by Callie Kanno
With this settled, L’iam turned his own questioning eyes to Sitara. “May I ask, Lady Sitara, why you are the former leader of the Serraf?”
She gestured gracefully with her hand. “Because Adesina is the new leader of the Serraf.”
Silence fell over the group. L’iam’s jaw had dropped at Sitara’s words. It looked rather un-kingly. “Adesina…is…”
The young queen of the L’avan felt her cheeks warm. She suddenly felt self-conscious. “Perhaps we can discuss my journey later. For now I would like to know where we stand in preparing for the upcoming battle.”
L’iam seemed to do his best to recover and led the group into the tent, where a large table displayed various maps and documents. Everyone gathered around the table, including the three Rashad. Adesina stood by her husband and put an arm around him unconsciously. Their desire to stay close and connected automatically transferred into action.
“There are almost fourteen hundred L’avan soldiers training day and night. I would say that only half of them have any real experience fighting, but all of the inexperienced soldiers are receiving extra training.”
“Who is in charge of the training?” queried Adesina.
“Your father, Me’shan,” answered L’iam. “He has been working closely with Ri’sel, Than’os, and Mar’sal. It seems they learned much on their journey to the desert.”
Adesina’s thoughts turned to the two men who had accompanied her during the search for L’iam. In the flurry of her return to Pevothem she had not asked how they were. She did not even know what had happened to her friends after she had crossed over the Threshold.
However, like L’iam, Adesina set her curiosity aside to focus on the matter at hand.
“What of the refugees?”
L’iam referred to the most recent report. “There are almost a thousand refugees that have come to us for protection, but we believe that we will see many more as the Shimat forces travel north.”
Adesina rested a hand on the table. “I am surprised that there are so many, but I am pleased. It shows that the L’avan are gaining the trust of Seharans.”
L’iam nodded in agreement. “I do not believe that any of them would have come to us if it were not for the High City refugees.”
Adesina looked at her husband with a smile. “They are here?”
“Yes,” he confirmed. “At first it was just a small group of them who joined us in the settlement. Then, as the Scepter of Cha-sak became more active, the rest of the High City refugees from Emerald Harbor came to us. Rumors spread that we were offering protection from the Scepter, which brought even more people to us as we travelled to Pevothem.”
Adesina found this information to be heartening. “Are there any among them who are willing to fight?”
“Around three hundred,” K’eb answered readily.
Adesina stared hard at the map in front of her, focusing on the breadth of the Thieves’ Forest. The forest was wide, but not deep. It formed a band that covered the gap between the eastern mountain range and the western coast of Sehar. It was the only way to reach Pevothem by land. In the past it had only been visited by thieves and other unsavory characters, which kept most of the population away from the borders of L’avan territory. Rumors of ferocious beasts had kept the criminals from venturing to the grasslands beyond the forest. It had been an easy way to ensure privacy for the northern magic-users.
Now the forest had been deserted by the criminals, due to the increased L’avan activity south of the borders of Pevothem. It was up to the L’avan to protect themselves and their homes—not just from marauders, but from an army of highly trained assassins who were set on the destruction of the L’avan race.
The numbers of their allies were not what Adesina had been hoping for. “Not all of the Northern Tribes came with us,” she said slowly. “There are probably only sixteen hundred volunteers among them. So that brings our army up to three thousand three hundred soldiers, most of them practically untrained. That is not enough to defend the borders of Pevothem.”
L’iam smiled mysteriously. “We do not need to man the entire forest.”
Adesina furrowed her brow. “Why is that?”
“Do you remember how we returned home after infiltrating the Shimat fortress?”
Adesina couldn’t forget such an experience. Even though it had happened six years ago, it was burned into her memory as if it had only just happened.
She had led a rescue mission to save her father and other L’avan from the clutches of the Shimat. Their escape would have failed, were it not for the aid of the spirits who lived in a nearby forest. They had used their own ancient vyala to transport Adesina and her companions to safety.
“Of course I do,” Adesina replied.
“The spirits have relocated to the Thieves’ Forest.”
“What?” blurted Adesina and Ravi together.
“How is that possible?” asked Ravi, bewildered. “Their vyala was tied to that forest. They should not have been able to leave it.”
“We were trying to cultivate the natural vyala of the Thieves’ Forest,” explained L’iam. “We have never tried anything quite like that before, but we were hoping that we could develop enough natural vyala to mimic the defenses in the L’avan outpost in the central lands.”
Adesina nodded in understanding. The L’avan outpost was a small pocket of natural vyala that repelled people who could not use their own vyala.
“It seemed to be going well,” continued L’iam, “but then something happened.”
“What happened?” asked Sitara with an intent expression on her face.
L’iam gave a helpless shrug. “We do not know, exactly. A change seemed to come over the forest. Except for the area you rode through to get here, the woods are now like that forest in the south—unnaturally dark and full of whispers. I have only been able to communicate with the spirits briefly, but they informed me that they were the same who granted us the boon six years ago.”
“Describe these spirits,” insisted Ruon.
Adesina and L’iam exchanged glances.
“Most of the time they are nothing but whispers,” answered Adesina.
L’iam went on. “We found that when we are connected to our vyala the whispers take the forms of all sorts of fantastical creatures. Creatures of myth.”
Sitara and Ruon shared a rare smile.
“How extraordinary,” murmured Ruon.
“We know what these spirits are,” declared Sitara with tears in her eyes.
Silence fell over the tent as the listeners waited for the Serraf to explain.
“They are the souls of the Immortals who have passed beyond this life.”
Rajan shook his graying head. “How is that possible?”
“We are not called Immortals capriciously,” Sitara said. “Very few things can bring an end to our lives. Even then, death is not a natural state for us. If our bodies are destroyed, our souls remain in a sort of limbo.”
“We were uncertain what had happened to all of the Immortals who perished during the Great Wars,” expounded Ruon. “So many were lost.”
“Now we know,” said Sitara happily. “And now that we know, we may be able to find a way to restore them.”
Adesina took a deep breath. “At the very least, it is enough to know that we are not as vulnerable as we feared.”
Chapter Twelve: Reunions
Adesina and L’iam lay on a padded mat that served as the bedding in their tent. Her head rested on his chest and their arms were wrapped around each other. It had been a long time since either of them had felt so blissfully content.
The lights were out and they should have been sleeping. The feast to celebrate Adesina’s return had begun just after the meeting in the tent and had gone well into the night. Music and dancing had continued long after the food had been cleared away.
Adesina’s reunion with her family and friends had been a joyful one. Her father and brother had been eager to see her, and one glance
at Wren’na, Adesina’s sister-in-law, had told her that she was soon to be an aunt again.
Adesina was tired from her long journey and her eventful night. Even so, sleep was far from her mind. Instead, she and her husband spoke to each other in lowered voices.
All of the questions that had gone unanswered before were now being addressed.
“When I woke up I found I was in some sort of cave,” said L’iam, concluding his tale of being abducted by Basha. I found my way to the entrance where Than’os was waiting. He was gravely injured, but he was conscious. He explained to me where you had gone with the others, and I went to go see if I could find you.”
“Did you have trouble with the obstacles?” asked Adesina.
L’iam shrugged gently. “Not terribly so. When you sealed the Threshold all of the magic that kept the barriers alive was cut off as well. It was a tiring hike, but only because my body was weakened from the ordeal with Basha.”
“And you found the others,” prompted Adesina.
Her husband nodded. “Yes, I found them and told them what I had witnessed. Kendan wanted to search for you, even though I told him that I did not believe you were there anymore. We scoured the Threshold chamber and the path that led to the peak, but to no avail. When I finally convinced Kendan that you were gone, we all made our way back to where Than’os and Maizah were waiting.”
“What did you do then?” asked Adesina.
“We went home,” L’iam answered simply. “Savir led us back to Jame, where we gained passage back to Sehar. We were all convinced that you were still alive and that there was much to do to prepare for your return. We knew that the demon would not be idle, so we could not be either. Even Savir returned to Sehar with us to join the fight.”
Adesina smiled fondly, remembering the desert-dweller who had become her friend. “Savir is here?”
“He is in the southern lands. His ability to transform into a hawk is invaluable as a spy on the Shimat army. He watches them and reports the progress to our network.”
The young queen nodded. He came from a tribe known as the Henka, and all of them bore the ability to change shape into a specific animal.
“Are Kendan and Maizah still here?” Adesina asked in a quiet voice.
Her relationship with her former teacher was complicated, especially after his decision to turn his back on the Shimat order and help Adesina recover her husband. She knew that Kendan still had feelings for her, and even though she did not feel the same she still felt uncertain how to discuss him with L’iam. She did not want her husband to feel threatened in any way.
L’iam’s tone was calm and unburdened as he replied. “They were with us for a while, but then they left. Kendan said that he had some unfinished business that required his attention, and Maizah refused to leave his side. We could have used the extra help, but I have a feeling that he will be back.”
Adesina pondered L’iam’s words for several moments in silence. After a while L’iam hugged her closer and said, “I have been told by Than’os and Mar’sal about your journey to Daemon Mount in Zonne. Would you tell me what happened after you crossed over the Threshold?”
Adesina took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. Then she began her tale, leaving nothing out. L’iam listened without interruption until she came to the end. The silence that followed was much heavier than before.
“So…you are a Serraf now.”
Adesina could hear the strain in his voice. He was keeping his emotions tightly in check.
“Yes, I suppose I am.”
Adesina waited for him to say more, the anxiety of the moment building up inside her until she was certain she’d burst.
Was he upset? Was he excited? Was he confused?
The dim light made it impossible for Adesina to read L’iam’s expression with any accuracy.
Finally, he spoke. “What does this mean for…us?”
Adesina was both surprised and strangely relieved by his question. Of all the things he could potentially be worried about, he was most concerned with their marriage.
She reached up and stroked his cheek. “It means that I will love you beyond mortal bounds.”
L’iam exhaled, half laughing. “You already did that, my love. I just was not sure how it would affect our union. L’avan legends say that the Serraf who married the sons of L’avan were required to give up their immortality. What if the opposite is true, too? What if you have to give up our marriage to gain immortality?”
Adesina frowned. “I do not think it works that way. If it does, then I shall politely decline.”
L’iam’s laugh became more natural. “You would politely decline limitless life and power?”
“Of course!”
“Before you make that decision, we should probably make sure that you would not also be giving up our only chance at winning this war.”
Adesina’s smile slowly faded from her lips. “L’iam,” she said slowly, “there is something that may change how you feel about our marriage.”
“I doubt that,” he replied comfortably.
Adesina raised herself up onto one elbow and looked through the dark to her husband’s eyes.
“As an Immortal…I…I cannot have children.”
His eyebrows shot up in a startled expression. He took a moment before responding carefully. “I did not know that you were interested in having children.”
Unexpected emotion surged up in Adesina, and she found that her eyes were filling with tears. “I did not…I was not…that is, I had not really considered…”
She sat up and turned away, ashamed for losing control of her emotions.
Adesina felt L’iam put his arm around her shoulders, bringing her back to his embrace.
“Oh, my love,” he whispered gently. “Nothing could change the way I feel about you.”
“But you are king,” she insisted, wiping away her tears angrily. “You must have an heir. As an Immortal I cannot bear you one, and there is no knowing how long it will be before my tasks as the Threshold Child will come to an end. What if they never do?”
“It is possible,” L’iam said slowly, “that you will be required to be the Threshold Child for longer than we hoped. It is also possible that it is necessary for you to remain Immortal in order to complete your purpose.”
Adesina lifted her hands with an expression on her face that indicated he was proving her point.
“I will not deny that I have always wanted children, even before it became necessary to produce an heir to the throne.” L’iam tipped her chin up and kissed her tenderly. “However, I would never even consider giving you up. You have a great work ahead of you, and I am not so selfish as to wish it otherwise. We will have to make sacrifices, and there will be uncertainty in how long we will have to work until we are finished.”
He looked intently into her eyes. “Just know that I will never leave you alone as long as I draw breath. I will be your help and your support in whatever you need to do, for as long as it takes. As for the succession, we can worry about that later.”
Adesina nodded, allowing herself to be comforted by his words. After all, there was more than enough to be thinking about with the upcoming war with Cha-sak. As long as L’iam continued to love her, Adesina felt certain that the rest would work out.
***
Sitara quietly slipped through the moonlight alone. Even her companion, Riel, had known not to follow. It wasn’t that the Serraf was doing anything secret. She just wanted to do this on her own.
She made her way south of the camp, to the edge of the Thieves’ Forest. She paused at the tree line, silently wondering what awaited her.
As soon as Sitara stepped into the forest, an unnatural darkness covered her eyes. The moonlight had been bright, but no trace of it filtered down through the trees. Disembodied whispers brushed the fringe of her hearing, but it was as if a halo of protection kept them from drawing any nearer.
Sitara called forth her vyala, letting the power flow through her bod
y.
Her eyes glowed with an inner light, and the darkness of the forest fled. She could see clearly now, and she saw that dozens of white silhouettes stood before her at a small distance. The luminescent figures were all shapes and sizes, each recognizable to the former leader of the Serraf.
“Sister,” cried one of the figures, “you have come at last.”
Tears filled Sitara’s eyes. “Yes, my brothers and sisters. I am here.”
The silhouettes all drew nearer.
“Is the war won?” asked the form of a deceased Gaiana.
All of the spirits seemed eager for an answer.
Sitara sadly shook her head. “We are still fighting it.”
A Qetza fluttered its wings in agitation. “Sssssssurely not! There hasss been sssssilence for centuriesss.”
“We have counted long years,” mourned the rock-like silhouette of a Petre.
An Aurym raised all four of its hands in a beseeching gesture. “Relate to us all that hath happened, sister. Why doth silence and solitude persist so long?”
Sitara told them of the Great Wars, keeping her story as concise as possible. The spirits had many questions, and there were many years of history to cover. As the Serraf spoke, other silhouettes gathered around until she was surrounded by hundreds.
When she concluded, a profound silence followed.
“Ssssso,” said a Qetza sadly, “our brothersss and ssssssisssterss are trapped beyond the Thressshold.”
“Just as we are trapped in this cursed state,” rumbled a Petre.
“The Threshold Child will save us,” assured the spirit of a Serraf. “The prophecy promises us that.”
Sitara wished she could see the face of the deceased Serraf and call her by name.
The form of a Rashad nodded in agreement. “We need only be patient a little longer.”
“What if this Threshold Child cannot save us?” asked a Gaiana. “What if nothing can?”
Sitara stared at the white silhouette coldly. “You doubt the words of the Creator?”
“Of course not,” muttered the Gaiana, “but we are dead. Who has the power to restore life to the dead?”