by Callie Kanno
The path inclined upward, winding here and there, and frequently splitting into different directions. E’nes ran over Adesina’s instructions in his mind: left, left, right, left, right, straight, straight, straight, left, left, left, left, right, left, left.
Far ahead they could see the lights of the stables. E’nes fingered the darts on his belt, waiting for Sa’jan to tell him how many Shimat were standing guard.
A thoughtful frown creased his brow, and he pulled his cowl forward even more. E’nes did the same without question, lowering his head as well.
A small servant boy dressed in brown robes hurried forward to take their horses. Sa’jan gestured imperiously, as Adesina had instructed him, sending the boy away without a word.
The two L’avan dismounted their horses and tied the reigns to a standing pole near the tunnel they had just ridden through. The servant boy was still peeking at them from around the corner. The expression on his face was curious, as if he wasn’t sure what they were doing.
E’nes had to remind himself not to stare at the boy in shock. The lad could not have been more than seven years old. What was he doing in a place such as this?
There were two exits from the stable, and Adesina had not mentioned which one they should take. Sa’jan only hesitated a moment before walking towards the one on the left. It was larger, and seemed more frequented than the other.
They moved quickly and quietly, searching for stairs that would take them down to the lower levels. The path that Adesina had described to them appeared to be outdated, so they were on their own in their search efforts.
They stayed to the shadows as much as possible, but the halls were too well lit. E’nes’s heart almost stopped when they heard the sound of footsteps approaching.
The two of them moved to one side, like Adesina had instructed them, and leaned their heads together as if in whispered conversation.
The Shimat walking past glanced at them suspiciously, but said nothing.
The young L’avan exhaled in relief. “We need to get off of this floor. There are too many people around!”
Sa’jan nodded his agreement. He connected to his vyala and walked over to the nearest door, reaching out to sense how many people were beyond it. After a moment he shook his head and moved on to the next door.
E’nes followed him, glancing down the hallway nervously. Occasionally, if the room was empty of Shimat, the older L’avan would nod to him and he would use his own vyala to sense what the room held.
“Storage,” E’nes would whisper. “Restroom. Bedroom. Study. Study. Some kind of servants’ quarters.”
Far down one of the branching corridors, the sound of multiple footsteps could be heard. The two L’avan glanced at each other in alarm and hurried to find someplace to hide.
Sa’jan nodded to the nearest door, but E’nes shook his head. “Council room,” he mouthed. They couldn’t hide in a room where the group of Shimat might enter.
They moved on to the next door. “Study.”
The footsteps were drawing closer.
Sa’jan passed several doors that held occupants, then peeked around the corner to make sure the next corridor was empty. No one was patrolling that hall, so they hurried to turn the corner. The footsteps were still coming toward them, so they went on with their frantic search of the rooms. Most of the rooms in this corridor were filled with Shimat.
Sa’jan moved from door to door, shaking his head and glancing behind them as the footsteps grew closer and closer.
“Psst!”
They both whipped around in surprise, searching for the source of the noise. Far down the hall they spotted Ravi’s feline face in a doorway. He urgently inclined his head to the side, beckoning for them to join him.
The L’avan ran as silently as they could, ducking in the room just in time to avoid being seen by the Shimat patrol.
E’nes saw that they were in the stairway for which they had been searching, but his relief was only briefly felt. He turned to the Rashad and whispered, “What are you doing here? Where are Adesina and L’iam?”
“You actually passed them,” he replied. “They are in a study down the corridor.”
Sa’jan frowned. “What are they doing down here? They are supposed to be searching the upper levels.”
Ravi hurried to explain so he could get back to Adesina, where he belonged. “We were brought down here by the Shimat guards. They took us to the person in charge while the Sharifal is away, and he ended up being Adesina’s former teacher.”
“Are they being held prisoner?” E’nes asked anxiously.
He shook his head. “No, her teacher offered to help. He told us where all of the L’avan prisoners are being kept.”
“What does she want us to do?” was the immediate response from Sa’jan.
“The two of you are to go one level down, where the laboratories are located. That is where most of the L’avan prisoners are being held. Adesina wants to take our group to the dungeon, where Me’shan is imprisoned.”
Sa’jan gave a curt nod. “Are we still meeting up at the stables?”
Ravi’s reply was cut off by the piercing ring of bells sounding an alarm. The three looked at each other in horror.
The Rashad sprang out the door from whence they had entered the stairway, shouting over his shoulder as he ran.
“Hurry! We are out of time!”
***
Adesina watched as Ravi slipped out the door of Kendan’s study. She felt uncomfortable and vulnerable without her guardian at her side, but she shoved such feelings to the back of her mind. She paced back and forth for a couple of minutes, trying to decide the best course of action. It was only when L’iam took her hand that she realized that she was shaking.
“Are you all right?” he asked gently.
Her eyes strayed to Kendan’s unconscious form. “I am fine.”
He smiled at her lie and gave her hand a squeeze. “You know I do not believe you. Why not tell me the truth?”
Her jaw clenched as she fought the waves of emotion crashing over her. “Because that would mean admitting it to myself.” She shook her head impatiently. “We do not have time for this! We need to get going.”
L’iam nodded slowly. “Should we wait for Ravi?”
Adesina was undecided on that point. “We do not know how long it will take him to find the others.”
The thoughtful pause was interrupted by the faint echo of footsteps approaching. The two L’avan froze, staring at each other in apprehension.
A forceful knock sounded at the door.
She spun around, taking in her surroundings. Pools of blood collected on the stone floor, and there was no place to hide the bodies. There was no place for the two L’avan to hide either.
Unless...
Adesina grabbed L’iam and held him close, allowing her vyala to flare up and shield them from the eyes of others. He wrapped his arms around her, adding his energy to hers.
The knock sounded again.
“Shar Kendan?” a deep voice called.
The door opened to reveal three Shimat. The first was a burly man with bristly black hair and a thick beard. He was very clearly the leader of the trio, asserting himself with his chest stuck out. Following close behind was a face that was all too familiar to Adesina.
Basha’s eyes widened in surprise as she surveyed the scene before her. “What happened here?”
The leader gestured to the third figure behind him, who was blocked from Adesina’s view. “Sound the alarm. There are intruders in the fortress.”
Basha shook her head stubbornly. “That is impossible.”
The man gave her a scathing glare. “Is it?”
She was immediately cowed. “I just meant that…”
His harsh voice continued. “Can you think of no one capable of breaking into the fortress?”
Understanding dawned in her eyes, and her voice came out in a hiss. “Adesina!”
A shrill bell began to ring, alarming everyone of
the presence of the intruders. The man and Basha retreated from the room and out into the hallway. He pointed to her commandingly as he walked away.
“You know what to do.”
Basha gave one curt nod and hurried in the opposite direction.
Even after they were left alone, the two L’avan stared at each other in disbelief. L’iam whispered in Adesina’s ear, “What are we going to do now?”
Chapter Forty-seven: The Dungeon
Ravi burst through the door. “Ma’eve!”
She quickly dropped the illusion that her vyala had been creating and stepped away from L’iam, who still had his arms wrapped around her.
“Here, Ravi.”
“We must go now!”
There was no argument from either L’avan. The three of them sprinted from the room and down the corridor towards the stairs that would take them to the lower levels.
The door was opened before they reached it, and a rather disheveled looking Shimat appeared.
Adesina increased her speed and leapt into the air, kicking him squarely in the chest. He was thrown backward and head over heels down the spiraling stairs.
She landed on her feet and led the way downward without pause. The stairs were steep and treacherous, making speed difficult. They hopped over the crumpled form of the Shimat that lay huddled against the door leading to the second level, and continued their descent to the dungeon.
The stone stairs between the second and third levels became damp and slick, making them even harder to maintain a quick pace. The torches were fewer, and the temperature dropped several degrees.
The door at the bottom of the stairs was hard to open. The hinges were rusted, making it screech horribly when forced to move. L’iam was prepared to rush onward, but Adesina placed a hand on his arm, bringing him to a halt.
They stepped into the dungeon, looking around cautiously.
The smell of refuse and decay met them in sickening waves, and the darkness seemed to dance fiendishly in various shades of black. The constant drip of brackish water echoed around the stone tomb until it was maddening.
Not a torch was to be seen, so Adesina created a small ball of light to rest in the palm of her hand. She took a few cautious steps forward, straining to see as much of her surroundings as possible.
A quick scan of the surrounding area, using her vyala, revealed that they were alone for the moment; but she used as little of her power as possible, not knowing if she would need it later.
Most of the cell doors stood open, like gaping mouths waiting to swallow them up. It was clear to Adesina that these dungeons were seldom used, which was understandable since the fortress was not a location that the Shimat liked outsiders seeing, even as prisoners.
The dungeon consisted of three main corridors that were linked by four smaller hallways. Adesina began to systematically search each of these corridors, looking for the cells that were being used.
After a few minutes they came across a door that was locked. L’iam connected to his vyala and swept the room on the other side, searching for what was inside. With glowing eyes he nodded to her, indicating that the cell held a prisoner.
She flicked her fingers backward, and the small ball of energy she had been holding hopped up from her palm and remained floating in the air. With her hands free, she leaned down and began picking the lock.
It took only a few expert movement before she heard the telltale click. Adesina cupped the ball of energy again, bringing it forward. Then, drawing back the bolt, she pushed the door open.
Three figures lay huddled on the ground. The L’avan took a hesitant step forward.
“Me’shan?”
The slight scuff of a boot warned Adesina that someone was coming up behind them. She threw the ball of light into the air, where it hovered and grew brighter, then whipped around to see the hateful face of Basha.
Adesina immediately drew her Blood Sword, bringing it down as hard as she could. Basha blocked the assault with her own blade, grappling with the seventeen-year-old girl.
“Welcome home,” she hissed spitefully. “Come to save your friends?”
The young L’avan threw back her opponent, but her follow-up attack faltered when she saw the commotion going on around her out of the corner of her eye.
The three figures in the cell leapt to their feet and tossed aside the rags that had been covering their Shimat uniforms. They both rushed forward to attack L’iam and would have overpowered him if it had not been for Ravi. He let out a ferocious growl and became visible, which startled the attacking Shimat. This gave L’iam enough time to draw his weapon and prepare to defend himself.
Adesina almost paid dearly for her distraction. Basha swung viciously at her legs, but her reflexes were just quick enough to jump over the intended blow. She brought her blade down again, and Basha had to roll to get out of the way.
The Shimat scrambled to her feet, backing away from Adesina in order to regain her footing. Trying to distract her opponent, she began to speak.
“You should not have come back here. You might have stood a chance of evading us in the outside world, but now you will surely die.”
Adesina’s smile was without humor. “We shall see.”
She did a quick feint and then spun around to add more force to her attack. Basha was not fast enough to evade it completely, and she cried out in pain as the sword slashed her upper arm. Her gloved fingers strayed to the small pouch on her belt, but Adesina shook her head in warning.
“Your powders will not work this time, Basha. I will use my magic to throw them back into your face.”
Fear flickered in her ice blue eyes, but she tried to cover it up with scorn. “I am not afraid of your witchcraft.”
The young L’avan quirked an eyebrow. “Oh?”
“Of course not!” Basha spat. “The skills of a Shimat far outweigh any tricks you have up your sleeve.”
Adesina’s eyebrow arched in mockery. “I am a Shimat, Basha, and much more skilled than you.”
A knowing expression crossed her hardened face. “You have not received the same training that I have over the past year and a half. You have been cooped up in the High City, wasting away to nothing more than a common citizen.”
This time her opponent snorted openly. “If you are so certain of my inferiority, then finish me off. Stop talking about it.”
Basha threw a fistful of red powder at Adesina, but her vyala was at the ready. It sprang up as a shield, returning the concoction back in the direction from whence it came, but Basha was already springing out of the way.
The L’avan ran after her enemy, away from the ball of energy’s light and into the shadows.
She saw the form of the Shimat turn down one hallway, and she increased her speed to head her off. She ignored the passage that Basha was now running down and instead went down the one that ran parallel to it.
They were now completely cut off from the light, and it took Adesina’s eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness. Again, she hesitated using her vyala, not wanting to exhaust herself before this ordeal was over. Instead, she relied on her Shimat training, praying that she was not so out of practice that she could not overcome Basha.
Adesina stopped running as she came to the end of the corridor. She sheathed her sword and moved up against the wall to listen for her enemy’s footsteps. She closed her eyes against the black of her surroundings and focused on what she heard.
The steady drip of the water. The distant sound of L’iam and Ravi fighting the other Shimat. A cold draft of wind passing down the stairwell. The soft shift of leather boots.
A grim smile passed her face, and she prepared herself for an attack.
If it had not been for that barely perceptible noise, Adesina would not have heard Basha coming down the perpendicular hallway. She grudgingly admitted that, if nothing else, her opponent had improved in stealth while she was away.
A quick survey of her surroundings revealed a rusty sconce on the corner of the adjoining c
orridors where torches were once held. She gave herself a small running start, jumped into the air, and grabbed the sconce. Using the rusted handhold, she swung herself around the corner and landed a powerful kick squarely in Basha’s chest.
The Shimat fell back forcibly, having the wind knocked out of her with an audible grunt. Adesina landed harder than she anticipated, and it took her a moment to compensate.
It was just long enough time for Basha to catch her breath and roll backwards over one shoulder. She remained in a crouch, straining to see through the darkness.
Basha attempted to spring forward to tackle the L’avan, but the young woman neatly sidestepped it. Instead of attacking again, Basha scrambled deeper into the shadows.
Adesina had no doubt that she would try to set up some kind of trap, and therefore proceeded after her with caution.
Her eyes darted from doorway to doorway, searching for any sign of movement. She eased her father’s dagger from the sheath on her belt, holding it at the ready.
A soft swish of cloth around the far corner caught her attention, and she hurried forward on silent feet. Adesina stood with her back against the wall, reaching out with her vyala to sense what was around the bend.
Basha’s figure was poised to strike as soon as she came into sight.
She shifted her dagger into her left hand and then pulled out one of her throwing knives. Using her green tinted vision, and keeping her back against the wall, she reached around and threw the knife.
Basha’s exclamation was a combination of pain and surprise as the blade struck her just above the knee.
The young L’avan dashed around the corner and used the butt of her dagger to hit her enemy across the face with as much strength as she could muster. Basha dropped to the ground heavily, unconscious.
Adesina stood over her with an expression of contempt contorting her features. Her grip on her dagger tightened and she went down on one knee, ready to finish the job.