lengthy silence; almost long enough to make Kayden suspect the conversation was over.

  “Since we’ve touched upon the matter of last night’s training exercise,” said Fay, breaking the silence, “the most pressing questions I have for you are in relation to some of your feats during the challenge.”

  Kayden had a good idea where this line of questioning was going.

  “Let’s begin with what you did after your assault of Master Zalayna. Not content with just physically harming a member of the Order, you stripped Zalayna of her memories of the attack, demonstrating your knowledge of Barmityanzak, an application of Zarantar that you won’t be trained to master until you are a level nine apprentice. Given what a skilled job you did—causing no damage to her mind—it is all too obvious you have done it before. So, the question now is: when and how did you learn to invoke Barmityanzak?”

  Now this was a question Kayden didn’t particularly want to answer.

  She couldn’t think of a convincing lie to tell but, did she really need to fabricate a plausible answer? There was always the option of prevaricating, or simply refusing to respond—though neither choice was likely to be acceptable to Fay. However, the woman would dislike the truth even more. So why not just give it to her? There was a good chance that the circumstances that led to her learning to invoke Barmityanzak would get the Sanatsai who taught her into much more trouble than herself.

  “I’m not sure you really want me to answer that question,” she said, in her most carefree manner.

  “But you are going to tell me anyway,” retorted Fay. “And that’s not a request.”

  “Suit yourself!”

  There was a hint of smug satisfaction in Kayden’s voice. She knew that once she told the story in full, Fay would find it difficult to justify penalising her.

  “It was last year, during the annual campus inspection, that I first started learning to master Barmityanzak. On the second day of the inspection, a member of the delegation, Master Turan, approached me while I was studying in the library. He said he needed help to carry some books to the archives in the administration building. I could tell from the look in his eyes what he really wanted, but I didn’t want to cause a scene so I agreed.

  “Once we were alone in the archives he lived up to my expectations and made a pass at me. So predictable! At first he wasn’t willing to take no for an answer, but let’s just say I demonstrated that I was more trouble than I was worth, which only served to amuse him—much to my annoyance. I told him he wouldn’t be laughing after I reported him, yet he calmly responded by saying that I wouldn’t be reporting him to anyone because I wouldn’t remember what had happened. The way he said it threw me off, distracting me momentarily. Enough to let him to grab me by the head with both hands. I felt his Zarantar but nothing seemed to happen. When I pushed him away I saw the confusion on his face then confusion quickly gave way to fear. Whatever he tried to do to me didn’t work, and he didn’t know or understand why.

  “I can’t begin to tell you how angry I was: at myself for walking into a situation I saw coming; but also with him, for thinking he could victimise me. I demanded to know what he did to me or I would rat him out to anyone who would listen. He said he invoked Barmityanzak against me to eradicate my memory of his inappropriate advances but something went wrong: he couldn’t enter my mind. As he spoke, I could see in his eyes he was terrified of me, and not because I might expose his misconduct.

  “Fortunately, for Turan, I decided there was more benefit to be derived in not reporting what happened. As long as I kept the incident to myself I had leverage over him. I could make him do whatever I wanted. And what I wanted was for him to teach me how to invoke Barmityanzak. Initially, he baulked at the idea, so I reminded him to think about what would happen if his superiors were to learn that after failing in an attempt to force himself upon a young apprentice, he then tried to violate her mind in order to cover his tracks. Although this made him slightly more amenable, he was adamant there wasn’t enough time to teach me; he would be leaving Antaris in three days once the inspection was over. To him it wasn’t feasible for me to learn in three days something level nine apprentices are taught over a three-month period. I told him not to doubt my ability to learn quickly, while also making it clear I wasn’t giving him a choice in the matter.

  “To cut a long story short, I arranged for Turan and I to sneak away from campus that evening—and the following two evenings—to Timaris. We stayed at an inn where he spent each night teaching me the fundamental principles of invoking Barmityanzak. I think he was more frightened than impressed at how quickly I was able to master it, and the level of control I had.

  “I hope that answers the question to your satisfaction, Administrator Annis.”

  She peered to her left with a smirk on her face to gauge Fay’s reaction. The stoic Sanatsai was staring straight ahead, sitting rigidly in her saddle, the grip on the reins of her horse noticeably tighter. Clearly, Fay was not amused by what she had just heard.

  “You look a little miffed, Administrator.” Kayden made no effort to keep the sarcasm from her voice. “Maybe you shouldn’t ask questions that lead to answers you don’t like.”

  Fay looked at the apprentice.

  “Why would I be angry, Kayden?” She didn’t wait for a response to her rhetorical question. “That you would stoop so low as to blackmail someone is bad enough. But given the nature of Master Turan’s misconduct, the fact you chose not report the matter to me is simply inexcusable.”

  “Why?” She was confused by the second criticism. “No harm was done. That reprobate didn’t hurt me, nor did he have his wicked way with me.”

  “Did it never occur to you that Turan may have done this before?” Fay’s exasperated tone was as close as Kayden had ever come to hearing the placid woman speak in anger. “He may very well have abused his power to violate other girls and women in the past who were not as fortunate as you. And how many more victims have there been since you failed to turn him in?”

  Kayden couldn’t speak. She had not thought of that, and she realised she should have done. She would have been even more disgusted with herself—for only thinking of how she could u
se the situation to her advantage—if not for her indignation at having Fay Annis be the person to confront her with the gravity of her lack of judgement.

  “I’m not the person who permitted a man like Turan to be inducted into the Order!” snapped Kayden.

  She looked away from Fay, finding she could no longer meet the woman’s gaze. “If I had my way,” Kayden continued in a muted voice, “men like Turan would forfeit their lives for what they do.”

  “You needn’t concern yourself with Master Turan,” said Fay. “Now that I know what has happened I will have him dealt with in due course.”

  Kayden was more than happy to forgo any further discussion about her indiscretion with regard to Master Turan.

  “What else did you want to question me about?” she asked sullenly. Any question would have to be better than dwelling on Turan’s potential victims.

  “Last night,” began Fay, “it became apparent that your knowledge and understanding of Zarantar Jist is more advanced than it should be. As a general rule, we Sanatsai are not exponents of this branch of Zarantar. Consequently, every apprentice’s education in this area is rather rudimentary. You are only taught the basics of what it is, how the Jaymidari use it and why. In addition, you are also taught to recognise when it has been used and how to counter or neutralise it, should the need ever arise.

  “While your ability to sense Zarantar does give you an advantage, I was still impressed that you were able to identify, then neutralise, the booby-trapped ward Lazar so carelessly walked into. Which begs the question: who’s been teaching you outside of classes?”

  Unlike the previous question, Kayden decided this question was mostly harmless so she gave a mostly truthful answer.

  “I spend a great deal of my free time in the campus library.” Any of the librarians could vouch for that, she calculated. “There are numerous volumes on the subject of Zarantar Jist, and I have read most of them. In the process I’ve learned many interesting and helpful things.” It wasn’t the whole truth, but it wasn’t a lie, either.

  “So…you’re saying that nobody has helped you increase your knowledge beyond what it should be.”

  The manner in which the question was asked seemed to imply Fay knew, or at least suspected, that Kayden wasn’t being entirely forthcoming. It would probably be a waste of time to concoct an outright lie so Kayden decided to reveal just enough to allay Fay’s suspicions. She could then, hopefully, steer the conversation in another direction; the Sanatsai was getting perilously close to asking her questions she had no desire to answer.

  “If you are asking me if a member of staff has been informally teaching me, outside of class, things that I wouldn’t be taught in class, then the answer is no,” said Kayden. “However, on those occasions when I read something in a book that I either didn’t understand, or just wanted to gain a deeper insight into, I would ask the first Sister I came across to enlighten me.” If Fay asked around campus there were at least half a dozen Jaymidari who could confirm that they’d been approached by her with questions pertaining to Zarantar Jist, including Sister Elsa. “Not one of the Sisters I approached took issue with me asking questions. They were all more than happy to address any queries I had.”

  “So, why don’t you tell me about the cloak you are wearing?” asked Fay, in a decidedly leading fashion. “It is the same one you were wearing last night when you invoked Naymutandushay to walk through the wall to avoid capture after trapping yourself in the bedchamber with Sinton and Neryssa.”

  How does she know that?

  “What about it?” Kayden replied as nonchalantly as she could. She didn’t want to to betray the anxious thought that had just flashed through her mind.

  “Who gave it to you?”

  “I made it myself.”

  “Kayden, I don’t care how many books you may have read, you could not have created a siphon cloak by yourself. Certainly, not one that actually works. Someone else made it for you, or at the very least, assisted you in doing so.”

  “You underestimate me if you doubt my ability to accomplish anything I set my mind to.”

  The retort was abrasive. Any insinuation she was incapable of doing something irked Kayden greatly.

  “I’m not interested in obfuscation or evasion, Kayden. I want the name of the person or persons responsible for you possessing that cloak.”

  Kayden realised the Sanatsai wasn’t going to let the matter go; Fay was behaving like a dog with a bone.

  “What difference does it make?”

  “I am the administrator of Antaris campus. I need to know if and when instructors, or other staff members serving under me, are breaching protocols or otherwise engaged in unbecoming conduct. That way I can put an end to it and, if necessary, discipline those responsible.” She added, more forcefully, “I hope you’re not going to make me ask again.”

  “All right, fine!” she said in a huff. “If it will stop you badgering me, it was Sister Daria who told me what I needed to know. In fact, she’s taught me many things she probably wasn’t supposed to. Happy now?”

  Surprised by the absence of an immediate response to her revelation, the pregnant silence prompted Kayden to glance to her left to see Fay staring disbelievingly at her. Presumably, Sister Daria was the last person Fay suspected given she was the Jaymidari in charge of running the campus infirmary, and had little day-to-day contact with the apprentices. Kayden felt an odd sense of smug satisfaction knowing she had caught Fay off guard, leaving her speechless in the process.

  “Sister Daria would never be so irresponsible or foolish,” Fay proclaimed emphatically, breaking her silence. “If you are playing games, hoping to get someone else into trouble...”

  Kayden gave the Sanatsai her trademark condescending smirk.

  “Haven’t you been paying attention? Do you still not realise I know how to get what I want, when I want, from whomever I want?” She gazed fixedly into Fay’s eyes to drive home her point. “And I always get what I want.”

  “Why would Daria risk her position, not to mention her integrity, for you? What could she possibly have to gain by it?”

  Sighing, Kayden gazed straight ahead once again.

  “Do you want the short version or the long version?”

  She took Fay’s silence as her cue to narrate the full story.

  “About three years ago, shortly before you replaced our previous administrator, I found myself needing to visit the infirmary for the first time since I arrived at Antaris. It was the morning after the week-long survival excursion to Krindari Forest to test our woodcraft. I had woken with a stiff neck and lower back pain. It was nothing serious. Not particularly painful or debilitating, but it did hamper my mobility.

  “While I was being tended to by Sister Alina I couldn’t help but notice Sister Daria observing us, or, more precisely, me. The way she would stare at me whenever she thought I couldn’t see her amused me. She was ogling me the way a fat child eyes a piece of chocolate cake. I knew right away what her predilection was, if you know what I mean.

  “My suspicion about her was confirmed a short while later. Sister Alina wanted to administer a concoction for the pain but Daria intervened, kindly mentioning that while the cordial would ease my discomfort it wouldn’t loosen the stiffness of my neck and back. She suggested that I stay awhile, let her give me a massage to loosen me up a bit. There was an hour to go before my first class that morning so I agreed.

  “Of course, nothing inappropriate happened between us then as there were other people in the infirmary. But let’s just say it was clear from the way Daria was touching me she was enjoying the task a lot more than she should.

  “When I eventually left the infirmary I made a mental note that one day, should the need arise, I could take advantage of the fact Daria desired me.”

  Kayden peeked at her silent companion. Fay was staring impassively at the trail ahead, though her posture indicated she didn’t like what she was hearing. Kayden returned her own gaze forward and continued he
r narration.

  “That day arrived about a year and a half ago. I was becoming increasingly frustrated by the pace of progress in my studies. Although I’d already been granted permission to advance one level early, I still felt as though I was being held back in certain aspects of my education and training. I was spending more and more of my free time in the library, reading about the things that I wasn’t being taught yet in class—not just in terms of Zarantar Jist, but more generally about the various abilities and attributes of a Sanatsai.

  “What provoked my interest most were advanced subject matters I knew I wouldn’t be taught for a few years. But I’m not the most patient person; I wanted to delve into those things, and I wasn’t prepared to wait. The problem was, I couldn’t exactly approach any of my instructors to insist they teach me things that—from their point of view, at least—I had no business asking them to instruct me in. And that’s when I remembered Daria.

  “I orchestrated a chance encounter between us, early one evening, just as she was preparing to leave campus and head home to Timaris. I not-so-subtly indicated I was in need of some private tuition to learn my way around the female anatomy, so to speak, and that I believed her to be the most qualified person on campus to teach me. You should have seen the look on her face. She thought it was her lucky day, and I knew I had her right where I wanted her. I finally had access to someone I hoped could teach me anything I wanted, whenever I wanted. Though it must be said, given Daria’s appetite, it’s a miracle she had the time or energy to teach me anything.”

  She took another quick peek at Fay to gauge the woman’s reaction to this revelation. It wasn’t necessary to be a mind reader to discern just how distasteful Fay found her willingness to use sex to get what she wanted.

  The amusement she felt at seeing the disapproving gaze staring right back at her, prompted her to add, “Please don’t tell me you thought I was a virgin.”

  Fay ignored the latter comment. “Do you not understand how problematic it is to allow yourself to believe that a woman’s only recourse for accomplishing anything is to trade her body?”