Page 32 of Veil of Vasara (Fate of the Five #1)

CHAPTER 32 – BAZ

“I t’s been three weeks Yaseer, and we haven’t heard a single thing.”

Yaseer sighed wearily, leaning further back into his chair. The air in the tent was musty, suffused with the scent of leather and parchment. The same tent Nemina and I had been brought to on our arrival here, weeks ago.

“What is it that you want me to do, young man? We knew this might take some time,” Yaseer glanced up.

“What if something has happened to her?”

“Nemina is perfectly capable of handling herself.”

I closed my eyes, trying to convince myself Yaseer was right. I knew Nemina was powerful, but still, she wasn’t fully trained. How could he have asked her to do this so early? No, how could Nemina have agreed? Why was I surprised, of course Nemina had agreed. Nemina would have done anything to get away from this group of people.

For all I knew she had gone on her own way, using this mission as an excuse to leave and never return. I hoped that wasn’t true.

I knew wanting her to return didn’t make any sense, but still, I wanted her to.

I supposed I was just that lonely, that the first person I had spoken to properly after years had automatically become dear to me in my mind.

It was highly unlikely Nemina felt the same.

“Couldn’t we at least send someone to find out?”

“It’s too dangerous. Risking the life of one sorcerer is something I am already displeased about.”

That didn’t strike me as the truth.

“War will inevitably mean all their lives are at risk,” I reminded him.

“There will be no war, no chance at salvation, if there is nobody left to fight in it.”

He was being rather dramatic. As if sending one person to see if Nemina was still breathing was a monumental sacrifice.

“Let me go,” I suggested, clasping my hands behind my back.

“Your training isn’t finished.” Yaseer insisted.

“Neither was hers.”

“She possesses more raw power than you do, more energy. Besides, we need you here. You are good for the people.”

What was that supposed to mean?

“They like you,” Yaseer clarified.

It was true that over the past few weeks I had been learning more about the people here, speaking with them, and growing closer to them. I had laughed for the first time in years, I had smiled.

But Nemina. Gods, she hadn’t smiled once. She hadn’t done anything other than keep to herself. The light still hurt her eyes, I knew. I visited her as often as I could, but she hardly seemed glad to see me the majority of the time.

I shook my head. It wasn’t my job to save her.

But who would. Could she do that for herself?

It didn’t seem so, at least not to me.

“Nemina will survive. She will do what she has set out to do. She will come back.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“She likes you too,” Yaseer answered, his voice tinted with pride.

“You have a very high opinion of me,” I awkwardly turned away.

“It’s true.” Yaseer leant back into his chair. “The second week after your arrival, one of the newcomers tried to take some of the clothes you had set aside for yourself. It was…” Yaseer thought for a moment. “A garment from Kalnasa I believe, lilac in colour. Nemina snatched it from his hands and told him that it, as well as other specified items were not to be touched.” Yaseer chuckled. “She hadn’t meant to threaten him, I believe, but still, the young man certainly perceived it to be a threat. Nobody has touched those clothes since.”

I looked down at my tunic. Lilac.

So, she wasn’t completely intolerant of my company. I knew it. I smiled to myself.

Still, “I’m not sure that’s substantial evidence,” I countered.

“I understand your concerns. But the plan was thorough, and well thought through, and I have faith in Nemina’s capabilities.”

“She isn’t the only one with capabilities. There are very powerful, influential people there at the moment.”

“Yes. But there isn’t one living creature that could pose a threat to her there.”

“What if they catch her?”

Yaseer walked over towards me and placed his hands on my shoulders. “They won’t. Please, unburden your mind of these thoughts and relax, rest. You have earned it.”

“So has she.”

A woman walked into the tent.

“Ahhh, Faina,” Yaseer greeted her. “What is it?”

“There’s been a troupe of trackers spotted,” Faina replied. Her long dark hair was ruffled, as if she had run here. She sounded out of breath.

Yaseer’s voice dropped as did his arms from my shoulders. “Where?”

“Three miles east.”

“How did they get this close?” Yaseer asked himself.

“What shall we do?” She probed him.

“We need to leave now. Find Nyla, she can cover our tracks.”

“Nyla returned to Kalnasa,” Faina reminded him.

“Let me try,” I found myself saying.

Yaseer thought for a moment. “Very well, you should be capable. Come.”

Faina, Yaseer, and I left the tent. Within minutes, Yaseer had gathered everyone and informed them of the situation. We had, by his estimates, less than an hour before the trackers found us. We had to pack any essential belongings, destroy the rest, and then I would remove the traces of our energy behind.

I immediately felt regretful. What if I wasn’t strong enough to do this? What if I lead the trackers right to us? What was I thinking? Nemina’s poor decision making and impulsiveness must have started to rub off on me.

Ullna approached us. “Where is Nyla?”

“She isn’t here, Baz will do it for us,” Yaseer told her.

“The boy?” Ullna looked at me as if I were a stranger.

“We have nobody else.”

“You have me, why didn’t you ask?”

“I need you to ride out now. Go to him and let him know, Ullna. This is the fourth time this has happened in the space of a month, they’re getting closer.”

“That can wait, Yaseer—"

“No,” Yaseer bellowed. “Go now.”

Ullna seethed at him, then tutted. She looked at me. “Don’t fail, boy.”

“I—"

But before I could finish, she turned around and left.

“Who is she going to see?” I asked.

“An ally of ours,” Yaseer answered, as he moved. I followed him.

“Why aren’t they helping us now?”

“He’s not in a position to do so.”

He…so this ally was a man.

“Is he a sorcerer?”

Yaseer didn’t answer as he walked towards the horses.

Faina looked sick. She was a relatively new addition here, and had arrived after Nemina and I.

“They’ve gone through this before,” I said, trying to comfort her. “I’m sure we’ll escape in one piece.”

Faina swallowed and nodded. “I…I don’t want to go back.”

I gripped her hand. “You won’t”

I’d personally make sure of that. If they even considered taking her back as a Vessel, I would kill her before they could get the chance.

There wasn’t one former Vessel alive who would prefer going back to death.

Although, in all honesty, I couldn’t be entirely sure about what Nemina’s decision would be. Her mind worked entirely differently to anyone else’s.

“Young man,” Yaseer said to me, “You must begin now.”

I had only learnt the concealing spell a short amount of time ago. It was a form of one of the five basic castings any Acciperean or Darean could conduct with time- translucency. Translucency could be applied to the self or extended to an entire group if the sorcerer was powerful enough. The other four were strength enhancement, speed enhancement, enhanced healing, and levitation. Enhanced healing was largely unconscious. Of the others, I had managed to succeed in applying speed, and strength enhancement, but I found levitation and translucency more difficult.

The people rushed around, but in an orderly manner. It was clear they had undergone this routine several times before. I closed my eyes and concentrated. I thought about what Nyla had taught me. To let this world’s energy flow through me like a conduit, I had to empty my mind, I had to let it in.

That was far easier said than done. After all, I was petrified too. I was petrified of getting this wrong, of getting captured, of dying.

Slowly, I could feel it. The warmth of the source flowing through my limbs, my chest, I redirected it. I focused on my intention. I focused on my task.

The world's sounds became quieter, the movements of others muted. The sound of Enala crying was the only thing that subtly pierced through the fog. I could distantly hear Yaseer giving orders and instructing others to leave me alone.

In order for Nemina to return, I had to make sure there was somewhere for her to return to.

Just as I had finished, a hand rested on my shoulder. Faina’s.

“We need to go.”