by Ian Gregoire
It finally dawned on Kenit that the couple’s son had to be the child he and Fay were looking for. What were the odds that the boy would be abducted shortly before they arrived, by a mysterious group of Zarantar wielders?
“About half an hour ago there was a knock at the backdoor—six hooded men wearing matching uniforms, gathered on the landing. The leader of the group claimed they were from the Order, and that they had come to take the new Sanatsai away to be trained. But I knew he was lying. Something about those men made my skin crawl, not to mention I’ve seen the uniforms worn by the Order before, and theirs was nothing like yours. Although they had the black hooded cloaks, the rest of their uniform was mostly a dark shade of red with black trim and black stitching.”
Kenit noted the very subtle change in Fay’s demeanour when Sedona described the uniforms worn by her son’s kidnappers. Did she know who this group was? he wondered.
“I told the men they had made a mistake—that they’d come to the wrong address,” Sedona continued. “I said I was unmarried and had no children, and then I closed the door. I don’t know why but I was scared. I just knew I had to get Tylo out of the house, quickly. As I was heading for his room the door burst open behind me. I spun around, and as I feared, the six men marched into our home. The head of the group said that I was a terrible liar, and without even laying a hand on me, he started to strangle me. I could feel the invisible hand around my throat, squeezing. I must have passed out, because the next thing I remember is waking up on the floor to find Radmilio trapped inside that bubble.”
Kenit couldn’t believe what he was hearing. This supposedly simple little errand was fast turning into a potential nightmare, and worse than that, it was only just beginning.
“All right,” said Fay. “It appears that it is your son my colleague and I have come to Relona to find. I realise you must both be worried sick about him, but I assure we will do everything we can to rescue him.” She turned her attention to Kenit. “First, we should notify the local Guard, at once. We need to ask them to set up checkpoints at all the exits out of town, and provide men to help us conduct a thorough sweep.”
“I think it might be too late for that,” Radmilio interrupted, “I heard the men say they were leaving town straight away. And the haste in which they left makes me doubt they’ll still be here for you to find.”
“In that case,” replied Fay, “we’ll try to pick up their trail right away. They don’t have too great a head start on us. Nonetheless, once we leave I’d still like for you to go to the local Guard to request the setting up of checkpoints and the initiation of a sweep of the town. In all likelihood you’re probably correct in your assessment that the men have already left. But they won’t be able to evade us for long. You’ll see your son again, I promise.”
Fay sounded so convincing Kenit almost believed her—wanted to believe her. But he wasn’t nearly as confident they could track down the boy let alone rescue him. The men who took Tylo had at least a half-hour head start, but worse than that, they were demonstrably wielders of Zarantar, a prospect that filled him with dread because these men couldn’t possibly be from the Order.
“Danai Annis, what if the Guard should come upon this group while we’re trying to pick up their trail outside town?” Kenit asked. “They would be powerless to prevent them from escaping.”
“The Guard will know to give a wide berth to misusers of Zarantar. All they need do is to keep watch until we arrive to take care of the situation. Now, let us move out.”
“Thank you, Master Sanatsai.” Though clearly anxious, Sedona seemed to be holding it together well. “Please bring our son back.”
Turning on her heels, Fay marched purposefully towards the backdoor, and Kenit fell into step behind her, following her out of the house. As they descended the staircase at the back of the building he wondered just how his counterpart was planning to pick up the trail of the men who’d abducted Tylo. They could be heading anywhere, assuming they had left the town already. He refrained from voicing any such query, content to just follow Fay’s lead while she retraced their steps back the way they had come.
Several minutes later they arrived back at the inn where their horses were stabled. The two stablemen were surprised to see them return so early but they were pleased when Fay tossed them each a gold ranid.
“So, I take it we’re heading back to the seminary to send a message to the Council?” said Kenit questioningly, as they led their mounts outside.
“Why would we do that?” Fay’s tone made him feel as though he’d just posed the most stupid question imaginable.
“To request reinforcements to help us recover the boy.”
“There’s no time for that,” said Fay, dismissively. “Besides, what purpose would it serve to call reinforcements?”
“Well, whoever these men who took the boy are, there’s at least six of them and just two of us.” And rescuing Tylo from the clutches of his Zarantar wielding abductors almost certainly meant a confrontation: a fight he would be ill equipped to participate in. And while he had grounds to believe Fay could handle six adversaries by herself—if all the stories about her were true—Kenit was all too conscious of the fact that he’d believed similarly about Marit Katarnian, five months earlier.
“And your point is?” asked Fay, as she brought them to a halt outside on the street in front of the inn.
“The point is…” Kenit didn’t wish to appear cowardly but he had to tell Fay the truth, or something resembling the truth. “The point is,” he said, “if it becomes necessary to fight in order to rescue the boy, you might want someone other than myself as backup. Somebody with actual combat experience.”
“You’re probably right. But you’re all I’ve got right now, so I’ll just have to make do.”
“But—” Kenit’s protestation was cut short when Fay sighed, pointedly locking her eyes on his. Whether she was angry or just exasperated he couldn’t say for certain but there was no doubt she was displeased.
“Kenit.” It was the second time Fay had addressed him by his first name, not by his rank and family name. “When you were given the two choices, why did you choose to become an apprentice?” Given her demeanour Kenit hadn’t anticipated the gentleness in her tone; she sounded like a concerned mother.
“Because…” It dawned on him that he didn’t really have an answer. “Because I… Well…”
“It’s all right, there isn’t a right answer,” interjected Fay, “so you don’t need to tell me what you think I want to hear.”
It was a relief for him to hear those words. “The truth is I don’t really know why I accepted the apprenticeship,” Kenit conceded. “I guess I saw the opportunity as a chance for a little adventure. Plus, I assumed I would be sent back home to my family sooner rather than later.”
“And yet you completed the ten years training and were inducted into the Order. You succeeded where many fail, and others choose to quit. You have earned the right to wear that uniform,” Fay gestured at his clothing, “so never doubt yourself in that regard. But you must also remember that having embraced the tremendous gift you’ve been bestowed with, you now have a responsibility to use it whenever the need arises.”
Kenit began to feel somewhat guilty about his reticence to attempt a rescue of the kidnapped boy. Fay was right, he did have a responsibility to use his power to help others. Whether or not he was up to the task was another matter entirely. “All right, what’s the plan?” he asked. “The abductors could be anywhere by now.”
Fay elegantly climbed up into the saddle of her horse. “We’ll head north out of town, see if we can pick up a trail.”
“How can you be sure they went north?” asked Kenit, looking up at Fay.
“I can’t be certain. But the balance of probability favours going north. If the group had fled south we would have encountered them on our way here. Heading east would take them towards the border with Mirtana. There’s a large military presence in the area: three major garrison
towns, not to mention the border patrols. And assuming the group wants to avoid a confrontation with the Order, they wouldn’t travel westward as we have a training camp a few miles west of here, and of course, the Duranis campus is to the northwest.
“It would make the most sense for our quarry to head north, taking them into the Sharadi Forest. It’s a vast wilderness spanning both sides of the border, going there would make it easy for them to conceal their crossing into Mirtana. For all we know, they could very well be based in the Sharadi. The forest contains several ruins of an ancient civilisation that could be used as a base.”
Kenit had to trust in Fay’s judgement. She obviously knew what she was doing, she was the experienced one and following her lead was the prudent course of action. So, in spite of his misgivings about the potential dangers that lay ahead of them, he mounted his horse.
“Very well, Danai. Lead the way.”
Fay urged her horse into a brisk trot and Kenit did likewise. The hunt was on for the mysterious kidnappers of a young Sanatsai-to-be.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The Calm Before The Storm
Kayden and Master Ari were not yet out of the valley, so she was taken by surprise when he halted in his tracks to proudly declare that they had finally reached their destination. Confused, Kayden slowly spun around, three hundred and sixty degrees, to cast her dubious eyes over their surroundings. Straight ahead, to the north, were deserted flatlands, just grass as far as the eye could see. To her left she saw the western ridge of the valley, the skies behind it tinged with the orange-red glow of the dying light from the sun, disappearing below the horizon. Behind her was the southern pass that had brought them into the valley, while to her right she could just about see the eastern ridge of the valley being encroached upon by the darkness of rapidly approaching nightfall.
She and Ari had just a handful of small and medium sized white rocks for company, haphazardly scattered about, protruding from the earth. She very much doubted she’d been brought all that way just to stare at some rocks.
“Master Ari,” she exclaimed. “We’re in the middle of nowhere.”
“That’s a matter of perspective.”
Kayden looked on as Ari invoked Sinjaydan to create a large illumination orb that he sent floating several feet above their heads. Next he removed the knapsack from his shoulder, crouched down, and began to unpack it. First came out a large red and white check tablecloth that he spread out upon the grass before him. Though she was growing accustomed to Ari’s unorthodox manner, Kayden had a hard time believing he’d brought her on a two-hour trek for the sole purpose of having a picnic.
Ari looked up at her. “Have a seat, Kayden.” He gestured for her to sit opposite him on the other side of the tablecloth.
Kayden removed the knapsack from her shoulder, placing it gently on the ground, then duly sat down across from Ari. She watched as he removed a number of cloth bundles from his own knapsack that he proceeded to unwrap. The respective bundles contained stoned dates, an assortment of nuts and dried fruit, slices of cold meat, and some vegetable fritters. They were going to have a picnic, it seemed.
“If you look inside your knapsack you’ll find a canteen and two mugs, plus a few treats for desert,” said Ari. “The canteen contains honeyed mint tea, why don’t you pour us both a cup?”
Kayden reached for the knapsack and proceeded to empty its contents. First she pulled out the canteen—still very warm to the touch—then two ceramic mugs. Next she removed three cloth bundles and set them down on the tablecloth. As she began pouring the tea, Ari stood up and turned his back to her. She observed with interest as he thrust a hand forward at one of the larger rocks before him. A stream of shimmering air, resembling a heat haze, extended from him to the white rock; Ari was invoking Shakbarilsan to rapidly heat up the rock. Within moments it was so hot the rock was radiating heat back towards them. He repeated this process with a few of the smaller rocks that circled their picnic spot before sitting back down.
“Summer nights here on the island tend to be rather mild,” announced Ari, “but once you reach my age a little extra warmth is always very welcome, nonetheless.”
Kayden handed Ari a cup of mint tea, for which he thanked her, then she set about unwrapping the three remaining cloth bundles. The first bundle contained a selection of jam tarts, the second an assortment of flapjacks, and the third contained several oatmeal biscuits.
“Master Ari, you didn’t bring me all the way out here to eat,” she said. “What are we really doing here?”
“The answer to that question shall reveal itself to you soon,” Ari replied cryptically. “In the meantime, tuck in. We’ll be here a while yet.” With that he began to help himself to some dates.
Grasping her mug of tea, Kayden held it up to her nose. She had never tasted mint tea before, honeyed or otherwise, but it sure did smell good. She took a cautious sip of the beverage and swallowed.
“Mmmmm!” she sounded. “That tastes so good.”
Smiling back at her, Ari replied, “Yes, it does.”
Kayden proceeded to help herself to the food on offer. For the next few minutes she and Ari ate and drank in contented silence.
The lull in conversation eventually came to an end when Ari said, “On our way here you brought up the topic of your history lessons, which is rather fortuitous because the weight of history is one of the reasons for your presence here today.” He took another sip of mint tea then set down his mug. “Perhaps the most important historical account you would have been taught while on campus is the role played by the Rogue during The Great War; correct?”
“Yes, Master,” replied Kayden as she helped herself to another fritter. “Though I don’t see how the stories about a rogue Sanatsai constitute actual history.”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Oh come on, Master! The alleged accounts of the Rogue are nothing more than tales of the kind parents tell their children in order to frighten them into behaving.”
Ari fixed her with a penetrating gaze. “In some ways, Kayden, you are right,” he said soberly. “The life of the Rogue is very much a cautionary tale. But I assure you, the Rogue was a real flesh and blood person just like you, and the instrument by which Josario, the Usurper King, waged war in his quest to subjugate the Nine Kingdoms and establish an empire.” The intensity of his gaze eased, slightly. “I’m curious as to why you believe otherwise.”
Kayden didn’t have to give Ari’s query much thought. “Back on campus, whenever any of the instructors mention the Rogue, it’s always in such vague terms. They seem to go out of their way to avoid identifying this person: they never provide a name, never provide a place of birth, never provide a physical description… Nothing. For that matter, they also refrain from specifying the gender of the Rogue, as you’ve been doing. It’s almost as if someone decided that the less detail provided about this alleged rogue Sanatsai the easier it will be for everyone to keep the story straight.”
“You are very cynical for one so young.” Ari chuckled in good nature. “But to address your point, the reason for the vagueness in the specifics of the Rogue’s identity is twofold. Firstly, the purpose of teaching you apprentices about the role played the Rogue during the Great War is to warn you of the dangers of misusing and abusing the great power you’ve been blessed with. So in that regard the identity of the Rogue is ultimately irrelevant. And secondly, the truth of the matter is, none of your instructors know the true identity of the Rogue any more than you do.
“When Josario unleashed his weapon of choice against the Nine Kingdoms very few people who subsequently encountered the Rogue lived to tell the tale. As a result, during the Great War it was frequently whispered that to look upon the face of the Rogue was to see death itself.”
“But Master Ari,” said Kayden. “Even if I accept you at your word that the Rogue was a real person, surely the accounts taught to us are exaggerated.”
Picking up another date, Ari asked, “What mak
es you say that?” He placed the sweet brown fruit in his mouth and chewed.
“According to the historical accounts, after Josario usurped the throne of Balintana and subjugated the kingdom, he was then quickly able to conquer the kingdoms of Yaristana, Jibaltana and Farintana. The rapid advancement of his forces only slowed down when the king of Shintana pre-empted Josario’s inevitable invasion of his kingdom to launch a counter-offensive. Yet, in spite of this setback Josario’s forces were still able to conquer two thirds of Shintana before the coalition you helped form defeated them decisively during the final battle of the Great War, at Lilac Valley.
“The problem with this simplistic account of history is the idea that by seizing the reigns of power in Balintana—the smallest and weakest of the Nine Kingdoms—Josario could then use it as a springboard for accomplishing such incredible military successes, in under two years, because of a single Sanatsai spearheading his forces. It’s just not believable.”
While waiting for his response, Kayden took the opportunity to pour herself some more honeyed mint tea. She glanced at him when the reply she was anticipating did not arrive. Master Ari appeared to be locked in thought. Reminiscing about something, perhaps?
“It’s not believable to you because you never witnessed with your own two eyes what the Rogue was capable of,” Ari remarked, finally. “Experience would surely change your mind, make no mistake. For my part, I can tell you in no uncertain terms that the Rogue was the most powerful Sanatsai I had ever encountered—able to utilise Zarantar in ways I never imagined, and with a mastery and control I’d never seen the like of before.
“It might interest you to hear that some of the abilities you have learned to master as an apprentice, were first pioneered by the Rogue.”
That was a very interesting revelation, Kayden realised; no wonder she’d never heard it mentioned before. Throughout the Nine Kingdoms it was a commonly held view that the Rogue was evil incarnate. If the people were to learn that all Sanatsai of the Order are trained to use abilities first mastered by the Rogue it would likely prove very controversial.