Wrath of the White Tigress

Chapter 19

Jaska drew his weapons as he spun. Salahn stood before them in the Shadowland with saber and bagh nakh in hand. Two large demons with red-black skin and leathery wings, razor beaks and talons, flanked him.

"On short notice I could only bring these two middling demons and myself. I didn't expect to have my prize pupil spying on my past." Salahn stalked closer to Jaska. "Have you nothing to say to your master?"

"I will kill you for what you did to me."

"How pitiful. You have seen that I'm invulnerable. I assure you that I am no less so here." He looked Jaska over. "You look as fit as ever, though I see you wear another's qavra."

"Mine was tainted."

"Indeed, but I can control you without it, even here in the shadows of the past."

"I think not."

Salahn raised an eyebrow. "We shall see." He turned to the Farseer. "I didn't know for sure that you existed. I am glad that we could meet. Tell me, what is my future?"

"The future holds many threads. I can only tell you what will most likely happen."

"Nalsyrra who serves Karphon can do more than that."

"Yes, but she knows only that future which her gods will show her."

"You could make a good ally. And as an ally, there would be no need to invade your island and destroy you."

"Destroy me if you must, but for all these millennia, the Arhrhakim have resisted corruption--by humans, Eirsenda, Zindarhi, and races that have not even made it into your legends. I don't fear death, and I certainly don't fear you."

Salahn smiled. "You should."

Jaska turned to the Farseer. "Go! Save yourself."

"I will open the way for you to return."

"How noble," Salahn said, "but I have not given you my permission to leave."

"Will your demons stop me?"

Salahn ordered them to do so, and the Farseer laughed. She clapped her hands together and instantly her form burst into a cloud of bats that swirled about, dispersed, and streamed past the demons who stared at them in confusion.

Salahn cursed and ordered them to ignore her. "Ah well, this is her domain for now. But it is not yours, Jaska. Return to me and I will make you a god. Everything will be as it was before. You and Mardha together at my side fighting valiantly against our enemies."

"I will not serve your evil."

"You will believe your cause to be good. You will not know any difference. Isn't that better than death? I will even spare your precious Zyrella."

"How would I know that you'd do that? I'd never have another true thought of my own."

Salahn sighed. "It seems I must make you my slave again by force."

Jaska leapt forward with his saber but Salahn chanted words of power, bindings strengthened by his new abilities. Jaska halted, struggling against the compulsions that assaulted his mind, taking the avenues his old qavra had forged. His new qavra didn't provide adequate protection.

"You will fall to your knees and worship me."

"Never!"

"You will obey me!"

Jaska struggled and cried out. Yet he couldn't stop his knees from bending. He was falling to Salahn's will and couldn't stop it. Hopelessness filled him, but then a bestial roar sounded through the Shadowland and the bonds weakened.