by Ian Gregoire
Her mind racing to put the pieces together, the realisation that this situation was a setup, and that she had walked straight into the trap, made Kayden’s blood boil. But it didn’t make any sense. Would Fay and Ari really conspire to lure her away from Antaris campus, bring her to Temis Rulan, then take her on a two hour long trek north of the city just to have her killed? No, she couldn’t believe that to be true. Yet she remembered Ari’s confession that he did not kill the Rogue during the last battle of the Great War, and the truth of his admission was now standing no more than sixty yards in front of her.
Anger warred with confusion within Kayden. Her only hope for clarity lay with the black clad figure that had just tried to kill her. She terminated her invocation of Inkansaylar, bringing down her barrier sphere. “Who are you?” she demanded to know, though she was already certain of the answer.
“Some call me Fate. Some call me Destiny,” an androgynous voice said in reply. “Whatever you choose to call me, you cannot escape me.”
Kayden suppressed a groan; she really should have known better than to expect a simple, straightforward response.
“What do you want?” she called out. It would be harder for the Rogue to provide quite as useless an answer to that question.
“I seek to help you,” came the androgynous reply. “I am here to prevent you straying from your path.” Kayden was unsure if this was a reference to a metaphorical path or a literal one, until the Rogue added, “Your path does not lie before you, it lies behind you.”
Cocking her head slightly to one side, Kayden tried to catch a glimpse of the dirt path behind the Rogue, leading into the trees. She had been tasked with following the path to its end and she wasn’t about to be dissuaded from doing so, if that’s what was being suggested.
“I appreciate your concern,” she replied with evident insincerity, “but I am more than capable of walking my own path without your assistance. So, if you would kindly stand aside, I believe my path lies right in front of me.”
“Your true path lies behind you,” retorted the Rogue. “Turn back now. Return the way you came.”
The subtle threat carried in the command didn’t escape Kayden’s notice. But it was of no consequence. The Rogue could have asked her to go back as politely as the politest person in the kingdom of politeness and it would have made no difference, at all. She wasn’t about to be intimidated into turning tail for anyone.
“If I refuse?” she asked pointedly.
She sensed the Rogue’s attack just before two incendiary orbs were unleashed against her. Reacting instantly, she invoked Inkansaylar to create a barrier shield in front of herself. The translucent, rectangular barrier did its job, protecting her from the violent, fiery death being delivered by the orbs that struck it. Nevertheless, the force of the detonation unbalanced her, causing her to stumble backward then drop to one knee. She berated herself. It would have been smarter to invoke Yuksaydan to divert the orbs harmlessly up into the sky, or better yet, straight back at her attacker.
As Kayden quickly stood back up, the ground beneath her feet erupted. Several clumps of grassy turf flew upwards as she was propelled five feet into the air before landing on her back. Though she had sensed the attack coming just before it was unleashed, Kayden failed to react in time. Not that it would have altered the outcome. She had never seen Yuksaydan used to literally rip up the ground beneath someone’s feet, so she was ill prepared to defend herself against the attack. Now that she knew, she’d be better prepared if it happened a second time.
Kayden was determined not to allow the Rogue to capitalise on the successful attack. The instant she clambered back on to her feet she invoked Kiraydan to let loose a lightning flash orb towards her adversary. She closed her eyes and waited for the tell-tale sign, through her eyelids, of the flash of light accompanying the silent detonation that would momentarily blind the Rogue. When it came she opened her eyes and dashed towards her opponent while simultaneously invoking Turmiraydan to unleash two concussion orbs. The pair of fast moving, glowing spheres unexpectedly blinked out of existence just before reaching their target—completely neutralised—but she didn’t stop to curse the unsuccessful attack.
Continuing her charge towards the black clad figure, the air around Kayden suddenly became so thick she found herself moving in exaggerated slow motion, as though she were trying to run through a wall of molasses. It was the first demonstration of the Rogue’s mastery of Zarantar Jist. And while the effect was harmless in itself, as an actual Jaymidari would only use this power defensively, to slow down would-be attackers, Kayden was all too aware of how horribly exposed and vulnerable she now was. If she was unable to neutralise the inertia field, she would be a sitting duck for the Rogue who was now striding towards her at normal speed.
The distance between the pair was almost entirely closed when Kayden’s invocation of Yuksaydan finally neutralised the inertia field. Unfortunately, her focus had been so intent she forgot that the moment she was unimpeded she would be moving at normal speed again, so she was unable to halt her sprint towards the Rogue in time to avoid running straight into the Yuksaydan counter-strike unleashed against her. The invisible blast lifted her off her feet, sending her hurtling backwards almost fifty feet before landing in a crumpled heap on the ground.
Badly winded, Kayden lay on her back, eyes closed, her face contorted in a grimace, and her mouth open in a silent scream. She imagined this had to be what being trampled upon by a wild horse felt like, but her pain was dimmed somewhat by her awareness that she could and should have just been killed. The fact she was still alive could only mean one thing: the Rogue was toying with her, either to prolong her suffering, or in the hopes of forcing her to abandon the attempt to reach the end of the forest path.
Slowly, she sat up to check the Rogue’s current position. The black clad figure was sauntering nonchalantly towards her—forty feet and closing. The apparent casualness raised her hackles, for it implied she represented no threat whatsoever. It was time to demonstrate otherwise.
Ignoring her aching body, Kayden scrambled back to her feet and stood upright.
“You son of a bitch!” she shrieked vehemently, thrusting her right hand forward, invoking Yuksaydan against her foe, reaching out for its throat with the ‘unseen hand’.
Immediately, her assailant responded in kind, halting and thrusting out a hand towards Kayden.
It was Yuksaydan against Yuksaydan.
Kayden slowly shuffled forward, all the while increasing the intensity of her attack. If she could just overpower the Rogue long enough to get a hold around the throat, she could end the confrontation decisively. Inching ever closer to the stationary figure ahead of her, she was utterly determined to overcome her implacable foe, but the exertion was starting to take its toll on her. Beads of perspiration began to dampen her brow. She was gritting her teeth, and her arm was noticeably trembling. Never before had she pushed herself so hard. But it still wasn’t enough.
Kayden came within ten yards of the Rogue before her concentration—and with it control of her Zarantar—slipped. It was only a momentary lapse, but long enough for her to be punished for it. The Rogue’s invocation of Yuksaydan seized her around the neck, lifting her off the ground, choking her. She tried in vain to repel the counter-attack but her adversary was simply too powerful; she was completely at the mercy of the Rogue who could snap her neck like a twig, at any moment.
While her feet dangled helplessly a foot above the ground, the Rogue calmly approached Kayden, stopping just in front of her. She was perturbed when the figure in black looked up at her. Even up close she still couldn’t see the face of the Rogue—the upper half of the face remained concealed by the hood, while the lower half was still obscured by a strange shadow.
“I cannot allow you to stray from your path,” reiterated the Rogue, in the same androgynous monotone. “You will return the way you came, or your journey will end here. Decide now.”
There was no decision to be made as
far as Kayden was concerned. Not even the threat of death could compel her to do something she didn’t want to do. “Go stroke yourself,” she snarled.
Apparently, the Rogue didn’t appreciate the use of even mild profanity. The firm grip around her neck tightened. She couldn’t breathe. But the peril she was in did not provoke any panic within her. Keeping her wits about her allowed her to think clearly about the next course of action. She invoked Balatlaydan, creating an incendiary orb between herself and the Rogue. It was a desperate gambit on her part. Her assailant would have to cease the invocation of Yuksaydan that had her by the throat, or they would both be blown to flaming pieces when the orb detonated.
The invisible grip ceased. Before her feet could touch the ground she instantly invoked Makfayshulat to levitate and drift backwards away from the Rogue, hoping to put enough distance between herself and the blast of her incendiary orb. But the expected detonation did not occur. Looking down she saw her orb still floating harmlessly in front of the Rogue. No matter, she thought, it had allowed her to break free from her attacker.
Kayden alighted on the ground a good fifty yards away from the Rogue. She glared with intent at her opponent. It appeared the Rogue had somehow assumed control of her incendiary orb—that would explain why it had failed to detonate as she intended. The fiery sphere, now rotating rapidly in the air before them, was growing noticeably larger.
She decided not to wait and see what her adversary was going to do next. She invoked Balatlaydan, letting loose a volley of ten more incendiary orbs. The attack was thwarted again, the orbs halted abruptly just short of their target. Once more, control of her orbs had been hijacked by the Rogue. She looked on in frustration as her ten spherical weapons of destruction began to circle around the stationary figure, half of them were moving clockwise, the others moving counter-clockwise, gathering speed with each orbit. She could do nothing as one by one each of the orbs collided with the larger orb growing in front of the Rogue, merging with it, contributing to its increasing mass. It wasn’t long before the singular orb had grown large enough to conceal most of the black clad figure from Kayden’s sight. She could only see the shoulders upward, plus the legs below the knees—everything in between was hidden.
Once the orb’s growing mass had completely obscured the Rogue from view, Kayden unwittingly began to shuffle backwards. Creating an incendiary orb that size was overkill, to say the least, especially if it was intended to be used against her.
The fiery orb gradually stopped rotating then slowly floated upward, prompting Kayden to halt her unbidden retreat. She watched its steady ascent into the night sky, climbing higher and higher. Though she hadn’t forgotten about the Rogue, still standing several yards ahead of her, Kayden couldn’t tear her eyes away from the large orb rising into the air. By the time it stopped ascending, it had risen higher than the tops of the tallest trees surrounding the clearing. It was still growing but also changing shape; the incendiary orb was no longer spherical, it had elongated, with a number of appendages sprouting from it.
Is that a tail? Kayden wondered. And four legs?
As the transformation continued, Kayden’s eyes widened in disbelief at the emergence of a large pair of wings, followed by the growth of a long neck and ferocious looking head. At last, she realised the orb was taking the form of a Zu’tayral—a mythological creature from ancient Zenoshanese mythology. She was utterly transfixed. Once the change was complete the fiery form flapped its wings and began circling high above the clearing.
Kayden finally averted her eyes from the winged entity overhead to stare at the Rogue, standing as still as a statue in the same spot. She couldn’t understand what the point of this demonstration of Zarantar by her opponent was. Admittedly, she’d never before witnessed anyone manipulating the shape of an incendiary orb to resemble a mythological creature, but if it was intended to intimidate her, it would take a lot more than that.
“If you were hoping to frighten me,” she barked, “I don’t scare easily.”
A blood-curdling sound, between a roar and a piercing shriek, issued from the sky above. Startled, Kayden looked up to spy the winged monstrosity created by the Rogue. It was no longer circling overhead; it was holding its position above the trees at the edge of the clearing. Its big, fiery red eyes locked on hers before it flapped its wings once, bringing them to rest against its sides, propelling it forward into a dive—its trajectory sending it inexorably on a collision course with her.
Oh drat!
Kayden turned on her heels and ran. She sprinted as fast as she could in the opposite direction, towards the relative safety of the trees. If she was able to escape back into the forest, the trees would take the brunt of the destruction. Several yards short of reaching the trees Kayden realised she was never going to make it. She stopped in her tracks and spun around; the Zu’tayral shaped incendiary orb was bearing down on her—so close she could the feel the heat radiating from it. Reflexively, she invoked Inkansaylar, forming the strongest barrier sphere she could muster to protect herself.
Just in time.
The huge, fiery projectile struck the translucent bubble around Kayden, instantly engulfing it in raging flames. The force of the blast released by the detonation shook the ground beneath Kayden’s feet, causing her to fall flat on her back.
Recovering her wits, Kayden quickly sat upright to inspect the damage done. The wall of flames surrounding her position rapidly subsided revealing the smouldering, shallow crater her barrier sphere was sitting at the centre of. She was mightily relieved that the protective bubble withstood the destructive force of the attack, but it was cold comfort for her. Not only was she certain it wouldn’t withstand a second strike of similar strength, she had also reluctantly come to the conclusion she was hopelessly out of her depth. She had no hope of defeating the Rogue in a battle of Zarantar; her own abilities were neither as strong or well developed. As it was, she could have been killed more than once already.
Kayden’s sight was drawn back to the Rogue again. Her black clad foe was floating just above the ground, slowly drifting ominously in her direction—hooded black cloak billowing dramatically behind. She scrambled back up on to her feet to face down her approaching adversary, wondering what it had in store for her. The floating figure stopped at the edge of the crater, just a dozen yards or so away from the perimeter of her barrier sphere. She remained a little unnerved that she still couldn’t see the face of the person under the hood, but given her current predicament she had greater concerns.
“In your heart you realise the futility of continuing to defy me,” said the androgynous voice from beneath the hood. “You know your Zarantar is not sufficient to overcome me. I am more powerful than you can imagine.”
“Oh, you talk a good game.” Kayden held both arms out to the side in challenge. “But I’m still alive—undefeated,” she bellowed defiantly. If taunting was the only weapon she had left at her disposal, she was going to use it.
“This is your final chance to return the way you came. If you do not take it I will end your journey now.”
Kayden knew it was no idle threat. But she was not the kind of person who responded favourably to threats. Instead, she scowled at her adversary. “Do your worst,” she muttered, in a defiant undertone.
The Rogue unleashed half a dozen incendiary orbs that struck Kayden’s barrier sphere, one after the other, in quick succession. It held firm, provoking an outburst of laughter from the apprentice. In response, the Rogue held out a hand, invoking Yuksaydan in a renewed effort to neutralise Kayden’s defences. Almost instantly, several areas of the translucent bubble began to deteriorate as though consumed by fire or a corrosive substance.
The threat prompted Kayden to intensify her invocation of Inkansaylar. Those damaged areas of her barrier sphere rapidly healed but she continued to increase the strength of her invocation, further still—putting everything she could into the maintenance of the protective shield. It no longer mattered that her opponent was more p
owerful, she was going to make the Rogue work for the victory.
For several minutes Kayden was able to withstand the Rogue’s efforts to breach her barrier sphere. But as beads of perspiration started to reappear on her brow, due to the intensity of her exertions, she felt her strength begin ebb. A few minutes more and she was done for. Suddenly, much to her relief, respite came when the protracted Yuksaydan assault ceased abruptly and the Rogue’s outstretched arm lowered. It was too much to hope her assailant had given up completely, but it felt like a victory nonetheless.
Exhaling deeply, Kayden smiled at her adversary. “Is that all you’ve got?” she yelled, mockingly.
The Rogue’s head slowly dipped in response.
As much as Kayden wanted to believe her resistance had demoralised her implacable foe, she knew better; something else was going on. She could just about hear the Rogue reciting or chanting in a low voice. She did not understand what was being uttered, but it sounded suspiciously like the dead language used by the Sisterhood for invoking the more potent applications of a Jaymidari’s Zarantar.
Kayden sensed the surge of Zarantar. Once again it was the unfamiliar third variation she had felt for the first time shortly after entering the forest clearing. Though it shouldn’t be possible, the Rogue, having already demonstrated unquestionable mastery of both Zarantar Jist and Zarantar Shayd, was now going to strike with Zarantar Najist, the forbidden art of the Saharbashi.
Nothing appeared to be happening but the observation did nothing to dampen Kayden’s alarm. She knew she was under attack, she just didn’t know how. Waving a hand in front of herself, she invoked Yuksaydan; hopefully the ‘unseen hand’ would reveal the hidden manifestation of the attack.
And so it did.