The Labyrinth of Destiny

by Callie Kanno

  Adesina began to press the man in return, her mind moving as quickly as her sword. She soon found an opening and leapt to the side, her blade slicing the tendons in the man’s legs.

  The man screamed in agony and fell to the ground.

  Adesina leveled her sword at him, resting the tip against his chest. The man stared at her with fervent hatred glowing in his eyes. He was breathing heavily, but he spoke clearly.

  “Lord Cha-sak is the destiny of this world, and his Scepter shall bring all of humankind to its knees. He will conquer with a blaze of glory, and all who oppose him shall burn.”

  Adesina suddenly felt a wave of pity as she looked down at the man. “You are wrong,” she said softly. “Cha-sak is a demon of Darkness, and he will be destroyed by the Light.”

  “Never,” shrieked the fanatic. “Lord Cha-sak will live forever. He will shape the universe with the power of his mind. He will turn our world from its path of self-destruction and use it as a tool to build his kingdom.”

  Adesina didn’t have a chance to say anything in response. The man reached up and grabbed the blade of her sword, pulling it down to pierce his own chest. He died almost instantly, his face still twisted in an expression of grotesque adoration for the demon who had sent him there.

  “Ma’eve?”

  Ravi slowly approached her from behind.

  “Ma’eve, the fighting here is over. The last of the advance force has retreated, presumably to regroup with the main army.”

  Adesina nodded, but her thoughts were far away.

  Ruon had convinced her that killing an Immortal was wrong—so wrong that it put her own soul in jeopardy. She had briefly considered merely putting Cha-sak back into the realm where the other Immortals now waited.

  After hearing the words of the dead man before her, she knew that wasn’t an option. Cha-sak was like poison to the mind, and he had to be eliminated.

  Adesina had to be certain that he would never come in contact with another living soul again.

  Chapter Forty-Four: Devotion

  Cha-sak was not one to pace.

  The useless motion showed weakness. It made it seem like one was ill at ease. He always stood still, exuding strength and surety regardless of what he was feeling at the moment.

  Even now.

  If he were a weaker person he would have been pacing the length of his tent, staring at the black fabric of the walls. Instead, he stood like a black pillar of stone. Nothing could have moved him from that spot before he was willing.

  His ruby eyes turned to Basha’s immobile form, the only other living thing in the tent with him. She was carefully seated on a throne-like chair, positioned to look as though she were meditating.

  In truth, her soul had long ago departed from her body. Everything that had made Basha who she was had been absorbed by Cha-sak. All that was left was a faintly beating heart and a body that was alive only by technical definitions.

  Basha’s final—likely unwilling—service to the demon had been to ensure that no one, not even an Immortal, could banish him back to his prison.

  Cha-sak would have smiled, if he had a mouth. The air chilled with his dark pleasure.

  He knew that he would conquer this world. He knew it. His plan was a perfect one, and humans were the ideal mortals to carry out his wishes. They were weak and greedy, and they did not balk in the face of violence.

  Oh, yes.

  Humans were perfect for what he had in mind.

  It was true that he had a small handful of enemies that opposed him, but it was only a matter of time before he crushed them. After all, they were few in number and they had little by way of resources. How could they possibly stand in his way for long?

  But then the satisfaction Cha-sak felt began to fade.

  He did not need to search to find its source of his discontent. He knew exactly when it had begun: when he had sensed the powerful surge of vyala to the north.

  Cha-sak had not felt such power since…

  He had told himself that it was unlikely that Adesina had been the source of the power. After all, the Ancients had not taken part in the Great Wars. Why would they choose to get involved now?

  Adesina claimed to be the Threshold Child. Cha’sak knew the Immortals’ prophecies concerning the Threshold Child, and it seemed unlikely that the Immortal Council would support her if they did not believe her claims. And, if Adesina was the Threshold Child…

  No, that could not be true.

  The tale of the Threshold Child was nothing more than a way to comfort those too weak to embrace the Darkness. The Immortal Council must be using the human girl for its own purposes. That was the only reasonable explanation.

  Yet the doubts in Cha-sak’s mind did not go away.

  The opening to his tent parted and a squarish woman walked in. Her name was Velia, and she had stepped into Breyen’s place after he had disappeared.

  Her sharp, cold gaze swept the tent, resting briefly on Basha before hurriedly moving on.

  Cha-sak felt a hint of amusement at her apparent discomfort. Basha’s presence often had that effect on those who came into the tent. The demon thought it served as a good reminder that their small lives meant nothing when compared to his power.

  Cha-sak allowed himself to be seen by the assassin, and she dropped to her knees with her head bowed.

  “My Lord Cha-sak, a group of the True Scepter are here and request an audience.”

  Velia’s voice was carefully controlled, but Cha-sak could still detect the scorn in her tone. The True Scepter of Cha-sak was a collection of extremely devoted humans who had separated themselves from the rest of his servants. They hated the mercenaries for their lack of loyalty and they envied the so-called Shimat for their superior positions in Cha-sak’s army.

  The fanatics had declared themselves as the only true followers of the demon.

  Cha-sak felt another wave of amusement. Humans were truly such useful creatures, and fanatics were the most useful of all. He could ask anything of them, and they would carry it out without question. They would sacrifice their very existence if he felt inclined to ask them to do so.

  “They may enter,” Cha-sak rasped.

  Velia backed out of the tent with her head still lowered, and he could hear her speaking to the humans waiting outside.

  One by one, the members of the True Scepter crawled into the tent in abject humility. They kept as low to the ground as possible, not even allowing their faces to point upward.

  A half a dozen entered the tent in total, and they remained prostrate in Cha-sak’s presence. The demon allowed himself to feel pleasure at their adoration. It was fitting that humans should treat Immortals with the proper respect, instead of presuming to be equals.

  “I have given you permission to enter my presence,” Cha-sak said in a low voice. “Why do you dare venture for such favor?”

  “Oh, Great Cha-sak, Lord of All! We are worms in your presence. We are lower than worms! We are less than the dust beneath your mighty feet.”

  It was the leader that spoke. Cha-sak had never learned his name, nor the names of the other members of the True Scepter. They never offered the information, and Cha-sak didn’t care enough to ask.

  “You are correct, and it is good for you to be aware of your place,” purred Cha-sak.

  The groveling fanatics tried to lower themselves even more.

  “Why have you come?” demanded the demon.

  The leader spoke for the group. “Lord Cha-sak, Purveyor of Wonder, we humbly beg that we be allowed to serve you. For though we are nothing compared to you, we would gladly give our lives in your service.”

  Cha-sak surveyed them thoughtfully. “How would you wish to serve?”

  There was a slight pause.

  “My Lord, in the last battle we were required to fight in the groups that were determined when we volunteered to join the army. The members of the True Scepter were scattered among the…other…soldiers. We wish to be a division unto ourselves, so that we may
fight among those who share our ideals.”

  “Is there not to be unity among my servants?” asked the Shimat demon harshly.

  The fanatics flinched.

  “That is not my intent, Mighty One,” the leader amended hurriedly. “I just wish for there to be greater unity among your most devoted servants. The mercenaries do not care with whom they fight alongside, and the Shimat assassins are scattered throughout the army. We would like to take up arms with those whom we call our brothers and sisters.”

  Cha-sak allowed a heavy silence to fall.

  In truth, it did not matter to the demon. His goals would be accomplished no matter the groupings of his army. He simply didn’t want his servants to think that he was easily persuaded to do anything they requested.

  Also, he enjoyed the fear that radiated from their puny bodies.

  “Very well,” he said finally. “You many form your own division.”

  Their relief was palpable.

  “Thank you, Great One,” gasped the leader. “We are humbled by your benevolence.”

  A sudden idea came to Cha-sak, and his eyes narrowed with sadistic glee. “The True Scepter of Cha-sak shall be given a task that the rest of my army shall not share.”

  The fanatics had been preparing to crawl backwards out of the tent, but they all froze in expectation.

  “There is a woman among my enemies who is more dangerous to our cause than any other. She is the symbol of hope for those who oppose me, and I would have her eliminated.”

  “Of course, Lord Cha-sak,” blurted the fanatic leader, eager to accept any bidding from the Shimat demon.

  “The True Scepter of Cha-sak will make it their priority to find and destroy that woman.”

  There was a tentative pause before the groveling man spoke again. “How will we know her, Mighty Cha-sak?”

  “Fools,” barked the demon, and the fanatics flinched and moaned in terror. “All of my servants should know the face of Adesina. You have faced her in battle and seen her fight to end our cause.”

  There was a sense of panic in the air as the prostrate humans scoured their memories for the answer.

  “The woman with the purple cape,” supplied a small figure in the back.

  “Yes,” purred Cha-sak. “Finally, a capable servant among you. Come forward.”

  The figure crawled forward, her face still pointed toward the ground. Cha-sak pointed at the woman and whipped his vyala in her direction. The woman screamed in agony and she was lifted into the air.

  An intricate design began to glow on her face. It had the appearance of a pair of feathered wings exploding outward, the feathers turning into bolts of lightning.

  The design glowed brighter and brighter, and the woman’s screams grew louder. The smell of burnt flesh began to fill the tent as the glowing design marked her face permanently.

  When it was all over, the woman was dropped on the ground where she lay sobbing quietly.

  “You have been marked with my favor,” Cha-sak drawled lazily.

  The woman stopped crying suddenly as she heard his words. “My Lord?” she questioned.

  He went on as if she hadn’t spoken. “You now bear the mark of the Shimat demons, a great honor that few humans have experienced. I name you the new leader of the True Scepter of Cha-sak and command you to destroy Adesina.”

  “Yes, Lord Cha-sak,” breathed the woman. “We will not fail you.”

  “You may leave,” the demon said shortly. He did not want to hear any promises or sickening expressions of adoration from humans.

  The fanatics crawled backward out of the tent, leaving Cha-sak alone with Basha. He turned to his “chosen vessel” and his eyes shone with satisfaction.

  “You would find this amusing, Basha. It is unfortunate that your delightfully evil mind is gone.”

  ***

  Kendan kept out of sight as the members of the True Scepter of Cha-sak walked away from the tent. He had listened to the entire exchange, and he frowned.

  He had known that Adesina would be a target, but it was quite another thing to send a group of fanatics after her. They were volatile and unpredictable, which was a deadly combination.

  Kendan kept to the shadows and slipped away from the black tent. He would need to hurry back before he was missed by his supposed master. Maizah had agreed to signal him if there was any sign of trouble, but Kendan wanted to be careful anyway.

  He hurried through the camp and back toward the southern end, where all of the servants did their work. They were kept away from the soldiers, so they could go about their business without disturbing the mercenaries and the Shimat.

  All of the laundry was done in the same area, and Kendan made his way in that direction. The air filled with the steam of boiling water and the smell of strong soap. None of the other servants looked up as Kendan walked by. They were too busy with their own work to bother with anyone else.

  Maizah was patiently working alone, scrubbing the shirts of the Shimat who had claimed them. She saw him coming and an expression of relief flashed across her face.

  “Yes, I know,” he murmured to her as he joined her in doing laundry. “I was longer than I anticipated.”

  She looked at him with questioning eyes, and he knew what she was wondering.

  “I confirmed the location of Basha, but while I was there I overheard a conversation between the demon and some of his fanatic followers.”

  Maizah finished with the shirt she was cleaning and picked up another. Then she turned her eyes back to Kendan, waiting for him to continue.

  “He has ordered the fanatics to seek out Adesina and kill her,” Kendan concluded with a scowl. “She has enough to worry about without a group of insane demon-worshippers making it their sole purpose to end her life.”

  Maizah raised her eyebrows and gestured with one hand. Kendan understood her meaning.

  “I know there is nothing we can do about it here, but I am still worried. I wish I could send some sort of warning.”

  Maizah’s dark eyes reverted to their natural state of expressionless neutrality. Kendan took this to mean that she had nothing else to say on the matter.

  She was right, even though it galled Kendan. There was nothing that they could do. They could not send any sort of message without revealing that they were spies. Their mission was more important than any warning they could give. The fanatics may pose a threat to Adesina during the battle to come, but she would definitely fail in her confrontation with Cha-sak if Kendan and Maizah did not complete their assignment.

  “I hate leaving her in such danger,” Kendan went on as he viciously scrubbed a set of undergarments. “It is not the first time I have seen harm heading toward her and have had to ignore it.”

  Maizah quirked an eyebrow at him.

  “It is not that I doubt her ability to take care of herself,” he defended. “It is just…”

  He searched for the words to express how he felt.

  “I was supposed to be her mentor. That is the role of a Shar. Instead, I was ordered to spy on her and manipulate her. I abandoned her when she needed me most, and I have never forgiven myself for that. I know that she has moved on with her life and she does not need me to protect her, but I cannot help but wish to do now what I should have done then.”

  Maizah reached over and gave his hand a soft squeeze. Kendan smiled at the empathy in her eyes.

  “Thank you,” he said sincerely, “but you are right. We have work to do here, and we are almost ready.”

  The Tracker nodded in agreement and turned back to the laundry in her hands. Kendan did the same, but his mind continued to mull over what was to come.

  He now knew the exact location of Basha, and he had seen that the security around the tent was minimal. Guards were probably unnecessary with Cha-sak present, but the demon would not always be there.

  Adesina would eventually face him in battle, and that would leave Basha practically unprotected.

  When that happened, Kendan would complete his
final act of penitence for his betrayal of the woman he loved.

  Chapter Forty-Five: Parley

  Adesina was wrapped in a cloak of vyala as she floated gently above the trees. She used her vyala to bend the light around herself and create an illusion of invisibility so she could watch the movements of the Shimat army without becoming a target for their archers.

  She watched with her enhanced eyes, analyzing the deployment of the soldiers. Part of her wondered if she would spot Kendan among the masses, but she immediately dismissed the idea. The camp had been erected a safe distance from the battlegrounds.

  The leading ranks of the Shimat army drew closer. Adesina waited until the right moment, then sent a stream of bright gold vyala downward, setting the trenches aflame. Fire lapped at the fuel piled there—the sticks and kindling, the bodies of the enemies who had died in the ambush.

  The Seharan archers took their signal from the appearance of the flames. They began to loose waves of arrows into the stalled ranks of the enemy.

  Mercenaries began to fall by the dozens, and Adesina felt a fierce sense of satisfaction.

  The L’avan queen sensed the wave of vyala before it took form. A wall of darkness formed before the Shimat army, and the arrows of the Seharan archers could not pierce it.

  Adesina bit back a curse. She supposed it served her right for assuming that Cha-sak would remain as disengaged from this battle as he had been in the last.

  “Adesina,” boomed a voice across the sky, “I would speak to you. Come forward in one half hour, alone.”

  The young queen was surprised, to say the least. She had just assumed that Cha-sak would send his mercenaries forward to fight them, and that would be the end of it. The demon had not indicated his purpose, but Adesina knew that anything Cha-sak wanted could not be good for her and her allies.

  She left her vantage point and used her vyala to float gently to the ground. Ravi and L’iam were there waiting for her.