The Ascension Trial

by CJ Embers

  I held up a hand to silence them, then said, “You don’t have to apologize, and you don’t have to hide. Shekri is no longer under the rule of the Tehji; you’re free to be with who you want.”

  Relief crossed their faces, and they thanked me before I left. As I walked, I wondered if the contrasting feelings that hung in the air were related to what I had just witnessed— people knowing they now had freedoms, but it still being too new for them to feel comfortable exercising those rights.

  I decided to go to Enari’s house to ensure she was following my orders. After knocking on the door, I stood back to wait. It was a few moments before it opened.

  My former friend stood there, holding the child against her waist. When she realized it was me, her gaze immediately dropped. Seeing my half-brother, it felt like I should have felt a semblance of care for him, but there was nothing.

  “Do you want to come in?” Enari asked softly. She looked depressed, with circles under her eyes and a pale complexion. I couldn’t help but think she was just making the offer just to appear nice.

  “No. I just wanted to stop by to make sure you listened.”

  When someone called my name, I looked over to see Ary. With a last glance at Enari, I went over to see what she wanted.

  She was grinning from ear to ear. “I’m in love!”

  I gave her a funny look. “That was fast. With who?”

  Ary laughed. “Not with ‘who’, but ‘what’! I spent the first night in a house, with a clean bed, privacy… for the first time in years! The villagers I’ve talked to so far are so nice, too. Honestly, I feel incredibly blessed to have met you, Kena. You allowed me to get my life back.”

  “It wasn’t all me,” I said with a smile. “You and the others played a big part in us getting here.”

  “Don’t be so humble,” she chastised. “We’d still be in that jailhouse right now if it wasn’t for you.” Ary paused, then said, “Maia told me about last night, by the way. I’m sorry your mother betrayed you. I can imagine it was a difficult choice to make.”

  “Not really, to be honest. She was always against me from the beginning, since the first time I started displaying behaviours and opinions that differed from the Tehji’s, so we weren’t really that close. Learning of her betrayal cut any remaining thread of what little bond we had.”

  “That’s understandable.”

  “What was Maia’s reaction when she told you?”

  “I think she was a bit surprised, but she was supportive of it. I don’t think you have to worry about us,” Ary said. “We would be the first ones to agree with you that getting rid of traitors is a good thing. They’re a liability.”

  “Nala seemed quite uncertain about it,” I mentioned. “Well, she did agree with my points after we spoke.”

  Ary nodded. “Watching someone be executed will naturally make some people uneasy, especially when it’s a daughter killing her mother. I still don’t think you have to worry. Maybe try talking to Nala about it more if you are still concerned, though.”

  I nodded and thanked her. She mentioned wanting to continue exploring the village, so she took off.

  Back up at the palace, I was spending some time with Kain while thinking about Oren. The memory of that day in the athenaeum where I came to learn of his betrayal still made me seethe. I wanted a second in command again, but I didn’t know how I could ever get past the actions of my first one. How could I put my full trust in someone again, trusting that they would protect me, trusting that they held my same ideals, when the first time ended with a stab in the back?

  When I saw Nala next, I took Ary’s advice and spoke to her again about what happened. Although I didn’t really care what opinion she held regarding it, I needed to make sure that opinion wasn’t going to lead to her betrayal.

  She apologized, and when she spoke more about it, her words lined up with what Ary figured was going on. Content with that answer, I left her to her day.

  In the evening, the five women wanted to celebrate our victory and their first day living normal lives again, so we had a meal in the palace dining hall.

  For the most part, I was silent, simply listening to the conversation while eating and watching Kain gnaw on a raw chunk of meat. Even though I had spent so long with these women and trusted them more than simple acquaintances, I was still used to being a loner. Growing up, I was always the black sheep, and then I spent months as an Iuni. Having people actually want to be around me, who shared my opinions, felt odd and slightly off-putting.

  Sitting there, letting my mind drift, an idea wiggled its way into my mind. When there was a lull in the conversation for a moment, I put my fork down and cleared my throat.

  Looking around at the others, I said, “I want to overtake Marnori.”

  Chapter 20

  T he five women looked at me with slack jaws. They glanced at each other, shock and confusion on their faces for a few moments before it was replaced by curiosity and excitement.

  “Let’s do it!” Maia exclaimed. “Wait— you meant not just you, right?”

  “Right,” I chuckled. “I know this was out of the blue, but think about it: the Tehji of the capital will most likely always come after us. If we can overthrow them, we’d have command of the entire country, not just this little village.”

  Sida questioned, “How do you propose the six of us take over an entire city?”

  “It wouldn’t be just us. We would get the entire village to help. Train them to be soldiers.”

  “Even with the entire village, our numbers would still not even compare to those of Marnori,” she pointed out.

  Nala’s fingers tapped the table as anticipation lit within her eyes. “I’m in. I don’t know how we will do it, but I want to do it. I trusted Kena to get us out of prison, and she did. I have no doubt that we can find a way to take over Marnori.”

  “But we got out with heavy casualties,” Ary pointed out. “Don’t get me wrong, I am totally keen for the idea; I just don’t have any idea how we would pull it off safely.”

  “Or even at all,” Avani added. “But regardless, I’m in, too. The men of the patriarchy nearly killed me. They killed Zaila and all the others. It’s about damn time they have to suffer too.”

  Everyone else nodded in agreement.

  “Well,” I said, “our first step would be to get the villagers training. Even if we start now, it will be months before they are ready to fight in an actual battle, so we will have plenty of time to brainstorm a plan.”

  The others agreed, looking excited at the idea. For the rest of the meal, the chatter heavily revolved around taking over the capital.

  The next day, I summoned the village to the stage. When they had all gathered, I began.

  “Yesterday evening, something was decided. With Shekri being the outlier in Karua, we will always be under threat. Because of that, it’s been decided that to continue living in peace, we will be attacking the capital.”

  The crowd was stunned. Meeting some of my friends’ gazes, I could see excitement still flickering within them.

  Someone called out, saying, “This sounds like revenge more than preventative measures. We weren’t attacked before, before the army came for you.”

  A smile tugged at my lips. “This is revenge, too. I’m not hiding that. Marnori deserves to burn for their so-called laws. But the point still stands that I have no doubts that the capital will try to come for us. We weren’t attacked before because they didn’t know of my leadership until a betrayer sent word to them.”

  “They know I escaped, they know I set free their female prisoners, and they know I killed the first Tehji in Shekri. I highly suspect they figure I came back here, and they will come for blood.”

  “How are we going to attack Marnori?” another person asked.

  “I’m not sure of the specifics yet, but for now, the entire village will be partaking in training. I will be selecting a few guards to oversee this.”

  The villagers were shocked once again.<
br />
  “What about the elderly? And the women who are pregnant?”

  “They’re not exempt. While I don’t expect them to come to Marnori and help fight, they are still required to learn about combat— at the very least through verbal teachings— so there is some resistance if something happens to the village while the rest of us are gone. Now, any other questions?”

  Everyone was silent, clearly still trying to digest the news.

  “Okay then. Anyone who refuses to train will be executed.”

  Leaving it on that note, I dismissed everyone and gathered some guards. After speaking with them for a bit, I chose a handful who would suffice as trainers, then left them to begin.

  * * *

  A few weeks passed, and training was coming along well. The first few days were a mess, and many people— women especially— ended up getting minor injuries. Since then, however, the villagers’ knowledge on combat continued to improve.

  Thankfully, no one refused to train. I was more than willing to execute any who did, but I was glad I didn’t have to make our numbers smaller than they already were.

  Helis hadn’t talked to me since the night he appeared to admonish me for killing my mother, but I didn’t have much time to dwell on it. With overseeing training, leading, and taking care of typical day-to-day things, I barely had time to think about anything other than the tasks in front of me.

  One night, a guard had come to me and mentioned that a villager had seen a rider in the forest bearing the colours of the patriarchy. Knowing that likely meant the capital had sent someone to scout the village, I ordered longer and tougher training. If possible, I wanted to avoid a battle at Shekri, because one could lead to deaths and major injuries; so the sooner we would be ready to attack the capital, the better.

  During this time, I also sent a villager named Algar to Marnori under the guise of having escaped my rule and seeking refuge. Because Shekri’s numbers could not compare to Marnori’s, part of the work-in-progress plan included an inside man. Similar to how the women and I overtook Shekri, I wanted any Marnorian supporters of my leadership to know of our plans to overtake the capital and be ready to fight with us when the time would come.

  Having someone in the city spreading the news was incredibly risky, however. If Algar accidentally spilled the beans to even just one wrong person, the Tehji of the capital would surely send their army here again, and this time with the intent to wipe us all out.

  But, I was willing to risk it. With the sheer size difference of our armies, rallying more supporters was the only way we would be able to succeed.

  I was just about to start undressing to go to sleep when there was a knock at my bedroom door. My mind immediately flashed to Oren, and I bristled before remembering he hadn’t stepped foot in this village— never mind knocked at my door— for months.

  Turning the knob, I swung it open to see a guard named Cedir.

  “Good evening,” he said, dipping his head in respect. “I’m sorry to disturb you so late, but this is something that can’t wait until morning.”

  “What is it?” I asked, already fearing the worst.

  “There are some citizens here from other villages. They spoke of Algar by name and say word of his recruiting has reached the shadows of many settlements. They want to join our cause.”

  My eyebrows raised. I had been expecting something horrible, but this was on the exact opposite side of the spectrum.

  “They’re waiting now to speak with you.”

  “Guarded, I hope?”

  “Of course, ma’am.”

  Straightening my clothes, I let the man escort me after calling Kain to my side. We went through the throne room and out the large front doors of the palace. At the top of the stairs, I looked down in shock. The sheer number of people waiting by the stage was staggering.

  “I thought you said some,” I said, glancing at Cedir.

  He chuckled and apologized for the word choice.

  Down below, the crowd that waited was bigger than the entire population of Shekri. I didn’t know if it would still be enough, but it was certainly enough to significantly boost our chances of winning the battle.

  On the way down to the stage, I looked around to ensure the new arrivals were indeed guarded. To my relief, Cedir had been telling the truth; many guards were posted around the huge group.

  At the stage, I welcomed everyone, then said, “I have been told you’re here from other settlements in Karua, come here by the word of Algar. Is that correct?”

  Everyone nodded, many of them glancing at the large wolf beside me.

  “And why are you here?”

  Someone near the front said, “Everyone who is here is tired of the Tehji and their laws, just as you are. We want freedom to choose.”

  “Do the remaining villagers in your hometowns have suspicions?”

  Everyone shook their head, and the same person answered. “Algar has been very discreet. When his word reached other settlements, it was both sent and received by people who hold the same ideals.”

  “Good,” I responded. I had figured it already, based on the Cedir’s word choice, but I wanted confirmation from the people themselves. “Unfortunately, there isn’t enough room in the village for you to spend the nights—”

  I stopped short when my gaze rested upon someone I never expected to see again: Kasiya. My mind went blank for a moment, and I struggled to get back on topic so as to not make a fool of myself in front of all these people.

  “—so you will have to stay along the outskirts; the guards will show you where.”

  I explained to them about the daily training, then sent some guards to lead them to where they could camp out. Before the men could all leave, I pulled one aside.

  “Make sure the new arrivals are guarded around the clock, especially at night. We cannot afford for them to attack us right now. Also, make sure word about them spreads to the people of Shekri in the morning.”

  The man gave me a nod, and I sent him off. To my expectations, Kasiya hadn’t followed the others. We watched each other for a moment as I stood still on the stage, contemplating what in the world I would say to him.

  Taking a deep breath, I sighed and descended the stage. He met me halfway, a big grin lighting up his face. The sheer happiness in his eyes was infectious, and despite having no idea where my opinion on him stood anymore, I couldn’t help but smile as well.

  Kasiya spoke first. “I don’t even know what to say.” He ran a hand through his hair and almost looked overwhelmed. “It really hasn’t been that long since we last spoke, and yet you’ve changed so much…”

  I lifted one shoulder in a small shrug. “I haven’t; not really. I’m still the same person who was willing to break the Tehji’s rules to be with you.”

  At my words, shock crossed his face. Then, he chuckled. “Well, you’re certainly more forward than you were back then. But I guess what you said is confirmation that me leaving was the right decision. I doubted it for a while, and I missed Shekri terribly. But I think if I would have stayed, you and I would have been found out by someone other than Veren.”

  My mother flashed in my mind, and my jaw tensed. In any other circumstances, I would have been ecstatic to now have the opportunity to be with Kasiya freely. But knowing he had been with my mother in such a way and was the father of my half-sibling made my stomach swirl with nausea. And now, he wasn’t the one who I was interested in being with anyway.

  Kasiya must’ve taken my expression and silence for something else, because he said, “You look quite tired. Can we catch up tomorrow?”

  At his words, I realized he was right. It was past my bedtime, and my room was calling my name. I agreed to talking tomorrow, and he gestured to Kain with a smile. “Are you going to introduce me to your friend before you leave, though?”

  I gave my wolf’s ear a rub. “His name is Kain. Long story, but we became friends while I was living as an Iuni.”

  “Can I pet him?”

  “Yes,
but go calmly.”

  Kasiya did as I said, and a grin formed on his face again as he gently scratched Kain’s chin. My wolf lifted a back leg, trying to scratch too and causing Kasiya to chuckle.

  “He’s a handsome boy,” the man said. He straightened and added, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Kena.”

  I said goodnight, and to my surprise, Kasiya put his arms around me before I could step away.

  His embrace didn’t elicit any feelings, which I found odd; at the very least, I expected to feel some sense of awkwardness with knowing what happened between him and my mother. But maybe I was too tired, or maybe I just didn’t care anymore.

  Regardless, I returned the hug, and a few moments later we pulled apart. Kasiya gave me another smile before turning away and leaving in the direction of the other newcomers.

  A few minutes later, I was in my room on my bed, cozy under the covers and staring up at the ceiling. Whenever I couldn’t fall asleep immediately, it was then that thoughts of Helis snuck into my mind. The fact that he hadn’t so much as talked to me for weeks left a hole in my heart.

  I was tempted to call for him, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I knew we had differing opinions on what happened with my mother, and I didn’t want to pretend to be sorry just so the Trial deity would talk to me.

  Throughout the next day, I spent a lot of time around the new arrivals, wanting to keep an eye on them to look for any suspicious behaviours. The longer I watched them, the more I became convinced they were genuine. They were attentive and energetic during training sessions and were friendly with the people of my village.

  Sometime during the afternoon, Kasiya sought me out, still wanting to catch up. Seeing his tanned skin glistening with sweat brought me back to the few days I had gone to see him at the stables. I pushed that memory away and suggested we talk over lunch. He agreed, and we went to my favourite place.

  As we sat down with our meals and drinks, I spoke first. “Did you go say hi to Veren already?”

  “I did; earlier this morning, actually.” On the subject of his best friend, his face lit up. “Gosh was it ever good to see him after all this time.”